Chris Kratzer

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Top 5 Passages Religious “Anti-Grace” People Love (Part 5)

January 11, 2014 / / 0 Comments

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4- James 2:14-26

What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,  and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?  Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.  (Jas. 2:14-26)

So here we come to the passage many Christians use to justify the notion that you need to show your Christian faith to be genuine by living a life of doing more and becoming more for Jesus. And even then, you can’t be quite sure when you have done enough. Some have wrongly said that Paul preached Grace and James (the writer in this passage) preached “works,” and so our job as Christians is to balance the two in our lives. The legalist and religious love to use this passage to pressure and frighten people into all kinds of Christian activities and pursuits.

Yet, here again, a passage like this can appear to say a lot of things and be used to further a lot of agendas if a proper understanding of the context is not gained. Often times, we read into scripture our own experiences instead of allowing scripture to define them.

There are very important contextual and linguistic issues that greatly affect a proper understanding of this passage, they are the following…

a) James is writing to an exclusively Jewish audience

b) James makes a clear description of what “dead” faith looks like, and it’s not about a Christian’s performance.

c) James never says that a person is the one who produces or is responsible for producing “works.”

See, James is not talking about a genuine Christian’s performance, but rather, what he or she possesses and where it comes from.

Let’s break it down. First, what separated the Jews from the surrounding nations was their monotheistic belief in one God.  So there were many  Jews who thought that they were saved or justified simply because they grew up around a belief system rooted in the belief in the God of Abraham. They believed in one God in terms of a religious, intellectual conclusion. Thus, the Jews that James is addressing were unbelieving believers. They had a mental grasp of Yahweh and perhaps even Jesus, but not a trust in God for their salvation and lives. This is not faith, nor true belief. Thus, James points out this is not “saving” faith, nor is it any better than what the demons conclude.

Now here’s the kicker. Since it is not genuine faith, God is not working in and through their lives. The Holy Spirit is not in them, so fruits are not being produced by the Holy Spirit. They didn’t possess true faith in Christ, and thus, they won’t possess any works of God in and through them that give external evidence to genuine faith. Faith is what releases God to work in and through our lives. No faith, no works.

See, the “works” James is referring to are never described as works that a person is producing, rather they are works that the person possesses as God wills and acts according to His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13), because of their faith. In fact, James reasserts that it was in fact Abraham’s “faith” that was the foundation from which righteousness and works emerged in his life.

People who hold to the Gospel of God’s Grace do not believe that “works” will not be present in a genuine Christian’s life. Rather, they assert that these “works” come from a foundation of Grace through faith. They are the sole result of God working in and through us because of faith, not us performing, striving, and trying from a foundation of effort. Big, huge difference.

This passage in  the book of James does not topple the foundation of Grace through faith, it affirms it. James is simply saying, if you have true faith, you will see works. Not because you produce them through your religious striving, trying, and efforts, but because your faith releases God to work in and through you. You will “possess” works, not perform them by your striving, trying, and effort. That’s why for James, faith and works are inseparable, if you possess one, you will possess the other, not by your efforts, but by Christ working in and through you.

It doesn’t matter which appears to the eye first, works or faith, they both point to the same thing; not the person, but Jesus working in and through the person through their faith. The foundation is always faith, no matter which appears on the screen first.

In fact, when we try to produce works ourselves for any purpose, especially justifying ourselves and our merit, we are becoming the very evil, religiously-spirited person Jesus admonished. Because of the Gospel, we don’t have to become better or do better, we get to be better and do better. All because of Jesus. This is the foundation shift the New Covenant brings. Everything now is by Grace through faith, where in the Old Covenant everything was by condition through personal obedience (performance). There can be no mixture or balance of the two (Old and New Covenants), and certainly this is not the pursuit for which James is calling.

What James is stating by his description of “works” in this passage is not a condition of salvation or an appeal to become a performance driven Christian, never!  Rather, it is a beautiful description of “works” being a manifestation of salvation, and those works being not from our efforts, but through God willing and acting in our lives.

keep reading… Part 6

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Top 5 Passages Religious “Anti-Grace” People Love (Part 4)

January 11, 2014 / / 0 Comments

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3- Philippians 2:12

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…” 

See, I told you this Grace stuff was too good to be true, it says it right here. Jesus wants you fearing, trembling, and working your tail off as a Christian doing the right things and not doing the wrong things. See, God does His part, but we need to do our part.

Well, that may be what some might want you to believe about the Christian life and the meaning of this passage, but that is not the Gospel truth, nor the true meaning of this passage. As you will see, once again, this is not a passage that is appealing to your performance, but to your faith.

The issues really hinges on what it means to “work” in the Christian life. For many people, they assume it means to get busy, try hard, roll up your sleeves, and accomplish some thing for Jesus. Become the best you, you can be and do the most good you can do.  The concept of “work” in our Christian culture is action and performance driven. Yet, is this the concept of “work” used here and many other places in scripture? Is this the kind of Christian life Paul was admonishing?  I think not.

