1 Thess 5:16 Rejoice evermore!

In order to rejoice, I must know whose hands I’m in!

The Psalmist proclaimed, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. That means that the hands of the Lord are what forms every day, good or bad and that in order to rejoice I must know who’s hands I’m in!
​
A basketball in my hands is worth about $19.
A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million.
It depends whose hands it's in.

A baseball in my hands is worth about $6. And is good for deterring would be thieves.
A baseball in Mark Mcguire's hands is worth $19 million.
It depends whose hands it's in.

A tennis racket is useless in my hands. More like a big boys fly swatter!
A tennis racket in Pete Sampras' hands is a Wimbledon Championship.
It depends whose hands it's in.

A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal or poke me in the eye!
A rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea.
It depends whose hands it's in.

A slingshot in my hands is! a kid's toy and a good way to break a window!
A slingshot in David's hand is a mighty weapon.
It depends whose hands it's in.

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches and a lunch I’m probably not going to share. Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in God's hands will feed thousands. It depends whose hands it's in.

Nails in my hands might produce a couple of framed walls But,
Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will produce salvation for the entire world.
It depends whose hands it's in.

As you can see now, it all depends on whose hands it's in. And all you have to do today is put your concerns, your worries, your fears, your hopes, your dreams, your families and your relationships in God's hands because...

It all depends whose hands it's in!

 Heard it from an Old Cowboy!
 
You are holy and unblameable and unre-proveable in His sight!
 
Col 1:19-22
 
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unre-proveable in his sight:
 
The world believes that reproof is the way of reconciling things. This philosophy plays out in our everyday life and even in some circles of Christianity. We think that if we can reprove those who have hurt us that it will bring resolve and closure to the circumstances that hurt us to begin with. In many cases related to reconciliation amongst the religious it can become awards based on the performance of the individual who needs reconciliation and is often based on merit before it is provided. Contrast these philosophies with the models in scripture for reconciliation and you will discover polar opposites to what we see in the Kingdom of this world. 

The Kingdom Cowboy Perspective that we are given in scripture implies that reconciliation has nothing to do with us, and everything to do with Christ and the work of the Cross.
 
I love western settings and the ranching way of life. I have always wanted more of it and there is much less of it in my life than I have aspired to achieve., However, recently I have discovered that my story is actually the epitome of one of the oldest wrangler functions of all time… Roping!
 
Have you ever wondered or strayed like a calf or young steer? I would venture to say that we all have. All of us have been wounded, estranged, alienated, distanced, or have felt perpetually reproved by the herd. It is not only part of our story but it can leave us stuck in a mud hole or hobbled like we just threw a shoe. Anytime we have a wrong perspective on what reconciliation truly is, we will look first for reproof and resolve, never becoming truly satisfied through the reconciliation provided by Christ on the Cross of Calvary.
 
So what is the Wrangler way of reconciliation? Simply put, it is Col 1:19-22.
 
First, All things are reconciled to Him, through Him, and by Him. There is no mention of you or I anywhere in the text. No rules, steps, pre-qualifications, and nobody else involved in the peace process except for Christ and the blood he shed on the Old Rugged Cross. I didn’t even have to convince Christ that I needed to be reconciled. It’s like He already knew!
 
Christ is the ultimate wrangler and roper!
 
The Greek Wrangler word for Reconcile is “apokatallasso.” The first part of this Western style word is “apo” meaning any kind of separation of one thing from another by which union or fellowship is destroyed. It is physical distance of time and place. I guess my best example of it would be like a stray steer or heifer!
 
The second part of this Wrangler word is “katallasso” it would be the equivalent of lassoing a stray back into the favor of the herd, literally at the expense of trading one life for another. Let that sink for a minute!
 
This is what Christ does as the greatest Wrangler of all time. He didn’t just wrangle us in, He exchanged His life for ours. He paid the ultimate price to rope me in! Furthermore, He did it for the stray steer not the prize bull! Talk about a love knot in the lariat!   
 
