An EXTREME act of love

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. (Romans 3:23-24)

All really doesn't mean there are any exclusions - it means ALL have sinned, no one is exempt. That may be hard for some to palette, but it is an inescapable fact. God set a standard - we fall short of it each and every time we attempt to even approach it, so we needed his Son to do it for us. Grace has been and is still being extended to all who would trust him for this great gift of redemption. Redemption is a big word that really means we are made right with a holy God by trusting in the finished work of Jesus. He bridged the gap between our imperfection and God's perfect holiness. We are able to come boldly into his presence now because we have received his grace. The standard was met in Christ - we just need to meet Christ in order to receive grace! It might be hard to believe but this unmerited favor we receive from God is a manifestation of his love toward the unworthiness in each of us. He doesn't 'discount' us because of our unworthiness but rather makes a way for us to be part of his glorious family.

Too many times, we 'discount' our need for a Savior. We justify ourselves by saying we 'aren't all that bad', that we 'do good things', and we aren't 'all that unkind' to others. The truth is that ALL have fallen short - the target may be hit some of the time, but we aren't hitting the bullseye! We need grace in order to do that. The enemy of our soul is Satan, and he has done all he can from the very beginning of time to convince us that 'not all that bad' is really okay. The fact of the matter is that it is ALL or nothing with God. We are ALL the way a sinner, or we are ALL the way a redeemed (made holy through Christ) child in his family. The Greek word for 'redeemed' is 'apoluo' - meaning to experience a release effected by the payment of a ransom. It means to be set free - because sin has held us bound for way too long! The payment was Christ's life, death, burial and resurrection. The EXTREME act of love that would go to that extent in order to bring us freedom from our sinfulness shouldn't ever be taken for granted.

Here is the crux of it - we ALL have a sin nature. We ALL have absolutely no way of approaching the holiness of God on our own. Sin cannot abide with holiness. We ALL need a Savior. We ALL need to experience the EXTREME love of God and the only way to do that is through Christ Jesus. Just sayin!

Gifted into goodness

I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about. God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Sometimes I think we honestly believe we can 'work our way' into God's good graces, but if that were possible, there would have been no need for Christ to come to this earth, sacrificing his life on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, and then battling death, hell, and the grave to redeem us from ourselves. A gift is given - then it must be received - period. There are no strings attached, nothing the one receiving the gift must do in order to receive it. If that were the case, it would be 'earnings' and not a 'gift'!

When I was working, I earned a paycheck. I put in my 40-50 hours a week, performing certain tasks, then received a fair wage for a fair day's efforts. Every now and again, my employer would add a little 'bonus' to the paycheck. That was an unexpected blessing - a 'gift' of sorts. It still 'cost' me something, though. I had to show up, put forth the effort, excel at what I was doing, and then pay taxes on that bonus! Was it really a 'gift'? Not really - it was a 'little extra' unexpectedly blessing me in my paycheck.

There are times we approach our 'salvation' much like that bonus. We think 'showing up', putting forth some form of effort, and then working hard to 'do right' is all we need to 'earn' our salvation. While God may want us to 'show up' in this relationship, 'putting forth the effort' to allow this relationship to develop, he does all the 'work' of preparing the 'gift of salvation' we so desperately need and don't deserve! Yes, we need to take time in his Word. We definitely need to spend time talking with him and learning what his voice sounds like. We even need to do the things he directs us to do - that is called obedience.

Do these things help us get into heaven, or earn us some form of 'brownie points' with God? Nope! They are the natural outcome of wanting a relationship with someone! We invest in the relationship because we have a desire to know this God of grace better. Maybe if we approached prayer as communication, time in the Word as willingly listening for his direction, and service in whatever form he asks of us as the outflow of gratefulness we have for being welcomed into this relationship so willingly, we might just find ourselves 'working toward goodness' a little less and see how much 'goodness' he has already gifted into our lives. Just sayin! 

He pursues us

My soul gave up all hope, but then I remembered the Lord. I prayed to you, and you heard my prayers in your holy Temple. “Some people worship useless idols, but those statues never help them. I will give sacrifices to you, and I will praise and thank you. I will make special promises to you, and I will do what I promise.” Salvation only comes from the Lord! (Jonah 2:7-9)

We might think there is no hope in our current situation, but God isn't afraid of the darkness, nor is he one to abandon his children. He gives us all the 'space' we require in order to come to the end of our 'selfishness' and 'rebellion', but he doesn't leave us there forever. When we call upon him, he hears - because he has never left us!

Jonah realized the God he served wasn't just some useless idol, but the One True God. His covenant with those whom he loves is forever. Most importantly, he realizes salvation comes no other way. Salvation is more than the deliverance from the penalty of sin that we find in relationship with Jesus. It also carries the meaning of the act of saving or protecting from harm, risk, loss, or destruction.

Jonah was counting on God to help him avoid harm - although things looked very bleak at the moment for him. Those who have a relationship with God may find themselves in places they don't want to be because of some compromise or rebellion in their lives, but it doesn't mean the relationship is abandoned. We can seek God's help - but as we explored earlier, it doesn't always mean we avoid the consequences of our rebellion. It does mean he is capable and willing to help us get on the right path again!

God doesn't look for our promises - he looks for us to act on them. Jonah made a promise and committed to do as he promised. When we engage with God in the things he asks us to do, we can be assured he will help us fulfill those promises we have made. He enables us to live out our right choices - but he pursues us with love and grace when we don't always follow the right path. Just saying!

