Salvation: gift vs. reward

Beware the man who believes he's overcome sin by his own sheer will, desire, and determination.  He believes that his self-discipline, his growing character, his learning of Biblical truth, his doing of good deeds, his careful study, and his hunger and thirst for righteousness---with the help of the Holy Spirit; with some added strength given to him by the Holy Spirit--has procured victory over sin.

He believes salvation is his responsibility, and sees it as a reward for his good deeds, or at least a reward for his right desires/will.

If he sees he has overcome certain sins, he is either, 1) noticing the work that Christ has done in him and is taking credit for it, or, 2) the sin has taken on a new form and he no longer recognizes it.  His praise to God is an effort to prove himself righteous and holy in God's sight.

He does not rely on Christ, though he may think he does.  He teaches others that their desire for righteousness is what pleases God, and what get's God's attention.  He teaches that their lifestyle and their choices will determine their level of righteousness, or that it will determine their standing with God.  His sermons are full of exhortations to repent and do good, and advice on how to go about doing it.  They are full of challenges to be better and do better.  They are motivational but bear temporary fruit.

This man is always striving and eventually gets tired. The grace of God will always renew him, however he suffers much damage and has the potential to damage others merely by his oppressive, sin-focused doctrine.  His heart is heavy and full of sorrows; sorrows for the sin in his own life, and for the sin in others'.  What he mostly sees in others is their failures, because he is consumed by his own sense of failure.  The leaders in his ministry who adopt his teachings are hyper-motivated to do good deeds, but this motivation is guilt-driven, and full of striving to measure up, and they eventually burn out.  They become scarce and hesitant to volunteer.  They don't stick around for very long because their own strength does not last.


Victory over sin can only be accomplished by Christ.  The man who realizes this, and merely accepts that he did nothing to accomplish it except to receive it by the grace of God, is the one who truly experiences freedom from sin.  He knows that any good he has ever done was Christ acting through him.  This man can truly proclaim victory over sin in all humility.

He realizes that salvation is a gift, not a reward for good deeds.

If he sees he has overcome sin, he knows that Christ alone has done it, which causes him to feel profound gratitude and appreciation towards God.  His praise to God is deep, heartfelt, refreshing, ecstatic, spiritually charged, and often leading to mystical experiences.  He cannot see God as anything other than wonderful.

This man relies on Christ alone for his character, his self-discipline, his understanding, his doing good deeds, and his desires.  Christ does not give him strength, but IS his strength.  He may look like the first man in all respects, but he is truly free.  He teaches others that their righteousness does not come from their thoughts or their actions or their choices, but that Christ is their righteousness and therefore their standing with God will never change.  He never questions whether or not he is worthy of favor or whether or not he has spiritual authority because he knows that he himself did not generate his own worth, nor did he generate his own authority, but that his worth and authority are in Christ.  His sermons are always about Christ.  They always point to what Christ has done and who He is.  He is not focused on sin, though he may struggle from time to time, because he knows the responsibility of taking away sin falls on Christ (John 1:29).

He enjoys God fully because he's not tired or burned out.  He hasn't been fighting against sin out of his own strength, but has been trusting God to take care of it.  He hasn't been focused on his own performance, which leads to condemnation, but is focused on God's performance, which leads to confidence.  He's been resting in the truth of God's word and has been experiencing true joy.  He doesn't need to prove anything to God or to anyone else, because He identifies himself as a son of God.  

He's no longer focused on fixing himself and is freed up to enjoy the deeper things of God.  He knows the truth, which has set him free.

Is Worship a War? Pt. 2

When I was younger, I remember a song called "Fight Thru Praise".  It actually helped me get past all my distractions in worship.  At that time, it was a challenge to get through all my defenses and really express my heart to God. Perhaps it was good for me at the time, but I want to talk about the dangers of getting into this mindset that worship is a fight.

1.) Fighting through "distractions".  For one, when I would go into prayer or worship, the first thing on my mind were all the small concerns of the day; what am I going to make for lunch, when will I get my chores done, how will I get all my tasks done... Or more serious ones like, "is my friend's mom going to make it through this cancer?" Or, "how will her family deal with this?" Etc.  maybe I was dealing with emotional problems; depression, anger, frustration, feelings of loneliness... Maybe even guilt or sin issues.  I used to think that all these were things the devil was bringing up to distract me from God.  And so my goal was to fight through them and get to a place in my mind in which I was only focused on Jesus.  Even recently when I led worship at a small church singing mostly hymns, I used to tell the congregation to put all their worries and concerns of the day aside and to put their focus on God.  This in itself is not necessarily wrong.

Interestingly enough, John Crowder says that these things that come up aren't from the devil, they are from God.  He talks about this either in his video about music (http://youtu.be/WDVuMjOzqiU) or his video about prayer (http://youtu.be/yVBGQk_9ZzI). I can't remember which, but both videos are excellent.

From God?  God is purposely distracting me from worshiping him?!  What?  John Crowder says that He's bringing these things up to remind you that he's going to take care of them.  God cares about what you care about, down to the smallest detail.  So in those moments, rather than fight through them, just put them in God's capable hands.  It's a time to place our trust in Him.  Then we can move on to a much more clear-headed state of worship! 

In a sense, you would be putting them aside, but not to deal with later; to let God deal with them.  He's going to do that anyway; there's no need to stress about them.

So in fighting through them I was only creating more trouble for myself.  If you find yourself distracted from worship by your daily concerns, give those things to God.  It's so much better than trying to deal with them on your own.

2.) Fighting through sin / Striving.  In all my years being a leader in ministry, I've never seen one person gain victory over their weaknesses by focusing on overcoming sin.  Not one!  If they overcome one thing, they only realize it's gotten worse; it's hidden itself and reared its ugly head in other, more complicated ways (look at the Jews.  They would stop worshiping idols for a while, but then later on, there they go again, and five times worse!).  I've tried to help people overcome sin.  I've told them all the advice, shown them the consequences, pointed out things they can't see.  Nothing helped. You can't overcome your sin, and I can't help you.

Only Christ can overcome sin, and only when trust-falling into Him will He melt your sin away.  When I say melt, I don't mean he will forgive it.  That's a given.  He already forgave you by dying on the cross in the first place.  I'm talking about taking it away from you so that you never do it again, and you never struggle with it again.  Christ melts it away with such ease, there's no fight.  Trusting God is the most passive "action" you can take to combat sin.  It's practically inaction.  It is simply a realization; a knowing; a quiet confidence that Christ has already overcome sin for you.  With him, your sinful nature died.  It's gone.  Everything is set up to trick you into believing that it will always be there...

In part one of this blog, I mentioned that when we're always focused on our part in worship, we get into a striving mentality.  I think people feel that their worship makes them more pleasing to God; more acceptable in His sight.  What they don't know is that they are pleasing to God already.  People think that what we are doing makes us more holy.  They don't realize that Christ is our holiness.  If there was some way I could make myself holy or righteous by sheer will and determination, Jesus would never have had to die on a cross for me.  Striving implies that we are trying to make ourselves holy for God.  But that is impossible.  It's the other way around; Christ makes us holy by His spirit dwelling in us.   Striving is a battle that lasts as long as you believe you can achieve holiness over time.

A sin-focused believer acts like a sinner.  A Christ-focused believer acts like Christ.

When worship music is focused on God and who He is, real worship happens.  That's the stuff I want to be a part of.

I tend to get frustrated because when real worship starts taking off, someone always brings the focus back to us by saying something cliche like, "just tell God how much you love Him," or, "Let everything we do be pleasing unto you.", or "God we invite you into this place," (as though he hasn't been here all this time) or, "just press in," (what does that mean, anyway?).  People even like to remind us of our shame, "God, we are so unworthy of you, we are such sinners, and yet you love us.  Even at our worst, you love us..."  There they go bringing the focus back to what we can do, or how terrible we are...  Can't we just focus on God for a while?

There's nothing wrong with telling God you love him, or getting into worship in an active way.  There's nothing wrong with acknowledging that he loves us despite our worst moments.  My issue is focus.  Am I looking at myself, or am I looking at God?  Am I worshiping my own desires, or am I worshiping the object of my desires?  Am I trying to impress God with my good behavior, or am I impressed by God?  Realize that everything you have gained physically and spiritually was bought, paid for, and given to you by Christ.  Even your faith has been given to you (Rom 12:3).  Even your good deeds are Christ working through you.  You can't take an ounce of credit.  All your efforts to be holy have been in vain.  You're already holy through Christ (I can't say that enough!).

