compassionate revolution

Historians tell us that the Christian faith spread from Great Britain to India, as well as in North Africa and the Middle East. In less than 100 years! Why? A Christian will say primarily because of the power of the Holy Spirit. Historians, of course, don’t give credit to the Holy Spirit. But they do give credit to the Christian worldview, in particular two of Christianity’s key teachings. One is caring for the poor and one is caring for the sick.

The Christians were well known throughout the Roman Empire as the people who would reach out to those who were not in their own family or tribes. They would take people in who needed food and/or shelter. If you became part of the Christian community, you were never destitute. The Christians were also known as the ones who would heal the sick, and care for those whom others would ignore. The Christians would care for plague victims, for example.

So, with this one-two combination of compassion, the Christian faith swept through a large chunk of the world. A compassionate revolution that is still transforming the world once again, today.

the "Jesus" talk

Well, it’s time to give the “Jesus” talk when it comes to politics, elections, and current events. As Dallas Willard would say, “As we face life immersed in the Trinitarian Reality, it is a perfectly safe place to be.”

In other words, “Don’t sweat it.”

It is important to vote because this exercise in democracy is a key cornerstone of our nation. We are to be involved in this process as good citizens and being a good citizen is a byproduct of being a good disciple of Jesus. But, I really have to say, what seems less important, when all is said and done, is who actually is elected. Yes, I know it matters from a human and historical perspective, but from an eternal perspective, whoever is elected will not have the impact of the power of the Holy Spirit. Will it?

I have bet my life and my family’s life on Jesus. President Bush and John Kerry may or may not be good choices, but Jesus wins every time. He’s the one who has all the answers. Jesus is Lord.

So, I will vote on Tuesday. But I will vote on Sunday, too. I and my family will vote with our praises that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

let the voter beware

As I hope I have made clear, it is illogical to think you can possibly isolate your decision making from your faith. In fact, as I have alluded to before, it would be a glaring injustice if politicians of biblical faith ignored the Bible’s clear call to care for the needy and the poor (e.g. Matthew 25:31-46). The Bible’s call to protect children (e.g. Matthew 18:1-6). Can you imagine anyone standing and saying,

“I have a deep faith that impacts every area of my life. But I don’t want to impose my religious beliefs on others who don’t share my faith. Therefore, I must respectfully vote against any funds going toward this pediatric clinic.”

Now, we have to recognize there are indeed religions that do not place the same strong emphasis on caring for the poor, including poor children. There are worldviews, for example, where belief in reincarnation brings with it a belief in absolute fate. In this case, it may be wrong to interrupt someone’s life circumstances if they are living out their fate. You would be messing around with someone's just reward.

Fortunately, not everyone who follows these “fate”-based religions actually practices them in this way. But, even if people were to interpret their religion to mean you shouldn’t help those in need, including children, this doesn’t mean these same people don’t have the right to run for political office. In America we rely on the voter to decide.

should I vote for a non-Christian?

Yesterday, I wrote about supporting candidates for election who have the greatest chance to do good, rather than those who may match my values more closely. Here is where it starts getting interesting. Do I automatically vote for a Christian candidate over a non-Christian candidate? Two views.

Yes-
A candidate who acknowledges Jesus as Lord has at least shown he/she has an excellent view of reality. If he/she uses the Bible as their filter, than he/she uses the most brilliant resource available. A Christian may be more likely to make sure the anti-Christian bias of present government institutions (e.g. “Inherit the Wind” is still showing up in the public high school theatre circles, including our daughters!) doesn’t increase. If he/she is a man/woman of prayer to Jesus, than all the more likely Jesus guides this faithful Christian seeking his wisdom.

No-
A candidate who acknowledges Jesus as Lord may not necessarily follow the filter of the Bible. The same candidate may not be consistent in applying biblical principles. A Christian candidate may think he/she has God’s guidance on a decision, but it wasn’t God, it was his/her own projection, or worse, Satan’s temptation disguised and joined with their projection.

God also guides non-Christians in government (Romans 13). Biblical principles can be used by non-Christians to inform their decisions. Conscience is also a tool at God’s disposal. The non-Christian may simply have greater political influence and may, therefore, have a better chance to bring about change that is more conducive to good.

