What Is Sin?

 

Contrary to popular belief, there is more than one definition of sin. But when people want to get you to fall from grace, they will focus on a specific definition to deceive you. When you understand these definitions in context and measure them against the whole of scripture, you will discover that the position of living under grace is strengthened. In this video, we discuss how this works. Resources: The Purpose of the Law https://youtu.be/eo1IGEWRlZg?si=eOfIUjikQQHFK6ld

Is God Hovering Over Us?

Christians often say one thing about grace and live another under law. In this video, we explore a tension many believers face: the fear of God hovering over their lives demanding they behave. However, the pressure to perform, and the subtle shift from Spirit-led living to flesh-driven striving doesn't come from God above, but from a place closer to home. Through scripture and real-life examples, we unpack what it truly means to walk in the will of God—without falling into religious traps.

Watch, reflect, and rethink what it means to live a life of faith and avoid a life of works. Resources: The Need for Good Teaching livinggodministries.net/living_god_ministries/radio_archive/audio_files/galatians_40_the_need_for_good_teaching_6_3_18.mp3

God's Love for You

 

John 3:16-17

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 2:12

12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us

How is God's love different from the love mankind has for each other?

What have we received from God because of His love for us?

Resources:

Relationship with God

https://www.livinggodministries.net/living_god_ministries/radio_archive/audio_files/gospel_of_john_012_3_16_36_relationship_with_god_ext.mp3

2 Peter 3:18 Growing In Grace

2 Peter 3:18 "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen." How do we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ? What is the new way of life available to us through the grace of God? Resources: How will the grace of God guide us? https://www.livinggodministries.net/living_god_ministries/radio_archive/grace_ungodliness.htm

Matthew 7:15-20 What Is The Truth About Fruit Inspecting Christians?

 

Matthew 7:15-20 [15] “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. [16] You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? [17] So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. [18] A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. [19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [20] So then, you will know them by their fruits. Who does Jesus say we will know by their fruits? Where does fruit inspecting of other Christians come from? What does fruit inspecting lead to? Resources: The Sermon on the Mount https://www.livinggodministries.net/living_god_ministries/radio_archive/sermon_on_mount.htm Fruit Inspection https://96tolife.blogspot.com/search?q=Fruit+inspection+&m=1

Laughing, Breakfast, Forgiveness: Discovering Hidden Moments of God's Love

 

Genesis 18:9-15

9 Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” So he said, “Here, in the tent.”10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and [a]Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”13 And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”

Why didn't God punish Sarah for lying?

John 21:4-13 

[4] But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. [5] Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” [6] And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. [7] Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. [8] But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. [9] Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. [10] Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.” [11] Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. [12] Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord. [13] Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.

Why did God cook breakfast for the disciples?

Mark 16:1-7 NKJV

[1] Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. [2] Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. [3] And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” [4] But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. [5] And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. [6] But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. [7] But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”

What is the significance of Peter being singled out to be told about the resurrection?

Resources:

The Joy of Adam

https://www.livinggodministries.net/living_god_ministries/radio_archive/joy_of_adam.htm

The Flower in the Garden

https://www.livinggodministries.net/living_god_ministries/radio_archive/flower_in_garden.htm

Knowing Where God Is Taking You

"I have no idea where God is taking me, but I trust Him."

This is a quote from a Christian social media influencer. Does this motivate you? Is it something that you would say regarding your relationship with God? In response to this post, I said, "Maybe God isn't taking you anywhere, but allowing you to take Him with you as you go through life." I don't know the background to this post. The individual who wrote it could be going through a life circumstance or experiencing uncertainty in life. Whatever is behind them writing this, I believe it is something we can all relate to. Surprisingly, they responded to my comment with, "John 16:3, Isaiah 58:11, Isaiah 48:17, Psalm 23:2 are all verses where God leads or guides, therefore, He's taking me somewhere. Thank you, Jesus." My first response was to ask myself, "Does God lead without us knowing where He is taking us?" Children, for the most part, always know where their parent is taking them. But, that aside, what do these verses tell us about God leading or guiding us? 

John 16:13

John 16:3 says, "And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me." I don't see what this verse has to do with God guiding us. However, I believe they meant to reference John 16:13, which states, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." This verse is about Jesus Christ promising the Holy Spirit after His death." It is a passage about salvation; the restoration of the Holy Spirit of God to all who place faith in Jesus Christ. It is also a passage that defines where it is God is "taking" us. He is guiding us "into all truth." After reading this passage, it would seem that it doesn't support the idea that we "have no idea where God is taking" us. It is the opposite. Jesus Christ is clear as to what the purpose of the Holy Spirit is in our lives. 

Isaiah 58:11

In Isaiah 58:11, we read, "The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail." First and foremost, who was Isaiah writing to? He was writing to the people of Jerusalem around the time of Israel's return. The passage parallels John 16:13 in that it is a picture of restoration. The difference is that this entire chapter centers around fasting that pleases God. Written during the time of the Old Testament, we see the typical pattern of the Mosaic Law. That being if the people obey God, then He promises to bless them. As one commentator writes, "If the people choose the fast God sets before them, then they will have the blessing they seek: light, healing, help, protection, satisfying of needs, and, most centrally, the presence and guidance of God among them." God's guidance is conditional on the obedience of the people. Again, there is no mystery surrounding where God is "taking" the people. Also, we are not under the Law, therefore, there are no conditions we must meet for God to guide us. And with His indwelling Holy Spirit living in us, we have the "spring of water" strengthening our bones, watering our garden, and His love that never fails us. 

