Divorcing Religion

On May 30,2009, I stood before multiple witnesses and decided to make a commitment that would mark my life. It would be insulting to describe it as casual or cavalier, for it carried a measure of responsibility rivaled only by the weight of treasure that was to accompany it...the heart of my wife. That day I declared that she was my only option; there were no alternative choices. My relationship with her would determine the degree in which I would associate with any other woman. Her trust would be an important variable in the decisions that I would make and act upon. Our marriage was not to be a garment or a piece of jewelry adorned leisurely at will, but it was to be as tenured and inseparable as the very skin that we were born into. How, then, could I ever reduce such a intimate, communion of life to just a trivial and mundane activity? What would be the result if I treated this relationship as a hobby? 

Unfortunately, I'm afraid that we have done this very thing in our contemporary Christianity, not considering the ramifications that would inevitably follow. How often have statements been made such as "I'm a Christian but..."? Take note: the conjunction, "but", in this statement basically nullifies everything that precedes it. It sets up the platform to  compromise or justify any action that will follow, which would normally be unsuitable. "I'm a Christian, but I'm not just going to let him/her talk to me any kind of way". Usually it is prompted by someone being offended and what it generally conveys is the message that there is a definitive limit or condition to this association. So, depending on the circumstances currently present, the association may be, temporarily, of no consequence? If this is the case, then has Christianity joined the ranks of Facebook, adopting its own ''Subscribe" or "Unsubscribe" button for the users' convenience and preference? What does it even mean to be a Christian? Does it only signify sound morality? Is it disciplined regimen? Or is it just the default option on an application that asks you to disclose your religious  views? I believe that there is a great contrast in how we define "Christianity" now and what it was initially intended to signify.  As a matter of opinion, I don't believe that Jesus ever intended for our relationship with Him to correlate with our modern day definition of Christianity. 

Our marriage could never thrive and be cultivated by reading biographies about one another and following a step-by-step program.  Yet we employ this manner of logic in relation to God and wonder why we often find people standing with their backs to the church doors, handing the divorce papers to God. Our commitment has often traveled no further than the boundary of mere words. It is chauffeured by the misconception that a promissory note is the equivalent to actual payment. Saying that we are 'Christians' makes us no more committed to God than does a ring on our finger make us committed to our spouse. Christ says that our relationship is evident  by the love that we show(John 13:35). His focus was never on a set of rules but on a change of perspective. He proposed that our relationship with the Father extended beyond titles and legalities. His purpose entailed reconciliation and His desire was to present an accurate depiction of who our Heavenly Father truly is.We have turned relationship into ritual observances and belief systems, therefore making it possible to easily dismiss or defer when suitable.What we have failed to realize, though, is that we are not dismissing a system, we are dismissing a Person. Minimizing our relationship with God to a set of principles and ideas is as impersonal as prearranging a marriage for two complete strangers. They may have information given to them about one another, but information does not equate to intimacy. Love(God) is not confined to regulations, systems or establishments. Love will permeate our lives in such a way that there will be no distinction in our reflections. Love will not be removed but will affect every aspect of our being. So are you in Love...or just a Christian?

AGAINST THE CURRENT

Have you ever walked down a street with a group of people headed in the same direction?  Whether acquainted with them or not,  it seems as if there is an unspoken, yet general consensus of the acceptable pace that you should be walking.  Your steps may even become synched with those around you, creating a symphony of strides along the pavement. Then you realize, in the middle of this sonata, that you are actually inclined to go in the opposite direction.  It can be intimidating, gazing at all the mystified faces and probing eyes that beckon to know the reason that you are disrupting the flow, yet their bewilderment and disapproval will not negate the fact that you need to go the other way. This is the predicament I find myself in today. I am looking forward at oncoming traffic during a very volatile time.  I feel as if I am standing in the moment of cautious anticipation, as though awaiting the thunder to crash moments after seeing lightning illuminate the sky. Nevertheless, my goal is clear and my conviction is strong so I will endeavor to swim against the current, challenge perspective and encourage that we seek to view the affairs of life through the lenses that God looks through rather than our own.