One path

I am the path, the truth, and the energy of life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you know Me, you know the Father. Rest assured now; you know Him and have seen Him. (John 14:6-7)

Pathways don't just 'become pathways' out of the blue. The first set of footprints across that path leaves small impressions where your foot came to rest with each step. The more the same steps are followed - either by your own movement or that of others - the more a "path" begins to be worn. The original footprints are still there, but they are underneath all the others which have passed over the same spot. This a path - the route which has become the place of movement and passage. I want us to begin to think of what Christ did on our behalf as he took the first steps into an eternity of grace on our behalf. Eternity's "grace" path began with one set of footprints, and down through the ages, by others following in those footprints, eternity's "grace" pathway has been followed over and over again.

Lots of us choose to follow no other set of footprints, no matter how well the path has been marked out through the ages, wanting instead to blaze a trail ourselves. The excitement of being the first to go where others have not gone is something that excites us and energizes us in ways which are kind of hard for us to understand. It is this tendency to want to do things our way - being the one who leads the path of our own destiny - which will end in us missing out on the pathway of grace. It could not be clearer - Jesus is the path - he is the one who walked that "grace" path - establishing not only the pathway we are to follow, but the means by which we can actually take those steps. All other paths we could travel in our own deliberate "trail-blazing" activities in life are simply not going to take us to the same destination. There is but one pathway to the destination of an eternity of grace.

A pathway is actually a very narrow walkway. It isn't blazed with a bulldozer, but with one set of footprints. In the case of eternity, Christ's footprints lead right into the throne room of God himself. Jesus said there are three things we need to recognize about this path 1) There is but one path. He is that path. No other means exists to ensure eternity is lived out in grace. There is but one trail which leads to an eternity of grace and that is the path created by Christ alone. 2) Those who travel this path don't live by speculation or guess about which turn to take - for the path is one which is true and the markers along the path are all found in the truth of his words. Truth keeps us from having to speculate about how to live, or which way to follow when decisions present themselves. Christ is the truth - he marks the trail with clarity and light. 3) The path isn't followed in our own strength, but by the energy of life which emanates from Christ himself. 

We can be the ones to blaze the trail to somewhere in our lives, but trust me on this, that path will not be the one to an eternity of grace. Grace has but one path, narrow, but already navigated. We simply place one foot in front of the other, stepping INTO what Christ has already done on our behalf, then walk on into the place prepared for each of us in the very presence of the eternal God himself. One path - one truth - one energizing force. The way could not be clearer. Just sayin!

We've got that in common!

If we say that we share in life with God and keep on living in the dark, we are lying and are not living by the truth. But if we live in the light, as God does, we share in life with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus washes all our sins away. If we say that we have not sinned, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth isn’t in our hearts. But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away. (I John 1:5-9)

Sharing is a concept parents teach their kiddos from an early age. Sharing is really the action of each taking part in the use or enjoyment of what one of the parties in the group has. In some cultures, all things are put into common storage and then are distributed from the common resources to meet the needs of everyone in the community. We may consider "sharing" as what we do when we have a little of what someone else doesn't have, giving it to them so they can get use of it or enjoy it as much as we have. Either way, the idea of "common use" or "common benefit" from what one has to share is to be considered as something we should engage in. 

We come into the light Jesus that brings into an otherwise pretty dark existence. If you ever stop long enough to consider what it was like before you experienced Christ's light in your life, you probably stand amazed at all the ways he has "enhanced" your life in ways you never thought possible. His light did more than just brighten our darkness - it dispelled it from areas of our life we didn't even know there was darkness within! What we didn't possess, Christ brought - light and life. This life we now live is possible because of what Christ brings and "shares" in our life. The resource of his life is something we partake of not through any effort of our own, but all because of his effort. It is like the one who hunts or grows grain for the entire tribe in order that the entire community will partake of it. All did not work for it, but all enjoy it as it has been provided so there may be "common enjoyment" of it. We do not work for what we enjoy so much in this life with Jesus - it is given freely so all may come into common enjoyment of it.

We not only have new life in common, but we also have this "washing away of our sins" in common. We find ourselves grace-filled because of the actions of another on our behalf. As a child, mom had to wash me in the tub - simply because I could not see where I needed to be washed, nor did I realize the benefit of being in the tub. I was content to live in my dirty state - but she knew how much better I'd feel after the bath. I think Jesus kind of works that way in our lives at first - washing over us with his grace time and time again - not because we know where we need it to flow, but because he does! Grace has a way of creeping into the crevices of our lives - even where we don't realize we need it to go! Grace actually knows no bounds. It isn't shy about going into "dark places" in our lives - washing away the things which gathered there that no longer belong hidden. Grace doesn't uncover what is hidden to expose it so we will experience pain, but because we all have one thing in common as it comes to our sin - we need to be free of it and we cannot do it alone.

Grace can be trusted - even when the confession is hard. God affords to us from his vast resources in renewed grace for all past sins, present sins, and future sins. The truth is - we will continue to sin, maybe not in the same ways as we did 'before Christ', but until the day we find ourselves walking in his presence, we will still struggle with temptation and require grace to both overcome it and walk away from it. Grace isn't exactly light, but it is an adjunct to light. God's presence is the light we receive - his grace is the enabling force which helps us to walk in this light and to enjoy the freedom light brings. If you have ever stumbled a little in the dark of night, you know how "halting" your walk is when you don't know exactly what is in the room in respect to where you are. God's light is what removes the darkness, but his grace is what enables us to walk freely. We may not all speak the same language or go to the same church. We may not all dress alike, or even have the same interests in life. One thing is for sure - we all have sin in common and we all need to experience the freedom of his love, light, and grace. Just sayin!

You willing?

