Grace - Sin can lay claim neither on Jesus, nor you. Part 3

Here is the second part of an excerpt from Paul Ellis' book "The Gospel in Ten Words":

http://jdkrider.blogspot.com/2013/02/grace-sin-can-lay-claim-neither-on.html

Below you may read the third and final part.  I've highlighted a few meaningful sentences.

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy

So how do we walk in that freedom?  "Count yourselves dead to sin."  Your old master Sin will tempt you and pester you and try and bait you back into captivity.  One of Sin's more cunning strategies is to so sinful desires into your mind and make you believe they are your desires.  Do not be fooled.  You have the mind of Christ, and Jesus never has a sinful thought.  So, if a sinful thought enters your head, you can rest assured it did not originate in your sound mind.  Don't take ownership of it.  If it flew in your left ear, let it fly our your right.  But what you must not do is engage with it.  Don't react, don't dialogue, don't wrestle.  Just play dead.

Playing dead is your best response to a provocateur such as the devil.  Understand that the devil doesn't particularly care how you respond to sinful desires as long as you respond in the flesh.  Sin like a sinner, or resist like a Pharisee, and he wins because you will be distracted from the grace that preserves you.  Your eyes will be on your sinful- or self-righteous self instead of Jesus.

That's the first part; here is the second:  "Reckon yourself alive to God in Christ Jesus."  If all we did was play dead, life would be dead dull.  Life is meant to be lived in spite of all the temptations we face.  We have to live for something, so let us live for Him and His righteousness (1 Peter 2:24).  If we react to anything, let us react to Jesus and the beauty of His holiness.

Choosing to live for Jesus IS spiritual warfare.  It is resisting the devil by submitting to God.  It is the choice that brings ever-increasing freedom and freedom is fun!

Grace - Sin can lay claim neither on Jesus, nor you. Part 2

Here is the first part of an excerpt from Paul Ellis' book "The Gospel in Ten Words":

http://jdkrider.blogspot.com/2013/02/grace-sin-can-lay-no-claim-on-neither.html

Below you may read the second part.

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy

So how do we partake?  How do we walk in this new way of life and resist the temptation to sin?  The wrong way is the old way.  It's trusting in the might of Adam and striving in the flesh to be an overcomer.  It is telling ourselves, "Don't do this.  Don't do that."  Such an approach cannot succeed because it relies on our own resolve and determination rather than the grace of God.  It's flesh-powered Christianity.

The problem is we have been eating from the forbidden tree for so long, we just don't see it.  We think the remedy for bad behavior is good behavior.  We think the solution for sin is to lay down the law.  "Just stop it!"  But this is a misuse of the law.  It's like fighting fire with gasoline.

The law is good, but it is not your friend.  We have a far better friend in Jesus.

"The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.  In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus."  (Romans 6:10-11)

If our co-inclusion with Christ's death is to remain anything at all, we need to consider the nature of his death.  "He died to sin once for all."  Sin has no claim on Jesus, therefore sin has no claim on you.  Sin's wage has been paid and all outstanding debts have been cancelled.  You don't need to do anything to earn your freedom; you are free.  Freedom is your starting point.

So how do we walk in that freedom?  (To be continued....)

A king who has power and authority, but not the heart of a servant, will rule as a tyrant over people. He will be a burden to them, not a blessing. His will will not be for their good or benefit. A servant who has no authority or power may have love and compassion for the people, but as much as he wills it, he will be unable to render aid to those in need. For this reason, the Bible declares that Christians are kingly servants (royal priests). We must know that we are empowered with all of heaven's resources to proclaim and render healing, forgiveness, and the goodness of God's salvation to all who are in need. If you have great compassion for the sick and dying around you, you must also know that you are also a king, ruling with full authority and power, completely equipped to render aid by healing the sick, raising the literal and spiritual dead, and proclaiming the goodness and
rule of our great and merciful King-Priest's dominion. We are kings who reign in power and compassion. Will you receive His gift of righteousness and super-abounding grace to actively live as such?

I always thought that John the baptist was referring to a water baptism when he said to Jesus "I need to be baptized by You". But, John wasn't referring to a water baptism, because he had already pronounced that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. There you go--something that most Christians reject, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, John clearly desires as a second, separate, and greater baptism. Oh, how ignorance and arrogance limits one's experience on earth! We must leave any powerlessness in our existence behind and respond to the call to live from the higher realm in which every Christian reigns as a servant-king.

If God's love is unconditional, then His forgiveness must be unconditional too--forgiveness is an act of love. Therefore, forgiveness is no longer the issue, for because of Christ, all have been forgiven. The issue, then, is whether or not one has heard this message and believed this good news. Those who hear and believe are made new creations; those who do not hear and do not believe remain unchanged and in need of a Savior. In short, all have been forgiven, but not all have been changed through faith.

Grace - Sin can lay claim on neither Jesus, nor you. Part 1

Below is an excerpt from Paul Ellis' book "The Gospel in Ten Words".  I've highlighted a few key sentences.  Enjoy!

