The Richland Church of Christ

Free Indeed

As I sat in the juror selection pool, a person couldn’t help but wonder what kind of case it would be. And then you start to consider the incredible responsibility of hearing a case and deciding someone’s future, whether they will be incarcerated or freed. In walks the defendant, a picture of normality, an ordinary everyday person. You recall that in our country, we are protected by the Presumption of Innocence and that regardless of the crime, everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty. This is a remarkable liberty, and we’re blessed to live in a society where this is the law of the land.

And yet part of the process is the jurors are presented with a brief summary of the case, including the accusations against the defendant. And when you hear these accusations, and even though this person is presumed innocent and looks normal, you can’t help but imagine the defendant in some state of guilt or responsibility. I suspect that the more heinous the crime, the harder this preconception would be to shake. And yet, everyone is innocent until proven otherwise. 

This is far different when we consider our spiritual case. We, of course, know that we are guilty as charged. We know that we have all sinned and fallen short of honoring God (Romans 3:23); we also know that if you break only one part of God’s Law, you are guilty of the whole thing (James 2:10); this includes showing partiality. We stand before the Judge already condemned. Knowing that you have a guilty verdict against you and you have no one to plead your case would be a terrible situation. 

Another question that was asked of the juror selection pool was if we would think poorly of the defendant if they did not take the witness stand? Many people feel that public testimony of innocence is a powerful tool, but it can also lean others toward a guilty verdict. Some lawyers advise their clients to refrain from taking the witness stand to take this issue off the table. You don’t want to provide any evidence of guilt because that might convict you of a crime. And you definitely would like to avoid standing before a jury of your peers and admitting to the crime. 

Yet that is precisely what we are called to do in our Christian faith. 

1 John 1:6-10 – “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and [yet] walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; ⁷ but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”

Wrestle with this thought for a moment. We are found and sentenced as guilty, doomed to die. But God, in His incredible mercy and grace, provides a way to prevent this condemnation, and it is by admitting our guilt. In a paradoxical position, we gain freedom by admitting we are guilty. The thing that would convict us in a human institution is the act that pardons us. In fact, by our own admittance and reliance on Jesus, it is as if we were never guilty in the first place. 

Hebrews 10:14-18 – “For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. ¹⁵ The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: ¹⁶ “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” ¹⁷ Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” ¹⁸ And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.”

According to His marvelous word, God no longer remembers our guilt. The Judge Himself does not bring the charge against us because it ceases to exist. Notice the beauty of verse 14, God has made perfect (the process is complete) those who are “in the process of” being made holy or sanctified. The purification of our sins is both ongoing and also complete. In our court system, we benefit because we are innocent until proven guilty. Yet for the ones covered in the sacrifice of Jesus, we are guilty and declared innocent when we confess our guilt. 

John 8:36 “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Our house is not old, built in 2006; it is pretty new by housing standards. Even though it is relatively new, it requires routine maintenance and, from time to time, more significant repairs. Having kids, I know I’ll need to repaint a surface or patch a hole periodically. 

By comparison, our first house was built in 1970, and there were some major issues that I was hesitant to tackle. For example, it needed a new HVAC system, it was on its second roof, and the stucco was coming apart. The worst part was that although it had a slab foundation, it had begun to settle in some areas causing more significant issues that needed to be addressed. I suppose that is the blessing and curse of home ownership. You own something tangible, but it takes effort to maintain it, and if you neglect it for too long, it becomes more problematic the longer you hesitate. 

Every house is different; some have seen very little wear and tear. Perhaps their owners were careful or lived in a region that preserved the overall structure. Others have been used and abused, or more poetically, they have “seen” a lot of life. And so on the other hand, these houses need a little more care to make them livable long-term. These structures may have settled, and these issues have taken years to become visible.

On Wednesday nights, we have been focusing on Galatians 6:1-5. Our spiritual lives are a lot like houses. Some individuals need major adjustments, and others need a little paint to smooth out the scuffs in the wall. Those that need minor repairs find it easy to “course correct” and come to Jesus. Asking these people to repent and place their faith in Jesus is non-controversial because their lives require minimal adjusting. However, those that may have seen a little more “life” will struggle to repair the cracks in their foundation. They may see their spiritual lives require a complete overhaul, and the remodeling phase is too much to handle. 

