Love, Day One

For many years, I have thought about the Fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 gives us a list of nine virtues, characteristics of Jesus Christ, which should be produced in the life of someone who has been crucified with Christ and given new life through the Spirit. Paul names them: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. This is, by no means, an exhaustive list of Spiritual Fruit. One time I did a study and came up with at least nine more, gleaned from similar lists throughout the New Testament: hope, thanksgiving, generosity, hospitality, perseverance, forgiveness, forbearance, mercy, & zeal. Surely there are many more virtues which we as Christians should cultivate in our lives in sincere imitation of Jesus Christ, but this is a start.

A couple of months ago, I finished 100 Days of Thanks--blogging through Psalm 100 for 100 days and giving thanks for three specific things each day. It was a transformational experience for me, and I've been looking for something similar to do ever since, perhaps concentrating on one thought or virtue for a week, or a month, at a time. So today, I begin blogging through the fruit of the Spirit, starting with love.

LOVE

"You have heard that it was said,

'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'

But I say to you,

love your enemies,

bless those who curse you,

do good to those who hate you,

and pray for those who spitefully use you

and persecute you,

that you may be sons of your Father in heaven...

Therefore you shall be perfect,

just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

Matthew 5:43-48, NKJV

When I started thinking about this new blogging project, I thought to myself, let's see what Jesus had to say about love. So I went to my favorite online Bible resource and did a word search. How surprised was I to find that the first time you hear the word love in the New Testament, it's from the mouth of Jesus--and it's about your enemies.

One time when I was reading through the Psalms, I started keeping track of things David said about his enemies. Here are some of my favorites, paraphrased by yours truly:

God, throw my enemy down on the ground...and kick his teeth out.
God, chase my enemy down a dark and slippery path. Pull his shorts up over his head, spin him around, and confuse him.

God, turn the weapons of my enemy back on him!

As a pastor pointed out to me once, David was living in a time when his enemies were out to kill him, literally. I was told, "We're not living under that kind of threat today." I thought to myself, you may not be, but I've encountered some pretty mean church people in my day! But the point is true; to my knowledge, I don't really have anyone around me who is plotting my death or downfall. If you are, please keep it to yourself. I need to sleep at night.

And of course, we always have the devil to contend with, a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

But Jesus defined our enemy this way: Does anyone curse you? Do they hate you or despitefully use you? Does anyone persecute your? If they do, that's your enemy. Our natural instinct is to hurl curses and insults back at the ones who verbally abuse us. We think, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me! We want vengeance (or at the very least, justice) wreaked on our enemies because of the wrong they have done to us. But Jesus expects something quite different from us.

He says to love them.

Show them the love that God has shown you, even when you were his own enemy. For you did not love God first, God loved you first. You did not choose God, God chose you by love. So we need to direct that love toward others, especially the ones who are undeserving of it.

Are you kidding me? someone might think. Indeed, I am not. And I've had some personal experience with this. In four decades of living, there are a few people who hurt me. And I'm not talking about Jr. High punks who called me names or picked on me at recess. I'm not talking about little blondes who turned me down and broke my heart in High School. There have been some full grown, mature adults, many calling themselves my brother or sister in Christ, who have wronged me, who have cursed me and mine, who have used and abused me. There have been some who have hated me, and perhaps even hate me still.

I've had to learn to love them.

I've had to discipline myself to smile with sincerity and greet them warmly, even though I wanted to hold them at arm's length and guard against a knife in my back. I've had to resist the desire to literally spit, or spew insults, and instead utter words that were sickening to me: I love you. And why? Because Jesus said to. And I've got to tell you, it's more than just outward actions and spoken words. It's got to be a heart thing for it to do any good.

Instead of wanting to run people down with my car because of the damage they did to me, I've had to learn to love them. One day while working in the yard, the hot sun beating down on my neck, sweat pouring from my face, dirt and grass clinging to my skin, I was really going after someone in my mind. Things I wanted to tell them. Things I wanted to do to them. Things I wish would happen to them. Like the earth opening up and swallowing them whole. Like lightning from heaven scorching them to a black spot on the sidewalk. And then the Lord spoke to me and said, "Why don't you pray for them." My response was, "Haven't you been listening, God? I HAVE been praying for them. Lightning and earthquakes, God!" But Jesus told us to pray for them, and to bless them. How bitter those words tasted in my mouth the first time I had to do it! But how sweet it was, when the words began to take hold in my heart.

