3rd Person Reciprocity: A Christian Obligation

Matthew 18:32-33 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

Third person reciprocity became better known through the movie Pay It Forward which was based on a book of the same name. The movie poster has this sentence, “When someone does you a big favor, don’t pay it back… pay it forward.” This is third person reciprocity put in more simple terms.

Reciprocity in general is an ancient economic system. Simply put it means if someone does something for you then you are obligated to do something equally valuable for them. If a wheat farmer needs fruit he will give a fruit farmer wheat after harvest expecting the fruit farmer to reciprocate with an equal value of fruit after the fruit is harvested.

In the case of third person reciprocity the wheat farmer would freely give his wheat to the fruit farmer as a gift to help the fruit farmer. The fruit farmer would then give fruit to someone else who needed help. There is an understood obligation to help others when someone has helped us. 

This is the teaching in the passage above. Read the story surrounding these verses and remember that this is Jesus' illustration of the Christian practice of third person reciprocity. We are obligated to give what Jesus has so freely given to us to others who are in need as we once were.

In a broader sense third person reciprocity is required of all people by God, because He has showered us all with His gifts of grace. This teaching is not just in the New Testament, it is all through the Bible. Deuteronomy 24:17-22 and Exodus 22:21-27 detail this requirement in the Mosaic Covenant. We who have received benefit from God in the past, even in our ancestors, must return the same to people in our present who are in need of it.  

Divorce Me!

Luke 5:8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

10 And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not;

Within moments Peter fell from extreme self-confidence and pride to humiliation and fear. He would have many such experiences throughout his Christian life. In the context we find the root problem. Peter thought he knew more about his own business, commercial fishing, than Jesus did. Peter was arrogant and surly when Jesus told him to take him fishing. And he was impatient with Jesus.

Walking with Christ is hard on some of us… especially if we are prideful, know-it-alls, overly self-assured, and/or tend to be impatient with others. The fall can be hard and far, but Jesus will be sure to take us there… for our own good, and to make us useful to Him. He must have servants who are willing to do His will not their own will.

The realization of our failure will show us what we fear most… that we don’t measure up and that we aren’t what we believe ourselves to be or pretend to be, and that Jesus plainly sees that truth about us. Those of us who suffer from this arrogance generally do so out of fear. And when we loose face in the presence of Jesus it can be a horrible experience.

Peter’s response was, “Depart from me…” This word depart could be used by a failed husband or wife who is so distraught over their own failure that they cry out to their mate, “divorce me!” It is more than saying I am unworthy, it is saying I can’t stand that you see my shame. But Jesus said, “Fear not…” He knew Peter's agony. Peter had gone from one extreme to another in a matter of minutes. Now Jesus brought him back to a place of balance, a place of humility born from unconditional love. Wow...

Mercy's Rainbow

Genesis 9:13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

The skeptic may look at this verse and reply, “The rainbow is simply a product of sunlight refracted in air-born water molecules, it is created by rain not God.” Well... the first part is correct, but the second betrays a misunderstanding of the text.

The key to understanding this passage is sunlight. There shouldn't be any, at least not enough for a rainbow. In fact, God's justice requires that the earth be covered by rainclouds until life is drowned out. Sunlight peeking through the clouds creating a rainbow is evidence God's justice is being withheld by God's mercy.

The story began in Genesis 6:1-8. God was finished with the earth and mankind, His justice seemed to have overridden the mercy He had extended to Adam, Eve, and their children. In 6:7 He declared the final, absolute destruction of all mankind including Noah and his family. Justice destined all to die in a cataclysmic flood with no rainbows visible. No sunlight would pierce these clouds.

But then in Genesis 6:8, just as in the Garden Of Eden, God allowed mercy to peek through the foreboding clouds of justice and lifted this judgment from Noah and his family. Noah had been condemned with the rest of humanity, so Noah wasn't freed from justice because of his goodness, he was freed by God's grace purchased on his behalf by Jesus' gospel work. Jesus future death was symbolized by the offerings in Genesis 8:20-22. Mercy withheld justice.

