Worldly Scars

Junior high was rough for me. There are times when I still can feel the scars that were left by those few short years of turmoil. As a teenage girl I wanted to fit it, to be cool, to hang with the 'in crew'. But there was also this desire in me to be different. And I know that it's what got me into trouble with the group I so desired to be a part of. At the time I claimed to be Christian but wasn't living the lifestyle, but I feel as though the urges to be different were put upon me by God. Christians are called to stand out from the world, but the world doesn't like those who differ.

I am currently in 1 John in my Journible and in chapter 3 John states, "Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you." This harsh blurb in the section of chapter 3, titled "Love One Another", had a cross reference that took me to the gospel of John chapter 15 where Jesus spoke:

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’ 

Christ was rejected.  He was betrayed, beaten, the crowds mocked him and tore his clothes.  He was hated by a world of people who didn't get what they wanted out of his life on earth.  The crowd was filled with religious folks who wanted redemption from the Romans not from their own sin.  They didn't want to know or acknowledge their evil ways.  They lived obedient lives, they were elder brothers who lived the way they did to earn their 'get out of hell free card'.  Christ was persecuted.  Christ was nailed to a cross by a world that hated him.

So we are not to be surprised if we too are hated by the world.  Jesus states in verse 20, "If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you."  The world follows fleshly desires that we are called to turn from, and not just turn our head away but to run far from.  And so we when talk about saving sex for marriage or avoiding drunkenness for the sake of living for Christ, we look different.  Most of the time the ones who love indulging in the temptations of the flesh don't want to hear that they are living sinful lives, so we are rejected.

"But it sounds awful to live a life that keeps me isolated from being cool, from fitting in, from all the fun."  Once again I'm reminded of my middle school years which were temporary, just as this world.  When we leave earth and are placed in the presence of God, being cool according to worldly standards isn't going to matter.  Having a heart that is fully devoted to Christ will.

Psalm 37:4 states, "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."  Many will read this and think, "God wants me to be happy with what makes me happy."  Or an excuse for us to keep living our sinful ways.  But when Christ takes hold of our hearts he changes our hearts.  We are chosen out of this world, as John states in verse 19, chosen to be different than the rest of the world and we delight in that.  God gives us the desires of our hearts by changing our hearts and our desires that will glorify Christ which in turns gives us ultimate joy in Christ.  Praise to God almighty who chose me out of this world in order to joyfully live for his kingdom alone!

The Real Jesus

Sometimes I have a difficult time imaging the life that Jesus lived.  I am a very logical thinker, its a gift that my husband is quite fond of but there are moments when that thinking needs to be pushed out of the way in order for my love and passion for Christ to reign in my being.  I honestly love having my own personal pastor, because he gave me this reminder: to find that love and passion it takes study and devotion in the word for it to become true in your heart.  How else can I respond to that but by diving into scripture to re-read the words I know well in my mind to make them true in my heart.

I'll start with defining who Jesus is through the gospel of John in chapter 1 verses 1-5:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Yes I realize the words "Jesus Christ" are not physically found in this passage but Christ is referred to as the "Word". "The Word was with God, and the Word was God." Jesus Christ is fully God in human form. It is astonishing, I know quite well how conception works and God made his Son through his Spirit in the womb of a virgin girl. Jesus Christ was at the beginning of time when he created this earth and the creatures of it, as verse 3 states, "all things were made through him." Nothing that was made lacked the hand of the Son of God. He is our life and light in the darkness and evil of this world as stated in verse 5.

The gospel of John teaches us that Jesus Christ is our light in the darkness or evil, but how does that work? I'll go to 1 John 2:1-6 to define this:

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Jesus Christ is righteous and he is our advocate to the Father.  "He is the propitiation for our sins," the word propitiation means "a sacrifice that bears God's wrath and turns it to favor" (ESV Study Bible).  Christ lived the perfect life but then was betrayed, beaten and crucified on a cross. He died the death that we deserve for the debt of our sin.  Christ's death is what finds our favor in the eyes of the Father.  We can do nothing to earn that favor.  All we can do is turn to the cross.

We must be careful when we read "for the sins of the whole world".  As John continues into verses 3-6 that we must keep God's word and his commandments.  We are called to repent of our sinful ways as Luke 13:3 states "but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish".  We are to follow the ways of the Lord as verse 6 states "whoever abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."  As humans we will constantly fail to live the life that Jesus did but I like how the ESV Study Bible expresses how we can follow in Christ's ways: we "can mirror his faith, love, piety, obedience and self sacrifice".  We are to be a shadow of Christ as marriage is a shadow of Christ's love for his bride the church.

It is so easy to get caught up in the self pity of our daily lives, I know I've been there for the past week.  I can make all the excuses I want but nothing gives me a better perspective than turning to the cross.   Where Christ breathed his last painful breath in order to bring God glory and to give us non-deserving humans favor in the eyes of the Father.  I thank you Jesus for your life, for your teaching, for your example, and for your death!