Like Father, Like Son

Ephesians 5:1-2

¹Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ²And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Paul has just finished giving a list of behaviors that we should follow. Now he is talking about imitating God. While some might see this as a bouncing between legalism and faith, this actually makes sense if you view Paul's list of behaviors as a vision of what being a Christian is all about. Here is what it looks like to imitate God, as His beloved children. And when we look at a picture of something, we know that we are only seeing in 2 dimensions what actually exists in 3 dimensions.

I have a 9 year old son. I love to joke around, and so does he. I like the Chicago Bears, and so does he (even though we live near Indy, and the Colts train in our town). The Colts are our second favorite team. At this age, he is not ashamed to imitate me, and I don't mind it either.

Is he a perfect imitation of me? No. Sometimes he carries things too far. Other times he just takes off on his own. But he loves me and I love him. I see that as a picture of our relationship with God. If we love Him, are in awe of Him, and want to be like Him, we will strive to imitate Him. Paul has spent some time trying to help those in the faith develop what that should look like. Then he goes into these verses to make sure we are not getting the wrong idea and trying to work our way to salvation.

He calls our redemption through Christ an offering, a sacrifice. It is not an obligation. God did not force Christ to suffer wrath for our sin. Our response, if an imitation of the original, should be the same: not forced obedience, but sincere imitation from the heart of a child who truly desires to be like his Father.

Jesus said it simpler, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice."

Vote for your favorite!

Ephesians 4:28-32

²⁸Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. ²⁹Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. ³⁰And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ³²Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

For a guy who preached a lot against legalistic Jews, Paul sure seems to have a lot of rules. Then again, so did Jesus. So how does one understand all of this?

I see it this way, Paul (and Jesus for that matter) was not telling us what to do as much as he was showing us what it should look like. How many times did Jesus say, "The kingdom of God is like..." Showing us, not telling us. Saying, in the kingdom of God, you don't steal, you share with those in need. In the kingdom of God, bitterness and anger do not rule. In the kingdom of God, tenderness and forgiveness reign.

I think of the parable of the servant, who was forgiven a large debt by the king, and then had a man who owed him money put in jail. So some people went and told the king, and the king was angered and had the man whose debt he had forgiven thrown in jail. Why? I see two possible answers.

Number one: We make this an exact model of the kingdom of God. Therefore, when the king says that because I forgave you, you should have forgiven others. File this under legalism. The king is being petty, because there was no tit-for-tat response. If we base our interpretation of this passage only on the facts presented here, couldn't we carry it farther? Couldn't we also say that those who are not forgiven are those who have others tattle-tale on them? For the man who owed the king would not have been called back before the king unless someone had told the king. So God needs tattle-tales.

Number two: Jesus is sharing a kingdom principle here. And that principal is not that we forgive just because we have been forgiven. It is because we serve a gracious king. I don't think the king was angry because the man did not forgive his fellow man as much as it is because the man insulted the king by not responding to the king's grace. It was not the legalistic lack of forgiveness that bothered the king, but the fact that having been forgiven such a large debt, the man's life was unchanged. How could you come into the presence of the king, your very life in his hands, be set free when you deserve imprisonment or even death, and not be changed? Is that not the wickedness that angered the king?

And so it is with Paul. Either one, he is giving us a bunch of requirements that if we meet them, God will give us grace. Or two, he is showing us, all of us, who live in sin and have sinful hearts that tend to focus on ourselves that this is what the grace you are now living in should look like.

In light of what I have already read through in the book of Ephesians, I vote for number two. I vote for the grace that I can only attain as I continue to walk in Christ, and not the grace that God gives me as a result of what I do.

Daddy!

Ephesians 4:1

¹I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of⁽ the calling to which you have been called,

I want to do longer sections of Scripture, but it just seems that Paul packs so much into each verse!

Therefore, whenever I see that word, I want to look back and see what it refers to. In chapter 3, Paul has impressed on the reader the importance of understanding the scope of God’s love and how that needs to impact our lives. It certainly has impacted his, as he calls himself a “prisoner” of the Lord. Paul is compelled to surrender himself to God because of his knowledge of God’s love for him.

