Peace is NOT Possible in a Works-righteousness Belief System.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2

In the previous chapter Paul makes it clear even Abraham was not "justified by works" and therefore even he did not "have something to boast about" (Romans 4:2). Now Paul takes it further explaining exactly where "we boast" -- "in the hope of the glory of God." The boasting has its proper place because of our faith. And faith is indeed the key: If you do NOT believe in your heart that God justified you by the work of Christ on the Cross then you are unlikely to feel at peace. 

Here's the thing. SINCE we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God. IF we are NOT justified by faith we do NOT have peace with God. Because peace is something a person feels. And one can only feel peace with the proper spiritual outlook. This outlook God provided by justifying us "through faith" and "through our Lord Jesus Christ." However, IF you think you are somehow justified by something other than faith in the Lord Jesus Christ then you will never fully feel at peace. 

Bottom line: Peace is NOT possible in a works-righteousness framework or belief system. 

Examine your heart. Do you feel at peace with God? If you do not feel at peace, do you think this is what God wants for you, or for any of us? What sense would it make for God to do all He has done for us if the result is still insecurity in our minds? What kind of "good news" (gospel) would that be? Not a very good one. 

No. God did all He did in order to set us free! The freedom is a freedom of our minds. If you have a lack of peace -- if you cannot imagine yourself walking right up to God the Father with confidence that you are His adopted and loved child -- then you are likely the victim of false teaching. 

First step to freedom? Start reading the Bible for yourself. BibleGateway is great because you can search by certain words. Try it. Type in words like "love," "blood," "sacrifice," and "freedom." You'll read how the good news really is good news. 

Step two to freedom? Stop listening to the teacher or teachers who leave you insecure and wondering about your salvation. They are false teachers, promoting a form of works-righteousness. They leave you thinking that something you "do" or "don't do" will take away your sinful nature and make you right with God. This is not the Truth. The Truth is Christ. And HE is the sacrifice who removed the fallen status and seated us with Himself next to God. You are -- right NOW -- His fully redeemed child. Believe it.

Step three? Never give up. God will provide all that is necessary for you to grow in your freedom and in your new nature as His child. Satan will attack. False teachers will teach. But fight back, asking God to protect your mind and heart, and to use you in His Kingdom. And be ready for your own glorious sacrifice for His name's sake. It will come. It may come as quickly as when you stop listening to that false teacher whom everyone loves so much. That right there might get you persecuted and shunned. But do it anyway. God has so much more for you --- so much freedom and peace in your mind -- and it's right there waiting for you to take a step toward Him. Believe it.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.

You are "justified through faith." This faith is how "we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." You see we now have "gained access by faith into this grace." We didn't have access and now we do. Access into what? His grace. What do we do now that we have access to His grace? We STAND IN IT! It is His grace "...in which we now stand." And what do we do as we stand in His grace in which He gave us access through faith in Christ? WE BOAST ABOUT IT! Yes, we can brag about what God has done!!! "And we boast in the hope of the glory of God." 

Peace is NOT possibly in a works-righteousness belief system. 

Peace IS possibly when we see that it is not about what we do, it is about what God has already done! 

A Major Root of Slander: Projection

slan·der  [slan-der]  Show IPA noun

1.

defamation; calumny: rumors full of slander.

2.

a malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report

We don't throw around the word "slander" very often in today's language. But it shows up a bunch of times in the scripture, most often right along some of the "heinous" sins.  Just do a search for "slander" in www.biblegateway.com to start your own study. 

For years I've watched the sin of slander in fallen human beings; in myself. It's like a slimy, slippery oil spill under our feet. It doesn't matter who laid it down there anyone can slip and crack their heads open! It's beyond gossip in so many ways because it destroys character -- it's like "character assassination," as my good friend Ken puts it. But what is the root or roots of this Godless iniquity? This morning, in his blog post "The#1 Relationship Destroyer," Frank Viola offers a pretty good explanation of at least one of the main roots.  That root is "Projection."

