Sunday Notes

What do you think of when you hear the word pharisee.  I'm mainly asking christians this question but I think that even unbelievers can relate to hearing this word in a condescending light.  But let's take a minute to sit down and really think of what/who a pharisee was.  The dictionary definition states that a pharisee was a member of an ancient Jewish sect that emphasized strict interpretation and observance of the Mosaic law in both oral and written form. In short, a pharisee was a keeper and lover of the law.

Now why is this a bad thing.  Why do we instantly jump to distaste and contempt for the pharisees when we read of them in the Bible.  Why does is seem like the Pharisee were just a bunch of stately-dressed haters who walked around trying to ruin everyone's day. and WHY does it seem like every time we read about the pharisee we shriek at how blind they were to the truth, balk at their silly arguments with Jesus and just wish that they would plain go away.  

But I encourage you to scrape a little deeper.

They weren't just keepers of the law for fun you know.  They believe in God and believed that the Law was given by God.  They looked up to Moses and His teachings.  They prayed and helped the poor and went to church and read and studied the Law.  They probably tucked their kids in at night and taught them how to pray.  They did the right things.  They were faithful.  They not only strictly upheld the Law, they made sure others did as well.

They were taught that that was how they pleased the Lord.  Its what they were taught.  Its what they read and knew to be true, that The Law was what saved them.

And then Jesus came along.

He healed on the Sabbath.  He mingled with sinners.  He touched the unclean. He not only broke the Law that they held so dearly, but told them that He has come to fulfill it and that HE is the only way for them to be saved.  HE is the only one that IS and EVER will be righteous by works.  Jesus tells them that they are sinners and in need of His Saving Grace.

So, what's the problem?  Wouldn't they be happy to hear all of this?

The problem is that they think they have kept the Law.  They think they have followed it thoroughly and completely and are righteous in and of themselves.  They think they do not need a Savior.

Their sin was not that they followed the Law and enforced it.  Their sin was thinking that they themselves were good enough.

Well that's just it.  That's just ME.

Oh, I'll tell you differently.  I'll tell you that I'm a sinner and that I need Jesus.  But then, in my heart of hearts aren't I still trying to be good enough.  Aren't I still trying to do enough good, read enough of the Word, spend enough time with God, help enough people, give enough money and know enough about the Law and the Lord to be righteous?  Am I not still trying to build up my resume to earn my way to good standing with the Lord?

If I truly sit down and think about it, I am still a slave to the Law just as the pharisees were.  I still hold myself to its standards, am held to its standards by others and view my relationship and position with God according to how I am upholding the Law.

Ouch.

I am just like the Pharisee in Luke 18 verse 9-14.

"To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable.  Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers-- or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

But the tax collector stood at a distance.  He would not even look up to Heaven, but beat his breast and said 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified by God.  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

The tax collector had nothing to offer.  He had been evil, taking from the poor and seeking his own personal gain. He hadn't gone to church, or prayed or righted any of his past wrongs yet.  He had absolutely nothing to offer to the Lord.  He wasn't righteous in any way, and yet he walked away as justified.  Why?  Because its not about us.  The Gospel isn't about us.

Jesus was righteous in His place.  Jesus determines our standing with God.  We are declared righteous because of Jesus.  Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.  Not some of our goodness combined with the goodness of Jesus.  Not half and half.  Not just Jesus covering the little sins that we just couldn't master and us getting the rest of the way on our own.  Nope, its all Jesus. He is the ONLY Way, Truth, and Life.  HE is righteous and takes on OUR sin and therefore we are justified.

Jesus is scandalous.  He justifies the dirty, the unclean, the broken, the evil, the distasteful sinners.  Not after they are clean. No, He meets them right where they are.  In the middle of their filth.  He saves them and He washes them clean.

It truly is a love story.  The most beautiful one I know....

"On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Sunday Notes

I have been showered with teachings on grace these past two week.  Through books, sermons and conversations grace has been a constant topic of conversation.  After Sunday's sermon I just couldn't resist the teachings any longer.  I was forced to sit down and seriously contemplate my view of grace.  And I don't just mean my view on Christ's loving grace of dying on the cross for my sins.  It doesn't end there.  I'm talking about an every day, every second every situation grace between my Heavenly Father and me.  Here's what I have been learning...

