You Are Eternally Welcome

A Word for Wednesday

If you read a little between the lines in the story of the prodigal son, you see even more of the heart of the father. You know the story. The son, in his rebellion and self-centered desire, demanded his inheritance so he could live his way. He left his home, went far away, and wasted the inheritance. After a time of suffering, he decided to go home.

We understand that story because we have all, according to Scripture, gone our own way. We have sinned against the Lord who loves us. His only desire was for our happiness, but we wanted to do life our way. Whatever that looked like in our individual lives, it went through much the same process as the son in the story. We wasted the good we had and lost both resources and joy. Eventually, we heard the call of the Lord and returned to Him.

The story tells us that the father saw his son “far off.” In other words, as he went through his days, he would look longingly into the distance to see any sign of his son. He watched for him! He didn’t just write him off. His son was welcome home at any time.

And, of course, we read that the father ran to meet his son when he finally saw him coming. Jewish men, especially older men, did not run. It would be considered undignified. But this father ran to meet his son with joy in his heart. Any sense of propriety and justice was dropped as the father embraced his son again.

His son was home.

And you are home.

You were always welcome, even when you turned away to do things your way. You were called back to a place where you belonged.

I have known many believers who struggle with this. There is a term we are using these days that fits here in a different way: “imposter syndrome.” These believers trust in Jesus, know him as their only hope, but feel like they don’t deserve the love they have received. They feel like “imposters.” If the truth were known, they feel, they would not be welcome.

But, of course, the truth is known. The Father has always known. He knew you would wander. He knew what you would do. He knew what it would cost you. He wanted to protect you from all that, but He never stopped loving you. You were always welcome.

These believers who feel like imposters are open to the manipulation and lies of the evil one. They listen to the legalists who tell them they must measure up, earn their place. They believe the preachers who condemn them. They feel inferior, saved barely by God’s limited patience and kindness. If they do something wrong, they fear expulsion. They find it almost impossible to relax because they don’t believe they are welcome.

The rest of the story of the prodigal son can cause us to forget the overwhelming joy of the father. The older brother does not consider the prodigal welcome. He thinks a great deal of service and obedience is lacking.

In the same way, many believers (who do not feel welcome themselves) want prodigals to continually repent, continually sacrifice and serve, and continually be labeled by their past behavior. They think there is little place for joy in the house of the Lord. They forget the love that has been shown to them, the patient forgiveness they have received. The prodigal makes them feel better about themselves but only when the prodigal feels shame. If the Father will not make the prodigals feel shame, they will do it for Him.

And, just like the prodigal, we have to ignore their rejection and focus on the acceptance and welcome of the Father.

You are loved. You have always been loved. You will always be loved. You are eternally welcome.

You Are Sincerely Loved

A Word For Wednesday

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to convince someone that they are loved? Sometimes the lie of rejection connects so well with the evidence the world presents that people just cannot believe they are loved. And we all need to be loved!

People who feel they are not loved become narcissistic. They have to create something like love for themselves. Attention, obedience, superiority, competition—these attempt to fill the gap, but never do. These folks manipulate and hurt others simply to make themselves feel better about themselves. They can’t love others because they can’t believe they are loved.

And yet the entire message of the Bible is a message of love. God loved the people in the Garden. He loved the people of Israel. He loves the lost and calls them to Himself. So consistent is this love that John wrote, “God is Love.”

The Father loves His Son. Yet, He sent His Son to die for you. Jesus came to break the bonds, to pay the ransom, to heal our brokenness. God the Father sent God the Son because of love. He “so loved the world that He gave His only Son.”

Now, I know many people who believe that God loved them enough to save them. Jesus died because of their sins, they know. But they are not convinced that the Father loves them sincerely. He covers their sins by the blood of Jesus, they think. They see themselves as sinners saved only by grace, only by some amazing act of love. And they often wonder how they deserve it or whether God now regrets His saving act.

But there are two things to remember. First, God loved the whole world—every person who ever lived—with the love that moved Him to sacrifice His Son. Jesus died for each one. Not all will receive that love, but it was still given for them and is still available to them. Second, you and I have received that love. When we did, we died with Jesus on that cross and rose with Him. He is now our Life. He is our Everything.

