How can God allow such evil to exist in the world? This is an old, old question, to which I have some new understanding about. This is not about free will vs. predestination. That is a different discussion all together. This is simply about each person's choices in life. Do we choose to seek God or to go our own way?
I know women who were abused as children. It is one of the most detestable offenses I can imagine. A child is so vulnerable and impressionable. The damage done within their minds during those early years may never be corrected or healed. Recently, as I listened to a friend relate some of her hurts, I felt an overwhelming desire to apologize. Of course, I had nothing to do with the series of events that scarred her, but I felt a responsibility anyway. That feeling stuck with me for days and I had to contemplate why that was. The conclusion I came to surprised me. It's all about free will.
At the beginning of time, when God made the decision to give mankind free will, He knew, more than any of us will ever know, the weight of that decision. In order to give us the freedom to either choose Him or reject Him, He had to also give us the freedom to commit the most horrendous acts. Our choices can go either way. We can either choose to do great acts of kindness or great acts of violence.
To make this concept more personal, it occurred to me that God valued His relationship with me so much that He was willing to allow evil to exist. That is why I felt the urge to apologize to my friend who had been abused throughout her childhood. It is partly because of my own free will that those terrible things happened to her.
God did not create a race of robots. No one wants a love that must be forced or coerced. It is only love if it is given freely. It is clear throughout the Scriptures, that God desires a relationship with each of us, not just mindless obedience. True obedience flows from a heart filled with love. And we love Him because He first loved us. It all goes back to the beginning. When I came to understand the depth of evil within my own heart, the extreme selfishness that I am capable of if I choose to follow those impulses, and then understood that God knew my heart before I did and yet He loves me anyway, I could not help but love Him in return. But I know that not everyone wants to confront the evil within them. Some people go through elaborate methods to deceive themselves into thinking they are good. The most dangerous forms of evil are committed by men who believe they are doing good. This is why God describes those people as lost and He is the light of the world. Only He can shine His light into a person's heart and reveal their true nature to them.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Truth Hurts
As I draw closer to God, I am more and more disappointed in myself. It is so difficult to take a close look at myself and honestly admit my faults. But this is what happens when I step into the Light. I shouldn't be surprised. The Light is shining on areas that I haven't wanted to look closely at before. It is so much easier to make excuses for my behavior. I used to say things like, "That's just the way I am. Nobody is perfect, right? It's not really a big deal anyway."
The truth hurts. It is uncomfortable to look at myself like this. I know the good things I ought to do each day, and yet I end up doing the very things I hate. It is a comfort to me that the Apostle Paul struggled with the same thing. In Romans 7 he says, "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing...What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."
If there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, then the purpose of the Light revealing our very sinfulness is not to shame us. It brings glory to God when we confess our sin. When we keep our sins hidden and secret, then we are unknowingly imprisoning ourselves. Confession of sin breaks its power over us.
It goes against our very nature to admit weaknesses and faults, but that is exactly why it glorifies God. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit in us would convict the world of sin and righteousness and judgement (John 16:8). By confessing my sin to someone, instead of justifying it like I want to, I inadvertently encourage the other person to do the same. It creates a cascading effect of honestly and openness. I don't have to point out any one else's sin. I just have to be honest about my own sin, and the Holy Spirit does the rest of the work.
So my conclusion is that the daily struggle with my own sin is necessary. This struggle reminds me of my dependence on God and how easily I can slip into old behaviors if I am not vigilant. And by confessing this struggle to other believers, I am able to be held accountable for my actions as well as provoking them to righteousness.
The goal is not to eliminate all sin. This struggle will not go away until I have left this fallen world. So if I ever get to the place where I am unaware of any sin in my life, I can be sure that I am no longer on the right path.
The truth hurts. It is uncomfortable to look at myself like this. I know the good things I ought to do each day, and yet I end up doing the very things I hate. It is a comfort to me that the Apostle Paul struggled with the same thing. In Romans 7 he says, "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing...What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."
