Proverbs 28:5
Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.
What do you think of when you hear or read the term “evil men”? I tend to think about people like Timothy McVeigh, Hitler, and Saddam Hussein. I think about people who have done terribly evil things in their lives. What about you?
I find it interesting that the Bible would say that evil men don’t understand judgment. I would say the opposite. Are we to believe that Saddam Hussein didn’t understand, when the courts found him guilty and sentenced him to death, that he was going to die? Surely he must have understood the consequences of his actions. He had to have understood the sentence was death.
Even Hitler understood judgment. He killed himself before he could face judgment, because he knew what it was. He knew it was coming for him; he understood that it would carry a sentence of death. He just beat it to the punch.
Let me be clear: I’m not disputing the Bible in any way. I’m actually getting to a point here. That point is this: the word for evil does, in fact, mean evil as we understand it today, but it also means sad. If you replace the word “evil” with “sad” then the statement would read “Sad men don’t understand judgement: but those who seek the LORD understand all things.” When read like this, it makes a lot more sense.
Back to our first list of people, Hitler, Timothy McVeigh, and Saddam Hussein. These three men without a doubt understood their judgment, but did they understand God’s judgment? If not, I would say they were “sad men”. And as sad men, they could be lumped into a category with anyone on the face of the earth who does not understand God’s judgment.
I’m not talking about the hell fire and brimstone judgment that fundamentalist preachers assault the masses with from the pulpits on Sunday mornings. No, I’m talking about God’s righteous judgment and subsequent execution of sin at the cross.
You see, sad men (and women) don’t understand judgment. They think little of it, make light of it, and set it aside as though it hasn’t been made. Even Christians can fall into this category, not understanding the fullness of God’s judgment in Christ on the cross. Christ’s death and subsequent resurrection wasn’t just a way for God to get us into heaven. It was God’s holy judgment of sin. It was God’s punishment of sin in Christ so that we could be His sons and daughters.
Those who seek the LORD, translated from the name Yahweh which is further translated to Jesus the Savior, understand all things. This includes judgment. The more you seek Jesus, the more you understand judgment. The more you understand judgment, the more you understand God’s love for you. And the more you understand God’s love for you, the more you love Jesus.
Happy are those who understand the price that was paid for their salvation. Even happier are those who understand the fullness of God’s judgment in the body of Christ on the cross. He was beaten, scourged, humiliated, cursed, crucified, made poor, and died so that we could could be blessed, loved, and highly favored sons and daughters of God Almighty!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Ground and Pounded
Proverbs 27:22
Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his foolishness will not depart from him.
This is what happens when you teach a mixture of law and grace; this is what is happening all over the world today in churches from one end of the planet to the other. From Fiji to Los Angeles the word of grace and truth that came by Jesus Christ is being mixed in with the law that was given through Moses (John 1:17). The result is exactly what God’s word says, foolishness.
Look at the typology of this scripture. First you’re taking the person and placing them in a mortar and grinding them with a pestle. What is a mortar and pestle made out of again? Oh, that’s right, stones! What were God’s commandments written and engraved on again? STONES! When you put those stones alongside the grain, that is, the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, you begin to breed confusion.
“Here’s a rule to follow; you’re saved by grace. God loves you no matter what; don’t do that, God hates it. God wants to bless you but your sin and lawlessness is in the way; Jesus paid the price for all your sins. God doesn’t remember your sins; your sins are keeping you from God.” Can you feel the confusion, the foolishness? How on earth is anyone supposed to grab hold of God’s grace when they’re in a stone mixing bowl getting pulverized by the law?
When you mix the teaching of salvation through the grace of Jesus Christ on the cross with the teaching that upholding, even exceeding, the expectations of the law is what God requires, you are preaching a ministry that leads to death and foolishness. The concept that Jesus’ grace is to get you into heaven, but while here on earth you need to do, do, do is nothing more than foolishness.
The truth is this: God gave us Christ so that we would no longer live as fools. He gave us grace so that we would no longer be ground and pounded by the law. He, through the cross, released us from our marriage to the law and married us, instead, to Christ. There has to be a separation from the old covenant given to Moses and an attachment to the New Covenant that came through Christ. That attachment comes when we see Jesus revealed.
If you’re wondering why you’re still struggling with hate, forgiveness, pornography, lust, alcoholism, drugs, or greed, maybe it’s time to reassess what you’re learning. Are you learning a mixture of grace and law? Are you confused, thinking that you’ve been freed from your addiction through the blood of Christ but now you have to put into practice the basic principles of freeing yourself from your addiction? Stop it!
Get out of the mixture doctrine and step into the truth. Grace and truth came by Christ. We are dead to the the law, raised in Christ, and seated in His grace at the right hand of the Father. There is no need to mix yourself in with the grinding of the grain. Christ jumped in that mixer on your behalf 2000 years ago. He bore the full burden of God’s holy law when He accepted your sins and mine on the cross. He was made our sin, ground up by the law, and died our death. In His resurrection He became the bread of life. He has given all of Himself to us for freedom, love, peace, prosperity, health, and holiness.
Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his foolishness will not depart from him.
This is what happens when you teach a mixture of law and grace; this is what is happening all over the world today in churches from one end of the planet to the other. From Fiji to Los Angeles the word of grace and truth that came by Jesus Christ is being mixed in with the law that was given through Moses (John 1:17). The result is exactly what God’s word says, foolishness.
Look at the typology of this scripture. First you’re taking the person and placing them in a mortar and grinding them with a pestle. What is a mortar and pestle made out of again? Oh, that’s right, stones! What were God’s commandments written and engraved on again? STONES! When you put those stones alongside the grain, that is, the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, you begin to breed confusion.
“Here’s a rule to follow; you’re saved by grace. God loves you no matter what; don’t do that, God hates it. God wants to bless you but your sin and lawlessness is in the way; Jesus paid the price for all your sins. God doesn’t remember your sins; your sins are keeping you from God.” Can you feel the confusion, the foolishness? How on earth is anyone supposed to grab hold of God’s grace when they’re in a stone mixing bowl getting pulverized by the law?
When you mix the teaching of salvation through the grace of Jesus Christ on the cross with the teaching that upholding, even exceeding, the expectations of the law is what God requires, you are preaching a ministry that leads to death and foolishness. The concept that Jesus’ grace is to get you into heaven, but while here on earth you need to do, do, do is nothing more than foolishness.
The truth is this: God gave us Christ so that we would no longer live as fools. He gave us grace so that we would no longer be ground and pounded by the law. He, through the cross, released us from our marriage to the law and married us, instead, to Christ. There has to be a separation from the old covenant given to Moses and an attachment to the New Covenant that came through Christ. That attachment comes when we see Jesus revealed.
If you’re wondering why you’re still struggling with hate, forgiveness, pornography, lust, alcoholism, drugs, or greed, maybe it’s time to reassess what you’re learning. Are you learning a mixture of grace and law? Are you confused, thinking that you’ve been freed from your addiction through the blood of Christ but now you have to put into practice the basic principles of freeing yourself from your addiction? Stop it!
Get out of the mixture doctrine and step into the truth. Grace and truth came by Christ. We are dead to the the law, raised in Christ, and seated in His grace at the right hand of the Father. There is no need to mix yourself in with the grinding of the grain. Christ jumped in that mixer on your behalf 2000 years ago. He bore the full burden of God’s holy law when He accepted your sins and mine on the cross. He was made our sin, ground up by the law, and died our death. In His resurrection He became the bread of life. He has given all of Himself to us for freedom, love, peace, prosperity, health, and holiness.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Misunderstood
Luke 18:22
So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
A proper interpretation of the Bible always has to take into account context. Not just the context of the story, but the context of the time in which the story was spoken. Take, for instance, this story of the rich young ruler. Here, a man came to Jesus inquiring what he must do to enter into heaven. Jesus laid it out for him and the man went away sad.
That’s the condensed version of this story. Sadly, this story is commonly used as a “give-guilter” during a tithing series or a capital campaign. But Jesus didn’t tell this story to guilt people into giving more to the church. He told it to show the fullness of the law. He told it to show man’s presumptuous nature. He told it so that grace would have the preeminence in our lives.