Noah and his children were lawbreakers just like the people who drowned in the flood, and the people who would come after them... us. Justice demands a flood again. Every moment of everyday since Noah, God's stormy justice has been withheld by His mercy in Jesus Christ. The sun always shines through the storm clouds somewhere on earth, so there is ever a bow in clouds on the mercy side of the storm... our side of the storm. These rainbows send us the mixed message of justice and mercy: we deserve destruction, but Jesus has secured mercy for us.

One more thing... when hurricanes hit our coasts I periodically hear the inland preachers of doom point the finger of judgment at us coastal dwellers and say our judgment is deserved. They are right, at least as far as they go. But the rest of the story is (and this is when the preacher of doom becomes a gospel preacher) that if justice had its way the storm would extend from the coast to them, and then past them to the whole earth... because they are cut from the same cloth we are... Adam's cloth. We all deserve the storm, but when the storm stops short the message is mercy. Mercy in Jesus Christ. The rainbows surround us, everyday, every moment. Thank God for His covenant of Mercy! Genesis 9:8-17

Mercy... It's In God's Hands

Psalm 94:18 When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.

In God’s justice there is no choice or liberty for the accused. There is no help for the condemned. God's Justice is solid, unquestionable, irreversible, unchangeable… absolute. A person is tried by a perfect law, and judgment flows from an absolute purity in God called Holiness.

But since God's Grace and Mercy entered the scenario of life nothing has been solid in this existence except God, His Word, and His Sovereignty over the affairs of life. Life's experiences under Mercy's rule are fluid, questionable, reversible, changeable… mysterious to us. We can be forgiven...

The first man Adam, who justice condemned to die the very day he broke God's law, was, by God's mercy, allowed to live… but... for how long, and to what extent would he now be punished while he lived? Who decided when the penalty would finally be executed, and what the quality of his life would be while he lived under this Mercy? God. He alone decides when mercy ends and justice begins. We are indeed “at His mercy”.

There are those who would like to concretely say of every matter in life, “If you do that God will do this!” But... we live lives overwhelmed by Mercy not Justice. If it were Justice that ruled... well... we wouldn't be here would we? While we are under the pleasant rule of Mercy we do not always or often receive the punishment we deserve. But don't let the joys of God's mercy lull you to an apathetic sleep, for without the promises found in Jesus and His Gospel, withheld Justice will pile up like storm-water behind a dam of Mercy, a dam which God will one day remove, and unrestrained justice will flow.

For Mercy to exist there must be a Being who has all authority over justice, and, therefore, authority over all the affairs of mankind. This authority extends to the powers of death, hell, and the grave, and liberty from the same.

Cutting Off The Thief's Hand

Matthew 5:48 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Earlier in this sermon Jesus told His audience that their personal righteousness would have to exceed the standard of the most morally disciplined among them. Without this excess they would “in no case” enter the kingdom of heaven. He then proceeded to display the insufficiency of biblical law to reach this goal.

A person with perfect moral nature would never have to be told what to do or not to do. Their pure heart and mind would guide them, making a statute unnecessary. The very existence of moral law points to a deficient morality in the first place. Corruption precedes law.

Let me illustrate it this way. Some middle eastern cultures highlight their moral purity by touting the precision of their laws and the harshness of their punishment. Some will go so far as to cut off the hand of a recalcitrant thief. But such law really only advertises the moral failure of the people and their culture. Imagine how corrupt a people must be to be threatened by their leaders with amputation to keep them from stealing. A morally pure people would never think of a law against stealing. It would be totally unnecessary because their nature would never be tempted to steal. Moral law and punishment is evidence of corruption not righteousness.

This text gives the true standard of moral righteousness. It is a person not a body of laws. Only an intelligent being can possess the beauty and balance of moral purity. This purity flows from the inside out, and only becomes a law for impure moral creatures. The impure study the statute, systematize it, and enlarge it, but those very acts reveal their failure to attain it... To BE it.

This is where all human religion is deficient: it is law based. The Bible uniquely claims to have given the law to show the inability of the law to bring true righteousness. From Adam to Israel the Bible displays the failure of statute law to bring righteousness. The failure is in us... not the statute.

The Creator is the standard of moral purity. Those who move from the coarseness of the statute to the living nature of the person find themselves facing an unattainable standard: perfection. We cry, “I can't ever be as He is! The standard is too high!” Ah... now we see the righteousness that exceeds. Now we understand why Jesus had to die, and why the Gospel is really good news. By faith God imputes to us a righteousness that is living, pure, and sufficient.