Here's another danger of the "fight the war of worship" mentality:

3.). Giving Satan too much credit.  He might be active during worship, sure!  If you think he is, rebuke him and then focus on God.  You don't have to engage in some sort of fight against him.  You have control of your own mind.  Don't get into thinking that Satan has one ounce of sway over you.  He has no right to you no matter how sinful you were last week (or your whole life). And you have authority over him because of Christ, not because you read your Bible every day and were faithful in your devotions.  Not because you have several years of ministry under your belt.  Not because you've racked up a bunch of spiritual points by doing good deeds.  Not because you're a pastor or a missionary.  Our actions have nothing to do with our authority.  It is our right as heirs to Christ's throne.  It is our identity. [see my post about how action does not define identity]  If you are a believer, you automatically have authority over the enemy through Christ.  Who are we as believers to think that our actions have earned us (or lost us) one ounce of spiritual authority?  People who get into that mindset are fooled by the enemy. 

Satan likes to make us think he has legal jurisdiction over us because of that one sin or the fact that we haven't picked up the Bible in two weeks.  He wants us to forget our identity as heirs to the throne of Christ.  Being an heir means that we have the same authority that Jesus has.  The only way Satan can get a "foothold" as they say, is by getting you to believe a LIE about who God is and who you are in Christ!  Sin has nothing to do with it.  Sin gives him NO jurisdiction or foothold whatsoever.  Satan only has as much power over you as you believe he does.  So if he can get you to believe he has power over you, then he can do damage.  The battle against Satan has already been won, my friend.  If you're fighting with him, you've been duped.

Here's another one:

4.) Getting into the mindset that our will is always in opposition to God.  This goes hand in hand with striving, but this is more about how we view God.  This can get us thinking that in order to worship Him, we have to fight.  This is simply not true.  It may be the case if we are ignorant of the truth; ignorant of who we are and who God is.  The more you get to know God, the more you want what He wants; the more you think the way He thinks.  Your desires transform into His.  Then you actually enjoy doing His will because its something you want to do.  If I'm told that my will is always going to be in opposition to God, that will hinder me from truly experiencing Him, or it will take an hour of fighting through my own will before I can get to His... 

This mindset did hinder my relationship with Him!  I thought that my whole life was going to be one loathsome event after another, one fight against my will after another.  I couldn't trust God!  Why would I trust someone who is always going to make me do things I don't want to do?  For someone who was emotionally controlled as a young girl, and then mistreated by spiritual leaders as a young adult, I started to think that maybe God was just like those abusive people in my life; always making me uncomfortable and feel terrible about myself.  But that's just not who He is. 

And then, what about when my will DOES align with His?  I'll think that desire is sinful!  Our own selves are not always going to be our worst enemies.  Your will is not in constant opposition to God.  People call it the "flesh".  They say you'll struggle against it for the rest of your life.  Let me tell you something you might not have heard: your flesh died with Christ on the cross.  We have been crucified with Christ and we [our sinful nature; flesh] no longer live, but Christ lives in us!  Your sinful nature is dead, my friend.  Why fight with something that is merely a memory of what used to be?  It's not you anymore.  And it never really was your identity to begin with.



All these are problems that stem from a wrong view of who God is, and who we are in Christ.  And these wrong views affect us in every way.  Most importantly, they affect our relationship with God, which, in turn, affects how we worship Him.  An like I said in part 1, the truth will set us free.

Is Worship a War?

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/church/modern-worship-music-wars

A friend of mine recently posted this article from Relevant Magazine.
 
In a nutshell, it talks about how the "war on worship" has died down from being a debate on whether we should sing the Old Hymns or Modern Worship music, to simply a subtle barrage of nit-picky complaints.  Miller describes them, "The volume is either too loud, or not loud enough. The lighting is either too bright or not bright enough; too showy or too bland." etc.

His main point is that we should not look at church or worship as something that must meet our preferential standards, but rather we should approach worship based on the truth of who God is.

Indeed, it is a mark of maturity when one can overcome the technicalities of the music (lighting, volume, style, etc.) and just worship God for who He is.

As his final statement, he describes worship as war, "So the next time you go to church and the music is too loud, or the leader is singing that song you don’t like, go to war. Fight against the sin at work within yourself. Fight against consumerism and disunity. Fight for a grateful heart. Fight for the truth to captivate you in a way music never could. Fight to stand in awe of a mighty God who rescued you and graciously sings over you.  Fight the true war of worship."

Beautiful words.  Yet I feel it only touches the surface of what is really going on.  I have concluded that there are two deeper issues at work on this subject.

Miller hit on part of the first issue.  He mentioned personal pride [nothing is ever good enough for me].  He says we must fight against it.  But saying that is like taking a pain-killer when you are sick: you're only treating a symptom.  The deeper issue is self-condemnation.  It is almost always masked as pride (the other extreme of the same problem would be false humility: always thinking too lowly of oneself.  Both pride and false humility can co-exist in one person).  The answer comes from how we view God and knowing the truth of how He views us.

Romans 8:1 says, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus".  God does not condemn us, nor does he choose to love us based on our "good" behavior.  He simply loves us.  He simply accepts us for who we are.  But often we tend to feel that our relationship with Him is dependent on our behavior.  It's easy to do since we associate our human relationships with Him (especially our parental ones).  We may have been created in His image, but He is God and not man (Hosea 11:9), and the metaphor breaks down on so many levels.  Human relationships help us to understand God, but they are so limited in that respect.  When you truly understand the nature of your oneness with God, condemnation disappears.  Then the "nothing is good enough for me" mentality also begins to disappear.

The second problem is the wrong or misleading theology communicated by worship music.  Going back to the age-old Hymns vs. Modern music debate, if you read through a hymnbook, you'll find that hymns are choc-full of deep and rich theology.  The bulk of today's worship music is all about our experience, and feeling God. For the most part, it lacks the juicy truth.  Good and true theology always leads to the deepest worship, and I think that our beloved hymn singers can feel that.  They just can't always pinpoint what exactly is bothering them so they point to the music, or the lights, or the look on the worshiper's face.

I do this all the time.  Something bothers me and so I feel off, but I can't put my finger on it because it's a subconscious thought, so I try to describe it by pointing at surface things.  Usually my heart knows what's off before my mind does.  Until I've really stopped and analyzed (or prayed about) the source of my disturbed feelings, I can only guess what is wrong.  I have talked to many elders who still feel that the hymns are the best because of the truth that is expressed within them, even though they have accepted the new style of worship.

Let's face it, a lot of our worship music (I say "our" because I am in the "modern music" generation) is focused on our desires and our actions and our commitment to God.  We find ourselves singing things like, "I will worship you," and "I have decided to follow Jesus" (I know that last one is a hymn.  Some hymns fall under this category), "I just want to be where you are"... all beautiful expressions.  But when the focus is always on us, we've missed the point.  We start to get into this mode of striving.  "I will do this," and "I will do that" or, "purify me," and, "draw me close to you,".  Then there's the ever famous, "Here I am to worship".  Me, myself, and I!  Don't get me wrong, I love to sing these on occasion.  But I am kinda tired of worship being a time of self-reflection, looking at myself and all my failures and trying so hard, making all kinds of promises to make my life pleasing to God.  We get so focused on our desire to be righteous.  Martin Luther called this the "Idol of the Will"

Don't even get me started on the songs that ask God (or the Holy Spirit) to "come", or that welcome Him into His own house.  Would you invite your dad to his own house as if he didn't own it already?  Furthermore, God owns me.  Why would I have to continuously invite The Holy Spirit into my soul, one for whom He has already paid for with His blood?!  I don't invite my husband into our house because it's OUR house!  Okay, I have to step off of that soapbox...  Simply read my earlier blogs for more on this because I constantly talk about it.  It drives me insane.  Every other opening worship song is this long, drawn out plea for God's presence to "come into this place".  It's as though people have no idea that the Bible says He's always with us (actually, He lives IN us).  I used to sing this stuff all the time (and still do out of respect for worship leaders and Christians around me).  I've finally realized the futility of it.  (I am stepping down for real this time)... But the truth is when we finally "feel" His presence, it's not that He suddenly entered the room, it's that we finally came to an awareness of His presence... gah... okay, stepping down...