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy

When you were in Adam you had no choice but to walk according to the flesh.  Trusting in your own abilities and walking by sight is what unbeliever call normal life, but it's a faithless life.  Since anything that is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23), your former life was inherently sinful.  I don't mean to say you were a raging criminal.  It's just that you were incapable of pleasing the Lord, no matter what you did.  You may have been a good sinner or a bad sinner, but you were a sinner nonetheless.  You were separated from the life of God through your ignorance and unbelief.

But now you are a saint, and a sinner no more.  You have a new identity, a new life, and a new master.  You are no longer a slave to Sin.  You now have the freedom to choose how you will walk, either in the old way of the flesh, or in the new way of the spirit.  But here's the important bit:  If you choose to walk in the old way, your new life will resemble your old one.  This is why some Christians are still bound.  They have left Egypt, but Egypt hasn't left them. They are still thinking like slaves and heeding the voice of their old master.

It certainly doesn't help matter when these precious brothers and sisters are told that their sinful behavior proves they still possess a sinful nature or an innate tendency to sin.  This is simply not true.  Your old self was crucified.  Any sinful nature you once had has been cut off, and that circumcision was not done by the hands of men (Colossians 2:11).  You are one with the Lord.  You do not have two natures dueling for control inside you.  You are a partaker of the sinless life and divine nature of Jesus Christ.

So how do we partake?  (To be continued...)

Grace - The Love of God

Here's a great 5-minute video I came across.  May the Lord pamper you!

Enjoy!

http://dynamicministries.com/5-minute-grace-bible-school/english-5-minute-grace-bible-school/212-5minbs-lesson2-theloveofgod-session3

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy

We have been trained to be quick in our resolve and determination to resist sin and temptation. This simply does not work. It's trusting in the might of Adam and striving in the flesh to be an overcomer. Yet for the Christian, Grace has given us everything we need. When tempted, when you're about to do something you know you shouldn't do--even when you feel like you can't stop yourself--realize His super-abounding Grace is already there to overwhelm you with the satisfaction of Christ's love for you. Worship like this and you will experience the reality of the Christ-bought freedom in which you already exist.

We are called to disciple nations. This was the mandate Jesus released to us before He ascended to Heaven (see Matt. 28:19). The reason the Church has not stepped into her destiny is that we have not aligned our thinking with His words. For too long, our mindset has been one of inferiority and insignificance, and this attitude has neutralized our anointing to impact nations. We have allowed ourselves to be overwhelmed with the evil state of the world and have believed the lie that we could not make a difference. We have settled for sitting back and letting history happen around us rather than being deliberate in authoring history. - Banning Liebscher in "Jesus Culture"

Grace - It Both Hardens and Softens the Heart

The same sun that hardens clay also melts wax. In the same way, the message of God's grace hardens the heart of the proud and softens the heart of the humble. "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). Why is grace only available to the humble? Because only the humble will receive it. The humble will always find God to be gracious and compassionate.

Bob George, from "Classic Christianity".

Grace - Holy Spirit Points To Jesus In Us

Enjoy this excerpt from Paul Ellis' book "The Gospel in Ten Words"

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy

"If I'm so righteous, how come the Holy Spirit keeps convicting me of my sin?"  Actually, he never does that.  That's an extra-Biblical myth that needs to be busted.  Adam didn't need God's help in recognizing his sin and neither do we.  Any guilt you have over wrongdoing comes from a condemning source and not the one called Comforter.  There is no condemnation--not now, not ever--to those who are in Christ Jesus.

Jesus said the Holy Spirit would seek to convince us of our righteousness (John 16:8-10).  When do you most need convincing of your righteousness in Christ?  It is when you are feeling unrighteous.  It is when you have just sinned.

When you sin, the Holy Spirit will seek to remind you that you are still righteous because you are in Christ the Righteous One.

I appreciate this is completely different to the message many of us have heard (and some of us have preached).  We have been told the Holy Spirit is like a heavenly cop who issues warnings whenever we stray.  But that's not what Jesus said.  He said the Holy Spirit would "glorify me" (that's Jesus), guide us into all truth (also Jesus), and convince us of our righteousness (Jesus again).  The Holy Spirit is not closing his eyes to your sin; he is trying to open your eyes to Jesus.  Just as a gyroscope in a plane will always reveal the true horizon, the Holy Spirit will always point you to the Righteous One.  He will always encourage you to fix your eyes on Jesus.

"Having been declared righteous, then, by faith, we have peace toward God..." (Romans 5:1 YLT)

Do you know why so many believers have no peace in their relationship with God?  They would tell you it is because God is angry with them and their sin, but the real reason is they are ignorant of him and his righteousness.  In the kingdom, peace always follows righteousness.  If you are more conscious of your sin that his righteousness, you will never enjoy peace with God.