I'll also tell you this: vindication is no fun. When justice (not vengeance) is finally fulfilled, it is not a reward to those who have waited for it. I have lived long enough to see justice done on some of my enemies, on some who cursed and hated and abused and persecuted and reviled me, and it is not pretty. And just when it seemed that God had indeed heard my prayers and finally avenged me, the Lord speaks again and says, "Go do something good for that one." Are you kidding me, God? Do you know what they said about me, what the did to me?

I promise you, God does indeed know...but we need to leave the scorekeeping to Him. We don't have all the facts. We can't see the fate and future of those who have harmed us. So we need to put those things from our mind and do what God expects us to do. We don't do bad to them; if bad needs to be done, God is the fair and balanced judge of how to handle those things. Instead, we do good to them. We bless them. We minister to their needs. We assist them if we can. We keep showing them the love of Christ.

For who knows--perhaps loving our enemy will turn them into a friend.

What Our Prayers Say About Us

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.
Romans 1:9-10, NKJV

It's easy, when your goal is to read and grasp the meaning of whole chapters, passages, or books, to miss the significance of small phrases. Paul's whole prayer, at this point, was specific to the Romans--I don't think he is praying now for an opportunity to come see me. But today in looking at these two verses, something else grabbed my attention.

FOR GOD IS MY WITNESS--and then Paul defines his relationship with God.

WHOM I SERVE--recalling that his whole identity was as a bondservant. No matter that he is an apostle, no matter that he is God's ambassador to the Gentile world, entrusted with preaching the gospel to all nations. no matter what else he is or does, Paul is still a servant to the Most High. He lives to obey, to fulfill his God-given purpose, to do what he was called and assigned to do. A life of service is a life of submission to the one you serve.

WITH MY SPIRIT--I cannot define what Paul had in mind when he used this phrase, because I'm not sure if his idea of spirit is the same as mine, but it would seem that Paul was saying, "I serve God with everything that is within me." To serve God with his pneuma was to serve God with his mind, his will, his heart, his soul, his breath. His very essence was committed to serving God.

IN THE GOSPEL--Paul's assignment, his primary duty and responsibility, was to preach the good news about Jesus. In the fulfillment of that responsibility, he did lots of other things too--such as the writing of this letter--but it all came back to the gospel and its proclamation.

And two more observations--that Paul prayed WITHOUT CEASING. Paul's prayer life was such that so many random thoughts, so many idle words were a waste of time. I think he turned every thought into a prayer, and in that way he prayed without ceasing. And he made no plans without consulting THE WILL OF GOD.

A Prayer for Us

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
Romans 1:8, NKJV

I love that Paul recorded his prayers for the believers on paper, because that means that under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, Paul was also praying for me, for us, today! Every time I read one of Paul's prayers for the church I try to hear him praying those words over me. And since all of our prayers are stored up in vials in heaven, and are brought out from time to time and poured over the altar there, it is just possible that whenever I read it here on earth, it is being heard in heaven again, on my behalf.

It's just a thought.

And Paul's prayer here begins with thanksgiving--a good way to start--over the faith of the Roman believers.

The Roman church was not started by an apostle on a missionary journey. Paul hadn't gotten that far; Peter was still itinerating in Asia Minor and Greece. The Roman church was apparently pioneered by believers possibly present at Pentecost in Acts Chapter Two who carried the gospel with them back to Rome. Paul had lots of friends there--Priscilla and Aquila not the least among them--and kinsmen as well. But he himself longed to go to Rome for ministry.

I wonder, if Paul was praying for me, what would he have to say about my faith? If Paul was praying for my congregation, or the church as a whole in their community, what would he be able to say about our faith?

2000 years ago, Christianity was a novelty, a growing phenomenon taking the world by storm. And Rome was the greatest city on earth, the capital of the world. Faith in that city, in that culture, was something indeed to talk about!

Such a testimony should be an inspiration to us, an encouragement, a standard. How can we impact the world around us? How can we affect our community, locally, nationally, and globally? Can we touch the world in such a way that our faith is spoken of throughout the world?

I don't know--but I at least want to try!

To Them...and To Us!

To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:7, NKJV

I have always loved the way Paul addresses his letters. He is specific about his audience, but he also addresses it in such a way that it can be applied to any reader, anywhere.

