No Neutral Ground

"He who is not with me is against me,

and he who does not gather with me, scatters.

When an evil spirit comes out of a man,

it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.

Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.'

When it arrives,

 it finds the house swept clean and put in order.

Then it goes and takes seven other spirits

more wicked than itself,

and they go in and live there.

And the final condition of that man

is worse than the first."

Luke 11:23-26

Sweden has long been known as a neutral country, refusing to take one side or the other but simply staying out of any conflicts or wars.  Today this philosophy is spilling over into the social realm as many Swedes are pushing for a gender-neutral government and society.  This year they have added a new pronoun into their official online version of the National Encyclopedia to be used as a gender-neutral replacement for "he" or "she."  "Hen" is now the preferred pronoun to be used to refer to a person without specifying their gender.  

While these progressive Swedes have deceived themselves into thinking gender does not matter, their foolishness does not change the Truth. God created man in His own image and made a distinction between males and females.  To God, gender does matter.  (Genesis 1:27)

This is how God operates.  There is truth and then there is falsehood.  There is right and there is wrong.  There is male and there is female.  While the world likes to try to convince us that there is a neutral ground or a gray area, God says otherwise.  Either I am working with Jesus, or I am working against Him.  I'm on His side, or I'm on the Enemy's.  I'm furthering the Kingdom of God, or I'm hampering His work.

I don't like to think of myself as working against God, but there are several ways in which I do just that.

Clean it Up

A friend of mine is trying to quit smoking.  She is finding out that there are a lot of different programs, treatments and methods available to help her stop this destructive and unhealthy habit.  While she wants to quit, she knows from past experience that it is virtually impossible to expect success from anything that resembles cutting out the nicotine cold-turkey:  It is beyond her own strength and ability to withstand the resulting side-effects.

It's like this with any bad habit or routine.  I may have the desire to stop cursing and resolve to never again utter a four-letter word, but the moment I'm weak and temptation strikes, I'm prone to going back to my old ways.

My attempts to try to clean up my act and behave more "Christian-like" work against what God wants to do in my heart.  He wants to transform my thinking and soften my heart, making it more sensitive to sin.  If, instead of surrendering to God, I try to sweep myself clean of everything evil and sinful in my own effort, my "house" will be empty and vulnerable to attack from the Enemy of my soul.

I am not saved by works, nor can I ever think to rescue my own self from the influence that sin has over me.  Instead, I must rely on the power that comes through my faith in the blood of Jesus which fills me with His Spirit.  (Romans 7:24-25)

Nineteenth-Century missionary Andrew Murray recognized his own helplessness against sin.  He said, "Remember the great need you have of the grace and assistance of God.  You should never lose sight of him--not for a moment."

I am made right with God through faith in Jesus. (Romans 1:16-17)  And this gift of grace is what opens up a relationship with a holy God who finishes what He started when He first called me.  He doesn't leave me as I was when I first began to call Him "Father."  No!  He begins His work in me from the moment I accept Jesus as my Savior and submit myself to Him as my Lord, and He doesn't quit until He's finished.  (Philippians 1:6)  As my friend likes to say, "Be patient with me, I'm under construction."

I am called to live a holy, pure life.  This process of sanctification, however, is not a job I can take on myself.  Instead, it is the result of God's hand in my life as I surrender myself to Him and exchange my will for His.  (1 Thessalonians 4:7-8)

When I try to clean up my own act in my own effort, I work against God and what He wants to do in His power, for His glory.

Fake it

I have heard it said that we should, "fake it 'til we make it, " meaning that with a positive attitude I can make anything happen.  Do I want to have the confidence of a rock start?  Pretend like I do until it comes naturally.  Have I always visualized myself as a novelist?  Tell myself I am and soon I'll be writing like the pros.  Am I up against a devastating bout with cancer?  All I need is optimism and everything will turn out alright.

Unfortunately, there is only so far a positive attitude will take me if there's nothing to back it up.  It reminds me of a movie set where it looks like I'm seeing a real city landscape, but when I walk around to the backside of the storefronts, I find out it was all a facade: there are no real businesses to back up the claim of a town.

