Peace On Earth

When we humans think of peace, we usually think of the absence of something. If only people wouldn't hate each other. If only we didn't have any weapons of war. If only poverty could be abolished. If only we could win the war against disease. If only justice could prevail. But if all our “if only” prayers were answered, the peace of God would not be the result. The peace of God is not simply the absence of adversity and war. Did you ever think about the fact that the sovereign God chose to become one of us at a time in history when external peace (the Pax Romana) prevailed throughout most of the civilized world?

God came to us, in the person of Jesus, at a time when massive armed conflict was not a factor. He brought peace to the world, not by taking away or removing problems, but by adding His presence to the world. Immanuel - God with us.

The peace of God is the presence of God. The peace Jesus brought, and the peace He still brings, is His presence as He lives right within each person who calls on Him as Savior and Lord.
Christmas is much more than a time when we all try to be happy, nice, merry and peaceful. It’s much more than trying to have a peaceful dinner with extended family and relatives with whom you normally don't get along. It’s much more than trying not to have bad things happen for a little while. Christmas reminds us that the peace of God comes to us only by Christ’s presence.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests." (Luke 2:14)

Who has the “favor” of God resting on them? All those who have become “children of God” as a free gift of salvation by faith and belief.

The peace of God proceeds from God, not from men. God brings it, and He gives it to those upon whom He gives the greatest gift. We cannot generate the peace of God, but we can receive it.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27).

The peace of God is not the realization of all of our “if onlys.” The peace of God is the presence of Christ within us. Immanuel (God with us) has come to find us and save us.

O come let us adore the Prince of Peace.

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Pagan symbols at Christmas?

I keep hearing some Christians saying that there are too many pagan symbols around at Christmas. They say that the tree, the parties and the presents are, as all good Christians should know, pagan practices.

I look at it this way: When we use pagan symbols in our celebration of Christian events, we are demonstrating the fact that Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords. Pagan symbols can be quite appropriate because Christ has conquered, and he who conquers is always free to use the spoils from those who have lost the war.

So when we have Jesus Christ right in the middle of our Christmas parties, it makes a pagan party look like a funeral.

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Grace vs. Rewards??

There are two parables that often cause folks to wonder about God's grace vs. performance-based rewards. They are similar - the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30, and the parable of the pounds in Luke 19:11-27.

Both parables speak of a man going on a long journey - Luke specifies the man is of noble birth. Both parables have to do with the Kingdom of God.

Both parables have a similar formula - three servants were given gifts. The servants were called to account for the gifts they had been given when the master returned from his trip. He rewarded those who used what they had been given, while taking the talent from the person who buried it, and giving it to the person who had multiplied the gifts he had been given.

What can we conclude? What is Jesus teaching us about the kingdom of God? Some believe that these two parables negate all that the New Testament teaches about salvation by grace. Others believe that these parables "balance" (whatever that means!) grace - so that we can understand that salvation is a gift, but it is also earned by what we have been given. But no such teaching is present in either parable. No mention here about the kingdom of God being gained by merit.

Many New Testament passages clearly teach that salvation is by grace. The Bible does not contradict itself. So, in what way, if at all, is this parable talking about salvation? We can conclude, from basic application of the rules of understanding the Bible, that the "rewards" talked about in these parables do not contradict the many other passages that speak of and explain God's grace.

What may we conclude? Salvation is one thing - and rewards another. There are no rewards for those who are not given, by grace, God's kingdom. Rewards therefore are dependent on, subservient to, and follow grace. Rewards do not contribute to salvation, which is absolutely a gift of God. Rewards follow grace. Rewards are only given to those who have first accepted God's free gift of salvation - on His terms - which means, all the credit and the glory for the gift of salvation goes to God alone. No part of salvation is performance-based. No part belongs to any pitiful little contribution we might have tried to make. To God alone goes the glory. Alone.

In both of these parables the servants of the Master (we can safely conclude that the master of the parables is God) are GIVEN GIFTS.

