After all, the law is very important for bringing us to the place of realizing we need Christ:

Galatians 3:21-26 KJV, emphasis mine, “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.   But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.   But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.   Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.   But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.   For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

Yet, now that we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the above scripture says “we are no longer under a schoolmaster”, or under the law.

In fact, the law really doesn’t govern us, but condemns us!

2 Cor 3:7-11 NIV, “Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!”

So, if I keep trying to meet the requirements of the law, I will eventually (probably quickly) fail, and I will meet only condemnation.  The Bible has told me that.  But remember, if I realize and accept that the ROLE of the law was to bring me to Christ, and if I remember I have ACCEPTED HIM, the law did its job and I can move on.  Yes?

Because, really, once I am under GRACE, I am no longer condemned!

Romans 8:1-4 KJV, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.   For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.   For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

As I remind myself, I remind you – walk in the Grace of Jesus and let HIM work on us to make us more like HIM!!!  Do not rely on our own efforts, but for the Spirit who is in us.

Then, I heard at church today that one of our Pastors believes 2012 is going to be a year of reconciliation and restored relationships.  And that got me into this topic in a much deeper level.

Q: What is forgiveness?

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines this term as “the act of forgiving”, which is to “allow room for error or weakness” or “to give up resentment of or claim to requital for”.    In the Christian context, to forgive means to restore a bond of love and communion when there has been a rupture. More specifically, when we sin against God or each other, our relationships are ruptured.  Shattered.  Harsh but true…….

I have learned over my life, and especially based on the activities of my past week, that when bonds with people are broken for whatever reason, we tend to objectify them and judge them.  We stop seeing them as a person – even as the person you’ve loved for a significant period of time – and often start treating them only as an object of our anger and hurt. I did that, and as hard as it is to admit, that is a sinful reaction.  I began to categorize the person I was having “the situation” with in terms of their transgression against me and the others involved.  And I will attest that when I started to do that, it bred more anger and alienation, which nurtured not forgiveness but instead allowed resentment to take hold of my heart.  That admission was staggering for me, because I have known for years that resentment is a cancer that will destroy us if we don’t forgive!

Forgiveness means overlooking the sin or transgression, and restoring a BOND OF LOVE. It does not mean I need to justify the offensive action or accept it as right, nor does it mean I should (or even can) justify my own anger or sinful reaction. Forgiveness means laying aside ALL of our judgments of the other person and our own sinful reactions, and accepting others for WHO THEY ARE, not WHAT THEY’VE DONE (OR NOT DONE).

God’s forgiveness of us and our sins against Him is UNCONDITIONAL and ABSOLUTE. Jesus does not reject us, objectify us, or bear anger or resentment against us. God does not punish us, thanks to Jesus, even when we all can fully admit that we really deserve His most horrible wrath.  I am SO RELIEVED that the blood of Jesus created a way for me to be forgiven, giving me full access to the Love of God.

By asking God for forgiveness at the point of accepting Christ, we open ourselves to His love and acceptance, His grace and compassion. So, too, we should naturally, compelled by the Holy Spirit within us, to extend that forgiveness to those around us, even if they don’t deserve it.  ESPECIALLY if they don’t deserve it!  And remember, you need to forgive yourself when you mess up too!

Q: How do reconciliation and forgiveness compare?

Merriam-Webster defines reconciliation as “the act of reconciling”, which means “restore to friendship or harmony”.  Reconciliation assumes forgiveness has already occurred. If we forgive someone, it doesn’t automatically mean you have been reconciled, though I think we as Christians especially need to be open to reconciliation whenever possible. Reconciliation is FORGIVENESS IN ACTION—the actual restoration of the interpersonal bond between two people, in mutual ACCEPTANCE of each other for WHO EACH OTHER IS.

Forgiveness and reconciliation can lead to a stronger bond than previously existed. Each time an offense occurs, we can learn more about the people God has placed in our lives as well as ourselves. This can lead to a deeper knowledge and understanding of each, and thus can also lead to a more AUTHENTIC bond of intimacy. Reconciliation should always be the goal.

Sometimes we feel unable to reconcile—to put forgiveness into action and restore a relationship. If the person has severely abused us or our trust, it may not be wise to reconcile with them. Or perhaps the person is not reachable, or maybe even dead. We can still forgive them, pray for them, and accept them for the person they are — if only at a distance. We need to look at what is in OURSELVES (yes, I said it, it’s really about US, not THEM) that prevents us from reconciling—some fear or expectation of the person involved. But it is crucial to remember that forgiveness is only fulfilled in reconciliation.

An example of God’s forgiveness— and a model for our own—is the parable of the Prodigal Son. Think of the hurt of the father as the young son withdrew into the most selfish kind of rejection and rebellion. The father never stopped loving his son, and was watching and waiting for his return. When the son “came to himself”, or became aware of his own sin, he returned home.  Maybe he never even considered that he had hurt his father, which is something I had never really considered before, but makes sense!  So, maybe the son, when he returned home, was only thinking of himself and his own needs.  Maybe he rehearsed how he would ask his father to receive him and make him an employee as he headed home. But his father didn’t even let him finish his little rehearsed speech, but instead embraced his son and hugged him tightly. He placed the beautiful “robe of righteousness” on his son, put jewelry on his hands, and restored him as his son and heir. He killed the fatted (best) calf, feasting and rejoicing that his son had been restored to him. He neither demanded nor wanted an apology from his son, and even stopped his son from offering any justification or excuse.  He didn’t even want his son to denigrate himself! Instead, he forgave his son from the ABUNDANCE OF HIS LOVE, casting away any resentment or bitterness, and accepted him for WHO HE WAS—his beloved son.  No changes to who his son way, no retribution, no penalties.

This is how God forgives us! So we must forgive each other this way and seek to be reconciled with each other.

Q: Why is it so hard to forgive those closest to us?

The deeper the bonds of love and intimacy, the sharper the pain of alienation when we are offended or wronged (perceived or otherwise). The more we truly know someone, the more the loss of that person’s love and relationship cuts to the core of who we are. We cannot define ourselves solely as individuals – this is a a lie we tell ourselves as we perpetuate our own egocentrism. Who we are – as Christians, as persons – is a mystery hidden in Christ and within our bonds with each other.  Marriages, siblings, even friendships supply the sacred bond of love in our lives.  I often think I take great care in protecting these bonds with each of you, to preserve it and nurture it.  Yet, this past week has proven to me (not for the first time in my life), that the closer I am to someone, the greater the likelihood that deep offenses with occur (to you or from you).  That is because intimacy often creates vulnerability between us, and I for one do not like to have my vulnerability exposed.  The only positive offset to this vulnerability is to ALSO nurture love, and that is most perserved and grown in the acts of constant forgiveness and reconciliation. This can only really take hold when we really and truly begin to accept each other for WHO WE ARE, and not who we think we should be.  And with this I pray that I can begin to recognize when I project my own expectations on others, and just drop them!

Forgiveness is hard—but for me, it is WAY BETTER than “sticking to my guns”!  The sweetness of forgiveness, especially when we reconcile with someone we deeply love, far outweighs the hard work of applying forgiveness and coming to “the ends of ourselves”.  Forgiveness is hard – when we’re really honest with ourselves – because it makes us look at OUR selfishness, OUR judgment, OUR expectations, and OURSELVES. It also shatters the illusions and false views we have held for those in our lives, not to mention the offense itself.

And that brought up an entirely deeper level of this contemplation!  When we have old wounds, even from childhood, I truly believe we are more likely to project onto others our ideas and expectations, which are even more distorted by our old resentments. This, to be blunt, is delusion! Our old wounds and resentments may be completely unconscious, but I contend can often skew our views hugely. These old wounds may have been caused by an entirely different person. For example, I have projected some issues I have had with my parents onto my spouse, in ways that really have no direct connection.  Without much effort of researching this phenomenon, it’s clear that this dynamic is quite normal, not only with newly married couples, but also with employees and bosses, with students and teachers, with parents and our own children — and Christians! When we transfer old unresolved issues onto someone, our idea of that person has very little to do with the person in the current issue, but more to do with “our baggage”.  I have been known to dredge up old issues with people that have nothing to do with the issue, and put all my energy that I have invested into the old resentment. This, of course, can and does destroys relationships.

How do you get out of this? What do you do if someone else’s baggage is being used against you?  I’m not sure—other than by patience, perseverance, and UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. You have to somehow break through the delusion and see who the person really is.

And that got me to thinking – If I am repeatedly irritated by a person that I am close to, it is really NOT their problem, but really MINE. The irritation is MY reaction. The person I am close to is being who they are—and truthfully I must simply accept them with all their character flaws and all. (Though, I find it funny that I think the things that irritate me are character flaws!  LOL)  I need to remind myself – the people in my life are responsible for their own sins, but I can only control and am only responsible for MY REACTIONS.  And I am hoping and praying I get better at reacting IN LOVE.

We have to let go of our resentments of other people, and especially of those closest to us. First, I need to ask myself if I want to be angry, bitter, resentful, and unhappy. Then I have to look at and take responsibility for my own reactions – because convincing myself that “I only did that because you did this or that” is also delusion.  And I need to accept that I can only change myself.  Then, I need to try to see others in my life for who they really are – with strengths and weaknesses, sins and foibles, and CHOOSE TO LOVE THEM, PERIOD. This is the basis of forgiveness. Then, I need to resolve not to let things (big, small, “important”) get in the way of that love. And finally, I need to know myself – if I admit my own sins and shortcomings, it makes me realize it is more difficult for me to judge anyone else for their sins and failings.  That, like it or not, is utter hypocrisy.

Letting go seems hard, but once we do it, we have the most freeing sense of having been liberated from slavery.  And there is no slavery in Christ, so I will no longer allow Satan to entrap me by my own actions and reactions.  To that end, I am committed to praying, asking the Lord to show me my own issues, and to help me to love and forgive. And after that, I need to begin to be quiet (aka NOT REACT TO THE SITUATION), and let Jesus show me the way.  And, He will! Finally, I need to be watchful, so that I don’t allow myself to nurse resentment and bitterness.

Q: What if others show no remore?  What if they don’t even admit they’ve done anything wrong? What should I do?

To be really humble, we should ask for forgiveness when someone tells us they’re hurt – even if we really never meant to hurt the person OR if our motivations were not meant to hurt.  Or even if you feel it’s lame that they’re offended in the first place!  Conversely, when we are offended we need to forgive, even if it’s on our own accord and without them asking to be forgiven.  Jesus forgives EVERYONE, even those who don’t acknowledge Him or even the fact that they NEED forgiveness!  But even beyond the model of our Lord’s forgiveness, it does nobody any good to hold onto offenses and to remember wrongs.  Instead, think how much your life can be blessed and angst removed when the focus changes to how important the relationships you have are to you.  And that removes the need to have people ASK for forgiveness, because the ball is no longer in THEIR court, where you have no control anyway, and remains in YOUR court, where the control lies.  So I have a decision – nurture resentment, bitterness, unhappiness, or forgive even if no remorse is expressed and nurture relationships and love above all else.  Because, the truth is, I cannot force anyone to forgiveness and it’s arrogant for me to think I should be able to when Jesus Himself doesn’t do that…….

Q: I often work through things outwardly; verbally, in email, etc. —yet I often feel awkward or guilty when discussing struggles or issues with another person. What is the right way to talk about a problem with a friend or family member?

I am often intimidated by going directly to the source to discuss issues, because I am afraid to “hurt their feelings”.  So, I often go to others to “get their advice”.  I have friends that do the same thing, and they truly believe (as I have to admit I do) that this is done “all in love”.  But really, we should avoid going to unrelated parties to talk through resentments and bitterness; while they may support my position, they will seldom make me see or take responsibility for my own sin in the breach. And if they DO point out my sin, that may be fertile breading ground for NEW resentment in my life!  And really, especially when passionate “righteous anger” is involved, I really am not good at admitting my responsibility for my own reactions among my friends! That’s not to say that if I have a close and trusted confidant, then I can’t talk it through with them. But they need to be impartial, and I need to begin to avoid trying to justify myself or force the confidant to judge the one who offended me.

It seems better to deal with issues directly with the person involved, and I would suggest email is NOT the best venue.  Sure, send an email to arrange a face to face meeting, as hard as that is, and then walk in LOVE when discussing the issue.  Because, again, when I truly ask myself how important the relationship is, I want to say, “important enough that i don’t want ANYTHING to shatter it!”

Q: How do we cultivate a spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation, so that offenses don’t stick?

We can cultivate a spirit of forgiveness by “never allowing the sun to go down on our anger.” Hey, I can’t take credit for this truth, for God said it and I believe it.  If we allow a resentment to take root, it is OUR sin, no matter what the other person has done to us. Hey, I know we are all human, I get that and emotions have a way of getting the best of us, but for me I need to start realizing my responsibility in this area of my life.  When I realize I am allowing resentment to take root, I need to stop myself, recognize that I am technically no better than the person that hurt me but for Christ, and forgive. Period.  Even to seventy times seven, day in and day out.  It’s what I hope for when I screw up with others, and I need to go there first with those in my life as well.

When someone says or does something to offend me, intentionally or unintentionally, I really don’t need to react in any way. I can simply take it in, and respond appropriately………NOT react. And what is “appropriately”?  LOVE them.  This is the principle of nonreaction. It is based on the realization that our reactions are purely our own responsibility, and not caused by a provocation. The provocations will come, but I can choose to react or not, respond or not. I need to be more like the rocks, which do not react to praise OR offenses!

The more mature I am, spiritually, the greater control I will have over my reactions. In other words, I have to be watchful over my thoughts, and maintain a spirit of LOVE and COMPASSION. When my thoughts accuse others (even when I can declare them justified), and I begin to get upset, then I need to cut off the thoughts and recognize that they are not helpful but instead perpetuate bitterness. These thoughts are more about me than about the other person. The more I let my thoughts against the other fester, the harder it will be to rid myself of them, and resentments will develop. Instead, I need to invest my efforts in the spirits of peace and forgiveness. When I begin to walk with this new attitude, I imagine it will become harder to offend me!  And think about it, if I am offended less often (because, after all, I can begin to control that, now can’t I?), there will be less need for forgiveness and reconciliation!  I look forward to being so mature in Christ that it would be hard to offend me!  I have a long way to go.

Q: When a serious disagreement happens, sometimes it’s hard to be comfortable around that person.  When that happens, what should I do?

If I have a serious disagreement, and cannot speak comfortably with someone, then the botton line is the control is in MY hands.  I (ME, not THEM) need to humble myself and ask forgiveness for having offended them, NOT avoid them or cut them out of my life.  Additionally,  I need to stop waiting for THEM to forgive ME.  I have to take responsibility for my part, which is all I own anyway. The other person can only control their forgiveness for me, and hopefully it will come.  But this I hold to be true, I always need to forgive others when they ask for it.  Period.  And as stated earlier, really I should seek forgiveness, even internally, whether they ask or not.

