Knowledgeable Zeal

"Brothers,

my heart's desire and prayer to God

for the Israelites is that they may be saved.

For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God,

but their zeal is not based on knowledge.

Since they did not know the righteousness

that come from God

and sought to establish their own,

they did not submit to God's righteousness.

Christ is the end of the law 

so that there may be righteousness

 for everyone who believes."

Romans 10:1-4

His love for exercise combined with his passion for helping people made it an obvious choice:  He would open a gym.  His enthusiasm was infectious and soon the membership grew, fueling his excitement.  Ideas flowed as he brainstormed with his friends.  Soon, he trusted that business would improve and he would be able to expand.

Unfortunately, this man's zeal was not enough.  He possessed the passion and understanding of his field of interest, but lacked business know-how.  Success in the business world takes more than just enthusiasm and a good idea, it also takes knowledge.

The same could be said for my Christian walk.  I can feel much excitement about what Jesus does for me in redeeming my life, giving me hope for eternity with Him, and offering a greater purpose for my days.  I may want to shout it from the rooftops:  "Jesus loves me. . .and He loves you too!"

My enthusiasm, though, is not enough.  If I don't seek to know God's ways by studying His word and listening to His teachings, then my zeal may be based on fallacy which results in ungodly fruit.

Works

I grew up thinking that if I worked hard enough, good things would come my way.  I learned from my parents, teachers and other trusted adults that I could change the world if only I exerted enough effort.  With this kind of work ethic ingrained in my being, I began my walk with Jesus.  Trying to apply this same philosophy in God's kingdom, however, only put me at odds with Him.

Instead of thinking my service to God makes me right with Him, I must understand that I am saved by grace.  There is nothing I can do to earn God's grace:  It is freely given out of love for me.  Keeping my true identity as a sinner incapable of saving myself helps to guard against my inclination to judge others.

Another fallacy is the belief that if I work hard enough, my efforts will counteract all the times I ignore God's gentle, quiet voice, nudging me away from destructive patterns that conradict His teachings.  My ministries, volunteer commitments or good deeds will never take away my sin: Only the blood of Jesus can accomplish such a feat.  Understanding this truth will guard against my tendency to commit myself to activities out of a sense of guilt instead of as a response to my Father's call.

Other times I get caught up in the idea that life is like a formula; if I do "A" and "B" then I will get "C."  God, however, is sovereign and His plan for my life may or may not follow this pattern.  I cannot begin to understand the mind of God.  As He said through the prophet Isaiah, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. . . As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)  Grasping the mysterious nature of God will help to guard against frustration when things don't go the way I think they ought.

Coupling zeal for the gospel with knowledge of the love and grace God extends to all will result in the works of His mighty hand in my life.

Unrepentance

"I am sorry for disrupting the community movie night and not listening to you.  I know I made it hard on you and I wanted to let you know that it will never happen again."  The boy's apology sounded good.  At first, I was so impressed with his heartfelt confession and pledge to do better.  Unfortunately, I later realized these were mere words meant to impress his mother and I.  Soon, he was back to his old, trouble making behavior.

Recognizing myself as a sinner who has violated God's commands is only part of the package deal of committing my life to Christ.  The other part is in my repentance from my sinful ways.  This doesn't mean I will always think, speak and act perfectly.  What it does mean, however, is that I have turned away from my old ways and made up my mind to follow Jesus instead.

Many times, though, my life remains unchanged.  I continue to live as though I am still my own boss, not paying attention to where Jesus is leading me.  I am too caught up in my present way of living and too comfortable to give up any of those activities, habits and ways of thinking that run counter to God's ways.  Understanding that change is necessary as a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ will protect me from looking just like the world.

Another danger is when I hear God's gentle voice convicting me to modify my thought patterns, end the use of offensive words, or stop taking part in ungodly behavior, but I simply ignore Him.  If I really comprehended how my obedience is linked to my love for Jesus, then I would be able to live the holy life to which I am called. (John 14:15, 1 Peter 1:15)

Still other hazards lurk in the belief that my sins are covered by the blood of Jesus so I don't need to make much of a big deal about these transgressions that abound in my life.  Taking the free gift of salvation that is offered through Christ means that I also accept the redemption His blood makes possible.  As I enter into relationship with God, then, His holiness makes my unworthiness all the more evident.  Living with an appreciation of God's view of sin as an affront to His perfect nature means I, too, will see my sinful ways as abhorrent.  Gaining such insight will keep me from turning the invaluable gift of grace into something cheap and easy: It cost Jesus His life!

Coupling zeal for the gospel with knowledge of the importance of repentance leads to humility  and a desire to live in obedience to my Lord.

