Jesus: Removing the Toughest Stains

Romans 7:20- Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

Romans 7:24-25- What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

I've really been enjoying our class on Romans at church. One of the things I enjoy about it has been found in this text. As Paul speaks of sin, he reminds us of the all too common problem so many of us face. Often times, we want to do good, we want to be righteous, but we simply aren't. Most of the time, we are at war within, struggling to be exactly what God calls us to be. In the end, we find ourselves "losing the battle" to the desires of our hearts. Paul, comes back and addresses this issue by saying, "Who can save me from this cycle? Well.... Jesus of course!"

Sometimes we need something to penetrate our hearts deeper than we have the ability to do. We've tried scrubbing the crud off of us, tried removing the grime from our lives, just to be left with disappointment, sadness, and bloody knuckles. Isn't it good to know that there is one here who can get deeper? One who can get deep down where we can't and eliminate the filth that we've been struggling to eliminate. I think that's Paul's point here. Sometimes hard work can't resolve an issue. Only the creator of the heart knows how to truly purify the heart. Try scrubbing.... and you may just end up depressed and disillusioned. Ask him to scrub, and see what happens inside of you. Maybe that is what Paul's talking about.

Climbing, Coasting, and Crashing

I've been thinking a lot about what people really want out of life. Sometimes we find ourselves crashing and burning. Slamming into sin, watching our lives fall apart under us, finding ourselves knee deep in a world we never imagined for ourselves. No one dreams of crashing and burning. And yet, this is the place that we can find ourselves.

When we crash, often the response is to turn to God. After all, God can make us soar again. God lifts us up under his wings and elevates us above the clouds. He rockets us forward to new heights. It only makes sense that when we are flat on our backs we would turn to the Father.

The thing is, most people really don't want to go quite as high as God wants to propel them. They are content flying under Satan's radar. They have been happy for years just coasting and don't want to get too close to God's glory. After all, God's glory may be good, it may be filled with joy and peace and love, but it also can be hot around the collar. Where God dwells, men are exposed to the truth of themselves. People who get extreme for God are also the types who are criticized, martyred, and who become social outcasts. One can't keep his or her feet in this world and soar with God at the same time. A decision must be made.

Truth be told, most people just like to coast. They enjoy the freedom of flying under the radar, simple and free. With their heads in the clouds, people want to glide. The thing is, God didn't make us to glide. God made us to shine like stars high above the world we live in. Thus, coasting eventually results in a loss of altitude, a drop in cabin pressure, crashing and burning. People who choose to coast (and don't climb towards God) just end up crashing.

If you ask people, would you rather be Holy or Happy, most people will say, "Happy." Most people just want to get by. They like flying gently with the birds. Fact is, that kind of flying is for the birds. We need people willing to climb, willing to soar above the clouds where its hot. We need people willing to go the distance with God, to an altitude of holiness. Cruising has gotten us nowhere. Cruising is getting us killed. Climbing, now that's where its at!

January 21- People Can Change

Genesis 42:18-43:34
Matthew 13:47-14:12
Psalm 18:16-36
Proverbs 4:7-10

Do people really ever change? I don't know. I want to believe that people can change... do change. The fact is, most of the time I believe the opposite. Looking at people, I become frustrated with how little change is apparent to me. I'm reading Genesis about Joseph right now. This story strikes me because at the end of the story, we see the decision of Joseph's siblings to act with love and compassion towards one another. You know what happened. Joseph's brothers, starving in the midst of famine, decide to journey to Egypt for food. Little do they know that their brother Joseph, wants to test their loyalty to one another and plays some rather mean pranks on the boys. It wasn't long ago that Joseph had been sold into slavery by these same boys. Now, years later, they have learned their lesson and show genuine love in the midst of trial. They have learned to care for one another. These boys know what it is to show loyalty, even though they once knew nothing of brotherly love.
Do people change? I sure hope that they do! Joseph saw that people can grow... become better.
This story gives us hope in the midst of sometimes doubtful circumstances.