Honour, After Jesus

We have now come to the last section of this book.  First Welch urged us just to listen, then to believe in Jesus Christ and now to look at a new life as a child in God's Kingdom.  Welch warns us that living in this Kingdom will probably be a whole new experience where we have to totally turn our thinking around.  All of our own old understanding of shame has to go!  We have to be prepared to act!!

Honoured by God

This is the title of the first chapter in this section.  Have you ever won the lottery or received a door prize?  Did you have any problem accepting it?  Probably not.  How come then we have such a hard time accepting God's grace?  We don't deserve it, part of us still wants to DO something to pay God back for Christ's sacrifice -- that's PRIDE.

Welch reminds us to look at the last time we had a birthday.  We were treated like someone special!!  We were honoured by others - gifts, special meal, maybe even a party where we were the centre of attention.  Cool eh??  That's the kind of honour God now gives us a His children, His sons and daughters.

Now don't turn away here....  STOP!!  Remember we have to look at shame in a totally different way, turn our thinking totally upside down.  Shame may be a comfortable place for many of us but we have to fight that LIE.

Jesus came to earth, as a human, becoming our servant, freely placed His interest below ours.  He elevated us, honoured us.  You might think NO WAY, I still sin.  Absolutely, admit the sin --> that means you have turned away from being independent and are now connected to Jesus.  Sin is a fact, that's normal on this earth and human.  To confess it means we are connected to the Lord and that's what we want.  So definitely, admit your sin, but then confess and repent, become dependent on God.  That's what He wants!!  That's what honours Him!! (p. 222)

Welch encourages us to look at it like arguing over who pays for dinner.  He says you would always pick up the check if you said something like, "You don't understand.  It would be my honour to pay.  You would rob me of that honour if you insist on paying." (p. 225)

You are the love of God's life!  God has determined to bring glory to Himself by serving us, and that is exactly what Christ did when He lived on this earth, died on the cross to pay for our sins, rose again, and now sits at God's right hand.  It's time to simply practice saying, "Thank you LORD."