If there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, then the purpose of the Light revealing our very sinfulness is not to shame us. It brings glory to God when we confess our sin. When we keep our sins hidden and secret, then we are unknowingly imprisoning ourselves. Confession of sin breaks its power over us.
It goes against our very nature to admit weaknesses and faults, but that is exactly why it glorifies God. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit in us would convict the world of sin and righteousness and judgement (John 16:8). By confessing my sin to someone, instead of justifying it like I want to, I inadvertently encourage the other person to do the same. It creates a cascading effect of honestly and openness. I don't have to point out any one else's sin. I just have to be honest about my own sin, and the Holy Spirit does the rest of the work.
So my conclusion is that the daily struggle with my own sin is necessary. This struggle reminds me of my dependence on God and how easily I can slip into old behaviors if I am not vigilant. And by confessing this struggle to other believers, I am able to be held accountable for my actions as well as provoking them to righteousness.
The goal is not to eliminate all sin. This struggle will not go away until I have left this fallen world. So if I ever get to the place where I am unaware of any sin in my life, I can be sure that I am no longer on the right path.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Hard Hearts
Hebrews 3:12-15 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "Today," so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion."
The author of Hebrews is talking to fellow believers ("brothers and sisters") when he warns them to not harden their hearts and turn away in unbelief. I think this is talking to believers who deceive themselves into thinking that they can earn any merit on their own through good works. This creates an attitude of pride and self righteousness that is not pleasing to God. And living that way, under a legalistic religion, is a huge burden to bear. That is why they cannot enter into His "rest". Jesus said that his burden was easy and His yoke was light, because true belief in Jesus means giving up all delusions of self-importance and admitting that we are nothing without him. Humbling ourselves is one of the most difficult things to do, and it must be done daily because we can easily forget, but it is the single most freeing decision in life.
The author of Hebrews is talking to fellow believers ("brothers and sisters") when he warns them to not harden their hearts and turn away in unbelief. I think this is talking to believers who deceive themselves into thinking that they can earn any merit on their own through good works. This creates an attitude of pride and self righteousness that is not pleasing to God. And living that way, under a legalistic religion, is a huge burden to bear. That is why they cannot enter into His "rest". Jesus said that his burden was easy and His yoke was light, because true belief in Jesus means giving up all delusions of self-importance and admitting that we are nothing without him. Humbling ourselves is one of the most difficult things to do, and it must be done daily because we can easily forget, but it is the single most freeing decision in life.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Walking in the Light
The Bible tells us in John chapter 8 that Jesus is the Light of the world. And in Psalm 119, the scripture says that His word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. 1 John teaches us to walk in the light as He is in the light so that we can have fellowship with one another. How do these verses apply to my life?
Imagine that this life is like walking through the forest at night (Isaiah 59:9-10). I don’t mean a beautiful place like the redwood forest in California with wide open spaces and well-marked paths. Instead I picture a forest in which we have to navigate through thorn bushes and vines, watching out for roots jutting out of the ground or for unexpected holes dug by animals. Most of the time, it is not fun. It is not easy. And more often than not, we are alone.
As we trudge through this forest, we will inevitability fall (Isaiah 40:30). It is unavoidable in the dark, but it’s embarrassing and it’s always unexpected. Nobody plans to fall. So we learn how to protect ourselves from the shame. At a distance, nobody can really see that we have ever fallen. The colorless light of the moon doesn’t reveal the mud on our jeans or the scrapes on our hands. And even though we long for the company of others, we can’t allow anyone to get close enough to see these wounds.
We all wander through this forest looking for a path or some direction. Which is the right way? How do we measure progress? Is it worth even taking one more step? Why are we here anyway? Sometimes a person will come along who claims to know the right way to go, and we choose to follow that person or group for a while, but many times those groups just lead to an even darker part of the forest (Isaiah 5:20-21).
