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"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." But he said to Him, "Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!" And He said, "I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me."
Luke 22:31-34
"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
Proverbs 15:3 "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good."
Matthew 16:18
"For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His...."
2 Chronicles 16:9a
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?"
Luke 16:10-12
Life is a test. At times it can be a very hard test. If we do not go into situations with certain foundational truths, these tests can be very difficult and end up very unfruitful if not responded to correctly. I feel it is necessary to explain the importance of why we need to be tried. I believe it is all to see what we can ultimately be trusted with. Our foundational mentalities will determine whether we pass through the fires of trial and come out as refined gold; or whether we get midway through and run out the same way we came just charred and burned.
God has designed life in such a way. that, without resistance, I cannot grow. We see this principle in action on many different levels. Take weight lifting for instance, if I want to be "trusted" with lifting the big weights, I must pass a few resistance tests with smaller weights. Am I going to fail? Certainly! Will there be times that I do not feel like working out? Absolutely! But if I keep the end result in mind, it can give me some patient endurance. I believe we see the beginning of some serious resistance training with Peter in Luke 22 above. Have you ever wondered why in the world Jesus would give the enemy permission to test Peter? I believe there are a few reasons, but the one I would like to zero in on is what Jesus wanted to trust him with - His church. Remember when Jesus said "... thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." I believe in order for Peter to be the rock of the church in the future, he first had to be the doormat of trial.
Let's think about this in weight-lifters terms again (which I am not BTW lol, just a good analogy I think). If I have not trained you or prepared you to lift a considerable amount of weight, I cannot trust you to bench 300 lbs; if you were to try to bench 300 lbs, you would probably come out injured without prior training with 100...150...200 etc. So if I could "trust" you to bench 250 a few times, I can eventually "trust" you to bench 260...then 270...then eventually 300lbs. Jesus knew what Peter was in for (the other disciples were tested greatly as well, I am just focusing on Peter). So because Jesus knew what Peter was going to have to endure eventually, He wanted to allow resistance training to begin when the enemy requested permission to try him to begin training him for the "bigger" stuff.
We see this "entrustment" principle in Luke 16:10-12 above. I understand the context is specifically about money, but, just as the context about "greater love hath no man than this, that a man would die for his friends" was refering to Jesus' death for the ones whom He loves; it is still a general principle that there is no greater love than dying for someone, no matter what context it is used in. Hence the reason I will use Luke 16:10-12 as a general principle. If God can trust us with a little, He can eventually trust us with much! This is the foundational principle we need to get through tests better. Once we truly realize that it is God that promotes me and not man, it makes taking the blows a little bit easier.
There are some of us that would love to do great things for the kingdom of God, but can we say we are passing the "little" tests God is giving us in the now? What about the attitude test (ouch)? The pride test (ouch)? The patience test (ouch)? The road rage test? (I hit a nerve there didn't I? :P) Have you been unhappy with your boss? Your marriage? Your children? Maybe the fault lies not with them, but with us refusing to pass these tests. God longs to give you more and more entrustments, but if you do not prove faithful in the small matters, how can you be faithful when the big ones come?
I was told about a show once called "Boiling Points" and I proceeded to look up some clips online. For those of you that have not heard of this show, it is about a man who tries his best to get under peoples skin for 20 minutes or so. If they do not blow up at this man or walk away from the situation, they are given (I believe) a $100 dollar bill. Now you would be correct in guessing that most of these people fail this $100 dollar test. This man who is "testing" these people will try to poke, prod, and stare these people to defeat. The issue with the people who fail is the foundational mentality by which they have entering into this test. They have no mental anchor as to why this is necessary, therefore they end up tanking from a lack of understanding of the 'why?'. In this analogy I believe the man doing the poking and prodding is Satan, and the camera would represent the Father. The camera is sitting back and watching to capture proof that they indeed passed this test.
Now let's take a step back and think again about why people fail (we all do at times). We have established that they fail because of a lack of knowledge as to the 'why?'. So using the "boiling points" analogy would you venture to say that if I pulled these people aside and said, "Look, I am going to harass you non-stop for the next 20 minutes. If you are able to weather this storm, I will give you $100 dollars at the end." I do not think one person would probably fail, in fact, the things this man will do to them will now seem humorous and/or not a big deal in light of what they know is coming. Isn't that what we are told as followers of Christ? Galatians 6:9 "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."
So then, where is our advantage? We have been told that even the smallest of things is a test and that if we pass these tests and do not grow weary, at the proper time we will reap a HARVEST!. Now I am certain Paul could have been talking about (and probably was) eternal rewards, but could we apply this to the patient endurance needed to arrive at places God would desire us to arrive at in the present?
I am claiming no perfection to this teaching whatsoever, but it has been on my mind a lot lately. The other day something happened that bummed my wife and I out - kind of frustrating. As I was beginning to allow myself to get upset this thought passed through my mind, "Chris, God is testing your attitude." I looked at my wife and I said wait, God is testing our attitudes, and this seemed to put a smile on my face; because now the object of my joy was focused on passing a test to show myself approved unto the Father rather than the mere thought of something bad is happening to me! That is why our foundational mentality is so important in weathering the common blows of life. Do I believe I am going through it unto an eventual entrustment or do I have no such anchor of a thought, and with that drift any which way my attitude will take me?
I think Peter does a great job summing this principle up in 1 Peter 4:12, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed." Sufferings of Christ, let's take a look at Hebrews 5:8, "Although he was a son (in reference to Jesus), He learned obedience from what He suffered". Why must we pass these tests? Because no servant is greater than his Master, again, context is persecution, but we know the enemy persecutes us trying to get us to fail the tests.
We should really encourage one another in the passing of tests. Call upon the name of the Lord daily. DO not try to tackle tests yourselves or you will surely fail. God has provided a way of escape (pass) from every temptation (tests) - 1 Corinthians 10:13. Hebrews 4:16, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
Will there be still moments you fail? Sure, we will all stumble along on our journey to "the complete man/woman"..."the mature man/woman". Passing the test may seem to be hard at first, but remember it will only get better through PRACTICE! Hebrews 5:14, "But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."
