Ransomed

"But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine."
Isaiah 43:1 NLT

Each and every one of us who has made Jesus the Lord of our lives can claim this declaration for ourselves. I love that word, "ransom" in description of the work God has done on our behalf.

He showed me an illustration recently to help me picture our salvation as a ransom:

We ran away from God in rebellion, like angry teenagers. Sin found us and claimed us as his own. We became his slaves, and he did a real number on us with his cruelty.
But God was seeking us out the entire time that we were gone. He searched the slums, the streets, and the marketplaces until he found us. Then he walked straight up to the man who owned us and said, "name your price".
That man said, "You want her? You want him? Then give me your Son in exchange."
Then our Daddy, without hesitation, gave up his Son so that he could have us back.

He brought us home and clothed us with clean, new clothes. We started living our lives together. But sometimes, we get it into our heads that our new Master is like our old one:
We think we have to please him to be in his favor.
We think it's impossible that our ransom was a free gift, and so think we have to pay it back somehow.
We think every misstep deserves harsh punishment. And when we don't receive that punishment from our Father, we dish it out on ourselves or, sometimes, on each other.

These thoughts prove that we're still in a slave mindset, not a son or daughter mindset.

But that is not how God intended for us to live. He didn't adopt us just so we could turn around and accuse him of the same cruelties that we suffered from our old master. He gave us new life so we could live it!

I'm not saying that we don't have a responsibility to serve God. What I am saying is that our service should come from love, not fear.

An exercise I've started in my own life, as a personal check against both perfectionism and guilt, is to look at the Gospel. I think of all the details, from Creation to Jesus's future return. Then I ask myself to truly believe it again.
1. God loves me, and he created me to be in fellowship with him
2. I'm unable to control or overcome my sinful nature (I don't say I'm a sinner, because that's not my identity anymore)
3. Jesus overcame the curse of humanity, and opened the door for me to leave my sins and mistakes behind me. He willingly died on the cross to take the punishment I deserve. Then he rose from the dead so he could offer me eternal life
4. God has offered me free forgiveness that doesn't have to be earned or deserved in any way
5. My sinful nature is still not something I can control. But God gave me his Holy Spirit to control it for me.
6. Just as Jesus endured all hardship on this earth, and overcame it, so he has enabled me to do the same. I do this by holding to his sacrifice, and telling others all that he's done for me.
7. Jesus will return for me, and when he does, everything wrong will be made right, both in myself and in the world.

That exercise prompts questions:
Am I living as if the Gospel were true for me?
Do I have freedom, hope, and joy in my life?
If I were to tell someone about Jesus, could I point them to my behavior and attitude as evidence that his sacrifice, and the freedom he offers, is real?

To answer that last question, here's some more questions:
In what ways am I still living with a slave mindset?
Do I still try to control my own sinful nature, or do I hand the leash of that mad dog over to Dad?
Do I have a fear of punishment lingering over my head, or am I resting securely in my adoption?
Am I serving God out of pride or fear, or out of genuine love and humility and surrender?
Am I trying to avoid showing weakness to God, or am I running into Daddy's lap when I hurt?

The Gospel is real. We have to act like it!

"This is what the Sovereign Lord , the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength..."
Isaiah 30:15a NLT

The Voice of the Waves

“Listen! The armies of many nations roar like the roaring of the sea. Hear the thunder of the mighty forces as they rush forward like thundering waves. But though they thunder like breakers on a beach, God will silence them, and they will run away. They will flee like chaff scattered by the wind, like a tumbleweed whirling before a storm.”
Isaiah 17:12‭-‬13 NLT

People can be noisy, can't they? It can be distracting, like so many gusts of wind in a storm, or reaching into a bush to get a berry and finding thorns instead. It can be easy to hear what they say and get caught up in the doubts or the frustration that arises: “What if they're right about me?” or “Who would say that?”

It's especially hard when their words echo your own doubts about yourself. But think of this: when you're standing on a rock, are you afraid of the waves that come crashing against it? Of course not! You don't even feel the vibration in your feet! Why would you be afraid of their power?

When people reject us, insult us, bully us, gossip about us, or slander us, we have a choice: To choose to listen to them, or to stand on the truth by remembering what God has said to us.

