Religion or the Gospel

I just finished reading Timothy Keller’s The Prodigal God.  Definitely worth picking up and reading.  Here’s a quote that stuck with me:

“Religion operates on the principle that I obey, therefore I am accepted by God.  The basic operating principle of the gospel is I am accepted by God through the work of Jesus Christ, therefore I obey” (p. 114).

His words reminded me anew that we tend to put the cart before the horse.  We think that if we can be good enough, or be better than someone else, God will accept us.  The reality is, He accepts us based on what Jesus did on the cross.  The Apostle Paul says,

“For no one will be justified in His sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin ⌊comes⌋ through the law.  But now, apart from the law, God’s righteousness has been revealed —attested by the Law and the Prophets —that is, God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction.  For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.  God presented Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously committed.  ⌊God presented Him⌋ to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:20-26, HCSB).

Quit trying to earn your way to God.  Quit trying to compare your way to Him.  Quit trying religion.  Try the gospel  Try Jesus and what He has done for you.

Today and Tomorrow

God, in His grace, always gives us exactly what we need, exactly when we need it.  As I was reading 1 Kings this morning, I was reminded again of just how awesome God truly is.  The prophet Elijah has just finished winning a showdown with the prophets of Baal.  He has called fire down from the sky, and he has seen God do mighty things.  Nonetheless, by chapter nineteen, he is hiding because Queen Jezebel has declared she will kill him. 

God comes to Elijah in the midst of his emotional despair and ministers to him.  What’s interesting to me is what the angel communicates to the prophet.  The Bible says, “Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you”” (1 Kings 19:7, NLT).  God not only gives the prophet what he needed at that moment, but he also gave him what he would need in the future.  While we may not always see God’s hand at work in that way, we can always rest assured that God is concerned not only with our needs today, but also with our needs tomorrow.  And, His grace is sufficient to meet them all.

Already Clean

Ever wash your car only to have it rain?  Most of us have.  On the other hand, most of us haven’t washed our car after a rain.  Why?  Because typically the rainstorm cleans the car.  It no longer needs washing.

As Jesus was teaching His disciples about abiding in Him and bearing fruit, He makes a simple statement worth taking note of.  He says, “Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you” (John 15:3, ESV).  In other words, they did not need to wash themselves because He had already washed them clean.

The sacrifice of Christ is sufficient to wash all of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  God doesn’t need effort to make us any “cleaner.”  We abide and bear fruit because of the salvation He has already given us, not to earn or secure it.  Quit trying to earn your salvation.  Quit performing works of the flesh with the hope they will make you good enough.  Quit trusting the emptiness of religious ritual.  Rather, place your faith in Jesus, and allow Him to thoroughly wash you clean.  Only He can do it.  Trust in Him and see what a difference He can make.

Supplemental Living

We say things all the time.  We’re going to lose weight.  We’re going to be a better spouse.  We’re going to get a handle on our spending.  Promises made.  And, usually promises broken.  Tragically, we have grown accustom to making claims and not following through.  Even more tragically, this same phenomenon takes place in our spiritual lives.

The Apostle Peter writes that God has given us everything we need to live for Him (1 Peter 1:3-4).  With that in mind, he then writes, “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love” (2 Peter 1:5-7, HCSB, emphasis added).

In other words, since God has given us what we need to live for Him, we need to live for Him.  It’s not enough to just make claims regarding our faith.  We need to put some work into living it out.  Peter is not speaking about working to have salvation.  He’s calling us to live faithfully because of our salvation.  It’s the same idea that James had in mind when he said, “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26, HCSB).  Peter’s point is simply that since God has given us what we need, we need to supplement our saving faith with faithful living.  We do this not to be redeemed, but because we are redeemed.

Genuine faith prompts us to live a life that reflects God’s presence in our lives.  Too many claim Christ without living for Christ.  I’m fearful that these claims are little more than empty words.  Again, I am not advocating that we earn our salvation by works.  Quite the contrary.  We are given salvation by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9).  We need to begin to live like we have been changed by that grace.  May we truly appreciate the grace God sheds on us to redeem us.  Then, may we live a life that honors Him in the power of that grace.

A Word of Anguish

Alone.  No one except Greta Garbo wants to be alone.  Yet, that’s exactly what Jesus felt as He hung on the cross.  The Bible says, “When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lemá sabachtháni?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me” (Mark 15:33-34, HCSB)?  For the first time in all eternity, Jesus felt the Father look away from Him.

