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."
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Monday, August 19, 2013
The Way of the Kingdom
It's time now to look at the last chapter in the section Shame, Honour and Jesus. Welch begins this chapter with the following words about the basic rhythm of life with the new KING:
Put your shame into words.
Turn to your Rescuer.
Know Him.
Be associated with Him.
Get your feet washed.
Persevere -- get ready to fight.
Turn toward others: Love.
Welch then begins to remind us that we are the hopeful now and the hopeful take on seemingly impossible tasks, and the first task is to put words on the shameful event (p.208)
Put your shame into words.
Turn to your Rescuer.
Know Him.
Be associated with Him.
Get your feet washed.
Persevere -- get ready to fight.
Turn toward others: Love.
Welch then begins to remind us that we are the hopeful now and the hopeful take on seemingly impossible tasks, and the first task is to put words on the shameful event (p.208)
- what happened?
- how do we still carry it with us?
- how do we feel like an outcast?
- how do we feel exposed?
- how do feel dirty?
- do we feel worthless, like nothing?
- how have we tried to manage these experiences in the past?
- has Jesus ever been part of how we have managed shame?
- how does shame affect our relationship with others?
- who do we avoid?
- how do we cover up?
- how do we try to make up for being so bad?
- how does our shame affect our relationship with God?
We need to turn to our Rescuer. Although it may seem that we are more afraid of the judgement of people than God, Welch tells us that our deepest shame is actually before the LORD, so it is important that we turn to Him first and then to others. When we eat with the King, the snubs by people may hurt but they can't destroy.
Therefore Welch now encourages us to
- Know God - trust and rest in Christ alone (Jer 9:23-24)
- Be associated with God - pledge allegiance to Him alone -- SAY IT OUT LOUD. Call yourself a Christian, you belong to Him. Remember that God chose the outcasts - you!!! (1 Cor 1:27-29)
- Get your feet washed - recognize your daily sins and take them to Christ to be washed daily (John 13:6-10). Get used to being served by Christ, don't let your pride turn Him away. Daily cleansing is confessing and repenting, ask for forgiveness and KNOW that we are forgiven.
- Persevere - get ready to fight.
- The Holy Spirit gives us a new heart to fight with (Ezek 36:26-27). Once we were dead but now we are alive and that means we have to battle our hesitations, doubts and preferences for the familiar shameful "home". Don't let the thought of being indebted to the way of the Gospel hold you back.
- Battle the world and its views of honour and shame - we do not have to earn honour from God, flaunt that honour or stand in judgement over those who have less.
- Battle the false kingdom - satan wants to keep you in shame. Recognize and identify him as the enemy and he wants to persuade you that there is no way out of shame. Watch out when you get stuck -- it's probably satan getting the upper hand. Watch out if you get tired and want to say God's ways are too hard, don't take a rest but keep fighting the lies of satan!! PERSEVERE is Christ's rallying cry!!!
- Turn toward others: LOVE
- the path away from shame leads outward, first toward God, then toward other people. Look at Luke 10:27, then Psalm 37:3 and then Galatians 5:6.
- residue of shame will always stay with us but it is now counterbalanced by the honour of being associated with the King and His purposes. Continue to read the Gospels when you are feeling low, get creative to know how to love -- look around you to see who is in need and share what you have learned in a compassionate and loving way, imitating Christ.
- HUMILITY is key word - says, Yes, I need a shepherd, and it clings to hope (Ps 23:6).
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Gone for awhile
Hi everyone, just thought I'd let you know that I won't be blogging on "Uninterrupted Shame" for a few weeks. Going on holidays and then Partner's and Pals camp for people with disabilities. Will continue after that.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Come and Eat
At the beginning of this chapter, Welch quotes Luke 14:12-24 to show the importance of sharing a meal together. He tells us that to share a meal with someone brings a warmer, more familial relationship and throughout the Old and New Testament the message was and still is today: "Welcome. We want you to feel like one of the family." (p. 198)
Welch then takes us through various examples of eating a meal with God -- Abraham had bread and wine with Melchizedek, a representative of Jesus (Gen 14:18); after golden calf problem, God invites Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy elders to eat and drink with Him on Mt. Sinai (Ex 24:9-11); Israelites had a table set for them every morning when they ate manna in the wilderness, yet Welch says none of them compares to a breakfast Jesus shared with a few disciples on the shore of a calm lake -- John 21.