The presumption of man, that he could do what it takes to please God, and his arrogance to believe that his works would be enough, began at Mt. Sinai when Israel presumed to tell God that they could fulfill all that He could command (Exodus 19:8). This is our biggest downfall as humans. The idea that we can “do” what it takes to completely please God is completely insane, yet that’s what happens.
Jesus told this rich young man, who apparently kept the law, to do something that was above the surface expectations of the law. That’s what Jesus continually did while He taught prior to His crucifixion. Jesus made it a point to show that the law was the BASE guideline for becoming holy. Simply keeping it at face value wasn’t enough; you had to go all the way to the root. That is why Jesus used examples in His teaching like going the extra mile, loving your enemies, turning the other cheek, and looking lustfully at another. He didn’t use those to give us new goals, but to show us we could never meet the first goal!
This rich young ruler came to Jesus with the attitude that he could do something to please God and “earn” his way into heaven. Jesus answered him in accordance with his attitude, his mindset. The man went away sad because he realized that he could never do what it takes to please God. This young man couldn’t sacrifice enough to enter the Kingdom.
That’s the point of it all: no one can sacrifice enough to enter the Kingdom. It doesn’t matter what you do, it will never be enough to please God. That is why we have Jesus, who freed us from the bonds of the Law and placed us in His grace at the cross. Getting into heaven will never depend on what you do, but depends solely on what He has done!
If you come to Christ with the mindset of this rich young ruler, you will always walk away sad. Not because you’re a horrible idolater, but because you are not capable of doing what it takes to fully satisfy the expectations of God (Isaiah 64:6). But, when you come to Christ, with the knowledge that it’s all been done for you, joy, peace, security, and happiness are what you will walk away with!
Christ did all that you can’t do, won’t do, and don’t desire to do. He did it so you don’t have to do what you thought you should do in order to receive the blessings for what He’s done.
So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
A proper interpretation of the Bible always has to take into account context. Not just the context of the story, but the context of the time in which the story was spoken. Take, for instance, this story of the rich young ruler. Here, a man came to Jesus inquiring what he must do to enter into heaven. Jesus laid it out for him and the man went away sad.
That’s the condensed version of this story. Sadly, this story is commonly used as a “give-guilter” during a tithing series or a capital campaign. But Jesus didn’t tell this story to guilt people into giving more to the church. He told it to show the fullness of the law. He told it to show man’s presumptuous nature. He told it so that grace would have the preeminence in our lives.
The presumption of man, that he could do what it takes to please God, and his arrogance to believe that his works would be enough, began at Mt. Sinai when Israel presumed to tell God that they could fulfill all that He could command (Exodus 19:8). This is our biggest downfall as humans. The idea that we can “do” what it takes to completely please God is completely insane, yet that’s what happens.
Jesus told this rich young man, who apparently kept the law, to do something that was above the surface expectations of the law. That’s what Jesus continually did while He taught prior to His crucifixion. Jesus made it a point to show that the law was the BASE guideline for becoming holy. Simply keeping it at face value wasn’t enough; you had to go all the way to the root. That is why Jesus used examples in His teaching like going the extra mile, loving your enemies, turning the other cheek, and looking lustfully at another. He didn’t use those to give us new goals, but to show us we could never meet the first goal!
This rich young ruler came to Jesus with the attitude that he could do something to please God and “earn” his way into heaven. Jesus answered him in accordance with his attitude, his mindset. The man went away sad because he realized that he could never do what it takes to please God. This young man couldn’t sacrifice enough to enter the Kingdom.
That’s the point of it all: no one can sacrifice enough to enter the Kingdom. It doesn’t matter what you do, it will never be enough to please God. That is why we have Jesus, who freed us from the bonds of the Law and placed us in His grace at the cross. Getting into heaven will never depend on what you do, but depends solely on what He has done!
If you come to Christ with the mindset of this rich young ruler, you will always walk away sad. Not because you’re a horrible idolater, but because you are not capable of doing what it takes to fully satisfy the expectations of God (Isaiah 64:6). But, when you come to Christ, with the knowledge that it’s all been done for you, joy, peace, security, and happiness are what you will walk away with!
Christ did all that you can’t do, won’t do, and don’t desire to do. He did it so you don’t have to do what you thought you should do in order to receive the blessings for what He’s done.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
That's grace, baby!
Philemon 1:6
That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
I think that we spend far too much time trying to be good examples to others. I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with being a good example; it’s the trying part that I struggle with. Try to be nice? Well that says to me that you must not be nice to start off with, if, in fact, you have to try to be nice.
Its this “try” attitude of “sharing faith” that leads the rest of the unchurched world to believe that Christians are just a bunch of hypocrites. We spend so much of our time trying to be good so that we’ll be able to share our faith by our example of living a right life that we forget all about our faith. More importantly, we forget where we have placed our faith. When we try to be the example so that we can better share our faith, then where is our faith? Is it in Christ or is it in our trying?
This was why Paul wrote these words to Philemon. Surely he knew that Philemon was going to be trying to live a Christian lifestyle. But Paul knew, because he preached the grace of Jesus Christ so radically, that in all of Philemon’s trying, he would never be effectual in communicating his faith in Christ to others. He knew that the people would see the works, the efforts, the failures, and missed marks of Philemon in his own “faith walk” and question his Christianity. Doesn’t this sound familiar?
Look at today’s world and how they view Christians. People see the Christian church as a flock of hypocrites. We’re viewed as a bunch of people who “share their faith” by giving rules and regulations that we can’t even follow. Thus, we perpetuate the stereotype that Christians are hypocrites. Not only that, when we represent our faith in Christ as a to list of how to live right we make the cross pointless and void the finished work of Jesus (Galatians 5:4).
The truth is this: the best way to share our faith is to remind ourselves of, and completely embrace, what Christ has already done in our lives. It’s when we recognize all of the good things that Christ has done in us and for us, through the cross, that we are able to share our faith. Faith isn’t rules, regulations, or right living; its the understanding and acceptance that Christ paid the price for all sins, redeemed humanity from all curses, and finished all the work at the cross.
Recognize that “...every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus” means health, wealth, happiness, success, prosperity, love, joy, peace, etc. These things are in you because Christ has placed them there. It is His work that is in you now, not yours. By acknowledging these truths, your faith will be communicated to the world, not by trying, but by the grace of God that lives within you. When people see you, when they meet you, they will instantly recognize your faith. Even in sharing your faith, Christ does the work. That’s grace, baby!
That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
I think that we spend far too much time trying to be good examples to others. I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with being a good example; it’s the trying part that I struggle with. Try to be nice? Well that says to me that you must not be nice to start off with, if, in fact, you have to try to be nice.
Its this “try” attitude of “sharing faith” that leads the rest of the unchurched world to believe that Christians are just a bunch of hypocrites. We spend so much of our time trying to be good so that we’ll be able to share our faith by our example of living a right life that we forget all about our faith. More importantly, we forget where we have placed our faith. When we try to be the example so that we can better share our faith, then where is our faith? Is it in Christ or is it in our trying?
This was why Paul wrote these words to Philemon. Surely he knew that Philemon was going to be trying to live a Christian lifestyle. But Paul knew, because he preached the grace of Jesus Christ so radically, that in all of Philemon’s trying, he would never be effectual in communicating his faith in Christ to others. He knew that the people would see the works, the efforts, the failures, and missed marks of Philemon in his own “faith walk” and question his Christianity. Doesn’t this sound familiar?
Look at today’s world and how they view Christians. People see the Christian church as a flock of hypocrites. We’re viewed as a bunch of people who “share their faith” by giving rules and regulations that we can’t even follow. Thus, we perpetuate the stereotype that Christians are hypocrites. Not only that, when we represent our faith in Christ as a to list of how to live right we make the cross pointless and void the finished work of Jesus (Galatians 5:4).
The truth is this: the best way to share our faith is to remind ourselves of, and completely embrace, what Christ has already done in our lives. It’s when we recognize all of the good things that Christ has done in us and for us, through the cross, that we are able to share our faith. Faith isn’t rules, regulations, or right living; its the understanding and acceptance that Christ paid the price for all sins, redeemed humanity from all curses, and finished all the work at the cross.
