90.9 The Word

So I made a quick trip over to Wally World to pick up some late-night Ice Cream and I turned on one of my favorite stations, 90.9 The Word, to see if there was some wisdom to gain in my 3-minute car ride (as I so often find from them).

The guy on the show was talking about how it was important to set a hedge of space far away from the proverbial "edge" so that if you slip up, you still have some room before you fall. Seems like wisdom, doesn't it?

His specific example was that when he hugs a woman, he has rules for himself about where he can touch her, how long he can embrace her, etc.

Now, I know this brother was just trying his best, and expressing the only way he knows to try to control the sin problem. But he was unwittingly bringing himself and others further into bondage to the sin he was trying to avoid. Just by setting up these rules about how and where he can touch a woman when he hugs her, he's already turned her into an object of lust. At that point there's no such thing for him as a holy hug, even if they only touch pinky fingernails for a millisecond. As long as that rule is in place, he can never have a godly relationship with a woman.

If, on the other hand he sees her as a sister in Christ, an object of God's love, why would he have to regulate himself when interacting with her? Wouldn't his godly love for her naturally result in appropriate affection and appropriate thoughts toward her? This is what Paul was talking about when he said, "Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh" (2 Cor 5:16). If I don't regard a woman according to the flesh, I can hug her without an impure thought or the slightest draw towards inappropriate touching.

Now, if all we have is our own, self-willed efforts to control the sin problem, the best we could hope for is to struggle miserably the way the guy on the radio was talking about. But that's not the case. We, all of us in Christ, have died to sin and are alive to God. We need only to reckon it so and we find it true in experience.

Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. (Col 2:20-23)

It may seem like wisdom to build a hedge way back from the edge. But if you're standing on top of a cliff of legalism, the sand it's made of is already crumbling and your fall is inevitable. For me, I'd rather mount up on wings like eagles (Isa 40:29-31).

God's Philanthropy

Titus 3:5 is one of those really great gospel verses that makes it so clear that "works which we have done" can play no role in our salvation. Gotta love that. But I learned something recently about v. 4 just makes it even better.

 Titus 3:4-6 reads:

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior

In v. 4, the word translated "love... toward man" is the Greek word philanthrōpia where we get our English word philanthropy, which is to say love of man (of course, you ladies are included too). Love of man just because he is man. It's the only time in the Bible this word is used of God, but just this once is enough to make an impression.

We were created in the image of God, but we were also made lower than the angels, in need of help in everything. In that, I'm reminded at the way I see my two-year-old, beautiful, hard-headded, helpless little boy. What a joy he is. I love him because he's my son, but I also love him because he is so helpless, so in need of a loving father.

So God, being a God of love, loves us too, just because we are men. Beautiful, hard-headded, helpless little men, in need of a loving Father, and in need also of a Savior. And His love, being perfect, provided exactly what we needed.

Thank You, Lord.

Liberty in Christ

It breaks my heart to see Christians in bondage to legalism and all the guilt and shame that come with it. Too many dear brothers and sisters are too concerned with questions like "is it OK to do _________" where _________ has nothing to do with spiritual living at all. Sadly, this is usually the ones who desire most to live holy.

For God's sake, and for your own sake as well, stop beating yourself up. The Lord wants you to live in freedom.

Take your mind off of what you can and can't do, and fix your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. That's the only way to bring the flesh into subjection to God and His holy standard.

Thus saith the Lord:

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." Gal 5:1

and

"...where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" 2 Cor 3:17

and finally,

"Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—'Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,' which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, [self-imposed] humility, and [self-imposed] neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh." (Col 2:20-23)

There is no life to be found down the path of legalism, the only thing down there is self-imposed failure (see also Romans 7). Come this way. Take the path of freedom and enjoy God-imposed victory, won for you in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.