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:19-21)

For God... The message is clear - God made the provision, did all that needed to be done, and now we stand 'reconciled' through faith in Jesus. It is indeed good news that my sins are no longer counted against me, and this should be good news for anyone who has said 'yes' to Jesus. The message is clear - we needed Christ's sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection in order to realize forgiveness of sins and the removal of all the guilt associated with them.

God makes his appeal to others through us... We may not believe it, but God actually intends for us to be his voice - his hands reaching out to a hurting and lost world around us. We might believe this 'role' to be limited to those who fill the pulpits each Sunday, but the truth is that God's work is done through those who are willing to become his hands and feet. We speak for him - not in place of him. We bring the message of salvation - not of condemnation and critical judgment. Come back to God - the words are clear, but will the message be heard if we are unwilling to be used?

So that we could be made right with God... The movement from sin into grace requires us to acknowledge our need, but the ability to make the move from sin into grace is actually given to us by Jesus himself. We lack nothing when it comes to being reconciled to God - God has provided all we need. When things are 'right' between two individuals on this earth, what does that look like? Isn't there an intimacy that is felt, an integrity that is palpable? What would make us think it would be any different when we are drawn into relationship with Jesus? The plan was always to make a way for this type of intimacy and integrity - we just need to step into the plan and then be willing to share it with others. Just sayin! 

Be present today

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” (2 Corinthians 5:19-20)

Christ did the work of redemption, but he uses ordinary, everyday folks who have given their hearts to him to invite others to serve him, as well. We bring the message: "Come back to God" - he does the work of preparing the heart to hear and respond to the message. Sometimes I think we might believe pastors, preachers, and Bible teachers are responsible to deliver that message, but nothing could be further from the truth. WE are called - WE are made ambassadors of reconciliation - WE are instruments of his grace to a hurting world.

God makes the appeal, but do we 'seal the deal'? Nope! Even that is God's work - we just bring the message. Does the message have to be spoken? Not always - God can use our lives as a testimony of his grace and restorative power. If you have ever seen a life changed by the grace and power of God, you know just how powerful that example can be to someone who is challenged by life's hurts and hang-ups. If we allow God to 'speak through us' as living testimonies of his goodness, there is no end to what could be accomplished in his name!

We speak FOR Christ. We don't speak INSTEAD of Christ. The message we bring isn't our own, but the testimony of how God has changed our lives is ours. We can share what he has done, leaving the work of drawing others to him in his hands. We aren't the Holy Spirit - it is not our job to convict others of their sin. We simply proclaim truth in a loving manner, then let the Holy Spirit do the work of bringing a change of heart to the one who hears it. We don't have to be eloquent in our words to proclaim truth - much of God's truth is simple - he loves us, he desires relationship with us, and he has provided everything we need in order to enter into that relationship with him. We simply say "yes" to the invitation.

How will God use you as an ambassador today? Where will he use you? Will it be through a post on social media, or an in-person conversation at the checkout counter? What will you share through your actions today that may give others who are struggling with hurts, hang-ups, and habits that will give them hope of a different future? Your testimony is louder than your words, goes beyond your perceived 'limitations', and is the exact instrument God desires to use. Just sayin!

An open invitation

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12)

If you were in a dark room and someone offered to turn on a light for you, would you just continue to stumble along, feeling your way around obstacles, risking bumping into things as you did? It is likely that you'd accept the invitation to have light brought into the room because you don't like stumbling aimlessly! Obstacles abound in life - many of them of our own making. Why would we choose to just stumble around in the dark, running into those obstacles repeatedly, when we are offered light to help us avoid them completely?

Jesus offers us light - light that dispels all manner of evil in our lives, pointing out obstacles and stumbling points so we don't run into them needlessly. Yet so many refuse to allow the light in. It seems to me that we get a little too used to this idea of 'feeling our way along' in life, not really wanting to give up our 'control' over our steps - even if there are unseen obstacles in our path. It is that stubborn rebellion that keeps us going around in circles, never really making much progress. Light has been offered, but we find the offer 'isn't the right time', or 'it might not be as good as I want'. 

The one who accepts the invitation to come into light and move away from darkness isn't assured there will be no obstacles at all, but at least we have an awareness of their existence and God's help to avoid them completely! Following someone in the dark is kind of like the blind leading the blind. Jesus never offered to lead us in darkness - he only offered to lead us in light. We might not think it is the right time to be 'led', but if we want true freedom, we follow! This might seem a little like a contradiction to some - follow to know freedom instead of just going whatever way we please.

The invitation is open. You can either accept it or continue to stumble around in your own darkness. The risk of following isn't nearly as great as that of stumbling around in the dark! Just sayin!

Do we have to do more?

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. (Colossians 2:13-15)

We might use a phrase such as, "I am dead to this world", at the end of a busy day. We have hurried here and there, stood way longer than we anticipated, waited longer than we wanted, got involved in tasks we did not plan, and we are bordering on sheer exhaustion. To 'be dead to this world' has a different meaning in a spiritual sense, though. It means we actually take on 'new life'. The first way of thinking says we are about to get some rest for our weary bodies, while the second one anticipates a 'rest' of a whole different kind!

Paul is speaking with the church at Colosse about circumcision, and other religious pursuits that some were saying 'had to be done' in order to be a follower of God. He wanted them to know that there was an 'exchange' of character that occurred the moment they said 'yes' to Jesus. He uses the 'ritual' of baptism to indicate this 'exchange' has occurred - the 'putting to death' of our old nature and giving way to the new nature within. Nothing speaks of a 'parting of the ways' from the old to the new like death. Death to the old self and life to the new nature that is birthed within us in saying 'yes' to Jesus.