We have been completely returned to favor with God through the work of Christ. When we were away from Him, caught in the snare of the enemy, and wandering away, Jesus saddled up and with lasso in hand, He pulled us back into the fold when we were shut out from fellowship and intimacy. he loved us while we were yet wandering steer's!
 
So here is is this Cowboy's two cents about reconciliation. You are no longer reproved. You are reconciled into the body of His flesh. You wear the brand that came by the Cross, through His death, and He presents you now as holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight! Quite the Roper isn't He?
 
You who was once separated, allow yourself be roped back into perfect fellowship with Him! Wear the brand that nobody can remove from you, the brand that nobody else can provide for you. Reconciliation by Christ cost Him everything but He roped  you anyway! 
 
 
 
 

But Maybe That’s A Good Thing!

Day three of my recuperation from knee surgery has me contemplating many different things. (It’s not the drugs Just for the record!). The Lord has a way of bringing clarity to those who position themselves to wait on Him especially if you have desire for a work of the Spirit and you are becoming a person who anticipates the fullness of His Spirit as you walk in simple faith with Him. Regardless of whether or not this kind of pause and positioning in life are intentional and purposed or they are imposed like the recuperation process I am presently going through, God is faithful to teach us and grow us up through either posture or process but, that doesn’t mean you are going to always get what you want! One thing that I am learning is that all too often; pain, setbacks, weakness, inability to see what is ahead, are all the venues that the Lord has a tendency to show Himself strong in while at the same time He shapes us to be a perfect fit into the valleys that we go through so that we can be salt and light in difficult times.  Post- Surgery I was optimistic that I was going to be breaking all the records for recovery. Raising the bar for other potential candidates of knee surgery! Day 3 has come and my resurrection has been postponed! What the Lord is teaching me in all of this is that He died and was resurrected so that I wouldn’t have to and so that none of us would be able to take any credit for what only He alone could do!

It’s funny how the Lord can position us in such a way so that when we are in our deepest need or things are toughest, He can turn the light on so to speak and reveal to us what His desires are for our life, along with what He wants us to learn, and what is important for us to understand in the process of shewing forth His Manifest Glory, and not ours! I have been able to reflect on how I view the world and how sometimes what I want is in conflict with what I need. I thought about how much stress I often create for myself by fixating on what I think I want instead of focusing on the things my mind, body and spirit need. I realized that if I stop chasing the things that I feel I should have, I won’t set myself up for disappointment when I don’t get them. It is becoming my belief that if I stop believing that something ought to be a certain way, I won’t be unfulfilled if it turns out differently than what I expected. Maybe the things that God has for me are better than the things I want anyway,! Maybe, building a sense of entitlement only hinders me from recognizing it.

Have you ever said to yourself. “I can’t just not go after the things I want in life because isn’t that what drive is all about anyway. If I don’t have drive, I won’t accomplish anything; if I don’t accomplish anything in life, I won’t be happy.” Thankfully, the more I grow in the Lord, those moments of panic become more brief and I realize that kind of thinking is incorrect. The Holy Spirit is faithful to bring a rush of calm when I am postured to tune in to Him. As it falls over me it is as if the God of this universe is gently telling me, “relax, I’ve got this!” He tells me to let go, and to trust that everything will be okay just rest in Me! Your personal drive and ambition may have gotten you far in life but, “how often have you tried to force a square peg in a round hole because you went after something you wanted just to say you achieved it? “ Or, “How often have you come up empty when I wasn’t the Author and Finisher of the direction you were going?”

Those thoughts sink in deeper as I consider how my actions can impact my kids, grandchildren, wife, family and those the Lord has given me. We can all remember experiences where If we look back there are situations where we wanted something for ourselves or someone else and the results were not what we expected. Or, we had a goal to make something happen because we wanted it, not because others did. That really makes us stop and think about whether or not our motives are in sync with His!

