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).

Our Father

A couple verses of Scripture caught my attention while reading recently. In John 19:7, the Jews tell Pilate, “We have a law, and according to that law He [Jesus] ought to die because He has made Himself the Son of God” (ESV). Earlier John had explained, “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18). The Jews found this to be both outrageous and blasphemous.

But notice what happens after the resurrection—Jesus says to Mary, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God” (John 20:17). Jesus isn’t just claiming God as His own Father, He is also naming the disciples as His brothers and God as their Father as well! That brings to mind the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9). The Pharisees would have been appalled.

The Apostle Paul continued to break the rules throughout his letters.

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God… you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ…” (Romans 8:14-17, compare Galatians 4:4-7).

It’s a bit mind-boggling to consider that not only are we brothers and sisters with all believers around the world today, but also with the Apostle Paul, John, Peter, and the other disciples. And on top of that, we are siblings with Jesus. This is one area where the Catholic Church has made a mistake. They’ve encouraged praying to the apostles and “saints” as if somehow those people have greater access to God than the rest of us. Jesus, along with the New Testament writers, made it clear that our ideas of hierarchy and prestige are completely backwards. “Many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Mark 10:31). “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which He has promised to those who love Him?” (James 2:5).

Tim Keller writes:

“To be adopted means that now God loves us as if we had done all Jesus had done… so we can run to our Father without fear. We have the most intimate and unbreakable relationship possible with the God of the universe. To be a child of God means access. We know God is attentively listening to us and watching us” (Prayer:Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God, 69-70).

We can “approach the throne of grace with confidence” (Hebrews 4:16 NIV) without relying on any intermediary. We don’t have to make a formal petition and wait for the Judge to hear our case. We can simply run to Him as a child runs to his father’s open arms. Although earthly fathers fail us, our heavenly Father waits patiently, loves lavishly, and responds perfectly no matter what we may say or do.

“Jesus paid the price so God could be our father… This new relationship with God is what you need if you have a bad family background. This is what you need if you feel like a failure, if you feel lonely, or if you are sinking further into despair. Because of the infinite price paid by your brother, Jesus, God your father will hold you up” (Keller, 80).

Sitting at His Feet

Yesterday I was thinking about a difficult situation and enlisting the support of those I know will pray about it. Later that evening I was reading the Bible and just happened to be in 2 Chronicles 20. The prophecy of Jahaziel jumped out at me:

“Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed... for the battle is not yours but God’s... You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf” (15,17 ESV).

That was precisely the assurance I needed to hear at that time. But it made me realize—as often as I read the Bible, and even though I believe it is all God’s Word, most of the time I don’t really expect to receive specific answers to my needs here and now. Paul told Timothy, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). I’ve usually assumed that meant primarily that Scripture is useful in establishing general principles for life. While I’m sure that much is true, who’s to say God can’t use the Bible to answer specific questions in the modern world? I’m not going to get into arguments over dispensationalism because I don’t think any of us understand God well enough to know what He will or will not do today.

I can think of other times that God has used a timely piece of Scripture to calm my fears and remind me that He knows and He cares. Perhaps it’s a bit presumptuous, but I would like that to become a daily event. I suspect that my cynicism is a greater hindrance than God’s willingness. He wants to be known by me far more than I am inclined to seek Him.

I’ve started reading Wayne Cordeiro’s The Divine Mentor: Growing Your Faith as You Sit at the Feet of the Savior. He suggests that the Bible is full of mentors eager to teach us what to do (and not to do) and to encourage us in our journeys. Cordeiro comments on our need for Scripture:

“Jesus is claiming [in John 15] that as you remain in Him and His words remain in you, there will be an obvious activity of the Father flowing through your life. Your desires become the Father’s desires. Your heart becomes the Father’s heart. And everyone will be able to see that Father at work through you... The Father’s main tool for pruning you—and so helping you to enjoy a deeply satisfying, productive life—is the Word of God. The devil knows that if he can keep you from the Word, you’ll simply dry up” (p. 56).

If nothing else, I hope that reading this book will raise my expectations of meeting God and hearing from Him in His Word. “Only by sitting with the Divine Mentor will we ever get to know Him intimately and become able to recognize the voice of an imposter” (58).

The writer of Hebrews stated:

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (4:12).