Jesus had been raised from the dead, and now Peter and a few disciples were out fishing through the night, when Jesus makes them breakfast on the shore. Welch explains how this story fills in gaps of past events to give them more meaning and completion.
Catching fish - Luke 5:4-11 describes an earlier fishing episode where Peter and the others were first taught to "catch men." So now that Christ had risen why weren't Peter and the others doing that, why were they out fishing now??? The Holy Spirit had not been given yet. But more importantly can you imagine Peter, totally ashamed of what He had done at Jesus' trial??? HE HAD DENIED JESUS THREE TIMES!! How could Jesus ever want to love him again or ask him to be a fisher of men??? Talk about being ashamed, outcast, feeling awkward whenever the thought of meeting Jesus crossed his mind!! But that's what happens now: Jesus meets them after a long night of fishing with no catch, tells them to try again and their net is overloaded. Again they and Peter are told "Catch men, not fish." How could poor, uneducated fishermen and now a fisherman who had DENIED God, be given a commission by the King? When we truly understand this King and His Kingdom, we should already know the answer. This King wants weak and needy, unworthy people to be His ambassadors. Do we get it?
Burning charcoal - when Peter denied Jesus he did it around a charcoal fire (Jn 18:18) so you can imagine that any smell of burning charcoal would probably bring back that memory pretty vividly. Therefore in this story Welch imagines that Jesus was offering Peter a new memory for the smell of charcoal. Are we starting to get the picture that God wants us to have new memories too? (p.201)
Eating fish - this is the third event which references the feeding of the five thousand, Welch tells us. The message for them and for us is that like the Israelites in the desert were given bread from heaven, now we have to trust Jesus - the Bread of Life! If we want to identify with Jesus we also have to identify with Him in His death. This is what the disciples had to learn now, to identify with Him in his humiliation AND exultation! Jesus gave this costly breakfast but the disciples had to bring NOTHING! Welch reminds us that nothing is the same as empty, another word for shame along with all the other words: naked, unclean, outcast, unworthy. With this breakfast the disciples were satisfied just as we who are nothing are satisfied in Jesus, the Bread of Life.
Speaking in Threes - After breakfast Jesus takes Peter aside. Can you imagine how awkward this must have been for him? The last time he can think about is when he denied Jesus 3 TIMES. Would you be able to take a walk with someone you know you have hurt very badly??? But Peter can't say No, just as none of us can say No to Jesus so he goes for this walk. Imagine his anxiety and maybe even some panic when Jesus asks, "Do you love me?" And not just once but 3 TIMES! And each time, after Peter's response of "Yes, you know that I love you," Jesus tells him to "feed my lambs." Why did this rhythmic 3 TIMES have to happen? Welch explains it as a "do-over", a way to show that Peter was truly forgiven.
When we look at this scenario we see that Jesus always loves us first, He takes the initiative for Peace, Shalom with Him, but when He asks Peter "Do you love me?" He is also asking for a response. He also asks us the response to this question, which can also mean "Do you believe in me?" Welch asks us to stop here and truly think about that question, "Do you love me?" and to say your response out loud.... He equates it with a marriage ceremony where the participants have to say "I do", because after a marriage ceremony you become ONE, directly associated with the honour and holiness of Jesus!
Feeding Sheep - Up to this point Peter is just going through the motions, Welch goes on, but now he is given a purpose. This is what the kingdom is all about: "From shame to acceptance. From acceptance to commissioning." (p. 204)
Come and have breakfast - We are in that Scripture. Do you feel it? Did you share that breakfast meal with Jesus and His disciples? Welch gives us a warning here, do we want to accept that breakfast? Is there reluctance? If so the problem would be that we don't like God. And yet God invites us to have breakfast... What is your response???
Welch then takes us through various examples of eating a meal with God -- Abraham had bread and wine with Melchizedek, a representative of Jesus (Gen 14:18); after golden calf problem, God invites Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy elders to eat and drink with Him on Mt. Sinai (Ex 24:9-11); Israelites had a table set for them every morning when they ate manna in the wilderness, yet Welch says none of them compares to a breakfast Jesus shared with a few disciples on the shore of a calm lake -- John 21.
Jesus had been raised from the dead, and now Peter and a few disciples were out fishing through the night, when Jesus makes them breakfast on the shore. Welch explains how this story fills in gaps of past events to give them more meaning and completion.