Not only does God the Father love you enough to send Jesus to die for you, but He loves Jesus enough to joyfully welcome and accept everyone who comes to Him in Jesus.

I have this vision in my heart of the day we stand before the great throne of the Most Holy God. We may tremble just a little. We might be in awe of the fact that we are there. I learned a question years ago that was designed to get people to think. “If you stand before God in glory and He says, ‘Why should I let you into my Heaven?’ What would you say?” Now I doubt that I will say anything. Instead, I can hear the voice of my Savior saying, “This one’s with me.” And that will be enough.

The Father loves the Son, and He loves you sincerely because of Jesus.

How am I special?

A Word For Wednesday

Sometimes parents try not to make their children feel special. They are hesitant, especially in our day, to create entitled and demanding adults. That makes some sense to me, but the truth is that everyone needs to feel at least a little special. The old saying is that “everyone needs to be somebody to somebody.”

We worked hard to help our children feel special without making them see themselves as better than others. With several siblings, it is important that not one is the “chosen” one. But each of them (we hope) knows that they are special in our eyes. We delight in each of our children.

And God delights in you! Brennan Manning said that often. Jesus went to the cross “for the joy set before Him,” and that joy was you. You are special to Him.

Is it possible for God to love all of us equally as much? Of course it is. Just like a good parent loves each child just as much as the others. There might be one that is more pleasant to be around, one you pray for more often, one you trust more than the others, one you have trouble understanding—those are normal, but they don’t minimize the love for each one.

Surely some of us are more challenging to God than others. That’s a very human thing to think, I suppose. Some of us wander farther and more often. Some require more miraculous intervention. Some, perhaps, more patience. Again, that’s looking at things from our perspective. Maybe from God’s perspective we are all trouble! Wink, wink!

Among believers, we are all special and all blessed and all welcomed. The life of Jesus is in each of us. He loves us, every one.

But among the people of the world, those who don’t belong to Jesus, you and I are very special. We are the ones “called out” or “chosen.” But not because we are better. Never that. It’s because Jesus is our life, and we are part of the Family.

I can look across the park to see little children playing and enjoy each one. I would love to bless and love on each one. But when I see my grandchildren, my feelings are far stronger, categorically different. They belong to me. They are special.

Years ago a popular preacher was challenged for saying that God didn’t answer the prayers of unbelievers. Some people didn’t like that idea. I would suggest that God hears all prayers offered in need, but hears some as coming from His own children. If my neighbor’s grandson came to me asking for a certain toy, I may or may not say yes. If my own grandchild came to me with the same request, I still may or may not say yes, but my heart would be different toward that one. The likelihood of a positive reply would be far greater and far more intimately determined than the neighbor child would have.

You are special. Every day. Every moment. Even when you have wandered far and done stupid things, you are special to the heart of God. You are always welcome in His presence. All His promises are still yours. Everything you had in Jesus you still have in Jesus.

You are more than special, you are precious. You are a treasure in the heart of God.

Jesus Is Your Source

 

A Word for Wednesday        

From the beginning, the Bible reveals that God is the Source. He created the world, the universe from nothing. Out of His will came everything that exists. He is the Source.

He created humanity and placed them in a garden where He provided all of their needs. He was their provider, protector, and friend. He was their Source.

He set apart Israel out of all the nations and told them He would provide for them. They would be led to a land, protected, and blessed by Him. He would be their Source.

That message runs throughout Scripture. In fact, you could show that the primary story is that of people forgetting God’s love and provision, then suffering trouble because they cannot do life on their own, then finding Him ready to bless them as they fail.

And that, of course, is a familiar story to almost all of us. We have been saved and blessed by the love of God in Jesus, then we forget and think we have to do for ourselves, then we hear His call to return to His blessings. Always, we find Him gracious and patient and welcoming. Always we find that what we needed was in Him.

If we could begin to think of Jesus as our Source for everything we need in life, we would begin to find the peace He wants us to have. We would become, as Jesus said, like the flowers and the birds that seem to lack nothing. If that analogy doesn’t work for you, it’s because the love God has for you is far greater than the love He has for flowers and birds. He promises to care for you more than He cares for them.

All righteousness, all forgiveness, all hope, all peace—all come from Jesus. He is our Source.