1) Whatever the gift may be (symbolized in the parables by monetary units) the gift is a gift - it is not earned. The situation presented in the parable is not a pay day. The situation is an outright, no-strings-attached gift. Therefore, in both of these parables, God's grace reigns supreme. These servants of the Master were given something they could never earn, something they could never demand, because the Master gave out of the overflow of his generosity - his amazing grace.

2) The parable teaches, however, that the gifts of God are not given so that we can bury them in our backyard, wear them on our sleeves like a religious badge or stripe of honor, or display them in our trophy case for all to see. Gifts are given to pass on. Gifts are given to share. What are Christians given? What aren't we given! Everything that we are and have, spiritually, is given. We are given God’s love, we are given salvation, redemption, forgiveness, reconciliation, sanctification. We are given an eternal inheritance. To be given all of this, and not to share it, not to proclaim it, not to tell others about it, not to tell others about the Kingdom of God - is to be given a gift and put it in a napkin and bury it in our back yard.

3) The basis, then, of any rewards we receive - AFTER we have been saved and APART FROM the gift of salvation - is based on how we have shared, communicated and passed on the gifts we have been given. Nothing is said here about endless lists of religious duties; everything here is about telling others about God's amazing grace - which is, ironically, the polar opposite of performance-based religion.

4) The rewards we are given are not simply a future award ceremony presided over by Jesus, when long lines of people curve all around the world, waiting for their rewards - or lack thereof. The Kingdom of God has a present dimension. It is already present in our three-dimensional world but not yet totally fulfilled until we die. Therefore, there is a reality about how we are living out our lives on a day-to-day basis in these parables.

Some say that there must be levels of heaven, levels of nearness to God determined by how great is an individual’s rewards or lack of rewards. This sounds to me like man’s idea of earning things. Man is so performance-based that some even think of heaven that way. As I see it, salvation is by grace alone and Christ alone. And heaven is certainly the ultimate expression of God’s grace – UNMERITED FAVOR.

I don’t want to discount some kind of reward from God after we die (God can certainly do whatever He chooses to do), but I believe that the rewards that are described in these two parables are given in the here and now and will enable us to more effectively serve our fellow man.

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Addictive Worry

These are worrying times.

You may be worrying for any number of big, collective reasons: the economy, unemployment, loss of savings or evaporating retirement funds, election outcomes, international tensions or war. Just one of these things is enough to keep you tossing and turning through the night - but all of them at once?

Or you might be worrying over more personal matters. Maybe the economic downturn has hit home (a recession is where other people lose their jobs; a depression is where you lose yours). Maybe you're dealing with a health crisis, or marital or family troubles.

These all qualify as rough patches, trials, tribulations. We like to use these terms to give our problems context. These little catch-phrases give us hope and reassurance us that our trials are only temporary - we’ll get through it - better days are ahead - every cloud has a silver lining - it’s darkest just before the dawn - we're building character - what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. No matter what their faith, nearly all humans rely on such aphorisms to encourage themselves and each other.

Christians, of course, ought to be better equipped than other folks to cope with life's turbulence. We can see how adversity is an opportunity to trust in Christ living in us. When we are weak, then we are strong spiritually in union with Christ (2 Corinthians 12:10). Even if we Christians don't get out of our trials alive, we have the assurance of life eternal. It seems therefore that Christians should be confident in any situation - good times or bad (Philippians 4:11-13).

But such is not always the case. I wonder if some Christians are in a perpetual state of worry - by their own choice. As if the world didn't offer enough to worry about, whether or not we have any real causes for anxiety, we invent more. If life doesn't offer us enough affliction, we will find some way to afflict ourselves. I believe some of us are actually more comfortable living this way, for reasons that psychologists might have a better grasp of. Suffice it to say that this may be similar to the spouse who returns to an abusive relationship - or the person who leaves one abusive religious group only to join another.

What are some things Christians needlessly worry over?

