Saturday, January 18, 2014
1 Corinthians 13 "Intolerant Lovers"
Since the beginning of the last century, it has been considered enlightened to believe that there is no such thing as sin. By the end of the last century and into this century, we have come to assume that when people do wrong -even when people do outright evil -they have been victims of some circumstance outside of themselves. It is assumed that they have been the victims of poverty or too much sugar or bad education or even bad toilet training. It's assumed that people are basically good, so if they do wrong, it must be attributed to some outside factor.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Matthew 6:9 "Abba's Lap"
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As children of the Living God, we have some exclusive privileges. We can invade the throne room of God and climb up on His lap and call Him Abba (Father/Daddy).
Several years ago at a small men's retreat I went to, Brennan Manning told us that he got a call one day from a young lady he knew. Although she was not particularly religious herself, she knew Mr. Manning was a Christian and wondered if she could ask a favor. She told him that her father was in the hospital dying of cancer. Her father was a member of a local mega-church, and the pastor was evidently a very busy man and had not yet stopped by to visit or encourage or pray with him, and so this young lady wondered if Mr. Manning might go to the hospital and pray with her father.
When Mr. Manning arrived at the hospital room, he found the father in bed with a chair sitting right next to the bed, very close to the bed. Mr. Manning said something like, "I see you're expecting company." The old man said he wasn't and wondered why Manning thought that.
Manning said, "I just noticed the chair pulled up close to the bed there and thought maybe it was for someone to sit and talk." Then the old man admitted than in a way it was for someone to sit there and talk. He said, "I've gone to church all of my life. I believe in God. I believe that God loves me and sent His Son Jesus to provide forgiveness for my sins. But I never quite understood about prayer. Whenever I tried to pray it just seemed like I was talking to myself. I never felt like I was getting through. I never felt like I was actually communicating. So, after a while, quit trying to pray. Then, a few days ago, one of the chaplains was here and he told me that prayer doesn't have to be fancy language or any certain words. He said prayer was just talking to God like you would talk to a friend. So, I had the nurse pull this chair over here close to me, and these last few days, whenever nobody is around, I pretend God is sitting in the chair, and I just talk to Him, just like He is a friend sitting there."
Then the old man asked Mr. Manning, "Do you think what I'm doing is really praying? I mean, when I'm just laying here talking to the chair, it seems like God really is sitting there. I feel like God really is listening to me." Mr. Manning assured him that God was listening, and that the chaplain was right, that prayer is talking to God just like He's a friend. Mr. Manning told him that in a sense, God was sitting in the chair because Jesus had promised to be here with us wherever we are, whenever we need Him.
The old man was grateful, but then expressed concern that his daughter might not understand, that she might think he was losing his mind, laying there talking to a chair and pretending God was in the chair. So, Mr. Manning promised not to say anything.
About a week later, Mr. Manning got a call from the young lady again. She wanted to thank him for visiting her father. She said her father had died during the previous night when nobody was around. She said, "He looked really peaceful, like he wasn't in pain or afraid or anything, but it was really odd. When the nurse came in and found him dead, he was half out of bed, kind of hugging that chair that sat next to him."
As I was remembering this story, I was reminded again of incredible privilege of having an exclusive relationship with a Loving God who says, “Call me Abba. ” And I realized again that prayer is not something we’ve got to force ourselves to do because its what Christians are supposed to do, prayer is sometimes just a matter of sitting on Abba’s lap.
Matthew 6:9
"This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven...""
"This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven...""
As children of the Living God, we have some exclusive privileges. We can invade the throne room of God and climb up on His lap and call Him Abba (Father/Daddy).
Several years ago at a small men's retreat I went to, Brennan Manning told us that he got a call one day from a young lady he knew. Although she was not particularly religious herself, she knew Mr. Manning was a Christian and wondered if she could ask a favor. She told him that her father was in the hospital dying of cancer. Her father was a member of a local mega-church, and the pastor was evidently a very busy man and had not yet stopped by to visit or encourage or pray with him, and so this young lady wondered if Mr. Manning might go to the hospital and pray with her father.
When Mr. Manning arrived at the hospital room, he found the father in bed with a chair sitting right next to the bed, very close to the bed. Mr. Manning said something like, "I see you're expecting company." The old man said he wasn't and wondered why Manning thought that.