Truth be told, we are all dead because of our sins, and we deal with this crazy sinful nature that needs a good 'excision' in order to be rid of it. The good news is that this is not our work, but God's. If I had to do this all on my own, I'd be a mess! The 'charges' that our sinful nature brings against us are innumerable, but they are done away with at the cross. I am delighted to know that the 'spiritual rulers and authorities' that want to make us feel like we need to 'do more' to be right with God are disarmed - they have no weapons that they can actually use against us!

They might try to make us think we need 'more' than our simple faith in the finished work of the cross, but God won't let them pull the wool over our eyes on that one. He has taking painstaking care to lay out the truth of our 'freedom from sin' and our 'sinful nature' in scripture so we don't get misled by those 'crafty devils' who want to entrap us in religious philosophies. We just need to trust the finished work of Christ to make us whole and free - this 'exchange' isn't physical as much as it is 'spiritual'. We might see the physical change because as our inward nature changes it is only natural that our outward appearance and outward actions will change right along with it! Just sayin!

A Thomas Moment

“You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” (John 20:29) You believe - not because you were compelled to believe - but because you hungered enough to know the truth and be set free by it. Do we believe because we see, or is it because we have heard? Are we the type of people who demand a sign and then another just to confirm what we have heard is true? It never ceases to amaze me that God knows the weakness of our spirit and the questioning of our mind. Here is the most amazing truth - he meets us right where we are. 

Thomas happened to be absent the night Jesus appeared to the disciples following the resurrection. When we was told about his appearance, he had a hard time accepting their 'testimony' of what they saw. In fact, he told them he needed the ultimate proof - being able to touch his pierced hands and side. Eight days later, gathered together in a locked room, Jesus gives him the opportunity. In those eight days, I wonder what Thomas was thinking about. Could it have been that he was pondering all the miracles he had seen while Jesus was present with them? Could he have been going over how each 'sign' prophesied had been somehow fulfilled? We don't know what was going through his mind, but we are given a glimps into what was transpiring in his heart.

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. (vs. 27-28) Don't be faithless any longer - believe. We are given a little insight into the heart of Thomas - he wasn't fully a believer, in spite of having seen and heard first-hand. No wonder Jesus told him those who believe without the advantage of having seen the miracles, signs and wonders are truly a blessed bunch of people! Peter denied him three times before his crucifixion - yet Jesus knew his heart and restored him to right relationship. Thomas didn't really 'get it' - yet Jesus specifically made a way for him to come to assured faith.

We may think there is no hope for some who have heard time and time again or seen the many astounding things God has done around them and even in their own lives, and still don't come to faith in Jesus. Nothing could be further from the truth - for where God reveals himself there is always the potential of grace doing its work. Let God be on display for those who will see. Let his Word be on your lips for those who will hear. If they don't believe because they see or hear the first time, keep on. You never know when their 'Thomas moment' may come! Just sayin!

A planted kernel

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me. (John 12:24-26)

Unless the kernel dies, there is no harvest. This is a principle farmers know quite well. A principle is a 'rule of action' that basically indicates when one condition is met, the other condition is met, as well. We might think we can bypass some of God's principles as we navigate through life, but you can trust me on this one - I have never observed one person being able to accomplish all that God desires for their life when they spend their time bypassing his principles!

Loss is something many of us almost fear. We might even 'pre-regret' that loss, because we anticipate the loss being so significant that we begin to bemoan that loss even before we experience it. When the thing we lose is replaced with something of even greater value, do we regret losing the original? Not hardly! In fact, we wished we lost it sooner! If the thing we 'lay down' is replaced with something that is flawed, kind of troublesome, and maybe even 'broken down', we might just desire to 'pick up' something that is perfect, new, and without flaw.

Lay down your imperfect life and take up his perfection. This is the principle being taught here - the 'kernel' of our life needs to be laid down - given in service to him. In so doing, we see the impact of that life of service. It is not a principle we understand well, for in this world seldom do we 'give away' something only to find we get something better in return. What do we love more - this world or God's presence? If we are a little too comfortable with the 'imperfection' of this world, we might feel entering into all the God has for us is a bit 'onerous'.

It is like experiencing death - but never forget - death brings life! We cannot experience resurrection life if we never experience death - maybe not a literal death, but a death to the appeal or draw this world's offerings have for us. A kernel in the silo is of little value, but a kernel planted in good soil will produce way more than one more kernel. The pursuit of this world's things and values actually is like keeping the kernel in the silo. Laying down those pursuits and taking up the offered new life of Christ is like being planted - we are about to experience growth beyond measure. Just sayin!

Do you believe?

“I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26)

Do you believe this? That is a very telling question, for all else in our life hinges on the answer. Anyone who believes - is that you? Do you believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life? Do you believe he made a way for you to be reconciled to God? Do you accept this free gift? These are the questions we must answer - if not today, then when?

First, we believe in his finished work on the Cross - then we live in him. What does that mean? We don't become puppets in his hand, but we do relinquish the right to live in control of our lives. We willingly lay down our control and allow him to take the reins. The free gift opens the way for us to live free of things we don't even know have us bound. So many claim they have no need of a Savior because they have lived 'good lives'. Is it possible to be 'good enough' to be reconciled to God apart from the work Christ has done on our behalf?

The answer is an absolute 'no' - nothing we can 'do' will ever reconcile us to God. We would have to be 'doing' and 'doing' all the time - yet never really achieving the end goal. The moment we stop 'doing' and begin 'trusting' is the moment of transition. We ask Christ to enter into our lives and do you know what he does? He gives us immeasurable peace, eternal hope, and freedom from having to always be 'doing' in order to be 'right'.

