So it's been quite a while since I last wrote, and it may be quite a while again. Maybe not. I'm getting the itch to write more frequently.
But I'm here today. Because there's a thought that has been going through my mind a lot lately. It's related to some of the struggles I've experienced this year. One of those struggles was leaving Swanton Alliance Church. I wish that our time with these brothers and sisters had gone more smoothly and that we could still be there. And the other has to do with my wife's recent announcement (http://www.simpletruth.me/2011/11/lets-be-honest-folks/), and all the weighty implications of it, too. Between them, there's been a good bit of pain and struggle in my life this year.
And to be honest, I have often felt like blaming people. All kinds of people. Maybe you, if you know me. But that's what I wanted to write about.
As I've watched this year unfold, I've seen reasons to blame my troubles on myself, my wife, my parents, Christy's parents, past churches, friends, etc. I've seen plenty of sins. Now, I can't say for sure that all the struggles I have experienced are the results of the specific sins I've observed. But they could be.
On the other hand, I have seen things happen that seem to justify these sins and choices. I can look back on decisions people made and say, "That was wrong." But then something else happens and it seems to argue in the opposite direction: "Maybe that wasn't such a bad choice after all. Maybe that was done the right way." So which perception is right? Were the things I called sins actually wrong? Or were they right?
I know I'm being rather vague about the things that happened. That's on purpose. I'm not trying to call anyone out or make any public accusations. Instead, I'm grappling with the question, "How can we tell when an action or an attitude is sinful and when it is not?" Or, "How can we prove that we're in the right? How can we justify our actions, even when they don't seem to be good?"
And the conclusion I'm coming to is this: If the Bible says a behavior or attitude is wrong, then it is wrong and sinful. This is true regardless of what future results come about. Future outcomes do not justify past sins. However...
Jesus does. Only Jesus. He is our Justifier. That doesn't mean that He takes all our past sins and makes them right. It means that He takes all our past sins and pays for them by dying for our sins, and at the same time He takes all His righteousness and gives it to us so that we stand before His Father justified. Our sins are not justified. WE are. Because of Jesus.
As I said, I have seen a lot of people's sins pretty clearly this year. My own sins included. And my hope for myself and for all of the other people -- all of the brothers and sisters in Christ whose sins I have seen -- has nothing to do with finding some way to prove that their sins were not actually sins. No such shallow justification provides the hope we all need. My hope for all of us is the justification that came at the price of Jesus' blood. May we all be humble enough to stop trying to justify ourselves in any other way. Let's receive His death- and resurrection-based justification together.
Merry Christmas, everyone. We're receiving quite a gift.
Showing posts with label righteousness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label righteousness. Show all posts
Monday, December 12, 2011
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Christ is Our Righteousness
The message, preached on March 14th, 2010, covered 1 John 3:4-10, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. There are pseudo-righteousnesses out there. And plenty of people don’t see Christians as righteous. The good news for us is not that we have achieved righteousness, but that Jesus, the Righteous One, has made us righteous. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.
Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Life as a Child of God
The message, preached on March 7th, 2010, covered 1 John 2:28-3:3, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. It’s a fact: Christians are God’s children. But too often we take it as merely a fact. The implications of being God’s children are mind-blowing, giving us great hope and anticipation! We are greatly loved, even if our neighbors don’t see it, and we’re called to live like our Father. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Guard Your Reputation – Ha!
ALL – Psalm 57:1-7
ALL – Proverbs 11:5-6
OT – Numbers 15:17-16:40
NT – Mark 15:1-47
We have two ways to protect our reputations. One is by being men and women of integrity; we can guard our reputations by consistently doing and speaking what’s right. The other way is to argue with people who accuse you of doing wrong; we can try to prove to people through arguments that we are people who do what is right.
Jesus did the first. I can’t think of a time when He did the second—when he guarded His reputation by arguing that He was righteous, by refusing to be called an evil man or associated with them. If anybody could have and should have defended His own reputation, it was Jesus. And yet the way that Jesus died was a way that dragged His reputation through the mud; Jesus was righteous, but the perception that day was that Jesus was a criminal.
Two robbers were also crucified that morning, their crosses on either side of his. And so the Scripture was fulfilled that said, “He was counted among evil men.” – Mark 15:27-28, The Living Bible
Jesus was counted among evil men. Not because He was evil, but because His opponents wanted to paint a picture of Him as a wicked criminal. Arguing would have done little to no good. It’s not as though His miracles were a secret, and Jesus’ teachings were public knowledge, too. The only way for Jesus to prove His claims would have been for heaven to open up, angels to descend, and Jesus to display His glory in full. And it wasn’t yet time for that.
It’s not yet time for our glory as God’s children to be displayed in full. We can display the glory of the righteousness that God has given us and re-created us to live. But even that glory is something we display imperfectly, waiting for Jesus Christ to return and make us wholly new. In the meantime, we simply cannot guard our reputations—at least, not by arguing with people and trying to convince them that we’re God’s children. Our best argument for now is the same as Jesus’ was: the argument of a righteous life of integrity. If people don’t listen to that argument, then we shouldn’t be surprised when they find a way to do as they did with our Lord, counting us among evil men. Our reputations will be dragged through the mud, whether we like it or not.
