The Phil Files

Yesterday I was practicing my archery and using two different kinds of points on the arrows I was using. At first neither was hitting the mark — they were both off. But as I began to tune in my aiming device, I began to get one of the types of points to hit spot on target, but the other points hit low and about 4 inches to the right. This is not a good sign and no matter how careful I was, I was still off target. I still had work to do on my sights, and even more importantly, on the tuning of my bow.

Interestingly, the term for sin means to “miss the mark” or, as the apostle Paul describes it, “fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Sometimes despite our best intentions, we miss the mark or fall short of where we need to be with God. On the other hand, there are other times when we rebel against God and willfully sin — we trespass against the will of God. The mess our world is in, the mess we often find ourselves in, is a result of either missing the mark or willfully transgress against what God wants for us (Ephesians 2:1-3).

Thankfully, God’s grace has triumphed over our sin through Jesus and gives us a new purpose in life as God’s special creation (Ephesians 2:4-10). So today, I am thankful for God’s forgiveness. I am thankful that the Father has forgiven me for the times I didn’t measure up, fell short, and missed the mark he set for me. Even more, I am thankful for the grace and forgiveness God has extended to me even when I’ve rebelled and trespassed against His holy will for my life!

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.

For yours is the kingdom and the power
and the glory forever. Amen.

I am so thankful that God didn’t just forgive and cleanse me, but that He also has a purpose for me and a life to live that honors Him. I am not just saved from sin and death, I am saved for a life that reflects His character and compassion. He has called me to live a holy life.

Unfortunately, we often don’t associate the call to holy living as an act of God’s grace. In fact, many don’t talk about God’s call for us to live a holy life. In my Heartlight.org article this week, “God’s Twin Grace.” There, I say:

God’s searching love welcomes all who will come to Jesus for life and that love transforms us so we can live our life in ways that reflect His character and honor His sacrifice.

I have often wondered why we have such a hard time understanding this principle and embracing the transformation of our lives as part of that gracious gift from God?

Why do you think so many in Western culture seem to understand grace in terms of mercy and acceptance and ignore the call to transformation?

How can we talk about salvation if it does not change us now?

What is the hardest, yet most wonderful, transformation that God has accomplished in your life?

“I only appear to be dead.”

Today is the birthday of Hans Christian Andersen — you already know that if you are a fan of The Writer’s Almanac from which this thought comes. Having lived a hard life, losing his father at only 11 years of age, Andersen had some unusual quirks that made his short stories and fairy tales interesting. They also made for some interesting twists in his life.

One of the quirky twists involved Andersen’s fear of being buried alive. To settle his nerves and reassure himself in the face of his fears, he left a note beside his bed each evening that read, “I only appear to be dead.”

As I looked over the responses to my last two posts, and as I wrestled with the harsh difficulties of some of my friends to whom I have tried to minister, I realized how deep the hurt and how grievous the wounds of many ordinary people. Now I know some of you are thinking, “There is no such thing as an ordinary person. We are all special in God’s sight! Jesus died for ALL of us and EACH of us at the same time.”

Who can quarrel with such a statement? So then, how to do explain to ordinary folks who are broken why they are neglected in their hurt, forgotten with their wounds, and even avoided because of their brokenness? They don’t feel like the extraordinary person who has fallen from grace in a public way. so why should they be shunned? They don’t feel weird or out of the ordinary, so why should their struggles be somehow more odd than others.? My only answer is that God’s people, the folks who are called to be living the good news of the Kingdom, only appear to be dead. We’re not dead, we’re just sleeping.

An old line from Graham Green’s challenging little novel called The Power and The Glory comes to mind at a time like this: “The church sat there like a block of ice melting away in the heat.”

Some of the criticisms pointed at Jesus’ followers are overly harsh and unfair. Even Jesus himself acknowledged that only 1 out of 4 seeds would be focused and fruitful. The Lord said that in the fields where God’s good seed grows there are also those who look the part, but are really only weeds. Our Savior reminded his closest friends that while he cast his net of grace wide and far, that net came back with some fish that needed to be thrown back because they were false. (See each of these stories in Matthew 13). So we should not be surprised when we face — and sometimes when we are reason for — the criticism of those who see our imperfections and contradictions.

However, if we were not the habitat of hypocrites, where could flawed people go? If we didn’t have folks who were weak and sometimes slipped back into their old and broken ways, where could broken people find companionship for the journey of transformation?

Seems to be the test is pretty simple. Do we love God and love people? If we love God, we are dissatisfied with our lack of our own progress and turn with renewed commitment to Jesus for grace AND power. Transformation doesn’t happen without both. In addition, we love others. So we do not pretend to them that we are something that we are not — we are honest about ourselves and our struggles — and we invite them to share our journey. Redemption in real life doesn’t happen for us or others if we do not.

Sounds so simple. Unfortunately, it seems, we fall asleep. So maybe we need to add a line to Andersen’s adapted statement: “We only appear to be dead. So please pray that the Holy Spirit will rouse us to live with the heart of Jesus.”

No wonder the apostle Paul reminded church folks a long time ago about the words of one of their hyms:

Wake up, you who are sleeping! Rise from death, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:14)

So frequently, we hear the descriptive phrase “crime of opportunity” used to talk about a robbery or act of violence as if it almost happened by sheer luck or fate. Most “crimes of opportunity,” however, are carefully arranged situations where the criminals have planned what they are going to do, they are just waiting for the right person and situation to come along to do it.

Since Jesus faced down Satan in the wilderness in the time of temptation (Luke 4:1-12), the evil one has been “lying in the weeds” waiting for his great opportunity to assault the Master (Luke 4:13). All the talk of Satan, darkness, betrayal, temptation, repentance, and faithfulness in this chapter let’s us know this is the moment the evil one has waiting to happen. Judas has now become the devil’s co-conspirator in waiting and arranging for this moment to come:

//Inspiration: Luke 22:3a, 6
Then Satan entered in to Judas Iscariot … So he agreed and began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus so they [the religious leaders] could arrest him [Jesus] when the crowds weren’t around.

//Incarnation:
I must realize that evil and the powerful one behind evil are real, determined, cunning, and deadly. Paul warns early believers of this truth (Ephesians 6:10-12. I ignore this truth at my own peril. Satan lies in wait for the perfect moment to strike and bring me down. I must hear the message of this chapter and always be ready to resist him and also be ready to confess and return if I fall!

//Invitation:
O LORD God, strengthen me to withstand the inopportune attacks of Satan in my moments of weakness and vulnerability. Give me courage to admit my sins and failures of faithfulness. But, dear Father, bring the right people into my life that will keep on the path of your grace and power. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.