Does this translate to my walk with Christ?  Can I fake a humble heart until it actually exists?  I don't think so.  A sense of humility comes from recognizing my weakness and inability to do anything good in and of myself.  It also acknowledges that God is big enough to use me even if I can't see myself able to do anything for Him.  In other words, humility is the ability to take myself out of the equation and focus completely on God and His glory.  

Jesus is the picture of humility.  He is God.  He has every right to be treated with respect, honor and glory.  He should be exalted.  Even though He knew all of these things, He chose to lower himself to the position of a mere man out of obedience to His Father.  He didn't demand to be treated as He deserved, but instead took the treatment He was unjustifiably given.  Jesus was all about His Father's will, not His own position or rights.

This kind of attitude cannot be faked.  It comes through a process God takes me through as I admit my weakness and need for Him.  He guides me through struggles, presents difficulties into my life and serves us a generous portion of suffering, using these as tools to humble me.

When I try to fake it till I make it, I work against a God who knows how to humble a man or woman.  (Daniel 4:37)

Work

My husband has always been a hard worker and admires anyone who holds a high work ethic.  If you want to impress him, put your nose to the grindstone and get the job done!

It's easy to transfer this attitude that hard work pays off into my walk with Christ.  I like to think that I can impress God with all the labor I'm putting in for him.  I gladly volunteer in any capacity within the church when help is needed.  I cheerfully take on projects that no one else will do.  I pitch in whenever a call for assistance is placed.  

When I work for God, I'm the one in control of what I do, when I do it and who I work with.  I'm not following His lead, but running ahead, desperately trying to get His attention.  If I want Him to notice me, all I need to do is sit down and acknowledge His presence. (Psalm 46:10 , Jeremiah 29:13)  When I focus on my relationship with Him, it gives Him the opportunity to show me what He wants me to do. He changes the way I think as I spend time with Him, allowing me to see things more from His perspective.  (Romans 12:1-2)

Waiting is hard.  Pausing and letting God take the lead means that I'm admitting I'm not in control.  Trusting God does not come naturally.  When I'm unsure how I'll pay the bills, faith is resting in His provision despite what my checking account tells me.  When I'm living a nightmare that seems to never end, faith is leaning on His protection regardless of how vulnerable I feel.  When I'm tired of fighting the good fight, faith carries on in the face of fatigue.

Letting God work for me is not without it's rewards.  Isaiah so eloquently penned these words so long ago, but they still ring true today: ". . .they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31 KJV)

When I try to work for God I'm working against Him and soon run out of steam; but if I wait for Him and follow His lead, I'll never grow weary.

In God's kingdom there is no neutral ground:  Either I'm working with Jesus or against Him.  I don't intend to oppose Him, but I do just that when I attempt to clean myself up, fake the fruit of the Spirit, and work for God in my own strength.  It is my desire to instead work alongside Jesus to gather the harvest to which He has called me.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can firmly plant my feet on Jesus' side.

How do I try to clean my outside up while inside I'm still as dirty as can be?

When do I try to fake humility and which people in my life know the "real me?"

Revival

"For we know, brothers loved by God,

that he has chosen you,

because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power,

with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. . .your faith in God has become known everywhere. . .

They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,"

1 Thessalonians 1:4,5,8,9

Man is an animal.  God is dead.  There is no God.  Science makes God unnecessary.  Truth is what I believe it to be.  Love is love, I don't see the difference whether it is lesbian, homosexual, or heterosexual.  Ending a life is a choice.

These are statements that are floating around the Internet and are easily accessible to anyone spending any time in cyberspace.   If I am searching for God, it is easy to read about these beliefs and start doubting.  Once uncertainty creeps into my mind, it is a small step to simply turn my back on God.

But God's not dead!  He's alive.  Take a moment and watch this video from the Newsboys to see what I mean.

Maybe I'm not seeing God's Hand in my life because I'm looking in the wrong place.  Maybe I'm not giving Him a chance to work in my heart because I've hardened it against Him.  Maybe I'm immune to His miracles because I'm dead on the inside.  

God is not the problem.  I am the problem, and the real evidence of God's existence is in what takes place inside of me once I give my life to Him.