Why?  What could possible prompt God in essence to turn His head at this more dire of times?  Sin.  All of humanity’s sin.  Our Sin.  All on Christ.  The Apostle Paul explains, “He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21, HCSB).  Christ became sin for us.  He bore all of our sin.  Past, present, and future.  God, in His perfect righteousness turned His head from such a sight (Habakkuk 1:13).  And Christ sensed what it is to be alone.

This cry from the cross really speaks to how our sin impacts God.  He doesn’t chuckle or wink at it.  God doesn’t think our sinful behavior is cute.  It repulses Him.  It cuts Him to the quick.  Our sin is an afront to a Holy God.  Yet, He still love us.  He reaches out to us.  He makes provision for us.

In a strange sort of way, these verses are a powerful reminder of that love.  The fact that God could pay such a high price for those who have offended Him so deeply is amazing.  Paul reminds us that, “God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8 (HCSB)!  Christ was forsaken so we wouldn’t have to be.  He experienced what it was to be alone so we could be with Him forever.

What We Can Learn from the News

It seems like every day we see another story that reminds us of just how broken we truly are.  Parents murdering their children, shooting rampages in nursing homes, and unmitigated greed and corruption dominate our news cycles.  It’s all so tragic.  For many of us, we just turn off the television or shut down the computer without thinking too much about what we just witnessed.  But, if we pause for just a moment and ponder what’s happening around us, we might learn a thing or two.

All of these stories remind us of the broken condition of man.  Humanity does a lot of wonderful things.  We are also capable of some horrible things.  The Bible tells us that each one of us are broken and corrupt in our sin (Romans 3:23).  We all are far from perfect.  And, while many of us are shocked by what we encounter in the news, we need to remind ourselves that in our fallen state, we are all capable of the same sort of behavior.  The Apostle Paul says, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature” (Romans 7:18, NLT).

Since we are broken in our sin, we need help.  We cannot fix ourselves.  Only God can really deal with our greatest need.  James quotes the book of Proverbs when he writes, “God opposes the proud, but favors the humble” (James 4:6, NLT; see also Proverbs 3:34; 1 Peter 5:5).  We need to humble ourselves and allow God to have control of our lives.  In our pride, we become so self-sufficient.  We believe that we can do it all.  We feel like we have no need for God.  In reality, our self-sufficiency is part of the trap created by our sin.  We do indeed need God.  His grace can change us.  He can make us whole.  We just need to let Him.

Today’s headlines also remind us that we need to do a better job getting out the message of hope.  We are surrounded by hurting, broken people.  Some are overwhelmed by the reality of their lives.  Others feel like there is no where to turn for real answers.  Yet others are so caught up vigorously pursuing their own agendas that they are missing what life is really all about.  For those of us who have accepted Christ and follow Him, we need to be busy touching people’s lives with the love of God.  We need to lovingly engage our culture while avoiding the dangers of becoming immersed in it.  We need to let others know that there is a God who loves them and gave His Son to redeem them.  The Bible says, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news” (Romans 10:15, NLT)!

The news can be a daunting thing.  It can really overwhelm us if we let it.  The next time we see something that shocks us, we need to stop and realize something.  It’s grace that keeps us from being in the headlines, and it’s grace that can change them.

Happy Kidney Day

I know a man who had a heart transplant a few years ago.  Every year on that date, his family celebrates “happy heart day” to commemorate his new heart.  Through most of the nineties, I suffered from kidney failure.  In late 2005, I ended up on dialysis.  Three years ago today, I had a kidney transplant.  I am so thankful for that gift.  A young man in our church was a match and gave me the gift of life.  He’s an awesome guy.  Thanks Brad for making this a Happy Kidney Day.

It reminds me so much of God’s gift of salvation.  God, in His great love, offered me something I could never have on my own.  In His grace, He made it possible for me to receive forgiveness and be made whole.  He enabled me to have a relationship with Him.  I didn’t deserve it.  I couldn’t earn it.  I was stuck in brokeness with no hope.  But God gave me a substitute.  Jesus made possible what was impossible.  The One that was whole sacrificed for the one that was broken (1 Peter 3:18). 

Three years ago, I received something I didn’t deserve.  It gave me a new lease on life.  Nearly thirty years ago, I also received something I didn’t deserve.  It gave me abundant life (John 10:10).  In both cases, someone else touched my life because of love and grace.  That’s what grace does.  It reaches out to us, even though we don’t deserve it.  Isn’t grace a marvelous thing?