It’s like when I am sitting on the lazy boy, and my son crawls in my lap. I ask him what he wants, and he says, “Nothing, I just want you.” He knows I love him, and he willingly places himself in what could be a very dangerous place if it were with someone who did not love him. To become like a child, to crawl up in His lap and just whisper, “Abba, Father, I just want you.” To know that He loves, to know that He protects, and to know that ONLY He has the power to do so.

Paul realized this. And he desires us to realize it to. And if we do, we will walk in worthy manner. That’s not called earning our salvation through works, it is called growing in grace, progressive sanctification.

So, that is my goal for today, to see myself as His prisoner. As a prisoner I have no rights, but I know the one I have entrusted myself to will also see me through it. Sure, it might hurt a little. This is not about my comfort, it is about His love.

Can anyone loan me a few bucks?

Ephesians 3:16-17

¹⁶that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

Just how rich is God’s glory? How can we comprehend limitless riches and glory? Even with all his wealth, Bill Gates cannot but the world, let alone the universe.


Scene one: A man, let’s call him Joe, comes before the king. He owes the king billions of dollars, so the king sends him and his family to prison. Now the king will never recover his debt from this person, but justice demands imprisonment. The man pleads and the king relents.

Scene two: Joe runs into someone, let’s call him Stan, who owes him $50, and has him thrown in jail until the debt is paid. Perhaps Joe feels that Stan is a part of the reason he almost went to jail. Rather than be overcome by goodness that he (Joe) has been set free, he is overcome by anger.

Scene three: Friends of Stan report Joe’s actions to the king. The king is angry because his mercy was not shared by Joe. Back Joe goes to prison, and I would not be surprised if the king did not give Stan the $50 to get out.

To be strengthened in our inner being means to see not only the depth of the riches of the king, but also the depth of our debt and his mercy to us. Faith means not just receiving God’s grace, but living in it, sharing it.

How did Joe get into that mess in the first place? I don’t know. Or do I?

A gift of grace

Ephesians 3:7

 ⁷Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power.

Paul is such a humble God-worshipper. Everything in his life centered around the gospel. The good news. Somehow, Paul seemed to understand with certainty the message of hope like no one else. His ministry was never considered a burden. He viewed it as a blessing. Perhaps today's ministers might feel that way, in a parsonage or given a housing allowance, a salary which in some cases is generous and others maybe not so much, in a country where they are granted the freedom to boldly (if they choose) speak the Word. Paul did not have it quite so good. Yet he still considered it a gift. A gift in which God worked His power. A power so great that Paul could heal others, but not himself.

Even though I am not a minister, this passage speaks to me. For I too, am what I am by the gift of God's grace. And while I may not be able to heal others of their sicknesses, I can share the gospel and offer a healing for sin. Not through my works, but through the working of His power.

Lord, show us your power and glory. Amen.

This grace is not for me

Ephesians 3:1-6

¹For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— ²assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, ³ how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. ⁴ When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. ⁶This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Why is Paul a prisoner for the Gentiles? Because of the Gospel of God's grace! It is not just enough to know of God's grace, one must experience it to receive the full benefit. Paul was given a huge experience of God's grace. One who was once a murderous opponent now a zealous apostle. Why? Not for Paul's sake, but it was "given to me for you." In other words, it was given to Paul that God's grace might be known to the Gentiles.

Paul speaks of the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to other generations. Not a mystical knowledge, but the mystery of how God's love would work itself out on a cross. No one, even the most learned Jewish scholar at that time saw that one coming. And even in his current generation, it is revealed to his apostles and prophets. But not for their sake. Grace is never given for the sake of the one receiving it, it is given that God's grace might be known to others.

So what about the grace God gives you and me? If God did not give it to us for our own sake, and He did not, what are we doing to share it with others that they might see it. This light was not meant to be hidden under a basket.

Good News!