Ironically, when the theology of the worship is right, people are pulled out of their prideful nitpicking anyway.  Some people may be just that stubborn, but let me tell you, even here at North Central, the biggest response in worship always comes from a song full of good theology.

I have been taught that worship is a lifestyle.  But it is more than that; more than a series of life choices towards righteousness or a relationship with God.  I now believe worship is a revelation.  Only through a revelation of who God is will true, deep worship result.  This revelation comes from the Holy Spirit Himself.

And if it is a revelation, it is not a fight.  If it is a war, it is not worship.  We need only ask for new revelation.

When you know who He is, you can't help but be in awe.  Then you will see that He is irresistible, trustworthy, loving, gracious, wise, hilarious, beautiful, interesting, witty, smart, dynamic, fun, caring, considerate, and interested in your well-being.  You'll see that He is utterly in love with you.  And you will see that He accepts you; all of you.  Knowing these things, and I mean truly knowing them, causes worship to happen at random (gotta love those moments of laughter, rolling on the couch at home).

"How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!" (Psalms 139:17)

We can talk about fixing our attitudes and our behavior, but that will only have us running in circles.  Those are surface issues; symptoms, if you will.  The truth is what we need.  And the truth will set us free.

Is Love a Verb?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elad-nehorai/i-didnt-love-my-wife_b_3908956.html

A man named Elad Nehorai posted the above article on Wednesday and a friend of mine posted the link on Facebook.  I am always curious to find out what people say about God, love, and faith... so I read it.

Elad relays a concept that I've heard echoing throughout my life from various sources.  My favorite source is DC Talk's "Love Is A Verb."  It's a cheesy 90's song, but it was one of my favorites when I was young.  I knew every DC Talk song by heart.

Elad titles his article, "I Didn't Love My Wife When We Got Married."  This caught my attention because I've heard one other person say that: a youth pastor whom I know and love.  When he would preach, he'd often talk about the time when his dad told him, "You don't love her yet" while he was dating his now wife.  He would always go on to say that he realizes now that he didn't truly love her then, at least compared to his love now.  And that always led into a teaching to the high-schoolers about how they don't truly love each other yet... I wasn't one of the youth he was preaching to--I was one of his leaders--and so I always considered the impact of what he said on the students he taught.  Something about that teaching always bothered me, though I couldn't say what it was at the time.

And I can't tell that pastor, "well, yes you did love her," because maybe he really didn't.  However, he often told the story of the first time he saw her in a romantic way and explained that she was suddenly the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, even though he'd seen her every day before and thought she was a little strange.  I believe this was the love of God for her made manifest in him.

Being the "how can I apply this to my life" type of person, I could never accept that idea (that he didn't love her then).  Why would I marry someone who "thought" they loved me?  Ugh.  How depressing is that?  And how can a person reduce a young person's love to being "not really love" simply because it's immature or naive?  What a way to disqualify and belittle these peoples' feelings!

I loved my husband before I even started dating him.  And it wasn't a romantic love either.  I loved who he was.  I admired his character and his intellect, respected his standards, appreciated his helpful attitude, was concerned for his well-being, enjoyed his personality, and laughed at his humor.  We were good friends (we still are) and we worked together on a worship (music) team.  I didn't see him in a romantic way for the first three years of our friendship.  It was literally on one night that my eyes were opened to feelings for him.  He told me I was beautiful and it felt like those words shot straight into my soul.  Other men (fathers, brothers, friends, even boyfriends) have told me the same thing, but this was different.  And the first year of our relationship I was in the clouds; MADLY in love with him.  I did stupid and crazy things just to be with him, and he did the same.  I couldn't stand being away from him.  Those feelings were insanely strong.  There were times when we just looked into each other's eyes and I felt like my soul was bursting with bliss.  We dated for two weeks and I told him I loved him.  And I had no doubt that I loved him because I knew I loved him before this infatuation.

I will admit that, yes, those feelings have toned down.  They toned down before we got married.  We went through a lot of hardships and times that put strain on our relationship.  We dated for three years because of things that stopped us from being able to get married (long distance, controlling leaders who put impossible standards on us, work, school...).  And so when we got married, we were happy because we could be together all the time uninterrupted and un-judged.  We were still good friends, even when sometimes we didn't feel tangible romance.

Perhaps it was true for Elad; that he didn't have love for his wife before they married.  Perhaps it was just infatuation.  Maybe he loved the idea of having a wife...  Whatever the case may have been, I cannot argue with his title statement.  Not everyone is blessed to be able to marry their best friend.  But I feel that defining love as a verb is a belittling statement.

Love is so much more than merely an action.

Of course I love my husband at all times, despite my mood, so I can agree with him that love is more than just an emotion.  But I say it is more than just an action.   

If it is only a verb, then what is it at rest? If we reduce love to an action we rob it of its fullness. Action is a result of love, but it is not love itself. (the same goes for faith: faith is belief and trust more than it is action. Without belief and trust, you have no faith) Action is at the surface of love, maybe even a perpetuation of it.  But then what is intimacy?  Is it action?  Not necessarily.  It can be as simple as a nap on the couch together.  It is restful and not work, or a conscious choice one has to make.  It's a natural occurrence flowing from love.  Intimacy is where its at: connection and oneness.  Feelings are essential to love.

Let me take it even deeper.  

Love is a person: God is love. 

Without God, there is no love.  I think it is a gift from God, and He enables even the godless to love.  But love is so much less than what it is without God being at the center of it.

God showed us his love by sending Christ, but He loved us before he proved it. I loved Dustin before I committed my life to caring for him. Now our favorite times are just sitting together and relaxing. Yes I feel loved when he serves me.  Yes, it is fulfilling to serve him, but that is only part of it.  If he only served me, something would be missing.  I am glad that Elad has discovered that serving his wife cultivates in himself a deeper love for her.  But if I could encourage him, I'd tell him, "there's so much more!"  Love causes us to enjoy people in the best possible way.

And since God is love, let me tell you something: some of the best, most intimately fulfilling sex I've had with my husband has been while we were worshiping God (at home, of course... or after coming home from a time of deep worship). When I am focused on the Lord, my relationship with my husband is deep and fulfilling, not to mention super-hot.

Love is so much more than an action. 

God Is Welcome?

I was on Pinterest the other day when I saw a pin (a picture) of a painted wooden sign.  On it was the quote, "Christ is the center of our home, a guest at every meal, a listener to every conversation."  It was rustic and classy-looking with the distressed paint look--dark background with white capital letters; quite a design piece for any room.

I commented on the pin.  I couldn't resist!  "I think this is sweet, but the guest part implies that he doesn't live there."

The "pinner" replied that it was a way of saying He's always welcome, but that she had never thought of it that way.

I want to discuss this at length; this verbal placement of Christ, "you are welcome."

I've subtly brought this up a few times in various groups of Pentecostal people and I have often heard a similar response.  The response is to the effect of, "It is a healthy way of maintaining an open attitude towards God."  It's a way of letting Him know that we are willing and ready, and that He's welcome to do anything He wants, or welcome to be with us at all times.

While I don't think this is necessarily sinful, I think this language is detrimental to one's faith.  Words like, "guest," and "welcome," paint a picture of God looking in from the outside.

I believe a family who hangs that quote on their wall probably feels this is such a radical way to remind ourselves of His presence.  One could intend for this to make Him seem more real in our lives.  But I propose that it does remind us of His presence, but in a way that is half truth, half lie.  The Bible presents God in a much different way.

The Bible says that God knows the number of hairs on our heads.  While, to me, this always seemed like a random fact for God to know, I realize that it means something very significant.  It means that He is concerned with every cell of our bodies: each new hair, and each hair that has fallen.  It implies constant attention to detail.  

