Worth in the Son

            Our worth is not in what we do.

             It is not in our accomplishments, however big.

             It is in one thing alone: The Son.

            We all come from different backgrounds. Some of us are believers in Jesus, some are not. But regardless of what we accept or reject about the Son of God, one truth remains: Our worth is in Him. It is not in us or anything that we can accomplish or have accomplished.

            For those of us who reject the gospel message, there is proven love.

            “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

            You may reject Christ, but He has shown you your worth. He has proven it, in fact. Can you imagine a God that actually would stoop to such “a low” as to enter into His creation and die for it? It would be hard, impossible even, to imagine if the Bible did not describe such a God to us. The Greek and Roman Gods were petty and selfish. Many other “gods” described in various religions are not far from the same. But none of them have died for you.

            You may be a believer in Jesus and are absolutely “on fire” for Him. You may even be a pastor or serve in ministry at your church doing amazing things for God. But your worth is not in these things. No matter how many copies (or how few)  your books have sold, no matter how many people you have led to Jesus, no matter how many pats you get on the back Sunday morning, your worth is safely kept in the Son. Oh yes, you too are loved, but you are more than that. You are children of God.

            “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” 1 John 3:1

            God is not some distant being to you. He is Abba. He is daddy.

            “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." Galatians 4:6

            There are so many places to find our worth in this world. But only one true place and that is in Jesus Christ. Regardless of whether you are a believer or not, your worth is in Him. You can’t escape it. He died for you. He wants to save you. He wants to give you a real life, one that is abundant in meaning. He doesn’t want to make you “religious.” He just wants you. Can you believe it?

Come to the Son.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Believe and Love: Simple Reminders of God's Grace

            I am still a work in progress, and if you’re honest, you are too. Honestly, how many times a week do we have difficulty keeping track of God’s love for us? Ten? Fifteen? Twenty? THIRTY!?! I know. Some of you are right up in the hundreds with me. At times our Christianity is freeing, at other times it’s binding. Sometimes it doesn’t matter just how much we tell ourselves the amazing truths of the gospel, our brains just have a hard time receiving it. Welcome to Earth: sin beaten and war ravaged. Our temporary home.

            There is an improper belief that pastors have it all together. At times, we are seen as the ones who totally understand the grace of God PERFECTLY. Well, in case some of you believe that, I am here to set the record straight: we don’t. We struggle just as much as you do. We too see ourselves as unlovable at times, we also feel condemned even though deep down we know that “there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

            We still sin too. We fail to behave perfectly in ways that many congregants might find shocking if they themselves have not recognized the depth of their own sinful struggles. But this is the journey that we are on. It began when we received Christ, and it never ends. Let us take a pause in our busy lives and investigate some truth together. Are you ready?

            We are not perfect in and of our own doing. But Jesus is, and He has perfected us by His own doing.

            “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” Hebrews 10:14

            That’s right. He (Jesus) has perfected all those being set apart for God. How? By one offering. Jesus offered Himself once for sin, and this offering initiated the New Covenant. God saw His Son’s sacrifice as perfect, and therefore sees we who believe as perfect. Without sin. Without imperfect behavior. Without moral failures.  I am perfect because of the sacrifice of my Jesus. Not because of my behavior. How about you?

            God has truly made this New agreement with mankind bullet proof. We receive Christ once and we begin an eternal lifetime of knowing God. The God who has revealed Himself as Abba.

            “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15

            God. Our daddy. Perfectly patient, gentle, and accepting of His children. Daddy is close to us in our fear, moral failure (no matter what the magnitude), and our insecurities. God has taken care of it all. He has taken away the one beast that kept us from Him: sin. We are safe, secure, and intimately close to God.

            “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own…” 1 Corinthians 6:19

            He also does not require much from us. Just simple belief, and simple love. Almost too simple right? Some of you may be thinking “but what about all of Jesus’ commands like loving God with all our heart soul mind and strength, and love our neighbor as ourselves?!?! That isn’t simple. It takes a lot of work!” Well let’s take a look.

³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  ³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^{[a] 38} This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^{[b] 40} All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:35-40

Alright…so….how you doing with those two commandments? Some of you may be doing well, others not so much. Especially with the first commandment. It’s one thing to love a neighbor but just how do you love God with all of that?  The good news is we don’t have to sit down and figure out exactly what it means to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Why? Because these two commandments summed up the Law. As much as these are used as commands for Christians today, it is actually a lot more simple than that. Christians are no longer under the Law because Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law perfectly for us.

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:17

“Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” Romans 10:4

^“For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,^[a] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.^[b] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:3-4

So loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength? Yes. That has been fulfilled as well by Jesus. He was the only person who truly could love God perfectly. So what is required of us? Take a look.

 ^“This is His commandment that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.” 1 John 3:23

That’s right. Believe and love one another.

This is not a two point check list for Christians daily living. This is a state of being. It is who we are! Those who genuinely believe will love other Christians. This does not mean we won’t fail at specific acts of love, but that deep down we love the people of God because they are from God. And so are we!

 Those who follow His simple commands are also loving God by doing so.