"You think that you're bad, but you're far worse than you have ever though. You think that you're loved, but you are far more loved than you have ever dreamed."  -The Gospel in a Nutshell

If you're like me, you are trying to obey.  Trying to keep from sin, reading all kinds of "how to's" on being a better christian, doing the better things, loving your neighbor more, ridding yourself of selfishness, having more faith and ways to love the Lord more.  And all of these things are pure and good things.  BUT, if you are like me most of my pursuit and obedience in these things stems from 2 things.

1.  Fear of the Lord's wrath.  Fear of being on the Lord's bad side.  Fear that He will love me less or I will be His least favorite daughter.  Feat that He will have ill feelings towards me.  Fear that I won't be good enough.
2.  Doing anything and everything I can to contribute to my salvation.  To be just a teensy tinsey bit deserving of His grace and my salvation.  To be good enough.  To earn His love. To pay Him back and not be so reliant. To strive to become good enough on my own where I won't need the grace of Jesus completely anymore and I'll be worthy on my own.  By my keeping of the law.  By my obedience to His word.

If this isn't you and you can't relate, than I praise Jesus that He has revealed His loving mercy to you and you understand it.  But for me, I am still trying to come to grips with it, to wrap my tiny little brain around how BIG God's grace and love for me is.  That NOTHING I can do, good or bad will change the way He feels about me.  That there is absolutely no condemnation for me because I am covered by Christ Jesus.  That God has NO wrath left for me; no wrath left for me on judgement day as well as today.  Today when I fail over and over again.  Those sins have been covered.  Every single one of them.  God is not angry with me about any of them.  Jesus Christ has paid the penalty for them all.  God poured His wrath on His son for my sin and I am at PEACE with Him.  NOTHING can separate me from His love.  I cannot earn a place on His bad side.  He will not love me less or have ill feelings towards me when I fail.  Nothing I do will ever add or take away from my salvation.

I needed to hear this.  I needed to be reminded of His every day grace. His ever-flowing, never ending, bigger than a mountain, deeper than an ocean, uncomprehensible Grace.  I needed to be reminded of how much He loved me.  Oh, how He loves me.....

Saving Grace

Its been on my heart to share my testimony with you all.  How can I have a Bible Study Blog and share the scriptures with you without sharing what the Lord has done for me?  How can I have a blog sharing the good things in life without sharing with you guys the absolute best thing in my life?!  I'm ashamed that I am just now writing this out to you....

I was raised in a God fearing and loving family.  Since before I can remember I have had a knowledge of the God who created all things and sustains all things.  I have always known that Jesus was God's only Son and as a sinless man died a death on a cross to pay the ransom for sinners.  I prayed "the prayer" in church at a very young age and professed my belief of Jesus as my own personal Savior  at my baptism in high school.  While I do not believe that praying "the prayer" and being baptized meant that I was a believer, I do know that The Lord broke the chains of my sin, blessed me with The Holy Spirit and revealed to me my sinfulness and my need of Him as my Savior.  The joy of the Lord was in me and I was given a strong desire to know Him and serve Him.  These desires have only grown stronger throughout the years.  He has given me a growing love for His law, understanding of His scripture and consciousness of my sin.  I definitely have times of doubt and fear, low seasons and droughts.  I have failed over and over again. I continue to sin against my God everyday.  But that's the point, that's the Gospel.  I'm not perfect.  Becoming a believer doesn't make me perfect either.  As a child of God, a christian, a believer in Christ I am still just as much a sinner as I was before.  It is only the Lord's Saving Grace that makes me a child of God, nothing of my own doing.  Not because I have become a better person.  Not because I'm better at not sinning.  No, it is because The Lord chose to lavish His loving grace upon me.  It is because Jesus died for me, so that my sins could be forgiven and I could be looked upon as righteous by a Holy God.  Giving in to His calling and accepting the Lord as my Savior may have been a one time thing, but my testimony, my christianity, is a daily walk with the Lord where my relationship with Him is deepened, my mind is renewed by His Word, my faith is strengthened by His truths and my steps are guided by His will.  All of this, my testimony, my relationship with Him and my daily choices are with the intention and prayer that The Lord of the Heaven and Earth is glorified and that His name is praised.  Amen.