I love the message Paul wrote to the Ephesian church. Paul had spent over two years teaching and discipling the new believers in Ephesus. Not long after leaving he received reports that those new hearts had reverted to old habits. Things were a bit of a mess and the word came back that the old behaviors of rage, immorality, lying, stealing and gossip were resurfacing. Paul wrote a letter to address this sad turn of events. The amazing thing to me is that the first three chapters never address those sins. Paul even greets them as saints for crying out loud!
“From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints [in Ephesus], the faithful in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 1:1 NET)
If I was writing that letter it would have had an entirely different tone. Something more along these lines. “What are you thinking? I am so disappointed in you. What is wrong with you? Do you know how much I sacrificed for you?” But Paul doesn’t do that. Rather, in the first three chapters, he talks about identity. He reminds them who they are.
Saint. Redeemed by Christ. Adopted child of God. Sealed in the Holy Spirit.
This reminder to the church at Ephesus impacted my heart. For years I had a really difficult time trusting my identity and your actions tend to reflect who you believe you are. Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth talks about how our identity has changed.
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
It took me a while to believe that because of Christ I have a new identity. That I am righteous because of Him and not because of trying to do more right “stuff.” I am a saint and there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. It is a liberating and joyous message. But there is a problem. Satan hates that message of hope and change. And so he aggressively goes about trying to “steal’ my identity in Christ.
We find it difficult to believe that we are changed because many times when we fail the old tapes instantly cue up and start playing loudly:
You will never change. You always do that. I can’t believe you did that again. What is wrong with you?
All of those accusations that Satan (and others who are quite happy to help) hurls your way are no longer true about you. All of the guilt and shame and sin that used to define you are no longer true. That old life is gone. You are a new creation. New life has begun.
Even though the Ephesians had messed up royally in how they were living out their faith Paul did not condemn them as he began his letter. He had to be heartbroken. But he showed his love by not lecturing but by reminding them who they were….adopted, redeemed, and sealed. Saints. He NEVER wrote a word about changing their behavior until chapter four!
I have spent too many years being an Ephesians 4 to 6 Christian. I looked at behavior and judged that…often sinfully. I am becoming an Ephesians 1 to 3 Christian. Remembering and reminding myself and others who we are. Out of those truths behavior changes.
Adopted. Redeemed. Sealed. Loved. A saint. Righteous. Accepted. Forgiven. A new creation. A child of God.
No matter what difficulty or trial you might encounter this week I pray that you will take a moment and remember who you are. A saint. Adopted. Redeemed. Sealed.
It was thirteen years ago when Joni and I said goodbye to Hall of Fame canine companion Hannah. She was a unexpected rescued Labrador that God brought into our lives to help us through a challenging season. She inspired the initial book draft of Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace that included stories from another rescued Labrador named Maggie. Here is a chapter from the book remembering sweet Hannah.
Hannah loves the morning walk. When she sees me grab my walking shoes, she begins to vibrate with excitement. If the Department of Energy wants to find an untapped green energy source, it should harness Labrador tails. I think Hannah could power a small apartment building when she gets excited and that tail starts oscillating. I love the morning walk as well. It is a time to meditate, pray, listen to good music, and enjoy God’s company.
The walk is pretty much the same each day for Hannah. She checks for new messages left by other canine friends along her social network. Sometimes she leaves a reply. She gets excited when she sees another person, dog, or anything breathing, really. Hannah loves life.
As I clipped the leash to Hannah’s collar this morning, I couldn’t help but notice her enthusiasm. She was happy just to get out and walk. The leash didn’t spoil the anticipation of heading out the door, and despite its restriction, she still found abundant stimulation along the way.
When we got to the park, it was empty. As usual, we started out by a sign that sternly warned miscreants not to let their dogs run free. Today we were in temporary violation of city code 5544.
We entered a wooded area on the back side of the park where I felt comfortable letting Hannah run free. She became visibly energized by her liberation.
She ran ahead of me, spun around, and sprinted back. She spotted a squirrel several yards away and instinctively froze. Her body tensed in anticipation; she crouched down and took a few slow, deliberate steps, stalking her prey.
Then she bolted full throttle at the squirrel, ears flying in the wind.
The squirrel darted up a tree and Hannah stopped, looked up, and then turned with an expression of complete satisfaction as she trotted back toward me. She had a doggie smile from ear to ear. Hannah was fully alive when she was off the leash. Her freedom gave her such joy and energy. The squirrels weren’t as keen with the idea.
