A Word to the Accepted

August 5, 2015August 5, 2015 MichaelLeave a comment

I am perplexed as to why many Christians work so hard to be what they already are: the righteous. A strong emphasis on discreet living is too often undermined by pretense and hypocrisy; it is easily identified in churches and some Christian brands. This happens when preserving a godly image outweighs living as frail individuals liberated in the grace of God.

Our righteousness in Christ is a fact; we are unblemished in God’s sight.

But there are reasons we live as though this isn’t true. We feel that we have to prove our righteousness—to ourselves, to others, and to God—and become entrapped in works religion, forcing ourselves to earn God’s favor. Then, at the heart of it for many people is a conscience that remains guilt-ridden and desperate for penance, needing a deep understanding of grace.

On Sanctification

Conversion is a lifestyle of sanctification, which is inherently progressive in nature and governed by God’s abundant mercy. I can master one area of my life and bring God glory there while another area may present me a lifelong chore; and though I may stumble, God’s power remains available to help me overcome that vice. But sanctification is an act spoiled if we retain too strongly a judicial view of God. That is the reason why we feverishly sweep around our doors and morally dot our “I’s” and cross our “T’s”—because God must be appeased and there is no stumbling or he’ll be mad at us.

How paradoxical it is that those who sing “Amazing Grace” have not grasped it! We let the dust cloud of guilt, personal failings, and dim outlook make us overlook Jesus before us saying “I accept you.” He doesn’t accept us because we have it together, but rather because we need him, the Savior.

A Present Reality

This radical kindness is what makes our only duty—emulating Christ by producing the fruit of righteousness (Gal. 5:22-23)—paramount. This one way is how we prove not our uprightness, but our love for God and appreciation for his kindness to us. It is perhaps the greatest assurance of our salvation. Christ died and gave us his life (zoe); we kill sinful tendencies and grow in righteousness—but in full knowledge that we are broken and still accepted.

So we need not resort to works religion, sin management, or undue behavior modifications. Instead, we are now righteous. We are now saints of God. We are now entered into the kingdom to come.

Jonah: When Saintly Hearts Sour

July 17, 2015July 17, 2015 Michael4 Comments

Jonah may be the most surprising person in the Bible to me. This prophet of God receives an order to preach repentance to Nineveh; instead, he opposes God’s mandate and foolishly attempts to avoid him. Then, after God mercifully delivers him and Jonah carries out his mission, he becomes furious with God for showing mercy to the penitent city.

I’m left wanting more each time I read the Book of Jonah. Its four chapters stir up so many topics. Moreover, Jonah demonstrates what happens when the godly disregard the significance of grace.

Check Yourself

A calling to preach or the desire to share God’s message is generally established on the hope of presenting people the truth of God’s reality and eventually converting them. And that’s usually rooted in the desire to share his love and amazing grace that freely pardons—enacted in the love by which we ourselves have been changed.

Now, where did Jonah lose some or all of this?

And having deliberately sinned, how was he so quick to forget the mercy shown to him? Yet when Nineveh repents, he explains, “That is why I ran away…I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God…You are eager to turn back from destroying people” (4:2). This is what happens when grace ceases being a mercy shown to us and becomes a right deserved.

That attitude expresses itself in many ways. When we devalue the grace of God, we’ll forsake examining our hearts and motives. Jonah seems to have lost his purpose for preaching; it lands him in the same sinful reproach as the people of Nineveh, yet feeling superior to them. But preaching for preaching’s sake means nothing. This is not about us; this is God’s mission. Further, we must pray earnestly for the lost. There is no way to do that before God and not be forced to have a right attitude about oneself, their need, and God’s heart for them.

I Am Nothing

We also encounter problems when we attempt to vindicate God or our own righteousness. I am too small—and full of hubris—to even think that I can be God’s protector. God can fight for himself and sinful defiance of him in the culture is no worry to him; and we shouldn’t worry about it either.