“This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome…” 1 John 5:3

Yes my friends. Not burdensome. Just simple belief and simple love for one another.  In my journey, simple things often get complicated. I often forget the relentlessly grace filled message of the gospel. I do fail often, I am not perfect in behavior, and yes I am a youth pastor. But I am here on the journey with you, desperately needing constant reminders of the grace of God. Thanks for taking this journey with me today through some simple reminders of God’s grace. I needed it, and something tells me you did too.

Faith Plus

                    "Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves 
                       be circumcised, Christ will   be of no value to you at all.” 
                                                    Galatians 5:2

            These strong words came from the Apostle Paul around 48 years after Christ. That’s right, merely half a century later the gospel of grace was already under attack. How you might ask? Let me tell you.

            The church at Galatia had been influenced by a group known as the Judaizers. These professing Christians taught that one needed not only to have faith in Christ for salvation, but to follow various works of the Old Testament law. In this specific case, the law was circumcision. The church was being taught and persuaded that not only did one need to believe in Jesus to be saved, but they needed also be circumcised. Modern day Christians may not have issues with Judaizers teaching a faith plus circumcision gospel, but we certainly have a lot of faith plus teachings going around.

Notice Paul’s words to the Galatians: If they begin circumcising themselves, Christ will mean nothing to them. How much? Nothing. What is the only way that Jesus could ever mean “nothing” to someone? If His work is not held in the absolute highest esteem imaginable. For the Galatian church it was circumcision that “outshined”, and distracted people from the grace of God. What is it for us today?

Take a few moments and think on this. What is it that distracts you from Jesus? No, I am not talking about your job or daily rituals such as reading non-Christian books or watching movies. I am talking about ANYTHING in your life that shrinks the magnificent work of Christ. What exactly are you adding to the gospel?

For me, I was adding confession for forgiveness of sins. Some of you may be thinking “Wait? Really? What kind of teacher are you?!?! We are SUPPOSED to confess our sins for forgiveness. Come on! Everyone knows 1 John 1:9!” But the reality is that if we do not believe that we are a hundred percent forgiven solely on the basis of faith in Jesus redeeming work, then we are adding to the gospel. As Andrew Farley puts it, we are “cheating on Jesus.”[1] We on one hand accept His sacrifice as totally sufficient for our sins, while one the other hand, adding “right” behavior to take care of the stuff that He neglected to take care of on the Cross.

 1 John 1:9 is one of the main points of cheating on Jesus that exist today. If there was ever something that we like to add to faith, it is confession. The reality is that if this verse does talk about Christians, then we literally lose our salvation every time we sin. That’s right. Check out the language.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Catch that? Forgive us our sins, and cleanse from what? ALL unrighteousness. I’m sorry to disappoint, but this is salvation talk folks. The only people who are by definition not forgiven and cleansed are those who reject Christ, since Christians by definition are forgiven and righteous people (Romans 3:22). This makes sense when we understand that John was separating light from darkness, those who were of Christ and those who weren’t. Those who were not of God, Gnostic teachers, needed to confess (acknowledge) their sins (of which there were many) before God in order to be forgiven and cleansed. After all, we all known that step 1 to becoming a Christian is recognition of what? Sin! John was not asking Christians to ask for forgiveness. That would be like Bill Gates asking someone for a dollar. He doesn’t need it! And neither do believers in Jesus. We have everything we need in Christ.

You now know how I made Christ “of no value” to my life. What is your poison of choice? Good works? Spiritual achievements? Competition? Circumcision?

It’s time to check exactly how well we are respecting Jesus’ work. Maybe we aren’t doing as good a job as we think.

           

---

[1] Farley, Andrew. "Cheating on Jesus." The naked Gospel: the truth you may never hear in church. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009. 131. Print.

The Life of Christ

   

            Christianity is not about rules and regulations. It’s not about good moral teaching. It’s not about doing our best in life so that we get on God’s good side. It is not ultimately even about us at all.  Jesus did not come here to make bad people good. He did not come simply to be a good moral teacher. He did not come to show us how to get on God’s good side by our own strength.

He came to give us the greatest gift He could: Himself. Jesus, who is life itself, came to give us His life. Eternal life.

            So often we throw around Christian jargon about how people need to “give their lives to Christ” so that they can be saved. We have all heard preachers call people forward to “surrender their lives to Christ.” But really, honestly, is this what saves people? Let’s think about it. How would me giving God my totally fragile, broken and sin filled life bring about my forgiveness and promise my ultimate deliverance from death? Sorry, I don’t have THAT much magic to offer.

            The reality is, nowhere in the New Testament will one find any letter or book urging people to “give their lives to Christ.” This mindset is simply absent from scripture. But what is encouraged is people believing and receiving His eternal life as a free gift. Such is the promise of Romans 6:23.

            “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

            Jesus is life. Whoever believes in Him has eternal life; His life. As John says in His letter “Whoever has the Son has life” (1 John 5:11-12), and such is the miracle of the gospel: the life of Christ becomes our life. We cannot be saved by simply giving our lives to Jesus and surrendering all to Him (whatever that really means). We can only be saved by trusting in His sacrifice for our sins, recognizing that He is completely and totally enough for our right standing with God, and that we cannot ever do anything to be right or stay right with Him. It must be a free gift from God. It must be grace.