Q: Why does unforgiveness continue? What does it do to me if I harbor bitterness? What does it do to the other person? What are the corresponding healing virtues?

This section, if you’re completely honest with yourself, it probably going to hurt.  I know I have struggled with this especially in the last few days.

The roots of unforgiveness are PRIDE, VANITY, ARROGANCE, and CONCEIT. If I refuse to forgive someone, it is MY problem. We refuse to forgive because we feel justified in our resentment and bitterness. We cast all the blame and criticism on the other, and blind ourselves to the reality of our own faults. I have done this, and when we allow that to happen, the truth is we live in delusion. To harbor bitterness is unadulterated pride and conceit, and we alienate ourselves from the essence of LOVE, which is really what Jesus has called us to do when He said to LOVE one another. Resentment and bitterness are cancer in the soul, which will destroy us if we do not forgive and become reconciled. Such bitterness is often the root of addictions, which are simply attempts to anesthetize the pain of our own self-condemnation. I torment myself with memories of the wrongs done against me and wallow in self-pity, usually thinking of myself as the “innocent victim”. Usually, that is not reality, though I admit there are some exceptions, such as those who have been abused.

Jesus is the ultimate example of complete forgiveness, of non-reaction, and of authentic humility. He did not attack or curse His captors and tormentors, those who slandered Him, bore false witness against Him, even tortured and crucified Him. “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” We have countless examples of Christian martyrs bearing all kinds of torments and sufferings for Christ’s sake, in a spirit of forgiveness, peace, and reconciliation.  Many had every right in human terms to react, to stand up for their rights, but they didn’t because LOVE, PEACE, and RECONCILIATION were more important.

When we truly are innocent victims of someone else’s sins, the only thing to do is to FORGIVE THEM. If we harbor resentment, we repeatedly victimize ourselves with the sin of the offender every time we remember their wrong and indulge in our resentment. Forgiveness is the only way to healing.

Sometimes people refuse to receive our forgiveness, or claim we “don’t really mean it”. To refuse forgiveness is PRIDE and CONCEIT, SELF-JUSTIFICATION. How often have you tried to witness to someone, sharing with them the Gospel of Christ, explaining the free gift of grace Jesus offers?  If that forgiveness is not received, which unfortunately happens often, we often say the person is too proud to admit they need a savior.  It is also the case when those in our lives reject our forgiveness, and it often comes out as their not wanting to believe it is sincere.  When that happens, pray.  Love.  Forgive.  Because it is for US that we do it, and it should remain because of Christ.

Additionally, we need to forgive ourselves for our failings, of which I have many.  We burn up any love in our life when we refuse to accept forgiveness or forgive ourselves. We cannot accept love when we hate ourselves. I would argue that we can’t love others as Christ loves us if we don’t even accept how amazing His love is!  But it is precisely this divine love which will heal us because it exposes our self-hatred. In self-hatred we are too ashamed to accept forgiveness, are closed in on ourselves, fearing that exposure of ourselves to ourselves. And so we act out. But if we can turn, repent, and begin to let the love of Jesus and of others into our hearts, then that love can begin to transform our souls!!!!!!  Our very beings!!!!!!!

We can only fight against the spirit of pride, unforgiveness, and selfcondemnation with HUMILITY, LOVE, and COMPASSION. Humility does not mean bowing and scraping. Rather, it is being nakedly honest with ourselves and others. We have to speak the truth in love; but we can only do this in the brutal honesty of humility, seeing our OWN sins and realizing the other is no different from ourselves. We can address offenses, but if there is no love in our speech and attitude – if there is not a moment when I can say “hey, I was not acting in love when I did this” or “I messed up here too” – there is no TRUTH, only FACTS. And facts do not heal, only love and compassion can accomplish that.

Q: What does real reconciliation look like? Why does it feel like it’s easier to see broken relationships than reconciliations?

Real reconciliation means COMPLETE and AUTHENTIC ACCEPTANCE of one another, despite sins, offenses, and transgressions.  Let’s face it, sin and offenses are gonna be with us forever.  We need to get over it and move on in love and stop expecting perfection from everyone around us while asking for grace in our own faulty journey.  We must never allow ourselves to criticize and judge one another, because it is ALWAYS hypocrisy. We only judge others because we see in them our own faults and insecurities mirrored back to us. But if we can live in mature forgiveness with others, in humility accepting one another as Jesus accepts us, then our communities and families will be transparent—revealing the Kingdom of Heaven, filled with divine Grace.

The sad reality of our lives, marriages and friendships, is that we are fallen, broken, and passionate. We justify ourselves in arrogant conceit, and refuse to forgive or to see our own faults. So our communities shatter, marriages break up, and friendships end. Ultimately, this is because we put the gratification of our egos as the main criterion of relationships, rather than the humble and unconditional love of the other that is described in the Gospel.  Ouch.  Ouch again.  So my ego is the focus?  Sadly, yes.  And it should not be so.

As I ponder this reality in humility, my first thought is that I suck at forgiveness and reconciliation.  Maybe you’re saying the same thing.  Or maybe you’re reading this and thinking, “none of this applies to me, because I am a very forgiving person.”  If that is true, amen!  But I challenge you to look at the relationships in your life, assess if there are areas where forgiveness and reconciliation (forgiveness in action) can be applied and manifested in 2012.  If so, please ponder these thoughts and perhaps consider taking the steps to moving from bitterness to forgiveness, self to others, arrogance to love.  I am beginning this journey yet again in 2012, maybe for the billionth time, so feel the potential overwhelming stress of it.  But I believe, to my very core, that where Jesus wants me to be is loving others as He loves me……….

The law is so ingrained in us, I will be the first to admit it may take time to even realize how it rules us.  But God, in His wisdom and power, is doing that in my life!

First, picture me I standing at church wearing flip flops.  In the 80’s I called them thongs, but my kids tell me that is inappropriate nowadays.  I stand there teaching Bible Study wearing flip flops and THAT IS JUST WRONG!  I was raised that you should NOT wear these to church and certainly not be on the PLATFORM is such sinful attire!

Oh, clothing certainly is an area that is STRONGLY ruled by the law.  Years ago, when I first became a Christian in a Foursquare church, I was encouraged to wear long dresses and very modest clothing.  Now I am not saying to dress immodestly, but it really felt like the girls in our church were encouraged to dress much more modestly than the boys.  I followed the rules because I wanted to be a good Christian girl, as many of you did as well.  At least we could wear pants and shorts, unlike Deana’s upbringing, but at CHURCH we were told dresses were the best approach.  That even existed when I began to play the drums at church!  I mean, hello – drummers have to sit with the snare between the legs, and I had to wear a DRESS?????  Never mind that, I was told it was more important that “ladies on the platform wear dresses than if they had to sit in a unfeminine manner while there”.  The law for law’s sake is silly sometimes!

And so, to break that, I asked “will it be a sin to wear flip flops today?  Will I feel more holy if I wore closed toe shoes today?”  Now, remember the whole “all things are permissible, but not all things are beneficial” study last week?  I will say it would be VERY inappropriate for me to stand here in a bikini – and I won’t even explain to you how traumatized you would be – but there ARE some reasonable do’s and don’t about these things.  But the LAW that flip flops are “signs of sin” is just hokey.  And what kind of burden do we put in these sort of areas to people we are trying to bring to church so they have FREEDOM IN CHRIST?

“Ah come on, come to church!  We want to love on you!  But make sure you don’t wear flip flops!  God FORBID you come as you are!  Clean yourself up before you come to OUR church.”

Now, this is not a big deal at CCC, where this stereotypical church rule is not as prevalent, but you get my drift?  What is something that YOU feel is required to do before you come to church?  Is it a man made law or requirement?

That can also be true for those who judge people who dress nicely for church – imagine thinking someone needs “more grace” because they came to church in a suit! – it goes both ways!

I am reminded how the Jews who received the grace of Christ struggled with this sort of thing, too.  In fact, even APOSTLES OF CHRIST got into drag out fights over this issue!

Galatians 2:11-21 (Paul is sharing this story)

When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

“We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

“If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

Thousands of years later, are we STILL claiming that righteousness can be gained through our actions and/or the law?

But the law is not as obvious as this in many of our day to day activities.  It often permeates the way we think!  For example, I started my new job this past week and was able to go out to lunch with some of my co-workers.  That was really great, to connect with them outside of the office.  So here we were at In-N-Out Burger and somehow the topic of “being unclean” came up.  One of my co-workers began to explain to us that to Jewish people in Biblical times, if they touched a dead body they could not stay within the city or attend temple activities for about 6 weeks.  And then he went on to share the story of the Good Samaritan.

His version went something like this:

One day a man who was seriously injured laid on the side of the road.  At the same time, a priest who was heading to his duties in the temple was walking down the street.  The priest, wanting to avoid the man, went to the other side of the street and passed him.  In the mean time, the Samaritan – who was the dirtiest of the dirty by the virtue of being a Samaritan – helped the man immediately.  He even paid the inn keeper to care for him and promised to come back and pay any amount due, as long as the man was cared for.

And the moral of the story?  The priest cared so much for God, that he knew he could not touch the man because he would be unclean and then he would not be able to serve God and God’s children for several weeks.  And we, as Christians, could be more concerned about serving God like the Priests of the Bible and yearn to remain clean for God.

Seriously.  No joke.  True story.

But how does it read in the Bible?

Luke 10:25-37, as told by our Lord Jesus (emphasis mine)

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Our Lord did not say that the priest or the Levite acted as neighbors to the injured man.  Instead, it was the Samaritan, the most unclean in their society!  It is clear that the LAW was not lifted up in this parable (aka, do not become unclean) but rather the compassion of LOVE.  And how important it is that we take the time to find out where are “law blinders” are touching on stories where it totally changes the true message!

That leads me to share with you a friend of mine – a former co-worker of mine is an Orthodox Jew.  Now, it may seem that I am picking on her or her beliefs, but that is not what I mean to do.  She is just a great example of what we ALL do in some areas of our lives.

My friend – I’ll call her Laura – was born in Israel although her parents were from Europe.  She has always lived an Orthodox Jewish life.  She observes the Sabbath by observing Shabbat beginning each sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday.  She observes all the religious holidays, studies the Tanakh which is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text’s three traditional subdivisions: The Torah (“Teaching”, also known as the Five Books of Moses), Nevi’im (“Prophets”) and Ketuvim (“Writings”)—hence TaNaKh.  She only eats kosher food (which was fun when we’d go to client sites that made things like sausages!), and follows the law in every way that she could.

And you know, it was great fun to ask her about her beliefs, to compare our views of Bible stories, and ask about certain things.  Like, did you know there is such thing as kosher wine?  When I asked her what made wine kosher, she said basically that is was produced by Orthodox Jews, and the process itself was not special.  But going through these “kosher lessons”, some things were revealed to me.

For example, there were several rules that Laura shared with me related to the Sabbath:

•    You could not cook, so all food was prepared before sunset
•    You could not carry items in or out of your home
•    You could not work (or even have non-Jews serve you!)
•    You could not “light a fire”

But then, when I asked more questions, things got a bit more complex

•    You “could” cook, as long as it didn’t get the food too hot
•    You could probably carry small things outside of the house (such as your Torah)
•    She would NOT work, so that was not an issue.  But some would tell her reading her kindle was sort of like work since she was a computer programmer and the kindle was like a computer.  She didn’t agree with that.
•    “Lighting a fire” was subjective, as many Orthodox Jews believed that also meant you could not turn on electricity during the Sabbath.  Laura didn’t take it that far, but she said sometimes if others were in her house she would at least turn the lights on BEFORE Sabbath and leave them on so that she wasn’t LIGHTING anything……..it was already on.  In contrast, some of her friends went so far as to unplug their refrigerators.

Where is became even more complicated was in the day to day activities at work with Laura.  For example, at our work we had to account for 100% of our time even though we were salaried employees, due to how we billed our clients.  Laura would often say she would enter times very late at night or even early the next morning on days where she knew she needed to leave early, even though she actually worked at different times or even days.

This speaks to a recent Harvard Business Review article that I read that shared many “high moral standard” employees often break the most rules because they feel they stay on the “straight and narrow” so often that a little turn here or there is permissible.

And really, what I am trying to point out that basically, the more rules you create to make you FEEL righteous, the more parameters you will create to circumvent those rules!  And yet, these rules make us feel holy, special, set aside, and so many other things.

And then there are those of us who do all we can to be acknowledged as “good people”.  It reminds me of a church I visited once, where it was preached from the pulpit why members of that congregation were better than everyone else.  Some things the Pastor shared:

•    The men wore suits
•    The woman wore dresses
•    The children went to the church’s Christian school
•    The members NEVER went to movies, few watched TV, and NO ONE listened to worldly music
•    They followed the Bible to a “T”, and sin did not live in their house
•    They only sang songs from hymnals, just as God intended
•    Because of these actions, God listened to these members more than any other souls on the earth.

You get the gist of it.

I am NOT saying any of those activities are wrong or right, just sharing their view of themselves.  In fact, I have to say that I was indirectly called out because it was said that “no woman” in that church would EVER sin by wearing pants, though I was there in such horrible garb!  So, I walked out understanding this – they had arrived and were righteous, at least in their own minds!

And yet, when I went out to my car in the parking lot – the church’s LOCKED parking lot and where they made sure only church members parked – there was a huge dent in my car.  A dent that was not there before I parked my car that morning.  And there was no note saying, “Hey, call me and we can work this out.”

All the things that they were “doing right” did not make them righteous.  And yet, whoever dented my car, if they had Jesus in their heart, was already righteous even though they hit my car and took off!  They were righteous because of CHRIST, not because of anything that Pastor shared…….and their righteousness was not negated by their actions with my car.  At least, if you want to measure it by GRACE!  If you measure by even THEIR law, they blew it big time.  And I must share, I had a hard time swallowing what I had listened to for over an hour and comparing it to my car!

Here is what Paul says about these examples.

Romans 2:17-29 (The Message) – picture yourself and your rules as the Jews Paul is talking to.  Whatever it is that makes you feel holy or the actions you do that makes you feel like you deserve God’s grace:

If you’re brought up Jewish, don’t assume that you can lean back in the arms of your religion and take it easy, feeling smug because you’re an insider to God’s revelation, a connoisseur of the best things of God, informed on the latest doctrines! I have a special word of caution for you who are sure that you have it all together yourselves and, because you know God’s revealed Word inside and out, feel qualified to guide others through their blind alleys and dark nights and confused emotions to God. While you are guiding others, who is going to guide you? I’m quite serious. While preaching “Don’t steal!” are you going to rob people blind? Who would suspect you? The same with adultery. The same with idolatry. You can get by with almost anything if you front it with eloquent talk about God and his law. The line from Scripture, “It’s because of you Jews that the outsiders are down on God,” shows it’s an old problem that isn’t going to go away.

