Can grace save us with out some effort on our part?

Can grace save us with out some effort on our part?  Or must we obey the laws in God’s word? 

I had a lady tell me the other day; “Grace is not enough to get us into heaven.  No way can I embrace Jesus only as the way.  God’s laws are in the bible and He means for us to obey them.”  I sensed a sincere heart that was repeating things she may have been taught for years.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not Jewish, and the law was given to the Jews.  Gentiles were never included in God’s law.  Beside that often over-looked fact, there has never been one person successfully able to follow every detail of the law (except Jesus Christ).  Jesus said if you offend the law in one point you’re guilty of the whole law. 

People try to apply the law to guilt themselves (or others) into being more godly.  1 Co.15:56 says the law gives sin its strength.  Applying the law will actually cause people to sin more because the strength of sin is the law.  The law was designed to reveal sin (Ro.7:7).  The law is also meant to lead us to Jesus (Ga.3:24). Jesus came and fulfilled the old covenant law.  He.8:13 says the old covenant is obsolete.

For years we have heard that Grace is not enough to get to heaven (not as blatant as that, but through the implication  “come to Jesus and then do all these things to secure your salvation”) but is that bible?  Jesus said “it is finished”, was He incorrect?  If the blood of Jesus isn’t enough, what more could I possibly add to satisfy God?  You see, a pastor can fill an altar with fearful people by dangling them over hell.  That’s “manipulation”.  Jesus said we shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free.  We’re told to rightly divide the word.  We have to know what is written to us and what was written to a specific person or people group.  Many people find that takes too much effort to rightly divide so they erroneously try everything or reject everything.  Neither approach works.

If you ever see Jesus, guess where you will find Him?  Sitting on a throne of Grace He.4:14-16.  I love Jesus Christ. One day just as I was about to stand and preach before a large crowd of people I said “Father I’m sorry I’m not perfect”.  He immediately said back to me “so you think your perfection is better than the blood of Jesus?” I said “no Father that’s not what I said.”  He said “that’s exactly what you said.”  In that brief moment I decided I would rather be forgiven that self-righteously perfect any day.  I’m not looking to change your mind, that’s not my job, I’m presenting Jesus who bids you to jump off the performance plan and find the rest in what Jesus accomplished for you

We choose to tell people what’s right with them.  They have enough people telling them what’s wrong.  David said “my sin is ever before me”.  The most miserable person is a Christian who is self-condemned.  Ro.8:1 says there is therefore now no more condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.  You see the church has reduced Grace to a doctrine. That way they can accept only as much as they want or can tolerate.  Grace is a person, His name is Jesus, and you either accept Him entirely or not at all.  You can’t accept Him just a little bit.

The message of God’s amazing Grace will not bring unity in the body of Christ.  The organized religion didn’t receive it that way from Jesus or any of the disciples.  We’re likely going to meet similar resistance.  The elder brother refused the Father’s request to celebrate the return of his once lost younger son.  The elder brother felt more deserving, yet he never enjoyed his relationship with his father.  Both boys were extended the unconditional love of the father.  That’s what’s so amazing about Grace, no one deserves it, it’s unmerited favor.”

Someone has His eye on the horizon, looking for you.  Yes, He’s just that into you

Which Jesus do You know?

Oh man, don’t tell me there’s more than one, I’m still getting to know the savior.  I’m not referring to the “other Jesus”Paul mentions in 1 Co.11:4.  I’m talking about something more subtle than that.  Of those who even give Jesus space in their life, some have Him trapped as a little baby in a manger.  That’s understandable, maybe they only show up once a year when there’s a nativity scene in church.

Many believers have a picture of Jesus locked in their mind as a thirty-something young tan guy who gently did all sorts of cool miraculous things.  Maybe for them, they’re trying to live their life with the mantra WWJD, what would Jesus do?  I submit to you, a better question is; what DID Jesus do(on my behalf)?

If we grasp the scope and benefit of Jesus’ accomplishment for us on the cross when He finally cried out “It is Finished”, it will turn our faith world up side down.  Or perhaps I should say down side up!  Let this short three minute video challenge your image and concept of the resurrected redeemer, Grace Himself, Jesus Christ.  If it speaks to you, the full teaching of the same name is available for your listening at this link http://www.thewellatcl.com/media.php?pageID=27     

Behavior Modification – Control Freaks

I commented on an Fb friend’s post yesterday that said “if Father accepts me for who I am, why is it others try to make me feel like I need to meet their expectations?”  I suspect that’s a question many can identify with to some degree.