Isaiah 48:17

Earlier in the book of Isaiah, he says, "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go." This is a passage similar to Isaiah 58:11 where the author is writing to the Jews reminding them of who God is and that He leads them in the way they should go. We can take encouragement from this passage as it reminds us of the love of our God. However, a wise man once said, "keep reading" when it comes to taking Bible verses in isolation. In the next verse, Isaiah writes, "Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea (Isaiah 48:17)." There is the condition popping up again. The promises of God are contingent on the Jews heeding His commandments. That doesn't apply to Christians. Furthermore, we are at peace, or at least we should be, because "having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1)." The Jews didn't have peace because of their constant disobedience. Christians have peace with God because we are justified in God's eyes because of the obedience of Jesus Christ. This promise to guide the Jews wasn't unknown to them, but, in many ways, it was unattainable because of the impossibility of obeying the commandments of God. We are not Jews who are hopelessly desiring for God to guide us somewhere but knowing that His doing so is dependent on us doing the impossible. 

Psalms 23:2

In one of the most memorable passages in scripture, we are comforted by the words, "He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters (Psalms 23:2)." Where is God leading us in this passage? He is leading us to rest. This is a picture of the rest we have in Jesus Christ as a result of His finished work. That is what God wants to lead all of us into. We are not being taken by God to someplace that leads us to say we have no idea where He is taking us. This is an idea repeated throughout the Bible. For example, God wanted to take the Jews to the promised land, but they were disobedient. To this day the Jews are not resting because they have not turned to their Messiah. Unfortunately, many Christians are not resting either. They are falsely believing they need to live obedient and repentant lives to the laws and commands God gave to "guide" us to the His grace and mercy found in Jesus Christ. Instead, they are not lying down in green pastures or being led beside still waters. On the contrary, they are like Jews wandering in the wilderness, seeking blessings of the flesh, desiring the bondage of slavery instead of being free in Christ, and having no idea where God is leading them. Perhaps, if you don't know where God is leading you it is because you are heading in the wrong direction.

Wherever we go as Christians, God is with us. He is using our feet to walk, our hands to touch, our eyes to see, and our ears to hear. Plus, we have the mind of Christ to help us make decisions in line with who we are as God's children. Furthermore, if God feels He needs to intervene and direct us in a certain way, He does not have a communication problem. If you feel you don't know where God is taking you, then ask Him. Chances are there is something wrong with what you believe instead of falling back on the platitude to trust a God who appears to have left you in the dark as to where He is taking you. 

Restoring Our Relationship

On Resurrection Sunday, otherwise known as Easter, we celebrate our God and Savior Jesus Christ conquering the grave and rising from the dead. There are many meanings for the resurrection. It is proof of Jesus being God. The Lord conquering death is a promise to Christians that we will conquer death one day as well. The resurrection is God's offer to restore His life, the Holy Spirit, to all who accept Jesus Christ as their savior. However, one of the reasons for the resurrection that goes unnoticed is that it provides God with the opportunity to have a relationship with us. Christians like to use the phrase, "Christianity isn't a religion, it's a relationship." But, from my experience, the relationship often looks just like a religion. For example, do you know anybody who has said something like the following? "Jesus followers are to still be obedient to what is commanded in the New Testament." The statement alone is one of religion and not a relationship. Obedience to commands is the definition of religion. You do not need to know Jesus Christ to respond to commands. To live this way will do one thing for you. You will succeed in becoming just like the Jews. They deceived themselves into believing they were obedient to God and when the Lord showed up, they rejected Him. Are there any examples of God having a relationship with His people apart from obeying commands? 

Naming the Animals

After the Creation and before the Fall, we see an example of God and Adam engaged in a personal, interactive encounter with each other. In Genesis 2:19-20, we read, "Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky, and all the wild animals." Here we see a father and son naming the animals. God is allowing Adam to participate in the creation. Adam couldn't create the animals, but God allowed him to name them. Is that any different than a father and son going to the pet store and the father allowing his son to pick out and name the family pet? The child can't drive to the store and can't pay for the pet, but he can name it. God is no different in His interactions with us. God didn't know what Adam would name the animals just like a father may not know what name his son will give the family pet. This is an intimate and unforgettable moment in a relationship. 

Sharing His Plans

There is little else that displays a relationship between two people than for one to share their plans with the other. Later in Genesis, we see the Lord interacting with Abraham on His way to Sodom. "When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him (Genesis 18:16-18)." Who do you tell your plans to? It is usually someone close to you. Someone you can trust. A person you love. Here we see God entrusting Abraham with His plans to investigate the sins of Sodom. God did not have to tell Abraham, but He chose to let Him in on what He and the angels were going to do. If you keep reading, this leads to Abraham pleading for God to spare Sodom and God listened. How many times have you and a friend talked about your plans and hashed it out? We see that God is not all that different. 

Think Before You Act

There is always that time in our life when we do things in haste in response to our emotions. It could be as minor as an impulse purchase in the store checkout line all the way to acting out violently against someone who has hurt us. In the book of Exodus, we see what can only be described as Moses getting God to think twice about destroying the nation of Israel. Exodus 32:10-14 says, "Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.” But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened." In short, Moses was successful at getting God to change His mind and not destroy the nation of Israel for making the golden calf. This is an example of how the respect and love one has for another leads to you taking their advice and thinking things through before you act. 

Fish Fry

Who doesn't like to share a meal with their friends? How much of our interactions with friends and family revolve around sharing a meal? If there is a major event to celebrate, there will be a feast involved. Holidays, sporting events, life events, and so on, include food as part of the celebration. In John 21, Jesus had just finished helping the disciples catch some fish. The Lord, intending to reinstate Peter after his denial, prepared a meal for the disciples. "Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish (John 21:10-13)." I wonder what it must have been like to have God cook you breakfast after helping you haul in a bunch of fish? Does it get any more personal than this in a relationship? Having someone prepare a hot meal for you after a long night's work is the epitome of a loving relationship. 