Circumcision, the surgical ritual that marks you as a Jew, is great if you live in accord with God’s law. But if you don’t, it’s worse than not being circumcised. The reverse is also true: The uncircumcised who keep God’s ways are as good as the circumcised—in fact, better. Better to keep God’s law uncircumcised than break it circumcised. Don’t you see: It’s not the cut of a knife that makes a Jew. You become a Jew by who you are. It’s the mark of God on your heart, not of a knife on your skin, that makes a Jew. And recognition comes from God, not legalistic critics.

Stop cheating on Jesus with your own theatrics at righteousness.

Here are some more examples, which I have pulled from Andrew Farley’s book THE NAKED GOSPEL.

First, let’s go back to the times of the Israelites.  Back then they were in the middle of the desert and had their Tabernacle, where sacrifices were made to God.  Imagine one day a priest found a PERFECT lamb, with not one blemish.  The priest rushes to the Israelites and said, “WOW!  I found THE perfect lamb, and after I sacrifice it to the Lord, we will NEVER have to perform any other sacrifices!  ALL of our sins – FOREVER – will be covered!”

The Israelites, in their excitement, accept the sacrifice and then dismantle the Tabernacle and begin to live a guilt-free live “under the blood”, knowing that the perfect lamb has done away with sins once and for all.

Of course, you and I both know this never happened like it is described here.  Instead, the Israelites continued to give animal sacrifices over and over as no single sacrifice was enough to perfectly cleanse them.  Hebrew helps to explain this:

Heb 10:1-2  NIV

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.

Now, WE know as Christians there WAS such a lamb in Jesus Christ, and it is confirmed in the Bible as well:

John 1:29

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Because of Jesus, there is no longer a need for the tabernacle, the temple, or the daily sacrifices.  We have been cleansed ONCE AND FOR ALL.  There is NO method or procedure required for us to remain forgiven.  Instead, we are invited to depend on the onetime sacrifice as the means to lifelong forgiveness, without any strings attached.

1 Peter 3:18 (first portion)

For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.

But maybe you’re like me – heck, like so many of us humans – who thinks, “Yeah, that’s great!  But I need to ASK for forgiveness.  I need to repent.” OR “I need to act this way or that way to prove I am holy” or so many other things.

I may even quote 1 John 1:9 which says

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

I am not a theologian, and this verse is complex when taken out of context.  But let me clarify something very quickly as this is really a different lesson altogether:

•    This is the ONLY verse in the entire NT that says there is a method for maintaining daily cleansing.
•    It is not in Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, or Thessalonians.
•    When 1 John was written, Gnostics has infiltrated the church and popularized the idea that Jesus was only spirit as God would never stoop to the level of being human.
•    Further, Gnostics also did not believe sin existed
•    John was trying to show the Gnostics both views were incorrect.  Because of that, John purposely uses physical words in his opening statement to challenge this Gnostic heresy.  Later, he says that anyone who doesn’t believe that Jesus came in human flesh is NOT FROM GOD (1 John 4:3)
•    As such, John was not talking to true believers, because we know Jesus walked on the earth.  Instead, it was addressed to non-believers, including Gnostics who had entered the church.  In fact he says in 1 John 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us – A direct comment to the Gnostics.
•    True believers in Christ KNOW they have sins that need to be addressed, because to become a Christian you have to admit you’re a sinner!
•    As such, John here is concerned with Unbelievers, encouraging to confess their sins, so that they can accept Christ and be saved.  Or, in other words, the verse is an invitation to become a Christian.  Once you’re a Christian, the confessing is done.
•    Notice verse says, “from ALL unrighteousness”?  There is no one-by-one concept here!

So, let’s break that down and think about this.  I asked myself, “do I REALLY believe that I have the power to control the power of Jesus’ blood to forgive?”

“Do I REALLY believe if I talk to God more and more, he will pour out more of His blood, because He’s holding some back from me now?”

And then I asked myself this: Do I REALLY believe the blood of Jesus was sufficient to bring me a lifetime of forgiveness and cleansing, or do I actually believe it was lacking, and therefore I need to fill in the gap with my own efforts?

Crazy questions, yes?

So let’s talk about and try to understand God’s economy – from the beginning of time, cleansing included BLOOD which covered sin.  The animal’s blood is what covered the Jews, and the blood of Jesus is what covers us today.

Hebrews 9:22 says it this way

In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

But even with knowledge, we push the truth away, saying that this forgiveness is for heaven, but POSITIONALLY on the earth “once and for all” does not work.  Maybe it’s because it feels way too easy!

“You mean I don’t have to do ANYTHING to be forgiven?  That doesn’t sound right.”  My human pride doesn’t want to admit that it really IS a free gift, and that I am not powerful enough to extract my own salvation.  And, truthfully, what would I do if I didn’t have my daily list of sins to feel guilty about anyway?  I mean, I was taught all these years that I need to confess my sins, to ask forgiveness, and take a truthful tally of my sins.

But there’s no blood in those actions, is there?

Do I REALLY believe the blood is only effective in HEAVEN?  That it lacks power here on earth so I need to do my piece?  Aren’t remembering, confessing, asking, and claiming MY powers?

Ultimately, it becomes OUR responsibility to make the cross carry real benefits in the present when we do this……

And that’s just plain cheating on Jesus!  At it’s plain insulting to His sacrifice, don’t you think?

In adopting this fine-sounding belief system, we fail to recognize that the cross is a historical event.  Its effects are already accomplished, no matter what we believe or claim.  Our actions do not cause more blood to be shed.

So I encourage you – start accepting the fact that, as a Christian, you are saved by grace!  Today, tomorrow, it’s done.  Repeat the following truths as much as needed:

•    Only blood brings forgiveness
•    Jesus’ blood will never be shed again
•    Therefore God is SATISFIED
•    And I enjoy lifelong and eternal cleansing
•    Jesus plus nothing!

So without further adieu, everyone who calls him or herself a Christian, in theory, can attest that they’ve been saved by Christ.  That they have been covered by the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for each one of us.  His death, and more importantly resurrection, broke the chains of bondage to sin and has allowed us eternal life as well as provides HIS righteousness for us TODAY.   This miracle is described in our Gospel, as recorded in the New Testament.

Everyone agree?

Yet, many of us do NOT live under grace, or the “Jesus plus nothing” umbrella, but instead have created a hybrid religion.  That is not healthy for us as Christians, nor to the world as we try to proclaim His Truth.  As described in Andrew Farley’s book THE NAKED GOSPEL (quoting Adrew Murray):

“Many Christians still walk in Old Covenant bondage.  Regarding the law as a Divine ordinance for our direction, they consider themselves prepared and fitted by conversion to take up the fulfillment of the law as a natural duty.”

Hannah Whithall Smith, in her book “The God of All Comfort”, put it this way:

“If you Christians want to make us agnostics inclined to look into your religion, you must try to be more comfortable in the possession of it yourselves.  The Christians I meet seem to me to be the very most uncomfortable people anywhere around.  They seem to carry their religion as a man carries a headache.  He does not want to get rid of his head, but at the same time it is very uncomfortable to have it.  And I for one do not care to have that sort of religion.”

Why do we as Christians insist on viewing ourselves as not good enough, or define ourselves by our sins?  How about us Christians who “do and do” and don’t even really have time to interact with our Lord?  Or even feel Him?  Or we are so busy condemning others to even THINK about loving them.  Why are we compelled to do this?  This is not a present day problem, even Martin Luther struggled with this.

Martin Luther, who many would say was a very faithful man and has done so much for Christians for centuries, struggled with guilt.  Yet a large portion of his life was ruled by self-flagellation and other physical abuse in attempt to atone for his long list of sins.

Mother Teresa is another great example, and many of you can say you know she worked endlessly and unselfishly for so many in need.  Yet, in a personal diary entry penned to Jesus, she wrote the following:

I am told God loves me – and yet the reality of darkness and coldness and emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul.  Before the work started, there was so much union, love, faith, trust, prayer, and sacrifice.  Did I make a mistake in surrendering blindly to the Call of the Sacred Heart?

Even after working for over 40 years exclusively for Christ, Mother Teresa struggled for meaning, purpose, and a stable relationship with God!

Can you related to these two amazing Christians, at least partially?

How did this happen to these two, maybe even to us?  Let’s go back in time and do a little research.

In Exodus 24:3,4 and 7, it reads:

When Moses went and told the people all the LORD’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the LORD has said we will do.”  Moses then wrote down everything the LORD had said.  Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey.”

This amounted to 600 commandments in all – more than 350 items and actions to abstain from and nearly 250 actions on the Jewish to do list.  Some actions were even punishable by death!

And how did the Israelite’s fair with these laws?  I think they reaction is best described as a rollercoaster ride!

Psalm 78:56-59 says:
But they put God to the test and rebelled against the Most High; they did not keep his statutes.  Like their fathers they were disloyal and faithless, as unreliable as a faulty bow.  They angered him with their high places; they aroused his jealousy with their idols.  When God heard them, he was very angry; he rejected Israel completely.

But you may say, “he give them a break, they may have not known better!  Maybe if they were knowledgeable on the Lord, they’d fair better!”  So let’s see how the Priests handled God’s commandments:

Malachi 2:1-2

“And now this admonition is for you, O priests. If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor my name,” says the LORD Almighty, “I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not set your heart to honor me.”

Time didn’t seem to help the Israelite’s get their act together, either, for centuries later Saul or Tarsus – maybe the most committed of all – wrote the following:

Romans 7:15

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

So, struggling to do the right thing to feel the presence of God is not a new thing at all.  But maybe Martin Luther, Mother Teresa, even the Israelites had it wrong!

But certainly, you can say, there were many Old Testament Heroes who were SUPER close to God and received great blessings from Him.  Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, even David!  Yet they lacked SO MUCH compared to us if we are to believe the Bible.

Hebrews 11 speaks of the faith so many of these heroes manifested, which saved them or caused great miracles to occur.

11:33-34

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.

11:39

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

So what was this that God had planned, this “something better” than what amazing people received?

The Old Testament defined who could approach God, and how.  So it’s with amazement that I realized though this study that our High Priest, when viewed through the Old Testament , does not meet the requirements to hold this office!  The law requires that a person be from the tribe of Levi to qualify as high priest, yet Jesus was from the tribe of Judah!  This has been confirmed in Hebrews 7:13-14.  Do you agree that no one from the line of Judah has EVER served as priest?  The law forbade it.  That’s because the law and Jesus just don’t mix.

That’s why it’s amazing to read and receive what Hebrews 7:12 says:

For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.

So, with this change of the law, should we live exclusively under Christ’s grace, should we follow the law, or should we combine the two?

My struggle IMMEDIATELY escalates at this point!  I mean, we are ambassadors for Christ and our walk is important when we represent Him, right?  It’s important to live righteously, to be holy, to honor our Lord!  So how can you even PRETEND to ignore the law?

Do you feel me?

But grace is still a contract, with Jesus Christ directly.  In contrast to the old contract that God wrote through Moses, GRACE will never be replaced!  IT IS THE FINAL WORD CONCERNING A HUMAN’S RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!

Hebrews 8:8-9

But God found fault with the people and said:

   “The time is coming, declares the Lord,
   when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
   and with the house of Judah.
 It will not be like the covenant
   I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand
   to lead them out of Egypt,
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,
   and I turned away from them,
            declares the Lord.

God always intended to usher in something RADICALLY DIFFERENT, and that passage clearly states something totally new was coming.  And this new way was going to solve a huge problem – our failure to remain faithful.  Whatever this NEW is, it somehow CAUSES people to remain faithful, even when their own strength fails them!

THERE IS REALLY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE OLD IN ITSELF.  IT SHOULD STILL BE ESTEEMED AS HOLY AND GOOD.  THE ISSUE WITH THE OLD WAS THAT NO ONE COULD OPERATE SUCCESSFULLY UNDER IT.  FOR THAT REASON, GOD ORCHESTRATED A DIFFERENT WAY.

In the new, we have a personal connect with God, as explained in Hebrews 8:10:

This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord.  I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.  I will be their God, and they will be my people.

I want to share a very subtle change in this verse, one that I overlooked for years.  For the writer of Hebrews purposely MISQUOTED the Old Testament; he changed the old testament “my law” to “my laws”.

Contrary to popular teaching, it’s not the law of Moses that is written on our hearts, It’s GOD’S LAWS!  The New Testament speaks to this and Jesus also helps us with this.:

•    The Royal Law –
o    James 2:8 – If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.
•    The Law that Gives Freedom –
o    James 1:25 – But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
•    Jesus’ Commands –
o    Mark 12:30-31 – Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.”
o    John 13:34-35- “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
o    John 14:15 – If you love me, you will obey what I command.
o    “Jesus plus nothing”

Okay, if you’re anything like me, your mind might be filled with “but what about this?” and “what about that?”

So what IS the law for????  The law is there to point unbelievers to Jesus, not to lead believers.

But how can I know I am on the right path if I don’t have a road?  Jesus is the lamp that lights our paths.

1 Cor 10 talks about “all things are permissible, but not all things beneficial”
•    In context of eating meat used for sacrifices to idols
•    Today, it could be drinking around an alcoholic
•    Today it could be having tattoos
•    Neither action is wrong to Christians, but it may cause problems for others OR create a habit that is not beneficial for the believer.  Neither has anything to do with our righteousness in Christ.

So let’s talk a little more about specifics.  Are you hearing me say we should be lawless?

NO.

Am I saying standards like “thou shall not kill” or “there shall be no other gods” no longer matter?

NO.

But let’s put this in context –

•    do rules and regulations make us RIGHTEOUS?
•    If we DO those things, are we focused on our Lord?
•    If we fail on one of those things, do we really believe Jesus has saved us from it already?

The biggest struggle I have with the concept of GRACE over the LAW is the dichotomy they represent.  Yes, I am 100% forgiven, but I need to represent my Lord, and it’s easier for me to do that if I have a list of standards to follow.

But I am telling you, the whole FOCUS changes when you accept that you only need to LIVE under GRACE!

For example, you hear Pastor Bob talk about tithing often.  He tells us this is the only place in the Bible where we are told to test God, to see what He will do.  That is the truth, I believe it.

But when I thought about tithing in the context of the LAW, I saw it very differently.  You see, it was something I had to do to prove I was a faithful Christian.  It was a requirement of mine, established by the Bible.  And in THAT context – I call “the law context” – I approached it one of these ways:

•    With fear – I better tithe or I will be in trouble with God (the church, my Pastor)
•    With rebellion – Why is it a rule anyway?  My church has plenty of money and God can do all things, anyway.
•    With Guilt – after all Jesus did for me, how can I say I love him when I can’t even give 10% of what He gave me?
•    With Appearance – I don’t want others to think I am less of a Christian
•    With Defiance – I’m just not gonna do it.  I will handle my money the way I want to, period.