If you've ever painted a portrait, like me, you'd know that staring at a person's face is a very intimate experience.  Even just looking at a picture for long enough has a similar effect.  You begin to know every line, every scar, every indent, and these small details tell a story of a person's life.  I once painted ten life-size portraits of people I knew, and when I worked on their faces, I felt an emotional connection with each person.  Now, this was a commissioned job, and I didn't know these people closely, but by the end of those two weeks, I held a fondness toward them that I'd never felt before.  I felt like I knew them even though they never really knew me.  I knew their pain and their struggle.  A friend of mine joked that after she had finished a portrait of a guy, she was feeling like he should be taking her out to dinner!

Knowing the smallest detail of a person is very intimate. And taking the care to know how many hairs are on a person's head implies a very detailed understanding of a person.  God knows the actions of every cell in your body, knows the cause of every sickness...  As I've stated earlier in my blog post about God's omniscience, he knows all things instantaneously as they happen.  He knows your thoughts, who you are, why you are who you are, and why you do what you do.

Not only does he know all about us to start, the gospel tells us that when we accept Christ, we are grafted into the "tree" as new branches.  This implies a constant connection.  We also become one with Him in spirit: our old man dies and we become a new person united with Christ.  We are His "temple".  We become His home.  It also says we are adopted as sons and daughters.  So we're in His immediate family.

There's so many analogies that scream of a close and constant connection with Him.  Psalm 139 tells us that there's nowhere we can go that He is not, and that His thoughts about us are more than the grains of sand on the beach!  So not only does he see us, but he's thinking about us always.  It says he doesn't sleep!

When I think of all these things, I cannot reduce Christ to a mere guest in my home. I cannot reduce my attitude towards Him to a mere openness and willingness or even a mere daily choice.  He's in me, around me, and makes up my very being.  He owns me, provides for my housing, my eating, my living, my education.  He IS me.  We are one.

My first thoughts about this came when I got married to my husband.  Imagine if I told him he was welcome in my home.  That's silly because we share a home.  His home is my home.  I wouldn't even say "you're welcome in my bed" because it's our bed to begin with.  I don't even think in terms of letting him in because he has access to me always.  I've let him in already.  If I relate to my husband in more intimate ways than I relate to God, isn't there a problem with how I view God?  If my husband is family (and not even blood), but my God is a "guest", isn't that almost an insult?  Christ's blood runs through my veins.  My husband committed himself to me by making a covenant.  Christ committed himself to me by dying and taking the punishment for my sins.  Which one is greater?

When I want a close friend to know they are important to me, I don't say "you are a guest", I say, "you are family".

To finish my thoughts, I want to say that family is welcome even when they aren't welcome.  They are loved even when they are being difficult.  The bond of a family endures much.  Christ is welcome even when I'm not so willing and ready.  Christ owns me and all that I have.  I don't give Him permission to come because it's not my place to.  He's a part of me.  He's got continual access.  I've put my whole trust in Him.  I'm completely vulnerable to Him and He does no harm to me.  And sons and daughters are not guests.  If we are His sons and daughters, then He is our father, and he is no guest at my table.  He's family.  

Accomplishment

I am thinking back to the awards ceremony at my university a little over a month ago.  Several students received awards and recognition in different areas.  As I sat in the crowd, seeing those people applauded on stage made me want to do something award-worthy.  I wanted to be celebrated for my accomplishments. (who doesn't?)

But something also made me cringe.  If you don't know me, I spent seven years in Masters Commission (fall of 2005 to the spring of 2012), which is ministry on steroids.  I got into the habit of saying yes to everything, and doing as much as I could without ever resting or taking care of my emotional needs.  That, of course, led to extreme burn-out and stress.  By the end of seven years, I was mostly numb to every emotion except anger and frustration.  I stopped listening to music, and avoided people (two of my greatest passions).  I treated my closest friends very badly, neglected my family, and continuously over-ate.  I have accomplished many things in the area of ministry.  I did every possible church-related thing I had the ability to do.  My last two years, I was paid to run the program.  I don't regret any of it, though much of my particular experience was very difficult.  What I learned from my time--in a nutshell--is this: busy-ness sucks the life out of me and makes me far less productive.  I may be doing more, but the quality is less... and less, and less, and less.  So I stopped.  I slowed down.

Because I'm now able to focus on fewer things, those things which I produce are far more valuable. 

One thing at a time.

And so my thoughts return to the awards ceremony: for those people who are being recognized for accomplishing a million and one things.  She was a part of student council, two sport teams, jazz band, some leadership in the dorms, got a 4.0, etc...  I cringed at the busy-ness.  Most students take 18 credits a semester, which basically means sleepless nights all school-year.  That alone is a lot of work.  For a time, it's good.  There are busy seasons in my life and I thrive on it.  But that's not the kind of lifestyle I want to live for my whole life.  And I think, "all these people are getting awards and are being encouraged to be super productive.  Hopefully they will learn that this lifestyle eventually spins out of control..."

Maybe some people want the life of constant work.  Maybe that's what gets them through.  I know that in my early years of MC I was dealing with a broken heart and keeping busy was what helped me through.  But then my life became un-balanced.  This super-productiveness had to slow down.  What's the point of accomplishing all these things when in the end they don't matter to you anymore?  You get so busy that you hate the things you once loved.  You can't even enjoy what you've decided to do with your life.  The things that got you into your career are the things that you eventually want to get away from.

I am NOT discouraging productiveness.  I am discouraging the constant go busy-ness that is plaguing our nation.  What's the point of accomplishing so much if you can't even enjoy life in the process?  Shall I just live to survive?  Even kids left on the street in third world countries--those who are barely surviving--are sniffing glue to help them get by.  The feeling may be fleeting, but it's gratification nonetheless.

If I'm going to get an award, I'm going to get it by being exceptionally good at one thing.  I'm tired.  The things that I have been striving for have led me to ruin.  My dreams that were once so big have become the stuff of nightmares.  To have a global this and an international that...  it now sounds like a bunch of busy-ness that leads to more busy-ness for others.  It reeks of frustration that stings like frostbite.  In those former dreams, when I think of them now, I picture a broken family and a shattered marriage.  I picture utter loneliness followed by continuous attempts to feel SOMEthing pleasant--maybe sex, drugs, or binge-eating...  No wonder famous people are notorious for all these life-ruining habits.

Simplicity is the life for me.

Prioritize Family

"Nobody want to see us together, but it don't matter, no, 'cause I got you."  That's the chorus of a song called, "Don't Matter" by Akon.  It's pretty catchy.  I hate it.

Here's the thing: if your family can't stand the person you're dating, take that as a warning.  If he or she is repelling the people who unconditionally love you, don't assume marriage will change that.  You're family will be forced to "tolerate" that character, and it will keep them from being around you.  And if you've unknowingly picked the abuser, or the cheater, or the manipulator, or the drug addict, or the criminal, he or she could eventually ruin your life and the lives of your children.  And if you've been ruined, what is you get a divorce.  And if you divorce, who will you turn to?  Your family.

Alas, you were too consumed to care about your family when you were devoting yourself to the one who wasn't worth your time to begin with.

I just think...What if I had married the man my parents disapproved of?  He made my sister feel awkward, but I didn't know it at the time.  It would have put a wedge between us.  Anne and I have been best friends our whole lives.  I would be devastated if she didn't want to spend time with me because my man made her uncomfortable.  Ugh.  Thank God I have Dustin.

In a way, my love affair with my work put distance between my family and me... And it hurt me a great deal.  I feel like I'm closing the gaps slowly.

(and yes, I know, sometimes the family disapproves for superficial reasons that don't matter, but that's something entirely different.  And then there's situations when family approves blindly because they don't know who the woman or man really is...  no one could blame themselves for that.  And God can always change things.  He is full of grace after all).

I guess I just wish people would consider what's important (not that I did when I was young... By God's grace it didn't work out).  Obviously, you have to make your own decisions, and your family's approval shouldn't be the only reason you decide to marry... but it is oh-so-important.  I don't see enough people making it important.  If your family matters to you, don't let a stranger come between them and you.  If you do, you'll regret it down the road.

Identity Produces Action

How many sins does one have to commit before he is considered a sinner?

Zero.

We are born into sin as sinners. And that's why we have to be reborn into righteousness as saints. That's also why Christians say "born again" in reference to salvation.

We are who we are. Our actions are merely byproducts of our identity. We do what we do because we are who we are.