Since that is the case, I don’t want to read the Bible as if it is merely a historical narrative or a top ten list of lifestyle suggestions. It’s not even enough to find faith for salvation and hope for heaven. I want to encounter the Living God in the Living Word, and I intend to pursue that to the best of my ability and by the grace of God. This could be a dangerous endeavor. It’s easy to read a book and not let it make any impact. (How many of the 166 books I read in 2014 do I even remember?) It will require an investment of time and energy and even the risk of being disappointed. But it could well have rewards I haven’t anticipated. I’m certain to find wisdom, direction, encouragement, nourishment, and greater fruitfulness for the Kingdom. There’s no telling what else God may decide to do.

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” -Ephesians 3:20-21

Gifts Received

In this season of gift giving we remember the greatest gift given, our Savior Jesus Christ. This led me to search the Scriptures for what other gifts we have received because of Jesus. The following is a partial list, but should stir our hearts in praise and thanksgiving this Christmas. 

James 1:17 (ESV)- "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

Ephesians 1:3- "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places."

Ephesians 2:8- "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."

Romans 6:23- "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

John 1:12,16- "But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God... And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace."

Mark 9:37- "Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."

Romans 5:11,17- "More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation... For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ."

Romans 8:15- "For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'"

1 Corinthians 1:7- "...so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ."

1 Corinthians 2:12- "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God."

Galatians 4:4-5- "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons."

Colossians 2:6-7- "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."

1 Peter 2:10- "Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

1 Corinthians 4:7- "...What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?"

Romans 12:6- "Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith."

Hebrews 4:16- "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Colossians 3:23-24- "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."

Hebrews 12:28- "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe."

2 Corinthians 9:15- "Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!"

Have a blessed Christmas!

The Dark Side of Christmas

The Gospel of Matthew 2:18 quotes the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:15 (ESV), “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” Matthew indicates that this prophecy was fulfilled by Herod killing all the male children in Bethlehem in an effort to kill the infant Jesus.

As I’ve commented here before, the plans of God don’t always make sense to us. In God’s sovereign will, it was important that prophecies be recorded and fulfilled in order to prove who Jesus was. Matthew points out this prophecy from Jeremiah as well as Hosea 11:1, “Out of Egypt I called my son,” (among others) as evidence for Jesus being the Messiah. Herod turned out to be the mechanism by which the prophecies were fulfilled, and because of him many families were left brokenhearted in the death of their sons. Estimates of the number of children killed vary widely, from 6 or 7 to 64,000. No matter how many boys were killed, this was a tragic event in the small town of Bethlehem.

It would be nice to think that all God’s plans would be accomplished without any suffering. But the narrative of the Bible says that is not often the case. Just think of the lives of Moses, Joseph, David, Ruth, Esther, Paul, etc. or read Hebrews 11. They were used by God in the midst of trying circumstances. “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised” (Hebrews 11:29 ESV). They had faith in God and hope for “things not seen,” which allowed them to keep following God no matter what.

Because we live in a fallen world, wrecked by our own sin and the sin of others, God’s path often leads through dark valleys. On the positive side, as we read through Scripture and see the lengths to which God went to fulfill His purposes and promises, we can have greater hope that He will do the same for us. Here are a few of the promises that I need to be reminded of frequently (just a few of the ones I have highlighted in my Bible app):

• “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:21-23).
• “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).
• “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Psalm 34:18-19).
• “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22).
• “I Myself will be the shepherd of My sheep, and I Myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice” (Ezekiel 34:15-16).
• “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten… You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And My people shall never again be put to shame” (Joel 2:25-26).
• “Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me” (Micah 7:8).
• “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).
• “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

I think it’s safe to say that we wouldn’t recognize Jesus as the Light of the World if the world weren’t so full of darkness, and that is reflected in the circumstances of His birth. So this Christmas, no matter what else is going on, may we find the light in God’s faithfulness to keep His promises and may we cling to the hope that provides.

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.” –Isaiah 9:2

Hope Not Yet Fulfilled

As our choir was practicing one of our songs for Christmas, I was thinking about the seemingly conflicting messages we hear. One verse of “Tell the World” says “Tell the hopeless He’s the Promise now fulfilled before their eyes. Tell the restless in His presence ev’ry need is satisfied.”

