God’s Love…Does It Save Us?

Recently, I was talking with a friend about a church billboard sign that said something to this effect, ”You are gay, you are welcome. God loves you.”   As I was hashing that concept out, several thoughts surfaced.

First of all, without  argument, the latter part of that statement is true.  God does love us, relentlessly, passionately, eternally.

But you see, the problem with that billboard statement is not that God loves us but that it implies that

1. God’s love saves us.

2. God’s love overlooks sin.

3. God’s love justifies sin.

4. There is no consequence for sin.

The honest truth here is that the very same God that loves us with all of His being will forever be apart from many that He loves for one reason and one reason only.  Sin.

The very thing that sign says is welcome IS NOT welcome in the presence of God.  Yes, He is love but love hates many things…all of which are born of sin.

Here’s the kicker.  That sign specifically says “gay” but it could just as easily read a liar, an adulteress, a thief, a gossip, a murderer, a glutton, covetous, rebellious, serving other gods, etc.

The misconception here is that being “gay” isn’t sin, when, yes it is.

And again, the greater misconception here is that God’s love saves us, when it doesn’t.  Yes, John 3:16 does say, ”For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”   

Looking closely, we understand that His love isn’t the key to our salvation but rather our belief in His love.  His love for us birthed a Savior but in order to be saved, we must believe in Him, Jesus. And Jesus is the Word (the bible) that was made flesh, and dwelt among us… full of grace and truth.  And the Word that says, “Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.”  (Leviticus 18:22)…that’s Jesus.

And furthermore…

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

(Disclaimer: the above list is inconclusive.)

Romans 8:9 tells us, that Jesus was the first-born among many sons and daughters but in order for that to happen, we must receive Him.  John 1:12-13, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

We must be born again…of God, through Jesus.  Knowing God loves us is not enough.  We must respond to His love.

Love is like the interstate to salvation but our belief (our faith) in Jesus, the vehicle.  No one comes to Father except through the Son.

But what about 1 Peter 4:8?  ”Above all, love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 

Well, James 5:20 makes the same statement.  “Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”

 

In both passages, we see love in action.  The God kind of love doesn’t hide our sin but seeks to turn us from it (that’s what repentance is), saving us from death and covering over a multitude of sins.

At first glance, we might think that to cover over sin means to shield it from judgment or to keep it from view.  But it doesn’t.  Covering over a multitude of sin in no way allows us to ”keep our sin” or to “continue” in it, making it a lifestyle that God is OK with.  That word cover actually comes from the word ”klepto”, meaning to steal away or to take away by theft.

Our Jesus, a thief? Well, yes.

A thief takes what isn’t rightfully theirs, correct?  Did Jesus sin?  No…yet He desired to bear our sin, taking it from us and all of the consequences that come with it.

Matthew 24:43, “But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.”

We can either repent now, giving up our sin willingly or later, when He comes, He will find it and as Matthew says, our house will be broken up.

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?  1 Peter 4:18

All of us are guilty and none of us are worthy to stand in His presence.  (Ezra 9:15)

Being accepted socially and a warm welcome to a church doesn’t make us nearer to God.  There is only one way to come near to Him.

But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13

 

Generic Christians

There is a delima we are facing as Christians.  The term “Christian” has become watered down, denominate, and trite. We’ve compartmentalized God’s power by our divisiveness.  When we say we are Christians, yet cannot agree with one another, something gets lost in translation.  We are painting so many different pictures that it’s coming to the place where “anything goes”.  The thread of the common integrity of God is laid bare and the fibers of Godly character worn.  The line between right and wrong is clouded.

Christianity has become not so much about Jesus as it has about our preferences. I’ve said this before and I think it bears repeating that we can have as much of God or as little of Him as we want.  And here lies the real delima… in this, we run the risk of becoming generic.

To say “I believe in God.” simply isn’t enough anymore, especially when saying it demands nothing of us.

After the elections, I was driving to work after having been up most of the night.  I admit, I wrestled with God over the outcome and I was grieving a loss on many fronts.

I found myself asking God out loud, “What would Christianity look like if words alone could not prove that we serve You God?  What if we didn’t have words but merely action?  What if what we say has no bearing but only what we do?”

For the first time, the reality settled in that the Lord had come to draw the sword. (Matthew 10:34) I felt a swift cut and nothing would be exempt from circumcision. Not my home, my family or my friendships.  I was left with an awareness that He meant it when He said “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.” (Matthew 10:37)

The sword of the Lord is being released in this hour and it is this very sword that will bring a distinction and if we will allow it, it will cut ties that have been binding us, cords of limitation and will most certainly release us into our destiny.