Catching fish - Luke 5:4-11 describes an earlier fishing episode where Peter and the others were first taught to "catch men." So now that Christ had risen why weren't Peter and the others doing that, why were they out fishing now??? The Holy Spirit had not been given yet. But more importantly can you imagine Peter, totally ashamed of what He had done at Jesus' trial??? HE HAD DENIED JESUS THREE TIMES!! How could Jesus ever want to love him again or ask him to be a fisher of men??? Talk about being ashamed, outcast, feeling awkward whenever the thought of meeting Jesus crossed his mind!! But that's what happens now: Jesus meets them after a long night of fishing with no catch, tells them to try again and their net is overloaded. Again they and Peter are told "Catch men, not fish." How could poor, uneducated fishermen and now a fisherman who had DENIED God, be given a commission by the King? When we truly understand this King and His Kingdom, we should already know the answer. This King wants weak and needy, unworthy people to be His ambassadors. Do we get it?
Burning charcoal - when Peter denied Jesus he did it around a charcoal fire (Jn 18:18) so you can imagine that any smell of burning charcoal would probably bring back that memory pretty vividly. Therefore in this story Welch imagines that Jesus was offering Peter a new memory for the smell of charcoal. Are we starting to get the picture that God wants us to have new memories too? (p.201)
Eating fish - this is the third event which references the feeding of the five thousand, Welch tells us. The message for them and for us is that like the Israelites in the desert were given bread from heaven, now we have to trust Jesus - the Bread of Life! If we want to identify with Jesus we also have to identify with Him in His death. This is what the disciples had to learn now, to identify with Him in his humiliation AND exultation! Jesus gave this costly breakfast but the disciples had to bring NOTHING! Welch reminds us that nothing is the same as empty, another word for shame along with all the other words: naked, unclean, outcast, unworthy. With this breakfast the disciples were satisfied just as we who are nothing are satisfied in Jesus, the Bread of Life.
Speaking in Threes - After breakfast Jesus takes Peter aside. Can you imagine how awkward this must have been for him? The last time he can think about is when he denied Jesus 3 TIMES. Would you be able to take a walk with someone you know you have hurt very badly??? But Peter can't say No, just as none of us can say No to Jesus so he goes for this walk. Imagine his anxiety and maybe even some panic when Jesus asks, "Do you love me?" And not just once but 3 TIMES! And each time, after Peter's response of "Yes, you know that I love you," Jesus tells him to "feed my lambs." Why did this rhythmic 3 TIMES have to happen? Welch explains it as a "do-over", a way to show that Peter was truly forgiven.
When we look at this scenario we see that Jesus always loves us first, He takes the initiative for Peace, Shalom with Him, but when He asks Peter "Do you love me?" He is also asking for a response. He also asks us the response to this question, which can also mean "Do you believe in me?" Welch asks us to stop here and truly think about that question, "Do you love me?" and to say your response out loud.... He equates it with a marriage ceremony where the participants have to say "I do", because after a marriage ceremony you become ONE, directly associated with the honour and holiness of Jesus!
Feeding Sheep - Up to this point Peter is just going through the motions, Welch goes on, but now he is given a purpose. This is what the kingdom is all about: "From shame to acceptance. From acceptance to commissioning." (p. 204)
Come and have breakfast - We are in that Scripture. Do you feel it? Did you share that breakfast meal with Jesus and His disciples? Welch gives us a warning here, do we want to accept that breakfast? Is there reluctance? If so the problem would be that we don't like God. And yet God invites us to have breakfast... What is your response???
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
The Cross
In this chapter Welch shows us how the cross is the best and quickest summary of what God says to unworthy people. But with his explanation is the charge to understand it and make it something we TALK about.
