Unashamed

Although the man and his wife were both naked, they were not ashamed. (Genesis 2:25 CEV)

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.  (2 Corinthians 7:10 NIV)

For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  (Romans 8:13 NKJV)

 A few weeks ago I was working at the Porter County Fair in our church booth, simply connecting with the people in our community.  As a matter of course, I would ask people what church they were actively attending, why they think most people don't attend churches in our area, and what they would look for in a church if they were looking.  This last question would often be met with strained looks as people held back what they were really thinking because I was a "pastor" or this was a "church booth."

One lady couldn't hold it back, though.  "No guilt!"  The statement came out of her mouth so quickly that she immediately looked guilty for even saying it.  I empathized with her how people can pile "false guilt" on our shoulders over things for which we should not feel guilt at all.  I talked a little about the environment we have at Life Bridge and, of course, invited her to come by and see what it's like.

Our discussion got me thinking afterward, though.  All guilt is not bad.  Guilt for our rebellion against God is given by God.  It's purpose is to bring us back to God.  "Godly sorrow" always brings us back to God...then it goes away.

I thought about how we try to get rid of the guilt we are feeling.  We try to forget it.  We try to suppress it.  We get angry or depressed over it.  We even try to change the definition of right and wrong so the things we do are no longer "wrong."  None of it works.  We hold on to the guilt until it slows us down or paralyzes us altogether.  It brings us down.  It brings us "death."

Isn't it time we start becoming people who are truly "unashamed" when our lives are exposed?  That can only happen when we turn back to God in the areas we should be ashamed...the places where we have sinned.  Any other guilt is false and needs to be "thrown away."  When we do this we can live lives that are truly unashamed.

Transparent

Although the man and his wife were both naked, they were not ashamed. (Genesis 2:25 CEV)

Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. (James 5:16 MSG)

One week, when I was teaching, I shared a story from my childhood that was rather embarrassing and more than a little dangerous.  I had searched our house for a battery charger and could not find it.  After awhile, I decided that I would simply charge the D-Cell battery myself.  I went to my dad's "electrical" box in his workshop, pulled out two wires, plugged one into one side of an outlet, plugged the second into the other side of the same outlet, then touched the open ends to the two ends of my battery and...POOF!  Thanks to the over-engineering of the day, the battery shell did not completely explode, but it did blow up like a balloon.  Smoke rose from the deformed d-cell, battery acid oozed from the cracks in the shell,  and the lights had all gone out - I had blown a fuse.

The week after sharing this story, my mom came up to me, looked me in the eye with a perplexed look on her face, and asked, "When did you try to recharge a battery in dad's workshop?"  I hadn't told her.  I hadn't told dad either.  In fact, I replaced the fuze, disposed of the battery, cleaned up the oozing acid, and opened doors and windows to remove the smell from the workshop.  Mom and dad weren't home at the moment and I didn't want them to find out...ever.

Adam and Eve did the same thing.  Immediately after eating the fruit and feeling shame for their nakedness, they tried to hide (Genesis 3:7-8).  Fig leaves didn't do the job very well, so God gave them better clothing a little later in the passage (Genesis 3:21).  They couldn't hid their sin from God any better than I could hide my mistake from my parents.  Yeah, I may have kept it away from them for a little longer, but even in my situation God knew immediately what I had done.  You just can't hide things from Him.

When God created Adam and Eve, we see a picture of what He intended for our lives.  Not only were they unashamed, they were actually naked.  They were transparent.  There was nothing hidden from God or from one another.  Their minds and hearts were so pure - filled only with thoughts that God intended for them - that they could be completely transparent without feeling any shame.

When I truly walk with God, I love Him with everything and love my neighbor as myself.  That loves comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith.  It's so pure, clear, and sincere that I have nothing hidden because there is nothing to hide.  I am transparent and unashamed.  That is the picture I pursue.  That is the picture He intended for me.  That is the picture He wants for you, too.  Are you ready to pursue that picture?  Let's go.

Sincere Faith

They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. (1 Timothy 3:9 TNIV)

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.  (Luke 17:5-6 NIV)

I've been teaching through a series of sermons that are very near and dear to my heart over the past few weeks.  In them, I've shared things that drive my decisions, my relationships, and my faith.  I began with a week reminding us all that God is God.  He is the only one who holds that position in (or out) of the universe, so He is the only one who holds that position in my life.

Holding on to God, and the truth He has revealed to us over several millennia of revelation, fundamentally changes the way we see and act and live.  Suddenly, finding our next meal becomes an act of faith as we trust in His promises for provision - even in dire economic times.  Forgiveness becomes an act of faith knowing that God is the Ultimate Judge and the only one who can fairly dole out the punishment necessary for that wrong that was committed against me.  Unconditional love becomes an act of faith, knowing that He first loved us even when were unlovable - living lives as His enemies, ignoring Him, and even fighting to keep Him away.  Everything in life begins to take on an aspect of faith.

