Here I Stand

When I was younger, I did not enjoy reading history or biographies, but these days I find myself turning to biographies quite frequently. Somehow fiction just doesn’t compare with real life. I just finished the 2017 biography of Martin Luther by Eric Metaxas, and I would highly recommend it. I learned a lot that I hadn’t read before or had long since forgotten. (Dr. Rosell may decide to revoke my grades in his church history classes at GCTS.)

I knew that Scripture knowledge was lacking among the laity because they didn’t have the Bible in their own language, but I didn’t realize that the clergy weren’t much better. Metaxas writes:

“It was a plain fact that no one was really entrusted with reading the Bible itself, so that monks and even priests and theologians were typically kept at one or more removes from it... In contrast with his frenetic and passionate Bible reading, Luther said that the other monks did not read their Bibles very much or at all... Strangely enough, once a novice actualy became a monk, he was no longer allowed to keep his Bible. At that point, he must limit himself to only reading scholarly books” (52-53).

In his many debates, Luther’s opponents seemed to be more concerned with upholding the authority of the Pope than with seriously considering what Scripture had to say about an issue.

“Duke George himself had a private conversation with Luther... he easily solved the thorny theological question of papal authority by gruffly declaring, ‘Whether by divine or by human right, the pope is still the pope!’” (171).

“For many in attendance [at Leipzig, Johannes] Eck’s quoting [Matthew 16:18-19] to prove his point was as though he had shouted ‘QED,’ and raised his hands in triumph. Eck then said that to deny this most basic of doctrines was to side with the Bohemian heretic Jan Hus, who a century earlier was condemned at the Council of Constance and burned at the stake” (174).

In addition, I hadn’t realized the extent of papal power over secular authorities. There is a reason it was called the Holy Roman Empire. Luther wrote:

“In name the empire belong to us, but in reality to the pope... We Germans are given a clear German lesson. Just as we thought we had achieved independence, we became the slaves of the craziest of tyrants; we have the name, title, and coat of arms of the empire, but the pope has the wealth, power, the courts, and the laws. Thus the pope devours the fruit and we play with the peels” (186).

In the modern Western world, it’s hard to imagine the a world without national and personal independence. We value our freedom of religion and freedom of expression, but this a bit of a historical anomaly. Most nations and most time periods have simply not had the freedoms we enjoy.

“Many historians have put Luther forward as the first to put ‘individual conscience’ before the authority of the church and empire. But ironically, he was not at all asserting the freedom of the individual to do as he pleased. He was asserting the freedom of the individual to do as God pleased—if and when the church or state attempted to abrogate that freedom. Luther was asserting the modern idea of freedom of religion and freedom of conscience for the first time in history... Luther called upon every Christian to cease the petty obedience to church that was nothing when compared to the freedom and joy of actually obeying God” (221).

Martin Luther wasn’t perfect and he got some things wrong, but I have to admire someone who took a stand for what he believed Scripture taught even though it got him condemned as a heretic by the official church and put him at risk of being burned at the stake. Many today would rather be popular than theologically correct. We can easily choose to let people hold onto lies that will bring eternal condemnation rather than risk our reputation before men.

We have benefitted from Luther’s work: we have the Scriptures in our own language; we have a multitude of churches to choose from; we can join in musical worship of many different styles; we have the right to disagree with theologians, and many other freedoms. So what will we do now?

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV).

© 2018 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.

(Re)Born Free

As I was starting to write this post, I found that Alistair Begg, John Piper, and Tim Keller have been thinking along the same lines. So I’ve included several of their quotes here.

Recently I heard a passing comment (I think it was from Alistair) about the incident in Genesis 25 of Esau “despising his birthright” in order to get a bowl of stew. It’s easy to read that story and think, “Well, that was dumb! I’d never do something like that!” I had the sudden realization that in fact we do that every time we sin.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4 ESV), and “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God… The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:14, 16). If we have been born again we have a new life in Christ, so any choice that is not in line with that new life is sin and is “despising our birthright.” All sin is first and foremost against our Father, God. Joseph said, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9b). David wrote, “Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight…” (Psalm 51:4a).

In his recent sermon on self-control, Alistair Begg said,

• “The fact is that when we sin like that, whatever was the object of our mistaken pleasure, we loved that more than we loved God… What we’re declaring is that God is not enough for us.”
• “True freedom is not a license to do as you please, but the liberty to do what you ought…”
• “Religion says ‘become by self-effort what you’re not.’ Christianity… says, ‘Become by grace what you are… because you have been set free… in order that you might live for Him.”

