Red Flag

"God lifts our burden."

WE’VE OVERDEFINED SIN and made certain thoughts and actions into condemnation when they actually aren’t wrong at all. Point of thought: Young Jesus, age twelve, did not follow His parents home from Jerusalem. After four days of travel and searching, they found Him in the temple and chastised Him for it. His reply seems to put them in their place. “Didn’t you know I’d be about my Father’s business?” He asked. Many parents would not have received this well. Yet, we are told Jesus never sinned in word, nor thought, nor deed.

Another point of thought: Jesus pleaded with His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane to the point of shedding blood. Now, the strain of that moment is not what many have supposed. He was pleading for the life of Judas. Read Luke 22, where it is presented, and ask the Spirit to make it clear to you. The chapter shows both Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s. But what I want you to see is Jesus was not in rebellion at that moment and weakened, wishing He didn’t have to go through with it. He wasn’t about to sin.

Jesus was tempted with sin just like we are, “in all points” is how the King James Version phrases it (Hebrews 4:15). But He was filled with the Spirit without measure and so both in life and in death, had the power of God and the peace of God to resist sin.

“Peace is my bequest to you, and the peace which I will give you is mine to give.” (John 14:27, Knox)

Church doctrine has taken many of the apostle Paul’s instructions out of context. His directions to women were for that time in that hour. God does not forbid women to speak His gospel, as evidenced by the many anointed women in His service. If there is an anointing, then God approves of it. If you do not feel an anointing, it could be your thinking is the problem. Did some get saved? Then God was there. Did some get healed? Then God was there. Were some encouraged? Then God was held in her words. We can resist the Spirit’s work and remove ourselves from His anointing, His power, upon it. An angry man in a service which flows with God will stew on his anger and not find the peace of God present to heal. If we take offense to what is said, it has the same result.

We have a double standard from sinner to saint as well. We believe God forgives the unsaved of their past, that He reaches out to them where they are at, then we condemn our brothers and sisters in the kingdom of God for their appearance, their clothing, their language, and a dozen other things. We should not seek to sin. The apostle Paul speaks of this in his book to the Roman church. A person cannot deliberately sin then say, “Oh, God forgives me for this.” No, our intent matters to Him. And He knows it fully. But we do not need to walk on eggshells, balancing each footstep lest we make a mistake either.

Jesus understands the human struggle. He was so tired once that He slept in a flooded boat during a storm. He was filled with hatred for the evil being sold in His Father’s temple and turned over the tables of the moneychangers. He wept over Jerusalem and at Lazarus’ grave. He declared His love to Peter, after Peter’s denial. He ate meals with sinners and defended that moment to those who criticized Him for it. “Why did I come? For the sick or the healthy?” He asked. To the Pharisees, He pointed out their behavior, “You said John the Baptist had a devil because he didn’t eat or drink like you. You say I am a glutton and a drunkard because you find me at the table (Luke 7:33-34).”

The devil wants us consumed with ourselves. Either because we are full of arrogance and pride or because we are condemned for what we think is sin. But condemnation should be a red flag to us. Jesus never, ever condemns us. He told the Pharisee Nicodemus, “God did not come into the world to condemn it but to save it (John 3:17).” The Holy Spirit is a gentle whisper of forgiveness and not a death sentence. The devil says, “This is what will happen to you for what you’ve done. This is what people think about you because of who you are.” The Father says, “Bring all your weights to me and I will carry them.”

Here is the vast difference. God lifts our burden. The devil adds to it.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24)

There are things that are sin. These are spelled out in the Word of God. But what we must focus on instead is the goodness of God. He is so kind and forgiving. He’s good natured. I made this statement recently: But in my darkest moment, when He spoke to me, He was so much better than the picture the church had painted. So much better that I couldn’t reconcile it at first, and I can tell you we’ve made too many things sin that aren’t and those that are, we made too hard to be forgiven of.

“Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)

God wanted to lift the burden of sin from us, not add to it. This is why He rolled all the sins of the Old Covenant, some 613 of them, into one rule – Love one another. Then He filled us with His love, a free gift, which required only our acceptance of it, and promised to never leave us or forsake us. Knowing our value to Him relieves us of the perpetual sin-search and lifts us to a valued place at His feet. It gives us confidence to ask Him for anything and wisdom to know it is His will. Once we know Him, we do not doubt Him, and we stop beating ourselves us for things men have defined.

We live free and joyful in wide, open spaces, the Rock of Ages under our feet, eternity in our grasp. With strength to walk and no fear in what could be a dark valley, as free of temptation to sin as He is.

“I made my prayer to the Lord in my trouble: and the Lord gave me an answer, and put me in a wide place.” (Psalm 118:5 BBE)

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com