If we read the Bible stories and listen to the words of Jesus, we see that the same One is the Source for all we need in this life. Yes, the eternal life, the spiritual life, is the real life for the believer, but we are still here in this physical and foreign world. We still live where things are broken and compromised. Day by day, we struggle in this world. And we forget that the One who is our Righteousness is also our Provider and Protector.

God wanted to give Israel peace with their enemies. God wanted to give Israel abundant supplies. God wanted to give Israel peace within. It was all there for them to take because He was their Source.

God wants to give you peace with others. God wants to give you abundant supply. God wants to give you peace within. It is all there for you to take because He is your Source.

Now, I am not saying that we will all be rich according to the world’s standards, but I will say that all our needs will be met: emotional, physical, and more. Do you need money? Ask. Do you need healing? Ask. Do you need peace in relationships? Ask. Go to Jesus.

I am also not one to suggest a constant circuit of repentance and pleading. At the same time, it might not hurt to admit that you have tried to do things yourself again and have forgotten to see Jesus as your Source. He already knows that, but confessing might settle your own mind and heart. Then yield to Him and find His peace.

If you belong to Jesus, if you are saved, then the life in you belongs to Jesus in a more intimate way that you know. He is more invested in you than you are. He is concerned about your struggles and needs. And He is the Source of the answers and help you need.

No more striving. No more manipulating. No more bargaining. No more hurting others in your attempt to meet your needs. Instead, rest and peace. Healing in your soul. Rejection of fear and anger and jealousy. Sigh of relief and welcome of joy.

Jesus is the Source of your peace.

Jesus Is Your Life

A Word for Wednesday

A good deal of the doubt and struggle of the Christian life comes from not knowing just what has happened. For too many, being a Christian is simply a decision to believe something, to think a certain way. They came to a place in their journey where they needed a change, so they made a change. They decided to follow Jesus.

I have read a couple of books by a popular author who teaches readers to follow Jesus as disciples or, using his word, as “apprentices.” The books are good, but the author still misses the point of the Christian life. Nothing in the Christian life is based on the strength of your decision. The new life in you is a Person.

When you get to that point where you have nothing else, nothing on which to live, and nothing to offer God as payment for your salvation, then you are ready to receive what Jesus has to give. It is not a new way of thinking or a new contract with God or a new religion or a new start of the old path. Jesus offers life, His life.

In order to receive His life in you, you must die. That isn’t hard because you have nothing left. The widow gave the last she had. After that, she had nothing. The father admitted his lack of faith and looked to Jesus alone for the healing of his son. The woman poured out her dowry on Jesus’ feet, confessing that she had no hope for the future, then trusted Jesus alone.

I understand that this looks like sacrifice, but it is not. It is rejection of the hope placed in the things of this world, this life. It is an admission of futility, of unworthiness. It is turning away from the pretense of accomplishment and competence that makes us think we are strong. It is an acceptance of weakness and a desire for a Savior. It is repentance.

Frankly, it wasn’t that hard for most of us. It might not have been a fully conscious thing (which is why many cannot point to a particular time for their salvation). We had already come to the point of futility and frustration. Nothing was working, and nothing was going to work. We knew that we needed something outside ourselves, something outside this world. We needed a Savior.

And Jesus was there. Jesus offered us Himself. No gimmicks. No deals. Just new Life in place of old. Hope in place of resignation. Strength in place of weakness. Salvation in place of destruction. All because Jesus would be enough.

So, we died. We accepted the cross of Jesus and died with Him there. Then, we rose with Him to new life, life that will forever be His in us. And we live today because of that life.

Anything that is asked or expected of us comes out of the life of Jesus in us. It is not us trying harder or doing better, it is Jesus at work in us and for us. He is the Source. He is the Provision. He is our Righteousness and Peace and Strength. Jesus is our life.

Yes, this is hard for us to understand. It is contrary to everything we knew. I wish there were better words to describe it. I wish the church had taught this over the centuries. I wish more believers understood the freedom and joy and strength that comes out of that wonderful life that is now the only life in us.

Do you struggle with assurance? Ask Jesus for peace. He is your peace. Do you lack wisdom? Ask Jesus for wisdom. He is your wisdom. Do you lack strength to endure? Ask Jesus. He is your Strength.