 "Someone must pay!"...These few, energized and passion-filled words carry with them the official notice that there has been a failure to settle arrears. It denotes that there is a standing debt that must be resolved and someone is required to accept responsibility for it. It bellows a demand for justice. Unfortunately, this demand, all too often refers only to the aspect of justice that reflects retribution. It calls for justice to exercise its authority and administer to the respective party exactly what they deserve. Rarely, though, does this request summon justice as a whole. Not only welcoming the side that drives the gavel to the sound block announcing punishment, but also the side that soothingly conveys the message, “the debt has been satisfied”. This other “face” that I am referring to is restoration. Restoration is defined as “the return of something to a former owner, place or condition”. It implies that someone or something is placed back in the original state prior to the catalyst of change. It is as much a part of justice as is retribution, but a very distorted and inaccurate picture can be painted if left unacknowledged. Restoration battles to show itself as a worthy co-representative of justice but is often overshadowed by its counterpart. This concept of unadulterated justice is illustrated in Ezekiel 18:20-29. Two scenarios are given: one is of a righteous person who ceases from doing right and begins to do evil. The other is of a wicked person who ceases doing wickedness and begins to do good. The righteous person, who begins to do evil, dies. The wicked person, who begins to do good, lives. At this particular time, I don’t want to begin a dialogue about what defines righteousness and wickedness…that’s for another discussion.  Rather, let’s highlight the point that justice is administered in both scenarios, but not with the same method.  Retribution is assigned to the wayward, righteous person. Restoration is assigned to the reformed, wicked person.  Was the administration, in both cases, not considered just? If a person commits a crime and carries out the sentence imposed, at the end of the sentence, is it not equally just to release the person because they fulfilled their obligation? If their detainment was prolonged due to non-compliance of the enforcers, would that not be considered unjust?        

I am willing to step out on a limb and say that we, as human beings, acknowledge and understand that consequences do follow offenses. I am not, however, as confident to defend our awareness that once amends have been made then punishment becomes void and liberation or release is in order. Indeed, someone must pay for the debt that is owed and well deserved punishment must be executed on the guilty. That is justice, right? With that said, what if the debt has already been paid? What if punishment has already been administered? What position does that then place the guilty? It is, then, the responsibility and in the nature of justice to exonerate. The apostle John puts it in this way: “He [Jesus] Himself is the sacrifice that atones[makes amends] for our sins[offenses]  and not only our sins[offenses] but the sins[offenses] of all the world”(1 John 2:2). All of the offenses, of every person has been punished and dealt with in the life of Christ Jesus.  Retribution is evident in His death on the cross, therefore we are released from it. Justice must be true to itself and afford us the restoration that is now due. Now, I understand that this concept may be logical and even acceptable in theory.  The difficulty presents itself when it is applied to actual situations such as the Trayvon Martin case. It strums anger and unforgiveness within many, only to lead them to utterly reject the idea that provision has been made for the guilty to walk free.  The perception of justice then becomes distorted and we are left with a Quasimodo-like depiction of it.  Could it be possible, that what we have considered and claimed to be “justice” is actually a form of revenge? Absent of mercy and focused on punishing in return for being injured. I am in no way proposing that we minimize or make light of the loss incurred by wicked and selfish acts. Neither am I condoning wrongful deeds committed against one another.  I am suggesting that we take a closer look at what justice really is so that we are not found guilty of the injustice that we so ardently oppose.  Jesus gave His life not only for the victim, but also for the culprit. His actions conveyed His desire for us to know justice in its entirety and to experience the mercy that travels with it. Would we really want God to allocate the justice to us that we dole out to others?  Jesus was punished… that we may be released.  Justice served.

Acquisition and Activation

Several months prior to the purchase of our iPhones, my wife and I were seriously interested in upgrading our antiquated mobiles to the HTC EVO. Our fortified wall of reluctance and inhibitions were finally under siege by a campaign of ambitious zeal to enter into the 21st century. I remember on one occasion, where we walked into a Sprint store to get some information about the phone and we became totally enraptured by the sight of it. Again, our outdated phones were the equivalent to portable rotaries, so our sentiments and reactions were justified in our eyes. Finally, after we were finished drooling over the prospect, we asked the sales associate how much would it cost for both of us to walk out of the store that night with a HTC EVO in hand.... have you ever seen a cartoon where the character gets this grand and lofty idea? Everything is picture perfect and then someone says something that causes the cloud or balloon, that encapsulates the idea, to deflate. It then skyrockets all around the general vicinity until finally it is no more. Well, that described our aspirations once we were told how much it would cost, not including the activation of a more expensive service plan. Even at that point, we were still longing to get the phone. We might have settled for just getting the phones and then activating them at another time, but what good would that do? What would be the benefit of acquiring this amazing piece of technology, yet unable to utilize any of the features that causes it to be great?