All of the above have something in common – they are all 100% focused on ME and MONEY!  NOWHERE is my focus on my Lord.

However, when I began to view tithing in the context of GRACE (as I believe Pastor teaches is), it took on a whole new set of clothes:

•    With Truth – Jesus loves me so much, that He died for me so that I don’t have to fulfill ANY requirement
•    With Appreciation – Jesus provides for me so much, thank you Jesus!  Thank you for blessing me with this income.
•    With Freedom – I know I will have a home/food/clothing/etc. no matter what, so I want to give a small portion so others can know this truth too.
•    With Abundance – Lord, you HAVE truly proven Yourself!  The more I give, the more I have – both monetarily and spiritually!

Notice the above, which truly happened to me.  Do you see much talk about money?  ME?  JESUS was the focus!  The law points to US, Grace points to JESUS, even in things such as the standard of tithing!  And the truth is, because Jesus is IN each of us, the closer we draw to our established relationship with Him, the more clearly He will guide us with His Holy Spirit!

Another way I reconciled the dichotomy of Grace and Law was an analogy I heard from my dear friend, George.  And let me tell you, George gets fired up about the Grace we already have in Jesus!  He does NOT want us to be tied down by the Law!

“Breakfast in Bed”

Everyone likes breakfast in bed!  I know I love it!  But breakfast is bed is very different when viewed under the Law!

Let’s say you’re married to the Law.  The Law demands YOU prepare breakfast everyday, right at 7:30am.  That breakfast needs to be exactly on time, perfectly prepared (not too hot, not too cold, eggs over easy, pinch of salt) everyday or else your marriage may be in jeopardy.  Can you imagine the pressure you’d be under each day?  There is no room for mistakes, no room for empathy if you’re feeling unwell, didn’t sleep through the night, etc.  There may even be days when you RESENT the law, and grumble about having to serve breakfast in the first place.  Or, if the eggs are cold (as they are sure to be) you have no recourse to fixing it and the guilt may overwhelm you.

To further complicate matters, this marriage TO the law cannot be ended UNDER the law, because the law says you can only remarry if you are a widow, or your spouse dies.  But you know what?  Here comes Jesus!  HE died, and the Bible tells us that we are crucified with Christ, even though we live!  So, WE died with Christ, breaking that marriage to the Law, and now we are free to remarry Grace.

Romans 7:1-4 says:

Do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to men who know the law—that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.  So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.

Having read that, how do you think Jesus feels if we say we are married to Him and His Grace, but keep going back to visit our old spouse, the Law?  ………..But let’s get back to our breakfast, with our new marriage to Christ:

Now breakfast in bed under Grace is very different.  IN THIS arrangement, JESUS prepared the breakfast each day just the way you like it.  As it turns out, it’s exactly perfect each day – over easy, not too hot, perfect seasoning – everyday, without fail.  And, service is provided with the most amazing love and care!  Day in and day out!  He NEVER fails!

And then suddenly, something amazing happens to you after each breakfast is served!  Suddenly, YOU begin to want to serve JESUS breakfast, and HE says, “oh, that’s okay, I can do it, it’s already prepared!” but you say, “Oh Jesus, I love you so much and appreciate you so much!  I don’t care if I am required to make breakfast or not, I WANT to because I love you!”

Grace CAUSES us to do right, to take on the actions of Jesus.  The Law does not!

Now, maybe you have in your head another situation.  What about those who claim to be Christians, yet they are hypocrites!  Maybe their walk shows no signs of Jesus, maybe they even ridicule the things of the Lord, even as they claim to follow Him!

Well hey, what do Jesus’ commandments say to do?  Love them.

Further, it is usually not OUR job to measure the worth of a man, or to decide his heart.  Now, there are parameters where leaders such as Pastors of this church can address actions or behaviors, but overall Jesus really says to us, “what is it to you?”

Like how Jesus dealt with Peter and John in 21:15-23.  Keep in mind this is after Jesus’ death and resurrection, after Peter denied Christ 3 times.  The disciples were fishing when John see’s a man and says, “It’s Jesus!”  Before you know it Peter jumps out of the boat, swims to Jesus, and soon Jesus and Peter are going over the “Peter, do you love me?  Feed my sheep” conversation.  Jesus goes on to tell Peter he faces a tough death, and ends with FOLLOW ME.

About this time, here comes John, who had NOT swam to shore is a flurry to see Christ.  I can see, even with Peter’s failures in the past, he felt pretty good about himself right now in relation to Christ.  He may have even felt a little competitive with John.  So he looks at mister “mosey on in” and says, “Hey Lord, what about HIM!”  And Jesus’ reply?  You don’t need to worry about him, you need to just worry about following ME!”

So, I encourage you, don’t go back to your first spouse, the Law.  Stop living under that life.  Let Jesus’ grace, which exists inside of you, allow you to grow in Him.  Focus on JESUS, and if others bug you, let Jesus handle it.  Don’t try to read a list to be righteous, walk under grace which has already made you righteous in Christ.  You can succeed by living under this truth – Jesus plus nothing.

Let me step back and share some background with you – and maybe you can relate to this.  A little over a year and a half ago Deana and I were in dire straits.  My job at the time was bouncing payroll checks, was being investigated for IRS fraud, Deana was unemployed, and we were living in Southern California.  Fear often gripped me, not knowing if we would get through the next two weeks if my check bounced, let alone deal with all the stress that was consuming our lives.   During this time I was slowing thawing to the idea of going back to “organized church”, the establishment that I had ran from since coming out and being viciously treated.  Our family slowly began attending Glory Tabernacle and, in the midst of what I felt was the darkest point in our lives since coming out, we began to stop focusing on the horrible situation we found ourselves in and started welcoming back the Lord into our lives.

Long story short, through what has to be nothing but a miracle, I received a job offer in Dallas.  It included perfect timing, the pay I requested, the type of job I wanted – you name it, I WAS AMAZED and rejoiced at what the Lord had done.  And He also brought Deana, me, and the kids to Crossroads Community Church, where we have found forever spiritual family members and have grown so much in the Lord!  It was wonderful!

So, this is where I tell you that I learned to not stress, to live in the fact that I am  King’s Kid, and trust in the Lord.  But I can’t…….

You see, the honeymoon period of my new job wore off within 6 months, and before I could say “can I have a raise”, I was writing my practice resignation letter – full of vinegar, I might add – and sending out resumes.  It’s not really important WHY I was feeling that way, more that how I reacted to my situation.  I asked for prayers, I prayed, and everyday the anger inside of me grew, the fear in me grew, the feeling of dissatisfaction almost consumed me at times.

Oh, my faith was strong at this point – I KNEW I could pray to God and He would help.  I mean, he helped me find THIS job in the prefect timing, right?  And the Bible assures me of this as well, too.

1 John 5:14-15 NIV

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

So I would take this Truth – you all agree the Word is living and true, right? – and I prayed like this:

“Lord Jesus, I know You hear me!  If it is your will that I find a new job, then make it happen!”

And then the cycle would continue!  No new job, not even a NIBBLE on my resumes!  And the things that bothered me the most at work were growing – more people bothered me.  More issues that I felt were wrong appeared.  I would try harder to shine the light of Christ throughout my day, but inside bitterness was taking hold of me.

Now, I think it would have been good for me to remember at this point the following verse – turn to Proverbs 20:22 NIV

Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!”  Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.

Some days I was interested in deliverance, I wanted revenge.  I wanted to file claims against my firm, contact the media, you name it – I WAS JUSTIFIED!  And I don’t know about you, but I was not walking in the Truth that I was a Child of God.  I was letting my frustration, my anger, and my impatience rule me.  Further, I don’t think I was even thinking about MOVING in the truth that I could truly expect Jesus to ANSWER my prayers.

Let’s check out Romans 5:1-5 NIV

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

You see, I was out of whack.  I was not feeling the follow:

•    Peace
•    Faithful
•    Appreciation (or rejoicing)
•    Hope
•    I was NOT persevering
•    My character was NOT being improved!

Instead of was feeling:

•    Anger
•    Fear
•    Worry
•    Bitterness
•    Impatience
•    Apprehension
•    Vindication
•    The list goes on…..

I think you get the drift!

So let’s recap:

•    Gina and family in bad situation
•    God saves Gina and family miraculously
•    Gina and Family start walking in the Truth of who they are in Christ?  NO!
•    Gina and Family find themselves in the same mess, different city

While all this was going on, miracles were still happening in our lives by no power of our efforts;

•    Deana found an amazing job with the City of Dallas
•    We have learned to walk in faith in other areas of our lives, such as tithing
•    We built and moved into a brand new house, which is a story in itself!
•    We have watched our children grow in their own faith
•    I was continually receiving God’s favor at work, winning prizes, iPad, money, getting bigger and more important accounts…..

And yet this issue with my work remained for over a year!  I sincerely prayed, put my petitions in the prayer box, and TRIED with my own efforts to make this thing happen.  It now went like this:

“Lord, I know I have inherited everything you have as my own, I know I am your child with Your full authority on earth.  If your will says there is a new job for me out there, I believe it and received.  Please make it so.”

And then Pastor started a series and once again started proclaiming the truth as derived from 1 John Chapter 5 –

•    We KNOW we have salvation in Christ
•    We can trust Jesus to not fail us
•    We should be like Jesus and not worry about the details
•    If you have Jesus, you have HIS life and He will not flake on you!

And then Pastor challenged us –

•    BELIEVE IT
•    Live like it’s TRUE
•    Not as proof that we are Christians, but because it strengthens our relationship with Jesus.

Now, let me tell you, half of me is Type A – I like control.  Relying on Christ is not fleshly easy for me.  And I am not going to stand here and tell you I walked out of church and everything fell into place.  But I started “doing” what Pastor encouraged us with instead of just “ACCEPTING” or “KNOWING”.

•    I acknowledged that I still needed to learn something from the Lord – Hosea 4:6a – my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.
•    I knew I needed to rely on my faith in Christ.  Romans 10:17 – Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
•    I told myself, even when it was just words, that Jesus has got this

Jesus knew the desires of my heart, yet all along I never really believed that He would answer MY prayers.  Somehow, despite all that He had done for me and my family, I didn’t walk in the knowledge that He’d really provide me a new job.

Then, as I was preparing our home Bible Study, the following truths were revealed to us:

Romans 8:32 – He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Hebrews 6:18 – God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.

“Jesus has got this, and I can trust Him”  God cannot lie.  It’s not that He won’t lie – He is not able to lie.  If He could, He would lose His identity as The God of Truth.  SATAN is a liar!  He wants us to believe we are powerless.  In Christ, we have the keys to walk in victory.  God has given us power through His Son, and Jesus’ death and resurrection has already defeated Satan.  This truth means that God has removed every hindrance.

Colossians 2:15 – And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

“Why was I focused on getting revenge, when it has already been dealt with?”

2 Peter 1:3 – His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

“There is nothing else I need to MOVE IN THE TRUTH that I will have that new job I wanted”

Hebrews 12:1 – Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

“It’s not too late for me to learn this lesson.”

I was determined that my attitude would change, but here’s another truth – often, the more you walk in the Truth, the more Satan stirs up trouble.  I left for Alice TX, a small town near Corpus Christie, for a client engagement that Monday.  While I was on site Tuesday and Wednesday, all of a sudden several co-workers became very belligerent with me, and in ways that had never happened before.  Some were outright lying, and others became so enraged that they were very hurtful.  I was out in the middle of nowhere, at first wondering what the heck was going on!

I ain’t gonna lie, there were moments when this was happening when I easily fell into my old habits, but the Holy Spirit in His loving-kindness reminded me to walk in His Glory, not the circumstances that surrounded me.  On Thursday, as things were building and it felt for the first time that my job might even be in jeopardy, I prayed then went to Monster.com because of my whole “you need to act in the truth” thing, which is a little different than “I’ll show you”.  I applied for the first two jobs in the list – one for an Accountant Position, the other a mix of accounting and software support similar to what I am doing now.  I could NOT tell you anything about either job as I just felt I needed to act and stop wallowing in my fear at that time.

So Thursday continued and Satan certainly was not letting up, but through the Power of Jesus I just kept saying to myself, “I will not be robbed of God’s Glory.  You have no power over me.”  And this is what happened next:

•    I got an email saying from a person named Melanie, “Gina, we received your resume and would really like to talk to you!”  I was at the client site, so couldn’t even check what job this was for, but still ……
•    I replied to the email and a 3pm phone interview was scheduled during my trip back to the airport.  At this time I found out it was the software position and I was able to research them a bit.  The call went VERY well, but was told the hiring manager would be going on vacation, so I might not hear more until after 8/8.
•    By the time my plane landed at 7pm that night, I had a new email saying the hiring manager wanted to talk to me the next day.  Now, Satan was in full force, because one of the owners of my current job had blown up right before my flight.  But as I replied to that email, I said “Jesus, you provided me a new job and I will NOT let Satan turn my face from you.  He can go to hell!”
•    The Friday call went VERY well and the hiring manager Johnny said he’d like to meet with me the day he returns from vacation on 8/8.  However, shortly afterward Melanie called and said the company didn’t want to wait that long, so one of the owners was flying out the following Wednesday to meet with me.  I was amazed!!!!!

Then low and behold, here come Shaw teaching on Sunday – last week -  and sharing her story about praying for her foot to be healed.  If you were here, I am sure you remember it.  But if you were NOT here, here is the gist of it:

•    At first she’d pray something like this: “Lord, if it’s in your will to heal my foot, I receive it” and then would later ask her foot, “How you feeling?”  Does that sound familiar?
•    But after realizing the TRUTH that we are ALREADY healed, she changed her stance to something more like this, “Jesus, I receive the healing you’ve already provided and thank you for healing my foot.”  Then, if her foot started giving her hints of trouble, she’d say “Foot, you need to align yourself with the Word!”  She went from a life-long foot problem to being HEALED.

So I began last week with a new attitude, and was often gently reminded by Deana, that I can and should LIVE IN the Truth and ACT ON the Truth of my position in Christ.  So I changed up my prayer:

“Lord, I no longer want to focus on my problems at work, but instead focus on You.  I will no longer fight my way through each day with myself and other people.  I will let You reign over every situation and not worry about getting revenge.  Most importantly, WHEN I receive the new job that you’ve already provided for me, I will share the miracle of who You are and all you’ve done.”