A bigger problem is to erect our own importance in the sight of God. Grace is God’s stage and we can sometimes forget that none of us deserves his kindness. So, forgetting that it’s a gift, we take it for granted. If we’re not careful our hearts will fume: “Well who are they? They’re not better than me.” “I deserve it more!” “If it were me, I wouldn’t tolerate…”

Like Jonah, we can follow God and be caught up in our own hype. We can wear an essential clergy collar in public, from home to work to play, and still make God and church feed our own image. And we’ll view ourselves as better than others—those for whom we should be praying to see the light and escape perdition. Instead, we take audacity and rail at God for being merciful to them.

God of Mercies

Jonah goes outside the city and builds a shelter. God causes a palm-like tree to grow and provide him shade. It is another act of mercy shown to Jonah. The next day, however, the Lord sends a worm to gnaw the plant down while causing a scorching wind to buffet Jonah. On cue, Jonah fumes.

The Lord says to him, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness…Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?” (4:10-11).

It is a profound statement. God makes it clear that mercy will come—and go—at his command despite what we may think of it. But lest we lose sight of grace and grow self-righteous, we will do better to see how much we are all, saint and sinner alike, in the same condition rather than to make ourselves the exception.

How We Hear God

July 1, 2015 Michael8 Comments

Do you hear God’s voice? How do you know that you’ve heard his voice and not that of another or yourself? I think we’ve all been here, and many Christians are still perplexed on the matter. Hear Corrie Ten Boom from her book Not I, But Christ:

“If you want to hear God’s voice clearly and you are uncertain, then remain in his presence until he changes this uncertainty. Often much can happen during this waiting for the Lord. Sometimes, he changes pride into humility; doubt into faith and peace; sometimes lust into purity. The Lord can and will do it.”

“…In Divers Manners Spake”

God speaks. The comforting thing is all of us hear him. Knowing that we do and liking what we hear is something different. Also, God speaks in many ways. Let’s talk about these.

Scripture. This is the foremost way any of us hear God’s voice. We call it the ‘Word’ because it is the expression and full estimation of God’s mind, will, and heart for us humans. From it we draw conclusions about life. We should not only read scripture, but also study it, for by it we grow close to God.
People. We hear God speak to us through our fellowship with the body of believers and through sermons and studies. Richard Foster in Celebration of Discipline discusses guidance and explains a rich but lost spiritual act of bringing our concerns and afflictions before small groups of believers and therein finding the will of God. Further, God can speak through anyone, not just believers. Have you ever prayed and the answer came from one you could never have suspected? God may be answering you.
Events and Circumstances. The doctrine of providence helps us see that nothing is outside of God’s control; so why can’t events and events in our lives be used to answer our prayers? Sometimes God takes us on a journey, one of applied faith, the outcome of which is a deeper trust in him. We discover that he only desires our best and is sometimes trying to build more in us than our meager need for a problem solved.
Inner Voice. Sometimes this is expressed in different ways—a godly conscience or impressions or a strong weighing on the mind and heart. This accords with a life of devoted study of the scriptures and a heart continually seated before God’s throne. Personally, should I hear something I’m not sure about, I have a habit of shelving these impressions until I get further clarity. Also, it’s never a bad idea to share these things with godly believers through whom Christ can direct you.
Visions and Dreams. Some people limit God’s voice to the Bible and perhaps personal impressions. Occurrences like prophetic gifts and personal revelations, like dreams, are out of the question. But I believe that these methods are still in operation, having experienced them myself. Nevertheless, we should be cautious. Most dreams don’t have a spiritual meaning, or any. I discourage most books that attempt to interpret things beheld in dreams. Visions can range from fleeting mental ones to open visions and heavenly rapture. A person should consider such experiences graces afforded to them by God.

The Goal of Hearing

After sincerely sharing our concerns with the Lord, we should listen and watch for his answer, like Corrie Ten Boom explains. We should discipline ourselves to listen because prayer is never just us speaking to him, for he desires to talk to us. So the fact that God answers is not special.

Moreover, prayer changes us in its process. I wonder if God purposely waits at times to get us focused on him before he responds, however he does. Ultimately, hearing God’s voice is about posture. The corollary of prayer is relationship. Prayer builds dynamic relationship and relationship enhances dynamic prayer. Brother Lawrence’s suggestion in The Practice of the Presence of God is right, indeed all the Christian devotional masters are, and we dare not miss it: spiritual disciplines and graces are but a means to an end, and that is God himself.

