And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:13-14).

One last expedition in these verses. As I have said, salvation is a multi-faceted affair. It is not only God forgiving our sins. Redemption is God's restoration of the entire cosmos into a universe that pulsates with the goodness of his love. It is a place without destructive forces in which we can live unashamed and unhindered. The redeemed creation teems with life and harmony and an economic system that leaves none behind.

So often, when Christians think about this renewed creation, having put aside the images of rosy-cheeked cherubs playing harps on fluffy clouds while eating cream cheese on bagels, we think about the things we want. Those injured or disease riddled, think of fully abled bodies; those constantly under stress, think of a permanent stress-free vacation; those who do not have sufficient financial resources, think about the freedom to spend without worry; those who struggle with mental illness, long for freedom.

None of these things are wrong in themselves. Except for the 'permanent stress-free vacation' we can reasonably expect God's kingdom in all its fullness to include these things. But who is the centre of attention in the way I expressed things? I am! And that is often the problem with our imaginations about redemption. We think about it as life the way we want it to be.

But when Paul tells us that the Spirit is the deposit guaranteeing our inheritance, making payments until we take possession of this inheritance, he also tells us that this whole redemptive enterprise that God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are pulling this world towards—that this inheritance is not about us. Its about 'the praise of his glory'.

This is the golden thread that weaves the Biblical story into a whole. Israel, freed from Egypt sings, "I will sing to the Lord for he is highly exalted" (Exodus 15:1). David, established as king over Israel, sings, "Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor…" (1 Chronicles 29:11). In Luke's account of Jesus birth, Mary, Zechariah and the angels all ascribe glory to God (1:46, 68; 2:14). When Paul concludes his exhortation concerning Israel and the Gentiles becoming the one people of God, he concludes, "To him be glory forever! Amen." (Romans 11:36). Is not the book of Revelation the crescendo to this great song? "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power for ever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13).

Our thoughts about heaven and the new creation tend to be 'me focussed'. When it comes to life after death, our imagination tends to run out because 'a permanent stress-free vacation' is, frankly, quite boring. When, through the redeeming work of Jesus and the Spirit, our lives shift towards keeping the first commandment, "You shall have no other gods besides me" (Exodus 20:2) and living into the prayer, "hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:9-10), then our lives become about his glory, not our own.

Then we will be able to do what we were created for. That is the best way to begin imaging life after death: we will finally be able to do what God created us to do. Recall Genesis 1, God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and, yes, Earth itself…" (Genesis 1:26 MSG).

Psalm 8 is part praise for God's glory, part lament that humanity is not fulfilling its purpose. Hebrews 2 picks up this theme, acknowledging that humanity is a disaster, but pointing towards Jesus as the true human who brings 'many sons and daughters to glory' (10). In the here after, we will participate in the glory of God, able and willing to fully do what God created us for.

If that is not reason to hope for heaven, what is? Its also reason to walk in step with the Spirit, catching glimpses of future glory in the here and now. For that, we are included in Christ.

A special, extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Psalm 88 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

DIVE-IN QUESTIONS

1. What is God saying in this text?
2. What surprised you? What convicted you?
3. What part struck you as important for you? What is God saying to you?
4. What does God want you to do? How will you live life differently? What attitude do you need to change?

"As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people." At once they left their nets and followed him." (Matt 4:18-20)

Discipleship. First of all, what is it? Mirriam-Webster says that a disciple is "one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another." Discipleship is so much more than simply accepting and helping to spread information about Jesus to others. There's a distinct difference between "informational discipleship" and "transformational discipleship." The former is about head knowledge and the latter is about heart knowledge.

Our society today is all about the quick fix, the instant knowledge we can get from google, the instant gratification we crave and often give into with our buying habits, text messages that need to be answered and social media use. In a passage like today's, we read that Peter and Andrew dropped their nets when Jesus said 'come' and they followed Him. And so, it seems like an easy extension to believe that many of the first disciples dropped everything and simply followed Jesus with no question on their lips or doubt in their hearts. As we will see in the next few weeks though, the call to follow Jesus isn't exactly that simple.

