Month: January 2009

Yesterday I was driving home lost in thought. I have been teaching about grace and I was thinking about the tension between grace and law. Flashing red lights behind me gave me a good and unwanted illustration. I had to smile at the incongruity of thinking about grace and getting caught by the law.

I had been a traffic sinner. The law said I was guilty of going over the posted speed limit. I confessed my sin. I tried for grace from the officer. “I have gone twenty-five years without a ticket,” I said affably. “Sorry,” he answered as he handed me the ticket. He was not in the mood for grace and, to be honest, I didn’t deserve it. So there was an expensive illustration of the law without grace.

The law showed me my wrongdoing. A penalty was assessed and had to be paid. Without grace I had to pay the penalty. So I will write a check to the city of Garland to atone for my sin.

In Romans Paul wrote these words.

Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. (Romans 3, NLT)

Nearly forty years ago I realized that I was guilty before God. Jesus had paid my penalty and I simply had to accept that gift of grace by faith. My record was expunged without deferred adjudication or having to take defensive righteousness courses. There was nothing I could do to pay that penalty. It was paid by undeserved grace.

Now I am learning and trusting how grace allows me to live in freedom, joy and without condemnation. As I found out yesterday there are consequences to bad decisions. The city of Garland required payment. Thank God my sin payment has been paid by Jesus Christ. 

Paul went on to write the wonderful news of the Gospel.

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.

So I made a bad decision yesterday and had to pay what I deserved for my careless traffic sin. I made a great decision many years ago and I was freed from having to pay the penalty for a lifetime of sin. What grace! I would have preferred a cheaper illustration for Sunday but today I rejoice in the freedom of His amazing grace.

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. (Romans 8, NLT)

 

Sometimes I wonder how we will be grouped in heaven. Will there be an eHarmony kind of questionnaire to assign us to the right small group?

St.Peter:    Okay…tell me a little bit about your favorite sports teams.
Me:           I rooted for the Cleveland Browns, Baylor football and the Texas Rangers.
St.Peter:    Whoa. Hey Job! We have one for your group!

Over the years the Ohio State Buckeyes have given me a lot to rejoice over but recently the times have not been as good. Last night I watched my beloved Buckeyes lose a heartbreaking game. I shared the excitement and the agony with fellow Buckeye transplant and dear friend Mark. Neither of us struggled to find our inner child during the game. Our antics were far more entertaining than the game to the lovely Mrs.Burchett. This morning I awakened and tentatively opened one eye. Sure enough, the sun had come up and life appeared to be rocking along.

Earlier in my life journey a loss like that would have sent me into a multiple day funk of bad moods and bad manners. This morning I am not depressed. It would have been fun if Ohio State had won. But this season of my life is shaped by one very big word.

Perspective.

My beloved has battled cancer and currently has the upper hand. That puts a tough loss in perspective. Other friends and family are going through difficult seasons and trials. That puts football in perspective. I have had to say goodbye to both of my parents and to some dear friends in recent years. That puts life in perspective.

So armed with a perspective that I didn’t really sign up for I weathered last night okay. I am still proud to be an Ohio State fan. I am proud of Coach Jim Tressel, his integrity and his steadfast faith in Christ. I am proud of the players who worked so hard to get there and played their hearts out. Today they will be criticized by guys who can’t jump off the couch without pulling a muscle or run down stairs without oxygen. I know that Coach Tressel will give them the perspective to hold their heads high today.

Long suffering reader Jeff also put a smile on my face with a comment about a recent article I wrote about placebo faith. Our faith should give us some peace and joy as we travel a sometimes difficult path. Some readers would go to C.S.Lewis or Luther or Spurgeon. Jeff chose these words of encouragement from a lesser known source of spiritual wisdom.

However, we (Christians abiding in Christ) should be able to say with Monty Python, “I’m getting better. I feel happy, I feel happy. I think I’ll go for a walk now.”

And so I shall. Dog friend Hannah is extremely happy that I am donning the walking shoes and I will leave you with these words from James as we go for a walk now.

Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. (James 5, NLT)

It is a sign of hard earned perspective that I thinking about singing praises today.

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite comedians is Steven Wright. He is the thinking man’s stand-up comedian. Here is one of his classics.

“I’m addicted to placebos. I’d give them up…but it wouldn’t make any difference.”

Think about it.