This letter to the Roman church is also addressed to us--those who are beloved of God and called to be saints. And I think it's important to remind ourselves from time to time just who we are in Christ.

We are the beloved of God.

We know that God loved us because he sent Jesus to us.

We know that Christ loved us because He died to save us.

When we were still sinners--unloving, unlovely, and unlovable--Christ died to save us.

And now we have become God's children, His own special possession! He may chasten those He loves, but He will never abandon us to the world or the devil! We are His people, His sheep, His treasure! We are His creation, made in His image and after His likeness.

Not only are we beloved of God, Paul also returns to the subject of our calling. We are the called of Jesus Christ, called to be saints!

We are called to be holy people--holy in our behavior, sanctified in our hearts. We aren't called to be whoever and whatever we want; we are called to be who and what He wants!

Saints aren't the dead people who served God long, long ago. Saints are the people who are living to serve God today.

And to those Paul utters a blessing, present in all of his writings: Grace to you, and peace.

Grace--the unmerited favor of God.

Peace--the perfect presence of God.

You can't have peace until first you have received grace.

And those two things--grace and peace--can only be found in relationship with Jesus Christ, and His Father, our God.

Again, just a simple statement, but filled with such meaning: you can't have God without Christ, and you can't have Christ without God.

The Called of Jesus Christ

Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among the nations for His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:5-6, NKJV

Among the nations. This faith that we have, this gospel we have heard, this grace we have received--it is not a personal individualized faith. We're living in a world that wants to make faith a matter of one's person, a personal set of belief systems and values in which each one of us can determine for ourselves what our faith is about. This is the eternal fallacy--for we cannot decide for ourselves. It is not in our purview. Faith and belief--religion--is not a matter of personal fulfillment, because it's not about us.

Salvation is not about the saved; it's about the Savior.

The Savior came to save us, yes. But the Savior came to save everybody.

Some have taken this thought, this idea, and developed a heresy that the Savior WILL save everybody, regardless of faith. But that's not true either.

Salvation has been provided for everyone through Jesus Christ; but only those who receive Christ can receive salvation.

Our faith must be lived out among the nations--proclaimed and demonstrated to all people everywhere! This is the great mission of faith that must be obeyed among the nations--for it was from among the nations that we were called. the gospel is eternal and universal in its application to all nations. It's not cultural, and it's certainly not personal. It is intentional!

And regarding our salvation, Paul says, "You are the called of Jesus Christ." That calling is something he will return to again and again.

Paul himself, a bondservant, was called to be an apostle. That was the assignment he received from the Master! His calling was specifically to be an apostle to the Gentiles.

What's your calling? It's certainly not to warm a pew 'til Jesus comes.

We have been called to obedience among all nations, because we were called from among the nations into salvation! Just as Paul's first ministry was in Damascus, we need to be witnesses in our world, starting right where we were when God called us and going from there.

Obedience to the Faith

Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:5-6, NKJV

We have received liberty and authority, as slaves of Jesus Christ, to choose obedience. Only it's not obedience to the law; it's obedience to the faith.

In Paul's Judaism, salvation came from being a Jew and obeying the law of Moses. In Paul's Christianity, salvation came from believing in Christ (faith) and obeying Christ. The the obedience is still the same, the law is still the same. But the source of salvation has changed. Before, it was salvation by works--if you're good enough, you'll make it; if you're not, make a sacrifice. After Christ, it was salvation by faith because no one was good enough, and no sacrifice was sufficient to save from sin.

Now, our obedience is not to a law or set of commandments. Our obedience is to the faith--our faith in the Son of God. We are obedient to His words, yes. But we are also obedient to His will, His Spirit. Faith truly requires more than law, because law is about doing; faith is about being. Law is about body; faith is about heart. law is about outward appearances, doing what is right. Faith is about inward realities, being what is right.

We have received grace and apostleship.

We have received them so that we can be obedient.

Obedient to the faith.

Obedient among all the nations. Jesus' Great Commission was about taking the gospel...to all the nations, to every creature, into all the world. It is a universal gospel, universal in its power and meaning to all people everywhere. It accepts anybody, because it was given for everybody. And the gospel must be preached and our faith must be lived out among all nations.