I would argue that the “No” position is more supportable, though “Yes” is quite attractive. I would tend to agree with Christian thinker Martin Luther who said, (paraphrase) ‘I would rather be ruled by a wise Muslim than a foolish Christian.’

voting the greatest good

If my faith necessarily informs my thinking, than do I use my faith filter to decide whom to vote for in elections and what to vote for when it comes to ballot initiatives? Yes, but there are some considerations to be made.

Greg Koukl speaks of “incrementalism.” This is the idea that to change something you work at it bit by bit. One works with others to move toward an outcome more closely reflecting his/her desired worldview. Here’s an example.

If you follow the biblical standard that human life begins at conception, then an embryo is a human being. Therefore, the idea that you develop embryos in a lab in order to harvest their stem cells, and discard that person afterwards is homicide. So, does that mean you would vote against a ballot initiative on promoting embryonic stem cell research? Yes, if you think the embryo is a human being, which is the biblical position (note: almost all biologists would also say that “life begins at conception”).

Would you then only vote for a candidate who opposes embryonic stem cell research? Here is where “incrementalism” comes in. You vote for the candidate whom you think has the best chance of getting elected and will promote the greatest good. Candidate A may reflect your values entirely and be unelectable. So to vote for him/her would only be a vote of conscience. Candidate B may support embryonic stem cell research, but may also be more likely to uphold biblical values in other areas. Candidate B also has a good chance on being elected. You go with B, who is able to promote the greater good. More tomorrow.

how else can you think?

So, should your faith be a resource for decision-making? I have argued that it has to be if it is truly your faith. Your filter. Now, if you are a Christian, this is completely logical. If Jesus is God, as Christians claim, then he is the creator of everything, including knowledge and logic itself. If the teachings of Jesus from the Bible are accurate, which again Christians claim, then they must be the most brilliant teachings in existence. So, obviously, if you are a Christian, it would be harmful and illogical to purposely ignore the teachings of Jesus when considering a decision to be made or an action to be taken.

Of course, one can misapply a teaching of Jesus, misinterpret it, or simply not understand it. “This side of heaven” we can’t say we are thinking exactly like Jesus thinks. But, there is a certain universal clarity to his teachings that inform the thinking of those who call themselves “Christian.” The point is to be a Christian and say I can’t let my faith cloud my thinking in the public arena is an unsupportable position from a faith and reason standard.

everyone has values

Everyone has a filter for thinking. Everyone views the world in a certain way. In the present election, there has been some talk about being cautious not to let your religious values affect your decision making. For some, this is considered a bad thing. This is not a logically possible point of view. We all have values that are based on something. So, whether it is biblical values or values based on Mao’s Little Red Book or values based on Star Trek, there is a filter.

This is not a consistent point of view, either. Some candidates say they can’t let their religious values affect their decisions on issues such as abortion. The thinking goes if you follow the biblical model of “life beginning at conception,” then abortion is taking a human life. But, the candidates say they don’t want to impose their beliefs on others and so they support abortion.

Here is the inconsistency, plain and simple. The Bible says we are to love our neighbor, which includes caring for those who are poor and in need. Well, the same candidates who say they don’t let their religious point of view affect their position on issues, rightfully support legislation to help the poor and those in need. This is clearly using their religious views to influence their decisions when addressing poverty. I see……

religion in politics?

Due to this being election time, there has been some talk of whether it is appropriate for a politician to use his/her faith as a filter for decisions he/she makes. That is an interesting question when you think on it deeply.

How do you make a decision in the first place? Here are some options.

1. You take prior information that you have processed, you seek out the wisdom of those with expertise in the area of concern, and you compare all of this with possible actions you could take. After careful consideration, you decide.

2. You decide quickly using your “gut” instinct

3. You think about what would be to your best personal advantage, and you decide on that

4. You find out what most people would think and you go with that

Only the first option seems right and reasonable. So, prior information and the wisdom of others is your filter. Then the questions become what and who? What prior information and whose expertise?

Everyone has a worldview they use as a filter. If your worldview is “keep religion out of the decision” then you can’t decide. Everyone has a “religion”; a filter through which they view the world.

If you are of the “no god” variety you are simply filtering through the “no god” faith. Most “no god” folks have faith in some form of Darwinian evolution. Their decisions are then of the classic “survival of the fittest” variety, and they would logically use number three from above to make a decision and we know that would be wrong for public policy.