“But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”
Isaiah 43:1 NIV

God's voice dispels our fears. He reminds us that he created us, redeemed us, summoned us, and claimed us as his own. No lie that people throw at you can stand against that, if you choose to believe it.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.”
Isaiah 43:2a NIV

Imagine that every insult and condescending word that people tell you is a wave or a gust of wind in a mighty storm. You're in a boat that you thought was safe--maybe it's the reputation that you'd been cultivating of being nice and friendly, or the trust you'd put in the friendships you share with those people--but the boat is being tossed this way and that, and has started filling with water, and refuses to go in the direction you want no matter how hard you row. And all the while, there's constant noise so loud and disruptive you can hardly hear yourself think.

But then there's Jesus, calmly walking through it all. He's not at all concerned with the storm, he's just going where he has to go. Part of you is wondering how he does it, and part of you thinks he's not even real. But then he speaks:
“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
(Matthew 14:27 NIV)

Instantly, the storm is forgotten as you gaze across the water at the Savior who loves you. His words bring life to your very bones, and lifts your heart with hope. Suddenly, all you want is to be near to him. Because wherever he is, you know you're safe. So you call out,
“Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come!” He says. (Matthew 14:28-29 NIV)

So you leave the place of comfort--that boat that you'd been trusting in--and you step out on the water. There he is before you, the man you left everything to follow the instant that he called you. The man who you've watched do the impossible so many times you've lost count. The man who gave you purpose and identity, and made you into a leader and a fisher of men.

But as you walk towards him, the waves and the wind scream for your attention again. They tell you that you're too good, and therefore not good enough. They tell you you're crazy.
“What are you doing?” They say, “Look around you! Nobody can walk on water!”

And so for a split second, you do look around and realize just what it is you're doing. You forget the call that Jesus gave you, to come to him. You forget his words, “Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid!”

And as you look around and lose sight of your goal to be with Jesus, suddenly the waves have you in their grasp. The “ground” is ripped out from under you, and threatens to swallow you and pull you under. You're drowning.

Yet even as you sink, you catch sight of Jesus again, standing above you. In desperation you cry out to him, and you see his hand reach down for yours. He pulls you up and sets you on your feet again. Quietly, he asks,
“You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31 NIV)

It can be so easy to be distracted by all the noise around us: the voices that tell us to doubt who we are or what God has said and done. But we don't have to listen to the voices of the waters that rage against us. There's only one voice that matters. He will always speak the truth, and he will always love you.

“But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.
Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”
Isaiah 43:1‭-‬5a NIV

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced down the ruler of nations who was threatening to burn them alive, they never waivered. They stood up, figuratively and literally, for what they believed in. They held onto their faith in the God of their ancestors. They knew that he was the Lord, their God, the Holy One of Israel, their Savior. They knew he'd promised to be with them in the fire. They knew he'd honor their devotion, whether they lived or died. And he did. He was with them through the fire. He didn't let them go through it on their own. And he delivered them from it. When they emerged, no harm had come to them whatsoever. Their clothes didn't even smell like smoke. (See Daniel 3 for the whole story).

That same God is the one you serve. He has promised to be with you. Why?
“Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you.” (Isaiah 43:4)

He will never change. His love for you will never change. His promises will never change. His Word stands forever. It is stronger than all the attacks that come against it. So stand. Don't fear the flames that threaten to consume you. They can't harm one who stands with a shield of faith (See Ephesians 6:16). And don't fear the waves that look to distract you. Place your feet on the Rock, and the waves will break against it. You don't have to worry about defending yourself, simply trust in the Lord.

“Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Exodus 14:13‭-‬14 NIV

The Ultimate Living Sacrifice

I read a quote today by an author named Harold Sala: "The problem with living sacrifices is that they keep trying to crawl off the alter."

It reminded me of a prayer that I heard last night that stuck with me: "Jesus, thank you for staying on the cross."

