The Bible doesn’t say to believe in yourself …
But to die to self.
Jesus never said to forgive yourself …
But to forgive others and then ask God to forgive you.
The Gospel isn’t about affirming you …
But about repenting and surrendering to Christ’s rule.
Only then will you find yourself, your freedom and your validation …
As defined by Him.
Ideas have consequences, as do doctrines …
Including the bad doctrine that doctrines don’t matter.
Selfless living …
Springs from an attitude of gratitude.
The incarnation is God’s affirmation of us and His creation …
Not as detached spiritual abstractions, but as physically present, embodied and material.
I’ve yet to see God turn His face …
From those who love and trust Him.
When we fully confess and wholly give our greatest mistakes and related burdens to God …
He turns them into stepping stones for good.
Until we fully surrender the “what if?” disappointments of our past to God …
We will never fully embrace the “why not?” joys He has for our future.
It is liberating to learn that God did not create us to be like someone else …
But instead gives us different personalities and motivations that match our diverse spiritual gifts.
We experience His pleasure as we learn to uniquely use and enjoy those gifts as He intended …
In our lives, families, fellowships and surrounding communities.
Those who reduce grace to what they subjectively perceive God is telling them, filtered through their own sensibilities …
Often reject external Biblical morality, precepts and commands which stand independently true in Scripture.
For them, it all comes down to what they individually feel and like …
As they elevate their own perceptions as the final standard over what God authentically says.
The New Testament doesn’t say we go to “church” to be ushered into God’s presence through “worship”.
There’s not a single verse in the entire New Testament to that effect.
Nope, not, nadda …
Just ain’t there.
Rather, we are simply told that when we gather as the church we should express God’s presence already in us through ministry one to another …
Which includes singing together for the purpose of encouraging each other.
Big difference.
Let’s start being the church as God instructs in His word …
Not as our own carnality wants.
God created us to be fully human:
Embodied, rational, spiritual and relational.
All great heresies deny, isolate, over emphasize or otherwise distort one or more of those qualities.
Unfortunately, we see the seeds of this today in those who want us to be all one quality, while dismissing one or more of the others.
They distort God’s desire to redeem our full humanity …
Complete and whole.
Don’t confuse God’s grace with His delight.
You can experience the former, which is unmerited …
But then miss the latter, which comes from doing His will and obeying His commands.
If you doubt this, just do a quick online word search for “delight” in any good Bible translation.
Christian bloggers, authors and pundits who deny this distinction …
Know not God or His authentic joy.
Many mornings I wake up grateful.
I get my coffee, watch the sun rise, and think of the blessings God has restored in my life.
Too often we look at what we’ve lost …
And forget to appreciate the wonder of new opportunities, new relationships, and even new purpose and meanings in Christ.
He makes all things new.
Many “go to church” to:
During a directed Sunday “service” performed by the “anointed” few in an odd building.
Some, however, “are the church” with:
Which gathers together in homes and other hospitable places where life naturally happens.
What “church”, do you think, looks more like the New Testament?
Life got a lot simpler when the Lord taught me …
That not every problem has my name on it.
God blesses those …
Who are good stewards of His blessings.
When longstanding hurts, disappointments and emotional wounds begin to define us …
They begin to entrap us.
By transparently acknowledging, exposing and releasing them to Jesus …
Our future can exceed our past.
It’s always our choice, however.
Don’t confuse God’s grace with His joy.
Although God’s grace is unmerited, we know His joy through simple obedience.
Jesus gives us permission to take time out to chill out …
So our emotional and spiritual batteries don’t run out.
Daily, I see how God delights in creating beauty from wrecked lives.
Our role is to recognize it’s not all up to us …
And let Him do it.
Only fools sacrifice the lifelong joy of authentic …
For the short term thrill of illicit.
Joy seldom comes without risking failure …
In love, business, faith and life itself.
In the cool of the evening, God walked side-by-side and fellowshipped face-to-face with Adam in Adam’s garden …
To enjoy together the fruit of Adam’s passion, creativity and labor.
It’s OK to be human …
That’s where God wants to meet us too.
God delights in His creation …
But even more when we in turn create and do wonderful things with it.
Fully confess, squarely ask God to forgive you, then humbly give to Him the guilt, condemnation and regrets your heart’s been carrying.
Do this …
And there’s no room to “forgive yourself”.
It is settled.
