Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

I started this blog to help me with my judgmental attitudes and legalistic ways.  I fully admit I have a long way to go.  One of the things that has been helpful for me is the self-correction or should I say peer correction that occurs here.  Many times I blow off my ignorance only to be corrected by some of you.  I am not offended by that at all.  In fact I will admit it when I see I’m wrong.

Here is where I’m struggling.  Where is the fine line between standing for the truth I understand in the Bible and being Judgmental?  I’m just curious to find that balance.  Can you help me?   So often I will quote from the Bible and be accused of being closed minded or judgmental.  I’m sure there are times that is true.  But if I’m a follower of Jesus Christ shouldn’t God’s Word be my guide?

So where is the balance?  How do you know when you have crossed over the line of judging a person verses a doctrine or belief?

What do you think?

My wife and I haven’t slept very well all weekend.  When we heard the news that a former boss, friend and mentor had been involved in something horrible in another state, we couldn’t believe it.  He was always good to us.  We love him and his family.  If you asked me who of all of the people I’ve ever worked with would I think would do something so horrible, he would be the last.

We feel like someone has died!  I can’t explain the way we feel.  What he did was terrible, and if convicted he deserves to be punished according to the law.  But, he is still our friend.  God still loves him and especially his family.  He deserves love and grace because we’ve all sinned. We have tried to get in touch with his family but have been unsuccessful.  We want to talk with his wife and make sure they are being ministered to. 

We have watched the public response from the pastor of this church to his congregation, and frankly we don’t get it.  I realize he feels hurt.  I realize this is embarrassing.  I understand that it gives the church, the pastor and Christianity a black eye.  Yes, the minister needs to be removed from the staff.  But what about ministering to him and his family in a time of need.  When I watched the message from the pastor, it seemed to be all about how he was hurt, his reputation, the church’s reputation and the damage to the church.  What about the wife and son of this disgraced minister?  What about the disgraced minister himself?

Maybe they are ministering to the family.  I sure hope so!  But why not make that public.  The speech reminded me of the spin doctors in Washington DC.  It seemed like they were trying to save face instead of falling on their faces.  

I pray that we as a church will become more forgiving and show  grace, not only to those who come to faith but to those who mess up within the church as well!  

What do you think?

God has really been teaching me a lot about Grace. I’ve posted before how I believe churches do a good job of offering “Grace” at the moment of conversion but a poor job afterwards. It is like a “bait and switch” tactic.

It is always interesting how God makes me learn from 1st hand experience. Sometimes I wish I could just read a book or go to a conference but it doesn’t work that way. Recently I have been forced into several situations that caused a crisis of belief for me in regards to Grace. Probably as far back as 6 months ago or less I would have reacted differently. But I’m learning that when I show the grace that God has given me to others it softens them up. At first they don’t know how to react because it wasn’t always my way.

I know that some well meaning Christians feel that “grace” is a license to sin. That can’t be further from the truth. What God’s grace does is offer us what is already ours. The moment we accept Jesus we are in the family. Family members have don’t have to earn privileges in their family, they receive them because of who they are in their family.

It is the same with God. He offers for us to join his family and when we do we have privileges not because we have performed but just because we are his children! So recently when I was faced with confronting some sinful behaviors I had to remind these people that they were not being true to who they were in Christ. When we are truly God’s we will act like it.

What was interesting when I and others who were in this with me approached it from this perspective, the walls came down and not only did the persons realize that they weren’t acting as if they were God’s the dialogue opened to talk about other areas! Cool!

I guess the saying is true: ”

Boy do I have a lot more to learn.

What do you think?

Followers of Jesus love to talk about “Grace” but it often appears to be a “salvation” event.  Why is that?

I was raised in a “grace-filled” family and really didn’t realize it until much later in life.   My dad never forbid me from trying things as long as he was around.  That is probably why I never felt the need to experiment.  But I became legalistic and rigid in my walk with God.  Part of it was my own fault.  But part of it had to do with the ministries I became involved in.  When I began to see the hypocrisy of the extra-Biblical rules and regulations that were being forced on me I began to rebel.  Not against God but against legalism.

It seems that in the denomination of my youth, legalism runs rampant.  I don’t know how many evangelistic messages  I’ve heard that talk about Grace–probably 1000’s.  I’m grateful for those.  But why does it seem that Grace disappears after a person accepts Jesus as the leader of their life? Why isn’t “Grace” enough?  Why is grace not as relevant for the new Christian as it is for the 50+ year believer?  Why do I keep hearing messages preached to believers that talk about the “blood” being on our hands if someone doesn’t know Jesus?  Why are we “guilted” into serving at church?  Why are we beat down from the pulpit?  Why are we known more for what we are against than what we are for?  Why do we place undo burdens on people like you have to witness, read your Bible, pray, go to church, etc…?  What happens is we place more burdens on people than they can bear.

Jesus said:

Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

The Pharisees placed tons of extra burdens on the Jews when Jesus came.  They were burdened because they couldn’t live up to their standards.  Well, neither could the Pharisees themselves.  The modern church is doing the same thing.  I’m fighting back!  God wants us to have rest.  He wants to take away our burdens.  Our burden is heavy and He wants to take it.  His burden is easy because He lives in us!

If God’s Grace is good enough for us at the moment of Salvation–then why isn’t it good enough now?

What do you think?

The new ministry we will be serving is a “Grace-filled” church.  I was asked to read GRACE WALK and we went to Grace Life International training last week.  There are many ministries that teach the “EXCHANGED LIFE” message that Hudson Taylor taught years ago.  Steve McVey has a video blog where he shares  101 Lies Taught in Church Every Sunday.  I encourage you to check them out.

Once you have been freed from legalism you are truly free. I can’t tell you how many times I left churches feeling like I didn’t measure up.  Guilt, shame, etc… that isn’t the abundant life!  I don’t believe God intended us to live with so much bondage.   Jesus came to free us!

What do you think?