Manning said, "I just noticed the chair pulled up close to the bed there and thought maybe it was for someone to sit and talk." Then the old man admitted than in a way it was for someone to sit there and talk. He said, "I've gone to church all of my life. I believe in God. I believe that God loves me and sent His Son Jesus to provide forgiveness for my sins. But I never quite understood about prayer. Whenever I tried to pray it just seemed like I was talking to myself. I never felt like I was getting through. I never felt like I was actually communicating. So, after a while, quit trying to pray. Then, a few days ago, one of the chaplains was here and he told me that prayer doesn't have to be fancy language or any certain words. He said prayer was just talking to God like you would talk to a friend. So, I had the nurse pull this chair over here close to me, and these last few days, whenever nobody is around, I pretend God is sitting in the chair, and I just talk to Him, just like He is a friend sitting there."
Then the old man asked Mr. Manning, "Do you think what I'm doing is really praying? I mean, when I'm just laying here talking to the chair, it seems like God really is sitting there. I feel like God really is listening to me." Mr. Manning assured him that God was listening, and that the chaplain was right, that prayer is talking to God just like He's a friend. Mr. Manning told him that in a sense, God was sitting in the chair because Jesus had promised to be here with us wherever we are, whenever we need Him.
The old man was grateful, but then expressed concern that his daughter might not understand, that she might think he was losing his mind, laying there talking to a chair and pretending God was in the chair. So, Mr. Manning promised not to say anything.
About a week later, Mr. Manning got a call from the young lady again. She wanted to thank him for visiting her father. She said her father had died during the previous night when nobody was around. She said, "He looked really peaceful, like he wasn't in pain or afraid or anything, but it was really odd. When the nurse came in and found him dead, he was half out of bed, kind of hugging that chair that sat next to him."
As I was remembering this story, I was reminded again of incredible privilege of having an exclusive relationship with a Loving God who says, “Call me Abba. ” And I realized again that prayer is not something we’ve got to force ourselves to do because its what Christians are supposed to do, prayer is sometimes just a matter of sitting on Abba’s lap.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Colossians 3:12-13 "Clothing Ourselves"
Colossians 3:12-13.
Therefore,
as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other
and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as
the Lord forgave you.
This is Paul’s instruction for Believer’s who are truly living in Christian community –Believers who love and care for each other –Believers who sometimes irritate each other. In a grace filled community, this is how we ought to handle those times when things aren’t working smoothly. We are to bear with one another.
Maybe you’re wondering what it means to bear with one another –how do we do that? Fortunately, Scripture doesn’t say, "bear with one another-you figure out how." It gives us the plan. It tells us the steps, the ingredients that go into bearing with one another. Bearing with one another involves compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Those are all good things, aren’t they? But let's be honest, not very many of us can say we are filled right up to over-flowing with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
The reality is that on the whole, we don’t have much of those things. I’m not saying we never do –I’m just saying in general, we’re lacking. Sometimes I’m compassionate –other times I see a need and look the other way. Sometimes I’m kind –other times I’m not. Sometimes I’m humble enough –other times I’m down right arrogant. Sometimes I’m gentle –but then there are those moments when I’m very insensitive. Sometimes I’m patient –but then sometimes I want what I want when I want it.
These same basic qualities that Paul tells the Colossians to put on are what Galatians 5:22-23 refer to as fruits of the Spirit. That means these are by-products of living a spirit-filled life. If we are walking with Jesus, listening for Him and responding to Him –if we are as 2 Corinthians 3:18 tells us, being transformed into the likeness of Christ –if we are sincere followers of Jesus, these things will begin showing up in our lives as we become more and more like Jesus. For now, however, they are not all there all the time. I’m hoping for a day when my natural response to life is to respond with these fruits of the spirit –but for now, I’m a little inconsistent. And so are you –I’ve noticed. In fact, because these things aren’t fully internalized in any of us –and yet they are what is called for in order for us to get along and function as a Christian community –Paul recommends that we clothe ourselves with them.
What this means is that even though these fruits of the Spirit are not fully internalized –none of us is yet completely like Jesus –we still have access to these qualities. Even though they are not fully internalized, we can understand them and see the need for them and grab hold of them and use them appropriately. God has given us that ability. Clothing ourselves means that we can apply them externally. They are still fully functional. The only difference is that when these fruits of the Spirit are fully internalized, these become our natural responses –for now, it requires an act of will –a decision.
