The Great (Misfortune) Gatsby

He reaches out slowly, as the green light dimly shatters the atmosphere that covers the water. Gatsby desires something he cannot put his hands on. He is desperate, wanting that intangible radiance to become physical, something he can hold, something he can claim to be his own. This green light resembles hope. It resembles everything Gatsby wishes he had. The light creates a steady beat, a heartbeat, and Gatsby will do anything to place it in his possession.

We are like the Gatsby. We live for things we cannot grasp, and we spend our lives trying to grab it. As Gatsby tried to get Daisy back, it ultimately created a frenzy and the illusion that Daisy was free for the taking – that the past could be relived. Unfortunately, we sacrifice our true nature and begin falling in the trap that the green light is why we are alive. We obsess and obsess until the green light vanishes; all we have left is the mess we've created from betraying our true love.

Gatsby, a mysterious young man who hid himself behind the parties he threw, was always considered a highly-regarded gentleman who received praise from the most well-respected officials of the United States and internationally. Yet, his motive behind throwing such decorated parties was plain and simple: to grab the attention of one thing that he could never obtain – Daisy.

We, too often, distract ourselves with the world’s desires. Like soap, we try to hold on, but these disguised “gifts” slip right through our fingers. We become possessed and enraged, murdering our innocence and pouting over what we cannot have. We throw tantrums and shackle ourselves to the wall, all the while pretending we are the victim of our stupidity. We flip the switch on ourselves as darkness consumes us and the light becomes a distant memory. Obsession leaks in, and it’s too late before we realize we never needed the flickering light to live.

One day, a wealthy man came to Jesus and asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied by telling him he must keep all the commandments. Proudly, the man replied, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth. (Mark 10:20)” Jesus calmly commanded, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. (v. 21)” The man left disheartened, “for he had great possessions. (v. 22)”

Unfortunately, we are like the man who has great possessions. Notice that Jesus said the man would have “treasure in heaven.” The man’s possessions meant such a great deal to him, that it outweighed his anticipation to receive treasures in heaven. He became so obsessed with the worldly possessions; they began to define him – like the green light that flickers. He abandoned his true love for something that fades.

Fortunately, everything we need is right in front of us. It is not in the parties we throw, or the people we know; it is not in the classes we take and pass, the education we earn, or the job we work. We do not find our purpose in the television we purchase or the vacations we take. Our life, our hope, and our purpose is found in Christ and Christ alone. He is our fortress, our refuge (read the book of Psalm), and our lover. No wonder Jesus told the rich man to sell all he has! Our riches cause chaos, like it did with Gatsby. Our identity is in God, and as long as we are reaching out for the green light, we are only living out an illusion.

We are encouraged to keep our eyes on him. Proverbs 4:25-27 provides the wisdom we need to stay focused on what is right: “Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.” And the green light? Do not look at it. It flickers, it wavers, and it is a tempting call to walk down the wide path of temporary riches and fame. Keep your eyes on the Kingdom of Heaven, and treasures of the heavenly realm will await you.

Throwing Stones

If you were asked if you have ever sinned before, you would probably nod your head or reply with a hesitant "yes." You might even boldly go into exhorbitant detail, making others provide you a quizzical look. Well, if you lived in the Old Testament, you would not be as prepared to nod your head.
If you broke Sabbath and did not keep it holy, you were put to death (Exodus 31:14); if you curse your father or mother, you were put to death (Exodus 21:17). In John 8:2-11, the Pharisees brought forth a woman caught in the act of committing adultery. Armed with stones and eager to punish the woman, the Pharisees asked Jesus what should be done to the woman (the intention was to trap Jesus). The Pharisees added that the Law of Moses commanded such women to be stoned.
So, what do all of the accounts have in common? If you sin, you die. Under the Law of Moses and the Old Covanent laws found in the book of Exodus, it was made clear that there were major punishments for committing various sins, and the major punishment was death (Exodus 20-23). There was no hope if you were caught in sin because that is what the Old Covenant was about.

Now, if we go back to the story of the adulterous woman, we notice that Jesus' response connects to what the New Covenant does in contrast to the Old Covenant:

"Let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her. (John 8:7)"

We are all seen as sinners, including the Pharisees, yet the difference between the Old and New Covenant is not the sinning, but the saving. Consider what made the New Covenant a necessary change to the laws:

 First:

Hebrews 8:6 makes it clear: "But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood (Old Covenant), for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises (NLT)" In other words, God has brought about a better covenant through Jesus Christ. 

Second:

Hebrews 8:7 gives us the reason a new agreement was formed: "If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. But when God found fault with the people, he said: 'The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.'" Keep in mind as to why God formed a new covanent through Jesus. Clearly, God found fault with the people. We could not live up to the temptations (consider Cain in Genesis 4), the evil, and the ability to remain faithful. To put it plainly, we could not uphold the old covenant because we were dirty sinners. We needed hope, and the New Covenant was that hope.