It had never occurred to me before to thank Jesus not only for being willing to go to the cross, but also for staying there. We know he could have come down if he chose, and we know he was faced with the temptation to do so (See Matthew 27:39-43). So how was it possible for him to do that? In the midst of those hours of never-ending agony, when he was absolutely alone for the first time in his life, how was he able to resist that temptation? Why did he stay on the cross?
Well, I asked him. And while I was waiting for the answer, I went through a couple options:
1. It could have been an outpouring of God's grace on him in that moment--the same grace that I rely on every day in order to do what God asks me to do. But there was a potential problem with that theory: did Jesus have access to God's grace at that time? When did God turn his face away from him? Was it right before Jesus' death, or was it earlier? We could debate the theology of this question all day, but ultimately there's no way to know for sure. But if Jesus didn't have God's grace to rely on, how was he able to stay on the cross?
2. He stayed of his own will. I think we're getting closer, but if I evaluate my own strength of will based on my track record, I know I couldn't stay on the cross if I had the power to leave it, no matter what motive I had and no matter who had asked me to. (I guess that's why it's a good thing that I wasn't entrusted with saving the world...)

This is about when I moved from asking how Jesus had stayed in the cross, and started asking why. I know that it was going to earn him a great reward, and that it was an act of obedience to God (See Philippians 2:8-9). I know he had submitted his will to God's (See Matthew 26:38-39). But personally, there's no sort of future glory that I could have found worth that cost, especially while I was in the midst of the suffering itself. And fulfilling someone else's vision wouldn't have been a strong enough motivator for me to stay on the cross if I had the power to leave it.
So I came to the conclusion that Jesus must have stayed because he wanted to.

But now here's the question: what did Jesus care for so much that he wanted to stay on the cross?
Consequently, this is also the question that God chose to answer. His answer: Joy. He was referring to Hebrews 12:2
"For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

If you've been around the church for any period of time, you've probably heard this verse quoted, and you've probably heard it followed with the "you were the joy set before him" speech. It's not that that isn't true, but personally I've heard it so often that it has begun to lose it's impact. But it's another matter entirely to hear God say it. After all that questioning and wondering what had kept Jesus on the cross, to hear that it was his desire for the very relationship that I now share with him, it hit me in a fresh, new way.

Jesus chose to be a living sacrifice, and he chose to stay on the alter, because he wanted his children so much.

Whenever I've read or heard the verse in Romans where it says to offer ourselves as living sacrifices (see Romans 12:1), it's never occurred to me that Jesus did it first. He not only took up his cross, but he also kept it. He surrendered himself not just to the death, but also to the suffering that would come beforehand.

Since that's what he did for us, that's what we ought to want to do for him. Offering our bodies as living sacrifices isn't an act of obligation, though Jesus has certainly earned such radical devotion. It's done "in view of God's mercy". When we look at Jesus's sacrifice for us long enough, we should long to offer him something in return. Just as Jesus longed for us.

So here's my heart's response: When God interrupts my day with some inconvenient task, or when he asks me to say something to a person without knowing how they'll react, I want to "fix [my] eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. Who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning it's shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." I want to "Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, do that [I] will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:2-3)

The Race

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So last night, I had a dream. Creepy way to start, right? Sheesh. Oh well, you’ll just have to deal with it. Anyway, back to the narrative:

My dream started on a racetrack. I had a racecar, and a terrible view. The track twisted, curled, crossed, and drove over  and around several small knolls, so it was impossible to see the whole thing, only one or two turns at a time. Since I often have doomsday dreams, the plot was that at the end of the race, God would determine which racers got into heaven and which didn’t. But I didn’t know that as the race was going. I didn’t know what the goal was.

So I did what I thought best: I raced. I got competitive, and started pushing other cars into the rail so I could get ahead. But on this curvy, twisted track, there was no way of knowing where the finish line was, or even if everyone was going in the right direction. After all, I had come in at the middle, and the rules were never explained to me. Yet despite not knowing where I was going, I did my best to beat the other drivers. Then the race ended, and I had not made it to the finish line

The judge of the race brought me in, and since it was a dream we didn’t speak, and I didn’t see him, but I suddenly understood that I had lost. I hadn’t followed the rules, and was therefore disqualified. I protested that that wasn’t fair because I didn’t know the rules. It turned out that the whole time, the judge was more interested in my behavior and my attitude on the track than he was about whether I succeeded or not. All the terrible things I’d done to cripple the other drivers in my attempts to get ahead were what the judge was concerned with.

When I protested that it wasn’t fair, the judge didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to explain himself. He simply showed me to a door. I spent the rest of the dream assuming that my protests had been heard and that I had been let into “heaven” after all. The rest of the people who were with me assumed the same thing. Yet somehow, the dream ended before we got to our destination.

