Balancing Grace?

    Just the concept of "balancing grace" brings an absurd image into my mind. Surely you have held your breath and watched in awe of someone walking a tightrope or high wire across a dangerously high place, between skyscrapers, or stretched across Niagara Falls. Well, some Christians insist their relationship with God is similar to walking such a tightrope. Everything about the success of crossing safely to the other side, or plunging to ones death, hinges on our capacity to maintain "BALANCE." We become solely dependent upon ourselves to make God sit up and take notice of our ability to juggle everything in life with the skill of a death-defying circus act. Our daily endeavor is to get God to bless these actions, and as long as we can keep everything in balance, and not go too far one way or the other, we can feel pretty secure about our performance.
     We cannot offer much in the way of faith in God's ability to do anything in our lives as we maintain this preposterous mentality, because WE have to KEEP the focus, WE KEEP the balance, WE KEEP on target, WE KEEP towing the line, WE KEEP steady to prevent falling to our death, and WE KEEP creeping little by little to the other side until we finally make our destination. THAT is how the concept of "balance" seems to play out in the definition of keeping "grace in check." In other words, DON'T trust the saving grace of God, it might let you fall! The sufficiency MUST be a two-way street. A little God... a little me. Better safe than sorry! When all is said and done, unlike all those other sorry suckers, we can proudly stand before Him and say, "Lord, Lord! Look at all I have done in your name!"

     I was raised all my life in legalistic churches that placed EVERY key element of vital importance upon self-effort, performance, rule-keeping, etc. as the insurance policy to keep me in good standing with the denomination, fellowship within the ranks, and entrance into heaven, although our best efforts was still not a guarantee. If an open failure to maintain even the unspoken rules of the church was recognized, and it was perceived as something less offensive than, let's say, having an alcoholic beverage, emphasis was always placed on public remorse for the offense with an exhortation to "pray more-try harder" as the key to righteous reinstatement. All this after a good dose of condemnation, shaming and guilt tactics, silent treatment and the like by those considered "mature" within the church. The definition of "mature" usually meant those more entrenched in pseudo-holiness than others, and the title mostly self-ordained. You never could be sure when and by whom you might next be targeted for merciless scrutiny. Great pride was taken by those who could find out something to disclose on others. Usually made known by being brought up as a "prayer request" in a home fellowship. Those who weren't quite as highly regarded as the ones having sex with the pastor would be mercilessly accused of some heinous sin, turned out of the congregation, and readily forgotten. An easy sacrificial offering to keep the general congregants in line with microscopic supervision and manipulative control. I use that horrifying example because I have seen it as a reality on multiple occasions within churches that demand "holiness" (defined as "something I demand you to DO!") from their members.