But historically, the birth of Jesus didn’t exactly fulfill these promises, at least not on its own. The angels proclaimed to the shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people... ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased’” (Luke 2:10,14 ESV). Although the Baby Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies of a child born of a virgin in Bethlehem, it wasn’t until roughly three decades later that Jesus Himself said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19).

While Jesus’ birth was a step closer to the completion of the good news, it would be more than 30 years before He would fulfill the requirements of being a Savior through His death and resurrection. But even that is not the end of the story. We still live in the between times—knowing that salvation has been made possible and sanctification has begun, but still awaiting the perfecting of the world and our bodies. It is good news that Jesus was born, but it’s not the best news. It’s good news that Jesus died on our behalf, but that’s an inadequate message. And it’s good news that Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to the Father. But if the story ended there we would still be without hope in this world. The good news won’t be completed until that day when Jesus returns. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3).

In the meantime we continue to live with brokenness, mourning, poverty, blindness, and captivity. “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved” (Romans 8:23-24).

We tend to approach Christmas as if the birth of Jesus is the whole story, the only good news needed in a fallen world. It’s often implied that if you just believe that God was born as a baby in a manger then all your problems will go away and you’ll be filled with peace and joy. It’s little wonder that this can be an overwhelmingly depressing time of year. Not only are there cultural expectations that can be hard to live up to, but the message proclaimed by the church can sometimes add to the burden. If the Baby Jesus is the answer to all our problems, why is there still so much suffering in the world?

We can’t leave Jesus in the manger as a baby, nor can we leave Him on the cross as a Savior. Neither is He still in the grave. He’s in heaven for now, but one day He will return and make everything right. All the suffering will be ended and the world will be made new. Then the good news will be finished. Then we will rejoice wholeheartedly. Till then we hold on and endure by faith, awaiting with hope the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Until then:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” -Romans 15:13

© 2014 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Seeking the King

There has been much speculation about who the wise men were who came to find the baby Jesus. Where did they come from? How did they read the stars? Were they Zoroastrians? The Bible doesn’t give much detail in Matthew 2 aside from the fact that they were from the East. Plenty of stories have been written imagining how this all came about.

What impresses me is the amount of effort they put in to traveling to Jerusalem and then to Bethlehem to find the newborn King and worship Him. It may have taken them months or perhaps even years to reach their destination. Whatever they discerned in their study of the stars was important enough for them to leave everything else behind and seek the King. Although they referred to Jesus as King of the Jews, it seems that they recognized that He would have an impact far beyond the nation of Israel. They were moved to worship Christ long before most people were aware that He existed. Out of an estimated 170-400 million people on earth at that time, only a few wise men and shepherds got the message and found the baby.

Although the statistics are better today, I’m sure that most of us haven’t exerted that much effort to find Jesus and worship Him. At least in America, a large segment of those who are Christians were raised in Christian homes and may have never wrestled with the hard questions of faith. As a result, Christianity has become a faith of convenience and tradition. When it becomes inconvenient or requires too much effort, people are likely to stop participating, though they often still consider themselves Christian.

While we aren’t saved by our efforts and we can never do enough to earn even the smallest portion of God’s grace, there are some ways in which it is true that “You get out of it what you put into it.” If all you know of Scripture is what you hear on Sunday morning, you’re missing out on many of the benefits of knowing God fully, knowing His will, knowing how He works, and trusting all the promises He has made. If you’ve never had to defend what you believe, you don’t really know if you have something worth defending, something that will hold you up when the storms come. If you’ve never had to discipline yourself to read the Bible or go to church when you don’t feel like it, you’ve missed out on the joy that comes when God shows up in spite of your low expectations.

I imagine what it was like for the wise men to finally see Jesus. All their studying had told them that something amazing was happening, and their travels gave them time to ponder and discuss what this might mean for the world. But finally they were there and “they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him” (Matthew 2:10-11 ESV). After all they’d gone through, I doubt this was just a brief greeting, presenting their gifts, and departing five minutes later. When their hopes were fulfilled, I don’t think they quickly left to go follow some other star. They probably lingered as long as propriety allowed.

I would challenge us all to be more diligent in seeking the King of kings and Lord of lords at Christmas and through the coming year. Don’t settle for secondhand faith. And when you find Him, don’t be afraid to linger in worship and wonder of the Savior who first sought you.

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” –Luke 19:10