The world sees it the opposite way: we are who we are because we do what we do. People are judged by their actions. And fairly so there's not much available for us to judge other than a person's actions. But that doesn't reflect truth.

And furthermore, because of this mindset, people often focus on what they can do for God. They always focus on the doing part and not enough on the "being" part (which is believing and knowing who you are in Christ).

My identity is determined by God. If I'm reborn into Christianity but still sinning, it's only because I don't realize who I really am.

People will judge and label a person based on his actions. And they will hold him to it. Not many are open to change or growth.

But people didn't make you, God did. He knows who you are. He's the best one from whom to find out. So break out of the mold others have made for you. It never fit right anyway.

Pride of Man

There is a common thought that in order to keep oneself humble, one must be in constant awareness of how sinful one is; to always keep oneself in check, making sure to leave no weakness exposed to temptations, making sure to check motivations, making sure to stay close to God, and making sure to avoid sin. After all, no one is perfect. We are all sinners; "for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans)

What if I said that this version of humility is not humility at all?  How?

1. It is so self-involved, even in its attempts to be selfless, the focus is on the self (trying to be selfless rather than actually being selfless by trying to help others...).

Furthermore, this mindset presupposes that we are somehow capable of keeping ourselves in check and close to God.  It assumes that we have the ability to avoid sin by sheer will. It glorifies our own human will, making righteousness out to be a goal achieved by struggling between two inner natures, the "flesh" (the sinful part) and the "spirit" (the glorified part), and then struggling against the enemy (Satan and his minions).  This is actually a non-Biblical, gnostic worldview that has infiltrated the church [gnostic view = the flesh is evil and the spirit is good.  more on this another time].

Ever heard of the analogy about the two dogs?  I've heard this one used a lot in church; it's a story of two dogs in a fight.  Which one wins?  The one you feed.  And so the application to our lives is that if we feed our minds on garbage (profane music, immoral friendships, worldly television, etc.), our sinful nature wins.  However, if we feed ourselves on righteous things (reading the word, prayer, devotion, worship, etc.), our redeemed nature wins.

I find depths of truth in this analogy, but in the way that it is often used, people tend to focus on the doing part.  It's that attempt at humility by keeping oneself in check by feeding oneself with righteous things so that one can win the battle over the flesh.

It's clear to all of us that the "sinful nature" wins against the "will for holiness" one hundred percent of the time.  "God, give me the desire to desire you!" is a common plea.  And if we've somehow achieved a level of righteousness, after a while we become tired and burnt out.  That's when great men fall (pastors of mega-churches committing adultery, famous evangelists declaring they are homosexual, etc... however, being burnt out is not the only reason men fall).

The motivation here is keeping oneself worthy of God and heaven.  It is an effort to prove oneself worthy of the call.

       2.  Not only is this version of humility self-focused, but sin-focused.

When one has a constant inward focus, especially at the imperfect sinfulness, one falls into condemnation.  And, as I have said before, condemnation is a tactic of Satan used to depress and disqualify the saints (saints = believers).

So what does pride have to do with this?

You've probably guessed by now that I am implying the common view of humility is actually prideful.

True humility is honesty; knowing who you are.  Pride, however, is thinking you are better than you are, or better than others.  And so if one can avoid sin by sheer will, as many believe, then what was the purpose of Jesus' death on the cross?  If mankind is capable of making itself holy by fighting hard enough, and feeding itself with righteous things, then man has no need for a savior.  Man, by his own sheer will, can earn his own salvation.  That, to me, is the epitome of pride.  It is saying that I do not need Jesus.

Our own sheer will becomes an idol* before God. 

It seems backwards to say, as a believer, "I am no longer a sinner."  Doesn't that sound like the most prideful statement?  "What, so all of us here who are trying to stay humble are sinners, yet you are somehow NOT a sinner?  How prideful!  Who does he think he is?!  What an elitist!"  Well, the truth is, the believer who knows he is not a sinner also knows why: Christ made him so by dying on the cross.  He can't take one ounce of credit for it.  He knows that his sinful nature died with Christ, and he has been re-born with a sinless nature.  Yes.  Christ's sacrifice actually is that powerful.  claiming sinlessness is the most humbling claim because it means that Jesus IS his righteousness, and that he is utterly incapable of achieving it apart from Jesus.  It is the epitome of reliance on Christ.  It is true faith that Christ's death has actual power.  It's actually possible to go on without sinning, and it's effortless!  It's effortless because all it takes is knowing the truth.  That's why it's important to renew our minds--to feed on righteous things--because knowing our position with Christ is what keeps us solid.  Knowing who you are is true humility.

Aren't you sick of focusing on all your imperfections?  Well, stop!  Focus on Jesus, who did it all for you.  Aren't you tired of fighting?  Well, stop!  Jesus already fought for you!  What a joyful thought!  What a glorious truth!  What a freeing mindset!  It's like finally coming up above water and breathing air again.  Christ paid for all of your sins: past, present, and future.  You have no sinful nature.  Your "flesh" died when you became a believer.  The only reason why it seems to still exist is because people think it does.  You are NOT schizophrenic, nor do you have multiple personalities.  You are one person, united with Christ in all aspects of your life.

So:

1. Man is incapable of being righteous
2. Man is incapable of choosing God
3. God loves man and wants him to be in union with Him once again, so He makes a way by sending His son to die.
4. Jesus, being fully man and fully human paid the price for salvation, satisfying God's wrath
5. God's wrath is satisfied and He is no longer angry at man
6. God draws man to himself (He is utterly irresistible when he draws you)
7. Any who are drawn put their trust in and believe in Christ.
8. Believers have been crucified with Christ; their sinful nature dies, they become united with Christ, and are reborn with a sinless nature.
9. God's spirit literally dwells in his fullness within the believer
10. Believers not only have the mind of Christ, but access to all of His authority (heirs to Jesus' throne)
11. Believers' actions had nothing to do with their salvation (because it was attained by Christ alone) therefore, they cannot lose their salvation based on their actions.  [People argue this point heavily because there are scriptures that can be taken the opposite way, but this is Biblical doctrine.  People also think that by saying we can't lose our salvation, then we are giving license to sin.  A license to sin is merely a misunderstanding of these 11 points.]

Lastly, one who claims sinlessness apart from Christ--that person is more prideful than our humility-chasers.  That person is claiming to be God.  I want to differentiate between that person and one who is completely reliant on the grace that came from Christ's death on the cross.

So there you have it.  True humility is knowing you have a sinless nature through Jesus Christ.


*Martin Luther calls it the "Idol of the Will".  see John Crowder's explanation here

Omniscience of God

Here's a short tidbit of theology that struck me as awesome:

Omniscience of God

"Omni" generally means all. "Science" generally refers to knowledge. Therefore this term refers to God's all-knowing nature. Greek logic (which has heavily influenced our own logic) says that there's this heavenly "Logos", or knowledge. And this contains all knowledge there is to know in the universe. As humans, we only know a small fraction of this Logos.  So then, God's omniscience must refer to Him knowing the heavenly Logos.

But scripture provides a far more intense description: God doesn't just contain all knowledge, he has direct and immediate access to all knowledge at all times. He knows thoughts, knows all possible outcomes before a decision is made. He not only knows each thing in and of itself, He also knows each thing in relation to the whole. It refers to His sovereignty; He knows all things, sees all things, sustains all things, and governs all things. In order for us to learn something, it takes time to process, whereas God instantaneously knows all happenings. That's just awesome.

(Scripture references: 1 Sam. 16:7, 23:9-13; 1 Kings 8:39; 2 Kings 13:19; 1 Chron. 28:9; Ps. 33:13-15, 81:14-15, 139:1-6, 139: 13-16; Prov. 15:3; Job 24:23; Jer. 16:17; Isa. 40:13-14, 48:18; Luke 16:15; Rom. 8:27, 11:33-36; Eph. 1:11; Heb. 4:13)

Belief Does Not Precede Reality, But it Precedes Experience

Christian belief does not precede reality.  This is a phrase that my Theology teacher, "Mac," as we call him, has been drilling into us since the beginning of the semester.  What he means is that, as Christians, our faith is based on historical events; it is based on real things that have happened.  Our faith does not create our reality, as Atheists would try to explain to us.  The Atheist sees Christianity as a system of beliefs that are made up without considering reality.