Wet can all understand the feeling when moments we thought were going our direction, build up and then fall flat on their face. Much like the process with my knee. Will I have a closer relationship with Christ if I stop worrying about the things I want and instead focus on what I really need and long for which is Him and the work that He has done?” The answer is a resounding… Yes!

All I know right now is that the Lord has given me the down time to try this on. In the process I will be learning to be better satisfied with His timing, His Flow, His perfect rest, and trust that He that is doing the work in me and for me because, when it comes down to it, the work is done! It is Finished! And although the finished results may look different in each of us, It still has the look of the Finished work of the Cross and the look of 3 days and a resurrection for those who walk in simple faith and who simply abide in what he is doing!

Allow me to give you the simple equation again! The work is done so, rest in it, and wait for it. This is the Simple walk of Faith that manifests his glorious resurrection in our lives.


Food for Thought!

Galatians 6:1-2 (KJV)
1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

After having gone through this process personally, because of my own need for restoration along with the almost 7 years It has taken to see it play out. I have learned many things from my personal story and by the grace of God have a completely different perspective on matters of restoration.

First let me state my personal perspectives on what restoration should never look like.

• Galatians 6:1-2 should always accompany Matthew 18:15. In other words correction should always be followed up with restoration. This is how we win a brother!
• Matthew 18 without Galatians 6 brings separation into the Ecclesia of the Church by punting our our folks down field. In Church function, that’s a nice way of saying “You can’t play with us because you sinned!”
• Reconciliation as well as restoration is for all in the constituency of the body of Christ. We are all one Body with many members.
• There is no evidence in the restorative process that would say you have to belong to a certain faith or denomination to receive.
• Accountability to God and to one another according to the directives of Scripture is the foundation for freedom and liberty. By accountability, we are not talking about coercive tactics, the invasion of privacy, or bringing others under the weight of someone’s taboos or legalism or manipulative or dominating tactics, that would be the equivalent of Lording over, talked about in Philippians. Rather, by accountability we mean Sharing story and developing relationships with other Christians that help to promote spiritual reality, honesty, obedience to God, and genuine evaluations of one’s walk and relationship with God and with others. We are talking about relationships that help believers change by the Spirit of God and the truth of the Word of God through inward spiritual conviction and faith.
• The Lord has a unique way of bringing these kinds of relationships into our lives. Some move on to other things and new focuses, others stay in your story for a lifetime, and new folks are always being added to the mix. The point is… Always be on the lookout for them! This is the way the Lord develops the “bearing of one another’s burdens” into our lives.

Don’t Ignore the “lest thou also be tempted,” part!

Here are some of the good things I have seen in the process of my personal restoration. They have forever changed my thinking.

• In my own spiritual prowess and pride, I used to say… “I will never be tempted in the way that he or she was!” Boy was I wrong! And then I fell!
• Had I only been more concerned for the spiritual well being and burdens of others instead of my concerns of self and things like the quality of my preaching or the facades of spiritual prowess that I was busy cultivating. Meanwhile, I could have been inoculating myself from the sin that had been brewing in my own life as I helped other through theirs.
• Restoring one another not only inoculates us from sin, It fulfills the law of Christ. How is the a bad plan?
• Bear in mind, there is a high potential for the Lord to use you in the same way that He brought restoration to us in that I was the offender and He was only concerned about my restoration.
• In the process of my restoration, the Lord brought people to my life that I am sure I had already offended. People I didn’t expect, He used the unqualified, meek, struggling people who may very well could have been even worse versions of myself, and used them to restore me of all people.
• Don’t disqualify yourself from being used by the Lord in this way.
• Expect radical revisions to be made in your own philosophies about grace, mercy, love and forgiveness.
• There is no restoration that is too big for Christ! The Power of the Cross is real! Those who love the most, give the most! Those who are forgiven much, Love much!

Food for Fought!

