I Deserve …

In late 19^th century in New York City thousands of people lived in poverty with no social welfare programs. One in five children in the poorest neighborhoods died before the age of 6. Contagious diseases spread rapidly in tenements where large families lived in 2 or 3 rooms with 1 window, sharing an outdoor toilet with hundreds of other people.  

Blocks away, rich men lived in palatial mansions with little concern for the poverty of others. The common idea was that the poor deserved their misery because of inferior intelligence, lack of initiative, or poor decisions!

We absorb the idea of ‘deserving’ from our earliest years. When we do ‘good,’ conforming to the expectations of others, we are rewarded in many ways. This can make us proud IF we succeed and leave us feeling worthless if we ‘fail’ to attain social marks of accomplishment.  

When we bring that idea into our faith practices, we miss the joy of truly knowing the love of God.  I am challenged by this which I read in a newsletter of Pastor Mike Woodruff -

Religion says, “I obey; therefore, God must accept me.” 
The Gospel says, “While I was a sinner, God loved and rescued me. I worship and obey out of gratitude and love.” Tragically, the former belief is the background music animating our heart unless and until we drive the Gospel into every corner of it—and do so every day.

Christian, do you really know that God loves YOU, as YOU are, where YOU are, today?
Are you running faster, working harder, to gain His approval, certain that ‘if only’ you did this or that, you would enjoy His blessings?  It is a subtle temptation, seemingly logical. However, it is untrue!

God does not love us because we deserve it. He loves us because His nature is love, His first desire our restoration to fellowship with Him, the Kingdom’s peace our provision.

Paul preached of Jesus and found converts in the ancient city of Galatia. Not long after he moved on, ‘teachers’ came who insisted that certain religious practices must be followed in order to be a child of God, to live in the Kingdom of Heaven. The apostle’s words are direct as he reminds them of the truly good news of God’s grace.

 “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.  I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?  Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard.”  So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”  (Galatians 3)

The most amazing thing to me is the genuine transformation that comes to that person who receives the love of the Father, who trusts the grace of Christ, and in whom lives the Spirit of God, by faith!  A beauty flows from them, far surpassing mere religiosity or moral goodness. Christ makes sinners into saints.

It is terribly sad to witness that struggles of those who are attempting to live as a Christian without real conversion that comes from faith. They may be sincere about their religion. They may sincerely try to exhibit the joy of Jesus, but failure is inevitable; shame all too common. The late Dallas Willard coined a phrase to describe what their predicament is. They are practicing the “gospel of sin management.”  Using various behavior modification techniques, they attempt a life only possible through supernatural transformation, empowered by the Holy Spirit, Who is known only by faith.

The Bible says that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:17-18, NIV)

“In Christ!”  That is different from being a ‘member of a church,’ or ‘competent in knowledge of the Bible.’  It is a state of being a result of a response of faith to the invitation of the Spirit. Will you trust Him fully, letting the Spirit bring a new birth in the family of God?

The word from Word tells us that "to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan—this rebirth comes from God." (John 1:12-13, NLT) The base line is not ‘my goodness.’   We learn hard on this fact - “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, NLT)

He loves YOU and will grant YOU eternal and full life, not because you deserve it but because Jesus gave YOU a gift of salvation. Trust Him!

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(Video of this blog at this link)

Honest Critic?

The hearings for the new administration’s cabinet appointments began in the US Senate yesterday and I watched some of the proceedings. One of the nominees was repeatedly denounced for marital infidelity and excessive drinking in the past, which he claims is over and done. By his own admission, he needed to change his ways, which he says he has done through a relationship with Jesus Christ. What I found striking was the self-righteousness of some of the Senators pressing those attacks who have past indiscretions of note. I wondered how some could adopt the tone they used without feeling some embarrassment.

Ever harshly condemned another Christian for what he’s done while conveniently forgetting your own failure?

We are so often amazingly lenient with ourselves while at the same time become harsh critics of others. They “sin.”  We make “mistakes.”  What they did we say is “without excuse” while our own similar action is “justified” by our unique situation.