So many teachers have made Christianity a game of surrender to God, where its proponents must constantly surrender any and all areas of life to God. While there is truth to letting God carry the burdens of our life, including our failures, following Jesus is not about making a list of things to surrender. It’s about letting His eternal life have its way in and through us. The gospel is not just a set of facts to believe. It is a person. A living, breathing God who laid His earthly body down to save us, and who offers us union, intimacy, and a Life which has no end.

We often quote verses like Luke 14:27 that state that we must deny ourselves and carry our cross to be Jesus’ disciples. But the reality is Jesus’ message was to those who followed Him during His earthly ministry. This was not some eternal truth that we must daily wrestle with, denying our needs and desires and “surrendering” them to God. Jesus’ cross led to His death, burial, and resurrection. So where does our cross lead? The same place!

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

Paul did not consider Himself to be carrying any cross. He considered Himself dead. If we carry our crosses correctly, they lead directly to our own Calvary where we are crucified with Jesus, our own private tomb where we are buried with Him, and our own front row seat to that that glorious resurrection where we are raised with Him. It’s His life that saves us (Romans 5:10), and our lives that are totally and completely, irrevocably intertwined with His:

“For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3

Yes. We are dead. And Christ lives. We live because He lives. His life is our life. And we become God’s possession. What a gift that simple faith brings. As we understand our salvation in a deeper way, it becomes less and less about “giving things up,” and more about being who we really are: brand new, God loving creations who have been given the Life of Christ.

Sound too simple? It was never meant to be complicated.

Sound too good? It must be the gospel.

“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5: 11-12

Grace: Our Encouragement

 ^“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. ¹² It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age…” Titus 2:10-12

            Did you catch that? Read it again.

            How about now? If you didn’t I will give you a little hint: grace.

            Now read the first part again, and think on it.

            Now, finish the rest.

            Wow.

           

            Grace does two amazing things. Firstly, it offers us salvation through faith in Jesus. God has made it perfectly clear that His offer for salvation (forgiveness of sins, new life in Christ, adoption into the family of God etc.) is free. How free you might ask? Completely. It is so free that those who have recognized their sinful state and trusted in Jesus’ finished work for salvation are totally and completely right with God.  They are even as righteous as Jesus Himself.

            “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

            Did you catch that? The righteousness of God. That’s right. Those in Christ are as innocent and “right” as God. As a completely free offer of Grace, God gives us all a chance to enter into relationship with Him. Undeserved? Yes. But that’s grace.

            Secondly, Grace instructs us with Holy Living. This is truly mind-blowing. To think that it is not a set of religious duties, church attendance, or any other “spiritual check lists” that we may create that leads us to Holy living, but that it is merely the underserved favor of God, is truly revolutionary.

            So many Christians today think that you cannot simply teach grace because people will just end up abusing it. They will “go on sinning” as Paul clearly speaks against in Romans. But is this Biblical?

            We need to understand first and foremost that grace is God’s deal with mankind through Christ. It is His promise of the New Covenant (agreement, testament) with His creation. By grace He promises to save us, and forget all of our sins.

            “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Hebrews 8:12

            God, in His love, has made a pact with mankind. Those who enter the New Covenant through Christ are totally forgiven. Is this offer too free? Will people simply abuse it? Suffice it to say, God took a chance. Grace by definition is not only undeserved but can be rejected and abused. Because God’s relationship with His children is no longer a conditional one based on our Holy performance (like the Old Testament) but based on Christ’s Holy performance, it can be used as license to sin. But is this what a true understanding of grace is supposed to do for us? No.

            Let’s say that you were a poor and VERY indebted graduate from college, and that you desperately needed a car to drive to and from your new job. To make matters worse your parents did not offer any help, and you had absolutely no money of your own.  That is until one day you are at home making your daily dose of rice and water, and the door bell sounds. You put everything down, and walk to the door. When you open the door, there is no one there. But there is an envelop at the base of your feet. As you pick it up, you can tell that it is not merely a letter, but that it contains something.

            You close the door and open it. Inside is the letter. But as you unfold it a key drops to the ground. Confused, you read.

            Mr. John Doe,

                        It has come to our attention that you owe a loan amounting to $75,000 to our institution. For an early graduation present, we have decided to pay your expenses for you. Your balance is now $0.00.

                        In addition, it has come to our attention that you need a car. So, it has been our great pleasure to give you this cobalt blue BMW 6 Series. We trust that you will find it sufficient for your needs. Included is a gas card for your personal and convenient use. This you will find in the glove compartment beneath the free wax.

            Sincerely,

            Financial Aid

            WOW! Can you imagine?!?!?!? No debt. Free car (super cool car at that) and a free gas card? BENEATH THE FREE WAX????!?!?

            Now, granted a few people (crazy people) may treat that new car recklessly. But the vast majority would take the best care of it imaginable. This is how it is with the grace of God. It is freely given. Yes. But, the gift is so full of love, so needed, that only a fool would turn around and abuse it.

