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More About Sin

Posted in Christmas Through Epiphany, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on February 11, 2010| Leave a Comment »

It takes me ten minutes to figure out one verse out of Romans 7. Sin, sin, sin . . . law, law, law. Does it matter anymore? Is sin just a “church” word?

Romans 7:7
What then do we conclude? Is the Law identical with sin? Certainly not! Nevertheless, if it had not been for the Law, I should not have recognized sin or have known its meaning. [For instance] I would not have known about covetousness [would have had no consciousness of sin or sense of guilt] if the Law had not [repeatedly] said, You shall not covet and have an evil desire [for one thing and another]. [Amplified]

I’m not sure how much more I can write about sin. I looked back over my other meditations and there are already quite a few, What is Sin?, and Sin is EOE, and if anyone wants to read other blogs on sin, have at it, there’s reading for a full day.

Personally, I think Paul beats this idea to death. I get it, honestly. Without the law, we wouldn’t know about sin. And without sin, we wouldn’t know that sin kills our body, mind & soul (eventually), and without knowing we die from our sin, we wouldn’t know we need grace (a savior) just to survive.

When Jesus said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” [Matthew 5:48], he actually meant that. It’s the only way to have an intimate relationship with God.

Oh, if anyone thinks I don’t mean that. Think again. That is the whole point. We can’t be perfect. Everyone breaks the law. We break the laws of God, we break the man-made laws of the land. We can’t even get the basics right: “love your neighbor as yourself.” If we did, there would be no orphans, no homelessness, no poverty, no starving people, no unemployment. There would be enough for everyone. The earth can supply our basic needs. But, human as we are, we want more than that. The evidence of our lawbreaking is everywhere.

Lawbreaking crosses cultures and religions. People who love Allah or Buddha or Brahma or Vishnu or Shiva (or any of the 300 million gods and ancestors that abound in this world), still break the laws, mandates, and guidelines of their faiths. There is always a cost. For some faiths, the cost is higher than another.

In reality, the Judeo-Christian faiths have the highest cost: death. It’s the reason for all those sacrifices. Jews only stopped sacrificing animals because they lost their holy place. But their law clearly states that blood sacrifice is a necessary substitute for breaking the law.

And the same is true for Christianity. The only difference is that the Messiah, the anointed one, the Christ came to be that sacrifice for all. This is the point that Paul was driving home, again and again and again.

So now that Christ Jesus made this sacrifice, I am asked to confess our sins to him. My sins still require the covering of a blood sacrifice. This is weird stuff really. It all seems so archaic.

But what would our world look like without any of it? No laws, no rules, no order? Anarchy doesn’t work. Instead, some kind of order rises up, and usually, in these situations, it’s the biggest, strongest dog in the pack.

Who is my pack leader? Who is my Master? Who is my Dictator? Who is my Savior? Who is my King? Who is my sacrifice? Who indeed? I gave my answer thirty years ago, before I even understood the full impact of my decision. But I thank God that I can say I am a slave, by choice, to Christ Jesus. Handmaiden of the Lord.

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Body Parts

Posted in Christmas Through Epiphany, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on February 7, 2010| 1 Comment »

As soon as the Bible mentions “body parts,” everyone’s mind goes right to sex. And yes, there is a lot to be said about sex and its abuses. But there are other misused body parts that do equal damage to the soul. . .

Romans 6:13
Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

The tongue is the number one culprit in my life. This is the body part that is constantly leaning toward wickedness and does much damage. If I could keep my words corralled and dedicated to God, what a difference it would make. Instead, my mouth goes into 3rd gear while my mind is still in “park.” I have actually warned people that I think out loud. I hear my out loud thoughts and then massage the ideas. In a brainstorming session, I can be a true asset: Blurt Out Brown.

But this type of talking can do harm when it turns into gossip. I can’t even say it’s always malicious gossip. It’s the constant telling and retelling of a story where I might have been on the short end. And unconsciously, every time I tell that story, the perpetrator gets more stupid and I am more wrongly maligned. The listener nods and “tsk-tsks” and I feel vindicated to tell the story again. Oh shame.