One Lawgiver

James 4:12 There is one lawgiver

When scientists speak of physical laws they are speaking of the universal and invariable foundation of this physical world, laws or regularities by which all that is known exists and continues. What is the source of this existence and these laws? God.

It is interesting that we see these laws as unchanging and immovable, but when it comes to moral law we often see it as changeable. But all true law proceeds from the same Creator and He is unchangeable. His personality and moral being is intrinsically pure and cannot be divided or made less than it is.

We fail in our thinking when we accept the notion that any law which proceeds from His nature is changeable. Law which proceeds from the eternal lawgiver is as much a part of His nature and intelligence as gravity is an attribute of this earth's existence.

Physical and Moral Law is the closest glimpse we can get, outside of the person of Christ Jesus, to the very being of God. The Law is good.

The nature of the Lawgiver is the fountainhead of the love and mercy found in Jesus Christ; love and mercy, which are also Law, flowing from the very being of God. Upon this Gospel Law stands all the promises of God in which the poor lawbreaker trusts for everlasting life. There is one Lawgiver and He is worthy of our trust.

Is Prayer Necessary For Salvation?

Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

I was asked the question in the title a few months back at the end of a Bible class. The notion that a prayer for salvation is necessary to receive salvation is so popular today that it is tightly woven into the fabric of contemporary Christianity. Question it and some look at you like you are seriously disturbed. So... I guess you can just call me crazy Larry, because... well... I questioned it...

This is not such a difficult question to answer, but it may be difficult to hear the answer. I didn't have time in that class to answer the question properly, so I wrote this answer to make it available for our members to read and carefully study. I have posted it on my blog to make it available to anyone who wants to study the subject. So… here goes… first some Bible facts:

• There is not one verse in the Bible that claims a person must pray to be saved… not one.
• Even though the Bible records various examples of people being evangelized, there is no example in the Bible of any believer asking an unbeliever to pray for salvation… not one.
• There is no place in the Bible where prayer as a component of salvation is systematically discussed. What I mean by that is there is no place in the Bible where a serious Bible student can go to find instruction on how this prayer for salvation thing works.
• There is no place in the Bible that tells me what should be said in this prayer or any example of a prayer for salvation. Some might say that Luke 18:13 tells us what must be said. But that prayer doesn’t meet the standard usually required by those who teach prayer for salvation from Romans 10:13. There is no confession, and no mention of Jesus in the prayer. This prayer contains no acknowledgment of saving faith or the Gospel, and there is no place in the context of this verse or the rest of the Bible which promotes the use of this prayer by others.
• There is also no place in the Bible where a person is requested to “ask Jesus into your heart.” In fact the two words “ask Jesus” never appear together in the Bible.
• There is no place in the Bible where prayer and salvation are discussed in the same context. Ah, but some may say Romans 10:13 meets that standard. Before I go there let me first mention that resting an essential salvation doctrine on one verse that appeared decades after the ministry of Jesus is dangerous.

Romans 10:13 is a partial quote of the Old Testament passage Joel 2:32. So in order to interpret it properly it must be studied in two locations, first the Old Testament and then the New Testament. But it is interesting that I have never come across a proponent of prayer for salvation who even knew this was a quote from the Old Testament. I'm not trying to be rude, but if a person hasn't studied the verse enough to know it is a quote, then it is clear that person hasn't studied the subject sufficiently enough to even have an opinion. Especially when dealing with the bible doctrine of salvation.

It must be noted that the word “prayer” does not appear in Romans 10:13. Paul did use the word prayer in Romans 10:1, but not anywhere else in chapter 10. The words translated prayer and call are not the same words. Confession, as it is used in Romans 10:9-10, is also not prayer. Confess means, "a public statement of what one believes." (Friberg's Analytical Greek Lexicon) The word call is used in Romans 10:12, and the Old Testament verse quoted in Romans 10:13 was used by Paul to support the statement he made in Romans 10:12. Verse 12 is part of the contextual discussion that Jews and non-Jews can now have the same standing with God.