Recognize that “...every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus” means health, wealth, happiness, success, prosperity, love, joy, peace, etc. These things are in you because Christ has placed them there. It is His work that is in you now, not yours. By acknowledging these truths, your faith will be communicated to the world, not by trying, but by the grace of God that lives within you. When people see you, when they meet you, they will instantly recognize your faith. Even in sharing your faith, Christ does the work. That’s grace, baby!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Strays
Jeremiah 32:38
They shall be My people, and I will be their God;
Have you ever had a pet? I have a dog; he is a stupid dog, but he’s my dog nonetheless. He wasn’t always my dog, however; he came into my life as a stray. He was all alone as a puppy, found wandering the streets of Statesville, NC, hungry and scared. I don’t know where he had come from or what he had been through. He could have been dumped out of a car or wandered off from a home. He had no tags, no identification, and no owner and I knew one thing: he needed a safe place to live. The people who found him knew that I would take him; that’s why they called me!
This stray little puppy, who was lost and alone in the world, now has a safe place to stay. He has become part of my family. He stays inside my house. He sits on my furniture right along side of me. He eats my food, enjoys my company, and rests in a safe environment.
When I think about how Trooper (that’s his name) came into our lives I can’t help but think about my relationship with God and how He came into my life. I think that’s the key phrase: “...how He came into my life.” Just like Trooper wasn’t looking for me when I found him, I wasn’t looking for God when He found me. I was lost and wandering in the world. I had no provider, shelter, comfort, or security; I only had me.
This is why God says, “They shall be My people, and I will be their God.” It’s the order of things. Trooper didn’t decide one day that he would be my dog and I would be his owner. If he had thought that to himself, I wouldn’t have needed to go to him. He would have come to me, found me, and moved in. But that’s not what happened. Instead, I went to him. I had to go to where he was and rescue him. I had to decide that he would be my dog, and I would be his owner. It’s a subtle difference, but it’s there.
This is what God, through Christ, has done for us. The truth is that if left to ourselves we would never know how to get to God. We’re like stray, lost puppies. God knew that we’d never find Him; that’s why He came to us. He sent Jesus Christ to the world to find us, redeem us, and bring us into His house.
Trooper did nothing do deserve what he has at my house. Truthfully, there are times that he deserves to be back out on the street! But he isn’t, not because of his love for me, but because of my love for him. The same truth stands for our relationship with God. We have done nothing to deserve what He has in His house, and, truthfully, there are a lot of times that we deserve to be thrown back out. But God operates in grace with us through Jesus Christ. It is because of His love for us that we are able to stay in the presence of God, not our love for Him.
My dog, Trooper, enjoys all of the benefits of being part of my family. He has a roof over his head, food and drink, and protection from the storms. But more than that, he enjoys the comfort of a fluffy couch to sit on, treats for doing nothing, toys, rides in the car, and some quality howl time with the entire family.
Friends, this is what we have with Christ. We aren’t just given the “essentials” of life: food, clothing, and eternal security. We are given the blessings that come with living in the house of the King. Fellowship, fun, games, health, wealth, prosperity, happiness, and rest are all part of the deal too!
They shall be My people, and I will be their God;
Have you ever had a pet? I have a dog; he is a stupid dog, but he’s my dog nonetheless. He wasn’t always my dog, however; he came into my life as a stray. He was all alone as a puppy, found wandering the streets of Statesville, NC, hungry and scared. I don’t know where he had come from or what he had been through. He could have been dumped out of a car or wandered off from a home. He had no tags, no identification, and no owner and I knew one thing: he needed a safe place to live. The people who found him knew that I would take him; that’s why they called me!
This stray little puppy, who was lost and alone in the world, now has a safe place to stay. He has become part of my family. He stays inside my house. He sits on my furniture right along side of me. He eats my food, enjoys my company, and rests in a safe environment.
When I think about how Trooper (that’s his name) came into our lives I can’t help but think about my relationship with God and how He came into my life. I think that’s the key phrase: “...how He came into my life.” Just like Trooper wasn’t looking for me when I found him, I wasn’t looking for God when He found me. I was lost and wandering in the world. I had no provider, shelter, comfort, or security; I only had me.
This is why God says, “They shall be My people, and I will be their God.” It’s the order of things. Trooper didn’t decide one day that he would be my dog and I would be his owner. If he had thought that to himself, I wouldn’t have needed to go to him. He would have come to me, found me, and moved in. But that’s not what happened. Instead, I went to him. I had to go to where he was and rescue him. I had to decide that he would be my dog, and I would be his owner. It’s a subtle difference, but it’s there.
This is what God, through Christ, has done for us. The truth is that if left to ourselves we would never know how to get to God. We’re like stray, lost puppies. God knew that we’d never find Him; that’s why He came to us. He sent Jesus Christ to the world to find us, redeem us, and bring us into His house.
Trooper did nothing do deserve what he has at my house. Truthfully, there are times that he deserves to be back out on the street! But he isn’t, not because of his love for me, but because of my love for him. The same truth stands for our relationship with God. We have done nothing to deserve what He has in His house, and, truthfully, there are a lot of times that we deserve to be thrown back out. But God operates in grace with us through Jesus Christ. It is because of His love for us that we are able to stay in the presence of God, not our love for Him.
My dog, Trooper, enjoys all of the benefits of being part of my family. He has a roof over his head, food and drink, and protection from the storms. But more than that, he enjoys the comfort of a fluffy couch to sit on, treats for doing nothing, toys, rides in the car, and some quality howl time with the entire family.
Friends, this is what we have with Christ. We aren’t just given the “essentials” of life: food, clothing, and eternal security. We are given the blessings that come with living in the house of the King. Fellowship, fun, games, health, wealth, prosperity, happiness, and rest are all part of the deal too!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Hot pursuit!
Proverbs 15:9
The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but He loves him who follows righteousness.
Pay close attention to what the Bible says here: the way of those guilty of sin is disgusting to the Lord, but God loves those who pursue His righteousness. When we put it into that perspective we can see how we fit into the verse. Through the cross of Christ and His finished work we are justified and made righteous. We are forgiven of sin, without asking, begging or pleading. That’s what grace is all about. If we had to ask for forgiveness it would cheapen grace and make it mercy, but the truth is this: whether we admit it or not, all of our sins are forgiven. Both the Christian and the non-Christian have this grace in their lives.
It’s a confession of faith in Jesus and the pursuit of a relationship with Him that makes us a Christian, not the forgiveness of sins. Because of the grace of Christ, God is no longer looking to punish us for our sins. He punished all sin for all time in the body of His Son, Jesus. Instead, He’s looking to establish a relationship with us based on righteousness. This isn’t our righteousness, but His righteousness given to us through the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Just because Christ died for sin on the cross doesn’t mean that we’ve stopped sinning; it just means He’s forgiven us. Our sins in life are still disgusting to God, but He’s not seeking to punish us for them. Once we come to the realization that Christ died for our sins and has already forgiven us, preemptively, we can begin to understand what the pursuit of righteousness really is.
The pursuit of righteousness isn’t some way of living by which we stop doing things wrong and are suddenly able to fulfill all the requirements of the law. If it was, we wouldn’t have needed Christ in the first place. I think God made His point that we are incapable of living into His requirements back in the Garden. He gave one rule and we couldn’t follow that one! How on earth are we to believe that following righteousness could possibly be related to our own abilities to do good?
The truth is our pursuit of righteousness now is entirely wrapped up in our pursuit of Jesus. The more we look for and find Him (Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9), the more we are loved and favored by God. It’s not because of our work, but because of Jesus. God loves it when we seek Christ and find Him. According to Christ’s words, when we seek His righteousness all of the other things necessary for life will be added to us (Matthew 6:33). This is a promise from the Lord; let’s grab hold of it!
Is what you’ve done or is what you’re doing an abomination to the Lord? Quite possibly. But realize this: He’s imparted His righteousness to your soul. He’s forgiven your sins and sees you as He sees Jesus: perfect in every way. You may look at your body and see old age, disease, poor health, regrets, mistakes, and failures, but that’s not what God sees. When God looks at you He sees the glorious shining light of Jesus Christ. He sees you healthy, prosperous, and totally restored. Seek Jesus and know that God loves you!
The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but He loves him who follows righteousness.
Pay close attention to what the Bible says here: the way of those guilty of sin is disgusting to the Lord, but God loves those who pursue His righteousness. When we put it into that perspective we can see how we fit into the verse. Through the cross of Christ and His finished work we are justified and made righteous. We are forgiven of sin, without asking, begging or pleading. That’s what grace is all about. If we had to ask for forgiveness it would cheapen grace and make it mercy, but the truth is this: whether we admit it or not, all of our sins are forgiven. Both the Christian and the non-Christian have this grace in their lives.