The rejection Christ experienced on the way to the cross was like a concentrated despising by all human beings at the same time. Ever drunk concentrated grapefruit juice? How strong it is and nasty? Bet you didn't drink the whole cup did you? But Jesus did! Look at the hatred and rejection He took on Himself
The rejection Christ experienced on the way to the cross was like a concentrated despising by all human beings at the same time. Ever drunk concentrated grapefruit juice? How strong it is and nasty? Bet you didn't drink the whole cup did you? But Jesus did! Look at the hatred and rejection He took on Himself
- Jesus' shame was deeper than ours and we are among the scorners
- look at Jesus's alienation and rejection at the hands of the entire world, including us
- all human contempt was focused on Jesus and we participated
- First He prayed that this cup pass from Him, but not as He willed but as God willed (Mt 26:39)
- this cup was God's wrath all stored up for centuries and anyone who drank it would be left reeling, staggering, disoriented and Jesus knew He needed help to keep His wits about Him
- Jesus asked for God to be with Him because the cup also represented separation from God - under God's curse not blessing. Jesus would experience the worst kind of rejection and alienation from the Father FOR US
- Jesus experienced incomparable shame, and He experienced it at the hands of EVERYONE
- He was put on trial!
- the mocking was nonstop!
- was taken before Pilate, which meant He was not just on trial before the Jews but in front of the WHOLE WORLD!
- He was flogged!
- He was spit on!
- although offered wine to help Him with the pain, He refused it, suffering every bit of pain WITHOUT painkillers!
- even as He was hung on the cross, people continued to mock Him, even those hung beside Him! (Mt 27:34-39)
- only a handful of Beatitude-keeping women would stand with the King!
- then He died!!! In His God-forsaken state He calls out "It is finished"!
Just like any multi-tasker God has many roles and they all came together at the cross: Father, Son, Spirit, Brother, Servant, King, Priest, Judge, Warrior ... Welch now takes a closer look at the relational love and cleansing power of the Father, Husband and Priest.
Father - This time Welch shows how the story of the Prodigal Son comes together at the cross (Luke 15). It is because of what happened at the cross that the Heavenly Father can run to embrace us, His swine-contaminated, contemptuous people. Not only does the Father run to MEET US, He also accepts us enthusiastically giving us honour, clothing us in the robe of distinction (Luke 15:22-24). The cross brings reconciliation, restoring our relationship with God (Rom 5:9-11; 1 Pet 3:18)!!!
Priests - the story of the cross is also about the temple with its priests and the people who brought an endless amount of sacrifices and offerings Welch next explains. Five different sacrifices were offered in the OT: grain and fellowship offerings of thanks, no animals slaughtered, included a meal to symbolize fellowship with God. Burnt, sin and guilt offerings all shed blood whether the worshiper was guilty of sin and contaminated or defiled by something unclean. Blood had to be shed to show the great cost of reconciliation with the Holy One - Jesus' death. Shed blood also demonstrated cleansing was more than washing because blood represented LIFE (Lev 17:11). We need true, spiritual life to replace the soul-deadening effects of shame.
When Jesus said "It is finished" He taught us there is nothing left to do. He has touched you and me, sprinkled His blood on us:
Priests - the story of the cross is also about the temple with its priests and the people who brought an endless amount of sacrifices and offerings Welch next explains. Five different sacrifices were offered in the OT: grain and fellowship offerings of thanks, no animals slaughtered, included a meal to symbolize fellowship with God. Burnt, sin and guilt offerings all shed blood whether the worshiper was guilty of sin and contaminated or defiled by something unclean. Blood had to be shed to show the great cost of reconciliation with the Holy One - Jesus' death. Shed blood also demonstrated cleansing was more than washing because blood represented LIFE (Lev 17:11). We need true, spiritual life to replace the soul-deadening effects of shame.
When Jesus said "It is finished" He taught us there is nothing left to do. He has touched you and me, sprinkled His blood on us:
- He brings us into the temple, the place of God's presence
- we lay our hands on the Lamb of God, transferring our sin and shame to Him as He identifies with us
- the final barrier between us and God was gone when Christ's sacrifice was complete, the temple curtain torn from top to bottom (Mt 27:51)
- we are invited to a fellowship meal with God - the Lord's Supper (1 Cor 11:23-26)
Husband - God is THE HUSBAND from which earthly husbands are images. The prophets Ezekiel and Hosea tell the story of how Israel (us) turned away from God but God reached out as a husband, keeping His covenant promises, buying us back over and over. The cross shows what the Husband did for His wayward wife (us)
- died for us!
- when Jesus died, we died along with Him. We identify with Him!
- Jesus was resurrected!
- when Jesus was resurrected, we were made alive with Jesus - we are no longer the same person - our shame is no longer attached to us!
SHAME HAS BEEN INTERRUPTED BY THE CROSS!!!!!
Welch encourages us to keep the cross in mind, to remember what happened there and then TALK, TALK, TALK about it. Ask others to TALK about it with you. Find ourselves in Scripture!