What I want to establish for now is that reality precedes our belief.  In other words, there is an absolute truth and reality that our faith is founded upon.  [I'm skipping all the arguments to prove this point because there is a further, more specific point I want to make in this blog]

Since reality precedes our belief, I want to point out that this does not mean our experience reflects this reality.  What I mean by that is that there is a God, but we might not necessarily experience Him in our lifetime (especially if we don't believe He exists).  Now at this point I am adding my own idea into the equation rather than borrowing points from other, more well-versed theologians.

Belief determines experience.

In psychology, there is a term called "perceptual set".  A perceptual set is a set of expectations that a person has of life that greatly determines how he or she interprets any given circumstance.  For example, lets say a woman slaps a man in subway train.  People observing will have several different responses; one person may think, "You go girl!", while another thinks, "What a disrespectful woman.", while yet another assumes that the two are probably in a relationship and about to break up, etc...  All these people have different perceptual sets that cause them to interpret actions differently.  Two people could experience the exact same circumstance, yet interpret it in totally different ways.

Another example: every day my psychology teacher likes to give his wife a shoulder rub.  She, of course interprets it as a comfortable, relaxing event.  But if my teacher were to walk up to me on the first day of class and start giving me a shoulder rub, I would experience stress and discomfort.  What I want to establish is that though our senses are reading the world around us, each of us are internally experiencing the same external reality in different ways.

So how is this significant to theology?

There is a reality that exists--for my purposes, God exists--but if I don't believe in Him, I will not interpret my experiences as from God, or of God.

The Atheist probably sees God like Tinkerbell.  When we believe in her, she suddenly exists, but when we don't believe in her, she dies.  However, the truth is that God exists whether we believe in Him or not.  And my point is that we experience Him based on what we believe about Him.

Okay, so that is a very basic idea.  Now lets get into the specific situation I am thinking about...

The other day a friend of mine talked to me on the way to class about her day, saying, "You know how brother Yun [Chinese man from the book, "The Heavenly Man"] preached in chapel yesterday and it was awesome?"
     "Yep!"
     "Well, I've just been believing that I'm a new creation since his altar call..." and she went on about how she received a huge medical bill and she had so much peace about it, and how God has been encouraging her in various ways, and then she prayed for her mother's back and neck and it was instantly healed.  She was so excited and encouraged, as was I.

When she said, "I've been believing that I'm a new creation," I wanted to tell her that this is not a fleeting moment.  I wanted to tell her that so long as she believes she's a new creation, she will experience the supernatural...

Perhaps she will.  Perhaps she knows this is an eternal position she has in Christ.  But I thought about how in my life, when I would sin or get tired or run down, I wouldn't feel so new anymore.  I didn't feel good about myself so I assumed I wasn't on good standing with the Lord.  And, of course, I didn't feel worthy of righteousness, and I felt disqualified to rebuke the enemy.  I'd have to remedy this with spending time with God, and that usually consisted of apology after apology.  I'd only stop apologizing when I thought my actions measured up to His standard, which was a very rare occasion.  So I lived below my means most of the time, trying to make good decisions and be obedient to God but always failing... until a pastor would come along offering some kind of special anointing, or a chance to renew my commitment to God.  I thought that the preacher's "holiness" somehow rubbed off on me through his prayers and laying on of hands.  And then my faith would be built back up... until I sinned again, or felt bad about anything...  It sounds a little silly when I put it into words, but I didn't realize what I was doing.  I was ignorant of the problem: I had no understanding of the gospel.

I think this ignorance is an epidemic in this Pentecostal bubble I live in.  And I wondered if my friend lived the same way.  I assume that she does since she didn't believe she was a new creation before brother Yun came into town.

Here's the truth that always remains: at salvation [belief in Christ], you become a new creation.  Your sinful human nature dies.  This means you are no longer a sinner.  This is not a second chance at life to do it right, it's a new life: this is a dive into the sweet fullness of grace.  Your actions had no part in earning you any type of salvation, therefore they cannot separate you from God.  Even the murderer, Abel (in Genesis), talked to God and was protected by God.  You are new no matter what you do.  How is this possible?  It's possible because Christ bought your salvation with His blood.  You merely enter into this sweet blessedness by faith, however your faith itself is not what saves you.  It was Christ.  His sacrifice alone gave you full standing with God.  Since your actions had nothing to do with this promotion of your spiritual condition, they have no power to take you out of it... and thus, how much of this blessed position you experience is based on what you believe about it.

People reject this faith because they think, "If I'm no longer a sinner, why am I still sinning?"  [I know I've posted this very phrase before, but again I will say it] it's merely because it is difficult to believe that you are no longer a sinner.  It's too good to be true!  But I say, God is a GOOD God!  He is SO good, we can't even believe it!  We've never seen anything so good!  We've never felt anything so good!  There's always a catch... but not this time.  And the hardest part is accepting it.  Everyone always says "No one is perfect." and "You'll never fully 'arrive'."  Pastors say this on the pulpit!  And there's a reason we all say it--we don't want to get all prideful and boast about ourselves.  Why should I actually accept that I'm a new creation?  I didn't dissimulate and then re-materialize.  I still mess up!

But don't you see that having this mindset is like spitting on the power of the cross?  Christ's death on the cross has the power to change your nature.  It has the power to bring a salvation more meaningful than we can possibly understand.  If I say I'm no longer a sinner, it's NOT because I have accomplished righteousness on my own.  It is ONLY because Christ died on the cross.  NOT I, but HE accomplished it FOR me.  That's the ONLY way I CAN be righteous: vicariously through Christ.  So, I say, Christ's death on the cross satisfied God's wrath towards me and my sinful nature is dead in Christ.  And by the power of the cross, I am no longer a sinner.

So long as I believe that, I will live it.

I no longer focus on my actions.  I am in instant communion with Christ at any time because I believe and know my status with HIM.  I know it is not my actions that put me in good standing with Him.  It was Christ.  Therefore, based on Christ's sacrifice, I can come before God any time.  And THAT'S what makes me so confident in Him.  That's what eases my tension and brings me peace.  That's what keeps me solid and consistent.  It's knowing the truth.  I'm free from guilt and shame at all times.  And I have authority over the enemy at all times.  (All believers do; they just don't realize they do)

I am not trying to tell you that I am perfect.  I am trying to tell you that Christ is perfect and He is now united with me, living through me.  This same truth applies to you.

If my perceptual set is based on this solid gospel, my life is interpreted in a whole new way.  My expectations in life are very different.  My experience lines up with the truth.  If it doesn't, it won't change the truth.  I am not going to make adjustments based on it either. 

And so my point is this: reality precedes belief, and belief precedes experience.

Search

I used to fill my emotional void with music
It soothed my nerves, it gave me satisfaction
I was tired of being emotional all the time
So I tried relationships
First it was peers; friendships of all kinds
I was happy if I could bring people together
But I wanted something deeper
So then it was boyfriends
Who helped me open up and see beauty
But I became attached
and they all hurt me in some way
I was tired of pain
So I filled life with work
But my work was always lacking
It always needed improving
In some way, small or big, I was failing
I was tired of failing
So I sought guidance from my elders
much of my turmoil and sorrow left
when I felt loved by those with wisdom
who could help me gain a greater perspective on life
And thus I started to develop my own way of thinking
and didn't always agree on things
I couldn't rely solely on my elders anymore
I could not become a drone
So I started to try help others think for themselves
But I kept working without rest
And music started to feel bland
Dance became boring
Food lost its taste
Relationships drained me
Art lost its meaning
My passions started dying
I began to feel nothing at all...
except Christ...

Now all things are gray, and He is the only one in color
Music is noise, but his voice is a symphony
Food is bland, but His truth is sustenance
Relationships are nice, but His love is everything
and all other passions are dead except the desire to experience Him
"All my delight is in you Lord"

Ecclesiastes 1:1
“Meaningless! Meaningless!”
    says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
    Everything is meaningless.”

Psalm 63:3 
"Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you"

Jeremiah 31:25

"I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”

 

Psalm 31:21  

"Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was in a city under siege"

 

 

Bashing God's Chosen

I believe it is an injustice to the people of God to bash (vilify, slander, or discredit) any minister of God.

