Month: February 2008

I continue to have my comfortable “bad” Christian apple cart overturned by a group of troublemakers from Phoenix. I have mentioned several times that my faith world is being rocked by the book TrueFaced and the TrueFaced Romans Bible study. A recent romp through the high definition television channels triggered today’s grace episode. I stumbled on a concert by an artist named Lee Ann Womack. She was beginning a new tune so I lingered. The song made me laugh and then made me think.

A bit of set up for the lyrics. Apparently Lee Ann’s ex-boyfriend has met another and the upcoming wedding announcement is in the paper. A picture of the new love triggers a wave of jealous, immature and childish behavior. She thinks the new woman doesn’t take a very good picture and blacks out a couple of teeth for good measure. Yep, she responds like most of us have at one time or another. Here is the chorus.

It may be my family’s redneck nature
Rubbin’ off, bringin’ out unlady-like behavior
It sure ain’t Christian to judge a stranger
But I don’t like her
She may be a stranger who spends all winter
Bringin’ the homeless blankets and dinner
A regular Nobel Peace Prize winner
But I really hate her
I’ll think of a reason later 

Is that not typical of our nature? I hate her. I’ll think of a reason later. With all due respect to Lee Ann Womack that response has nothing to do with the family’s redneck nature. That response is from the sin nature that is common to everyone’s family.

I have had the exact response when someone threatens my turf. I decide that I don’t like someone before I know much, if anything, about that person. I am just not honest enough to admit that I don’t need a reason. I always have a rationalization or catalogue of grievances.

That judgmental behavior is particularly destructive in the body of Christ and in the church. The message of TrueFaced is off the charts annoying. They teach convincingly by using tricks like trusting God’s Word. They argue that grace changes how we treat each other when we sin. It reorients all our relationships. Our fundamental identity is one of saints who sin rather than sinners who are saved by grace. Don’t get sidetracked. The book is clear that we are sinners saved by grace when we first put our trust in Jesus as Savior. But after that landmark event occurs that identity (sinner) is no longer who we are. We are now saints who occasionally sin. That simple spiritual paradigm shift in how I view other followers of Jesus (and myself) is changing me dramatically.

The authors of TrueFaced write that when we view other Christians as sinners trying to become saints we naturally demand that they work on their sin to be in right relationship with us. When our theology gives us permission to see Christians as sinners, we give ourselves permission to reject them. Ouch.

I realized, sadly, that I have done this. Too often. Now as I am learning to view these flawed and very human fellow travelers as saints I cease trying to compare my sin and see if I am doing “better”. It doesn’t matter. We are in this together. God’s word says I am a saint because of Jesus. So are you if you have trusted Him for salvation.

Realizing that is how God views us should change everything. That is the message of Paul to the church at Colossae.

…you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. (Colossians 3, NLT)

I would be disingenuous (Christianeze for lying) if I said I have never enjoyed making judgments and thinking bad things about fellow believers. The old nature revels in that kind of behavior. It is just hard to reconcile that approach with Paul’s message above. So I am learning (painfully and slowly) to view all of you irritating and messy Christians as saints. I am learning to trust that what God says is true about you and about me. I am learning to love you because of grace. To paraphrase Lee Ann Womack, I’ll think of “another” reason later. For starters, grace is enough of a reason for now.

Everyone at Casa Burchett has been ill recently. Joni brought home the first cold bug. Then dog friend Hannah had a little stomach virus and that was not pretty. I will spare you the details. Now it is my turn to be sick.

I thought of how really crappy I have felt this week. And then I realized how much I take for granted the fifty weeks or so out of every year when I feel good or even great. Sure I have the usual little aches and pains that a 50 year old plus body will accumulate. But for five decades I have been blessed with the ability to run slowly, jump barely, dance awkwardly and laugh often. I am so blessed.

I thought about how I never got sick once during Joni’s chemotherapy when her immune system was so fragile. Praise God for that.

I thought about people who feel far worse than I have felt this week every single day of their lives. Yet they get up and go about their business every day. I thought of those who deal heroically with chronic pain and soldier on without complaint. I thought about those who begin to feel badly and never get better. I expect that I will recover soon. Some never will.

I admire the people who find joy in their lives even when they don’t feel like it. King Solomon said the following in the Book of Proverbs.

       A cheerful look brings joy to the heart,
       and good news gives health to the bones.  (Proverbs 15, NIV)

The Message has an interesting take on this proverb.

