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  Religion
Accepted by the Father Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace. Jerry Bridges, The Discipline of Grace By Pastor Philip Howle web posted April 28, 2010 RELIGION – We talked last week about legalism. That is merit based, performance driven, rule based, quasi-Christianity, which I think hijacks the true gospel of Jesus. I have a corrective to legalism today to offer, and that is the amazingly awesome acceptance and approval of God. I like alliteration. Here is a simple test to check whether you are prone to legalistic thinking: ask yourself, “How does God feel about me today?” Now, in the past I would base how He feels about me on whether or not I was a good boy or bad boy that day. If the answer is anything other than, “He is passionately in love with me,” then you are falling into the trap of thinking that God’s attitude towards us is determined by our performance rather than by his essential loving character. In other words, you're thinking as though God's favor is earned rather than freely given. God loves you, if you are a Christian, no more on good days and no less on bad days. It is this amazing love that should serve as the catalyst for a lifestyle of worship that burns to please Jesus, the lover of our souls. How can I make the above statement? Let me give you some scriptural proof. We will start in my favorite Gospel, Mark. There is strong church tradition that makes the Apostle Peter the main source of Mark’s gospel. Some even think of Mark as “The Gospel According to Peter.” One indication of Peter’s influence is that Peter speaks very affectionately of Mark: “Mark my son” (1 Peter 5:13), and he says that Mark was with him. Mark (who is also called John-Mark in passages like Acts 12:25), was a “failure” in ministry as pictured in the book of Acts with Paul (Acts 15:36-41). He abandoned his missionary journey with Paul and Barnabas. Now, thankfully his relationship with Paul was restored in the end (2 Timothy 4:11). Like Mark, Peter knew what it was like to be a “failure” in following Jesus when he denied Him three times (Lukr22:54-65). And Peter too was also restored in the end. So Mark is recording Peter’s accounts of Jesus. Just think, two failures working together equaling something great. Truthfully, the church is a bunch of people who have failed and sought the grace and strength to work together to do something great. Moving on, Mark is short and very action packed. Mark is noted for its brevity. Over 40 times in the book Mark says “and immediately.” I always read Mark like I’m talking to someone that is so excited, and they are dying to tell me something that is incredibly important, so I had better listen. Mark begins with John the Baptist proclaiming the way of the Messiah, then Jesus baptism. It is as if he wakes up, throws water on your face, and says let’s go! One verse in mark shocks me with amazing implications. Mark 1:11 And a voice came from heaven: You are My beloved Son; I take delight in You! This was God the Father speaking to His only Son. This was at Jesus’ baptism, the beginning of His ministry, and the Father says to Him, “Son, I love you and I am thrilled with who you are!” How many people are dying to hear this from their parents? Many people’s problem of longing for acceptance of others comes from the fact that they never feel they won their parents approval or acceptance of who they are. They then in turn project their image of their earthly father, who might have been distant, harsh, and never satisfied, on to God the Father. They then view God as someone who is never pleased, never happy with them, always wanting more from them, and they silently and even unknowingly begin to dislike and maybe even hate God. Remember A.W. Tozer said “What comes to mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you.” So people, in order to supposedly earn acceptance from God we would have to keep certain rules to, in hopes of pleasing our heavenly father and with any luck, hearing we are accepted by God. This is a major problem! God can never be pleased by religious performance. Sounds like bad news, but wait. God the Father’s acceptance of you all depends on what you have done with Jesus. Have you accepted and trusted Jesus or have rejected him, still trying to do life on your own? You see, Paul speaks frequently of being “In Christ.” 79 times in his letters he extols the benefits of being “In Christ.” For what is true of and for Jesus, becomes what is true of and for us as well. So, if you have trusted and accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then you can walk in the reality that God says to you today, right now, “You are My beloved Son; I take delight in You!” We are God’s children through the blood of Jesus. God loves you! Nothing can ever change that reality! Just as with and Mark, God loved them through their whole entire failures, forgiving them, and restoring them to serving Him again! Now, any good father wants what is best for us, so we are accepted in Christ, but God will discipline and direct our lives so that we begin to, like Jesus, reflect the exact image of our heavenly Father. He wants us to be a chip off the ol’ block so that when people encounter us they see the light of the heavenly Father shining through us. Pastor Phillip May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace, (17) encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 © Copyright 2010
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