Under the Old Covenant, that is, the previous agreement that God had with humanity, day after day, year after year, sacrifices were made on behalf of the people to make amends for their wrongdoings. Can you imagine how daunting this task could be? Not only the execution of it, but also the repetition. Moreover, the fact that it was repetitive in nature brought to light the apparent inadequacy of the sacrifice. It was not sufficient enough to extract the complete forgiveness needed to allow one to rest and be in right standing or relationship with God. So, the sacrifices continued until a New Covenant, a new agreement was generated and validated by the blood of Jesus. Scripture tells us that Jesus, the Son of God, gave Himself as the perfect sacrifice, one time, so we could become the beneficiaries of complete forgiveness, no longer having to strive to acquire it(Hebrews 10). He procured the pardon for us by His work, His sacrifice, saving us from the enslavement of sin. However, another vital element remains: activation.

Consider, for a moment, the scenario regarding the phones that we wanted. Re-visting the question earlier: what good would it do me if I acquired this grandiose smartphone, yet I was unable to enjoy its features because I did not activate it? To end any internal debate that you may be having with yourself due to this question, I will just tell you that the answer is NONE. I would just have a nice-looking piece of hardware that, in its present state, would be of no service and ineffectual. In that same breath, what if I got it activated? Then I would be able to experience everything that the phone would have to offer. The work required to be forgiven has already been satisfied for us, so it is now ours to enjoy, but we will not be able to experience all that it has to offer if we choose not to activate it by our faith. Am I saying that our faith obtains something that we do not have? Not at all, it is our faith, our belief and confidence in what Jesus has already done for us that causes it to be actualized in our lives. Salvation, righteousness, healing, deliverance and the like have all been secured for us by Christ and Him alone. Our experience of these features will be determined by what we choose to believe. Will we choose to activate or are we content with just having the device?

Seasoning the Earth

When I first started cooking, I was notorious for under-seasoning my food.  I would find a recipe, gather the proper measurements for all the ingredients and follow the directions to the letter. Then, I would reach the most horrid part of the recipe, the clause that would prompt me to be emancipated in my culinary freedom…”salt to taste”. Dramatic though it may seem, in my initial, novice attempts to create a dish of some kind of sustenance for myself and my family, I became bound in fetters whenever I picked up the salt to season the food. The light sprinkles would only tip-toe over the food, barely being noticeable, making little to no impact on the meal. The result was bland, unappealing food that we would only resign to eat because time and resources had both been expended. Over time and with practice I became more assertive with my seasoning, more aware of the influence that it had on my meals and the sentiments of my family when I stepped in the kitchen. Salt has two very beneficial qualities among many: the ability to enhance flavor and preserve quality. It can bring the best out of what it is applied to and it can retain the value of what is added to it. The patterns, mentality and subsequent behavior in this world, often times, prove to be distasteful and repugnant. The absence of compassion, the lack of commitment, blatant injustice, the devaluation of life and the scores of ills that infect this world have created such a bland and unappealing view that many choose to just abandon their “plate” and walk away from the table. Roaming about is this hopeless voice singing the lyrics along with Bruce Hornsby, “That’s just the way it is, some things will never change”. But, I don’t believe that.  In a world where it seems that selfishness sings aloud and love is virtually silent, the words of Jesus echo off the pages of Scripture and disarm the forces of insignificance and hopelessness…”you are the salt of the earth”(Matthew 5:13). Why do I esteem these words? What is so profound about this statement and its meaning that would prompt me to mention it here? It is the fact that Jesus gave us a remedy to the conditions of this world…us. This is not a humanistic view, placing man on a pedestal. It is acknowledging the truth about who we are and, as a result, the amount of influence that we have. So who are we? We “are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus” and “since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory” (Galatians 3:26; Romans 8:17). We are the King’s kids. Therefore, we are tied to Him and everything that He has. It is He who dwells in us  so that just as Christ was in the world, so are we now in this world.  Jesus’ statement was not only a declaration of our identity and purpose but also a commission to go and season the earth with love and with truth.  If this world seems to be unsavory, is its distasteful ways measured by how unpalatable it is or by the lack of seasoning it has? It is the love of Christ that whets the appetite of those who are hungry and causes them to desire more. We are the carriers entrusted to distribute that love to all people, showing the heart of the Father to them. “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor?” or if it chooses not to share itself with the world?