Jesus said it best Himself… “Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.'” (John 6:29)

Truly doing the work of God is to “believe.” It is a matter of faith. This is the essence behind the use of the word “work” in this passage and many others. The “work” being referred to hear is not a matter of striving and trying to do more good things and show that your faith is genuine through “Christian” works. This is not about performing more or better as a Christian. Rather it’s about exercising your faith, focusing your beliefs and trust on Jesus.

This understanding of the concept of “work” is in harmony with the context of Philippians as Paul said the following only a verse later…

“For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (Phil. 2:13)

Paul understood, faith is what releases God to work in and through you. Our job is to believe, His job is to will and act in our lives.

One of the ways we tune our faith into Jesus (work) is by renewing our mind as we change our beliefs and focus. As we focus on His mercy, Grace, favor and provision, God’s work flows in and through us effortlessly.

To work out your own salvation is not to “work on” your salvation. In Christ, you all ready have everything you need for life and living. No, rather “working out your salvation” is growing into who you are and what you already have in Him as you focus your beliefs and trust onto Him and His Gospel of Grace. It’s not about doing anything, but believing everything you are and have in Him. It is this faith that releases God to work in and through you. His movement becomes yours, His promptings become your actions, all from a foundation of Grace, not striving and trying.

The work of God is to believe in Jesus, proclaim the Gospel, and be His Grace to the world. It is simply to believe in Jesus and be who you already are in Him. It’s not a life of effort, striving, and trying. It’s a life of resting and believing, which releases the movement of God in and through you. To rest is to believe. Resting is not inaction, rather, it’s the only foundation from which God acts and the only foundation from which any action you take can please God.

So what’s with the whole “fear and trembling” thing? Is about living with one eye open as you wonder if you have done enough and become enough for God? Is it a sense of, “you better make sure you got enough Jesus-notches on your belt, or else God might lower the boom?” Not it all, nothing could be further from the truth.

Over the last couple years, Amy and I have adopted two children from China, in addition to our two other biological children. In order to do so, we had to fly extensively in airplanes, ironically, one of the things we feared doing the most.  Especially during our first adoption, there were many moments where when we thought about all the flying, we didn’t want to do it. No way, no how! Why? Amy and I were afraid. In fact, there were two or three flights that had us both in “fear and trembling.”

Paul felt the same way about going to Corinth:

“And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.” (1 Cor 2:1-3)

Amy and I didn’t want to fly, Paul didn’t want to go Corinth. Why? Fears.

Taking steps of faith can bring feelings of fear and trembling. This is the “obedience of faith,” and the “labor to enter into that rest” spoken of in the New Testament. The work of God is to believe even when you are shaking in your boots while getting on a plane for 15 hours flying around the world. It’s not about your performance, it’s about your faith. It’s about renewing your mind as you focus on the loveliness of Jesus and all that you are and have in Him. Faith often leads us into moments where we just might have a bit of “fear and trembling” as we live to put our faith and trust solely in Him as He moves in and through our lives.

keep reading… Part 5

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Top 5 Passages Religious “Anti-Grace” People Love (Part 3)

January 11, 2014 / / 0 Comments

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2- Hebrews 10:26-31

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left. (Heb 10:26)

So, here we are again, in the book of Hebrews, and so often what people want to make an issue of sin, the book of Hebrews (and Bible) makes as an issue of belief. The religious will always opt to make the issue their performance (and yours) instead of trusting in Christ’s performance.

That’s why religious people love to use this passage to suggest that if you are saved (a Christian), but you keep on knowingly sinning, you might as well stick a fork in you, because you are done. Fried, cooked, and battered.

Well, let’s do a little self examination? How many of you who are Christians have ever deliberately sinned since you were saved? Hmmm… that would be all of us. And even if it were just once, what is the cut off number? Is it 1 deliberate sin, 3 deliberate sins, 5 or more, 10 or more and your out?

Other religious people love to use this passage to present a “balanced” view of God. He may be a God of Grace, but He is also a God of judgement. Meaning, He may love and extend mercy to you, but if you screw up too much or have a bad month in the performance department, you are going to see the judgement side of God. One moment you can be His child, the next He may orphan you, it all depends on how you behave. They make God into a conflicted entity, He loves you unconditionally, with conditions. In one hand He waves for you to come to Him, while with His other hand, He slaps you in the face.

Furthermore, many false interpretations like the ones I describe above are mixed with nuggets of truth. Yes, God does judge, but the interpretation is wrong. God does judge you, but not based on your performance, but based on His son’s performance on the cross, received through faith. See, it’s not an issues of your sin or actions, it’s an issue of your belief.