Galatians 6:1-5 – “Brothers and sisters, even if a person is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you are not tempted as well. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks that he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting, but to himself alone, and not to another. 5 For each one will bear his own load.”

As Paul is writing to the church in Galatia, he asserts that this is where a church family comes in; we come alongside our brothers and sisters and help them with their more extensive repair process. Make no mistake; we are cleansed and made new through the death and resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:11). Yet, part of the repentance process is taking the log or speck out of our eyes. When you have something debilitating in your eye, help is typically required. 

It is a good reminder that we all don’t have the same house. We didn’t start with the same foundation or even the same building code. Some require a bit more paint, and some need a complete renovation. As we walk in fellowship with others, we recognize that some need a little more TLC; therefore, we approach them with grace and patience. It is a reminder that some come to Christ with a lot of structural issues, and it may take years to sort out as they are continually made into the likeness of Jesus. Yet, God’s grace is sufficient, and they, too, are sanctified by the sacrifice of Jesus. However, they might be rough around the edges as they mature and grow. And so we remind ourselves that we are all in some state of repair and might need help with our maintenance issues someday. 

Heroes

We love our heroes. We tend to invent heroes for us to look up to and emulate. I imagine that there are tens of thousands of young kids playing in their backyards dreaming of being Patrick Mahomes tossing a ball to Travis Kelce. Why do they choose these two football players to emulate? Because they excelled in the most high-profile game of the year to secure a championship for their team. Success is absolutely admirable. As a young boy in Colorado, I remember when I was 14, pretending to be Ed McCaffery, the wide receiver for the Denver Broncos (these were their championship years). Running routes, catching balls, and pretending to be more athletic than I really was. We adore these sports heroes because we treasure the glory and fame that come with their hard work and victories. 

In the same way, the Bible tells us to imitate Christ like a young kid celebrating their respected sports figure. In a way, it is counter-cultural because it is whom we imitate. Instead of admiring a touchdown or an unbelievable throw, we copy Jesus in less self-aggrandizing ways. 

Matthew 21:5 – “SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, ‘BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, HUMBLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A DONKEY.'”

John 13:1, 3-5 – “Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that His hour had come that He would depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. … ³ [Jesus,] knowing that the Father had handed all things over to Him, and that He had come forth from God and was going [back] to God, ⁴ got up from supper and laid His outer garments [aside;] and He took a towel and tied it around Himself. ⁵ Then He poured water into the basin, and began washing the disciples’ feet and wiping them with the towel which He had tied around Himself.”

The concept is simple. Pretending to be a super-star professional football player is something that little kids will do voluntarily and unprompted. As children, we look to our heroes and copy, emulate, and imitate. So let us do the very same thing for the One that secured the most significant victory of all time. But he did not do it through impressive athletic prowess but through humility and washing feet, by dying to himself and walking a path of servanthood. 

After reading through that Triumphal Entry, I think of all the modes of locomotion that Jesus could have used. He could have come in on chariots or horses, carried by the people, or merely walked like he did most places. And yet, I am mindful that due to his obedience to God’s will, and his very nature of servanthood, he knew that riding on the colt of a donkey was the only option. It is because the humblest option is to humble yourself before God and others. As Paul writes, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8).
 

It might not be as visually magnificent as catching a Super Bowl-winning touchdown pass, but that is the point. It is not supposed to be; our calling is to be so humble that we take on the lowest of appearances and serve even those who would eventually betray us. We walk in a way that honors obedience and servitude above all else. It is different, but it is the way of my Hero. 

Kids are goofy. They do ridiculous things, and it is all games and good-natured fun; their innate play is a harmless way for them to experience the world. We spend such a long time getting them to walk when they are younger, and then one day, they master that skill; however, kids are never satisfied just being proficient; they want to push boundaries and excel. For example, Theo has been testing out new ways to walk. He loves walking backward, which for a parent, trying to navigate crowds or stores is highly frustrating. Then the other day, we were in Walmart picking up a few items, and he was wiggling and squirming his feet as we walked down the aisle; he looked like a penguin wading through Jell-O when he suddenly knocked over the bottom row of hot sauce bottles all over the floor. Thankfully, nothing broke, and we could pick them up and continue our shopping trip. All of this is because walking in a straight line is BORING. He is not satisfied doing things the same way every time; he wants to improve and advance himself in even the most mundane tasks, even if walking down the aisle of a grocery store.

