I Peter IX: Free

I Peter IX

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. (I Peter 2:16 ESV)

Free

One of the aspect of our rebellion against God is found in our understanding of freedom.

No human has full absolute freedom, in the sense that we are free from authority, oversite, or limitations.  We think we have that kind of freedom.  We think that kind of freedom is desirable.  We think that kind of freedom is obtainable.

But that is not freedom.

Freedom is ours when we acknowledge, accept, and enjoy the reality of God’s real authority.  He IS the creator.  He IS the upholder.  He IS the powerful force of the universe.  He IS the definer, the decider, the provider, the planner, the lover, the redeemer, and the All in All.

We choose freedom when we choose to align ourselves with Him. 

In the same way that a sailboat is free, while the rock in the river is not.

In the same way that a cat is free with it climbs, but not when it swims.

In the same way that an economy is free when society follows established rules, but not in a rebellion.

In the same way that a heart is free when it loves, but not when it despises.

In Christ, we are able to be free!  Because in Christ, we are God’s slaves.

HIS way is grand.  HIS way is peace.  HIS way is love.  And that is freedom.

I Peter VIII: SImple

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation (I Peter 2:2 ESV)

Simple

I had a conversation this morning about cars.  While fancy things like back-up cameras, super predictive and reactive automatic transmissions, separate temperature controls for every seat, and mobile hotspots, GPS, and location broadcasters are all exciting and attractive, sometimes I am not so sure.

Usually, the fancy things break.

Usually, the fancy things need adjustments.

Usually, the fancy things end up being replaced by fancier things.

Usually, the fancy things are expensive.

I miss my first vehicle.  Manual transmission.  Manual windows. Triangle windows for air circulation.  Maps in my glovebox.

It did what it was supposed to do.  It was inexpensive.  I could make most repairs on my own.

And it was my first car, so I adored it!  I was excited every time I started it! I wanted to show it off, even to folk who might not be as impressed as I was.

Salvation is like that.  Just give me Jesus.

I Peter VII: Peculiar

I Peter VII

 But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (I Peter 1:15,16 ESV)

Peculiar

If you desire to be popular, it will be difficult to be holy.

If you desire to fit in, it will be difficult to be holy.

If you desire to be in the majority, it will be difficult to be holy.

If you desire to be just like everyone else, it will be difficult to be holy.

If you desire to not stand out, it will be difficult to be holy.

Being holy, as Jesus was holy, means being motivated by God’s Word, instead of by facebook headlines. 

Being holy, as Jesus was holy, means loving God’s commands, instead of loving human laws.

Being holy, as Jesus was holy, means ignoring public opinion, instead of being like everyone else.

Peculiar, in God’s eyes… is a good thing. 

I Peter VI: The Cross

I Peter VI

…according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you. (I Peter 1:2 ESV)

The Cross

SO many battles were fought in the Middle East at a location known as Harmegeddon.  I found nine major fights that took place there over many centuries.  

But maybe not because of some symbolic or spiritual quality of Harmegeddon.

Rather, in the days when armies moved across land, you could not move a large army through the Fertile Crescent without passing through the valley, crossroads, intersection, and river bed of Harmegeddon

Everything leads there.  It was the only way to get THERE from here. 

I would not buy a house there…

The Cross of Christ Jesus is like that.  It is not just an event in history, it is a necessary event.  It is not just a spiritual idea, it is the way of forgiveness and redemption.  It is not just a place that gives us Good Friday, it is the place that gives us EVERY day.

The way to grace is through the blood of Christ shed on the cross.  The way to peace is through the blood of Christ shed on the cross.

It is the only way to get THERE from here.

I Peter V: An Outlandish Concept

I Peter V

…according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you. (I Peter 1:2 ESV)

Outlandish Concept

Peter’s statement here is wildly unusual.

Humans (as well as dogs and kittens) think we are the boss.

We choose to do things because it suits us to choose to do them.

We fight for my rights, we work towards my needs, we follow my dreams, we travel my path, we figure out my plans, we make my bucket list, we do a lot of me stuff.

But surprisingly, Peter writes that all of this life stuff, for believers in Jesus, gets to be done for obedience to Jesus Christ.

This is actually a good thing… because my rights, my needs, my dreams, my path, my plans, and my bucket list are aimed at something frail, temporary, untested, and not that pretty.