Lord Jesus, please help me to make better decisions. Help me to clothe myself with Your character so that I can function better as Your servant for Your Kingdom's sake. Amen.
Friday, December 27, 2013
Matthew 9:12 "Jesus Is For Losers"
Matthew 9:12 "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick."
I was raised in a wonderful Christian home –but I
didn’t truly allow God into my life until I was 16. That was during the summer between my junior and senior year
of high school. During my senior
year of high school, I became quite bold in sharing my faith. One of my classes was being taught by a
student teacher from Michigan State University, doing his internship. This guy had enough of me one day, and
called me out into the hall and began yelling at me. After several minutes of blaspheming Jesus and cursing me,
he ended up giving me the lame old excuse of the intellectually challenged, “religion is just a crutch for weak people.” I guess he thought that was an insult
–but you know what? I simply
admitted that he was right.
Because he was right. It’s
true Jesus is for weak people.
Jesus is for losers. Jesus
is for sinners. Jesus is for
people who have all kinds of issues that we can’t resolve on our own. Jesus is for people who are separated
from God. Jesus is for people like
us. The point is that we are all
weak people –we all need God. If
trusting Jesus is a crutch, it’s a crutch we need in order to walk. The alternative is to remain crawling
in our own dirt. Don’t be too
proud to let Jesus in.
So,
if you have never actually asked Jesus to forgive your sins and begin the life
changing process, I want to ask you again today to do it. In fact, let’s pause right here and go
through the simple process. First,
we simply have to admit our guilt and our need for God. I have thought and said and done wrong
things –and the choice to do those things has caused a barrier between me and
God –a separation –a separation so complete that I often wonder if there even
is a God.
Any problem so far? Can we admit that we have done wrong
and our wrong has had spiritual consequences in our lives? Good. Now, we must acknowledge that Jesus is God’s provision for
sin, for those choices that have separated us from God. We simply agree with
God that Jesus’ birth and life and death and resurrection are God’s reality and
provision for us.
And then, we
acknowledge that because Jesus already paid the penalty for our sin, we are
forgiven. If you have never done
this, I’m going to do something I rarely do; I’m going to lead you in a
prayer. If you want to be forgiven
and made right with God, I invite you to pray this prayer with me –the words
I’m writing mean nothing by themselves, but if this is what down in your heart
you truly want, these words are powerful and life-changing. If possible, please read this prayer out loud:
God, I know that I have
sinned and that my sin has been a barrier between us –I know that my sin has
separated me from You. I want to
be forgiven. I am placing my trust
in Jesus, and in His death on a cross and in His resurrection from the dead as
Your provision for my sin.
Please forgive me and restore me to a right relationship with You. Please allow me to be a part of your
family –through Jesus. Amen.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Luke 2:8-20 "Why Shepherds?"
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“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”
I
think that’s a great story –but it’s greatness doesn’t lie only in the
unfolding of the miraculous events –I think it’s greatness lies in the simple
fact that God chose to reveal the birth of His Son to shepherds.
One would think that an event like this would be announced to the important people of society. This is an event that changes everything. This is the birth of the Savior of the world. Doesn’t it seem like this should have been announced to the religious leaders and the political leaders? I mean if I were God –and it’s a good thing for all of us that I’m not –but I probably would have had angels appear to Caesar himself and put on a display that couldn’t be ignored. I would have had angels appear to every ruler and authority on earth and announce, “This is the Son of the Most High God –bow and worship.”
One would think that an event like this would be announced to the important people of society. This is an event that changes everything. This is the birth of the Savior of the world. Doesn’t it seem like this should have been announced to the religious leaders and the political leaders? I mean if I were God –and it’s a good thing for all of us that I’m not –but I probably would have had angels appear to Caesar himself and put on a display that couldn’t be ignored. I would have had angels appear to every ruler and authority on earth and announce, “This is the Son of the Most High God –bow and worship.”
But
that’s not the way God did it. Not
only did God announce the birth of His Son to shepherds, but they are the only ones to whom this was
announced. Isn’t that a little
puzzling? Why? Why was this incredible news announced
only to a rag-tag band of social outcasts in the middle of nowhere? What does that mean?