The church has an unhealthy obsession with sin.  We spend our lives:

watching out for sin

resisting sin

fighting sin

hiding sin

running from sin

owning up to sin

talking about sin

turning from sin,

and hopefully, overcoming sin.

With so much emphasis on sin, guilt, and shame, is it any wonder so many of us don't feel righteous?  We need the ministry of the Holy Spirit now more than ever.

Grace - Go Merrily Married On Your Way

I've been chewing on two verses and I'd like to share three different translations of Hebrews 10:1-2.  I've also highlighted certain aspects of each translation:

"Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the actual form of those realities, it can never perfect the worshipers by the same sacrifices they continually offer year after year. Otherwise, wouldn't they have stopped being offered, since the worshipers, once purified, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?"  (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

"The Law of Moses is like a shadow of the good things to come. This shadow isn't the good things themselves, because it cannot free people from sin by the sacrifices that are offered year after year.  If there were worshipers who already have their sins washed away and their consciences made clear, there would not be any need to go on offering sacrifices."  (CEV)

"The old plan was only a hint of the good things in the new plan. Since that old "law plan" wasn't complete in itself, it couldn't complete those who followed it. No matter how many sacrifices were offered year after year, they never added up to a complete solution. If they had, the worshipers would have gone merrily on their way, no longer dragged down by their sins."  (MSG)

I love these verses.  And I hope they expose in your heart, as they have in mine, the areas in our minds where the Law of Moses (the Jewish Law, as rendered in the Good News Translation) is still in effect.  To put it straight forwardly, we are victims of a mixture of a law-keeping covenant and a grace-given covenant.

I want to again highlight to you the Message translation.  Look how it ends:  "the worshipers would have gone merrily on their way, no longer dragged down by their sins."

If you cannot go merrily on your way and no longer experience remorse and captivity because of your sins, then I would suggest that there remains for you a greater revelation and application of the glory of the Gospel of the Grace of Jesus Christ.  I know far too many people who are laboring under the guilt of their sins and failures, when, if they only knew the truth, they could walk freely and joyously, never again to yield themselves to temptation.

But as it remains, the level of success they achieve never seems to rise above the attempt to constantly manage their behavior.  They're like patients who refuse to leave the hospital because they think they're still sick.  They're holding onto those train tickets that will never get them to destination "holiness".  They go to classes on sanctification; they sweat for Jesus at the gym.

I have a friend who recently married--his name is Franco, and he's an amazing guy.  It's pretty cool, in fact, because in the flash of a moment he went from being unmarried to being married.  Since the moment he became a married person, he has continuously been a married person.  However, if we asked whether or not he's always felt married since that moment, I imagine he might say that he's had to come to believe it.  Surely there is a period of time where the reality of such a wonderful event must take root in a person's thought-life.  Nevertheless, no matter what his feelings have told him, from the moment the pastor at his wedding said "I now pronounce you...", he has, in fact, been entirely and legally (and he would say FINALLY!) married!  (Love you, Franco.)

In the same way, we are holy and righteousness not because of what we've done, but because we have faith in the one perfect sacrifice.  Because of this, we should be merrily on our way, no longer dragged down by our sins.  Our condition is a reality, and knowing that reality is key to experiencing freedom from the enticement of sin--even if we do fail.

So, leave the hospital, get off the "holiness train", skip the classes on how to be sanctified, and throw away those gym membership cards.  Dr. Jesus healed you completely, you've already arrived at your destination of holiness by being seated with Jesus, the Holy Spirit is your teacher and is revealing Christ in you to you, and the strongest man in the world is already residing inside of you.

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy

Grace - Your True Value

Hello All,

Below is an excerpt from Paul Ellis' book "The Gospel in Ten Words".  Enjoy!

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy

Your True Value

In the market for performance-based acceptance, your value to any organization is defined by your ability to produce.  Those who get the results get the recognition.  But in the kingdom of God, your value is determined by the One who accepts you.  Your value is not based on your results or your fruit, but your Father's unconditional approval.

God accepts you!  (I'll keep banging this drum until I get an "Amen.")  Whether you preach a thousand sermons or none at all, your heavenly Father is thoroughly pleased with you.  There is nothing you can do to make him more pleased than he already is.  Just as your good works don't make you any more pleasing to God, neither do your bad works make you less pleasing.  If you yell at the kids and fight with your spouse you are still acceptable.  You may need to make peace with your family, but you already have everlasting peace with God on account of Jesus.

This is so alien to the way we have been raised, that we have trouble believing it.  "But I'm a total failure.  Look at the mess I have made of my life."  And God responds, "You're my beloved child and I am well-pleased with you."

Our Father's loving affirmation is completely at odds with the fault-finding messages of this broken world.  We are constantly being told, "You're not good enough.  You're not smart enough, tall enough, rich enough, or cool enough.  Your teeth aren't white enough or straight enough.  Your skin is the wrong color, your body is the wrong shape, and your smell bad."  Listen to this twaddle long enough and you'll end up a miserable wreck.  You'll make yourself susceptible to the seductive lies of advertisers and snake oil salesmen.