Tim Keller wrote, 

• “And when we began to worship and serve created things, paradoxically, the created things came to rule over us… We will either worship the uncreated God, or we will worship some created thing (an idol). There is no possibility of our worshiping nothing.”

Since that is the case, the best weapon we have against sin is to pursue greater intimacy with God. The more we know and love Him, the less likely we are to desire any lesser pleasure. Moses chose “to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25).

John Piper puts it this way,

• “Walking by faith means defeating sin’s pleasures with the promise of a superior pleasure in God.” http://www.desiringgod.org/labs/the-fleeting-pleasures-of-sin
• “The more satisfied you are in Jesus, the more free you are. The more you see Him, the more free you are. The more you savor Him, the more free you are. The more you trust Him, the more free you are.” http://www.desiringgod.org/one-day-you-will-not-struggle-to-obey

My desire is to be so satisfied in Christ that sin has absolutely no appeal. And one day that dream will become a reality when Christ returns and sin is finally defeated for eternity.

“We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:9-11).

© 2017 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.

Arise My Love

Every now and then I have a moment when it seems like God pulls back the corner of the veil to give me just a glimpse of His glory and majesty. I was reading something that mentioned the song, “Arise, My Love” by NewSong, and I had to listen to it to remember all the words. It draws on imagery of 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 (ESV), “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” But the Apostle Paul didn’t stop there. He goes on to say, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

As I read that, I realized that I’ve held an incomplete understanding of all that Paul is saying in these verses. My primary thought has always been that death is the consequence of living in a sinful, fallen world—in essence, that death is the sting of sin. But Paul said it the other way around. “The sting of death is sin.” In Romans Paul wrote, “We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin” (6:6), and “now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code” (7:6). Then he pulls it all together in 8:1-2, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

Sin and death are intimately intertwined. The first sin brought death into the world—not just the death of the physical body, or even the eternal death of condemnation, but also the daily “walking death” of lives wrapped up in sin. But the death of Jesus on the cross freed us from all the reign and power of sin and death. We are no longer bound to that old master. Yes, physical death will still occur for whatever time remains for this earth, but it is ultimately conquered. Sin will also remain for a time, but its power is defeated. We are free to say no to temptation and freed from the daily death of sin.

I wish NewSong had written another verse to their song, because God didn’t just call Jesus to arise from the grave. He also calls us to arise from the grave of sin every day. He keeps saying, “Arise, My love, the grave no longer has a hold on you!” When temptation comes our way, “Arise, My love, and listen to the voice of your true Master!” When sin trips us up, “Arise, My love, you are forgiven!” When death darkens our door, “Arise, My love, this is not the end!”

My beloved speaks and says to me:
“Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away,
for behold, the winter is past;
the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
The fig tree ripens its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.”
(Song of Solomon 2:10-13)

We no longer belong to the realm of sin and death, but we live in the kingdom of life. May we all hear His voice calling us to arise out of whatever grave we find ourselves in today.

“Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!” (2 Cor. 9:15).

© 2017 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.

Deflated

Last Sunday’s sermon included Mark 11:25 (ESV), “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses,” along with the question, who do you need to forgive? I confess that my first thought was “myself.” As I thought about it further, I realized that my problem was not unforgiveness but wounded pride. Guilt and shame feel a lot alike. One difference is that shame is not necessarily tied to any actual sin. Many of the things that plague me are not sins but mistakes or errors in judgment—giving an answer that is based on incomplete knowledge of the facts; not anticipating the impatience of angry drivers on busy roads; or misjudging someone’s intentions. In my imaginary world, I would always have perfect knowledge and therefore would always do what is best and would please everyone all the time. Even as I write that, I realize that God’s perfect knowledge and perfect actions still don’t please everyone, and I am far from being God.

In the midst of my ponderings, I read the following in Lysa TerKeurst’s book Uninvited:

“Anything that infuses us with humility is good. Even if it feels a bit like humiliation in the moment, the workings of humility within are a gift. The tweaking of us by God in the quiet is the saving of us in public. The only difference between humility and humiliation is that one chose to bow low while the other tripped and fell there. Either way, the sweetest grace lifted my face, and I saw that on the other side of the stripping of pride are some of the best gifts God gives us.