Jesus teaches us and sinks His truth into us whether we are willing participants or not. I wonder though what Peter and Andrew were thinking when Jesus said to them "I will send you out to fish for people"? Did a surge of excitement run through their veins? Or anticipation? Or fear? Did they consider their friends, their livelihood, their families before following after Jesus? What was going through their heads? And moreover, what was happening in their hearts?

The call to follow Jesus is rarely a straight line. It's often filled with curves in the road, zig zags, retracing our steps and even well trodden paths through the same forest and around the same mountain until we finally get the picture that the Holy Spirit has been trying to reveal to us. The call to discipleship is different for each one of us. But for every disciple of Christ there is an element of trust in God, His ways, and His timing. There is also an element of transformation as we abide more with Christ and less with the things of this world. And there is action that is needed. God calls us and asks us to trust Him.

Here is part of the more detailed account of the call of Peter and Andrew found in Luke 5, "When [Jesus] had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch. Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." (v.4-5). Did Peter (called Simon here) have any reason to listen to Jesus or to believe that there might be a possibility that they would catch any fish that day? Nope. Yet he put down his nets anyway. And the resulting catch filled their nets so full that when they called their partners over to help load up the catch both boats began to sink!

Their trust seemed unfounded, yet they trusted anyway and took action according to their faith.

Trust in God is the beginning of discipleship. Not knowing where Jesus is leading, but following Him anyway, and trusting that He will do what is good and right in our lives. That He will protect us and provide for us abundantly. Because we trust that Jesus is who He says He is. The One that we will always be able to rely on.

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Yes, we are back to Ephesians 1. I might have said too much about the Spirit as the seal of our redemption, while neglecting the image of guarantee. So, a few more words about that. I came across these sentences in a commentary.

The Holy Spirit functions in the present, giving us power and guidance to "work out our salvation." The Holy Spirit also guarantees our future salvation. But it is more than a guarantee, it is a present foretaste of the fuller inheritance of our redemption.

It is not my habit to quote commentaries for these devotions since they tend to be dense reading. But these sentences stood out to me as a beautiful rendition of what Paul intends with the word 'guarantee'.

Do you ever wonder why we do not spend more time anticipating heaven? One reason may be that we have a very boring perception of what it will be like there – fluffy clouds, harps, Gregorian chants, and all that. But now I wonder if our text hints at another reason we may neglect anticipating the new heavens and earth. Let me explain.

What does it mean to be saved? It certainly means that our sins are forgiven. But it means much more than that. As I have been saying in my preaching series on Romans 12, 'the purpose of conversion to Christianity is to be able to discern and execute the will of God in the here and now.'

Conversion means that we change our priorities and our allegiance. It means our desires change. Our goals in life become two-fold: to love God and our neighbour. The Holy Spirit 'gives us power and guidance' to work this love into our lives or 'to work out our salvation with fear and trembling' (Philippians 2:12). As we learn to love God and neighbour, we catch glimpses of the shalom God intended for this world, which will govern the new creation (cf. Isaiah 9:1-7).

The Holy Spirit works out our salvation in us. As he does that, we catch glimpses of what is coming. When hungry stomachs are satisfied, we catch a glimpse of an economy that leaves none in poverty. When broken bodies our healed, we catch a glimpse of the 'Tree of Life' giving health to all. When families destroyed by anger and fear and addictions are brought back together in harmony, we see 'the wolf and the lamb feeding together' (Isaiah 65:25).

As the Spirit works out our salvation, we are given glimpses of 'our inheritance.' The scripture uses this word deliberately. There are great things in store for God's children. As much as we may get enamored with streets of gold and gates of pearls, the real intent of the visions of heaven is that we catch a glimpse of the shalom on the other side of Jesus' return. That is our inheritance: a world without sinful people, a world without sinful systems, a world without accidents or racism or poverty or abuse.