We are going to be challenged in the coming days to love God like never before.  We are on the path to discovery.  “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”, Matthew 10:39

 

Lord, If You Are Willing

Matthew 8:2-3, A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.

There’s this question that creeps into my thinking.  It’s subliminal in nature but it’s no less there.

I know God’s promises are true.  I believe His Word.  I trust He will do what He has said. I have seen His faithfulness day in and day out.  He never fails.  Never.

But when it comes to the things that aren’t in black and white. The decisions that need to be made…navigating the road less taken (or in some cases…never taken)…setting sail on unchartered waters…the unknowns of my life.  I hear it.

Is He willing?

I’m like that leprous man.  You may not see it on the outside but inside, I know.  I know my faults and my failures.  I know all of the blemishes on my integrity and character.  I know my shortcomings and inadequacies. I know my inability.

Without Him.

And that’s why the question comes.  Because, unless He is willing to touch my fault and my failure.  Unless He is wiling to touch my blemishes. Unless, unless, unless….

What I love about this passage, is that the man said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me…..”

Despite the above list… The Lord can make me ___________________!  More than I ever imagined!

And every time the question rises up, I have to cling to, cleave to, make a covenant with His Word, “I am willing! Be  ___________________!” 

 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT

 

Let God Be Magnified

Psalm 35:27, …Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

Poverty undermines, belittles and causes us to shrink back from truly seeing the magnitude of our God!

The problem is, if we don’t truly understand what it is to be prosperous, we will never see God in His vastness.  His greatness will escape us.

We’ve got it all wrong folks.  Merriam Webster defines poverty this way,

the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions.

In light of that, the truest sense of prosperity is defined by the Word of God this way…

Completeness, soundness, welfare and peace.

Completeness in number.

Safety and soundness in body.

Health

Quiet, tranquility, contentment.

Human friendship and the utmost friendship with God especially in a covenant relationship.

The prosperity of God encompasses so much more than material good or monetary gain.

The prosperity of God is an eternal guarantee and a revenue that is withdrawn directly from His glory.

Philippians 4:19, But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ
Jesus.

To the extent that we magnify and exalt our God, the wealthier we become!

You cannot magnify God and lack peace!  For that matter, you cannot magnify God and lack any thing.

You cannot lift up the name of Jesus and be disappointed!

You cannot glorify the King of kings and suffer discontent!

You cannot make God big and remain small no matter the size of your bank account or social status!

 

Lifetime Warranty

Deuteronomy 29:5, For forty years I led you through the wilderness, yet your clothes and sandals
did not wear out.

The shoes that were upon the Israelites feet were representative of the those spoken of in Ephesians 6:15, For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.

I’ve studied and meditated on this passage often in recent days.

Tonight in church, we were having a great discussion about prophesy and how every spoken word of prophesy over our lives is tested by the written Word of God.

One scripture in the teaching that really hit home for so many of us was Psalm 105:17-19, He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.

Another words, every word must bear witness with the Word of God. Just like our paper money is (or at least should be) backed by gold.  Otherwise, it holds no value and will profit us nothing.  It’s the same with a spoken prayer or word of prophesy.  Unless it’s backed by the Word of God, it will produce nothing in our lives.

This question arose in the midst of conversation.  What about those words that God spoke years ago?  Words that we haven’t seen come to pass yet? Is it too late?  Will they ever come or did we miss it?

Those are valid questions and as we were praying, a word of edification emerged in my heart and I wanted to share it for your encouragement.

The spoken word of prophesy, when backed by the Word of God, does not wear out! Just like the children of Israel, with the shoes that did not wear out,  we can walk for many, many years and it will not fail us. We can trust it to bring us to the promise.

In fact, we must remember, just as Ephesian 6:15 tells us, to put on those shoes, the written Word of God, again and again. There is a peace that can only come from the Good News.  If we go shoeless, we are unprepared.  Without these shoes, we are not ready.

So, if God has spoken something to us, either directly or through another, we must go to the Word and research. Find out what the Word says about it and keep those Words on our feet, so that we are ready to tread on the promised land when we get to it!! Praise God!

The Word of God concerning you has a lifetime warranty. It never wears out!  Put it on.

 

Excuses, excuses…

Luke 14:18,  And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.  And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.  And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.  So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

Matthew 22:4-5, Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

Nothing has changed.  Our excuses are still the same. The very thing that hinders us falls into one of three categories.