       A twinkle in the eye means joy in the heart, and good news makes you feel fit as a fiddle.

Think about the people who choose joy when circumstances don’t warrant that action. The kind of personality that responds with joy often features a twinkle in the eye. Joni and I call those people “bucket-fillers” because they always give more than they take and you just want to be around them.

Paul said in his letter to the church at Phillipi that he had learned to be content in his circumstance. It didn’t come naturally for him either.

     I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.   (Philippians 4,  The Message)

I am grateful for the illness because it makes me appreciate health. My tens of readers are grateful for my illness because it shortens my ramblings considerably. Enjoy the word count respite. I hope you are able to choose joy today even if your circumstance is not what you desire.

This writin’ bidness can be dangerous. My greeting from an old buddy in Nashville this week went something like this.

“Thanks a lot for your blog about the SI swimsuit issue. You didn’t leave me with too many options.”

I smiled tentatively and hoped he was kidding. Thankfully he was graceful in his objections. But the reality is that my friend did have options. He could choose to sin. I have made that choice in the past regarding the SI swimsuit issue. Christians often choose to be a bit more nuanced when we describe our own personal sin. We prefer words like shortcomings and mistakes. I have decided to quit playing word games with a God who is not fooled. I am a saint because of Jesus. But I still sin because the old nature still craves attention like a spoiled child at the supermarket. I am definitely getting better as I understand my identity in Christ. But my sin nature is like the body collecting bit from Monty Python.

The Dead Collector: Bring out yer dead. [a man puts a body on the cart]
Large Man with Dead Body: Here’s one.
The Dead Collector: That’ll be ninepence.
The Dead Body That Claims It Isn’t: I’m not dead.
The Dead Collector: What?
Large Man with Dead Body: Nothing. There’s your ninepence.
The Dead Body That Claims It Isn’t: I’m not dead.
The Dead Collector: ‘Ere, he says he’s not dead.
Large Man with Dead Body: Yes he is.
The Dead Body That Claims It Isn’t: I’m not.
The Dead Collector: He isn’t.
The Dead Body That Claims It Isn’t: I’m getting better.

That always reminds me of my old nature. Just when I think it is dead my “old nature” announces loudly that it is not dead yet.

I got a fair amount of response from the swimsuit article and it was split pretty much down party lines. The Menertarians wished that I would mind my own business. The Womenocrats wanted me to come to their house and lecture their hubbie or fiancé. Here are some comments from you, my tens of readers.

I can’t adequately describe to you how painful this problem is to watch, getting worse and worse pulling someone further and further away from reality, even. It is very difficult as a caring, responsive wife to feel that horrible, gnawing gut feeling that something is very wrong…and then find out that “boys will be boys” has grown to an addiction that has drawn him into activities he should never do.

Her pain is real. I relate to the “boys will be boys” approach that so many men take. It would be silly for me to say that every man that lusts over the SI swimsuit issue and fantasizes over the models will be drawn to more degrading and addictive porn. But you never know, do you? I would wager that most men caught up in that addiction never believed they would find themselves in that dark and ugly place. If Christian men would drop the macho mask long enough to be honest they would have to admit that these activities are nothing a follower of Jesus should come near.

Another female reader had this to say.

I know not every woman feels as I do, and there is almost a trend that makes it seem we are “uptight, prudish, overly sensitive shrews” if we complain.  Men don’t seem to realize how it makes many of us feel, so I’ll tell you.  Ashamed, violated, objectified, sad, humiliated, embarrassed, disgusted, confused and betrayed. It makes me feel like I’m nothing and am not good enough so my partner has to look at others. I personally DON’T like the idea of my beloved looking at other women’s naked or half-naked bodies.  Honestly, yes, I do also get jealous because I never had a supermodel body and never will (unless I have surgery)!  I also feel sad visualizing my partner looking through the magazines.  I will also say that all of this stuff about men being so visual and that they have such a “hard” time not looking sounds like complete nonsense to me. 

Well said and I would suggest that most Christian women feel a great deal like you do. By the way, “shrew” is one of my favorite words! Your laundry list of how your mate’s lust makes you feel is powerful and real. While I do not think it is complete nonsense that men play the visual card on lust issues I do think it is nonsense for them to say they can simply do nothing about it. I am pretty sure that my God is big enough to come alongside me and help me get through this problem. I am pretty sure your God is too.