Well,
if you’ve ever felt like you were on the outside looking in, I think it means
you should be encouraged. If you’ve
ever watched other people laughing and smiling and talking happily and wished
it could be you, I think this means you should be encouraged. If you’ve never actually been one of “beautiful
people” that everybody crowds around and wants to be friends with, I think this
means you should be encouraged. If
you have never seen your name in the paper for some great accomplishment, this
means you should be encouraged. If
your life isn’t what you’d hoped and dreamed when you were younger, this means
you should be encouraged. If you
are not among those who have this intimate relationship with God all figured
out, you should be encouraged.
You
should be encouraged because whatever else the announcement to the shepherds
meant, it definitely meant that Jesus was not and is not just a Savior for the
important people, and wealthy people, and the popular people and the religious
elite. Jesus was not and is not
just a Savior for kings and governors or priests and rabbis. Jesus was not and is not just a Savior
for military leaders and heads of state and well to do merchants and people of
distinction. None of these people
received the invitation to Christ’s birth.
I
think that by announcing Christ’s birth to shepherds, God was making a
statement. Jesus is the Savior for
everyone. He doesn’t discriminate
based on social status or education or wealth or intelligence or political
power or social standing –or any of the things that we tend to judge people
by. He gives His love
generously to all who will accept it.
There is a line from the carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem that I think
answers the question of why shepherds?
It says, “Where meek souls will
receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.” That’s it. God
reveals Himself to those who are humble enough to receive Him. God shows Himself to those who aren’t
too proud to notice Him.
There
is no longer any reason to go through life with a truck load of guilt and shame. There is no need to live with fear and
lonliness. There is no need to
live with the emptiness and anxiety that comes from being separated from
God. If you have been living like
that, I want to tell you the simple truth. Jesus came so that you can be freed from that. And it’s not a complicated thing. You simply open your heart and let
Jesus in.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Romans 12:2 "Transformed Minds"
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Romans 12:2
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
I probably don’t have to explain why we need our minds to be transformed, but I’m going to anyway. It’s because we believe lies. We believe lies and just coming to Jesus and being saved doesn’t dispel the lies –or not all of them. And just knowing what the Bible says doesn’t dispel the lies. I wish it did, but it doesn’t. I wish that all we had to do is memorize some Scripture and all of the lies and all of the hurtful effects of those lies would vanish, but that’s not the way it works. We continue to live here in this fallen, broken, sinful world, and we continue to believe the lies of the one who caused it to be fallen and broken and sinful in the first place. Can we all agree with Jesus on something?
If you are alone, go ahead and read this out loud. “The devil is a liar and the Father of lies. When he lies, he is speaking his native language.” That’s what Jesus said. Read it again in agreement with Jesus. “The devil is a liar and the Father of lies. When he lies, he is speaking his native language.”
Not only is the devil a liar, but he is a very good liar. He has been around since the beginning of this world. He has been practicing and perfecting his craft for eons. He is smart. He is a schemer. He is deceptive. And we are deceived.
The worst part is that because of the nature of deception, we don’t even know where we are deceived. If we knew that what we were believing was a lie, we would quit believing it, but we can’t just quit believing what we believe –so there you go –we are deceived. We need for our minds to be renewed and transformed by the healing, freeing truth of Jesus.
Let me tell you some incredible news that the world can’t understand but that is, nevertheless, life transforming, hope giving, spirit filling, mind renewing reality if we are willing to open our hearts and let it penetrate. Are you ready? Listen –this is Good News, indeed!
You are of infinite worth in God’s eyes. Your value isn’t based upon what you do or don’t do –or what you know or don’t know. Your value isn’t even based upon how good you are or how bad you’ve been. God loves you with an everlasting love that is not dependent upon what you bring to the table. I wish there was a way that I could help you understand this with your spirit and not just your mind –this is critical.
This is truth that sets us free. If we even start to get this we can quit playing by the world’s lie-based rules that keep us competing with one-another in order to achieve value, and we can step up into lives of significance, lives of grace, lives of meaning –the lives that Jesus promised.
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
I probably don’t have to explain why we need our minds to be transformed, but I’m going to anyway. It’s because we believe lies. We believe lies and just coming to Jesus and being saved doesn’t dispel the lies –or not all of them. And just knowing what the Bible says doesn’t dispel the lies. I wish it did, but it doesn’t. I wish that all we had to do is memorize some Scripture and all of the lies and all of the hurtful effects of those lies would vanish, but that’s not the way it works. We continue to live here in this fallen, broken, sinful world, and we continue to believe the lies of the one who caused it to be fallen and broken and sinful in the first place. Can we all agree with Jesus on something?
