To live transparent

NORSK
I did not like the new building that houses The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters until I five years ago heard the philosophy behind. General John Gowans had a clear purpose when the new IHQ was constructed in glass. Gowans wanted the building to be a signal that the Army desires to be completely transparent.

This is also the desire behind the “Journey of Renewal” campaign that is currently ongoing, and which also is the base of the study I am doing on how Paul made Timothy accountable for the mission entrusted to him.

Today I read:

The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.
1 Timothy 5: 24-25

“It cannot remain hidden forever”, my grandmother used to say. As a child I was unsure if it was a comfort or a threat – today I think it was both. 

A few days ago Obama pardoned Chelsea Manning who in 2010 was arrested for having leaked extreme amounts of confidential information to WikiLeaks. Manning was sentenced to jail for another 28 years. I do not know if the pardon was given exclusively on humanitarian grounds, or whether Obama has become aware of the fact that in our time “nothing can remain hidden forever”.

I believe Paul wrote this to Timothy at least two reasons:

1. Timothy should be aware that among those he was appointed to lead would be people who both lived openly with sin and people who did things in secret - but, Timothy you need to know: “nothing can remain hidden forever”.
2. It was given as clear advice to Timothy to live transparent.

Paul wrote about on this subject in several letters, like here: “everything exposed by the light becomes visible” (1).

I believe that my quality of life is best when I dare to live in the light - in other words live openly and transparent. The one who does not have secrets, has no fear of exposure. This is the liberating gospel believers are entrusted to preach.

'Manna' for today:

Dare to live transparent in the light of the world

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(1) Ephesians 5:13

It is about living in the light

NORSK
For three years, I worked in Securitas and learned quite a lot about security both in relation to prevention of crime, and also with regard to creating good routines for the times when something unfortunate had happened. The by far best single factor in the protection of both property and human individuals is light.

Actually, I knew this from many years of Sunday School attendance:

Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
John 3:20-21

These are the words of Jesus. He even said that judgment is that the light came to the earth. Light exposes me, and when I am exposed, my first thought is to justify myself. It is one of the most evident human faculties to try the escape by blaming others. 

This tendency goes all the way back to the story of the fall. Adam blamed the woman, and even God for giving him the woman, Eve on her part blamed the serpent (1). The exposed Peter represents in many ways a counterpart. He made a full surrender under Jesus' interrogation: "Peter do you love me?" Peter’s reply: “Lord, you know all things” (2) is also a testimony of his awareness: “I know that I live in the light!” - Such an awareness grows the fruit, - the fruit of the light:

The fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth
Eph 5:9

Like goodness, which I mentioned yesterday, righteousness and truth are divine attributes.

Jesus confessed: “I am the truth” (3), and in him I have also part in God’s righteousness (4). The fruit is a consequence of living in the light.

‘Manna’ for today:

Holiness is about living in the light.

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(1) The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Gen 3:12-13
(2) John 21:17
(3) John 14:6
(4) God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  2 Cor 5:21

It is about making it your experience

NORSK
Yesterday, I wrote about pleasing the Lord, and today I follow up with:

“- find out what pleases the Lord!”
Eph 5:10

Paul is clear: “Test for yourself!”

Paul placed his exhortation in a context where he encourages his readers to live as children of light and bear the fruit of the light. He even describes what this fruit is like, and again it is one fruit with different qualities:

for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth
Eph 5:9

Paul frequently referred to “goodness” and also described “goodness” as a quality of the fruit of the Spirit (1). It is logical that the qualities are the same, because there is no controversy between living as children of light and living as children of God, for as Paul writes “you are light in the Lord” (2).

My experience is that it pleases the Lord when I represent a contrast to the darkness of this world. It was on that note I started to drink from the “Well of holiness” with the reflection “Dare to be different” three months ago.

The illustration photo was taken during my sermon last Sunday. The theme was: “Arise and shine!”. (3). If you are going shine in the light of Jesus in a dark world, you have to rise up. Test and see!

‘Manna’ for today_

Holiness is about making it your own experience.

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(1) See "It is about following in a double meaning"
(2) "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light" Eph 5:8
(3) “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you." Isa 60:1