One of the best responses came from a 21 year old college student who is showing a great deal more maturity than some of we more “experienced” saints.

I am so glad to read your comments on the infamous “Swimsuit Edition”. I agree 100% with your thoughts and comments, and actually, I take the same attitude when it comes to dealing with lust. I’ve read of the problems and issues that are created in the lives of men who leave this sin undealt with, and I definitely don’t want any of those problems, and by God’s grace, I am taking the problem head on. (Read some books that helped by authors Steve Arterburn, Joshua Harris).

Wow. That is so awesome and so encouraging to see a college student recognizing the mine field of lust. Good for you!

The next question is a good one.

How can women help men with these issues?  Is there anything we can do besides voice our complaints and feelings?  Have you already written an article about this?

I try to limit my articles about issues like this. I am currently on probation with the League of Testosterone even as we speak. But that question seemed to be a common thread. What can I do about this?

I can only speak for myself. Here are my thoughts and perhaps one of them might help a bit.

Complaining and trying to make me (and most men) feel guilty is not productive. That seems to merely pour kerosene on the fire of our sin nature. Attacking me as a bad person or bad Christians will only make me go into hiddenness. Oddly enough, that will probably make me more likely to pursue fantasy over a tense reality.

I think communicating how a cavalier attitude toward lust makes you feel is powerful. I did not understand how painful my wandering eyes could be for my wife. Guys say things like “it’s okay to look at the menu as long as you don’t order.” Ha-ha. But I never stopped to think that my eyes following the woman in the short skirt or looking at the SI issue made my wife feel less valued, less attractive and less safe. Realizing that makes my little macho moment much more than just me “being a guy”.

For me the antidote to such behavior is remembering that my sins were purchased at a cost beyond my comprehension. The rendering in The Message is powerful.

There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for “becoming one” with another. Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body. (I Corinthians 6, The Message)

Jesus thought the issue was important enough to make some pretty bold comments.

“You know the next commandment pretty well, too: ‘Don’t go to bed with another’s spouse.’ But don’t think you’ve preserved your virtue simply by staying out of bed. Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those leering looks you think nobody notices—they also corrupt. (Matthew 5, The Message)

If your partner is a follower of Jesus I would suggest he read this little paragraph from a guy who has been there.

Try this little exercise. Go to BibleGateway.com and do a word search on “sexual” and “lust”. Click on each reference and see what God’s Word has to say about this topic. If you are honest you will see your wife is not being a “shrew” when she wants you to control lust toward other women and images. God takes it very seriously. And so should you and I.

P.S. You can opt out of next year’s SI swimsuit issue by simply calling (866) 228-1175. You’ll need your account number, which is on the cover of your issue above your name.

 Because the presidential nominees are still in doubt we Texans get a rare “treat” this primary season. We get political commercials from now until March 4^th.  Whoopee.

And we get political rallies as a part of our new status as a key state in the delegate process. This week a packed arena in Dallas hosted Barak Obama. The atmosphere was more like a revival than a rally. A lot of people are into the Obama “Hope and Change” tour. I always hesitate when I write about politics because nothing brings out the thin-skinned loonies quicker than a perceived slight of their man or woman. So please understand that this post is not about critiquing a candidate. These thoughts are about our culture in America and, in particular, the Christian demographic.

The electric atmosphere at the Dallas Barak Obama rally and hearing his recurrent message got me to thinking and that is always a dangerous thing. I was thinking that God must have a real sense of déjà vu as He watches the people clamor for a human leader to give them hope and change. Then I got sidetracked as I wondered if an omnipotent God can even experience déjà vu? That gave me tired head so I decided to move on.

Would God look at that rally and think of another group who had hope at their disposal but then chose to reject it? God wanted to bless His nation Israel. But they wanted a king who they believed would give them everything they wanted. Remember the story in Samuel?

Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”

Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”  (I Samuel 8, NLT)

God gave Samuel a warning to give to His people that this might not be the best idea. God warned them that the king would take a tenth of their crops and flocks. Actually I would think about clamoring for a leader that would only take a tenth. But I digress. God warned them about other consequences of putting their faith in an earthly king. Their response was typical.

But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”

I see so many parallels in our culture to that story. We know that it did not work out like the nation of Israel dreamed that it would. I see many Christians in America falling into the same trap that Samuel warned about so long ago.

