WORKS RIGHTEOUSNESS

True or False:

You feel close to God when...
1. You are praying.
2. You read your Bible regularly.
3. You are regular at church.
4. You have fewer trials.
5. You are sinning less than usual.
6. Your pastor preaches a good sermon.
7. People around you aren't mistreating you.
8. You are happy.

9. You remember that God loves you, and sent
His son to die for your sins to free you from all
guilt and shame, and to begin, maintain and finish
your relationship with him so that you can be free
to love everyone without worrying about what
you need to do to get God to smile on you.

Is the Christian life about moving closer to God or about remembering and celebrating that He moved into maximum closeness to us at the cross?

Love: The Wellspring of Mercy and Grace

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" 

-Ephesians 2:4-6

Have you ever wondered how the love, mercy and grace of God fit together? The Christian life should be marked by "joy inexpressible and full of glory" and probably would be if we meditated continually on this question. His love for us is simply His disposition, inclination, habit, desire, and tendency to do good to us. Mercy is a demonstration of love toward one who is an adversary, something we certainly qualified for with God. Scripture declares that God's mercy abounded toward us. One would expect that from a heart full of love. Now self-focused human hearts can be stingy in extending mercy. This looks ugly, somewhat like tolerance of one who is undesirable—not exactly an enemy anymore, but certainly not a friend either. Grace goes beyond mercy because it is favor. While mercy is related to the alleviating in part or in full punishment that is deserved, grace is a change in the relationship to one of favor and blessing. Humans can give grace only in degrees because we are all flawed and weak. But God's glory shines because His heart is wide open toward sinners and His limitless love overflows in perfect righteousness through the sacrifice His dear Son.

John declares that "God is love" (1 John 4:8). He is eager to do good to us—continually! Because of this, mercy has flowed like a river from His heart. There is absolutely no stinginess with Him. The depths of His love could not be contained in mere mercy. His love filled up the measure of mercy and overflowed into grace (favor and blessing). This favor and blessing is beyond anything we see in human relationships. There is almost always some sense merit or hesitation in human relationships. Look again at Paul's words. Do you notice any hesitation on God's part for intimacy with sinners? We do NOT read that He gave us new life alone at a safe distance from Him so that He could maintain His holiness. Rather we read that His love for us is so great that when we were dead in our sins He made us alive together with Christ, raised us up together, and made us to sit together in Christ in the heavenly places. This is a done deal for all who know Him, or rather are known by Him (Gal 4:9). Do you see His heart of favor for you? There was absolutely no hesitation on His part to reach down into filthiness and lift you up and give you every spiritual blessing in Christ in the heavenlies (1:3).

The question is: do you trust His declaration of His unwavering love, even when trials buffet you, or do you heed the voices of the world that judge God by human desires for comfort or rules of fairness? This is the spiritual battle line. On page two of my Bible the serpent slandered God's favor toward Adam and Eve. They heeded Satan and their souls were thrown into darkness. They hid from God, who had only favored them. But God continued to favor them . . . He sought them out, moved into their darkness and declared what He had already planned, that one day the woman's Son would crush the serpent's head. The rest of the Bible is the unfolding of God's lavish grace (favor and blessing) on rebellious mankind.

Have you tended to rejoice that you are out from under God's wrath by simple faith without any works? Of course that is wonderfully true. But that is really just mercy. Favor is far more than that. God's grace is so lavish that we can doubt it, misunderstand it, and even forget it and it still remains all of our life and hope and glory. He has favored us with a life of intimacy with Him—the one who first loved us. So even if we only see His mercy we still have His grace. This is an amazing grace from the heart of love beyond our understanding.

HOLINESS: How Much Is Enough To Please God?

"Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." -Hebrews 12:14

True or false 
1) Holiness is required to see God?
2) It is good to judge your holiness compared to that of other people?
3) It is good to sin once this year?
4) It is good to stop judging by appearances and to make a righteous judgment, such as to always compare yourself to Christ?
5) You are holy compared to Christ?

If only 1 and 4 are true, how can you possibly go to heaven without this verse being a lie? 

Could it be that holiness is all about God setting you apart to be different from the world to have your life in true righteousness—goodness as all or nothing and given as a gift in the death of Christ? The world is all about personal righteousness—doing your best to do what you think is good, but of course not perfectly. What if good behavior (joyful one-way love) is simply a natural response to actively remembering your life--the finished work of Christ in your place? This removes all heaviness and all hypocrisy from holiness for every Christian, in every culture in all times. It makes life a celebration rather than a chore.

Addendum. Today I posted this piece on the Oasis Books FaceBook page and later read it to a Christian friend who said that he thought all Christians would answer the true or false questions identically. If that is true, then we Christians have generally understood and explained holiness artificially at best, that is, far too much in terms of behavior with a natural connection to righteousness hidden in some fog. Have you ever heard Hebrews 12:14 explained as a statement of identity in Christ rather than of obedience to God's moral commands? 