Besides, how could Hebrews 10:26-31 be an eternal warning against sinning for the Christian, when just a chapter early, the same writer says in Hebrews 9:26 that Christ appeared once for all “to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself?” So, is Jesus’ work on the cross a finished work or isn’t it? The good news is that Jesus is the once and final solution for sin. Because of Jesus, God chooses to remember our sins no more. There is no mixture, there is no balance. God is love and His Gospel is Grace. Did God go soft on sin, your sin? No way. His son Jesus took it all upon Himself. Nothing soft about the cross!

So what is Hebrews 10:26 all about?

Well, once again, as with Hebrews 6:4-6, this passage is addressing those who are unbelievers who refuse to believe in the Gospel of Grace. They have heard the truth, the Gospel of Grace, but they deliberately sin by their unbelief and rejection of Jesus. There is no other sacrifice for sin other than Jesus, He is the only solution. There is no other provision, no other Name under heaven.

For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. (Heb 4:2)

Yet, I believe there is also a warning here in Hebrews 10:26-31 to believers who mix Law and Gospel.

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. (Heb 10:39)

Some people hear the Gospel of God’s grace and shrink back. They cannot completely believe it. “It’s too good to be true,” “I’d better cover my backside by doing some good works.” “God has done His part, but I had better do my part.”

That’s where things get sketchy and dangerous.

“You cannot cover yourself. This is idol-worship. You are elevating yourself to co-savior with Christ. You are insulting the Spirit of grace by trying to pay for what God has already given you. This is why sermons that put the emphasis on you and your performance are dangerous. Don’t buy into any message that purports to give you a list of keys or steps that will help you achieve/accomplish/appropriate what you already have. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and the sweat of men to take away sins and it is faithless to strive for what you already have (every good thing!).”  – Paul Ellis

In these passages (Hebrews 6:4-6, 10:26-31), sin is not the variable, faith is.

keep reading… Part 4

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Top 5 Passages Religious “Anti-Grace” People Love (Part 2)

January 11, 2014 / / 1 Comment

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1- Hebrews 6:4-6 

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. (Heb 6:4-6)

Like all the passages we will be dealing with, if you wear the lenses of performance-driven, rules-keeping, Law-mixing Christianity, this could be a frightening scripture. It sounds like your salvation hinges on your behavior. Do good, be good, don’t drink, don’t chew, and don’t go with girls that do, but back-slide and your out-of-here, game over. Sizzling in the eternal barbecue pit way down under.

The question, is as always, a matter of context. Don’t get the context right, and you can make a “con” out of the text. So, what is the context, is this speaking to believers or unbelievers?

If it’s speaking to believers, there is a huge interpretive problem. The Bible is so clear, in the work of your salvation, the moment you believed you received a completely new nature. You became a new creation, reborn from above. As a Bible writer John puts it “born of God.”  You are the righteousness of Christ, a child of the living God. Your identity is not based on your performance. Just because we act contrary to our nature or identity, does not me our identity or nature has changed, nor God’s promises to us and His affections for us.

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. (Heb 12:14)

The phrase “be holy” is not an instruction for improving your performance, rather,  it’s an admonition to be who you truly are. Be holy, because you are, in truth, holy.

“We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus once for all” (Heb 10:10).

So, to unborn your rebirth, to undo what Jesus did to you, to unholy your holiness is impossible. Once you’re born, you’re born, it’s a no brainer! To assert that you can lose your salvation, that you can undo what God has done, is like saying that God makes mistakes and His finished work is flawed and unfinished. Thankfully, He doesn’t make mistakes, and His finishing work on the cross isn’t flawed.

So, who is this passage addressing?  You got it, unbelievers. It is addressing those who have heard the Gospel of God’s Grace, tasted His goodness and mercy, seen the light of His love, experienced His presence, and even have perhaps changed their minds (repented) about who Jesus is, but yet at the end of the day, they have refused to believe and trust in His Gospel of Grace. They like Judas, have hardened their heart and refused to receive His strength for their weaknesses. They have fallen away in disbelief and pride, rejecting the Grace that is so sufficient for their every need. They have landed on preferring a do it yourself, religious approach to God, instead of His Grace.

As it says in Galatians 5:4…  For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.

Hardening your heart to the Gospel of Grace, as this debated passage describes (Hebrews 6:4-6) is indeed, a dangerous thing.

keep reading… Part 3

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Top 5 Passages Religious “Anti-Grace” People Love

January 11, 2014 / / 8 Comments

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Mixing is for Gin not the Gospel

Most Christians and Christian leaders love the concept of God’s Grace, but up to a point. As long as it’s mixed with what they would say is a “balancing” bit of Law (religious rules you obey) they are more than willing to cozy up to “Grace.” So, what has happened is that when it comes to salvation and the Christian life, “Grace” is seen as a kind of partner or side-kick within the Gospel. It’s seen as the softer aspect of God that tips our hat to His loving side. Conversely, the Law is seen as what makes sure people clean up their acts, do religious things, hunger for more “to do steps and strategies” and take sin seriously.  That’s why when you present God’s Grace in its purity (without the Law), typically, all bets are off as some Christian leaders become afraid of what they would call, “too much Grace.”