When others (individuals or groups of people) try to sculpt our life by their expectations whether implied or often outright vocalized, that's called “Behavior Modification”.  People exert that upon you for THEIR benefit. Somehow they feel it makes it easier for them to tolerate your difference while going through life next to you. It's clearly not God's idea.

Jesus moves right in where ever He is welcomed, and our life begins to radically transform from the inside out. He is not put off by the disheveled mess our lives may be in.  Behavior modification is an external effort that doesn't give a rip if you ever change inside, as long as they don't have to see it.  They do not want to be embarrassed by your life.

Understanding the root of such control is a start, but if you’ve ever been in relationship with a control freak, you know it’s easier to straighten out a piece of wrinkled contact paper than extricate yourself from a controlling person’s grip.  That initial Fb post brought up a couple other questions. 

·                    What is our response in the Spirit to a control freak’s kind of behavior?

·                    What if loved ones are oblivious to the pressure they apply on you?

·                    If you confront them they just can't seem to take that much honesty.

·                    How do we handle this with integrity of heart towards those we love?

           

A few thoughts regarding those questions and our response:  Our response "in the spirit" is probably a bit easier than our reaction in the flesh.  Some people can not comprehend stress; they're simply "carriers" of it.  Like a tornado, they seem to live oblivious to the wake of hurt they leave in their path.

As far as confronting them and their inability to “take that much honesty” Pro.27:6 says “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”  How do some people grow up to be crabby old busy-bodies?  Because no one loved them enough to call them out on it (it’s scary I know, been there – done that, got the bloody T-shirt).

A person who demands behavior modification from another is likely adept at manipulation.  The fact they don't seem to be able to "take that much honesty" is an expression of their manipulative prowess.  It’s been my experience you can not negotiate with a manipulative controlling spirit.  They can tolerate confrontation about as well as you can tolerate their control – it’s a toss, go for it.

Ro.12:2 in the JB Phillips translation reads: “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-make you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed.”

The best cure for coming out from under the control of Behavior Modification is a secure sense of your identity in Jesus Christ.  That’s not a Christianese cliché, but rather a vital realization.  Until you are completely convinced of whom you are in Jesus and who He is in you, you are as vulnerable as a dingy in a perfect storm.  You’ll be tossed by the every whim of others who wield influence over your life.

It didn’t seem to be an issue for Jesus hanging with imperfect people that the religious leaders called riff-raff.  And they didn’t mind hanging around the Son of God.  Why?  Because when a person realizes they’re accepted, and on what basis they are accepted, the stress is off, and any change needed is a product of the love of God in their heart, NOT external behavior modification.  Be transformed!  He’s just that into you.

Incestuous Relationships in the Church

Sound like a tabloid expose’ on yet another church scandal? This one is even more rampant than our Catholic brothers’ troubles. However this insidious problem is flying below the radar and hasn’t even been detected by most involved. Let me explain.

When Jesus prepared to leave His disciples, He commissioned them to reproduce, to make other disciples (followers) by teaching the way that leads to everlasting life that Jesus came to secure. The pattern set forth was relational.

Now think of what is commonly practiced in church settings of all varieties in our day. We have perfected the art of program driven relationships. Members are minimally expected to gather once or twice a week at corporate events. It’s not uncommon for more high-impact congregations to expect their followers to additionally attend a small group once or twice a week.

Evangelism has morphed to an event planned for a Saturday outreach into a targeted neighborhood. A“witness” is something you “do” (or feel inferior if you don’t do). That’s not at all what Jesus had in mind. He said in Acts 1:8 that we are to “be” witnesses. Our everyday life brings Jesus in very close proximity to people who desperately need the savior. In our lifetime, some have fought to keep the Ten Commandments out of our public schools and buildings. No one is stopping us from bringing Jesus in to those places, they can’t. Where we go He goes.

Typical believers are busy gathering with other believers to “do” religious things. That’s program-driven community. Who’s reaching out to the lost neighbors on our own street? The church at large is preoccupied with an incestuous relationship with each other while lost outsiders are entering a Christ-less eternity right before our eyes. Friends “these things ought not to be so.”