Eventually though, you will encounter a well-lit path (Proverbs 4:18-19). You can see it from a great distance and you long for that path. It draws you in. There is a Guide on that path who has walked this trail before. But as you get closer, something becomes very obvious. This light is different than moonlight, and it reveals the very things that you have been trying to hide. From this distance, the people on the path look pretty clean. What would they think of you with the rips in your jeans and the leaves in your hair? So now you have a choice to make.
Some people choose to keep their distance and walk beside the path, never really stepping into the light (John 3:20). They tell themselves that at least now they know that they are going in the right direction. Meanwhile, they are still wearily climbing over logs and cutting through vines and tripping over roots. Being close to the light and yet not walking in it can be more discouraging than before when you had no knowledge of that path. Others who are walking in the other direction seem to have it easier. Eventually, the pain of this journey will prompt you to choose a direction. Either you will finally humble yourself and step into the light, or you will turn and walk away from it.
Not everyone hesitates to step into the light. Some run into the light with gladness and relief and don’t care at all about exposing their dirt. The Guide comes along beside them with compassion, and He treats their wounds and cleans them up (Psalm 147:3). They receive their own light to carry and they begin to walk with confidence, peace and hope for the future.
Unfortunately, walking in the light is not without challenges of its own. You see, even when you have the light, you can still fall (Proverbs 24:16). The reality is that you are still walking through a forest at night (Micah 7:8). It is not as easy as you expected. So you still have choices to make. Do you choose to distance yourself from those with the brightest lights? Do you dim your light a little more each time you fall? If these are your choices, you will soon be walking alone once again, wondering why you ever thought this path would be better than your own.
Once you have joined the Guide in this journey along The Way, it is not possible to get lost again, but it is possible to move away from His light. But no matter how hard you are trying to hide the evidence of your failures, the Guide will not leave you alone (Matthew 18:11). He can always find you again because even the darkness is light to Him. So He sees every time you fall, no matter how far away you are, and He longs to help you and walk with you again, but he won’t force you.
The happiest travelers on this path are the ones who have quit trying to hide (Psalm 16:11). They hate the darkness. They keep as close as they can to the Guide, walking in His very footsteps to avoid as many pitfalls as possible (Isaiah 42:16). They have given up the burden of perfection, neither holding themselves or others to that impossible standard. Instead, they follow their Leader as meek as a child who knows how lost they would be on their own (Matthew 18:3).
And these travelers are never alone. There is always a group close to the Guide and they are constantly helping each other. They have found that when they hold onto each other, they are much less likely to trip. But if one does fall, there is no condemnation or criticism. They help him up and continue on (Ecclesiastes 4:10). The focus is no longer on falling, but on the Guide, the destination, and helping others get there (Isaiah 58:8-11).
You see, the ones who walk closely to the Guide are the ones who know the truth about this journey. It may seem long, but the sun will soon be rising (Romans 3:12). Tears may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). And at that time, we will reach our destination, the place that has been prepared for us (John 14:2-3) where there is no more night, no darkness at all (Revelation 22:5). We can finally shed these filthy, torn up clothes and be given new ones, never to walk in shame again (Revelation 6:11).
So where are you on this journey? Have you taken that first step into the light? If so, have you chosen to remain in the light? Have you quit trying to make you own path and admitted your complete dependence on the only One who can guide you, step by step? Do you walk with those whose light shines the brightest or do you dim your own light and walk alone?
As we trudge through this forest, we will inevitability fall (Isaiah 40:30). It is unavoidable in the dark, but it’s embarrassing and it’s always unexpected. Nobody plans to fall. So we learn how to protect ourselves from the shame. At a distance, nobody can really see that we have ever fallen. The colorless light of the moon doesn’t reveal the mud on our jeans or the scrapes on our hands. And even though we long for the company of others, we can’t allow anyone to get close enough to see these wounds.
