The Embattled Church

I can’t help but hurt today as I look around social media, my local news and our world in general. So many threads hanging bare.  Stories of war, murder, personal vices.  Stories of poverty, injustice, slavery. And there in the midst of it all, there is a warped view of Christ and His church. 

This idea that God is a demeaning, justice only deity who looks for the opportunity to oppress and enslave. It sickens me. I recently had the opportunity to hear Jo Saxton speak. She said,

“Free people free people.”  

I stood in my living room today wondering, 

“Do people really see the life of a Christ follower as bondage?”  

If any, this is the kind of bondage I am willing to be in - that of following Christ through the leading of the Holy Spirit into the very kingdom of Almighty God. 

 Free (adjective) people free (verb) people.  

One not under the control of the sin nature has the power and opportunity to release another from the captivity that is sin and sinful living.  It is for being out from under the demands and consequences of sin that Christ removed my shackles to sin.

Freedom!

When we take our freedoms and we remove our convictions, we put back on the shackles of sin. Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church was very plain, “You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12 NLT)  People aren’t truly free unless they are living in Christ.  That means taking Him at His Word, not placing our thoughts, ideas or convictions into Scripture to make it our own.  It means leaving behind our preconceived notions, our holier than thou attitudes, our refusal to see past our present circumstances and looking toward The Holy Spirit to move in us, through us and among us. 

As Christ-followers we need accountability, community and mission.  We need to battle back to back not face to face. We are slaying the very Bride of Christ when we do battle with one another and who are we to think He will allow that?!  We need to remain vulnerable to one another for the sake of the Gospel. When we argue and bicker over convictions or gifts or freedom in Christ, we turn with open backs to the world and allow repeated influence and attack from the enemy.  When we battle back to back, we can encourage, draw strength from and be reconciled to one another.

Church, let’s be clear, The Bible is God’s Word.  It is living and active. It contains what we need to be reconciled to Christ and one another.  Its demands are freeing.  Its commands are clear.  

Our God is Love.

Grace flows freely.  That doesn’t mean be passive in dealing with sin.  It means deal with sin in such a way the person(s) seeing God as He truly is - compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love. (Psalm 103:8 NLT)  

Dirty Work

I am a mom of boys. Energy packed, laughter filled, dirt lovin' little boys. And as you can only imagine our home is packed full of toys. Trains, trucks and tractors are the daily essentials around here. They love it all. From the log trucks that pass by regularly to the tractors they play with on the floor to the books of adventures about Thomas the Tank Engine. Imagination runs wild around this place.

Last night was like any other. Bellies full, baths given and bedtime stories - in that order. After a day of fits, fights and fever, we decided a slightly earlier bedtime was in order. As we laid the younger two in their beds, my husband, older son and I settled on to the bright blue carpet, we prayed for sweet dreams and a morning of fever free babies. Having forgot to pick a bedtime story, I sent my oldest back to grab a book. He came back with a favorite Thomas the Tank Engine story, Percy's Chocolate Crunch.




photo credit

As I read this story for the 101st time, a statement caught me off guard. In reply to his driver Percy huffs, "I want to be useful where I can't get dirty!" My first thought was huh. As a matter of fact, I think that actually rolled right off my tongue. I finished the story, tucked my little angels snugly under the covers and let that statement simmer in my thoughts all night.

The church. There, I said it. That is where my thoughts led me. We want to be useful. To be the hands and feet of Christ. To reach a lost and dying world. To hear "well done good and faithful servant". Useful. But are we willing to get dirty in the process?

Dirty.

We have convenient terms we like to use. Terms that make humanity less hurtful and more easily to dismiss. If we really want to get dirty, be useful, we must call it like it is. The needy are really living in poverty. Unable to find work due to inexperience. Disabled, more than likely to no fault of their own. Addicted and can't find a way out or have no desire to get out. Slaves to a master who sells their body to make money and doesn't care what diseases, emotional or physical abuse they suffer. To get dirty means to see people past their choices and circumstances and to care for them because they are. To realize that sin has them bound, and once had us bound as well.

We have to get passed our country club, "members only" churches. We should be seeking our Savior and not the recognition of our friends and community. Reaching out to the people, like He did. Unapologetic for the Truth yet loving the people. Offering Hope to all we meet.

I don't know about you, but I don't want a church full of cookie cutter Christians. The only way to take The Gospel is by getting dirty in the process.