We think that hope lies in a leader or a political party. We believe that change will come because of kindred politicians or better laws or lawsuits that establish justice as we see it. We think that the right leader will help educate every child no matter their circumstance. We hope that this political savior will provide healthcare for every person at no cost to them. This leader will help the poor find jobs and realize their every dream. And I picture God looking at His millions of followers with a broken heart. Because He has blessed this country with so much in money and resources. So much of what we now demand our government to do could be accomplished if God’s people read, trusted and followed His Word. 

Here is some research from a very annoying and convicting organization called empty tomb, inc. They are also a very important ministry that God has raised up to be a Nathan to our comfortable and consumer Christianity. Here is how America spends some of it’s resources.

In 2003 American consumers spent $53.6 billion buying jewelry and watches, a 5.1% increase over previous year.
U.S. Consumers spent more than $24.3 billion on candy (2002) and, on average, consumers made $84.34 worth of candy purchases.
We spent $64 billion on soft drinks in 2003. In 2000 Americans spent $13 billion a year on chocolate in all its forms (I know…it just got personal for many of you).
In 2000 American toy sales reached $23 billion.
How about $38 billion spent on state lotteries? 
Americans spend 600 million on teeth whitening each year.
We  spend over 300 million on Botox to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

God help us to see the needs of our society with His heart. The good news? We can make a real difference. And the time to start is now. Again, according to empty tomb, inc we have the potential to literally change the world in the name of Jesus. Here is the analysis of the empty tomb organization.

As described in our research, church member giving is declining as a portion of income, and is currently around 2.59%.  That, my brothers and sisters, is pathetic. Most of us have so much compared to the rest of the world and we choose to spend it on cars, houses and junk that will rust and be thrown away. Or we may get all excited because we recover five cents on the dollar at a garage sale.

If Americans who identify with the historically Christian church increased their giving to an average of 10% of income, there could be an additional $156 billion given to the church. If 60% of this amount were made available to expand overseas missions activity, that number would mean an additional $94 billion available for overseas missions.

One source estimates that $70-$80 billion would impact the worst of world poverty and $5 billion could end most of the 11 million global, annual deaths of children under the age of five. Also, $7 billion would be sufficient for global primary education for all children.

You should be aware, that there could also be $31.22 billion more a year for domestic outreach. And this all on top of our current church activities. 

I can’t help but think that God has given us, the church, just about everything we need to make a huge difference in meeting the needs that we expect Washington to address. And that would give hope and change to people that obviously are looking for those elusive words in odd places.

What makes me most sad is that so many people really seem to be placing their hope for happiness on a political candidate. I do believe that leaders make a difference. I care deeply about making an informed and prayerful choice. But I never place my hope or desire for change on a politician. The word hope is used about 80 times in the New Testament. The first appearance of the word in the NIV translation pretty much lays out my belief.

 “In his name (Jesus) the nations will put their hope.”  (Matthew 12, NIV)

Paul wrote about the hope that I have in his letter to the Romans.

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In Colossians we read this praise from Paul as he relates how hope based on the eternal God should make a difference.

For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

That is a hope that I know will not disappoint. As for change, I would be pleasantly surprised if our leaders in Washington would work together for us. But I will not be surprised if they do not. The important change for me has already happened.

When I placed my trust in Jesus a change happened in me. I wrote this a few days ago but it fits well here.

I was a sinner saved by grace and faith alone. But what I am now beginning to understand is who I am in Christ. That is transforming my life. I have referenced the book TrueFaced as an incredible volume of practical theology.

Grace changes our life focus from struggling with sin issues to trusting who God says I already am. I am a saint who occasionally sins, not a sinner who is striving to become a saint.

I have hope that is real. I am changed because of Christ. Because of those two facts I can deal with the rest of life. I believe that no matter what happens in March and in November I know the following statement is true.

God is in control.

Being a celebrity in this culture is brutal. Great coaches will often say they will break down an athlete to build them back up. The idea is to make them better. Our culture has a little twist on how we treat the famous. We build them up in order to break them and tear them down. The idea is to make us feel better.

Celebrity is hard on families and the children of the famous. I have often told my kids that I love them so much that I took the burden of mediocrity on my career just for them. They didn’t believe it either.

Yesterday Barak Obama saw the cycle of celebrity run over him, hit the brakes and back over him again. Obama got caught repeating almost verbatim the language of an earlier speech delivered by a friend of his, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. His response yesterday was a bit defensive and suggested that his opponent also “borrowed” phrases from him. So?