Obedient for His name. Our obedience is not really about us, and neither is our faith. It's all about Him--Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of God! Our obedience is not for us either; it neither saves nor rewards. Obedience is our responsibility, our obligation, not our gift to Jesus. it is our life being offered in service and gratitude to Him, to bring honor and glory to Him, to make Him well spoken of in all the world! our obedience to the faith among the nations, is for Him!

The Grace to Obey

Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:5-6

Jesus Christ is the only source in the universe able to impart grace to us. Grace--that unmerited favor, that undeserved blessing, that merciful acceptance of a fallen creation by its compassionate creator. God's Riches At Christ's Expense--GRACE! It is through Jesus Christ, His earthly mission of self-sacrifice, and His powerful defeat of death, hell, the grave and the devil at his resurrection--it is through Christ that we have even received grace! And Paul adds for himself--through Him we have received apostleship.

But why have we received these things?

Notice Paul said, "we have received...apostleship." He was called to be an apostle, an ambassador, emissary, and personal representative of Jesus Christ. But he says, WE have received apostleship. This doesn't necessarily mean that we are all apostles, in terms of office or calling. But just as Paul instructs Timothy, "Do the work of an evangelist; fulfill you ministry," I believe Paul is saying to his readers "we have received BOTH grace and apostleship." We are all saved and called to be Christ's Ambassadors, emissaries, and personal representatives. We all have grace and apostleship!

And why do we have grace and apostleship?

For obedience. Grace does not give us the freedom to "do what we want." and apostleship does not give us the authority. Yes, we now have the freedom from the penalties of law--at least in this life. But there are still laws in place to govern us. There are still commands in place for us to follow. Jesus is still issuing orders to his servants. And we have been given grace and apostleship for obedience.

Obedience to the faith.

Obedience among all nations.

Obedience for His name.

I am not free to live as I choose. I am a slave, an emissary, of Jesus Christ. I have received grace so that I can obey--not out of compulsion, but out of choice. I must choose to obey.

Declared to be the Son of God

concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
Romans 1:3-4, NKJV

It was the gospel--good news--concerning Jesus Christ.

God's son.

Our Lord.

It was good news because of who He was, and His identity is found in the meaning of His Name:

Jesus: Yahweh (the covenant keeping name of God) is salvation

Christ: the anointed, chosen and appointed one

In the flesh, He was the Son of man, more specifically the Son of David--the shepherd-king, Psalmist, and man after God's own heart. He was the heir of David's kingdom and throne, the fulfillment of God's promise and covenant with David. That's who He was born. But it was not all that he was.

In the flesh, He was born of the seed of David. But before he was flesh, he was already God! and after His earthly assignment ended in His death, He was still the son of God.

He was born of the seed of David, but He was declared to be the Son of God.

Gabriel declared it to Mary at His conception, and to Joseph in a dream.

Angels declared it to shepherds, and the stars declared it to kings at His birth.

Scholars declared it to Herod.

The Spirit declared it to Elizabeth.

He declared it to Mary and Joseph at the age of twelve.

God declared it from heaven three times--once at His baptism, later on the Mount of Transfiguration, and thirdly just before His crucifixion.

Peter declared it in faith.

Pilate and Herod declared it in ignorant unbelief.

The High Priest declared it in derision.

The thief on the cross declared it in hope.

The soldier declared it in revelation.

But the greatest declaration of all was made in the grave, after Jesus' body had lain dead in the tomb for three days and three nights. When the power of the Spirit of holiness breathed life back into the mortal body, giving Jesus the son of God victory over death--and immortality!

Good News

...separated to the gospel of God which He promised...concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

Romans 1:3-4, NKJV

I think sometimes we lose focus of the gospel. We concentrate on good teaching and sound doctrine and effective communication skills. we want to lead people in experience and growth as believers. In church we direct our energy and resources to buildings and programs. And in all of the good stuff, I think it is sometimes easy to lose track of the right stuff--the gospel is really our reason for being! Everything else is secondary to that.

It is God's good news to His creation.

It is God's promise through His prophets.

It is God's message about His Son.

And if the gospel--the good news from God to creation--must be the central focus of our existence and efforts, then even more important is that Jesus must be the central focus of the gospel.

God help us if, in all of our preaching and teaching, we forget to proclaim Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Nothing else matters. Without Christ, everything else is foolish and irrelevant. it's not about how we live, it's about who He is! He is everything! he provides the definition and the meaning for the gospel. He is the living Word, the spoken Word, the written Word.