I am the resurrection - life is possible only through the one who has conquered death. I am the life - life is empty when we attempt to fill the space within our spirit that belongs to him alone. Anyone - that means all who will believe - will live - even after dying. Eternal life is guaranteed to all of us - either alongside Christ in the heavenly realms, or alongside Satan and his renegade band of demons in hell. I think I will choose the heavenly realms. How about you? Just askin...

Bridging the Gap

Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth. (Ephesians 1:7-10)

A "direct reason" for something occurring - we need to know this, don't we? In fact, if we were to look at the origin of the word 'because', we find it stems from the term "by cause". "Because" sets out the reason for something occurring - some action happening. "Therefore" refers to some set of facts already established acting as the reason we can move to the next thought or action. These words are rich in meaning, as they give us a point of reference for the "reason" we can believe or act upon what it is we are reading. It would be so much easier for God to say it is "because I said so" - but do we really "get" it? Not usually. We don't understand the "why" yet and we are creatures who need to know the "why"! We need the dots connected - it helps us take steps when we see one action leading to another.

We are declared "free" in many different ways. We are free from condemnation, guilt, our sin, the penalty for our sin, our past, and even the limits of our inabilities. Why is it we live so far "below" our level of freedom? We haven't really thought of the "because" by which our freedom became a reality and how reliable that "because" really is! Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah - blood poured out on the altar of the Cross - we are free people. The "why" behind our freedom - the blood of Christ, shed on our behalf, applied to the Cross at Calvary - the purchase of our freedom from sin and the penalty for that sin. It was by the blood of Christ that our understanding of God's grace was opened - it was the blood that made a way possible for us to share in this understanding.

Adam and Eve only saw the two trees - one of life, the other of good and evil. Which do you imagine Satan wanted them to taste of first? If they tasted of the one called "life" - do you think they'd have been inclined to experience good and evil? Not likely! He presented them with the one that would open their eyes to experimenting with good and evil - knowing full well God would not allow them to experience eternal life without a means of restoring them to their innocence! Freedom was totally compromised that day in the garden - freedom was returned to us that day on Calvary. Freedom was the farthest thing from our reach without the intervention of the Cross. Once the Cross provided the "bridge" for our freedom, we were free to cross over and taste of the tree of life. What we could not experience without the Cross was provided free of charge, unearned by any of our own effort. 

If we could see luscious trees full of ripe fruit on the other side of a ravine, hunger deeply set into the fabric of our being, all while we stand in the barrenness of desert land, would we be prone to use the bridge provided to cross over to the other side? Probably so! Why? It makes sense, it satisfies a need, and we'd be considered silly if we just ignored what was right in front of us. So many of us live in the barrenness of the desert rather than using the bridge provided to cross over to the fullness available in Christ Jesus. It isn't because we are comfortable in our present state - but BECAUSE we haven't trusted the bridge provided for US!

Some of us hesitate to fully cross the bridge between past (bondage) and present (freedom). We are stuck in our ways - settling instead for the barrenness of the desert. We don't make the connection with what God has provided and what it is we so desperately need. BECAUSE you have been born with a sin nature, you need a means by which to "bridge" the gap between your sinfulness and God's righteousness. BECAUSE you have no means by which to bridge this gap yourself, God has provided completely free of charge a means by which the gap can be closed - Jesus. BECAUSE of every action Christ took on our behalf, the way has been provided for our total freedom. BECAUSE of his provision, we are declared free. BECAUSE we take the bridge provided, we ARE free! You and I ARE free - not just walking toward freedom, but totally and completely free. What God has declared to be free is free indeed. Isn't it silly to stay in the barrenness of our bondage when we have been granted so much in Christ Jesus? Just asking!

What if?

Seek God while he’s here to be found, pray to him while he’s close at hand. Let the wicked abandon their way of life and the evil their way of thinking. Let them come back to God, who is merciful, come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness. (Isaiah 55:6)

"When you have to make a choice and don't make it, that is in itself a choice." (William James) We are all broken people - all of us have our weaknesses and we all make mistakes. We all need to make the one supreme choice - will we serve self or Jesus? Seek God while he's here to be found - while he is close at hand, cry out. If we want healing in this world, we all need to abandon our desire to live by our own set of rules. Seek - go in search of; question so as to obtain; go to that place where you can meet a holy God. Where is that place? At the feet of Jesus. There is no other way to God except through trust in the one and only Son of God - Jesus.

Lavish with forgiveness - think about the immense love of God and you will be brought to your knees time and time again. His love is unending and undeserved. It seeks even when we don't. His power is greater than any of what we deem to be our enemies. His grace is deeper than any depth of the pit we can dig for ourselves in pursuit of selfish ambition. Our deepest pain is not beyond his healing touch. But...we must seek him - seek his grace, be open to his healing, and be willing to be lifted from that pit. When something is 'lavished', it is given in great amounts - without limit. God's forgiveness is without limits - it is given and given and given again. The seeker finds unrelenting grace at the foot of the cross.

You have a choice to make - accept the love and grace of God or reject it - you must choose wisely. To walk away from the lavish grace and love of God is kind of foolish, isn't it? Given without measure to those who don't even know how desperately they are in need of it. Making a choice is simple, but we complicate it with our 'what if' scenarios. What if God asks me to leave...? What if he asks me to give up...? What if God says I need to...? What if the path takes me a different way than...? What if...the two most dangerous words in our vocabulary that we could utter when faced with the choice to say 'yes' to Jesus. I have one more 'what if' I'd like you to consider today: What if you don't say "yes"? Just askin?

BOGO or FREE?