Ephesians 2:11-13

¹¹Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— ¹²remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles. Though being brought up as a Jew in the strictest sense, God sent him to the Gentiles, the non-Jews. The Gentiles were called the uncircumcision, or the unclean, by that which were clean according to the law. As unclean they were separated not only from Christ, but not even a Jew would have anything to do with them. As my kids my say, the Gentiles had a bad case of cooties. They were outside of God, outside of the family of believers, outside the promise of redemption. So they were without hope, key word being were.

But now in Christ Jesus, all who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. It reminds me of many of the healings that Christ performed. He took those who were unclean. The lepers, paralytics, dropsy, etc., and he healed them. Many times he touched them, which would have been so wrong for a Jew to do. But Jesus did it, he healed them and made them who were previously unclean to be clean. Again, the outsiders able to come in. Good news!

Grace and its aftermath

Ephesians 2:8-10

⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

It is grace that saves us. Grace is unmerited favor, and Paul goes on to make sure that this is very clear. It is not our own doing, it is a gift, not the result of works. So no boasting! In fact, our reaction should be just the opposite, humility. Dare I even say, intense humility, brokenness, awe.

We are His workmanship. As a craftsman puts together a fine piece of furniture, God has made us as we are. And just as a craftsman's work has a purpose, so does God's work. We are created to do good labor, in order that we might reflect His glory. Notice that our doing good works comes after our grace. Good works does not give us grace, but it is the result of grace. That is why, if we want to be changed, we must look to God and see His glory and grace.

Goodness, kindness, patience, gentleness, self-control, joy, peace, love, faithfulness. All of these were made ahead of time, that we should walk in them. These are the things we see if we honestly look at God. These are how we should walk in appreciation of and to be a reflection of His grace.

The gospel in 10 verses. Our sin to God's grace to our response. An incredible journey of faith and love.

God's Grace

Ephesians 2:6-7

and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

God displays His kindness and mercy through His grace, and lest we think that is a small thing, Paul gives us a peek at what that means...

God raised (past tense, so does this mean that it is a done deal and we cannot lose His grace? Let the debating begin!) us up and seated us with Him in heavenly places. That is what grace does for us. It puts us in an incredible place. Grace is not just about forgiveness, it is about the glory of God. What will I do when I realize the fullness of His grace, because as it stands now, I only see a part of it? I have to believe I will praise Him for His greatness. Even though I cannot understand the fullness of this grace, I can already praise Him for it. In fact, I should be doing this. Why else would Paul take the time to share this vision?

But poor old me, I too often get caught up in that which is "by sight." That is where His word inspires me. That is where the word of a good preacher can lift me up. (Note: I said "good preacher," because I have heard some who definitely bring me down.)

So that in the coming ages I might see His "immeasurable" grace. Are you kidding me? Immeasurable? So that no matter how long I spend in heaven, even if it is eternity, I will still not get to see the full size of His grace? I want that. I want the giver of that grace. No wonder Paul said, "to live is Christ, to die is gain."

Batman and the Gospel

Ephesians 2:4-5

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved -

It feels like a Batman episode (I know, I am showing my age), when we left off yesterday we were in deep trouble labeled as "children of wrath." And not just anyone's wrath, God's wrath. It was a hopeless situation, as there is nothing we can do or anything we can give to get out of this mess. There is only one solution, and that is for God to free us. Now tell me, would the Riddler put Batman and Robin over a boiling pot of acid only to come back and free them himself? Of course not. Neither would the Penguin, Mr. Freeze, the Joker and so on.

But there is a differences between those guys and God. First, God did not put us in this situation, we did. We did it when we chose to sin. And second, those guys don't love their enemies, but God loves us. Third, those guys are not merciful, but God is full of mercy.

That is the beginning of the good news, who God is. It is what brings Him to do what He did, which is bring life to us even while we were dead in our trespasses. Holy forgiveness, Batman! And that is exactly what it is, a most holy forgiveness. A forgiveness that came at great price, which God paid in full through His Son Jesus. A forgiveness from a situation that we could never have escaped from on our own ability. A forgiveness, when understood, that should bring us to our knees.