So, the only option for sound decision making is to use a worldview of some sort and arrive at a decision. “Religion” in political decision making is then absolutely essential. It is just a matter of competing worldviews. Which worldview is most reasonable? Put your ideas on the table and let’s decide.

sin and stress

Confessing your sin to God and others doesn’t feel good. It is not a pleasurable experience to admit you have a problem. But, as I said yesterday, it is a welcome experience. It is a way to travel light. When we hold on to our sins, one of two unhealthy things happens. Either we get overwhelmed by our guilt or we push our guilt into our subconscious. Then sickness is usually right around the corner.

Yes, sickness. It is a well accepted theory that our immune system has connections to our stress level. Overwhelming guilt or internalized denial of guilt will bring extended periods of stress, which will cause the immune system to be overworked. Likely illness follows.
Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven,” when healing people. Indeed.

I didn't do it

Why is it so important to realize we are our own worst enemy? Without this personal inventory, we repeat the same unhealthy behavior over and over again. Then our creativity kicks in and we find a million reasons why our unhealthiness is just not so.

When we see this denial-type behavior in little kids we think it is cute. “I don’t know who colored on the wall, mommy.” Well, what we are really witnessing is a toddler preparing for a life of pain. A life of not taking responsibility.

I remember the Simpson episode where Bart becomes a celebrity by repeating the phrase, “I didn’t do it?” Hilarious, but fairly common for many of us.

“I didn’t do it” has become the motto of humankind. But there is hope. When you are in relationship with Jesus, he can change you into the type of person who willingly admits wrongdoing. For the one who follows Jesus, confessing sin becomes a welcome and critical element of life. Graciously and generously opening oneself up for forgiveness is an act of encouragement. One knows that better days of expanded life are ahead for one who is honest before God.

on being honest

I have talked about brain development (9/6/04) before. The brain doesn’t complete all of its connections in the judgment center (prefrontal cortex) until about 25 years old. Prior to this time, it would be physiologically normal for a person to not always make the wisest decisions, even if they wanted to. If you are a parent of a teenager, you know this to be the case. But, as an adult of over 25 years, you can still make choices that are not thought through carefully.

However, now there is a difference. Unless you have an abnormality or chemical imbalance in your brain, you are totally responsible for your attitudes and actions. You are physiologically quite able to think clearly and act accordingly. This seems so obvious, but it is not generally known to be true.

Too often, as an adult, I am told I am not responsible. Some politicians make promises that they will take care of me. Attorneys on the radio tell me it’s not my fault and they will help me convince a judge this is so. Even some churches get in the act. They tell me I am a victim of life’s circumstances and if I connect with them I will be healed. Well, almost.

I will be healed if I connect to the healer, Jesus. But the road to healing is to realize the source of almost all of my problems in life is staring at me in a mirror. Yes, it is I, Lord. I am not responsible for what is done to me. I am responsible for how I respond. So, the journey to healing and wholeness begins with being honest before God. Like standing before that great cosmic AA meeting.

“I am Dana, and I am a sinner.”

it starts with you

One of the difficulties of escaping from character disorder is most society is based upon it. It is the public way of life. It is the private way of life.

If something goes wrong in my life here are my options:

Public
It’s your fault
It’s the government’s fault

Private
It’s my spouse’s fault
It’s my parent’s fault

This even applies to whole nations. 20th century Christian thinker and political advisor Reinhold Neibuhr made this point when he applied this “rule” in international relations.

'The other side is more right than you think they are and you are more wrong than you think you are. The trick is to find the truth in between.'

The next time we are quick to point “out there” to show where the challenges of life come from, perhaps some personal inventory is where to start.

real guilt vs. false guilt

We are invited by God to know the difference between real guilt and false guilt. Real guilt is simply triggered by our God-given conscience. No one makes you “feel” guilty; it is your conscience that convicts you. Real guilt is a gift from God that results in acknowledging your sin.

The challenge to real guilt comes from people with character disorder who have a difficult time experiencing real guilt. They are always placing blame for everything outside of themselves. So, how do they ever feel they are guilty? Like everyone, they need the supernatural intervention of the Holy Spirit to show them their sin.

False guilt occurs when a person allows their neuroses to take over. Then they take the blame for everything. A classic scenario is the battered wife who agonizes about what she has done wrong to provoke her husband’s anger. False guilt makes it impossible to live the abundant life of Jesus because strongly neurotic people never sense the power of Christ working through them. They have a hard time believing he can do this. Again, supernatural intervention is necessary to bring about a sense of forgiveness and worth.

who is to blame?

