Justified

I taught Sunday school last Sunday.  Since it is stewardship "season," I decided to tackle the concept of stewardship.  I used some of the introductory material from Dan Dick's book Beyond Money.  He talks about the idea that the "so that" of discipleship is stewardship.  Discipleship is learning about God, creating a relationship with him, following in his footsteps, learning to live a life that is shaped by God.

Stewardship is putting all of that into action.  It's using our gifts and our talents, our time and energy, in the way God has taught us for the tasks God has given us.  Stewardship puts feet on discipelship.

And the other way around.  As we act as stewards, we learn more about God, follow him more closely, and come to be more Christ-like.... so that we can act more Christ-like.

Near the end of the lesson, a person in the class asked me, "I don't understand how anyone can call himself a disciple if he hasn't been born again."

I think "born again" might be one of those terms that has been corrupted, just like "stewardship" has.  I don't argue with the idea that we are and will be born again.  I just argue with the idea that it must be at one particular moment, with a blinding flash of light (metaphorically speaking).  We can be justified by God in a moment, in a month, in a year.  We are justified once and then again and again.  Daily, I must make the decision to follow God.  Daily, he provides the grace to create in me a new heart, justified. 

I am troubled by the judgement in the question, "Are you born again?"  Sometimes I feel as if my answer is requested so that my worthiness for God can be judged by the person answering the question, and I don't like that feeling.

God has brought me to the point where I can say, "yes" to him, and he continually moves me on to perfection.  I have nothing in it in which I can brag; it is the work of God.