Grace and baggage
I have been reading an excellent book by Arthur Ash called, “Married for God”. While this man is focused on marriage and sex and all things related to same, I am finding, as I read it, that it has a much broader appeal and can be applied in so many areas of my christian life. The first chapter is devoted to grace and baggage. Here is where I digress from his book – but want to acknowledge that it was this book that has driven my thoughts. Surely this is a wonderful place to start. It is God’s grace that has saved me and I come with a whole lot of baggage. There is individual baggage and there is corporate baggage. My life experience means that I don’t have big issues to deal with when it comes to individual baggage – I came to Christ as a child, was raised in a christian home and escaped some really big baggage issues, thanks to the grace of God and Godly parenting. I have learned to keep short accounts with the Lord over individual issues, attitudes and actions and I am sure I will be struggling with some issues that try to overtake me, all the days of my life on earth. I can be confident that in Christ – I have the victory. He is more powerful than sin. He has clothed me in His righteousness. I am safe! God’s grace reigns supreme!
The area of most concern for me is the area of corporate baggage for this is where I am easily overtaken and am often not aware that it has happened. Our culture speaks loudly and often, with very little wisdom and integrity and it is easy to be swept along with the tide. When God speaks into our culture we already have a canvas that is dotted with colour and a notebook of jottings that we have collected over time. All this background information gets in the way of God’s precious word to us. We filter what He says through the colours and black marks that our society calls normal.
For example - Our culture says it is OK to have sex outside of marriage. We face increasing opposition when we say that marriage should be between a male and a female and that they should keep only to themselves in the areas of sex. Our culture says that women should have the right to abort their unborn babies – after all it is the woman’s body – to do with, just as she pleases. Often, a woman is told that it is better to abort than to have a child you cant afford or don’t want. We make excuses for all kinds of abuse and excesses. My sons have been writing a blog that speaks to many issues, including that of eating and drinking the produce of the world, that has been brought into our shops and supermarkets at the great cost of quality of life to those who have produced it. Some of the people who are involved in producing these goods for us suffer from great poverty of wealth, family life and good health just so we can have an abundance of cheap produce that will help to maintain, and even enhance our lifestyles. These are just some examples. Surely we are shaped by our surroundings much more than we recognise, nor would like to admit.
This is where grace needs to step into our community life and we need to learn to stand apart. There are some things that we know about God that make it possible for grace to reign supreme NOW.
The bible clearly speaks to broken people and offers forgiveness, cleansing, healing, and sanctification for all who come to Jesus Christ –This is grace, God's grace for me in Christ. The colours and black marks of my culture can fade rapidly when subjected to the powerful work of Jesus at Calvary. For my part - I must remain close to the cross and live in the light of the truth of the cross. Now I am forgiven! The bible speaks to me this word of grace and I am no longer broken or spoiled. BUT – there is more – Not only forgiven and cleansed, but now I am able to act with increasing measures of purity as I am being transformed into the likeness of the one who poured out His grace on me – Jesus Christ.
YES - Grace overpowers baggage. In fact nothing should stop this grace from invading my life and washing over me with great love and power. Grace then reigns supreme in my corporate life as well as my individual life even though there are some serious obstacles along the way. Jesus grace is greater than all the obstacles.

Some reminiscences.

11 June, 2010
As I think back over my recent life, I am conscious of the fact that our God has abundantly blessed us with Himself. Jesus has made this happen but so often my life has not reflected this amazing truth. Of late my aim has been to learn to “glorify our God by enjoying Him forever”. I truly am only a beginner at this, but am convinced that it is an area of my christianity that is sadly deficient.
As I reflect on my activity, I remember that recently, I was deeply immersed in the study of “Ephesians" because Neroli and I had an exam booked for the last week in February. Together, we are working on the Moore College correspondence so it was all systems go as the time for the exam got closer. As usual, some of my children were willing to read and critique my practise essays. They are both knowledgeable and gentle in their dealings with us both. I am greatly indebted to them for I never was an expert at essay writing and it has been a long time since I did any kind of formal study. This course has been an excellent discipline for me and the accountability that occurs when you are doing it with another person is just an added bonus. This course helps me to "enjoy God and glorify Him forever"
Also my brain is being exercised when I get together with a group of people from our home church at dinner time every Monday Evening where we share coffee and dessert, a time of prayer with a commitment to follow through during the week and we finish with a bible study that has both delighted and stimulated me. Recently we have worked through "Full of Promise" an overview of the Old Testament produced by Matthias Media. A better understanding of the Old Testament gives us a much bigger picture of our Sovereign God and His amazing attributes, His profound love, grace and mercy towards His wayward children - all of this brought to us in the person of God's son - Jesus Christ. We are now grappling with aspects of chrisitan character and stretching ourselves even more as we seek to understand what it means to live a Christlike life. I am constantly delighted with the response of the women who usually come well prepared with their homework done. I have found that they do it even when they cannot come and when they return, and we pause, and consider what they have missed, I have learned not to be surprised when they ask the questions that have been on their mind, sometimes for many weeks. It is obvious to me that the people in this church have been taught well in matters of doctrine and biblical thinking and it is so refreshing to hear them grapple with the issues of the bible, knowing that here they will find the answers. We do not shy away from the truth and try hard not to compromise it by giving ourselves the liberty of interpreting, rather than working at understanding. In short - we work at seeking out God's word to and for us. I believe we are all growing as a result of gathering together and listening to what God is saying to us through the study of His word. My life is greatly enriched by sharing God's word with these ladies.
These women help me to "enjoy God and glorify Him forever"

I hope you find these musings appropriate and enjoyable – I think I have enjoyed sharing them with you, though I am not sure if they will be of any benefit you – I do hope so. They have made me stop! and give thanks!
God bless you dear people.

A few thoughts

Forgiveness – complete at the cross

We cannot talk of forgiveness without first talking of God’s love. We hear lots about sexual love, selfish love, indulgent love, and God is thought to be the author of it. People say “God is love”. BUT God is not the author of that kind of love. This love is fraught with sinful acts and attitudes. God’s love is a love that sees things as they are, moves to punish sin, which satisfies God’s wrath and so establishes love in righteousness. There is hardly a verse in the Bible that speaks of God’s love without speaking, sometimes in the same sentence, of the cross. John 3:16 “for God so loved the world, that He gave His only son, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Gal 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ, never the less I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
1 John 4:10 “Herein, is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

The cross is the measure of God’s love for you. As you look to the cross you begin to get a feeling for it. From 12`midday until 3pm when Christ died. Mark 15:33 - “there was darkness over the whole land”

John Stott says of these hours “with the darkness came silence for no eye could see, and no lips could tell, the agony of soul which the spotless Lamb of God endured. The accumulated sin of the whole world and accumulated history were laid upon Him. Voluntarily He shouldered full responsibility for them. And then in desolate spiritual abandonment that woeful cry was wrung from His lips Mark 15:34 “my God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?”. In that moment God the Father turned His back on His beloved son, and Christ tasted Hell for us. That is how much God loves us.”

Christian, look to the cross and marvel at the extent of God’s love. This is where forgiveness is completed. "If you are uncertain of salvation, look to the cross and find there all He has done to redeem you. If you are discouraged, look to the cross and find there the height and depth of His love. If you are apart from Christ and do not yet believe, you must look to the cross and find there one who has died to remove your sin and to still the demands of God’s justice against you forever." based on - "phillipians - a commentary by James Montgomery Boice