When you are following Jesus, you don’t compare yourself to others. You can’t. Only God has enough understanding of you and me (Psalm 139:1), and he isn’t judging us on who we are, but whose we are. If we are connected to Jesus, we are judged pure by God. Not because of what we have done, but because of what he has done.

There is a challenge to this teaching. We are humans and we have certain ways of facing life. Years ago, author Scott Peck wrote an influential book, The Road Less Traveled. In it he talks about two types of people.

Neurotic- tend to place responsibility for problems in life on themselves.
Character Disorder- tend to place the responsibility for problems outside of themselves.

Peck says we have a bit of both characteristics within us, but one way of thinking is dominant. A neurotic is constantly beating up on himself/herself about their unworthiness. Someone with character disorder is always pointing a finger at someone or something else for their problems. They are never personally wrong. Do you see how this can be a challenge living out our relationship with Jesus? Neurotics have a difficult time realizing forgiveness and character disorder folks don’t think they need it. More tomorrow.

perfection again

Let’s continue to look at “perfection,” or “completeness.” Can we achieve it? This side of heaven I would argue we won’t, but logically I can’t say we can’t. Can I give my life over to Jesus so much that I will simply think like he thinks and act like he would act if he were me in that situation? This is the message Jesus gives. “Through me all things are possible.”

The life of a disciple is a process of maturing. If you are truly a disciple of Jesus, then the older you are, the more Christlike you will become. This is the claim made by Paul when he says “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” So, when you don’t see someone growing in Christlike maturity, it is reasonable to assume they are not learning from Jesus.

Dallas Willard says, “We can become the kind of people who can do whatever we want.” This is a striking statement. When our will is more and more in tune with God’s will, this will, indeed, be the case. A fully devoted follower of Christ.

can a Christian move toward perfection?

Can a Christian move towards perfection? In other words, wholly sell out to God? Apparently the apostle Paul thinks so.

…offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life.

Act as if it were true.

I think it was famous Green Bay Packers football coach, Vince Lombardi who said something along these lines. He would not allow his players to celebrate when they scored a touchdown, especially the person who scored. You were to quietly return the ball to the ref. Lombardi said this about reaching the end zone,

“Act as if you have been there before.”

For a disciple of Jesus, it is possible to do what you are not able to do on your own power. When you trust in Jesus he becomes your possibility not you. It is no longer, “What is your potential?” It is, “What is His potential?”

Act as if Jesus really is working in your life. Take risks reaching out to others. In a real sense you are perfectly capable of becoming perfectly capable.

perfect

Matthew 5:48 (NLT)
But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.


Jesus finishes his teaching on various sins (anger, contempt…) and then he drops this bombshell? Perfect? It seems that everything he has said up to this point is made impossible. No one is perfect. Only Jesus. Well, let’s think about this.

The word “perfect” from the bible language means, “complete.” “You are to be complete.” This completion is ongoing. Notice, “you are to be.” We are moving toward completeness as we are opening ourselves up to Jesus. As we are intentionally and willingly volunteering to be obedient to his teaching. To work on the sins we have looked at from Matthew 5 is enough for a lifetime. So is perfection possible? Come back tomorrow.

hatred

“Love your enemies.” Here we have the climax of what Christian life together can look like if we develop into the type of people who can do these things. Let’s review.

If we become the type of person who is centered on Jesus we don’t need to be angry when we feel personally attacked. We understand that there isn’t anything we can do out of anger that can’t be done better without anger. Jesus is not talking about a gut response, he is focusing on anger we allow to simmer and it ends up as contempt.

Contempt is the end result of anger unchecked and it is especially harmful. In contempt, we are treating a person as a non-person and Jesus always cares for people, no matter what. So, in contempt we find ourselves directly opposed to the will of God. When we become the kind of people who are not controlled by anger or contempt, we can deal with obsessive passions in our daily life, in particular obsessive sexual fantasy.

With Jesus greater than our anger, contempt, and obsessive lust, care and graciousness in our most intimate relationships becomes possible. No where is this more important than in our relationship with our spouse. We become the kind of people who can truly have his/her best interest at heart.

This attitude of graciousness moves outside the immediate family and we become transparent and real in our dealings with others. We don’t need to try to persuade or manipulate others to agree with our point of view or do what we want them to do. We simply make a request.