Yet, the Gospel is either all Grace or it’s all Law, there can be no mixture (balance) of a little bit of Grace and a little bit of Law. In fact, the Bible makes dramatic separations and distinctions between the two. A couple, among many examples…

Romans 6:14 …because you are not under the law, but under grace.

John 1:17  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Galatians 5:4  For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.

The pure Gospel of God’s Grace (a term Paul used in Acts 20:24) has always brought a stirring of criticism among the religiously spirited. I should know, I was one of them. Thankfully, God captured my heart and changed my mind about who He is, who I am, and the Gospel of His Grace.

I suspect there are many Christians who don’t even realize how much of what they have been taught and believe is contrary to the Gospel. I certainly didn’t. Like many unknowing Christians and spiritual leaders, my heart was in the right place, but my beliefs were not. As a pastor of 18 years, I did not realize (until a couple years ago) how much of my teaching, preaching and counsel actually placed people in bondage instead of the freedom I (and God) desired for them. When it came to the Gospel, I was so close, yet so far away.

So, what is the pure Gospel of Grace? In simple terms it is this…

The Gospel

We are all born sinners in a broken world. Everything about our lives has en expiration date on a pathway to death. In the Garden of Eden, our lives were forever changed as our first parents chose selfishness and distrust over faith in God.  Sin and death became realities and it’s shrapnel has penetrated everything, breaking our fellowship with God.  What God intended for our lives and living was poisoned through and through.Without an act of pure Grace, all of humanity in its sinful brokeness was destined for death, spiritually, emotionally, and physically as our best efforts could never repair our broken relationship with God and the depraved nature of our lives and living begun at the fall of Adam and Eve.

Yet, despite all of this. God is love, and God loves you perfectly, completely, and unconditionally, no matter who you are or what you have done or are doing. So much that He sent His son Jesus, fully God and fully man to die for your sins, and all of humanity. On the cross, Jesus took upon Himself the brokeness of all creation, including you. In His death and resurrection, Jesus put your sins to death and gave you His life. A new covenant was put into place where Jesus’ performance on the cross becomes your righteousness, holiness, and salvation. It is no longer about performing to get to God (as it was in the Old Testament), but God’s performance on the cross to get to you. His life becomes your life. His identity becomes your identity. The redemptive work in your life was completed, completely. You became a new person in Christ, a new creation in fact. Your sins, past, present, and future were all forgiven once and for all. It is no longer your nature to sin (though we still do), your old nature was crucified with Jesus on the cross. Sin no longer defines you, Jesus defines you. You old self died, you new self was reborn. You have the mind of Christ. You are a partaker of the divine nature, lacking no spiritual blessing. You are in fact, the righteousness of Christ, with no condemnation over your life whatsoever. You are not only a son (or daughter), but a king and priest in the Kingdom of God. As He is (seated at the right hand of God) so are you in this world. God’s favor and Grace are forever over your life.

All of this, Jesus provided and accomplished on the cross on your behalf, and that of the whole world. The moment you believe in who Jesus is and what He did, you receive it all. Done deal. We are saved by Grace through faith.

Now, it is no longer you who lives, but Christ living in you, and as you. The same Grace that saved you is the same Grace that sustains and sanctifies you. The Christian life is about growing into who you already are in Christ. Your part is to realize you have no part, only to believe. That’s why this growth happens through faith, not your efforts. You cannot produce spiritual fruit in your life, only bear the fruit God produces.  It’s no about striving and trying to be a better person, it’s rather about believing you already are a better person and living from that identity. It’s not about shame, guilt, punishment and religious rule keeping as you live a life focused on sin and your obedience. That system of living was canceled on the cross, at the moment of His resurrection, a new system was ushered in by Jesus Himself. It’s a life of complete and ever present forgiveness, freedom, peace, and rest as you focus on Jesus and His mercy, favor, and performance in your life, not yours. It’s an obedience of faith, not of actions. It’s a life of living from His Grace, in His Grace, to be Grace to others.

This is the Gospel.

So What’s The Beef?

Sounds wonderful doesn’t it?  Yet, what sounds like true love, freedom, and life, to the religious sounds like heresy! The Gospel can’t be that good. Give people Grace and they will just sin more. Besides, how are we going to be able to manage people? You are going too soft on sin, and what about repentance! Repentance, repentance, repentance! If we don’t give people something to work on, strive for, and do, how can we keep them coming and interested in church? God does His part, but we have to do our part, or else.