Never Forget

June 22, 2015June 15, 2015 Michael4 Comments

In the final scenes of The Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta peer into the countryside from the train that returns them to their district. Peeta asks Katniss, “What do we do now?” She replies, “I guess we try to forget.” Peeta and Katniss have literally had to fight for their lives and have discovered love in the process. Their experience has been incredibly tough, one that wasn’t asked for but chosen for them by lottery. Peeta responds: “But I don’t want to forget.”

I watched that scene and instantly noticed the parallels. I’ve had tough times and we all do. Let me share some points this scene rehearses for me.

Never forget the days that humble you. In fact, they’re unforgettable because they’re often full of pain that grinds us down in positive ways we don’t realize until months and years later. We shouldn’t forget these periods because God, in his providence, oftentimes orders our steps through these places, always with a purpose and providing for our safety. We must embrace these tough times for the spiritual training they provide and certainly as grace afforded us. I’ve learned to thank God for the hard times in my life. I wouldn’t trade those moments for anything now because I’ve gained too much from them.
Hard times should prove the good in us. They should be a constant reflection to us of how well-equipped we are for our challenge; of our spiritual strength and progress, although our knees may buckle at times. Our perspective should also change: God doesn’t send us through a wilderness to be conquered. If anything is to be lost, then the course is designed to necessarily relieve us of excesses and encumbrances impeding of God’s purpose in us, for which we always need refinement. In the end, God wants to make a show of us to us.

Pain produces shared intimacy that can otherwise never be known. People who experience incredible hardships or disasters together are often knit heart-to-heart forever thereafter. This is why Peeta says what he does. Their lives were at stake and they had to trust one another in the most ultimate way. They learned things about themselves and each other and had to use it to survive. The situation was serious; there was no playing around, not even with words. Our relationship with God is the same. Those who rely on God through their toughest times gain an intimacy with him others who neglect him cannot know. People often desire the spiritual connection they perceive in some. But it won’t be acquired apart from walking with God wherever he leads—and that includes through tough times.

The chorus of Colton Dixon’s beautiful song “Through All of It” says:

“I have won and I have lost,/ I got it right sometimes,/ But sometimes I did not./ Life’s been a journey;/ I’ve seen joy, I’ve seen regret./ O! And you have been my God through all of it.”

The Preacher and His Preaching

June 15, 2015June 15, 2015 Michael4 Comments

A sage old professor of mine would sometimes say, “God can strike a mighty blow with a crooked stick.” The saying is a rendering of a medieval adage, and it has never left me since hearing it. The apostle Paul explores the notion in his epistle to the Philippians.

As he explains to them that his imprisonment is due to his advancement of the gospel, he draws attention to other preachers who in his absence are attempting to sway the masses with their interpretation of the gospel.

“It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains” (Ph. 1:15-17)

We don’t know these preachers’ agenda; however, we can make a strong case for Judaizers who leaped at the chance to debunk Paul’s preaching now that he was bound and unable to evangelize, shepherd the congregation, and, importantly, oppose them. If you’ll remember, Paul had warned the Ephesian elders that “savage wolves” would appear and devour the flock—“even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30).

These particular Macedonian ministers were much closer to orthodoxy than those John and Jude warned their readers about. Yet their motives were still impure and far from the heart of the gospel. From the little we can deduce in Paul’s words, their purpose didn’t lie in the exaltation of Christ, spiritual transformation, and the care of the soul with grace and godly love. Instead, they were in it for control, indoctrination, and whatever other self-centered, contentious reasons that figure in Paul’s description “envy and rivalry.”

The Diamond in the Ruff

Paul then says something truly remarkable: “But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice” (v. 18).

Given the crooked hearts and devious purposes of these preachers, Paul suggests that there is more than enough gospel and truth about Christ to be learned by their preaching. It was sufficient for those who didn’t know Christ and those needing edification; and, to Paul, this is a splendid thing. God was not limited by the moral character of these persons, but rather served his own purposes with them. In fact, if necessary, he could save one by their preaching and raise him up to condemn their ungodliness!