The word call in Romans 10:12 is a present participle. Which means it defines “its subject as belonging to a certain class.” (Burton’s Greek Grammar) Call is not something done once, but it is a repetitive habitual action which identifies someone as belonging to a specific class of people. This class of people has already believed (Romans 10:14) and are, therefore, in the class of those who regularly call on the Lord. The intent of this verse is to teach that God "is rich" to this class of people no matter their race. 

Call in Romans 10:13 comes from a Hebrew word which means “to enter into an intensive relationship as someone who calls.” (Koehler-Baumgartner Hebrew Lexicon) Paul’s reason for using this Old Testament verse was to support the truth that Jews and Gentiles can now both be in a relationship with the Messiah because of the “righteousness which is of faith” (Romans 10:6). Paul was not discussing how a person gets into a relationship with God, but what class of persons are in a relationship with Him. This righteousness which comes by faith to all who believe the gospel, both Jew and Greek, has been the heart of Paul's discussion since the beginning of Romans.

An understanding of the gospel is necessary for salvation along with belief in that gospel. In every case of evangelism in the New Testament people were called to believe or have faith in that gospel. Those who have believed the gospel can and will now freely and regularly “call” on the name of the Lord. This teaching of salvation by grace through faith in the gospel of the Lord Jesus is supported throughout the New Testament. Prayer associated with the immediate work of salvation is supported nowhere in Scripture.

Why is this so important? Well there are at least three reasons:

1. Salvation is the most important doctrine in the world and accuracy on this subject is profoundly important. Even if you differ with me on this subject of prayer the importance of the doctrine should cause you to pause and carefully seek the truth apart from your own tradition or personal desires.
2. The bible is the rule of our faith and practice, so every belief should be tested by the Scriptures.
3. People who have been led in a prayer for salvation, as I was, often struggle with doubts about their salvation. They may tend to examine their prayer and wonder if it was good enough... did I say the right words, or was I sincere enough? Instead of looking with faith and confidence at the gospel for salvation and trusting that Jesus did everything right on our behalf they may be forever bound to look at themselves and their performance for confidence. And that leads to doubt and spiritual struggles, because we can never be sure we did something good enough. If you were led in a prayer for salvation I am not saying you are now lost, what I am saying is there is no evidence that prayer has any essential role to play in salvation. Turn your attention to the gospel work of Jesus Christ... that is where the firm confidence of salvation is found. Prayer is a good thing... but it cannot save. Only Jesus' Gospel work can reconcile us to God.

Jesus Can Change The Prognosis

Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Jesus was invited to a feast at Matthew’s house, so Jesus, with a large group of His followers, joined them for the meal. This became a big issue because Matthew (Levi) was a non-practicing Jew, and also a Roman tax collector, and, therefore, an outlaw in the eyes of practicing Jews. And Jesus ate with Matthew and his rejected friends. The practicing Jews saw this as an opportunity to pull followers from Jesus, so they tried to cause division among His followers.

Jesus’ response to their trouble-making is recorded in this text for all time. He was doing what he came to this earth to do: remove the ravages, guilt, and condemnation of sin. He couldn't fulfill His mission without working among the guilty and condemned. His work was and is personal… it was and is up close. He must get close to those who need Him most, and those who need Him most are those who have been convinced by the “righteous” or the law that they are beyond help, that their sickness is incurable. This Physician ignores such a prognosis… and brings hope to the sin-sick.

Motherhood Made Easier

And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? 1 Kings 17:18

The woman quoted in this verse is a widow that was mentioned by Jesus. In addition to being the focus of Jesus’ comment she gives us some unexpected, helpful insight into motherhood. Please read the unique story in this chapter beginning at verse 1. In this post I'll call the widow Alma from the Hebrew word for widow: almanah.

Horrible tragedy struck Alma: her only child died. Look closely at her response in verse 18. She partially blamed herself. Her conscience had pierced her clouded, grieving mind with two words: “my fault!”

Alma was plagued by guilt from the past… what had she done? What dark guilt-laden memories would replay every time her fears were aroused? She couldn’t free herself from these memories or guilt… Conscience was Alma’s master, guilt her chains, and fear her tormentor. A cruel bondage. Now, she believed, payday had come and the wage was unbearable. Her husband first… now her son.

Alma is a keen example of some mothers who sense there is a God, but know little about him. This incomplete understanding places a terrible burden on mothers, and affects everything they do. As mothers become more secularized they lose a firm understanding of the Gospel and its benefits for mothers.