But doing everything for Jesus… while it seems un-enlightened, impractical, old-fashioned and unpopular… is actually the only way to find grace and peace.

I Peter IV: Sanctification

I Peter IV

…according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you. (I Peter 1:2 ESV)

Sanctification is the theological word that refers to how Christians become more like Christ, and less like the way we used to be.

We become more obedient because of this sanctification.

We become more loving because of this sanctification.

We become more holy because of this sanctification.

We become better, and stronger, and wiser, and betterer, and strongerer, and wiserer because of this sanctification.

And in the end, and along the way, this sanctification is what God uses to multiply grace and peace in our lives.

Sanctification happens because of grace, and sanctification is the conduit of MORE grace.

Sanctification happens because of peace, and sanctification is the conduit of MORE peace.

I Peter III: Tomorrow

I Peter III

…according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you. (I Peter 1:2 ESV)

Meteorologists do not have foreknowledge.

Insurance Actuary Tables do not have foreknowledge.

Political Election Analysts do not have foreknowledge.

Gambling casinos do not have foreknowledge.

Stockbrokers do not have foreknowledge.

But God does.  In fact, God alone does.

And His foreknowledge of every historical event, every personal event, every thought, every word, and every deed are what guarantees that His people will have grace and peace multiplied.

We receive His grace because of His foreknowledge of all things.

We can have peace because of His foreknowledge of all things.

So we can trust that Grace and Peace are coming.

I Peter II: Goodbye

I Peter II

…according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you. ( Peter 1:2 ESV)

Goodbye

We say goodbye without thinking about what it really means.  More than just an empty word uttered at departure, it literally is a mashing together of the phrase, “God be with ye.”  And even that was not originally meant in the hopeful-wishful statement it sounds like. It was a statement of fact, that modern English would render: God IS with you.

In the same way, Peter is not closing the greeting part of his letter with an empty meaningless phrase.  Grace and Peace are not just nice concepts. 

Grace is the foundation of every Christian’s relationship with God through Jesus Christ. 

Peace is the result of every Christian’s relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Peter wants us to have MORE Grace.  More unconditional love from God.  More forgiveness.  More mercy.  More confidence in prayer.  More change because of Christ’s work.

Peter wants us to have MORE Peace.  More freedom from worry. More trust in His hands.  More understanding of His plans.  More security for tomorrow and for eternity.

That kind of thing should grabs our attention.

I Peter I: The Script

I Peter I

To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion… (I Peter 1:1 ESV)

The Script

Good or bad, our lives do not happen to us randomly, or for no reason.

We can not always know why events occur, encounters happen, conversations take place, or circumstances transpire.  And that is often frustrating, confusing, or painful.

Bur God knows.

Peter writes to a group of Christians who had experienced a traumatic relocation.  They had been forced to move hundreds of miles from their precious homes, had been physically persecuted, and we scattered far from their communities, families, and friends.

And they were wondering why.

Peter does not give them the kind of answer they probably wanted.  He merely adds an adjective to their designation of ‘exile.’

He says they were elect.  Selected.  Chosen. 

By God.

And while their place in the historical scheme of things, the salvific scheme of things, or even the personal scheme of things is not made clear to them, that word could have been comforting.

God was at work… and God had chosen them to have a part in it.

God was at work… and God’s work in both good times and bad is done by His beloved.

God was at work… and God chooses ultimately good things for His people.

God was at work… and God loves those He choses.

And Christians today are just as elect, just as selected, just as chosen.

And that means we are loved.

James VIII: Meddling

James VIII

…let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (James 5:20 ESV)

Many of us like to fix what is broken.  Whether it is correcting poor grammar, fine tuning an engine, or resolving broken relationships, when we encounter something that is ‘not right,’ we use prayer, words, and actions to make things better.

But only God… Father, Son, and Holy Spirit… can fix broken things caused by sin.

We cannot bring new habits into a family member’s life.  We cannot sanctify a miss-directed neighbor.  We cannot convince, cajole, force, or legislate righteousness into those around us.

But God… Father, Son, and Holy Spirit… covers over a multitude of sins through His salvific work.

I wonder if James is ironically under-exaggerating in his statement.  Because bringing ALL of us sinners back from our wanderings will cover EVERY sin!

The gospel is the answer to what is broken.

Reconciliation with God is the answer to what is broken.

Salvation is the answer to what is broken.

