“I gotta be perfect!”

In a conversation with a person about ‘going to Heaven’ he blurted out – “I gotta be perfect to get there and I know I’m not!”  He was both right and wrong in his conclusions. Yes, it true that our holy God has no tolerance for sin and no stain of sinfulness is allowed in His eternal city. But there is a perfection available to you and me that is not of our own making!

I am only too aware of my sins and failures. It is not a stretch for me to understand David’s lament. “I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict …Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.”  (Psalm 51)

This guilt is a universal condition in the human experience. Paul reminds us that "all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard." (Romans 3:23)

So much for perfection, right? This being the truth how can we hope for a home in God’s eternal city? How can we even dream of eternal life?

Against the dark background of our failures stands the grace of God who acted to set us right with Him, removing our guilt, and gifting us with a holy perfection not of our making. “God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” (Romans 3:24)

In Ephesians we read about the amazingly scandalous love of God for us in the opening lines and then in chapter 2, there is an abrupt change. This is the indictment- "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins… All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath." (Ephesians 2:3, NIV)

Then, he writes, "But God..." There is the Divine Exception which makes our hope of a home in Heaven (and a life in His Presence right here, right now) possible! "But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. ... God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." --Ephesians 2:3-10 NLT

The Perfect God did not take the “Grandpa” route in dealing with our sins. We grandparents are ever so ready to ignore or excuse the failures of our grandchildren. We are not responsible for their training so we can just get on with loving them. God is our Father, not our Grandpa. He cannot look at our disobedient behavior and brush it off, overlook it, or excuse it.

But He can offer a sacrifice that forgives us, an atonement for our guilt debt, and the power of the Spirit that changes us from sinner to saint. That is exactly what He’s done for us in Christ Jesus.

When we begin to grasp the depth of His grace, accepting the gift of life, then love replaces fear. Assurance replaces uncertainty. We no longer hide from Him or pretend that we are better than we are. We need not live in denial of the truth about want we have done. Instead, we let Him lead us even through the tests and trials that perfect our faith. In this way He brings us to spiritual maturity. This ‘perfection’ thing is a process – a work of our Deliverer and the disciplines of the Spirit.

Do you want to be rid of the fear of eternity? Do you want to be free from shame? Honestly confess your sins and failures to God, then receive the Gift. The Word tells us we “no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.”  (Philippians 3)
From that starting point of faith, God leads us into a new kind of life, and we become in reality who He has declared us to be. Here is a word from the Word. May it guide us to hope today. "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  (Phil. 3:12-14)

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The Worst of Me

If I recall regrettable moments in my life almost always the controlling emotion in that moment was anger. I regret disciplining my children in anger rather than love. I regret allowing anger to invade my marriage and steal the joy in our home from time to time. I regret harsh words spoken friends when I become angry.

I love the wisdom of the late Dallas Willard who wrote - "There is nothing that can be done with anger that cannot be done better without it."  The Scripture says, “don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry.” (Ephesians 4:26, NLT) 

Two things are emphasized - we must not lose rational control over anger, for then it flows into rage which is always destructive! And anger must have limits. We cannot just 'stay mad' for days on end because that kind of unresolved anger eats away at us - body and soul.

Anger is a lot like fire. A fire in the fireplace warms and comforts us. A fire that escapes its boundaries destroys quickly! When we feel the stirring of anger over injustice, cruelty, human suffering, and such matters we can use that emotion to move us to engagement and action, however we must do so, without sinning.

Godly people will become passionately angry when the weak are abused, when others are oppressed or robbed of their dignity. Actions that diminish God's honor or that potentially harm those He loves will cause His people to rise up with anger to take corrective anger-- and rightly so!

We love to point out Jesus’ actions in the Temple when he drove out the crooked merchants who were profiting from exploitation of the poor who were trying to fulfill their holy obligations. “Well, Jerry, Jesus tipped over their tables and chased them out of the Temple.” He did and we can see the value of overcoming apathy in His actions.