It should give many of us pause when we chance to pass a vote on a preacher in the cause of Christ that we feel is serving his or her own purposes more than the Lord’s. Something may be wrong about them, but we should nevertheless rejoice that people are hearing the Word of God. Further, we should be responsible and spiritually perceptive enough to pray for the many these ministers lead and influence, that their eyes be fixed on Christ; that God would align that leader’s heart with his own; and that we might see more clearly where we may have only judged incorrectly.

The Ghost of Christmas Presents

December 23, 2014December 23, 2014 Michael15 Comments

I entered the local Game Stop store to pick up a gift card for a young family member. There were people everywhere and a line wound from the checkout. I’m not sure why this surprised me.

Finally near the front, one of the cashiers caught my attention when he stepped back to the counter with a video game in-hand that had been under lock-and-key and addressed the customer.

“This video is rated ‘M’ for Mature,” he advised. The man stood there with his young son. “It has sex, violence, blood, and gore. Is this O.K.?” The man quickly nodded, gave a half-hearted smile, and replied, “Yeah.”

The purchase was finished and when father and son turned to leave, the young boy now held the video game and gleefully stated, “Thanks dad!” I left the store bewildered and then hoped that the gift card I had just purchased for my great-nephew would be used to buy something wholesomely fun.

Good News About Your ‘Real Age’

December 10, 2014December 11, 2014 Michael11 Comments

I teach adolescents and teenagers and interact with them a great deal. At the end of the day, they have free-time and love to run. Since I used to run regularly and am very competitive, I sometimes join in or challenge them; however, this has taught me some things about myself.

They think I’m on the cusp of 30, which was more than a decade ago for me. And that’s eye-opening to me now. When you’re young, even well into your 30’s, you feel invincible. If you’re blessed with good health, the idea of disease or life lived in a chronic, decrepit, or degenerating condition is all but a foreign concept. Most young people haven’t had to closely interact with the sick or experience life in a way that makes them more aware of their mortality.

Then, you get older. And, like me, sprinting against kids more than half my age young, what was once so easy to do is now attended by pulls, aches, and windedness and next-morning tightness.

Seeking God Early

When I reflect on this, I also think of spiritual fitness, a real comparison. I remember when, as a pre-teen—as young as some I teach now—I became more serious than ever about living for Christ. My instinct was to do an about-face regarding everything, although I had never been bad.

I memorized scripture, prayed fervently, developed a regimented life in the disciplines, and discovered more joy in Christ than I could’ve imagined. I can attest to the truth of Ecclesiastes 12 about seeking the Lord in youth and before days of hardship.

But how is my spiritual life now—not the evolving young one, but the more experienced older one? I’m not nearly an old person, but I have walked with Christ consistently from my earliest youth. And I notice some things.

Contentment in Serving Christ

I don’t feverishly memorize scripture as I once did. It’s tough to keep a set hour of prayer, and I cannot pray for hours as I once did. The disciplines aren’t exciting and experimental as they first happened.

Although I rely on a concordance now, the scriptures are richer. My mind is squarely seated before God during my day; I don’t feel guilty about missing prayer. And I live each day with a conduct that was molded out of the deep discipline of yesteryear.

May I suggest that the spiritual life is slightly akin to physical life. Youth brings with it prowess and agility, but with age comes maturity, wisdom, and establishment. In my endeavor to know and embrace God, there is now far less attempt at it, much less nimbleness and feat, and much more rest in it—in him.

So although the river may not run as fast anymore, it certainly runs deeper than ever.

Sometimes life just gets in the way of being in tip-top form—you know, like that gym membership we’ve all owned that quietly expired without much use. But thank God that although fitness is appreciated at whatever stage you’re at, heart might matter more.

I’ve got just as much, if not more, determination to live for Jesus. Even better, the race is given to those who endure, and there are more ways to endure than by dexterity alone. Hey, my friend, don’t lose heart.