I’ve watched very closely and it seems to me that every moment, of every day provides some new method, some new covenant, some new inside edge on what to believe or how to belong. It seems to me that everyone has the inside edge on everything but Christ and Him Crucified. They will tell you  that there is always more to it than just a simple walk of faith and resting in the promised seal of His Spirit for everyday living. It reminds me that anything that adds performance or work to the intended rest we are to walk in under the New Covenant, eventually dries up and dies!

Big Word "Ecclesiology" Explained!

 It is the study of the Christian Church and the origins of Christianity however, sometimes it stops short in relationship to Jesus. Don’t get me wrong I’m a big fan of ecclesiology, the doctrines of the Church and how it operates in the lives of God’s people when it is a response to the work that He is doing in us and not just another millstone around the necks of His children. In Fact, a good understanding of ecclesiology is like saying sic’em to a dog when it comes to fulfilling our part in the body of Christ. We have been given scriptural mandates as a body of believers to be a place of comfort and compassion (2 Corinthians 1:3-7), a place where encouragement (1 Thessalonians 5:11) helps God’s people grow in knowledge and faith (1 Corinthians 14:3, 31), all for the glory of God.

As an individual member of the Body of Christ, He gives us all responsibilities within the local body.

• We are to gather with other believers for mutual edification and encouragement. Hebrews 10:24-25. (Don't think for one moment that it is confined to just the 4 walls of a building for it to happen though).
• Everyone in the Body of Christ is a royal priest (1 Peter 2:9), and you are given the task of discerning whether those who teach are staying true to Scripture. (Acts 17:11.)
• As a member of the Body of Christ, you are responsible for looking into the origin of everything you encounter to see whether it is in keeping with scripture or whether it has been fashioned for our own purpose and and culture, stretching the scriptures beyond what they actually say.

Side note, but an Important one!

If God has moved on you to sign contracts, be committed to other covenants, and you belong to something you deeply care about then put this article down now. It is not intended to draw lines in the sand, or to cause division in the Body of Christ. I am a firm believer that He who began a work in each of us is faithful to complete it and that it may look differently for you than it does for me. I don't know how He is doing it but He promises to bring us all into the Unity of the Faith. Suffice it to say however, God has laid it on my heart to share the Good News that Christ made things very simple for one and all. Some in the Body of Christ tend to make it more difficult than it needs to be. They do it by burying the purposes of the church and responsibilities of its members beneath rules that have nothing to do with the church’s mission. It is then implied that there are other covenants and agreements to be made with men or the local church. 

Ephesians 1:13
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

1 John 4:1.
​Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 
21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

The problem with man's covenants is that they are  often unbiblical, unneeded, do not bring unity, and alienate others.​

The Old Testament is full of covenants God made with his people: Edenic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic. If those aren’t familiar to you, don’t worry. The point is that God makes covenants – a type of binding promise – with his people. Today we live under the new and lasting covenant Jesus established. It had been promised in prophecy centuries before.

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 31:31-32.)

Under this New Covenant, God enables you to know him intimately.

“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:33-34.)

This is the promise Jesus brought to reality through his death and resurrection. I imagine his friends couldn’t help but recognize Jeremiah’s prophecy when, the night before his death, Jesus said to them at the Passover dinner:

“This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. (Luke 22:20.)
This is the covenant God has with his people.

You are part of the body of Christ organically, that is, the Body of Christ is a single organism. Here are a few ways the Bible describes Christ’s body:

• You are a branch along with other branches who depend on the One Vine, Jesus. (John 15.)
• You are a stone lined up with other stones depending on the Cornerstone, Jesus. (1 Peter 2.)
• You are a sheep in a flock of sheep under One Shepherd, Jesus. (John 10.)

Every single one of those ways of looking at our place in the body of Christ – the church – is dependent on our relationship with Jesus, not with one another. And it is because of our relationship with Jesus that we are in relationship with one another. Your relationship with Jesus is under the new covenant that Jesus described to his disciples. It is the new relationship God promised he would create with his people. And this new covenant with God is the only one that counts.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.” (Hebrews 10:24-25.)