We all wander through this forest looking for a path or some direction. Which is the right way? How do we measure progress? Is it worth even taking one more step? Why are we here anyway? Sometimes a person will come along who claims to know the right way to go, and we choose to follow that person or group for a while, but many times those groups just lead to an even darker part of the forest (Isaiah 5:20-21).
Some people choose to keep their distance and walk beside the path, never really stepping into the light (John 3:20). They tell themselves that at least now they know that they are going in the right direction. Meanwhile, they are still wearily climbing over logs and cutting through vines and tripping over roots. Being close to the light and yet not walking in it can be more discouraging than before when you had no knowledge of that path. Others who are walking in the other direction seem to have it easier. Eventually, the pain of this journey will prompt you to choose a direction. Either you will finally humble yourself and step into the light, or you will turn and walk away from it.
Unfortunately, walking in the light is not without challenges of its own. You see, even when you have the light, you can still fall (Proverbs 24:16). The reality is that you are still walking through a forest at night (Micah 7:8). It is not as easy as you expected. So you still have choices to make. Do you choose to distance yourself from those with the brightest lights? Do you dim your light a little more each time you fall? If these are your choices, you will soon be walking alone once again, wondering why you ever thought this path would be better than your own.
The happiest travelers on this path are the ones who have quit trying to hide (Psalm 16:11). They hate the darkness. They keep as close as they can to the Guide, walking in His very footsteps to avoid as many pitfalls as possible (Isaiah 42:16). They have given up the burden of perfection, neither holding themselves or others to that impossible standard. Instead, they follow their Leader as meek as a child who knows how lost they would be on their own (Matthew 18:3).
And these travelers are never alone. There is always a group close to the Guide and they are constantly helping each other. They have found that when they hold onto each other, they are much less likely to trip. But if one does fall, there is no condemnation or criticism. They help him up and continue on (Ecclesiastes 4:10). The focus is no longer on falling, but on the Guide, the destination, and helping others get there (Isaiah 58:8-11).
So where are you on this journey? Have you taken that first step into the light? If so, have you chosen to remain in the light? Have you quit trying to make you own path and admitted your complete dependence on the only One who can guide you, step by step? Do you walk with those whose light shines the brightest or do you dim your own light and walk alone?
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Birth Defect
Does goodness equal love? A good child is loved. A bad child is hated. It is understandable how a child could grow up believing those things. I think I grew up believing that the longer I was a Christian, then the less I would struggle with sin. But we all know that perfection is unachievable. So where is the line? How good is good enough? How many offenses would it take to lose the ones I love?
These questions and fears drive us to strive for perfection and, ultimately, may lead us to deceive ourselves and others about the very existence of any sin in our lives. If we deny the existence of these failures, then maybe we still deserve to be loved?
What an insecure existence!
Jesus wants to set us free from this cycle of good works, failure, deception and insecurity.
The truth that we are born sinful is considered a very negative teaching by those outside the church. But this truth is the very beginning of our freedom - knowing that Jesus loved me anyway! It doesn't even matter how many bad things I've done. I need a Savior because of who I am, not what I've done. So, if we are born sinners, then there is no amount of good deeds we can do to fix that "birth defect."
Jesus took on flesh and walked among us. He is well aware of our frailty. But He does not despise us for that weakness, just as a parent does not despise their children for their dependence. In fact, Jesus said we cannot enter Heaven unless we come as a little child.
I have heard it taught that those childlike qualities that Jesus is referring to are blind faith and trust. But I think it is referring more to the weakness and innate dependency of a child.
Children don't work! They trust that their needs will be met even though they do nothing to earn it. Imagine a child who will not accept any help or gifts and insists on earning everything. Not only is that frustrating and insulting to the parents, but, chances are, the child will make a huge mess every time they attempt to do "good works."
I can imagine how frustrating it would be to me if my young child insisted on helping me fix dinner. What if I was fixing a complex meal and I just wanted the child to sit and watch? I like having someone else in the kitchen to talk to as I work. But if that child insisted on helping by climbing on the counter to reach a dish and by cracking the eggs and measuring the flour, I would no longer want that child in the kitchen. How absurd would it be if I told the child to just sit and wait patiently to be fed but the child felt like they didn't deserve to eat if they hadn't worked for the meal?
