Fool me once...

Jonah thought that running from God would make him free. Instead it made him a slave.

Tchividjian, Tullian (2010-04-23). Surprised by Grace: God's Relentless Pursuit of Rebels (p. 53). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

Marathon Man

Running from God keeps you from “breathing” and living the life he intends you to live. You thereby rob other people of the blessing God intends to give them through you, because you’re less than you’re meant to be.

Tchividjian, Tullian (2010-04-23). Surprised by Grace: God's Relentless Pursuit of Rebels (p. 44). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

It's all about all about grace. People should see me as a vessel of God's grace. But if I don't understand that grace, or embrace it, I will not look like the vessel that I should, and people will not see Christ in me.

The odd thing about this, is we can be running from God even while some of our actions say otherwise. Is everyone in church living and breathing the life God intends? I think of a family that attends on Sunday, but Monday Sunday afternoon through Saturday Sunday just before church, there is an anger and/or violence that is hidden from the church-going crowd. One that causes the rest of the family to cower in fear and shame. You'd never know it from their countenance on Sunday morning.

And so, the family does not receive the blessing that God intends. Instead, there is fear and shame and a real lack of even being able to comprehend what grace really means at all. A house on the sand, wouldn't you say?

But I thought...

“If we obey God, we must disobey ourselves; and it is in this disobeying ourselves, wherein the hardness of obeying God consists.”

Tchividjian, Tullian (2010-04-23). Surprised by Grace: God's Relentless Pursuit of Rebels (p. 38). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

I know that it this quote might seem out of place, because many times people who focus on the gospel are seen as "antinomian" (against the law). But that should not be the case. Ours is just a different perspective on the impetus that drives our obedience. Rather than seeking to draw approval to ourselves, we respond because of a deep vision of the beauty of the grace of God through Christ.

So we seek to obey. On the outside, it looks the same as anyone else's obedience. Much like the two houses in Christ's parable of the wise and foolish builders look the some on the outside. But while one seeks to draw approval (the house on the sand), the other clings on the grace and mercy of the cross, knowing that no amount of works will justify us or curry any favor from above (the house on the rock).

And I thought those sand houses were always full of non-Christians. Yet if they were, the houses wouldn't look the same on the outside, would they?

Clearly stated

Real change does not and cannot come independently of the gospel, which is the good news that even though we’re more defective and lost than we ever imagined, we can be more accepted and loved than we ever dared hope, because Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose again for sinners like you and me.

Tchividjian, Tullian (2010-04-23). Surprised by Grace: God's Relentless Pursuit of Rebels (pp. 16-17). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

The answer isn’t to try harder in the Christian life but to comprehend more fully and clearly Christ’s incredible work on the cross, and then to live in a more vital awareness of that grace day by day.

Tchividjian, Tullian (2010-04-23). Surprised by Grace: God's Relentless Pursuit of Rebels (p. 17). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

Yeah, I can't say it much better or clearer than the second quote, so I won't even try.

Do the math...

I came to grips with the fact that the gospel is not just for non-Christians but also for Christians.

Tchividjian, Tullian (2010-04-23). Surprised by Grace: God's Relentless Pursuit of Rebels (p. 15). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

Once God rescues sinners, his plan isn’t to steer them beyond the gospel but to move them more deeply into it.

Tchividjian, Tullian (2010-04-23). Surprised by Grace: God's Relentless Pursuit of Rebels (p. 16). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

I think a lot of evangelicals see conversion as a one time even. Dunk 'em and count 'em. Then we move on to the next victim prospect. And somehow in the midst of this madness, we think we curry God's favor.

But this type of thinking is actually counter-gospel. It is the religion of the Pharisees. You know, the one where our converts are "twice as much a child of hell" as we are. (Matthew 23:15) How does that work out over time, you know, mathematically?

Next book

Having finished "Creature of the Word" by Matt Chandler and friends, I want to go back to the book I had read just prior to that one, but did not blog about. The book is by Tullian Tchividjian, who happens to be a grandson of Billy Graham. He is also a Presbyterian minister at a rather large church  in Florida. It is called "Surprised by Grace."

This is not the first book by Tullian that I have read. I also read "Jesus + Nothing = Everything." This is the story of the struggles he went through as he became the pastor of this church, following a strong leader who had been there for many years. And if you know anything about churches and church politics, there were those who not happy with his selection and the "changes" that would come. It is an excellent book, and I highly recommend it.

So here we go...off on another journey.

I'll have a side of Floundering

The Church will thrive despite the floundering of some churches.

Chandler, Matt; Geiger, Eric; Patterson, Josh (2013-11-26). Creature of the Word: The Jesus-Centered Church (p. 236). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

The church will thrive because Jesus said it would. He said it would prevail against the gates of hell. But he
did not say that about me. He did not say that about my specific church.

Some will flounder. Some will fall. But God will not. None of those given to Jesus will fall, except the one who was destined to fall, Judas.

This is humbling. It makes me want to work out my salvation with fear and trembling. There are no guaranteed tickets. No prizes inside the chocolate bars ala Willy Wonka.

Floundering does not always mean failure. Peter floundered. A lot. Floundering is not the end. God is in charge, and he will help those whom he has called.

My prayer is that he has called me.