THE MOTIVATION OF GRACE—the testimony of two non-Christians.

A few years ago while in conversation with students on campus, a student from India said that back home he had a Mercedes sports car which he loved to drive fast. I asked him if he was concerned that the police might stop him. He said that they did stop him. I asked what he did. He smiled and told me that he simply showed them his I.D. and then his father’s photo, and because his father was the chief of police, they smiled and always waved him on. This man had immunity from speeding tickets because of who his father was. He seemed to be saying that he takes full advantage of it, too. What is wrong with this picture?

Not long after, I met J___, a Muslim attorney from the Middle East. His wife is working on a Ph.D. here and he spends his days caring for their son and so has little pressure. His home country is ruled by a king who has real authority. This friend likely knows that the secret police there have real authority to torture people almost at will. One day I asked J___ what would happen if the King’s son raced his Mercedes through the capital city—would the police give him a ticket. He laughed at me, saying that he was the king’s son and so was above the law and could do what he wanted. I suggested that he could run over old ladies in crosswalks. He said that was true. He also said that everyone in the country wished to have this special relationship with the king so they would not have to be under the law. I then asked J___ how it would affect him if his king paid the fantastic and unheard of price to adopt him into the royal family which would give him that privilege. J___ smiled and said that he would be so thankful that he would always drive carefully watching out for the safety of others. He added that he would never do anything wrong out of thankfulness for what the king had done for him. I suggested that there would be a time where he might do something wrong. He said that would be impossible. I mentioned that if he forget the price the king had paid, he could do something wrong. J___ smiled and agreed.

Two men above the law. The first had no motivation of grace since he naturally was a son above the law. And so without the threat of punishment, he was careless about the law, being motivated by his own whims. The second man also had no obligation to law—and even a greater certainty of freedom. But he knew that his knowledge of the king’s love for him and the fantastic price paid to buy his adoption, was the obvious and sufficient motivation to always do good and not evil. The gift was so great that he didn't consider that he could ever not be thinking about it. Remembrance of the king’s grace would move him to always do good.

My Muslim attorney friend knows the heart of true Christianity. When I told him such and had him read Isaiah 53 and Hebrews 2 in a bilingual Bible, he smiled and asked if I could get for him such a Bible. He gladly took the one we were reading together. May his stay in the USA be a double blessing for him. Sadly it seems easy for us Christians to fall into the thinking of the man from India—that no threat of consequences means little or no motivation to do what is good.

Love: Forgiveness God's Way Is Effortless

"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long suffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfections." 
-Colossians 3:12-15

In the last post you may have been shocked at the suggestion that saints can forgive continually and effortlessly, no matter the abuse received. Please don't misunderstand. This is not a statement that I or other saints always forgive effortlessly and continually. It is a statement of the greatness of the power of our God, who has poured out His love into our hearts by His Holy Spirit (Romans 5:3). This verse does not say that God gave us more of our love by our strength. Rather, He poured out (not dribbled out) His love, by His Holy Spirit, in our hearts. It is all about Him and His love from His Spirit flowing out of you in all directions at all times. Love is the first fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22) and forgiveness simply flows from a heart filled with love.

So, if God's power is more than sufficient and His Holy Spirit is always in us, why is there such a lack of the fruit of the Spirit among God's elect and beloved children? Unforgiveness, bitterness, self-centeredness, self-protection, impatience, irritation, anger, unkindness, envy, and much more seem all too commonplace among those washed clean in the blood of the Lamb. And why are so many Christians so easily offended? Are not these evidence that continual love and forgiveness are extremely difficult, and maybe even beyond the reach of the average Christian? How can I say (and insistently so) that such should be effortless and indeed are effortless? Here is the first key: it is not about you and your ability, but rather all about Christ and His strength. Do you believe this? The second key is that our gracious God has seen ahead and has already given you everything you need to love and forgive everyone who will ever abuse you in any way (2Peter 1:2-4). Do you believe this? The third key is that Christ loved you first and simply commands you to love His way—as He has already loved you. Do you believe this? Notice the "as" in Colossians 3 above: forgive as Christ has already forgiven you.