And Jesus' place in the gospel--front and center--is not based (entirely) on what He did, bur rather on who he is.

He is the Son of God!

He is eternally existent with God, and as God.

He is the extension of God in physical form.

He is the body of God.

He is the representative and emissary of God, but He is still god Himself.

You can find Him on every page of the Book, in every story, every lesson, every event.

The gospel message, the message of salvation, is meaningless without Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

He wasn't merely a man; He was the Son of God, the only begotten, conceived by the power of God, delivered through a human womb, but born what He already was!

Promised

...separated to the gospel of God, which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures...

Romans 1:2, NKJV

At various times in his writings, Paul will refer to his calling as being from his mother's womb before he was born. It is a thought found also in David, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and it implies a predestined purpose for individuals. For the first thirty years of his life, Paul's purpose was not realized in him. It took the encounter with Christ on the Damascus Road to set him on his way. Though separated eternally in the great plan of God, Paul was now in actuality separated from all other considerations save one--the gospel of God.

Note that it is here called "the gospel of God." God is the author of the good news. God is the source of the good news. He is the one who promised the good news before the message became reality. The prophets saw it afar off; they wanted to receive the revelation of grace and the gospel, but God reserved that revelation to come to mankind through Jesus Christ.

The gospel was a promise. God was the one who made the promise. The prophets communicated the promise. But we have received the promise.

When I think about a promise, it usually means a guarantee for the future--of guaranteed actions or fulfillments. It is a covenant and an oath, a contract, and this one has as promiser the God who cannot lie!

Jesus was the seal of the Promise. The Holy Spirit is the down payment of promise. The Word is the written contract of the promise.

I remember a little chorus I put together a few years ago. It goes like this:

What God has promised
that will He also do.
What God has started
He will complete in you.
For He is faithful and ever true.
What God has promised
He will do for you!
He works out all things
for the good of those who love Him
and are called according to His purpose.
If God be for us who can be against us.

Bondservant and Apostle

Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God...

Romans 1:1, NKJV

He was Paul.

Not Saul of Tarsus. No genealogy given. No credentials. No history. He was just Paul, voluntarily stripped of all the trappings of a former life. It's important that we should recognize, honestly and completely, that in spite of everything we say and do and accomplish, at the end of the day, at the end of a life, we are still just us. I am just Casey in the morning, and just Casey at night. No more, no less. I am what I am, and that's all that I am.

Paul knew who he was, and he also knew his place in life--first and foremost, he was a bondservant. He willingly recognized that he was a slave for life,bought and paid for by Jesus Christ. We are not our own. Jesus owns us, and has complete authority over us. He can do with us whatever He wants, and He has that right. We can, of course, refuse to serve Him, refuse to obey, refuse to conform, but we do so at our own risk. We are His slaves, His servants, His property!

And as our owner, He has the right to give us any assignment He desires. He calls us to Him and says, "Here, this is your job. This is what I want you to do." In Paul's case, the bondservant was called to be an apostle.

These days so much emphasis is placed on calling and titles and gifts--mostly in terms of positions and authority. It has been my experience that most people calling themselves "apostles" are doing so because they want to be honored and they want to exercise authority over others. But an apostle is simply an ambassador, an emissary, a personal representative. An apostle has authority only when he is under authority. It is indeed a high and holy calling, but also a heavy one.

He was Paul, the slave of Jesus Christ, who had assigned him as an emissary--but one with a purpose. He was separated to the Gospel. Set apart. Sanctified. His service, his calling, his reason for being was found in the good news! Romans is, for all intents and purposes, Paul's gospel, his message of salvation through Jesus Christ. It wasn't a message about Paul, or Paul's abilities, talents or accomplishments.

It was the gospel of Jesus Christ!

He is Able to Open the Scroll

And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth
was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.
So I wept much, because no one was found worthy
to open the scroll, or to look at it.
But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep.
Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David,
has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.
Revelation 5:3-5, NKJV

I have neither the time or the space to write a whole commentary on the lamb and the scroll, so let me sum up. John has been caught up to that place in the heavens where God's throne is, to the heavenly temple and the crystal sea. And there he sees the angels of heaven and the saints of earth surrounding the throne and filling heaven with their praises. He beholds God as fire and light, radiant brilliance, brighter than the light of a thousand suns, and out of that light he sees a scroll extended in the hand of the One Who Always Is.