And unlike the efforts I often make… showing Jesus to folk is not meddling.

James VII: The Easy Route

James VII

…is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. (James 5:13 ESV)

The Easy Route

We make things so complicated.  Because some things ARE complicated! Many years ago I trained for a yacht race in Australia.  I might have wanted to jump in the vessel, and start sailing, but many necessary steps were a part of leaving harbor under sail.

Brain surgery is like…. well, brain surgery. We can’t pick up a butter knife and perform such medical procedures.

Learning a new language, despite the hopes offered by new Apps, is a mind-bending exercise of learning vocabulary, grammar, and foreign concepts.

And suffering… we act like suffering is a complicated problem, too.

But James says… when we suffer:  Pray.

Because our suffering is always complicated, the best solution is to talk with the Most Complicated Person in the Universe, God Himself.

Because our suffering is always immense, the best solution is to talk with the Omnipotent, Omnipresent, All-knowing God.

Because our suffering is always personal, the best solution is to talk to the One who loves unconditionally, completely, and salvifically.

Suffering?  Pray.

James VI: If

James VI

Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:15 ESV)

If

We act like fortune tellers, sometimes.  We predict we will arrive at our destination at a particular time.  We predict our paycheck will be a certain amount.  We predict students will learn at a certain pace.  We predict political results, economic patterns, and the weather.

And such predictions are usually iffy.

But God’s people know something very grand.

Tomorrow depends on the will of the God who loves His people.

A grand thing, because His tomorrows are always the best.

A grand thing, because He is more reliable than a car’s engine, a payroll accountant, or a child’s mind.

A grand thing, because He has all knowledge, beyond political analysts, economic data, and temperature gradients.

The Will of God makes all His ‘if’s reliable.  Because of God.

The Will of God makes all our ‘if’s hopeful.  Because of God.

The Will of God makes all ‘if’s peaceful. Because of God.

Better Friday

1. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)

2. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). 

3. “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).

4. “Dear Woman, here is your son!” and “Here is your mother!”  (John 19:26-27). 

5. “I am thirsty” (John 19:28).

6. “It is finished!” (John 19:30).

7. “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46) 

Good Thursday: Underdog

Good Thursday

Underdog

My favorite cartoon was Underdog.  I am not sure why.  But one thing I remember most was the end of many episodes.  Underdog would be in trouble, some bad guy about to kill Polly Purebred, or some other dastardly victory. 

And the announcer’s voice would always say, “Looks like this is the end… but don’t miss the NEXT…. UNDERDOG show.”  The dramatic music would start and I would urgently wish it were tomorrow.

Looks like this is the end… but don’t miss the NEXT show.

That is a lot like Maundy Thursday.  Things were looking grim.  The crowds were not quite as enthusiastic.  Leadership, both state and the temple, were planning Christ’s death.  The new kingdom was being trodden underfoot instead of being at hand.

It looked like this was the end… but Jesus had told them all not to miss the NEXT part.

Because He was coming back from death.  It wasn’t the end, or anything like it.  Hope hadn’t fled, it had just become something better.  The things that seemed wrong, were so very, very right.

But this isn’t just something that happened 2000 years ago for our intellectual consideration.  It is something to which we can hitch our wagons.  Something we can relish.  Something we need.

We often feel like “this is the end.”  Financially, politically, emotionally, we are often as trapped as Underdog or as despairing as the disciples.  The Resurrection tells us, “Looks like this is the end… but don’t miss the NEXT part!”

Each apparent end is a beginning.  Each apparent failure is a fresh start.  Each valley’s low point is the start of the next slope up.

But it only gets better with the Christ.  Without Him it really IS the end.

James V: War

James V

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? (James 4:1 ESV)

War

Jesus summarized the Law of God in this way… Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength… and also love your neighbor as yourself.

This kind of law-keeping can not be done half-heartedly.  It can not be done unenthusiastically.  It can not be done casually.

In fact, it can only be done passionately.

Sometimes our two cats end up under a blanket on our laps, at the same time.  When they were younger it never went well.  I still have scars, I think.  Those two cats passionately opposed each other.  They were at war.  Lately, they are a lot less passionate.  So they can survive (and our laps can survive) their encounters.

When our passion for the Lord is passionate, and it is placed under the blanket on our lap with something that is NOT God-aimed, there WILL be conflict.  There WILL be a fight.  There WILL be a war.

