Why do things this way?

Colossians 1:19-22  For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell on Him (Jesus), and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross, through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.  And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach

Why do things this way?  Why suffer through the fall of man and sin and then become a frail human and die for us all to bring us back to where we started?  Why?!

We can visibly see His love now.  1 John 3:16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us.  Without this visual picture of love flying in the face of darkness and evil we cannot fathom His love to accept it or return it.

If we stood in the garden, with no forbidden tree, no serpent in the shadows and saw Jesus standing there what would drive us to fall in love with Him and give our lives to Him?  His greatness and majesty?  Maybe.  But without darkness would we be able to recognize His glory?  We’ll never know because that isn’t how Jesus chose to reveal Himself.

All of these things were placed in order so that you and I could clearly see Him for who He really is and see His true heart, and living breathing unconditional love.

As LeCrae has put it..."Christ is King – Lion- Lamb- God- Man- Sin Conqueror – Grave Conqueror- Satan Conqueror".  

We can see that now, appreciate that now, embrace that now. 

His love is outstanding.  Nobody has ever loved you like Jesus loves you.

Moving Targets

The thing I’m most thankful for about God these days is that He doesn’t have moving targets.  I know exactly what He expects of me…trust.  I know exactly what pleases Him…trust.  When I don’t trust He gives me another opportunity to trust.

He doesn’t look at me like I could have done better.  He doesn’t tell me with His tone of voice that I’ve let Him down.  He doesn’t tell me stories about how people in my situations fared better than I did in mine.  he doesn’t compare me to anyone.

He doesn’t tell me He was looking for something different when I do my best to trust.  He made His desires clear in the Living Word so I’m not left guessing.  He has made His decision to never forsake me clear so I’m not left wondering.  He has made His will clear that He will not condemn me so I’m not left cowering.

His targets are stationary because He is stationary.  And because He is stationary my identity in Him is unchanging.

Remember Brad Pitt’s rendition of Tyler Durden in the movie Fight Club?

Tyler rants, “You’re not your job.  You’re not how much money you have in the bank.  You’re not the car you drive.  You’re not the contents of your wallet.  You’re not your (expletive) khakis.”

I feel Jesus would put His arm around Tyler and say, “You don’t even know how right you are.  Trust in Me Tyler, and I’ll make that a reality, I will give you identity far beyond the scope of making soap.”

Tyler might says, “Whoa, it’s Jesus! No (expletive) way!”

To which Jesus would smile and nod.

Tyler might respond, “You know I’m not real right?”

To which Jesus would smile and nod…and then say, “I AM”

All this to say, He IS and so I am!  And I’m incredibly thankful for it.

Spiritual Growth

Spiritual growth is a big deal.  It’s emphasized by the church.  It’s emphasized by our pastors.  It’s emphasized in their books. 

One common denominator you will hear, read, or see in motivating congregations to grow in Christ Jesus their Savior is fear and guilt.  This is not necessary. 

The only people who are able to grow are those who have received the free gift of Jesus’s grace and have now become brand new creations.  People with new identities.  Identities fused with Jesus.  Identities that can not only grow, but desire to grow also.  Identities that are indeed growing at the rate they join with God’s process in them.  I call them opportunities. 

Anybody else, no matter how involved in Christianity they are, cannot grow.  No amount of fear and guilt will make them do so.  But what will be provoked is behavior modification, and people will act better.  If this is what we are after then, hooray, we did it.  If behavior modification isn’t spiritual growth then we have missed the mark.

Pastors and teachers put a lot of pressure on fruit because it is indeed the proof of our new identity to the world.  The fear and guilt type pressure actually deter as many people as it spurs.  So I see guilt as a different means to the desired end.  We all want to grow in Christ. I believe that encouragement and freedom is the way to motivate in love.

We feel the urgency to grow.  Meanwhile the Bible shares with us urgency for the Gospel to be shared.  Certainly our growth will aid in that mission.  But feeling urgency in your personal growth to the image of God’s Son is going to be a frustrating wait.

In our churches and Christian schools we want to see people grow.  We feel it’s our purpose.  However, we can only facilitate growth we cannot cause it.  We can prod people into good works and they will look impressive but it will oftentimes be false fruit.  At this point we have fanned the flames of hypocrisy.

At my high school we talk about student growth a lot.  We want to see fruit.  There is nothing wrong with that, we join God in that desire.  We must consider that many of the students have not been made new and that those who have also have teenage flesh waging war against their new self.  That is the most difficult flesh to be fruitful with. 

We also must consider that Jesus met thousands of people and only 11 were sold out disciples (and they weren't sold out for life, they were spotty).  Surely the thousands could be saved too!  Losing your life for Jesus is precious but optional in the scope of salvation.  And those who chose to deny themselves can only do it partially.  This is why Jesus was required!  We can never surrender to God enough to be good enough.

Some would use powerful tactics of fear and guilt to harness our shame and convince us into believing a lie= that more effort is the answer.  If we could just read more Scripture, pray more often, dedicate to discipleship, and never stop…we will mature…nope. 

Those are all great things to help you mature but only when your new self is thirsting for it.  Otherwise it’s just busy work.  It’s not sustainable.  But the new you wants to do the things of God and wants to grow.  More effort will make you disciplined but without desire to “be what the Rabbi is” it’s not discipleship.   

True spiritual growth is the slow process of making who you are (sin) into who you really are (holy).  True spiritual growth is a work of God in you when you walk by the Spirit.  True spiritual growth is a work of God when you trust His way and follow it. 

Discipleship is critical to our growth but are you going to let manipulation have a place in it?