Lukewarmness

He was everything to everybody: Warm and engaging to those who wanted compassion, tough and hard-as-nails to those who desired results, and funny and entertaining to those who merely wanted to feel good.  Consequently, it was hard to know what this man really believed:  This politician didn't stand for anything.

In many ways, it is easy for me as a follower of Christ to retain the same attitude.  The danger here is that my lukewarmness will be an affront to God. (Revelation 3:16)

One hazard of living on the fence is in my outlook: When it comes to Jesus, I am neither hot nor cold; I can either take Him or leave Him.  I'm glad He saved me from eternal death, but I just don't feel the urge to tell anyone about Him or to live in a way that please Him.  I feel guilty about this fact, but I sometimes think that task belongs to someone better trained to do it or who is more gung-ho than I.  If I would realize that either I am working for Christ or against Him, "apathy" would never again be a word used in the same sentence as my name. (Matthew 12:30)

Another danger is in becoming desensitized to sin.  I am continually surrounded by sinful living.  I begin to think, Sin doesn't really seem like that big of a deal, after all, its my nature, right?  To guard against this numbness toward sin, however, I will need to understand the just nature of God.  In His eyes, just one of my sins earns me the electric chair.  Therefore, I cannot afford to carry a relaxed and easy-going attitude toward sin without offending God.

Another risk is in finding myself to feel content with the knowledge that I will go to heaven when I die.  If I stay in my comfortable place where I am never confronted with the reality of the millions who are lost, I may never care about the unsaved.  To protect against this kind of indifference, I must look beyond my own salvation and expand my vision.

In coupling zeal for the gospel with knowledge that there is no middle of the road when it comes to Jesus, my lukewarmness will turn to fire.

Passion for Christ is not enough to live a fruitful life.  To guard against ungodly fruit, I will need to understand that I can't work my way into God's favor nor can the grace He offers be taken lightly.  I also will need to guard against apathy which naturally occurs when I don't choose a side.  As I base my faith on the Truth, however, I will find a passion that will grow and I will begin to encompass a larger view as my zeal is no longer empty, but rooted in godly knowledge.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can guard against fallacies that lead to empty living.

How do I carry an indifferent attitude toward sin?

In what ways do I think my efforts will counteract my sin?

New Way

"I know that nothing good lives in me,

that is, in my sinful nature.

For I have the desire to do what is good,

but I cannot carry it out.

. . .What a wretched man I am!

Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Thanks be to God--

through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

Romans 7:18, 24-25a

Monday was the big day; it marked the beginning of the change, the start of a new way of eating, the onset of "The Diet."  All the preparations had been made, fresh fruits and vegetables stocked the refrigerator, whole grain products lined the shelves and lean meats stood at attention in the freezer, waiting for their turn to be consumed.  The plan was in place, enthusiasm was mounting and soon the pounds would start melting off.

Then temptation came, rearing it's ugly head in the form of a mid-morning craving for donuts.  Thoughts of last week's freshly-made cinnamon rolls floated through my mind as the scent of bacon wafted past my nostrils.  Why is it so hard to stick to this diet!  I have the desire, I know what I need to do, but it seems I have no resistance to temptation. How will I ever lose this weight when I can't even get through the first few hours of my diet without thoughts of how I can cheat?

Anyone who has ever gone on a diet knows that the moment you deprive yourself of a certain food, that is the very thing that you want.  If I tell myself I am cutting out potato chips, for instance, I will suddenly grow this strong urge to munch on Ruffles, even if I haven't eaten them in awhile.  

This is a good example of how my sin nature works.  The moment I make an effort to follow God's laws, evil rears it's ugly head.  I may have the desire or urge to do what I know is right in God's eyes, but there is no power within myself to stand up to the temptation to do my own thing instead.

If the law had the ability to save me, there would have been no need for Jesus.  Instead, God gave His law so that I would know how despicable my efforts to obey are.  I fail time and time again!  To add insult to injury, God placed His law within my heart and mind, leaving me no doubt as to how wretched a woman I am. (Jeremiah 31:33)  What hope is there for me, a sinner?

Jesus is my only hope.  As the One who took my place on the cross, taking the punishment meant for my sin, He made a way out of this miserable cycle, giving me a new way to live.

Effort?

One of my favorite television shows as a youngster was "Leave it to Beaver."  This family sitcom took place in the late 1950's and highlighted the lives of Beaver, his brother Wally and their parents, Ward and June Cleaver.  

Many times, the two brothers would get in trouble because of a scheme Wally's sneaky friend, Eddie Haskell, would mastermind.  Eddie usually came out smelling like a rose while his unfortunate friends would bear the brunt of the punishment.  