As the Spirit moves in our lives, working in us our salvation, we have a foretaste of what is to come. When we have a robust understanding of salvation, we will long for it. Next time, another suggestion as to why we might not long for heaven.

A special, extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Nehemiah 1:1-2:8 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

Dive-In Questions 1. What is God saying in this text? 2. What surprised you? What convicted you? 3. What part struck you as important for you? What is God saying to you? 4. What does God want you to do? How will you live life differently? What attitude do you need to change?

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:9-12)

Over these past weeks I have walked through many spiritual disciplines in my Wilderness Wanderings. Perhaps some of them resonated with you. Perhaps others did not. Each person has certain disciplines that you may be drawn to more than others. And that is important to take note of in your own life. Another important part in looking at spiritual disciplines is to allow yourself to step outside of what is comfortable and known into a place where you allow the Holy Spirit to grow up in you certain areas that are weaker in order that He will continue to mold you and form you into the person that He created you to be.

Practicing disciplines creates an attentiveness to the Holy Spirit and what He is doing in our lives. When we submit to God and we allow His Spirit to lead us, we open the way for Him to also transform us into disciples that walk more closely with God, with others and for others too. Robert Mulholland Jr. in his book "Invitation for a Journey" wrote that spiritual formation is "the process of being formed in the image of Christ for the sake of others."

Practicing disciplines moves us into a deeper relationship with Christ as we begin to speak and act the way Jesus would. The saying "What Would Jesus Do?" starts to become a part of who we are. Not because we constantly bring up the WWJD image in our mind, but because His way of life, starts to become our way of life. We become "doers of the word, and not hearers only" (James 1:22), in the way we interact with and respond to circumstances in our own life. And also, how we interact with and respond to others, to the world, to the gift of God in Jesus Christ.

Jesus calls us to a transformed life in order that we can live for others, just as He did. Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone in order to take a step toward Jesus? Disciplines nurture us, and they also stretch us, and transform us. They reveal where our true love and values lie. They force us to remove the blinders that we often wear and ask God to help us see ourselves and the world as He does. What will he find in your heart when you invite Him in? Are you willing to follow Him where He leads?

"But Jennifer", you might say, "this sounds a lot like discipleship." And I'd have to say, "you're right." Because practicing spiritual disciplines is an act of discipleship, a journey towards Jesus. And so I'll be shifting my focus onto our call to discipleship in my Wilderness Wanderings starting next week. For this weekend, think on what it means to love each other as Christ has loved us. What does it mean to remain in His love? How can we give it away, and how can we invite others to journey in that life of love with us?

"When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me (John 15:26).

One of the modern greats of the Christian faith once wrote, 'The Holy Spirit is the shy member of the Trinity.' The Spirit does not want to draw attention to himself, rather, he is constantly pointing the spotlight onto Jesus. Jesus suggested as much when he told the disciples that the Spirit would come to clear up all the mystery about him.

And so, maybe it is proper that as Christians, we pay more attention to Jesus than to the Spirit. After all, the work of the Spirit is to work into our lives the redemption of Christ like yeast into dough or chili powder into a pot of beans and sauce. Even though yeast and chili powder disappear into the mix never to be seen again, they make a tremendous difference in the finished product.

Likewise, the Spirit works in our lives, without drawing attention to himself. As was noted several days ago, without the Spirit there is no progress in the Christian life. But here is the caveat, Paul tells us 'To walk in step with the Spirit' (Galatians 5:23).

Whereas dough and beans are inactive in the process of making bread and chili, the Christian is an active participant in the work of the Spirit. So, I wonder if a neglect of this scriptural teaching hinders our progress in Christian discipleship. Consider a few passages that illuminate what 'walking with the Spirit' looks like.

"The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace" (Romans 8:6). "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children" (Romans 8:16). "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans (Romans 8:26).