It’s a confession of faith in Jesus and the pursuit of a relationship with Him that makes us a Christian, not the forgiveness of sins. Because of the grace of Christ, God is no longer looking to punish us for our sins. He punished all sin for all time in the body of His Son, Jesus. Instead, He’s looking to establish a relationship with us based on righteousness. This isn’t our righteousness, but His righteousness given to us through the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Just because Christ died for sin on the cross doesn’t mean that we’ve stopped sinning; it just means He’s forgiven us. Our sins in life are still disgusting to God, but He’s not seeking to punish us for them. Once we come to the realization that Christ died for our sins and has already forgiven us, preemptively, we can begin to understand what the pursuit of righteousness really is.
The pursuit of righteousness isn’t some way of living by which we stop doing things wrong and are suddenly able to fulfill all the requirements of the law. If it was, we wouldn’t have needed Christ in the first place. I think God made His point that we are incapable of living into His requirements back in the Garden. He gave one rule and we couldn’t follow that one! How on earth are we to believe that following righteousness could possibly be related to our own abilities to do good?
The truth is our pursuit of righteousness now is entirely wrapped up in our pursuit of Jesus. The more we look for and find Him (Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9), the more we are loved and favored by God. It’s not because of our work, but because of Jesus. God loves it when we seek Christ and find Him. According to Christ’s words, when we seek His righteousness all of the other things necessary for life will be added to us (Matthew 6:33). This is a promise from the Lord; let’s grab hold of it!
Is what you’ve done or is what you’re doing an abomination to the Lord? Quite possibly. But realize this: He’s imparted His righteousness to your soul. He’s forgiven your sins and sees you as He sees Jesus: perfect in every way. You may look at your body and see old age, disease, poor health, regrets, mistakes, and failures, but that’s not what God sees. When God looks at you He sees the glorious shining light of Jesus Christ. He sees you healthy, prosperous, and totally restored. Seek Jesus and know that God loves you!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Directions
Proverbs 11:5
The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.
I’m sure that when you wake up in the morning your intentions for the day are good; that is, you plan to be a righteous person. I’m sure you don’t leave the house in the morning with a mindset that today will be the day you break the land speed record on your way to work. I’m sure you aren’t actively planning to one-finger salute the guy in the Lexus who just took your spot. I’m sure you don’t intend to look lustfully at that coworker in his or her tight pants. But what happens during the day never seems to line up with your intentions, does it?
Have you ever wondered why things don’t go according to your plans? The simple answer is this: because they’re your plans. When we are conscious of ourselves and spend the day worrying about how we’re going to act, we take our focus off of Christ. More importantly, we take our focus off of who we are in Christ and return it to who we perceive ourselves to be in the world. This has one result: failure. But there’s Hope!
Instead of getting out of bed in the morning and planning to be a “good” person for the day we need to be getting out of bed and realizing that through the blood of Christ we have been made perfect. In truth, the word “perfect” used in this verse is the same word for “complete, healthful, wholesome, and innocent” (Strong’s H8549). It’s not that we’ve done anything to be perfect, but rather that Christ has done it all to make us perfect. Because of His sacrifice, and the exchange on the cross of His perfection for our imperfections, God views us as complete. We are a finished work in Christ. Maybe that’s why He said, “IT IS FINISHED!”
When you get out of bed in the morning, remind yourself first and foremost that you are perfect, complete, whole, and healthy in the eyes of God Almighty. He sees you that way because He sees you in the light of the perfection of Jesus Christ. Follow that up with a quick reminder of where your righteousness comes from. It’s not from works or deeds or “right doing” (Isaiah 64:6), but from the grace of God through the cross of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). This realization of who you are in Christ and where your righteousness truly comes from will be made manifest throughout your day.
The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way. Another way to say that would be: Jesus Christ, my righteousness, who has made me perfect, complete, and healthy in the eyes of God the Father has gone out before me today and prepared the way for me to walk into His perfection. Isn’t that what His word says (Psalm 23:3, Isaiah 45:2)?
Let’s live into our status as Christians: righteous. Instead of setting ourselves up for failure with a laundry list of what not to do’s, let’s recognize that Christ has begun a good work within us and He will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6)! The work was started in grace, it progresses in grace, and it will be accomplished only in grace.
The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.
I’m sure that when you wake up in the morning your intentions for the day are good; that is, you plan to be a righteous person. I’m sure you don’t leave the house in the morning with a mindset that today will be the day you break the land speed record on your way to work. I’m sure you aren’t actively planning to one-finger salute the guy in the Lexus who just took your spot. I’m sure you don’t intend to look lustfully at that coworker in his or her tight pants. But what happens during the day never seems to line up with your intentions, does it?
Have you ever wondered why things don’t go according to your plans? The simple answer is this: because they’re your plans. When we are conscious of ourselves and spend the day worrying about how we’re going to act, we take our focus off of Christ. More importantly, we take our focus off of who we are in Christ and return it to who we perceive ourselves to be in the world. This has one result: failure. But there’s Hope!
Instead of getting out of bed in the morning and planning to be a “good” person for the day we need to be getting out of bed and realizing that through the blood of Christ we have been made perfect. In truth, the word “perfect” used in this verse is the same word for “complete, healthful, wholesome, and innocent” (Strong’s H8549). It’s not that we’ve done anything to be perfect, but rather that Christ has done it all to make us perfect. Because of His sacrifice, and the exchange on the cross of His perfection for our imperfections, God views us as complete. We are a finished work in Christ. Maybe that’s why He said, “IT IS FINISHED!”
When you get out of bed in the morning, remind yourself first and foremost that you are perfect, complete, whole, and healthy in the eyes of God Almighty. He sees you that way because He sees you in the light of the perfection of Jesus Christ. Follow that up with a quick reminder of where your righteousness comes from. It’s not from works or deeds or “right doing” (Isaiah 64:6), but from the grace of God through the cross of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). This realization of who you are in Christ and where your righteousness truly comes from will be made manifest throughout your day.
The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way. Another way to say that would be: Jesus Christ, my righteousness, who has made me perfect, complete, and healthy in the eyes of God the Father has gone out before me today and prepared the way for me to walk into His perfection. Isn’t that what His word says (Psalm 23:3, Isaiah 45:2)?
Let’s live into our status as Christians: righteous. Instead of setting ourselves up for failure with a laundry list of what not to do’s, let’s recognize that Christ has begun a good work within us and He will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6)! The work was started in grace, it progresses in grace, and it will be accomplished only in grace.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Sticks and stones
Proverbs 10:21
The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.
“Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt me!” This may be the biggest lie we allow our children to tell. I’m sure we’ve all heard this saying before; I would hazard a guess that we’ve all said these words at some point in our lives. Is it a true statement? Ask any psychiatrist or psychologist and they’ll tell you that without a doubt, words can hurt you; they can kill you!
There’s a serious issue involving words that is affecting people of all ages: cyber-bullying. This is where one person or group goes on a social networking site to write bad, harassing, evil, and thoughtless things about someone else. This is done with the intention of hurting the other person. Now, if words can never hurt me, then why is this a problem? The truth is words do hurt. The result in a lot of these cyber-bullying cases is suicide by the victim. Words have an eternal impact on the lives of others. They have the potential to build someone up or completely tear them down, killing them.
As Christians, we have a responsibility to speak good things into the minds of those around us. We have the power, in our mouths, to build up the mind and spirit of others. Likewise, we have the power in our mouths to tear down and destroy others. We should be speaking righteousness to everyone we encounter.
I know what you’re thinking: I don’t say or post hurtful things to other people; I’m a good Christian. I don’t doubt that for one minute, but what are you saying? Are the words of your mouth feeding the listener?
We get caught up sometimes in the do’s and don’ts of Christian living. We teach rules and regulations, but these things do not bring righteousness, nor does living life by these rules make one righteous (Galatians 3:11, Romans 3:20). When we teach these rules, this “right” way of living, we are giving strength back to sin (1 Corinthians 15:56) and as a result, killing people (Romans 6:23) with our words. We become holy-bullies when we teach and speak this way.