How can we help one another stay the course and keep doing the good God calls us to, even when we’re being falsely accused of terrible, wicked things?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 11:5-6
OT – Numbers 15:17-16:40
NT – Mark 15:1-47
We have two ways to protect our reputations. One is by being men and women of integrity; we can guard our reputations by consistently doing and speaking what’s right. The other way is to argue with people who accuse you of doing wrong; we can try to prove to people through arguments that we are people who do what is right.
Jesus did the first. I can’t think of a time when He did the second—when he guarded His reputation by arguing that He was righteous, by refusing to be called an evil man or associated with them. If anybody could have and should have defended His own reputation, it was Jesus. And yet the way that Jesus died was a way that dragged His reputation through the mud; Jesus was righteous, but the perception that day was that Jesus was a criminal.
Two robbers were also crucified that morning, their crosses on either side of his. And so the Scripture was fulfilled that said, “He was counted among evil men.” – Mark 15:27-28, The Living Bible
Jesus was counted among evil men. Not because He was evil, but because His opponents wanted to paint a picture of Him as a wicked criminal. Arguing would have done little to no good. It’s not as though His miracles were a secret, and Jesus’ teachings were public knowledge, too. The only way for Jesus to prove His claims would have been for heaven to open up, angels to descend, and Jesus to display His glory in full. And it wasn’t yet time for that.
It’s not yet time for our glory as God’s children to be displayed in full. We can display the glory of the righteousness that God has given us and re-created us to live. But even that glory is something we display imperfectly, waiting for Jesus Christ to return and make us wholly new. In the meantime, we simply cannot guard our reputations—at least, not by arguing with people and trying to convince them that we’re God’s children. Our best argument for now is the same as Jesus’ was: the argument of a righteous life of integrity. If people don’t listen to that argument, then we shouldn’t be surprised when they find a way to do as they did with our Lord, counting us among evil men. Our reputations will be dragged through the mud, whether we like it or not.
How can we help one another stay the course and keep doing the good God calls us to, even when we’re being falsely accused of terrible, wicked things?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
What if God Doesn't Like Our Songs?
Amos 1-5; Psalm 131; Proverbs 29:23
People love their songs. Even those who don’t sing well love songs. We all love the feelings we have when our hearts and souls seem to be perfectly expressed by the words and lyrics of our songs.
Especially in church.
Right? I mean, the whole service is called a WORSHIP service. But we value our praise songs so highly that when we say, “Our time of worship,” we almost always, 100% of the time, think about singing. When we say, “Our worship time,” we don’t think about prayer, we don’t think about reading and listening to the words of the Scriptures, we don’t think about sharing testimonies, we don’t think about giving tithes or offerings, we don’t think about listening to a sermon, and we certainly don’t think—when we’re talking about worship—we certainly don’t think about obeying God’s teachings and guidance throughout the week.
I like our songs. But does God?
Not always:
Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! – Amos 5:23-24
God isn’t saying, “Away with the noise of your songs,” just because people are singing off-key. His goal isn’t for the music to be better, more professional and edgy and skillful. What God is saying is that He doesn’t care about our music if our lives aren’t synchronized with His Word.
If our relationship with God is expressed more deeply when we sing than at any other time of the week, then God wants us to stop singing and focus instead on righteous, holy living.
Father, may You receive more worship from me than just nice words and emotive music. May my worship rise to You in every interaction with my wife, every encounter with my children, every meeting with a neighbor, every conversation with a stranger. Whether I’m alone or in public, worn out or energized, at home or at work or at church, may my life be holy and righteous—a symphony of non-musical worship to You.
What simple ways has God shown you by which to worship and honor Him daily?
People love their songs. Even those who don’t sing well love songs. We all love the feelings we have when our hearts and souls seem to be perfectly expressed by the words and lyrics of our songs.
Especially in church.
Right? I mean, the whole service is called a WORSHIP service. But we value our praise songs so highly that when we say, “Our time of worship,” we almost always, 100% of the time, think about singing. When we say, “Our worship time,” we don’t think about prayer, we don’t think about reading and listening to the words of the Scriptures, we don’t think about sharing testimonies, we don’t think about giving tithes or offerings, we don’t think about listening to a sermon, and we certainly don’t think—when we’re talking about worship—we certainly don’t think about obeying God’s teachings and guidance throughout the week.
I like our songs. But does God?
Not always:
Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! – Amos 5:23-24
God isn’t saying, “Away with the noise of your songs,” just because people are singing off-key. His goal isn’t for the music to be better, more professional and edgy and skillful. What God is saying is that He doesn’t care about our music if our lives aren’t synchronized with His Word.
If our relationship with God is expressed more deeply when we sing than at any other time of the week, then God wants us to stop singing and focus instead on righteous, holy living.
Father, may You receive more worship from me than just nice words and emotive music. May my worship rise to You in every interaction with my wife, every encounter with my children, every meeting with a neighbor, every conversation with a stranger. Whether I’m alone or in public, worn out or energized, at home or at work or at church, may my life be holy and righteous—a symphony of non-musical worship to You.
What simple ways has God shown you by which to worship and honor Him daily?
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