One failure story real quick and a reason I am glad for the church in my life (in this case my wife). My wife and I have been reminding each other (in light of this teaching the past couple of weeks) that everything is a test. My wife and I were stuck in traffic the other day, and I started to get a little "mouthy" about the situation. I started complaining (as if it would actually help anything anyways) and was kind of grumbling. My wonderful wife looks at me and says "It's a test" with a smile on her face. I needed that reminder. You may say, "I think you are taking this testing thing too far with that story." If things like this are not the "little" tests, then what are? Do not underestimate God's sovereignty in positioning you to learn about His testing through something as simple as a traffic jam.
Remember, if He can trust you with little, HE CAN TRUST YOU WITH MUCH! So now when your boss asks you to do something you hate, you can put a smile on your face because you are doing it unto God and not unto men! (Colossians 3:23) When your spouse is snapping at you for no good reason, you can now be a facilitator of peace. When you get the news that medically, things may not be looking good for you; Take heart! God is testing in order to give you a greater inheritance!
Thanks brothers and sisters! Let's remind one another frequently of God's truth in this area! I hope this teaching was as much of a blessing to you as it has been to me!
Sincerely,
Chris Goff
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Isn't That Work Salvation?
Hey all! I have felt the need to write about the difference between work salvation and active repentance before the Father for quite some time now. I feel some of our current Christian teaching has not adequately explained the difference to us. There is a lot to say about it and I am certain I do not have it all figured out- so please, be gracious to me! I feel some people use the verse "its not by works" (in regards to salvation) out of context, causing them to eventually drift in their faith - allowing themselves to be more liberal morally than the apostles ever intended because they are now penalizing true acts (or works) of repentance along with works of the law (ceremonial, i.e. circumcision, sacrifices, sprinkling of blood, works for the ministry etc.). I feel it is very important to explain the difference so we do not muddle unrepentant, unchecked sin and works of the law. I feel some people have inadvertantly blended the two, not taking the time to adequately study and research what they are saying. God demands repentance, and "deeds appropriate to repentance", which is far different from "works of the law" being able to save you.
I would like to begin this topic with two verses, both spoken by the same apostle. The first is Acts 26:20 which states, "but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, PERFORMING DEEDS APPROPRIATE TO REPENTANCE." The second I want to look at is Ephesians 2:8&9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." So we see here, the same man is saying to "perform deeds appropriate to repentance" and then saying "it is not by works so no man can boast".
So this is my take on what is being said (God allows us to use scripture to interpret scripture). Everything takes work (i.e. effort), now when Paul speaks of "saved not by works" I think this is what he is saying, "Do not think for one moment God looked down from His throne and saw that you were righteous (doing what the law required) enough to come and save". Now the other 'works' or "deeds appropriate for repentance" also takes work. These are the actions (works, deeds) that back up my confession (which also takes work - it is not automatic). God set up the system in such a way that faith without actions cannot save me. So, when I say I am sorry and I want Jesus to redeem me, I have to take active steps in showing Him true repentance (active faith in turning from my sin). This is not to be confused with "work salvation" which says, "I obeyed all the ceremonial law, and performed all the law would require me to perform and that is why God will save me" or "I went to church, sang the hymns, bagged groceries for the poor all in the name of Jesus and that is why He will save me". So it basically boils down to James chapter 2, "faith without obedience (action, works, deeds appropriate to repentance) is dead" If this does not make sence, hopefully the next verse will aid in this discussion.
Let's look at Matthew 7:22 & 23. "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." I like the New Living Translations version on vs. 23, it states, "But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, YOU WHO BREAK GOD'S LAWS (emphasis mine).'
Ok, now we have these men before the Jesus on the day of judgement and they are trying to argue that their works of "righteousness" should give them entrance into His kingdom. Do you see this? "Did we not prophesy in your name? and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?" See, they did all of the "right" things a.k.a. hoping their works would save them. But what does our Savior say? "Depart from me you workers of lawlessness" or "get away from me, you who break God's laws". Now what "laws" is Jesus refering to here? The violation of moral law! See, they were judged on their lack of works of repentance, in fact, they worked the opposite, they were workers of iniquity! They figured since they did a "wonderful" job for Jesus, they wouldn't have to come through the narrow way, true repentance from moral degredation. Remember, I can say I am sorry all I want, but until I produce action to back that repentance up it will be dead...nonexistent. I can do wonderful things for the ministry all I want, but it will not save me unless I place true faith (which will be backed by 'deeds appropriate to repentance') Remember James rebuke in 2:19&20? "You believe God is one (faith). You do well; the demons also believe (faith) and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works (deeds appropriate to repentance) is useless?"
So what does this look like practically? The person who has 'prayed the prayer', gone to church for years and continues the affair he fell into, is not producing 'deeds appropriate to repentance'. The same type of person (who has 'prayed the prayer') who leaves their family for no good reason and continues in ministry, is trying to be saved by their works, but because they work iniquity, they will not be ok. The person who knows it is not ok to be drunk, and is causing a disrupt in peoples faith but still doing ministry will not be ok. Better yet, let me let Jesus do the talking here.
Luke 12:41-46
41Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?"
42The Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
Note a few things. First it is clear this was a message given to the disciples, if not all of the people based upon verse 41, "Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?" Second, we see this wicked servant was still "serving" in the house of God, but he began to be a worker of iniquity. So we see our works can penalize us! Isn't it scary that our Lord Jesus used the word "assign". "Will assign him a place with the unbelievers", if that doesn't strike a good fear of God within a person, I do not know what will. Let's be careful how we live!
Maybe you are reading this and a good, healthy fear has come upon you. That is a good thing, that is the healthy fear of God. It is not too late to be truly repentant. Maybe you are a person who has never really understood that repentance takes work/action/deeds, to prove genuine. Maybe you are one who (not knowing better) took the easy way out and used arguments like "its not by works anyway" to defend your lawless actions. Maybe you have given God lipservice for years but you are living like hell during the week, and praising His name on Sunday. Take heart! He is gracious and forgiving once you "turn your laughter into mourning and your joy into gloom"(James 9) I recommend reading "Joy and Gloom" in the devotional archive, but I will give a brief explanation. What James is saying is to partner my faith with action. Even though I feel like laughing, I will choose not to as an act of active faith...I will choose mourning over my sin instead. I may feel joyful, but I will voluntarily be saddened, faced with the knowledge I have offended the Lord. I will place my faith and actions together, making it an active repentance. James is saying the ball is in your court, it is your choice what you want to do with it. Then look at what will happen in James 4:10, after you have obeyed this call to "do deeds appropiate to repentance", "Humble yourselves (takes action) in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you." OH PRAISE HIS NAME!! HALLELUJAH! He is so merciful and forgiving! See? He will lift you up! He will forgive you, but only with 'deeds appropriate to repentance'!