Here are some things mothers have in common:

• Just like Alma, all mothers have made some mistakes in their lives. Romans 3:23
• This means all thoughtful mothers have done things they wish they hadn’t done.
• Just like Alma, mothers tend to take personal responsibility for the behavior and actions of their children, as well as what happens to their children.
• And just like Alma, mothers struggle with some level of guilt aggravated by the demands they put on themselves, and by the “perfect” mothers paraded on TV, at PTA, in “how to” books, on internet blogs, or at church, etc.

A woman doesn’t have to be a Christian to be a warm, caring mother, but a mother, like Alma, who doesn’t believe the Gospel and understand grace:

• Has no lasting remedy for her guilt, and may live with a constant fear of judgment.
• May carry this burden of guilt which can cause even more self-loathing and guilt for things beyond her control.
• Can be more inclined to beat herself up for her imperfections, resulting in unrealistic demands on herself and her children… adding more guilt.
• May not recognize any spiritual help with raising her children.

A mother who believes the Gospel and understands grace:

• Has a permanent remedy for her guilt: forgiveness in Jesus Christ. True Freedom!
• Can trust a loving and merciful God in matters beyond her control.
• While not excusing her imperfections, accepts the fact that she will never be perfect in this life, neither will her children. She learns the power and freedom of forgiveness...
• Lives under the Grace of God, and knows God cares about every need. She knows God loves her children as much as she does, and He helps her raise them.
• Knows that this life is not the end, so she seeks the salvation of her children.

Alma came to know a kind and merciful God... I hope you know him too. A personal understanding of God's Grace In Jesus Christ makes motherhood so much easier.

The Self-indictment of Moral Conservatism

Romans 2:1 ¶ Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

Conscience is an important Bible word which is found in the New Testament not the Old. It means, “the faculty of moral consciousness or awareness by which moral judgments relating to right and wrong are made.” BDAG

Conscience begins with self-awareness, and moves to the innate recognition that right and wrong exist. This is more than learned socialization. It is an inseparable aspect of human consciousness. It is a state of being. It is the mark of our creator obligating us to be morally like Him.

This text is not opposed to judging, it is a warning of the self-indictment contained in the act of judging. When we judge another person we prove we have a conscience, can recognize the need for right thought and behavior, and we are confident enough in this knowledge to measure the moral state of someone else.  We then, when judged by God, cannot plead that we did not know. We are, as the verse says, inexcusable.

The more detailed our knowledge of the precision of moral perfection the greater our own condemnation. This is why nearness to God never leads to arrogance... it leads to humility, and more dependence on the Gospel.

It is not obedience to a list of rules, but the purity of ourselves that conscience seeks. Our conscience may find temporary solace in an obeyable list of behavioral rules, but it can never by behavioral means fully free itself from the conscious weight of imperfection. That ever-present nudge of conscience that we are not as we should be is an indicator that we need something more than we have within us to be at peace with ourselves and our Creator. Jesus put the demand of conscience this way: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48 Then... He gave us the Gospel.

The Beauty Of Brutal Honesty

Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Brutal honesty has a unique beauty. But, oddly, religion can provide the motivation to abort that beauty before it is born. In religion people often cloak the truth about themselves so they will appear to be what they know they are not. But this man, looking into the face of Jesus, knew he couldn't hide the truth from those eyes. He believed, but he also struggled with doubt. So the hard truth just came tumbling out. Beautiful... So vulnerable and real...

I once heard a preacher say, “If you doubt, you’re damned!” He taught that a constant perfect faith is necessary for eternal salvation, and if we ever waver in our faith it is evidence we weren’t really reconciled to God in the first place. I was intrigued and repulsed all at the same time. Intrigued by how far people will go to steal the credit for salvation. Repulsed by the pain and confusion caused by deflecting attention away from Jesus, the source of salvation, to self. This is the slight of hand used to place the chains of religion around fearful, guilt-laden hearts. An honest person's examination of self will always find insufficiency, but when we keep our attention on Jesus and His gospel we will find all sufficiency.

It would be a wonderful thing if we could compartmentalize our personality so that one part of us was perfectly pure, while the other part struggled with imperfection. But, sadly, imperfection stains every attribute of our being. When religion says you must be perfect in this way or that, we either fake it, or walk away.

