Seeing Through the Struggle: The Gift of Generosity

God is closer than we think sometimes. Just as we might call on our dad to pick us up when the '97 Corolla won't start, call on mom when we need a simple recipe, or when you call on your best friend when you need some company to make it through a rough week, God is readily available when you need him. Unfortunately, we don't think God is as accessible when our trials seem bigger than him, but before Jesus went to be with God the Father in Heaven, he made a promise to his disciples in John 16:24:
"Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." - John 16:24

Here, Jesus is reassuring his followers that he is providing a new way of access to God before he leaves Earth. Before you are showered with reasons why it is in your best interest to ask God for things, in his name of course, let's look further at the context of this verse:

Jesus is talking to the disciples because he overhears them murmuring about how he is going back to be with the Father. Sensing their apprehension, Jesus reminds the disciples that their grieving will soon turn to joy. That's right! This verse deals with disciples worrying that Jesus' departure will cause much pain and sadness. We know the disciples are worrying about Jesus leaving Earth to be with the father because Jesus references the disciples sadness and trial in this moment in verse 22.

Just like the disciples grieving over the loss of Jesus in physical form, trials often take on the disguise of something good being taken from us, whether it be a loved one, a possession we once had, and/or an intangible being taken, like happiness, peace, and hope. The disciples' were justified to feel the grief and sorrow upon losing a dear friend, but Jesus reminds them to look ahead to the fulfilling of Scripture and how his departure is part of a bigger plan. Though the sorrow may last for a moment, this grieving will be replaced with joy (v. 22). Yet, from the perspective of the disciples, it looks like God is taking Jesus away from them. Sounds like a perfect recipe for grieving and deep sadness. However, God has plenty in store for the disciples, and it comes in the form of the Holy Spirit.

Earlier in John (chapter 14), Jesus promises the disciples that "Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name..." (John 14:12-13).  Though Jesus' departure could be seen as painful, greater things are coming because of it. In fact, John 14:26 says, "...the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all the things and remind you of everything I have said to you." Though Jesus was going, he was leaving behind part of himself to the disciples (and to us!) that would continue the plan God has. In fact, Jesus says in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you... Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Now, God's will for you isn't to go through pain (see John 10:10 - don't confuse the Savior's job with the Devil's job), but good will come of the pain (Genesis 50:19). Ultimately, our focus should be on what God can and will do through the struggle.

But, what does the disciples' grieving over Jesus departure and him leaving us with the Holy Spirit have to do with asking God for anything in his name?
For one, God has an incredible plan, and he will use those trials to achieve the plan and purpose. Even though we go through trials throughout our earthly existence, God has a plan through it, and that plan is worth trusting. He had a plan even after Jesus left to be with him, and he continues to have a plan when we experience pain like the disciples did. When we ask God for anything in his name, we are trusting him to do what he does: give in abundance - it's part of his plan.
Let's go back to John 16:24: "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete."
According to this verse, God has gifted us with his generosity. He gives us what we ask for, including joy. When we ask in his name, we receive. We receive an abundance of blessing in the midst of struggle. We receive a helper, the Holy Spirit, and we receive peace.

When we ask in his name, it implies that our hearts are in alignment with his will. His will is perfect (Romans 12:2), so if we ask for what is in alignment with his will, we will receive it. According to Matthew Henry Commentary on this verse, “Asking in Christ’s name, is acknowledging our unworthiness to receive any favors, and shows full dependence upon Christ…” This also means that asking in Christ’s name comes with a price: humility. When we humbly accept that all good things come from God, and the things that feed the Spirit (not the flesh, like a sports car or $1m) come from him, we receive them because he is generous and good. When we ask in his name, we are asking for things that God is in the business of giving – so when we ask for the things he gives, he will give it. If we ask for prosperity through hardships, he will give it to you because you are asking for a spiritual blessing that God is in the business of giving. He knows what is good for the heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7), and it’s the heart where all good things flow (Proverbs 4:23). He desires to give us supernatural freedom and prosperity, and when we are open to receiving the supernatural from him, he pours those gifts into our existence. As we ask, he downloads his perspective, his heart, and his will into your heart and mind. We begin to think the way he thinks because we are in the humble position to do so. Asking God in his name means we are considering his plan and the way he gives, not to satisfy our flesh, but to build us up in Spirit. Therefore, when we ask, God knows how to give us exactly what we need, even if we are asking for the wrong thing in the moment. The disciples experienced this with Jesus while he was on Earth.