You see, in this race, everyone was subject to the same rules, whether they knew them or not. The whole time, it was up to the drivers who knew the rules to tell the other drivers about the rules, as well as the ultimate goal of the race. After that, it was up to those who were told, whether or not they believed the other drivers, and started to obey the rules.

In the race of real life, most people just assume that the goal of the race is to get ahead of everyone else and cross the finish line successfully. But little do they know that the entire time they’re racing, there’s a judge who is going to measure them against his own standards. That’s why there was never a finish line in sight. To get to the end was never the goal. The real goal is to meet the standards of the judge of the race. He’s the one who organized it, so he determines the rules. That’s why it’s fair to disqualify people even if they never knew the standards he was measuring them by. In this race, not everyone wins. Those who lose are the ones who don’t play by the rules of the judge.

By now I hope my Christian friends at least have seen the real meaning behind this dream, and are reminded of the importance of their role in this race. I also hope they are seriously considering whether or not they are fulfilling that role well. I know I am.

For those of you who maybe don’t know what all this signifies, I’ll explain it.

Let’s start with the race. As you may have guessed, the race signifies our life. Sometimes, it feels like we were thrown in without anyone telling us what we were supposed to be doing. Sure, lots of people have opinions, and they’re more than willing to impress those opinions upon you. But have you ever stopped to consider the question, “Why am I here?” Could it be that what you believe is actually wrong?

Now let’s talk about the judge. The judge in this dream represents God. He’s the one who put this “race” together. He created the rules. When he started out, everything about the world met his standards. Everything he created, he called “good.” Except humans. When he created humans, he called them “Very good!”

Back then, his rules were simple. He only had one, actually. He told the first people, Adam and Eve, that they were to never eat the fruitof the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Yet, those people were deceived into thinking that if they did eat the fruit from that tree, they could determine their own rules for the race. But that’s not what happened. Instead, when they ate it, they disobeyed God. They had broken his one rule, which meant they fell short of his standards.

See, the thing about God is that he is holy. If anything enters his presence that is not also holy, his very holiness destroys it. Think of a fire: if there’s anything in its path that is flammable, it is lit on fire and consumed. That’s kind of like what God’s presence is like. If anything comes before him that is contaminated with sin, it is consumed, and it dies. That includes imperfect people.

But God is also merciful. He does not want anyone to die. So instead of killing Adam and Eve right off because they broke his only rule, he banished them from his presence.

So because all humans come from flawed people, all people are flawed. Suddenly, there are hundreds of rules to follow if we want to be holy enough to enter God’s presence and be “good” again. Those are the rules that the Law of Moses in the Old Testament lays out. You see, God didn’t just throw us into the race without telling us the rules. He gave us a rulebook: The Bible. We just have to read it.

There’s just one problem: in order to be let into the presence of God, we have to follow those rules perfectly. Otherwise, we’ll still “burn up” when we enter his presence. But following the Law perfectly is impossible, right? Of course it is! We’re broken. We’ll never accomplish anything without making mistakes. The Law is simply there to make that fact obvious. God tells us his standards (if we want to meet them ourselves), but all that does is show us all the places where we’re going wrong.

But here’s the key factor to this story: God loves us. He wants us to be in his presence. And he knows we can’t get there ourselves. So here’s what he did: He came on the racetrack himself. He had a human racecar, but put his son Jesus in the driver’s seat. Jesus had two objectives:

1.  MeetGod’s standards perfectly, to win the race and get to the winner’s circle. Jesus was human, and so was subject to every temptation that humans face. But as the Son of God, he was also divine, which meant that he perfectly resisted every temptation and lived a perfect, sinless, holy life.
2. Sincewe’re technically disqualified, he took the punishment of that disqualificationon himself. He paid the price to win tickets for us all, so we can join him in the winner’s circle. You see, back at the beginning of the world, God had told Adam and Eve that if they ate the “forbidden fruit” the punishment was death. When he banished them, that didn’t mean he was changing his mind. He was only delaying their punishment. Ever since that time, the punishment for every sin has always been death. It’s what we deserve: to be separated from God for eternity. That’s what makes hell so terrible. Everything good in our lives comes from God. Take that away, and it leaves only the bad. But I digress. The punishment for sin is death. But since Jesus never sinned, he was the only human being to ever live who did not deserve to die. But he did, so that his death would turn the wrath of God away from us. He took our punishment on himself. He served our sentence to win our freedom.