Jesus either died for all our sins, or He effectively died for none of our sins. There is nothing completely pure in us this side of heaven, and that includes our faith. It is mercy that our struggling faith seeks from God, or it is nothing at all. Heaven will not be ours because of our perfections. It is ours because God chose in His mercy to save us in and from our imperfections by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Look to Jesus for salvation... and be brutally honest with Him.

A Remedy For Self-Righteousness

Romans 14:1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

What does “doubtful disputations” mean anyway? Well... it basically means to argue over controversial subjects. The two types of people mentioned in this chapter are prone to religious arguments.

One group carries a list of sins which are exceptionally grievous to them. They will have a general list which includes sins that are held in disesteem by most people, such as adultery and murder, but they will also carry this other list. This list is more refined and detailed, and a bit harder to defend. The items on this list are generally controversial, so this list will receive much more playtime when it comes to disagreements.

An item on this list mentioned vaguely in the Bible can become the cornerstone of a church or religious movement simply because it genders controversy. The controversy drives like-minded people together, and separates them from everyone else. Some religious leaders have been known to use such controversy to keep their followers behind them. I heard one of these leaders say, “If you want people to rally around you start a fight they can believe in, and they’ll follow you to the end of the earth!”

There are a few root problems here. One is a misunderstanding of the law of God. Basically any list will be way too short, and is fundamentally flawed because it cannot contain the fullness and essential essence of God's law. Our Creator is the source of all law. Law in its fullness is the expression of His being or personality. As living, intelligent beings the standard of perfection for us cannot be fully expressed by a list. The standard is a person.

Jesus put it this way: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48 The standard we must meet is the full moral perfection of God. That perfection cannot be fully boiled down to a list of behaviors, because it involves more than behavior. Moral perfection comprehends motives, balance, appetites, responses, absolute control of our physical being, and a thousand other realities of what it means to be an intelligent, moral creature.

The remedy for those who wish to argue over their list is to be given more law than they can walk out the door with. Defending an obey-able list of behaviors makes a person feel strong, secure, and... well... self-righteous. But when the living standard of the law is discussed we immediately become aware of our deep imperfections, and our inability to ever meet the moral perfection required by God. A basic understanding of the law robs us of any self-righteousness.

Then we must find righteousness from some other source than self in order to be reconciled with God. This is where Jesus and His gospel come into play. He died to permanently remove our guilt, and to replace our moral imperfection, in the sight of God, with full, absolute perfection which comes by faith not behavior. Gospel means “good news,” and it is truly good news to anyone who has faced the living law of God. Look at these verses:

Romans 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 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: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he (God The Father) hath made him (Jesus Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (Parenthesis mine for contextual information)

Does God Hear Imperfect Prayers?

So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. John 4:53

Over the years I have read long articles detailing the proper ways to pray. Not everyone agrees on what constitutes a proper prayer, and many of these rules of prayer seem tedious, and... well... impossible. Not having been raised in Christianity, or a praying home, this has always seemed a bit odd to me.

Speaking to each other is the verbal effect of enjoying a relationship. If the relationship is healthy then the verbal expression of it will be healthy too. Since grace is the foundation of our relationship with God, our prayer relationship is based in grace also. The weight of the maintenance of a grace based relationship is on the giver of grace, because that is where the strength of the relationship resides. Just talk to God respectfully from your heart, and He will take care of the imperfections. But always remember: without His mercy in Christ Jesus our prayers, at best, are offensive.

Many of us would never pray if it were not for our own aches, pains, and the burden of illness and grief in the lives of those we care about. Often we don’t even acknowledge God’s goodness, glory, or grace before we blurt out our need. When rebuked for our insolence we often simply blurt out our need again. This is what the nobleman, mentioned in the verse above, did: in V. 47 he made his plea, in V. 48 he was rebuked for the deficiency of his faith, in V. 49 he blurted out his need again without apology. Then Jesus did what the man prayed for him to do: He healed his son! Amazing!

This incident with the nobleman teaches us that the grace of God extends to us in spite of our selfish, imperfect praying. That's what grace does, it reaches past our imperfections. Truthfully, I have never prayed a perfect prayer, or, for that matter, done anything perfectly. But He has often graciously done what I have plead with Him to do. And I am grateful. But, I must be careful not to take his grace for granted.