One of the behaviors that effectively destroys relationships — if not the main one — is the tendency to impute the motives of one’s own heart onto those we find threatening or those we just don’t like. Christian leaders who have inflated egos or deep insecurities are easily threatened by others. As a result, they will unwittingly read their own heart motives into the hearts of other people. Psychologists call this “projection.” I can’t face my own shortcomings and defects so I unconsciously project them onto other people. I accuse others of the very same dark things that are lurking deep within my own heart. I’ve watched some Christians engage in projection when they came into contact with those who were just as (or more) gifted than they were. The root is often jealousy. You can call it a “Saul complex,” if you will.

I learned about "projection" in grad school in Texas. Let me tell you, it's a real thing. It's the result of a person being in unconscious unreality about themselves. Viola is right, the root of it is "I can't face my own shortcomings and defects." So what is the answer to breaking this cycle in another person, or in ourselves, or safeguarding our own heart to ensure we are not enslaved by slander? The answer is, as always, knowing who we truly are in Christ. If we do not know who we fully are in Him we are doomed to enlarge our own ego, and miss the plank in our own eye, as Viola rightly explains. 

Herein lies a great lesson: Those who judge the motives of others are simply revealing what’s in their own hearts. In Matthew 7:1–4, Jesus points out that those with defective eyesight are all too willing to perform eye surgery on others. Yet within this text, the Lord makes this chilling assessment: If you impute an evil motive onto someone else, you’re simply making known what your motives are. To put it another way, the piece of sawdust we see in our brother’s eye is simply a small chip off the two-by-four that lies within our own. And a piece of wood will always distort our vision. When people cannot face the reality of what’s in their own hearts, they project it onto others—particularly those who they find threatening to their egos.

Ego. There it is. That is a painful, sinful, fallen part of each of us. We MUST declare war on our egos. We must recognize the ego's destructive power and how it comes against our spirit; how it forces God's Holy Spirit to the corners of our mind, far enough from our conscience that we cease to hear His voice. We MUST say "enough is enough!" We will not slander. 

How do we make sure we do not "project" our own shortcomings onto others? We MUST make darn sure we are rooted and grounded in Christ alone -- what HE says about WHO we are in HIM! Only then can we fully pull up the rotten roots of gossip and judgementalism in ourselves. 

CLICK HERE TO READ WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST! 

When we dwell on this list we don't have time to gossip and slander and judge. Nor do we ever project our shortcomings onto others. 

Because .... we are free. 

And our LIFE is in YOU LORD!

Circumcision? Fill in the Blank...Galatians 5 Experiment

So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. 2 Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. 4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.

This passage in Galatians is one of my favorites. It comes packaged in a wonderful context. Paul is pleading with the new believers to not let the religious pull them back into a wrong way of thinking and acting. Paul's aim is to keep them from falling away from God's grace. He charges them with "make sure you stay free," making it clear that 

1. there is a real danger coming from the religious, who in this case "infiltrated" their ranks to "spy on the freedom we have in Christ and make us slaves" (Gal. 2:4).
2. it is every believer's job to work at not falling back into works.

Here's a little fill-in-the-blank exercise. Look at where the word "circumcision" and "circumcised" appear in the above passage. Read it carefully. Then, read it again and replace "circumcision" and "circumcised" with the following words or phrases: 

• "good works" and "a good person"
• "studying your Bible" and "a diligent Bible student"
• "spiritual gifts" and "a spirit-filled, power house"
• "being in the right church" and "in the right church"
• "church leadership" and "favored by your church's leadership"
• "having a perfect family" and "perfect parent"
• [add your own here]

For example: If you are counting on being in the right church to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 I’ll say it again. 

