Up A Mountain

A few weeks ago I went on a family trip to Tennessee.  One of the days I and my wife's brother-in-law decided to go on a hike.  When we got there the trail we were looking forward to doing was closed so we ended up hiking one called Chimney Tops.  We were told we could get very similar views at the top of this trail.   This trail was a grand total of only 3.8 miles roundtrip so not very far in terms of hiking.  However, the total elevation climb...1487 feet.

I'm telling you, it was a struggle making up the side of that mountain.  Many prayers were said and crying out to God became the norm for about the last half mile.  Then, when we finally reach the end of the trail we actually have to climb up a steep rock face on our hands and knees to get the view we were looking for.  So, reluctantly we went up and when the sun started to shine into the valley below we had a gorgeous view, it was breath taking.  It was God's artwork on display.

We can all take a spiritual lesson from this journey.  When you examine every major religion, every world view, they all share a common theme.  You have to climb, claw, and scrape to get to god or the ultimate spiritual destination hoping that you're able to make it and never have a misstep or completely fail.  For that reason many people find Christianity scandalous.  You can be the absolute worst person in the world, a murderer, a thief, an adulterer, etc.  but the Holy Spirit interacts with your heart, convinces you of sin, you repent and follow Jesus then all of your sins are forgiven and you get to spend eternity in heaven.

Many people may look at that and proclaim "That's not Fair, where is the justice!?!"

Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV) For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them

They're absolutely right in saying it's not fair. Here's why.  Jesus Christ, who was sinless and the only perfect One in the history of mankind paid the penalty for that sin.  Jesus Christ took the justice meant for us on Himself.    But God wasn't concerned about fairness!  What he did was extend grace by voluntarily putting his life in place of our own.  An eternal God had the finite sins of mankind put on the son and he died paying the penalty of death.

Contrary to what makes sense to us, God came down from the mountain.  He never expected us to make the journey up.  In His great grace he provided the payment of death for our sins.  He humbled himself to come down to our level, reveal to us who He is, plainly show us His will, and ultimately die on the cross for His glory and the forgiveness of our sins.

Aren't you glad you don't have to climb and struggle just hoping you make it to God...to see all the wonderful things He has for us.  Aren't you glad God has already made that journey to meet you right where you are.  Why don't we take time and reflect on that.  Let's be thankful we serve a great God who is full or grace!

Mine!

My son, Tyce, has learned a new word this week.  That word is "mine!".  We don't say that word around our house so I blame day care.

Everything now belongs to him apparently.

The T.V. remote, MINE!  The shoes I'm trying to put on, MINE!  The book I'm reading about ADHD, MINE!  The sharp knife I'm cutting chicken with, MINE!  His milk cup, MINE!  Okay, so that last one is his but we're also trying to teach him to ask nicely.

1st Corinthians 13:11(ESV) reads When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a name, I gave up childish ways.

There's a lot we can learn from the example my son has so graciously provided us with this week.

As followers of Christ I believe we frequently get caught in the "mine" trap.  We also live in a country and culture that emphasizes individual freedom, which makes it so easy to be "mine minded"  We look at out lives and we know God wants to do a work in us and has called us to live in a set apart way but we want to live life on our terms.  When we so that we stubbornly say, "mine!"

There are some other ways we fall in to the mine trap.  When we say we cannot worship to a particular style of music or we cannot worship because I didn't hear my favorite song we're claiming "mine".  Like the worship belongs to us.

We do that with our churches.  When our churches begin to change and the church we knew is reaching people we're unfamiliar with we can get caught up in mine.  Again, it's not ours to begin with.

Did you catch that?  It's not ours to begin with.

So whose is it?  Well, it's God's.  Our lives are God's, our church is God's, our worship is God's.

These things were bought with a price.  When Jesus died on the cross he paid the penalty we were supposed to pay.  The penalty of death.   Perhaps many of us need to take a moment and repent because even though we have been following Christ we've been trying to live life on our own terms.  Maybe we need to repent because we have made our church or our worship all about us than about Him.    As slaves to Christ we aren't allowed the freedom to be mine minded.

Let's stop and remember that this week.  Our lives belong to a just, gracious, loving, God who willingly laid down His life to pay the penalty for our sins so we could be reconciled to Him.