There are other abuses of the tongue: cattiness, sarcasm, complaint, crudeness, name-calling, and lies (to name a few).

As I think about it more, it’s clear the tongue is but a slave to another, more secret master: the mind. It is the mind that fans the flame and directs the tongue to speak, to answer, or to attack. The mind is the “first responder.”

I love the fact that I have an active mind. I am relatively smart and I can process a lot of data. I am creative and I am facile. But this same mind that has served me well has also spent a lot of time on the “dark side.” It’s time to flood my mind with the light.

I confess my sinful tongue and ask forgiveness for the damage it has done. Oh Lord, Guard my mouth this day. Show me how to offer my words to you before they leave my mouth.

Sensitize my mind to the sacred other that I might not inflict my wounds. Hold my judging thoughts and sift them before they can take root. Take the memories I have used to justify my resentments or anger toward others.

Take my life and let it be consecrated to you.

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Inheritance by Grace

Posted in Christmas Through Epiphany, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 31, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Am I finally getting it? Every promise of God is possible because of grace. If my inheritance depended on my ability to obey the law, all would be lost. There is no sinless life and I am no different.

Romans 4:16a
Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring . . .

Why does it all feel so difficult then? Why can’t I enjoy the full freedom that grace affords? Certainly I’m doing better in this aspect, but I still battle with the traditional culture of “shoulds” and “should haves” and “shouldn’t haves.” You know, you “shouldn’t” read that kind of book, you “should have” gone to church today, you “shouldn’t have” wine with dinner. But the court room cannot be in my own head or my perceptions of what “others” think. There is only one Judge that matters.

My historic difficulties have been wrapped around trying too hard: trying to be a “concept” Christian. I have tried to live the “idea” of being a Christian by doing “this” but not “that,” by embracing the unspoken rules of Christian behavior, by wearing a “believer’s” mask.

My focus this year must be on confession. Freedom and grace come through acts of confession. Authenticity of the heart begins with a transparent relationship with God. I long for true fellowship with other people of faith (koinonia), but I cannot expect to achieve this if I shutter myself from God, much less my family, friends, acquaintances, and fellow believers.

True obedience to the “law” comes from the heart and the heart is only prepared to obey when it is clear and whole. This holiness (wholeness) comes forth through the gate of confession.

Can I extend my understanding of grace to other people? Can I shed my tendency to judge others by pouring out the same oil of grace upon them that God is pouring out on me? Do I have the courage to invite them to remove their masks with the promise that I will not turn away? And what about the people who have grown tired of wearing a mask, who no longer have the energy to put one on anymore, who appear to be content in their darkness, can I be the light of grace for them?

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Abraham’s Legacy

Posted in Christmas Through Epiphany, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on January 30, 2010| Leave a Comment »

What do I want to consider about Abraham today? Faith in the face of overwhelming challenges. Faith in the face of boredom and the mundane. Faith in the face of sin and stupidity.

Romans 4:11a
And he [Abraham] received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe . . .

Abraham gives me courage to have faith outside the box. I can be wrong. I can go astray. I can lose it. But also, I can count on God because, above all else, I do have faith.

I can be fallible. That doesn’t sound like much except that I constantly struggle with my perfectionism. God is gentler with me than I am with myself.

Abraham screwed up big time . . . with Sara, with with Hagar, with Lot, with Isaac. He did damage. And yet, he was covered. He confessed. He talked to God. And God responded with promise.

That’s all, just hope in face of my mistakes, especially with family. I know I have discouraged when I could have encouraged. I have disappointed when I could have applauded. I have talked when I should have listened.

Still I hope that love will grow stronger than fear, mercy will trump judging, and faith will wipe out doubt. that’s the legacy I believe Abraham is giving me.

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There is No Difference

Posted in Christmas Through Epiphany, tagged , , , , , , , on January 27, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Our human nature tends to put emphasis on the differences. That person is not like me. Another person is intolerable. Another is irredeemable. This is where grace must step in.

