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The Lord Sings Over You
This is a good time to change gears and evaluate our motivations. Do you view God as someone watching over you with tender care, or someone watching over to strike your backside when you step out of line? Most people struggle with their idea of how God views them. The majority of us have heard the passages where God says, “Be holy, for I am holy[1],” and Jesus’ command, “You shall be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect,”[2] but how do we as imperfect people apply these commands to our lives?
When we fall short of perfection – which is often – we know we have failed to measure up to the standard of God’s character. Then we acquire the ‘Adam and Eve syndrome’. When Adam and Eve sinned, they ran and tried to hide from God. They recognized that they were not worthy to face a holy God, and rightly so. But what was God’s response? He covered their shame. Though there were consequences for their actions, the Lord didn’t reject them. He showed mercy. God covered their shame and then began revealing a plan for their redemption.
When Asaph (the son of one of King David’s chief musicians) thought upon the merciful way God dealt with His people, it gave him a heart of praise. Though Israel entered into God’s covenant, they rebelled against their Creator. The people benefited from the Promised Land the Lord gave, but they couldn’t keep their heart from wandering away. God could have cast them away each time they fell, but He showed long patience and mercy. Look at how Asaph reflects on this in Psalm 78:38-39
38 But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, And did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, And did not stir up all His wrath;
39 For He remembered that they were but flesh, A breath that passes away and does not come again.
Though God had every right to deal harshly with those who sinned, He extended mercy for generations as He pleaded with them to return to righteousness and guided them with warnings and promises. The Lord’s goal was mercy. And why was He so merciful toward His people, who were caught up in iniquity? He remembered that they were only flesh. They were people struggling against human emotions, their passions, and the influences around them. They weren’t divine, nor did they have a clear picture of the eternal values of life. They often went astray because the passions of their flesh lured them away from walking by faith.
You and I have the same problem. Though we have the internal guiding of the Holy Spirit, we battle our passions in the flesh, and at times these desires draw us away. When we know iniquity is in our lives and that we’ve violated the holiness of God, we want to run and hide. We see our guilt, and expect God to deal harshly. We struggle with the perceived anger of God, yet anger is not God’s first choice. His first goal is to draw you back and cleanse you.
Don’t mistake the mercy of God for apathy. God does indeed require holiness. God does indeed call us to leave behind the works of the flesh, and the passions that produce corruption in our lives. We know the Bible’s warning / promise, “He that sows in the flesh will reap corruption, but he that sows in the Spirit will reap everlasting life.[3]”
I’ve heard the well-intentioned but misguided teaching that if grace is taught as it should be, it will sound like a license to sin. That is far from the truth. If grace is taught as it should be, it will show God’s deliverance from sin. Rather than God punishing us when we fail, God reaches down and pulls us out of our sins. Here is the message of grace – Psalm 40:2-3
2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.
3 He has put a new song in my mouth — Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD.
Grace pulls us out of the pit we have fallen into. It doesn’t merely visit us in the pit and wink at our predicament. Sin is a pit. Yet I foolishly return to it again and again, each time thinking I can somehow walk on top of the mire. I ease back into sin and test the surface of the clay. It seems safe until I realize I can’t step out. The more I struggle, the more I sink.
Have you ever stepped into miry mud or clay? I have. When I pulled my right foot out, the other was pushed deeper. I pulled the left foot out, and my right foot went deeper still. Each time one foot broke free, there was a moment of hope, but it faded when I realized that I continued to sink with each attempt toward freedom. Escape only came when someone outside of the clay pulled me out.
This is the trappings of the flesh. From a temporal perspective, we have the illusion that we can free ourselves, but with each step of progress, we continue downward into the mire.
Yet the Lord doesn’t leave us to our fate. Once we look up and cry out for help, He rescues us and sets us upon the rock. That rock is Christ. While standing on the rock, we are safe. But the flesh continues to call, beckoning us with the promise of pleasure and the false assurance that we are stronger and won’t sink on our next visit.
Even the godly suffer from this tendency to return to the mire. The Apostle Paul lamented over his tendency to do the things he knew he should not do, while neglecting what he knew he should do. He then warned that sin remains in our bodies of flesh and will war against our minds, seeking to draw us back into its captivity.[4] If the Apostle Paul struggled, it should not be a surprise when we find ourselves wrestling with the same things.
Like Israel in the Old Testament, God delivers us and gives us the word of instruction that could prevent us from repeating the same mistakes. Israel was delivered, and they promised to never stray again. Yet they did. They soon found themselves under bondage again, cried out for deliverance, and were rescued again. What the nation did so foolishly in the Old Testament, we do today in our own lives. But God is merciful and continues to deliver us when we repent. When we stray, God pulls at our heart, calling us to turn from our ways and back to Him. When we allow Him to lead us back, this is repentance.
Consider how God dealt with His people in the Old Testament. He called, wooed, and wrestled with His people. God’s first option was not to punish, but to instruct. When they strayed, God sent His word to them with instructions to return. It was only after years of rejecting God’s call to turn from sin that harsh action was taken. He reached down into the mire, but they slapped His hand away. When they refused to turn from sin, God allowed them to sink. But He did so with two promises. If you repent, I will rescue you, and I will not allow you to be utterly destroyed. So even when He allowed the consequences of sin to judge the people, He still made it clear that mercy was His greatest desire.