In our dealings with others we will be wronged, but we are always anchored to Jesus so lasting harm does not affect us. We can choose to trust Jesus will do what is exactly right by them. This carries on to those who choose to work against us. Those who “hate” us. We truly will their good and pray that God will work in their lives, as well as our own.

Now, if we can become this kind of person in our Christian communities, other Christians will become this kind of person to us. Together, we become a powerful example to the transformation that can happen through Jesus. We become an attractive influence on potential disciples who will want to know more about Him because they know us.

revenge

In a society that thrives on vengeance, Jesus says, “Turn the other cheek.” Don’t retaliate. Don’t lash out at someone who wrongs you. What planet does Jesus live on? First, what he is not saying.

Jesus is not giving a formula for government policy. In our public realm, we are to seek justice. Fairness. Government is in place to reward the good and punish evildoers (Romans 13).

Jesus is not giving instruction for Christians to allow themselves to be exploited and abused. “Turn the other cheek,” does not mean to be co-dependant to an abuser. To consider yourself not worthy of Christ’s love, to be forced to take your mind off Jesus is sinning against yourself. As an individual Christian, we are called to freely forgive as long as it doesn’t force us to sin.

Christians are to become the kind of people who don’t need to take offense. People who are not offendable. When you are connected to Jesus, you deal with others in a freeing way. You are not so concerned about your “rights” as you are your relationships with other Christians. You can forgive and seek to restore relationship with someone who has wronged you. This can only be done under the power of the Holy Spirit. And if someone won’t seek your forgiveness, you don’t try to get even with them. You remember, regardless of what someone does to you, God will do exactly what is right by them.

verbal manipulation/ "spinning"

Words are essential. Jesus is called, “The Word” (John 1:1). Words create all of existence. God spoke all energy, matter, space, and time into being. “Then God said…” So, where does this leave us?

Be careful with your words. Jesus tackles verbal manipulation next in his list in the Sermon on the Mount. Simple, clear, unambiguous language is called for in our relationship with each other. No trying to get your way by tripping someone up with what you are saying. No trying to persuade using verbal tactics. In modern terms, disciples of Jesus don’t use “spin” to get their way.

Matthew 5:37 (NLT)
Just say a simple, 'Yes, I will,' or 'No, I won't.' Your word is enough. To strengthen your promise with a vow shows that something is wrong.


How different than the way society operates. Whole businesses are, in part, based on nuances and extreme language. It is only too obvious to mention the political season we are in. Or who will ever forget this quote, “It depends on what your definition of the word, ‘is,’ is.”

In the middle of all of this bombardment of “words weapons” Jesus says, “Stop.” Disciples don’t need to fret about words. When your life is centered on Jesus, you are perfectly safe to “just say, ‘No,’ or, ‘Yes,’ for that matter.” I don’t need to try to get you to see my way using technique. I can be open to you so you can clearly see where I am coming from. If we don’t agree, fine. Let’s stay in relationship we will discover what Jesus is up to down the road. When you aren’t anxious over what is being said or left unsaid you are able to live within the strengths of your best true self.

divorce

God set up the building block of society from the beginning.

Genesis 2:24 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

Marriage is the original plan. A coming together for the purpose of building each other up to be the person God intends for you to be. “Complementarity” is the technical term. God intends for wives to “complete” their husbands and husbands “complete” their wives. Every married couple knows this instinctually. In a healthy marriage one always realizes the debt one owes to the “gut level” influence of his/her spouse.

Marriage is also the bond of trust that protects the basic family that God declared, “very good.”

Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and told them, "Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it."

Our most sacred cause is to raise children who continue to fulfill God’s destiny of caring for the world until Jesus brings in the “new heaven and the new earth.” This is God's first command.

The most intricate relationship combined with the most sacred trust given to us by God? Now we know why divorce is so devastating. Divorce is declaring God wrong on his most basic plan.

Jesus acknowledges the devastation of ripping apart the very fabric of God’s original building block of life. Divorce? He says, “No.” And he gives means to stay together.
The very foundation of the Christian life, giving yourself for the sake of the other, is what it takes to stay together. Following Jesus, you become the kind of person who wouldn’t think of splitting what God joins. Faithfulness is the DNA of being a disciple and a spouse.

lust

Matthew 5:28
But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Christians have done some strange things because they misinterpret this passage. In particular the term, “lust.” The false thinking goes, when you are attracted to a woman you are looking at, you are committing a sin. Monks in medieval times would brag about not seeing a woman for decades, as if it was an admirable thing. Some would even boast of not seeing their mother or sister for years.