Because two passionate things in our hearts can not co-exist.

So the answer is to either not be passionate about God (which He calls in John’s Revelation being luke-warm, and casts such folk away from Him), or not be passionate about NON-Godly things.

This is true, by the way, in our hearts, in our relationships, in politics, in international affairs, and in all conflict. 

The solution is not to fight louder… the solution is to be passionate only about one thing.  God.

James IV: Words

James IV

Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.  So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. (James 3:4,5 ESV)

Words

When I build a plastic model of a ship, the rudder is often a piece that I despise.  It is usually so very, very small.  It does not seem to matter, this small piece of plastic.  And yet, when I place it incorrectly, it really stands out.

Our words are like those tiny rudders.  We pay more attention to deeds than to words.  We pay more attention to thoughts than to words.  We pay more attention to desires than to words.

But words matter.

It is not true that only sticks and stones hurt.

It is not true that talk is cheap.

It is not true that words are irrelevant in relationships, character, and worship.

We show our faith by explaining our trust.  In fact, faith is not visible without words.

We show love by giving context to our actions. In fact, the same action could be selfish OR loving, and our words indicate which.

Words are the skeleton of our relationship with God.  With words we worship, we pray, we sing, we profess, we confess, we cry out to God, we give thanks, we hear His Word, we evangelize, we say, “Yes” to Jesus, or we say, “No” to Jesus.

Words are great.  Use them purposefully.

James III

 someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (James 2:18 ESV)

Teamwork

On the bus rides back from out-of-town football games, we would argue about whether defense is more important than offense.  It was a silly argument because clearly both are necessary factors in a football strategy.  Sometimes offense carries more weight.  Sometimes defense carries more weight.

But they are both football.

Similarly, both faith and works are part of our Christian life.  We need both.  We do both.  We have both.  We express both.

But one is not superior to the other.  One is not ‘more’ than the other.

Christians have faith.  Christians have works.

They work together, like a team.

James II: Speed

James II

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:19,20 ESV)

Speed

How frustrating when a driver decides to travel at low speeds on an Interstate.  Disrupted traffic flow, dangerous lane changes, and traffic jams inevitably result.  The highway is not the place for slow vehicles.

How dangerous when a driver decides to travel at high speeds in residential neighborhoods.  Endangered pedestrians of all ages, squealing tires, and fear inevitably result.  Small streets are not the place for fast vehicles.

Similarly, listen slowly and carefully, not with haste.  Similarly, speak with care, purpose, and caution, not with quick reaction and prejudice. 

And anger… while sometimes righteous and justified, should only be expressed with prayerful slowness, ponderous consideration, and the hope of avoiding anger altogether.

God’s timing is higher than our timing.  As in all things, God’s people submit our desires, reactions, personalities, and instincts to Him. 

The Messiah came when the time was full.  God does all things in His time.  Not according to our time.

The right speed at the right time leads to God’s righteousness in our thoughts, words, and deeds.

James I: Ironic Wisdom

James I

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (James 1:5 ESV)

Ironic Wisdom

A gold-rush prospector must find gold as well as search for that gold. Exploratory surgery is usually harmful unless it discovers a medical solution.  And it is not satisfactory in a Hallmark movie for a young women to seek love… she also must experience it.

But when we ask God for wisdom, the act of asking HIM demonstrates wisdom.

True wisdom is trusting God’s way of doing things. So asking Him for wisdom is wisdom itself.

Wisdom does not come with experience, or long years, or much learning, or having a big brain, or being cautious, or being bold.

To be wise, choose God’s way in every situation.

Hebrews VI: Certainty

Hebrews V

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater by whom to swear, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” (Hebrews 6:13,14 ESV)

Certainty

I always imagine that the author of Hebrews smiled when he wrote this verse.  It is kind of cheeky.  Of course, God had no one he could swear by.  He is the TOP of every pyramid.

But while perhaps cheeky… it is also profoundly important.

We know He will keep His promises because He IS the top of every pyramid!

Nothing really can stymie Him… so His promises will be kept.

No one can oppose Him, despite what they might think… so His promises will be kept.

He already SEES all of time and space, and His promises are made in that knowledge… so His promises will be kept.

God is not merely a title… it is a description of who He is.  And He is not a watered down Marvel Superhero idea of a god.

His promises are not merely hopes.  They are facts.