My Dog and Fireworks

Our small, nervous dog starts shaking in panic at the first sound of loud acoustic blasts such as fireworks. Along with shaking from tensed, stressed muscles, he hides. Nothing we do can convince him that there really is no danger, just the shadow of danger.

The same thing happened once, but in reverse. The Christian Jews in the early Jerusalem church could not believe that the laws that they lived their life by were just a shadow of the reality of God's sending of His spirit to live with believers. Instead of laws on tablets, God is now able to write the laws on our hearts. And even more distant from the early shadow, God said that now

• your sins are removed (not covered temporarily as the Jews were always taught)
• I (God) will personally explain every law to you, my child
• even more amazingly, the message God has for one believer may be different or even the opposite message for another believer! That is pretty far from my concept of a hard and fast law. But that is God's concept. So how does a person discern the truth in life around them? Let God explain it.

Our dog only has a shadow of fear from loud noises, but in contrast we have complete peace with God in the face of anything in life. Are there still tears? Sure. But unlike our canine's reality, God is there with us, explaining every tear, understanding our weakness, abiding with us without end.

Just let the idol worshippers in?

The morning service clarified the problem that the early church in Jerusalem had with Paul's message that the law had fully and completely ended meaning gentiles came to God apart from the law and ALSO were to live apart from the former law (Old testament law).

The christian jews in Isreal had been taught since birth that idol worship had been the central cause of all their people's problem for the past 1500. Every time the Isrealites turned to idols, God's shield of protection was lifted and in swept a power that overcame them and turned them into slaves. So when Paul suggests that new gentile christians, many idol worshippers amoung them, were not to be kicked out of the group for continueing in idol worship, the Christian jews were beside themselves. They simply couldn't see that God's "deal" with them had changed to one of complete grace. They held to the idea that certain behaviors had to be stopped or God wouldn't be there for them.

Paul saw beyond their argument and stated that NO sin kept someone from God, but for the sin of unbelief. God's new shedding of grace meant that even idol worshippers were fully loved and cared for and protected by God's loving hand. On this point, Paul stood alone. Perhaps John saw some truth in what he said, but Paul was alone. Though probably the few idol worshipping Christians that heard what he said were rather comforted.

Just let the idol worshippers in?
Yes. Teach and live truth - God's grace, not more law. The early church couldn't trust God to work in these idol worshipper's lives. Paul says that it is in fact only God that can change their behaviors from the inside out, not by other believers using social cohersion to convince them to stop "or be shunned".

Idol worship is sin, of course (reference=many places in the Bible). Also sin:

1. to be smoking when God tells you not too
2. having a small house when God has told you to buy a mansion
3. running two miles when you are called to run 2.1 miles
4. not eating ice cream when God has told you it is ok

Just let the idol worshippers in?

Yes.

Fear not error

Errors are not to be feared. I find it too easy to fear risks in life. I fear this mainly because I will feel guilty about making mistakes. This is not from God. Under grace our mistakes have no bearing on anything that really matters.

Sure, earthly error can bread earthly negative consequences. But God is caring for us even when we sin, go wrong, don't listen to God's voice (use your own description if you'd like). Remember, punishment is no more for those of us in Christ.

Our dog is on to something.
Perfect?
no
Does it matter?
no

Grace then Law now Grace

Though God's dealing with people have always been describable as "through grace", the period of the law is special. The giving of the ten commandments ushered in a unique time in which there were very negative consequences for not obeying God.

Before that, even during the 10 plagues RIGHT before the exodus and the giving of the ten commandments, God looked the other way when His people didn't trust Him. During the period under the law, from the 10 commandments to Christ on the cross proclaiming "It is finished" (the law is finished), God many times dealt very harshly with His people. In Abraham's and Job's time, (even Noah sleeping with his own daughter!) God forgave and more so. That is the agreement God has established with us today. The law has come and gone: Paul describes the law as "powerless" to make us holy. Christ has already made us holy.

We can never be more or less holy than right now. That is why we reminded to just "rest, stand, wait on God" and a host of other very passive statements. There are many statements of aggressiveness, but they relate to holding fast to our resting.

When we are told to not be unequally yoked, central to that idea, and the part that we share most with our daughters is that if one person sees that God has finished the work (which He has, at the cross) and your boyfriend doesn't believe that the law is finished, you will forever be frustrated and held back from the "more" that God has for you just so you can be with your future spouse emotionally and spiritually.

Live free in God's grace. It is the best and only real testimony we have. Our strongest guard is not to be at battle with ourselves to conquer whatever bad habit we may have. Our strongest guard should be against anyone who might strip away the freedom from condemnation before God we feel as we live in God's grace.

God's Grace is Free and Personal

Unlike capitalism, where nothing is truly free, God's grace is free. It is also abundant.

God's grace is also precise, personal. My needs are not those of another person, and God supplies everything that I need, not someone else.

What Gray Davis needed in 2003 was sanity. I have always had that in excess, so God didn't need to supply me with more of what I already had.