The same is true for you and I. God wants to take us out of the mire. Grace not only rescues us from the mire, but it teaches us how to live in a way that we can avoid the trap of sin. Spiritual maturity is when we cease from repeating the same pattern of behavior, stop sowing in our flesh, and begin investing our lives in righteousness so we can reach for the promises of God. Living is more than being delivered from the flesh. Just as there are consequences to living in the flesh, there are also great rewards in spiritual maturity.
There are those who look for a license to sin and turn faith into mere religion. Worldly religion seeks to appease our conscience while pursuing our own ways. True faith pursues what is eternal while learning how to leave behind what is worthless and temporary.
True faith separates us from the world (the process of living for the flesh) and sets us apart for God. In fact, that is what holiness means. To be holy means to be set apart. It is believers setting themselves apart for God. Unholiness is to remove ourselves from God’s will, the place where we belong, and to mix our lives back into the world.
Is Perfection Required?
If you ask people if God requires us to be perfect, most will say, “No.” Nobody is perfect, right? You may have seen a bumper sticker on a car that says, “I’m not perfect, just forgiven.”
What do you think? Must you be perfect to enter heaven? If you’re like most people, you’ll say, “No.” But is that true? Consider these statements from the teaching of scripture:
You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:48
The purpose of roles in the church is to bring believers to become perfect and to measure up to the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:9-11
Paul said that he warns and teaches every person in wisdom that they may be presented perfect in Christ Jesus. Colossians 1:28
We labor that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. Colossians 4:12
The spirits of just men are to be made perfect. Hebrews 12:23
According to Jesus, perfection is a requirement. According to the teachings of the Apostles afterward, the purpose of the scriptures and the doctrines we teach are to make the Christian perfect. Unless you are perfect, how can you stand before a perfect God? So the statement, nobody’s perfect, is a recognition of the problem. We all recognize the impossibility of human perfection, yet perfection is still required.
I say all of this to point out the fact that you are unable to measure up to God’s standard. It is impossible. Every effort you make is a work of the flesh. The reason? You are flesh. Jesus made the statement that on the Day of Judgment, many will come to him and show all their good works done in Jesus’ name. They will have fed the poor, done wonders, and accomplished many of the things Jesus instructed the church to do. Yet he declares to them, “Depart from me, you’re a worker of lawlessness[5].”
How can a good deed done to the poor, or other good deeds be works of lawlessness? Jesus compares their good deeds to sin. Jesus isn’t introducing a new concept. Even in the Old Testament, the prophets acknowledged that all our righteous acts are filthy in God’s sight[6]. The reason? Jesus said it best. “It is the Spirit that gives life. The flesh profits nothing.[7]”
So what does all this have to do with yours and my struggle against sin? Simply put, you can’t be perfect. Yet you must be perfect. In the flesh, your best isn’t good enough. When you blow it and fail, you are no worse off than when you think you’re earning favor with God.
Whether your work of the flesh leads to sin, or your work of the flesh is lawlessness masquerading as righteousness, you are still in need of divine intervention. And that is how you become perfect. Look at Hebrews 10:12-14
12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,
13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.
14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
Verse fourteen describes your perfection. Because of Jesus’ offering on your behalf, you are made perfect. If you are in the process of being sanctified, you are already perfected forever.
What does it mean to be sanctified? The biblical definition of sanctification is: to be separated from the profane, and to be cleansed, purified, and dedicated to God.
In other words, when someone surrenders to Christ, they are removed from the profane world that cannot please God, and are cleansed and made pure and perfect for the Kingdom of God. You are still in the process of being sanctified. That is the process of spiritual maturity. But you are already declared as perfect because you are viewed through the works of Christ. Your works by human effort are sin, but the work of God in your heart and life is the righteousness of Christ.
I say, “You are being sanctified”, but that requires an explanation. The Bible says that you were sanctified,[8] yet we see that sin still invades our actions. It is our inner man, or spirit that was sanctified. Now we are called to be renewed in the spirit of our minds so that we are walking in the perfect will of God.[9] It is our lifestyle that is in the process of sanctification. We are learning how to walk according to the inner man, and stop living for the desires of the flesh.
When you sin, it is the work of the flesh. When you try to do good works by human effort, it is still the work of the flesh. The Lord’s work in your life is to bring you into sanctification (or purity) so you can inherit the promises. Salvation and perfection is through Christ.
The promises are no different. We work the works of God by walking in faith. As Jesus stated, you must abide in Him as a branch connected to the vine. By yourself, you can do nothing, but if you abide in Him, you bear good fruit and accomplish the work of God[10]. It really is that simple.
A Father Delights in His Children
My hope is that this chapter changes your perspective on how God views you. Rather than viewing yourself as the object of God’s scorn for your failures, think of yourself as a child of God. We’ve all heard of ‘the fear of the Lord’, but let’s consider what that means.