If you want a proper estimation of your true worth, don't look at your academic transcripts or your resume and definitely don't look in the mirror.  Instead, look to the cross.  Jesus loves you more than his own life.  That's the message of the gospel and it's the cure for mother wounds, low self-esteem, and all forms of rejection.

Understand that there are different voices all competing to be heard and that you have to choose whom you will heed.  On the one hand, you have broken people speaking lies about you that really say more about their own brokenness than yours, and on the other, you have Almighty God declaring his unconditional acceptance of you.  The world finds fault with you and does nothing to help, but God says, "You're mine" and pours out his favor.  Who will you listen to?

When you know God is pleased with you regardless of your productivity, it will free you from the pressure to perform.  When you've heard God say "Yes" to you, it will empower you to say "No" to the unhealthy demands of Pharaoh's whip-cracking taskmasters.  If you have been burning the candle at both ends trying to get ahead, a revelation of God's acceptance will bring you to a place of rest.  It will get you off the merry-go-round and sit you down in pastures green.

But that doesn't mean you will be idle.  Those who wait upon the Lord renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31).  Paradoxically, those who have been freed from the need to produce are often the most productive people around.  This happens because the loving acceptance of another brings out the best in us, particularly if the Other is someone special.

Perhaps you have had the pleasant experience of being accepted by the most beautiful girl in the room or the best man in the house.  It is the thrill of being elevated to a higher level.  "Really?!  You choose me?  But you're way out of my league."  As nice as that is, it pales in comparison to the lift that comes from being accepted by the Maker of heaven and earth.  To the glory of his grace you have been lifted out of the miry clay and seated with him in heavenly places.  Talk about your upward mobility.

...

In the old covenant they prayed for the day when the Lord would make his face shine upon you, be gracious to you, and give you peace.  The good news is that you are living in that day.  He is looking at you full in the face and beaming with a galaxy-sized smile.  You are the apple of his eye and he rejoices over you with singing.

Freedom is found in the Father's acceptance.  When you know beyond all doubt that you are your Daddy's delight, you will be set free from the need to please others.  The pressure to perform will lift and the unholy expectations of men will seem ridiculous.  My Father is pleased with me.  I don't have to prove a thing!  If thoughts of rejection should enter your head, you will dismiss them without a care.  God is for me!  Who can be against me?

Secure in your Father's favor you will become fearless and bold.  You will dine in the presence of your enemies and laugh in the face of adversity.  You will dance upon the waves of circumstances and when you are tried by fires of life you shall not be burned (see Isaiah 43:2).

The gospel is not an invitation to accept Jesus; it is the stunning announcement that he accepts you.  Although the law reveals it is impossible for you to make yourself acceptable and pleasing to God, the gospel of acceptance declares that in Christ you have been made acceptable for eternity.  Nothing you do can make you more or less pleasing to God than you already are.  All this is to the praise of the glory of his grace.

Grace - Five Ways Jesus Revealed Grace

Five Ways Jesus Revealed Grace 

by Paul Ellis

Have you ever noticed that Jesus never said the word "grace"? Doesn't this strike you as odd? After all, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Jesus is supposed to be Grace personified. So why didn't He talk about it? The word "grace" appears just four times in the four gospels and not once does Jesus say it. In contrast, the word "law" appears hundreds of times, often in connection with Jesus' preaching. Paul dedicated his life to preaching the gospel of grace, but Jesus was the greatest law preacher of all time. 

Here's something else Jesus never said to any individual: "I love you." Jesus may not have said it but He sure showed it. His selfless sacrifice on the cross was the greatest demonstration of love the world has ever seen. On the cross He wrapped His arms around the world and gave us a big "I love you." It is exactly like that with grace. He may not have said it, but He showed it big time. Here are just five of the ways that Jesus revealed the unmerited favor of a good and gracious God. 

How did Jesus reveal grace? 

1. By showing up! 

Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord… Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. (Lk 2:10-11, 14) 

I have heard people preach this verse as though God was selective with His favor. "Maybe His favor rests on you, maybe it doesn't. You'd better behave yourself and hope for the best." But the angel brought good news of great joy that was for "all the people." Are you people? Then God's favor rests on you! 

What does the favor of God look like? It looks exactly like Jesus. God's favor and God's Savior are synonymous. In every Old Testament mention of promised Savior, we get a hint of grace. Then on the night of His birth we get a mighty shout. "Peace has come to earth!" As Mary discovered and we're still learning, we are highly favored. How so? Because the Lord is with us. He is not against us. He is for us and He is with us. You cannot have the Lord and be anything other than highly favored. He is a magnet to His own favor. 