This has been such a confusing topic that even Bible critics allege Paul and James are not saying the same things when in reality they are. IN a quick nut shell, James' chapter 2 "works" are what Paul is talking about in Acts 26:20, and what John the Baptist is talking about in Matthew 3:8&9 which states, "Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance;"
I hope this teaching has helped explain the difference between work salvation, and deeds appropriate to repentance. I will probably write more about this later, as I may have done a poor job. But please, do not be a person who passively lumps legalistic observance of the law and true works of repentance together. Separate the difference and get a renewed fear of Him. Do not be a person who says, "I am not saved by works, so my deeds could not hinder me either!" You are (possibly on accident) blending two type of "works" that were never meant to be thought of the same. Remember, the men in Jesus' parable were judged by THEIR WORKS OF LAWLESSNESS. Please do not deceive yourselves.
If you have any questions or need my help, do not hesitate to contact me.
With Love,
Chris Goff
I would like to begin this topic with two verses, both spoken by the same apostle. The first is Acts 26:20 which states, "but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, PERFORMING DEEDS APPROPRIATE TO REPENTANCE." The second I want to look at is Ephesians 2:8&9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." So we see here, the same man is saying to "perform deeds appropriate to repentance" and then saying "it is not by works so no man can boast".
So this is my take on what is being said (God allows us to use scripture to interpret scripture). Everything takes work (i.e. effort), now when Paul speaks of "saved not by works" I think this is what he is saying, "Do not think for one moment God looked down from His throne and saw that you were righteous (doing what the law required) enough to come and save". Now the other 'works' or "deeds appropriate for repentance" also takes work. These are the actions (works, deeds) that back up my confession (which also takes work - it is not automatic). God set up the system in such a way that faith without actions cannot save me. So, when I say I am sorry and I want Jesus to redeem me, I have to take active steps in showing Him true repentance (active faith in turning from my sin). This is not to be confused with "work salvation" which says, "I obeyed all the ceremonial law, and performed all the law would require me to perform and that is why God will save me" or "I went to church, sang the hymns, bagged groceries for the poor all in the name of Jesus and that is why He will save me". So it basically boils down to James chapter 2, "faith without obedience (action, works, deeds appropriate to repentance) is dead" If this does not make sence, hopefully the next verse will aid in this discussion.
Let's look at Matthew 7:22 & 23. "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." I like the New Living Translations version on vs. 23, it states, "But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, YOU WHO BREAK GOD'S LAWS (emphasis mine).'
Ok, now we have these men before the Jesus on the day of judgement and they are trying to argue that their works of "righteousness" should give them entrance into His kingdom. Do you see this? "Did we not prophesy in your name? and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?" See, they did all of the "right" things a.k.a. hoping their works would save them. But what does our Savior say? "Depart from me you workers of lawlessness" or "get away from me, you who break God's laws". Now what "laws" is Jesus refering to here? The violation of moral law! See, they were judged on their lack of works of repentance, in fact, they worked the opposite, they were workers of iniquity! They figured since they did a "wonderful" job for Jesus, they wouldn't have to come through the narrow way, true repentance from moral degredation. Remember, I can say I am sorry all I want, but until I produce action to back that repentance up it will be dead...nonexistent. I can do wonderful things for the ministry all I want, but it will not save me unless I place true faith (which will be backed by 'deeds appropriate to repentance') Remember James rebuke in 2:19&20? "You believe God is one (faith). You do well; the demons also believe (faith) and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works (deeds appropriate to repentance) is useless?"
So what does this look like practically? The person who has 'prayed the prayer', gone to church for years and continues the affair he fell into, is not producing 'deeds appropriate to repentance'. The same type of person (who has 'prayed the prayer') who leaves their family for no good reason and continues in ministry, is trying to be saved by their works, but because they work iniquity, they will not be ok. The person who knows it is not ok to be drunk, and is causing a disrupt in peoples faith but still doing ministry will not be ok. Better yet, let me let Jesus do the talking here.
Luke 12:41-46
41Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?"
42The Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
Note a few things. First it is clear this was a message given to the disciples, if not all of the people based upon verse 41, "Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?" Second, we see this wicked servant was still "serving" in the house of God, but he began to be a worker of iniquity. So we see our works can penalize us! Isn't it scary that our Lord Jesus used the word "assign". "Will assign him a place with the unbelievers", if that doesn't strike a good fear of God within a person, I do not know what will. Let's be careful how we live!
Maybe you are reading this and a good, healthy fear has come upon you. That is a good thing, that is the healthy fear of God. It is not too late to be truly repentant. Maybe you are a person who has never really understood that repentance takes work/action/deeds, to prove genuine. Maybe you are one who (not knowing better) took the easy way out and used arguments like "its not by works anyway" to defend your lawless actions. Maybe you have given God lipservice for years but you are living like hell during the week, and praising His name on Sunday. Take heart! He is gracious and forgiving once you "turn your laughter into mourning and your joy into gloom"(James 9) I recommend reading "Joy and Gloom" in the devotional archive, but I will give a brief explanation. What James is saying is to partner my faith with action. Even though I feel like laughing, I will choose not to as an act of active faith...I will choose mourning over my sin instead. I may feel joyful, but I will voluntarily be saddened, faced with the knowledge I have offended the Lord. I will place my faith and actions together, making it an active repentance. James is saying the ball is in your court, it is your choice what you want to do with it. Then look at what will happen in James 4:10, after you have obeyed this call to "do deeds appropiate to repentance", "Humble yourselves (takes action) in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you." OH PRAISE HIS NAME!! HALLELUJAH! He is so merciful and forgiving! See? He will lift you up! He will forgive you, but only with 'deeds appropriate to repentance'!
This has been such a confusing topic that even Bible critics allege Paul and James are not saying the same things when in reality they are. IN a quick nut shell, James' chapter 2 "works" are what Paul is talking about in Acts 26:20, and what John the Baptist is talking about in Matthew 3:8&9 which states, "Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance;"
I hope this teaching has helped explain the difference between work salvation, and deeds appropriate to repentance. I will probably write more about this later, as I may have done a poor job. But please, do not be a person who passively lumps legalistic observance of the law and true works of repentance together. Separate the difference and get a renewed fear of Him. Do not be a person who says, "I am not saved by works, so my deeds could not hinder me either!" You are (possibly on accident) blending two type of "works" that were never meant to be thought of the same. Remember, the men in Jesus' parable were judged by THEIR WORKS OF LAWLESSNESS. Please do not deceive yourselves.