When we reached the front part of the park, I called her and reattached the leash. Her body language was still happy, but there was not quite as much spring in her step. The leash again restricted her freedom.
Hannah’s joyous foray into freedom made me think about my journey with Jesus. I was introduced to faith in Christ in a church that put a legalistic leash on my daily Christian walk.
Our church leaders reminded me of characters from the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. We did not have the dreaded knights who said, “Ni.” We had the dreaded pastors who said, “No.”
I’m certain there were several volumes filled with things that were forbidden. Here is a sample platter of no-no’s I was asked to follow.
NO movies. NO drinking. NO movies. NO television. NO playing cards. NO rock-and-roll music. NO slacks for women. NO long hair for men.
You get the idea. It’s not surprising that it took me a long time to figure out grace and freedom in Christ. Ironically, there are a few noes in the New Testament that our moralists somehow overlooked. This little “no” verse would have come in handy (capitalization and italics added for emphasis).
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 8:1-2
That would have been a refreshing mist of grace to our parched flock. Or how about these “no” verses (capitalization and italics added for emphasis).
This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is NOfear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:17-19, NIV)
“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. (Mark 12:30-31, NIV)
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps NO record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. (1 Corinthians 13:4-6)
I have been crucified with Christ and I NO longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now 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! (Galatians 2:20-21, NIV)
That is a very different “no” list than the first one.
NO condemnation. NO fear. NO commandment greater than to love God and your neighbor. NO record of wrongdoing when you love one another. NO longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.
Hannah’s foray off the leash reminded me again of my freedom from the burden of performance-based salvation. Remembering that restores the bounce in my step and spirit. In the freedom of grace, I am realizing and believing who God says I am. When I am unleashed by grace, I understand and trust who God says He is.
Like Hannah, I could live on my leash of moralism and get by fairly well. I did it for decades. Most of you wouldn’t have noticed my constraints. I would still have fun and enjoy the journey, just as Hannah enjoyed the restricted part of her walk. But why should I accept partial freedom when God is offering complete freedom in His amazing grace?
Take off whatever leash is holding you back today and run freely in grace. Choose to believe that there is no condemnation in Christ for those who belong to Him. Don’t settle for some self-imposed leash of performance. Hannah would tell you that the real blessing is running with complete freedom.
God’s grace unhooks the leash and allows you to run unfettered and worship. God loves watching your exuberant liberation in Him. And He enjoys it when you turn and smile toward the heavens with complete satisfaction.
Enjoy the grace-filled romp of freedom just as Hannah did. Walk (or run with ears flying) to Jesus. Approach Him with confidence, not in fear and shame. Having that relationship allows you to give up your burden of self-sufficiency and let Jesus lead. Thanks, Hannah, for helping me see that.
When it comes to social media some people seem to be in attack mode all the time. My heartaches because friends and colleagues of mine say truly ugly things and assign terrible motives to people they don’t even know. I quit going negative on social media many years ago. I affirm where I can and stay silent when I cannot. I just don’t understand what satisfaction people get from savaging someone from the safe bunker of the Internet.
One word I choose to limit is hate. Hate is a powerful and deeply affecting word. But we toss it around so casually that it makes me wince. I am saddened, sickened, disturbed, and frightened at how the word hate is being hurled in our national discourse. Red-faced people of different viewpoints spew vitriol at those they disagree with. It can be an honest and complicated issue that people are reacting to, but they reduce the debate to hating their opponents instead of listening and discussing.
Author James Baldwin made this insightful observation: “I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.”
Isn’t that the truth? Sometimes it is easier to demonize than understand what needs to be done. It is up to me and to you to change the discourse. We need to start by allowing God to be the one who defines hate. After all, He does have that righteous and holy power on His resume.
In the Book of Proverbs, there is a list of seven things that God hates. eyes that are arrogant, a tongue that lies, hands that murder the innocent, a heart that hatches evil plots, feet that race down a wicked track, a mouth that lies under oath, a troublemaker in the family. (Proverbs 6:17-19, The Message)
I believe we saw all seven of those things over recent days in our country. Political leaders favorite tactic of justifying bad behavior because of other bad behavior does not work with a holy God. Our God is not attention deficit and we cannot distract Him with a shiny sign condemning someone else’s sin.