A sincere faith recognizes that God is always true to His promises.  A sincere faith recognizes that "God's got this" and that we only have a part to play in the overall plan.  A sincere faith doesn't waver on His Word being given to us throughout the ages and that He is still living and active in our lives today.  A sincere faith takes the next step in life knowing that God will be there each step of the way - and considers that to be good.

Before you begin cleaning out the garbage left behind in your heart;

even before you start fighting the battles in your own mind; 

you need to know that you are not in the battle alone.

You need to trust that you aren't the only one working to haul the garbage out.

You need to know God is with you, ready to help.

You need to have a sincere faith.

Clear Conscience

They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. (1 Timothy 3:9 TNIV)

Suneidēsis - This is the Greek word translated here as "conscience" and 23 other times in the New Testament of the New American Standard Bible.  Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries define it as, "co-perception, that is, moral consciousness."  In other words, it is an awareness of what is going on inside of our minds as compared to a standard: God's standard.

"In-Sync" by Rebecca Kersker

I know it's a bit unusual for me to start a blog post with Greek terms, but in this case it is worth it.  I like the term co-perception.  I like knowing that, by definition, my conscience is only "clear", calm, or at peace when my thoughts match up with His standard.  I like knowing that God is working inside my mind to point me in His direction, toward His standard, back to His design for my life.  I will not have a clear conscience until I am thinking "in sync" with God.

Have you ever experienced that "battle" inside your mind when you're trying to decide what to think or say or do?  You're not going crazy because you're "talking to yourself."  You're not going to find peace by simply "not thinking about it."  You're not going to experience lasting joy by changing the definition of what's "good" for yourself.  It will always come back to bother you.  It will never completely go away.  True joy...true peace...a truly clear conscience comes when you truly walk with God.

In case you're wondering, a clear conscience is possible.  That's why God share's His Design with us through His Word.  That's why He gives us His Spirit to help.  You can experience a love for God and people with a clear conscience - and that's exactly what God wants for your mind.

Is your conscience clear?
Are you in sync with God?
What do you need to do to get there?

A Pure Heart

"A good man says good things. These come from the good that is put away in his heart. An evil man says evil things. These come from the evil that is put away in his heart. Their mouths say everything that is in their hearts.  (Luke 6:45 NIrV)

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  (Matthew 5:8 NASB)

The day I met my wife, Traci, we were walking into the main building on our small college campus.  We had parked in different parking lots, but the sidewalks from those sidewalks merged into one as it pointed us directly to the building.  The walk was outdoors and it was early enough in the morning that the sun was just rising over the horizon, painting a beautiful picture for our enjoyment.

I adjusted my pace to match hers so that when the sidewalks would merge, we would inevitably need to talk to one another.  "Well, I guess I should say 'Hi'," was my brilliant opening line.  "I was just thinking, isn't that a beautiful sunrise?" was her equally unrehearsed response.  I remember thinking as our conversation progressed that she seemed kind...simple...even a little naive.  There were things she simply didn't know about that I had picked up from my all-boys High School.  There were movies she hadn't seen.  There was music she hadn't experienced.  There were books she hadn't read.  I really couldn't figure this one out.

Over time as our relationship developed, I started to learn more an more about this person who intrigued me.  I started to see how and why she made the choices she did.  You see she was attending church and she seemed really serious about following God.  I had seen movies that she had not because she had made the purposeful choice not to watch some of them.  I knew sayings, read things, had conversations that she simply wouldn't put in her vocabulary, library, and repertoire.  

It wasn't that she was sheltered from the things I had experienced.  At times, I would experience them right next to her.  She wasn't sheltered.  She sheltered her heart.  She simply chose not to store those kinds of things away.  She would not keep them.  She did not want them to become a part of who she is.  She wanted a pure heart.

In place of movies, music, sayings and experiences that would fill our hearts with garbage, she would place movies, music, experiences, and Scripture to keep her heart pure.  She didn't just protect it.  She filled it with those things that would make God smile.  That made me smile...and work toward building a pure heart as well.  The purer my heart becomes, the more I see God.

How about you?

Do you have a pure heart?

What are you doing to make it pure?

Green Light

The purpose of my instruction is that all the Christians there would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and sincere faith. But some teachers have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time arguing and talking foolishness. (1 Timothy 1:5-6 NLT)

My computer kept bugging me when I tried to write this blog post this morning.  Little windows kept popping up to tell me that I needed to run some type of security update or my computer was vulnerable to attacks.  It told me the seriousness of my situation by showing me a "red light" picture.  I couldn't see the problems on the outside, but the system saw problems on the inside.

I ran the programs it told me to run so my computer would be "protected" on the inside as well.  It scanned things again and came back with a "yellow light," telling me that I had missed one of the programs it told me to run.  I ran the last one, scanned it, and I got a "green light."  Now I can begin to blog.

