Considering Your Christian Experience

Greetings friend.

The reading below from Bogatzky seemed to capture the essence of some things I’ve been pondering recently: the nature of Christianity, and the nature of one’s Christian experience. Actually, I consider these subjects continually both generally (as would apply to all Christians) and as they pertain to my own life (as an individual Christian). I question what Christianity is, as I now understand it, and what my Christian experience is, as I now live it.

It follows that I also consider what my life could be (before God, unto myself, and before others), as I by imagination extend these reflective thoughts and beliefs as truths to trust in, and I envision my life given over to those beliefs as I live them out. With assistance of imagination, the task is easy. Real life, though, contains actual struggle. May we not think of ourselves more highly than we should.

May I ask, dear friend, do you also ponder such things yourself? Do you wonder about your understanding of Christianity? Do you wonder about your Christian experience? Do you consider how you live Christian truths? Do you also see yourself living differently? Do you struggle? Does your Christian experience confirm to you that you are truly Christian and that God does actually exist and love you? If so, you are not alone. This struggle is normal and critical to the Christian life.

The text below is Bogatzky’s May 31st reading from The Golden Treasury. I’ve altered the structure a bit to separate thoughts and, hopefully, to allow for greater clarity in your mind and heart as you not only read but consider and reflect on his message. The author of the hymn is unknown.

“In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. Psalm 94. 19. See also 2 Corinthians 1. 3-5.

A contented man, without afflictions, is ready to place his trust, and seek his comforts, in temporal things.

Earthly desires crowd upon him, filling his soul with vanity, and he cannot well taste the sweet comforts of God's word, but under the burden of the cross.

Here we often enjoy more solid rest than if we were without a cross, and then that word is fulfilled which Christ says, Matthew 11. 30: "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Thus our hearts are set against the world, reconciled to heavenly things, and easily separated from many idols which we could not resist or forsake before.

Well, then, may we bear these salutary burdens, which, when sanctified, will produce present comfort, and soon issue in eternal rest and glory.

And since the Lord has promised to give strength sufficient for the day, that we may not be tempted above measure, there is abundant reason again to say that his burden is light indeed.

'Tis good for me to wear the yoke,

For pride is apt to rise and swell; '

Tis good to bear my Father's stroke,

That I might learn his statutes well.

Father, I bless thy gentle hand;

How kind is thy chastising rod,

That force my conscience to a stand,

And brought my wand'ring soul to God.

Friend, allow me to select a few lines from Bogatzky’s piece and restate them here:

“A contented man, without afflictions, is ready to place his trust, and seek his comforts, in temporal things. Earthly desires crowd upon him, filling his soul with vanity, and he cannot well taste the sweet comforts of God's word, but under the burden of the cross. Here we often enjoy more solid rest than if we were without a cross.”

Let me select again: “A contented man, without afflictions, is ready to place his trust, and seek his comforts, in temporal things.”

Dear reader, whatever place you are at with your understanding of Christianity, beliefs or truths to be lived, remember at all cost that Christianity is not simply (or even fundamentally) a set of beliefs or truth statements to be trusted and to be lived. Christianity’s central point is that you, if you are in Christ, are in a relationship to the living God; an ongoing, moment-by-moment, continuous and never ending, living, loving, and dynamic God relationship. It is above all a living, most personal, experience with God.

When Bogatzaky states “A contented man, without afflictions, is ready to place his trust, and seek his comforts, in temporal things,” he describes our natural (sinful) condition and the propensity of our fallen flesh to seek and trust the wrong things in life, and he tells us afflictions are one of God’s blessed tools to bring us to see our misplaced trusts and to see as false comforts rooted in the temporal.

If you find yourself aware that you are in such a position (misplaced trust), your doctrine, your beliefs, your church experience won’t ultimately liberate you, satisfy your soul or assist you as if they were the end-all behind the required correction. If you must reject trust in what is temporal (false objects of hope), you must shift that trust properly to what is eternal and the true object of hope: God. If you hear yourself readily reply “But…” then you truly trust not God as God.

That shift from trust in the temporal to trust in the Eternal is accompanied by and rooted in humility, confession and repentance. Focus on the temporal as helps and comforts must be rejected as idolatry, because those objects have been given by you the place of God. God is trustworthy. Relate and rest primarily in Him for all pieces of your life experience, not your circumstances nor false comforts, nor temporal objects.

Dear reader, as I close this letter, permit me the freedom to restructure and restate the hymn above. I found the reordering strangely agreeable and the message beneficial. I trust God will show you that the essence and heartbeat of your life is your relation with Him and His relation with you. Keep Him as God. Rest.

May God’s peace, mercy and love be multiplied to you.

'Tis good for me to wear the yoke;
Father, I bless thy gentle hand.

For pride is apt to rise and swell;
How kind is thy chastising rod.

'Tis good to bear my Father's stroke;
That force my conscience to a stand.

That I might learn his statutes well;
And brought my wand'ring soul to God.


“In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.”

Christ’s Peace. Your Peace.

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Greetings Reader.

Do you both understand rationally and know experientially this peace that the Lord Jesus references in John 14:27? This verse is one many a Christian readily recites, but is its reality actually lived or just referenced? Dear reader, do you know Jesus’ peace yourself? Can you name one Christian you’ve met who lives Christ’s peace? If not, why?