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13). "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30). "Don't fill yourself up with wine. Getting drunk will lead to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18-19).

Even if he is the shy member of the Trinity, the Spirit is extremely important in the life of the Christian. Here is another matter, the Spirit does not push and shove. Though persistent, the Spirit is gentle and patient. The Spirit rarely comes in like a wrecking ball; his preferred method is 'the gentle whisper' through which God spoke to Elijah (1 Kings 19:12-13).

In doing this work of kneading redemption into our lives, the Holy Spirit needs to speak truth. "Speaking truth to power" is a current catch phrase. In the Christian life, we are 'the power'. The Spirit needs to speak truth to us. He needs to tell us about our idolatries; he needs to point out our sinful habits; he needs to show our unwillingness to forgive; he needs to reveal how we are more interested in building our own kingdoms, rather than participating in the building of God's kingdom.

But we do not want to hear that. The Spirit wants to convict us of our sin, but we do not want to be convicted. The Spirit would have us abide in Christ, but we would rather stay in the crumbling homes we have built for ourselves. Jesus repeatedly calls him 'the Spirit of truth." His role is to show us the truth about ourselves. But we would rather remain ignorant.

If that is why we neglect the Spirit, let's start listening so we can walk in step with the Spirit of Truth.

"As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." (John 20:21)

All disciplines at their core are missional. They bring us into the reality of what it means to live according to the mission of God in the Church and in the world. Just as spiritual gifts are to be used for the benefit of the body of Christ and to reveal Christ to the world, so too spiritual disciplines are not simply a way to improve ourselves and our own personal walk, although this is a definite benefit to us. Disciplines are not only for self-help, but rather in order to transform our heart and also, the world.

So, what does living out the mission of God mean for us? I will answer with a couple of quotes from Lesslie Newbigin who calls "mission as love in action." And also states that "the Christian mission is thus to act out in the whole life of the whole world the confession that Jesus is Lord of all." From Jesus' Sermon on the Mount came a spiritual renewal and a spiritual revolution. Such that our beliefs, ideas, habits, inner self, and outer social relations, both to others and to the world are impacted. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in the spiritual disciplines that we practice. This is the act of missional living.

There is a natural overflow in personal transformation to become more Christlike in our nature and in extension in how we relate to and interact with the world. Even social structures become transformed. "Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!" (Amos 5:25).

Spiritual formation that doesn't transform our lives to engage with the world runs the risk of self-preservation, self-indulgence and self-idolatry, turning a spiritual practice into something that is "for our own good" and missing the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives and the world.

Disciplines such as solitude, silence and prayer are important because spiritual formation renders the transformation of hearts, and in turn the ability to embrace the mission and values of the kingdom of God. To bless those who curse us, give without expecting payback, forgive those who have done wrong, live generously, serve sacrificially, deny ourselves, follow after Jesus for the sake of others…the list could go on.

Spiritual practices are not simply to puff up our own egos, or to feel more righteous in our relationship with God or with others. They are about holistic transformation. Whole person, whole Church, whole community, whole world. Spiritual disciplines are a means to intimacy with God and with one another. Relationship and mission go hand in hand.

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:13-14).

It appears easier for us Christians to speak about God the Father and God the Son then about God the Holy Spirit. Somehow, the concrete actions of God as Creator and God as Redeemer are easier for us to get our minds around than God the Sanctifier. Mind you, the creating and redeeming actions of God are mind blowing enough. But exactly who the Spirit is and what the Spirit does seems to allude consensus among Christians. When we pray, we generally address God the Father or God the Son, but not so often, God the Holy Spirit.

Part of the praying thing is that we rightly follow Jesus' instruction to address God as Father. I suspect that the lack of clarity regarding the Holy Spirit is mostly due to poor preaching, at least for the branch of the church I am most familiar with. Strangely, our confessions give us a rather clear picture of the Spirit's work.

Consider these examples. First, from the Heidelberg Catechism:

"Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him" (A1).