I think many of us would benefit from a little "internal scan" of our mental, emotional, and spiritual systems and processes.  God tells us that our "systems" are designed to love - God first, People next.  Both are equally important, so our "systems" run at peak efficiency when we love both.

The thing is, not everyone in the world wants us to live at this "peak efficiency" in our lives.  We will experience attacks on our faith, the thoughts in our minds, and the memories of our hearts.  Each attack attempts to "bring us down" and stop our "systems" from running at "peak efficiency".  Each attack goes after our vulnerabilities.  Too many vulnerabilities create a "red light" situation.

When we begin to learn how to walk with God, we being to do an "internal scan" of ourselves to find "security vulnerabilities" inside us.  Where are places where my faith is weak?  What thoughts come through my mind that don't point me toward loving God and people?  What have I stored away in my heart that threatens to destroy my love for others from the inside out?

The Apostle Paul was writing to his protege, Timothy, about this internal system scan we can begin to do.  God's word helps us do this scan.  "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12 NIV84) 

When we allow God to do a "system scan" on us, we most probably will find "security vulnerabilities" that threaten the health of our "systems."  God also gives us all the tools we need to "patch" things up so we can end up with a pure heart, clear conscience, and a sincere faith.
Green light - all systems go. 
Now you can begin to live.

Loving People

The second is like it: 'You must love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments."  (Matthew 22:39-40 ISV)

The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."  (Galatians 5:14 NIV84)

Putting these statements together with yesterday's blog post (Loving God) can seem contradictory.  How can Jesus tell us that following God will cause division even in our families, then tell us to love them!  Well...he does.

Actually, the picture is quite clear.  It just seems difficult (even impossible) to live out.  When we look at it from God's perspective, however, it really isn't.

It all seems to come down to the definition of love.  People try to tell us all the time that love means giving them what they want:  "If you really loved me, you would...

...give me another drink.

...let me take another hit and not turn me in.

...leave me alone in my depression.

...stop judging me...

God's definition of love, however, is quite different.  He doesn't give us what we want.  He gives us what we need to get back together with Him and to begin enjoying the blessings that come from walking with Him.  He didn't redefine sin using "correct" terminology that makes it alright now.  He didn't stick His head in the sand and ignore what was going on.  He saw the mess we were in.  He came down here Himself.  He did everything necessary to break us free and to keep us free.  Then He said, "Come on.  Let's get out of here."

Loving our neighbor (and spouse and children and parents and...) means actually helping them.  It means feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, and doing whatever is necessary to bring them into a walk together with God.  This is what Jesus did, even to the point of laying down his life.  "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters."  (1 John 3:16 NIV)

Family members and friends who do not believe, then, are not the enemy.  They are the first group of people we are called to show Christ's love.  We are not called to argue them into the kingdom.  We are called to love them where they are while we live in the kingdom.  We don't walk away from God or waver in our faith (Loving God with everything), we simply lovingly live out our walk with God and invite them to join us.

The better we live in the kingdom, the more they will be attracted to God.

Walking with God is so amazing that we cannot hide it from others.

Love compels us to share.

Now that's love.

Loving God

Jesus said to him, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and most important commandment. (Matthew 22:37-38 ISV)

I enjoy walking with God and I expect to enjoy this walk for the rest of the days He gives me in this life.  I want you to enjoy such a walk as well.  The next question you may ask, then, is this: "What does a walk with God look like?"  I'm glad you asked. ;)

Now that we have been reconciled with God, redeemed, and restored as His friends (rather than enemies); God tells us this is just the beginning.  He wants a relationship with us.  He wants us to enjoy being in His presence.  He wants us to turn to Him for advice or counsel.  He wants us to talk with Him and listen to Him.  He wants us to love Him just as much as He loves us.  He wants the first-priority, top-position in our lives...which is where He belongs.  Only God is God, so He deserves the God-spot in our lives.

This won't always be easy.  Even those closest to us may try to stop us from putting God as first in our lives.  Jesus warned us about this reality so we wouldn't be surprised. "From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."  (Luke 12:52-53 NIV)  Sometimes we will need to choose God, even over our closest friend or relative.  Our WHOLE heart, WHOLE mind, WHOLE soul, and ALL our strength goes into loving Him...not matter what.

We think of this as being hard to do, but in the end it is actually easier.  God designed and created all things - visible and invisible.  He knows how all things work.  He instructs us to live the way things are designed to work.  When we do, it is better.

Think of it this way. A car is designed in such a way that we get where we are going if we sit in the driver's seat and drive following the traffic rules to get to our destination.  Sure, there are times when traffic and road construction may slow us down and cause delays in the journey.  We may even get hit by a drunk driver (who isn't following the design), but it's still far better to be inside with the seat belt, airbags, and engineered beams protecting us (in His design) than it would be to walk out in front of a vehicle traveling at 80 mph (outside of His design).

Its always better to walk with God...and we desire this walk when we love Him just as He loves us.