How has Christ forgiven you? If you are a Christian, when did Christ pay for your forgiveness? Was it not on the cross of Calvary nearly 2000 years before your first sin? And does not His forgiveness of you mean that you wronged Him and He chose to suffer for you? And was not the Father pleased to bruise His Son on the cross for your sin (Isaiah 53:10)? And if the Son is the exact image of the invisible God, then must not the Son also have been pleased to suffer for your sins? And when did Christ offer you forgiveness? Was it after you realized that you were a sinner? No, it is clear in scripture that you did not seek Him (Romans 3:11); He sought you. Did He decide to forgive you after you confessed your sin? No, rather His forgiveness was waiting for your confession, and even anticipating your first and every sin. Did you catch that? This is an important part of the vision of Christ's forgiveness of you. His forgiveness in full was ready and waiting before your first sin. He continued to wait--maybe many more years—until you confessed yourself a sinner and rested in the work of the cross. All the forgiveness you would ever need was waiting for you to receive it. Do you see the beauty of this precious gift of forgiveness? God in Christ pre-forgave you all your sins.

God's pre-forgiveness of you includes:
*God saw ahead that you would wrong Him.
*God loved you and chose to pay the penalty of your abuse of Him.
*God planned from before the foundation of the world to send His Son to the cross for you.
*God chose to forgive you before you wronged Him.
*God had no hesitation to forgive you.
*God even sought you out to give you that gift.
*God's gift of forgiveness was ready for your need and more than enough for your need.
*God gave you forgiveness; you did not take it; you simply received it.

Love is the source of forgiveness. A heart filled with God's love is full of generosity that anticipates need. Here is a simple illustration of what it should look like in your life (or mine) to forgive all other saints as Christ forgave you. Envision yourself carrying a gift box everywhere you go. This box is filled with love and forgiveness which Christ has bountifully supplied. You eagerly want to give from your box to every needy saint to bless them, remind them of the cross and to glorify God. These saints are so precious to God and the gift so valuable, that you always keep it outstretched toward every saint you might meet. For any saint to mistreat you, he must reach through your box of love and pre-forgiveness. The more he attacks the more gift he receives. Onlookers may wrongly surmise that your abusers are "taking" from your box and even taking advantage of you. But your gift cannot be taken, rather only received. You are free to see their need and not their abuse. And since the Lord continually fills your box, you are glad to be in fellowship with these whom the Lord loves and has gladly forgiven. Some may need (attack) little and others much, and even often. But that is God's business. He did not hesitate with you so you have no need to hesitate with any of His children. It matters little if they confess to you, since you business is loving them to the end as Christ loved you, with patience and hope. Their confession is Christ's business with them. And you never weary of carrying the box, since Christ is your supply, and the box reminds you of Christ's great forgiveness of you.

Are you beginning to get the picture? This simple illustration only scratches the surface of the depths of God's way of love and pre-forgiveness. The Christian life is much more than this, but it is at least this. The more you meditate on Christ's love for you the more your love and forgiveness will flow to all those around you, especially toward those who abuse you. That is after all what you and I did to Christ. If it takes effort or is difficult, then you are "trying" to love or forgive in your own strength. But if you walk in the Spirit, love and forgiveness will flow like a river from your heart. Of course there is pain in betrayal and abuse, but we get to choose if our hearts are hardened or softened by the pounding. Do you want to love and forgive? If you do, I would suggest praying often, at least daily, for God to help you learn to love His way. Thank Him often for giving you everything you need to love all the saints He has placed around you. And expect Him to answer by giving you opportunities to practice love! You may find yourself becoming more sensitive to your lack of love. But don't be discouraged; this is a good sign. The Spirit should make you sensitive to where you are not like Christ. The Father sees you as perfectly accepted in Christ. If you do not want to love and forgive, . . . does your lack of desire bother you?

Heavenly Love Flows From a Vision of Heavenly Love

"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long suffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfections." 
-Colossians 3:12-15

The cross is the place where God's love triumphed over the powers of evil. The Father, in His pleasure, chose to send Christ to the Cross. Christ "desired us to be with Him where He is" and chose to lay His life down to "purify for Himself His own special people". When you think of the cross, do you see yourself as God sees you? Yes, your sin sent Christ to the cross. Yes, He is the total sacrifice for your sins. But is that all you see yourself as—a sinner saved by grace? The apostles frequently revealed that God's vision of you in Christ is far more glorious than that.

In the above passage, Paul declares through the Spirit, that if you are in Christ, then you are God's elect and therefore holy and dearly loved--not just loved but beloved or dearly loved. The Father loves you just as He loves the Son (John 17:23). Christ is all your holiness and righteousness (1Cor 1:30) and much more. At your "worst" as at your "best", the Father loves and see you this way. It is not about you. It is all about Him—His love, sanctification, and election of you in Christ. Notice in the above passage that God commands, and seems to simply expect, all of us saints to put on these beautiful qualities of kindness, patience, forgiveness, and love in all circumstances with all other saints no matter the mistreatment we receive. This may seem unrealistic to you. And it will, if you are looking at yourself, your past, your circumstances, or your abilities. But if you look at at God's love for you in Christ, you will see that same love toward all other saints around you, and your heart will overflow with His kindness, grace, forgiveness, and love. Such should be natural and effortless on our part. Paul said that he labored with all God's energy that mightily worked in him (Col 1:29). So what is our problem?

