Lost and Found
We started a new series at hungry last sunday night on the statements where Jesus says, "I have come to..." Last week was the story of Zaccheus where Jesus says, "The Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost." The part of it that stuck with me (which is wierd to say since I did all the talking but typically I move on pretty quickly to the next week so not tons of stuff sticks with me) was about how you can be going someplace and get lost, and then find someone to follow to your destination, but still not really know where you are and still feel pretty lost. And when we begin to follow Jesus, we don't need to act like we've got it all together, we've just admitted that we're lost and we need someone to follow who knows where we're supposed to be going and how to get there.
Paul is the example that we hold up all the time of what a Christian should look like, but in Romans 7 Paul wrestles deeply with his sin and in his question "who will set me free from the body of this death?" admits that after following Christ his struggle with sin got worst, not better. I feel like American evangelical church culture teaches and encourages people that following Christ is a linear journey away from your sin. But maybe when we start following Christ, He leads us to a deeper knowledge of our sin. Maybe we see the tip of the iceberg in terms of our sin on the day we start following Christ, and He needs us to see how big the rest of it is. And maybe He wants us to see our sin so clearly so that the good news of His dying on the cross and rising from the dead will mean more to us. Maybe that's why He said, "He who is forgiven much, loves much." Maybe the path to transformation and truly loving God isn't away from sin, but towards it. Meister Eckhart (I don't know much about this guy, but cool name) wrote, "Love even your sins, for they will make you love God more." And Paul said, "Where sin increases, grace goes crazy" (my paraphrase).
Obviously I'm not suggesting we wallow in our sins and embrace them, but let's not pretend they're not there. The more lost you know you are, the more closely you'll stay to the One you are following. And I think then we'll truly be depending on Him to transform us instead of us trying to transform ourselves. Ask God to show you a sin you didn't even know you struggled with today, and then thank Him for loving you in spite of it.
posted by jeff @ 9:10 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Wow, great stuff Jeff! I think you are exactly right and one of the most dangerous prayers we can pray is:
Ps 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
I try to pray this daily and it keeps beating me up, but in a good way. I find that my heart is like an onion that God keeps peeling away. It started with the obvious. I had to get away from porn. Then He started on gluttony. Lately (mostly thanks to one of your messages) I keep getting a sense of how I need to be more gentle and gracious. And so on. There's plenty more of course, but those leap to mind.
I think the progression is linear in the sense that we can leave the old sins behind, but it certainly is like an iceberg in that as we get closer to God and perceive more of His holiness and grandeur we become more aware of just how much farther we have to go. At least I do. It's not always so comfortable either.
I agree with the both of you...
If you know me well then you know that my life has not been one that has always sought out to glorify God (putting it very mildly).
But now as a follwer and worshipper of God (and worship leader) there is no better place to be than in recognition of my own shortcomings. I think if there is one thing I ever understood about our faith without someone pointing me towards it, it is that "He who is forgiven much, loves much." In light of that I pray we never lose sight of our need for a savior...
May we all recoginize our need to follow closely to Jesus.
Much Love,
-J
I am with you Jeff. I think that if we are truly growing deeper in our relationship with the Lord, we can't help but become more sensitive to His voice and the molding of the Holy Spirit. Through this I think areas of sin and struggle are brought to the surface that have probably always been a part of our life, but we have never faced...or maybe have never even noticed.
I think if God was done rescuing us from the sin if our life, then our being molded to look more like Jesus would be complete. I don't think this happens until the day our slavation is complete in heaven. I pray that until the day we die the Lord will be revealing areas of sin and shortcoming in our lives. I pray we meet those head on with the knowledge and faith that this is God working...not us failing.
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