But that’s not the end of the story. Jesus didn’t just die. He came back to life. If his resurrection had been immediate, people would say he never died. But no, it happened three days later. You see, death never had power over Jesus. He let himself be killed, but he always had authority over death. So when he had fulfilled all the promises that God had given to people about him, he threw death off of himself and walked out of his own grave (well, technically, thegrave was borrowed). And since he had power over his own death, he proved that he has power over ours as well.

So what happens now? Now, we’re faced with a choice: accept a free ticket into the winner’s circle, or continue to race the way we think we should. Either we ask God to forgive our sins, and to count Jesus’ perfect life and sacrifice as our own, or we continue on our way, looking for the finish line around every corner. By now, you probably already know which choice you’re going to make, and I pray that it’s the right one.

If you want to make the choice to accept Jesus’s life and death as your own, first let me say, YAHOO! *Ahem.* Pardon. Next, we can get down to logistics. Here’s the basic principle: Tell God you are sorry for your sins, and that you believe that Jesus’ death paid the penalty for them. Ask God to accept Jesus’ death as your own, and ask him to enter your heart so that he can make your life look more like Jesus’ life: holy and perfect. Don’t get me wrong, Christians aren’t perfect. But we are being perfected.

If you want to know more about God’s rules and Jesus’ sacrifice, I can refer you to two places: the Bible (especially the books Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, as well as Romans to start), and the Church (meaning, anyone who is a Christian—including me—and who believes that we’re “saved by grace.”). Once you’ve made the decision to ask Jesus into your heart, you need to get plugged in with a community so that you can learn more and grow under the guidance of someone who has been racing this way for a while. You need a crew and a coach. That’s why Christians attend churches.

Anywho, that’s all I’ve got to say! Except one last thing: if you did accept Jesus, I really, really, really want to know about it! So please tell me!

Love Everlasting

You have loved me with an everlasting love.
That fact comes to me again and again
Though all others leave me, you never have
And I know you never will

This love of yours is relentless
It pursues me to the ends of the earth
It keeps on, willing to forget my mistakes
It comforts my every hurt

Why should I be so petty? Ungrateful?
So forgetful, forgetting to trust?
Why should I think I know better than you?
When without you, I am dust?

This love of yours is extravagant
Heedless of all cost
You celebrate my every victory
You mourn my every loss

Yet who am I that you notice me?
What have I to offer?
Flaws and baggage is all I see
And for that you chose to suffer?

This love of yours is perfect
More than I could hope to be
You're God, and you give of yourself
When I just focus on me

My wounds don't go so very deep
They don't leave such dreadful scars
Yet even those you choose to heal?
And call a work of art?

This love of yours is majestic
Far above any others
It lifts me up when life gets hectic
And surrounds me with its borders

Why would I rely on any love than yours?
What could they possibly offer?
They crumble as soon as they have formed
But you're my only real lover

The Ultimate Church: If...Then and Opposites

Question: in your opinion, what is the ultimate church? What should be our goal as a fellowship of people?

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and one in purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus"
Philippians 2:1-5 NIV

If...Then
The ultimate church: The picture here is a group of people who share their personal blessings with each other so that the group as a whole is blessed in the same way: If you have any comfort from Christ's love, then be like-minded by having the same love. If you have any fellowship with the Spirit, then be like-minded by being one in spirit. If you have any tenderness and compassion, then be like-minded by being one in purpose (once the Church is "one in spirit," the Holy Spirit can give everyone common "tenderness and compassion," in order lead them to work towards a common purpose).

So what gets in the way of that kind of unity? Selfish ambition and vain conceit. Those blessings we're supposed to share (encouragement, love, fellowship with the Spirit, and common purpose) are easily defeated by selfish ambition, vanity, and conceit. Just like you cannot have unity with God if you have sin, you cannot have unity with fellow believers if you have pride.

Opposites
So how do we accomplish this goal? How do we get the humility that leads to unity?We must do three things:
First, "Consider others as better than ourselves." That's the opposite of "vain conceit."
Second, "Look not only to [our] own interests, but also to the interests of others." That's the opposite of "selfish ambition."