If you have any questions or need my help, do not hesitate to contact me.
With Love,
Chris Goff
Sunday, April 11, 2010
To Be Unforgiving Is To Hate?
Something came to me today that I think is a very important issue to press in on. The issue at hand is this - to hate is to be unforgiving and to be unforgiving is to hate. This might not sound profound to people, I am pretty sure we can all agree on the fact that if I am choosing not to forgive someone I am obviously holding onto something that they did to me that I will not release, which translates to hating that person. Hate is action just as love is action. The word "hate" means to "cherish animosity against". The manifestation of hate is unforgiveness, no? Let's look at 1John with this new information.
"Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him." 1 John 2:9-11
So we see that unforgiveness is an act of hate, just as forgiveness is an act of love. SO I feel one could appropriately substitute the the phrase "does not forgive his brother" for the word "hate" and we would be within the bounds of scripture.
"Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him." 1 John 3:15
You have murdered them. You are more than likely murdering their character to others and they might as well be dead as far as you are concerned because you want nothing to do with them.
In Matthew 18 we have the parable of the unforgiving servant. To summarize (I recommend reading it) this servant begged his Master to give him more time to pay a debt, but the Master went ahead and forgave it totally. This servant then proceeds to choke another guy for not paying him the money he owed him. The word got back to the Master of that servant and the Master threw this man and his family in prison, handing them to their tormentors.
So why was what this servant did such a violation of the Master's standard? Because this servant was indirectly telling his Master that he was worthy of the Master's forgiveness but the man he was strangling was not worthy of forgiveness. Unforgiveness is the ultimate form of pride. You are saying with your actions that you were not that bad of a person; that you had the rights to forgiveness. So what does God do in response? He strips you of your forgiveness! So if unforgiveness is pride, we know that "He resists the prideful, but gives grace unto the humble." That word resist means "to stand against, oppose". And what a more full way for God to oppose an individual by not granting them the forgiveness they also desparately need.
"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." Matthew 18:35
So this makes sense now. You are stooped in darkness if you refuse to forgive! 1 John 2:9-11 hit the nail on the head (refer above) But why are you in darkness? Because you are handed over to your tormentors, and what is more dark than giving the enemy a foothold in your life?
We need to transcend our narrow focus. If we choose not to forgive, we are not mature in our faith as this is the main, underlying value in our faith. If we do not forgive others (and yes, even if they didn't ask) we have a dim and arrogant view of our own sins in light of God's holiness. You are saying without saying that you were not that bad of a person.
So how do we overcome unforgiveness? By blitzing it with action! Faith without action is dead, right? So we see 1 John 1:7 states, "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin."
Do you see this? He is basically saying this in a nutshell: "Put faith behind your actions through obedience even if you don't feel like it yet and then Jesus will swoop in with the supernatural feelings of genuine forgiveness." Allow me to explain myself. It says if I walk in the light as He is in the light ( which is to say, if I choose to do good as He chose to do good ) then, and ONLY THEN will Jesus' blood be appropriated to me to begin purifying me from my evil feelings towards an individual.
Remember the reaping and sowing principles we have discussed in earlier devotions? "Be not deceived, GOD IS NOT MOCKED, whatsoever a man sows, this will he also reap." Remember? If you sow to the Spirit you reap eternal life which is to know God better. If you sow to the flesh what do you have to reap? CORRUPTION!
So thats why hate and unforgiveness get worse and worse, becaus God is not mocked. Once we have knowledge from God, we are to act on that knowledge no matter how hard it is. The reason is so we can begin to receive healing from our broken feelings. The dictionary definition of forgiveness is "to cease to feel resentment against; pardon; to give up claim to requittal; to grant relief from payment." So until you are there (to forgiveness), you have not prayed through to forgiveness well enough and no, God does not understand why you hold onto your unforgiveness. I do not say that to be harsh but we have no Biblical excuses to remain hostile towards anybody! And I say this bluntly so no one walks away from this godly teaching moment giving themselves an excuse on why they have not forgiven someone yet.
Remember, faith without action is dead. He says through James, "Draw nigh unto me (you first) then I will draw near to you (Him second)." Let's not confuse this with our original calling to salvation, God always makes the first move, but this is in the context of a person already having saving knowledge.
So how do we draw nigh to God? By seeking Him in prayer and acting out our knowledge which translates to godly wisdom and active faith...the type of faith that gives me the ability to "Love those who curse me". Call the person you hate. Buy them a gift, something you would like to have yourself. Seek their forgiveness for the curses you have spoken against them. Pray for this person until you want them blessed! IT WORKS!! If you do not do this you are not saying no to me, you are saying a vehement no to God, because we are just facilitators of His wonderful truths. This opens amazing doors to potential salvation as well. LOVE THEM!! Not with your mouth but with your actions!! If you do this, God will honor your obedience and allow genuine, emotional healing from your wounds. You do not believe me? Seek it until it is found, you will see. But remember, sometimes broken feelings are still a result of God "handing us over to our tormentors" because we have refused to obey Him in this fundamental matter. Never forget that. If you do not have the emotional healing God desires for you, the fault lies not with God, but with your current application (or lack thereof) of His liberating truths. "And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" WHEN WE APPROPRIATE IT!
Here is a quote the Lord blessed me with today:
"When we act out our faith (i.e. obeying when its inconvenient), we tap into God's unlimited resources of grace for our own lives, the power to overcome (in changing how we feel towards something or someone). Without such resources we are subject to the enemy (tormentors Matthew 18:34) and we are powerless against his flaming arrows of bitterness and deceit."
So often times we want it backwards, we want the feeling to be obedient instead if disciplining ourselves to be obedient. God will not give you the "healing feeling" until you ACT on your FAITH!
Thanks for reading everyone! I pray this has blessed someone! Let's seek to know Him better so we can begin to receive healing, instead of stubbornly rebelling against His divine plan and only reaping feelings of greater hostility towards people who have wronged us, a.k.a. reaping corruption.
Love you brothers and sisters!
