Gracious Works

What is the relationship between grace and works? Will everyone be equal in heaven? Or will some receive greater blessing than others? I've listened to both sides of this question. Some are adamant that grace is the great "leveller" under which nobody is greater than anyone else. Such preaching is sweet to our soul because it means God won't love some of the "great" Christians like Whitfield or Spurgeon. They are not "better" than us or more loved of God than us. On the other side, it definitely seems like Christ preaches that those who make greater sacrifices will receive greater blessing. Those who sow sparingly will also reap sparingly. When Christ is asked to reserve the two seats at His right and left hand He intimately links such a request to suffering.

So what's the answer? Are we equal under grace? Or do some receive greater rewards than others? I believe the answer is both. We are equal. We all desperately need saving. We are wicked beyond comprehension and need a Savior to rescue us from sin. BUT, we do NOT all work with the same level of intensity after salvation has been wrapped around us. Once again, think of us as cups. Some of us are big, some are small, some are mere thimbles. That's how we're all different. Varying sizes. BUT the same beverage is poured into us. Namely, the love of Christ. It's not that some of us are more loved or less loved than others but that we can more completely understand that love. That love is more or less precious to us. Some of us have relatively easy lives here on earth. We don't suffer martyrdom or vicious lies being told about us. Our faith in Christ is real but the greatest thing we suffer for it is a more cramped financial lifestyle and the struggle to pray and pursue God every day. On the other side of the camp we have people like Jim Elliott, Nate Saint, Haralan Popov, and Richard Wurmbrandt who payed a very high cost for their faith in Christ. Now these men were not more loved by God but they had a more dreadful time living for Him than we do. The worse our experience in this life, the more we treasure the love of God. The more poverty we have in this world, the more we'll treasure the riches we have in the next. The drier the desert, the more desired the Promised Land. We're all loved by God and we're all deeply indebted with a debt that we can't ever pay off but we're NOT all undergoing equal suffering for our faith in Christ.

So if you want to receive blessing in greater amounts in the next life, pursue the more difficult path in this life. Blessing is linked to suffering. You won't be more loved by God, but you'll treasure that love more. You can be a HUGE cup or a thimble. The choice is up to you by the grace of God.

I accept that there may be a LOT of disagreement with this note. I'm not even sure it's all theologically intact. So I welcome any thoughts or feedback. Thanks, guys!

Maximum Work, Maximum Punishment

Just think about the insanity that was Jesus Christ being crucified.

First, look at the obedience of Jesus Christ. He was perfect. Not one single time did He lose track of His life purpose. Not one single error in His thinking. He didn't hold any false doctrine about God. Neither did His heart separate thinking from feeling. He never let His joy be determined by His situation. His joy in God was the result of painstakingly thought out theology. Not once did He look lustfully upon a woman. Not once did He wish He could kill His enemies. He was never angry without cause. He never erred in His keeping of the 10 commandments. He never coveted something that belonged to His neighbor. He was never frustrated when He didn't get His way. He never once in His entire life complained to God. He never took God for granted. He spent as much time as He could in prayer but He did not neglect practical obedience to His Father. He never prayed to the neglect of His day to day duties of loving His people, healing their infirmities, or preaching the Word to them. Not once. His record was the only one unblemished in the entire history of humanity. BUT He didn't slip into pride as a result of it. He was remarkably humble and easy to approach. This man was like no other. There was no slipping, no disobedience, no shortcuts taken in His ministry. He didn't cut corners to get to the "spiritual results" faster. He didn't neglect anyone who came to Him for grace and love. Neither did He let anyone escape His anger when they had sinned. He never downplayed sin or encouraged someone whose actions were NOT to be encouraged! He was angry with others but not at the expense of graciously showing them their mistakes. All of this to say, Jesus Christ did not sin even one time. He. Was. Perfect. Unblemished. Whole. Devoid of sin. Completely righteous in every possible way.

Now flip everything around. Pretend that everything I just said was the complete opposite of reality. That's the punishment Jesus received. Here's how God looked at Him as He hung on the cross:

A thief. A liar. A drunkard. A man who showed no mercy. A man who hated everyone who crossed his path. A man guilty of rape, murder, incest, sodomy. A porn addict. An alcoholic. A person who never controlled his temper but allowed it to flare for no reason at all. A man who beat his wife. A man who rapes his children and then kills them. A guy that beats his dog and laughs as those who need his protection starve to death. A corrupt judge who takes bribes. A man who organized mass exterminations and laughed as his victims begged for mercy. A man who sleeps with different hookers every night. A man who is warned that there is a judgement but scoffs and threatens the one who warned him. An atheist. Someone who has twisted desires and doesn't hesitate to fulfill them. A serial killer. Someone who gets a sexual charge from physically injuring others and then violating their dead corpses.