The danger coming from the religious still exists today. I once heard of a pastor who taught (from this passage, I assume) in his church that the members should NOT circumcise. I think he missed the point. In verse 6 Paul puts it plainly: "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value." The point is don't do ANYTHING that would make you a (spiritual) slave again to "the law." The law is represented here as anything that takes the place of righteousness coming through Christ and Christ alone. We died to the law so that we might belong to God in a more perfect way and that we might bear fruit (Rom 7:4). It is "in Christ Jesus" that we are made right with God and set free from the righteousness that comes from the law. So you could even reword verse two this way, 

"Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves [BE CONVINCED NOT TO] be circumcised [IN ORDER TO BE RIGHT WITH GOD], Christ will be of no value to you at all.

Sorry, but I really think that Pastor missed it, and likely confused the spiritual snot out of his church! 

So what should we do if we find in our hearts that we are in some way replacing righteousness that comes from being in Christ with some form of work or right thinking outside of Christ? 

• Stop listening to that voice in your head telling you you're not good enough. 

Stop thinking this way and stop living this way. If you think you are not good enough and that you must do something MORE before you can have God's grace through Christ then that thought is NOT from God. It makes no sense when we read the scriptures. Nor does it make sense if we listen to the Spirit in our hearts. There is nothing we can DO to earn salvation. It's GRACE by which we are saved, through faith. 

• Stop listening to those who teach or promote, either directly or indirectly, a works-based righteousness. OR... study the scriptures for yourself and challenge him or her.

I've seen and known many a teacher who promoted a works-based gospel after proof-texting one or two scriptures in the Bible. But read the WHOLE Bible. The  whole plan of God is found wrapped up in the actions of Christ. The Gospel is God-centered. Not man-centered. 

Think about this. What if a person were to find himself stranded on an island with no knowledge of "Christianity" as we know it but then found a Bible in a coconut tree? (Hey, you can do whatever you want with hypotheticals!) Then the began to read it. Do you really think they would come away with "I must earn my salvation"???? 

No way!

Here's the bottom line, one which I think Paul is getting at: We work for God as a RESULT of knowing He who died for us and that He made us right with Himself by His own blood. The more we know and love HIM the more we produce fruit for Him. And never along the way do we get the glory, because it's all to Him who died for me. 

One last thought: If you are wondering if your church or your pastor teaches a works-based gospel (or even a works-slanted gospel) don't be afraid to ask your leaders the tough questions: 

1. Do you believe that no one can come to the Father but through Jesus Christ? (John 14:6; Ac 4:12; 1 Jn 2:23)
2. Do you believe that there is any way possible to earn a better place with God through good works or anything we may do?
3. If you died today are you sure of your own salvation?

Your challenging the teaching of salvation by works might change your own life and the lives of several others, including your Pastor. And remember, you would NOT be the first one to challenge it. Paul did it! And he was filled with the very same Spirit as you!  

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.” 1 Peter 2:15-16 NIV

Grace Received? Grace to Give!

After doing a search for "grace" in Biblegateway.com I'm thrilled to see such a variety of uses. (You can do this search and your own study, too! Don't let someone else tell you what the Bible says. Read it! It's awesome and will change your life!!)  One thing jumped off the screen into my lap this morning. The whole point of understanding and receiving the grace of God is so that we can give the same grace to others. We can talk and write about grace but if we are not "gracious" ourselves our testimony is null and void. If we cannot love others with the same unconditional love with which the Father loves us then we should not speak of grace. First, we receive grace:

Acts 15:11 We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
Romans 3:24 ...and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

...to name a few. All three of these (and most of the others in the NT) are from the Greek work khar'-ece, which is defined in Strongs as "graciousness, of manner or act, especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude."