2 Peter 1:5-9 – “Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, ⁶ and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, ⁷ and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. ⁸ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they do not make you useless nor unproductive in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For the one who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten their purification from their former sins.”

Notice that the last two areas concern your affection and love for others. You progress from the most fundamental requirement, faith, to personal internal reflection (moral excellence, knowledge, self-control) and finally to how to treat others. Unfortunately, many Christians stop progressing at the internal reflection part. They stagnate on learning facts, diving into the minutia of theories and nuances of ancient grammar. A lack of progress makes a person short-sighted and unproductive. We must not be satisfied with inaction; we should desire the next level. 

On Wednesdays, we discovered that achieving this next level is impossible without the church. How can I show brotherly kindness if I have no connection with the brotherhood of believers? How can I love those outside of this family if I don’t deeply love those I call my spiritual family? You might try to find maturity on your own, but this is unattainable without a connection to a church body. Look at these passages from the apostle John. 

1 John 1:5-7 – “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; ⁷ but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

1 John 2:9-11 – “The one who says that he is in the Light and yet hates his brother or sister is in the darkness until now. ¹⁰ The one who loves his brother and sister remains in the Light, and there is nothing in him to cause stumbling. ¹¹ But the one who hates his brother or sister is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

There is profound unity within these passages. Walking in the Light, loving our brothers and sisters, versus walking without fellowship and blind. You cannot claim to walk in the Light and dismiss being surrounded by your fellow Christian family. You can’t profess to be mature in your faith and not desire to meet together frequently. Finally, how can you know where you are going if you aren’t living and loving within a church community? That concept is foreign to scripture. Isolation and Christianity do not mix. An isolationist is a symptom of immaturity and stagnation. 

How Can I Keep from Singing?

A few weeks ago, my voice began to fail me. For reasons I still don’t know, probably some viral or bacterial infection, I was suffering from laryngitis. The timing was terrible, and it was unfolding “live” on a Sunday morning. Before Kingdom Kids, I would not have guessed that my voice was going to fade away, but halfway through the sermon, it was a struggle to make it through the message I had planned out. Thankfully, K’Lynn had a water bottle that she readily shared with me, and I don’t think I could have made it through without it. Yet the worst part is that with all these vocal troubles, I haven’t been able to sing like I normally would for the past few weeks. If I overuse my voice, I feel the strain more than usual; I am limited and hampered. So, I have been restricting myself… and it feels unnatural and weird.

It is confusing that many people don’t sing even when they are healthy. Ever. Not on Sunday morning, not by themselves. They just don’t sing. I know this because I’ve seen it. I can’t even fathom living like that… never singing? Perhaps that is why I resonate with David as he recounts God’s faithful goodness and the reaction it produces.

Psalm 63:1-11 –
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
² I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
³ Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
⁴ I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
⁵ I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
⁶ On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
⁷ Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
⁸ I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.
⁹ Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;
they will go down to the depths of the earth.
¹⁰ They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals.
¹¹ But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God will glory in him,
while the mouths of liars will be silenced.”

The psalmist denotes that we all have an inner desire to praise and glorify God. David’s external condition does not prompt this internal longing as he writes; in fact, he is not in a position to praise. He feels needy, disadvantaged, and even attacked by people who want to kill him, yet he can offer praise because he acknowledges the character of God.

What must it be like not to sing? Right now, I am struggling with not being able to sing, and it is hard, but this is momentary. But for me, the concept of not singing seems unthinkable. David communicates that singing is the natural byproduct of knowing God, His power, glory, and loving faithfulness. Even in your darkest moments, knowing God produces songs from your lips. In other words, if you know God, how can you not sing?

We can’t help but share with others the things that we love. Why should it be any different from our relationship with God? We should imagine it as though songs of joy and praise flow out like water from a mountain spring whenever I open my mouth. I will always sing, regardless of the circumstances. Someday soon I will sing confidently again. The question is, will you sing or find reasons to stop singing?