The Way, the Truth, the Life

John 14:6, according to the KJV translation, contains the following words of Jesus:

I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Here are some interesting passages to consider in relation to Jesus's words:

The Holy [Spirit] this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing…. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…. (Heb 9:8, 10:19–22) [Note: Read Hebrews 9 and 10 highlighting Heb 9:1–3, 6–9, 11–14, 24, and 10:19–22.]

Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart…. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (Eph 4:18, 20–24)

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:1–3)

Those passages provide a fuller description of what it means for Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life. Christ paved the way to God when he died on the cross for our sins, so that we are able to approach God as only the high priest was able to under the old covenant. Christ corrects our vision, enabling us to see the truth, to recognize the corrupt condition of the old self that was driven by deceitful desires and to constantly renew our mind, keeping us focused on the new self we are meant to be. Christ embodied life and only through him and his life can we live in fellowship with God.

Scripture quoted from the King James Version of the Bible. The KJV is public domain in the United States. See version information here: https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/King-James-Version-KJV-Bible/#vinfo.

New Resolve

2013 has been a rocky year for me. I wouldn't call it all “bad.” But it definitely has been rocky. I feel like I hit a lot of these:

Lots of brick walls. It hurts to run into those. Leaves you feeling desperate and angry, frustrated.

The new year is only two days away. But I don't have to wait to make a change. Starting right now I can be a better steward of the things God has granted me. I can be more patient in trials. I can pray more than I worry or fear (or at least just as much!). I can focus on and be more thankful for the blessings God continually pours upon me.

Starting now, I can choose to place my faith in Jesus Christ more than I ever have before. And to continue making that choice.

Here goes!

Heart of Stone

The word of the Lord came to the priest Ezekiel during the first wave of Babylonian captivity.

… “Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.” And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the HEART OF STONE from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord God. (Ezek 11:17–21; emphasis mine)

Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came…. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the HEART OF STONE from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. (Ezek 36:22, 24–28; emphasis mine)

A heart of stone. What is that? I think I know. I think I have experienced at least a little bit of what it is like to have a heart made of stone. A heart unresponsive to God's word, to His patience, kindness, mercy, and faithfulness. Knowing and believing that something is wrong but doing it anyway. Instead of praying for strength or escape from temptation, allowing myself to go numb and give in.

Ezekiel prophesied during the reign of Zedekiah. Not much is recorded of Zedekiah in the Chronicles, but enough is said to give us a picture of this man. He was young by our standards. Only 21 when his reign began. Only about 32 when his reign ended in his capture. He rebelled against the King of Babylon though he swore by God he would remain subject to Babylonian authority. Because he swore by God, he rebelled against God in doing this. Despite the prophet Jeremiah's numerous warnings and prophecies, Zedekiah remained unmoved: “He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord” (2 Chron 36:11–14).

Ezekiel's prophecies and Zedekiah's example were written for my benefit, for everyone's benefit. Here is a snapshot of my life: I am a young female, 27 years old. I have been struggling with a secret sin on and off for several years but regularly for the past several months. Because of my deliberate and repetitious rebellion against God, I am now captive to this sin, ensnared by it. Not wholly unmoved, but not turning to God, I have grown addicted. I harden my heart when I give in. I harden my heart against God. Once I become numb I am powerless to stop myself.

And yet, God is still God. And He has unfathomable power. John the Baptist proclaimed to the multitudes that came to be baptized, “God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham” (Luke 3:8). If God can change stones into living descendants of Abraham, He most certainly can replace a heart of stone with a heart of flesh.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV* Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version*), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

In the acknowledgment above, fair use constitutes permission. See https://www.crossway.org/support/esv-bible-permissions/ for information on copyright and permissions.