We are indeed saved by Grace and not by works so that NO one can boast (Eph 2:8-9). There's no way in the universe to be saved from our sins other than the redemptive blood shed at Calvary. No effort, no action, no work can justify us. WE are saved by grace. And this is of vital importance. If we do not begin here; if we begin with any form or works-righteousness, whether subtle or blatant, we will miss the application which is "Grace to give." If we do not feel and even OWN the belief that we are saved by the effort, action, and work of Christ alone then we will be more likely to judge, condemn, ridicule, and slander others. WE will have little or no grace to give. Our ability to cover another person with grace is directly proportional to our own understanding of being covered by God's grace. Let me repeat that: Our ability to cover another person with grace is directly proportional to our own understanding of being covered by God's grace. That's how we have grace to give. 

Grace to give:

Luke 2:40And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
Acts 13:43 When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
Acts 4:33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all.

A man (and a woman) can be known to be "full of God's grace" just as was Stephen. Christ Himself was "filled" with the grace of God.  ARE we known to be full of God's grace? Were the Apostles known to be full of God's grace? Yes indeed. The GRACE (khar'-ece) was "SO" powerfully at work in them all. Oh, yes. This IS the same greek work as in those three verses above: "graciousness, of manner or act, especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude."  

So first we receive God's grace in the form of redemption from sins and we receive eternal life through the actions of God in Christ. We are justified by God's grace. How do we know all of this? "Through faith." We must believe it. If you struggle to believe, ask God for more faith. He loves that prayer, and will answer with a resounding yes. Ask Him. You'll see. If you've been taught something other than we are "saved by grace through faith" then ask God to undo the false teaching in your life and replace it with HIS Truth which appears in scripture and which will testify  in your heart by the Spirit. You'll know the grace of God as it grows in you. And like the Spring flowers after a long winter you will come alive! 

Second, "out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks."  We should not think we understand the Father's grace if we are not also filled with grace. (This is so deeply convicting even as I study this for I have so far to go.) What about the Apostles? Their lives were not marked by their intellect, leadership, and lectures. They were known for their grace. Grace for every occasion, every person, everyday. The "great power" of the Apostles was a power to be filled up with God's grace and to overflow to others. But forget about the apostles for a minute. That was a long time ago. What about you and me? Are we working through the power of God's grace?

• Do we have grace for the one who disagrees with us? 
• Do we have grace for the person who hurt us? 
• Do we have grace for the struggling believer?
• Do we have grace for the person who slanders us?  
• Do we have grace for the faulty church? 
• Do we have grace for the legalists? 
• Do we have grace for the modern pharisees? 
• De we have grace for the sinners and the saints alike?
• Do we have grace for ourselves? 

If our lives are not marked by Grace; if we are not filled with the power of Grace; then we likely don't understand the Grace which God has freely given. Fortunately, it's never too late to learn. God LOVES to help us grow in our understanding of His grace. All we need to do is ask.

His love will overcome. 

Book Review: Who is this Man? by Ortburg

 Last month I finished Who Is This Man by John Ortburg on audio. And last week I listened to it again. It must be one of the best books I've ever read on the historical life of Jesus of Nazareth and the world-wide, eternal impact of Jesus the Christ.

Honestly, I tend to not finish the majority of books I start. I loose interest, or I get the main point and skip around for the supporting points and I'm on to another one. (Habits I learned in college, I guess.) I also tend to read several books at once. (A product of my short attention span, I'm sure.) But something in Ortburg's book grabbed hold of me like seeing a beautiful sunset after being blind all my life. I found myself saying out-loud several times, "How 'come I never knew that?!?"

The scope of this book is so broad but still so well organized. There are no gaps. No page fillers. No over-your head theology. No ongoing anecdotes. Just pure, page-turning, life-changing facts about Jesus Christ and the world He changed, the world we live in. By becoming "like one of the children" and coming to "do the Father's will," God changed not only the fallen nature of mankind but every single area of human existence. Medicine. Economics. Charity. Civil-rights. Women's rights. Politics. You name it. It's all vastly different than it would be had God not stepped foot on the Earth He created.