It includes this prayer, "We are too weak to hold our own even for a moment. And our sworn enemies-the devil, the world, and our own flesh-never stop attacking us. And so, Lord, uphold us and make us strong with the strength of your Holy Spirit, so that we may not go down to defeat in this spiritual struggle, but may firmly resist our enemies until we finally win the complete victory (A127).

"Through the Holy Spirit, who lives both in Christ and in us, we are united more and more to Christ's blessed body. And so, although he is in heaven and we are on earth, we are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone. And we forever live on and are governed by one Spirit, as members of our body are by one soul" (A76).

The Belgic Confession summarizes this rather bluntly, "The Holy Spirit is our Sanctifier, by living in our hearts" (BC 9).

The Contemporary Testimony elaborates, "The Spirit renews our hearts and moves us to faith, leads us into truth, and helps us to pray, stands by us in our need, and makes our obedience fresh and vibrant. God the Spirit lavishes gifts on the church in astonishing variety-prophecy, encouragement, healing, teaching, service, tongues, discernment-equipping each member to build up the body of Christ and to serve our neighbors" (20).

Back to the Heidelberg Catechism, it says that Jesus "sends his Spirit to us on earth as a further guarantee. By the Spirit's power we make the goal of our lives, not earthly things, but the things above where Christ is, sitting at God's right hand" (A49).

These confessions, both ancient and modern, all agree, the Christian life is only lived by the power of the Spirit. Any and all progress we make in the journey of discipleship does not happen without the Holy Spirit. As we mature in the Christian life, our desires are drawn away from the things of this world and focussed on Christ. The Holy Spirit is so intricately involved in the Christian life, how can we neglect him?

In our text Paul writes that the Spirit is a deposit guaranteeing the completion of our redemption. He does not mean that the Holy Spirit is present at our conversion and then returns to wrap things up. Its more akin to mortgage payments. The Holy Spirit is constantly present to work redemption into our lives, 'to unite us more and more to Christ's body.'

Let us live with confidence that the good work which God began in us, the Holy Spirit will see to its conclusion.

"I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." (John 17:20b-23)

This passage comes in the middle of Jesus' longest recorded prayer. What is this prayer about? Unity with God and with one another. Unity is about more than being together or even knowing one another. Unity is taking part in one another. Peter says that unity with God is participation in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). Paul says that this unity is "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). Christ, His life, and His Spirit is within our very being. We are one with Him.

And so, we are united with one another not because we share the same nationality or socioeconomic status or denomination. We are one because we belong to and are first one with Christ, who is the author of our unity with Him and one another, by reconciling us to Himself through His work on the cross.

Because we are made in the image of God, we reflect God and God Himself is united in Trinity. Three Persons in One. A dependence on One Another as Holy God, and an interdependence one upon the other in all things. Our Christian walk with God is to display that dependence upon Him and an interdependence on one another in the body of Christ.

We are one because we were first made one with Christ. And through our oneness with Christ and with one another, through our Christian love, the world will see Christ in us and will know that Jesus is God, the Saviour of the world. Christian love. The greatest witness of all.

But what of all the divisions and factions and schisms in the modern church and throughout history? How can we reconcile any of this? We live in a fallen world, yet we can know that God has been at work through it all. Christianity itself has not only survived but has grown from a small group of believers called "the Way" in the first century to about a third of people in the world today following Christ. Christian love and unity is a foreign concept in modern society, and it has been through the ages too. Yet, it is something that makes us distinct as believers. That we are all united, we all belong to one body, we are all members of Christ.

"So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26-28).

So, let us remember that God has called us to live in unity with one another and with Him, to live as children of God, brothers and sisters of Christ and to "as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:18). When we "clothe ourselves with Christ" we look for the good in one another without holding onto grudges or prejudices. We look for the ways God is working instead of the way people are failing. We look at what it means to be a body of Christ, united in Christ and united to one another.