Sincerely,
Chris Goff
"Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him." 1 John 2:9-11
So we see that unforgiveness is an act of hate, just as forgiveness is an act of love. SO I feel one could appropriately substitute the the phrase "does not forgive his brother" for the word "hate" and we would be within the bounds of scripture.
"Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him." 1 John 3:15
You have murdered them. You are more than likely murdering their character to others and they might as well be dead as far as you are concerned because you want nothing to do with them.
In Matthew 18 we have the parable of the unforgiving servant. To summarize (I recommend reading it) this servant begged his Master to give him more time to pay a debt, but the Master went ahead and forgave it totally. This servant then proceeds to choke another guy for not paying him the money he owed him. The word got back to the Master of that servant and the Master threw this man and his family in prison, handing them to their tormentors.
So why was what this servant did such a violation of the Master's standard? Because this servant was indirectly telling his Master that he was worthy of the Master's forgiveness but the man he was strangling was not worthy of forgiveness. Unforgiveness is the ultimate form of pride. You are saying with your actions that you were not that bad of a person; that you had the rights to forgiveness. So what does God do in response? He strips you of your forgiveness! So if unforgiveness is pride, we know that "He resists the prideful, but gives grace unto the humble." That word resist means "to stand against, oppose". And what a more full way for God to oppose an individual by not granting them the forgiveness they also desparately need.
"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." Matthew 18:35
So this makes sense now. You are stooped in darkness if you refuse to forgive! 1 John 2:9-11 hit the nail on the head (refer above) But why are you in darkness? Because you are handed over to your tormentors, and what is more dark than giving the enemy a foothold in your life?
We need to transcend our narrow focus. If we choose not to forgive, we are not mature in our faith as this is the main, underlying value in our faith. If we do not forgive others (and yes, even if they didn't ask) we have a dim and arrogant view of our own sins in light of God's holiness. You are saying without saying that you were not that bad of a person.
So how do we overcome unforgiveness? By blitzing it with action! Faith without action is dead, right? So we see 1 John 1:7 states, "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin."
Do you see this? He is basically saying this in a nutshell: "Put faith behind your actions through obedience even if you don't feel like it yet and then Jesus will swoop in with the supernatural feelings of genuine forgiveness." Allow me to explain myself. It says if I walk in the light as He is in the light ( which is to say, if I choose to do good as He chose to do good ) then, and ONLY THEN will Jesus' blood be appropriated to me to begin purifying me from my evil feelings towards an individual.
Remember the reaping and sowing principles we have discussed in earlier devotions? "Be not deceived, GOD IS NOT MOCKED, whatsoever a man sows, this will he also reap." Remember? If you sow to the Spirit you reap eternal life which is to know God better. If you sow to the flesh what do you have to reap? CORRUPTION!
So thats why hate and unforgiveness get worse and worse, becaus God is not mocked. Once we have knowledge from God, we are to act on that knowledge no matter how hard it is. The reason is so we can begin to receive healing from our broken feelings. The dictionary definition of forgiveness is "to cease to feel resentment against; pardon; to give up claim to requittal; to grant relief from payment." So until you are there (to forgiveness), you have not prayed through to forgiveness well enough and no, God does not understand why you hold onto your unforgiveness. I do not say that to be harsh but we have no Biblical excuses to remain hostile towards anybody! And I say this bluntly so no one walks away from this godly teaching moment giving themselves an excuse on why they have not forgiven someone yet.
Remember, faith without action is dead. He says through James, "Draw nigh unto me (you first) then I will draw near to you (Him second)." Let's not confuse this with our original calling to salvation, God always makes the first move, but this is in the context of a person already having saving knowledge.
So how do we draw nigh to God? By seeking Him in prayer and acting out our knowledge which translates to godly wisdom and active faith...the type of faith that gives me the ability to "Love those who curse me". Call the person you hate. Buy them a gift, something you would like to have yourself. Seek their forgiveness for the curses you have spoken against them. Pray for this person until you want them blessed! IT WORKS!! If you do not do this you are not saying no to me, you are saying a vehement no to God, because we are just facilitators of His wonderful truths. This opens amazing doors to potential salvation as well. LOVE THEM!! Not with your mouth but with your actions!! If you do this, God will honor your obedience and allow genuine, emotional healing from your wounds. You do not believe me? Seek it until it is found, you will see. But remember, sometimes broken feelings are still a result of God "handing us over to our tormentors" because we have refused to obey Him in this fundamental matter. Never forget that. If you do not have the emotional healing God desires for you, the fault lies not with God, but with your current application (or lack thereof) of His liberating truths. "And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" WHEN WE APPROPRIATE IT!
Here is a quote the Lord blessed me with today:
"When we act out our faith (i.e. obeying when its inconvenient), we tap into God's unlimited resources of grace for our own lives, the power to overcome (in changing how we feel towards something or someone). Without such resources we are subject to the enemy (tormentors Matthew 18:34) and we are powerless against his flaming arrows of bitterness and deceit."
So often times we want it backwards, we want the feeling to be obedient instead if disciplining ourselves to be obedient. God will not give you the "healing feeling" until you ACT on your FAITH!
Thanks for reading everyone! I pray this has blessed someone! Let's seek to know Him better so we can begin to receive healing, instead of stubbornly rebelling against His divine plan and only reaping feelings of greater hostility towards people who have wronged us, a.k.a. reaping corruption.
Love you brothers and sisters!
Sincerely,
Chris Goff
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Encouraging Quotes
Hey everyone! For this blog I wanted to use some quotes of Amy Carmichael that really has been a blessing the past couple of days. What an amazing woman of God. These quotes are from a book of hers called "If".
These quotes were both inspiring and convicting for me. I love the phrase "Calvary love" which is a.k.a. selfless love. It truly takes us partnering with the Holy Spirit to develop a selfless love. I think that is the litmus test of a true disciple of Christ because it is the main indicator of God's Spirit genuinely working in one's life.
I hope this was a blessing to someone.
Sincerely, Chris Goff
"If I can write an unkind letter, speak an unkind word, think an unkind thought without grief and shame, then I know nothing of calvary love."
"If I have not compassion on my fellowservant, even as my Lord had pity on me, then I know nothing of Calvary love."
