Don't Look Back

When I think about following God’s will, I almost immediately think about turning back to what I was before.  After all, it was so much easier to be who I was.  Then the thought of turning back reminds me of the story of Sodom and Gommorah.  I know that it wasn’t originally written to be a parable but a historical account of an act of God upon the wickedness of these cities, but I cant help but think of it in terms of a parable at times.  Its how I picture the transformation that we go through after baptism.  I liken the sin and corruption that we were in to that of the cities of Sodom and Gommorah and the destruction of those cities being what happens to our old selves and our old sins.  They’re eradicated.  Erased.  Made to where there’s no sign of existence.  However, we, just as they were, are warned to not look or go back; not to long for what once was now that we are under the Grace of God.  Luckily, we won’t be punished as harshly as Lot’s wife.  The bible shows us many times that God knows this will be hard for us as humans.   Luke 9:23 says “ And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”  He emphasizes the fact that to follow Christ, we’d have to deny self and deny fleshly desires.  And we are to do take up our cross, which in my mind symbolizes the struggles of being a Christian, DAILY and follow loyally.  What I gather from this verse is that I’m no longer the old me, it will be difficult, but I am too do it anyway.  This is echoed later in Luke 9:62 when Jesus is talking to those that wish to follow him and he says “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”  Again, don’t look back.  He also says a little earlier that “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”  Which brings me to my next point.  Christianity can be hard.
It seems disheartening at times.  Like, its near impossible.   Often times, as I make my way back to Christ, I wonder “how will I be strong enough to do this?” or “what if people don’t accept what I’m saying or possibly make fun of me?” But then I remember 2 Tim 1 “7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.”  We should follow Paul’s example and realize that within us is the Holy Spirit and, with that, comes power, love and self-discipline.  I think its important that these three attributes are specified because although we are given power and strength, even courage, we are also given love and self-discipline to correctly handle the drive and the hunger that many of us will experience.
And when it becomes too hard.  Or when temptation becomes too strong or our anger, anxiety, or sadness gets too great for us to bear, the bible tells us what to do with that as well.  Philippians 4:6-7 says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The Heart

First off, I’d like to start with Proverbs 21:2.  “All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.” And provers 16: 2 “All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.”

A lot can be learned from these verses.  1) A man’s ways may seem right to him.  Whether they be Baptist, Lutheran, Catholic, etc.  And all of them may say the other is wrong.  But who really knows?  The next part of the verse tells us that God does.  God weighs the heart or the motives.   And that’s what I’d like to focus on for this paper when learning what God expects from the followers of Christ.  God expects a pure heart.  In Matthew 23, he reiterates that outside actions without the right motive mean nothing to him.  He rebukes the Pharisees for being hypocrites.  Starting in verse 5, he says that 5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.”  Later he says that they give a tenth of their spices, an outward showing of faith, but neglect the more important matters of the law, justice, mercy, and faithfulness.  This isn’t to say that Jesus doesn’t expect us to outwardly set an example, but it is to say that without the inward motive, the outward appearance means nothing. 

In other parts of the bible, Jesus mentions the importance of intentions.  In Matthew 5:21, he says “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.”  And again in verse 27,” You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

To Jesus, it is not just not committing sin that we should strive for, but for the thought to never cross our mind.  For our hearts to be pure.  I say strive because the bible also tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  All of us will sin.  Some of us may lust.  Some of us may wish Ill will on another.   We’re human.  It happens.  But strive for that perfection.  Be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect.

Jesus says, again, when dealing with loving one another that we should love our enemies and pray for those that hate us or would wish us harm.  Matthew says in verses 46 and 47 “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?”  If we only reach out to each other, what good will that do the rest of the community?  What good will that do the world?

These are all things that we have to fix and strive for within ourselves.  All of these are things that no others will see but God and yet, I believe, that these are some of the most important.  For Matthew 5:8 says “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”  Not blessed are those that pray in the streets or Blessed are those that shout God’s praise just to be heard.  But blessed are the pure in heart. 

The Great Commission

As I make my way back to Christ, I see more and more flaws in myself.  One is that I’m not really doing anything. 

If asked, most, if not all, Christians know what The Great Commission is.  A command that Jesus gave to his disciples after rising from the dead.  It says (NIV) in Matthew 28, beginning in verse 16, “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

To me, it seems simple to understand that Christians/disciples of Christ are to go, teach, and baptize everyone.  Everywhere.  Regardless of Race, color, creed or current belief. 