1. Things

2. Work

3. People

I’m deeply convicted today.  There is no thing, no job, no people that should keep me from doing what I know I must do for Christ.  And when I say this, I don’t mean that the thing, the job or the people are to blame.   It’s my own priority issue.

And here’s the revelation that settles in on me at the moment.  Come unto the marriage.  My life here on this earth is the ceremony.  If I  think that the “marriage” will take place later, in the end, I can put it off.  Not so.  Every act of obedience…every time I respond to His call…His purpose…His plan… I participate in the ceremony.

Later we celebrate!  Now we walk down the aisle, the straight and the narrow.  We must find the path that leads to where He is.

 

 

 

How Can I?

Song of Solomon 5:2-3, I was asleep but my heart was awake. A voice! My beloved was knocking: ‘Open to
me, my sister, my darling, My dove, my perfect one! For my head is drenched with dew, My locks with the damp of the night.’ “I have taken off my dress, How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet, How can I dirty them again?”

Last week in prayer, I was a few minutes late coming in and sat down quietly to listen as the others were praying.  In my spirit I began hearing, “Awake my love.  Awake.”  And then this scene began to unfold before me.  It was then that my heart became burdened over her response.

This seems to be the state of the church and when I say that, I’m not including everyone nor am I excluding anyone.  I just know that I am the church and this has been the question in my heart.

How can I?

I truly believe that God requires us to get dirty, after we are clean.

When I say dirty, I don’t mean participating in sin or living contrary to the Word of God.  What I mean is, our mantle, our attire is meant to get dirty.  It’s meant to come in contact with others who are dirty, just as we were before we heeded His voice to “Come, let us reason together. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.” 

Our feet that have been washed clean by our humble Master servant, are meant to return to the miry clay from which we have been pulled out.

Jesus is coming back for a church…a bride…without spot or wrinkle.

Ephesians 5:27, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any
such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

A spot or a wrinkle is not what we might think.

John Gill’s Exposition of the Word explains it with conviction:

…the church will then be free from all spots and blemishes; from all hypocrites
and formal professors…

Here’s the thing.  I am His darling, His dove, His love…His perfect one and I have been playing the hypocrite.  I sleep, but my heart is awake.  I hear His calling and yet I respond to Him with “How can I?”  and I go down the list.

1. We don’t fit the criteria for this.

2. No one will think we fit the criteria for this.

3. Finances.

4. Circumstances.

5.  I’m going to get dirty.

He is prophesying to me today…to you.

Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. Song of Solomon 4:7

 

Spiritual Smog?

Earlier this week, my eyes fell on this passage, not with an open bible in hand but rather just happenstance.  I know with God, nothing just happens.  James 1:27 was meant for me.  It was the Word I needed but wasn’t looking for, that would produce a needed change.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

There was one word that caught my eye and cleared the air for me.

Polluted.

Immediately, I knew in my spirit that this was the diagnosis.  God spoke, ever so lovingly.

Stacey, you’ve been polluted. 

Pollution is subtle.

You can’t always detect it.  Not with your natural senses.

We know it to be true.  There can be carbon monoxide in a home but you can’t smell it.  Impurities in the water, undetected by the eye and the taste bud.  Often, it takes being exposed again and again before we feel the effects of it.

Just as in the natural, there are detectors, filters and tests to keep things within normal range.  Spiritually, the Word of God is the same for us. It is the only set standard.

Pollution is defined as

1. defilement:  made ceremonially or morally impure

Spiritually speaking, pollution comes with a breach in character, integrity or faithfulness.

2. debase: using language to deceive or mislead pollutes language

Pollution can enter by what we hear and what we say, taking many avenues.  We must govern our mouth and our ears.

3. to make physically impure or unclean : be foul, dirty

Daniel 1:8 , But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Daniel refused to have communion with the world.

Luke 22:19-20, And he took bread, and gave thanks, and break it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.  Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

This is our communion.  We can do this as often as we like, remembering Him and keeping Him first and foremost.

4. to contaminate (an environment) especially with man-made waste

This speaks of idolatry.  That can come in many forms.  Anything that draws us away from God is idolatry, even our own mindsets.  (I’ve made up my mind. Sound familiar?)

Ezekiel 20:39, As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.

Dare I say it?  Gifts and idols equally pollute His holy name.  Not the gift in its purest form.  But the gift when it’s no longer His but ours.  Selah.

Or is it perhaps, when monetary giving becomes the idol…boasting in our contributions and judging oneself to be more acceptable than another?  Money is not our “in” with God. We cannot buy an outcome. We cannot pay enough. Jesus paid the only acceptable price! Our gift is simply thanksgiving.