To be fair Obama did acknowledge that he should have credited his friend but his overall tone was dismissive. Another celebrity had to address accusations yesterday. New York Yankee pitcher Andy Pettitte held a one hour press conference to address his use of a performance enhancing drug. His tone was contrite and repentant. The Associated Press reported the event.

“I felt like I need to come out, be forward with this,” Pettitte said. “Whatever circumstances or repercussions come with it, I’ll take and I’ll take like a man and I’ll try to do my job.”

Other athletes have ducked tough questions about allegations of drug use, using evasions and nonspecific replies. Pettitte admitted his mistakes and several times patiently asked reporters, “Did I answer your question?”

“I want to apologize to the New York Yankees’ and to the Houston Astros’ organizations and to their fans and to all my teammates and to all of baseball fans for the embarrassment I have caused them,” he said. “I also want to tell anyone that is an Andy Pettitte fan I am sorry, especially any kids that might look up to me.”

“I know that once I have this press conference and talk to everybody about this and share everything with you, I think the truth will set you free,” Pettitte said. “I think I’m going to be able to sleep a lot better at night once all this gets by.”

The point of most of my humble ramblings is not to throw others under the bus but to see how these situations apply to me and other followers of Jesus. I am not saying that Obama is not telling the truth. Don’t get sidetracked. The point of this article is the power of confession and repentance.

The application of this story for me is personal. I have an obligation as a follower of Christ to be accurate and truthful in all of my writing and speaking. That doesn’t mean that there will never be mistakes but they should be dealt with quickly and called by their name.  I totally agree with Mark Twain who said if you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.

And isn’t that a peaceful place to be? No frantic cover ups or wondering what you told him or her. Stretching the truth a bit to embellish a resume or a story is so easy. Borrowing someone else’s words may not seem like a big deal. Who will find out? Chances are that someone will. Stupid Google!!!

Anytime I get found out I default to hiddenness and denial. I want to protect my image. The reality is you could protect my image with a Chihuahua. I want to look good to others and I maddeningly forget that it only matters how I look to my God. King David was man who had to squirm uncomfortably in front of the Lord God after his sad detour with Bathsheba. That was the ultimate in tragic cover-ups and lies. But David was also described as a man after God’s own heart. He wrote these words in Psalm 15.

Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD?
       Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?
        Those who lead blameless lives
       and do what is right,
       speaking the truth from sincere hearts.

       Those who refuse to slander others
       or harm their neighbors
       or speak evil of their friends.

       Those who despise persistent sinners,
       and honor the faithful followers of the LORD
       and keep their promises even when it hurts…

           Such people will stand firm forever.  (NLT)

I realize that it is only the grace of God that allows me to accept my mistakes, own them, repent and repair whatever damage I may have caused. It is only the grace of God that forgives and restores me when I do stumble. Paul wrote that all of us have the ability to fall flat at any given moment. Because of that we should be full of grace when others stumble.

If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.  (Gal 6, The Message)

Don’t be deceived. We have all been there. We will undoubtedly be there again. Jesus said this to His disciples who had claimed to believe in Him.

“If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.”  (John 8 – The Message)

Just words? Nope. Absolute truth.

The morning stroll with dog friend Hannah was delightful. The sun was shining and the air was brisk. Hannah found hundreds of p-mail messages to sniff in her version of the world wide web. On the iPod I dialed up the series I am currently devouring on the book of Romans. The series is called the TrueFaced Grace Series and it is by the same knuckleheads that have been rocking my world with the book TrueFaced. I wrote about the book in a recent post called the Santa Clause is Comin’ to Town Theology. Today’s passage was from Romans 5. I am placing my marginal reputation on the recommendation that you check out this book and/or CD series.

What hit me on the stroll today was how I seem to ration grace in my life as if it is in short supply. I picture myself like those old movies where the guys are stuck in the desert with one canteen of water left.

They only allow a sip of water to be consumed. Just enough to survive. I think I have viewed grace like that at times. Since I don’t really deserve this gift I must take just a little. The truth is just the opposite. I didn’t deserve grace but God chose to give the gift. Why would God give me a gift and then expect me not to use it freely?

