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.