Finally, and most importantly to me, Ortburg leaves you asking yourself, if you've never done so, "What IF this man truly is the Son of God?!" He does this without an alter call in a book method. It's more subtle, and so powerful. It's just hard to deny the touch of the divine, given the scope of impact on the world. And once you take a close look at that touch, you realize it is at its core a touch of love on the human heart. 

Jesus was not just "a man" in "the right place at the right time" in history. There's just no way. Jesus IS in fact the Son of God, born of a virgin, creator of all things. Yet he voluntarily humbled Himself to death. Jesus did in fact come to save us from our sins and give us new LIFE in Him. 

Who is this man? 

HE is the Savior, Redeemer, King of Kings, Prince of Peace, and Lord of Lords. Jesus IS the Christ. 

Check it out. Great, great book.  Your Faith will likely grow. At least mine sure did. 

http://www.amazon.com/Who-This-Man-Unpredictable-Inescapable/dp/0310275946

Jesus Criticizes the Religious Leaders

Matthew 23 is a favorite...and below I have some thoughts on making this practical.
~~~
Jesus Criticizes the Religious Leaders:
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses.* 3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. 4 They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.

5 “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels.* 6 And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. 7 They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’* 8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.*

9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
~~~~
Verse three is the first big shocker. It's "do what the Bible says" but "don't follow the example" of those who are not practicing what they teach. So how do we know if a "teacher" is practicing what they teach? One word: LOVE. Does the "teacher" exemplify the sort of Calvary love which our Lord revealed to us? Is his or her life defined by love, driven by love, and known by others as love? Is the legacy he will leave a legacy of unconditional, self-sacrificial love, and not just to a select few, but to all those who knew him? The religious leaders were known for crushing "people with unbearable religious demands."  We are all to be known by our love for one another.

"Everything they do is for show." But what if its not "everything" but just "some things" they do is for show? Well, it's still wrong. Now this is a matter of the heart mostly. Each of us must ask the Spirit of God to search  our innermost and weed out that which we do for show. We must place ourselves on the alter and let God kill our pride and our insatiable flesh desire for human approval. Our approval must always come from God. And because our fallen selves always war against the Spirit the task of killing this pride is ongoing, internal, and deeply personal. Occasionally, however, it is obvious to us that another person "loves to sit at the head table" or in a special seat in church. And it's obvious that they love "respectful greetings" and special titles. Note that the instruction is to the leader, that he should "not let anyone call him" Rabbi, or any other special title. Why this instruction? Because "we are are all equal as brothers and sisters." Once again, "we are all EQUAL as brothers and sisters" in Christ. That's the church!

But what should we do in the case that a church leader does not personally refuse special titles and special treatment?

1. Number one: Stop feeding their ego! Don't let them have the special seat or special title. It's not good for them and it's not good for those of us who give it to them. Leaders are to be known not by their titles or chairs but by their love and servant-hood. If they won't lead by example those "followers" must rise up and declare the necessity of Christ's teaching -- that we must be known by our LOVE. Anything else is religion -- watered-down, ineffective, divisive, power-less religion.  
2. Number two: Pray for them. Most likely their desire for a special place and a special title comes from a spiritual identity crisis. We are to have our full identity in Christ Himself -- in Who He is and what He has done for us. There is nothing the world can offer that can give us security. A special title and special chair actually breeds more insecurity. We must pour over the scriptures that teach us exactly WHO we are in Christ and little by little those desires for anything the world can give us will be replaced by only that which Christ can give us. So we must pray for them and for one another, and always point to Christ as the author and perfecter of our faith.  

A religious person and a religious church is a weak person and a weak church. It reminds me of the structures my kids like to build with our base-ten math set. Some of them are SO ready to fall. Their impact on the world will fade into history. So purge the religious before it does. There's always time to do so if we humble ourselves immediately and dedicate ourselves to God's sort of unconditional love. 

That's our job -- to humble "ourselves." God's job is to exalt. Ours is to be humble and to serve.

The greatest among you must be a servant. 

But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, 

and those who humble themselves will be exalted.  