A Quick Clarification

Now, let me be clear with you. There are various variations of what people believe about the Gospel of Grace. So, if you couldn’t tell from my explanation of the Gospel written above, let me be sure you know what I am not… I am not a Calvinist nor a Universalist. I don’t believe God predestined, through what they call “irresistible Grace,” to regenerate some and not others so that some believe, but others do not, thus having some go to heaven and others to Hell. How that is considered Grace, I will never know. Yet, I am also not a Universalist who believes all are going to heaven, whether they really want to or not. I find both these systems of beliefs not congruent with how I understand the Gospel. I love my Calvinist and Universalist friends, by I respectfully don’t agree with them.

5 Passages Religious “Anti-Grace” People Love

That said, there are many people who are against and critical of the Gospel of God’s Grace as I (and others) understand it. They call it “hyper-grace,” cheap Grace” and a host of other names. And, they line up their Bible passages to refute it. Here are the top 5 passages (not in any particular order) they use and an explanation of how these passages in fact, do not refute the message of the Gospel of God’s Grace. One of the blessings of believing the Gospel of Grace is that it transforms the way you read the Bible. You realize that God is not in the bait and switch business of drawing you in with love only to blast you with Law. No, He is love from top to bottom and inside and out, and He perfectly loves you. When you see this you will no longer become frightened or confused when you read passages like those listed below.

keep reading… Part 2

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Stupid Stuff We Believe

December 31, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Sometimes it isn’t until we hear ourselves say it, or read it on a page that we realize just how stupid some of the things we believe truly are. These are the kind of things we hate to admit, and would probably never say out loud, but we really do believe them in our hearts.

Take a look at the list below at some of the stupid stuff we secrety believe. We would never tell anyone to believe these things, yet we do so everyday.

1- If 10 people compliment you about something, you should really listen more to the 1 person who criticizes you about it.

2- When you don’t always please the people around you, you are not as good of a person as you should be.

3- You need to have it all figured out before you start anything new in your life.

4- God loves you, but sometimes He is disappointed with you, shaking His head with frustration.

5- Someday you will be happy, once things come together or you find the right person.

6- You need your children to like you in order to feel good as a parent.

7- You need to punish yourself or alteast keep yourself from being too happy because of the mistakes you have made in your life.

8- You can change them

9- The more people value you, love you, and think well of you, the more valuable, loveable, and likeable you really are.

10- Jesus mainly wants you to be really upset about your sin, get your butt to church, clean up your act, and do more good than bad.

Which of these do you believe deep down?
What would you add to this list?

The Wrong Beliefs Behind 5 Popular Sins

December 27, 2013 / / 2 Comments

Behind every sin you struggle with is a wrong belief about God and/or yourself. Believing rightly is the key to living rightly.

That’s why the New Testament (Covenant) calls for an obedience of “faith” in contrast to the obedience of “actions” required in the Old Testament (Covenant). Our actions always follow our beliefs.

FInd me a person who struggles with a particular sin and you will have found a person whose belief about God and/or themselves is distorted or false in some way. The way to combat sin is in our beliefs, not our actions. We are indeed renewed in our minds before ever being renewed in our behaviors. Trying to “do better” never works, only “believing better” holds the key to victory.

Here our 5 popular sins and some of the “wrong beliefs” behind them…

1- Sexual Sin-

Obviously there are a lot of sexual sins, but there are reoccurring wrong beliefs behind many of them.

A) Deep down I know this is not right or is bad for me, but this is what I deserve B) The best thing I have to offer is sexual C) God can’t heal my hurt and emptiness, but this can D) My value is in what I offer sexually E) This will bring intimacy and wholeness into my life F) I am the broken and discardable person my mother, father, and/or abuser portrayed I am.

2- Lying

Lying can come in various forms from exaggeration to withholding the truth. Here are some reoccurring wrong beliefs behind it all.

A) God isn’t on my side or quick enough, so this is the best way to move things forward and get ahead. B) The truth about me or my actions isn’t good enough, for God and/or for others for me to be loveable and valuable. C) The truth will make things too complicated and difficult (even for God to handle), and may ruin everything D) I need people to like me and things to be peaceful in order to feel good about myself E) no one will get hurt.

3- Gossip

Gossip always serves a selfish purpose for those who are speaking it (and hearing it). Here are some wrong believes behind people’s attraction to gossip.

A) I am not completely valuable and secure in Christ, so I need to bring others down to make me better, even if it’s just in my own eyes and/or the eyes of others B) What I know or have to say about others that is negative is one of the best things I have to offer in a relationship or conversation C) This will even the score D) this is an appropriate way to get things done. E) it’s fun, no one will get hurt.

4- Idolatry

A) God is not as real, powerful, tangible and effective, but this is B) I need this person, activity, or thing for my value, fulfillment, or meaning in life. C) This is better than God or anything He could give me D) By the time God gives it, it will be too late.

5- Gluttony

A) This can heal the hurts God can’t B) This will keep me safe from intimacy with people who can hurt me C) Deep down I know this behavior is bad for me, but this is the punishment I deserve D) This will make life happier and worthwhile.

