True Humility

As for humility, that's a word of which I'm afraid Christians have skewed the definition. It actually means to be pliable in God's hands, teachable, movable, and to put others first, not to think oneself in a lowly manner. In Philippians 2, Jesus' attitude of humility is not to think of others as better, but rather to place them at a higher priority than self, an example of true humility.

Jesus knew He was equal with God, and it did not interfere with His humility. Therefore, we do not need to see ourselves as lowly sinners in order to practice true humility. Actually, the opposite is true. The more I realize the extent to which God has endowed me with His righteousness, nature, and power, the more I am able to put others first, in light of the depth of care the Father has for me.

This may seem like a paradox, but only to the mind unfamiliar with spiritual truth. Death brings life, slavery brings freedom, losing means winning--these apparent paradoxes are philosophical pillars of our faith. The same is true with humility. Humility is power and greatness dispensed with love, grace, and selflessness.

You are Not a Sinner, Part Two

There's nothing wrong with remembering the price that was paid. In fact, I think if you rightly assess the price paid for your sin, you'll see there can be none left out of that transaction, especially since that transaction resulted not only in Jesus' death, but yours.

What many believers miss in the phrase "Jesus died for my sins," is the truth that in order for your sins to die with Jesus, you had to die as well. Since we know the essence of Christianity is new life, how do we miss the need for prerequisite death? Someone had to die for you to be reborn, and it was the old sinner inside you.

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This summer, I went to Mexico on a mission trip. To make things smoother, I learned to speak just a little Espanol. It became a bit of a habit. I often think, "what's the Spanish word for that?" More often than I probably should, I actually say things in Spanish...not that well. I love Mexican food, and eat it as often as I can. I guess what I'm trying to say is...I am now a natural born Mexican Citizen.

That's ridiculous, isn't it? Participating occasionally in the language or culture of Mexico does not make me a Mexican. I'd have to be born there to say that. Well, it's just as ridiculous for a believer in Jesus to call himself a sinner. You might say, "I was born a sinner," and I'd have to answer, "No, you weren't...not the real you."

You see, even though all of us were born into sin, we no longer have a right to claim that title. We've been crucified and reborn, raised with Jesus in our inner person. That inner person, the hidden, new self, is our true identity. The one born into sin is no longer who we are. In fact, it's dead.

Paul goes into great detail in his letter to the Roman Christians to tell them that the person they were before they met Jesus had died, and that they had been resurrected with Jesus. The Romans, like us, were dealing with powerful cultural influences from their past lives every day, and Paul gave them an iron-clad legal case to prove that sin was not in charge anymore.

That legal case centered on one piece of evidence: the death of the old self. It's as if he's saying to them, "Look, I know the temptations are powerful, but you don't have to put up with it...that's not who you are anymore!" The early Christians were not in the habit of calling themselves sinners, or I'm certain He would have chided them for it. However, he did tell them very clearly to look at themselves as dead to sin.

How can someone dead to sin be a sinner? It's not possible. Therefore, Paul's instructions to the Romans are clear: calling yourself a sinner is not allowed. Why not? Isn't it good to be grateful for Jesus' death in our place? Didn't Paul call himself the worst of sinners?

As for Paul's statement in Timothy, it was past tense, and it's also a good lesson for us in gratitude. There's nothing wrong with remembering the price that was paid. In fact, I think if you rightly assess the price paid for your sin, you'll see there can be none left out of that transaction, especially since that transaction resulted not only in Jesus' death, but yours.

What many believers miss in the phrase "Jesus died for my sins," is the truth that in order for your sins to die with Jesus, you had to die as well. Since we know the essence of Christianity is new life, how do we miss the need for prerequisite death? Someone had to die for you to be reborn, and it was the old sinner inside you.

You are not a sinner. You may feel like one--sometimes I do, too. You may act like one on occasion--and so do I. You may remember what it was like to be one, but that does not change the fact that the sinner in you is dead. That's just not who you are anymore. As I said before, you've been changed...enjoy it.

You Are Not a Sinner

A “sinner” is someone who habitually sins--as a lifestyle--with no ability to repent. A sinner is a slave to sin. The Greek word literally means "one not freed from sin." If that’s you, then you’re not a Christian at all. That’s why Romans 5:8 says that Jesus died for us “while we were still sinners.” Yes, we were all sinners. That’s past tense. The “were still” clearly indicates that there is a “not anymore.”

Why does the New Testament call us saints forty-five times and sinners maybe once? Salvation changed us from sinners to saints. If you call yourself a “sinner saved by grace,” here’s the truth of what you’re saying. “God’s grace is powerful enough to make me live forever in heaven, but it’s not powerful enough to change me here on earth.” If you believe that, you just don’t know anything about God’s grace.