You see, this is far more than just following according to the world’s definition. Jesus is not just a way of thinking or a set of beliefs. Jesus is the Source of everything we need. Before, we went to the world or to our own reason to find what we needed. Now, those ways are gone. Now, we look to Jesus. And Jesus is in us, always.

Full Stop

A Word for Wednesday

How do I know that I am a Christian?

If we set aside judging others, if we let Jesus determine the parameters of true faith and the integrity of hearts, then only one question remains: Am I a Christian?

I have met good and kind people who are not sure of the answer to this question. Accepting and loving people. People who are quick to accept the testimonies of others. People who want to be Christians. But they are not sure for themselves.

We know our sins, the compromises of our days. Maybe we don’t even know all of them. In fact, most preachers seem dedicated to telling us about sins we haven’t dealt with in our lives. They bring up things we didn’t even know were sins! So, we become sin focused, and we lose our vision of Jesus. We forget that all our sins are forgiven in Him.

People who believe in Jesus, look in hope to Jesus, trust in Jesus, still struggle with assurance of their salvation. The reason is simple. They trust Jesus too little and themselves too much. In other words, they have been taught—indoctrinated/brainwashed—to think that Jesus is not quite enough, that they have to contribute something. And, if they have to contribute something, it will never quite be enough.

Let me make this very clear: Jesus paid the full price for your salvation. There is nothing more you can add, nothing more you should try to add, to what He has done. His incarnation and death on the cross were enough to save you. So, any question of whether you deserve or have earned your salvation is gone. You did not and do not deserve it, nor have you or could you earn it. Your part is to accept what He has done. That’s it.

I have come to the point where I think that anyone who wants the salvation Jesus offers has it. Yes, your will does matter. You have to want Jesus. But there is no magic prayer, no particular church, no set of doctrines, that will save you. Only Jesus. And anyone can come to Jesus in whatever condition or situation they are in. Tax collectors, prostitutes, religious leaders, soldiers. Simple people, complicated people. Regular people, odd people. People who fit, people who don’t fit. All can come to Jesus with nothing in their hands. Just to receive what He offers.

Have you done that? It seems to me that two kinds of people doubt their salvation. First, those who try to bring their offering and fear that it is not enough. Second, those who come with nothing and are shamed by others for doing so. If you are in a religious system or of the mindset that says you will never be good enough and you must be, you will always doubt. But if you come with nothing expecting to receive everything because that’s what Jesus offers, then you walk forward in life with nothing except Jesus. And He is enough.

When you come to the place where you say in your heart that you have nothing except Jesus, no hope or worth, then you can be sure of your salvation. When Jesus is all you have, and that is enough, then you are truly free.

Until you come to that place, you will be at the mercy of those who work to take away your assurance. As long as you think you have to contribute, someone will have a suggestion or demand that you must fulfill. And, as long as you remain convinced that you must do something yourself, you will compare yourself with others. You will either become the legalist or you will become the victim of legalism.

To be free you can only look to Jesus… and that will be enough.

If You Are A Christian

A Word for Wednesday

I understand that the title of this post is nearly a trigger phrase for some people. The idea of a certain definition to be a “real” Christian was a favorite tool of legalist manipulators. Real Christians don’t cut their hair, and go to church whenever the doors are open, and never drink. Real Christians were what some of us were not. But the “real” Christians we knew didn’t seem much like the Jesus of the Bible.

At the same time, there is a difference between Christians and non-Christians. Christians, put simply, are those who trust Jesus for salvation and seek to follow Him. Christians come in all shapes and colors and backgrounds. They have different ideas of doctrine and different ways of following. They certainly do not all look the same, talk the same, or think the same. They simply belong to Jesus.

Now, this post is not really about the outer limits of the definition of “Christian.” That would not only be far too long but too biased. I have no doubt that my own perspectives would creep in, no matter how much I tried to keep them out. All I can suggest is that we should allow Jesus to make the definition and trust Him to know who believes and who does not. He seemed to do that quite well when He walked among the people. And He certainly welcomed some people others rejected.

I confess that there is a great deal in me that wants to give details to a definition. What does a real Christian believe? How does a real Christian live and act and think? But, you see, if I start going there I will not only miss my point, but I will almost certainly be wrong in some ways. Again, I have to leave that up to Jesus. As they say, that’s above my pay grade.