2. By proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord 

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. (Lk 4:18-19) 

I used to think this verse was good news for handicapped people and those living below the poverty line. Then I realized that Jesus is describing all of us. Relative to God we are all poor and needy. Every one of us is bankrupt of life and righteousness. "The whole world is a prisoner of sin" (Gal 3:22). That's why Jesus announced the Year of Jubilee. Because of Jesus, we have come home, our debts are cleared, and now we reap what we haven't sown. In the Year of Jubilee all the slaves were freed. Again, that's us. We were bound but knowing the Truth we are free indeed. That sounds like the good news of God's grace to me! 

3. By telling stories about grace 

The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for pearls of great price; it is like a treasure hidden in a field. (Mt 13:44-45) 

Jesus preached law to the self-righteous, but ordinary folks typically got stories of grace. And what stories they were! These weren't morality tales for there was no catch, no lesson to be learned. The lost coin did nothing to be found. The lost sheep did not rescue itself. The prodigal returned as a worker but was received as a son. 

Without saying the word grace, Jesus left lasting impressions of unmerited favor. He came for us because in His eyes we are the treasure; we are the pearl of great price. He Himself said so! Jesus' stories leave us, like the prodigal, speechless in the loving arms of their Father. 

4. By showing (and preaching!) unconditional forgiveness 

Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." (Mat 9:2) 

When preaching to those under the law, Jesus made forgiveness conditional. But on the street, Jesus revealed another forgiveness that is unconditional. The paralytic had forgiven no one yet he was forgiven. It was the same with the sinful woman (Luke 7). It was the same for the whole world when Jesus hung on the cross (Lk 23:34). 

If this seems confusing to you, look at the cross. The cross is the dividing line of history and the crossroads of two covenants. Before the cross it was, "Forgive and you will be forgiven." But speaking of what would happen as a result of the cross, Jesus also said, "every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men" (Mat 12:31). When was every sin and blasphemy forgiven? At the cross! Unconditional forgiveness is one of the most liberating manifestations of grace. When you know that you have been completely forgiven, you are free to forgive yourself and others. 

5. By preaching faith over flesh 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (Joh 3:16) 

Look carefully at the end of that verse. There is a full-stop, a period. Praise God for that period! It is the greatest period in the history of periods! That period declares the scandalous grace of God that will not share the stage with any man. The old covenant required about a hundred chapters to list all the things you need to do if you were to have any hope of impressing God, but here in the new, you just have to believe. Full-stop! 

Jesus didn't come with a list of commandments. We already had those from Moses. It's true that Jesus preached law before the cross to those under the law but that wasn't His main reason for coming. He came to open blind eyes, set the captives free, and give us new life. All that He asked was that we receive what He wanted to give us. This is the only thing Grace will ever ask of you. "Receive Me." 

Jesus = grace 

Jesus may not have said "I love you" [to any one person], but those who met Him went away knowing they were dearly loved. Just ask John. For the rest of his life he went around telling people, "I'm the disciple Jesus loves." So are you. 

To know His love is to know His grace. They are inseparable. God is gracious because He is love. Why did Jesus come? Jesus came to reveal the grace of a good God who loves us like a Father. He came to bring us good news of great joy that is for all people.

Grace - Jesus Called Both Peter And Judas "Friend"

What if I Disappoint God? by Paul Ellis

"To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved." (Eph 1:6, NKJV)


We are accepted "in the Beloved." Some take this to mean we are only in the kingdom because we have a friend in high places. This is misleading. It's like saying, "God can't stand you personally but as a special favor to Jesus he'll pretend he can't see you." I know, it's silly. Yet some Christians are worried sick that if God knew the secrets of their hearts he would kick them out in a heartbeat. In order to avoid detection they maintain such a low profile you could mistake them for pancakes.

Others wear masks because they fear rejection. "If you knew who I really am, you wouldn't love me." Well guess what. God knows you better than you know yourself and he still loves you.

Genuine acceptance is based on knowledge. You can't truly accept someone unless you know them and God knows you. He knows everything you have ever done and everything you will ever do. He knows your darkest secrets and every skeleton in your closest. He knows what you did last summer and what you're going to do next winter. And despite knowing all this, your heavenly Father still loves you like crazy.

You may be worried that you will disappoint God. It's not going to happen. It is literally impossible to disappoint an all-knowing God. When you make a mistake you may surprise yourself—"I can't believe I did that"—but God is never surprised. Since nothing you do ever catches God off guard, rest assured that you can never disappoint him. When you stumble he responds with unaffected grace: "I knew you were going to do that, but don't worry, I still love you."

Jesus knew ahead of time that Peter was going to deny him and yet Jesus didn't reject Peter. Instead he loved him and prayed for him. Jesus knew ahead of time that Judas would betray him and yet Jesus didn't reject Judas. In the very act of betrayal Jesus called him "friend" signaling that even in that dark moment the door of acceptance remained wide open.

We don't deserve any of this. We have done nothing to merit his favor. If anything, we have done plenty to warrant his displeasure. Yet Jesus reaches out to a sinful world and says, "Open the door and invite me in for dinner."

Jesus' acceptance is mind-boggling. It's like nothing on earth.