In all of these examples, the underlying theme is love. God is not blessing them for obedience to some command they obeyed. He didn't curse the disciples for not catching any fish. He made them breakfast. The Lord, effectively, said to Moses, "Yes, on second thought, you are correct. I won't destroy My people." He listened to wise counsel. God sat down for a meal with Abraham and then shared His plans with Him. He didn't have to do that but did so because He loved Abraham. It is love that leads to a father and son sharing a moment to name the pets, in this case, the animals of the world. This is what God wants with all of us through faith in Jesus Christ. He forgave our sins and blessed us with Himself, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, so we can have an eternal relationship with Him. When we don't understand this truth, we are left to believe our relationship is based on our church attendance, giving record, battling with sin, our ministry success, and whatever else we feel God commands. That is not living. If that is what God wanted He could have just left us under the Old Covenant and we could proverbially set up camp at the foot of Mount Sanai. But, God has gone from the mountaintop to the cross, through the empty tomb, and into our hearts. Believe this and get to know your God. 

Hold the Vegetables

In Romans 14:1 we read, "Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters." One of the things missed in this verse is who it is that has weak faith. Given the context of the passage, the one who has weak faith is a person who eats only vegetables. While most of us don't argue about whether or not we should eat only vegetables, we have had experience with those of weak faith trying to put us under their bondage. Yes, it is bondage to believe that you should only eat vegetables given all the foods at your disposal to eat. However, while it may not be vegetables, the subjects that take the place of vegetables are things like baptism, church attendance, tithing/giving, asking forgiveness, and prophecy. This list is not all-inclusive, but you get the point. Just like the person who believes that eating anything other than vegetables is a sin, so it is with those who believe you have to share their views about these other subjects. They end up causing division in the church because those who do not agree with them are treated worse than unbelievers. For example:

If you believe that a Christian is not subject to living under the law, those that do will say things like, "Talk about easy believism and I am not saying that is a good thing." This is nothing more than one Christian putting down another in a self-righteous quip. This leads to offending another Christian who believes differently. The response to this comment was, "You are very obsessed with the Law. God isn't ... Hell is full of Law keepers and commandment keepers, while no one who is born again will ever go to hell." Both individuals believe they are preaching the truth. The problem is that neither one of them is acting in love. They are sacrificing their fellow Christian on the altar of beliefs because winning the argument is more important than keeping the peace. No doubt they have forgotten the warning of Paul who said, "If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other (Galatians 5:15)." How would these individuals answer the question that Paul asked?

"Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand (Romans 14:4)." All we see here is Christians judging each other over disputable matters. It all starts with being obsessed with the law. When you believe another Christian is obligated to believe or behave as you do or else they are worthy of condemnation then you are the one worthy of judgment. Scripture is clear that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)." But, we condemn each other to the point where fellowship and unity are lost. We tend to treat each other the way in which we believe God is treating us. So, if we believe we are under the law then we believe that we are under the "ministry that brought condemnation (2 Corinthians 3:9)." Therefore, it makes sense that people who believe we are under the law will condemn those who believe in things like eternal security. They fear God will condemn them for their lack of obedience and their fear turns into condemnation for those who disagree.

When we were children we were told to eat our vegetables because they were healthy for us. Unfortunately, the poor taste of vegetables combined with our natural rebellion as children led to numerous conflicts with our parents. However, as you age and care more about your health, you realize the value of eating vegetables. This change of heart is what changed your mind about vegetables. When you encounter people who don't see things as you do, the memory of how you came to like vegetables motivates your behavior toward them. You don't condemn them for not eating vegetables, you give them the reason why you enjoy vegetables and trust this information will persuade them. When it comes to preaching the Gospel, what is the best tactic? Do you tell unbelievers they are going to hell for not accepting Jesus Christ or what persuaded you to accept the Lord? If sharing the Gospel with unbelievers is treated with grace, why can't we treat each other with that grace when it comes to disputable matters?

All your Heart, Soul, and Strength

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."  Deuteronomy 6:5

Have you ever heard it said that "To love God is to enjoy God’s sustained favor"? In order to enjoy God's sustained favor, it is said that to love God with all your heart means "without one’s will, desires, passions, affections, perceptions, and thoughts rightly aligned, the life of love is impossible." When it comes to loving God with all our soul, "we are to love God with our passions, hungers, perceptions, and thoughts. But we are also to love him with how we talk, and what we do with our hands, and how we utilize our talents, and how we react to challenges — our entire being is to display that we love God." But, it doesn't stop there. We are also to love God with all our strength as well. "This means that the call to love God is not only with our physical muscle, but with everything we have available for honoring God — which includes our spouse, our children, our house or dorm room, our pets and wardrobe and tools and cell phones and movies and music and computers and time." To sum it all up, we are told "that every closet of our lives needs to be opened for cleaning, and every relationship in our lives must be influenced. This call to love God this way destroys any option of being one person at church and another person on a date. What you do on the internet needs to be just as pure as what you do in Bible-reading. The way we talk to our parents needs to be as wholesome as the way we talk to our pastors." Deuteronomy 6:5 has been deemed the "Supreme Command" or the "all-command" because of the threefold "all" to love God with all your heart, soul, and strength. Often times when a verse like this is read, the reaction by those hearing it is usually to respond with a hearty, "Amen!" From my experience when verses like this and others that command us to love God and live a certain way are proclaimed, everybody seems to assume that they are loving God and living in the way in which He is commanding them to do. However, if you were able to pull them aside and ask them individually if they are loving God with all their heart, soul, and strength, they would probably reply with something like, "I do my best." In other words, what they are really saying is, "No, I am not loving God with all my heart, soul, and strength." This is, actually, a good thing that they recognize this, but based on their belief that God expects them to live up to His command, they either continue to recommit to trying to live this way, or they live in quiet shame; afraid the God they so dearly want to love is disgusted and ashamed with them. All they have to do is keep reading in Deuteronomy 6 to gain more insight into the so-called "Supreme Command."