If you are alone, go ahead and read this out loud. “The devil is a liar and the Father of lies. When he lies, he is speaking his native language.” That’s what Jesus said. Read it again in agreement with Jesus. “The devil is a liar and the Father of lies. When he lies, he is speaking his native language.”
Not only is the devil a liar, but he is a very good liar. He has been around since the beginning of this world. He has been practicing and perfecting his craft for eons. He is smart. He is a schemer. He is deceptive. And we are deceived.
The worst part is that because of the nature of deception, we don’t even know where we are deceived. If we knew that what we were believing was a lie, we would quit believing it, but we can’t just quit believing what we believe –so there you go –we are deceived. We need for our minds to be renewed and transformed by the healing, freeing truth of Jesus.
Let me tell you some incredible news that the world can’t understand but that is, nevertheless, life transforming, hope giving, spirit filling, mind renewing reality if we are willing to open our hearts and let it penetrate. Are you ready? Listen –this is Good News, indeed!
You are of infinite worth in God’s eyes. Your value isn’t based upon what you do or don’t do –or what you know or don’t know. Your value isn’t even based upon how good you are or how bad you’ve been. God loves you with an everlasting love that is not dependent upon what you bring to the table. I wish there was a way that I could help you understand this with your spirit and not just your mind –this is critical.
This is truth that sets us free. If we even start to get this we can quit playing by the world’s lie-based rules that keep us competing with one-another in order to achieve value, and we can step up into lives of significance, lives of grace, lives of meaning –the lives that Jesus promised.
Friday, November 1, 2013
2 Corinthians 5:21 "Me and Sin and a Right Relationship with God"
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2 Corinthians 5:21
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
This tells us that Jesus, who never sinned actually became sin on the cross –he became our sin. Stop for a minute and think of the worst thing you’ve ever done. Don’t actually blurt it out loud because you're probably worse than anyone that might overhear thinks you are. We likely all are worse than everybody else thinks we are. As a group, wonderful, kind, good-hearted people like those of us reading have cumulatively done a bunch of really bad stuff.
Chances are at some point in time every one of us has spent at least one night in our lives tossing and turning because we felt guilty about something. I’m guessing that we’ve all done a few things in our lives that we wish we hadn’t –things we are ashamed of –things we wish we could do over –things we don’t really want to talk about. If you take all of the guilt and all of the shame –every wrong choice and every disobedient action, every evil thought, every mean thing that has been said by any of us -every kind of lust and greed, every nasty thing that all of us have ever done combined –and you add into it all of that same stuff from all of humanity, that’s what Jesus took into himself on the cross. He became sin.
He became the murderer, the rapist, the child molester, the thief, the liar, the drug addict and the drug pusher. He became the pimp and the pornographer. He became the con artist and the greedy land developer. He who had no sin, became sin. That’s what Jesus did on the cross. The one person who never did anything of which to be ashamed –the one person who never had any cause to feel guilt –experienced all of the guilt and all of the shame of every sin we have ever committed so that we could be forgiven.
The physical suffering Jesus went through –the actual physical pain of being whipped until His bones were exposed through the flesh –the pain of having a crown of thorns pushed down unto his head, the pain of being beaten with rods and hit with fists, the pain of having his beard plucked from his face, the pain of having nails driven through his hands and ankles –as awful as all of that was –that pain was nothing compared to the spiritual torture Jesus endured as He assumed into himself all of our guilt and all of our shame. It is unimaginable what Jesus endured for us. But He did endure it.
Obviously, there is a reason Jesus endured the unfathomable physical and spiritual and emotional pain of the cross. I think we really need to get this right. This is something we need to understand because what He endured for our sake demands that we not take it lightly or misunderstand.
Jesus did not assume our guilt and shame and endure the physical torture and death just so that our sins could be forgiven. Don’t get me wrong here –it is because of Jesus death and resurrection that our sins are forgiven –but forgiveness was the means to an end –it was the result, not the reason. Jesus went through what He went through –He endured all of that so that we could be made right with the Father –the reason Jesus died was to restore the relationship. Our sins had broken the relationship, so they had to be dealt with –but forgiveness was not the reason Jesus died –relationship was.