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Why does that statement make some people angry? That's not an entirely rhetorical question...I really don't know the answer. I suppose I have some ideas, but ultimately, the thought that someone would be angered by the news that they are permanently approved by God and changed into a new kind of person...just baffles me.

You are not a sinner. I challenge all readers to find a place in scripture that calls believers in Jesus sinners. There are two in the New Testament that seem to, but only if taken out of context. By contrast, however, there are forty-five places in the New Testament alone that refer to believers as saints, or "holy ones."

As for the two instances where it seems we may be labeled sinners, in the most quoted, first Timothy 1:16, Paul is obviously referring to his past life, before He believed. That one is easy. The second, in James, is a little bit more difficult. In short, James is referring to their behavior, not their identity, but if you want to keep that one on the sinner side, feel free.

Consider this, however, before you use the one-to-forty-eight ratio to label yourself a sinner rather than a saint: God declared you righteous by Jesus' blood—to declare yourself a sinner is to directly contradict God’s declaration about you, at the cost of His Son. Are you willing to put yourself in that position? You’re a brave one, aren’t you?

Next, God not only declared you righteous, but He gave you His righteousness. Calling yourself a sinner is to say that you are not righteous, and since your righteousness is God’s righteousness, to say that you are not righteous is to say that God is not righteous. Again, very brave.

Additionally, a “sinner” is someone who habitually sins--as a lifestyle--with no ability to repent. A sinner is a slave to sin. The Greek word literally means "one not freed from sin." If that’s you, then you’re not a Christian at all. That’s why Romans 5:8 says that Jesus died for us “while we were still sinners.” Yes, we were all sinners. That’s past tense. The “were still” clearly indicates that there is a “not anymore.”

Why does the New Testament call us saints forty-five times and sinners maybe once? Salvation changed us from sinners to saints. If you call yourself a “sinner saved by grace,” here’s the truth of what you’re saying. “God’s grace is powerful enough to make me live forever in heaven, but it’s not powerful enough to change me here on earth.” If you believe that, you just don’t know anything about God’s grace.

Finally, to think that God would inhabit "saved sinners" is to cheapen His holiness. God’s grace doesn’t cause Him to overlook our sinfulness. He’s too holy for that. He can’t leave sin unpunished and He can’t be in the presence of sinful people without involuntarily vaporizing them. (See Exodus 19:20-22) God had to change you to have a relationship with you. If the Holy Spirit came into a sinner, he'd just dissolve like Nadab and Abihu when they sinned in front of the altar.

God’s grace is so powerful that it changed who you are, at the core of your being. I was a sinner, and I'm reminded of that daily by some of my tendencies, but that's just not me anymore. I've been changed, and if you believe in Jesus, so have you. You are no longer a sinner, but a saint. Enjoy it.

Why I Write

I am a writer, but not on the basis of training or skill or even natural ability. I'm a writer because I have to write. I tend to only write what burns in me and must be expressed. I write music as well, and though I have written out of the need for a certain type of song, the songs I feel strongly about are usually those that burst, or at least emerge, from somewhere in my life or heart.

Therefore, I write what I can't keep from writing. I may or may not know you, but I have an overwhelming desire to give you what God has, through some great teachers and friends, given to me. That great gift is simply a clear picture of our identity as believers in Jesus.

I lived as a Christian from childhood through my thirties in varying levels of frustration. (At seven, I was not terribly introspective.) I discovered grace in my twenties, and finally, in my early forties, I have discovered who I am. I don't know how I survived, but I know that largely, that's what I did.

My wife and I often say to each other how angry it makes us to think that we lived so long without a clear picture of our identity in Christ. "Why didn't someone tell me this before?" is the cry I hear over and over again as I teach these ideas to people. Well, I don't know why so few people have taught this over the last twenty or so years, but I'm teaching it now through writing.

That's why I write.

Why I Walk With Jesus

I don't walk with Jesus because I determined His lifestyle was to my liking.

I don't worship Jesus because I believe He is Creator God and I must revere Him.

I don't serve Jesus because I am grateful for His sacrifice for me on the cross.

I don't love Jesus because of His long list of admirable attributes.

Jesus has captured my heart. Though I recognize on a daily basis that I do have a choice to turn away from Him, it seems less and less like any choice at all. What would I do...breathe some other air, walk in some strange light; borrow a personality, beliefs and ideas from TV or YouTube?

I walk with Jesus, worship Him, serve and love Him because that is who I am. He has, by His demonstrated character and manifest presence, revealed to me the substance of life. He defines me, and, by the way, the expression of my personality is ever more free and celebrated in Him. I have not lost myself in Him. I have found myself. I am, literally, in Him.