     When the topic of "grace" became something MORE than just the means by which God chose to FORGIVE me for all I had done up to the point of my acceptance of Christ, things began to change. I started to see the cracks in the theology and government of the churches I had affiliated myself with and had to make sensible, intelligent and wise choices about the findings. At first, my response was simply, "This can't be! It's too easy!" And everyone knew in the circles I came up in that if Christianity was anything, it WASN'T easy! Naturally, I had to contend for "balance" when speaking on this topic with most people I knew. First of all, I couldn't allow them to become suspect that I might jump ship to align myself with the "heretics." Eventually GRACE became truly defined as "unmerited" in my understanding and I started to see the error in how I was always working to earn God's favor. Something was wrong in my whole foundational understanding of Christianity and had to be addressed, changed, radically altered. Either GRACE was the heart of the Gospel according to Acts 20:24 when Paul said, "...that I might finish my course... and ministry... which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the GRACE OF GOD" or, it was merely a tool used to assist us with a leg-up as better servants to the harsh mistress of self-effort. It was one or the other. It couldn't be both. Not any longer.
     Some teachers blame pastors for the general lack of understanding this vital topic. Not to mention the fact that people don’t study the Bible enough on their own. I agree that such is most often the case, but it remains, what people are generally taught from the pulpits of their chosen denomination is what they accept as truth. I have been guilty of this in my own life. Needless to say, my own study was colored by the perspectives I had been trained to believe as essential, especially among those I was taught to trust, regardless of the DIFFERENT theological positions I saw in scripture. Like everyone else, I just force-fitted the contradictions into my preferred theological narrative. Truly, people are not easily given to going against the grain of whatever "group/denomination" they are established in, comfortable with, or have been raised in. Regardless of what they are taught, if it's embraced as believable, acceptable, and valued by the peers of their religious community and family, no matter how crazy it seems outside their ranks, they will accept it. How do millions of people in cults that embrace the most seemingly absurd teachings (according to our set belief systems), having no foundation in scripture whatsoever, or from a different book altogether, fall prey to it? Pretty easy when considering normal human behavior, I think.
     I recently read a post exhorting people not to assume that everyone hasn’t heard this “good news of God's grace" even though some may have only recently discovered its richness. And, that we should make it a point to keep it away from the forefront of our conversation. I couldn’t be less in agreement. I have been in fellowship with countless numbers throughout my years in ministry who, like myself, had no clue of what the Gospel of God’s grace meant. Therefore, I have become a minister of that marvelous truth, and proclaim it regardless of who has or who hasn’t heard it. Those who HAVE heard it… TRULY heard it… rejoice with me when I speak of the excellence of God's glorious provision of grace. Those who haven’t, don’t. Often they strongly downplay its significance, relevance, and importance to bring “BALANCE.” They are usually the ones who fight to the death to defend the right to be responsible for their ultimate outcome, including being saved. As Paul writes in Galatians 1:7 “…there be some that… would PERVERT the gospel of Christ” tells me an ongoing battle for genuine faith has been a struggle since the beginning. If the gospel can be “perverted” then to what extent, and by what means? Because of my own experience with multitudes of Christians of various backgrounds, I believe it HAS been perverted and is held unwittingly in that twisted perspective. Ten minutes of conversation with most will allow anyone who understands this pivotal doctrine to determine such a position of ignorant disregard accurately. What's more, listen a little more closely and you will see how they are walking the fearful "tightrope" in hopes of securing through this balancing-act what was meant to be received as a simple gift.

     So, if born-again, Spirit-filled believers are JUST coming to this knowledge of God’s grace after years of serving under the yoke of religious bondage… HALLELUJAH! We should be REJOICING in this fact and hitting the floor on our faces in gratitude that truth and light are being revealed where falsehood and darkness flourished! That people are learning what REAL faith is about, and how to rightly place it in the person and work of Christ should make us shout from the housetops.

     For me, my early understanding of "grace” was merely a rite of passage into the world of traditional Christendom. I was assured all that was taught would be “true, Biblical, and life-changing" IF I did my part and lived by the standards of holiness. Once in, I became twice the son of hell as those that were falsely leading me into this quagmire of religious deception. After years and years in that web of pseudo-spirituality, I stepped out of the box. At the condemnation and warning from the faithful around me, I began to take the teachings of the Bible that I had earlier over-looked and compartmentalized as false or heretical until  the “scales” fell from my eyes. It was clearly written by the Apostle Paul that righteousness was a gift of God's grace through faith and not of works. Not of anything I could offer or accomplish.  I could no longer hold to any religious equation or method or tactic for what I must do to acquire blessing and favor. Either faith is sufficient or it isn't. Sheer faith is the victory or it's the catastrophe. But it became clear that it would be all or nothing. God can be trusted or he can't. To give the smallest fraction of dependence upon my own self-effort was a breach of the whole gift of grace that God offers. I stepped off the tightrope into a total free-fall of trusting in the promises of God's ongoing goodness and mercy. That was one of the hardest decisions I ever made. And I haven't hit bottom and died.
     Now, as the old hymn says, “My faith has found a resting place.” Clearly aware of my mission, duties, responsibilities and work, I place no longer place any emphasis on them as a means of keeping my relationship with God on track and well-oiled. The tightrope is gone and all the anxiety of maintaining the right balance between grace and works to avoid consequences are gone with it. The Good News is all about God's GRACE and my lips will never cease to proclaim it. If anyone thinks that they have quite literally moved beyond it… to higher and greater and better truths… I seriously question their foundation. And I fully relate to the fear they are facing as they walk that tightrope of religious insecurity.  

