Not Guilty

While we all know that salvation is a free gift and that God’s love is unconditional how much to we really believe? Sounds like a pretty presumptuous assertion of my part but it id likely that we believe it far less that we think we do. Presumptuous indeed. If you need to enhance your conscious knowledge of the depth of salvation and this message causes you to examine the strength of your beliefs ,then I may have done you the most important favor ever in your walk with the Lord.

We’ve all read this passage and understand what it saying: Ephesians 2:8-9. Now here’s the issue-what is your response to yourself when you fall short? I mean, when you sin what’s your reaction? Of course you feel badly, in fact we certainly should, but after that what does your mind and your emotions tell you about your relationship with him. Far too often a real feeling is that the Lord has withdrawn his love. That his willingness to bless you has been altered by your sin and that, at least for a while, he’s angry at you and doesn’t want you hanging around.

The sad thing is that a lot of that makes perfect sense to us realizing that we have all grown up in a performance-oriented culture we have been unconsciously trained by well-intentioned and loving people that love is in fact, NOT without condition. Most of us have been raised in a stimulus response environment that says good behavior equals blessings and poor behavior gets a spanking, or a “time-out” at a minimum. If you’re free from this then great, because we as saved people need to be free from this response. As much as it feels right to our training and indoctrination it is NOT the gospel and it is NOT what grace is all about. Does sin have consequences? Absolutely and if you sin you will reap the consequences of it whatever to may be. But here’s the hard part and here’s what very few churches will preach-the consequence is not God’s anger and removal of his love for you,

Either Jesus paid the full price for our sin and iniquity or he didn’t. And if you have to be forsaken by the Lord when you sin then the payment was only partial. And if he paid the full price of your sin then no amount of guilt or shame will put you back in right standing with God. No talk, no requests, just the peace, the power, the purity, of his presence.Romans 10 says it best-let’s look at it in the Amplified version-Romans 10:2-4. The truth is that only one death was redemptive and that was the Messiah’s-he paid the full price for your state of sin nature for all of the manifestations of that nature in the process of our maturing to the full stature and character of the Christ. Feel bad about your sin-of course-Godly sorrow brings you to a place of wanting to change. But the change doesn’t take place because of his anger. That’s not what grace is all about.We change because he loves us until we get tired of trying to meet our own needs. That’s the basis of sin-our futile attempts as immature believers to try to meet our own needs.His love without condition and the more desperate you become the more love he sends your way.

Keeping The “Law”

I have often commented on the value digging past what the scriptures seem to be saying and work to uncover what they really mean. Much of the opportunity for revelation lies in addressing the difference between the western mind that translated the scripture and the Hebrew mind that wrote them. I won’t bore you with a long dissertation on this but suffice it to say that the opportunity is no more apparent than in looking at scriptures that talk about keeping the law

Let’s look at just one example. Proverbs 3:1-3 says My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:

Now clearly there’s a big difference between the function of the Mosaic law from the Old to the New Testament but the point here is to shed some light on our response to the Lord’s and our role in the fulfillment of the plan of redemption. First of all what is the “law” to begin with? Most of us have been raised on the notion that the law is rules and regulations that have stiff penalties attached to them for not keeping them. Anyone who has read the Old Testament would have a tough time seeing past this but yet there is much more. The word for “law” is actually the word “Torah”-synonymous with the name given to the first five books. It is better translated as instructions or teaching rather than our western notion of “law”.In fact even in the ancient Hebrew tongue the word for commandment or stature is better translated as “decision”.

So when we are commanded to keep the law we are being told to make the correct decision and follow the instructions. The creator knows that we have a totally inadequate comprehension of the way the universe works and gave us instructions, or commandments to follow that would cause us to operate in concert with his will and not according to our human nature.If that sounds too complex just think of what you do when you buy a state-of-the art electronic device. Unless you have a background in digital technology you really won’t know how to operate the device. And so as Proverbs 3 says a wise person reads and then follows the instructions to make sure things work the way they were designed.

But there’s no more. “Keeping” is not accurately understood either. Even in English there are more than twenty definitions of the word, most of which do not convey the idea of  obeying under threat of punishment. Adam was given the task of “keeping” the garden. It is the Hebrew word “shamar” and the Hebrew word-picture means to surround something with a bunch thorns so that no harm can be done to it. So here’s the issue. While most of the body of Christ is struggling under the pressure to obey the law for fear of suffering the consequences of breaking it, the Lord is looking for a people who will follow his instructions and guard and protect the revelation that is the core of the plan of redemption.

You and I worried about falling short and he’s looking to us to be the ones to raise up the standard of righteousness

You and I are falling into the trap of religious rituals while he’s beckoning us into a revelatory relationship.

He’s looking for us to preserve the life of His word by making the right decisions according to his teachings.

He’s looking for us to dress and keep the garden.

Waiting On The Lord

The real power of gospel is how the Lord sustains us in times of trials and difficulties. Chances are you are dealing with some right now whether they are financial difficulties, dealing with an illness or facing family problems. If you’re saved then you the assurances of possessing the endurance to hang in then until the time of your deliverance comes. Here ‘s a familiar scripture: Isaiah 40:31- But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

The key word here is “wait”. Often the King James has a difficult time translating Hebrew thought and idioms into clear pictures. The English translation of wait-not that it doesn’t have relevance-simply misses the power of what the scriptures are saying.

Wait is the Hebrew word “Ka-va”-to twist or bind together. This is a word that has some powerful implications and connections to scripture that you are probably familiar with.

In Numbers 15 the children of Israel were commanded to put fringes on the ends of their prayer shawls or tallith. These twisted tassels were called tzitzit- that same word kava meaning twist/bind together. When the woman with an issue blood pressed through the crowd to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment, that hem was the tzitzit on the ends of his prayer shawl.

So what is really being conveyed to us in Isaiah? Those who literally twist their lives together with the life of God put on His strength. They can go the distance without losing heart. They can exhibit patient endurance and resist the pressure to give up and quit. I have observed that right before the appointed time of my blessing, right as the healing is about to rise up from within me, right as the financial breakthrough is ready to come, the pressure to give up and quit seems the most intense.

In the midst of difficult circumstances how do you “wait” upon the Lord? Well there are several ways to “wait” but let’s focus on just one. Intimacy with the Lord is the by-product of spending time. Prayer is great but too often that’s a one-way conversation, right? It’s when we tell him everything we want and need…and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m talking about just quieting yourself, bringing your body mind into a state of calm and just focusing on the awesomeness of God. No talk, no requests, just the peace, the power, the purity, of his presence. In no time all of those earthly concerns will begin to melt away and the assurance that all things are working together for your good will well up in your heart and mind. Your resolve to hang in there will be bolstered and your confidence that his promises never fail will rise to the surface.

No, his promises never fail and those that really “wait” upon him will definitely renew their strength.