The first thing to realize is that God gave this command to the nation of Israel. But, that never seems to stop Christians from trying to obey commands that were never given to us in the first place. But, I digress. How do you love God with all your heart, soul, and strength? It is by "keeping all his decrees and commands (Deuteronomy 6:2)." Otherwise, you will face His wrath for your disobedience. Neither Israel before or a Christian now can love God like this. All of God's decrees and commands were designed to focus on the individual's fleshly behavior. It is up to the individual, in the energy of their own strength, to find ways to obey all of these commands with the promise of physical blessings for obedience or terrible punishments, including death, when you fail. Furthermore, God never promised that He would love you if you somehow found a way to obey all his decrees and commands. Neither did He promise you eternal life for your obedience. The appeal in trying to love God with all your heart, soul, and strength, is the physical rewards and the ability to boast about your accomplishment. There is not a person alive who wouldn't want all the physical blessings God promises for obedience or the ego boost for telling others about what they did. Unfortunately, there is one problem; us. "For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah (Hebrews 8:7-8)." God found fault with the people. There is nothing wrong with the law, but everything wrong with our ability to obey it. God designed the law to lead us to faith in Christ by revealing to us that the only way we could enter His Kingdom was through His grace and mercy. In Matthew 19, a rich man asked Jesus what he must do to get eternal life. After Jesus finished His reply to him with the famous verse, "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24),” the disciples asked Him, "Who then can be saved (Matthew 19:25)?" Jesus replied, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).” This question to, and response of, Jesus is the key to all the discussion about loving God with all your heart, soul, and strength. It is impossible for us to do so. God wants us to understand that He told us to do this so we would realize that we cannot. Therefore, when we reach that point, we are ready to accept His grace and mercy through faith in Jesus Christ. He is the one who did for us what we cannot do. God loved us with all His heart, soul, and strength, in Christ. That is why it says, "We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19)" and that "love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10)." It is not about our futile effort to obey God's decrees and commands to show our love for Him. Our love for God is shown in our resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ on our behalf, receiving God's love for us, and bearing the fruit of His love to the world.

Come As You Are

"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

The call goes out to all the lost who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior to "Come as you are," because Jesus loves you. Unbelievers are reminded, "You don't clean yourself up to come to Jesus. You come to Jesus and He cleans you up." The main reasons that people sin are because they are looking for unconditional love, total acceptance, meaning and purpose to life in the world and not through a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. The phrase, "Come as you are" is not found in the Bible, but scriptures do imply that such a message exists. As one Christian writes, "In Joel 2:32, where the prophet is declaring the terrible judgments of the Day of the Lord, God’s offer of deliverance is open to “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord.” In Isaiah 1:18, God offers the invitation to come, though your sins are as scarlet, and He will make them white as snow. Revelation 22:17 is an open invitation: “Come! Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” In these and other verses, the clear implication is that, even though we are sinners, God desires us to come to Him as we are, so that He can cleanse us." The idea of God's complete and total acceptance is an offer you would think anybody would accept. And many people do so every day. Unfortunately, many Christians who say "Come as you are" to Jesus also believe that if a person doesn't have some sort of expectations put on their life after accepting Jesus Christ as their savior, then they will fall back into the same lifestyle they lived prior to salvation. They will say things like, ""Come as you are” is sometimes misunderstood and misapplied in today’s church. Those churches identified with the emerging/emergent church or hipster movements, among others, sometimes take the grace of God and turn it into licentiousness (Jude 1:4) by teaching that it makes no difference how you live, as long as you believe." While there are no doubt people who have turned the grace of God into a license to sin, the grace of God is not an either/or proposition. Too often, "Come as you are" turns into "Come as you are, now change or else." The loving, forgiving, inviting, graceful and accepting Jesus Christ all of the sudden changes into a demanding, overseer who threatens to remove His love, forgiveness, grace, and acceptance from you if you don't "Change who you are" at a pace acceptable to Him and His people. It is a sort of bait and switch that leaves many Christians exhausted and disenchanted with the Christian life.

But, is this true? Is the Christian life a bait and switch of sorts where God accepts you as you are, but then turns the tables on you if you don't clean yourself up and live right? No. The Bible says, "But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith (Galatians 3:11).” What is living by faith? It is living your life in response to the truth that God is revealing to you. In other words, the call to "Come as you are" doesn't change. Rather, it takes on new meaning once you are in Christ. Instead of, "Come as you are, " it is now, "Live as I will make you." You are still loved, accepted, and forgiven. Only now, you have the indwelling Holy Spirit to help lead and guide you through life. This is not a license to sin by going back to your old way of life that destroyed you and led you to come to faith in Jesus Christ. It is permission to allow God to change you from the inside as He meets the deepest desires of your heart for unconditional love, total acceptance, meaning and purpose to life. Your outward behavior may not change immediately, but your heart will. And, in time, your behavior will begin to show on the outside, what God is doing on the inside. Instead of living a life focused on avoiding sin, you will live a life focused on Jesus Christ. This, in turn, will lead to the diminishing of sin in your life as a side effect of your faith because you no longer want to live life the way you did prior to your faith in Jesus Christ. You will discover the difference between living a life in response to laws designed to get your flesh under control and living a life in response to receiving the love of God in the depths of your soul. It is the difference between law and grace. You can tell if you are under the law if you believe God's love for you is conditional on your behavior. If you believe that your sins separate you from God or that receiving His blessings is linked to your ability to live up to certain standards (i.e. sinless living, giving, church attendance, etc), then you are not living by grace. If you are living under the constant scrutiny of fellow Christians who are always inspecting your life and judging it up against the perfect standard of God, then you are not living by grace. If you are constantly living under the threat of being out of fellowship with God, missing out on His blessings, that God will turn His face from you, that you are robbing God for not giving enough, or you can lose your salvation, you are not living under grace. The Bible tells us in Romans 8:38-39, that nothing can separate us from the love of God. That includes yourself and your behavior. The Christian life is not a life of obedience and repentance under threat of punishment or promise of rewards. The Christian life is a life of learning to trust in and depend on God to live His life in and through you. All you need to do is rest in that truth and continue to receive God's love. It is true to come as you are to Jesus Christ. But, rest assured, you won't stay as you are as He begins to complete the work He began in you.