In John 14 and 16, Jesus encouraged the disciples before his departure to be with God. In the midst of trial, Jesus reminded them that he is leaving something behind (the Holy Spirit, as well as peace) - part of God's plan. In other words, Jesus knew what the disciples needed. They need peace and joy, which Jesus later promises them (John 14:27). The disciples didn't even ask, yet Jesus knew! How much more will God give in times of trial when we ask him directly! The disciples received, so that their joy would be complete! And remember: grieving is not a bad thing. Jesus even says, "Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again, and no one will take away your joy." Jesus promises that their joy will be complete through the process of grieving; grieving is not eternal, but joy will be!

Do this: Memorize John 14:27 in moments of trial. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Why? Jesus gives you peace, and much, much more. We know he gives because of John 16:24. Ask and you will receive. Identify what God is in the business of giving by getting to know his heart, then start asking! Watch him give!

The Evidence of God's Love: From Bull to Grace - Part II

Remember Peter? Peter the disciple? Remember how he told Jesus, "Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you" (Luke 22:33 NLT)? Also, do you remember when Peter not only denied knowing Jesus once, but denied him 3 times (Mark 14:66-72)? Did you also know that there was not just one account of Peter betraying his beliefs, but another specific one found in Scripture?

Many of us, when asked if we know the verse, "I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me," would say we are familiar with it. Even if this verse has not been memorized, you have an idea of what it means. Well, what people might not know is the context and story that came before it. In fact, it is quite incredible that many don't make mention of it, but it is still important.

In this scene, which is found before the "I have been crucified" verse (found in Galatians 2:20), we get a pretty accurate depiction of what Paul considers a priority during his ministry. Back in Galatians 1:18, Paul references going "up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days (NIV)." Wait, Cephas? Yes, Peter and Cephas are the same person, as footnotes even declare this by saying, "That is, Peter." Ok, so Paul gets acquainted with Peter for 15 days, and commentary suggests that Paul was not looking to be mentored, but to inquire about how a disciple of Jesus would spread the Gospel that saved Paul (remember, this is the same Paul who persecuted Christians, but was saved through a vision). Further, Paul considers Peter an "esteemed pillar" (Gal, 2:9); meaning, a defender and principal supporter of the Gospel. Paul, at this point in his ministry, knows full well that Peter share a desire to communicate the Good News to circumcised and uncircumcised alike, Jew and Gentile alike. The mindset Paul has is to share the Gospel that connects everyone to one purpose. Galatians 3:26, 28 is evidence of this: "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith...neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (NIV). He repeats himself in the second part of Galatians 5:6: "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."

Paul doesn't know much about Peter, but he does know that Peter has a mission similar to his own - to rid the old covenant and remind everyone the High Priest has brought grace and unity to all. Peter witnessed this mission through walking with Jesus, and Paul saw it through a confrontation  that changed the course of his life (Acts 9:1-19). 

Sharing similar visions for spreading the Gospel, Paul and Peter (Cephas) began working and now they found themselves in the same place, eating food. To put this story into perspective, we will use Galatians 2:11-20 as an analogy:

You meet someone at a church outing and find out you share the same radical Christian beliefs. You discuss deeply how important it is for our hurting and lost world to understand the Gospel and grace of Jesus Christ. You spend time with him, enough time to understand his passion for the Gospel, but not enough time to call him your bestie.