The Kind of God We Serve

We often hear people question the character of God.  They say things like “what kind of God would allow…” or “what sort of God would do…” or “what type of God would cause…”  Things like evil, death, sickness, sorrow, grief, and judgment are all laid at God’s feet in an accusatory way.  In the Bible, Jonah also questioned God about His character.  Only, his challenge was a little different in nature.

God had called Jonah to take a warning to the city of Ninevah.  Jonah had no desire to see the Ninevites receive a second chance, so he ran. God managed to get Jonah back on track with a storm and and a whale.  When Jonah finally goes to Ninevah, he pronounces God’s warning, and then watches in disgust as the people repent and God relents.  As Jonah sits hillside waiting on God’s judgment to fall, he sulks and pouts.  Then, he questions and gripes.  The Bible says, “So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love” (Jonah 4:2, NLT).

God is indeed patient.  The Apostle Peter writes, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent” (2 Peter 3:9, NLT).  His patience is rooted in His grace and His sovereignty.  Not only is God patient, but He is also merciful and full of compassion.  While His patience affords us the time to respond, His mercy reaches out and offers us forgiveness and restoration.  The Bible says, “But—“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4-5, NLT).  The next time someone asks you “what kind of God…,” remind them of His mercy and compassion.  Remind them of His patience and grace.  Remind them of the forgiveness He readily offers.  That’s the kind of God we serve.

When God Changes His Mind

We all know what it is to change our minds.  We do it all the time.  We sit in a restaurant debating what to order.  Back and forth we go.  This or that.  That or this.  We announce one thing to our spouse and then bam.  The server comes and we order something else.  We changed our mind.  They fact that we are prone to change our mind is why we have delete keys on our computers and return departments in our stores.  We completely understand what it means for us to change our minds.

From time to time in the Bible, however, we see where God “changed his mind.”  What exactly does that mean?  When the Bible speaks of God changing His mind, it doesn’t mean that He is indecisive.  Nor does it mean that He confused and misguided.  It simply means that God in His grace changed the course of His actions.  For instance, in the book of Jonah, judgment was coming to the city of Ninevah.  God had sent Jonah there to warn the people that it was on the way.  They all needed to change how they lived.  They did.  From the king on down, the people responded in brokenness and contrition.  And, God changed His mind.  He withheld His judgment.  The Bible says, “When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened” (Jonah 3:10, NLT).

When we read of God changing His mind, a few words should come to ours.  Grace.  Repentance.  Forgiveness.  These are exactly the elements we see in this verse.  It’s God’s grace that sends a messenger, and offers a second chance.  It’s His grace that allows us the opportunity to repent and be forgiven.  It’s the repentance of the Ninevites that shows their sincerity.  The reality of their shortcomings weighed heavy upon them.  They knew they had to change their behavior.  Thus, they repented.  Likewise, we often need to change how we are living.  We can indentify with the need to turn around and return to God.  When we come to the place where we realize our own shortcomings, we find a God ready and willing to forgive.  The grace that started the whole process comes into play again.  God forgives when we turn to Him in confession and godly sorrow (1 John 1:9).  His grace beckons us home.  Isn’t it wonderful that God changes His mind, and gives us an opportunity to change ours?

Life-Changing Grace

Ever feel like you can’t talk to God?  Maybe you are just in a place in your life where you’re not even sure God will listen?  Are in the belly of a whale?  Jonah was.  God had called him to do something and he ran.  As a result, he ended up adrift at sea in a huge storm.  Then God sent the fish.  A really, really big fish.  Now we see Jonah sitting in the belly of this great fish.  Now, in the dark, dank, smelly pit of the great fish Jonah cried out to God.  The Bible tells us his words, “I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me.  I called to you from the land of the dead, and Lord, you heard me” (Jonah 2:1-2, NLT)! 

In the strangest of all places, Jonah cried out.  He cried out and thanked God for his deliverance.  God had saved him.  Adrift in the sea, God had snatched him from “the jaws of death” (Jonah 2:6, NLT).  Jonah had tasted the grace of God.  He knew God had brought him through, and he looked forward with confidence to God delivering him from the belly of the great fish. 

That’s what grace can do in our lives.  It not only saves us, but it gives us a song to sing.  It let’s us praise God in the most difficult of circumstances.  It gives us hope in the midst of hopelessness.  It gives us peace in the midst of the storm.  It gives us confidence in the midst of uncertainty.  It is grace that gives us strength in the midst of weakness.  It’s grace that changes a running rebel into a fountain of praise in the belly of the whale.  It’s grace that changes a murderous zealot into a messenger of the gospel.  It’s grace that can change you and me.