The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom[11], but we are also told that the fear of the Lord is our strong confidence, the fountain of life, and the pathway to true riches and honor. Our tendency is to think of the fear of the Lord as something to cower from. If not viewed correctly, people look at this term as something negative. That’s why some water it down by saying the fear of the Lord means to show reverence to God. This completely obscures what the Bible is teaching, so let’s take a moment to understand this principle.
The fear of the Lord is a good thing. The image God constantly paints in both the Old and New Testaments is that He is our father and loves us as a parent does his child. When explaining His care for Israel, God described the relationship as a father carrying his son to safety.[12]
I have children. When one is afraid, hurt, tired, or just wants to be picked up, I carry them. In my arms they feel safe, secure, and loved. At the same time, each one knows about the consequences of disobedience. When their behavior goes astray, I correct them with instruction. If it continues, I warn them. If they are determined to do what I know will harm them, I punish them to correct the behavior. The punishment is more profitable than the end result of rebellion; therefore it is a good thing.
My goal isn’t to harm, but to correct. If words correct them, there are no further actions required. But if they insist on going their own way, I will prevent them. The consequences of punishment are much less harmful than the consequences of where their behavior will lead.
A child can’t see the future. Their limited understanding and lack of life experience prevents them from seeing the harm of their direction. It’s not possible to reason with a four year old, so I just tell them, “Here is the rule. Why? Because Daddy says so.”
Even a teenager believes they know more than they do. Parents often fail to persuade by reasoning because we can see by experience the consequences they cannot see. Though a rebellious teen may be convinced there are no consequences, we have seen the end of their plan and understand the danger. The only thing they see is what they want, but not where that road leads.
When I correct my children, do I reject them? Hate them? Am I being mean? Of course not. It’s an act of love. In fact, I love them enough to risk my own feelings to protect them. I accept their lashing out and mischaracterization of my intentions because I care more about protecting them from consequences than protecting my own reputation in their eyes.
Jesus made the statement, “If you being evil, know how to give good things to your children, how much more is this true for your Heavenly Father.” By evil, Jesus is referring to what we’ve already discussed. We are flesh. We have a limited perspective and operate from a self-centered viewpoint. If I view discipline as an act of love and I am willing to protect my children at my own expense, how much more is this true about how God deals with me?
This was discussed earlier, but it bears mentioning again because it applies so well to this topic and our life of faith. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom because in the beginning, we are like children. Children obey because they are afraid of the consequences. Discipline corrects their behavior and the punishment is not worth the pleasure of disobedience.
Wisdom is making a decision to do what is right. In the beginning, a child does what is right because of the fear of consequences. But as a child matures into adulthood, they begin to understand what is right. As a young adult grows into responsibility, they recognize the value of doing what is right. A child does what is right because they don’t want consequences, but the mature do what is right because it is good. Fear creates the beginning of wisdom, but mature wisdom does not require fear. In fact, righteousness becomes a joy.
The beginning of wisdom is where we consider the cost of bad choices before we make them, knowing we are accountable to the Lord for our actions. Mature wisdom is where we consider the value of what is right, knowing we’ll stand before the Lord and see the treasure of His ways, and that His word is truly a fountain of life.
So we can see that even in correction, the Lord is delighting in our way. Chastisement is a delight to God. The delight is not in our discomfort, but in the maturity it brings. Chastening turns us away from the consequences and directs us toward the promises. That’s why the Bible says that God corrects the children He loves and chastises those He delights in[13]. Also consider this passage from Psalm 37:22-24
22 For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, But those cursed by Him shall be cut off.
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.
Keep verse 23 in the front of your mind at all times. Always remember that God delights in your way. Your journey through life is an exciting journey to the Lord, for it is His good pleasure to give you His Kingdom[14]. When you go astray, He pushes you back to the right path. When you’re on the right path, God rejoices over you with delight. The Lord’s goal is for you to inherit the promises that are found in His presence.
If you belong to Christ, everything in your life is focused on you glorifying God by reigning with Him and inheriting the promises. After all, the promises are given because God wants you to have His kingdom. Finally, look at Zephaniah 3:17
The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
What more can God do to express His love? Rather than viewing God as someone angry and waiting to lash out at your failures, picture him as a loving father, guiding you to maturity and fulfillment. Unlike flawed earthly fathers, our God has perfect motives and patiently leads without lashing out in anger. Keep in mind that it is the goodness of the Lord that leads you to repentance[15].
Repentance isn’t groveling in failure. Repentance is a course correction. It’s turning from our own way, and toward the way God is leading.
[1] 1 Peter 1:16
[2] Matthew 5:48
[3] Galatians 6:7-8
[4] Romans 7:23-24
[5] Matthew 7:22-23
[6] Isaiah 64:6
[7] John 6:63
[8] 1 Corinthians 6:11
[9] Ephesians 4:22-23, Romans 12:2
[10] John 15
[11] Proverbs 9:10
[12] Deuteronomy 1:31
[13] Hebrews 12:5-11
[14] Luke 12:32
[15] Romans 2:4