Drink deeply...

True Righteousness

     Since my last entry I've been giving a lot of thought to the concept of Righteousness. Not as in the common street vernacular of "he's a righteous dude" but rather the sense of right-standing one has with God that has been bestowed as a free gift. It's the great theme of the New Testament, yet probably remains one of the hardest concepts I have ever tried to wrap my own head around. For over forty years I have parroted the phrase, "I am the righteousness of God in Christ!" as if I had a full understanding of the height, depth and width of its meaning. The older I get and the more I continue to meditate on the subject, I have to admit the less I comprehend this amazing provision and its theological perspective. Why would I say something like that? After all these years of study, schooling, practical application and ministry... one might suppose that it would become all the more clear. In some ways it has, but the journey has taken much time. The reason I unashamedly give admission to this personal matter is because, though I have claimed this truth, I have continued to try and earn good standing with God, as so many are taught to do in fundamental religious circles and denominations. In spite of this glorious truth we confess with our lips, along with the rest of Christendom, there remains an underlying distrust of its foundational tenet as spoken by God Himself.
     This is most distressing when we consider the fact that what the scriptures claim God is seeking from us is FAITH, which some Bible translations define as "absolute assurance or confident trust" regarding his promised provisions. Humanity has never really been all that great at putting their faith in God. Our history has been more about us running scared than standing firm in absolute assurance or confident trust. The book of Romans is clear in chapter 3 where the Apostle Paul clarifies the condition of the human heart from God's perspective regarding this matter. The Living Bible puts it this way, "...all men alike are sinners, Jew and Gentile... No one is good - no one in all the world in innocent. No one has ever really followed God's paths, or even truly wanted to. Every one has turned away; all have gone wrong. No one anywhere has kept on doing what is right, not one. ...and they have never known what it is to feel secure or enjoy God's blessing. They care nothing about God or what he thinks of them." In so many conversations I've had through the recent years on this premise, I am responded to with a lot of, "Yes... but... "
     The thought of God putting all of humanity in the same boat, so that he can show mercy upon all alike, is not appreciated by many in Christian circles, or so it appears. When our religious denominations or affiliations hold us to a standard of performance, observances and works to maintain or uphold righteousness, it creates a false sense of security that can only be measured against ourselves. This is one of the most critical issues facing the church today. The false sense of security created by this notion is repetitively addressed by the Apostle Paul in his letters to the newly established churches in the region. It was obvious by his content and intent that there were people infiltrating the Body of Christ with unscrupulous and false teachings about "true righteousness." One might think the bearers of such unwelcomed news may have sounded something like this, "...of course we believe in salvation by grace through faith! HOWEVER... there are things we MUST DO to ensure we don't lose it!" What usually follows is a list of house rules as long as a roll of toilet paper that have to be upheld according to the scrutiny of some over-seeing religious umpire chomping at the bit to wield "spiritual authority" and disqualify us from the prize. (Another topic altogether!)
     It has occurred to me that any attempts at better securing a lasting divine provision though external activities, observations, religious rigor, rules, regulations, etc. is as deeply inordinate as assuming that, by putting on a dress, wig and high heels, a man can be transformed into a woman. Although I have applied a bit of levity to the matter, it should resonate with a greater sense of how genuinely preposterous it is to be self-assured that our feeble and fleshly religious efforts can manufacture the outcomes that only faith in God's grace was meant to secure. As I see it, only faith in Christ can result in the gift of applied grace and transforming righteousness that makes a fallen humanity into beloved children of God. Confidence in the promise of God to do ALL he has responsibly committed to accomplish on our behalf, including the ultimate end of bringing us lovingly to himself for an eternity of rest and peace is the only hope for us all. So easy... yet we resist... we run... we hide... we appeal by sacrificial offerings of promises and vows to "be good" or "try to do better." It's all unnecessary and does nothing to make the provision of God's everlasting love more secure or safe.
     We should thank God daily that he is our Great Shepherd and we shall lack no good thing. Every need he fully and responsibly supplies, starting with an on-going right relationship. Even the "faith" required of us to appropriate this gift is the byproduct of the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence. We can rest in the peace that passes understanding, assured that a "righteousness from God, apart from law, has been revealed... this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe... there is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Rom. 3)
Well said, brother Paul...
     But I must ask before I sign off... do we really believe these words? Do we read such passages, take a breath and "WISH" that it were true, as written? Or do we close the book and act like a man who has just looked into a mirror only to walk away and forget what he looks like? Are we desiring of such right-standing and favor with God, yet fearing that, due to the trappings of everything that makes us human, resign ourselves to a misconception that only in another life can such a relationship be realized? Do we continue to make promises to try harder, do better, pray more, go to church more, or faulter less in hopes of striking a deal with God to better soothe our inner guilt and secure our eternal outcome? So many of us do... and none of it is necessary, much less helpful. (AS IF OUR PROMISES TO GOD CAN ACCOMPLISH MORE THAN GOD'S PROMISES TOWARD US!!) Beloved, we are instructed in the New Testament to understand, "faith IS the victory." Faith is sufficient for receiving the on-going right standing from God we so desperately need. As our Sovereign Lord, Redeemer, Savior, Justifier and Sacrifice, he is also quite capable of KEEPING you in his loving care. John points out so clearly regarding the righteousness we lovingly abide in when he said, "Beloved, NOW we are the children of God." It doesn't get any more real or secure than that. Trust God's view of a RIGHTEOUS YOU! In other words, have faith...