Christian, Jesus reminds us that our way is to be marked by grace. He used a great illustration for the lesson.  “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”  (Matthew 7)

His challenge that we learn to live humbly so that our interaction with those who struggle is marked by a desire for restoration, not harsh judgment. We are not asked to set aside the ability to see wrong-doing for what it is, but we start with our own actions.

The principle of humble grace is echoed in one of Paul’s letters.  In Galatians, he writes to Christians who had forgotten the grace of Christ Jesus that changed their lives. They had returned to rule-keeping and perfection in the hope of salvation which caused them to be harshly critical of those who had ‘failed.’

 “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.”

Are you self-aware? 
Do you understand who you are,
what you do, and
how your life is affecting others?

We live with people who need hope, who need an advocate, who are objects of God’s love, just as we are. IF we are open, authentic, and gentle, we will find many opportunities to share the Good News that “the One who knows us best, loves us most!”  Yes, Jesus does forgive sin and by the Spirit changes us from the inside out.  And His desire is that each one of us who has known His grace will make it known to others.

The word from the Word is another teaching story Jesus told. May this wisdom help us to walk with Him and lift others up to share His grace. “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:
 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”  (Luke 18)

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(Video of this blog at this link)

 

The Great Deception

The curriculum for my kid’s Christian Education class yesterday was about the Devil. In the Scripture he has several names: Lucifer, Deceiver, Liar, the Enemy, Satan, Tempter, Beelzebub, Prince of the power of the air – each speaking to a different aspect of the Devil’s work. His most effective work among humans is deception – presenting us with a false narrative about God.

In the early chapters of Genesis, we are informed about his basic strategy. He meets Eve and suggests that God is not good, that what God has said is not true, and that God is withholding the best from her. “He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so, they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.”  (Genesis 3)

They succumbed to his tempting words and immediately, in the poetic words of Genesis, we are told they became aware of their nakedness – vulnerable, exposed – and they covered themselves. Sadly, the text tells us that they also hid from God’s Presence!

The Deceiver is still at it
for when he can get us to question God’s goodness and love,
he has started to drive a wedge between us and our Father!

Regardless of how long we have been a follower of Jesus – the evil one remains a real foe. The Tempter and his demons play off the real circumstances in our lives, offering us 'relief' from our pain through things that will ultimately destroy us. In the hour of temptation, we seldom see those things for what they are! He wraps up his lies and often they appear to a gift!

Jesus, Himself, experienced the tempter’s appeal. In Matthew 4 we find the story. He was alone in the wilderness, where He was 'led by the Spirit’ He found Himself weakened by hunger, alone with His thoughts.The tempter shows up to exploit His desires, to offer false solutions for Jesus in the fulfillment of His God-given mission.
"Turn these stones into bread. ...
presume on God's power by forcing Him to intervene to save you from yourself ...
take a shortcut to power by giving me worship!"

Jesus did not argue with the tempter. He turned to Truth!
Each deception was countered with declaration of Scripture.  
"It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:4, NIV) "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" (Matthew 4:7, NIV) "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'" (Matthew 4:10, NIV)

When we find ourselves in the wilderness of Temptation, hearing the whispering lies that invite us to step away from God, to give in to our desires, to doubt the love of our Father, we simply cannot rely exclusively on our own determination. Who has not told himself, “I’ll never do that again,” only to find himself failing?  We cannot trust our own strength.

Instead, we go to the Scripture and find the Truth. We also must do the hard work of understanding our needs and vulnerabilities in order to live truthfully. We confess, without excuse, our failures and sins and find security in God’s absolute promise of renewal and forgiveness – because of His profound love and amazing grace.

Pray for the Light to shine brightly dispelling the shadows.
Name the temptation as God does, not with the pretty descriptions offered by the tempter, and the Lord will be your shield and strength. The wisdom of the Word reminds us of our strength. We turn first to the Lord, then we turn courageously to face the tempter. “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

Fighting some temptation? 
Questioning the goodness of God?

Here's a word from the Word. May God, the Spirit, give us faith to live the Truth and reject the deceptions. "How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes." (Psalm 119:9-12, NKJV)

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(Video of this blog at this link)