"If only we could find a place that the worst of me could be known and I would discover in the revelation of that, that I would be loved more and not less. My unresolved issues would start to go away because of this place of great love." That is my picture of the Church I want to build a place of acceptance and not judgment a place of love and hope. But this can only happen as both the members and myself change to become who we really are. The real me inside accepts all things trusts all things, it does not keep a record of wrong and delights in the good. Sound familiar? Its because the real me is intrinsically fused to God who is LOVE. It cannot be broken and yet time and time again we allow our minds to take us down varying paths of despair.
We who are followers of Jesus can all declare that we love the Lord and yet there is only one reason we do love Him and that is. We love him, because he first loved us 1Jn 4:19 . Even our Love of God comes from God.
I was the victim of my own desperation to please when it came to walking with God. I would try to please try to worship and do my best only to fall into despair over and over. Then along would come some well meaning preacher or theologian and rev us/me up and I would be motivated by his call to pray harder love deeper work better etc etc. So off I would go and set myself up to fail. Never realising that God JUST LOVES me, without even considering the fact that perfect love not only loved me but that Perfect love now lives in me and has become me.
The sad thing is that many people have set themselves up to fail like I did, as they picture and are told what they should look like instead of being who they really are. Paul's great words in the book of Phillipians tend to be the goal for us all Phillipians 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, to be content. Being content and vulnerable in who we are is really the Key to our lives. When we find this secret we tend to live free and loose. Truely alive in our faith and no longer walking in a "Should " mentality but we become as Paul says content and trusting.
God called us warts and all knowing full well we have a bucket load of unresolved issues, He called us in spite of them telling us over and over in scripture that He is crazy about us not mad at us. It took me a while to come to terms with the fact that God is not angry with me and I will not face judgment because Jesus did that for me. If I have to go through it again then Jesus was a failure. But He did not fail His word (Jesus) was sent forth and it accomplished what it was meant to do, it did not return void but triumphant with captivity death and the Grave being dragged along for the ride. Jesus won a victory far greater than a lot of us realise.
Heb 10:12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right of God,
Heb 10:14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified.
One only has to read the book of Hebrews with a fresh mind to see that Jesus finished work made a way by which God Almighty can now look upon us with a deep sense of pride because what we were no longer exists. He has made a way by which we have become , not going to but have become the righteousness of Christ. So we no longer need to plead the Blood as we are indwelt by it.
Well those are some of my thoughts for this week.
Pastor Rob
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