The truth is that only by the blood of Jesus Christ are we made righteous and only by teaching Him to others do we impart righteousness in their lives. Christ said He is the bread of life (John 6:35); it is up to us to serve Him to people. All of Proverbs 8 describes Christ as wisdom. When we teach rules, regulations, and law to people we are denying them of the Bread of life and leaving their spiritual souls unsatisfied. They are dying for want of Wisdom!
We are the righteous because we have been given, by grace, Christ’s righteousness in a holy exchange (2 Corinthians 5:21). Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17) and faith in Jesus Christ is what makes us righteous (Romans 1:17). Let’s get out there and feed the world with the Word of Wisdom that is Jesus Christ.
The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.
“Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt me!” This may be the biggest lie we allow our children to tell. I’m sure we’ve all heard this saying before; I would hazard a guess that we’ve all said these words at some point in our lives. Is it a true statement? Ask any psychiatrist or psychologist and they’ll tell you that without a doubt, words can hurt you; they can kill you!
There’s a serious issue involving words that is affecting people of all ages: cyber-bullying. This is where one person or group goes on a social networking site to write bad, harassing, evil, and thoughtless things about someone else. This is done with the intention of hurting the other person. Now, if words can never hurt me, then why is this a problem? The truth is words do hurt. The result in a lot of these cyber-bullying cases is suicide by the victim. Words have an eternal impact on the lives of others. They have the potential to build someone up or completely tear them down, killing them.
As Christians, we have a responsibility to speak good things into the minds of those around us. We have the power, in our mouths, to build up the mind and spirit of others. Likewise, we have the power in our mouths to tear down and destroy others. We should be speaking righteousness to everyone we encounter.
I know what you’re thinking: I don’t say or post hurtful things to other people; I’m a good Christian. I don’t doubt that for one minute, but what are you saying? Are the words of your mouth feeding the listener?
We get caught up sometimes in the do’s and don’ts of Christian living. We teach rules and regulations, but these things do not bring righteousness, nor does living life by these rules make one righteous (Galatians 3:11, Romans 3:20). When we teach these rules, this “right” way of living, we are giving strength back to sin (1 Corinthians 15:56) and as a result, killing people (Romans 6:23) with our words. We become holy-bullies when we teach and speak this way.
The truth is that only by the blood of Jesus Christ are we made righteous and only by teaching Him to others do we impart righteousness in their lives. Christ said He is the bread of life (John 6:35); it is up to us to serve Him to people. All of Proverbs 8 describes Christ as wisdom. When we teach rules, regulations, and law to people we are denying them of the Bread of life and leaving their spiritual souls unsatisfied. They are dying for want of Wisdom!
We are the righteous because we have been given, by grace, Christ’s righteousness in a holy exchange (2 Corinthians 5:21). Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17) and faith in Jesus Christ is what makes us righteous (Romans 1:17). Let’s get out there and feed the world with the Word of Wisdom that is Jesus Christ.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Love-sick
Proverbs 8:17-18
I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me. Riches and honor are with me, enduring riches and righteousness.
In John 21 there is an interesting exchange between Jesus and Peter. Three times Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” and three times Peter responds, “You know that I love You.” But that’s not really what was being said.
There were two different words used for love in this dialogue. The first, by Christ, was agape. This is the love that never fails. It’s unconditional, unstoppable, and unwavering; it’s sacrificial, sanctifying, and saving. This is God’s love, Grace love. Then there was Peter’s word for love: phelio. This love is more of a like than a love. It’s the kind of love that can be associated with good friends or with a specific type of food (in my case, pizza). What we miss in the translation of this very important conversation is that Jesus asks, “Do you love me?” and Peter answers, “You know that I like you.”
Peter’s answer to Jesus’ question was like that of a teen in junior high who was just asked by an admirer, “Do you love me?” Can you remember those awkward moments between boys and girls where he “loves” her but she just “likes” him? (The roles could obviously be reversed.) Peter was just responding truthfully. And just like the relentless, ever pursuing, boy or girl in junior high who “loves” the other person, Jesus is in relentless pursuit of the one who only “likes” Him.
While we’re still thinking about the love-sick junior high kid, let’s look at some of the other things that he or she would do. I know, from personal experience, that a love-sick teen will shower the person of their affection with gifts of all kinds. Teddy bears, cards, flowers, clothes, concert tickets; you name it, they’ll buy it. Why? Because there is a desire to show the other person just how much they are loved. In the love-sick teen’s mind the other person is flawless; they can do no wrong. Anyone who slanders or speaks badly of their love, that is, the person, will suffer great wrath.
The word love in this proverb can mean both definitions. This is interesting because a lot of times we’re taught that God loves those who love Him, which is just a simple misinterpretation of scripture. The truth is, however, that God loves those who like Him. God goes even further in that He chooses to love those who actually hate Him (Matthew 5:44)! This is what grace is all about.
So are we to believe that God is like a love-sick teen? Yes! He [Jesus] is absolutely delighted with us (Proverbs 8:31). He is so much in love with us that He died in our place. He bore our sickness, curses, anxieties, sins, and punishment so that we could be free. He, through His perfect sacrifice, has made us righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21); He has given us honor. He has blessed us with riches through His grace. Jesus loves us more than we could possibly imagine. He loves us even though truthfully we may only like Him. He loves us even though we may actually hate Him. This is why He went to the cross, so that we would know how much He loves us. It’s not until we realize how much God loves us that we can possibly begin to love Him.
So whether you are madly in love with Jesus or you just simply like Him, He’s in pursuit of your heart. He has with Him riches and everlasting righteousness for you. His death on the cross brings honor to your name. His riches for you will endure all of your shortcomings, your flaws, and your “issues”; He sees past all of that to the you who is sanctified by His cross.
I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me. Riches and honor are with me, enduring riches and righteousness.
In John 21 there is an interesting exchange between Jesus and Peter. Three times Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” and three times Peter responds, “You know that I love You.” But that’s not really what was being said.
There were two different words used for love in this dialogue. The first, by Christ, was agape. This is the love that never fails. It’s unconditional, unstoppable, and unwavering; it’s sacrificial, sanctifying, and saving. This is God’s love, Grace love. Then there was Peter’s word for love: phelio. This love is more of a like than a love. It’s the kind of love that can be associated with good friends or with a specific type of food (in my case, pizza). What we miss in the translation of this very important conversation is that Jesus asks, “Do you love me?” and Peter answers, “You know that I like you.”
Peter’s answer to Jesus’ question was like that of a teen in junior high who was just asked by an admirer, “Do you love me?” Can you remember those awkward moments between boys and girls where he “loves” her but she just “likes” him? (The roles could obviously be reversed.) Peter was just responding truthfully. And just like the relentless, ever pursuing, boy or girl in junior high who “loves” the other person, Jesus is in relentless pursuit of the one who only “likes” Him.
While we’re still thinking about the love-sick junior high kid, let’s look at some of the other things that he or she would do. I know, from personal experience, that a love-sick teen will shower the person of their affection with gifts of all kinds. Teddy bears, cards, flowers, clothes, concert tickets; you name it, they’ll buy it. Why? Because there is a desire to show the other person just how much they are loved. In the love-sick teen’s mind the other person is flawless; they can do no wrong. Anyone who slanders or speaks badly of their love, that is, the person, will suffer great wrath.
The word love in this proverb can mean both definitions. This is interesting because a lot of times we’re taught that God loves those who love Him, which is just a simple misinterpretation of scripture. The truth is, however, that God loves those who like Him. God goes even further in that He chooses to love those who actually hate Him (Matthew 5:44)! This is what grace is all about.
So are we to believe that God is like a love-sick teen? Yes! He [Jesus] is absolutely delighted with us (Proverbs 8:31). He is so much in love with us that He died in our place. He bore our sickness, curses, anxieties, sins, and punishment so that we could be free. He, through His perfect sacrifice, has made us righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21); He has given us honor. He has blessed us with riches through His grace. Jesus loves us more than we could possibly imagine. He loves us even though truthfully we may only like Him. He loves us even though we may actually hate Him. This is why He went to the cross, so that we would know how much He loves us. It’s not until we realize how much God loves us that we can possibly begin to love Him.
