And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
(2Co 12:9-10 KJV)
As Christians, we often have the convoluted idea that we need to present ourselves to the world as "perfect", that we need to hide our blemishes behind smiles and our struggles behind praise songs. We have to have an impeccable testimony, we have to do what is absolutely right and show how our Christian lifestyles are full of joy.
It isn't like that. We don't need to make ourselves into saint or portray ourselves as "enhanced beings". The fact is, as Christians, we were sinners and He saved us. We remain "sinners saved by grace," transformed each day by His power. The sins and struggles, the difficulties and distresses are inalienable parts of our testimony, for when we are truly honest and we cry out to God and God alone to deliver us, can be have the testimonies of overcomers.
We don't need to boast of our strength, our humility, our sinlessness. Let our boast be Jesus and Him alone. Let our weaknesses be testimonies to the undeserved grace and resurrection, redeeming power of Christ.
Let us show God strong when we are weak.
There needs to be bluntness, honesty and candour, rather than the all-too-common unreality, false hype and facades we feel we need to put up.
The world doesn't need Christ because Christians are an elite breed of superhumans, the world needs Christ because we are all born sinners, weak, fallible and all too human. We are just like everyone else, have the same struggles as all men. Hey, even Jesus was tempted on all points like we are!
We need to be real about temptations, about struggles, whether it is in Christian leadership or amongst Christians. We need authenticity and this kind of relevance and practicality in the church, an openness about individual struggles.
Furthermore, we need to witness the salvation of Christ by showing who we are and were, and who He supernaturally made us be. If we were not sick, then we cannot have been healed by Him. If we were not sinners, then we have no need of redemption.
When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
(Mar 2:17 KJV)
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Seat of Sinners
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
(Psa 1:1-6 KJV)
Psalm 1 speaks of the righteous man, one who studies the word of God day and night and shuns sinners. This is a very commonly cited Psalm by Christians, but we must not forget that our first and primary focus should be following Jesus, not living a "righteous" life and being "righteous".
It just isn't that simple. I don't believe that God is calling us to do nothing by study the Bible all day and to live a life separate from sinners. We must hold all truths in balance, after all.
The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.
(Mat 11:19 KJV)
Now, I don't believe in holding a black-and-white view of the Pharisees, but from what I understand about religion during that time was that the Pharisees were very devout. They absolutely gave their life to the study God's law and they sought to follow the principles of Psalms 1 - live a righteous life, study the Law of the Lord day and night, and avoid the company of sinners. If I were to judge them by Psalms 1, from a human perspective, they would pass with flying colours.
But what I recently realized is that Jesus wouldn't. I'm not saying that Jesus wasn't meditating on the word of God but rather that He was the living word of God and did not deviate an iota from the will and purpose of God. However, He did spend time in the company of "sinners", people that Psalms 1 calls us to avoid.
And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
(Mat 9:10-13 KJV)
This should raise questions about our attitude as Christians and the way we live our lives. Simply put, we are called to follow Jesus. How can we understand how Psalms 1 applies to us from Jesus' example?
I'm not saying that we are to live hedonistic lives and accept the ways of the world, but it is clear that the common, pietistic and religious interpretation of Psalms 1:1 just doesn't line up with Jesus' example.
I believe, in a way, that the contrast between Jesus and the Pharisees is meant to show us, in a way, how we are to approach the Hebrew Scriptures.
My understanding the issue is that Jesus was amongst sinners yet He was not contaminated by sin. He didn't follow after the way of the unrighteous or seek to "fit in" by And yet, the sinners did not reject Him either. He came to seek and save the lost and the sinners.
What are we called to do? Hide away from the world and read our Bibles or to be the living word and testimony of the gospel by being "lights in the midst of darkness".
I believe fully in the entirety of Scripture, that we cannot have one verse without another holding it in balance. I also believe that we need the inspiration of the Holy Spirit without which we cannot have understanding or know how the Word of God is to be applied in our individual situations and to the choices we have ot make.
(Psa 1:1-6 KJV)
Psalm 1 speaks of the righteous man, one who studies the word of God day and night and shuns sinners. This is a very commonly cited Psalm by Christians, but we must not forget that our first and primary focus should be following Jesus, not living a "righteous" life and being "righteous".
It just isn't that simple. I don't believe that God is calling us to do nothing by study the Bible all day and to live a life separate from sinners. We must hold all truths in balance, after all.
The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.
(Mat 11:19 KJV)
Now, I don't believe in holding a black-and-white view of the Pharisees, but from what I understand about religion during that time was that the Pharisees were very devout. They absolutely gave their life to the study God's law and they sought to follow the principles of Psalms 1 - live a righteous life, study the Law of the Lord day and night, and avoid the company of sinners. If I were to judge them by Psalms 1, from a human perspective, they would pass with flying colours.
But what I recently realized is that Jesus wouldn't. I'm not saying that Jesus wasn't meditating on the word of God but rather that He was the living word of God and did not deviate an iota from the will and purpose of God. However, He did spend time in the company of "sinners", people that Psalms 1 calls us to avoid.
And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
(Mat 9:10-13 KJV)
This should raise questions about our attitude as Christians and the way we live our lives. Simply put, we are called to follow Jesus. How can we understand how Psalms 1 applies to us from Jesus' example?
I'm not saying that we are to live hedonistic lives and accept the ways of the world, but it is clear that the common, pietistic and religious interpretation of Psalms 1:1 just doesn't line up with Jesus' example.
I believe, in a way, that the contrast between Jesus and the Pharisees is meant to show us, in a way, how we are to approach the Hebrew Scriptures.
My understanding the issue is that Jesus was amongst sinners yet He was not contaminated by sin. He didn't follow after the way of the unrighteous or seek to "fit in" by And yet, the sinners did not reject Him either. He came to seek and save the lost and the sinners.
What are we called to do? Hide away from the world and read our Bibles or to be the living word and testimony of the gospel by being "lights in the midst of darkness".
I believe fully in the entirety of Scripture, that we cannot have one verse without another holding it in balance. I also believe that we need the inspiration of the Holy Spirit without which we cannot have understanding or know how the Word of God is to be applied in our individual situations and to the choices we have ot make.
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