When Jesus asked His disciples if they would leave Him as did the fickle crowds, their response was, "Where would we go?" I get it now.

So What Do We Do?

That confidence, however, can only be accessed by the Spirit. When Paul said he could do anything, he was careful to qualify it with “through Christ,” meaning that he knew his humanness was not sufficient, but that he must act and do by the Spirit of Christ in him. Paul said in another place that as believers, we are one spirit with God, so that it’s not Him doing it instead of you, like some creepy possessing spirit, but it’s you doing it in Him or through Him.

No, there is no human side to Christianity, but there’s a lot for us to do. He has not taken us out of the picture, but simply assured our success by fulfilling the covenants on our behalf and then joining Himself with us in Spirit.

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In the last entry, I made an assertion that there is "no human side" to Christianity. Well, that's true, but there's a danger in recognizing it: you may take on the philosophy that your goal in life now becomes to do nothing. In fact, the opposite is true. Since we can't screw it up, we should feel free to do more and more, but just not in a human way. We walk by the Spirit, not the flesh.

Now, compared to how I feel sometimes, I do believe real Christianity should feel like laziness. After all, Jesus said His assignments and workloads were easy and light. John said God's commandments are not burdensome. If we're really getting it, I firmly believe we should be having a good time all the time, and it should never feel like it's wearing us down. This Jesus guy put a high priority on peace and joy and rest. He frankly would've made a terrible conservative American Christian.

I want to stand as a proponent of peace, joy, and rest, but not of inactivity. Have you ever done something that physically exhausted you but you enjoyed it so much you didn't notice your utter fatigue until you laid down to sleep that night? I remember water skiing as a teenager for hours and hours until my arms burned and I could barely hold the rope or hoist myself back into the boat. I loved the speed, the challenge, and the rush of getting airborne so much that I would literally torture my body to get more.

To me, that's the picture of a healthy Christian. We should enjoy our lives so much that none of it seems like work, and I believe the secret to that is in knowing that God has already assured our success. God took the human element out of the way, not so that we would sit back and do nothing, but so that we would jump in with both feet, never fearing failure.

The New Testament calls us co-laborers with God. That means that God wants us to hang out with Him and do with Him the things He most enjoys doing. Jesus said He only did what He saw His Father doing...it's like take-your-kid-to-work-day, except you don't just have to watch. You get to do it all, and He's right there with you making sure nothing goes wrong, and that it turns out to be a day you'll never forget.

The pressure is off! Personally, I thrive under certain types of pressure…the pressure of a musical performance, for instance. However, that's only because of my near insane level of confidence in that area. Something about standing in front of people gives me almost super-human ability to remember words, notes, and guitar chords, or at least make it appear as though I do...I suppose it's a gift. However, normal, everyday types of pressure like finances, deadlines, task lists, and the like, literally make me ill.

Pressure is bad...that is unless you have a near insane level of confidence to make the pressure just seem like fun. That's what Christianity is. In essence, Christianity is the continued incarnation of the Spirit of God in the earth through the church and individual believers. Do you think Jesus felt stressed or worried about His success in healing or performing miracles or teaching? No. He had confidence because He knew His source of power and His relationship to His Father.

Well, it's Christ in us--not the 8 lb, 6 oz Jesus, but the almighty Creator of the Universe in us. We can have confidence to an even greater level than even Jesus had. The New Testament teaches that we have an advantage over Jesus because Jesus Himself is now interceding for us at the right hand of the Father, so that we would do even greater things than He did. That's what Jesus said about us. I think that should give us a completely insane level of confidence.

That confidence, however, can only be accessed by the Spirit. When Paul said he could do anything, he was careful to qualify it with “through Christ,” meaning that he knew his humanness was not sufficient, but that he must act and do by the Spirit of Christ in him. Paul said in another place that as believers, we are one spirit with God, so that it’s not Him doing it instead of you, like some creepy possessing spirit, but it’s you doing it in Him or through Him.

No, there is no human side to Christianity, but there’s a lot for us to do. He has not taken us out of the picture, but simply assured our success by fulfilling the covenants on our behalf and then joining Himself with us in Spirit.

Why I Quit Christianity

The best part, however, and the reason I'm not still an agnostic, is that now I know there is no human element in my relationship to God. My flesh can cause me trouble, but it can't change who I am or, more importantly, how my Dad feels about me. He made sure of that when He put Abraham to sleep all those years ago. He has removed the possibility for failure by removing the human element.