            Grace, God’s undeserved favor, does not teach us to go out and sin. It teaches “us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age…” Those who truly understand grace will find it extremely hard to abuse. Those who live lives completely surrendered to the finished work of Christ (and I mean totally) will find the love and encouragement that they have always needed to live rightly. But those who do not understand grace, will either abuse it OR fall into the temptation to create their own lists of “spiritual dos and don’ts” to keep their lives in check.

           

God knew what He was doing through His Son. Let’s believe Him.

Confession: How Biblical is it?

            Many of us who have grown up in the church know that God forgives us when we trust in Christ for salvation. Our beliefs are rightly justified by passages such as the following:

            “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8

            “I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.” 1 John 2:12

           

            “When you were dead in your sins and in the un-circumcision of your flesh, God made you[a] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:13

            "…by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”  Hebrews 10:14

            Such passages clearly show that we are indeed right with God by faith, or trust, in Jesus’ all sufficient work for us sinners. Many of us have perhaps even become Christians after hearing these passages. But the reality is that many of us are badly confused, and we don’t really know it. We believe that we are forgiven yet when we sin many of us come to our knees, and ask God to forgive us. At first, such an act might seem completely normal and healthy. But do we really understand that we are, however innocently, shrinking the impact of Jesus’ work?

            The passage that all go to in the New Testament to justify Christian confession to God is 1 John 1:9 :

            “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

            Many Christians have used this verse for daily cleansing from sin. We think “Oops, I messed up. Well, I will just ask God to forgive me, and he will do so while cleansing me from any un-righteousness that is left over from my sin.” But does this work for people that have already been declared righteous by God?

            “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” Romans 3:22

            “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

            Re-read 2 Corinthians 5:21. God made Jesus sin, so that we could have the righteousness, or moral justification, of God. Because of what Jesus did we ARE righteous. And if that isn’t enough, God has forgotten all of the Believer’s sins.

            For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:12

            So exactly how should we interpret 1 John 1:9? If we are truly forgiven (past tense) and righteous, then why do we confess?

            As with all books and letters in the Bible, there is a historical context. John the Apostle was writing to combat a very specific group of false teachers: the Gnostics. Among other things, the Gnostics believed that Jesus 1) never came in the flesh, and that 2) humans could sin as much as they wanted to in the flesh, and it wouldn’t matter to God because the flesh is left behind when we die. John was concerned for the early church, and to keep them from being led astray by these false teachers, he wrote this letter to show exactly who the true followers of God were.

            1 John 1:9 is found in the introduction of the letter in which John immediately begins separating those who are of God, and those who aren’t. 

           

            “⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all^[a] sin.  ⁸ If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:5-10

            Notice the line that John draws here:

            If we claim to have fellowship with God, but walk in darkness: we lie

            If we walk in the light: we have fellowship with one another

If we claim to be without sin: the truth is not in us

            If we confess our sins: forgiven and cleansed.

            If we say we have not sinned: His word is not in us.

            John is separating those who are believers, from those who are false teachers. He is also making a point to let the false teachers know that if they recognize their sins, and confess them (acknowledge them) before God, they will be forgiven.

            It is amazing how confused we become when we don’t let God’s free gift be free. God has made it simple: we are saved by grace through faith. This is the essence of the gospel. Because of what Christ did, we are free from un-forgiveness, and separation from God. If we truly understand that we are saved by grace through faith, then confession for forgiveness has no place in our lives. It is simply an unnecessary addition to the simple Gospel of Christ.

True Grace

For some reason we struggle with grace. 

         Maybe it’s because we can't handle the idea that forgiveness is a gift based not on our good works, but on THE Good work of Jesus. I can see where this would be a problem for those who are opposed to Jesus' claims. It seems unconscionable to say that anyone, and I do mean ANYONE, can go to heaven simply by receiving the free gift of salvation. This could be hard to swallow since many of us have the "at least I'm not as bad as that guy" mentality. We think "Really? Well, what about the really bad people like Hitler or Mussolini? I mean they can't really be going to the same place as....me right?" It does pose an interesting question.

        Grace can also be a major problem for those who do follow Jesus. It seems that the majority of Christians genuinely believe that Jesus died for their sins and that because of this we are no longer hell bound or disconnected from a relationship with God. But for some reason this mindset often gets lost in all the mud and murk of works based religion. We think "Okay, I am saved by grace through faith. Now I need to really put on the happy face and good works if I am ever going to make this faith thing work." However good intentioned one may be this mentality breeds a very self-focused agenda where we are constantly evaluating our daily lives making sure that we don't mess up too much, and that we don't do the bad things. I really don't think that this is the vision Paul had of the church when he wrote Ephesians.

        "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God..." Ephesian 2:8 ESV

       He reminds the church in Ephesus that they were saved by God's grace  (undeserved favor) through faith (trust) in Jesus Christ. He then goes on to say that "it" (salvation) is the gift of God.  Simple? Very. Almost too simple for many people to accept. But notice who is in focus here? God.                