5. deviation from truth

Pollution comes when we in any way deviate from our covenant with God.

Numbers 30:2, When a man voweth a vow to Jehovah, or hath sworn an oath to bind a bond on his soul, he doth not pollute his word; according to all that is going out from his mouth he doth.

Adding our own “take” on God’s Word will most definitely pollute it.  Another words, this is what the Word says but this is what it means for me.  There is no way to “get around” doing what is exactly right.  We cannot ingest or obey God’s word with our own agenda.

Psalm 89:30-33, If his sons forsake My law, And in My judgments do not walk; If My statutes they pollute, And My commands do not keep, I have looked after with a rod their transgression, And with strokes their iniquity, but I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.

God has cannot let our error go uncorrected.  He will never withdraw from loving us and will never betray His faithfulness.  Has Jesus not already taken the rod and the strokes? Thankfully, God will always lead us back to this!

When our lives are polluted, He reminds us again that His breath is enough.

2 Timothy 3:16-17, All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

His word is always pure oxygen…a breath of fresh air for us that will drive out pollution.  Don’t allow the smog to form over your head, looming over your life, keeping the light from shining and hindering your vision before you do something about it!  Breath Him in today!

 

If Only

Deuteronomy 28:13,  And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be
above only, and thou shalt not be beneath…

This passage came up in conversation with the Lord yesterday and I remember thinking at least inwardly, if not aloud, that I need to be determined not to be put under!

So, this morning, when I woke up, again this came to mind and I went to Deuteronomy 28 to read it and realized that all of the promises of that passage hinged on one little word… if.

I cannot afford to overlook the ifs of the Word of God. They are vital to our well-being.  It’s the narrow way (Matthew 7:14) that the Word speaks of.  It’s the street called Straight. (Acts 9:11)

I thought I would be witty and search how many times the word if is in the bible and of course, it was inconclusive!  What happened next though startled me.

They did what they call a “partial match of the query”. Another words, here is every where we find those letters inside of words in scripture. Here are just a few of the words that surfaced.

life, sanctified, wife…and that’s only in the first 20 of 4516 results.

That got me thinking…what other words might apply and even be found in the Word?

Here are some that came to mind.

qualify, testify, purify, simplify, justify, sacrifice, different, glorify, gift, sift…

Striking, isn’t it?

What’s more is that I can read God’s word and leave the if up to Him. I’ve even prayed that way, “God, if it be Your will…”

But clearly God has stated something different.  For example in Deuteronomy, God stated no less than three times, “if you will…”

And that’s just the beginning.  Exodus completely outnumbers Deuteronomy in the if department.  If you can’t handle Deuteronomy, turn no further.

All this to say that I’m embracing if today.

 

How We Overcome

Revelation 12:11, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

I have to admit one major fault I have.  I habitually confess/pray partial scripture.  Not on purpose but somewhere along the line, what I memorized had only partially gotten to my heart.  Or maybe it’s that the part that impacted me to most made it down deep.  I don’t know.

There! I feel better.  “Hi! My name is Stacey and I have a bad habit.”

Truth be known, I think God may relish this defect because it’s like WHAM! When I discover where I’ve stopped short, it’s like a shot in the arm! The second (or third) part of the immunization is administered and  my defenses are strengthened!

And that’s what happened here! I’ve been limping around on two parts of the trilogy as an overcomer!

How do we overcome?

1. By the blood of the Lamb.

This speaks of relationship.   We have to part of the blood line of Jesus. Our lineage is in Christ and not of this world.  We are heirs of salvation! Our sins forgiven…covered by the blood and that blood flows in our veins! I love a statement that was made at The Call Virginia, “If someone cut you open, you should bleed the Word of God!”

This leads to…

2. By the word of their testimony.

What we say is who we believe we are!

God holds His word above His name and the picture I see when meditating on this is a legal contract that requires a signature at the bottom.  Everything that’s in the name of Jesus will uphold the contract of His word!

3. (This is the heat seeking missile.)  Love not thy life unto death.

Who better to look to in this than Jesus?  His blood. His testimony. His perfect love.  He didn’t love Himself more than Father God.  He didn’t love himself more than the purpose that had to be fulfilled by His life, that was carried out in His death and released to us in His resurrection!

I (we) must not miss this! I (we) overcome by carrying out God’s plan for my (our) life! By fulfilling the desires of His heart.

At all costs, we must say what God says. Do what God does.  Be who God is. Even if it means that it kills us.

We are overcomers! We have the victory! This eludes to being tried or being take to law. We win! Every trial! We win!