I walked into work Monday and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, there WAS a change!  Now, don’t forget the previous week had several issues that should have put me in a state of fear or at least encouraged me to come in fighting.  However, in areas where I disagreed with approaches or issue, I voiced my concern very diplomatically, but didn’t escalate to the previous arguments that were my norm.  This type of thing happened all day, to the point where several different co-workers asked me, “are you okay?”.  My reply was “Well, yes I am!”  And that reminded me of Pastor’s sermon last week from Mark where the people were afraid when the crazy person was no longer crazy.  ☺

Wednesday came and I met with Chuck, one of the owners, and I walked into that interview with several praying for me and with my cloak of the Truth surrounding me – THIS WAS A DIVINE APPOINTMENT AND JESUS HAS GOT THIS.  I was NOT nervous, I was NOT anxious.  Everything went well.  And, bottom line, I was offered the position the next morning at 8:05am – one week to the day I applied!

This job was 100% provided by my Lord, through no real effort on my part, and I truly believe all I really needed to do on my side is walk in the Truth of who I am in Christ.

I don’t know what you’re in the middle of, but I leave you these two verses:

Psalm 27:1 NIV

The LORD is my light and my salvation—
   whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
   of whom shall I be afraid?

Phil 3:12-16 (The Message)

I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.

So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it.

Before I start this installment, I have to share something. I want to share that Deana has THE WORST basketball technique I’ve every seen.  Her shooting form is HORRIBLE.  Her dribbling?  It’s really good, but I can’t say you’d see it in the NBA or even the WNBA.  She is not the fastest runner.  And, you may not have noticed, but she’s kind of short.  She is not what I’d call the stereotypical basketball player.

HOWEVER, I have to confess in all humility – because isn’t that a noble characteristic to emulate? – 9 out of 10 times I’ve played against her, she’s whooped my butt.  One on one, on a team – you name it, she wins!  And that’s something this well-trained basketball player will never quite live down.  ☺

So let’s begin this Bible Study!

Thank you for reading the previous two installments!  Today I will give you a Clift Notes version of the last two weeks:

•    I coached girl’s basketball for many years
•    My team could be best described as the Bad News Bears of basketball
•    I learned many things when interacting with the girls, and I shared details on two girls who taught me -
•    You can’t look at life merely as a sinner saved by grace, because as Christians we are God’s righteousness – aka Kings Kids saved by grace
•    Conversely, you can’t become arrogant in the fact we belong to the King, or even in our own accomplishments, because we should only boast in Him NOT in our own meager efforts
•    And finally, the male coaches viewed me as inferior due to my gender

So now on to this week’s study!

You’ve probably picked up that the view the other coaches had towards me and my team kind of brought out the competitiveness out in me.  I often refer to that as the “booya factor” – loosely translated as “I will show YOU!”

Now, I’ve never shied away from competition and, in and of itself, I don’t think it’s bad.  I often view it this way – when I run by myself (which, admittedly, doesn’t happen as often as it used to!), it’s very different than when I run against someone else – if I am racing someone, I run MUCH faster and longer!  That’s because competition often brings out the best in us, pushes us to bring more to the table and challenges us to go beyond what we think we’re capable of.  Heck, the Apostle Paul himself says in 1 Cor 9:24, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”

So, I felt pretty justified in pursuing the “booya factor” against the other coaches; because, after all, their opinion of me was based on my gender, NOT on my skills or anything remotely related to ME.  And I had already decided, and proven to some extent, that the girls on my team could overcome their lack of basketball skills.  And I KNEW there was nothing wrong with being the best we could be, which is a Biblical concept, right?  So I walked in that belief.

Now, first I need to clarify, the other coaches DID have some things right; I WAS different than them in many ways.

•    As I’ve shared already, I tried to connect with the girls on levels beyond basketball; I learned about their lives, talked to them about serious and goofy things, even attended non-basketball events like recitals or family functions.  Those steps were VERY different from many of my male counterparts – although I admit some did the same type of thing.
•    My coaching philosophy was distinctly female
o    The girls were NEVER supposed to back talk the ref, even if the calls were horrible (and they often were).  Rom 13:1-2, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”
o    I was often more encouraging that my male counterparts
•    I chose not to yell corrections or share frustrations from the sidelines, especially when errors occurred, but instead tried to remain positive on the sidelines.  Eph 4:29, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
•    While fostering competition, I emphasized that the girls should respect the players on the other teams, aka “their enemies”.  This often included acknowledging good plays, saying sorry for fouls, etc.  Matt 5:43-4  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”
•    Immediately after each game, whether we won or lost, I spent a few minutes pointing out what each team member did RIGHT and never addressed their mistakes.  That was saved for practice, where I could show them how to avoid the errors in the future.
o    My plays were often more geared at fostering teamwork than making the fast basket
•    Most plays required at least three players receive a pass before a shot was attempted
•    I always chose the weakest shooter for technical foul shots
•    If our team was more than 10 points ahead, we dropped to a zone defense vs one-on-one coverage.

Each game we played fed everyone – me included.  We bonded, we became more connected with each other.  We truly cared about each other.  Even the girls on the other teams started hanging around us afterward, and we welcomed them.  We were creating an atmosphere of acceptance, love, and kindness – so different from “the normal” team structure that existed at the Y at that time.

And here I’d like to give you a cool example of acceptance this team fostered.  One of my girls was named Ann, who happened to be an immigrant from Vietnam.  She spoke PERFECT English, and she and her sister were very hard workers on my team.  However, their mother and other relatives spoke very little English and were very clearly non-American.  Each week one of the team members would bring snacks to share after the game.  When it was Ann’s turn, she was MORTIFIED to realize her mother had brought homemade egg rolls!  She WAS MORTIFIED, I can’t emphasize it enough!  In fact, she snapped a bit at her mother because of it!  Yet, I was blessed to see the other girls react with excitement – telling Ann that this was the best snack anyone had EVER brought to a game!  Let me remind you, this was NOT a normal reaction for this age group, as usually they were very catty!  So I was extremely blessed.  And truthfully, the girls were RIGHT; I tell you – and Deana can confirm this – I begged Ann’s mom to bring me some egg rolls each week they were so good!

But, here comes the full disclosure factor – these characteristics I had implemented sound pretty noble don’t they?  I think so.  And, on the surface, I honestly and sincerely believed my philosophy was right for my girls long term as I had already decided my focus was not going to be just on the scores and stats.  And I was proud of that decision.

But it’s easy to have this philosophy when you’re handed a team that, deep down inside of you despite all the words you share about scores not mattering and that all things can be accomplished through Christ that strengthens us – I deep down believed that we could NOT compete in this league.  Not so much because I was a female coach OF COURSE, but because…….well……..my team really WAS BAD!  So it was SAFER – at least subconsciously – for me to focus on this “higher standard philosophy” than act like the other coaches, because I could focus on an area where we might succeed.

It loses a bit of its luster in that light, doesn’t it?

However, as I’ve eluded to the last two weeks, by the grace of God my team was meshing together.  I had players like Carol that began to face fallacies she perpetuated about herself, and in doing so she stepped into the truth…..one of which was that she was an awesome defender for our team!  I had Stephanie, who had amazing skills that became an Atomic Threat once she learned how to be a team player.  The rest of the girls grew in the process as well, honing basketball skills and such.  But because of my basketball philosophy, the pressure I believed threatened the other teams didn’t exist for us.  And the strength of the team was such that we became a formidable force to recon with!

Before I knew it, we were tied for first place and I realized I might really be able to implement the booya plan after all!!!!!

Before you start woohoo-ing and clapping, you know a shoe is about to drop……..

When I realized we were successful, something in me changed.  I started to WANT to win – my focus was no longer on the girls and the overall goals that I had established.  My heart was not on developing them as people first, and worrying about the scores later.  I morphed into a new person:

•    I began changing my game plans to include more fast breaks, less passes, etc.
•    My pre-game talks were very different; I emphasized scores, speed, scores, emphasized the need to win, etc.
•    My post-game chats began to be complain-fests, calling out all the mistakes (big and small) and sharing elaborate plans to punish any player that didn’t perform at optimum levels.

Ah, if only I had remembered immediately the following verse!

Ecclesiates 4:4-6 The Message, “Then I observed all the work and ambition motivated by envy. What a waste! Smoke. And spitting into the wind.  The fool sits back and takes it easy, his sloth is slow suicide.  One handful of peaceful repose is better than two fistfuls of worried work— more spitting into the wind.”

How true is it that competitiveness can be such a good thing when our focus is pure, yet turn into a waste when the focus gets corrupted?  And there’s more that happens…….

Gal 6:7-8, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

In my excitement to show the male coaches how lame – oops, I mean WRONG – they were, I totally changed my views and actions, and I began to sow destruction for my girls!

•    I was no longer connecting with the girls.  All I talked about – all I CARED about – was basketball and winning.
•    My coaching philosophy became a mirror of the very thing I detested the most in the male coaches!
o    I began hooting and hollering – oh heck, I was full out yelling at the girls during the game, mostly in frustration when they’d make mistakes.  Prov 15:18, “A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.”
o    My unbalanced focus on competition caused the girls to begin to DISrespect the players on the other teams, arguing with them and talking trash.  2 Tim 2:23-24, “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.”
o    This attitude was pointed towards the refs too, and sadly the girls learned that behavior from watching me as I evolved into this new, crazy person.
o    There was not anything about me or my actions that encouraged ANYONE or bred teamwork.
o    Interestingly enough, we started to have injuries, our scores went down, my frustration level went up…..and the cycle continued downward…..

Sigh.

When this change began to happen, I went home after an especially painful loss and turned to God (well, perhaps RETURNED to God) and asked Him what the deal was.  I mean, why would He bring us SO FAR only to have us face this downturn?  And at that moment the Lord reminded me of a very interesting person in Biblical history.  I am not a patriarch by any means, but this story resonated with my situation.  Now, I never read about basketball in the Bible, and this may be a little stretch in details, but trust me, I resonated with it!

1 Samuel tells us about how God decided to replace Saul as King.  He sends Samuel to the house of Jesse.  Jesse, as I am sure you know, had lots of strapping sons to choose from, and selecting from this man from the tribe of Judah also aligned with what had been declared in Isaiah Chapter 11.  And I am sure you all agree that when Samuel was sent to meet with Jesse, no one immediately thought David would be the son chosen.  Actually, SEVEN sons were considered before David was even summoned!  David, at this point in his life, represented the underdog – the one who didn’t really fit the bill of “normal”.  The one who, on the surface, didn’t seem even a possible option.  Maybe, he could have even been part of a “Bad News Bears” team……

Yet, despite the knowledge of that time, despite logic we even use today, David was quickly chosen by God via Samuel as “the one”.  The Bible tells us that David was anointed with oil in anticipation of his great mission in the service of Yahweh, and the Holy Spirit came upon him, that he might be given the strength to do all that was before him.

And let’s face it, David didn’t arrive at this point, but instead he had some big struggles to face.  First, there was King Saul, who was the acting King at this point.  King Saul took David under his wing, and for David’s part he was a faithful servant to the king even knowing that God had called him to great things.  He was humble, was not arrogant, was patient, and cared about King Saul.  He definitely didn’t plot against Saul at any time.  And in focusing on God’s will instead of his own ambition, David was blessed.

For Saul, on the other hand, his reliance on himself created different outcomes: fear, anxiety and a lack of peace.  Once Saul defied the Lord through pride and disobedience the Holy Spirit left him, and was replaced with an evil spirit that tormented him.

But the first challenge to David was yet to come, as the odds are stacked against him in the eyes of the world.  Goliath, a huge Philistine, was challenging the Israelites to a one on one dual.  You know the drill – no one wanted to face Goliath because, well, everyone knew they’d lose – and they were NOT playing basketball!  But David went forward and shared with King Saul that he was not entirely inexperienced.

1 Sam 17:36-37 tells us David said, “Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Notice, even in this, David is not boasting about his OWN talents, but that the LORD had saved him and empowered him, and David trusted that He would do it again!  David’s focus was pure, his confidence was with the Lord.  It’s with this confidence that David faces Goliath, stating in 1 Sam 17:45-47, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

Again, by David’s own words, GOD triumphs over Goliath, NOT David.  His focus was pure.

And we know how this went down – although David grabbed more than one stone, he felled Goliath with just one, right in the middle of his head.  He becomes a hero overnight and receives much acclaim, many saying David was greater than Saul!

And this brings the next phase of troubles for David.  Instead of responding with gratitude for his own blessings and an appreciation of the good qualities of David, Saul becomes supremely envious.  He begins to scheme to have David killed, and became more and more unhappy as David continued to prosper.  For his part, David treated the King with nothing but loyalty and obedience, and the Lord continued to favor him in all his undertakings.  Saul became so mean that finally David had to flee to save his own life.  Yet, even though David KNEW he didn’t deserve this reaction from Saul, he honored his King.  In fact, David had an opportunity to kill Saul – the time when Saul didn’t know David was hiding in the cave.  Yet, David remained focused on God’s will, as Saul was the anointed leader of God’s people, and therefore David spared his life.

2 Samuel goes on to tell us that, after Saul dies, David was raised up to become the King of Israel.  He had amazing prosperity, major power, and continued to follow God.  He had the world at his feet!  This man, from humble beginnings, became great as he served his God!  He truly rose beyond what anyone expected!  In fact, chapters 5-9 tell many details of all of David’s successes:

•    God’s Earthly Dwelling—David captures Jerusalem (5); God resides in Zion (6)
•    God Promises David an Eternal House/Dynasty (7:1–29)
•    David’s Military Might (8:1–18 & 10:1-19)
•    David’s Amazing Mercy – Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan (9:1–13)

As I sat considering this story, sitting at home, I was reminded of how far my girls had come despite all that was stacked against them.  They learned to rely on each other, to respect authority, and their focus was pure.

Then, God reminded me that David didn’t always remain on top.  2 Samuel 11 begins to tell a very different story.  To me, sitting in my home, I realized this story I had read so many times revealed to me how changing focus could bring serious consequences to lives – including mine!

In this account, we learn that David sent Joab to lead the war instead of fighting in it himself.  David had been involved with past battles, but this time he decides to stay home in Jerusalem. Maybe his newfound greatness started going to his head.  Maybe his focus was changing.  And when he was in Jerusalem, an interesting thing happened – he sees a beautiful woman bathing.  And David, who had overcome so much and defeated so many adversaries to date, could not overcome his desire for her.  David uses his authority and power as King to have Bathsheba brought to him – he sleeps with her, and to his horror finds out that she becomes pregnant.  To add insult to injury, he tries to cover up his sin by calling her husband back from the war in hopes that he would sleep with her!

What a terrible betrayal this is against her husband, Uriah. Uriah was a Hittite – a foreigner – that accepts the God of Israel as his own.  For years, he had devoted his life to the service of David, and this is how his King responded?  We know where it goes from there – when Uriah doesn’t go to his wife because he doesn’t want to receive comforts when his comrades are fighting, David sends him back to battle and sets up a plan with Joab to make sure Uriah is killed in battle.  The king then rushes to marry Bathsheba in hopes that the pregnancy doesn’t reveal their sin.