       The reality is that because of the Lord's amazing work on the cross any and all people can be saved. The second any of us, whether believers or not, begin focusing on ourselves or others' work as a basis for salvation is the second that we miss the whole point of the good news. It is not about us at all. It is all about Him. We don't need to take a bath before we come to Jesus. He meets each of us where we are, dirty and utterly dependent on Him.

       Some of you may be thinking "Okay I totally understand that. We are saved by grace through faith. But after that we need some good ol' fashion religion to keep us on track. We need to make sure and pray at least three times a day, monitor how much time we spend in Bible reading versus how much time we spend doing other things" but the reality is that this is a completely un-biblical view.

        Believe it or not Jesus did not come to give us a list of what not to do. He came to set us free from hopeless attempts to be made right with God (Galatians 5:1), and from the very power of sin, or rebellion against God, itself (Romans 6:5-7). He came to make us new people (2 Corinthians 5:17) who no longer have a nature that gravitates towards sin, but who share in the very nature of God (2 Peter 1:4). We also naturally crave righteousness (Romans 6:18). The commands  that Jesus had for believers were simple: "Love one another as I have loved you" (John 13:34).

          He even came to set us free from self-improvement lists. 

          

          Do you remember The Law? It was the KING of self-improvement lists. All that the Jews had to do to find out what not to do was take a look at the Ten Commandments.  The Law showed God's perfect standard and just how far short everyone falls of this standard. It shows the sinfulness of mankind so that all can see their total and utter need for Jesus (Galatians 3:19). But it was never God's intention to make us fulfill it on our own. Yes, Jesus even fulfilled the requirements of the Law for us

               "...in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." Romans 8:4

                Notice the words "fully met." Pretty amazing huh? This isn't a partial deal. 

             So why do we create check lists? Because we are afraid of grace. We are afraid to admit that the good news of Jesus Christ crucified, dead, buried, and resurrected is actually.....GOOD! The work of Christ is enough for our salvation. It is even enough for our holy living.

            When we believe in Christ we become new creations. We become slaves to righteousness who walk according to, and are led by, the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:4, 8:14). Jesus who is our very life (Colossians 3:4) empowers us to live Godly lives. We don't need lists. We have the Holy Spirit living in us offering to be our guide and our helper (John 15:26). Who needs lists when we have Jesus? The same grace that saves us, leads us. 

             God took a chance with grace. He made it so that salvation was all because of Jesus' amazing work. This of course means that it can be abused when we willfully live a life of sin. But abuse of grace does not change the power of Christ's redeeming work in our lives. God's New Covenant (Agreement) with mankind is that all who come to Him through Jesus are totally and completely forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). The believers sins have been totally forgotten (Hebrews 10:17) and will stay that way. God never leaves and even becomes our intimate Daddy (Hebrew 13:5, Romans 8:15). He even lets us share in His nature. Pretty cool isn’t it?

             God's plan for us is grace from start to finish. It is not "cheap" as some would say; it cost Jesus everything. But it is free for us, and it is the true grace talked about in the Holy Scriptures. If you are searching for meaning know this: You are loved and Jesus is the way to the meaning. If you have found Jesus then don’t forget the grace that has saved you. Fix your thoughts on Jesus, and let Him lead you by His love and power. Let’s show the world why we celebrate the good news.

Not if. When.

        I think what has me and perhaps so many other followers of Jesus so put off by Harold Camping's claims of the end of the world beginning today, is that we actually do believe that the world as we know it will be judged by God in a future time; the question has never been a matter of if, but when.
        Throughout history many people have claimed to know when Christ was going to return; Camping's exercise is in no way new. The problem is that each suggested time for rapture comes and goes just as every other ordinary day we encounter in this life. Today, May 21 2011, seems to be no exception (except for a joke on facebook, I am fairly certain that I am not in Heaven). But does this mean that it will never happen? Absolutely not! By no means! The Bible is clear that it will. There is just no date for it.
        The danger with playing God and pretending to know when Christ is coming back is twofold. Firstly, one deceives himself. Secondly, and perhaps more severely, is that others are led into deception as well. Some are deceived into believing the false teaching, and others are deceived into thinking that there really never will be a judgment day. For the latter, I think specifically of those who do not believe in Christ.
          For those who are skeptical about the claims of Jesus, claims such as Camping's must look utterly ridiculous (it is ridiculous for me and I love Jesus!) and even further support why exactly certain individuals do not buy into Christianity or its teachings about judgment. But the problem is that simply because certain individuals take it upon themselves to announce pseudo judgment days, does not mean that one is not coming. Scripture is clear. One day, we will all be judged and the world will be reborn. Evil will be gone and our tears of pain will be replaced with tears of utter joy. For the believer, judgment day is a celebration; the time in history when the human race is finally and permanently reunited with the God who is described as Love. It will be the beginning of real life as C.S Lewis always referred to it. Life as God has always intended since the beginning of time.
          May we all remember that just because some people wrongly and prematurely cry wolf, there is no reason to doubt that a wolf really is coming. Creation testifies to the existence of a Creator, and our ability to know right from wrong testifies to the existence of a moral code that expresses the moral standard of a creator; and where there is a standard there is always action taken for all who fall short of said standard. All who have not acknowledged their shortcoming and received Christ, will face this judgment.
         Whether you are simply my friends or fellow believers in Jesus, I ask you to be wise and be not deceived. Take the blessed time that God has given you to seek truth, and reach out for the grace that is so readily available in Jesus Christ.