Now I know that Christianity is not some behavioral ultimatum, but a relationship of total commitment on God's part, and total surrender on my part. Now I believe in a different version of Christianity:

God-focus instead of self-focus

Loving Him instead of trying to please Him

Thankfulness instead of devotion

Internal God thinking instead of external God thinking

Christ in me instead of Christ-likeness

Walking in the Spirit instead of struggling to conform flesh to His image

Renewing the mind instead of trying to grow spiritually

and best of all...

Knowing Him and Walking with Him instead of living for Him

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I was raised a Christian, and I was good at it, or so I thought. I was the kid who witnessed to his friends, didn't do a, b, c, or d, and went to church all the time.Everyone thought I was on the path of life, and so did I, but somehow in my twenties, it just quit working, so I quit.

Don't misunderstand--I didn't quit singing Christian music or being a leader in the church or any of that stuff--I just quit believing. That was a tough way to live, but I just didn't know how to leave everything so quickly, so I stayed in the groove I'd cut for myself and just faked it a lot.

Why did Christianity quit working for me? Because I was doing it wrong? No, but because the Christianity I was practicing wasn't the real thing. I don't mean I was not "saved" or "born again" or "converted" or however you want to put it. I know now that my spiritual relationship with God began when I was six years old and accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. I also know that this relationship stayed intact throughout the whole period of my agnosticism. I didn't believe in Him, but He lived inside me still. After all, He said He'd never leave or forsake me...and He didn't.

I, however, stopped believing in Him, but only because I didn't know Him. I worshiped the "right God," but I understood Him to be much different than He truly is, and therefore my version of Christianity was just not correct.

My version of Christianity was based on the idea that Jesus had come and fulfilled the Mosaic Law on my behalf. That is correct, but it's not the main thing. The covenant of Jesus is not based on the Law of Moses, but on the earlier, Abrahamic covenant, and with good reason. The New Testament teaches that the Law of Moses was set aside because it was weak and ineffective. Why? Because it depended on human effort.

The Law of Moses was a behaviorally based agreement. God said, "I'm giving you guys a choice here...live right, I'll bless you...but live wrong, and watch out!" That kind of an ultimatum can be motivating to an extent, but ultimately, it leads to frustration, and that's exactly what it was designed to do. The Law was meant to be a temporary instructor, a tutor to get us ready for the real thing, faith in Jesus. However, for most of us, we've mixed our faith in Jesus with a mentality that the divine ultimatum of blessing and curse is still hanging over our heads.

We must unlearn this. The Law, as an agreement between God and the Jewish people, was intrinsically flawed, since half of it, and therefore all of it, depended on human behavior, and any agreement is only as good as its weakest party. The Abrahamic covenant, however, was not made between God and man, but between God and Himself. Look it up--when the covenant was made, Abram was asleep, and passing ceremonially between the pieces of the animals was a dual manifestation of God, smoke and fire.

Why did God do that? By removing Abram, and by extension, you and I, from the equation, God took responsibility for the human side of the covenant as well as the divine. Therefore, when in chapter 17, He told Abraham to be perfect in his life, God knew He would take responsibility for that also.

Did Abraham live perfectly before God? Not by a long shot, but Jesus did, and by shedding His innocent blood, ratified the Abrahamic covenant on behalf of Abraham and all his children (those who believe). By fulfilling this covenant for us, Jesus not only purchased eternal life for us, but also made us partakers in all the blessings of Abraham.

What are these "blessings of Abraham?" What was it about the Abrahamic covenant that made it so much better than the Mosaic ultimatum? The type of covenant God initiated with Abraham is very, very simple. It was a complete and irrevocable joining of two people. As parties walked through the blood of animals cut in half, they stated publicly, "everything I have is yours, and everything you have is mine--forever, and if I break this covenant, I forfeit my right to live."

That's what God says to us in Jesus...and we definitely get the better end of that deal. God gives us more than just forgiveness and heaven, He literally bestows on us everything He has and is in exchange for our spiritual destitution. Think about it. That's why this is called good news.

The best part, however, and the reason I'm not still an agnostic, is that now I know there is no human element in my relationship to God. My flesh can cause me trouble, but it can't change who I am or, more importantly, how my Dad feels about me. He made sure of that when He put Abraham to sleep all those years ago. He has removed the possibility for failure by removing the human element.

Now I know that Christianity is not some behavioral ultimatum, but a relationship of total commitment on God's part, and total surrender on my part. Now I believe in a different version of Christianity:

God-focus instead of self-focus

Loving Him instead of trying to please Him

Thankfulness instead of devotion

Internal God thinking instead of external God thinking

Christ in me instead of Christ-likeness

Walking in the Spirit instead of struggling to conform flesh to His image

Renewing the mind instead of trying to grow spiritually

and best of all...

Knowing Him and Walking with Him instead of living for Him