As you two are driving around town, you stop at the local Taco Bell to get a juicy Nacho Cheese Chalupa, beef of course. As you're sitting in the booth, the both of you see some buddies from the basketball tournament your new acquaintance was in months ago. They do not share similar beliefs, but you believe your friend is going to do some ministry.

Suddenly, the bell on top of the entrance rings. You glance over and see elders from the church you attend come in. You smile slightly until you notice your new friend turn around quickly, make eye contact with the elders, then look down at his food with great fear. "Oh no," he mutters, "I need to get away." He violently forces his chair back with his hind legs, takes his trey, and sits elsewhere. Meanwhile, some other church buddies see this and also take action. Your friend and several others abandon their post.

What do you do? You realize you don't really know your new friend that well, but you are most encouraged by the connection the two of you have about ministry. Naturally, you call him out. "Danny! Are you seriously abandoning a ministry opportunity? Here before you are a collection of people who are equally under the Gospel. The law has no grasp like the Gospel does. You, an inspirational leader, have hypocritically acted the opposite of what you preach. A careful follower of Jesus, who claimed to die by Jesus' side, abandon the redemption the Gospel brings! How dare you!

"Not only that," you continue in disbelief, "But you have sold others into the same belief that the law is greater than the grace our High Priest has given us, good for all time!"

Though this is simply a hypothetical illustration, it is almost exactly what occurred only verses before our famous, "I have been crucified" verse. Paul criticized Peter publicly because he acted against the Gospel publicly. Danny, our hypothetical Peter, betrayed what Jesus taught him: we are all united as believers through faith and have been gifted God's grace and infinite love, no matter who we are labeled as.

In the end, we are now given context as to why Paul would say, "I have been  crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." A verse before this (v. 19), Paul says, "For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God." The old covenant (the law) commanded that circumcision had some value, and that the uncircumcised were not under the same umbrella as the circumcised. Galatians 2:12 alludes to there being a difference between the Jews and Gentiles regarding circumcision because "when they arrived (the circumcised Jews), [Peter] began to separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group." Earlier, in Acts 15:7-8 (NIV) and later in Galatians 5:6 (NIV), we realize that the Pharisees believed circumcision mattered. Acts 15:7-8, when the Council at Jerusalem met about issues of acceptance, Peter reminds the Pharisees that "God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the Gospel and believe. (8) God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them..." This was a response to a Pharisee piping up, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses" (Acts 15:5)

Furthermore, Paul clarifies in Galatians 5:6 that "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value..." 

Wow. Number one, this entire story connects to this one simple truth: we are united through the Gospel. Proof? Here, read Galatians 3:28 again: "neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (NIV). Paul calls out Peter because he abandoned his post. At the dinner table, Peter scoots his chair back because "better people" have arrived. You're telling me the law makes these people better!? Peter! 

A large reason the Church (God's people) tends to fall a part is because of this Pharisaical mindset. He is better than him, she is better than they, but we are all broken. We all fall short of God's perfect glory, but we are also sanctified. His blood covered all of us. What would it say of God if he sent his son to only cover a few people's sins? Preposterous! God's perfect love shelters and covers all, but the question is whether we will accept the shelter he gives so freely (1 Corinthians 2:12). Let us love unrelenting and practice grace unlimited. We are all under the Gospel, and the Gospel is what unites us. 

Number two, props to Paul for calling out any leader who puts the strict, Pharisaical law above relationship and connection with God our Father. His desire to push the Gospel to the ends of the earth is a big reason we see the Gospel in the same way. It is a sacred gift that cannot be taken lightly.

As we connect with church and a body of believers, let us love them and pour out love and mercy as Christ does through the Gospel we are given.