However, His was righteous anger. Is yours? It is an honest question. Are you angry about a personal slight or not getting your way OR are you truly angry on behalf of some good cause?

Remember James’ word, “man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life God desires.”

When I feel anger, the better choice (one I do not always make) is to step back, to pray, and to reflect before speaking or acting. I try to face the fact that I am angry, then allow that emotion to take me to the Lord in prayer to pour out all my tumbling emotions.

When I choose that path, instead of regrettable things I find myself moved to deeper compassion, to greater love, to positive action.

How about you? Is life a mess for you, making you smolder with anger?
Does the state of the world make you angry?
Are the choices of those you love making you angry?

Do not just rage, blame, and threaten.

Take a prayer time-out! God will hear you with grace because He knows you inside out! As the stormy emotions find release in His Presence, there will be change in you. As the Lord’s love renews you, you will find a new foundation for your caring. In Him, you will find security so that you can respond with proactive desires to change things instead of destructive reactions.

Here is a word from the Word to think on today: "Slowness to anger makes for deep understanding; a quick-tempered person stockpiles stupidity." (Proverbs 14:29, The Message) Wow, that speaks to me. How about you?

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Finding the Guidance of the Scripture

“Do you sit in judgment on the Bible or does the Bible sit in judgment on you?” 
I do not remember who first asked that question or where I read it, but it is an extremely important one.

When I come across a passage of Scripture that seems to go counter to my preferences or even cultural conditioning, I am faced with two questions.

First, am I understanding what it says using the best understanding of the sacred text?
Proof-texting is an error commonly practiced by Christians. Finding one passage, without any context or real understanding, they declare they know the truth about … well, let us just say that the list is long. When we fail to understand that Scripture interprets Scripture, that different parts of the Bible are to be read with a different lens, or the context into which the text was first written, we may well go wide of the mark in our application, no matter how sincere we are.

That is why good study is important. Choosing those from whom you receive teaching is equally important. Ask this - Are they humble? Are they letting others help to guide their study?  Peter reminds us that “private interpretation” is not God’s way when he writes of the authority of the Word of God. “No prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things.” 

Second, I must confront the question about whose authority will prevail –
God’s or my own?

Christians may well be tempted to reject passages that seem ‘out of date,’ as if we are wiser than God. Better to be diligent in study, humble, and teachable. That is harder than it sounds, I promise you that.

I approach the sacred text with a high view of the Scripture, believing that in those pages we are given the inspired word of God.

Realize this – we can honestly admit when we find a hard passage - "I just don't get it." That is very different from outright rejection of a passage. There are truly some obscure and difficult passages but to ignore the beauty of the whole Holy Scripture-
the prayers and meditations of the Psalms,
the accounts of God's love and provision for His people,
the amazing revelations of the grace of God in Jesus Christ,
the guidelines for Christian community in the letters – is a tragedy!

On some pages I just honestly admit I do not understand the why, sometimes the what!
But I do understand, “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)

We are called to "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15, NKJV) That includes the "huh?" passages that defy our full understanding as much as those that yield easily to our minds and that feed us with Truth. We must come to the Bible with humility. We cannot assume to be its judge. It judges us!

Yet, at the same time, I am not gullible, nor do I give up my mind to simplistic or emotional interpretation of the Scripture. Instead I study diligently, remain humbly teachable, and pray for the written Word to become the Living Word through the revelation of the Spirit.

If we would please God, we will remain submitted to the God who gave the Word to us. This is the Truth: "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do." (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NLT)

Are you a student of the whole Bible?
Do you read the words with reverence and love, praying for the Spirit to guide you into all Truth?
Life will be richer as we discover the heart and character of our Amazing Creator/Father.

Make this your prayer.
"How sweet are your words to my taste; they are sweeter than honey. Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life. Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise again: I will obey your wonderful laws."
(Psalm 119:103-106, NLT)

Here is a promise, a word from the Word. –
He “whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.”  (Psalm 1)

Amen

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