Alive 

Anyone who has experienced the convicting pressure of God's hand upon them knows that God is alive and He is living within them.   All who have witnessed the transformation of a hard, stubborn heart into a soft and pliable spirit knows that God is with them.  Every person who has felt a peace that makes no sense in the middle of turmoil or trial knows that God lives inside of them.  

God is not an object carved from wood or stone.  He is not a myth created by man.  Neither is He an impotent being.  The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is alive. . . and He is living within me.

The only way to know for sure, however, is to give the living God a chance for yourself.  As David said in Psalm 34:8, "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him."  The evidence of God's living existence is found in the changes He has wrought within me.  I am not the same person I was before I met Him.  

God has left His imprint upon the hearts of all those who give their lives to Him through faith in Jesus Christ.

Powerful

Whenever I witness a thunderstorm, I ponder the power of God.  As I cower under this tiny sampling of His might, I think about how His power was never more evident than in the creation of all things.

 My God has the authority to speak the world into existence!  He said the word, and light came into being.  He uttered one syllable and the newly formed earth was teaming with creatures.   It took only one breath blown into the nostrils of man, and Adam came to life. 

This kind of power is unlimited.  Combined with His perfect justice, love, grace and mercy, it becomes evident that this is a God who is able to help me in all situations.  Whether I am facing cancer, divorce, death, loss, or calamity of any kind. . . God is powerful enough to save me.

Once again, David as a man after God's own heart knew a little something about the power of God.  He said, "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.  Our God is a God who saves." (Psalm 68:19-20)

Over the course of several years in my past I worked in three different gyms.  Even though each facility was different, there was one thing they all had in common.  The guys who were the strongest and lifted the heaviest weights were the ones who were the most inconsiderate, leaving their big plates and heavy dumbbells out for someone else to put away.  They used their strength for their own good but not for the good of anyone else.  

Thankfully, this observation does not apply to God.  He is mighty and merciful, strong and loving, great and gracious.  The Lord acts in great power coupled with amazing love.  As the Apostle Paul said to the church at Ephesus, "Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." (Ephesians 3:20 NLT)

The Lord is a powerful God who is able to do all things.  He can mend a broken heart, repair a estranged relationship, or give hope where none exists.  As the missionary Andrew Murray said, "Faith expects from God what is beyond all expectation."

The evidence of the power of God in my life is in the amazing feats and loving acts that are meant for my good and the good of those around me. 

Sovereign 

Anyone who believes God does not exist has not really examined the intricacies of life.  Imagine the timing and amount of planning it takes for a single life to intersect with another at just the right moment.

A friend of mine was recently telling me about how she was taking her car in for repair.  She didn't have much money and was grieving over the high estimate.  Knowing she needed to have the work done, she headed over to the shop, trusting God that He would make it all work out.

As she was driving, she came upon a friend of hers who waved her down.  He hopped in the van and proceeded to direct her to a friend of his who was able to do the work for half the cost in a fraction of the time.  God had orchestrated this chance meeting and turned it into a huge blessing for my friend.

Each of us has experienced similar incidents that showcase the dominion of God.  The Israelites certainly witnessed many events that demonstrated God's control over all things.

When they were still slaves in Egypt and God sent Moses to ask Pharaoh to let His people go, God sent plague after plague to afflict the natives.  Then He sent this message to the king of Egypt through Moses. "I have raised you up for this very purpose, that  I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."  (Exodus 9:16)

Every meeting God orchestrates, every need He meets, every calamity He prevents, is done in order to lift up His name throughout all of creation.

God's sovereignty is made known through every breath that I take and every miracle that occurs, whether or not I recognize it.

God is not dead, He is surely alive and it is time for a revival of sorts.  It is time for my heart to be revitalized toward the One who made made me, who will live within me if given the chance, who has the power to do all things and who is in control of every aspect of every life.  

No, God is not dead.  It is I who is dead. . . . and it is time for me to wake up!

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will look for evidence of God in the details of my life.

How do I explain away the miracles that God orchestrates each day?

When do I fail to recognize the gift God has given me with every single breath that I take?

Before Time Began

"For God saved us and called us to live a holy life.

He did this, not because we deserved it,

but because that was his plan 

from before the beginning of time--

to show us his grace through Christ Jesus."

