What animal am I most like?

Sometimes I ask people if they were an animal, what would they be. It makes for interesting conversation. If I ask myself the same question, the answer is easy. I would be a zebra because I am black and white and totally untamable! Well not really impossible to bring under control, at least God can do it, but I am black and white, not in color but in the way I think.

Perhaps this is another reason why the Gospel of John appeals to me. He uses figures of speech and stories to show the conflict in the life of Jesus and in the lives of his followers. For instance, he writes about light and darkness, receiving Christ and rejecting Christ, a physical birth and a spiritual birth, law and grace, death on a cross and resurrection from a tomb. There are no middle choices in these opposites. Someone either belongs to Jesus or they do not.

John isn’t the only person who writes about opposites; the entire Bible has more of the same. It speaks of sin and righteousness, walking in the flesh or walking by the Spirit, good or evil, defeated by Satan and victory in Jesus Christ, spiritually dead and spiritually alive, rich or poor, wise or foolish, love or hate, war or peace, bold or fearful, joy and sorrow. All of these appeal to me because I seldom see a middle ground. I’m either at one end of the spectrum or the other. I cannot see how a person can have one foot on one side and the other on the opposite for many issues.

A few more biblical topics come to mind: loving God or loving the world (or money, or self, or anything else), obedience or going my own way. This last one reminds me of these verses:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5–8)

This applies to the intelligent as well as the fool which does give part of the topic some shades of gray. That is, a person’s IQ can be low, high or somewhere in between, but God puts all of it at one end of the spectrum. We either rely on our own ideas and plans, or we are relying on Him. In God’s mind, there is no partial trust in Him. I either do or I don’t — in any given situation.

I can also apply this to acknowledging Him. The word means accepting what He claims. I just read a book about praying the promises of God and realized this is a great need in my prayer life. Too often I am telling God what I want Him to do instead of presenting the problem, need or issue and asking that His will be done in that situation. How do I know His will? I might figure it out from reading His Word, but I might not know it at all. Can I trust that His will is the right answer? I’d better, for the alternative is trusting my own ideas and telling Him what I think He should do. This is impertinence and definitely not faith in Him or acknowledging that He knows best.

These verses also say that if I trust Him with all my heart, He will make my path straight. This could also be translated as: He will make righteous all that I am doing. Isn’t that what I want?

Pride tends to consider that I am smart and wise enough to run my own life, but that is saying NO to God, no matter how good it might look to someone else. I know when I’m on my own path and not the way God wants me to go. I don’t feel good. But following Him puts a spring in my step and a sense of well-being pours over me. He can do this for those who avoid all evil and humbly trust Him.

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Lord, one more contrast, the most important one, is that You are all good, all righteous, all holy, all loving. You hate sin and yet were willing to bear the weight of it that sinners could be forgiven and transformed, moved from the kingdom of darkness into Your kingdom of light. I’m filled with joy that You took me from a life of selfishness and put me into Your Body the church where I can serve You instead of me. I’m also thankful that for every time I slide back to the wrong side of things, You patiently hang on to me and bring me again into trusting You. Thank You, thank You.

The dividing line

Yesterday’s news quoted a television personality as saying that a prominent politician’s Christian beliefs are a mental illness. I noted the difference in her countenance and the face of the one she accused. If appearances are any indication, it is not the politician who has the problem.

This story reminded me of the demon-possessed man that ran naked through the tombs and terrified those around him. Today, most people would say he was mentally ill. When Jesus met the man, He told many demons to leave him. 

Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. (Luke 8:35)

Encountering Jesus does not bring mental illness or demonic disorders; He is a healer. The people knew it and “they were sized with great fear” (verse 37). His power was more terrifying than what had been happening to that man!

This incident in the life of Jesus says much about today’s sharp line between those who believe in Him and those who do not. The Word of God is totally black and white in this regard. It seems obvious that anyone who realizes that line would be afraid, and if not, they should be. This is what Jesus says about that sharp line between believers and those who deny the Gospel:

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:36)

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. (Matthew 12:30)

Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats . . . And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:32; 46)

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

Those who followed Him were also black and white. They said things like:

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

And we who believe in Jesus are still saying it. Why are we so sure? The objective reason is the certainty that Jesus died and rose from the dead. The resurrection used to be dismissed with many arguments, but no longer. There is too much evidence to support it. It changed our calendar and unites all who believe it into one family of God.

The subjective reason is what happens in our lives when we believe. Just as Jesus said, we are changed. We are not perfect (yet) but we hate the sin we once loved, love the Christians we once disregarded, and know the power of the Holy Spirit. He fills us with His attitudes which are much different than what was once normal.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22–23)

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Jesus, I’m not as black and while in my opinions about many things as I used to be, but still see no gray areas when it comes to Your identity and the reality of what You say and what You came to do for sinners. Statements like that of the television personality once made me angry, but because of Your compassion toward sinners of which I am one, I feel great sorrow for her. She does not realize what side of a great gulf her attitude has placed her.

Mercy and grace: much needed

I’m a pessimist. I’ve tried to change, but still tend toward negativity before seeing the upside of situations. However, it is safe to conclude that God uses negativity; all the OT prophets were black and white pessimists. They saw the danger and evil in their world and preached against it. In the plan of God, this is far more important and truthful than telling sinners “don’t worry, be happy.”

When I read the news, being pessimistic is easy. My news app on Windows 10 allows feeds according to interests. I’ve put in “inspiring news” and even those clips are often bad news. My heart is heavy, yet bad news gives me fodder for prayer.

The state of the church does that too. While many congregations are vibrant and growing in faith, there are others who have tripped along the way, falling into various problems that have distracted them from their purpose. I’m quick to spot this in groups and individuals. My challenge is to pray rather than criticize.

Today’s Scripture describes how this was not unusual in the past. The psalmist saw a need in God’s people and like I’ve learned, he pleads to God for revival:

“Lord, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. Selah You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger. Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us! Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation. Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly. Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky. Yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before him and make his footsteps a way.” (Psalm 85:1–13)

They started out well. God had forgiven their sin and blessed their lives. However, something happened that angered God about their behavior. While the psalmist does not list their sins, their history includes going their own way without consulting Him and falling into idol worship. For this and all other sin, the psalmist asks for a return to their former relationship with God. It began with His love and mercy toward them, which enabled them to love Him and be merciful to one another. He spoke peace to them and in His love and righteousness, they responded with faithfulness. Unfortunately, they did not stay in this attitude.

The psalmist might have preached to the people, but he knew that “pulling up their socks” does not work. We cannot save ourselves, nor can we revive ourselves when we fall into sin. Salvation is of God. O Lord, show us Your love and grant us your salvation.

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Jesus, I have been praying for revival and You have answered by working on my own heart. I’ve seen sin in me that I never realized was there. This reveals to me that the people I pray for are likely as blind to their own need as I have been. We need You to open our eyes and our hearts so that we see our sins and repent, no matter what they are. I know that if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins, You are is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old and bring us back to our first love.