If your local car dealership advertised a weekend sale that boasted a 'buy one, get one of equal value free' deal, how many folks would you think actually would look the other way on that deal? For the most part, if the deal was genuine, there would be a line down the block awaiting such a 'deal'. We almost always go after things that are 'freebies' in this life, don't we? I scour the local grocer ads hoping they will do those BOGO deals - it helps to keep my pantry stocked. There are some things I pass up because they don't 'apply' to my life - like men's deodorant or shaving cream. I don't have any need for those things in my life, but if it was coffee creamer, heads of lettuce, or even an extra loaf of bread, I'd be adding those things to my shopping list for sure. If we have 'need' of something, and it is offered for free, why on earth would we pass it up? It makes no sense when there is a need and a totally free way to have that need met fully!

God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness. (Titus 2:11-12)

God's forgiveness is unconditionally FREE. It isn't one of those BOGO offers where you have to buy one before you get something for free. His gift of salvation is FREE - because Jesus already paid the price for our hearts to be set right and our lives begin anew. Yet, so many realize they have a 'need' in their lives, but simply turn their back on the forgiveness they so desperately need and desire. Why? They think it will 'cost too much' to serve a generous and gracious God. It will cost them their 'freedom' to do what they want - the same 'freedom' that makes them feel guilty and shameful at times. It will cost them their 'freedom' to make their own choices - the same choices that land them in pickles galore and feeling like there is no way out anytime too soon. Gotta ask...how is it some value their perceived freedom more than what could be their ACTUAL freedom?

God is 'ready' and 'willing' to extend grace in the form of total (complete, unending, continual) forgiveness. Not as a buy-one-get-one-free deal, but as a 'pay nothing - get everything' deal. We say a loud 'yes' to his goodness and graciousness and the freedom begins. At first, our appetites are veracious for this grace - we can't get enough of it and we want as much of it as we can get right now. In time, it is like we walk in the 'rhythm of grace', sensing it, taking it in, relishing it, knowing the depth of its work in our lives. What began as a ravenous hunger becomes a consistent 'contentment'. I think that pretty much describes real 'freedom', my friends. We don't buy grace and get more of it. We receive grace and just keep on receiving it! Just sayin!

Adopted by Grace

But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent his Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that he might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law. Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage. You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, “Papa! Father!” Doesn’t that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you’re also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance. (Galatians 4:4-5)

Set free to experience our rightful heritage - did you catch those words in this passage? It is your 'rightful heritage' to experience all that God has prepared for you from now into all of eternity - wouldn't it be silly to walk away from such an inheritance? How can we be sure we will experience ALL that God has for us? If you have said "yes" to Jesus, asking him to renew your life, you now have the Holy Spirit resident in your life. As a result, you are welcomed into the family of God - and kids of the King have full access to the presence of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

What does it mean to be adopted? The idea of adoption really means a change of family - you take on the identity of the family you are adopted into. There is not only a legal exchange of 'identity', but your new family embraces you, bringing you up as their own. The parent assumes the rights and responsibilities of raising the one being adopted. As we say "yes" to Jesus, our heavenly Father takes on the responsibility of bringing us up in his family. This means we don't remain unchanged - we are embraced into a family that loves us in spite of our differences, difficulties, and past. That's good news indeed!

Do you know one other benefit of adoption? We enter into open and honest discussion with our heavenly Father. We have open access to his listening ear. If you have ever been in relationship with someone who seems to love to talk, but does very little listening themselves, you know how incredibly frustrating this can be. Yes, God talks to us, but he also talks WITH us. He listens, responds, and listens again. Great parents have learned to listen to their children as much as they expect their children to listen to them. As we go through life, we have lots of right intentions, but a whole lot of wrong strategies. Isn't it heart-warming to know we have a heavenly Father who is willing to listen to our 'right intentions', and then help us figure out where our wrong strategies have created even more problems for us?

We aren't alone in our walk with Jesus. We not only have his Spirit within us helping us to talk with God, but we have been given a family of believers who are placed within our lives to help us learn this new family life together. Adoption begins with a change - then we begin to see our lives transformed as we taken on our new identity. We don't always feel like we have this new identity right away, probably because we have all these right intentions to live changed lives, but lots and lots of wrong strategies we have concocted to live as part of this new family. Thank goodness we have a heavenly Father who knows our intentions, listens to our frustrations, and helps us embrace our new family life in Christ Jesus. Just sayin!

Be good or be made good

It was Henry David Thoreau who reminded us, "Be not simply good - be good for something". I am reminded today of what it means to be good - because I see around me lots of individuals who have allowed the creation of a rewarding and fulfilling life flow within their lives. How? By inviting Christ into their lives - not as a guest - but as the one to take control, guide their steps, and fill their lives with a totally different meaning than they had known. In short - they were made good - then they were made good for something! Apart from Christ, we can do 'good actions' and even have a little 'good intent' within our hearts. With Christ in control, our lives are more than just 'good actions' - they are good to the core.

Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life emerges! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. (2 Corinthians 5:17-18)

If you look up the meaning of 'good', the first definition you are likely to come across is that of being morally excellent, virtuous, and righteous. That totally describes this exchange of character that occurs the moment we welcome Christ into our lives. We exchange our moral mediocrity for his moral excellence. We lay down our self-righteous actions - those 'good deeds' we have been doing in hopes it would make some difference in making us 'good individuals'. We embrace a new virtue that stems not from a hope of being good, but from the new root of goodness that has taken hold within us. In place of our attempting to be 'good' - we become good to the core - hear that one, my friends - it isn't about us anymore - it is about him IN us.

