Shocking Words
The following words are quite shocking — words that are more excerpts from Dudley Hall’s Book, Grace Works. This is Part Four:
In many ways, we live in a culture of condemnation — especially in our religious communities. In fact, the religionists have refined condemnation to an art form. Condemnation is used as a tool to convert people into religious behavior from heathen behavior. It is also the “weapon of choice” for shaping the consciences of the young and influencing the decisions of adults.
And the tragedy of all this is: there is no place for condemnation within Christ’s church! The Bible says it plainly: ”There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). That’s an emphatic statement: ”no condemnation.” It just isn’t there; it doesn’t exist. For a person in Christ to experience condemnation, he or she would have to reach outside of Christ to get it. The liberating truth of the gospel is — no condemnation!
Is the “Yes, but…” question already surfacing in your mind? ”What about conviction over sin? Doesn’t God convict us when we violate our relationship with him?”
The answer, of course, is yes. Jesus promises in John 16:8-23 that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth and “convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment” (Romans 16:8).
But condemnation and conviction are two different things. One leads to despair, the other to hope. One is an accusing voice, the other an encouraging voice.
Picture this in your mind: You are standing in the middle of a room. All the lights are off. The furniture is in disarray; everything is out of place. It is your responsibility to put everything in order, but every time you move, you bump into something.
That’s how condemnation feels. You’re in a mess, but you don’t know how to fix it. You are just conscious of your failure.
Then someone turns on the light. The room is still a mess, but now you can see where you’re going and how to put things right. You feel a responsibility to correct the problems in the room, but also a sense of hope and direction. That’s how conviction feels.
It’s a completely different set of circumstances. Conviction brings growth and is necessary to salvation, but condemnation obliterates confidence, confuses communication, paralyzes prayer, and stifles the individual. Condemnation is a tool of Satan; it is inevitably destructive. Once again, there is no place for it in the life of Christ. –Dudley Hall, Grace Works, pg. 152-153
The Pharisee in Me
Part Three of excerpts from Dudley Hall’s book, Grace Works:
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope…not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some.” (Hebrews 10:23-25)
This is not a command from God telling us that we had better attend church every Sunday for fear that if we don’t our business will fail or we will get sick. It’s an exhortation from our loving Father not to allow anything to keep us from the channel of blessing he has designed for us.
A preoccupation with the external and an obsession with the religious define the Pharisaical mindset — and we are all vulnerable to thinking this way. But when we embrace the essence of the life of Jesus, we are set free from “the Pharisee in me.”
What is life like once we’ve stopped thinking like Pharisees? We find ourselves being supernaturally natural. We can be real without fear of being wrong. Our motivation comes out of the inner person where the law of God has been written. Lifeless religion leaves a bad taste in our mouth. We refuse to categorize our lives into secular and spiritual, because we have found that the glory of God fills the whole earth and the whole earth belongs to him. The essence of our religion is not external performance but internal relationship.
There’s more. If we have experienced the joy of God’s unconditional love, we will want to express that love to the needy around us. As a general rule, we become people who are fun to be with — neither judgmental nor self-conscious. We are able to listen to anyone’s perspective, believing that difference is good and not evil. We resist the temptation of trying to conform everyone to our own image, and we dare to believe that righteousness is stronger than wickedness. As a result, we enjoy the confidence to enter into any realm of life without fear.
If the life I’ve just described feels familiar, great! But if you have just recognized some Pharisee in you, it’s time for a reality check. Honestly is the key to breaking free from Pharisaism. To acknowledge darkness in your life is to expose it to the very light of God. When his light is allowed to flow into your life, darkness will dissipate. Relationship with him is much better than any religious form. If you have found yourself thinking at any time, “Thank you, God, that I’m not like some of these sinners,” then I would suggest you pray this prayer: ”Have mercy upon me, a sinner.” (See Luke 18:11-13)
And the good news to all of us Pharisees is: ”His loving kindness is everlasting.” (Psalms 100:5) – Dudley Hall, Grace Works, pg. 121-122
I Can Get God to Act
Here is the next excerpt from Dudley Hall’s book, Grace Works:
So we can see from the two confrontations between Jesus and the Pharisees (Matthew 9 and 12) that a perverted sense of sacrifice produces two destructive views of life. First, fearing the power of evil tends to lead to a doctrine of avoidance in which righteousness is determined by evils that are avoided rather than by good that is expressed. Second, the focus on proper external behavior typically results in condemning the individual while protecting the institution. But perhaps the most dangerous pitfall of the legalistic mindset is that it reduces a tender relationship with God to a formula.