This “Dismissive-Avoidant” in Relation to God

I dismiss my holy Father in heaven. I dismiss His mercy and grace and forgiveness. I dismiss His strength and power and might. I dismiss His wisdom and knowledge and understanding. I dismiss His precious Son who He sent to this earth to live a life of servitude and to ultimately die on the cross for all our sins. I dismiss the Holy Spirit who God sent to dwell within those who believe in Him and His Son.

I avoid my holy Father in heaven. I avoid Him when guilt and shame overwhelm me. I avoid Him when I am tempted and caught in sin. I avoid Him when I am afraid and don't know what to do. I avoid contemplating His Son's sacrifice. I avoid the idea that the Holy Spirit lives within me.

I depend on myself, my own resolve and strength and mind, rather than crying out to God for help. But I am through. I have no more to give in this fight. I am tired of feeling hopeless, afraid, and alone. I need my God and Father in my life.

Once again, Father, I spent several hours of the past few days in sin. You know this but I want to confess my sin to You. You know how I hate it yet am drawn to it. You know how I try to run from it yet I keep returning to it. You know the pangs of guilt I experience near the end of my sin and the wave of shame that washes over me. I am dirty, weak, and lost, Lord God. Please help me to receive and accept Your mercy, grace, and forgiveness; to lean on Your strength, power, and might; to seek counsel in Your wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Help me to accept that Your Son died for the sins of us all, including my own, and to think often on His sacrifice and what it means for me. Help me to accept and allow the influence of the Holy Spirit in my life. It is by the intercession of the Holy Spirit and through the name of Your Son that I am able to pray to You, Father. Amen.

Learning About Your Attachment Style

Faculty and doctoral candidates at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are conducting research on attachment, particularly adult attachment. In my amateur research on attachment theory (meaning when I googled it), I came across two websites managed by some of the university's researchers that host or link to attachment-related and personality quizzes/questionnaires: http://www.yourPersonality.net/, maintained by Associate Professor R. Chris Fraley, and http://www.personalityassessor.com, maintained by doctoral candidate Nathan W. Hudson. Researchers are using these online questionnaires for the education of the quiz-taker as well as for collecting information to further their research. (See http://www.yourPersonality.net/about.htm and http://www.personalityassessor.com/about for more specifics.) If you are at all interested in attachment theory or personality assessments, I highly recommend these websites. Both provide informative quiz results that can help you understand more about yourself and how you relate to others in the context of attachment theory. Below are summaries of a few quiz results I received.

From http://www.yourPersonality.net/:

Relationship Structures

This quiz asks questions about four significant relationships in a person's life. Results are plotted on a coordinate grid, placing the quiz-taker in one of four broad attachment categories. All of my results land unquestionably in the “dismissing” area of the graph.

Close Relationships Questionnaire [ECR-R Attachment Style Questionnaire]

This quiz asks questions about your experience in “intimate” relationships, focusing on romantic relationships. The result is plotted on a grid, similar to the results in the Relationship Structures quiz, again placing the quiz-taker in one of the four attachment categories. Not surprisingly, based on my results I have a dismissing attachment style.

From www.personalityassessor.com:

Your Attachment Network

This quiz allows you to choose four significant people in your life and asks you to identify your relationship to them. Several statements are presented and you are prompted to respond in regard to the various relationships you selected. Your results for each relationship are broken down into three general categories: 1) Usage as Attachment Figure, 2) Attachment Anxiety, and 3) Attachment Avoidance. Your attachment style is provided for each relationship as well. To top it all off, your overall levels of Attachment Anxiety and Attachment Avoidance are plotted in comparison to the results of others who have taken the quiz. Once again, my results state that I exhibit a dismissing attachment style. My overall anxiety and avoidance ratings appear below.

I find these websites extremely helpful in learning about and better understanding my attachment pattern/style. This awareness has helped me process a bit more of the distressing aspects in past relationships as well as understanding my struggles in present relationships. Yes, I am insecure in relationships. Yes, I use avoidance tactics to cope with distress. No, it doesn't always have to be this way.