Finally, we must look to the One who serves as our ultimate example (and teacher) in everything--Jesus Christ--to find the sort of humility that is needed for unity.

So what kind of humility did Jesus have? That is outlined in the next passage of Philippians 2 (verses 6-11). Ultimately, it says this: Jesus put God above everybody, and everybody above himself. That's the ultimate goal for us in our attitude. That's the picture of the ultimate church.

The Grace of the Humble

In my life lately, I have been struggling to discipline my sinful nature and live by the Spirit, especially in my free time. For some reason, in the moment, it feels like my free time doesn't matter. Not to me, and not to God. But God has been convicting me about it, and ever since he did I've been struggling to change my attitude, as well as my actions. It's been hard. For some unknown reason, I have had trouble surrendering my free time every day, and using it to do what God wants me to do instead of simply entertaining myself until the next commitment comes.

Then I ran into something while I was reading James 4 the other day. There was a note from my past self written in the margin of my Bible pointing me to 1 Peter 5.

"But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."
James 4:6‭-‬10 NIV

"All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."
1 Peter 5:5‭-‬10 NIV

The language and themes in these two passages are so similar that I had to do a double-take to make sure they weren't written by the same author. But no, they aren't. At least, they aren't written by the same human author. That makes me really pay attention to what is being said, because apparently it's important enough that God decided to say it twice.

I'd like to examine each point in detail:
1. Humble yourself before God
2. Submit to God, and he will lift you up
3. If we humble ourselves, we will receive God's grace (Proverbs 3:34)
4. Resist the devil

1. Humble Yourself Before God
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand"
1 Peter 5:6 NIV

"Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord"
James 4:8‭-‬10 NIV

I know I'm starting with the unpleasant subject first: the command to renounce our self-love and surrender our hearts, our minds, our lives, our strength, and our very souls to God's authority. That does not always feel very fun.
Look at the language James used: grieve, mourn, wail, gloom. This process involves comparing our pitiful, puny, sinful nature to God's all-powerful, all-worthy, perfect nature. When we do this, we realize how unapproachable God's holiness is, and our souls long for him. This process of humbling ourselves may not be fun, but it is necessary!

This is how we humble ourselves: by doing as James said. Grieve, wail, and mourn. But what are we mourning? What causes our grief? What prompts us to wail?
We grieve because we've caused God's heart to grieve. We mourn because we've caused God's heart to mourn. Humbling ourselves involves acknowledging and repenting for what we've done in rebellion against him.

So what are some things that cause God's heart to grieve (that we need to repent of)?
a) Foolishness
"A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the mother who bore him."
Proverbs 17:25 NIV

God is our Father. He created us, and he loves us, and so that is how he identifies himself to us. 

Keep in mind that in Proverbs, the fool is the one who is morally deficient. He has forsaken wisdom and instead follows whatever way he desires. He is completely taken by earthly pleasures, with no care to contemplate the consequences of tomorrow. 

How our sinful nature longs to play the fool! Even if it's only for a little while. We think it will be restful to forget consequences for a time, in order to do as we wish. We willingly choose to forget that the only place to find true rest is in God. This is the kind of foolishness that grieves the Father's heart. It is something we acknowledge and mourn as we humble ourselves before him.

b) Rebellion
"He said, “Surely they are my people, children who will be true to me”; and so he became their Savior. In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.  

Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them."
Isaiah 63:8‭-‬10 NIV
Do you think God wanted to be Israel's enemy in this story? Don't you think he would have preferred to cherish and nurture forever this nation that he had set apart as his very own?

In the same way, our rebellion grieves his Spirit. Because of our adoption, we are now the chosen people. We have been saved from our sins, grafted into Israel, and given the Holy Spirit! An unprecedented act of mercy! Yet in our rebellion, we reject his Holy Spirit in order to indulge our worldly flesh. If it weren't for the saving power of Jesus' blood, we would never escape the wrath that should follow! We should be ashamed of ourselves, for we know better! After everything he has done for us to save us, guide us, and teach us, what Father wouldn't be grieved when his children turn away? 

This also is something we should acknowledge and mourn as we humble ourselves before him. And as we repent and humble ourselves, let us also remember to thank him for turning his wrath aside from us!

