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righteousness

Jesus Did Not Come To Condemn

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“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
– John 3:17

This post may draw controversy but our hope is that it will shed light on an issue facing Christians continually.  Every day believers in Christ are surrounded by the practices of sin and many feel compelled to stand up and say something.  They feel drawn to announce that sins are against God’s will and must be stopped, and that sinners must forsake their practices and turn to God in order to be freed from their sins.  They parade, and protest, and shout out, and point fingers, and wave bibles.

The difficulty with that response is that unbelievers have no desire to approach God because He – in their eyes – is too condemning. He is not shared as Someone they could easily turn to for salvation. And that begs the real question, how did Jesus approach the issues of sin when He waked this earth as a man?

“When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ On hearing this, Jesus said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'”
– Mark 2:16-17

Jesus was in no way permissive because He many times admonished others to “go and sin no more“, but He chose to reach out to people with the truth about sin – not about sins.  His concern was showing the love of the Father, and the prison of sin, and the freedom of new life.  He sat with sinners and spoke to them about the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, and they were drawn to listen and to reconsider their lives.  He did not sit with them and berate them for being gay, or adulterers, or thieves, or liars.  Actually, the only ones He did chastise were those who were supposed to know better.  The “good” religious leaders.

So what was Jesus showing us?  That He came to save – not to condemn.  And how does that translate to us?  Quite simply, attending rallies and protests against any specific sin is really a waste of time and not something we can claim to be doing in the Spirit of God.  The ruler of this world is judged, so trying to just fix the ways of this world is contrary to God’s will.  And that is all we’re doing when we protest the actions of others in the manner of this world.  We are only trying to make our existence better instead of showing others the Way to freedom.

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–comes not from the Father but from the world.”
– 1 John 2:15-16

Consider these two statements:

  • You are wrong!  You must change!
  • You are trapped.  I can help.

Which is more likely to draw a person to God?  Jesus came to show us that we were trapped in sin, and to tell us He can help – and then He helped.  He did not leave a struggling sinner feeling alienated or alone but instead drew them – not pushed them – drew them to the truth.  And the truth is, we cannot change our ways without Him.  It is by His Spirit only that we can find the desire, will, and strength to walk in accordance to His ways.

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
– John 6:44

So we, as believers, can work with God in drawing people to Christ, or we can be contrary and make Him unpleasant in their eyes.

the only ones He did chastise were those who were supposed to know better.  The “good” religious leaders.

Do we just ignore sin then?  No, sin does harm.  It steals, kills and destroys.  And it is way of the devil who is a fallen angel and much more intelligent and clever than any of us.  To argue against his ways in the manner of men is to invite ridicule and shame.  Only in Christ can we address the harm – by doing good.  Seek the healing of the gay man dying of aids.  Pray for the woman who stole $20 from you and see if she might need $20 more.  Listen to the husband who pours out his anguish for cheating on his wife and believing his marriage is hopeless.

Care.

Then people will begin to see Christ through our actions, and will be drawn to Him, and will be changed by Him.  Without Him none of us could escape from the hold and practices of sin, and it is good for us to always remember that.  We cannot change the mind of sinners, but Jesus can.

Are we then permitting sin?  No, we are certainly not permitting any sins because they are contrary to the ways of our Lord.  We no longer practice them and we do not encourage others in their practice.  Instead we are living and exampling the way to truth and freedom and inviting others in.  Each of us came to Christ first, and then the sin that held us was released and the practices we held began to be changed.  We did not have to stop our practices before we came – we only had to want Him and His way instead of our own.

We cannot change the mind of sinners, but Jesus can.

Just as I am.  That is the grace we have received, and the grace we are called to extend to those who do not yet understand His kindness.  