           He is here. He is love. He is coming. It has never been a matter of if, but when.

The Gospel: A Spiritual Inventory

           Every now and again, it is crucial to check our belief systems. Whether we are followers of Christ or not, we need to take time for introspection so that we can humbly and openly examine what we believe and exactly why we believe it.

           It is a harsh reality, but a true one, that many of us are believing lies; lies about each other, lies about ourselves, and chiefly, lies about God. Even followers of Christ, His representatives here on Earth, often believe incorrectly about their God who is called Abba, Father.

           The Gospel remains the single most attacked topic in the world today. For many people, both believing and non-believing alike, it is often seen as a belief system full of rules and regulations that do nothing short of ensnare and imprison those who subscribe to them; a tool used by man to manipulate and control people to his own means. But this is not what Jesus had in mind at all, and it takes only a brief reading (or re-reading) of scripture to see this.

           So, I was thinking, since we are all human and flawed (I know….its true) I thought it would be good to take a spiritual inventory together. Let’s take a look at some key questions that will help to determine where our mindset is with regards to the gospel. As we do so, hopefully we will be able to see exactly how far off (or on) we are in our beliefs about Jesus and His work on our behalf.

I.                 Do I believe that salvation is a free gift of God?

At first glance, some of you may be quick to say “Why, of course I do, Andy! The Bible says so!” But let me follow this question with one more.

What do you do to stay right with God?

The answer to this question will determine whether our focus is really in the right place (or more specifically, on the right person). Let’s think together. We all have our holy rituals do we not?

Maybe it is reading the Bible, perhaps it is prayer while kneeling (is their no other kind?!?!?!). Maybe it is avoiding all R rated movies and never….I mean NEVER….reading……(gulp)…. Harry Potter.

I will be the first to admit that I often feel guilty for relaxing. I am so performance driven that I honestly have believed at times that God wants me to do more than He wants me to simply be. This is such a lie! What I am actually saying is that Christ’s blood was not enough for me and that I need to live a life so full of religious things and good works that I can never even sit down in Jesus name and watch a movie with my wife! WOW! Who am I focused on? Me. Not Jesus. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me.

Scripture is absolutely clear.

 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in^[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.”      Romans 6:23

“Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.” Romans 5:16

Charisma, the Greek word for “the gift of God” in both passages, means “gift of grace.” Dorea, the Greek word for “the gift” in the second passage means “the free gift.” 

Salvation is nothing short of a free gift. If you want to be saved from hell, forgiven for sins, brought into a relationship with the all loving God, simply acknowledge your total inability to achieve any of it on your own, and receive the gift.

II.               Do I believe that my good works for God are not a necessity, but an act of worship?

Those who are believers in Christ have a magnificent opportunity to live a life that is pleasing to God. A life where we live out our freedom from the bondage of sin, making every effort to let the Spirit of God live His wonderful life in and through us, touching people with the good news of His love.

But all too often, we get into a dangerous mindset. One in which the One who bought our salvation, and ushered in our right standing before God, becomes second rate goo. We believe the lie that we owe God our lives, and every second not spent serving Him is a second earned in hell. This is hogwash. Total and complete.

To say that we owe God our lives is to say that He needs something from us or that we are in debt to Him. But isn’t debt what Christ came to save us from? The whole point of the gospel was to get people out of debt with God. Not make them more in debt. This is why Christ died and rose again; to rescue us from a debt that we could never pay ourselves; the debt of total and complete guilt of sin before a perfect God.

God does not need our lives. He does not need our good works. We do not even owe Him good works. But He certainly deserves them!

Romans 12:1 states

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.”     

True worship is not something that we give because we think God needs it; it’s something that we give because He deserves it. We offer Him our lives not because we are in debt to Him, but because we are out of debt to Him, and He deserves every single part of us simply because He is God.

III.             Do I believe that my identity is not in what I do, but in who I am?

Whoever you are, whether you are a believer in Jesus or not, a simple truth exists: you will never be totally content with what you do. It does not matter how rich you are or how hard you work, you will be empty until you find true identity.

Scripture describes believers as Children of God, belonging to God, and being totally and completely submerged in a deep relationship with Him through Christ.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1

It also describes believers as being In Christ. Check out this passage below and how often it uses the phrasing “In Christ” or “In Him.”

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints in Ephesus,^a the faithful^b in Christ Jesus:

2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he^c predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding….

11In him we were also chosen,^e having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

            And if that is not enough, check out one of my favorite verses below.

            “³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3

If you are a believer in Christ, you are the son or daughter of the Most High God. This is who you are. You are not Bob the lawyer, Timothy the mailman, Wanda the chef (Wanda?), or even Andy the youth pastor (hey, I know that guy). You are, to borrow Brennan Manning’s book title, Abba’s Child. Why? Because you are in Christ. You are identified with Him in everything.