I'm talking about the One whose gifts are infinite. Who willingly subjected Himself to death for YOUR sins. He's getting hit with licks deserved by religious hypocrites. He's in the fiery pit as if He was a wicked liar with twisted desires.

He's the source of all godly pleasure but he's being treated as if He's a child molester. HOW CAN HE BE TREATED THIS WAY! NOBODY deserved glory EXCEPT for Him! And HE'S getting all the shit that should have fallen on YOU and ME! He put forth the maximum work. He never slacked in doing righteousness but He's getting punished like one who never slacked in doing UNrighteousness! He is PERFECT in love and wisdom but He's being punished like he constructed the corrupt justice system! Like he's selling crack and pot and seducing teenage girls or looking at the most vile, abusive porn on the internet when he's not out performing violent sexual acts on the general populace!

When you look at the cross with these eyes you see how NUTS it is! I mean seriously! What. the. HELL! Christ suffered more in those 6 hours than anyone EVER will in hell! Let this cause you to weep over your sin and worship the One who put it away forever! He was NOT obligated to show you mercy! He wasn't obligated to do ANY of this! Nor does He do it to control you. He simply does it because. He. Loves. You. "Nobody takes my life from me. I lay it down of my own accord."

Glasses

People are like goblets. They are full of various beverages. Some are full of sports or entertainment. They can't wait until the season starts and their team has its first game or until the season finale of their favorite show! Others have love in them. The desire for romance. If they're single, they can't wait to be in a relationship! If they're in a relationship, they can't wait to be with their beloved. Some are filled with ambition. They're so excited about their future and they can't wait until they get their first big job. Some have loftier things in them like philosophy or religion. They love studying great thinkers and making conjectures about the nature of reality and of God. Most people are full of SOMETHING. On a rare occasion, you may come across someone who is empty. It's not usual. We feel that part of what makes us human is that we are full of something. A goblet is made to contain liquid. Humans are meant to be full of something that they believe is truly great.

What kind of people does God use? God uses those who are empty. They realize that they have nothing. They realize that no liquid seems to be quite great enough to be filled with. They are empty. They are in anguish of spirit because they are empty.

But being empty isn't enough. Paul makes it plain that God primarily uses those who are weak and small. But just because you are weak and small doesn't mean you will be used of God! If a cup is empty, it is a great shame! Because it's true! God DID create us to be filled with something. Realizing that nothing the world has to offer is quite up to par is wise; but simply remaining empty and weak and broken isn't enough. You have to come before Christ in your emptiness, begging Him to fill you with His Spirit. People weren't meant to be filled with someTHING; they were meant to be filled with someONE.

So if you're full of something this world has to offer, EMPTY YOURSELF! If you're empty... praise God! But know that emptiness is not enough. No benefit is garnered by simply being empty. You MUST be filled with the right beverage. So praise God if you're empty, but don't be satisfied being empty. Nobody enjoys anything about an empty cup. Come before the One who is willing to put into your heart "rivers of living water." Come. Drink. Be filled.

Selection from Foxe's Book of Martyrs

"Trajan likewise commanded the martyrdom of Ignatius, bishop of Antioch. This holy man was the person whom, when an infant, Christ took into his arms, and showed to his disciples, as one that would be a pattern of humility and innocence. He received the gospel afterward from St. John the Evangelist, and was exceedingly zealous in his mission. He boldly vindicated the faith of Christ before the emperor, for which he was cast into prison, and tormented in a most cruel manner. After being dreadfully scourged, he was compelled to hold fire in his hands, and, at the same time, papers clipped in oil were put to his sides, and set on fire. His flesh was then torn with red hot pincers, and at last he was despatched by being torn to pieces by wild beasts."

The world is not worthy of such.

Think Big!

Romans 8:28. What a verse. Do you realize what this verse means?! This is, in my opinion, God's greatest promise for His children hands down. The sad thing is that most believers don't take advantage of this promise! We leave weakly and cautiously, fearful that we will inflict more pain on ourselves and more shame on God's glory than we can stomach. We live weak, sheltered, protected, cautious, small lives. Romans 8:28 is an a-bomb that should blow all that right out of the water! It's kind of like God is saying "STOP BEING CAREFUL! Think big!" Romans 8:28 frees us to make monumental errors in our pursuit of bringing God greater glory. Maybe you blow literally everything you have on God. Imagine emptying your bank account, mortgaging your house, selling all your assets, and moving back in with your parents and then giving the money to a missions organization. What if your parents won't take you in? What if this rash decision leaves you homeless? What if you can't afford 3 meals a day anymore and you find yourself taking up residence in a homeless shelter? No doubt, this would be counted as a pretty big mistake. God wants you to have the food you need to do His will. He wants you to have a roof over your head to protect you from the elements. Your His child and maybe you've just thrown away what He intended as your provision. BUT don't forget Romans 8:28. Is God up there scratching His head thinking, "What is WRONG with that guy?!"? No! No doubt, He is rejoicing! "Yes! He gets the gospel! He understands how much worship I deserve!"