God’s covenant with you leads to fellowship with others who are also in covenant with him. These are the relationships firmly supported by the Bible. And it’s all based on God’s covenant with you, not some extra-biblical covenant with other Christians, Clubs, Denominations, etc. After all, God’s the one who keeps covenants and promises perfectly, so let’s leave the covenanting up to him.

Ephesians 4:1-7
1 As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received: 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Why is this so important to our understanding!

I run into a lot of folks who are constantly being taught to strive for more. These folks are bound up like a hound Dog trying to pass a peach pit! To me, this is like trying to catch a bus you’ve already caught! It is especially important for those of us who have been freed from religiosity to understand because we have leaned on dispensationalism and old covenants in the past. They became a hindrance to our understanding of the complete work of the New Covenant that Christ established because they are always packed with the emphasis on personal performance. I don’t know about you but the enemy tries to distract me enough from the perfect rest that comes in the finished work of the cross as it is. So, let’s take a fresh look at where we are at in this dispensation, right now as we are walking with and in Him.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10.) I like to phrase it this way:

• Once I was not one of God’s people, now I am. There was a season where it looked like I followed God but didn't know Him. Now I do!
• Once I had not received mercy, now I have. I preached about it but I didn't think I personally needed it. Now I can't function without it!
• Once I was on the outside, now I’m in. I was ungodly when He picked me up and made me righteous!

I may never be the cool, mega-church pastor and I may never be used in the ways I was before, but make no mistake about it. I am on the inside of the only body that really matters, and it has room enough for all. I have no need of any other covenants because for those who have failed, those who live in fear, those who have been labeled, those who have been wounded, those who are weary and weak, flawed, scared, given up, shipwrecked, in prison, bitten by the enemy, and even the religious. Ours is the New Covenant and our position and authority is in Him.

Opps! I forgot to sign a contract with the one who justifies the ungodly! Am I really Righteous?

In Romans. Paul is shows the difference between being made right with God by works, as opposed to by faith. If we could be justified before God by works, Paul wrote in the previous verses, then God would owe us righteousness.

Romans 3:20-22.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

It would be like our paycheck for services rendered: a transaction with the God of heaven. Paul has already demonstrated in Romans, however, that nobody can accomplish this work. Instead, we all sin and fall short of God's glory (Romans 3:23).

So now Paul points to the opposite of earning something by work: receiving it as a gift. The difference comes in not laboring with a mind to "earn" or purchase that benefit. The one who receives a gift, as a gift, does not try to earn it. What would be the point? Instead, this person simply believes in the God who justifies the ungodly. His simple belief on the name of Jesus is what causes him to be declared righteous by God. There are no contractual agreements to be signed with the New Covenant, No defaults, tickets, citations, reprimands, condemnation, and no separation from the love of God for those who are in Christ Jesus. The Law was fulfilled once and for all  by Christ. Paul  gives a new descriptor to God: "the one who justifies the ungodly." This is the entire point of the gospel of Jesus Christ. God does not wait for us to become godly, or righteous on our own apart from Him, before welcoming us into His family. Because of our faith in righteous Jesus, God justifies us in spite of our sinfulness. There is no greater gift than this.

Romans 4:5
But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,

Paul's point to his opponents, the Jewish religious leaders, is that this is from the teachings of Scripture itself and not something he has invented so, look to the only Covenant that matters and enjoy the New Covenant for this Dispensation!