"If I belittle those whom I am called to serve, talk of their weak points in contrast perhaps with what I think of as my strong points; if I adopt a superior attitude, forgetting "Who made thee to differ? and what hast thou that thou hast not received?" Then I know nothing of Calvary love"
"If I can easily discuss the shortcomings and sins of any; if I can speak in a casual way even of a childs misdoings, then I know nothing of Calvary love"
"If I have not the patience of my Saviour with souls who grow slowly; if I know little of travail (a sharp and painful thing) till Christ be fully formed in them, then I know nothing of Calvary love"
"If I cast up a confessed, repented, and forsaken sin against another, and allow my rememberance of that sin to color my thinking and feed my suspicions, then I know nothing of Calvary love."
"If I can hurt another by speaking faithfully without much preparation of spirit, and without hurting myself far more than I hurt that other, then I know nothing of Calvary love."
"If I am afraid to speak the truth, lest I lose affection, or lest the one concerned should say, "You do not understand," or because I fear to lose my reputation for kindness; if I put my own good name before the others highest good, then I know nothing of Calvary love."
"If I want to be known as the doer of something that has proved the right thing, or as the one who suggested that it should be done, then I know nothing of Calvary love."
"If I do not forget about such a trifle as personal success, so that it never crosses my mind, or if it does, is never given a moment's room there; if the cup of spiritual flattery tastes sweet to me, then I know nothing of Calvary love."
"If I covet any place on earth but the dust at the foot of the cross, then I know nothing of Calvary love."
"That which I know not, teach thou me, O lord, my God."
These quotes were both inspiring and convicting for me. I love the phrase "Calvary love" which is a.k.a. selfless love. It truly takes us partnering with the Holy Spirit to develop a selfless love. I think that is the litmus test of a true disciple of Christ because it is the main indicator of God's Spirit genuinely working in one's life.
I hope this was a blessing to someone.
Sincerely, Chris Goff
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Blaming God
"In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."
Genesis 4:3-7
Foundations are everything. So are the foundations for our beliefs. If you do not build a foundation correctly, everything built upon it will be disfigured and skewed. I think sometimes, even though we are told certain truths from God's word, we give God what we want to give and expect God to accept it. Sometimes it is that we do not know what God expects because we were not willing to genuinely seek Him in the matter. Instead we just run ahead and do it anyways. I have been thinking alot about people who blame God lately and I feel there is no justification for this. Are you a Cain Christian or an Abel Christian?
So in the story we see two brothers essentially doing the same thing. They are both giving to God as their form of worship. Abel's is accepted but Cains is rejected. But why?! It appears there is some sort of "rules" given to the both of them that is not recorded in this text. The verse that suggests this position is when God says to Cain, "Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?" Who knows what the "rules" for sacrifice at this time were. I think it would just be speculation to say, however, it is clear that Cain was not meeting God's expectations in his giving. So we see that because Cain wanted his sacrifice accepted whether it was the Lord's will or not, Abel was penalized (by being killed by Cain) for playing by the rules as a form of blame toward's God. Cain chose to build a foundation a certain way without regard to God's proposed rules. Cain's foundation said something like this, "I do not care what God really wants me to do, I am going to do what is good in my sight and God should accept it." Whereas Abel's foundation said something like this, "The Lord God is my life and sustanence, it is a pleasure and a blessing for me to serve Him exactly how He would want to be served."
Are you a person who blames God for their troubles? Or maybe you blame God for your lack of worldly success. Unfortunately the enemy can blind us to the point of complaining that God didn't do something how we thought He should based on our personal devotion to Him (what we thought was best). Doesn't it seem silly for people who are active believers unto salvation to complain about petty things when we have been redeemed from Hell? Think about this for a moment. How dare I complain or throw blame God's way for anything when He has given His all on calvary. Doesn't this sound a bit selfish? And when we blame God it usually involves something petty we want as well. Fame, relationships, fortunes, etc. Rarely do we blame God for not giving us the opportunity to witness to the poor soul down the street. Rarely do we blame God for not allowing us to fellowship with other believers. Rarely do we blame God for not allowing us to draw closer to Him. If you are reading this and you blame God for something, just repeat the pseudo-blame to God that I just said and see how silly that sounds.
There are too many people that blame God for not allowing them to have the girl/guy they want, the job they wanted, the life they wanted, the fame they wanted, the healing they wanted, the death they DIDN'T want etc. When you and I have blame in our heart's towards God, we will not thank Him genuinely for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. WHEN A BORN AGAIN BELIEVER BLAMES GOD FOR NOT WORKING SOMETHING OUT HOW THEY THOUGHT IT SHOULD HAVE WORKED OUT THEY HAVE BECOME SHORT SIGHTED, FORGETTING THE PURIFICATION OF THEIR SINS! Never forget that God works everything out for our GOOD! When you and I get to Heaven and hear "Well done thou good and faithful servant" none of the stuff we went through on Earth would even compare! You would go through all of this again to receive what you will see if you endure til the end.
In conclusion, do not build foundations based on delusional truth like Cain did. Be real! God doesn't work for you, you work for God. Understand that God has control and not you. Be ok when God chooses something for you that you do not like, maybe it was an error on your end, maybe it just wasn't God's will for you, either way seek Him to understand the why and GROW FROM IT! Don't take the lazy way out and blame Him! When your foundational truth says, "God can do whatever He wants through me, I NO LONGER LIVE!", and then storms come and things do not work out how you thought they should, your heart will still say "It is well with my soul". But remember, if your foundational mentality is that God works for you and not you for God, you will go through life blaming God for everything "bad" that has happened to you, never willing to accept blame yourself or even asking God what the purpose was if it wasn't an error on your end. You will always ask for things from Him with wrong motives and never be willing to ask Him why He won't allow it. Please don't do that. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble and what is more prideful than me being upset with God when I have been redeemed from the Lake of Fire and have a restored relationship with Him? It makes blaming Him for not giving me the material things I wanted sound real petty. I hope this has been a blessing to someone.
Sincerely, Chris Goff
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."
Genesis 4:3-7
Foundations are everything. So are the foundations for our beliefs. If you do not build a foundation correctly, everything built upon it will be disfigured and skewed. I think sometimes, even though we are told certain truths from God's word, we give God what we want to give and expect God to accept it. Sometimes it is that we do not know what God expects because we were not willing to genuinely seek Him in the matter. Instead we just run ahead and do it anyways. I have been thinking alot about people who blame God lately and I feel there is no justification for this. Are you a Cain Christian or an Abel Christian?