You are His beloved. Do you see that the Father's thoughts toward you are always ones of love, forgiveness and grace, no matter how much you fail or are misunderstood, mistreated or abused by other saints? And those saints who mistreat you, do you see that God's thoughts toward them are always ones of love, forgiveness and grace? Do you really see it? Or, have you forgotten? God's love is true and secure for all His children all the time. But we get to choose whether we see ourselves and other saints through eyes of God's love and grace or through eyes of human performance. God does not empower us to love when we choose the latter, but He does when we choose the former. Why do we fail to love? It is very simple, we have forgotten to see His love. Please don't misunderstand. This does not mean that you have stopped believing He loves you. You need to simply "fix your eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of your faith." Then God's love through you, to even the most obnoxious of saints, will be natural and effortless—though not necessarily painless. The effort should all be God's.

If natural and effortless love seems unreasonable to you, I would encourage you to begin thanking the Father often for the riches you already have in Christ. Let this soak in you mind. You may be surprised at how God will slowly change you without your effort. For a testimony of God's faithfulness to work in the life of a weak brother who began to give thanks, download freely and read Thankfulness and Confession at: http://ccmbooks.org/free-literature/

Next time I hope to write on the way to continual and effortless forgiveness, no matter the abuse.

SINGING OF GOD'S LOVE

Here Is Love, Vast As An Ocean

Here is love, vast as the ocean,

Lovingkindness as the flood,

When the Prince of Life, our Ransom,

Shed for us His precious blood.

Who His love will not remember?

Who can cease to sing His praise?

He can never be forgotten,

Throughout Heav’n’s eternal days.

On the mount of crucifixion,

Fountains opened deep and wide;

Through the floodgates of God’s mercy

Flowed a vast and gracious tide.

Grace and love, like mighty rivers,

Poured incessant from above,

And Heav’n’s peace and perfect justice

Kissed a guilty world in love.

This song came out of the Welsh revival of the early 1900's and is all about God's great love for us. We can sing it in complete honesty even on our bad days, because it is not about our love, but only about his. God has greatly blessed me in my 30 years in his grace in the singing of hymns as prayers and meditations. As such, I much prefer songs that focus on God's glory and his love for me rather than on my love for him. I feel a bit guilty singing about my good points. As we sing songs about him, our minds rise into the heavens in remembrance of his greatness and love. I have not found the piano music for this hymn online or in the many hymnals that I have searched. You can listen to it at http://nethymnal.org/htm/h/e/herelove.htm to hear the tune to learn to sing it.

LOVE: MEDITATION ON THE CROSS

"Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love as Christ also has love us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma."

-Ephesians 5:1-2

The cross of Christ was a sweet-smelling aroma to the Father in heaven. The most joyful man who ever lived (Hebrews 1:9) gave his life as a sacrifice for our sins on the altar in heaven (his cross). Christ said that he did only that which pleased the Father. Scripture records how on several occasions the Father spoke from heaven declaring his pleasure in his Son. But at the cross the heavens seemed to be silent as the great multitude beheld "the Lamb of God take away the sin of the world." When the Lamb died, the veil was torn from top to bottom, the earth shook, the rocks split, graves were opened, and the three-hour darkness was over. It was over. It was finished! The multitude had watched the mystery of the ages unfold. The way into the presence of the Father was open, simply awaiting the Ascension and Pentecost.

The Father did not need to speak at the cross because he had already declared his pleasure there in that great Messianic passage, Isaiah 53: "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him." How could the Father be pleased to bruise so horrifically his only Son--whom he loved from before the foundation of the world and in whom he was well pleased? How great must our sin be and how perfect must his holiness be. Our sin separated and alienated us from him and yet the Father in Christ said in John 17, "I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am that they may behold My glory." He desired to dwell with us, and he, our gracious Father, loved us while we hated him. His perfect righteousness and his exceedingly abundant love met at the cross to reconcile us—unclean, disobedient, and abominable sinners—to himself. It is no wonder then that Christian communion is a "celebration" of the cross. Our souls ought to be overflowing with thankfulness and joy in every thought of the cross. Do we see it?

Let's not tolerate any complacency concerning the cross to grow or even linger in our hearts. Oh how he has loved us. And our sin is far more vile to him than it is to us. But he sees us through the cross. When you see your sin, do you see his cross? He always does. Let us thank him and seek to see more as he does.

"Dear Father, thank you for loving us while we hated you and for loving us just as you love your Son. Thank you for putting your love for your Son in our hearts. Please give us a fresh vision of how wide and long and high and deep your love is for us. Please begin today. In Christ name. Amen."