The Berlin Walls of the Heart

Last week I laid my hand on part of the original Berlin Wall. Then I walked around and lay my had on that other side. I went back and forth, touching it, leaning against it, looking up at the top and imaging an attempt to get over it. I walked down along side of it. I imagined I was in communist country, the East side, and I want my freedom so badly I considered risking my life. That's what so many did.

We discovered it wasn't just one single wall. It was several walls with distance between them. If you made it over one wall you then had to run 30 feet and jump a steal structure. If you make that you run another 20 feet and jump a barb-wire fence. All the time you're hoping you don't get shot! My assumption was there was this wall. It divided the city. Period. But keeping people from leaving bondage Berlin and getting into the new land of freedom was a full-time, expensive, and difficult task. I have a few thoughts and observations.

One: Creating a wall to keep people from being free is a very difficult, ongoing job.

Well after the War, far enough in the future that the remains of Hitler's most zelous followers were certainly decayed to bones, there was a great army of builders and guards assigned to this massive Berlin wall project. And it was indeed massive, the upkeep project that is. It would be easy if you could just build a wall and walk away. But not this time; not this sort of wall. This is a wall for a specific greater purpose than your average property marker wall, or animal containment wall. This wall was for the people; people who kept on and kept on trying to get free. Their desire for freedom made them relentless and resourceful. Many died trying to cross over. But many others made it freedom. Enough people did make it to freedom that it emboldened those still in bondage. The more people became brave the more they would try to escape. The more people would try to escape the more effort and material was added to the Wall. Creating a wall to keep people from being free is a very difficult, ongoing job.

Two: NO one was trying to escape from the free side into the communist side. No one.

Freedom is a basic human need. A Dictator is simply someone who dictates to another how they should live their lives, thus robbing them of basic freedom. The drive to be free from a dictatorship is as strong as our will to live, eat, or love. Therefore the real burden to maintain a communist way of thinking and living falls to the Dictator and his most dedicated adherents. But this is different than the desire to be governed. People DO want laws that provide for a greater, more safe, level of freedom. But if a leader crosses the line of law making into the gross area of complete life-management, taking over your life and declaring it the property of the State, then you can be sure the fight for freedom will begin. People always, always move toward freedom.

Three: The Berlin Wall is a two-fold symbol.

On the one hand it is a symbol of division, reminding us about our human nature and the easy way in which we can slip into separation.  On the other hand it is also a symbol of change, reminding us that it is never too late to make it right, to tear down that wall.

We all have the potential to build Berlin Walls of the heart.

One of the GREATEST challenges to being is a Christ-follower is learning how to be friends with those who disagree with us and how to love those who have different views of how to be a Christian. The KEY to to learning this, I'm convinced, is knowing WHO we are in Christ! If we are secure in our identity we are less likely to be threatened by another person's interpretation of scripture, or preference in worship, or goals for parenting, or believe in man's origin, or theology of the church or .... etc., etc., etc. Pick a topic. At any given point if we are not drawing our self-worth from the God who created and defines us we are more likely to construct walls in our hearts. Once the wall project begins it will be a constant labor, stealing our joy and draining our spiritual vivacity.

Fortunately the walls of our hearts can come down and we can experience great freedom ourselves, as well as set others free who we lead or influence. I know this personally, because I made a Berlin Wall in my own heart, dividing in my mind a true and right way to be fully "Christian" from a great many of wrong ways. This was my wall of judgementalism. As it grew I had to maintain it. The Wall project began to consume me.