Academic Probation

"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16

If my memory is correct, I was placed on academic probation during my junior year in college. The problem stemmed from me being in a major I did not enjoy and struggled to understand; Accounting. Given the fact that I was a pretty good student back in High School, one of the main obstacles facing me was pride. How could I admit that I was doing poorly when I am supposed to be this smart guy? There was also a lot of fear. What will my parents say if they find out that all the money being spent on school is going to waste? Also, since I didn't enjoy school much, the prospect that I may have to spend more time and money in order to graduate someday didn't sit well with me. Eventually, I remember speaking to my parents about it and they simply said similar words to, "If you need to come home and go to a smaller school, then we will do that." So much for being afraid to tell my parents. There was no condemnation. guilt trip or anything, just a rational and loving response. As far as school went, what I ended up doing was meeting with the Dean of the Business School. He realized that I had not been a problem student and allowed me to switch majors. The accounting classes that I did pass were switched to my electives and then I only had to take four core classes to satisfy the requirements to get my degree. Not only did I graduate with a degree in Marketing, I did so on time; within four years. Long story short, everything worked out. My point in all of this is how fear and uncertainty can paralyze us and, ultimately, keep us in the bad situations we find ourselves in where they will only get worse. Have you ever experienced a time when you were afraid to tell somebody about a bad situation because of the apparent consequences that you believed you would have to endure? Eventually, things can get so bad that the truth comes out anyway.Then those people who would have been able to help can no longer help or the price to pay to fix the situation is higher. Normally, the people who wonder why you didn't ask for help will say something like, "Why didn't you come to us sooner?" There is really no good answer, but our response usually has something to do with being afraid of the consequences, that we didn't want to disappoint others, we wanted to avoid punishment or maybe we just thought things would work themselves out on their own. No matter how much a parent loves us, we still get it in our heads we can't talk to them about our problems. Although, I knew the Dean of the Business School knew my circumstances and could help me out, I delayed going to him. There is this fear of "authority" that keeps us from finding answers and direction to problems in our life.

When it comes to God, are we any different? Christians hear all the time that God loves us. We know that the Scriptures tell us He will never leave us or forsake us. Yet, we focus on His wrath and it paralyzes us from approaching Him. One may look through the Old Testament and see page after page of Man's failure and God's wrath. He kicked Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden. Cain was left to be a fugitive and vagabond by God. The entire earth was destroyed by God except for the family of Noah. The people of the earth were scattered and had their language confused at the Tower of Babel. Sodom and Gomorrah were wiped from the face of the earth. We see story after story of this from Genesis to Malachi. And why did God do all of this? It was punishment for the sins of the people. Therefore, our fear of God and the consequences for our sins would seem justified, right? Wrong. "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight ...(Colossians 1:21-22)." It is what we believe in our minds that make us feel separated from God and afraid of His wrath. I was afraid of speaking to my parents and to the Dean because of what I believed in my mind. However, in reality, there was nothing separating me from them. They didn't hold my "sin" of performing poorly in school against me. My parents supported me and the Dean gave me a plan to work. With God, He is no longer holding our sins against us. Therefore, there is no wrath awaiting us. He has cleared a path for us to Him that we only need to walk through in order to speak to Him. It was through the death of Jesus Christ that any punishment for our sins was taken away for eternity. Now, we can confidently approach God in our time of need in order to experience His grace and mercy. It is then that He can love us, support us and give us direction in life. He won't kick us out of His presence, but will never leave us or forsake us. We are not homeless and hiding from Him because He has made a place for us. He won't wash us away in the flood waters because He has washed away our sins with the blood of Jesus' sacrifice. We are not scattered from His presence and can understand His language because, in Christ, He said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me (John 10:27)." He won't destroy us for our sins like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah because He tells us, "And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:11)." If you are afraid of God because of your sins, there is something you are believing that is incorrect. it is time that you renew your mind on the truth so you can approach God with confidence and live your life free from the fear of God's wrath. 

Walking on Water

"Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”  “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”  “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:25-31

The story of Jesus walking on water is one that everyone remembers. Some may even recall that Peter, albeit for a brief moment, also walked on water. But, aside from these two facts nothing else is ever really discussed regarding the event. However, one thing I see in the midst of Jesus and Peter walking on water is how it is a perfect illustration of our inability to live up to the standards God demands as well as the Gospel and Christian living. Often times the Christian life is said to be one of "becoming like Jesus" or more "like Christ." Therefore, believers are told that we must live obedient lives to whatever God commands. As evidence of this, people refer to God's laws as those commands we are to obey; either the Mosaic Law of the Old Covenant, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount or laws made up by our denominations. Well, here in this story about Jesus walking on water, we have a perfect example of how this will play out. Jesus, being God, has no problem walking on water. Peter asks to be commanded to come to Jesus on the water and the Lord obliges. Peter, for a short time, does walk on water, but eventually succumbs to fear and starts to sink into the water. This is just like us trying to be like Jesus. We believe that with Jesus' help, we too can do the things He can do; i.e. walk on water. We tell ourselves if we just had enough faith or tried hard enough at being "obedient" then we would be what God wants us to be. And, we may even deceive ourselves into believing we are being obedient, but what we perceive as being obedient is simply our success at those laws we find easiest to obey; church attendance, giving, scripture study and the like. However, the measure of our obedience is not our ability to live up to our standards, but to God's. Jesus said, "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20)." And if that wasn't hard enough, He upped the anti when He followed up with, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48)." What is perfect in God's eyes? Being perfect, for example, would be if Peter was able to come to Him on the water without doubting. It is no different with us.