Wow, that was a lot of negativity! Yet, just as James said, humbling ourselves can involve "Changing our laughter to mourning and our joy to gloom". So what's the point of all of this?

This is why we humble ourselves: 

a) To put our lives in the proper perspective. When we compare ourselves to other people, it can be easy to focus on what we are doing "better" than they are. I'm reminded of the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14. The Pharisee was sure of getting God's favor because he was more "righteous" than the other petitioner who had approached. Yet the tax collector went home justified, because he had compared himself to God's righteousness and found himself wanting. When we are humble before God, we will be humble before our fellow man as well.

b) To approach the throne to make our requests in the correct attitude. The context of James 4 is all about why the recipients of the letter were not getting what they wanted because they were either not asking for it or they weren't asking correctly. So the passage we're looking at is the explanation of how to properly present our requests to God. It can be easy to slip into pride, and take advantage of God's grace by scornfully demanding the things we want. How can we hope to be granted requests that way? Instead, humility grants us the extension of the scepter, so that we may approach the unapproachable, holy King and make our requests. Just like Esther humbled herself by fasting for three days (Esther 4:16), and then clothed herself to please the king (Esther 5:1-2), we clothe ourselves with humility (1 Peter 5:5) to please our King before we present our requests. How can we ask that he utilize his authority and power in our lives if we don't first place our lives under his authority and power?

Fortunately, there is not just a command and a necessity involved with humbling ourselves, but there are also promises! A couple of those can be found in the main passages we're looking at in James 4 and 1 Peter 5.

2. Submit to God, and He Will Lift You Up

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."

James 4:10

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

1 Peter 5:6-7

This is the first promise we find that's associated with humbling ourselves. I have discovered two possible ways to think of this promise for God to "lift us up."
1) Luke 18:14b "For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." Just like Jesus was "exalted to the highest place" for his obedience to God (Philippians 2:8-9), we will be exalted as well, if we humble ourselves and place our lives under God's authority to do with as he pleases. This hope is not without a foundation, but is firmly based on multiple promises throughout the Bible, including James 4, 1 Peter 5, and Luke 18, as we just saw.

2) When I read these sections of our main passages, I picture a petitioner kneeling before God's throne. I then picture God taking that petitioner by the elbows and lifting him up to a standing position. In my mind, this signifies that the petitioner has been granted favor, and God will hear their request in a way that reflects the petitioner's status. This reminds me of the instructions Jesus gave in Luke 14:7-11 about where to sit at a feast:
"When you are invited to a feast, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests." (verse 10)
When we approach God's throne of grace, we can do so with confidence. However, if we also humble ourselves before him, he will lift us up, reminding us of our favored status in his sight.
Fun fact: do you know what Luke 14:11 says? "For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." Which is the same promise we just saw in Luke 18. I just thought that was kind of cool. Moving on.


3. If We Humble Ourselves, We Will Receive God's Grace
"But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
James 4:6

"All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
1 Peter 5:5

Both of these passages quote the same Proverb:
"He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed"
Proverbs 3:34

This is the second promise we find in these passages that's associated with humbling ourselves to God. Submitting ourselves to God in the manner that we discussed in section 1 involves a lot of repentance. And as we all know,
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and juts and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

God's grace is granted to those who acknowledge their need for it. That is the benefit of humbling ourselves before him! We can approach God in humility, and come away knowing that we have been forgiven of everything. After all, Jesus said
"If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and come back to you saying 'I repent,' you must forgive them." (Luke 17:3-4)
If that is the kind of forgiveness that God expects us to offer--the kind that forgives the seventh offense with the same willingness and attitude as it did the first--how much more will God offer us the same kind of forgiveness! Therefore, we can be confident as we humble ourselves before him that he will give us the grace we need. And it is not only the grace of forgiveness that we obtain in this way. We receive another kind of grace as well...


4. Resist the Devil
"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
James 4:7

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast."
1 Peter 5:8-10

Since both of these passages mentioned resisting the devil directly after instructing us to humble ourselves before God, I have to think the two are related.

I love how James states it: "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Direct as always, James! However, if I had not also read 1 Peter 5, I may have had a few questions left over. Like, um, how? Seriously, it does not seem so easy. It is simple, yes, but not easy.

