Category Archives: Book: Jesus Unpainted

Thanks again to those who read the installments of ‘Jesus Unpainted’ here on Oboedire and got in touch to let me know you enjoyed them. Just a reminder that I have responded to requests to turn the installments into a … Continue reading →

Before you go…. While putting the weekly installments of ‘Jesus Unpainted’ here on Oboedire, some of you have been in touch to say you hope it will become a book. I hear you, and I have gone to work to … Continue reading →

Abandonment Everything I have written in this book comes from a life surrendered to God. Paul stood the Galatians without regard for what others thought of him for doing so. The fruit of the Spirit flowed out of him because … Continue reading →

Generosity Reading Paul’s letter to the Galatians, we see that character is not only character embraced, it is also character enacted. Life in Christ is the life of extravagant virtue. William Barclay called it “virtue equipped at every point.” That’s … Continue reading →

A Good Foundation The fruitful life gives us a place to stand when the storms of life come. Jesus called it a good foundation (Matthew 7:24-26). The Galatians were in the midst of turmoil when Paul wrote to them. The … Continue reading →

Part Three: Restoration … To Life! When Jeannie completed the refinishing process, it gave the bedroom furniture a new lease on life. It was almost as if we could hear each piece saying, “Thank you for revealing what I really … Continue reading →

Unpainted Self-Control in Jesus Jesus unpainted is self-control, or more nearly the self under the control of the Spirit. Self-control is love overcoming egotism. When that is the case, the “fruit” is self-mastery. I believe that self-control is the container … Continue reading →

Unpainted Gentleness in Jesus Jesus unpainted is gentle. Gentleness is love doing no harm. Gentleness is living with the perspective that “life is fragile, handle with care.” Gentleness goes out of its way to insure that the sacred worth of … Continue reading →

Unpainted Faithfulness in Jesus Jesus unpainted is faithful. Faithfulness is love being trustworthy. We say of faithful people, “You can count on them.” Faithful people are reliable. Jesus was this, beginning with his relationship to his heavenly Father. John captured … Continue reading →

Unpainted Goodness in Jesus Jesus is unpainted goodness. Goodness is love’s character and conduct. Luke summed up his life in these words, “Jesus traveled around doing good” (Acts 10:38).” That’s quite a statement—that no matter where he went or what … Continue reading →

Unpainted Kindness in Jesus Jesus is unpainted kindness. Kindness is love showing compassion. Jesus lived and led from the heart. The gospel writers tell us that when he saw people, he had compassion on them. In the Buddhist tradition, compassion … Continue reading →

Unpainted Patience in Jesus Jesus is unpainted patience. Patience is love waiting in hope. When we apply this to Jesus, the list of things he had to wait for is a long one. And as the excarnate Christ, he still … Continue reading →

Unpainted Peace in Jesus Jesus unpainted is peace. Peace is love working for wellness. This may be the way he is best known, given that he is linked to the Prince of Peace in Isaiah 9:6. And once that connection … Continue reading →

Unpainted Joy in Jesus Jesus is unpainted joy. Joy is love celebrating. The Divine Dance of the Trinity that we have looked at previously, is a dance of joy. Before the excarnate Christ became incarnate in Jesus, the note of … Continue reading →

Love: The Root of All the Rest. When we read Galatians 5:22-23, we encounter an unusual grammatical construction. Paul writes, “The fruit of the Spirit is…”—a singular verb, and then he describes that fruit in nine words. Why didn’t he … Continue reading →

The Manner of Life The manner of Christlike life is the focus of this book. Paul Described it as “the fruit of the Spirit.” Before looking at each dimension of this life, we can use Paul’s phrase to see two … Continue reading →

Section Two: Revelation .. Revelation of Life When at last Jeannie finished scrubbing away all the layers which had hidden the wood, it was a revelation of life. The wood was not meant to be covered over; God had created … Continue reading →

Created for This Jesus unpainted reveals the life we are meant to live. In our attraction to Jesus, we find an incarnation of our true self. E. Stanley Jones said that when we see the abundant life which Jesus lived, … Continue reading →

Jesus Puts a Face on God As the refinishing process advanced, the discovery of more and more good wood put a new face on the furniture. The lime-green color was less and less prominent. The revelation of Jesus unpainted similarly … Continue reading →

The Letter Thanks to Paul, there is a letter in the New Testament that’s organized to reveal Jesus unpainted. It is his letter to the Galatians. Paul sent it to Christians whose image of Jesus had been painted over by … Continue reading →

Awe and Liberation As the refinishing process advanced, Jeannie’s sense of awe increased. Enlarged revelations of the original wood showed its texture, grain, and pattern. It also amplified the question, “Why would anyone paint over this?” And that question fueled … Continue reading →

Lord of the Dance Jeannie’s refinishing project was begun, continued, and ended in relation to one conviction: good wood exists and is worth finding. Her work was inspired by a vision. Similarly, our faith journey is begun and sustained in … Continue reading →

Part One: Recovery .. .. The Dance When Jeannie saw the first patch of original wood, it was cause for rejoicing. “Celebration time, come on!” Many questions remained and much work was yet to be done. But even a small … Continue reading →

Opening material and introduction, “Lime Green Jesus.” Jesus UnpaintedSeeing and Becoming Like Him Steve Harper Copyright 2024Steve HarperAll Rights Reserved Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the Common English Bible, colyright 2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved. … Continue reading →