That must be how frustrating it is for God when we are unable to trust Him.
Why is it so easy for us to imagine the ideal parent? Even if we have never seen an example of an ideal parent, we know what that relationship should look like. It's because God, as our Heavenly Father, has put that knowledge into our hearts. Every child is hurt when their earthly parents do not live up to that ideal. but the reality is that it is unfair to hold our parents up to God's standard. Those hurts and disappointments we feel are supposed to draw us to God.
The ideal parent:
These questions and fears drive us to strive for perfection and, ultimately, may lead us to deceive ourselves and others about the very existence of any sin in our lives. If we deny the existence of these failures, then maybe we still deserve to be loved?
What an insecure existence!
Jesus wants to set us free from this cycle of good works, failure, deception and insecurity.
The truth that we are born sinful is considered a very negative teaching by those outside the church. But this truth is the very beginning of our freedom - knowing that Jesus loved me anyway! It doesn't even matter how many bad things I've done. I need a Savior because of who I am, not what I've done. So, if we are born sinners, then there is no amount of good deeds we can do to fix that "birth defect."
Jesus took on flesh and walked among us. He is well aware of our frailty. But He does not despise us for that weakness, just as a parent does not despise their children for their dependence. In fact, Jesus said we cannot enter Heaven unless we come as a little child.
I have heard it taught that those childlike qualities that Jesus is referring to are blind faith and trust. But I think it is referring more to the weakness and innate dependency of a child.
Children don't work! They trust that their needs will be met even though they do nothing to earn it. Imagine a child who will not accept any help or gifts and insists on earning everything. Not only is that frustrating and insulting to the parents, but, chances are, the child will make a huge mess every time they attempt to do "good works."
I can imagine how frustrating it would be to me if my young child insisted on helping me fix dinner. What if I was fixing a complex meal and I just wanted the child to sit and watch? I like having someone else in the kitchen to talk to as I work. But if that child insisted on helping by climbing on the counter to reach a dish and by cracking the eggs and measuring the flour, I would no longer want that child in the kitchen. How absurd would it be if I told the child to just sit and wait patiently to be fed but the child felt like they didn't deserve to eat if they hadn't worked for the meal?
That must be how frustrating it is for God when we are unable to trust Him.
Why is it so easy for us to imagine the ideal parent? Even if we have never seen an example of an ideal parent, we know what that relationship should look like. It's because God, as our Heavenly Father, has put that knowledge into our hearts. Every child is hurt when their earthly parents do not live up to that ideal. but the reality is that it is unfair to hold our parents up to God's standard. Those hurts and disappointments we feel are supposed to draw us to God.
The ideal parent:
- feeds and clothes a child whether they ask for it or not
- comforts a child when they are hurting
- lovingly disciplines a child in order to instill positive character qualities
- allows some difficult situations to occur if those events will ultimately benefit the child
- allows a willful child to do some things on their own, even if the child is not really ready, in order to reinforce the child's dependence is some areas
- is most proud when the parent sees their own qualities emerging in the child
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Enter My Rest
God has been using my circumstances lately to reveal my own sin to me. I spent so many years trying to avoid specific sins, and thinking I was doing a pretty good job. Then my eyes were opened. Everything in the Scriptures seems different to me now.
Just as I was going through this inner awakening, I saw Joyce Meyer on TV. She talked about how she tried to build her ministry for 10 years without much success. But God was using that time in her life to show her how to trust in Him and to prove to her that anything good coming from her ministry would only be because of God's provision. She said that if her ministry had succeeded right away, then she would have easily taken all the credit. She described those years as her "wilderness" years. Just as God had to take the children of Israel through the wilderness for 40 years, many believers go through times that are frustrating and apparently unfruitful. But those times are necessary for two reasons: to reveal our sin to us and to teach us dependence on Him. This is what I have just come out of and I am now able to look back and understand what He was teaching me.