To sum it up, David went from an amazing and God following King to an adulterer and murderer!  And you know what?  God responded.  2 Samuel Chapter 12 brings Nathan onto the scene, who clearly calls David out and explains what the king’s actions mean for the future.

•    The child he conceived in sin with Bathsheba, a son, would die
•    The sword would never depart from his house.  And boy was there strife!  I won’t even list out that drama!

David’s focus had become corrupted, and because of that everything started to fall apart.  Much like what I was experiencing, although my situation was on a much smaller scale, thank goodness.  Yet, in God’s great love He reminded me that David realized his errors and turned back to God.

After Nathan makes David realize how far he had fallen from God, David wrote Psalm 51, and today we will review verses 1-5

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Let’s review these verses:

Verse 1: “Give mercy” means “do not hurt me although you SHOULD hurt me”. Another way to say this is “have mercy”. “Blot out” is *like putting black paint on a picture so that you cannot see it.

Verse 2: David wants God to wash away the bad feeling … what we call the guilt … that comes when we do wrong things. Then he will feel clean.

Verse 3: “Always in front of me” means that “I keep on seeing it so that I know that I have done wrong”.

Verse 4: Though David killed Uriah, it was God’s law that he did not obey. So David feels that it is only God that he has *sinned against.

Verse 5: David says that when he was born he had a tendency to *sin. This means that he often wanted to *sin even though he knew that it was wrong. We are all born with this tendency. Christians call it “original sin”.

Verse 7: Hyssop was a plant. The Jews used it to paint blood on the wood over their doors when they remembered the Passover. It is the blood of Jesus that makes us clean. “Whiter than snow” is a Jewish way to say “very, very clean”.

These verses show me that, even though David blew it big time, his acknowledgement of it was important.  But the key point here is really God remained faithful and forgave David, even though we know David’s life had real and serious consequences for his sin.  But, it instilled in me hope because, let’s face it, I had blown it pretty badly with my team, too!

So it was with a contrite heart that I turned to the Lord, and then I went back to my girls.  I apologized to them.  I told them how wrong I was for changing my focus – that when the focus became MY insufficient and selfish focus – everything went awry.  That is was more important to focus on each other and what we could do together instead of winning.  And finally, and ultimately, that my need to BOOYA the other coaches by beating them all was incredibly wrong of me!

So, now is where I tell you that we made it to the championship game, ironically against the coach that was the most vocal about the superiority of male coaches.  He also epitomized the touch coach stereotype that I fought against.  In a phrase, this was the Star Wars of basketball games!

Would you be disappointed to hear that we lost this game, that all our hard work brought us to this point, but we held firm on focusing on each other and didn’t focus on the court????

But wait, I missed another key point.  Do you remember why I even became a coach in the first place?  Hmmmmm, it is almost hard for ME to remember, so let me remind you.  My daughter – she wanted to play basketball.  This was going to be a way for she and I to spend more time together, especially now that she was getting into those weird teenage years.  In all my efforts – good and bad – she often took the back seat.  I mean, I didn’t want to be one of THOSE coaches that should their own kid preferential treatment!  So instead, I was harder on her, I spent less time connecting with her as I worked with the other girls, and I didn’t rain down compliments on her as often as I should have.

So picture this game – it was a tough one and we were at the end – 4 seconds left in the game.  We were two points behind.  We had just been fouled on the floor, at the other end of the court from our basket.  For those of you who don’t know basketball, that meant we had possession but not that we could shoot a free throw.  I called a time out and told the girls they had played an AMAZING game, that when you look back to when we first met, the fact that we had made it so far and they could feel the pride in that.  Inside, I knew we had not much chance that we would win, but again – the score was not the focus.

That’s when Stephanie jumped in – she had an idea of a play.  Not wanting to discourage them, I said they could do whatever they wanted, this was THEIR PLAY.  I reminded them that they had 4 seconds, they had to work REALLY fast!  And then I let them go huddle and plan.

Picture if you will – Carol had the ball to toss in, Stephanie (the star) was heavily covered – I think three players were on her – though she did a great job of trying to break free.  Ann, another player named Marissa, and my daughter Kirstie moved around as well.  Suddenly, Carol threw the ball in and as if in slow movement Ann got the ball.  Ann quickly passed to Kirstie, who had just taken a hard push, and as she stood at the free throw line on the OPPOSITE side of the court, Kirstie threw the ball up with the biggest arch you’ve ever scene.  Right after the ball left her hands the buzzer sounded, so that meant the ball was in play.  As it flew through the air, the room grew silent.  Suddenly, the ball fell towards the basket – it was going to be close – and hit the back rim.  It bounces straight up – almost 10 feet high, as the other team and their fans began to cheer at the missed basket.  However, the ball was now falling, and I am still shocked to report that thing went right through the basket!

Picture the amazement on ALL of our faces, the silence of the room, as we watches the ball bouncing on the court, shocked that it had gone through the basket.  In utter shock the ref looked around, raised his arms to indicate the basket was worth 3 points, as the room filled with amazed cheers, shouts of disbelief, and utter chaos.

That’s right, our team had won!

Wait, our team had won BY A MIRACLE SHOT!

That shot was made by my daughter, who I had neglected throughout the entire process!

I don’t think that was a mistake, do you?  I don’t think it was a fluke thing.  And I am not making this up for dramatic effect!

And I don’t think I had any claim to say booya to the losing coach, because it sure felt like God won that basketball game!

So today, please remember this –

Don’t lose your focus.  Ask God to remind you what your focus should be.  And your focus should never forget the relationships involved, because God is all about relationship.  If you forget the focus or replace it with your own, follow David’s example of repentance.  And never, ever, forget that God is your wing man, because His timing can be pretty darn awesome!

For those of you who did read part 1, we talked about how our views of ourselves can skew the reality of who we are in Christ and how God views us as well.  We talked about how we often need to redefine, reframe, and rebrand these views to align with God’s truth.  Too often we go through life believing we are a certain personality or define ourselves a certain way.  Some of these views can be healthy, such as thinking you are a quick learner.  Others can become an albatross around your neck, like believing you will always struggle financially.  This process of thinking, or viewing ourselves, also manhandles our spiritual lives, and like other areas of our existence, we get set in our ways, and these views control us in ways that God never intended them to.

We began the process of reviewing these views by using my years of coaching basketball for girls 12-15 years old and how their view of themselves mirror many of the struggles we face in our own lives.  The first life I shared was that of Carol, who truly believed she was worthless and she brought nothing to the table, and like myself in view of who I am in Christ, we covered how she grew to the point of knowing she had talents – just as we learned we are the righteousness of God and instead of “sinners saved by grace”, we are “the King’s kids saved by grace”.  I have learned that making adjustments on the definition of who I am has huge impact on how I see God, how I see myself as His Ambassador, and how I can allow myself to be used by Him as He sees fit.

Today, I am going to continue the theme of reviewing my basketball coaching days and focus on another team member – Stephanie.  To share with some of you who may not have read part 1 – I was somewhat at a disadvantage, as the male coaches didn’t feel I would offer them much competition as a female coach.  Further, I had been given a motley crew as a team, pretty much the Bad News Bears of basketball teams.  However, knowing that God promised that I could do ALL things through Christ, I knew SOMETHING good was going to happen with this team, regardless of how we appeared on the scoreboard.  I began to get to know the girls on a personal level and connect with them emotionally as well as on the court.

Last week we talked about Carol, who came to my team with not much talent.  Today we are going to talk about Stephanie, who sat on the other side of the spectrum.  She brought A LOT of talent to the table; she could dribble very well with both hands, was quick on the court, had a very good shot, and seemed to sense what needed to be done during plays without a ton of direction.  On the surface, she was the best player I had on my team, hands down.  To be completely candid with you, I felt a real sense of relief when I first saw that she was on my team!  I said to myself, “well, at least we’ll score SOME points with Stephanie on the team!”.  And, well – she fed very nicely into my overall plan of showing the male coaches what I was made of – you know, the whole “booya” thing…….

But what was less evident, at least initially, was that Stephanie had her own hang ups.  She was not a team player at all; in fact, if she had it her way, she’d score all the points, make all the plays, and be THE team if she could.  But if you’ve ever played basketball – or any team sport – you know that this is not very reasonable OR effective.  Further, there were things Stephanie could learn and I was more than willing and able to teach her, but she would not have anything to do with it.  She told me straight out she knew everything her 14-year-old basketball-playing body needed to know!  “Listen Coach,” she’s say as she rolled her eyes, “go show the other girls what you have to show them.  They need you’re your attention, but I have got this down.”  Added to the mix was a very harsh and arrogant attitude towards life in general.  She had, as I liked to call it, “major attitude”, and the other girls on the team were not too fond of Stephanie either, especially the ones that didn’t have natural basketball skills.  Stephanie didn’t foster a teaching spirit with them, but actually alienated most of them.

As I was reviewing my memory of Carol and how her life reflected pieces of my own spiritual walk, I realized there are aspects of Stephanie’s life that exist in my spiritual life as well, or at least remind me of others I’ve encountered in my life.  Let’s break down these types of characters:

The “I have learned all I need to learn” type of people.  You know the kind – the ones who sit in the Bible Studies or the sermons and write down the noted scriptures, mumbling to themselves, “Oh my word!  Brother Smith really needs to hear this message!  He is so weak in the area of tithing.”  Or, “my sister is a big sinner in this area – I am going to buy a CD of today’s sermon so she can learn how to change.”  Never mind if the sermon or scriptures could help ME……naw, I don’t really need what is being shared, because after all, I GOT THIS!  I know I’ve done that before – focused on OTHER people’s lack of growth in a certain area instead of noting it for myself.  Doesn’t this have huge implications or implies a bit of superiority?  Even if it is true, this can become a problem if you’re not careful.

The “I am a mature Christian, and need to help others to mature.”  Now hear me – mature Christians are very important in the body of Christ, and we should respect them and listen to them as they offer wisdom and strength to us.  But sometimes that wisdom turns a corner and becomes, well, a bit arrogant.  I know I’ve been there a time or two.  And sometimes that wisdom or knowledge or – I don’t know, fill in the blank – gets us a little puffed up.  WE KNOW that we are mature and have been blessed by so much, but sometimes that knowledge becomes weakness, even arrogance.

Sometimes this area can be very subtle.  It was easier for me to peg this in my own life when it was focused on the outside – if someone came to church in jeans it was easy for me back in the day to sniff a bit and suggest they needed to be schooled in proper church attire.  But it gets more dangerous, in my opinion, when the sniffing is based on things that are harder to define, like a person’s personal relationship with the Lord or their motivations or heart.  Yet I have been known to spend a good amount of time internally measuring these very things!

Let me be real, while I’ve seen other people act as these two types of people, I am guilty as well.  I have felt pretty secure in my own efforts and knowledge – even have gone so far as to think I have been better than others I’ve encountered.  But what does God say about these sorts of attitudes?

Turn with me to Luke 18:9-14 NIV, which says:

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:  “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Does this mean we are NOT the righteousness of God, as I was reminded last week when considering Carol’s life?  NO!  Should we stop living in the truth of our place as adopted children of Christ?  NO!  But did we do anything to BE the righteousness of God?  NO!

Let me read a few scriptures that make this concept more clear:

1 Cor 4:7 says, “For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?”

Gal 6:3-5 says, “If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.  Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.”

Eph 2:4-9 says, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

So, we need to be careful not to put too much emphasis on the talents or maturity God has bestowed on us.  We are where we are today because of God’s great love for us, for He has adopted us and given us His inheritance – NOT because of how great we are.  We can walk assuredly in the righteousness of God, but be careful to not think too highly of ourselves because the glory is His.

How about the “Hey, I am a faithful worker, and a hard worker at that!” kind of person?  You know, it’s tough sometimes – ESPECIALLY when you work hard at being good at something.  Stephanie worked HARD at basketball – she was faithful at practicing her shooting, running to maintain her stamina, reading about techniques and plays.  When you invest so much into something, sometimes you want to be acknowledged for your efforts – and even receive some of the acclaim, the prestige for those labors.  I get that, and so does God.  But there are times when we need to realize and accept that we need others in this life – that we can’t just do everything on our own and maybe we DIDN’T do everything ourselves.  And really, as Christians, we need to remember how weak we would be without Jesus. This leads us to depend on the Lord to meet our needs. In turn, we then appreciate and exalt Him for what He has done and continues to do for us.

Stephanie and I had a love-hate relationship.  She was very strong across the board and didn’t want to have a “girly” relationship with me.  I had to be tough to connect with her.  Telling her some “touchy-feely” things like the other girls looked up to her and she could add so much to their lives did not work with her.  She wanted to win and viewed our team as a hindrance to that.  And she had a very elevated view of her own abilities, as I’ve already shared.  So the first thing I needed to do is show her – as painful as it might be – that she wasn’t “all that”.  I let a few games go with her plan to be all things and not use the other members of her team, and we were sorely beaten.  If you know anything about basketball, you know that if there is only one player making things happen, it’s easy to shut that player down – and the other teams did.  And when that happened, I asked Stephanie how she could lose the game, because after all, she said she could do it on her own, so she got the blame on her own too!  And she kept on trying – I have to give her that – she truly believed she was all the team needed.

But then I took Stephanie completely out, and relied on my motley crew, who over the weeks had begun to trust each other and rely on each other no matter if they made mistakes during plays or not.  Stephanie voiced great disdain for this choice, as she shared with great confidence that they could never succeed without her – that she was far better than any of the other team members.  Yet they started to win without the help of Stephanie, and no words I could say would have expressed this truth better than the facts she was seeing with her own eyes.  It was at THIS point that I reminded Stephanie how good we’d be if she could be on this team as well…….

This brings up the “Hey, you can’t make it without me” type of person.

How true is this in the body of Christ as well?  You may have tons of talents or gifts – wisdom or knowledge – and you may start feeling you are the reason things are happening around you.  Yet the work of the Lord is made complete with the ENTIRE body!  Your position may be more visible or prestigious, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s BETTER.

Rom 12:3-5, 16 says, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ”…..”Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”

1 Cor 12:21-26 says, “The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”

So, how can we as Children of the King act to utilize our wisdom, knowledge, and talents in such as way that we don’t become conceited, arrogant, judgmental, or focused on ourselves instead of God?  A great example is Jesus himself!

Phil 2:3-11

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.  In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”

And with humility and love we can make things happen:

Col 3:12-17:

“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 one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

And this leads to my next struggle with Stephanie.  She began learning that the to succeed, she needed her teammates.  She began to understand that she couldn’t do it on her own.  But it was altogether a different situation to suggest or accept that she should HELP her teammates become better players.  She still felt there was this veil of separation between her and the others, and that somehow she would be tainted if she lowered herself to their level and shared some of her basketball secrets or talents.  And truly, she would rather hold onto the idea that she was the “star” of the team rather than lose a bit of the limelight, yet win more games.