I do not say this to condemn anyone for doing so; I myself have been guilty of bashing others.  God has grace for us.  I only wish to discuss something I have recently learned. 

I myself will be the first to point out wrong doctrine.  Many of the discussions I have with my husband involve post-sermon-bad-theology detox.  And many of these blog posts are exactly that.  But I believe it would be wrong to discredit those ministers who speak bad doctrine.  If people are finding salvation, if the ministry is producing fruit, if people are being filled with the Holy Spirit [as strange as that can sometimes be], then who are we to say God is not using them?

In my experience as a leader in Masters Commission, I've watched our program switch leadership more times than is healthy for any ministry.  And I could tell you story upon story about times I disagreed with what my leaders were teaching to my students and "leaders-in-training" (I call them mine because I love them like they are mine, even now).  Some crazy doctrine has come out of the mouths of almost every leader I've ever worked with at some point in their lives, myself included.  But God used us all in a supernatural way to help shape each others' faith.  I have been hurt by leaders who have led others to be baptized in the spirit, who have prayed for healing and people were healed.  I have hurt people, but God has also used me to pray for those same people and they were instantly healed.

What I am ultimately saying is something that Bill Johnson said at Jesus Culture's 2011 conference "The Awakening."  He told us to always respect the Holy Spirit in others.  In other words, I am not special just because I'm a part of this or that church, nor am I special because I've been through what I've been through; I am special because of the Holy Spirit in me.  God plays no favorites.

By no means am I saying to accept what everyone is teaching.  I am definitely not saying to trust anyone who believes in God.  Believe what you believe to be true, and don't let people tear down your faith.  But I am saying don't cause others' faith to stumble.  Others may not be at a point in their lives to maturely receive criticism of others.  We all are on the same playing field as far as our chances with God. "God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable" (Romans 11:29, NIV)  or as the Amplified version says: 
       For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. [He never withdraws them when once they are
        given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom 
        He sends His call.]
This means that once God gives gifts, He doesn't take them back.  That's why they are called gifts, not rewards.  Even if the person turns out to be a scoundrel, genuine people could still be ministered to by the Holy Spirit using that scoundrel.  After all, didn't God use a donkey to tell Balaam not to keep going in the direction he was headed (Numbers 22)?

I especially feel it is an injustice when a preacher openly bashes another preacher to a congregation full of people.  I once heard a traveling evangelist say, "I feel that all those grace preachers are doing a disservice to you young people by not telling you the truth..."  and a bunch of people said a hearty "AMEN", and I wanted to punch his lights out.  It's those grace preachers' messages that have kept me from leaving the church altogether.  In fact, several of those grace preachers are seeing thousands saved in their meetings.  The grace of God is irresistible.  It does not harm people, neither does it enable sinners; it changes sinners into saints.  It is God's positive reinforcement.  Why would anyone be so angry that thousands of hearts are coming to know Christ and being spared from Hell?

Some of the motivation for bashing other ministers (same motivation for bashing anyone):

1.  Jealousy - any person successful in ministry can become an object of jealousy to the minister who is called to disciple a select few.  Ministers all over dream of someday having a global ministry, seeing thousands come to Christ.  They ultimately want their ministry to grow.  What ambitious human doesn't want to expand their territory?  It's also easy to fall into the trap of feeling like God is blessing everyone but you.
2. Ignorance - people just don't know what is actually being preached and they are hearing second and third-hand interpretations of doctrine.  They don't see the fruit of the ministry and don't know what's really going on.  They end up discrediting a person based on falsehood.
3. Doubt/Faithlessness - if miracles are happening elsewhere, it can be easy to be skeptical.  But believe in God's power even if you don't see it manifesting in your life (although I believe it will when a person believes)
4. Disagreement - A person might actually disagree with the doctrine preached.  In this case, one must be extremely sensitive with the subject.  
5. Pride - A person might just feel that their denomination is superior in every way; their interpretation of scripture is the only way to believe.  It's okay to believe something fervently, but I am talking about those who pride themselves in their beliefs rather than in God.

We MUST be sensitive when we talk about others.  Here's why sensitivity is so important: 

1. We can cause others to stumble.  Some people have their pastors on pedestals and can't handle hearing disagreement.  Their faith in their pastor is so closely linked with their faith in God, that to hear someone disagree could make them question their own faith.  Many people look at pastors and leaders as representatives of God in their lives, much like the Jews relied on their priests, and not fully realizing that Jesus Christ is our priest (Hebrews 5-7).  I don't believe it's wrong to look to leadership for guidance, but one must have a proper perspective, not elevating man higher than what he is, especially not higher than God.
2. There is so much truth to be gained from other doctrines.  We should never be so prideful to think that we are at the top of our understanding of God.  Some of the most beautiful theology comes out of the Anglican church.  Some of the teachings of Charles Spurgeon, a very famous Calvinist, has changed my life.  Catholics have a great understanding of sacrament.  Pentecostals believe for the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be active within the church setting.  Grace preachers are healing balm for those who have been hurt by legalistic believers, and they are seeing masses saved.  Why deprive someone of something they might need simply because you don't agree with the person preaching.

I would say it is noble to feel protective and want to shield others from bad teaching.  I am sure many initially feel this way when they do discredit others.  But it's all the same: make sure you know what you're talking about when you say what you do, and use wisdom in the way that you say it.  Always give respect to the minister who is in question.  Don't make hasty generalizations about these people, after all, didn't Jesus rebuke the disciples for discrediting a preacher of the gospel simply because they didn't know him?

I finish with this thought: 1 John 2:27, "As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him."
 

How Preachers Shoot Themselves In the Foot, Erroneous Tactic #1: Condemnation

Preachers, pastors, and priests are some of my favorite kinds of people.  They devote their entire lives to God by serving others, and their devotion is striking.  What they sacrifice to accomplish what they believe to be God's will is massive.  Any man or woman who tells me they've "pastored" a church has high respect from me simply because I've seen the ugly side of ministry and know what can go on.  I automatically know they've had to deal with harsh scoldings from stubborn, disagreeing believers, they've wrestled with tough moral decisions, and they've had to watch how their decisions affect a large multitude of people.  All they ever dream about is to see people experience God in a magnificent way.  They want what God want's: for people to live life abundantly and joyfully, having an intimate relationship with Christ.  A mistake made by a pastor can cause an unstable believer to turn away from God, or even cause some people to be led astray in their thinking.  That is not always the pastor's fault, but it is gut-wrenching to think about.  Any person who has been a head pastor has had their heart broken and smashed to the ground many times.  They endure a lot.

These precious "shepherds" can carry a heavy burden.  There's pressure to be better than human: people expect a higher moral standard from their spiritual leaders.  Of course, it comes with the territory.  When you appear on a stage to be heard by a number of people, you are placed on a pedestal at least by someone if not many.  It can be easy to constantly compare yourself to the standard set before you.  And being human, all a pastor can say is that he is just like everyone else. And it's just as easy to compare others to your own high standard and feel discouraged when they don't meet it.  Naturally, that frustration can come out in sermon-form.   A pastor's own sense of condemnation or discouragement, or even frustration can ooze out onto the congregation.  Worship leaders are included in this.

There are plenty of cases in which a pastor is preaching and there is no hint of condemnation in the sermon, but people misinterpret it. Perhaps a person already feels condemned for how they've been living and any teaching is like a stab in the face because they don't feel worthy of it. So, I will not make a generalization about all pastors and all sermons.  I am going to bring light to the effects of using condemnation, whether intentionally or unintentionally, on people in a church setting.  So here we go...

There is a running theme of condemnation on the subject of sin.  It's easy to interpret scripture that way, especially if you're reading the Old Testament.  God hates sin.  It's been made clear in scripture after scripture.  It's also easy to preach that way, after all, doesn't it say that we are all sinners?  Isn't there constant instruction on staying away from immorality even in the New Testament?  Perhaps bluntness and honesty is the best path to fixing the problem.  Sometimes a person needs to hear harsh words, right?  We need to be honest with ourselves and God, 'cause we stink at keeping our end of the deal.  Doesn't the Bible say that the truth will set you free?  With that fuel, a person on a pulpit may feel a duty to point out sins and discuss the consequences.  I've heard that scolding tone many a time.  It's like a father telling his son what he did wrong.  We all have probably heard at least one sermon that has made us feel like the lowest form of a human being.