“…it is God’s kindness that is trying to lead you to him and change the way you think and act”
– Romans 2:4b

Settle this in the truth then, that we are still here in this world solely to do good and show others the kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Jesus stood up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.’”
– John 8:10-11

The Fundamental Things We Believe

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It seems useful to provide a statement of the things we believe so that readers can decide for themselves if our postings are worthy of their attention.  Truth is our foremost pursuit and we are pleased to receive any correction and any confirmation of our doctrinal and faith position.

1. We believe that the Bible contains God’s Word to us, that it was written by holy men of God who were inspired by God’s Spirit in the writing.  We believe that it is suitable for all doctrine, instruction, and correction.  And we believe that it is spiritually discerned by God’s Spirit in the heart of every believer of Jesus Christ.

2. We believe that God is Spirit and that no person has seen Him at any time.  We believe He is that Holy Spirit who shaped the worlds and created all things that were created through His own creative omnipotence and faithfulness to His creative, directive Word.

3. We believe that God has expressed Himself to mankind through His holy men the prophets, through His heavenly angels, and finally through His only begotten Son, Jesus.

4. We believe that Jesus Christ was sent by God to enter this world as a man, the Word having laid aside His divine attributes in order to be fully man, and lived His life in union with the Spirit of God Who enabled His sinless and miraculous existence among sinful mankind.

5. We believe that God gave man authority and dominion over the earth, and that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.  As such, when mankind fell into sin only a man could redeem us from sin.  The price of sin is death and so Jesus Christ, fully man, paid that price on the cross for all people.

6. We believe that God chose Israel as bearers of His name to the world, and that they were entrusted with His commands and declarations, and with the authority to write and declare Scripture.  With fulfillment of the law declared as the means to salvation, Israel then rejected that by crucifying as a sinner the sinless Jesus of Nazareth.  All persons were effectively declared sinners through the entrusted nation of Israel because no one could surpass the sinless holiness of Jesus.

7. We believe that all mankind being declared sinners proved God to be just in permitting death as the wages of sin, and then further proved Him to be merciful through His grace in raising Jesus from death to eternal life.  God chose to save us!

8. We believe that in Jesus we die with Him through the cross and our sins are now paid in full, and we believe that in Jesus we are raised to newness of life in union with the Spirit of God and our lives are now at and in His service – empowered by His Spirit to sinless and miraculous existence.

9. We believe that all authority is given to Jesus Who is the eternal King and faithful High Priest over and for all mankind, and that trust in Him is the active and ongoing declaration of our faith.  We believe because He is!

10. We believe that we are exactly what God the Father and Jesus the Lord say we are: beloved, redeemed, accepted, holy, righteous and we live our lives in submission to His care and direction – free of condemnation and filled with trust at being in the caring and directive hands of our Creator and Saviour.

There Is Now No Condemnation

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“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
– Romans 8:1

Forgiving others can be difficult at times, but it’s something every Christian seeks to do.  We are told by our Lord to forgive, and it is important for that reason, so we make deliberate efforts not to harbour ill will against those who cause us injury or grief.  But despite the struggle to fulfill this command we often fail to forgive a person crucial to our walk of faith.

We often fail to forgive ourselves.

“I wish I had never…!”  “If only I could change that!”  “How can you possibly forgive me?!”  Sound familiar?  We have a tendency as fleshly, worldly thinking persons to glorify our failures as greater than those of others.  We exaggerate them to the point that we are continually groaning and chastising ourselves for our failure – always punishing ourselves and condemning ourselves.  If left unchallenged we can judge ourselves as always a failure, and therefore giving us the excuse we need to fail again and again.  Also sound familiar?

Here is what Jesus specifically asked God the Father about you and me:

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
– John 17:20-21

Did the Father say no?  Of course not.  So we are one with Jesus, and that means…

“For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.”
– Galatians 3:26

You are a son, or daughter, of God!  How?  Through faith – you’ve settled the issue in the truth.  You have decided your value is determined by God, not you, and you practice that daily.  But maybe you don’t feel like you’re His – that’s okay.  We all experience those feelings, but all those feelings are is an indicator that you have experienced a lie.  You’ve reacted to the suggestion that you are a failure and do not belong to Christ.  Say thank you to the feeling for letting you know, tell the lie to begone, and practice the truth that you are a child of God – always!