Look at the story of Jesus at Mary, Martha, and Lazarus' house. Mary takes this pound of VERY expensive perfume and pours it on Jesus feet and wipes them with her hair. Now when it says "very costly perfume" don't make the mistake of thinking this was like "Eternity for Women" by Calvin Klein (running at $40/ bottle at Amazon) or "Ralph Lauren Blue for Women" (running at about $50/ bottle at Amazon). Judas says it could have been sold for 300 denarii. Now how much was a denarius? Well a denarius was about a days' wages. How much money do you make in a day? In my current job I make about $60 every day. You can do the math. Now maybe you make a bit more than I do or a bit less. But if I were to work 300 days, the amount I earn would be about $18,000. It's more than likely that this was Mary and Martha's savings. One day they wouldn't be able to work anymore. They would need something to live on. And here Mary is pouring everything they've got on Jesus feet. She's doing this because, in her mind, Jesus is worth more than the perfume.

How does Jesus respond to this kind of love? Does He scratch His head and say "Mary. Mary, Mary, Mary. I gave you that to take care of yourself after you can't work anymore. That was really stupid. Why would you do that? There's other ways you can show me your love. You didn't have to go and do that and cripple yourself financially for the future. I thought you were smarter than that."? No! He is happy! He honors her! I think God was thrilled in that moment. "YES! She trusts Me to provide for her! She gets how valuable My Son is! She knows that I'm not going to leave her high and dry for pouring out her life savings!" God is honored. Jesus is thrilled. Mary is trusting. What a beautiful picture. Romans 8:28 wasn't written yet but Mary's heart knew the reality of God's kindness and compassion.

I think one lesson we can learn from this story is that we need to be less concerned with what will happen as a result of our sacrifices and more concerned with showing love for and captivation with Jesus Christ. When you get the gospel, you stop being afraid of making gigantic mistakes and you start seeing the glory of God as more important than your personal enjoyment and comfort in life. So sometimes I think it's good to just throw caution to the wind and think "What is the hugest way that I can show my love for God today?" and then do it.

Don't Get Bogged Down!

Something amazing occurred to me this week! Simple obedience leads to unimaginable glory! Look at the story of Matthew's calling. Jesus says "Follow me." So Matthew gets up from the tax booth and obeys. Nothing seems so amazing about that. It seems like the most commonplace event in the history of the universe! No glory, no pomp, no "WOW! Look at that guy! He's FOLLOWING!" That's near the very beginning of the New Testament. Now flip ahead to Revelation 21:14, near the end of the New Testament. The wall of the Heavenly City has 12 foundation stones... and Matthew's name is on one of them. What the heck?! How did we get from "Follow me," to Matthew's name being written on a foundational block of the insanely glorious, eternal city?!?! All He did was obey. That's what we must do! Now maybe we won't get our name written on Heaven like Matthew did but I know one thing... God doesn't love Matthew more than He loves you. And it wasn't because of Matthew that he got up and obeyed Jesus. Matthew, Paul, Peter, John, you, me, and everyone need the saving blood of Jesus to get us into heaven. So who knows where your obedience will lead. But I know it's somewhere glorious! So don't get bogged down by how mundane life seems sometimes! Glory starts in the everyday.

Breaking Point

I believe there comes a point in the life of every believer when they must either break with the world or break with God. I think I am coming to that point in my life. I feel the Spirit of God drawing me to deep commitment. Radical commitment. Dangerous commitment. Real love. Reading through 2 Corinthians today reaffirmed to me that if I am indeed a new creation as 5:17 describes me, I must break with the old creation. Now maybe I won't die in some God forsaken rainforest as Jim Elliot and Nate Saint did. Maybe I won't serve a 13-year sentence of torture, hard labor, and imprisonment as Haralan Popov did. Maybe I won't even live outside the US. I don't know. But what I do know is that I need to be more concerned with the approval of God in my life than I do with the approval of men. I need to be open to these things if that's what God is calling me to. I need to love. The love of Christ compels me.

I urge you to decide where you stand on the truth of Scripture. If the Bible is true, we must all pour ourselves out for the glory of God and live to Him. If it's false, we need to stop going to church, stop reading Christian books, and stop singing praise music. If Christ is not alive, Christianity is a dead religion and only fools pursue Him. If Christ is alive, we must see the world as crucified to us and us to the world. I know that Christ has risen from the dead. So I am choosing to abandon my previous way of thinking and living. I've seen and heard things that I cannot explain apart from this reality. The reality is that Jesus Christ died for sins, was buried, rose again, and ascended into heaven to prepare an eternal inheritance for us and intercede on our behalf. I have to let that truth affect how I spend money, what job I take, what person I marry, and everything that I say, think, and do. I am not my own. I was bought at a price.

Anyway, I feel like I'm kinda rambling. I just needed to throw this out there. Please consider it prayerfully.