I would argue, this is not what Jesus is getting at. “Lust” is not simple physical attraction. The closest English translation from the original Greek (epithumeo) of this Bible passage is, “to obsessively long for.” In other words, “to fantasize about.”

“Whoever excessively fantasizes about a woman has already committed adultery…”

It’s not as if the monks couldn’t have had a strong imagination without having women present. So let’s get practical.

If you are a married man, you can look at attractive women, just keep your thought life on the wife. If you are single, be attracted, by all means, just don’t produce running movies of women in your mind starring you and them, NC 17. Obviously, for women the same holds true in reverse. Married, keep mind on mate, single, no fantasizing.

Now, it is also true that you don’t need to up the odds for fantasy. So, watch what you are watching. Don’t put yourself in situations where obsessive longing is more likely to occur.

contempt

“Raca.” This is a word from the bible that wasn’t even translated when it appeared in the King James Version. In Matthew 5:22 we read

and whosoever shall say to his brother, “Raca,” shall be in danger of the council.

“Raca” means, “empty one” or “worthless.” It is a term of utter contempt. Contempt is the finishing touch of anger. You are so mad at the other person that eventually he/she has no worth for you. We see this contempt all around us, in particular during the time of elections as we are experiencing now. No wonder this is called, “The Silly Season.”

The immaturity of adult public figures is astounding. The contempt that is shown is amazing. What used to be termed, “polite society,” is no more. So, for Christians, it is especially important not to fall into the world’s trap of contempt. We are called to:

Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. (Philippians 2:3)

Why is contempt so dangerous? Because you become the type of person who cannot love. Cannot will the good of another. Jesus says if you love him you will do what he says (John 14:23). What he says is, “Love others.”

Contempt is also dangerous because it is so addictive. It makes you feel so superior. By having utter contempt for someone it must mean that you are personally so much better. It places you in the absolutely worst situation possible to ever grow in faith.

anger

Jesus starts the list of sins that harm our relationships with anger. This is appropriate. Anger is at the center of most of our trouble. When we let anger have a home in our lives we suffer tremendously. Aggressive behavior and rage are rooted in anger. So is depression. Depression is anger swallowed.

The solutions for anger read more like excuses for anger. You have been victimized. You have a right to be angry. Let your anger out. Don’t let it fester inside. But, the only real solution for anger is to become the kind of person who doesn’t get angry.

When Dallas speaks of anger, people almost get, well, angry at him. He makes this statement.

“There is nothing you can do out of anger that can’t be done better without it.”

“But, what about Jesus when he drove out the moneychangers?” you ask.

“I trust Jesus with the anger. I don’t trust us. There are many things I trust Jesus to be able to handle that I don’t trust people to do.”

So, how does one become the kind of person who doesn’t get angry? You can’t attack this directly. “I will not get angry!!” doesn’t work. No, you become the kind of person who realizes your worth comes from your relationship with Jesus. When you are slighted or verbally attacked by someone else, it’s not the end of the world. You are in a perfectly safe place focused on Jesus. I like to take the big picture. In any given situation, one hundred years from now, what difference does it make? And there’s always, “Count to ten…”

dealing with sin

The trouble with much sin is it becomes a habit. Then it seems so desperately hard to break. If you take the section of the Bible, commonly called, “The Sermon on the Mount,” Matthew 5, there is a list of sinful behavior Jesus is talking about. It seems to go in progression. Dallas claims that the order Jesus uses is on purpose. There is a process for the ability to overcome the sin as one moves from anger onward. Here are the sins.

Anger Matthew 5:21-22
Contempt 5:22
Lust 5:27-28
Divorce 5:31-32
Verbal Manipulation 5:33-37
Revenge 5:38-42
Hate 5:43-44

This list of sin covers the human condition quite well, don’t you think? Especially as it deals with our relationships with others. Now, the whole idea is to not try to follow Jesus’ teaching directly here. “I will just stop myself from getting angry,” and so on. Matthew 5 is specifically meant for how we are to live as Christians in community with other Christians. The assumption is we can break the cycle of these sins under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. These are not a set of rules for any person to follow. These are descriptions of what life can look like when, working with the Holy Spirit, you become the kind of person who will not give in to the sin mentioned.