Turn it around, silly people

Ephesians 1:15-19a

¹⁵ For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, ¹⁶ I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, ¹⁹ and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

Can't you just see the humility of Paul here? How humbled he is in what God has done in Ephesus? He is not patting anyone, including himself, on the back for the faith and love of these people. He knows that there is only one who gets the praise, and that is God. Knowing that all things come from God he first gives thanks. Thanks to the one who is responsible for all good gifts. And beyond that, he prays for them, praying to God that the faith that he has heard about will continue to grow. Praying that the Spirit will be unleashed in their lives. Why? That they might know Him better. Because as they come to know Him better, their faith will increase, their love for one another will grow even greater.

Doesn't this stand in stark contrast to most of Christianity today? We see the church is growing, and we smile and pat one another on the back. We send an offering to Haiti or Japan, and of course we print the amount of the check in hte bulletin and newsletter, because we want to know just how awesome we are. Go God, You sure know how to use us awesome Christians. We often offer up a prayer too. But is it constant? Does it echo the humility of Paul and of Christ?

What we need to understand is, it is knowing Him that brings us to our knees. It is seeing His grace and glory that creates life change in us. We don't respond to get closer by works that seek to impress God or others. Those who do have already "received their reward in full." (Matt 6:2)

That's Bigger Than I Thought!

Ephesians 1:7-10

Redemption is found in the blood of Christ. This is given through the grace of God. Every time I see or hear that word "grace," I need to remind myself, I don't desreve it. This is God's wonderful mercy to me. And grace wasn't merely handed to us, it was lavished on us. As if God, in His love, just couldn't give us enough grace. God doesn't supply redemption stingily or begrudgingly, but He pours it out.

God had a plan, and that plan was fulfilled in Christ. In Christ, redemption of everything would be accomplished. Creation would once again be able to be united.

As I read through the first 10 verses of Ephesians, I could not help but see how Paul exalts the glory of God. Ironically, it is somewhat subtle. I say that because the way that Paul speaks has become a sort of expected Christian language. But such a language did not exist in Paul's time. We use words like "blessed" and "grace" and so on without a thought to their true meaning. I wonder what Paul would think if someone sneezed and he heard another person respond, "Bless you." That is what I need to see in my life, the Gospel, the glorious grace of God, how truly blessed He is. And the depth of what He has lavished on me through His grace.

Wow.

A Glorious God

Ephesians 1:6

to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

What is to His glory? Salvation. Verses 4 and 5 tell us this, that He chose us to be holy and blameless before Him, and that He predestined us for adoption through Christ. But what strikes me is that this was all done to the praise of His glory. He saved us so that He might have glory. This is so contrary to what we often hear preached, and even to what we by nature want to believe.

C.S. Lewis likened God to an old woman begging for praise prior to his conversion. Obviously, Paul does not see it this way, nor is he think it wrong that God should seek His own glory.

But let me ask this question, if God does not seek his own glory, whose glory should he seek? Ours? Tell me what glory I should receive because God saves me? If someone risks his life to save another, the one who saves or the one who is saved? Of course it is the one who does the saving.

But what about humility? That is a non-issue. When God saves us, He deserves the glory, He is not seeking it. He saves us because of His great love for us. If a mother risks her life to save her children, she does not do it to gain glory, even though she likely will. She does it out of love for her children. Should we expect any less from God?

And it is through His glorious grace that we are blessed in Christ, His Beloved. The word grace is "charis," and can also be translated "joy." That it is to His great joy that He has saved us. This makes me think of what the writer of Hebrews states about Christ's vision of the cross, "who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

I think this is a difficult concept for some, that of joy. Often we equate joy with happiness. The cross was not a happy day. But joy is different. It is not a temporary feeling. It is a mindset. It was the joy set before Him that Jesus focused on. Most women long to have children, but I can't think of many who would go through labor just to experience pain. No, they do it for the joy that comes after the labor. (An interesting footnote, when the writer of Hebrews writes of "the joy set before him," he uses the word "chara" which is a feminine noun for "the joy received from you.")

Paul is painting a picture of a very loving Father. A Father who is worthy of our praise. A Father who takes joy in providing for His children. A Father we cannot help but worship, if we understand Him in the light of truth.