Third:

Hebrews 8:12 is the redemption scene: "And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins." It is through this statement that grace has been magnified through the remodeling of the Old Covenant. God, seeing that we messed up the Old Covenant, wanted to express his love and grace towards us by creating a new agreement that we could withstand.

Exit death and punishment.

Enter grace and love.

Before we throw the Old Covenant out because it is considered "obsolete" (Hebrews 13:8), we have to realize the intentions of Jesus. While Jesus did come to introduce a new Covenant, it does not mean we should erase the Old Covenant that was around for so long. Jesus came to fulfill the law, not abolish it (read Matthew 5:17) - as a puzzle piece finishes a puzzle. The law, incomplete through the disobedience of the people, is now made complete through Jesus.

Most importantly, the Old Covanent required that animal sacrifices were made every year to atone for one's sins. The beauty of the New Covanent is that Jesus is that sacrifice. Blood sacrifices are no longer necessary and all stones can permanently be put away because Jesus is considered the permanent savior of sins. Not only is He the symbol of saving grace, but He is also the introduction of a new promise of life through the grace of God.

Although it is the transgressions of the people that caused the New Covenant to surface, we can take joy in what this New Covenant is all about: Love and Grace. "You are put to death," was the phrase that came with the laws of the Old Covanent. "You are redeemed, forgiven, and covered by the blood of Jesus" is the phrase that comes with the New Covenant. The Law of Love and Grace is now the engine that runs the vehicle.

So, dear friends, let us live in this glorious era and realize the New Covenant is symbolic of the love and grace God bestows upon us everyday. We are no longer the image of sin, but the representation of forgiveness, love, and unfathomable grace.

Flesh vs. Spirit

Our flesh is filled with sin. Lust, greed, alcoholism, selfishness, debauchery (links with lust), lying, cheating, adultery (again, lust), murder, coveting. When you think about it, sin is pretty abundant in our lives. Mark 7:21-22 says, “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice (intentional meanness), deceit, lewdness (lust), envy, slander (bad report, whether a lie or gossip), arrogance and folly.” It comes from within us, yet is a part of our flesh, not the Spirit. In the case of the Spirit and the flesh, we need to clarify the meaning of each. Romans 8:2-3 declares: “Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” It is the last part of Romans 8:3 that sticks out the most: “…and so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us…” In this sense, there is a clear separation between our flesh and the Spirit, which comes from God; ultimately, sin is tied to our flesh. Along those lines, John 3:6 says, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to Spirit,” suggesting that the flesh is separate from the Spirit, and that the flesh and Spirit cannot coincide with one another. The context of John 3:6 is when Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus about being born again. Although we are born in flesh (as sinners), we can receive Jesus Christ through the Spirit, which is something the flesh can have no part in.

With so much sin trapping the very fabric of our being, who we were meant to be comes crashing down and is replaced by a monster we never knew could exist. We are reminded in Galatians 5:16 to “walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Along with Galatians, Romans 13:14 tells us to “clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” Again, Galatians 5:17: “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other.” The last part of Galatians 5:17 suggests the Flesh and the Spirit are at war.

So, when we think of sin as falling under the following categories – lust, greed, alcoholism, selfishness, debauchery, lying, cheating, adultery, murder, and coveting – we must realize that sin is anything that opposes God, or the Spirit. If you are uncertain this is true, the verses above speak volumes of the two. Do you worry? Are you obsessive over worldly things? Are you prideful? Well, if these things are not of God, then they must not be a part of the Spirit. If they are not a part of the Spirit, they are a part of our flesh. If they are a part of our flesh, then we must not do those things if we are in the Spirit. Unfortunately, worry, obsession, and pride are forms of sin as well. Fortunately, there is a cure. There is a remedy

Yes, our flesh is filthy. Our flesh is gross, and only wants what is opposite of the Lord. So, how can live in the Spirit? Looking at the verses above, it is clear the flesh is in opposition of the Spirit. The beauty of this contradiction is that, out of the Flesh and the Spirit, the latter always wins. As long as we “clothe [ourselves] with the Lord Jesus Christ (the Spirit),” we win. As long as we abandon our fleshly desires, we win in Christ.

The next question might be, “How do I ignore such a big part of my life?” Yes, sadly, our Flesh plays a major role in who we are. After all, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23 declares.

But, Galatians makes it clear to us. “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, douse yourself with the love of Jesus (remember? The man who took on the sins of the world?) “Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ,” 2 Corinthians 10:5 says. Everything we do and say must reflect Christ. Allow the Holy Spirit to work, and do not give over to the desires of the flesh. Be reminded of who you are in Christ. Commit yourself to excellence from God’s perspective, not your own. And, the best part, God promises he will never leave you or forsake you. After all, with his guidance, what can mere man do to you (Hebrews 13:5)? NOTHING.

It is not easy, but when you begin learning to ignore the flesh, you walk towards the Spirit. You give proper attention to the Spirit. Listen to the Spirit, and it will guide you. All you need to do is clothe yourself with Jesus Christ.