The context for this verse was Jesus’ last supper with his closest disciples. He was about to depart from them. Knowing His departure would usher in feelings and thoughts of doubt, concerns and fears, that it would seemingly leave them alone in subjection to the world, He graciously informs them of this special gift. He was going to provide to them something that was His, something He Himself both knew and lived. The relationship would continue and do so in new fashion (they would all share something that was His with Him). What He would give them and leave them was His own personal peace. Consider that? How does anybody give away his or her peace to another? You and I, if honest, could never give away peace. Left to ourselves, would we even ever truly know peace? We seem to be in constant search of it, and most will face their grave never having truly known it. Can you imagine the depth of such loss?

At the moment, the disciples did not understand His words, nor did they immediately experience the reality He knew and understood would be theirs because of His loving and lasting relationship with them. But His words “Let not” should have carried enough effect to immediately impress upon them that Jesus, the One who calmed the raging sea, made right the demon possessed man, and faced the cross, cared for them both to provide them something (which the world had no resource nor interest in providing) and to tell them of this provision in advance of its need. His love for them did this.

If you are Christ’s, this provision is yours. If you are not Christ’s, you may read Jesus’ words but not receive nor experience His peace. If you are Christ’s, and you can state these words, do you experience His peace? If not, why? If you are not Christ’s, how do you seek peace? Where do you seek it? Will it comfort you at the grave? Does it comfort you sufficiently now and will it give you confidence at the grave? Jesus faced and overcame the grave. Is your peace of the same quality as His? Can you give your peace to another? Do you desire His peace? Do you desire Him?

Below I share with you a quote from an old book I’m rereading which spurred the thoughts above. The book was published in 1892, the pages are hand cut at the edges (it has much character), and it’s a gem. The book is titled The Central Teaching of Jesus Christ, by Thomas Bernard (p. 185-186 quoted). It expounds the nature of Jesus’ relationship to the disciples (and all Christians) as given in John 13-17. Enjoy the insights into Jesus’ peace. God’s mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you.

Carl


“’Peace I leave with you: my peace I give unto you’ (...—peace that is mine), that which I possess, which is realized in Me, and which is proper to the life that is in Me. We see at once that the peace intended is peace within; for outward peace was not the portion of Him who was ‘a man of sorrows,’ and bore ‘the contradiction of sinners against Himself,’ and for Whom at that moment the terrible crisis was at hand. Yet all the more, as He moves through trial and conflict, do we feel the serene majesty of a deep-seated peace. The enemy cannot trouble it; the world cannot disturb it; for it consists in the composure of holy affections, the calmness of a settled purpose, and the sunshine of unclouded union with God. The peace which He imparts He calls ‘my peace,’ because it is to be an effluence from his own, and therefore will share its nature and bear its likeness.

Again, as the peace is thus distinguished, so also is the giving. ‘My peace I give unto you.’ The world is free with its conventional wishes, and those not always sincere. Certainly its own spirit is not the spirit of true peace; and it cannot give what it does not possess. At its best, its well-meant words are ineffectual, either to confer a right to peace, or to communicate peace itself. But Jesus does both. The right to peace, which did not belong to men as sinners, He purchases for them by his atoning blood, and now by this deed of gift leaves it to them as a bequest for ever. The peace itself, as profession and experience, He imparts to his people by continuous gift, carried on to the end of time.”

Joined To

Greetings Reader.

Much time has passed since I last wrote to you. My heart has been troubled. My head has been distracted. My hands have hindered my ability to write. I have a physical condition, yet undiagnosed by physicians, that prevents me from typing much.

I trust your heart and head have been well, seeking God and finding rest, peace and comfort in Him. We must continually and daily seek and live our peace and comforts in God. There is no earthly source for these. The source is God Himself. Consider the meaning of the Greek word commonly translated in English in the New Testament as “peace.” It means “joined to,” or “unity with.” We must frequently examine ourselves and ask ourselves are we living as joined to, or in unity with, God in Christ or with the world?

Jesus tells us in the world we will have troubles. He also tells us that He alone has overcome the world. If you are a Christian, your identity and life are found in him. Thus, you can truly live as one who experiences now the life which overcomes the world. We are united to and in Christ. It is the life of Christ in you and me that we need live by, and it is He Himself living through us, dear Christian. It is not you and me living according to our own resources (united or joined to the world), what is natural to us, what is according to our flesh.

If, dear reader, you are not one who is in Christ, then you are limited completely to your own natural resources. You are united or joined to the world; what is natural. You share not Christ’s life. You are depending on something that has not the provisions for rest and peace to provide these for you.

Do you, whether believer or not, desire Christ and life in Him this day? Tell Him so.

Then again, there are those famous last words, “I’m not ready yet.”

The below is from Bogatzky’s Golden Treasury. The author of the hymn is not identified. May our Lord encourage you by it.

God’s mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you. (Jude 2)

Carl


How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? Psalm 13. 1. Divine Answer: Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet I will not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands: thy walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49. 15, 16. I will not leave you comfortless. John 14. 18.

Were all our sins and afflictions so soon to be prayed away with a few words, whence these sad and repeated complaints of David? Why should God advise us to wait for him, and persevere in hope? And how could faith and patience be exercised? In our closets we may be lifted up with high speculations; seem to be strong, and able to leap over all the walls; but in great distress we see how dejected and distrusting our hearts often are (Psalm 30. 7, 8); but the Lord preserves us.

Can a woman's tender care Cease toward the child she bare
Yes, she may forgetful be; Yet will I remember thee.
Mine is an unchanging love, Higher than the heights above,
Deeper than the depths beneath, Free and faithful, strong as death.
Thou shalt see my glory soon, When the work of grace is done;
Partner of my throne shalt be: Say, poor sinner, lov'st thou me?
Lord, it is my chief complaint, That my love is weak and faint;
Yet I love thee, and adore; Oh for grace to love thee more.