My quest to know Him better is endless, so my prayer life changes with my quest. But I always know that if it wasn't for His grace I wouldn't have a prayer.

When Jesus Withheld His Mercy

Luke 4:23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

Jesus illuminated the meaning of the idiom “Physician, heal thyself:” in the following part of the sentence: "whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country." This phrase was used to remind Jesus to, as it is said in the southern United States, "take care of his own.” This was Jesus' hometown crowd, and they had heard of his powerful ministry in neighboring towns. They selfishly believed he was now obligated to them.

In the following verses, Luke 4:25-27, Jesus shocked them when He explained He would not do for them what He had done, and would do, for other people (even gentiles). He openly refused to serve their self-interests. So, they decided to kill him…

One troubling human characteristic is our sense of entitlement when it comes to God's mercy. We sometimes feel that if God does anything for someone else he must also do the same for us, as if God’s act of mercy to one creates a debt to all. This notion is not found in the Bible, and is upside down theology.

The Bible teaches we are all condemned sinners who deserve immediate, everlasting punishment. Anything we receive short of that comes from God's mercy, and is undeserved. God’s mercy becomes a useless abstraction the moment we see ourselves as entitled to it. “God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5 As I come to understand the depth of my condemnation, I will equally understand the depth of the mercy I have received.

Jesus Reads Hearts

Mark 2:8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

A few months back I proved by Scripture that Jesus could both read and write. Here Now we find he can also read and write on human hearts.

To know Jesus can read my heart makes praying so much more inviting. He knows me better than my closest companion. It also enhances my understanding of grace. These men could not hide their doubts and internal sins from Him, and I am unable to hide mine. Jesus knows all about my doubt and sin. Yet... He still loves me, and died for me.

He also confronts me about my wayward thoughts… sometimes very openly, just like he did with these men. Sometimes He writes a private message of conviction on my heart. How should I respond to such glaring revelations? With anger or resentfulness? Or with the careful repentance of one who knows His wounds of love are for my growth and benefit. Please... write on my heart Lord Jesus.

A Gospel Foundation In American Culture

The behavior of the United States must seem very odd to the foreign observer. We have the strongest military on earth, and have used this military might to defeat some of history’s most powerful foes. But, before, during, and after the battles we argue incessantly.

We take wounded enemy soldiers into our hospitals. We feed and clothe them. Before the smoke clears we clamber over the rubble to care for the injured, help them rebuild their homes, infrastructure, and wealth. Hard justice accompanied by tender mercy… where does this paradox come from?

It comes from our twofold Gospel roots. The Bible demands harsh, pure, unrestrained justice for every rebel in God’s kingdom. All true Christians first see themselves as enemies of God deserving nothing but his wrath. But then we are taught in that same Bible of God’s tender, pure, sacrificial “one way” love for His enemies. A love that found a way to answer the demands of justice and bring reconciling mercy to God’s enemies by faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Then God commanded His newly reconciled enemies to now love their enemies. So we have this seeming paradox woven into our culture. A culture influenced by the Gospel will always be conflicted. The rule of law and demands of Justice are clearly necessary. But justice is affected by personal guilt, and the ever present personal experience of mercy and forgiveness.

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Will You Still Love Me If You Know Me?

Utopia here is a myth… so is the perfect wife, husband, family, government… and church. This understanding is basic for people who wish to live free… together. But we live in a digital age, an age pressured by demands for the unreal, and seeded with expectations created to capture us... not to free us. Many of us have become prisoners of performance chained to lives that don’t really exist. Utopian ideals will destine us to become enslaved artists painting false images of ourselves so people we value will stay… not leave.


Ah... the real questions Utopians ask behind their masks: Will you love me and stay with me if you really know me? Can imperfect people successfully live, love, and stay together? Un-utopian Christianity answers yes. Jesus knows us as we are... and He gave Himself for us. Romans 5:6-11 He promised never to leave or forsake us. Hebrews 13:5 Reality this side of eternity is very un-utopian. We are blemished, struggling, and far from perfection… that is the truth. Yet we are unconditionally loved… by a perfect Jesus. I am truly free… just to be me, and to know I am loved forever.