Never did I fully understand the impact that a single person could have on my life until I met my Kindergarten teacher. She was the epitome of Grace and it’s work in the lives of those who lack understanding on matters of navigating life. You know… like tying your shoes and zip’n your pants. I truly would have stumbled around or exposed myself much worse in life, had it not been for the teacher of grace that she was in my formative years. She in my kindergarten year was the object of my affection and in my eyes the most beautiful person on the planet. She had a way at putting me at ease when it came to learning my letters and how to spell my last name. You see, I had come to the conclusion that life as I new it would be insufferable and difficult for me. I would never make it into the first grade with a last name like Fairrington. My buddy had been blessed with the good name of Cox. Three letters to my Eleven!!! He could sign his name to his papers and be done with his work while I was still writing out my last name. In a world that seemed so unfair, there was only one thing that would get me through to the next grade. It was Grace! Grace that would teach me, Grace that was slow to anger, Grace that would teach me how to keep from stumbling, grace that covered me when I was exposed and feeling unworthy. Yes, it was Grace! Teaching me then and it is Grace that teaches us all how to walk in Godliness.

Titus 2:11-14 (KJV)
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Grace is what brings Holiness. It does not demand anything from us. Its work is done for us. I thought it would be something more along the lines of me proving to you that its work is present in my life. I thought it was based on an evaluation of my performance by others. I thought that it could only be substantiated by the recognition, evidence and validation of those who have been wounded by me before I could move on. Now some would say that this is just another way to embrace sloppy grace and continue in sin but look at what the verse says. “Grace teaches us to be Holy”, “Grace teaches us how to say no to sin” More than the Law, More than Religion, More than my self-righteousness, More than my commitments, covenants, piety, or performance, more than anything else Grace is teaching me to be Holy. It is teaching me how to not stumble! This is why we forgive one another, This is why we love each other through the ugliness of life. When I really grasp that God is gracious and slow to anger in my heart, it doesn’t cause or encourage me to sin more, it causes me to sin less. So my understanding of grace is that it is provided not because of sin and not so we can continue in sin, but it teaches us so that we can know how to say no to sin.

When you finally realize you are kindergartner and in the most unqualified state for God’s favor and yet have received the teacher of grace anyway, now all you want is to rest and to walk in the ways of God because His grace is the teacher and she is beautiful, and loves you, and makes you feel as if you are the most important kid in the room!

​The Holiest thing you can do is to rest in the finished work of the cross of Christ. You cannot add to Jesus’ work. When we rest from our own works in order to merit Gods favor and blessings, we are honoring Jesus for a job well done!

No more effort on my part. Its all Him, all Jesus.

Never let anyone make you feel guilty for resting in His Grace. It is teaching us to be Holy! 

Let this mind be in you!

Philippians 2:5-8
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

A Cricket Tried To Kill Me!

    The statement “Always let your conscience be your guide, is a profound one if you are a singing cricket with a top hat!” I personally believe that if that perspective becomes one of your core beliefs, eventually it will only produce depression, anxiety, and a trip to the loony bin. Scripture is right when it proclaims that “there is a way that seems right unto man.” It was that kind of Cricket mentality, pride, and self-dependency, that just about killed me. It’s true! A dependence on your self-proclaimed spiritual prowess and matters of conscience will produce the kinds of beliefs that will lead you off course in your simple and restful walk of faith.
    Contrary to the hyper-spiritual concepts we have embraced, the Bible has a much different view on the matter than we have adventured out to discover. It tells us that while your conscience may be a good helper, it is also a harsh master. Whenever there are negative implications linked with conscience in the Bible and when words like sinful, evil, defiled or seared are used in conjunction with conscience, it always pertains to the self-effort of one who is striving to appease their conscience apart from the finished work of the Cross. The only way sinful man can have a perfect conscience is by having it covered with the blood of Christ. When we look at The Book of Hebrews in the Bible, any other conscience is a “sinful” conscience and it always results in “dead works.” When I engaged in works to appease my conscience, those works become tainted and impure in motivation. In my spiritual pride I thought I could fix people, denominations, and the church. These perspectives are a direct result of compensating for sin or failures and thus become self-serving at their very foundation. Simply put, this kind of conscience and core belief is nothing more than a mission of self-righteousness because it doesn’t come from a pure conscience.

​Identify the presence of Self-Righteousness.