Did you notice a common thread among all of these? Insecurity and a doubt in God’s goodness and favor upon our lives.

This list is why the Grace of God is so important, it teaches us to live rightly because it shows us who we truly are and what we truly have in Him. Without His abundance of Grace we will never know who we are and what we have in Him, and thus, never overcome the sin in our lives. Grace is what gives us something to truly believe about God and ourselves, bringing life and freedom from the lame lures of sin.

Obviously, some of these “wrong beliefs” are believed on a deep, even subconscious level, but they are still pulling the strings of our actions and attitudes. Get to the root of your wrong beliefs and you can change the surface life of your actions and attitudes!

What would you add or delete from this list and/or post?

What to Do After You Sin

December 26, 2013 / / 0 Comments

You have probably been taught that after you sin, there are certain rigorous steps and emotional postures you need to assume to make things right with God. Deep groans of profuse crying, long quivering statements of confession, and some kind of twisted punishment of one’s self are sure to be a good religious start, provided Jesus hasn’t already back-slapped you into hell.

As much as we love to try to work our way to God, we also love to try to work our way back to God once we have sinned. It makes us feel like we have some control (and credit) in the process.

Yet, no matter what you have been taught, the Gospel teaches us differently. First, you cannot work your way to God, and then once in Christ, there is in fact no need to work your way back to Him, if that were possible anyways.

For the non-believer, the prescription of what to do after you sin is simple… agree with God you sinned, believe in the forgiveness God has given you in Christ on the cross, receive it through faith, and stop sinning as you live from your “new creation” identity. (2 Cor. 5:17)

For the believer, however, things have been made a bit more complicated and confusing. So, to clear things up and get back to the Gospel, here’s what to do (and not to do) once you have sinned.

Once you have sinned…

1) Agree with God you have sinned.

2) Believe in the forgiveness that God has already applied to your sins… past, present, and future. No need to ask for what God has already given. He is not interested in your confession of sin (other than agreeing with Him that you sinned) but your confidence in His finished work on the cross applied fully to your life the moment you believed. (btw, 1 John 1:9 is written to non-believers, not believers.)

3) Trust that your identity, righteousness, and standing with God are still fully intact. Sin has not distanced you from God. The Christ that lives in you has not left the building or even walked to the front door. He has not given up on you, nor reduced His love or presence.

4) Believe on Jesus that He will enable you to overcome this area of sin in your life as you see that you are by nature no longer a “sinner.” Don’t get on a treadmill of trying and striving to “do better.” You cannot produce spiritual fruit in your life, only God can, and that only by faith, not your effort. Believe in who you are in Christ, lacking no spiritual blessing, and live from that belief. Right believing leads to right living, not rule keeping. The more you try to stop sinning, the more you will. The more you believe and trust in Jesus through His Grace to will and act according to His pleasure in your life, the less you will sin. An obedience problem is always first an identity problem. Behind every area of sin in your life is a wrong belief about God and/or yourself. So, when you sin, don’t ask, “what am I doing wrong?” and then strive to change your behavior. Rather ask, “what am I believing wrong?” and ask God to help you change your beliefs and increase your faith.

5) If your sin effects people, promptly ask them for forgiveness and do your best to clean things up and make things right. With people, confession and clean up are very important and often necessary.

6) Vehemently resist feeling condemned and applying false guilt and shame onto your life. Don’t live your life carrying an emotional burden Jesus already canceled. Forgive yourself from the forgiveness Jesus has already applied to your life, past, present, and future. To walk in guilt and shame is to deny the power of the cross and Jesus’ work in your life.

7) Focus on Jesus and His mercy, not your sin. Don’t be sin conscious, be Jesus conscious. Don’t give Satan the attention, give Jesus the glory. Thank Jesus and live from His mercy and favor, focused on His amazing grace.

8- Don’t start a spiritual battle with Satan that doesn’t exist. Rather, hold onto your identity, righteousness, and holiness in Christ. Religously praying “harder”, giving, serving, sacrificing, and going to church “more” will not bring you back into good standing nor keep you protected from the evil one. Resting in Him as you place your trust in His work and Grace is your spiritual armor.

9) Move on, focusing on Christ and your identity in Him. Have the mind of Christ who remembers your sin no more. The more you bring your sins with you into the future in your mind, the better chance you will repeat them in the future in your actions. It is for freedom Christ set you free.

What We Love About Christmas

December 22, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Hate me forever, label me a heretic, or just defriend me, but I just don’t think Jesus is as mad as some people hope He is about how we celebrate Christmas in our culture. Behind some of the things we do that are deemed so off-message are in fact some deep, sacred longings placed in our hearts by God Himself. Seems like we are so far from what Christmas is about when in fact, we might be closer than we ever believed.