God wants us to be joyful. Some would have us to think that this means He wants us to be happy all the time. But I see it as more of a mindset. The mindset of Christ. The mindset Paul had. Not a super-natural mind, but a mind that sees the goodness and grace of God. A mind that is more than just gracious (nice), but a mind that is grace-filled, a mind that is flat out blown away but the goodness of God. A mind that focuses on what can we do in this circumstance, rather than one that sees what is happening to us in this circumstance.

Gracious Christians

I attended a men's meeting at our church last night. It left me feeling puzzled.

We spent 3 hours at the church. About 45 minutes in dinner, with the obligatory opening prayer, and a devotion up front. After dinner, about 65 minutes in small group. We read Scripture, prayed, and talked and had more than a few moments of awkward silence.

Then we gathered for the last hour or so to go over the book of the month. This month, we were discussing the first 6 chapters of "Growing Churches, Growing Leaders" by David Faust. In the first 6 chapters, he focuses on growing churches and the role that grace plays in the church.

As I left, something was gnawing at me. I heard about grace. Many times arms were nearly broken trying to pat ourselves on the back as it was mentioned how graceful our church is. We send our High School kids on missions trips, we are friendly. We welcome those who are different. We prayed for Japan last Sunday. We spent 3 hours meeting together, and there are so many other opportunities for fellowship and learning throughout the week. We love and hug and there are no problems at our church. We are a graceful church.

Or are we?

A thought occured to me. Are we a graceful church or are we a gracious church? Here is what I mean...

Gracious people are nice. They smile a lot. They are friendly. They help other people out when it is comfortable. Sometimes even when it is a little uncomfortable. A little. Gracious people like to see nice things happen to others. The world is full of gracious people, and gracious people can attract a crowd around them. Usually, it will attract a crowd of more gracious people. So soon, you have a bunch of people who are growing. It could be a church, or it could be a Rotary Club.

Grace is different. The devotional speaker defined grace as "getting what we don't deserve, or not getting what we do deserve." So I began to ask, "Am I a grace-filled Christian?" and "Are we a grace-filled church?" So, here are some perceived differences.

Gracious Christians welcome people when they come to church. They are friendly, they smile, they maybe even go out of their way to hug or embrace newcomers.
Grace-Filled Christians are welcoming people where ever they encounter them. They are just as grace-filled getting pulled over or waiting in line at the grocery store. They don't just invite others to church, they introduce them to Jesus.

Gracious Christians pray for the needs of others.
Grace-Filled Christians pray for the needs of others and will go the extra mile to sacrificially seek to meet those needs. They do it because they recognize the grace that has been given to them, not just in the meeting of their material needs, but the grace of God flooding into their lives through Christ.

Gracious Christians read the Bible. They know and follow the Bible to the best of their ability.
Grace-Filled Christians read and live the Bible. They know and follow the Bible above and even beyond their ability, according to the level of faith God has given them. They trust God to provide when they are weak. They see God's Word as a lamp to their feet and a light to their path.

Gracious Christians will ask God to bless you.
Grace-Filled Christians seek to be a blessing to you. They are not just hearers of the word, but doers. They are foot-washers when the opportunity arises.

Gracious Christians run from conflict in an effort to maintain a sense of unity with one another.
Grace-Filled Christiams embrace conflict as an opportunity to grow, seeking to maintain the unity of the Spirit.

Gracious Christians go to church on Sunday. And maybe even on one or more other days as well.
Grace-Filled Christians walk with Jesus every day. Every moment of every day. They know Him.

Gracious Christians a good people.
Grace-Filled Christians are sinners who understand they are broken and they need for a Savior.

Gracious Christians love their church. They go to small-group meetings. They meet one another's needs.
Grace-Filled Christians love their church as Jesus loved the church, and are willing to give themselves for her. They don't limit their understanding of their church to a specific group or location. Their neighbor is anyone who is in need, just like the Good Samaritan.

Gracious people do the work of the church.
Grace-Filled people follow Jesus. And for Jesus, a lot of that work takes place outside of the doors of the physical building that we call church.