Why did Peter doubt? Was it a lack of faith? To a degree, yes. But, it was also a recognition that he is not God and cannot walk on water. He became afraid, got his eyes off of Jesus and on the wind and began to sink. Is that any different than what many Christians, or anybody for that matter, encounter when they try to be like Jesus or live up to the standards of their own personal or religious beliefs? We soon realize our own limitations and the impossibility of the attempt to be like God. Unfortunately, many people keep trying to step out on that water in hopes that they will figure it out, but never do. And you know what? If, by some chance, Peter mustered up enough faith to walk all the way to Jesus, then what? He would not have become God. Jesus didn't promise Peter entrance into heaven. What probably would have happened is that both Peter and the others in the boat would have taken their eyes off of Jesus and put them onto Peter and if they could walk on water too! And that's what we do as Christians when we try to be like Jesus; the focus is on us and off of Him. We never realize what Jesus was really trying to accomplish. At the end of His teaching on the Rich and the Kingdom of God, Jesus said to His disciples, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God (Mark 10:25)." Upon hearing this, the disciples replied with, "Who then can be saved (Mark 10:26)?" To the disciples, and many Christians today, being rich was believed to be a sign that God was pleased with their behavior; i.e. their obedience to His commands. So, when Jesus said these words to them in Mark 10:26, they realized that was not the case. What Jesus was trying to tell them was that the only way to get to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (be saved) was through the grace and mercy of God. So, when Peter realized he was sinking and unable to continue to walk on the water to reach Jesus, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Peter knew his efforts were not enough. And what did Jesus do? He reached out his hand and caught him. He saved him. The purpose of the Christian life is not trying to be like Jesus by living a life we cannot. It is about realizing we can't live the Christian life and letting Him live it out in and through us. He saved  us. We didn't save ourselves. Finally, one last thing to note is that after Jesus saved Peter, they got in the boat and crossed over. Jesus didn't instruct Peter on how to properly walk on water. He got in the boat with Him, the wind died down, and they crossed safely over to their destination. That's the Christian life in a nutshell; resting in Christ as He leads you through this life to our destination in Heaven.

Interview with Church Dropouts

I recently had the privilege of being interviewed by my friends from church, and sisters in Christ, Peggy and Lisa (behind the camera) for their new YouTube channel, Church Dropouts. Here is the video. It is about 45 minutes in length. Enjoy and God Bless!

Rest for the people of God

One of the best ways to discover if someone is under the law is by determining what a person is focused on. If a person is focused on what you are doing or what they have done, then you have your answer; they are under the law. It may not be the Mosaic Law, but it could be the law of their denomination, the law of their religion, or their own personal law they have made up. If a person is focused on God, in Christ, then chances are they are under grace or, at the very least, headed in the right direction. Referring to the Mosaic Law, one of the best quotes I have heard was, "The Law was God's contribution to Man's best effort to be like Him." Basically, the Old Covenant is Man reaching up to God with self-effort to be accepted by Him; i.e Law. The New Covenant is God reaching down to Man through Jesus Christ with love and acceptance; i.e. Grace. Therefore, the question must be asked; "Are you willing enter God's rest?" Hebrews 4:1 says, "Therefore, since the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it." There is no rest when your focus is on you and trying to get your flesh under control. Continuing on, in Hebrews 4: 9-11, we read, "There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience." Do you notice that the ones said to be disobedient are the ones working! The ones who are trying to reach up to God in the energy of their own flesh are the ones being disobedient. Are you willing to die to all self-effort and rest in the saving grace of Jesus Christ? Again, if your focus is on yourself, you are under law and if your focus is on Jesus Christ you are more than likely under grace. For example:

Under Law Man Says:                                                    Under Grace Jesus Says:

Look at what I'm doing for You!                                    Look at what I did for you!
Look at how I went to church.                                        Look at how I went to Calvary.
Look at how I was raised in my denomination.              Look at how I was raised from the dead.
Look at how I gave my money.                                      Look at how I gave My Life.
Look at how I confessed my sins.                                  Look at how I took away your sins.
Look at how I stood against sin.                                     Look at how I died for your sins.
Look at how I judged the lost world.                              Look at how I saved the lost world.
Look at how I marched against evil-doers.                     Look at how I suffered for evil-doers.
Look at how I bowed down to You.                                Look at how I became one of you.
Look at how I healed the sick.                                        Look at how I raised the dead.
Look at how I spoke in tongues.                                     Look at how I spoke in love.
Look at how successful my life was.                              Look at how successful my death was.

The only thing that remains to ask is, "Are you willing to enter into the New Covenant with full assurance of faith?" Hebrews 10:19-23 says, "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God,  let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." That is it; God is faithful. No matter how hard we try and no matter how sincere we are, we cannot live up to the holy and righteous standard of God. We are not faithful. In Matthew 5:48, Jesus said, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." This is impossible to do no matter how we spin it. He didn't say. "Try to be perfect" or "Give your best effort to be perfect." He said, "Be perfect." He said this in order to bury us and drive home the point that the only way we could be right in the sight of God was through His grace and mercy found through faith in Jesus Christ. Thankfully, in Christ, God is faithful. All we can do is humble ourselves and admit that we can neither save ourselves or maintain our salvation through our works. You must rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ on your behalf and live your life in thankfulness; confidently entering the Most Holy Place because you are forgiven, alive to God, holy, blameless, sanctified, justified, unconditionally loved, totally accepted, a citizen of heaven, a joint heir with Christ, saved from God's wrath and free from fear. By one act of faith in Jesus Christ, your eyes can now come off of you and what you're doing and placed squarely on Jesus Christ and what He has done. Amen!

Judgment Day

"Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will repay each person according to what they have done (Romans 2:4-6).""