“God has set eternity in the hearts if men.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Isn’t that what the lights, candles and glitzy decorations are all about? We long for a celestial, cozy, dreamy world where our senses are dazzled with snowy peace, bright purity, and the visually fantastic. Maybe we don’t flesh it out all perfectly and theologically, but deep down, we want what God has prepared for us… heaven; this world renewed and reconciled back to God. Heaven, the world of the fantastic, pure, celestial, and a dreamy eternity. We want a world where the baseline stories (many secular) of Christmas live; good wins over evil, our priorities are placed in the right order, families heal and last forever, life is everlasting, and things are restored to how they should be. That’s Rudolph, Santa, Frosty, the Grinch, Elf, and the list goes on and on. Maybe as far away as it might seem, we are actually closer than we first believed.

Or what about the packages, the ribbons, and the bows. Is it really all that bad? God did create us to be blessed, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and yes, materialistically. Sure, some of us rush ahead to take it for ourselves; that’s not good nor Godly. But, the sense and longing to have blessed lives where we were created to receive (from the Lord) with abundance is still under the surface, it’s their deep in our hearts. God put it there. It’s heaven isn’t it? Where everyone has what they need and are blessed by the Lord to beyond satisfaction, never hungry nor thirsty again. Our inheritance from the Lord, fully given by Him and fully received by us, with wealth beyond measure. And then, the giving. We have this deep sense that we are created to be blessed to be a blessing. We all want to give, to have something worth giving. Maybe we try to purchase this experience from malls, shopping centers, and online sprees, but we just want to love and be loved, God put that in our heart. That’s heaven isn’t? Where we love and are loved without restraint or limit. Where we have everything to receive and to give. That’s Christmas. That’s Jesus. That’s heaven.

Isn’t all of this what we love about Christmas. It’s magical like that.

We call it magical because that’s the best word we can find, it’s the closest word we can think of as we get a touch of the eternity God wrote in our hearts.

But, God knows the perfect and complete words. God calls it Jesus… Heaven… Christmas. Truth is, it’s better than magical… it’s all real, in heaven, in Him.

Maybe as far away as it might seem, we are actually closer than we believe? Maybe Jesus isn’t as mad as some people hope He is about how we celebrate Christmas in our culture.

Stuff Jesus Never Said

December 15, 2013 / / 0 Comments

To many believers and non believers, Jesus is a powerful person. His words have often been quoted and interpreted by people of varying views. But as with any person, sometimes Jesus has words and assertions put into his mouth that He never said, or even suggested.  And truth be told, the largest culprit in all of this is often we Christians. Yet, no matter where you are in the conversation about Jesus, sometimes we come to Him with our own perspectives and hope we can find a way to make His words sing our song.

So, here is some stuff you may have heard said or suggested, that Jesus never said or suggested at all…

1) “I am a card carrying, camouflage wearing, conservative republican.”  

No, Jesus stands above and outside of any one political group. Though His message is very relevant to politics and all of life, He himself exists and stands by Himself, outside of any one political affiliation. And, take it from His brothers, Jesus isn’t a fan of being used for political gain or being pimped out as a political figure. (John 7:1-14)

2) “Danger Will Robinson, gay people are especially disgusting”

Though some in our culture do and would say Jesus does, the truth is Jesus never said nor suggested that homosexuality is any more dirty or disgusting than other sins. Where some churches and Christians take a hands-off, arms length approach to this issue and the people involved, Jesus is found drawing close to the people who the religious would just as soon condemn, discard or disregard.  Debate as you will the issue of homosexuality and sin. No matter your conclusion, Jesus never shows by example nor words any kind of assertion that homosexuality is a special class of sin, and homosexuals a special class of sinner.  If homosexuality is a sin in serious need of confronting, so is the flan-fed, fat back… Jack.

3) “The bigger and slicker the church and its pastor, the better”

Indeed, today we live in the age of the celebrity pastor and the franchise church. Some are healthy, some are not. We have been led to believe that when it comes to church and ministry, bigger and slicker is automatically better. In fact,  it would take some digging through the tons of mailings sent to churches every day to find me a ministry conference for pastors that doesn’t have church growth and pastor performance as top topics of emphasis. Don’t get me wrong, I am all about ministry effectiveness in reaching people far from God etc. etc. God’s church should be a growing movement where creative and freedom flourishes. But, bigger and slicker does not automatically equate to better. A church and a pastor can have a lot of sharp, impressive looking activity and avatars going on without accomplishing near their redemptive potential. The way we do ministry these days as Christian leaders, you would have thought that Jesus actually said, “Brand it, buff it, build it, box it, as big as your ego can bake it.”  Indeed, we have replaced “shepherd” with “franchise owner,” and “church” with spiritual “consumer club.”