“The Bible reminds us that on the other side of humility we find wisdom (Proverbs 11:2). We will be lifted up by God Himself in due time (1 Peter 5:6). ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’ (James 4:6 NLT). Humility isn’t a place of weakness but rather a position that will come with honor (Proverbs 18:12). And humility is an absolute requirement for those who ask God to heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14)” (pp. 108-110).

Humility is one of those things that is mentioned often in Scripture but rarely discussed in the church. It’s not really something we are interested in pursuing, perhaps because we think of it as the opposite of pride. Tim Keller, in his helpful little book on 1 Corinthians 3:21-4:7, The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, rightly criticizes the modern self-esteem theory.

“The person with the superiority complex is overinflated and in danger of being deflated; the person with an inferiority complex is deflated already... Deflated or in imminent danger of being deflated—it is all the same thing. And it makes the ego fragile... Trying to boost our self-esteem by trying to live up to our own standards or someone else’s is a trap. It is not an answer... [The] essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less. Gospel-humility is not needing to think about myself.”

The answer according to the Apostle Paul is that God’s opinion is the only one that matters. “It is the Lord who judges me” (1 Cor. 4:4b). And as Keller puts it,

“Do you realize that it is only in the gospel of Jesus Christ that you get the verdict before the performance? … In Christianity, the moment we believe, God says, ‘This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.’ … ‘Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’ … You see, the verdict is in. And now I perform on the basis of the verdict. Because He loves me and He accepts me, I do not have to do things just to build up my resume. I do not have to do things to make me look good.”

I will be the first to admit that this is far easier said than done when the ego starts getting even slightly inflated. The Apostle John wrote, “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:16-17). I’m striving to learn to welcome the little (or big) humiliations that remind me that I am weak but that I serve a strong God. It is indeed a gift of God to remember that He is in control and I’m not. And I need constant reminders that my identity is not determined by my competence at work, having all the right answers at the right times, pleasing everyone, or even my ability to resist some temptation. My identity is determined solely by my relationship with my Father in heaven, and His love for me is unchanging. Therefore I can say with Paul, “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself” (1 Cor. 4:3).

“Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor” (Proverbs 18:12).

“But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble… Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:6,10; see also 1 Peter 5:5-6).

© 2017 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. 

A Wanderer No More

I wasn't going to post this since I've written similar things recently, but it occurred to me that if an idea is repeatedly stirring in my mind, it is probably doing the same to other folks.  So here's what's on my mind:

In Prone to Love, Jason Clark talks about the line in the hymn "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" that says "prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love." He says that this should not be the testimony of a Christian. He writes:

"Because of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, and because I have said yes to Him, I am no longer prone to wander. Just the opposite, I am prone to love Him! The moment I said yes to Jesus, my very nature underwent a radical transformation" (164).

He lists several Scriptures to support this point:

• Romans 6:11 (ESV) "So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."

• Colossians 3:3 "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

• Ephesians 4:24 "Put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."

• 1 John 3:9 "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God."

The truth is that believers are no longer sinners prone to wander, but saints who have been set free from sin's dominion. Yes, we will still wander at times, but that is not our natural tendency anymore. Our new nature is inclined to love God and serve Him if we will listen to the new Master. 

I was thinking about this last Sunday as we celebrated communion, and I was reminded of what the Apostle Paul wrote:

"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:3-4).

I've wrestled with Clark's comments. I have often sung "prone to wander" with great feeling. But I can see how that binds me and blinds me to think of myself in wrong terms. (I was prepared to skip that line when we sang the hymn this week, but we sang the version below.) If I want to walk in this "newness of life," it requires retraining my brain to remember my new identity in Christ. 

This idea is hard to grasp, probably because we know old nature, and we know how difficult the struggle against sin can be. But God is reminding us we are no longer sinners. We aren't even sinners saved by grace. We are saints, citizens of the Kingdom, children of the Father, and new creations in Christ. 

"For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2).

 

Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let that grace now, like a fetter,
Bind my yielded heart to Thee.
Let me know Thee in Thy fullness;
Guide me by Thy mighty hand
Till, transformed, in Thine own image
In Thy presence I shall stand.

(Authorship of this verse is unclear but is assumed to be public domain. Please notify me if you know otherwise.)

© Dawn Rutan 2016.

Freedom

I wrote the following post for our denomination's blog for Prayer Emphasis Month.

After memorizing Romans 8 last year, this year I jumped back a couple chapters to memorize Romans 6. Verse 6 in the ESV says, “We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” Although we all cling to that fact that our sin is forgiven because of the cross of Christ, it is harder to grasp the idea of freedom from sin’s slavery.