Most people I meet are busy; they’re not looking for one more demand to be put on their plate. Many people I see do know the loneliness of wondering if anybody cares they exist. The masses that followed Jesus didn’t do so because there was nothing better to do. He touched them, spoke life into them, it felt hopeful and they followed Him. Do you think His approach just may have been intentional?

Sunday morning is the most segregated time in America. Insiders separated from outsiders, believers from unbelievers. For those who venture inside the church doors, parents go one way, youth another (sometimes split again by gender) and the littlest children yet somewhere else. I understand the concept to deliver truth that’s age-appropriate, but that doesn’t exempt the church from taking that same truth outside wherever hurting people are.

When I brought our core team to Crystal Lake last summer to survey the city, we went 2x2 on that Sunday morning to as many churches as we could, to get a pulse for the spiritual climate of the area. We experienced a lot that morning. Two of our young gals attended a small church meeting in a hotel setting. After the service there were cookies set out, it was a great opportunity to meet people. These gals were hoping to make a connection. What they experienced was not only silence, but as the church goers talked with each other, they rotated their backs to these obvious “new people” so they could enjoy each other’s company. The “norm”? I hope not. The “exception”? I fear not. Why? “Because it’s Sunday, I already went out evangelizing with the church Saturday.”

“Christianity is not a religion it’s a relationship”. Heard that one? Oh, you mean with “other people” too? What a concept, “be witnesses unto me”. You are bringing Jesus in very close proximity with people every day. Can they tell? Are you wetting their appetite for the savior? Or are you presenting a cloistered community called church, which they hope to avoid?

I double dog dare you to go visit a new church Sunday. See what it feels like to be an “outsider”. Maybe it will change the way you see and relate to people you don’t yet know.

Does The Bible Really Say That?

The scripture in John.5:22 clearly says "The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son". In Acts 5 regarding Ananias & Sapphira, the Holy Spirit intentionally did not mention judgment, though some might draw the conclusion. I think we need to be careful not to draw conclusions where the Holy Spirit clearly omits details or words.

What we do know about those two is this; Vs.3 says their issue was the effect of "Satan filing their heart" which let them think they could get away with lying to God. We don't know their age or health, only that they were likely mature and well off enough to own land and pretend to give its whole value to ministry. The shock of the unexpected exposure of his heinous crime of lying to God Vs. 5 says, caused them each to "fall down and give up the ghost." Usually the grief of gross blatant sin wears on the conscious of a man till the restless tormented individual's health finally fails and they die a sad withered death. All we know was the news was so serious that "great fear" came upon everyone standing by. It might have been so great as to stop the liar's heart.

We don't know more than the scripture records. We know from John.3:16-17 it was not God's plan to send Jesus to condemn the world but His great love that sent Him to save whosoever would believe in Him. If a person rejects or refuses to believe the grace of God, they place themselves under the law. So we can not say God judged them, but they fell under the law of "bearing false witness".

Regarding the improper irreverence with which some Corinthians observed the Lord's supper; the words "judge" & "judgment" are mentioned several times. The  sickness and premature deaths some Corinthians experienced, Paul said, were because those people "ate & drank in an unworthy manner, not discerning the Lord's body." Jesus bore stripes in His body to pay for and provide healing for man. Even today, some people suffer chronic illness or die prematurely because they don't discern their healing is in Jesus' body.

The passage does say we would NOT be judged if we would judge ourselves (1 Co.11:31). There are actually two different Greek words used in that verse. Half of the translations translate both words as judge. The other half make the distinction. The first Greek word means to discern and separate. The second is best translated judge. If we discern sin in our life and deal with it appropriately, we "would not be judged". If a person fails to discern the body of Christ, fails to "do this in remembrance of Jesus" they place themselves under the jurisdiction of the law. The judgment demanded of the law was met in Jesus Christ. He paid the price in full, once for all, and redeemed us from the curse of the law. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

V32 says that "when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord." It doesn't say we're judged by the Lord. We're judged by the law and chastened by the Lord. Chastened (in the Greek) means to train up a child by a parent. Being trained by a loving dad should be an entirely different experience than being sentenced by a judge. If I jump out of a tall building, my hurt will be because I came under the law of gravity, not because God was punishing or condemning me.

Our preconceived ideas, or assumptions, can place the consequences of our actions on God rather than realizing the onus that falls on man for failing to believe and place himself under the amazing Grace of God. Hope this sheds some light on just how good our God is toward us.