[Excerpted from The Gospel in Ten Words, pp.74-75]

Grace - It's OK...You Can Take Off Your Mask

Hi Everyone,

I finished reading "The Cure" a while ago and I want to share with you some excerpts from it.  The reason I'm sharing this is because I know how easy it is for us to put masks on which cause us to appear strong to those around us.  This mask we wear isolates from others and we are usually unwilling to receive help.  I'm concerned that some of us are refusing help from our brothers and sisters in the Lord, because we think we need to be able to get through life's issues and difficulties on our own.  We have been trained very well to live independently by our society, but this is not how we should live as Christians.  So, I ask you to lower your defenses for a moment and consider the following illustration.

The premise of "The Cure" describes the writer approaching and entering a hotel he finds along a journey.  He writes:

"After a long while, passing many more travelers by the wayside, I see a giant building looming in the distance.  It looks like a hotel.  As I get closer, I can see there's writing in bronze lettering across the front:  Striving Hard to Be All God Wants Me to Be.  Finally:  Something for me to do.  I strive after success in my career.  I strive after keeping fit.  Why would it be any less with God?

"I draw closer and notice a door:  Above the doorknob, a small, ornate plaque is bolted to the heavy wooden door.  Self-Effort, it reads.  Of course!  God does His part, and I do mine.  It's about time someone said it.

"I turn the handle and walk in.

"I'm stunned to find a huge open room filled with thousands of people.  I scan the group, trying to take it all in.  'So, these are the people really living for Jesus.'  Soon I notice there's a woman, a hostess maybe, standing next to me.  She is immaculately groomed.  Every hair is perfectly in place, her makeup accentuating her feature, her smile is wide and toothy.  nothing about her seems out of place.

'Welcome to the Room of Good Intentions'

"She says it clean and cool, like she's been greeting people all her life.  There's just the tiniest little shred about it that's unsettling, but I'm so excited to finally be here I don't think much of it.

"'You have no idea how long I've waited to find this place!'  I return her smile, grasping her primly outstretched hand.  I call out to the crowd, almost involuntarily, 'Hey, how's everyone doing?'

"The room goes silent.  It's full of beautiful people, smiling people.  Some of them wear elaborately crafted masks, which is great because I love masquerades.  This looks like my kind of place.  One man steps forward.  His smile, like the hostess, is broad.  His bleached white teeth look as if they had been lined up by a ruler.

"'Welcome,' he begins, shaking my hand firmly.  'We're fine.  Thank you for asking.  Just fine.  Aren't we everyone?'  A few in the crowd behind him nod, smiling along.  'My kinds are doing great and...um...I'm about to close some very lucrative deals at work.  More fit than when I was in high school, I'm telling you.  I'm doing just fine.  Everyone here is.'

"Before I can reflect on how strange that sounded, the hostess asks how I'm doing.  'Me?  Well, to be honest, I've been struggling with some stuff.  That's partly why I'm here.  I'm trying to figure out....'

"'Shhhh,' she interrupts me, putting a flawlessly manicured index finger to her lips.  She reaches behind a podium and pulls out a mask, handing it to me.  She nods her head with a curt smile, indicating I should put it on.  I stare at it for a moment.  Others in the room are excitedly motioning for me to do so.  Slowly, I slide the mask over my face.

"My next thought is it might be best to back off on the self-revelation.  I find myself answering, as if from somewhere far away, 'You know, I'm great.  I'm doing fine!'  And everyone in the room smiles before returning to their conversations.

"So many good-hearted people fill this room.  They have devoted themselves to God, to studying His character, to pouring themselves into spreading His word, to serving humanity in the name of Jesus.  This must be it!  Soon God and I will be close again."


For some reason, we have bought into the lie of this equation:  More right behavior + Less wrong behavior = Godliness.  As Judah Smith says, the consciousness of sin never gives us power to overcome sin.  In other words, we can never resolve our sin by working on it.

As I said above, I know people who are unwilling to share the truth issues they are facing in life.  In the end, this decision causes them to suffer much longer.  They began to believe somewhere along the line that they must be strong and independent.  They don't want others to feel sorry for them.  "I have to earn love and acceptance.  I have to prove my worth", they think of themselves.  But look at what John Lynch, author of "The Cure" writes:

"No one told me that when I wear a mask, only my mask receives love.  We can gain admiration and respect from behind a mask.  We can even intimidate.  But as long as we're behind a mask, any mask, we will not be able to receive love.  Then, in our desperation to be loved, we'll rush to fashion more masks, hoping the next will give us what we're longing for:  To be known, accepted, trusted and loved.

"This is no new phenomenon.  Remember its source?  God came in the cool of the day to be with Adam and Eve.  He called out to a hiding Adam, 'Where are You?' though He knew very well where Adam was.  Adam responded, 'I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.'"

If you've taken the time to read this, I hope it will prove helpful to you.  You may not believe it to be true, but there is always reason to hope, but God will always support you--He is faithful.