Romans 3:22b-24
For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, . . .

It’s a good thing God doesn’t depend on me for this grace business because I’m not very good at it. I try to keep my eye on the heart of the “sacred other” but I’m always thrown off by the words, the actions, the sounds: all those 3D things. I am particularly rough on my own family. Everything seems to be wrapped up in expectations.

People are constantly making mistakes. Some are trying harder than others to avoid or fix their errors, but still, the mistakes come. I am doing the same thing. I am tripping up all the time but my errors may be more covered up. I am a good chameleon. So, why am I so hard on others?

Some of this stems from a life-long struggle with “performance orientation.” I grew up in a household where my performance was constantly judged and compared to my sibling or others around me. Love was attached to performance. I was lovable if I was good or capable or smart. And as much as I know this about myself and my history, the same standards creep in as I deal with myself and others around me.

Stop! I really want to stop that. I want to become an instrument of grace.

I remember, I once worked in a temp job as a secretary for a man who was quite the perfectionist. He even made me re-do postage stamps if they weren’t completely aligned and perpendicular to the corner of the envelope. It was crazy-making. But so is my version of perfectionism and performance-based assessments.

Everyone has the potential and desire to love and be loved. Everyone can enter the glory of God through faith in the Christ, who God provided as a way. This is not about religion. This is about relationship. This is about sacredness within. This is the story of grace.

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Blind Guide

Posted in Christmas Through Epiphany, tagged , , , , , on January 22, 2010| 2 Comments »

It’s one thing to have knowledge and a desire to share that knowledge with others but it’s another thing altogether if we don’t apply that knowledge to our own behaviors. Am I guilty?

Romans 2:19-21
. . . if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself?

Conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit. It’s a way that God tempers rashness and bad choices. It’s like one of those dog leashes that releases for a long way, but eventually, the end is reached and the dog is pulled back into safety. I’m feeling some tugs today.

I love writing about the Word and what God shows me each day. But I think I need to be more careful about the voice I use. Sometimes, I read aloud what I have written and I must go back and change all the pronouns to first person, to acknowledge that the message is personal. It’s a reminder that I must teach myself. There are many things I have learned and and I have grown immeasurably, but the application of what I know continues to be a challenge. I assume, no more or less than it is for anyone.

I tend to be “results” oriented, but this Christian walk business is all “process.” I know and understand this in my mind, but the heart is slower to come around.

In my enthusiasm for the “message,” I forget to walk it. God forgive me. Let this day be a day of sensitivity to your counsel. Give me mindfulness. Keep me in prayer throughout the day.

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Wickedness Suppresses Truth

Posted in Christmas Through Epiphany, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 14, 2010| 1 Comment »

People will often say, “what is truth?” And perhaps that can be debated, particularly in philosophical or academic circles. But I will hold to this: wicked (corrupt, evil, unethical) people will suppress whatever truth there is.

Romans 1:18-19
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.

Truth is dangerous. Truth is in your face. Truth demands justice. Truth is messy.

One of my children has perfected the art of the lie. He actually believes the lie simplifies his life (at least at first). A quick lie will delay explanation. A clever lie will satisfy curiosity. A believable lie will delay consequences.

The biggest problem with lying is that if one does it regularly, pretty soon, the lie becomes one’s personal truth. This is the lie that births wickedness. And at this point, actual truth is much more difficult to discern.

It’s not just children who metamorphose lies into a manufactured truth. Adults do it all the time. Couples do it. Leaders do it. Companies do it. Governments do it.

Anything that “man” has not made, is God’s handiwork. God is in nature. God is wind. God is sun and moon and stars. God is dirt and insects and animals. God is energy. God is light.

God is truth.

People can try to suppress God, but in the end, truth is always revealed (sometimes sooner, sometimes later).

Give way to truth. Give way to God. And the knots of wickedness will be untied by the power of Spirit. Today.

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