Hebrews chapters 3 & 4 both talk about the Israelites in the wilderness. These chapters confirmed to me that this analogy of walking through the wilderness can accurately be applied to my own walk with God. The author of Hebrews is warning his fellow believers against having a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from God like the children of Israel did (as described in Psalm 95). Believers need to encourage each other daily so that we don't become hardened by sin's deceitfulness (i.e. the deceitful thought that we can go even one day without God, in our own strength and "goodness").
God said that they would not enter His "rest" because of their disobedience and unbelief. What is His "rest"? Was it the Promised Land? Hebrews says, "... if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God."
Is this "rest" referring to Heaven? Was God saying that all of those people in the wilderness would not be able to get into Heaven? In that case, it would seem that this passage should be directed at unbelievers, but it's not. Then chapter 4 verse 11 says, "Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest." This could easily be misinterpreted to mean - work hard to be worthy of heaven. But it is exactly the opposite of that! Verse 10 says, "for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His." The rest that God offers us if from our own works.
I don't know if I can communicate how big this concept is for me.
The sin that kept the Israelites from entering the Promised Land was trusting in their own strength and power to deliver them from the enemy. It seems amazing that the people had not yet learned to fully trust in God. How much more could God have done to prove His power and strength? Let's review the miracles that the Israelites had seen up to that point:
Just as I was going through this inner awakening, I saw Joyce Meyer on TV. She talked about how she tried to build her ministry for 10 years without much success. But God was using that time in her life to show her how to trust in Him and to prove to her that anything good coming from her ministry would only be because of God's provision. She said that if her ministry had succeeded right away, then she would have easily taken all the credit. She described those years as her "wilderness" years. Just as God had to take the children of Israel through the wilderness for 40 years, many believers go through times that are frustrating and apparently unfruitful. But those times are necessary for two reasons: to reveal our sin to us and to teach us dependence on Him. This is what I have just come out of and I am now able to look back and understand what He was teaching me.
Hebrews chapters 3 & 4 both talk about the Israelites in the wilderness. These chapters confirmed to me that this analogy of walking through the wilderness can accurately be applied to my own walk with God. The author of Hebrews is warning his fellow believers against having a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from God like the children of Israel did (as described in Psalm 95). Believers need to encourage each other daily so that we don't become hardened by sin's deceitfulness (i.e. the deceitful thought that we can go even one day without God, in our own strength and "goodness").
God said that they would not enter His "rest" because of their disobedience and unbelief. What is His "rest"? Was it the Promised Land? Hebrews says, "... if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God."
Is this "rest" referring to Heaven? Was God saying that all of those people in the wilderness would not be able to get into Heaven? In that case, it would seem that this passage should be directed at unbelievers, but it's not. Then chapter 4 verse 11 says, "Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest." This could easily be misinterpreted to mean - work hard to be worthy of heaven. But it is exactly the opposite of that! Verse 10 says, "for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His." The rest that God offers us if from our own works.
I don't know if I can communicate how big this concept is for me.
The sin that kept the Israelites from entering the Promised Land was trusting in their own strength and power to deliver them from the enemy. It seems amazing that the people had not yet learned to fully trust in God. How much more could God have done to prove His power and strength? Let's review the miracles that the Israelites had seen up to that point:
- 10 supernatural plagues directed at the Egyptians demonstrating God's power over all of their gods, during which the Israelites were spared, including even death during the Passover
- Being led out of Egypt with a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night
- The parting of the Red Sea and the drowning of the Egyptian army
- The miraculous provision of mana and quail every day
- Getting water from a rock
- Victory in battle (as long as Moses had his hands raised to heaven, demonstrating that the victory was not done with the strength of soldiers)
All of those events occurred within the first two months of the exodus
- Events at Mount Sinai: smoke billowing from the mountain as it trembled violently and the sound of a trumpet grew louder and louder until Moses spoke to God and God answered back giving them the Ten Commandments
- They saw the presence of God, in the form of a pillar of cloud, repeatedly descend to meet with Moses in the Tent of Meeting
- God personally gave Moses the Law and the instructions for building the Tabernacle
- Once the Tabernacle was completed, the glory of the Lord visibly filled it.