One of my favorite shows is The Office. A recent episode featured bumbling boss Michael deciding that websites and technology were not the way to maintain clients. So Michael decided to win back lost clients with good old-fashioned gift baskets. Along with overbearing compatriate Dwight, they set out to give the baskets to former clients to lure their business back with an unexpected gift. The baskets were delivered but not a single client was convinced to return because of the gift. Michael and Dwight began to get angry because these ungrateful clients did not appreciate the “gift” and resume business with them. So they went to take back their gift because the performance of the recipients was not good enough to merit keeping the gift. Michael even got angry because part of his “gift” had been consumed.

Sadly, that is how I have viewed God’s grace. I received the gift of grace but I still expected that it might be pulled back if I didn’t measure up. I was like the old rock song lyrics…I fought the law and the law won. But I did not understand God’s purpose for the law. The law was put in place to make me realize that I desperately need the gift basket of grace. And God’s Word is clear that I get to keep it. Paul said words to that effect in Romans.

God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  (Romans 5, NLT)

Here is one more amazing thing about amazing grace. When I sin God not only doesn’t take back the gift basket, instead against all common sense the gift basket gets larger and more extravagant! The King James Version (Good News for 17^th Century Man) has a great translation.

But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound

God doesn’t pull back His grace when His children sin. He pours grace out in a volume sufficient to overwhelm that sin in a tsunami of love. I sit there spiritually parched and hoping to find a drop or two left in the canteen. All the while God is pointing to a fire hydrant that is gushing so much grace that it will knock me over. That is what Paul is saying. Well, he didn’t have The Office or fire hyrdants to reference but he did the best he could.  I have known this truth from Romans for a long time. Now I am learning to trust that truth. What an amazing difference that makes when it comes to amazing grace.

This week marked a couple of rites of spring. The reporting of pitchers and catchers to spring training and the arrival of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. For me one is a “right” of spring and the other is becoming a “wrong”. I was on the road when the swimsuit issue arrived at my home. The lovely Mrs.Burchett led me into a marital minefield with this simple statement.

“Your swimsuit issue arrived today.” She waited.

Work brain, work! Must step carefully. Following the lead of Nehemiah I “prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered”. 

My response was simple.

“Throw it away.”

Joni thought she had (to quote Roger Clemens) “misheard”.

“What?”

“Throw it away. I don’t need to see that.”

I think I surprised the Missus. This has been a process for me. I have gone over the years from eagerly anticipating the SI issue to guiltily perusing it to quickly flipping through the magazine and then tossing it. This year I never even saw the issue. Next year I plan to make Al Gore happy by opting out of the swimsuit issue and not forcing a tree to die for such a meaningless cause. Why the change? Cynics will say that I am just getting old. I hope it is a little more than that.

Those unfortunate enough to know me well would hardly describe me as an uptight prude. I am a television sports director so I am all too well aware of “progressive” attitudes toward sexual issues. I am never surprised by inappropriate comments or images in my work world. Today’s thoughts are addressed to my fellow followers of Jesus. I have recently been focusing on my identity in Christ. I believe that my very spiritual DNA was rewritten when I trusted Jesus for my salvation. With that decision I changed. My behavior needs to reflect that change. Paul addressed these words to the church at Ephesus.

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.  (Ephesians 5, NLT)

Several years ago my reaction would have been something like this. “Come on, it is just a bunch of skimpy swimsuits. Lighten up.” Alcoholics cannot sometimes have a drink. They must avoid it because they have a drinking problem. Most men have a lust problem. Can we sometimes indulge sexy images and be spiritually healthy? For me the answer is clear. Lust is mostly visual. Lustful images are almost impossible to delete from the mental hard drive. Images can lead to fantasy that can lead to really bad decisions. Paul had a simple solution. Run.

Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (I Corinthians 6, NLT)

Many years ago I was a regular reader of a men’s magazine famous for foldouts so I am not speaking out of “self-righteous” ignorance. I know why men read such magazines. Incredibly, it is not for the articles! Any man who tries to rationalize that is disingenous at best and a liar at worst. Christian men should have no part of such magazines or websites. I am stunned by men who make threatening comments to young men that come to date their daughters and then go out and ogle and lust after the daughters of others. In New Man Magazine author Matthew Paul Turner writes that “pornography alters your view of humanity by objectifying people. And, it’s almost impossible for a porn habit “not to affect the relationships you hold most dear.”

That is truth. You can believe it now or find out, to your dismay, later.

I work in a secular and testosterone driven world. There may be a small percentage of men who can view these types of magazines or websites and not lust. I have not met any of them yet. If you are that man would you join me for lunch (and bring along a lie detector)?