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.

A New Approach to God

This is for the fist-shakers; for those who are promised one thing, but given another; who firmly believe that light is at the end of the tunnel, but it consistently does not show up. This is for those who feel every opportunity is a dead-end, where life is sucked dry and hope is but a passing shadow. This is for all people who have the wrong perception of God and hope to change that. This is for all who desire to see past their circumstances and into the goodness of God and his plan for those who believe wholeheartedly.

The script says "God is good. God is powerful." Some would say there are aspects of God that make him worthy of that title. Paul did the best he could to express to other Christians how intense God's love is for us. Ephesians 3:17-18: "And I pray that you, being established in love, may have power...to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." Pastors preach sermons and family members encourage and remind each other of God's infinite love. Naturally, it is easy to believe it when others speak about it or write about it.

But those experiences don't always line up with what people say or write. Exit what people say and enter those dirty, abhorrent situations when God doesn't make sense. God becomes an ostensible thought. You compare him the world around you: What about the kids starving in Africa? What about people who have chronic disease without deserving it? Has God vanished in those times? It seems that God no longer exists when it comes down to crunch time. It seems the miracles Jesus performed back then are only from yester-year. Everything goes our way one day and the very next God steps out for a bathroom break. "Where is God when I need him most?" We murmur. Where is this almighty God, worthy of praise and deserving of all glory? Sometimes, we go as far as mocking God's existence because it isn't the type of existence we like. It doesn't line up with the God we want and we hope to get in every circumstance. While God's love and other such traits are wonderful to have in our lives, his mysteries are also part of the relationship, and it is the mysteries of God that can sometimes leave a bad taste in our mouth.

The negative view of God becomes most apparent when it involves the messy parts of our own lives. Our anger becomes bitterness, and our bitterness separates us from the Truth of who God is. At a point where we justifiably want answers and shake our fists doing so, we often forget who we are shouting at. Our words are a mixture of finger pointing, grumbling, complaining, and a sprinkle of self-pity.

We might also cry out as Job did: "Have I refused to help the poor, or crushed the hopes of widows? Have I been stingy with my food and refused to share it with orphans? No, from childhood I have cared for orphans like a father, and all my life I have cared for widows. Whenever I saw the homeless without clothes and the needy with nothing to wear, did they not praise me for providing wool clothing to keep them warm? (Job 31:16-21)"

In other words, "Why me? What did I do to deserve your wrath? I have done things for you, God! I shouldn't be punished!" Though we might not say the same thing as Job did, we become so demanding when God doesn't fulfill our needs. We want him to fix everything and make all problems dissolve before our eyes.

Ok, you might not throw your grenades at God when things don't go our way, but there are other ways we speak to God that might not be all that beneficial...and that you might relate to. Most of the time, other than when we throw tantrums, we resort to a quiet prayer that cries out for help. We come before God, bowing down in reverence, ready to remind God of our list of things we need from him. He becomes our supplier, giving us any survival kit we will need. Sometimes it's good to ask God for help, but not like this. Sometimes it becomes a list.

Job was one to quickly "remind" God of his suffering: "These outcasts oppose me to my face. They send me sprawling and lay traps in my path. They block my road and do everything they can to destroy me. They know I have no one to help me. They come at me from all directions. They jump on me when I am down. (Job 30:12-15)"

Well, God, do something! Get in there and help Job! Help me when I need it too! We cry out in our prayers and our tantrums. We want God to give us grace, peace, mercy, wisdom, etc, as if we ran out a long time ago. "God, everything you have been giving me is not enough. Give me more please!"

God's response? Epic. God basically reminds Job who he is. Not the typical, "Hey, I made the mountains" response. Not the "I made animals, trees, and the sun" mini-lecture. Not at all. This was an all out confrontation, "brace yourself like a man," "Are you talkin' to me?" face-to-face chat. Job kicked down the door, and God gave the stern, "Sit down!" after Job ran his mouth; an unnecessary monologue in the midst of an all-knowing Master of the Universe. Sit down, and let me tell you more than just the mountains. Let me tell you more than just the animals, trees, and the sun.

Here's God in response to Job. You might want to read this 30 times:
"Have you explored the springs from which the seas come? Have you explored their depths? Do you know where the gates of death are located? Have you seen the gates of utter gloom? Do you realize the extent of the earth? Tell me about it if you know! (Job 38:16-18)

God goes on. More rhetorical questions that God knows Job cannot answer. More questions than Job can do with. Furthermore, God's sense of humor comes through:
"Where does light come from, and where does darkness go? Can you take each to its home? Do you know how to get there? But of course you know all this! For you were born before it was all created and you are so very experienced! (Job 38:19-21)

After approximately 71 verses (Job 38-39:30) of God responding to Job's reminders of his anguish, suffering, and good deeds, He asks Job these two questions:
"Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God's critic, but do you have the answers? (Job 40:1-2)"

Job's reply? "I am nothing - how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say. (Job 40:3-5)

But God was not finished.