The great enemy of God is a Dictator himself and is an expert Wall builder. I let him in to swing his hammer and pour his mortar. I spent so much energy maintaining my own heart's wall.  And it wasn't easy, because my own heart also wanted to be free. Fortunately, the Spirit of God is represented by a dove, a perfect symbol of freedom. He flew over to my side of the wall and brought a green blade of grass from the other side. I realized in that season of my life that loving others regardless of whether they agreed with me was indeed a greener grass on the other side of the wall. And I wanted that freedom, the freedom to recognize and cooperate with the millions of Christians around the world, and not think my own little way of "church" was the only right way, or the best way. The beauty of the grass became a weapon against the wall, allowing me to chip away -- and then hack away -- at the foundations of the wall. And I could hear a voice, not the gruff cowboy voice of Ronald Raegan, but the sweet soft voice of God Himself whispering to me, 'Tear down this wall.' And so I did. Today I cannot describe the great happiness which comes from the freedom of not judging other Christians if they don't believe like I do.

It is never too late to obey God's sweet voice and tear down the walls of our heart. The walls don't make those persons on the free side want to come into our hearts, nor are they able. Our barrier attitude does not make the free less free, or less happy. They are the free ones. When we build walls we are those who are NOT free. Our wall only harms us. And we have to work so hard to maintain it. God never intended for His children to build walls. God never intended for churches to build walls.

It's time to tear down these walls in our heats and unite to build God's Kingdom instead.

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Accidental Pharisees: Avoiding Pride, Exclusivity, and the Other Dangers of Overzealous Faith [Paperback]

Larry Osborne (Author)

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Book Description

Release Date: October 9, 2012

Zealous faith can have a dangerous, dark side. While recent calls for radical Christians have challenged many to be more passionate about their faith, the down side can be a budding arrogance and self-righteousness that 'accidentally' sneaks into our outlook. In Accidental Pharisees, bestselling author Larry Osborne diagnoses nine of the most common traps that can ensnare Christians on the road to a deeper life of faith. Rejecting attempts to turn the call to follow Christ into a new form of legalism, he shows readers how to avoid the temptations of pride, exclusivity, legalism, and hypocrisy, Larry reminds us that attempts to fan the flames of full-on discipleship and call people to Christlikeness should be rooted in love and humility. Christians stirred by calls to radical discipleship, but unsure how to respond, will be challenged and encouraged to develop a truly Christlike zeal for God.

Christianity is that Which Looks and Acts Like Christ

I talked with a friend this week who has been burned badly by judgmental "Christians." At one point in her life, when she was at an all time low, most (but fortunately, not all) of her "Christian" neighbors actually walked by her house and ignored her. Those who did walk by knew her needs, her poverty, her situation with her husband, yet they judged her, condemned her, and shunned her. And many of them still do. Why? Because she wouldn't listen to them, believe their "gospel," or support their church. We talked about how that sort of "Christianity" damages a person's chances of genuine faith in God.

Jesus was known to be a "friend of sinners." The church is the second incarnation of Christ on the Earth. Therefore the church should also be known as a friend of sinners. My opinion is this "friend" status between Jesus and sinners was nothing short of those sinners feeling loved and accepted by Jesus. In other words, sinners were drawn to him, felt comfortable with him, and trusted him. At the same time Jesus would teach the Kingdom of God to them, calling for repentance and holiness. He would invite them to turn away from their sinful lives and come follow him. Yet, he was still known as a "friend of sinners." So how is this possible? How can we be like Christ in this regard? How can we preach the same gospel of the Kingdom to the world and maintain a lifestyle of open friendship to those who are not "Christians"? 

But what is a Christian? In so many ways the friend that I mention above has taught me to not be judgmental. And in so many ways she is very Christian - that is very Christlike and loving. She is one of the main reasons that I have re-thought my walk with God. So what does it mean to be Christian?

I read this simple definition a few years back: Christianity is that which looks and acts like Christ. To the extent an individual or church looks and acts like Christ that individual or church is "Christian." To the extent it does not look and act like Christ it is not "Christian." I like this definition because it measures all of our activity against the activities of Christ. And it makes sense -- "Christianity" (if we must call it that) is founded by Christ. He is the Son of God and the ultimate example for us on how to live in this world -- in the world but not of the world.

