Wednesdays I go to jail! Yep, I get locked up for about an hour each week. And I love it. It's an opportunity to share the Word with about 15 people who can't get to church, most of whom have made a series of wrong choices that landed them on the wrong side of the law. Often, as I look around the table, I wonder how many of those I'm teaching will be back in custody within weeks or months of their release from jail. Statistics show that many people, once in the justice system, keep going back for many reasons - some the result of bad choices, some the result of the huge challenge of rejoining society as a productive citizen. Those who are in jail need a transforming experience, not a reforming experience! Just like you and me.
While motivation and planning are important components of building a new life on the 'outside,' I realize that those men and women I am teaching behind bars need to meet Jesus! And so do those of us who have never been locked up. The only hope any of has of pleasing God is to be changed - inside out - by the Holy Spirit. Jesus named the Spirit -"the Paraclete." Yes, it's a Bible word, a title. Jesus, speaking to his disciples at the Last Supper, said: "It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you." (John 16:7, NIV) The Holy Spirit is now the active member of the Godhead in our lives. He is our Paraclete! The word, drawn from NT Greek, is one for which translators use various words showing the difficulty of capturing the true meaning. 'Parakletos' is translated as "Comforter, Friend, Counselor, Advocate, and Helper" in various English Bibles. The word was one used to describe the person who came to your side to plead your case to another. Ah, you're thinking, a Heavenly lawyer of sorts. (Could there be such a thing?) Actually, the function of the 'Parakletos' was greater than simply lawyering. As the various translations indicate, a Paraclete was a friend, coach, and aide!
One of the great gifts of God's love is the availability of the Spirit. He is 'on call' 24/7! (In case you're not up on the slang, that means all day, everyday!) Jesus promises us that the Holy Spirit will not just be with us; He will live in us! "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." (John 14:16-17, NIV)
Believer, are you drawing on the advantages that the Paraclete offers to you?
Or are you attempting to live the Christian life by your wits and wisdom, by grit and guts, by resolve and rationale?
Yes, it is important that we determine to serve God's purposes. Yes, it is important that we are courageous and that we take up the challenge of serving God today. Yes, it is important to set goals and to align our lives to the principles of the Scripture. BUT, if we are focused on our abilities, on our own resources, if we think we can say enough prayers, or discipline ourselves, or get an accountability partner (all of which are good choices) and that will keep us holy, we're sadly deceived. No matter how smart or well-intentioned, we will fail! If we want to live a holy life, if we want to stay out of trouble, We must 'fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.' (Hebrews 12:2, NIV)
How do we stay in the place where Heaven's Life Coach can transform us from people who keep failing and falling, into holy ones who succeed at serving God and bringing honor to Him?
First, we need a LOVE REVELATION! God loves us, right where we are, in the middle of the mess. The word rhapsodizes about the wonder of His love. "We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us!" (Ephesians 2:3-5, The Message) The foundational truth for transformation the depth and breadth of God's love.
Second, we must allow the Spirit to convict us deeply, giving us a true sense of need. When I feel myself becoming apathetic towards God, I pray, "Lord, break me down. Show me the depth of my sin." Which brings that which I wrote about above back into focus. My need - His love. It's a liberating combination. Until we have faced up to the persistent power of our sinful nature and realized that, apart from the daily intercessions of our Lord, we are desperate sinners; we will not open up to the Spirit.
Then, we need to practice the disciplines of the Spirit. "But, Jerry, doesn't that give the lie to what you're writing about today?" No way. We don't pray, read our Bible, meditate, confess our need, and connect with other Christians to prove that we are good Christians! We do these things because as we do, we open up channels in our lives through which the Spirit flows into us to empower us. The disciplines are the moments when we pull up to God's table and receive the food of the soul which He is ready to provide according to our need that moment, that day.
Today, invite God to show you how much He loves you. Then, be prepared to be surprised!
Confess your need, your sins freely, openly, authentically. Don't just make up a couple to impress Him. Let God shine the light on your heart and show you that you desperately need Him. There is grace in Christ Jesus. Our sins are not so great that He cannot forgive and cleanse. He doesn't follow the 'three strikes and you're out' principle.
Invite the Holy Spirit to fill you, to renew you. Your Life Coach, the Paraclete, is ready to keep you safe in the Way. Are you cooperating with Him?
"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25, NIV)
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