The Evidence of God's Love: Good News if You're a Bull - Part I

Do you ever have that moment when your error feels greater than the forgiveness you receive from that person? You are so ashamed, so weary, and so guilty that one apology does not suffice. It might satisfy the one hurt by your actions, but you are your own worst critic. You are not content with the apology you gave, but your insistence that there must be more you could do irritates the one you hurt. They command you to drop it, let it go, and stop giving it negative attention, but you refuse. They want to move on, but you keep digging in and bringing up what you have done. They declare it is in the past, and they might even grab your shoulders and tell you it’s nothing to worry about. Nothing they tell you will convince you to move on from your misdeed.

                

Whether we voice our displeasure with the mistake we made or not, admitting that we are prone to sin and likely to make mistakes is difficult to do. To some degree, we are all OCD about being good to others and living a mistake-free life. When we do sin against someone, it feels like a point is being deducted from our scoresheet. We want to make it right with others, but all too often we don’t forgive ourselves and/or don’t feel forgiven. Criticism of ourselves comes naturally to us, and it can become difficult to move on when we should.

This type of criticism is nothing new. A long time ago, before Jesus’ time, a sinful nature meant paying a steep price every year. The old system directed the people to sacrifice animals like a goat or a bull in order to take away sin. The act of sacrificing an animal was meant to provide the people with a reason to move on from the sin and live in freedom temporarily. If sacrificing an animal could atone for sin, even temporarily, that’s a pretty good bargain. For a guy like me, I would do whatever I could to remind myself that I am worth more than my mistakes.

           

However helpful the act of sacrificing goats and bulls was for the people, there was one minor kink that needed to be smoothed out: atoning for sin happened one too many times. The people were reminded every year how sinful they were. There had to have been some level of moaning and groaning with all of the repeat sacrificing going on. “I forgot to take care of Pumpkin this weekend! Now the dog is dead. Time to sacrifice another goat.” The people were born into sin, and now they had to pay for it every time? Maybe that’s not such a good bargain after all.

           

 The worst part of animal sacrifices? God did not even like that system! Take a look:

 “That is why, when Christ came into the world, [Jesus] said to God, ‘You did not want animal sacrifice or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will O God – as is written about me in the Scriptures’” (Hebrews 10:5-7).

So, God did just that; He sent someone to atone for all sin for all time. Jesus became the High Priest and “offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time” (Hebrews 10:12). In other words, there no longer needed to be a priest who “stands and ministers before the alter day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins” (Hebrews 10:11). Remembrance of our sin has already been canceled out because of a one-time sacrifice that actually works. Jesus came not just to cancel our sin, but to give us a reason to never remember it again. All debts have been paid, and no bull or goat is needed to be slain to forgive us.

              

It sounds like a pretty simply pill to swallow. When Jesus was that sacrifice, good for all time, we don’t need a bull or a goat to sacrifice. Simple concept, right? While it is certainly a simple concept, we don’t live like it. Though most of us do not have a physical bull to sacrifice, the metaphorical bull rests on our shoulders the same way. We have the mindset that we owe something to God to balance out our sin. Carrying our burden and strapping the bull to our back, we drag our feet to the top of the mountain. Then, we throw the bull to the alter, wearily crying to the heavens, “Take my bull! I am a sinner. I am unworthy to be yours. Here is my sacrifice!” 

You must stop dragging your feet! Put down that bull and come down from that mountain! Lift your praise to God! The High Priest came, and he represents hope and an Old Covenant forgotten. Your burdens are no more, brother. Your sin has been removed, sister. Your Father and Savior says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds” (Hebrews 10:17).

Use the time spent sulking about your sin and making up for your misdeed and instead praise Jesus for what he has already done. Recognize that you are a “new creation, the old is gone and the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17) and live in the promise that “if we confess (acknowledge) our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9). We do not need to be reminded of our sin when we have a High Priest to cleanse us of them. All we have to do is acknowledge our sin, admit that we need his grace, kindness, and mercy, and our sins will be atoned for, once for all time.

After all, this is the Gospel and this is the Truth.