Gracious Christians are worried about the outside of the cup. They want everything to be in place so people will look at them and tell them how beautiful their cups are, and how they wish their cups were as beautiful.
Grace-Filled Christians cups are clean too, but on the inside. The outside might now look as nice, maybe because they were caring for others needs when the lawn needed to be mowed, but the inside is clean.

To be a gracious Christian is to live out my faith in a comfortable way. The problem is, Jesus calls me to carry my cross and follow him. I can only do that if I am grace-filled.

I cannot help but think of Matthew 7:21  "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

I like being around gracious people. They make me feel good. Sometimes, grace-filled people make me uncomfortable. Like Jesus. He probably made the Pharisees feel a bit uncomfortable sometimes. And I am sure that the Rich Ruler felt a bit put out when he told him to sell everything. A gracious person would not do that.

So I have a task before me...a task to be a grace-filled Christian. A task to be uncomfortable sometimes. A task to be like Jesus.

Romans 2:4

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

When we presume, we make an assumption based upon our own thoughts, rather than taking in the sum of the evidence. For instance, we might presume that someone has good or bad intentions in an action, based on our previous experience with that person. Many times, if we do not have any previous experience with that person we might then base our presumptions on similar types of persons. This is called stereotyping, and while in some instances might be correct, it is unfair to judge someone by the acts of others.

In this verse, presumptions are being made about God. If I were God, I would not hold someone accountable for their mistakes, because I would be a kind and loving God. Or since God has shown me a kindness in this area, He will also show me kindness and grace in all areas.

I want to take a look at the word "forbearance." It carries the meaning of tolerance or self-restraint. So then God has shown us kindness and self-restraint and patience. If someone restrains themselves from doing something, can we expect that to continue no matter what? Even in turning the other cheek, do we believe that that is appropriate in every instance? When we restrain ourselves, we look past our desires so that we might help others for their ultimate good. I might restrain myself from telling someone what I really think in order not to hurt their feelings. But yet there are other times when it is appropriate to voice my feelings for their good. Or I might restrain myself in dealing with my children in some ways, but I will not restrain myself in dealing with them in every way.

God is kind, and He restrains Himself from punishing us when we deserve it. He does this because in His grace, He desires that we come to salvation in Christ where the price for that punishment has been paid. His purpose is not to condone or forget the offense, but rather that we repent and turn from that offense.

So don't make the presumption that God will continue to dismiss your sins, so you can just continue to live in them. That might be how we want it to work, but that is not how God works. God's kindness has a purpose.

Something to be thankful for

Hosea 6:1,2
"Come, let us return to the LORD;
for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.Let us know;
let us press on to know the LORD;
his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
as the spring rains that water the earth.


Thanks that we can be restored to the LORD.
Thanks that he will heal us.
Thanks that he will raise US up. More on this in a bit.
Thanks that we may live before him.
Thanks that we may know him.
Thanks for the rains and showers.


I love that it says that on the third day he will raise US up. My mind immediately goes to the cross, and how on the third day he rose Christ from the dead. But in doing so, His purpose was to raise us up as well. I don't need to get a big head about that, and think that I am more important that I am, but I should be extremely humbled and thankful for that.


Praise God.

And Happy Thanksgiving!

I am geting married!

Hosea 2:19-20 "And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD."

God is speaking those words, and He is speaking them to a whore. He is speaking them to Isreal. He is speaking them to me! Gomer was the wife Hosea took after God told him to "take a wife of whoredom." And she was a living parable of Israel. And I figured out a long time ago that Israel is just a living parable of me.

So those words are amazing. They are life-giving. They put the free in freedom.

I'll bet they would preach pretty good on a Sunday morning too.

You want me to what???

The book of Hosea fascinates me. If you don't know, God tells the prophet Hosea to "take yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom". (1:2) Wow, that cannot be the message of the Lord, can it?

It can be, and it was.

So Hosea did it. I have to wonder what he was thinking? Was he glad in any way? Did he think this was a good thing? That he was in for a good time? That he was going to convert this woman? Was she a looker? Was he just like most men, thinking more with his manhood than his brain?