4) “You should make sure people notice how devoted and super-duper in love with Me you are”  

I know what you are thinking, but what about when Jesus says things like, “Let your light shine…?” Jesus’ words about “letting your light shine” are not a reference to your love for Jesus, but the new person you are in Christ. In fact, Jesus says ” you are” the light of the world. It’s about Christ shining as you and in you, not you shining how much you love Jesus.

Take it from Peter, boasting of your love for Jesus places the emphasis and burden on you and your performance, and in the end, shows you up as the denying hypocrite. However, boasting of Jesus’ love of you, like John, puts the emphasis and burden on Jesus, and leaves you reclined with Him at the table, resting in His Grace. Boasting of your performance and passion for Him leads to denying His, boasting of His performance and passion for you, leads to receiving and resting with Him and in Him.

5) “I prefer hymns, choirs, and organ music”

The way some churches feel about modern instruments and styles of music, you would have thought Jesus would have said just that, “I prefer hymns, choirs, and organ music.” Holy sacred cows batman. The truth is, Jesus never said nor suggested anything close to that, and there is no such thing as a Christian “style” of music. What makes music “Christian” or “sacred” is the words, not the style. A style that is worshipful to some may not be worshipful to others, but it does not make it any less worshipful to God. Furthermore, the same traditional hymns and instruments deemed to be exclusively sacred by some  today, were in fact, highly controversial, contemporary, and even deemed “satanic” as little as 50-100 years ago.

6) “Your Bible is actually best used as a taser”

The way some Christians uses their Bibles, you would have thought Jesus had said, “Memorize it, mark it, and make it sting”

Jesus in fact said, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5:38). Jesus said this as a message to make sure we never place the Bible and our use of it over Him and understand the purpose of the Bible is to lead us and people to an encounter and experience Jesus and the life He brings, not to tase them with it! Religious people use the Word of God to condemn, corner, control, and complicate. Jesus wants us to use the Bible to give His life, healing, Truth, freedom and Grace. The goal is not memorization and highlighting, but receiving, experiencing, and giving His life.

7) “Drinking beer will just make you burn brighter in Hell”  

The very one who turned water into wine, and drank with sinners said that?  Nope.

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’  Matthew 11:18.

Yes, drinking can be dangerous. Getting drunk is an obvious no brainer.  And, in some instances and contexts, it can work against our ministry to people.

Yet, condemning those who drink responsibly as hell-bound sinners and second class Christians (and leaders) is both unfair and misguided. Furthermore, I would say in some contexts this attitude has done more to damage potential ministry to people than the puritanistic, religious approach to alcohol Jesus (and I) referenced above.

8) “The fast track to spiritual maturity is reading books by popular pastors”

We pastors and teachers are used by God in powerful ways to help people understand and experience God and His life. You would do well to learn from people who are wise in the ways of God.

Yet, what pastors teach and preach are often revelations from God they have experienced from their own study of the Word or other pastors/teachers who have studied the Word. Either way, somewhere along the way, someone has done the chewing on the Word so that there is something to teach/feed you.

As a Christian culture we have become fast-food spiritual consumers. There is a lot processed food out there. Book after book, conference after conference. Processed from some pastor or teacher who did the chewing, into your mouth.

This is perhaps a good start for the new believer or even a nice appetizer for the experienced Christian.

Everyone of my children started with processed, pureed foods that required little to no chewing.  Later however, they started to chew it for themselves; having to process it, taste it, chew it, and digest it for themselves, over and over.  To eat processed, pureed food now as emerging adults would leave them hungry, malnourished, and lacking the joy of real food.

This is what the Bible calls meditation. Meditating on the Word of God.  Tasting, chewing, processing it for yourself. A direct revelation from God to you, for you, through you.  Nothing wrong with listening and learning from pastors/teachers like me, but it never should take the place nor become more of your spiritual diet than you personally tasting, chewing, and processing the Word of God for yourself. What makes for a nice appetizer, won’t make for a good meal.

Stop relying on popular pastors for your spiritual diet and making them your main meal. You won’t grow through reading their books until you have made reading God’s book for yourself your primary way of encountering Jesus and His wisdom and revelation for your life.

Reading books by popular pastors isn’t a fast track to spiritual maturity. Besides, some (if not many) of them just present the Christian life (and the Gospel) as a bunch of new things you need to be doing more or better. To be sure, we live in the age of the performance-driven Christian, and there are tons of books to get you feeding on a diet of steps, strategies, and “to do” lists that will ultimately still leave you hungry.

Spiritual hunger for the Christian is a sign of immaturity, not maturity. Jesus actually said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35)

No, the fast track to spiritual maturity is to realize in Christ, as a new creation, you have already been made fully mature!  Now, believe it and go live what Jesus has already made you.

Spiritual maturity isn’t a process of performance-progress, but a process of believing more in who Jesus already made you into through His performance, not yours. It’s not about becoming a son (or daughter), it’s about living out your sonship that God has already given you and made you to become.

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