So in the story we see two brothers essentially doing the same thing. They are both giving to God as their form of worship. Abel's is accepted but Cains is rejected. But why?! It appears there is some sort of "rules" given to the both of them that is not recorded in this text. The verse that suggests this position is when God says to Cain, "Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?" Who knows what the "rules" for sacrifice at this time were. I think it would just be speculation to say, however, it is clear that Cain was not meeting God's expectations in his giving. So we see that because Cain wanted his sacrifice accepted whether it was the Lord's will or not, Abel was penalized (by being killed by Cain) for playing by the rules as a form of blame toward's God. Cain chose to build a foundation a certain way without regard to God's proposed rules. Cain's foundation said something like this, "I do not care what God really wants me to do, I am going to do what is good in my sight and God should accept it." Whereas Abel's foundation said something like this, "The Lord God is my life and sustanence, it is a pleasure and a blessing for me to serve Him exactly how He would want to be served."
Are you a person who blames God for their troubles? Or maybe you blame God for your lack of worldly success. Unfortunately the enemy can blind us to the point of complaining that God didn't do something how we thought He should based on our personal devotion to Him (what we thought was best). Doesn't it seem silly for people who are active believers unto salvation to complain about petty things when we have been redeemed from Hell? Think about this for a moment. How dare I complain or throw blame God's way for anything when He has given His all on calvary. Doesn't this sound a bit selfish? And when we blame God it usually involves something petty we want as well. Fame, relationships, fortunes, etc. Rarely do we blame God for not giving us the opportunity to witness to the poor soul down the street. Rarely do we blame God for not allowing us to fellowship with other believers. Rarely do we blame God for not allowing us to draw closer to Him. If you are reading this and you blame God for something, just repeat the pseudo-blame to God that I just said and see how silly that sounds.
There are too many people that blame God for not allowing them to have the girl/guy they want, the job they wanted, the life they wanted, the fame they wanted, the healing they wanted, the death they DIDN'T want etc. When you and I have blame in our heart's towards God, we will not thank Him genuinely for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. WHEN A BORN AGAIN BELIEVER BLAMES GOD FOR NOT WORKING SOMETHING OUT HOW THEY THOUGHT IT SHOULD HAVE WORKED OUT THEY HAVE BECOME SHORT SIGHTED, FORGETTING THE PURIFICATION OF THEIR SINS! Never forget that God works everything out for our GOOD! When you and I get to Heaven and hear "Well done thou good and faithful servant" none of the stuff we went through on Earth would even compare! You would go through all of this again to receive what you will see if you endure til the end.
In conclusion, do not build foundations based on delusional truth like Cain did. Be real! God doesn't work for you, you work for God. Understand that God has control and not you. Be ok when God chooses something for you that you do not like, maybe it was an error on your end, maybe it just wasn't God's will for you, either way seek Him to understand the why and GROW FROM IT! Don't take the lazy way out and blame Him! When your foundational truth says, "God can do whatever He wants through me, I NO LONGER LIVE!", and then storms come and things do not work out how you thought they should, your heart will still say "It is well with my soul". But remember, if your foundational mentality is that God works for you and not you for God, you will go through life blaming God for everything "bad" that has happened to you, never willing to accept blame yourself or even asking God what the purpose was if it wasn't an error on your end. You will always ask for things from Him with wrong motives and never be willing to ask Him why He won't allow it. Please don't do that. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble and what is more prideful than me being upset with God when I have been redeemed from the Lake of Fire and have a restored relationship with Him? It makes blaming Him for not giving me the material things I wanted sound real petty. I hope this has been a blessing to someone.
Sincerely, Chris Goff
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Can God Forgive Me?
Hey everyone! I am breaking the ice on my blog again with this article I found that brought tears to my eyes. Isn't God's mercy expressed through Jesus' obedience the best thing we have ever seen?! Read this!
COMMENTARY
Saving a Serial Killer
By Belinda Elliott
CBN.com Daily Life Producer
CBN.com – Most people know of Jeffrey Dahmer, a notorious serial killer, pedophile, and cannibal. When word of his crimes spread through our nation after he was arrested in 1991 no one could believe the horrendous acts that he had committed.
When it was reported that Jeffrey had become a born-again Christian and been baptized, it was equally hard for some people to believe.
Could God really forgive someone like him? Wisconsin pastor Roy Ratcliff says yes.
Roy is the pastor who baptized Jeffrey and met with him once a week until Jeffrey was murdered in prison. During those visits Roy came to know Jeffrey very well and says the prisoner was truly a changed man after his conversion. Roy has written a book, Dark Journey, Deep Grace, about Jeffrey’s journey of faith.
After he became a Christian, not everyone was convinced that the prisoner’s faith was sincere. Jeffrey’s conversion even angered some people. One member of Roy’s congregation remarked, “If Jeffrey Dahmer is going to heaven, then I don’t want to be there.”
That sentiment troubled Roy.
In his book he writes, How can a Christian hold that viewpoint? I don’t understand it. Does it come from a misunderstanding of the forgiveness of sin? Is forgiveness limited to those who are not very bad after all? Is there no joy in knowing that a sinner has turned to God?
In reading recent reviews of Roy’s book, I’ve seen similar reactions. Many people seem surprised by the thought that Jeffrey has been forgiven for what he did.
But isn't Christ's blood enough to make even the vilest offender clean and acceptable to the Father?
I once did an exercise with my Sunday School class where we were asked to rank various people according to how well we think they would be accepted at our church. Topping the list of the most unacceptable people were ex-cons.
Maybe one reason for this is fear. We know of their troubled past, and we fear that they have not really changed. The apostle Paul faced the same kind of fears. When he chose to follow God and gave up his persecution of Christians, many still feared him and were skeptical that he had really changed.
Yet, through Scripture, we see what a difference God made in Paul’s life. Once he met the Living God he was never the same. Why can we not accept that same miracle of God’s grace for someone like Jeffrey Dahmer? After all, Moses and David were also both murders, but we see what great works God did in their lives.
Perhaps our apprehension stems from the fact that we have allowed ourselves to categorize sin. We classify some sins as small and almost inconsequential. Others are big and really, really bad. Murder, for example, is much worse than gossip or even adultery.
But I don’t believe that is how God sees sin.
Jesus taught that if a man even looked at a woman lustfully, then he had committed adultery. It seems like to God sin is sin, regardless of how “bad” we think it is on our sliding scale of human judgment.
