Recovery Devotional 267 Called to What?

JMD Devotional 267 Colossians 2:6 Called to What?

As you have therefore received Christ, [even] Jesus the Lord, [so] walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him.

I grew up in fairly unsophisticated institutional churches that seemed to place all of their emphasis on recruitment and in building an earthly kingdom. All of the hell-fire and damnation preaching was geared to get someone to walk down the aisle to get ‘saved’. But in my experience, they did not know what to do with people once they became ‘saints’, filling the pews with spiritual infants. Any man who could keep his nose clean was elevated to deacon. People were roped into teaching Sunday school and serving on committees without a lot of regard to their gifts and abilities. What resulted was a very adolescent, dysfunctional organization, an institution driven more by human manipulation than by the Spirit of God. My words are harsh; but the impression endures. The Church should focus on discipleship and spiritual maturity, not on a one-time event or on but on a lifetime walk that is increasingly getting in step with Jesus. It is the difference between spiritual stagnation (dead works) and life. It is about abiding in Him and He in us; and we in each other in blessed union: living, growing , breathing God in. Jesus did not call us to park on a philosophical platform or to parrot a doctrine; He called us to walk and live with Him (be yoked together).

Dear God,

There is something wrong when so-called ‘spiritual life’ leaves me lonely and bored…I suspect that that kind of ‘life’ has nothing to do with You. It is Your presence, purpose and plan that imparts meaning to everything that would otherwise be mundane. Impart Your Holiness into my life: abide in me and draw this person into union with You and the Church. Cultivate maturity in Your people: raise up coaches, teachers and leaders to help us apprehend the fullness of Christ in our lives; for Your glory.

Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by

the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)

Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation

*New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

I originally produced these blogs between 2006 and 2007, which were then published in my book, JMD Recovery Devotionals. In 2010, I am sending these out to a few people as I review them and see if my point of view has changed.

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