So whether you are madly in love with Jesus or you just simply like Him, He’s in pursuit of your heart. He has with Him riches and everlasting righteousness for you. His death on the cross brings honor to your name. His riches for you will endure all of your shortcomings, your flaws, and your “issues”; He sees past all of that to the you who is sanctified by His cross.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Prep cook
Ephesians 2:10
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
I spent a good number of years working in the restaurant industry as a cook. Well, I started out as a dishwasher, but I worked my way up to being a Sous Chef, serving alongside some of the best and most talented foodies I know. One thing I learned along the way was there were certain jobs that I liked in the kitchen and certain jobs that I didn’t like. Sometimes I was “in the zone” and other times it was like pulling teeth to get me to cook a grilled cheese sandwich.
I know what you’re thinking: what does this have to do with Jesus? We’ll get to that, but first I have to lay the ground work. I spent time serving and working in every area of the kitchen. Some of that time was spent griping and complaining because I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to do, that is, cook. A lot of time was spent just preparing the food to be prepared. This is called “prep work”. Typically there would be a prep cook who prepared the food, someone to peel potatoes, chop onions, and gut fish. But every once in a while the prep cook wouldn’t show up. When this happened, yours truly had to pick up the slack and do double duty.
When I had to “serve” and “work” in this capacity I wasn’t happy. In fact, I was miserable. I was a cook, a chef; I didn’t have the desire to be peeling potatoes and chopping garlic. I had bigger fish to fry (pun intended): a menu to write, sauces to make, steaks to cut. This extra burden caused me mental stress and affected the end product, which was dinner for a paying customer. I wasn’t supposed to work in both areas; I was supposed to work in the area in which I was gifted. Working wasn’t supposed to be a sacrifice; it was supposed to be enjoyable.
How does this play into our spiritual walk? Well, I know this may seem a bit irreverent to say, but God is our prep-cook and He never calls in sick! Yes, by all means we are supposed to work, but God doesn’t want us sacrificing, struggling, laboring, and toiling. Jesus wants to take our burdens (Matthew 11:28), not saddle us with more! God has taken the time, He’s come in early, and prepared the work for us. All we need to do is walk in and do it.
On days when my prep cook showed up early and got everything done for me to be able to perform in my sweet spot, cooking and working in the kitchen was the most fun of my entire life. I didn’t have stress (even when there were 300 people waiting for dinner); I wasn’t angry or upset. I was happily working! I sweat, I got tired, but I loved every minute of it.
This is how God wants our Christian service to be! He doesn’t want our Christian works to be a sacrificial hardship that we begrudgingly do to “make God happy” or to simply fill a need in a church. He wants us to enjoy our work. More than that, He wants us to work in our sweet spot. No amount of guilt or manipulation should ever make the Christian volunteer “sacrificially serve” in a ministry they are not designed to serve in. This isn’t pleasing to God; this doesn’t serve His purpose.
Christ died to remove stress, anxiety, hardship, and anger from our lives. Why would He want us serving in a place that gives us all of those things? This is what we have to come to grips with: God prepared everything for us. He first took on the form of a man in Jesus Christ and prepared the way to forgiveness through grace. He took our sins, our sicknesses, and all of our problems and curses, bore them in His own body, and died once for the sins of all (1 Peter 3:18). After that He recreated us (2 Corinthians 5:17),righteously, in Christ for good works, which He prepared for us, beforehand.
Friends, trust that whatever “work” you have before you was prepared in grace. God doesn’t need your works or your service. He doesn’t need your sacrifice (He has His own) to solidify His kingdom. In Christ, we are restored to a Garden of Eden state. Adam had work to do in the garden, but it wasn’t planting and cultivating; it was reaping the harvest. God planted the garden; God grew the fruits and vegetables. All Adam had to do was what God designed him to do: pick and eat.
The same is true for us. If you’re looking for a job, God has already done the work before you filled out the application to ensure that you’ll get hired in the position that’s right for you. If you have a job, God has prepared the way for you to prosper. If you’re in church looking for a place to serve, listen to your heart. Trust that God gave you desires and talents to use. He doesn’t want you to shelve your talents while you halfheartedly serve in a ministry that isn’t for you. Don’t let guilt or manipulation get the best of you. God has prepared the work for you; when you do it, it will be easy and fulfilling.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
I spent a good number of years working in the restaurant industry as a cook. Well, I started out as a dishwasher, but I worked my way up to being a Sous Chef, serving alongside some of the best and most talented foodies I know. One thing I learned along the way was there were certain jobs that I liked in the kitchen and certain jobs that I didn’t like. Sometimes I was “in the zone” and other times it was like pulling teeth to get me to cook a grilled cheese sandwich.
I know what you’re thinking: what does this have to do with Jesus? We’ll get to that, but first I have to lay the ground work. I spent time serving and working in every area of the kitchen. Some of that time was spent griping and complaining because I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to do, that is, cook. A lot of time was spent just preparing the food to be prepared. This is called “prep work”. Typically there would be a prep cook who prepared the food, someone to peel potatoes, chop onions, and gut fish. But every once in a while the prep cook wouldn’t show up. When this happened, yours truly had to pick up the slack and do double duty.
When I had to “serve” and “work” in this capacity I wasn’t happy. In fact, I was miserable. I was a cook, a chef; I didn’t have the desire to be peeling potatoes and chopping garlic. I had bigger fish to fry (pun intended): a menu to write, sauces to make, steaks to cut. This extra burden caused me mental stress and affected the end product, which was dinner for a paying customer. I wasn’t supposed to work in both areas; I was supposed to work in the area in which I was gifted. Working wasn’t supposed to be a sacrifice; it was supposed to be enjoyable.
How does this play into our spiritual walk? Well, I know this may seem a bit irreverent to say, but God is our prep-cook and He never calls in sick! Yes, by all means we are supposed to work, but God doesn’t want us sacrificing, struggling, laboring, and toiling. Jesus wants to take our burdens (Matthew 11:28), not saddle us with more! God has taken the time, He’s come in early, and prepared the work for us. All we need to do is walk in and do it.
On days when my prep cook showed up early and got everything done for me to be able to perform in my sweet spot, cooking and working in the kitchen was the most fun of my entire life. I didn’t have stress (even when there were 300 people waiting for dinner); I wasn’t angry or upset. I was happily working! I sweat, I got tired, but I loved every minute of it.
This is how God wants our Christian service to be! He doesn’t want our Christian works to be a sacrificial hardship that we begrudgingly do to “make God happy” or to simply fill a need in a church. He wants us to enjoy our work. More than that, He wants us to work in our sweet spot. No amount of guilt or manipulation should ever make the Christian volunteer “sacrificially serve” in a ministry they are not designed to serve in. This isn’t pleasing to God; this doesn’t serve His purpose.
Christ died to remove stress, anxiety, hardship, and anger from our lives. Why would He want us serving in a place that gives us all of those things? This is what we have to come to grips with: God prepared everything for us. He first took on the form of a man in Jesus Christ and prepared the way to forgiveness through grace. He took our sins, our sicknesses, and all of our problems and curses, bore them in His own body, and died once for the sins of all (1 Peter 3:18). After that He recreated us (2 Corinthians 5:17),righteously, in Christ for good works, which He prepared for us, beforehand.
Friends, trust that whatever “work” you have before you was prepared in grace. God doesn’t need your works or your service. He doesn’t need your sacrifice (He has His own) to solidify His kingdom. In Christ, we are restored to a Garden of Eden state. Adam had work to do in the garden, but it wasn’t planting and cultivating; it was reaping the harvest. God planted the garden; God grew the fruits and vegetables. All Adam had to do was what God designed him to do: pick and eat.
The same is true for us. If you’re looking for a job, God has already done the work before you filled out the application to ensure that you’ll get hired in the position that’s right for you. If you have a job, God has prepared the way for you to prosper. If you’re in church looking for a place to serve, listen to your heart. Trust that God gave you desires and talents to use. He doesn’t want you to shelve your talents while you halfheartedly serve in a ministry that isn’t for you. Don’t let guilt or manipulation get the best of you. God has prepared the work for you; when you do it, it will be easy and fulfilling.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Fear = Wisdom?
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Are you scared of your dad? Are you frightened by your mother? Then why on earth would you need to fear God? The truth is the Bible tells us the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; it doesn’t tell us that we must stay in fear of the Lord. In fact, the very same verse goes on to tell us that knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. It seems that fear is quickly replaced by knowledge.