And a son was conceived. And then a daughter. His name was Jezreel, and her name was No Mercy. Then the next son was named Not My People. That kind of name can't do a lot for your self-esteem.

But in Chapter 1, it is verse 7 that strikes me the most.

"But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or horsemen."

Sounds like God had a plan. A plan that would demonstrate who He is. A plan that could not be attributed to anything other than the greatness and the grace of God. A plan that is out of man's power, a plan that only God could do. Maybe like the plan that He also had in mind when He sent His Son.

Sounds like a good plan.

Running a good race

Based on Galatians 5:7-12

The Galatians had started out on the right foot. They were "running a good race." The picture I see here is of a marathon runner who has kept a good pace, is running with a good strategy. One that is not too fast or too slow, but will give them a good chance of finishing and even winning the race.

But someone cut in on them. Maybe it was a supposedly slower runner who wasn't supposed to be so good. So they doubted their strategy. Maybe they needed to pick up the pace, do something different.

Doesn't that sound like the way that Satan works? Faith? How do you expect to get to heaven merely on faith? Look, see my works? See how God has blessed me? God wants more than just faith. Now if you will just send a $20 seed gift of faith, then God will surely bless you. If you will tithe and even throw in some extra, surely that will make an impression on God. If you will throw away that beer and wine, that is what God wants from you. If you will...

That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.

Paraphrase: Jesus wouldn't ask you to do that.

Huh? Didn't Jesus say, "go the extra mile?" Didn't he say, "to marry a woman who was divorced is adultery?" Didn't he say to the rich young man, "Go and sell all you have, then come and follow me?"

Yes, he said all of those things and more. But always in the context of "and that still isn't enough." Jesus understood and taught that it is not the act that saves us, it is our heart, our faith. And real faith demands a response. No response is valid unless done out of faith.

If I am confident in my strategy, seeing a slower runner in front of me does not make me doubt myself.

That silly circumcision group, trying to bring the law back into that which only comes by grace! If I am required to do anything to obtain salvation, then why the cross?

Paul makes an interesting statement in verse 11. "If I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?" In other words, if I give in and just preach what they want me to, then why all the hubub? If I preach a cross-less message, all will be well with these trouble-makers. And heck, that sells much better anyway. But I can't do that. Because a cross-less message is meaningless for salvation. It might make for a better community, but it is meaningless for salvation.

Its half-time!

Galatians 5:1 states, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Why is it that Christians are more often defined by what we don't do than by anything else? Don't smoke, don't chew, don't date the girls who do.

Paul doesn't seem to think too much of this idea either. Stand firm (in Christ, not in legalism), and do NOT let yourselves be burdened by a yoke of slavery.

He goes on to say that "if you let yourselves by circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all." Could that be stated any stronger???

It is not about circumcision, it is about depending on anything other than Christ. Remember Jesus' statement that we "cannot serve two masters?" (Matt 6:24) I don't think that this only refers to money! I do not think we can serve the law and Christ either. I think Paul agrees

To depend on the law, any law, any set of do's and don'ts, only alienates us from Christ. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. (Vs. 6)

So why do it? One reason comes to mind, fear. Fear that grace alone isn't really enough. Fear that God really will hold us accountable for our deeds. Fear that there really is a good/bad scale when we stand before God in judgment.

What is it that Isaiah says about our righteous acts? Calling them filthy rags? How does that play out on a balance scale? (Is. 64:6)

Or is it a fear of leadership as well? If we don't tell people to tithe, we might not have enough income. If we don't tell people to stay away from R rated movies (except ones about the death of Christ), they might go (and like them). Or perhaps it is just easier to preach works rather than the Gospel?

I am not advocating not doing good works. What I am saying is that any works not born out of faith and love are a wasted effort. And if any works born out of faith and love are meaningless, then wouldn't it make sense to spend more time on the why than on the how?

I wonder how many coaches spend their half-time talks going over the fundamentals? Don't they rather talk about the motivation to win? Isn't that how we get ordinary people to do extra-ordinary things?