I will comment on each one of these sins this coming week.

you don't have to sin

You don’t have to sin. You don’t have to turn away from God. There is a false modesty that challenges following Jesus. “Woe is me.” The idea that, “I can’t help it; I just have to sin,” creeps into everyday life. It’s as if you almost relish that you get to be a “bad” girl or a “bad” boy.

Well, God has one thing to say to this way of thinking. “Grow up.”

Yes, we are sinful human beings. O.K. so what? We can get better. In fact, we can become the kind of people who will not be challenged by certain sins any more. You can learn not to gossip, for instance. Not to speak ill about someone behind his/her back. It is possible to hold your tongue. How? By practicing encouragement. By finding ways to speak well of people to their face. By considering someone from the perspective of Jesus. When Jesus looks at him/her, what does he see?

Just because you are a sinner, doesn’t mean you have to sin.

designed to follow Jesus

You are designed to follow Jesus. Consider this.

Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)
Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light."

The “yoke” is used to keep two oxen working together. If one goes off in a different direction, the plowing doesn’t work. The stronger ox works with the weaker. The purpose of the yoke is to keep the direction and the effort in harmony.

When you connect with Jesus and follow him, you are “yoked” to him. You never face life alone. Being yoked, you don’t remain passive. You work with him.

Dallas Willard says it this way:

“Jesus said, ‘Without me, you can do nothing.’ He could just as easily said, ‘If you do nothing, it will certainly be without me.’”

christianity easy?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was an influential teacher last century. He wrote an excellent book titled The Cost of Discipleship. In it he laid out the problem of focusing on grace simply as forgiveness. Bonhoeffer called into question receiving grace with no intention of following Jesus. He called this grace, “cheap grace.” He wrote of how difficult it is to really follow Christ.

Dallas Willard also stresses that grace is more than forgiveness of sin. But he talks about discipleship in a different way. He talks about the cost of not being a disciple. In other words, the difficult life is when you are not following the ways of Jesus. Think about it.

If you are consciously or subconsciously following other principles or values than those of Jesus, you are following a way of life you weren’t designed for. God created you to follow Jesus. It would be like taking a PC and installing an Apple operating system. You were created for Windows and you are trying to work through an OS life.
No, in a way, the Christian life is meant to be easy. When you intend to follow the teachings of Jesus and you follow through, you are operating exactly how you are designed. Smooth.

a father's time out

Time out from Dallas Willard teachings today. October 2nd is our boys’ birthday. Greg and David are 13 today. Nancy and I officially enter the realm of raising teenagers, as we now have three. Let me say a few words about our young men.

Greg has a gentle heart and a playful spirit. What I remember most of his childhood is even as a little toddler, he didn’t like to hold my hand. He always wanted to charge ahead. Even today, nothing seems to phase him. One thing that warms my heart is whenever he sees me coming, it delights him to see me. Unless he knows he is going to get yelled at.

David is a deep and curious soul. What I remember most of his childhood is his connection to God at such an early age. Once at around age 4 he woke from a dream and said God told him to take milk and lemon juice when you are sick. One name we had for him was, “Healer,” as he would pray for your healing when necessary. What warms my heart about David is the admiration he has for me as his father. He makes being a good dad a pleasure.

Happy Birthday, my fine young men. May you continue to discover what Jesus has ahead for you.

two keys to following Jesus

If attending worship alone is not the path to becoming more Christlike, then what is? Dallas has much to say on this. The key is not to attempt spiritual growth head on. This is not a diet and exercise program. This is not “if I just pray, read the Bible, join a small group, and have a quiet time then I will grow” discipleship. O, you would be wise to do all those things and more, but you will resist doing them because your human self will tell you it is impossible to keep at it. Kind of like your diet and exercise program. A lot of good intention but not much follow-through.

The two keys to being a disciple are this.

1. You understand why it is a good idea to face your life as Jesus would face it if he were you.

Why would you want to become more like Jesus? What did he say? ‘If you live like me you will lose your worries and face anything in life completely safe.’

Wow! Really? Yes

2. You actually want to live life in this way.

You have to make a conscious choice to want to follow Jesus . You have to arrange and rearrange your life to put yourself in the position to learn from Jesus in any way you can. This means some obvious things like praying, studying the Bible, helping others out. And some other things that are not so obvious like actually doing what he commanded.

Take revenge for instance. Can you become the kind of person who doesn’t take revenge? Try it. For a month, do not try to get even with someone who has wronged you. Do not strike back.

I will write more on the keys to being a disciple.