This is the good news. How far off are you?

Trouble

          It really is sobering watching the events around the world right now. Times are frightening not only because of the evils man can commit against his neighbor, but also because of what man can do nothing to prevent, such as an Earthquake in Japan and subsequent tsunami whose effect is felt all the way over here in San Diego. Times like these serve as a brutal reminder that we are truly much smaller and more vulnerable than we would like to admit.

         But the reality is, we have never been anything but vulnerable, and often times the struggles that we experience in our life serve not to make us vulnerable, but to show us exactly how vulnerable we are. I am not sure what it is about the human condition, but we tend to think that we have an invisible plate of reinforced steel armor on that will keep any and all harm from coming to us. It’s almost as if we forget that this is not Heaven and that we are not entitled to good things.

            I am a very blessed man: I am a Child of God, I have a wonderful wife, good health, a blessed opportunity to minister to the leaders of tomorrow, and wonderful brothers and sisters who truly love me. I am also caught off guard when pain strikes me. I feel weak and naked, betrayed, anxious, and utterly vulnerable to all pains that this world has to offer. It is here, in my darkest moments, that I wonder exactly where God is and just what the heck He is doing (some of you may know the feeling). Yet, it’s in these times when the rubber of faith meets the road of this cold, dark, and dreary world, giving us the opportunity to trust in God and depend on Him even when we see or feel no sign of hope or His love. In these times we come to understand the raw meaning of faith.

Regardless of where you may be, what pains are afflicting you, what distance you feel from God and His love, may you take this time to acknowledge through pure and unadulterated faith that God loves you and is for you. He is not some relentless task master who is on your back with a riding crop expecting you to be different or better than you are. He is right beside you, waiting for you to acknowledge His presence and love. He is not here to make you pay for your sins (this is what Calvary was all about). He is here to love you and accept you through the blood of Jesus.

His love has YOUR name written all over it, and His Son holds our eternal future. We can be secure, no matter how troubling times may be, in this amazing truth.

“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 5:13

Troubling Times for Planet Earth

        It really is sobering watching the events around the world right now. Times are frightening not only because of the evils man can commit against his neighbor, but also because of what man can do nothing to prevent, such as an Earthquake in Japan and subsequent tsunami whose effect is felt all the way over here in San Diego. We are certainly much smaller and more vulnerable than we would like to admit.

        May we take this time to hope in the God who is above this world. The Almighty who is unshakeable in His power, unchanging in His purpose, and utterly relentless in His good plans for all who come to Him through Jesus.

God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake with their surging. (Psalm 46:1-3)

Freedom Song

Are you free?

            You may, dear reader, be wondering exactly what I mean. Let me continue with further questioning.

Are you free from the ruthless demands of the world? Demands that scream performance for satisfaction? Performance for identity? Performance for status?      Are you free from self hatred? A hatred that demands perfection in performance or an ever changing identity wrapped in the lies of what culture says is relevant?

            Are you free from the dark, gloomy hold of sin? A hold that keeps bringing you to decisions made that lead to nothing but gloom and emptiness?

            Are you free from the search for purpose? A purpose found not in what you do, but in you are?

            Are you satisfied with your life, or have you yet to be set free from the search for satisfaction?  Are you content? Have you found meaning? How many vain choices have you made thinking that they would lead to you fulfillment? How long will you keep looking to those choices to bring you the peace that you so long for?

             

                 Are you truly free? Think hard. Denial will only be disservice.

            The rancid waters of this world wreak their havoc on us all. We are born into bondage of a terrible beast known as sin that controls us, forcing us to hate and not love, to take and not give, and to make gods out of everything but God Himself. But there is much joy to be had because you, dear reader, have not found lasting satisfaction in anything yet.  Yes, you have searched. Yes, you have come up short. We all have. And thank God for that.
           Blaise Pascal was certainly on to something when he said, in essence, that there is a God shaped hole in all of us. Because of this, we can be sure to find contentment and fulfillment in nothing and no one other than Him. It is in Him that we find our heart’s greatest desire: freedom.

            Jesus was and continues to be all about freedom. He healed people, freeing them from the bondage of physical troubles. He forgave people, freeing them from condemnation for the junk that they had done. He also pointed the way to a relationship with God, the very foundation for freedom.

            I am a follower of Jesus and I am free, but I would be lying and making a fool of myself if I said that I have arrived at the total realization of my freedom. I still struggle. This world makes no easy way out for any of us, but God who loves has made it possible for an intimate relationship with Him. No, it will not be the end of chaos in our lives and it will certainly not be the immediate delivery of this world. But it will be peace, and the start of a new journey of discovering the one truth that we all long to know; that we are loved by God, and that we are significant.

            I don’t know your story, and I certainly don’t know what your experience with God has been in your life, but I can say this: if it has done anything but free you, then it wasn’t God. To know how badly God wants freedom for His creation, one must look no further than a boy born in a manger who grew up to become the Savior who died for the world.

           Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). He is the way to God, truth itself, and He gives life to all who come to Him through faith; real, true, and fulfilling life. Not a measly substitute as the world offers. Only real life can set us free.