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, author of “Words That Hurt, Words That Heal”, has lectured throughout this country on the powerful, often negative impact of words. He often asks audiences if they can go 24 hours without saying any unkind words about, or to, another person. Invariably, a small number of listeners raise their hands, signifying “Yes.” Others laugh, and quite a few call out, “No!”
Telushkin responds, “Those who can’t answer ‘yes’ must recognize that you have a serious problem. If you can’t go 24 hours without drinking liquor, you’re addicted to alcohol. If you can’t go 24 hours without smoking, you’re addicted to nicotine. So if you can’t go 24 hours without saying unkind words about others, then you’ve lost control over your tongue.”
Or maybe you could try sending 24 posts without saying unkind words about others. It seems that people talk about things and people they detest instead of solutions. Hate is a very serious word to use when talking about anyone, and especially for followers of Jesus who rant on other believers. As Christians, we simply do not have that option. Yet I see this happening way too often.
If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? (1 John 4:20)
If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness. (1 John 2:9)
Ouch. It’s very clear—and uncomfortable to hear—that I need to pray for those I disagree with in the faith community.
But beyond that, I think we need to be extraordinarily prayerful about throwing the hate card at anyone. I would suggest that we often allow ourselves to slip from hating the sin to hating the sinner as well. A wise man tells us that “the fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate” (Proverbs 8:13)
We see the first sentence of this next Proverb played out in social media.
Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. (Proverbs 10:12)
The second part of this Proverb has been demonstrated by a few brave souls in my lifetime. Martin Luther King Jr. had some legitimate reasons to hate, but he chose not to. His words have not lost their power: “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
Another courageous African-American, Booker T. Washington, made a similar choice. “I will permit no man to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him.”
We hate people we don’t know and, without a doubt, that suspicious attitude prevents us from ever engaging with them. That is why the assassination of Charlie Kirk was so heartbreaking. He sought to engage with people who disagreed with his faith and his views of life. I cannot understand how anyone can say that seeking civil debate over cultural issues is wrong. He asked questions of critics. He gave them an open mic to show where his thinking was off base. His heart’s desire was to shine a light in a dark world through his faith in Jesus Christ. His process was to share truth through kindness and grace. Charlie knew that even truth shared with anger and condemnation will rarely change a heart.
I have decided to severely curtail my use of the word hate. I am praying to follow the words of Booker T.Washington to permit no man to degrade my soul by making me hate.
I have to remind myself that the actions that make me angry are the result of our fallen nature and sin. Hating people will not fix either of those issues. My hope is that finding a relationship with Jesus Christ will heal their anger and pain. I can’t influence hearts by using inflammatory words. I want to engage them in grace filled conversation. And remember that words do matter. A lot.
Life’s circumstances can be hard to accept for even the most mentally healthy—if such people actually exist. The truth is that many of us are dealing with frustrations and challenges everyday. It is so easy to get caught up in our own resentments that we lose sight of the sacred all around us. And it is very difficult to see challenging circumstances as critical building blocks to spiritual maturity.
Paul was dealt some pretty bad hands during his missionary journeys. I suspect it would have been easy for him to question God about his lot. After all, it was God who very aggressively recruited Paul onto the team while he was traveling to Damascus. But Paul knew that difficulties are a vital part of the spiritual-growth program. Here is what he wrote from prison.
I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. (Philippians 4:10-12, NIV)
I am so grateful that Paul did not write “I am content” and “I know the secret,” even though those words could have been true. He was divinely inspired to honestly write that he had learned to be content and he had learned the secret. It did not come naturally or easily to Paul either.
I am grateful for how Paul addressed this topic. He did not say I am “always content with whatever I have” in his letter. Paul wrote that he had “learned” to be content. It was a process for Saint Paul just as it is a process for Saint Dave. I can’t say that I have fully learned. I can say that I am in the process of learning. By the way, I doubt you will ever see Saint Dave as a church name.
Contentment is learning how to be present with Jesus in every circumstance. Our nature is to not enjoy the moment at hand when it is not ideal. We focus on whatever is bothering us. We long for comfort and fail to look for the blessings that usually surround us. Maybe we need to understand that the lesson of the difficult circumstances is remembering how blessed we are to have God’s gift of grace.