“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
– Matthew 28:20

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
– Romans 8:38-39

How do you practice the truth?  Refuse to act like a failure.  Instead act like someone who is accepted and loved by God because that was His unswerving choice.  He knows you inside and out, including your shortcomings and failings, and He still does not change His choice.  Instead He deliberately continues to work in you – without blaming or condemnation.  Act loved – because you are.

Neither Be Of Anxious Mind

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“And seek you not what you shall eat, or what you shall drink, neither be of anxious mind.  For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knows that you have need of these things.”
– Luke 12:29-30

From our very first moments of consciousness in this world we are trained in the awareness of our needs.  As infants we cry because we are cold, hungry, or feeling separated.   That is a very strong history of thinking processes that are a part of who we are in this world.

As we grow, we are taught the necessity of the things we need by rote and by example – even the urgency of that need – and we apply that mind set instinctively.  Most every need comes with that sense of urgency and even panic until it is met.  Then Jesus comes along and tells us not to do that!??

Many, many struggle with the attempt to overcome their ingrained way of thinking – to remain calm and just trust.  And often condemnation and self-recrimination are the results as that instinctive worry still appears.  Again – many, many struggle with this!  You are not the only one, and you are not failing when this happens.  Jesus knows what our minds are trained into because He was also a man, born and trained into this world.  He, of course, did not conduct Himself with that sense of urgency.  Why?

Most every need comes with that sense of urgency and even panic until it is met.

Until it is met.  As a man Jesus would have experienced the instinctive reaction to worry.  The 40 days in the wilderness would have been a huge opportunity for those thoughts because He was without shelter or food, among wild animals, and likely not aware of how long He would be there – at least it’s not indicated He knew how long in Scripture.  He did not have the anxious mind because He knew His needs were met.  He had settled in the truth that His Father would not abandon Him, and would meet His needs regardless of what it may seem like.  And the Spirit of God within Him confirmed that so Jesus had no conflict in His mind with the thoughts of His Father.

We have that also.  The Spirit of God dwells in us to guide our thoughts, and an anxious mind is only one that is in conflict with the thoughts of our Father.  When we settle in the truth that our needs are met in Him we are empowered to have peace rather than worry.

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”
– Philippians 4:19

We do not have to struggle in our own strength to not worry.  We only need to settle with ourselves that our needs are met.  Choose to believe that deliberately and the power of God’s Spirit will support that act of faith.  Practice it until it is what you do – instinctively.

So what does it look like to not worry?  How do we practice it?  When our need is met we stop thinking about it and move on to other things.  When worry tries to make a place in a need settle it that the need is met – and move on to other things.

God will never abandon you.  God will meet your needs.

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
– Matthew 7:11

Let God provide in His time and in His way because He knows how much is involved, and He knows your limits, and He does not fail.  Trust Him.  Don’t waste time worrying over it.  Settle it in the truth.

A Double Minded Man

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“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it shall be given to him. But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing, for he that doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he shall receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
– James 1:5-8

“Maybe God will!  … But maybe He won’t!”  Is this what a double-minded person sounds like?

That’s certainly how many of us came to understand it, but the truth is, that is not the inner conversation of a double-minded person.  Why?  Because it is really just the confused debating of a single mind.  It is the mind of one, single individual who is arguing both sides.

Our natural mind experiences questioning doubts and concerns daily, and not just concerning the things of Jesus.  We will concern about a job interview, or work project, supper that evening, and any number of things we can be anxious over.  It’s the natural state of the natural mind separated from God – anxious for everything, but still only one mind.

A double-minded person requires two minds: their own … and Christ’s.