United with him - this is more than a mere acquaintance with him - it is an outright investment of our lives into the relationship we now enjoy. Yes, we begin by 'cooperating' with him in this new life, but eventually we are doing more than just 'cooperating'. We begin to sense and truly know that we are 'integrated' into his thoughts and actions. His thoughts are not must mingled with ours - they begin to bring the muddled ones to the surface so they can be removed - because they don't belong any longer. Our actions aren't just interspersed with his - they begin to be motivated by his heartbeat deep within us. In other words, we begin to not only 'be good' - we 'are good'. 

For someone who lived a whole lot of her growing up years 'being bad', this comes as a great comfort to my weary soul. Growing up you could not have told me I was 'good' or even had the potential of anyone considering me 'good'. Why? I had convinced myself no one really loved me the way I was - I needed to be something different than what I was. How foolish our minds can be when we begin to focus so intently on 'us' and not on 'him'. We think life is all about us and forget it is all about him. At that time, even though I was raised in church, I really didn't know him. I sought fulfillment in meaningless relationships, always seeking to be liked by someone - all the while not 'liking' myself at all. Imagine the conflict when I put myself out there to be 'liked' as 'good for something' in another's life and found my actions rejected. 

It was somewhere in my early adult years when I discovered the truth that my goodness was never what anyone needed - they needed the goodness of Christ in me to shine through. As I invited him into my life in my teens, his work began within my heart, changing it from 'me being good' to me being made good in him. I recall the day in Anchorage when I came to the reality that simply 'inviting him in' was not enough. I needed to allow him full and total control. I don't know about you, but there are times we think just 'having Jesus around' is enough, but until we make him the 'center of our attention' our actions won't really change. We won't think differently. We won't stop trying to 'be good' until we realize we are 'made good' in his presence - with him in control of our lives. Just sayin!

A little more than "fire insurance"

Have you ever heard someone say of someone's 'salvation experience' that they just 'bought themselves a little fire insurance'? It is as though they are pointing out the individual has said 'yes' to Jesus, but only as a means to not go to hell. Is it possible to get 'fire insurance' and still live a life as we choose? It also begs to question if the "once saved, always saved" term is biblical - based on what we can find in scripture and recognize to be true about the nature and character of God. I know parties that will weigh-in on both sides of this equation, but we need to understand some scriptures that might help to answer those questions - or at least, provide the biblical perspective "in context" rather than taking a few verses out of context that might support one opinion or another. "Fire insurance" and "once saved, always saved" are just two 'states' of our soul we have labeled - you won't find these terms in scripture, so you have to be vigilant to glean what you can from what is there!

"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him." (John 3:16-18)

Salvation is a term used in Christian churches to describe the condition of having surrendered your body, soul, and spirit to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is more than asking Jesus "into your heart", as some put it. It is a condition of "exchange" - we exchange our filthy, unholy condition for the holy and whole condition of God's Son, Jesus. This exchange is something that is a result of believing in the work of Christ on Calvary in dying for the sins of mankind. It comes by faith - there is absolutely no amount of "doing" that makes us "saved". It is more than 'fire insurance' to keep us from burning in hell. What really happens at the point of "salvation" is that we are delivered from the potential of eternal death. There is a lengthy passage in Matthew 25 that speaks of weeping, gnashing of teeth, being cursed, everlasting punishment, and eternal life. One is the condition of eternal death - the other is eternal life. There is a very real separation from God that is eternal and there is only ONE way to ensure that we escape that eternal separation - Christ. If you want to call this 'fire insurance', be my guest, but there is much more to it than ensuring we don't 'burn in hell' for our sins!

Sin is really a condition of heart that means that we have gone beyond the boundaries God has set for our lives. Sin is more than a "passing thing" in our lives. It is a series of behavior problems that stem from wrong attitudes, impure motives, selfish actions, and just plain wrong patterns of conduct. By nature, we are pretty self-centered individuals - always on the lookout for how a circumstance will affect us, not so much the 'other guy'. We are born with this nature. If you don't believe me, look at a newborn. They pop out hungry, expecting to be fed. They soil their diapers, expecting to be removed from what makes them uncomfortable. They miss the warmth of the womb, so they cry until they are rocked into slumber. These are traits that indicate we have needs and we demand them to be met - don't meet those needs timely and the infant makes life miserable for everyone! Behavior may be a learned thing, but our sin nature is something that we are indeed born possessing. Our tendency to sin is therefore not a LEARNED thing, but a product of the nature we were born with. If you don't believe me, try changing a particular behavior all on your own. You may change that behavior, but underneath the very nature that encouraged that behavior is still there - that is why we struggle with change so very much.

Many people feel they can just deal with their own sin - like willpower is enough to change behavior in a lasting and meaningful way! Willpower is the desire and ability to resist something, but it is a self-motivated action and can be very 'short-lived'. It is important to realize that we cannot transform our spirit without also having our "nature" touched by the hand of God. We need that nature to be altered by the altar! We cannot alter it by merely 'determining' to be 'good'. "Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him." (Romans 5:6-7)

We probably have a little problem associating with this passage because we don't really understand this kind of sacrificial love and commitment as we don't 'sacrifice' on alters anymore in our culture. An alter sacrifice was 'procured' and 'prepared' in order to make it to the altar. It was a lamb without a blemish, a sheave of the harvest taken from the first of the thrashing.  We have absolutely no ability on our own to "procure" our salvation. There is nothing in man that could make right what sin had made so wrong. God being the loving God he is by nature made that provision for our sin - he provided the exchange of nature we so desperately need, but could never produce by any effort of self-determination or willpower on our own. Romans goes on to say that God has a holy nature and his holy nature cannot coexist with the sin nature of man - in order to come together, the nature had to be "fixed". Reconciliation with God requires a change of nature. Man must act on what has been provided in order to enjoy the provision. In other words, we must desire the exchange of our nature, calling upon the sacrificial work of Christ to make us holy - not just to give us 'fire insurance', but to work upon our lives to 'insure' we are transformed. God made provision for the exchange of our nature - that provision is Christ. All we "do" is accept the work of the cross, believing that Jesus is the only provision for our sin problem. It is through Christ that we exchange natures - no other way works! Just sayin!