- When the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the people followed it. Wherever the cloud settled, the people stopped, and whenever it lifted they would prepare to follow
It took two years for the children of Israel to reach the Promised Land, and yet, even after all of these signs, they still feared to enter the land because they knew they could not defeat the native people in their own strength.
How much does God have to do in order for me to trust Him? Jesus told us not to worry about what we would eat or drink or what we would wear because God knows we need these things. He feeds the birds of the air and clothes the grass of the field. How much more does He care for me?
Rest. "Be still and know that I am God."
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
None Good
(Psalm 14 & 53; Micah 7:2; Romans 3:12)
This is one of the hardest truths to accept, that there is nothing good in me apart from God. Only God is good.
The rich young ruler addressed Jesus as "good teacher" and Jesus said, "Why do you call me good? There is none good but one, that is God."
I think Jesus was asking this because:
How many times do we refer to others as good people? "He was a good man" or "I can't believe my neighbor did something like that! He's really a good man!"
But the truth is that our actions can never make us good. We are born sinful and there is nothing we can do to change that. We are reminded of this over and over in Scripture and yet how easily we forget.
This is one of the hardest truths to accept, that there is nothing good in me apart from God. Only God is good.
The rich young ruler addressed Jesus as "good teacher" and Jesus said, "Why do you call me good? There is none good but one, that is God."
I think Jesus was asking this because:
- He knew that the man did not really believe that Jesus was God
- He already knew how "good" this man thought he was
How many times do we refer to others as good people? "He was a good man" or "I can't believe my neighbor did something like that! He's really a good man!"
But the truth is that our actions can never make us good. We are born sinful and there is nothing we can do to change that. We are reminded of this over and over in Scripture and yet how easily we forget.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Loving the Law
I just had a thought as I was reading several verses about the Light and walking in the Light. I am reading these verses differently now as I consider "walking in the light" to mean "confessing sin regularly." Then I came across Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Of course I've heard sermons on that verse my whole life. But the next verse says, "I have sworn and I will confirm it, that I will keep Your righteous ordinances."
I've never really understood how David could love the law of God so much. That theme is presented over and over in the Psalms. But then I saw it. "Your word is...a light to m y path." The law was given to show/reveal to us our sin, and the OT law gives instructions on sacrifices made to cleanse them of sin. But in order to make those sacrifices, they had to go publicly to the temple and present specific items - virtually forcing people to make public confessions.
David was a "man after God's own heart" and I've been taught that that refers to how quickly he confessed when confronted with sin. Confession truly does bring a kind of joy to life that cannot be experienced any other way. No wonder David loved the law. he searched it and memorized it so that he would know for sure when he sinned and could confess it. How many times does it say that he praised God in the midst of the assembly? He was very public about the joy he had found through forgiveness. It makes me think, in a way, that David was "addicted" to confession. And why wouldn't he be? Walking in the Light is the only way to have "abundant life." If life = a closer relationship with Jesus, and sin separates us from God, then confession will continually bring us closer to Him and to the abundant life we crave.
I've never really understood how David could love the law of God so much. That theme is presented over and over in the Psalms. But then I saw it. "Your word is...a light to m y path." The law was given to show/reveal to us our sin, and the OT law gives instructions on sacrifices made to cleanse them of sin. But in order to make those sacrifices, they had to go publicly to the temple and present specific items - virtually forcing people to make public confessions.