“As the scripture says, ‘Who knows the mind of the Lord? Who is able to give him advice?’ We, however, have the mind of Christ.”
– 1Corinthians 2:16

We were all born with our own mind – all the heights, lows, and confusions that come with it.  This is the mind we have learned from our experiences in this world, and the one we tend to hold to because it’s familiar.  Then when we received Jesus we also received His mind.  Two minds.  But that doesn’t make us double-minded.  When we are led by Jesus’ Spirit we are one with Him.  We see things His way and we think like Him.  It’s when we are in conflict with Him that we are double-minded.

At this point it would prove useful to clarify what being in conflict means.  We have all held our doubts whether Jesus told us to do something or not, or we ask for something and wonder if He’s really okay with it.  Those are just guesses on our part, not conflict – the musings of our old experiences with a worldly mind.  We are not penalized by God for those!  He works within us to help us resolve those anxious ways of thinking.  Conflict, however, is not a guess.  It’s a choice – most often motivated by our emotions – and it is contrary to what we know our Lord has said.  But again, praise God, we are not penalized for those, either!  Read on …

“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.”
– 2 Corinthians 5:17

Jesus knew what He accomplished on the cross – our righteousness through faith, and peace with God.

“And the scripture came true that said, ‘Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.’ And so Abraham was called God’s friend.”
– James 2:23

So Christ’s thoughts about our righteousness and peace are part of our minds – we know them because they are part of us – but many of us have other thoughts, too:  “I’m terrible, I’m a sinner, I’m so awful!”  And when we believe ourselves over Jesus we become double-minded.  We are no longer thinking like Jesus, so there is no way we can be at the times and places He has prepared for us to receive because those times and places are also in accordance to His thoughts.  It could not occur to us to be anywhere He has in mind because we are following our own opinion.  We can’t receive from Him!  He doesn’t penalize us – we penalize ourselves.

For let not that man suppose that he shall receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Consider a time when any of us may have asked Jesus for something, and we have decided His answer is yes.  So where would Jesus place His answer so that we can receive?  It would be some place a righteous person at peace with God would consider.  But it would never occur to anyone who judges themselves guilty and disapproved of by God.  It’s not that God didn’t answer – it’s that the double-minded person is not thinking like Jesus.

Without His mind we are limited to our worldly reasoning, and too often we are limited by our worldly reasoning even knowing His mind.  When Jesus fed the multitude the worldly reasoning was focused on how little fish and bread there was.  The worldly mind would not have considered catching a fish and looking in its mouth for the tax money.  Crossing the waters required a boat – walking across was never an option. 

Now in all fairness, would those thoughts actually occur to any of us?  Probably not, but what they illustrate is that our Lord is not limited in meeting a need.  When we see an empty wallet, it doesn’t mean the answer is no or not yet.  It just means the answer isn’t there.  The undisputed truth is that Jesus can!  And if you are persuaded of your righteousness and peace with God you can believe that Jesus will.

And you will find yourself at the point of place and time that He has prepared for your answer.  Instead of debating and analyzing and worrying, you choose to settle in the truth:  Jesus can, and He will.  And you go on about your days confident in that.  You stop worrying about the answer and instead just find yourself at the place and time He has prepared.

The undisputed truth is that Jesus can!  And if you are persuaded of your righteousness and peace with God you can believe that Jesus will.

That is what a righteous person at peace with God thinks: “Jesus can, and He will.”

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists (He can) and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him (He will).”
– Hebrews 11:6 (brackets ours)

If you think something you need might not happen, how do you behave?  You worry, argue, isolate, fixate and spend much time on yourself and your need.  Not the behaviours of a righteous person and certainly not at peace with God.  But if you are persuaded something you need will happen, how do you behave?  Certainly what you WON’T be doing is wasting time focusing on yourself 🙂 … and if you’re not focusing on yourself then you are likely putting your energies into others.

Settle this in the truth then: you are righteous because Christ obtained that for you, and God delights in you because you are His child.

Jesus can, and He will.