A Simple Equation

Jesus + Anything = Nothing

Jesus + Nothing = Everything

This was a simple equation that was presented to us by our discipleship pastor, Jeff Doyle, this morning. The current sermon series is on the book of Galatians - from Bondage to Freedom. The first thing that this equation made me think of this morning is how I try to insert nasty sin patterns and intentionally distort the grace of the gospel. I'm not merely talking about sin that we commit accidently or even spontaneously, but sin that is actually premeditated. I understand the ramifications and, to some extent, the consequences of my sin. That being said, how can I still choose to sin when I know (and have known for years) that it doesn't satisfy and puts me right back into a place of guilt and shame? Then I foolishly think that I must stay away from God, punish myself (be my own judge), and then reapproach Him when I feel saved again. (That thinking is not biblical, by the way.) Does this sound familiar or does it at least make sense? Even if you are not a Christian, has your conscience ever revealed a definite sense of right, but then you intentionally chose the wrong? Why do we do this? By choosing disobedience to God, I am, in a way, perverting the gospel of Jesus because being, in Christ, I have died to sin. This is the part of the gospel that I must preach to myself often.



In Romans 6, Paul explains the wrong-headedness of this way of thinking: What are we to say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. The thing I must learn and must do, with only God's help, is to choose obedience for my good and God's glory.



The other truth that I must remember when I disobey God is found in Romans 8: There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.



After thinking of how I personally distort the gospel, I then thought of other ways that it can happen. The stigma of trying to add something to the gospel is rampant in our culture today. I just talked to a lady recently who attends both a Catholic church and a Baptist church because she wants to have an "open mind." That's not the part that bothered me. It was the thinking behind that. She continued to say that her "open mind" included other religions as well. She has a friend that is Muslim, who wants her to travel to the Middle East in order to feel the experience of Islamic prayer. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6) How can this woman really believe in Jesus, but then still want to embrace more religion? In addition, how can I look to learn about truth, grace, peace, forgiveness, etc., instead of learning the truest form of these from Jesus Christ himself? This is the problem of the Galatian church that Paul addresses in the beginning of his letter:

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ

and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Gal 1:6-9)

Truth, by its very nature, is exclusive. It is the nature of truth that provides a foundation for the laws of this country, as well as a common understanding amongst various countries with representatives in the United Nations. I could paste in the loonnggg list of the nations that are members of the United Nations, but it might be easier for both of us to give the link: http://www.un.org/en/members/index.shtml The exclusivity of truth also gives us a basis for arguing cases in courts of law, BUT what we decide to do with truth is a different story all together. Truth gets mucked up with lies, deceit, pride, lust, compromise, bribery, or fill in the blank _______. Then, truth no longer looks like truth anymore. It has been watered down and dissolved into nothing.

If we stand firmly for everything, then do we stand firmly for anything? This sounds wonderful at face value, but it is completely unliveable. None of us seem to truly believe what we say. On the contrary, it is what we do every day that reveals our true beliefs. Even if you don't think about it much, you live your life based on some set of values. If you embrace two different belief systems that fundamentally contradict one another, your actions will prove to provide overwhelming evidence for which belief system is truest to you. To give an extreme example, the reason that many people are not out right now murdering others for fun is that we believe that sort of behavior to be detestable. But if we embrace the Christian understanding of life, then we cannot murder because each person in made in the image of God. Each person has inherent worth and is of the utmost value, a diamond in the rough.

Even though we were created in the image of God, we have sinned against a holy and perfect God. We have rebelled against His goodness, even thinking that we could live independent of Him. If we die in this thinking, then we really will live eternally independent of him, apart from all light and goodness. God's free gift of grace is for everyone. In despite of our sin, God, in his love, sent His only son to perfectly absorb God's wrath, thereby crediting His righteouness to our account. I know my behavior does not merit grace whatsoever, but that is the beauty of it. I cannot earn and do not deserve grace; it must be freely given.

Yours truly,

J-slice