God goes on to describe the creatures of the earth, large and explainable. In fact, He effortlessly describes many of the creatures today's websites have difficulty putting a finger on. In regards to the Behemoth, Wikipedia says "Suggested identities range from a mythological creature to an elephant, hippopotamus, rhinoceros or crocodile." In Job 40:15-19, God describes it from head to tail: "Take a look at Behemoth, which I made, just as I made you. It eats grass like an ox. See its powerful loins and the muscles of its belly. The sinews of its thighs are knit tightly together. Its bones are tubes of bronze. Its limbs are bars of iron. It is a prime example of God's handiwork, and only its Creator can threaten it." God could have just said, "I made an animal called a Behemoth." But he doesn't. He describes what he made, "just as I made you."

Wikipedia begins the page about the Behemoth with these words:
"Behemoth is a beast mentioned in Job 40:15-24." These are God's words to Job. They are words about a beast that clearly its Creator knows the most about. "Only the Creator can threaten it." Only God himself can disturb the lifestyle of such an animal. God's message to Job: I made the Behemoth and you. Both I know by name, and I can describe each in tremendous detail. This is who you complain to, Job.

God continues to speak of the Leviathan, another large creature, which goes for another 35 verses (Job 41:1-34).

If these verses provide any sort of evidence about God, its that He 1) is an expert on his creation and 2) he knows exactly what is going on. He knows all of the nuances, personality traits, quirks, characteristics, defense mechanisms, techniques, habitats, capabilities, limitations, formations, transformations, life cycles, moods, symptoms, ideas, behaviors, etc. He knows what has happened, is happening, and what will happen. Edwin Louis Cole, author of Maximized Manhood, writes, "God created this whole thing, including you and me, and by His active presence. He sustains it all. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing. (45)" 

Since God created all of the Earth, God is also in control, and many times, whether we come to him with a list or with murmurs, both methods can be detrimental to the relationship and the work the Lord is doing in and through you.

God doesn't just speak to Job this way. Isaiah 40:25-26 shows that God is not ignorant and unaware of your troubles:
"'To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?' asks the Holy One. Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles?"

David, over a period of time, modeled a similar approach in many of his Psalms, and this is the perspective of God we should all adopt:

"When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and the stars you set in place - what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? (Psalm 8:3-4)"

David is asking, "In all of your great power and sovereignty, what kind of Master thinks so highly of something so small in comparison to all He has made?" He is placing value on the perspective God has of him, and it changes how he approaches his Savior. This is the same song David sings that starts with, "O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!"

So, what can we do differently?
#1. God offers hope, and he freely gives us wonderful things in Him (2 Corinthians 2:12). These are already promised to us in full, so why do we need to beg God for what he is already giving everyday? Why do we throw complaints and murmurs God's way? God knows exactly what he is doing. Though David went through plenty of trouble, he was good at giving God credit where it was due, and he did so in Psalm 34:4 - "I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened." If this is true about David - if he was radiant with joy when he seeks and prays to listening God, then perhaps we can view God this way too.  It is not about your list. It is not about you telling God what to give you. Perhaps we can rid ourselves of the notion that God doesn't care about us or that he negligently looks the other way while we suffer. It is time to dispel the lie that God only desires that we suffer to learn our lessons. It's time to stop thinking we need to convince God to do what's best for us and start noticing that God is and has been. David received plenty of reward from just meeting with the Lord and praising him through joy and sorrow. His reward was a deeper intimacy and understanding with his Creator. You can reach that same level of intimacy by praising him no matter what circumstances say otherwise.

#2. We can train our mind and heart to dwell on greater things that are eternal, not just the temporal. Paul encourages fellow believers to press on, never give up, and look ahead to greater things: "That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen... (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)" If we are striving towards what is already promised to us, we will not be intimidated by things that come and go like the wind because they cannot measure up to the greater things in store. This is a gift we can cling to, even though we do not have it right away. When our perspective changes, turning our hearts towards what is eternally true, we prepare our hearts and minds for heavenly desires and thoughts.

These strategies, lived daily and intentionally, will provide a more successful life free from the imaginary bondage we place on ourselves. Let us break free from them by changing our false perspectives of God and turning them into truths that are evident throughout Scripture.