How many people have that picture in their head of what "Judgment Day" will look like? There they are standing in a long line; impatiently waiting to be judged by God for a lifetime of works of obedience to Him. Some, knowing they have not been perfectly obedient ask themselves questions like, "Did I do enough?" Will I enter Heaven?" "Will I gain heaven, but be relegated to some lower class of citizen there?" Others, falsely believing themselves to have been obedient to God, will fantasize about what blessings they believe await them. Given that most people are taught they must live a life of obedience and repentance this is exactly how they should feel; some fearful, others prideful. For many so-called Christians, the Christian life is one of trying to live a life they cannot live in hopes that their good works will outweigh their bad works and God will allow them into His presence in Heaven. Along the way their only focus is on whether they are doing "good" things or "righteous" things of some kind in order to give them hope God will "repay" them with blessings either now, in eternity or both. Passages like Romans 2:4-6 are often used to support this idea because what is said in verse 6 about God repaying each person according to what they have done. However, God will repay people in this manner because that is how they want to be judged by Him. If you look closely enough, the passage says, "But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath against yourself." What is it that these people are being stubborn about and not repenting of? It is their unbelief in the riches of God's "kindness, forebearance (self-control) and patience." Nearly everybody will say they believe in God's kindness, forbearance and patience and that without it they would have no hope. Yet, they will turn around and live their lives as if they never believed it. They want to be judged for their deeds. They live their lives in order to be blessed for what they do. But, a person who lives in this way, who believes this, will never do enough to be blessed in this way; they will never be rewarded in the way they hope.

If you want to be blessed and rewarded for your deeds, you are going to end up with nothing! The reason is because if you want to be judged for your good works you will also be judged for your sins. As one teacher correctly stated, "I know that there are going to be a lot of people who go before the Lord who have not been saved. And when they go before the Lord there is going to be an expectation that they are going to be rewarded for all of their good works... But, that is not what is going to happen. There will be a judgment. If people want to be judged according to their deeds, fine, I am sure He will accommodate that and the end result of that will always be eternal condemnation in the pit of Hell!"The Christian life is not one that is lived out in the energy of our flesh in an effort to be blessed by God. Rather, Christians are already blessed by God, in Christ, and He lives His life through us! The riches of God's kindness, His forbearance and His patience is description of God's grace. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:8-10)." We have been saved by God's grace not our works. Furthermore, we live by grace and not by works. The works we do are the works God has prepared for us and that He accomplishes through us as we rest in Him. If you are living your life in hopes of getting a blessing from God you have missed everything. The blessing God came to give is Himself which is found through faith in Jesus Christ. When I go before the Lord I don't expect to be repaid according to what I have done. I expect to be welcomed in the presence of my God and to hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant," only because of my faith in what Jesus Christ has done for me. 

Grace and Peace

'To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.' Romans 1:7

When we write to our friends we often start out our correspondence with simple words like, Dear, Hi, Hello or my friend. The Apostle Paul often included "Grace and Peace" in his letters. As a Christian, I believe we can easily overlook this common greeting used by Paul because we talk about grace so much that when we see the word being used it doesn't phase us. However, it is worth noting that you cannot separate grace from peace. Imagine if Paul had written, "Law and worry to you from God our Father." That carries an entirely different meaning. Similarly, you cannot separate Law from worry. To subject yourself to the Law means you have subjected yourself to trying to live a life you cannot live; a life of obedience and repentance to rules and regulations you can never fully obey. The Law's standard is perfection; "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. (James 2:10)." The Law stirs up sin: "For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death (Romans 7:5)." The Law is a ministry of condemnation and death: "For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law (Galatians 3:10)."” The Law is for the lost, not for believers: "We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine... (1 Timothy 1:8-10)." Life under the Law is a life of hopelessness. It is a life of worry because deep down in your heart you know you are not being obedient enough and you're only left with this feeling in your gut that God is not pleased with you and doesn't love you; you are a failure in His eyes.

However, grace is different. "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1)." If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your savior, becoming born again of the Spirit of God, then you have peace with God. You have been delivered from darkness to light: "But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness (1 Thessalonians 5:4-5)." All of your sins are forgiven and do not separate you from God: "I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name (1 John 2:12)." You have eternal life: "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life (1 John 5:11-13)." You have access to God: "He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit (Ephesians 2:17-18)." Nothing, not even you, can separate you from God's love: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39)." Knowing these truths about the grace of God is what gives you peace. That peace comes from the fact that your right standing before God, your holiness, your justification, your sanctification, your entire existence comes from your trust in and dependence on what Jesus Christ did for you, not trust in and dependence on what you try to do for God. If you are worrying about your relationship with God or if you don't have one with Him at all, it is probably because you do not have peace in your heart and do not know His grace.

Because you are willing

“Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock… (1 Peter 5:2-3)” To be willing is to be ready, eager or prepared to do something. To lord over someone is to dominate, direct or control them in an arrogant fashion. I bet if you asked people why they left a church or why church leaders don’t seem to embrace their duties, it will probably be tied to the people feeling as if they were being lorded over in some way by leaders and that some leaders were not really wanting to serve in the manner they were asked to serve. When it comes to being in positions of authority people often don’t like feeling as if they have to do something when their heart is not in it. Similarly, many people will not go to church if they feel the leadership at a particular church is controlling and domineering. That may be one reason so many people only go to church on Easter and Christmas. However, how does Peter instruct overseers to act? He says the overseers are to shepherd their flocks because they “are willing” not because they “must” do it. In short one comes from “obedience” to duty while the other is a fruit of the spirit; love. As a Christian, I can testify of times when attending church felt like a job I was obligated to do. Nobody wants to feel as if they are upsetting God or, at the very least, family and friends who attend a particular church. 