            Have you dared take a chance with Jesus? Are you even open to Him? I want to challenge you all, followers of Christ or not, to take a look at your life to see exactly how free you are. Are you where you want to be, or are there changes to be made?

            It is all about Jesus. Our existence, our eternal destiny, and the health of our relationships with one another all depend on Him.

            I dare you to consider Jesus.

Good News for an Unfinished Christian

           I often feel unqualified to write about the good news of Jesus and His sacrifice for our sins. I suppose that there are several reasons for this. Chief among them is that I have a hard time holding onto the awesome truths of the gospel; I feel if I am to profess the truths of God’s unfathomable goodness, then I need to be totally confident in that which I write about or teach.
          Recently I revisited an article I wrote about a month ago called Victims of Grace, and as I read it I thought, ‘Wow, I sure sound like an expert on the grace of God!’ Then a few moments passed by, and I thought “Crap! I really do sound like an expert. But I am so not!” My wife was standing next to me and I told her about my revelation. She assured me that I knew the truth it was just hard for me to live it because I am human. Nice isn’t it, to have a wife who is both brilliant and beautiful to remind me of these things?
          I forget that I am a human sometimes. I forget even more often that God doesn’t expect me to be anything else. I could be alone in these temporary bouts of amnesia, but I sort of doubt it. I think often times people come to faith in Jesus Christ and receive His free gift of forgiveness and eternal life, and then get sidetracked from it. It seems like once we are saved, we think that we should automatically be morally perfect. We then get hard to work on a religious expectations check list that we must strictly adhere to daily to attain this moral perfection, this instead of living by God’s pure un-adulterated grace.

Speaking of making lists, maybe yours looks like mine:

1. Spend more time reading the bible than doing anything else
2. Pray every spare minute that I get. No free time.
3. Pray for every single person I meet
4. Never get impatient. Impatience is for the weak.
5. NEVER doubt God
6. Never spend money on yourself
7. Never wrestle with what it means to be a Christian
8. Never forget to do the dishes for you wife.
9. Watch only G rated movies
10. Listen only to music by DC Talk and Michael W. Smith
11. Never take fun time for yourself. Ministry is life.
12. Never struggle with lust
13. Love people perfectly. Always.
14. Obey the laws of the land perfectly.
15. Never fail God.
16. Never doubt His love.
17. Never speed.


           Let’s just say that if God held me to same standard I hold myself to, I would be a lost cause. Lists like these are not totally unproductive however. They can serve a great purpose: to show you how much you fail at keeping any standards.

          On Mount Sinai God gave the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel. These commandments were a glimpse into the perfect morality of God. They showed His standards for the people Israel, and ultimately His standard of perfection for all mankind. They were His “check-list” for humanity. Because they were such, these commandments did another thing: they revealed failure. They revealed the sin of the chosen Jews. They also ultimately reveal the sin of the entire world. Think about this for a minute as we consider two of these commandments:

6. You shall not murder.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

         While most of us have not literally murdered someone, we have done so indirectly. Jesus taught that hatred for another person was the same as murder in God’s eyes (Matthew 5:21). Likewise, He taught that lusting after an individual was identical to committing adultery (Matthew 5:28). So, because I have both hated and lusted, I have broken two of the ten standards on God’s check list, thus proving myself to be a sinner. This was and is the whole purpose of the Law. It offers a glimpse at God’s perfect morality, shows us how ridiculously far short we fall, and then leads us to receive God’s free gift of forgiveness in Jesus. As Galatians 3 says, the law was added because of transgressions. It was added to show sin so that when Jesus came, we would let Him save us through faith. Both the Ten Commandments and the sacrificial system (animal sacrifices to bring forgiveness) ultimately pointed to Jesus. The Law screams “GOD IS PERFECT. You are not. Let HIM save you.” The bottom line is that God’s standard for us has been forever met in Christ. Period. God’s check list for us is perfectly and totally completed and nothing can say otherwise. So why on Earth would we create our own standards to hold ourselves to? Are we God that we can say what moral perfection is and what it is not?
         Let me close with some confessions. I am a Christian. I love God very much. I love writing about Him. I love teaching His word. I love the grace that He has for me in Jesus Christ. I am also unfaithful to Him, a doubter of the first degree; a hater; an adulterer; an idolater; a murderer. But these actions are not my identity. No, the Blood of Christ says otherwise. I am a beloved Son who has been forever reunited with His Creator through the all sufficient blood of Jesus.
         We don’t need to have a list of rules to live for God. We just need God. We need God’s acceptance of us through faith in Jesus. We need His Spirit to come make His home in us so that we can have the intimacy that we lost so long ago.
         The only moral check-list that served a purpose was God’s. It took the very beast of sin that separated us from Him in the beginning of time, and used it to bring us to the cross. Our sins no longer need bring us shame. This is why Christ came. We have only room for celebration in our brief lives on Earth, and our forever lives thereafter.

This is the good news. This is the great news. This is the excellent news. This is the stupendous news.

God loves you and wants you. Believe it.



“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst.” (1 Timothy 1:15)