2 Timothy 1:9

People who have been through harrowing near-death experiences often undergo a transformation of perspective.  They realize life is short and that the things they were focusing on were shallow and meaningless.  Family takes on a higher priority, friendships are cherished as never before, and God plays a more significant role in their lives.

I don't have to wait until I nearly die to go through this same kind of transformation.  As a follower of Christ, I am called to live a certain way.  Just as the Israelites were always set apart and peculiar to those living round them, the modern day people of God are also called to be different. . . to stick out like a sore thumb. . . to be salt and light.

Saved for Godliness

God is holy.  He is set apart, morally pure and holiness is an integral part of every aspect of his character.  His justice is holy, His love is holy, His grace is holy.  God is above all things and sanctified from all of His creation.

I was not saved from the consequences of my sin through faith in Jesus Christ so that I can live my life the way I always have lived.  There is a purpose for my life that goes well beyond my life!  God's plan is not for my comfort, for my blessing or for my well-being.  God's plan is for His name to be glorified throughout the earth.  

God called me unto Himself so that I can live a holy life and thus reflect His nature in a dark and sinful world.  Peter teaches about my calling as recorded in 1 Peter 1:14-15. "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do."  

It is not enough for me to accept Jesus as my Savior and enjoy the assurance of entrance into heaven, but never change the way I live.  As part of God's adopted family, I am to be like the Israelites when God told them to, "consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy." (Leviticus 11:44)

I am saved and adopted into God's family so that I can live a holy life; different from the lives of those around me who are not saved, wholesome and decent, and this holiness should permeate every aspect of my character.  My love should look different from the love of the unsaved because it is God's love.  My gentleness comes from God and sets me apart from the harshness that is prevalent in the world.  My gracious attitude gives others a break when the world has no mercy.  

God is glorified when I live the holy life He called me to live.

Plan of Grace

Now that I claim Jesus as my Savior, my life is not my own.  I was bought at a price.  Therefore, He calls me to live a holy life, but this is not accomplished through my own effort.  I am unable to live a holy life in my own strength.

Rather, it is God's grace that is freely given that empowers me to resist temptation and submit to God.  Where God's law shows me how far I fall short of His standard, it is powerless to save me.  It is incapable of giving me the ability to follow it, thus pleasing God.  

Instead, it is His grace which enables me to change my ways and become more like Christ.  As James teaches, "He gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires." (James 4:6 NLT)  Like the desire to be my own master.  Or the longing to meet my innermost needs.  Or the urge to do things my way instead of God's way.  

Missionary leader and devotional writer Andrew Murray described grace this way.  He said, "God has no more precious gift to a church or an age than a man who lives as an embodiment of his will, and inspires those around him with the faith of what grace can do."

Grace is a gift freely given by God that makes possible the living of a holy life.

Before Time Began

Writer Kate Atkinson describes the beginning in this way.  "Before the beginning is the void and the void belongs in neither time nor space and is therefore beyond our imagination.  Nothing will come of nothing unless it's the beginning of the world.  This is how it begins, with the word and the word is life.  The void is transformed by a gigantic firecracker allowing time to dawn and imagination to begin."

Before God created time, the earth was formless and empty.(Genesis 1:2)   I cannot fathom anything eternal in nature. . . it is beyond my ability to understand.  I cannot comprehend a place without time. . . it is out of my grasp.  

This, however, does not mean that God was not able to think and plan before time began.  He existed forever.  There is no beginning to God.  As He was formulating His plan for creation, He included a plan for saving us from our sins. 

As incomprehensible as is the thought of the plan of salvation existing before time began,  it is supported in the Apostle Paul's teachings to the church at Ephesus.  "Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.  This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure." (Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT)

God's plan for my life began before time began.  

The way I live my life reflects my understanding of how I fit into the scheme of things.  Once I understand that I was saved for godliness, that God's plan of grace empowers me to live a holy life, and that this plan existed before time began, I am inspired to live as God has called me to live.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I my life today will be more holy than it was yesterday.

How do I set low standards for myself in the area of holiness?

How do these low standards reflect poorly on God and the grace He has given me?