Has that happened to you before?  Have you hesitated to encourage amazing growth in other Christians around you because you’re afraid that they might surpass you in the things of the Lord, or at least in the areas that might receive more attention?

That brings to mind the “I gotta hold onto my testimony – and look at all that I can do” type of person.

I will share that when I was younger in age and in Christ, I got a lot of attention for playing the drums in my church.  I liked that attention very much, it did great things for me in many ways – and I used it often to share how God blessed the desire of my heart by allowing me to learn to play the drums – something I had always wanted to do.  But soon I loved the attention more than the blessing and boy, when others began to play the drums as well as me, I was NOT pleased.  I was very upset in fact, because this was supposed to be MY thing!  THIS was what made ME special!  This was MY testimony, not theirs!  So, I understood in part what Stephanie was going through – the emotions she faced.  And – thanks be to God – I was prepared to show her the errors of her ways.

I love when Jesus takes life situations – ones that we have all experienced in some way – and explains how they really should go down.  One parable that often keeps me grounded is found in Luke.

Luke 14:7-11 says, “ When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

We need to accept the blessings of God – period.  We need to give Him the glory, no matter WHO is being raised up for His purposes.  We need to view ourselves with humility, and others with honor, and BAM – in doing so God will give us more honor then we deserve!  But if we insist on exalting ourselves (even as we view ourselves or our talents), we won’t get very far.  And in this way I shared with Stephanie that she could do great things WITH HER TEAM and receive more glory in that way then any glory she thinks she could obtain by herself.

Stephanie DID finally see the light, and became a true team player.  She started accepting the plays that I would arrange, and even created some of her own – taking the time to teach the other girls the movements and how to make the plays a success.  Many of the things I had previously viewed as weaknesses in Stephanie began to morph into great leadership skills as she began to act out in humility towards those around her, shedding the arrogance that was so prevalent in her life.  I heard her say phrases more often such as, “I can work on that” instead of “I know what I’m doing”.  And in doing so, the other girls on the team began to feel safe with her, they weren’t afraid that they would wilt in her shadow as much.  And I was amazed and learned so much in the process.

I pray that, as Christians, we are often reminded that we are who we are because of Christ.  That we have each been given unique and important talents for His purposes, and that each of us are important in His sight.  But that we need to be mindful of how we view these talents and each other, and always yearn to remain humble and loving.

Redefine – I am clothed in Christ’s righteousness, not my own

Reframe – viewing the interests of others makes me great in the Lord’s eyes

Rebrand – I am a team player!

For several weeks God has been placing on my heart that I often do not see myself as He wants me to.  He has shown me aspects of myself, and others I’ve been blessed to know, and how we need to align our views with how He sees us.  Todd has shared with us three concepts that can help to work with this – re-define, re-frame, and re-brand.  Kidder taught us how we are already in the heavenly realm and have full authority through Jesus Christ, here on earth.  So I am convinced that the Lord has brought this topic up for a reason.  So I am sharing Part 1 in a series on Reframing Our Views of Ourselves.

Too often we go through life believing we are a certain personality or define ourselves a certain way.  Some of these views can be healthy, such as thinking you are a quick learner.  Others can become an albatross around your neck, like believing you will always struggle financially.  This process of thinking, or viewing ourselves, also manhandles our spiritual lives, and like other areas of our existance, we get set in our ways, and these views control us in ways that God never intended them to.

For years I was blessed to be a basketball coach, mostly girls 12-15, is various leagues.  Well – let’s be real here – if you’ve ever been around 12-15 year old girls, some days are more traumatic than others!  There is more drama is five minutes than most face in a year!  But nonetheless, coaching these girls taught me so much.  My favorite league was through the YMCA because there was a huge spectrum of players from various social backgrounds, different income levels, lots of different races – it was amazing!  I kind of fell into coaching; my daughter wanted to play and the Y was a coach short.  Since I had played for years, I figured I could jump in, and that’s when the fun first began.  No offense to anyone here, but all the other coaches were men, and immediately it was made clear that I was to submit to their superior knowledge and abilities.  I was told straight out that I would have fun, but that the other coaches didn’t believe my girls would provide any sort of competition with me as their coach – being a woman and all.  This was further emphasized as I received all the “rejects” girls on my team;

•    The really good player, that had a horrible attitude, was rebellious, and was not teachable
•    The first time player
•    The really short player

You get the idea – I was given The Bad News Bears of basketball teams!  Let me tell you, I was pretty irritated by it all, but if you’ve known me very long I was quick to roll up my sleeves and say “bring it!” I quickly took inventory of the situation – I knew basketball, I knew I could relate to this odd group of girls some suggested were humans, and I could do anything I needed for this team to succeed!  And for some strange reason, I knew I was meant to be there.   Was I being cocky to think I could pull this off, even when everyone else was saying I couldn’t?  Maybe.  But for some strange reason, I was reminded at the time of the following verse – Phil 4:13

NKJV – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I love the Amplified version of this verse:

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who [a] infuses inner strength into me; I am [b]self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

So, I walked in the truth that, no matter what, I could DO this because God’s Word told me I could!  Because this verse DOESN’T say “you can do all church related things”, or “you can do important things that are deemed holy”.  No, it says “ALL THINGS”, even coach a basketball team.  Call it cocky, but I call it God’s view of me and the situation!

My first plan was to look at each girl not just as a basketball player, but as a person.  Sure, I needed to measure their basketball skills and how they could be used for the team, but I wanted to connect at a deeper level.  I wanted to reach out to them and show each love, acceptance, and try to be an ambassador for Christ.  I vowed to teach the girls to care about each other, and in doing so they could really become a team – and that the scores of the games had nothing to do with it really.  But in that process, I ran up against the GIRL’S view of themselves!  So, the Lord has been reminding me that, like my own life and maybe yours, we need to break the chains of our view of ourselves.  We need to re-define, re-frame, and re-brand!

Through this Bible Study series, I am going to share with you the story of several girls I had on my team, and how I believe the Lord has revealed that their struggles effect some of us – or maybe even pieces of us.  The first player I am going to share with you was Carol.

In looking at Carol, you immediately saw that she had a hard life; her clothes were warn and couldn’t be classified as “cool”, she was often not very clean, and her mother was often distracted by life trials that pulled her away from watching her daughter’s games or practice.  Carol struggled in school, often got in trouble for not doing her homework, and never really seemed to succeed at the things she was supposed to.  These characteristics carried over onto the court; she wasn’t a great dribbler, she didn’t run very fast, she had difficulty following directions.  It wasn’t that she was TRYING to misbehave – in fact, she seemed to WANT to listen and succeed.  I wouldn’t define her as rebellious.   I also noticed she never wanted to touch the ball – she didn’t want to engage in the game of with the other girls, but she really preferred to just sit on the sidelines at all times.

In getting to know Carol, a few things became evident – she truly believed she was worthless.  She didn’t think she was very smart.  She also blamed herself for her father leaving her and her mother.  She felt that her mother didn’t really take care of her, but left Carol to care for herself, which solidified this belief in her mind regarding her father leaving.  She didn’t think she brought anything to the table; in life, at school, or for her basketball team.

We know some people who are like that when dealing with God.  “I can’t go to church because, well, I sin too much.  Once I get my life in order, THEN I will see what God is about.”

But what about us Christians?  Some of us think like that, even partially.  How many of you have heard, or even said, “I am a sinner, saved by grace.”  Ah, you may say – as I did for many years – “but that is a humble view and we have been saved from such a horrible life”.  This is completely true.  But let me tell you, there have been way too many years of my Christian walk where I was like Carol – sludging along, shoulders hunched over, afraid to be used by God because, as the horrible sinner that I am, I didn’t want to blow it!  “Don’t pass the ball to me!  I will just screw everything us because, well, I am a worthless sinner.”

I was a slave to this view for too many years, but what does GOD say?

John 1:12-13 NIV says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.“

Well, I say to myself, that says I am a child of God, that I have been born of God.  I stand a little taller, but I am not convinced yet that this is not some parable that really means something else.  Yet, turn with me to:

Ephesians 1:3-6 NIV, which says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”

Now wait a minute – I am adopted by God and He did it because He loves me?  He loves YOU!  So tell me how I can walk around, shoulders slumped over, feeling the weight of the sin that I keep holding onto, keep defining myself by it, instead of acting like the King’s Kid!  And maybe it doesn’t happen overnight, but if you BELIEVE THE WORD, and start thinking “Hey, I am a King’s Kid” instead of “I’m a sinner, saved by grace”, just think what might happen!

When we are born again – we become sons and daughters of God and heirs to His Kingdom. It’s not just a metaphor – it is a physical, spiritual, and mental reality. We are a New Creation. And not only is it the reality for every Christian, it is here and now – not reserved for eternity.  The issue then lies in our ability to understand and live as New Creations.  Re-define, re-frame, re-brand!

And not only that, but through our adoption by God, He has given us our full inheritance – we are not sitting at the table because God is “doing the right thing” or “wants to be nice”.  He is not saying that we are second-class family members because we were adopted, and really we’re there but really aren’t “blood family”.  His Word says that we are His sons and daughters, that we are fully grafted into His family and receive all that He has to give – we are BORN OF HIM when we accept Him!

You know, as time went on Carol’s story became very interesting.  She was a tough nut to crack, but she was worth every moment of effort!  I first forced her to try little things, like standing in one place and receiving a pass.  Then I made her my “main defender” and told her she was the best on the whole team.  She really turned out to be actually, but at first it was the job that took the least amount of coordination.  I also asked about school, her life, and shared encouraging words with her in several areas other than basketball – trying to communicate she was worthy of my love, her mother’s love, and that of our Lord.

Thinking of Carol, the thing that touched her the most when we talked was this premise, based on Jeremiah 29:11 NIV (For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.) – I would often say to Carol, “God wants the best for you, in fact He has amazing plans for you!  He is going to raise you up, He doesn’t spend all day thinking of ways to hurt you.  He wants you to FEEL excited about today – and tomorrow – because He holds your future in His hands.  And girl, you’re going to make things happen!”

And God says more!

Turn to 2 Cor 5:16-21 NIV and consider this verse with a clear image of who we all are in Christ – notice the describing words that are used for US:

“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:  The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

The first thing that jumped out at me was the reference to AMBASSADOR.  Merriam-Webster defines ambassador as “an official envoy; especially : a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government or sovereign or appointed for a special diplomatic assignment”

That sounds pretty prestigious, doesn’t it?  There have been some very important ambassadors historically – Benjamin Franklin to France,  George HW Bush to NATO….they are big league people and I would be impressed to meet them (well, especially Ben, but you get my drift).  But what is more important for you to understand is that GOD SAYS WE ARE IMPORTANT TOO, AND WE ARE “AGENTS OF HIGH RANK” for Him TODAY, and we have His authority and righteousness to carry out the work NOW!

But too often we’re like Carol, focusing on our failures, or maybe on our own efforts to become righteous, like the Jews did for so many years.

In the Old Covenant, righteousness had to be attained through keeping the law perfectly (Deut 6:25). It is the righteousness of man because it was to be attained through man’s effort – it was the blood of animals that covered their sins until the Messiah came, and it wasn’t very effective.

In the New Covenant, righteousness is a gift (Rom 5:17, Eph 2:8). It is not something that we can earn. It is called the righteousness of God because Jesus kept the law and gave us His righteousness (Rom 10:3, Phil 3:9). It is given by grace and received by faith.  AKA no efforts on our parts are involved.

Rom 3:21-22 Amplified says, “But now the righteousness of God has been revealed independently and altogether apart from the Law, although actually it is attested by the Law and the Prophets, Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). [And it is meant] for all who believe. For there is no distinction,”

So, we need to accept with confidence that, when we receive Christ into our hearts, we are a New Creation and the Righteousness of God!  We can STAND TALL in that knowledge, MOVE in that knowledge, and WORK in Christ’s AUTHORITY as Christ’s ambassadors.

Remember when I said I put Carol as “the best defender” because it was the “safest” position for her?  You know what, it turns out she really rocked the defense, and before our very eyes she began blocking shots, stealing balls, and turning games around for our team!  And something miraculous began to happen – she started talking to the other girls, she started smiling, she even started practicing shooting at home because she knew she needed extra time to catch up with the other girls.  Her mother came to me with tears in her eyes and said, “I don’t know what’s come over my daughter!  She is so different, she isn’t depressed and withdrawn anymore.”  They even got to talk about some of Carol’s feelings about her father and how she felt her mother didn’t care about her.  I believe these changes, by the grace of God, began when Carol began to view herself in new ways.

So I learned many things from Carol – I should no longer walk in shame, but instead walk in the Truth that I am a King’s Kid, saved by grace.  Even more than that, we are EMPOWERED and HAVE AUTHORITY to walk in righteousness – so live in that instead of the skewed view many of us hold onto!

Today, I am going to talk about two major concepts – LOVE and ENCOURAGMENT.  These are two amazingly powerful words, that become extraordinary items when, as Pastor has recently shared with us, they change from LOVE and ENCOURAGEMENT to LOVING and ENCOURAGING!

But I have to admit, love when we humans get our hands on it, sometimes doesn’t always FEEL good.  We can all share stories where “the love” of others were really heavy yokes around our necks – the whole “mixing in the law” and making us comply to “the rules” in order to be “good enough” to be loved by people or our God.  We’ve heard, for example, that same-sex, monogamous love is not sacred nor do homosexuals really know the love of God.  At times like that I want to shake my fist in the air and scream out these lyrics by U2 (because, after all, aren’t all things from the 80’s perfect in such occasions?):

You say love is a temple, love a higher law
You ask me to enter but then you make me crawl
And I can’t be holding on to what you got
When all you got is hurt!

But can’t we rejoice today that the TRUE meaning of love and all it encompasses is defined not by others around us, but by our Heavenly Father?  Today we are going to focus on one segment of this amazing area of our Lord as He has been teaching me a lesson recently.

If you’ve been a Christian more than 3 months, or even if you’ve attended church more then twice, you’ve probably heard about the whole “love your neighbor as yourself” story.  It’s pretty active in Christian-speak, at least in my circles.  And yet, as I mentioned earlier, it often is overlooked in practice.  There are many reasons for this; our definition of “neighbor”, or busy lives, our human natures that are SO powerful – this list goes on and on.  Yet, the Lord has been working on my heart really, and admittedly this is a topic that is very close to my view of myself and others.  Because of that, I’d like to share my journey with YOU!

Let’s begin with the Word – starting with Matthew 22:34-40 (NIV):

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:  “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Before I go too far, let’s analyze these verses together.

Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’: Jesus, true to form, didn’t have His own agenda when dealing with the Pharisees – his response quotes Deuteronomy 6:5 and had been read in the Temple for centuries and basically said “booya” to the expert who I believe had hoped to trip Jesus up.  Then Jesus, goes on to add the hierarchy to His response.

This is the first and greatest commandment. Jesus’ words set this as the greatest commandment, one that the Pharisees could not really argue against at all, although in practice some of the other 600+ laws they liked to follow often seemed to come before this one.  But Jesus didn’t stop there……..

And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ This addition brought a whole new level of rules to the Pharisees, as they had already begun living a very regimented cast system that excluded Samaritans, Tax Collectors, women, or anyone they deemed as unworthy based on the whim of the moment.  This statement meant real trouble to the Pharisees!  It totally shattered the concept of how they really acted towards the majority of those around them.  And yet, Jesus still had another punch coming!

All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. To me, this is the “nuke statement” Jesus made that day.  How can anyone hear or read these words and not understand the very clear hierarchy that Jesus established?  If you don’t love God and your neighbor, nothing else matters.  NOTHING!  When I realized this piece of information, I realized I had been going about my Christian walk all wrong!  Instead of focusing on acting a certain way or pulling away from the world, I became conscious of the fact that I needed to LOVE!  Love my God and love my neighbor.  JESUS defined the hierarchy and who am I to interject other laws or rules above these?

But I also believe that the love we have here can’t remain only within the doors of the church, or even with only believers.  So, I would be remiss if I didn’t also analyze the Biblical definition of “neighbor”.  Some suggest this means other Christians.  Many say the net includes your friends and family, maybe even your co-workers.  But what does the Bible say?

Matthew 5:43-48 (NIV) says:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Christ clearly states we need to love EVERYONE, even those who we view as enemies or whom we do not agree with. And perhaps I am wrong, but I see loving them is CARING about them, especially their eternal life. That means your physical neighbor who refuses to mow his lawn or take the trash cans in timely.  It means the homeless person begging on the corner.  It means the political person that you didn’t vote for and whose ideology you despise.  It means the person that cut you off on the freeway this morning.  Even those that spew hate at your and those you love!  Basically, it means EVERYONE, but ESPECIALLY those whom you would never ever give the time of day except that Jesus told you to love them.

I think you probably get that.  I really do!

But for me, it turned a corner when I thought of the ones that have so much power over me – power that I’ve given them.  I have a family member  who I know loves me but whom to this day refuses to even mention Deana’s name or ask how Zack and Sophia are.  To my former Christian employer, who fired me when they found out I am a lesbian.  In the past, I would want to pull out Matthew 22 and scream to them, “GOD TOLD YOU TO LOVE ME!  YOU HYPOCRITES!  YOU HATERS!  YOU CAN WEAR YOUR “WHAT WOULD JESUS DO” BRACELETS BUT YOU HAVE NO LOVE!”  And I would feel so righteous, knowing I was right!  But I hope you realize, as I have, that Matthew 22 AND 5 applies to me, too.  And while I don’t view my family member as my enemy per se, no matter how they react to me, I need to love them.  ESPECIALLY since they have judged me,  I need to love them!  I even need to love my old work, at least try to.  Because, love that is unfathomable is very Christian, don’t you think?  Because if someone DESERVES or EARNS your love, is it really so hard to love them?  So, let’s agree that “loving your neighbor” means “everyone – especially those who don’t deserve it”.  That’s very grace-like, don’t you think?

What about the definition of LOVE? Paul is very eloquent in describing what this is about in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Jump down to verse 13:
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I love that the Bible sets the hierarchy so clearly.  Jesus established the two most important commandments for us to follow in Matthew, and He further directed Paul here to tell us that LOVE is the greatest attribute we should manifest in our lives.    And He loves us so much that he clearly describes what love IS and IS NOT.  And, while I fully admit that I have failed in both loving my neighbor and putting love above all else, I can also testify that Jesus – through His Holy Spirit – is daily giving me a bigger dose of His love so that I can grow in these areas!  And so can you!

So, we now know the Biblical definition of NEIGHBOR and LOVE – what are we going to DO about it?  That has been the biggest area where I struggle – head or heart knowledge versus acting it out in my mind, heart, and actions.  So walk with me as I break out some of the “IS” statements we just read.

Love is patient.  First of all, I hope you all know not to pray for patience!  Take it from me, God is faithful and will give you opportunity after opportunity to grow your patience!  But I have learned over the last year that God knows me, he sees where laws and churches and people have worked to tell me that I am wrong.  And I may want to change every single mind I encounter today, it probably won’t happen.  But my focus has always been to point out how stupid people are, and let me tell you, that’s not very loving.  My impatience has skewed my ability to LOVE.  I have to love and no amount of shaking my fist in the face of my opposition will make things go faster.

Love keeps no record of wrongs.  Ouch!  You know, I appreciate and accept the gift of Grace I received from Christ and I thank Him daily for loving me and saving me.  But even so, I had a long list of those who have wronged me, especially as their actions relate to my sexuality.  While I want them to accept me as I am, I sit with resentment, hurt, anger, and think these people need to get right with God.  But truly, MY heart needs the Holy Spirit to erase the list I hold onto!  And, as we’ve already discussed, this premise needs to extend to everyone I encounter everyday.

Love always protects. What does this mean to me?  To you?  A more obvious answer would be that we don’t hurt the ones we love, or even go so far as to defend them from hurts/danger/pain, etc.  I believe that view is true and noble.  But I also believe I am being called to take this a step further!  How about adding that, as a Christ follower, I will protect EVERYONE I encounter!  How about, if I come across someone that doesn’t align with my point of view or even believes something that is an affront to my religion, I PROTECT THEIR DIGNITY, THEIR VIEWS, AND THEIR LIFE?

Here is what I mean by that – so often I am focused on BEING RIGHT or GETTING MY VIEWS OUT THERE, that I lose track of love altogether!  This realization of my actions came crashing to the forefront on Facebook, of all places!  I took part in a glaring debating – although the details really don’t need to be shared today.  During the course of this debate, which had compelling points on both sides, some of us (and I do mean us) stepped it up a notch and began to add blood arrows.  By blood arrows, I mean insulting strings of words that basically attacked something, be it the other person’s intelligence, way of arguing, whether or not they were even a Christian…….instead of even focusing on the original debate!  With each arrow I became more arrogant, more zealous in my view, and began to FEED on the arrow’s line of attack rather than sharing why I held my views.  It only got worse as alliances were built on both sides of the debate and pretty soon we had nothing more than a blood bath!

That, my friends, was the first time I realized that I was a failure, for I had not loved ANYONE in the interchange.  I didn’t PROTECT my neighbor, but sacrificed them to my ideology and to my very pride in wanting to be right!  I didn’t even love my FRIENDS, because my angry and hurtful actions gave my enemies fodder to condemn us!  And I believe many of us repeat these actions over and over again and never even realize that – even if our ideology is a noble one – we are breaking the second most important commandment Jesus Himself taught us!  And it showed me very clearly that my raised fists against those that I know hate me or want to limit my rights has been wrong as well.

But realizing my weakness doesn’t make it easy to love those that, well let’s face it, that I don’t especially LIKE.  Logically, I can find reasons to not extend real love to them.  Even now I feel the need to tell you that I don’t believe what they believe, that I believe they aren’t right – but it’s more important that I tell you my actions have been totally wrong!

So what should I do?  What should WE do?

Maybe, instead of feeling paralyzed by our inability to love our enemies or at least those that we don’t like, we can start somewhere a bit more palatable.  Pastor has been talking for weeks about reaching out to our community, and what a great way to begin flexing our spiritual love muscles is there?  We can and should reach out to those that have bought the lie that God doesn’t love them.  Through our love we represent Jesus through Love instead of through anger – but maybe it’s less intimidating to start.  We no longer need to convince those that insist on fighting us that Love is the main goal, and instead throw out our nets of love to those who never, ever expect to receive it.
But you may be thinking – okay Gina, you’ve talked a lot about Loving, but what about encouraging others?  We know love needs to be an action, and what better way to manifest love than to ENCOURAGE other!

When you’re shown love by someone, doesn’t that encourage you?  Maybe you are blessed to have family members who love you even though you’re flawed.  There are TONS of verses in the Bible that speak about encouraging others.  And there are many manifestations of encouragement; let’s go over just a few.

John 15:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

You know what?  I often limit God.  I define what I can and can’t do and live my life through that paradigm.  Yet, the Lord has been faithful despite how I act.  I need to tell you something – the Lord placed on my heart on July 13th that I needed to write this Bible study.  He placed on my heart the need to review my view of love and encouragement on that day so heavily that I began to sit down and pray, research, and meditate on the Word.  Deana asked what I was doing and I told her – she asked if I was asked to teach or something.  I said no.  And that was the truth.  So, to hear on Sunday the 18th Deana was asked if I was interested in doing Sunday School, I was blown away.  If you asked me two weeks ago, I would give you about 25 instant reasons why not only I was not QUALIFIED to teach, but I would tell you I would not know what to say.  But this entry today exists because God loves me enough to use me, and as His ambassador I pray that He speaks to you today.

Is that encouragement?  Maybe it was meant just for me, for I am abundantly blessed and honored by my Lord!

Hebrews 3:13
But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

I mentioned earlier, the love you share with everyone who walks into this church is very encouraging.  That is a very important manifestation of love and encouragement that each one of us can do easily each week.  Walk up to someone you don’t know.  Smile to those across to room.  That’s encouragement.  And you will even begin to realize that your actions will encourage those that may not even been the recipient on the encouragement!  When Marvin Matthews was here a couple weeks ago, Jessica noticed a woman across the room who didn’t have a praise sheet; she worked that piece of paper across dozens of people so that the woman could sing along!  In doing so, I was encouraged that Jessica saw the need and met the need!

2 Corinthians 9:7
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Sometimes encouragement is financial in nature.  When you tithe or offer money to this church, it encourages this body and the work it does in this community.  Although your tithes or offerings may be smaller or larger than those being given next to you, it encourages Pastor and this body!

Matthew 5:4
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Sometimes just being there for someone is more encouraging than you know.  Seven years ago my 20-year-old nephew was killed in a car accident.  When I finally arrived at my brother’s side, I really didn’t know what to say.  For over 10 hours he and I just sat next to each other as I prayed for him silently.  I felt so very inadequate during those hours, but do you know what?  To this day he said nothing encouraged him more than the fact that I was willing to sit next to him during the darkest hours of his life.  So, sometimes it feels like we aren’t helping, but God directs us and blesses others just by being near.  And it’s important to remember that we carry the Holy Spirit in us people!  And He can and does comfort those in pain better than we ever could.

Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Sometimes encouragement means doing nothing!  Yes, I said nothing!  Recently I was at a client site, a lovely Christian woman, and an owner of a neighbor business stopped by to shoot the breeze.  This man was very nice, but he used the most filthy language we no thought to me or the woman I was working with!

I went from being shocked to internally becoming angry and offended inside – I mean SERIOUSLY, how disrespectful!  After he left, I shared that I could not believe his language and couldn’t believe she had to deal with that several times a week.  She replied, with no judgment towards me I might add, that she didn’t like the language either but that it was more important for her to show love to him by accepting him as he was and maybe someday he would be receptive to the Word of the Lord.  Let me tell you, her actions not only showed me what encouragement looks like, but encouraged me to love others with my actions in real, if difficult ways!  And her actions are BIBLICAL!  Can you imagine how the neighbor would have reacted if Melissa had said “hey man, your language is HORRIBLE!  If you’re going to cuss like that, you best not come here.”  I believe it wouldn’t change his language, but it sure would close the door of love!  Instead, she is leading him THROUGH LOVE to being loving.  Maybe a foul mouthed lover, but one that can love……..

But to me, the most amazing story is not one that you will find when doing the usual search in the Bible for the term “encouragement”.  In fact, the story really starts with a sad note.  It relates to the Apostle Peter, whom I personally related to a lot!  I mean, I can totally see myself jumping out on the water but taking my eyes of the Lord and falling into the water.  I can see myself jumping to cut off the soldier’s ear, only to be chastised by the Lord.

Peter loved the Lord very much, but even though Jesus warned him ahead of time that Peter would deny Him, he incredulously denied the possibility.  We know, as Matthew 26 tells us, that Peter did, in fact, deny Christ three times.  I’ve always been blown away by this – I mean Peter lived with Jesus for THREE YEARS, spending time with Him, being taught by Him, saw Jesus perform miracles over and over.  In Matthew 16, Peter is recorded as being the first to acknowledge that Jesus was the Christ!  And yet, even after being warned of his failings, Peter denied Christ three times, emphatically!

Can you imagine how Peter felt when that happened?  Matthew 26:75 tells us that Peter remembered Jesus’ words and wept bitterly.  I know I’ve had situations where I’ve failed the Lord and once I was done crying, I put on the clothes of my failure and limited my ability to be used by God.  I held onto those failures and defined myself through them.  And I suppose Peter probably did that to some extent, too.  But I am encouraged by what Jesus did with Peter.

Now Jesus could have very easily said, “Peter, dude, I warned you and you still denied me.  After all we’ve been through!  How can I trust you?”  That’s what many church leaders, Christian authors, and believers today would say to contemporaries that have totally failed Christ (in their eyes or otherwise).  Because, let’s face it, Peter FAILED!  He REJECTED Christ!  And I could argue that the BIBLE says there was no hope for Peter (see Luke 12:8-9).  Yet, let’s go over what Jesus did:

John 21:15-17
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.“

In the NIV Bible, the section header states “Jesus reinstates Peter”.  I have been so blessed by the fact that Jesus PHYSICALLY asks Peter three times “do you love me” – to specifically cover the three times Peter denied him.  Jesus LOVED Peter, and he ENCOURAGED him.  But, true to form, Jesus didn’t stop there!  He EMPOWERED Peter to LOVE and ENCOURAGE the world – “the sheep” – and I believe that is the most important message Jesus wants you to hear today.  He will create ways and empower YOU to reach others in His name, through His Grace and Power.  Don’t limit yourselves by your own view of yourself – as Pastor taught us, don’t look back and listen to the echo of who we were.  Romans chapter 3 tells us we are the righteousness of God through our faith in Jesus Christ, and we need to start living that way, not to boast but to LOVE and ENCOURAGE one another.  So if you ever start focusing on your failures and want to limit how you can be used by God, think of Peter and how Jesus himself took that bull by the horns.

So, in the coming days, think of small and big ways you can begin to see all situations and people – your neighbors – with love.  Think of small and big ways to encourage those around you, even yourselves!  And by doing so, be prepared to feel the blessings flow!

Love your God
Love your Neighbor
Find ways to encourage others, even yourself