Dictionary.com defines a placebo drug as a substance having no pharmacological effect but given merely to satisfy a patient who supposes it to be a medicine. Some would suggest that all religion is a placebo. Friedrich Nietzsche said that “Faith means not wanting to know what is true.” I realize there are many people of faith who fit into that category. I can speak only for the Christian faith and myself. I have spent many years seeking what is true. I have tried to the best of my ability to be honest. I have read the arguments of thinkers on all sides. I have studied the life of Jesus. I have researched other religious figures. Why would I not want to know what is true? Why should I waste my time, money, and questionable talent on a faith that is false? The men who followed Jesus around for three years faced the same question about who He was.

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”  Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.” (Matthew 16)

 

I have looked at the evidence of the life of Jesus and the lives of those who followed Him. I have reached the same conclusion as Simon Peter. Others look at the same information and decide otherwise. As I get further into this journey I am less inclined to be offended by remarks like this one by former pro wrestler and governor Jesse Ventura.  “Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers.” Actually I agree that “organized religion” can be a sham. That is why I often choose to simply call myself a follower of Jesus. I might take mild umbrage at the weak-minded people comment but I try not to get offended by men who wear feather boas. That is one of my life rules.

 

Perhaps the larger question for those who believe that Jesus is the Son of the living God is this one.

 

If you gave your faith up….would it make a difference? Would people notice that your faith is gone? Have you allowed the Spirit of God to work in your life or have you substituted the placebo of church and churchy stuff instead? Have our lives as Christians suggested to observers that faith is just a placebo? Jesus should make a difference in my life. It is so easy to be a placebo parishioner in America. There is no real cost to being a Christian in this country. Perhaps a little ridicule but certainly not the freedom or even life threatening decisions that some must make to follow Jesus. So placebos are good enough to get by in America.

 

But if you take the real thing you should see a change in heart that is revealed in changed behavior. Daily doses of Jesus should be producing the fruit of the Spirit. You know…that annoying list from Galatians.

“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law”

 

I once thought that list was a nice idea but living it was practically impossible. But I have seen men and women who display those traits when their circumstance would suggest far more bitter fruit. Just like the smart people ruined the classroom curve some authentic Christians (like the Amish in Pennsylvania) show me what it looks like to really love Jesus. Placebos only work when circumstances are good and when there is no real disease. When real problems come you need the real medicine. Tired of the placebo of playing church? Here is the prescription.

 

Try Jesus full strength daily. Don’t just acknowledge the truth. Trust it. Take whenever needed and also take as a preventative dosage. Refills are good for life. Do not accept generics. Users should experience peace, forgiveness, and grace. If anger, bitterness, lust, or other sin symptoms occur contact Great Physician immediately.

Today I accomplished one of my least favorite tasks of the year. Taking down the Christmas decorations always makes me a bit melancholy. One of our Christmas staples is a yard display that spells out “Joy”. The sign is simple yet the nativity scene incorporated into the letters clearly communicates our feelings about what this holiday represents. As I took down the display I thought about the reason I love this decoration so much.

Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great JOY to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!  (Luke 2, NLT)

That is where I place my joy as I head into a unstable New Year. I find my joy in the Messiah, the Lord – who was born in the city of David. It is so easy to remember the reason for joy during the Christmas season. But now that we are past this wonderful season it is very easy to pack my joy away and unpack lots of worry. The twenty-four news cycle feeds on negativity and hearing the message of gloom and doom over and over has it’s effect. Our country is going through a difficult period but you would think the apocalypse is directly upon us when you watch the cable news networks. The news reporters peddle fear and I choose not to buy it. The angel of the Lord told the shepherds not to be afraid. Jesus talked a lot about fear.

“But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear! Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. (Matthew 10 – NLT)

And these words from Jesus could have been in response to the news reporting hysteria we hear nearly every day.

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.”  (Luke 12, NLT)

I believe those words. I may not have all that I want but I trust God to provide what I need. In America we too often confuse those concepts.

So I have made some decisions. I don’t make vows because I know I will fail at some point. Making a vow dooms me to failure. Choosing a direction allows me to stumble off course now and then but then get right back on track.

I have decided to direct my time a little differently this year. I want to spend less time watching and reading the news and more time reading and meditating on God’s Word. I want to pray for our leaders in Washington but I am going to trust God to provide my hope. I want to live joyfully in each precious moment that God gives me and not live in paralyzing fear of the future.

My retirement is shaky but my family is healthy. That gives me joy.
My house lost value but my family grew in faith. That gives me joy.
The world is volatile but my assurance is solid and built on the Rock. That gives me joy.

I have packed away the joy decoration for this year but I want to unpack the joy that Christ gives me every single day in 2009. You can do that too. May you have a joyful New Year in spite of your circumstance.