It is interesting that legalists often make the accusation that stressing grace leads to license. But it is the legalist who presumes on the grace of God with an emphasis on right actions, right rituals, and right restrictions.
This is made very clear in the original Old Testament passage that Jesus quoted to the Pharisees. Hosea’s statement that God desires mercy, not sacrifice, was spoken to a people who had broken their covenant with God and then tried to “bribe” him with sacrifices. God’s people had been disobedient by not responding to him in love and faith, so he had allowed the discipline of hard times to come upon them. Things were so tough that they decided they needed to do something to gain relief. They had seen God’s acts in the past and concluded, “If we will say all the right words, God will relent of all this pressure he is putting on us and restore us to our original condition.”
Hosea used the image of romantic love to dramatize Israel’s faithlessness. He pictured God as the husband and Israel as a bride who had not only committed adultery but become a harlot. As a nation, it had sold itself to other gods for protection, provision, and guidance. And then, when God’s people were reaping the whirlwind of the wind they had sown, their solution was “Let’s do the right thing to get God to respond to us.”
See how they are undervaluing the relationship? Do you see the revealed legalistic mentality that “what I do determines what God does? God is reduced to a button to be pushed so that relief can come our way. His whole kingdom is reduced to principles that can be applied so we can experience life without hassle. This is, in essence, religious idolatry. It is a human being saying, “I am in charge, and I have discovered how to use God for my own benefit.”
This kind of mentality takes the wonderful promises of God and reduces them to formulas…The problem is, a relationship is not a formula. The gift of grace is not a combination of requirements that gets results, but an invitation for full fellowship. The solution to sin is mercy, not sacrifice; life, not legalism; relationship, not religion.
The “I can get God to act” mentality has reduced all of the wonderful disciplines of the Christian life into hard work. If I pray long enough and hard enough, surely I can get God to act on my behalf. If I fast long enough and sincerely enough, I will get relief. If I go to church, maybe God will be appeased. Etcetera. Ad nauseam.
God is not a big computer in the sky waiting for us to enter the proper code word. He has already acted on our behalf and made his life and mercy available to us. His promises to us are not trick formulas that enable us to manage and manipulate our lives here on earth. They’re invitations to a fresh encounter and an everlasting relationship with him.
Those who live by the sacrifice mentality are never quite sure they’ve sacrificed enough. Those who live by mercy realize that all it takes to receive mercy is to have a need and be honest about it. Those who approach God on the basis of their sacrifice receive only disappointment. Those who approach him on the basis of mercy receive all that he has, because faith in mercy is heaven’s currency. – Dudley Hall, Grace Works, pg. 48-51
A Bad Rap
I picked up a book this week that I read several years ago. It’s so good that I’m going to post quotes from it for a couple of weeks. The book is called Grace Works, and it’s by Dudley Hall. You can still find copies of it if you look online; I highly recommend it. Here is today’s excerpt, from the opening pages of the book:
The Gospel has taken a bad rap! More often than not, what is proclaimed as gospel is just another challenge to “do better.” Try harder! Pray longer! Be more committed! Love deeper! Stop sinning! Be good! Be happy!
All of these commands come as bad news to people who are trapped by their own guilt-ridden, inadequate lives. People who have tried to do better but failed. People who are already over-committed and trapped by sin and well aware that they fall far short of good. People who have tried and tried by just can’t manage to be truly, deeply happy.
No wonder the church has failed to connect with so many people out there! The hurting masses of the world are seeking a cure for their ills and solutions for their problems. And too often, the church has promised them everything but given them next to nothing in the name of gospel. Just more expectations to fulfill, more rules to keep, more activities to maintain, more work to do. The result has been a trail of discouragement and disillusionment. It’s caused a lot of people to reject the church entirely…
And yet God does have a “good news” message for the world and for the believer, and it’s just the opposite of “do better.” The good news God sends us through Jesus Christ is the message of grace. It’s the liberating message of ”This is what I want to do for you — not because you’ve done better or tried harder or stopped sinning, but because you’re my child, and I love you!”