But it seems, that the same people that will receive a message like this one in a church or wherever will go home, do what they always do, and not put it into practice.  Then they come to church again the next time, meet with the same people, talk to the same people about God and start the process all over again.  Ignoring a simple but powerful command given by our Lord before his ascension.   I’ve known a lot of Christians who are afraid to go places, talk to certain people, or do certain things because of the sin that could be accompanied with it.  They don’t want to get to know who they perceive as sinners because they’re afraid.  Maybe afraid of keeping bad company, which is understandable because the bible warns us against bad company.  Maybe afraid of what other “Christians” may think.  Or maybe we’ve just gotten used to talking only to eachother, loving only eachother, and being a support to only eachother and forget who Jesus himself commanded us to go out and save.  Those that need saved.  Jesus spoke directly to this topic.  In Mar 2:17  “When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  There are multiple examples of him eating and keeping company with people that were considered sinners because they were his concern.

 What I learn from The Great Commission is to go out into the world that most of us fear, teach what Jesus has taught us, create disciples and to be unafraid because he will be with me. 

Sin and Comfort

I’ve stated before that often times, we are our worst critic.  We see the sin that is in ourselves and are put off by it.   Even disgusted.  But God promises forgiveness (which was mentioned in a different paper) and comfort as well.  And the latter is what I want to focus on for this paper.  The verses, I’m about to use, may not have been thought of in this light but came to me when thinking of myself and thinking that I was unworthy of the calling of Christ.  Perhaps I’ve done too much, as I’ve mentioned before.   Or perhaps this will be too hard for me.  Then, while reading, I found that those thoughts put me in good company.  2 Cor 1 says “8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters,[a] about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”  Even the apostles were tried beyond what they say was their ability to endure, but, though Christ, had success by relying on God and not on themselves. 

In my opinion, life has a way of bringing us to our knees.   Making us hit rock bottom and seeing no earthly way out of a mess that we put ourselves.  But, as my dad always told me, that’s where God comes to you.  He comes to you where you are and extends his hand, saying in Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

“Come to me” he says.  Give in to me.  I’m here.  I’m with you.

Some of us may still say, “but I’m not worthy!” or “this sinful body prevents me from taking his hand!”

The bible tells us that Paul had the same affliction.  In Romans 7 “14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  “What a wretched man I am!”  But thanks be to God that he can and will deliver us from ourselves.  Again in 2 cor 1 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

Go to him you who are weary.  He will forgive you of what you have done and give you comfort from the guilt that may be in you.  Or any affliction that you may have.  He promises rest.  And comfort.  That we may comfort those that are in any affliction.

Amen

Love Like Christ

On my journey back to Christ, I find myself asking what to do first or what to do next.  Which teaching should I follow first?  I was led to this particular topic.  Love.  When Jesus was about to leave his disciples, gave them a new command.  In John 13:34-35, he says “34 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

When thinking about this verse, the first thing I want clarification on (for lack of a better term) is the “As I have loved you” part.  To command to love as Christ loved at the time, while he was still with his disciples must have seemed like a tall order.  At least it does to me.  And now knowing what Jesus went through for us shortly thereafter, it seems an even taller, impossible order.  Ephesians 5:1-2 clears it up for me by saying “1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” 

To me, this suggests that by “walk in the way of love” it means to make love a part of us or for us to strive to be have a loving nature.  What does the way of love mean?  What is the way of love?  1 Cor 13:4-7 clears that up by telling us that love is patient, kind, it doesn’t envy or boast, its not proud, it doesn’t dishonor others, it is not self seeking, keeps no record of wrongs and does not delight in evil.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.  Walking in the path of love means accepting all of these things and I would go as far as to say that if we strive to love as Jesus loves, all of these things will come.

To me it seems no wonder that, in the same book and chapter before this passage, Paul says that love is more important and means more than all of the knowledge and the abilities to speak in tongues and see prophecies.  Its more important than any action we can do no matter how noble.  If we do anything and not possess love, it means nothing.

To me, before Christ taught his disciples or taught anyone for that matter.  Before he died on the cross.  Before he even came to earth, he loved us.  He loved us to know what he was going to have to do, and did it anyway. 

So we should be.  Before we teach, preach, evangelize, tithe, anything, we need to learn how important it is for us to walk the path of love and what walking that path means.  