    Just a few Examples and Statements of a self-righteous conscience (See more in Galatians 5):

• I’ll do better this week!
• I’ll show them!
• If that’s how they feel then I’ll just write that person off!
• So and so, said this, about them, and I believe it
• This sermon doesn’t apply to me!
• Statements like “There is nothing you can do,” really tick you off because you’ve been working overtime to impress Him or to be like Him.
• You think Grace is earned in some way.
• Trying to prove yourself to others is exhausting you!
• You think constantly about how you are perceived and what others think about you.
• You can’t forgive or accept that His blood has changed someone else on the inside.
• You rely on outward signs in others rather than an inward work that Christ does before you will accept others.
• You are all too willing to report on the spiritual status of others without discerning their heart or walking alongside of them. (See 2 Corinthians  and Paul’s thoughts on that).
• You are on a mission to fix everyone but yourself, a job for only Jesus!

   
   What the Bible does refer to, as a pure conscience is one that is absent of ulterior motives and hidden agendas. That can only stem from a “perfect” conscience. Simply put, it is in resting in the Finished Work of the Cross that our conscience finally finds perfection and rest. It is there that we are freed from the mind numbing guilt, depression, and self-righteous spirit that will drive us straight into the mental ward.

1 Corinthians 15:10 KJV
[10] But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

    Despite my newfound conscience and a changed heart there are still some who would say that I am a botched up mess and that I don't warrant or deserve grace on any level. That is because my cup is perpetually dirty on the outside but clean on the inside! So, I always reply by saying, You would be right! But here is the deal, I am what I am by His grace! It wasn't something I acquired or earned, or even traded up for. It was given freely to me by the Lord and not in vain as some would suspect, He filled my dirty on the outside cup and made me clean on the inside!

   After Jesus had called Lazarus forth, Lazarus’ sisters were given the responsibility of simply removing his grave clothes. I am most certain that he had a look of death about him and quite possibly a stench about him while still wrapped up in the rags of his past. But they didn’t say we can’t be around him nor, did they take the position that Jesus hadn’t really brought life to one who was once dead. To often we disassociate with people who have been brought to life but are still in their grave cloths. The fact of the matter is, we are all packing around a few pieces of the old wrappings. So, try not to be so offended by my old grave clothes that you won’t fellowship with me, lest we make the grace which was bestowed upon each of us in vain. I simply need help to get these grave clothes off! And by the way… So do you!

   Now I am free to live in His grace and with a clean conscience but my labor characteristics have changed! Now I labor even more! Not to boast in my self righteous pride or to be a spiritual authority and not for the sake of laboring to be recognized by my good works but now I labor to stand firm in the grace that is with me and unto rest in the work that His grace is already doing! Furthermore I can rest in knowing that He has bestowed His grace upon you too and that it was not in vain!

2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV
[9] And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

   The work is done and the rest has begun! His strength has been made perfect even while you're in grave clothes and you are at your weakest point. Yes I have failed and so have you so let’s together glory in the fact that even though there are inadequacies and the outside of our cup may be a little dirty, the power of Christ is resting upon us! Your cup is clean and full on the inside!
Be free, keep your faith simple, and walk in forgiveness with a clean, perfect conscience, through the Shed Blood of Jesus Christ today! Anything else, tramples on Jesus the One who became sin, the One who became the worst version of me, the One who stood in our place and took all of God's wrath so that you and I could be free from the guilt, condemnation, and judgment that we all deserved. Why would we ever want to deprive ourselves of such amazing grace? Unless of course our confidence is rooted in the strength of our own flesh.

Assignment

   The purpose of this thought is to unpack the sin of spiritual pride and self-sufficiency and to remove your grave cloths.

• Stop everything you are doing and become obedient only to your newfound friend Jesus. It may feel like you have stopped everything but don’t proceed until He moves you.
• Keep practicing your dependency on Him
• Practice until your life is just a response to what He is doing!
• Enjoy your newfound rest!!!