What specifically does the Father offer? it’s the gift of “eternal life” — life with the eternal quality of God in it. It exists in time and space, but it has the ability to transcend human limitations and explore the vastness of the spiritual world. And it comes through a personal relationships with God himself…
Instead of chiding, “Do better,” grace whispers, “I want to do this for you.” Instead of urging, “try harder,” grace murmurs, “I’ve done the hard work for you. Rest in me and work in my power. And remember: I love you no matter what.”
Grace is a message of unconditional love from the Father of the universe. It’s the free offer of eternal life. And we can experience it all in the gritty now as well as in the sweet by and by.
That’s the real gospel — and it’s really good news! So join me while I explore the full and life-giving implications of the gospel of grace.” –Dudley Hall, Grace Works, pg. 9-11
Shark Crossing
I take lots of photos of funny and interesting signs when I’m traveling. This week I’m going to share some of my favorites. Here are some samples of signs involving animals:
Shouting — Part Two
This is a follow-up to the previous post.
So what is wrong with good deeds, faithfulness, giving, praying, having emotions? Nothing, if it’s in response to what God is doing in your life. It is a problem when it becomes your driving force in life, your way of trying to please God, an attempt to take center stage. This Christian life is not about us (and what we do “right” or “wrong”); it’s ALL about Him.
- John Wesley spent years trying to be the perfect Christian through a group called the “holy club” — they were completely focused on man’s efforts to please God. Then he discovered a better way — trusting in the works of Jesus instead of his own “holiness”
- Charles Finney also tried to work out his own righteousness until the realization dawned on him: ”I saw then as clearly as I ever had in my life, the reality and the fullness of the atonement of Christ. I saw that his work was a finished work; that instead of having, or needing, any righteousness of my own to recommend me to God, I had to submit myself to the righteousness of God through Christ. It was full and complete… (The One Year Book of Christian History, Oct. 10)
- Martin Luther, who had devoted himself to monastic life–fasting, prayer, pilgrimage, confession–discovered that all this was useless compared to freely being declared righteous by God in response to his faith in Christ’s atonement
I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you. – Isaiah 57:12 (NIV)
I find the image of a yoke to be helpful in understanding this.
Can you imagine what it would be like to be in a yoke like this? Imagine the weight of the load, being forced to go where you don’t want to go, having pressure on you, not being able to rest. This is what Bible teachers were doing to others in Jesus’ day.
The image of a yoke was commonly used in the Old Testament to describe Israel’s subjection to foreign oppression. (Lev. 26:13; Isa. 10:24-27). By Jesus’ time, it also had become a metaphor in Judaism for the law. Jesus’ invitation (see below) was a stark contrast to the military burdens of foreign oppressors or to the religious burden imposed by the Pharisees. –Archaeological Study Bible, pg. 1579
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. – Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
What the Pharisees were doing in Jesus’ day is still happening today. There are still preachers, teachers, and so-called followers of Christ that will tell you what you should or should not do — i.e., don’t drink, don’t dance, you need to attend church, you need to shout, you need to give, you need to dress this way or that way, don’t go to a bar, don’t skip prayer meeting, etc. The list goes on and on. Some of this is good advise, but it cannot be a substitute (or addition) to the merits of Jesus Christ, the only perfect and complete life.
Wow! When you realize this doesn’t it makes you want to
- breathe a huge sigh of relief?
- drop everything?
- say “no” to all the pressures of the yoke?
- let go?
- live freely and joyfully?
Shouting Methodists
Sorry, I got ahead of myself. This is the follow-up I intended to post to the previous 1838 letter regarding family history. Do you see why I said the letter was “confusing, hilarious and sad?” Obviously, what we are missing is John’s original letter to Philip, which would explain why Philip responded in this way. But even without his letter we can make some guesses about what John said. It was probably something along this line:
- I have discovered a better religion
- I think it’s the truth
- You need it too
What’s wrong with this? He claims to have found something better, additional, new, “necessary.” But better than what? ”The Merits of Jesus Christ.” Somehow, he got off on the idea that “shouting”
- is right for Christians
- is necessary for Christians
- is an “infalable” witness of a Christian
Why do you subjoin your Religion to the merits of Jesus Christ; are not His merits alone sufficient for you? –Philip Koontz, 1838
What is religion? It is not faith in Christ as many think. It is not the forgiveness of our sins, or the witness thereof. Neither is it repentance or a change of our mind. What is it then? Religion is an act, or deeds, in accordance to the Law. It includes all our services that we render towards God.Philip Koontz, 1838 (paraphrase)
- my goodness and righteousness
- my good deeds
- my faithfulness
- my giving, praying, living
1838 Letter
I wrote earlier about our Koontz ancestors and mentioned John Koontz, the “shouting Methodist” of the family. I had mentioned the four youngest sons of our Patriot ancestor, Johannes Koontz — John (born 1790), David (born 1792), Philip (born 1795) and Andrew (born 1798). I am descended from both David and Andrew because their children married each other, as first cousins.