God Isn't Judging You!

I have heard it said in Christian circles that "if God doesn’t judge America He is going to have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah."  Give me a break.  Just because something sounds edgy, or is repeated all over, doesn’t make it true.

First of all, God won’t judge America, or you, and He certainly will never apologize to Sodom.  God patiently acquiesced while Abraham negotiated the threshold down to ten righteous.  God probably would have spared Sodom if Abraham pressed the number even lower.  There are more than ten righteous in America.  But the absolute truth is John 5:22 says God doesn’t judge anyone!  He has deferred all judgment to Jesus.  Jesus said in Jn.12:47 “I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.”

Ro.3:23 is a well know verse, especially to those who have been trained in evangelism.  “All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God”.  Did you notice there are two different tense in that verse?  “Have sinned” is past tense.  Because of Adam and Eve’s sin, all people are born in a sinful condition, “there is none righteous, no not one.”  And we “fall short” is present tense.  Even after we confess our sin and enter into a right relationship with God by Jesus Christ, we still make mistakes.  Jesus doesn’t go to the cross again, it’s finished.  So what now?

V.25 continues by saying that God made Jesus to be the “propitiation by His blood."  That esoteric term means an act of graciousness.  It further refers to an item called the Mercy Seat.  When God instructed Moses to fashion the Ark of the Covenant that contained the two stone law tablets, He told Moses to fashion a solid gold lid called the Mercy Seat.  God then said that whole item would be referred to as The Throne of God.

Under the old covenant law, once each year the high priest would offer an atonement sacrifice for all the people’s sin.  He would sprinkle the innocent blood on that gold Mercy Seat.  It provided a “covering” for one year, and then it had to be repeated, year after year.

Jesus, the Lamb of God, shed His blood once for all – all time, all people, all sin.  The bible says in Hebrews 4:14-16 that our high priest, Jesus, is now seated at the right hand of God.  We are invited to come confidently to His throne of Grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help when we need it most.

We will indeed all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  The law will demand payment for our sin. The righteous judge Jesus will say “I am the propitiation”, I have paid the price in full for them.  Mercy triumphs over judgment because of the blood of Jesus.  Not because of anything you have done or have managed not to do in your lifetime.

You can hear a full teaching on this topic with expanded insights at our website www.TheWellatCL.com just click on “podcasts” and select “The Original Jesus”.  He's just that into you!  The extravagant, radical Grace of God really is Amazing.

Sinners in the hand of a Good God!

The best, most loving dad willingly sacrificed His only son to utter rejection, humiliation, torture and ultimate death to save an ungrateful, hell-bent people, and He is often billed as “an angry God”. Go figure! God so loved the world that He gave Jesus.

Papa has been so misrepresented by His representatives because they fear He’s too good. Just like Jonah, they’re sure He’ll forgive people and they won’t appreciate Him. So they malign His character to portray an angry God to make people too afraid to sin.

Wow, that approach has been an utter failure. There hasn’t been a single righteous person since creation save the Lord Jesus Christ. Turns out the rules, laws and regulations lathered on by religious people have actually done the very opposite, they have actually given sin its strength (1 Co.15:56).

If you board an aircraft bound for Poughkeepsie, you can obey all the rules like a good passenger. You can hope and believe that if you’re good enough the pilot will fly you to Disneyland because that’s where you really want to be, but guess what? Forget the sun screen, you’re going to Poughkeepsie!

Romans 2:4 says it’s the “goodness of God” that leads to repentance. Nothing irks pretty good people like God being good to people who don’t deserve it, but that’s His amazing, radical Grace. That’s also what He knows really leads people to repentance. Not rules. Not fear. Guess what, Father knows best.

Truth is, even “pretty good” people need God’s Grace, every bit as much as the “notable sinners” the Bible mentions. I am against sin and ungodly living, and I am all for holiness. I believe the way you get there is the way Jesus provided by His finished work on the cross.

Fear can get people to alter their behavior while the fear is present. That’s “behavior modification”. God chose goodness knowing a heart flooded with His love produces transformation from the inside out that is lasting, whether the person is in a loving environment or a loveless setting.

Fear preaching like “sinners in the hand of an angry God” may fill the altar with fearful supplicants, but Jesus is more interested in filling the Lamb’s book of life with the names of people He died to redeem. What a good God. He really is, just that in to you!