Too Far

I’ve both felt and have heard others say that they’ve felt that they’ve gone too far to come back to God or come back to their faith.  I think this is because we are our own worst enemy.  We are literally our worst critic.  But God isn’t like us.  God loves on a level that we, as humans, are not capable of understanding but should strive to imitate.  Consider the parable of the lost coin.  
In Luke 15, 8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Consider also the Prodigal son.  ““There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.  17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.  “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.  21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”
A lot can be gleaned from these two parables that speaks to God’s love for us.  The first thing that comes to mind is that the angels in heaven rejoice over just one sinner who repents.  Also, the woman that loses the single silver coin searches and searches until its found.
Also with the parable of the lost son, the part that sticks out to me is something that was taught to me by a preacher friend of mine.  The father’s joy.  I’d always looked at the father’s forgiveness.  But his joy is amazing.  The son had a whole speech prepared.  “I’ve sinned against you, against heaven, etc.” and before he could even say this, his father, an old man, was running to him.  He hugged him and kissed him.  And almost immediately after his son’s practiced repentance, he calls for the calf and the robe and the ring and demands a celebration at the return of his son!  JOY!  God doesn’t just forgive, according to these passages.  He’s overjoyed when he can.  
What if my sin is too great? You might ask.  What if I’ve done too much.  I know I’ve certainly asked that.  But consider David and Bathsheba’s sordid past.  King David had an affair with her, had her husband killed and then took her for his wife.  King David.  The man after God’s own hard.  The man that God told through Nathan in 2 Samuel 11: 7 “‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more.”  God loved David and rewarded him greatly for his faithfulness.  And even he fell from the Glory of God, as we all have and will, and he fell hard.
But he repented, feeling emotions that I can only assume that I’ve felt.  In Psalms 32 he says “3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.”
It feels like that some times doesn’t it?  Sometimes I want to cry out “God I’m sorry!  What can I do?”
David answers that question.  He says next, “5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.”  And you forgave the guilt of my sin.”
Acknowledge the sin to him.  Confess.   Repent.  He will forgive.   For the bible says in Romans 8 that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death.”
There is no condemnation.  Christ Jesus has set us free, praise him.
Also, In 2 Peter 3:8 “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
God’s not slow.  He’s patient.  He waits for you to come back.  He searches like the woman with the lost coin for his lost soul, wishing all to come to repentance.
Come to him.  Truly repent.  Confess your sins to him.  And he will forgive you.  It’s not too late.  It never is unless your heart is not quite right.   Romans 8 goes on to say “5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.”
You’re heart and your mind have to be in it for God to forgive.  You have to truly mean it.  And you can have mercy and salvation

The Golden Rule and More

Matthew 7: 9-12
NIV
9 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
Most people who have been to church at least once in their lives have more than likely heard this passage. Or at least verse 12. We call it “The Golden Rule.” However, a lot can be taken from this passage about how I feel religion or faith should be approached from the very beginning.
It is my belief that this passage points out how God feels about us. I am also convinced that it points out how we should approach life as we try to walk a righteous path.
To address the first, in the verses 9-11 there is a direct comparison to God as a father. Not as a Heavenly Father or the Father of us all, but as a normal father; one that we can understand completely. This comparison speaks volumes about the relationship between God and his followers. Many seem to put an emphasis on God’s wrath or Jesus’ sacrafice for us. Don’t get me wrong, those are both very very important things to remember and think about. Jesus did die for us. He gave his life so that ours would prosper. And God’s wrath is certainly nothing any of us want to encounter. But allow me to pose a question (or series of questions.) Would you want your children to obey you only because they’re afraid of being punished? Would you want them to obey you because they know that you’re willing to die for them? Or would you rather they love you and obey you because they love you? You see, there is a tiny but important difference in those mentalities. It’s the difference between fear of God and reverence for him. It’s loving God simply because he’s your father. Sure we’ll falter and fail. We will often fall short of his grace. But, as any good father, he will forgive us if we ask him. And he will help us when we need him.
Now to the “golden rule.” What I find interesting about this verse is the end. “this sums up the law and the prophets.” Meaning that all of the teachings that we read about how to live and how to act in our short life on this earth equate to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” There’s no “or else.” No mention of punishment or reward. No rules or stipulations. Simply do what is right because it’s right and you will be following all of the “rules” or teachings that have been set in the word.