"Righteous" Deceit

I love when I start to see a theme in conversations surrounding my life. The theme these past few weeks has been the immensity of God’s grace, and our inability to earn it.

My darling friend, Julie and I had so many great conversations while vacationing in Maine about the uncleanliness of our own acts of righteousness, and our constant striving to do something worthy of God’s favor... More recently, while having dinner with my sweet friend, Hannah, we discussed our own tendency to deceive ourselves. Julie and I read through the first few chapters of 1 Peter on our trip and this conversation with Hannah reminded me of a particular verse we repeated a few times…

“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit…” 1 Pet 2:1a

We are likely to read this verse and think of deceit as an act done to another. However, Hannah brought up a great point. I think we are more often deceiving ourselves than anyone else. Paul writes it perfectly in Ephesians, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” We are God’s handiwork… created by Him and for Him, which in itself means that we are nothing and can do nothing without God. Beth Moore’s study on Paul reflects his time in prison and the letters he wrote to the churches there. Several times he talks about this gift of grace and she highlights this truth in her study:

"We received Christ as a gift of grace... We must not believe any teaching or philosophy that replaces God's grace with our performance."

Our first thought is probably in defense – “I don’t boast about the things I do for Christ.” But this is where the heart deceit comes in… we may never speak about the good works we have done, or boast that we have accomplished so much that God MUST be proud of us… but are we deceiving our hearts by thinking these things? Maybe you aren’t… but I know I have been guilty of this.

Any righteousness in us comes from the Father alone. He wrapped us in His robe of righteousness and a garment of salvation (Is 61:10) in place of our filthy rags (Is 64:6). He opens our mind so we can understand scripture (Luke 24:45). He gives us every gift we possess (Eph 4:11) and gifted us with salvation through Jesus Christ.

There is NOTHING to boast about but Christ alone. In our hearts, our heads, and with our voices we can sing songs of praise to the only One who deserves it.

We don’t have to ask ourselves if we have done enough for Him. There is no such thing as “doing” enough. We don’t have to strive. As Max Lucado once said, "Of all the things you must earn in life, God's unending affection is not one of them. You have it." And as Christy Nockels so beautifully sings, “I was made me for rest, in a world that’s striving.” 

We can rest in the peace of not having to earn Christ’s love, favor, or forgiveness. Instead we can ask ourselves if we have lived a life that honors what He did for us on the cross. Every second, every thought, every word, and every action – am I giving glory to the One who really deserves it?

The Plan

Jeremiah 29:11 is a verse you may be pretty familiar with – “’For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

We take comfort in knowing that God has a plan for our lives. This morning I read something that really spoke to my heart, and brought me an extraordinary amount of peace to face the day. I think we often times read verses like Jer. 29:11 and think that God has a plan for us – but maybe we think that plan consists of one big thing. You may think that God has a plan for you to preach the gospel, or to be a missionary, or to work with women coming out of human trafficking…. But His plan for you doesn’t start OR end there. We cannot live our lives just for this one plan; we must realize that along the way God has many other things He may call you to do.

God placed a specific call on Paul’s life to bring the gospel to the gentiles. While Paul went about this mission he also led many Jewish people to the Truth of the Way as well. While in jail the Lord spoke to Paul and told him not to fear, because he must testify in Rome (Acts 23:11). The current “plan” was for Paul to go to Rome and testify about the truth of JESUS. Here is where things get exciting… While on the way to Rome Paul’s ship encountered an incredible storm which took all of their gear. An angel spoke to Paul and told him that everyone on board would be safe and not to worry. While Paul is explaining this to his ship-mates he says to them, “So keep up your courage men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” (Acts 27:25-26) Some island… even Paul had no idea the things that God would do through him on some island. What HE did was heal an entire people of illness and leave Paul there for three months to testify of the glory of God. If Paul had gotten too wrapped up in God’s PLAN to send him to Rome, he could have missed this plan to bring peace and hope to an entire people group.

Let’s not get so caught up in what big thing God might do with our lives that we miss all of the things He wants to do with it. We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph 2:10). Those good works may never get any recognition, and that is what makes them so important.

When we live a life in step with the Spirit we hear when God is calling us to big things and to little things. Just do the next obedient thing – that is living your life worthy of the calling you have received (Eph 4:1), and that is where God’s glory is revealed.

What kind of love is this?

“What kind of love is this?” There is never a day that I don’t think that. I am loved in the most unfathomable way. Until recently the thought was, “we are loved in the most unfathomable way”. For some reason it was really easy for me to understand, on some level, God’s great love for US, but I had a much more difficult time understanding His great love just for ME.

I once read a book with a conversation in it that forever has changed me. In the scenario Jesus tells a person that even if all of the torture, pain and death had been for just him, it would have been worth it. When I first read that several years ago, I could not stop crying. It struck a chord with me that I didn’t realize was so sensitive, and I think about it often.

I love telling people about how much God loves them. I believe it, and I know the impact that knowledge will have on a person’s heart. Now I am starting to see that this love is just the same for me, as an individual, as it is for us, as a group of people.

I wake up to His Word, and ask myself if I really believe it is true for ME.

Do I KNOW that His love for ME is deep, and wide, long and tall?

Do I KNOW that His love is not based on my performance?

Do I KNOW that He loved me long before I was even breathing in air?

Do I KNOW that He loved me prior to any thought of love I had towards Him?

Do I KNOW that I AM HIS?

Do I KNOW that God’s love for me was just as deep when I was separated from Him?

Do I KNOW that I was created in His image, to be a replica of His very nature?

Do I KNOW that God knows every inclination of my heart?

Do I KNOW that I was created with purpose, and that before the day has begun there are things planned out for me to do to bring Him glory?

Do I KNOW that I am loved with a love that will never know an end?

Do you?

Knowing these truths and living in them are two different things.

Walk in this knowledge: His love is FOR YOU.