While people may respond to things they feel they must do, in time they will stop doing them and prefer to face whatever consequences may arise from their “rebellion.” Yet, when an individual is being loved by their God, through faith in Jesus Christ, their actions will be motivated by love rather than duty. You will want to see that those you are asked to shepherd are receiving the same love of God that you are receiving. Conversely, as a churchgoer, you will want to attend services and support a church that is teaching the truth about the love of God and who you are in Christ, plus a church whose leadership is preaching what they practice. Jesus said, “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself (John 12:32).” People are drawn to Jesus because of His love which was displayed by Him living a life we can’t, dying a death He didn’t deserve and being resurrected in order to restore the life of God we lost when Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden. As Christians, when Jesus is living His life in and through us, as only He can, others will be drawn to us because we will be bearing the fruit of His love being produced in us. Ultimately, this change of heart will change our desires and we will want to serve others in love and attend churches and fellowships where we are experiencing for ourselves the love of God being shared with us. The Christian life will become something you want to participate in not something you have to participate in. 

Do Something Useful

A sibling of mine once told me about a group of guys he worked with when he was in the military. Apparently, these guys had come from rough neighborhoods and difficult family circumstances. If memory serves me, I seem to recall him mentioning that some of these guys had criminal backgrounds. However, he said the military items they were in charge of maintaining were some of the best-kept equipment in the unit. I may have some of the details wrong, but you get my point. They focused their energy into something positive and productive. The Apostle Paul was in the midst of telling the Church at Ephesus about living as “Children of Light,” when he said, “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need (Ephesians 4:28).” Basically, he is saying that if you are a Christian and have been committing the sin of stealing, stop and do something useful with your hands. In today’s Christianity, when someone who we believe to be a fellow Christian is found to be stealing what normally happens? They are told things like, “You have to confess your sin to God and ask Him to forgive you.” This plays itself out in various ways depending on what a particular church or individual believes. All of it is designed to “restore” fellowship between the individual and God or, as some believe, “regain” their salvation. But, Paul simply said stop stealing and do something useful. Paul knew that while stealing is a sin and not the behavior God wants from His children, the individual was already forgiven, still had their salvation and never lost fellowship with God. 

While Paul didn’t mention it here in Ephesians, in another place in scripture he writes, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted (Galatians 6:1).” I think it is fair to say that if someone were to talk to this individual who was caught stealing they would not only remind them of their identity in Christ, but also Who their God is. They would probably say things like, “If your God owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10), don’t you think He could sell one and give the proceeds to you?” or “If God says He will meet all your needs in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19), what need is there for you to take another’s possessions?” Finally, “If you have been given everything you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) and been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3), how is stealing a physical object going to meet a spiritual need only God can meet?” An individual may need to repair their relationship with the person they stole from, but the lesson to be learned is to, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you … (1 Thessalonians 4:11).” If you are stealing, or committing some other sin, stop stealing and make yourself useful. When you are loving your neighbor you aren’t sinning against them. Therefore, you can mind your own business as you rest in all you have in Christ and the work you do will be a benefit to those around you. All of this will only strengthen the bonds you have with those in your family, your church and your community. 

Legalism: Putting Confidence in the Flesh

Legalism. What is it? There is no verse in the Bible that starts out, "The definition of legalism is ....." Nor does the Bible even use the term. Among Christians the definition of legalism varies as much as a person's own individual theology varies. If you type legalism into your search engine you will see definitions that sound a lot like this; legalism is "a doctrinal position emphasizing a system of rules and regulations for achieving both salvation and spiritual growth." A radio pastor described legalism as being "when your opinion becomes my obligation." That led me to wonder, "Who defines what is an opinion and what is a fact?" As you and I know everybody has a Bible verse or two to pull out to justify their "opinion." And, of course, when you are doing that everybody who disagrees with your "opinion" must be wrong or guilty of heresy or false teaching. With that said, I can offer my own definition of legalism. To me, legalism is when a Christian must obtain or maintain through works that which God has freely given them through faith in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul said, "Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh ... (Philippians 3:2-3)." Paul had some pretty harsh words for those who, as he put it, put confidence in their flesh. He called them "dogs," "men who do evil" and "mutilators of the flesh." I have to believe he was referring to the Pharisees and perhaps "legalistic" Christians; specifically those who preached that one must be circumcised in order to be saved. Many early Christians believed that a Gentile must first become a Jew before they are saved. Something Paul knew was unnecessary and was not in line with the true Gospel message of faith alone in Jesus Christ. 

However, how many Christians today are taught, not to be circumcised, but that they have to be water baptized, tithe, live sinless lives of obedience and repentance to laws, religious tenants, church doctrine, etc., gain membership in a church and so on in order to be considered saved or be pleasing to God? It is as one person correctly said, "Levitical Light." In other words, it is a modern day form of Pharisaical Judaism. It is doing nothing more than putting confidence in the flesh. Paul went on to say, "If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more. circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless (Philippians 3:4-6)." It is interesting to note that what Paul said he had attained, legastic righteousness, would have made him a superstar in most modern churches; an example to strive to emulate. Yet, what did Paul call it? "I... count them but dung (Philippians 3:8 KJV)." He said his efforts were crap, to be frank. Yet, Christians believe it is this type of behavior that God rewards, that God expects from us and that God rewards! Paul called it "dung" because it was all done in an effort to establish his own self-righteousness. Self-righteousness is nothing more than when a person believes, dare I say deceives, themselves into believing they have found a way to be obedient to God by their own works. It is religious pride. There is only two types of righteousness; self-righteousness and the righteousness of Jesus Christ. One comes from putting confidence in your flesh and the other comes from putting confidence in the finished work of Jesus Christ. You can't have both. You are totally forgiven, holy, sanctified, justified, accepted, loved and have eternal life because of your faith in the work of Jesus Christ on your behalf not because of your own misguided attempts to get through works what you already have freely been given through faith. You didn't earn your salvation by your works, you can't live the Christian life by works and you can't keep your inheritance in Christ by works. You were saved by faith in Christ and you live by faith in Christ. You are already righteous in the eyes of God because of what Jesus Christ did for you. Rest in that and be thankful. "But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith (Galatians 3:11)." Stop working and start resting.