Both John and Philip had left the family church — the German Reformed church — to join Lutheran congregations. Later, John left the Lutheran Church and began attending the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel; thus obtaining the nickname of “Chapel John.” John had gotten into some kind of major disagreement with one of the “pillars” of the Lutheran Church — “Praying Henry” Sink. It must be hard to disagree with someone with that name.
Philip had moved with his family to Parke County, Indiana in 1832, and we have a few letters that were shared between the brothers. I think this one that he sent to his brother, “Chapel John,” is fascinating. On my next post I will explain what I think he was saying, because it is confusing, hilarious and sad all at once. What do you think he was trying to say to his brother?
State of Indiana, Park County, July A.D. 1838
Dear Brother: I received your letter dated 23rd September, 1837, nearly 10 months past, in which you quoted much a variety of scriptural texts from Genesis, 3 Chapter, nearly to the Revelations, which took me so long to hunt up, and to investigate that I had to delay writing so long a time; but having at last obtained your ideas, I undertake to give you an answer, viz: first I have discovered throughout the whole train of your scriptural texts, that you intended to prove every thing and at last proved nothing at all; for instance, you undertake to prove from John 10 Chap. 1, vers to 7 that there is a change of our minds unavoideable necessary to Christ there, in that parable compares himself to a good Shepherd; false preachers to thiefs and robbers true and faithful believers to a flock of sheep. The Church to a Sheepfold also himself with the ordinary means of Grace as the only door, for enterens to the Sheepfold & why did you not appeal to Mat. 18 v3 and Job 3 v3 and 5 to prove your subject, secondly you undertake to prove by several tex: that Shouting is right for Christians, or rather Necessary. I want to learn of you; if Shouting is an infalable witness of a Christian? If so, it followeth that the heathans and even the Indians are Christians too, for they shout wonderfully and the Philistians shouted too. Judges Chap 15 v14 poor stuff indeed; thereby to prove a Christian & Dear Brother, if you want to let your light shine before the world & do it by such works as our saviour has recommended Math. Chap. 25 34 Vers 50 41 [???]. Ah be not deceived by those who can make a great show at meeting by their shouting and brawling to their religion and it is a common thing among men to handle but little money; when they get a dollar or two to carry it in their pocket and to rattle with it, which is seldom the case with those who have plenty of it.
You say you will not place your hope of Salvation in your own works or anything short of pure and undefiled Religion through the merrits of Jesus Christ. Why do you subjoin your Religion to the merrits of Jesus Christ, are not his merrits alone sufficient for you, agreeable to your own confession in your letter, you hope to be saved partly by your religion, and partly by or through the merits of Jesus Christ — This is the exact faith which thousands (so called) Christians in our day and in this way they can go securing and making prosolites pulling or breaking down the ordinances of God, such as infant baptism and the like, crying out inventions of men and this is the reward their mother Church gets for her labor and pain in bringing them up in the fear and admonition of the Lord, for cultivating the ground, that the good seed sowen in their young day; might grow up and O shameful antichristianism a young Ass it is said when done sucking will turn about and kick its mother.
What is Religion, I answer it is not faith in Christ as many think, it is not the foregiveness of our sins, or the witness thereof, neither is it repentence or a change of our mind. What then? Religion is an act, or acts & deeds of the law and includes all our servesses we render to God. Therefore I do not look for Salvation by Religion; as by the Deeds of the law no flesh shall be justified. Gal 2, 20 and Paul says Rom 3, 26 therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Dear Brother you appear seriously concerned about your salvation, be therefor careful that you may not build your faith & hope on any thing, but the Merits of Jesus Christ for God will not suffer even the weight of a hair to be brought in account, of our works, in justifying a Sinner, nothing but the Merits of our Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ — I must break off for want of space. If we build our faith thus on Christ then we shall see one the other joyfully in a better world where parting will be done away.