But there is a distinction. Not everyone is a Christian. Even those who think everyone is saved must admit that not everyone is a Christian. To be a Christian is to look to Jesus in love. To be a Christian is about Jesus. Jesus is the center of the Christian life and faith. Jesus is the center of the Christian.

That distinction is not mine nor, as I have tried to say, is it defined by me. That distinction is of the Lord. That exclusive aspect of our faith might be unpopular today, but it comes from the same source that tells us everything else about our faith. There is no assurance of salvation in the finished work of the cross without the concurrent teaching of the separation of the unbeliever. There is no teaching of the “in” without the “out” among the pages of the Bible. Jesus makes a difference, a distinction between people—perhaps an ultimate distinction.

Yes, Jesus makes a difference. And we must remember that the only difference between Christians and others is Jesus. It isn’t about church or lifestyle or anything else. It’s about Jesus.

So, just what is that difference? If Jesus is the only real difference between believers and others, what does that mean? It means everything for us.

So Who Are You?

A Word for Wednesday

In order to establish relationship, you have to know who you are. Otherwise, you will enter into the relationship falsely.

When I was in college, I stayed in an apartment off campus with some friends. We had a telephone. Believe it or not, that was a big deal. Another friend, who lived in the dorms, would come to our house to use the phone. Of course, we could overhear his end of the conversations he had with his girlfriend back home. And, frankly, we were amazed. His grades and accomplishments were far greater than reality. Let’s just say that he misrepresented himself to his girlfriend.

That’s a pretty common story, isn’t it? Relationships based on false identity are filled with problems. I have often wondered if those two were married and how that worked out. Sadly, I have heard of many people who turned out to be quite different in “real life” from what they presented before the relationship. I have heard the grief of those who were deceived.

But it isn’t always deceit. Sometimes it is just that people don’t know who they are. They think of themselves as something they are not because of how they were raised or what they were taught. I heard a pastor say that he had grown up believing he was always good, that he was never in the wrong no matter what he did. When he cheated on his wife, while serving as a pastor, he saw nothing wrong with his actions. Now, I am tempted to dismiss that as a subtle way to shift blame to his parents or someone else for his infidelity, but I have met narcissists who simply could not accept that they were wrong for their thinking or actions. And, in relationships, they hurt other people.

This is why a person must acknowledge sin and the need for a Savior before entering into a relationship with Jesus. If you think of yourself as good, before Jesus cleanses you, then you will not appreciate the depths of His love or the wonder of His power. I’m not saying we need to hit people on the head with the law of Moses or label them according to their sins, but the identity of a person without Jesus is different from the new identity Jesus gives.

With that in mind, thinking of yourself as evil and broken after you have come to Jesus presents a wrong identity to the people around you. Thinking of yourself as weak and helpless in the face of sin is just as wrong. Jesus has made a real difference. You are a new person with a new identity in Him.

One reason we are not fully allowed to forget our past sins is so we can identify with the lost. We remember those times and those feelings. We remember our own excuses and habits. We understand sin and sinners because we were there once.

But identifying with sinners is different from identifying as sinners. I know what all kinds of sin is like. I still experience some of those feelings. I know the attraction of sin and the need for release and forgiveness. I also know that Jesus has forgiven me, that sin no longer has dominion in my life, and that I can turn away from both the attraction and the shame of sin. My identity is no longer linked to sin.

If I don’t know these things, I present myself to unbelievers as weak and without hope, just like them. In my shame, I might decide to create a false identity of being better than others, better even than other believers. I might point to the things I think I am doing right, boast about my accomplishments, and take credit for the changes in my life. I not only misrepresent myself, but I also misrepresent Jesus.

I suppose I have always seen both narcissists and legalists as fundamentally false. The roots of their behavior, their willingness and ability to hurt others, come out of the false identity they present and try to live.

But, you remember, it is the truth that sets a person free.

Relationship with Jesus?

A Word for Wednesday

Sometimes, when I speak of a relationship with Jesus, I see blank looks. I understand. How can you have a relationship with someone you can’t see or touch?

But the question might be deeper than that. Just what is a relationship? We have so many relationships with so many definitions. Over the centuries, people had relationships with family and neighbors. That was about it. Today we have relationships online with people we have never met in person. Some people even think they have a relationship with television actors or other celebrities simply because they know about those people. Our definitions of relationship really don’t help when we think of our connection with Jesus.

That’s why it helps me so much to think of walking with Jesus. You don’t have to look at the person you walk with. You don’t have to touch them. You just walk together. Sometimes you talk. Sometimes you listen. Sometimes you are just together. If your companion turns on the path, you know it and turn with them. If they stop, you stop. If you stop, they stop. That’s what it means to walk together.

When you came to Jesus, what happened? Many people were encouraged to make big promises of change. Many people were told to focus on the things that had separated them from Jesus. For them, the path became the most important thing. Focus on the right path, and everything will be okay. But what if you don’t know the right path? Sometimes the path winds and turns. Sometimes it seems to vanish. What if you take a wrong turn. Then what?

You see, we don’t need to focus on the path when we walk with Someone who knows where to go. Instead of trying to focus on the path, we just need to focus on Him. That way it isn’t about getting things right, but about staying together.

And Jesus does know where to go. He knows when to change course. He is more than just a walking companion, He is our Shepherd, our Guide. It is His goal to keep us with Him. The path will always be right if we walk with Him.

When I began to understand this, I could see it throughout Scripture. The burden is light, and the company is pleasant. The legalist needs to be relieved of his burden. The narcissist needs to know that love can be shared. So often the Scripture shows us Jesus walking with a group of people. No one is more important than another. No competition and no striving. Just walking together.

Jesus continually spoke of rest. He didn’t mean inactivity. He meant peace in our hearts. He meant that cessation of worry and stress and fighting. I picture the groups around Jesus laughing and encouraging and happy. They were friends in the presence of their Lord.

That’s the only right picture of the church, in my mind. Friends of Jesus walking together with Him and each other. Sometimes He speaks directly to us. Sometimes we are blessed to listen as He speaks with others. Sometimes we just enjoy being together. But we are all on the right path because we are walking with Him.

A good friend used to say, “I trust the Holy Spirit in you.” That is a profound statement and a wise insight into what it means to live in relationship with Jesus.

The Answer is a Person

A Word for Wednesday

Even though we have lived in the same house now for nearly forty years, our early marriage was not as settled. We seemed to move a lot. We began to say to each other that home was wherever we were together. It was true, and it still is. Home is defined by relationship.

The answer our world needs is a Person. How often did Jesus refer to the wandering unbelievers as “lost”? They were lost because they were apart from Him. They may have searched for a new home, something different from what failed to satisfy them, but they would never find that peace and security, that satisfaction, until they found Jesus. This is why He continually called people to Himself.

Notice that He did not call them to a certain lifestyle or a certain set of doctrines. Truth was still truth; and sin was still sin with all its dangers; but the call was to come to Jesus, to “follow” Him. Their hearts could not be settled until they were settled in Him.

Home is not found in a set of facts, a systematic doctrine. Knowing the truth about Jesus is not the same as knowing Jesus. Some people have worked very hard to get everything just right in their system. They have answers for everything. They are convinced of their logic, encompassed by their books, and comfortable with their company. But they have surrounded themselves with images of home, not home. They have learned much about truth without experiencing truth.

Nor is home found in right living, however that is defined. The Lord has warned us that certain activities and priorities in our lives will lead to pain. It is good to avoid these things. But He has also warned us about self-righteousness and judgment of others. Being proud of the life we have established for ourselves is not the same as being home.

If you read the Gospels, you will see that there is little opportunity for pride and judgment in a relationship with Jesus. The disciples saw themselves as blessed, but not as better. They had answers in Jesus but were not superior in themselves. Seeing the lost and suffering did not make them feel better about themselves, it made them compassionate…because Jesus saw the lost with compassion.

As I have written over the years, there are narcissists and legalists in the church. These folks, like the false teachers and Pharisees, use the things about the Lord to benefit themselves at the expense of others. They strive to be superior, to be better, because they think that will satisfy the longing in their hearts. They strive to convince themselves that are accomplishing their goals, while they ignore the pain they cause others. There is nothing about relationship with Jesus in that striving.

That longing that causes people to war and fight cannot be filled by anything less than Jesus Himself.

The answer is a Person.