David was a "man after God's own heart" and I've been taught that that refers to how quickly he confessed when confronted with sin. Confession truly does bring a kind of joy to life that cannot be experienced any other way. No wonder David loved the law. he searched it and memorized it so that he would know for sure when he sinned and could confess it. How many times does it say that he praised God in the midst of the assembly? He was very public about the joy he had found through forgiveness. It makes me think, in a way, that David was "addicted" to confession. And why wouldn't he be? Walking in the Light is the only way to have "abundant life." If life = a closer relationship with Jesus, and sin separates us from God, then confession will continually bring us closer to Him and to the abundant life we crave.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Unconditional Love
What does it mean to imitate God?
Lately, God has been teaching me about loving/serving others without expecting anything back. That is the definition of "unconditional love," isn't it? Love that does not have to be earned in any way. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8) We didn't earn God's love and we can't do anything to repay Him. So that is what we should imitate; loving the unlovable and giving to those who can't give back. But how many times do I try to manipulate my personal relationships in order to get what I want? My spouse, my children, my friends... When I treat them right, then they should treat me right, shouldn't they? Sometimes, I even try to manipulate God and I only follow His commands because of what I can get back. We are promised blessings and peace and prosperity, right? But what about those times when I'm following all the "rules" and yet my life is falling apart? Do I quit?
It all comes back to the reality of what God did for me. I have to remember that every single day. I am a wicked sinner who does not deserve anything, and I follow God out of gratitude for His mercy and grace. No matter what comes my way, I will take it because the worst things in life are not even close to the punishment I deserve. "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." (Job 13:15)
When I am able to remember these truths and quit loving myself so much, then I am able to look at others with grace and mercy. "He must increase and I must decrease." (John 3:30) Only when I am emptied of myself can God fill me up and use me as a vessel for His love. Because no matter how hard I try, I can never imitate God in my own strength. In fact, I think it is offensive to God when I try to appear righteous in the eyes of others. "There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness." (Prov. 30:13)
Lately, God has been teaching me about loving/serving others without expecting anything back. That is the definition of "unconditional love," isn't it? Love that does not have to be earned in any way. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8) We didn't earn God's love and we can't do anything to repay Him. So that is what we should imitate; loving the unlovable and giving to those who can't give back. But how many times do I try to manipulate my personal relationships in order to get what I want? My spouse, my children, my friends... When I treat them right, then they should treat me right, shouldn't they? Sometimes, I even try to manipulate God and I only follow His commands because of what I can get back. We are promised blessings and peace and prosperity, right? But what about those times when I'm following all the "rules" and yet my life is falling apart? Do I quit?
It all comes back to the reality of what God did for me. I have to remember that every single day. I am a wicked sinner who does not deserve anything, and I follow God out of gratitude for His mercy and grace. No matter what comes my way, I will take it because the worst things in life are not even close to the punishment I deserve. "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." (Job 13:15)
When I am able to remember these truths and quit loving myself so much, then I am able to look at others with grace and mercy. "He must increase and I must decrease." (John 3:30) Only when I am emptied of myself can God fill me up and use me as a vessel for His love. Because no matter how hard I try, I can never imitate God in my own strength. In fact, I think it is offensive to God when I try to appear righteous in the eyes of others. "There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness." (Prov. 30:13)
Saturday, January 14, 2012
My Burden
Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
I was just talking with a friend about this verse a few days ago. So many people are still burdened with the concept of trying to be good enough. This results in either self-righteousness or an extreme sense of failure, not to mention - exhausting. Either way, we are totally consumed with self instead of loving others. But Jesus has fulfilled the Law. We don't have to carry that burden anymore.
I must remember to wake each morning admitting that I am not capable of any good thing on my own. My acts of righteousness are "as filthy rags" to Him. So I will release that burden and look outside myself. And once I allow myself to be imperfect, it is amazing how much grace I can show to other imperfect people. It's not about doing what is right or wrong today. It is about understanding how much I am loved and forgiven and then extending that love and forgiveness to others. That is a burden that is so much easier to carry around than perfection. And if any good things comes out of my actions today, I can be thankful that the day was not wasted.
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