STAINED CARPET

I have become very accustomed to the inevitable discoloration that occurs on the carpets of my home due to the exploits and activities of my beautiful daughter. I often walk through the door just to be greeted by yet another uninvited stain that somehow has made its abode on the floor. Over time, these "guests" seem to become the defining trait of the carpet. They demand attention upon walking in the room and force you to utilize your resources to hopefully remedy the impact they have on your home decor. You can try to cover them up, but you are always conscious that they still remain. These stains, now embedded in the fibers of your carpet, have taken on the identity of that carpet and are the first thing that comes to mind when referring to it.

Have you ever been characterized or identified by something that you have done or has happened to you? people begin to refer to you as "the person who...." fill in the blank. What I've come to realize is that there will always be something that is attached to us that we will be identified by. It is how we relate to one another and make assessments and so on. If this proves to be true, then it is not a question of will we be labeled or identified, but what are we identified by? I have had many conversations with people who are very much aware of the internal struggles that they bout with on a daily basis and these struggles seem to define them. Insignificance, anger, jealousy, lust, disappointment, acceptance, sorrow, discontentment and the list goes on. The fallacies and poor judgment calls of their pasts are recounted multiple times over by others and themselves, becoming the very fabric in which their identity is made up of. The people who I am speaking of are mostly, but not limited to, my Christian brothers and sisters. Tormented with this consciousness and confession of their ability to fail, they grow deeply more intimate with the notion that 'I am a sinner....saved by grace, but nevertheless a sinner and I'll always be one'. My heart sinks. If you have any experience with what is commonly known as  "church", then you have heard this statement or, at the very least, gathered that this is the general sentiment. The problem is that the manner in which the message is conveyed is not biblical. The underlying tone of this statement is simply this: "my actions determine my identity". So it would stand to reason that if I sin, then that would logically make me a sinner. However, the question I must pose is this, what about the redemptive work of Jesus, was that of no effect? You see, I do understand about the principle of sin which made its home in humanity causing us to behave according to that nature, but the work of Jesus still must be addressed. 

The apostle Paul stated it this way, "when you came to Christ, you were "circumcised", but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision-the cutting away of your sinful nature"(Colossians 2:11). Forgive me now if this sounds crass, but if my foreskin is my sinful nature(my identity as a sinner and the principle which causes me to sin) and Christ cut it off, wouldn't that now mean that it is no longer attached to me? Furthermore, the skin that has now been removed is dead. For those who are a bit squeamish, I'm done with that example. Paul brings up this subject again and says this, "we know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin...so you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:6-8,11). What I am getting at is that if the purpose of Jesus' work was to cut off and remove the identity of sin from us and it was accomplished, then why do we still consider ourselves to just be "sinners saved by grace"? Listen to the statement, we were "saved"(past tense) by grace ,therefore our present state or condition must be different from what it was in the past, right? Please understand, I am not denying that there was a "stain" in our "carpet" and it became so absorbed in it that it actually defined it. That was true, but there is a greater truth that has superceded that one, which is that the old, stained carpet has been taken up and new carpet has been laid down so i need not focus on stains because there are no more. Now my cynical readers may ask, "well what about future spills...won't those spills stain this new carpet?" Valid point. Did you know that there is stain-resistant carpet that has its permanent stain and soil protection built right into the fiber during manufacturing? Although spills can still potentially happen, they can not impact this stain-resistant carpet the way it did the old carpet therefore it will never be its defining point. God loves us immensely and He knew that our sinful nature would continue to cause us problems, so through Christ Jesus, He removed it so we could now be identified by our relationship to Him as sons and daughters, not sinners. Our actions or sins we may commit now don't change our position as sons and daughters no more than speaking another language would not change my nationality. Once we begin to identify with who we really are now in Christ, sinning will never be a factor. We are children of God. Christ's actions afforded us that privilege...what could we possibly do to unravel His work?