Thankfully, Peter goes into a few more details. Here's what I catch:
1) "Stand firm in the faith." The only way to resist something is by standing on firm ground. Our faith is grounded on something immovable: The Truth. God's Word is truth (John 17:17), and Jesus is The Truth (John 14:6). Our faith can help us combat the lies of the enemy (Ephesians 6:16). Is he trying to tell you that God isn't faithful? Stand on your faith, reminding yourself what God has done in the past to be faithful to you, and to the people in the Bible.

2) We are not alone in the struggle. "You know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings." One of the most common and most discouraging lies that get launched our way is that we are alone. We may look at everyone around us and think that they have their lives all put together. "Nobody else will understand," "nobody will care," and "if you admit to this struggle, it will change how people see you" are some of the thoughts we may have during a difficult time. However, God created a community in the Church, with the purpose of having us help one another and spur each other on in the faith. And if that is God's will for us, then of course God's Enemy--like a prowling lion--wishes to disrupt it by forcing the most vulnerable people to the edge of the herd to be picked off one by one. That is why it is so important to go to a trusted friend or mentor with what you're going through. "You know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings." You may be surprised at how well they relate to you. They may even be going through something similar, and you can help each other get through. Sin is not an original invention. There's no reason to struggle with it alone, especially when that's not how God intended for it to be handled. Even Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, requested that Peter, James, and John pray for him in the garden (Matthew 26:37-38). So don't be afraid to turn to someone you trust with what you struggle with.

3) The struggle will not last forever. "After you have struggled for a while..." If we have given our lives to God, our sin has been defeated and our salvation is sure (2 Corinthians 7:10). We will inherit eternal life (John 10:28). The devil's punishment is certain (Revelation 20:14). And if we stand firm in the faith, we will receive our reward from God that he has promised. Hope is a strong motivator in the midst of a struggle. If a drowning mouse is rescued once, the next time it is drowning it will hold out all the longer, looking forward to when it is rescued again. We have a certainty of being rescued in the end, and therefore we can cling to hope while we struggle against the schemes of the devil and with our sinful nature. Even if our lives feel like one long string of struggles, that does not mean God has abandoned us. Our hope does not have any basis on this life or on our circumstances. It is based in what the Bible says that God has promised for the next life.

4) God will use the struggle and give you grace "The God of all grace... himself will restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast." If we stand firm, God will make us firm. The traits we acquire in order to get through tough times is often the reward we receive at the end. It is the fruit of our struggle. If we need more faith, our faith will be tested. If our faith is being tested, God will use the test to make our faith stronger. At the end of the test, we get to keep the stronger faith and use it again. It's like in a video game. Sometimes you get sent on quests to fetch something, like a honeycomb or a collection of sticks and worms. When you've retrieved it, some quest-givers reward you by giving you the completed product, like a jar of honey or a fishing pole. In those kind of games, often the only way to get those items is by completing the quest. It's the same way with us. When we are going through something tough, it's like we're collecting character traits. When we give them to God, he then puts them together and rewards us with the completed product. 

"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Romans 5:3-4

God also blessed us with grace in the trial: "The God of all grace... himself will restore you..." We cannot struggle with sin--resist the devil--by ourselves and hope to win. We cannot resist the sinful nature unless we live by the Spirit. We need grace from God. Fortunately, he's the God of all grace, and is willing to give us what we need when we submit to him. 

So how do we resist the devil? Stand firm in the faith, be encouraged by others, cling to hope, and ask God for grace.

And how do we win our struggle with sin? Humble ourselves before God, and resist the devil. We cannot win our fight with sin if we don't reject it and acknowledge its harm to us and to our relationship with God. We will not get what we ask for unless we ask with right motives. But if we do ask in humility, God will lift is up and give us the grace of forgiveness as well as the grace to resist the devil. And finally, if we resist the devil, he will flee from us!

Footnote: Keep in mind that this is a process. When Satan was tempting Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11), and Jesus resisted, Satan didn't leave right away. Jesus had to be patient and persistent. So do we. The promise is there: the devil will flee. But don't be surprised if he sticks around just long enough for us to learn something in the process. That is how God often works things for our good (Romans 8:28): by using the trial to teach us something new and help us grow in our walk with him.