Dear Brother, Since I wrote the above I have met with a distressing affliction, viz. It pleased the Almighty God, to take out of this world my beloved wife Rebecca, and to leave me without a companion & six motherless children. She was taken with a violent remitting fever and died on the 13th day, while all Medical aid was of no affect there has been more sickness within two months than has been since this country has been settled, put together.
Among the many deaths which have been, there has been the following of our Carolina friends: Jacob Myers (commonly called Slumby Jacob). Also Solomon Myers–Michael Livengood–the wife of David Shofe–at present the sick are nearly all amending. George Hardman is living in Hendrix County and his post office is Danville in this state. Our wheat crops are midling good. Corn very good oats was sorry, & myself and my children are all well at present hoping these lines will find you and yours enjoying the same.
My present situation is truly luck; that I cannot see how to get along & but I trust in the Lord, knowing that he is able to prepare a way for us and no more at present but remain your affectionate brother until death.
Philip Koontz To John Kuntz September 24th, A.D. 1838.
Mother’s Quilts — Part 4
I still have more quilts to show you that my mother made. These are just beautiful. This one was a block swap that she did with my sister and a friend:
This one has lots of small squares of various fabrics:
Oops — my sister informs me that this one (above) was made by her as a gift to our dad after Mother passed away, using some of Mother’s fabric stash. A beautiful gift, isn’t it?
Then here are more of the novelty quilts that our mother enjoyed making:
You can almost hear the chickens clucking in that one!
Great Quotes — Eleven
It’s time to share some of the best quotes I’ve come across lately.
I truly believe that when the poor meet the rich, riches will have no meaning. And when the rich meet the poor, we will see poverty come to an end. –Shane Claiborne, The Irresistible Revolution, pg. 114
I had come to see that the great tragedy in the church is not that rich Christians do not care about the poor but that rich Christians do not know the poor. –Ibid, pg. 113
It is such a strange joy to feel myself getting smaller, weaker and more insignificant, and then realize that it is the weak that the Father almost always uses to conquer the darkness and spread His glory. –Dustin, West Africa; Voices of the Faithful (Beth Moore), pg. 303
Ezekiel showed them. He showed them that God was and would be at work in the wreckage and rubble, sovereignly using the disaster to create a new people of God. –Eugene H. Peterson, The Invitation, pg. 117
If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction. –Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Mosaic Bible, pg. 256
Calcuttas are everywhere if only we have eyes to see. Find your Calcutta. –Mother Teresa; Shane Claiborne, Irresistible Revolution, pg. 89
Namaste=I honor the Holy One who lives in you. –Shane Claiborne, Irresistible Revolution, pg. 80
Humility is about knowing and acknowledging and revelling in your place under God…Does my approach with people match Christ’s or would others say I’m in it for myself? –Mark Hanlon, Senior Vice President, Compassion International
No one man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be true. –Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mosaic Bible, pg. 247
Then He said to me, “This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: ’It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD of Heaven’s armies. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! … Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” – Zechariah 4:6-10 (NLT)
The Tourists Missed It
I stopped at Dornan’s, in Moose, Wyoming, on my way home from quilt week. The second I got out of the car I saw what we affectionately call the “Moose moose” making it’s way down to the river close to Menor’s Ferry. There was a huge crowd of tourists on the boardwalk, but I didn’t tell them about the moose. I don’t know why; I guess I was afraid there would be a stampede that would scare Bullwinkle away.
Here is the view of Menor’s Ferry:
Now see if you can spot the moose:
Then I turned off on this road just before I left the valley to cross the pass. I wanted to take a closer look at the wildflowers I was seeing all around me. Boy, was I in for a treat. It was a beautiful site.
The flowers were amazing! What a sight!
Annual Bike Ride
The other tradition with quilt week is that Robyn and I go out for a bike ride together. We barely squeezed it in this time before we left that morning, but I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.
We just headed down the road and into the woods along the front of the Tetons.
We couldn’t help but stop for photos with the amazing backdrop of the Tetons. I don’t know how she does it, but Robyn gets along just fine on the old bike.
We attempted to take some photos of ourselves and it was pretty hilarious because I’m much shorter than Robyn and the mountains were hard to zero in on just right.
Thankfully, some men came along and offered to take the photo for us.
We saw some flowers that some of the homeowners had planted — obviously these aren’t native flowers, but they were pretty.
We rode along a dike that follows this tributary of the Snake River.
We were so glad that we took the time to bike together that morning — it was a great way to end the week.
Sheep Fold