I encourage you (and me) to thank God for every seemingly mundane, good thing that comes our way today. A hot cup of coffee or tea. A green light on your commute. A warm (or cool) car to get you to work or school. A favorite song playing. Laughter. A smile from a friend or stranger. A tasty treat. A cuddly dog. A beautiful tree or flower. A blue sky. What is your list of small and overlooked daily mercies?
I have written about this social media trend but I think it is worth revisiting. After a tragedy occurs it is a common social media reaction to attack people of faith for offering “thoughts and prayers”. These posters assume that anyone expressing those sentiments don’t really care about solutions to prevent future violence. Our culture seems to have lost the ability to recognize two things can be true at once.
I honestly believe I can desire cultural improvement while praying for hope and comfort to victims and their families available through faith in Christ.
So here is the challenge for Christians in this season. How can we love those who assign terrible motives to what may be a completely sincere and caring response? Perhaps start by seeing if anything in the criticism is valid.
I spent 40 years in television production trucks so rough language doesn’t impact me much. But I have to admit the language and anger directed toward Christians who express “thoughts and prayers” is stunning. It is easy to dismiss such vulgar statements with defensiveness and anger but it is vital to see if there is a valid critique hiding in the vitriol. Is there a lesson there for followers of Jesus?
I think we can ask for God’s grace towards those who are judgmental and unkind. Believe me, I know that is not easy and not possible apart from His grace. I don’t mean the next statement to be condescending to those who do not share my faith because I have been on both sides. If I did not have the belief that there is more hope in Christ than just this earthly existence I would likely be just as frustrated and angry.
To demonstrate my faith is real I need to back up, show kindness, and continue to love those who might not show those same reactions toward me.
As for finding some valid criticism in the vitriol I will throw this out for you to “think and pray” about. When we type that we are sending “thoughts and prayers” I believe that Christians must also be looking for ways to show love through our actions. Thoughts and prayers need hands and feet displaying the love of Christ to have eternal impact.
It is hard to spend much time in the New Testament and not realize our challenge as followers of Jesus toward those hurting, in need, and devoid of hope. Here is a very small sample:
If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? (1 John 3:17, ESV)
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (James 2:14-17, ESV)
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:4 ESV)
Loving one another is clearly step one. But prayer is a valuable gift to people of faith. Joni went through a difficult cancer journey. Some could only offer prayer. It meant a lot. Some offered prayer and help. That meant a lot. We didn’t judge the first group because they only prayed. We knew they cared and we knew their hearts.
I am absolutely fine with sincere expressions of thoughts and prayers when people are hurting. I understand the frustration we all feel over terrifying acts of violence. Those who disagree with someone’s faith or political opinion too often assign the worst values from the most extreme people proclaiming that message. Without knowing a single thing about the person’s story, their heart, or their background we are prone to throw down the gauntlet of judgment. Broad brushing the motives of everyone without knowing their heart is painful and destructive.
I am challenging myself and other believers to be willing to be the hands and feet that reflect the love of Christ. Don’t focus on the anger of those who don’t share your hope. Focus on the One who has given you hope in this challenging season and be a light in the darkness.
There is a question about grace that confounds me.
“If grace based theology as the way to live out the Christian life is true then why is it not more popular in the church?”
That is a great question. I have been swept away by grace. Everything in my life has been changed by taking away my performance based faith and believing in Christ’s performance for me.
During a recent football telecast I thought about a parallel between one of my least favorite football strategies and this grace conundrum. Perhaps it was an insight from the Holy Spirit. Perhaps it was simply because my brain is not wired to factory specs. But this idea popped in my mind. A lot of football teams play a defense that is called the prevent defense. That style of defense is designed to allow the opponent short yardage gains as the defense tries to prevent big plays and long touchdowns. The theory is that if you can force the other team to settle for short gains they will eventually make a mistake, get called for a penalty, or simply fail to get the yardage needed.
I thought about the opponent we line up against as followers of Christ. Does Satan play a kind of “prevent” defense to thwart our spiritual growth? The Enemy is willing to give up short gains of spiritual growth as long as we focus on our own efforts to keep grinding out more gains. Satan, like a good defensive coordinator, hopes that we make a mistake and then he can pounce on our miscue and cause a costly turnover. I remember that failure would cause me to doubt myself, my commitment, and my worth. When I made a mistake Satan’s play by play announcer would broadcast loudly in my head about my disappointing failure to please God.