Would Christ pass by this wounded woman's home knowing she was crying behind that closed door? Would he talk about her behind her back, avoid her in public, and ask her to leave the neighborhood? Would he shun her? Would he shun anyone? When Christ invited people to turn from a sinful life, trust Him and follow Him, if they did not do so would He give up?

Would He write her off, scold her in anger, and move on to the next? How would Christ treat her?

But you say, "No, Jesus was tough on people!! Scripture is full of places he was tough on sinners!" But I say, "No, He was tough on the Pharisees." He consistently condemned the hypocrisy of the "Teachers of the Law" and berated them for not practicing what they preached. We must read through the Gospels more carefully. Jesus was a "friend of sinners." That is exactly what made the Pharisees hate him so much -- for he not only condemned their attitudes and behaviors toward sinners. He showed them daily how much God loves the sinners by loving them Himself. The hypocrites' lack of love was exposed to all by the stark contrast coming from the very Messiah they had been waiting for. The more it was exposed the more angry they became. Off in the distance, at every encounter between a sinner and Jesus, was most likely an angry Jewish Ruling Elite with a rock in his hand. As the prostitute dried the remaining perfume with her hair that Pharisee turned the stone in his palm looking for the best grip to throw it!

Jesus was a friend of sinners.
The hypocrites were not.
And it made them furious, because it exposed them for what they really were.

We must see that there is always a tension within each of us, a battle between the Spirit and our flesh. The Spirit wants to show us how to love unconditionally, how to become a friend to sinners just like our Lord. But our flesh wants to judge them, condemn them, and shun them. Then our flesh wants to pick up a rock and hurl it at those who are loving the sinners like Christ-- because their love makes our flesh feel guilty. The tension is always present but so is the answer -- surrender. Daily surrender to the Spirit is the only way for God to win over our flesh. Daily surrender. Daily surrender. And then we must seize those moments to love; those moments that come to us a dozen a day; those moments that we so often miss. We must seize those moments and act on those thoughts to love -- for those thoughts, those moments, are a gift from God. The thought to love is not from our own mind but from the mind of Christ within. Only He can love through us. We must surrender to Him, and become a mere vessel. As we do so the tension gives way to rest.

Christianity is that which looks and acts like Christ.

But we have to be honest with ourselves -- there is no perfect "Christian." If we ever think for a minute that we are, or our church is, or our country is, or anything is, perfectly "Christian," or even a better "Christian" than "that" Christian over there -- then we have forgotten the plank-eye story. Jesus Christ was the only sinless human so he has a right to tell us a parable about the plank in our eye, reminding us that if we ever get proud of ourselves for any reason we have become the hypocrite. The point of the story is not "get the plank out of your eye so you can move on to judging others." The point of the story is "always remember that we always have a plank in our eye!!" So at the same time we say "Christianity is that which looks and acts like Christ" we must always walk in ultimate humility knowing that we have a very long way to go.

That Way -- His Way -- begins with loving and caring for our neighbor. It is the second greatest commandment coming from the lips of our King. And who is our neighbor? If Jesus lived in your neighborhood how would he treat people? If Jesus lived in your neighborhood how would he treat people who didn't live in your neighborhood?

Fortunately, my friend who was burned by the "Christians" in her life is not giving up on God. Fortunately, there were a couple people who showed her love. We talked about God's love this week. And we talked about prayer. We talked about faith. She is crushed, but so are countless more who fall under the heavy hand of hypocrisy. But God keeps on showing his love to them, and to her, revealing His acceptance and His care. And we keep praying for her and loving her by the grace of God and believing the way forward is not to judge, condemn, and shun but love, accept, and invite. We believe this is the Way of our Lord. He taught us whenever you give a glass of water to them you have given one to me. So we try to keep our cups full and our doors open. But we have so far to go...to love our neighbor as ourselves. And we always will.

God .... please help us love like you. 

Christianity is that which looks and acts like Christ.