Looking into Luke’s account of Jesus’ walk here on earth, we see an interesting manifestation of this very Proverb. Jesus, pressed by the crowds to the shores of Lake Gennesaret, climbed into a fishing boat with Simon Peter and had him push out a bit from shore. Peter and his fisherman friends had just come in from a hard day of fishing; they had toiled all day and caught nothing. But, at the request of Jesus, Peter shoved off from shore. Once they were out into the lake a bit Jesus delivered a sermon to the crowd.
When He was done speaking, Jesus turned to Peter and told him to cast his net over the side. Peter explained to Jesus that they’d been fishing all day and caught nothing, but he did what Jesus requested anyway. The net quickly began to fill with fish, so much so that Peter had to call his partners, who were still on shore, to come out with the other boat and help him. There was such an abundance of fish that the net was tearing and the boat began to sink!
What happened next was incredible. Peter fell to his knees in fear. He exclaimed that he was a sinful man; he cried out for Christ to depart from him. Peter called Jesus “LORD”. This fear, based on Peter’s sudden self-awareness, was the beginning of his personal revelation of who Jesus is; it was the beginning of wisdom! On the other hand, Jesus’ next words to Peter, “Do not be afraid,” (Luke 5:10) were a gift of knowledge of the Holy One. They were the beginning of understanding.
It’s too easy to get caught up in the fear stage of who God is and never move into the understanding part of our relationship. The truth is: fear of the Lord is only the beginning of our relationship. Christ doesn’t want us to live a life in fear of Him. What kind of relationship would that be?
I think that the most interesting piece of this story is how Jesus revealed Peter’s sinfulness. Rather than telling him what he was doing wrong in his life and pointing out his flaws, Jesus graciously revealed Peter’s sin nature by blessing him with boat sinking load of fish! This is what brings about the fear of the Lord; this is the beginning of wisdom: a full-on revelation of the grace of God! Think about that for a moment.
Christ does not want us to stay in a state of fear either. Through the revelation of His grace we know that we are sinful people, but we don’t have to dwell on that. Christ didn’t let Peter dwell on his sinfulness. He stopped the fear immediately after it began. The same holds true in today’s world. Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8)!
Likewise, the way that Christ brings that wisdom into your life and mine is the same now as it was for Peter. Jesus isn’t out there in the world looking to destroy families, careers, or health in order to reveal our true nature. A full-on revelation of the grace of God is all that is needed to push a person to the beginning of wisdom. Immediately fear must be replaced with an ever increasing knowledge of the Holy One, that is, Jesus Christ, and His finished work.
For that grace revelation we don’t need to look any further than the cross. When we behold the broken, mangled, naked, Christ, rejected by His friends and countrymen hanging in shame to die as a curse before all mankind, we see grace! The Son of the Creator forsaken by His Father to save you and me is all the revelation of grace we need. We don’t need to be told how bad we are in order to realize how awesome God is; we just need to be told how awesome God is. How gracious is our God? Even in revealing our flaws and shortcomings God uses grace!
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Are you scared of your dad? Are you frightened by your mother? Then why on earth would you need to fear God? The truth is the Bible tells us the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; it doesn’t tell us that we must stay in fear of the Lord. In fact, the very same verse goes on to tell us that knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. It seems that fear is quickly replaced by knowledge.
Looking into Luke’s account of Jesus’ walk here on earth, we see an interesting manifestation of this very Proverb. Jesus, pressed by the crowds to the shores of Lake Gennesaret, climbed into a fishing boat with Simon Peter and had him push out a bit from shore. Peter and his fisherman friends had just come in from a hard day of fishing; they had toiled all day and caught nothing. But, at the request of Jesus, Peter shoved off from shore. Once they were out into the lake a bit Jesus delivered a sermon to the crowd.
When He was done speaking, Jesus turned to Peter and told him to cast his net over the side. Peter explained to Jesus that they’d been fishing all day and caught nothing, but he did what Jesus requested anyway. The net quickly began to fill with fish, so much so that Peter had to call his partners, who were still on shore, to come out with the other boat and help him. There was such an abundance of fish that the net was tearing and the boat began to sink!
What happened next was incredible. Peter fell to his knees in fear. He exclaimed that he was a sinful man; he cried out for Christ to depart from him. Peter called Jesus “LORD”. This fear, based on Peter’s sudden self-awareness, was the beginning of his personal revelation of who Jesus is; it was the beginning of wisdom! On the other hand, Jesus’ next words to Peter, “Do not be afraid,” (Luke 5:10) were a gift of knowledge of the Holy One. They were the beginning of understanding.
It’s too easy to get caught up in the fear stage of who God is and never move into the understanding part of our relationship. The truth is: fear of the Lord is only the beginning of our relationship. Christ doesn’t want us to live a life in fear of Him. What kind of relationship would that be?
I think that the most interesting piece of this story is how Jesus revealed Peter’s sinfulness. Rather than telling him what he was doing wrong in his life and pointing out his flaws, Jesus graciously revealed Peter’s sin nature by blessing him with boat sinking load of fish! This is what brings about the fear of the Lord; this is the beginning of wisdom: a full-on revelation of the grace of God! Think about that for a moment.
Christ does not want us to stay in a state of fear either. Through the revelation of His grace we know that we are sinful people, but we don’t have to dwell on that. Christ didn’t let Peter dwell on his sinfulness. He stopped the fear immediately after it began. The same holds true in today’s world. Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8)!
Likewise, the way that Christ brings that wisdom into your life and mine is the same now as it was for Peter. Jesus isn’t out there in the world looking to destroy families, careers, or health in order to reveal our true nature. A full-on revelation of the grace of God is all that is needed to push a person to the beginning of wisdom. Immediately fear must be replaced with an ever increasing knowledge of the Holy One, that is, Jesus Christ, and His finished work.
For that grace revelation we don’t need to look any further than the cross. When we behold the broken, mangled, naked, Christ, rejected by His friends and countrymen hanging in shame to die as a curse before all mankind, we see grace! The Son of the Creator forsaken by His Father to save you and me is all the revelation of grace we need. We don’t need to be told how bad we are in order to realize how awesome God is; we just need to be told how awesome God is. How gracious is our God? Even in revealing our flaws and shortcomings God uses grace!
Friday, February 3, 2012
Optical illusions
2 Timothy 3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
I read earlier this week that an optical illusion isn’t really an optical illusion at all. The truth is that the eye sees exactly what is on the page; it’s the brain that misinterprets what it is. What does this have to do with scripture? I’m glad you had the same question I did!
When I read that statement I started thinking about how we read and misinterpret scripture on a regular basis. I’m using the collective “we” here; I’m not necessarily saying that you or I do it, but that Christian society as a whole collectively misinterprets scripture after the eye clearly sees it for all its worth. Jesus made mention of this when He taught by making statements like “...seeing they do not see...” (Mark 4:12, Matthew 13:13). Jesus knew (because He’s God) that the brain would misinterpret what the eye beheld.
So, let’s get back to our scripture. The point that I’m getting to here is that I’ve seen this scripture a number of times, but it wasn’t until tonight that I realized what it meant. We use the word “correction” as a synonym for punish, chastise, or discipline, but I’m not sure that’s the proper interpretation. The word in the original text is “epanorthōsis” (ep-ä-no'r-thō-sēs) which means “restoration to an upright or right state, correction, improvement of life or character”. The question I have is how do we use scripture, that is loaded with the imagery of Jesus Christ and His grace, to “correct” one another’s character?
The answer is not what you think. It’s not by using scripture as a billy club to beat into people’s heads; it’s not by laying rules and regulations on people, further burdening them in their time of trouble or struggle. No, instead it is by correcting them, or as I’d rather put it, restoring them to an upright state by reassuring them of the finished work of Jesus Christ. It is by filling them with the encouragement and love found in the Bible in passages like “as He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). The way we use scripture to “correct” someone is by reassuring them of their improved life and character. This is done by reminding them, and ourselves, that we are seated with Christ, in Christ (Ephesians 2:6), made perfect by His works, by His sufferings, and by His sacrifice.
The culmination of all of this: the use of scripture for doctrine, reproof, correction, edification, and instruction in righteousness (His righteousness) is found in the very next verse of the passage. “That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 2:17). When we use scripture to correct the misunderstanding of the mind that a change in behavior will bring about perfection, we begin to see the perfection that has been bestowed upon us through Christ.