Can you see why this is important to understand? If we don’t get this –if we think everything is only about being forgiven, then sinning is not really that big of a deal –now that Jesus has died and rose again, our sins can be forgiven. So what if I make the choice to indulge the flesh and deny the Spirit once in a while? No big deal, I’m forgiven anyway.
But, if forgiveness is the byproduct of what Jesus did, not the reason, if relationship is the reason, sin is still a huge deal because sin still breaks the relationship. Every time I choose to sin, my intimacy with the Father is cut off. Every time I indulge the sinful nature, the relationship that Jesus paid so dearly to establish is broken.
Dear Jesus, Thank You for going through all that You went through so that I could have a right relationship with the Father. Thank you for forgiveness. Thank You for the Holy Spirit and the choice I now have. I choose You, Jesus. I choose to walk with You. I choose to let go of my sin and be free. I am now making the conscious choice to walk in the Spirit instead of the Flesh. Help me, Jesus, to make this choice moment by moment and day by day. Amen.
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
This tells us that Jesus, who never sinned actually became sin on the cross –he became our sin. Stop for a minute and think of the worst thing you’ve ever done. Don’t actually blurt it out loud because you're probably worse than anyone that might overhear thinks you are. We likely all are worse than everybody else thinks we are. As a group, wonderful, kind, good-hearted people like those of us reading have cumulatively done a bunch of really bad stuff.
Chances are at some point in time every one of us has spent at least one night in our lives tossing and turning because we felt guilty about something. I’m guessing that we’ve all done a few things in our lives that we wish we hadn’t –things we are ashamed of –things we wish we could do over –things we don’t really want to talk about. If you take all of the guilt and all of the shame –every wrong choice and every disobedient action, every evil thought, every mean thing that has been said by any of us -every kind of lust and greed, every nasty thing that all of us have ever done combined –and you add into it all of that same stuff from all of humanity, that’s what Jesus took into himself on the cross. He became sin.
He became the murderer, the rapist, the child molester, the thief, the liar, the drug addict and the drug pusher. He became the pimp and the pornographer. He became the con artist and the greedy land developer. He who had no sin, became sin. That’s what Jesus did on the cross. The one person who never did anything of which to be ashamed –the one person who never had any cause to feel guilt –experienced all of the guilt and all of the shame of every sin we have ever committed so that we could be forgiven.
The physical suffering Jesus went through –the actual physical pain of being whipped until His bones were exposed through the flesh –the pain of having a crown of thorns pushed down unto his head, the pain of being beaten with rods and hit with fists, the pain of having his beard plucked from his face, the pain of having nails driven through his hands and ankles –as awful as all of that was –that pain was nothing compared to the spiritual torture Jesus endured as He assumed into himself all of our guilt and all of our shame. It is unimaginable what Jesus endured for us. But He did endure it.
Obviously, there is a reason Jesus endured the unfathomable physical and spiritual and emotional pain of the cross. I think we really need to get this right. This is something we need to understand because what He endured for our sake demands that we not take it lightly or misunderstand.
Jesus did not assume our guilt and shame and endure the physical torture and death just so that our sins could be forgiven. Don’t get me wrong here –it is because of Jesus death and resurrection that our sins are forgiven –but forgiveness was the means to an end –it was the result, not the reason. Jesus went through what He went through –He endured all of that so that we could be made right with the Father –the reason Jesus died was to restore the relationship. Our sins had broken the relationship, so they had to be dealt with –but forgiveness was not the reason Jesus died –relationship was.
Can you see why this is important to understand? If we don’t get this –if we think everything is only about being forgiven, then sinning is not really that big of a deal –now that Jesus has died and rose again, our sins can be forgiven. So what if I make the choice to indulge the flesh and deny the Spirit once in a while? No big deal, I’m forgiven anyway.
But, if forgiveness is the byproduct of what Jesus did, not the reason, if relationship is the reason, sin is still a huge deal because sin still breaks the relationship. Every time I choose to sin, my intimacy with the Father is cut off. Every time I indulge the sinful nature, the relationship that Jesus paid so dearly to establish is broken.
Dear Jesus, Thank You for going through all that You went through so that I could have a right relationship with the Father. Thank you for forgiveness. Thank You for the Holy Spirit and the choice I now have. I choose You, Jesus. I choose to walk with You. I choose to let go of my sin and be free. I am now making the conscious choice to walk in the Spirit instead of the Flesh. Help me, Jesus, to make this choice moment by moment and day by day. Amen.
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