This world is filled with all sorts of temptations, and sometimes they seem too powerful to resist. Just one more doughnut; just one quick glimpse at that picture; just a few minutes playing that game; just a little fib… And before long we’re exclaiming with Paul, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24). The fact is that Jesus Christ has already delivered us, but we haven’t yet learned how to live as overcomers and freed men and women.

Many of us can probably quote 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” We want to believe that, but it seems like when temptation comes it is easier to ask for forgiveness than to look for the way of escape. Thomas Chalmers wrote of “the expulsive power of a new affection.” He explained that we won’t choose to turn from sin unless we are turning toward something better—toward the only One who can deliver us. Unfortunately, sin often appears to offer a quicker “fix” than seeking God.

So what is the solution? It is a lifelong process of 1) believing and remembering that God has delivered us from the power of sin, 2) seeking a closer relationship with Him through the spiritual disciplines, 3) praying for the way of escape before temptation arrives, and 4) making no provision for the flesh to choose sin. There is no quick cure because the world, the flesh, and the devil will do everything possible to derail our good intentions. Thankfully, whenever we do fail, we can turn again to the cross of Christ and the One who is ready and willing to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

© Dawn Rutan 2016. 

Come Forth

Recently I was reading a fiction book by Staci Stallings that included the following comment in a pastor’s sermon, “Over and over again, He says, ‘I understand. I understand. I know what you’re going through. I’ve been there, but you don’t have to stay there. See, I have rolled back the stone on your tomb too.’” That created an interesting mental picture for me. How often does God have to remind us that we don’t have to live in the tomb anymore? Our subconscious thoughts are often like this:

• “I’ve sinned; excuse me while I go sit in the tomb.”
• “I’m angry; I want to be alone in my hole.”
• “Someone hurt me; just let me curl up in my cave.”
• “I’m a failure; I don’t deserve to come into the light.”

But God keeps saying “The stone has been rolled away! Come out into life and light. My Son took care of every sin and shame so you can walk in freedom. This tomb is not your home anymore.” Jesus asked the man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:6 ESV), “Do you want to be healed?” In other words, do you want to leave behind what is familiar and comfortable and come out of your tomb?

Sometimes we invite others to join us in our tombs by seeking sympathy rather than the encouragement and help to find our way out. We indulge in gossip, slander, and bitterness rather than forgiving. And sometimes we put others back in their tombs through shame and judgmentalism rather than helping them to find freedom in Christ. We also have an enemy who is glad to make us think we’re still dead in our trespasses and sins in order to keep us from being who God has called us to be and doing all He has called us to do (Ephesians 2:4-10).

The New Testament writers felt the need to remind believers of their true freedom:

•  “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:16).
• “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17).
• “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).

As with all areas of the Christian life, we have to know the truth in order to live by it. Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free… So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:31-32, 36). This knowing and testing is the process of transforming the mind set out in Romans 12:1-2.

I don’t know about you, but I want to live in greater freedom, no longer bound by the old grave clothes. 

All Hail the Power

Every time we sing All Hail the Power of Jesus Name I have to look carefully at the words of the second verse to make sure I sing it correctly. The lyrics say “Hail Him who saves you by His grace,” but I tend think they should be “Hail Him who saved you by His grace.” Both ways are correct theologically. Salvation is both a past event and an ongoing action. We were saved and all our sins forgiven by Jesus’ death on the cross two millennia ago, and yet that salvation has to be applied daily as we continue to sin.

The Apostle John used both tenses in 1 John. “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for His name’s sake” (2:12 ESV), which many translations render “have been forgiven.” And in 1:9 he wrote, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Other verses also speak of salvation as something that will be completed at the Second Coming: “For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11b); “[You] who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5).

Jesus said “It is finished” (John 19:30). He completed the transaction of paying for our sins, and we will reap the benefits from now through eternity. “For by a single offering, He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14).

The fact that our salvation is completed means that we need not fear. If we are among those who have been called by God, we cannot lose what He has given us. “And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified. … [Nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:30, 39). We belong to Him and He will never let us go.

The fact that our salvation is currently being worked out means that sin doesn’t have to separate us from our Father. We don’t have to jump through any hoops or do any penance to earn His forgiveness—all we have to do is confess. We are freed from the power and consequences of sin. “Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by Him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:38-29).

The fact that our salvation will be completed at our resurrection means we can live and die with hope and confidence. “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:56-57). We have freedom to live without fear; to love, serve, and forgive others well; and to proclaim Christ boldly.