Eddie didn't care about the welfare of his buddies but only desired to carry out his destructive plans.  Even though Wally and the Beaver were pretty good kids and wanted to do the right thing, it seemed as long as that conniving schemer was around, Wally and the Beaver had no chance of staying on the straight and narrow.

In a similar way, I may desire to do what pleases God, but as long as my sin nature is around, I'm doomed for failure.  Since I can't get away from my flesh, I must find another way to live.  As a follower of Christ, I can no longer depend upon my effort to do what I think is right.

Clearly then, making a resolution to stop swearing will not curb my propensity for cursing.  Neither will declaring my intention to cease from worry stop my incessant anxiety.  I can't expect to stop looking at pornography just because I don't want to do it anymore.  There has to be more to living a godly live than just my attempts at improvement.

Hope to end the cycle of sinful patterns in my life must come from somewhere beyond my own effort.

Anything Goes?

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority began using the infamous slogan, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" in 2005.  While this effective ad campaign may have increased revenue for the city known for gambling, entertainment and wild living, it is not a good  motto by which to live my life.

Sometimes I do, however, adopt this way of thinking when I realize my efforts don't make a dent in my sinful behavior.  Instead of increasing my exertion, which I know will not yield fruit, I may be tempted to take my approach to the opposite extreme.  In doing so, I figure that since my sins are forgiven, I can live any old way I want to live and let the blood of Jesus cover me.

This kind of mindset is dangerous, to say the least.  Not only am I taking too light of a view of sin, but I am also minimizing the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for me.  Every time I fail to reach God's standard of perfection, I deserve death.  My transgressions against a holy God are serious enough that He demands the ultimate penalty.  Every time I fail to follow His ways, I deserve up God's wrath.  

As much as God hates sin, though, that's how much He loves me.  His love drove Him to make a critical  sacrifice in placing His wrath for my sin upon His own Son.  As the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus' death on the cross was enough to atone for the sin of all mankind.  This, however, was not a painless act.  The agony that Jesus endured for my sake goes way beyond anything I can imagine.

Not only was Jesus beaten, scourged, humiliated and tortured, but He also endured separation from His Father.  As the sins of the world came upon Jesus, God turned His back on His beloved Son.  Perhaps the pain of this break in the unity He normally experienced with His Father was even more excruciating than the physical pain of dying a tortuous death.  Love is what drove God to commit this unthinkable sacrifice.

How, then, can I possibly think that sin is not a big deal?  Even if it's just what I call a "little sin," that transgression still was a part of what drove Jesus to the cross.  Clearly, then, living a life where anything goes is not a way to live my life for Jesus.

Hope for an eternity with a holy God and His Son who sacrificed so much for me must drive me away from living as if sin does not matter.

New Way

Since I have no ability within myself to adhere to the Law that God gave, yet sin is plainly not to be dealt with lightly, how should I live my life to please God?  It seems I'm doomed if I try, and doomed if I don't.

The answer lies in not what I do, but whom I follow.  Under the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:33), I am now able to do what God wants.  Instead of relying on my own effort, I find that as I follow my Shepherd, I am led toward His righteousness. (Psalm 23:3)  He enables me to continue down this path that leads to life, and staying in relationship with Him allows His fruit to be borne in me. (John 15:5-8) In this way, Jesus works in me to accomplish what is pleasing to Him.  (Hebrews 13:20-21)

Instead of trying to have a quiet time every morning, then, I find that I so desire to spend those moments with God that I rise early of my own accord with joy and anticipation of what He will tell me.

As a replacement for not taking a stand against sexually explicit, violent or indecent images that filter into my mind through television, movies and the Internet, I find that my conscience is so disturbed by what I see that I eagerly and willingly dispose of anything in my possession that does not please God.

When I usually have no problem with cheating on my taxes, justifying to myself that the government takes enough already and that I deserve to keep a little more for myself, I suddenly find that the previously rational explanation no longer makes sense and I desire to follow the letter of the law.  

Jesus changes me from the inside out when I submit to His work in my life, leading me to live my life in the new way of the Spirit.

Just as going on a diet seems to set me up for failure, committing myself to doing what God wants will not earn me His favor.  Taking on a form of cheap grace, however, and letting it all hang out is also not the answer to finding God's path.  Instead, it is found by seeking Him with all of my heart and letting Him do the work through me.  Then, I will find that I am walking in the New Way that pleases God.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep close to my Shepherd and not go off on either tangent that leads away from Him.

How do I depend on my own effort to do better for God?

When do I find myself giving up on taking a stand against sin and just letting it go?