Does that mean that harboring bitterness and unforgiveness in our heart toward our enemies is just as bad to God as if we acted on those feelings and physically attacked that person?
It is something to think about.
Perhaps what disturbs people most about Jeffrey’s life is that he was found to be sane when he committed his horrific crimes. If that is the case, then what prompted him to do it? Where does such evil come from?
Roy believes that without God, such evil can come from any one of us.
He writes, Jeff was a sinner. His life proves there is no limit to our capacity to sin or be cruel to other people. We are all candidates for murder and mayhem. It doesn’t take crazy people to do such things. … I believe any of us are capable of everything Jeff did, if we leave God out of our lives.
That’s a scary thought that may be hard for us to swallow. Perhaps without God we wouldn’t become murders, but who knows what our sinful natures are capable of. Praise God that He redeems us from a life of sin and working only to please our sinful nature!
I, for one, am thankful to know that God’s grace covers any and every sin, whether we humans believe it should or not.
Even Jeffrey had trouble believing that God’s grace extended to someone who had done the things he had.
I had to explain the meaning of grace and how it was applied many times before he was able to relax this concern, Roy writes. Once he could see that being a Christian made him right in God’s sight, no matter what, he was able to lay aside many of his fears.
Isn’t that what grace is all about?
The “good news” of the gospel is that Jesus has already paid the price for all of our sins. He does expect us to turn away from them and walk in obedience to Him from that point on, but our past sins are no longer an issue. To a sinner like me, that truly is good news.
While many of us look at Jeffrey’s past and find ourselves unable to comprehend that God’s grace runs that deep, Roy feels that Jeffrey’s story demonstrates what the gospel is all about.
Jeff simply illustrates what Jesus can do with sinful men, Roy writes.
I would like to meet Pastor Roy one day. I would like to thank him for the unconditional love and grace he extended to Jeffrey.
It is the same type of love and grace that God extends to each of us.
COMMENTARY
Saving a Serial Killer
By Belinda Elliott
CBN.com Daily Life Producer
CBN.com – Most people know of Jeffrey Dahmer, a notorious serial killer, pedophile, and cannibal. When word of his crimes spread through our nation after he was arrested in 1991 no one could believe the horrendous acts that he had committed.
When it was reported that Jeffrey had become a born-again Christian and been baptized, it was equally hard for some people to believe.
Could God really forgive someone like him? Wisconsin pastor Roy Ratcliff says yes.
Roy is the pastor who baptized Jeffrey and met with him once a week until Jeffrey was murdered in prison. During those visits Roy came to know Jeffrey very well and says the prisoner was truly a changed man after his conversion. Roy has written a book, Dark Journey, Deep Grace, about Jeffrey’s journey of faith.
After he became a Christian, not everyone was convinced that the prisoner’s faith was sincere. Jeffrey’s conversion even angered some people. One member of Roy’s congregation remarked, “If Jeffrey Dahmer is going to heaven, then I don’t want to be there.”
That sentiment troubled Roy.
In his book he writes, How can a Christian hold that viewpoint? I don’t understand it. Does it come from a misunderstanding of the forgiveness of sin? Is forgiveness limited to those who are not very bad after all? Is there no joy in knowing that a sinner has turned to God?
In reading recent reviews of Roy’s book, I’ve seen similar reactions. Many people seem surprised by the thought that Jeffrey has been forgiven for what he did.
But isn't Christ's blood enough to make even the vilest offender clean and acceptable to the Father?
I once did an exercise with my Sunday School class where we were asked to rank various people according to how well we think they would be accepted at our church. Topping the list of the most unacceptable people were ex-cons.
Maybe one reason for this is fear. We know of their troubled past, and we fear that they have not really changed. The apostle Paul faced the same kind of fears. When he chose to follow God and gave up his persecution of Christians, many still feared him and were skeptical that he had really changed.
Yet, through Scripture, we see what a difference God made in Paul’s life. Once he met the Living God he was never the same. Why can we not accept that same miracle of God’s grace for someone like Jeffrey Dahmer? After all, Moses and David were also both murders, but we see what great works God did in their lives.
Perhaps our apprehension stems from the fact that we have allowed ourselves to categorize sin. We classify some sins as small and almost inconsequential. Others are big and really, really bad. Murder, for example, is much worse than gossip or even adultery.
But I don’t believe that is how God sees sin.
Jesus taught that if a man even looked at a woman lustfully, then he had committed adultery. It seems like to God sin is sin, regardless of how “bad” we think it is on our sliding scale of human judgment.
Does that mean that harboring bitterness and unforgiveness in our heart toward our enemies is just as bad to God as if we acted on those feelings and physically attacked that person?
It is something to think about.
Perhaps what disturbs people most about Jeffrey’s life is that he was found to be sane when he committed his horrific crimes. If that is the case, then what prompted him to do it? Where does such evil come from?
Roy believes that without God, such evil can come from any one of us.
He writes, Jeff was a sinner. His life proves there is no limit to our capacity to sin or be cruel to other people. We are all candidates for murder and mayhem. It doesn’t take crazy people to do such things. … I believe any of us are capable of everything Jeff did, if we leave God out of our lives.
That’s a scary thought that may be hard for us to swallow. Perhaps without God we wouldn’t become murders, but who knows what our sinful natures are capable of. Praise God that He redeems us from a life of sin and working only to please our sinful nature!
I, for one, am thankful to know that God’s grace covers any and every sin, whether we humans believe it should or not.
Even Jeffrey had trouble believing that God’s grace extended to someone who had done the things he had.
I had to explain the meaning of grace and how it was applied many times before he was able to relax this concern, Roy writes. Once he could see that being a Christian made him right in God’s sight, no matter what, he was able to lay aside many of his fears.
Isn’t that what grace is all about?
The “good news” of the gospel is that Jesus has already paid the price for all of our sins. He does expect us to turn away from them and walk in obedience to Him from that point on, but our past sins are no longer an issue. To a sinner like me, that truly is good news.
While many of us look at Jeffrey’s past and find ourselves unable to comprehend that God’s grace runs that deep, Roy feels that Jeffrey’s story demonstrates what the gospel is all about.
Jeff simply illustrates what Jesus can do with sinful men, Roy writes.
I would like to meet Pastor Roy one day. I would like to thank him for the unconditional love and grace he extended to Jeffrey.
It is the same type of love and grace that God extends to each of us.
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