Drink Deeply

Unfounded Expectancy

In my thirty-five plus years of ministry I have come to the conclusion that the greatest potential for sidetracking a believer from the “sacred path” is when simple trust/faith in God's promises start to become overshadowed and replaced by the keeping of religious laws, rules and regulations. This causes trust/faith to be exchanged for an unfounded expectancy that God will reward our works with the blessings that faith alone provides. Not to mention, this confidence in our capability and strength creates a greater sense of FEAR that we will be punished according to our sins and failures when we miss the mark. And will we ever miss it.
Galatians 5:2,4 (Amplified) "...for if you distrust Him, you can gain nothing from Him. If you seek to be justified and declared righteous and to be given a right standing with God through the Law, you are brought to nothing and so separated (severed) from Christ. You have fallen away from grace - from God's gracious favor and unmerited blessing." Sounds to me like Paul was clearly addressing the fact that the capacity to reach our potential gets fully short-circuited when we seek to please God by following any kind of "law" as a means of gaining His approval, favor, blessing, and provision of salvation.
This is certainly one of the MOST practiced and required pitfalls in Christendom, that carries the greatest approval rating among religious brethren and peers, but the Bible seems to imply that God "cuts the umbellical cord" when we take these measures.
Isn't it odd that Paul was not telling the Galatians that their "sins" were getting in the way of their relationship with God, (for there is a provision for sin) but that keeping the law (which IS holy) rather than trusting God's promise to justify the wicked was the culprit for their demise? No provision for that. How can the law help us when the Bible declares metaphorically that we've died to it and married another? Great food for thought...
In our lack of understanding, we continue embracing religious notions insisting that the law be upheld and practiced to "maintain" righteousness. But, mind you, not the whole of the law, (as required by God for those who insist it be followed (Gal. 5:3) but "selective enforcement" of hand-picked rules and laws that appeal to our sense of morality and uprightness. Even new laws have been created and put in place that was never a part of the original intent of the churches founding requirements. Weren't there enough laws given through Moses without trying to heap some other mans requirements upon them?
Do you want to live your potential to its maximum? Walk daily according to the leading of the Holy Spirit and follow the cardinal "law" of LOVE. (God and neighbor as yourself.)
Quit following Judaic laws, rules and regulations, and put your faith wholly in the one (Jesus) who has the capacity to help you.
By holding fast (in faith) to the "HEAD" (Christ) you will grow with a growth that is from God. (Col.2:19) Counting on God to bless your rigorous intensity to please Him by keeping rules, laws and rituals will only end in frustration and defeat. Haven’t we had enough of that in life? Let’s get on with real living and let faith stand on it’s own as the means of embracing all the goodness that God has to offer in this life and the next.
Let faith take hold of the sufficiency that grace provides.
Then take a sigh of relief and drink deeply.
You are so loved.