It’s not a correction of behavior or a new set of rules that needs to be preached to the Christian; it’s a consistent, steady reminding of the finished work of Jesus Christ and His unending grace and continual instruction in Christ’s righteousness that makes the man (or woman) of God perfect! If you think that doing more, giving more, fasting more, praying more, not swearing, not drinking, or not lustfully looking at another will bring you closer to Christ, you’ve misinterpreted what your eyes saw as plain as day. The truth is this: where sin abounds, grace super-abounds (Romans 5:20)!
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
I read earlier this week that an optical illusion isn’t really an optical illusion at all. The truth is that the eye sees exactly what is on the page; it’s the brain that misinterprets what it is. What does this have to do with scripture? I’m glad you had the same question I did!
When I read that statement I started thinking about how we read and misinterpret scripture on a regular basis. I’m using the collective “we” here; I’m not necessarily saying that you or I do it, but that Christian society as a whole collectively misinterprets scripture after the eye clearly sees it for all its worth. Jesus made mention of this when He taught by making statements like “...seeing they do not see...” (Mark 4:12, Matthew 13:13). Jesus knew (because He’s God) that the brain would misinterpret what the eye beheld.
So, let’s get back to our scripture. The point that I’m getting to here is that I’ve seen this scripture a number of times, but it wasn’t until tonight that I realized what it meant. We use the word “correction” as a synonym for punish, chastise, or discipline, but I’m not sure that’s the proper interpretation. The word in the original text is “epanorthōsis” (ep-ä-no'r-thō-sēs) which means “restoration to an upright or right state, correction, improvement of life or character”. The question I have is how do we use scripture, that is loaded with the imagery of Jesus Christ and His grace, to “correct” one another’s character?
The answer is not what you think. It’s not by using scripture as a billy club to beat into people’s heads; it’s not by laying rules and regulations on people, further burdening them in their time of trouble or struggle. No, instead it is by correcting them, or as I’d rather put it, restoring them to an upright state by reassuring them of the finished work of Jesus Christ. It is by filling them with the encouragement and love found in the Bible in passages like “as He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). The way we use scripture to “correct” someone is by reassuring them of their improved life and character. This is done by reminding them, and ourselves, that we are seated with Christ, in Christ (Ephesians 2:6), made perfect by His works, by His sufferings, and by His sacrifice.
The culmination of all of this: the use of scripture for doctrine, reproof, correction, edification, and instruction in righteousness (His righteousness) is found in the very next verse of the passage. “That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 2:17). When we use scripture to correct the misunderstanding of the mind that a change in behavior will bring about perfection, we begin to see the perfection that has been bestowed upon us through Christ.
It’s not a correction of behavior or a new set of rules that needs to be preached to the Christian; it’s a consistent, steady reminding of the finished work of Jesus Christ and His unending grace and continual instruction in Christ’s righteousness that makes the man (or woman) of God perfect! If you think that doing more, giving more, fasting more, praying more, not swearing, not drinking, or not lustfully looking at another will bring you closer to Christ, you’ve misinterpreted what your eyes saw as plain as day. The truth is this: where sin abounds, grace super-abounds (Romans 5:20)!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Reflections
2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Did you know that when Christ was crucified and He breathed His last, the curtain that hung in the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51)? Did you know that this curtain was there to separate the people, the commoners, from the holiest of places in the temple, where the Ark and the very presence of God was? It was only the High Priest who was allowed to go in there, behind the curtain, to be with God. The rest of the people were completely dependent on how God saw their priest to determine how their lives would work out for the next year.
The tearing of the curtain was God’s way of removing the veil that separated us from beholding the fullness of His beauty and glory. With it removed from our vision we are able to see the glory of the Lord as though we are looking in a mirror! This is important because a lot of times we seek to attain the image of Christ, but the Bible tells us we are beholding Him already as in a mirror.
Why, then, are there so many Christians who are not seeing themselves as God sees them: a reflection of Christ’s perfect, finished work? Because they have put the veil back over their own eyes, or more appropriately, they have had their eyes veiled. They have replaced the perfect image of Jesus with a reflection of who they are based on the Laws and commandments that were given to Moses (2 Corinthians 3:15). This re-veiling is a direct result of the “grace-but” teaching that is so common.
It’s “You’re saved by grace, but your works, sacrifice, and obedience are what God is looking for to make you whole” teaching that is re-veiling the Christian from seeing who they are in Christ. This is important to know because it isn’t until you know your status with God, who you are in Christ, that you begin to see His power made manifest in your life.
The word translated in this passage as “being transformed” is the same word that was used when Jesus went up on the mountain with Peter, James, and John and was “transfigured” (Mark 9:2). It’s a done deal; the act is completed. We have been transfigured from glory to glory. In essence, Paul is telling us that we have gone from the glory of the old Mosaic covenant under law to the new Christian covenant under grace! From the glory that was fading (2 Corinthians 3:7) to the glory that excels (2 Corinthians 3:10-11), that is in the finished work of Jesus Christ!
Because of Christ, you are a changed person. There is no more changing that you need to do. There are no more “issues” in your life that you need to resolve; He has transformed you into His image. The Father no longer sees you in your sin, failure, or shame, but rather in the light of the finished work of Jesus Christ. He sees you as transformed from the glory under law to the super-abundant glory that is found in His Grace. He is the Transformer, not you. When He looks at you He sees perfection.
But more than wanting you to know how He sees you, God wants you to see yourself in the same light. He wants you to behold Jesus Christ and know that He sees you as He sees Jesus. He doesn’t want you looking at yourself and examining your faults; God wants you looking to Jesus and recognizing that He’s completed you. He’s restored, redeemed, saved, healed, blessed, and provided for you in His Son, Jesus Christ. Look in the mirror: who do you see?
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Did you know that when Christ was crucified and He breathed His last, the curtain that hung in the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51)? Did you know that this curtain was there to separate the people, the commoners, from the holiest of places in the temple, where the Ark and the very presence of God was? It was only the High Priest who was allowed to go in there, behind the curtain, to be with God. The rest of the people were completely dependent on how God saw their priest to determine how their lives would work out for the next year.
The tearing of the curtain was God’s way of removing the veil that separated us from beholding the fullness of His beauty and glory. With it removed from our vision we are able to see the glory of the Lord as though we are looking in a mirror! This is important because a lot of times we seek to attain the image of Christ, but the Bible tells us we are beholding Him already as in a mirror.
Why, then, are there so many Christians who are not seeing themselves as God sees them: a reflection of Christ’s perfect, finished work? Because they have put the veil back over their own eyes, or more appropriately, they have had their eyes veiled. They have replaced the perfect image of Jesus with a reflection of who they are based on the Laws and commandments that were given to Moses (2 Corinthians 3:15). This re-veiling is a direct result of the “grace-but” teaching that is so common.
It’s “You’re saved by grace, but your works, sacrifice, and obedience are what God is looking for to make you whole” teaching that is re-veiling the Christian from seeing who they are in Christ. This is important to know because it isn’t until you know your status with God, who you are in Christ, that you begin to see His power made manifest in your life.
The word translated in this passage as “being transformed” is the same word that was used when Jesus went up on the mountain with Peter, James, and John and was “transfigured” (Mark 9:2). It’s a done deal; the act is completed. We have been transfigured from glory to glory. In essence, Paul is telling us that we have gone from the glory of the old Mosaic covenant under law to the new Christian covenant under grace! From the glory that was fading (2 Corinthians 3:7) to the glory that excels (2 Corinthians 3:10-11), that is in the finished work of Jesus Christ!
Because of Christ, you are a changed person. There is no more changing that you need to do. There are no more “issues” in your life that you need to resolve; He has transformed you into His image. The Father no longer sees you in your sin, failure, or shame, but rather in the light of the finished work of Jesus Christ. He sees you as transformed from the glory under law to the super-abundant glory that is found in His Grace. He is the Transformer, not you. When He looks at you He sees perfection.
But more than wanting you to know how He sees you, God wants you to see yourself in the same light. He wants you to behold Jesus Christ and know that He sees you as He sees Jesus. He doesn’t want you looking at yourself and examining your faults; God wants you looking to Jesus and recognizing that He’s completed you. He’s restored, redeemed, saved, healed, blessed, and provided for you in His Son, Jesus Christ. Look in the mirror: who do you see?
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