THE PAST. Everyone has a story. In some circles it’s called a testimony – an often tedious tale about all the stuff we went through and all the mistakes we made and the sinful lives we led before coming to Christ. The problem is that some of us continue to live in the past. While we may have to bear the physical fallout from some big mistakes - the past is over and done with. Jesus’ work on the cross took care of all this so that we can move on. With Paul, we need to "forget what is behind" (Philippians 3:13) that we may "gain Christ" and be "found in him" (Philippians 3:8-9).

THE FUTURE. I understand this one well because I lived under the expectation that the sky was falling for many years. Riots, war, famine, disease epidemics and economic collapse were always right around the corner. Of course all these things have happened in my lifetime, but anticipating them happening all at once does something to one’s mind. You become paralyzed in planning and preparing for the future - you don't think long-term - at best you live from year to year - or survive from day to day. Though you may push it to the back of your mind, you live in the grip of fear. This is one of the most spiritually toxic examples of addictive worry.

THE PRESENT. Christians ask themselves: "Am I in God's will? How can I know God's will for me? What does God want me to do? Is God pleased with me? Am I doing all I can? Am I growing and overcoming enough? Am I witnessing enough? Am I raising my kids correctly? Do I have a right attitude about everything? Why am I not experiencing a breakthrough? If I work hard enough and if I'm disciplined enough, I ought to live a blissful, problem-free existence because Jesus said so."

Or did He? In fact Jesus did not promise us a rose garden in this life (Luke 14:27). But misinformed Christians who expect otherwise are continually striving, obsessing and worrying over their shortcomings. The more rigorous this process is, the more headway they feel they are making. In its extreme form, this notion becomes asceticism, where people seek affliction, suffering and pain, believing that it will make them better, eliminate sin or draw them closer to God. While millions of Christians have lived this way, the idea has its origin with pagan gods and goddesses whose anger must be expiated by human suffering - a sick, Christ-less idea that lies at the heart of all legalistic religion.

When Christians get sidetracked with these concerns, pastors and teachers can help - to instruct, reassure and comfort worried believers that their salvation is secure. But instead, like pouring gasoline on an already blazing fire of stress and anxiety, some pastors and teachers use this situation to leverage behaviors that will benefit them and their religious institutions. They harangue believers to serve more, pray more, pay more, give more, study more, and fellowship more. They do this not only in church services, but in a continuous avalanche of books and publications designed to keep believers addicted to worry.

Such un-Christlike teaching may interpret the familiar passage in Matthew 6:25-34, where, faulty interpretation points out, Jesus tells us to stop worrying about ourselves and worry about spiritual things, i.e. in the case of those who torture this passage for their own ends, "spiritual things" becomes one and the same as their religious institution.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Moving beyond flawed interpretations of this passage, simply taking this passage at face value, indicates that Jesus was talking about anxiety over physical things, and about giving His kingdom first priority. Yet I believe Jesus is saying more here. When Jesus promises that His Father will provide for us, is He guaranteeing us endless food, clothing and shelter for the rest of our physical lives without any effort on our part? Experience and other scriptures tell us this is not what He meant. If we want to eat, be clothed and have shelter, we (or someone else) will have to work for it.

The deeper lesson here has to do with God's spiritual provision - our spiritual food, clothing and shelter. Spiritually, there is absolutely nothing we can do to feed, clothe and house ourselves. For those things, we must rely totally on God through Jesus Christ living in a total union with us. When misguided Christians stew and agonize over their spiritual condition - whether they are working hard enough, overcoming enough, witnessing enough, giving enough, praying enough, etc, etc, etc. - they are worrying about something over which they have no control. As Jesus says, "pagans run after these things," - and in all pagan religions we see people laboring, striving and worrying to make themselves acceptable to their gods. Jesus says, in effect, "Don't be like them. Stop your scurrying around. Stop your addictive worrying. Just sit down and rest. My Father will take care of you. That is why He has placed Me within you giving you His divine nature. And I am not going to leave you." God does for us what we can never do for ourselves.
Do we believe Him?

If we do, that's one less thing to worry over.

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