Tuesday, November 21, 2017

The Highway to Hell is Paved With Good Intentions

"...and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" Gen. 3:5.

The original sin was steeped in good intentions. What more noble aspiration exists than to be like God? The methodology was all wrong, but we can't fault Eve for wanting to be just like her Creator.

We Christians do the exact same thing. We invent any number of ways designed to make us more God-like. Read/study the Bible, pray, evangelize, do good works - all fine in and of themselves but they'll never make us more like God.

Eve's problem (and ours) was an identity crisis - she didn't know who she was. Already created in God's image and likeness, how much more God-like could she get? Unfortunately, she believed the lie that she was deficient in this department.

This same fallacy is being swallowed hook, line and sinker today by many believers. Ask Christians if they're righteous and a good portion with emphatically state, "No!"...but they'd like to be. Some are working really hard to attain this goal.

Despite the fact that First Corinthians teaches that Jesus has become our "righteousness, holiness and redemption" (1:30) or Second Corinthians which states that because of Christ we're now "the righteousness of God" (5:21), Christians strive to become what they already are.

Here's another old favorite stand-by. "I'm just an old sinner saved by grace." Really? Sounds humble and pious until you stack it up the Paul's position on the matter.

"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners Christ died for us" Rom. 5:8.

Unless Jesus re-died in 1972, I wasn't around for Him to die for me at Calvary.

"That God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And He as committed to us the message of reconciliation" 2 Cor. 5:19.

God's not holding anyone's sins against them so then why do Christians label themselves and others as such? We don't know who we really are.

I've heard the title of this week's blog post used in a variety of settings and with a great deal of latitude. What I'm not insinuating here, however, is that Eve's sin sent her to Hell. The only way to enter that domain is to reject God's already-in-place gift of reconciliation. Eating the forbidden fruit didn't send Eve to Hell. It didn't even stop God from showing up for his customary daily chat with the pair after the Fall.

To me, the meaning of this popular saying is that many mistakes aren't based on evil intentions - just the opposite. In Eve's case she wanted something most would consider very good...to be more like God. Ignorant of her real current status in life, she set out to obtain what she already possessed.

Some Christians, even those with familiarity with Scripture are on a similar mission. Ask me how I know. Unaware of their identity in Christ they resort to all types of religious gymnastics designed to make them into someone that they already are. These turn our to be exercises in futility. Many suffer in silence as they attempt one more program of self-improvement, the latest Christian fad. Frustrated many give up and quit. Again these are often good things but they can't make you any better than what God already has done for you.

God went to a lot of time and trouble to reconcile us back to Him. All we have to do is accept that it's already done. As the truth takes root and we begin to live out of this new reality, our life changes. We don't strive to be transformed - we recognize and step into our true identity in Christ.

How about you? What religious self-improvement program are you on now? Is it designed to make you a better Christian and more like God? How's it working for you? Are you becoming a new person via effort on your part or by awakening to your true identity and living out of it? Are you refreshed or stressed? Can you relax in the truth that you're already like God, thanks to His actions alone?

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