It is a scroll with writing on the outside, mirroring the inscription on the inside. It is sealed with seven seals. It seems to be a title deed or a jubilee will, detailing the final disposition of planet earth. The breaking of the seals and the opening of the scroll will signal the beginning of the end for evil and wickedness and the devil's vain attempt at overthrowing the Sovereignty of God. Unfurling it will unleash the wrath of God on unrepentant humanity. But it can only be opened by the right person at the right place at the right time with the right witnesses present.

And as the voice calls for someone to step forward and open the scroll, no one is found to do it. Not among those angels and saints in heaven, not among the citizens of the earth, not among those unrighteous captives in hell awaiting judgment. No one is worthy to open it, and John weeps.

But then the words of comfort reach his ears. There is one worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals. There is one able to offer redemption for the purchased possession, to reclaim earth and reconcile all things to the Creator. There is one who has paid the price as the kinsman redeemer and who can lay claim to everything that is. It is the Lion of Judah, the Offspring of David, the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.

It is Jesus Christ the righteous, who died for the sins of the world and was raised for our justification. It is He who was dead, and now lives again to die no more. It is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, the Firstborn of many brethren, the Firstfruits of the resurrection, the King of kings and Lord of lords. And as he stands forward, bearing the scars that are proof of His payment, all of heaven erupts in declarative anthems of praise:

You are worthy to take the scroll,

and to open its seals;

for you were slain

and have redeemed us to God by Your blood

out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

And have made us kings and priests to our God;

and we shall reign on the earth.

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

to receive power and riches and wisdom

and strength and honor and glory and blessing!

Blessing and honor and glory and power

be to Him who sits on the throne,

and to the Lamb, forever and ever!

I am so thankful for the One who was and is and always will be worthy, and able to take the scroll and to open its seals! Even so, come Lord Jesus!

He is Able to Keep You

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory
with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior, who alone is wise,
be glory and majesty, dominion and power,
both now and forever. Amen.
Jude vv. 24-25, NKJV

There is an age old discussion regarding predestination and self-determination. Did God choose me, or did I choose God? Is my destiny or fate already decided, or can I make a difference with my own decisions. Is God sovereign, or do I have free will? The answer, I believe, is yes.

That's not a copout. It's not an avoidance. It's not dodging the issue. There just comes a time in certain discussions that we have to realize it is not an either/or matter; it is both/and. God chose us beforehand, from before the foundation of the world. But we have to choose Him in the here and now. God already knows where we will spend eternity, but our destination is determined by the decisions we make in the present. God is absolutely sovereign and does all things according to His will, plan and purpose. But He has given me the ability to exercise my will, presenting me the choices and allowing me the liberty to do as I please.

We cannot sin, and then say, "God, why didn't you stop me?" We cannot make bad decisions, and then ask, "God, why did you let me do that?" We cannot make a mess out of everything and then say, "God, why have you done this to me?" God is not going to violate our will, even if our will leads us to our own destruction.

But Jude says He is able to keep us from stumbling. So how does that compute with the fact that we as believers sometimes do stumble? We falter. We fumble. We fail. And I've got to tell you, I have a way of doing a bang-up job of it sometimes. How can we reconcile God's ability to keep us from stumbling, and our continued ability to stumble in spite of Him?

God gave us His word, which gives us instructions for every day living. God gave us His Spirit, who convicts us of sin and convinces us of righteousness. God gave us His law, which is written on tablets of flesh in the heart of every person. These will keep us from stumbling, if we listen to them. We can deal successfully with temptations, traps and trials if we will live in obedience to what God has said. God does not operate as a restraint; He asks us to exercise self-control God does not reach down and jerk us back by the collar or shove us out of the way; He asks us to be watchful and use wisdom. God does not show up in all of His glory when we are about to take one step too far, shouting at us to stop; He asks us to know His will in His word and follow it.

He is able to keep us from stumbling, if we choose to do what He says. But I'm also glad Jude says He is able to present us faultless before His own glory. He is able to keep us from stumbling, but when we do stumble of our own accord, He is also able to forgive. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He is able to make all things new, over and over and over again, until we finally get it right. He is able to to strip away all the unruly, uncomely things in our lives, and then sanctify to Himself for service. He makes us perfect by grace through faith when we remain penitent. Forgiven is the most perfect I can be in this life, but it is enough!

And to Him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.