Out With The Old, In With The New

After about three years of marriage, I have noticed that I have taken on various mannerisms and practices of my wife. They range from making lists and drawing small boxes next to the item or task, so that when it's completed I can check it off,  to acquiring a secret affinity for Gilmore Girls and their wit, not so much a secret anymore due to this transparent blog. One of the practices that I have taken on as my own, and actually enjoy now, is what we call "purging". It is a very simple concept of getting rid of things that we no longer use or enjoy anymore to make room for something better. We do it with movies, clothes, books and now most recently, perspective. For a long time I considered myself to be a radical Christian. The church I went to years ago was traditional, so I considered myself to be making the statement that I was not bound by religion or tradition by wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and Chuck Taylor's instead of a suit. I am now truly embarrassed by the absurdity of that notion. I was a licensed minister of the gospel, which is also absurd that I sought out a license from man to serve in the ministry that was given to each one of us by God, the ministry of reconciliation(2 Cor.5:18-19). I served in various ministries and stayed busy and worn out because, although I was unaware of it at the time, I was trying to please God by what I did for Him. I did not know that I was already pleasing to Him before I did anything. My identity was wrapped up in what I did instead of what Jesus had already done.  This proved to be destructive and discouraging because if i ever missed a "ministering" opportunity, I felt as if I had disappointed God. I had a very distorted perception of how God viewed me and how I viewed Him based on my past and present relationships, opinions and statements of others, and any other external source that I had allowed to dictate my perspective. This inevitably would influence my behavior, attitude and relationship with God. Which is where the "purging" concept comes in. I truly desired to be more intimate with God, to know Him and accept Him as Father, but I was going about it in the wrong way. My answer was "do more for God" and therein find a deeper relationship with Him. Although pure in intention, it was fatally flawed in practice. Have you ever worked at gaining someone's approval and acceptance...it is exhausting!! You get to a point where you think that you have now reached your goal in acquiring this desired position, but now you have to work to maintain your good standing. This, in a nutshell, was my frame of thinking. "Now that I've finally gotten into God's good graces through this tedious effort...now it's time to get to work". Sounds depressing. How can you enjoy being in a relationship with someone that you feel you have to work on getting them to like you? Wouldn't it be so much easier if you were fully aware that you already had their attention, approval and acceptance? Then all of your efforts that were being exhausted could be redirected and refocused to serve as a response to the love that was being shown to you. My journey into a more intimate relationship and friendship with God did not begin with what I could do, but who I was to Him. I found favor in His sight not because of my moral excellence but because of the value that He attributed to me. My identity was not secured by my own efforts, but through the loving act of Jesus willingly giving up His life for mine. Think about it, what causes something to be considered valuable? Is it the subject itself or what it can do or is it what someone is willing to pay for it? God thought that our lives were so worth giving His only Son. Could you give your only child? We make that statement and use the scripture "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" so much that I think that we have become desensitized to it. I don't believe that this was a casual and cavalier event for God..."Well, what's on the task list today? Go to grocery store, get my oil changed, give up my only son for the redemption of people who don't even really like me, complete my P90X workout...." No, I don't believe that this was in any form easy for God, but how important must you be that He found it to be absolutely necessary? God has gone through great lengths to place us in such a privileged position where we are no longer identified by our actions or who we used to be(2 Cor.5:21). Our sins have been perpetually forgiven because Jesus paid the debt that we owed(Hebrews 10:10-12). If you owe a creditor, all the creditor is concerned about it is getting their money. They are not concerned about who pays it, only that it does get paid. And once it is paid and the debt is satisfied, what more do you have to do in relation to the creditor....NOTHING!! The debt of sin was paid by blood, by death.  Jesus' death satisfied the debt and released us from it or pardoned us from it...so what more do we have to do in relation to sin? Our forgiveness is not pending upon anything we have to do, it is settled in what Jesus has already done. God has made such provisions for freedom by grace. We have been freed from the enslavement of sin, no longer subjected to its control(Romans 6:6-14). Sin no longer defines me because Jesus removed it from me. The label of sinner can no longer be attached to me because I have been made brand new. My very nature, my inherent tendencies, and character are totally new, with new proclivities to love God and love people. I am a son, not an orphan...a saint not a sinner.(2 Cor. 5:17, Col. 2:11, Galatians 4:6)