The goal line of joy, freedom, and peace seemed more and more difficult to reach. Finally I was happy just to make a short gain now and then. I seldom sustained a lengthy drive of positive spiritual gains.
But then I discovered a new offense. A game plan that Satan can’t defend. When I lined up with a grace growth offense there was no way for the Enemy to keep me from the goal of freedom and joy. Instead of grinding out each painful yard with begrudging self-effort I simply followed the lead block of the Spirit and ran with confidence. I remembered my team identity and the power that was promised from that association. I believed that I would be victorious not because of my skill but because of Christ.
Maybe the analogy is a stretch. Maybe not. Since I detest the prevent defense in football it seems logical it came from Satan. I do think there is something to consider in the idea that Satan “gives” us little gains and tries really hard to stop the big ones. I believe that grace scares the Enemy more that anything we do because grace relies on surrender and trust. My self-effort against the ruler of this world is a long shot. My surrendered life to Jesus is a sure victory. Jesus has fought this battle and won. Why would we not depend on His game plan to reach the goal? I will meditate on these words from Hebrews this week.
So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (Hebrews 4:16, NLT)
Maybe if we consistently run the grace growth offense more people will find our Godly game-plan more attractive and will join us on the team.
I love how God can connect with His children in creative ways. In recent days I went through a period of discouragement. My spiritual and emotional meters were registering dangerously low numbers. I grew increasingly disappointed with myself because none of the things I was dealing with were dangerous issues. I wondered why I was so down. There were several discouraging events but nothing major. I prayed to the Lord to get me back on the path of trusting Him as I drove to a meeting.
When you’re down and troubled And you need a helping hand And nothing, nothing is going right
Hmmmm. Interesting. I can relate to those words for sure. Is this song a request someone made for my current journey? The song continued.
Close your eyes and think of me And soon I will be there To brighten up even your darkest night
You just call out my name And you know wherever I am I’ll come running, oh yeah baby, to see you again Winter, spring, summer or fall All you’ve got to do is call And I’ll be there, yeh, yeh, yeh You’ve got a friend
Carol King was singing about being a loyal friend that would show up whenever needed. You just had to call her to show up. The Holy Spirit touched my heart with a reminder that I have a friend named Jesus. There are a couple of major differences between my Savior and Good Shepherd friend and my best earthly friends. Jesus doesn’t come running when I call out His name. He is already there. He has been there all along. His grace and love were waiting to brighten up my darkest night. All I had to do was call on my friend who is already there!
God knows that we need earthly friends to help navigate this often-difficult journey. It is so helpful to live in a kind community but sometimes the best source of comfort and healing is through the love of Jesus.
One of my favorite New Testament stories is the man who was paralyzed, and his friends were trying to get him in front of Jesus to get healed. They cared. When they couldn’t get in the door, they cut a hole in the roof, and lowered him down to Jesus. The Lord was moved by the man’s faith (and the faith of his friends) and He had mercy on him. What strikes me is how Jesus addressed the man.
He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” (Luke 5, NASB)
Jesus meets you there when you are going through struggles and that meeting you is not just in theory. He suffered. He agonized with God the Father. He knows the human condition. He has been where you are. Because of God’s incredible plan we have a Shepherd who understands the pain and challenge of being living in a fallen world.
Hey, ain’t it good to know that you’ve got a friend?
It is so good to know you’ve got a forgiving friend of sacrificial love and grace in Jesus. The secular lyrics continue to have spiritual application.
People can be so cold. They’ll hurt you and desert you. Well they’ll take your soul if you let them. Oh yeah, but don’t you let them.
Satan would like nothing more than to use the hurts and difficult people in life to take our very soul away from the gift of salvation. Don’t you let them. Lean on Jesus.
So, my heart was healed by the Holy Spirit through a 70’s hit from Carol King. Also interesting that her last name matches the role of Jesus in the Kingdom of God.
For, At just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings. (1 Timothy 6:15, NLT)
Wow. The King of all kings is willing to be my friend even when I fail? And He will walk with me through trials?
In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation. (1 Peter 5, NLT)
That is a promise that we can hold on to in times of sorrow, suffering, anxiety, and frustration. Jesus is always with us. He will restore, support, strengthen, and place us on a firm foundation. Even when I (and maybe you might do this too) veer off the path of grace all we have to do is call His name. He is there ready to get us back on track.
Pardon my grammar but ain’t it good to know that we’ve got a friend like Jesus?