If you feel as though no one loves you, it's probably because they've only ever loved your mask; you haven't opened up to them.

If you're tired of feeling weak, it's probably because you've never allowed someone to encourage you.

One last thought from John Lynch:

"The greatest hope for any mask-wearer is in understanding all masks eventually crack and dissolve, gradually revealing what is hidden beneath.  All masks crumble because they are man-made.

"This is a good thing, though.  Imagine if the mask didn't crack.  It would forever separate us from love, authenticity, and freedom.  We could go our entire lives missing what we were created to enjoy.  Our endlessly loving God allows our masks to fall apart because He cares so deeply for us."

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy

Grace - Making Vows to Please God

Hi Everyone,

Enjoy the following quote from Malcolm Smith:

"The branches of the vine cannot function without being vitally united to the flow of vine sap that makes the vine a living vine.  The life of the vine is the energy, the life source, that produces the fruit that is to be found on the branches.  The branches produce the fruit, but they do so from the sap that is surging through them and it is natural for vine-life to produce grapes; the branches do not labor at an impossible task of producing a fruit foreign to the nature of the vine.

The living of the love of God in our behaviors is not the ultimate marathon act of our willpower attempting to be like Jesus.  Let us accept the fact that the life that the new covenant portrays is impossible to for the unaided human to accomplish.  It can only take place by Jesus Himself living in us by His Spirit; He becomes the source and the ability to live the life of divine love that is the command of the new covenant.  When this is understood, the Christian life is not a labor to produce a lifestyle that is foreign and awkward to us.  When the center and source of our life is the fountain of love Himself, a lifestyle of divine love is not foreign and awkward, but natural.

The mark of dead religion is to be found in the dedication of the devotee to keep vows with a view of pleasing God."

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy

Grace - His Covenant Food Fills Our Bellies!

Psalm 90:14 - "O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, that we sing for joy and be glad all our days."

Hi Everyone,

There are two key words in the above verse:  satisfy and lovingkindness (also translated as mercy).  The word satisfy means to fill completely, even to the point of overeating.  The second word, lovingkindness, is an amazing word that every believer should fully understand.  Before reading the rest of this post, I strongly recommend that you read these two posts first:  One of the Most Important Words in the Old Testament and Grace - God's Unfailing Love (Hebrew:  Chesed).

Is the Psalmist asking here for a revelation of God's mercy aka. lovingkindness?  Yes, I believe, but also for so much more.  The Psalmist is looking forward to something much more than knowledge or a revelation; he's looking forward to an experience--a reality.  Note that these two words, satisfy (physical connotation) and lovingkindness (spiritual and emotional) are used together.

What will satisfy the Psalmist?  Well, if you read the two posts that are linked above, you will realize that the Psalmist is anticipating a covenant experience, a meal.  The meal that satisfies IS the love of God through covenant.  Though this passage is in the Old Covenant, we know it to be the dawning twilight of the New Covenant.  And it speaks so much to us.

Look at Psalm 23:5-6 --

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

How will the Psalmist be satisfied?  Well, unfortunately, most of Christianity has emphasized an intellectual faith; to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and to understand certain teachings of the church, but covenant goes much deeper than this.  Psalm 23 shows us an interaction between the Psalmist and the Covenant-Maker.  This interaction involves the whole person of the Psalmist.  Whereas the world is accustomed to a private inner faith, we've been called to celebrate union with God with our entire, whole person.  This is symbolized by the meal.  We're familiar with the drinking of wine and eating of bread (cake) in every wedding ceremony.  This reflection of covenant celebrates two lives becoming one.  To be in covenant with one's wife, the husband cannot live by himself, isolated; the marriage must be consummated.  In the same way, one who claims to be a Christian cannot live an isolated, private inner faith, but is called to be constantly, in a life-giving way, united to Christ.  Not only is the relationship celebrated with the whole person of the believer, but as we see in Psalm 23, this celebration--this communion--takes place in the company of those who are adversely against us; we must remember covenant in times of need.

One more aspect of the love of God which satisfies us in His covenant with us is seen in the story of the "prodigal" son.  All the while after his son leaves home, the father is looking for his son.  Finally, the son returns and the father throws a feast of feasts to celebrate.  But notice something, it was not just the father and son eating, dancing, and celebrating.  The whole household, and probably some of the community members were participating.  This is another reason why covenant cannot be an isolated, inner-faith experience.  We are brought through covenant into a family.

This is why I've said that brothers in Christ are in covenant with each other.

To experience full satisfaction and the perfected lovingkindness of God, we need to give our whole person to Him and to others.  This is meant for our benefit and blessing.

May you share in the life of Christ--totally dependent on Him in a real relationship, and also share in the life of fellow believers.  Celebrating, sharing, growing, forgiving, giving and receiving.

I love each one of you.