In these cases, there's an arsenal of shame-causing, law-revealing scriptures.  There's also scripture that says that whatever is done in darkness will be brought to the light (1 Corinthians 4:5).  It's easy to scare an entire congregation into thinking they will be utterly exposed and humiliated as a result of their sins [more on this below].  "Your sins will find you out." (Numbers 32:23) is also another big one.  And, "The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23), is one I've heard time and time again.  I am not trying to say preachers should never preach these scriptures.  I am merely pointing out popular ones that have been used in a condescending, condemning way. 
 
[**Side Note** No one should live in fear of exposure because, praise God, where sin abounds, grace much more abounds.  Our good actions don't redeem our sins.  That's a worldly mindset.  God's grace redeems us from sin.  God protects us and defends our nakedness.  He doesn't bring us shame.  I know there are instances in which public confession is necessary for healing, especially for political reasons.  But God is in the business of redemption, not humiliation.  When people start pointing at other people's sins, they are not doing so out of God's love.  "...the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere." (James 3:17)]

Some people outright name sins.  I once heard a preacher tell the congregation that they were a "lustful and immoral generation".  He then moved on to his next point that revival only comes by living a lifetime of purity.  He disqualified every person in the room who had experienced impurity in their lives (which is everyone).  Can you imagine how hopeless his people felt?  Can you guess what the altar call looked like?  People were wailing at the altar, filled with condemnation.  He removed all hope for revival, which is what he longed for so desperately.

Or there are those preachers who don't live in fear of exposure because they actually believe their actions have put them on good terms with God.  This is how the Pharisees believed, and we all know how much Jesus couldn't stand it.  So they preach from that platform, only preaching on the things that they themselves have overcome.  They use their own lives as teaching points (which is not bad, but it is in this case).  If you think your actions have earned you some righteousness, I will be so bold as to say you don't understand the gospel.  Jesus is our righteousness.  Our status with God is based on the cross, not on our behavior, good or bad.

Then there's a lot of talk about "dealing with sins".  The problem with that idea is that Christ dealt with it on the cross already.  In sermons dealing with sin, the natural solution is repentance.  Pastors at least give some hope by providing this way out.  The typical repentance sermon deals with "that one sin we always struggle with that we can't ever seem to get rid of". And the main point is: confession is the way to freedom.  And all the altar calls are all the same: if you are feeling convicted, come down to the altar to get your freedom.  And all the prayers are the same: "God, give them strength to overcome this sin."  And practically the whole congregation responds to the altar call, because everyone feels guilty about some sin they've committed.  A preacher may feel that he has effectively preached the gospel according to the Spirit simply because his altar call response is huge.  And the undertone is that, "no one is perfect", so if you don't go down to the altar, you must think that you're perfect.  If we're all sinners, then we should all be at that altar, sharing the private things of our hearts with people we might not know or even trust.  And it's easy for a leader to see the rest of the people, those who remain in the pews, as less holy.  It may seem that they are holding back from God.  That's what I used to think!

Freedom from sin comes from Christ, not from confession.  Confession may be a part of the healing process, but it is not the source of freedom.  Furthermore, the ultimate goal in this Christian walk is not to overcome sin so you can make it into heaven.  If you've spent years and years, like me, trying to overcome sin, you've wasted your efforts.  Christ already overcame it for us.

Another problem with the "typical repentance sermon"  is that whoever preached has just put your focus on how imperfect you are as a human compared to God.  When we focus on our imperfection, condemnation is what naturally occurs.  This condemnation is then confused with conviction.  And so hundreds of people are trained, whether by their pastors or by their own misinterpretation, to recognize condemnation (a tactic of Satan) as the Holy Spirit's conviction.  Guilt is then associated with God, and so many people start running from God because they think this feeling of fear and guilt is from Him.  So many people begin to have a distorted view of God like He's a disappointed father always looking down on them.  He seems sadistic because He knows they are utterly dependent on Him to be free of these short-comings, yet He somehow expects them to deal with it on their own?  It is an unbiblical paradox.  This simply keeps people in a state of fear rather than in a state of trust.

Conviction is not to be confused with condemnation.  But this is an area I need to study further.  I will leave it up to God to point out sins because his way of doing it is so much more loving and empowering than mine.  When He brings up my sins, He is usually showing me that He is taking care of them.  He always reassures me that He turns all things for the good of those who love Him.  When I point out other peoples' sins, they get defensive or feel terrible, neither of which leads to actual freedom from those sins.  It only ever leads to the person focusing on their sins and entering into an endless battle with them.  I have no power to free others from their sin.

Do you see how even subtle condemnation works its way into the believer's mind and actually leads him down a worse path than before?  Condemnation that is believed from ANY source destroys faith in God.  Even a genuine pastor--who loves God and is desperate to see God moving in his congregation--even that gem of a person can sabotage his end goal of revival.  That pastor only finds himself more and more discouraged and "desperate" to see God move in his church because the people seem so hopeless and downcast.  But they don't feel worthy enough to engage their spiritual gifts or sometimes even talk to God because they are focused on how terrible they are at keeping God's law. 

Let me establish two things: 1) Jesus came into the world not to condemn the world, but to save it (John 3:17 NIV), and 2) Satan is the "accuser of the brethren" (Rev 12:10 KJV).  When a preacher uses condemnation as a tool to bring about repentance, he is unknowingly doing the devil's job.  But that is not his intention.  In fact, when he points out sin, it's usually motivated out of a desire to get rid of the problem.  That's where I was.  I was trying to help my leadership team improve by always telling them where the mistakes were, but I was making things worse.  It's backwards thinking.  Encouragement bore far greater results.

Solution: Focus on God and Know Who You Are.

The problem is not the sin.  The problem is the focus.  Too many Christians are focused on sin.  And whatever you focus on becomes your reality.  Trying to avoid sin only makes it worse because of the very nature of it; avoiding sin puts the focus on, well, sin.  And the frustrating fact, to me, is that because of those altar calls, and their belief that they must deal with this sin, many people walk away identifying themselves with the sins they confessed.  They walk away feeling a strong mandate to overcome sin instead of being renewed and believing that Christ already overcame it for them. 

Your sinful nature died with Christ.  The only reason you're seeing sin in your life is because you believe you are a sinner.  Whatever you believe manifests in your life.

I believe the solution to the problem of being sin-focused is to start being God-focused.  We must also believe that we are so melded into Christ's spirit that His nature IS our nature.  We must trust Him to live through us.

God speaks things that aren't as though they were.  He tells us who we are even if it seems impossible to believe.  He always gives us positive reinforcement, even when we feel less than worthy of it.  Even psychology will tell you that positive reinforcement is the most effective way to teach someone a behavior; it far exceeds any other type of teaching in effectiveness.  If you believe you're an imperfect sinner, guess what: that's what you'll always be so long as you believe it.  And you'll never get to the meat of the word.  And if you've mixed up condemnation for conviction, you'll have a hard time trusting God, because you actually associate Him with who Satan is.  We are hid in Christ.  He's not going to expose your sin.  He's going to give you favor and blessings.  Believe it!

So I say to those who speak from the pulpit: pointing out sin is one way to stop your church from experiencing revival.  Condemnation is a tool of Satan.  You yourself cannot allow it into your heart, and you must protect others from experiencing it.  It is a faith-blocker.  If you want your congregation to be discouraged and scared, preach repentance again and again.  If you want Christians to act like sinners, continuously remind them that they're sinners; keep them dwelling on how they've been living their lives this past week, and you'll keep them in a darkened state.  Your ministry will always be dragging along.  Finding volunteers will be like pulling teeth.  And your leaders will be tired and drained.  People need positive reinforcement.  They need to believe that they can accomplish anything.  They need to feel loved and approved of.  They need to feel valued.  They need their faith to be built up.  They have all of that through Christ already.  Don't take that away.

I am convinced that the behavior of a person has everything to do with what he or she believes. Believe you are not a sinner, not because you are something special, but because Christ loved you so much He died for you, and when He died, so did your sinful nature.  Keep your mind on Christ.

Colossians 3:1-3 (NIV)
"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."