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” -1 Corinthians 15:58

Photo by Dawn Rutan at Dulin’s Grove Church 2015.

Victory!

For some time now I’ve been thinking about enemies, though probably not the way some people do. In reading through the Psalms in the past, I’ve tended to think that the many references to enemies don’t really apply to us. Most of us don’t have someone actively trying to kill us. But when we remember that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12 ESV), it’s clear that we do have an enemy working against us and seeking to destroy us (1 Peter 5:8).

That reality brings greater meaning and encouragement from verses such as these:

• Psalm 59:10 – “My God in His steadfast love will meet me; God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.”
• Psalm 92:11 – “My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.”
• Psalm 143:12 – “And in Your steadfast love You will cut off my enemies, and You will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am Your servant.”

Charles Stanley makes this comment in his book Handle with Prayer:

“As Satan sows seeds of disunity throughout the church, many of God’s people find themselves in conflict with each other. These conflicts are usually never resolved because nobody deals with the real enemy—Satan. There is no way to win a battle if we don’t know who our enemy is. And because our real enemy is a spiritual being, the only way we can really deal with him is on our knees.”

The same principle applies to all sorts of conflict, from family discord to war in the Middle East. All conflict can be traced back to the roots of sin caused by the tempter. It may take some effort to retrain our thinking, because we’re so used to blaming people for everything that happens. That’s not to absolve people from all sin, but to give a little more grace to those who irritate us even though they are doing the best they can. It’s easy to let little things ruin our day when they don’t have to. It would be a far better use of our time and energy to pray for someone (whether a child, coworker or congressman) than to gripe about them, but that doesn’t come naturally.

Whatever shape our battles take in this life, petty squabbles or all-out war, we know that the real enemy has already been defeated through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Sin and death no longer have the victory, and one day we will be able to look in triumph on the enemy. Easter is a vital reminder of “the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:19-21).

May this Easter be a celebration of our freedom in Christ and His victory over the enemy!

 “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” –Hebrews 2:14-15

Free to Be

I was recently reading a Christian fiction book in which a man told his daughter in essence, “Don’t align yourself with evil by saying ‘That’s just who I am.’” Ironically, it was about an Amish girl having to give up her artistic talents to obey the church, which is not something most of us would think about in hearing a statement like that. How often do we hear “That’s just who I am” or “That’s the way God made me” in relation to traits that we are asked to surrender? Many people believe the enemy’s lie that we can’t change and try to justify hanging on to something that is clearly against Scripture.

The blog from Desiring God recently posted an article Lay Aside the Weight of “I’ll Never Change” by Jon Bloom. He addresses two ways to come to terms with who we are:

“The first is to cultivate contentment with who God designed us to be, which results in a wonderful liberation from trying to be someone we’re not. The second is to lay aside the burdensome weight of the fatalistic resignation that we’ll never be any different than what we are, which results in an enslavement to our sin-infused predilections.”

That is the two-fold process of believing God and refuting the lies of the enemy. God says we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). He indicates that it is possible to lay aside the weight of sin (Hebrews 12:1) and not let sin reign in our bodies (Romans 6:12). But it takes a lifetime of practice to remember these truths and act upon them when the enemy attacks with feelings of helplessness and hopelessness in the face of temptation.

Another fictional character made a noteworthy comment in Jan Karon’s Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good: “I wanted to do what I wanted to do and figured it was [God’s] job to stop me” (434). The problem is that God does not always intervene when we get on the wrong path. The experience of Saul/Paul on the road to Damascus was a unique event and not likely to be repeated. More often than not, it takes a series of smaller events to provide a wakeup call. But the consequences of our choices still remain. Even the Apostle Paul had to deal with the consequences—being distrusted by the Christians he had previously persecuted, turning away from the people he had formerly considered allies, plus the memories of all the things he had done in the past.

Still Paul would write, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). God’s intervention brought salvation, yet Paul had to work at living in the new identity that was his by grace.

If God could make us alive when we were dead in sin (see Ephesians 2:4-5 and Romans 8:10-11), He certainly has the power to free us from the power of sin (1 Corinthians 15:57), transform us (2 Corinthians 3:18), and conform us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). Peter gives us a high calling: “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:14-15).

I know from personal experience that it is easy to get discouraged by the constancy of sin and temptation, and to doubt that freedom is really possible. I want to live each day with an awareness of that freedom and see it become a reality in my life. That is my hope and prayer for this year.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17).