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy

Grace - Repentance is a Radical Change of Mind

Hi Everyone,

Sometimes I feel trapped when I fly on a plane.  I mean, you board, find your seat, put everything in the overhead bins or under the seat in front of you, get strapped in and pay attention the safety instructions.  What can you do then?  Nothing.  You can't get up to use the bathroom until you're two miles up in the air and the captain has turned off the seat-belt sign.  You certainly can't get up before then, and forget about getting off the plane.  If you tried, surely there's a Federal Air Marshal on board who will take you down if you cause a problem.  Let's face it:  you're stuck on the plane until it (hopefully) safely lands.  You can't change your mind once you're on the plane.  But things are a bit different in our relationship with Christ.  For the unbeliever and the believer alike, we can change our minds in mid-flight.

We can do something about heading in the wrong direction.  We can do something about our wrong definition of life.  We can do something about the wrong image of ourselves.  We can do something about our distorted image of God.

The Bible defines this change of mind as repentance.

Malcolm Smith puts it this way:  "It [repentance] is the realization that...one's life has been wrong because it has been lived from the wrong center.  It is not repenting of a certain sin, but a change of mind about oneself, realizing that he or she is lost and does not know the way to life....  The real issue now, in fact, is not sin.  The Jesus who comes to us in the Gospel has dealt with sin.  The issue now is whether we will accept the divine amnesty, let Him send away our sins from us, and be reconciled to God.  Will we turn from our self-sufficiency and submit to love?  We are confronted with the love of God and the action of His love in Jesus, and the whole issue now is whether we will turn from our independence, our faith in the lie, and submit to the love of God and His gift of covenant in Jesus."

Every action (for good or bad) has its root in our beliefs.  And this brings us to the true definition of repentance.  With our minds so focused on the externals and our performance, we must see that we cannot define true repentance as turning from something, but rather, turning to something; in this case, Jesus, the Son of God.  It is in Him that we find the covenant and our salvation.  If a person refuses to turn from self-sufficiency and dependence and to Jesus, that person will perish.  It can be no other way, since Jesus is the source of Life.

This turning from oneself is not easy for most, because we all have been taught and even found some measure of success in our independence and self-sufficiency.  We have been married to that lie for a long time and we are accustomed to the rule that a person gets what they deserve.  The covenant that God has made "confronts us with the God who loves us unconditionally and rewards us not according to what we have done, but according to what Jesus has done.  To believe this is the first radical change of mind that believing the Gospel demands of us" (again, Malcolm Smith).

I pray that this will help you to repent (to change your mind radically), and that the reality of the covenant God has made with Himself and offered to you, His beneficiary, would become greater than the reality of your alleged strength and self-sufficiency.  May the things of earth grow strangely dim in the light of His Glory and Grace.

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy

P.S.  If you've received this email, it's because I've added you to a list of recipients for this devotional which I will send out 2 to 3 times a week (depending on how busy I am).  You can also find these devotionals archived at www.jdkrider.blogspot.com.  If you would not like to receive these emails, please let me know.  I simply want to share with you what is helping me to grow in my faith with the hope it will bless you.  Also, your comments and questions are more than welcome, and even encouraged!

Grace - Forgiveness Means So Much More Than We Think

Hi Everyone,

Consider the following verses:

"I have blotted out, like a cloud, your transgressions, and like a cloud, your sins.  Return to Me, for I have redeemed you."  Isaiah 44:22

"I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me."  Jeremiah 33:8

"I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins."  Isaiah 43:25

"...but You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back."  Isaiah 38:17

"Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins."  Isaiah 40:2

Words like "blotted out", "cleansed", "pardoned", "not remember", "cast behind", and "delivered" speak to us more than just forgiveness of sin and sins; they offer complete assurance of complete restoration.  Why?  Because "forgiveness" in the original Greek means to send away, to dismiss, to forsake, to leave.  It's the same word used for "divorce" and also when Jesus "sent away" the crowds gathered around him.

"The new covenant declares that our sin has been sent away from us, banished from our presence; we have been divorced and set free from the chains that bound us, to be at liberty" (Malcolm Smith).

We know the story of the king in Matthew 18:23-35 who forgave his servant the astronomical debt he owed.  This is the type of debt that it would take 10 lifetimes to repay.  What's worse, the servant probably had no hope of paying it back ever, because, as anyone who has ever been in debt before knows, the interest keeps piling on and adding to the total sum.  When the king forgave his servant, someone had to pay the price!  What did he do?  He left his position as the account-keeper and joined the servant in indebtedness.  Then he assumed the whole responsibility for the debt and paid it off.  Jesus did the same for us; He left His place beside the Father, joined us, and then incredibly BECAME our sin.  He paid the price--the penalty--and we have been set free.

"In the blood-shedding of the Lord Jesus, sin has been dealt with finally and forever.  The term of the covenant says, "remember no more," which means sin is no longer on God's agenda, because it has been completely dealt with."

You haven't just been forgiven, ALL of your sins, past, present, and future have been sent away from you.  You are wholly pleasing to God because you are in Christ, now and forever more.

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy