The Totality of Sin - Part 2

After my last post there was one question that dominated the follow-up discussion, and I would like to touch on it this morning. I was asked, “If everything that we do before coming to Christ is sin, then does that mean that there are no righteous actions performed by those without Christ?” People rightly pointed to those times that God may be directing a non-believer to do some action and they proposed that this made it a righteous action.

My short response to this line of reasoning is that they are correct. It is correct to assume that an action directed by God can be righteous even if preformed by a non-believer. But where we get off-track is when we assume that these righteous acts are devoid of sin.

Let me illustrate my position with a story from the Old Testament. When Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers it was a sin on their part. But later we will see that God was directing their actions so that Joseph would be strategically placed in Egypt for the preservation of the Israelite people. Joseph will acknowledge the divine hand of God behind their actions when he proclaims, Genesis 50:20 (NIV) ²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Was the work of the brothers righteous? Well if we believe that the direction of God makes an action righteous then we would have to say “yes.” But was it also sin? Absolutely! You see the action itself does not determine whether something is sin as much as the attitude of the heart. We can do things for the wrong reasons and have them be sin.

I come back to Paul’s incredible criteria for sin Romans 3:23 (NIV) ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Anything short of God’s glory is sin. This brings me back to my original point. I contend that only God works for His glory therefore only those who have Christ in their lives can work for God’s glory. I may be obedient to God yet not do it for His glory. I may do right things, but not for His glory. I may accomplish morally right outcomes, yet they were not attempted for His glory. As long as something was not done for the glory of God then it is sin, and it is impossible for those without Christ to be motivated by God’s glory so all actions before Christ are tainted by sin.

I do not say this to minimize the good that those without Christ can do in the world. But to assume that in some way they have escaped the reaches of sin with their goodness would be faulty.

So, why would we even want to contemplate the depth of sin? Because it thrusts us back into the discussion of the depth of God’s grace and power to transform us! When we see how completely sinful we were we are that much more thankful for the cleansing He brings! This truth above all others should drive us to worship, so let us be a people of worship today!

The Totality of Sin

At our weekly Elder meetings we have a time where we discuss a theological issue. Last night during the course of our conversation I made the following claim, “EVERYTHING we do before we accept Christ is sin!” This statement brought about many thoughtful looks as the men considered the all-encompassing nature of the statement. So today I would like to take just a minute to detail why I believe this statement to be true.

In the book of Romans chapter 3 the Apostle Paul defines the parameters for sin: Romans 3:23 (NIV) 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. In other words, everything that does not measure up to God’s glory is sin. So no matter how good my intentions or morally right my actions it is impossible for me to reach the level of God’s glory without God.

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah will describe our attempts at righteousness this way - Isaiah 64:6a (NIV) 6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags… The Hebrew word that he uses for filthy is literally translated menstrual. In other words even our most righteous actions are disgusting when held against the backdrop of God’s glory.

Sin is the essence of our lives from the moment of our conception. The Psalmist will say it this way: Psalm 51:5 (NIV) 5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

The Apostle Paul will summarize the absolute totality of sin and the inescapable hold that it had on his life before he accepted Christ in the often misinterpreted passage from Romans 7 (many have applied this passage to the way that believers continue to struggle with sin after salvation, but that is not the point that Paul is making in this text – he has been developing, throughout the book of Romans, that all of humanity is in sin – the Gentiles, the Jews, and even Paul was a slave to sin before Christ. It is while making this point regarding his life before surrendering to the Lord that Paul utters the following confession):
Romans 7:14-24 (NIV)
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Paul is confessing that before he came to accept Christ as his Savior that no matter what he did, no matter his intentions, it was always sin. This is why he will end the passage with the mournful exclamation, “Who will rescue me from this body of death?”

Jesus will boil the entire argument down to its most simple element when He says, John 8:34 (NIV) 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. In these simple yet powerful words of Christ that we find the inescapable truth that before we surrender our lives to Him we are slaves to sin doing only that which sin prescribes.

But in the middle of this depravity, in the middle of our absolute rebellion against God we have an incredible hope – Jesus Christ! Let’s go back to the passage from Romans 7. Paul has just confessed that he was absolutely sinful and he asks the simple yet tragic question, Who will rescue me from this body of death? In the very next verse he gives us the answer - Romans 7:24-25a (NIV) 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! It is only Jesus who can rescue us from the totality of our sin; it is only Jesus who can bring ANY righteousness or sinlessness to our lives.

And the outcome of Jesus’ work is that I am freed from my slavery to sin and made a slave to righteousness - Romans 6:18 (NIV) 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. Here Paul tells us that in the same way I was incapable of righteousness before my salvation; after Christ the default actions of my life are righteousness.

Our Worship Pastor, Wayne Bartley, is constantly making the statement that “Everything that we do in life, other than willful sin, is worship!” This sentiment is echoed in the words of the New Testament when Paul writes to the church in Corinth - 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV) 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Where before Christ I was unable to do anything that was not sin, after Christ even my eating and drinking is for His glory and is an act of worship! So complete is the transformation that Christ brings, so absolute is our conversion that we are now able to bring Him glory in even the most mundane of tasks!

Before Christ we were incapable of any good thing, any act that was not saturated in sin. But praise be to God that after Christ we are unleashed through His power and righteousness at work in us to bring Him glory at all times and in all ways. Let these truths well up in us as a foundation for worship!!!

There Are No Accidents!

Two nights ago my family watched “Kung Fu Panda.” If you have not seen this movie, go rent it, pop some popcorn and sit down as a family – it is GREAT! In the movie there is a wise old turtle, who keeps repeating throughout the movie, “There are no accidents.” This is a powerful thought, and one that I am agreeing with more and more as I continue to study scripture.

My understanding of the concept of “there are no accidents” stems from my deep belief in the sovereignty of God. The sovereignty of God is simply defined as God’s supreme authority of rule; complete independence and self-government. In other words, God is absolutely in control and has the right to do whatever He wants to whomever He wants whenever He wants. God is in control, and we are not!

When I first started contemplating sovereignty it was bitter in my mouth. It made me feel out of control and helpless. The more that I have studied sovereignty the more that I have realized that I am indeed out of control and helpless; but that it is good! It is good because it means that there are no accidents. It means that everything that happens in my life happens for a reason – because God allowed it!! It means that I do not have to fret that the disappointments and pain that I have experienced (that we have all experienced) are just happenstance of a broken world. No, they are a part of the divine plan of a sovereign God!

Now here is where faith comes in – the only way that God’s sovereignty does not lead to my bitterness is when I trust that His plan is good! There is nothing that I can do to resist or thwart His plan – For who resists His will (Romans 9:19b). But why would I want to resist something that I know is good, that I know is the best, that I know will bring me the greatest delight? You see if I have faith that His plan is always the best and that it is always for my good then His sovereignty becomes a refreshing breeze over my soul. If I have faith in His goodness and love for me then His sovereignty is the hand of a loving father who guides me with wisdom and grace along the path that He has marked out for me!

Lord please help me to delight in your sovereignty today! Help me to remember that no matter the difficulties of my life they are according to your plan and that your plan is good! Thank you my Lord for not allowing me to be in control of my life!

How Did You Pray Today?

How did you pray today?

Last night was an amazing night for America. I do not say that because I agree with the outcome of the election but because it did represent a dramatic shift for our country. On the positive it offered one more step in the removal of racial barriers; and it engaged the country in mass more than any other election. On the negative it seems to be one more step from America’s roots as a country based upon the principles of the scriptures and a morality that was defined by God.

As disappointed as I was personally last night this morning I woke with deep conviction in my heart born from a powerful passage of scripture:

Romans 13:1-2 (NIV)

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. ² Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

I trust in the sovereignty of God. I trust that He is in control and that even this is according to His plan. So when I woke this morning I prayed for our President-Elect Barack Obama. I pray wisdom and strength for him. I pray that God would focus his heart and guide his hands.

How did you pray today? Did you delight in the revelation of God’s plan or did you question whether He had lost control? Did you pray for your President-Elect or did you wish him ill? Did you purpose in your heart to submit to him or did harbor thoughts of rebellion.

We must trust the truth of scripture and the power and plan of God. Last night was not an accident and it did not represent the loss of control on the part of God. He continues to reveal His will and plan for humanity and the end is unchanging:

1 Corinthians 15:50-58 (NIV)

⁵⁰ I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹ Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— ⁵² in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

⁵⁵ “Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?”

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸ Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

How did you pray today?

Think About These Things - Part 2 (with challenge)

I know that I am tardy with this post – I promise that I am going to do better on my frequency! But let’s get back to our discussion on the things that we think about.

Last week we looked at the sheer magnitude of the amount of time that we spend in front of the television. The reason that I even started to look at these statistics is because God has really been laying a specific passage of scripture on my heart. Here it is:

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

The Greek word that is translated think about such things is the word logizomai which means more than just entertaining thoughts about something. In fact the word is a command in the Greek. It means that we are commanded to calculate, or evaluate, or meditate on the things from this list. In fact the verb form of the word calls for the “habitual discipline of the mind to set all thoughts on these spiritual virtues.” ( John MacArthur. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Philippians. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 2001, pg 285.) In other words we are to so meditate on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy that it alters our lives. In fact the scriptures will tell us that it is the thoughts in our heads that will define our lives:

Proverbs 23:7 (NASB)

⁷ For as he thinks within himself, so he is.

When we come to understand the power of the command of this text then we are driven to consider the things that we let in our head every single day. If the statistics regarding television are true in our lives then there is no way that we can say that we are fulfilling the command of this verse - there is too much junk; there is too much sin; there is too much that does not meet the criteria set forth in Philippians 4:8! But maybe you do not watch television, so ask yourself if the conversations that you have throughout your day, the jokes that you tell, the emails that you read, the web pages you surf – do they meet the criteria of this passage?

The bottom line is that I have a long way to go! There are too many other things that I allow to take root in my heart and if I am not careful they will begin to define me! I can tell you from experience that when I get intentional about testing the things that I am letting in my head that my walk with Christ rockets to new heights! I find that I covet less, I deal with anger less, I am less critical – all because I get serious about the commands in scripture!

So here is my challenge – for the next week test every television program that you watch by the simple standard in Philippians 4:8 and if it does not pass that test then turn the channel. For one week try to think about only those things prescribed in this passage. Then come back on this blog and leave a comment detailing what you have experienced – I believe we could be in store for some amazing stories!

Lord Jesus, help us to think about those things that bring you glory. Help us to not just do it for one hour or one day, but help us to create a practice in our lives of testing the things that we let define our thoughts! We praise you Lord for the way that guide our lives!!

Think About These Things - Part 1

Okay this is not a rant against television because believe me I love to watch television. But God has really been dealing with me about this topic. Let me give you some statistics that I found that have just really rocked my soul:

Amount of time the average American watches TV a day

=

4 hours (or 28 hours/week, or 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year).

Amount of time the average American will watch TV by the time they are 65

=

9 years

Number of hours of TV watched annually by Americans

=

250 billion

Value of that time watching TV annually by Americans assuming an average wage of S5/hour

=

S1.25 trillion

Number of minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful conversation with their children

=

3.5

Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television

=

1,680

Percentage of 4-6 year-olds who, when asked to choose between watching TV and spending time with their fathers, preferred television

=

54

Hours per year the average American youth spends in school

=

900 hours

Hours per year the average American youth watches television

=

1500

Number of murders seen on TV by the time an average child finishes elementary school

=

8,000

Number of violent acts seen on TV by age 18

=

200,000

Tomorrow we will take a look at a passage of scripture that has really challenged me regarding my own TV watching habits. Today I just want you to let these statistics flow over you.

Statistics were compiled by:

TV-Free America

1322 18th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20036

(202) 887-4036

What's that Smell?!

What’s that Smell?!

Okay, this post is not about what you think it is about!! I want to look at a passage of scripture that I find SO compelling. Look at what it says:

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 (NIV)
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 15 For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?

What is Paul talking about in these verses? When he speaks of a triumphal procession he is using the Greek word which described the Roman general returning home from battle victorious. During these victory parades incense would be burned as an act of worship to the gods. For those in the victorious Roman army, and for the spectators in Rome this smell of incense would have brought great joy and recognition of victory as the smell wafted over the crowd. But for the enemy soldier who was paraded through town only to be killed at the final ceremony the smell would have signaled death for them. For the Romans the smell was the smell of life and for their enemies it was the smell of impending death.

It is with this metaphor that Paul describes how God uses us to spread the knowledge of him. You see once we have accepted Christ we are not to shrink to the sidelines as though we have been defeated in battle. No, we are now alive, we are victorious! That victory in our lives should spread out throughout the world. We should take the knowledge of Him to all people of all nations. We have the aroma of Christ on us and we should act like it! Now to those who will reject Him that aroma will only signal their doom, but to those who accept the message of grace that we spread will delight in His aroma on us because it signals their eternal life!!

So let me ask you a question, can people smell Christ on you? Does the smell of Christ waft over your neighborhood or your workplace? Can others smell the close proximity of Christ in your life? We are being paraded by God through the world, let us march in the triumphal procession and allow the aroma of Christ to flow from us!

Lord, let others be able to tell that I have been close to you today. Please help me to take my place in the triumphal procession so that the knowledge of you might spread to all people of all nations. I praise you my victorious King!