Posted by Randy Peterman on 11/24/2009
When you’ve got a heavenly perspective you don’t mind seeing believers as co-saints, no matter how gnarly they are, because you have an eternal perspective. In fact the fact you get to fellowship with someone who is a co-believer is exciting. A positional aspect is judging a lot of extraneous stuff that just doesn’t matter, but a heavenly, positional aspect builds up the believers and they rejoice in their eternal security, their eternal position, and their seating with Christ in the heavenlies.
Posted by Randy Peterman on 7/31/2009
When i see failure, in my own life or other believers, I can stop and just see failure, or I can have a heavenly perspective. Looking down means seeing that the failure is in light of growth and grace. Looking down means loving the person in the failure, and knowing I’m loved in my failure.
Posted by Randy Peterman on
I’m going to start a new series of posts called “Things You See Looking Down.” This is based on Colossians 3:1-3 which tells us that we’re seated in the heavenlies with Christ. This calls us to have a heavenly viewpoint on earthly scenarios. Thus, we’re looking down from a heavenly viewpoint on life. This will be a series of short posts and I don’t know how long they’ll last, but as I see things from a heavenly perspective, I’ll try to post them here.
Posted by Randy Peterman on 5/31/2009
This year I’ve really gotten into watching baseball. I think its in part because of my brother-in-law Kurt’s excitement for sports and my grandpa’s love for baseball. Baseball is a pastime in this country and I am a fan. I live near the Colorado Rockies’ stadium in Denver (20 minutes or so away) and I keep track of their activities with some regularity. This last Friday their head coach, Clint Hurdles, was released from his position and was replaced by their bench coach as the interim coach. This change is one I don’t agree with as a fan, but they didn’t ask me. Here’s where the theology comes in: the first basement Todd Helton, a believer, was interviewed and had this to say:
“We should be held just as accountable as anybody. Obviously, he takes the sword for us. He didn’t have any bad at-bats, he didn’t throw any bad pitches. He’s the same manager he was two years ago [editor: when the Rockies went to the World Series]. We realize that. We realize that ultimately we are the reason he got fired because we played bad baseball. We definitely feel responsible.”
There are times when one person takes the fall for a group. Christ, being the only acceptable sacrifice for the sins of mankind made the sacrifice. We all deserved the penalty for our not ‘playing well’ – there is no minor leagues for real life where you get to figure out this being a human thing and then bring it to the big game. Instead you get to screw up in front of everyone, blow it miserably in front of anyone, and ultimately stand before God as having failed to live up to His glory (Romans 3:23) – accept if Christ took your place in judgment on the cross. Then you were identified with His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection, ascension and seating. The Rockies players know that they were saved from being dropped into the minor leagues because of their coaches sacrifice.
We know that without the sacrifice of Christ we would have nothing to stand before God with that would give us any confidence. Instead of the worry of judgment for punishment, we look forward to a judgment for rewards. One where heaven will become a place for a bride and the bride groom. It will be a perfect game, one with no outs, endless innings, and no injuries. Oh, and I think that there will be no stealing of bases ;)
Posted by Randy Peterman on 1/28/2009
This afternoon I saw a twitter message from PWilson (Peter Wilson) regarding a rough day counseling a couple. Then at Bible Study we went over I John 4:8-12. As we hit verse 10 it hit me like a charging pachyderm that counseling a couple (or individual) in sin may just need to start over at the beginning. It is our tendency to start counseling in the middle of the problem. Start by making sure that everyone knows how everyone feels. The problem is that its the middle of the problem.
To start correctly you need to start at the beginning: are both parties believers? If that’s a no then you’re going to have to address that first. I will let the counselor figure out how to deal with presenting the gospel as the core issue in the case of an unequally yoked couple. After establishing the salvation of both people the next and most important question is this: do they both know who they are in Christ? If the believer doesn’t understand who they are in Christ then its very, very easy to only see who they are in the flesh [Romans 1 looks really different from Romans 5]. Go over the Unfathomable riches in Christ (AKA The 34 things) with the couple.
Propitiation is the term used to describe the accomplishment of Christ’s work on the cross from God’s perspective. From our perspective we’re saved and redeemed. From God’s perspective His righteousness is satisfied through the totally adequate work of Christ on the cross. If that sounds familiar it is because Grace can be defined as the unlimited, unmerited blessings of God through the totally adequate work of Christ on the cross.
The fundamental question that the believer must ask when confronted with the sin of himself, herself, or others is this: if God is satisfied that the sin has been paid for, why am I still focused on it? It isn’t that sin doesn’t hurt, but it is that the penalty for the sin has been paid for. The flesh wants to look at the flesh, but the Holy Spirit calls us to look to the heavenlies for a God-centric focus [see: Colossians 3:1-4]. The past cannot be changed, but it can be paid for – is it? Sins can be confessed, forgiveness can be asked – has it been asked for? Did God forgive it? Why can’t I?
Believers have to be given the key to walking without sin. Counseling unto reconciliation is awesome, but if you take them that far you need to walk with them until they recognize that they must continue to set their mind on things above so that they can be free from the bondage of sin through reckoning [See Romans 5-6, specifically 5:21, 6:11]. Reckoning isn’t a psychological game you play, it is the recognition that having been identified with Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, ascension and seating (Ephesians 2:5-6, Colossians 3:3).
I have talked with two specific elders who do counseling at our church and they both have shared this concept with me, but it was the sequence of Peter Wilson and I John today that spurred me to put this to written form. Two marriages, that I know of, have been resolved, restored, and grow in Grace to this day because of the principles outlined above. I hope that this might be helpful for you, Peter and the entire body of Christ.