Alright…
It's been awhile, but I'm restless tonight and these thoughts have been working through for a bit...
Holiness VS Morality
I don’t think they’re the same thing, but I think that as a church we’re allowing the two to become synonymous. I’d say that holiness is a foundation for morality… even that morality is an expression of holiness… but the two are otherwise fundamentally distinct. I’ve written on this before, and my position still remains that there is no holiness outside of a relationship with God. God alone is holy and there is nothing else that is holy without being connected (in relationship) to Him. Morality, on the other hand, is an evaluation based on legal standards. That is- morality is our term to describe how well we do or do not adhere to certain behavioral standards (laws). For some reason, I’ve heard a lot of talk in the last few weeks about needing to preach holiness and how we are forgetting that holiness is an essential element of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I agree, but I think that most often when I hear this the word that should be used is morality. Why? Because most often this message is accompanied with a list of things that Christians should be concerned about- drinking, abuse, abortion, sexual perversions, etc- rather than being accompanied by an emphasis on growing in intimacy with our God.
Let’s split the two up… holiness is not achieved by what you do or do not do. Holiness is the result of God’s presence. Holiness is the result of growing in relationship with God. Morality is just one way that we are ENABLED to EXPRESS that relationship. In conclusion… we can’t see morality as a means of holiness, REVERSE IT. Grow in your relationship with God. Learn to diligently and intentionally accept His love and forgiveness and the blessing of the Holy Spirit- and LIVE. Focus on His presence. Transformation is His work, not ours. Sanctification is HIS work, not ours. Consecration is your willingness to submit to His work in you, not your struggle to fix yourself so you can feel like a “better Christian.”
Friday, September 17, 2010
Re: The Return
Luke 15:1-7
1Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." 3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Okay…
So… Here’s what I see and hear. There was a moment in my life that I brought God more joy than in all the rest of my life ever. It was the moment I simply turned to Him. That’s it. It wasn’t any other act of obedience or something like that. It was the return. Know what that means- the struggle for God’s joy over your actions IS A FALLACY. Can we please stop pretending that by our actions or thoughts or something else that we can somehow get God to love us more… as if somehow right now in our relationship with Him He is dissatisfied and unfulfilled? He chose us. He begged us to choose Him in return. We can, and in that moment it is done. Live in the joy of that reunion from then on! Yes, it is a relationship and we do have the privilege of getting to know Him more, but com’on- let’s drop the game that strains to earn something by doing more devotions and praying more and more and more every day… It’s entirely anti-Christ and undermines the Gospel itself! Jesus said “Follow me.” Are you? He’s not your boss. He’s not your taskmaster. He’s not your slave-driver, He’s your Teacher, Redeemer, Older Brother, Savior, Champion, Defender, and Friend. He loves with an unconditional love and it is not my or your right to take that love and try to do something to increase it… that mentality presupposes that He isn’t loving you as much as He can, and it’s a slap in the face. Stop.
Luke 15 tells three stories of return. Read one, anyone, and see if you can’t find that moment of eternal delight. There was rejoicing in heaven when I returned to God. There was more rejoicing in heaven because of that act than because of the pious acts of 99 other people more noble and praiseworthy than myself, and yet it was my act that brought the most joy. It was yours too. That doesn’t mean that pious acts are entirely wrong, it just means we should stop looking at them as if they’re going to increase God’s pleasure with us- it can’t be done.
1Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." 3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Okay…
So… Here’s what I see and hear. There was a moment in my life that I brought God more joy than in all the rest of my life ever. It was the moment I simply turned to Him. That’s it. It wasn’t any other act of obedience or something like that. It was the return. Know what that means- the struggle for God’s joy over your actions IS A FALLACY. Can we please stop pretending that by our actions or thoughts or something else that we can somehow get God to love us more… as if somehow right now in our relationship with Him He is dissatisfied and unfulfilled? He chose us. He begged us to choose Him in return. We can, and in that moment it is done. Live in the joy of that reunion from then on! Yes, it is a relationship and we do have the privilege of getting to know Him more, but com’on- let’s drop the game that strains to earn something by doing more devotions and praying more and more and more every day… It’s entirely anti-Christ and undermines the Gospel itself! Jesus said “Follow me.” Are you? He’s not your boss. He’s not your taskmaster. He’s not your slave-driver, He’s your Teacher, Redeemer, Older Brother, Savior, Champion, Defender, and Friend. He loves with an unconditional love and it is not my or your right to take that love and try to do something to increase it… that mentality presupposes that He isn’t loving you as much as He can, and it’s a slap in the face. Stop.
Luke 15 tells three stories of return. Read one, anyone, and see if you can’t find that moment of eternal delight. There was rejoicing in heaven when I returned to God. There was more rejoicing in heaven because of that act than because of the pious acts of 99 other people more noble and praiseworthy than myself, and yet it was my act that brought the most joy. It was yours too. That doesn’t mean that pious acts are entirely wrong, it just means we should stop looking at them as if they’re going to increase God’s pleasure with us- it can’t be done.
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