Speak the right words

What words matter to you? For some, it is hearing they are loved beyond all measure, while others want to hear that 'well done' at the end of a project they have engaged their efforts to undertake. Often we 'judge' the 'value' or 'worth' of something or some relationship based on the words we hear spoken. I don't thrive on the 'well done' to determine my worth. I have learned there is a much more important 'worth' in my life - it is the life lived well each and every day that matters more. Being able to lay my head upon the pillow and realize I have made something a little better for someone, created a solution that will help someone do well in what they have before them, or that I just got caught up with something - these things create a sense of well-being - but it is knowing I am "right" in relationship with God that makes me rest well at night!

The earlier revelation was intended simply to get us ready for the Messiah, who then puts everything right for those who trust him to do it. Moses wrote that anyone who insists on using the law code to live right before God soon discovers it’s not so easy—every detail of life regulated by fine print! But trusting God to shape the right living in us is a different story—no precarious climb up to heaven to recruit the Messiah, no dangerous descent into hell to rescue the Messiah. So what exactly was Moses saying? The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest. It’s the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—“Jesus is my Master”—embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it. You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between him and me!” (Romans 10:9-10 MSG)

There are things in life that get us ready for bigger things and there are also things in life that don't really accomplish much in the end. If we engage in too many of the latter, we can find ourselves looking at unrealized goals. If we engage in too many of the former, we can find we look back upon what may have mattered more, but was overlooked in the pursuit of those bigger things. Balance is always important in our choices. We need to balance work and rest, intake and output, time spent and time saved. All of life is a series of checks and balances. Unfortunately, we sometimes assume there is a list of checks and balances that must be in place before we can be made right with God. The fact is that we need 'balance', but it is a balance we don't achieve. It is a balance that comes because we finally stop achieving!

Four simple words bring balance into our lives like no other - "Jesus is my Master". We create all kinds of other 'solutions' to the imbalances in our lives, but none of those solutions helps us achieve that balance. Why? Those solutions are based upon what we do or don't do, or simply put as achievements realized along the pursuit of balance. Life is way more than achieving our 'zen' in life. We need to be more than 'totally meditative' or with all our 'chakras' in balance and alignment. Invite God to go to work in your life with those for simple words and see what real balance is like! There is no longer the need for us to 'achieve' any point of 'perfection' in life - it is already a 'done deal' when Christ sets things right within us.

I have watched as someone who has real 'style' sense arranges furnishings in a room, complimenting them with just the right accents and touches here and there. The room comes alive. It is apparent what purpose the room will serve because they have created it is such a manner that conversation is easy, or productivity becomes easier. The work they do because they possess the knowledge of how it is to be done is so much better than us just throwing some furniture into the space and driving a few nails into the wall to hold a few quickly hung pictures! Why? The person 'doing' the job at hand wasn't all that suited to the accomplishment of the task!

We spend a great deal of time in life trying to hear the 'right words', when all the while we simply need to 'speak the right words'! It isn't a formula we follow, it is an acknowledgement we need the one best suited to the task to undertake that task! Just sayin!

A gift requires a giver

Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store. (Dr. Seuss)

Maybe we'd find more joy in our Christmas if we really believed this to be true! Christmas isn't about the amassing of things given - it is about the acceptance of the ONE given. There are about two weeks left before the 'big day' when families will gather in homes, celebrating the festivities and wonders of time together. Snow will fall for some, others will enjoy touch football after gorging on Christmas delights. Let us not forget those who are far from home, who yearn for time with family, but whose duties keep them engaged in the fields of battle. Let us not overlook those who will spend their day ministering to the sick and frail, at the bedside of the ones facing imminent death, and helping those who struggle to feel at ease. Let us not gloss over those who walk the streets, searching for their Christmas meal, and hoping for just a little rest from the weariness of living on those streets.

“You don’t have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?” John 11:25 MSG

Embrace truth and you will be embraced back. The truth of God's love is evident in his Son - embrace his Son and you will be embraced by the love that speaks louder than any words! In giving his life for us, we can experience the closeness of relationship with him - it is a gift given once, but enjoyed over and over again into all of eternity! This won't be a long blog this morning, but instead a chance to extend the invitation of the holiday season to those who have either never received it, or those who have not fully appreciated the gift they have been given. To those who haven't received - the door is open. Simply enter in. To those who have received that magnificent gift of God's love and grace, don't just make it a 'shelf thing'. The gift of our new life in Christ isn't just something we receive once and then 'shelf away' somewhere as 'fire insurance' to keep us out of hell! It is meant to be a daily experience - moment by moment enjoyment of his grace and love.

The 'season of giving' can begin right now - we just have to accept the one given. Then we enter into the daily experience of that gift. There are times we desire the gift, but discount that a gift is only a gift because there has been a giver of that gift! We need to look beyond the gift and see the giver. Jesus is waiting for us to recognize him in this holiday season - not just the gift of our being 'made right' with God - but in being able to continue to 'live right' each and every day because he is there helping us do so. Receive the gift, but don't overlook the giver. Just sayin!