Monday, July 29, 2013
Mark 14: Shame, Betrayal, and Abandonment
Personally I find this next chapter a breakthrough chapter!!
In this chapter Welch shows how Jesus "takes our guilt and shame and we receive His righteousness and holiness." He took this burden to the cross and there obliterated it. When I hear that word obliterated, I think of a bomb totally obliterating, destroying that burden of guilt and shame. How did Christ do that?
Welch uses one chapter of Mark to help us understand this. He encourages us to look at this chapter and watch how uncleanness, rejection, and soon, nakedness pile up on Jesus in concentrated form. There is NO WAY we can say Jesus doesn't understand (p.171-2).
Mark 14 begins with the leaders wanting to kill Jesus -- He was rejected totally!!
The next verses tell how the people didn't get the importance of who Jesus was, thinking money for the poor was way more important than perfume for Jesus. Verses 3-9 tell how only Simon the Leper and the woman anointing Him knew who He was -- all the rest rejected Him!!
Verses 10-11 then describe Jesus' betrayal by one of His closest twelve friends!!! - BETRAYED, REJECTED!!
Then DENIAL - verses 27-31 Peter's denial is prophesied. To be denied labels you as the most severe form of NOTHING (p.173)!!
Verses 32-34, 37-42 describe how His disciples could not stay awake for Him, to pray for Him -- another expression of Jesus' value to the disciples. NOBODY was with Him in His pain, death was all around Him and they couldn't Pray!!
Verses 43-46, 50 - "they all left Him and fled." -- Everyone, ISOLATION in it's worst case scenario!!
Verses 53 - 59 - procession of accusers accusing the God Himself - the world was judge and jury. THIS WAS THE PATH JESUS CHOSE!!! The PATH to rescue YOU and ME!!!
Verses 60-65 Jesus says nothing to defend Himself. The shamed are powerless, Welch tells us, and Jesus chose to give up all power -- DESPISED, USELESS ANIMAL!!!
Verses 66-68 Peter denies Jesus, and he is put on trial by the servant girl who is ruthless, turning to the bystanders, and still Peter denies Jesus! 3 TIMES DENIED by His disciple!!!
Welch leaves us with these two questions to think about:
In this chapter Welch shows how Jesus "takes our guilt and shame and we receive His righteousness and holiness." He took this burden to the cross and there obliterated it. When I hear that word obliterated, I think of a bomb totally obliterating, destroying that burden of guilt and shame. How did Christ do that?
Welch uses one chapter of Mark to help us understand this. He encourages us to look at this chapter and watch how uncleanness, rejection, and soon, nakedness pile up on Jesus in concentrated form. There is NO WAY we can say Jesus doesn't understand (p.171-2).
Mark 14 begins with the leaders wanting to kill Jesus -- He was rejected totally!!
The next verses tell how the people didn't get the importance of who Jesus was, thinking money for the poor was way more important than perfume for Jesus. Verses 3-9 tell how only Simon the Leper and the woman anointing Him knew who He was -- all the rest rejected Him!!
Verses 10-11 then describe Jesus' betrayal by one of His closest twelve friends!!! - BETRAYED, REJECTED!!
Then DENIAL - verses 27-31 Peter's denial is prophesied. To be denied labels you as the most severe form of NOTHING (p.173)!!
Verses 32-34, 37-42 describe how His disciples could not stay awake for Him, to pray for Him -- another expression of Jesus' value to the disciples. NOBODY was with Him in His pain, death was all around Him and they couldn't Pray!!
Verses 43-46, 50 - "they all left Him and fled." -- Everyone, ISOLATION in it's worst case scenario!!
Verses 53 - 59 - procession of accusers accusing the God Himself - the world was judge and jury. THIS WAS THE PATH JESUS CHOSE!!! The PATH to rescue YOU and ME!!!
Verses 60-65 Jesus says nothing to defend Himself. The shamed are powerless, Welch tells us, and Jesus chose to give up all power -- DESPISED, USELESS ANIMAL!!!
Verses 66-68 Peter denies Jesus, and he is put on trial by the servant girl who is ruthless, turning to the bystanders, and still Peter denies Jesus! 3 TIMES DENIED by His disciple!!!
Welch leaves us with these two questions to think about:
- Are you persuaded that Jesus experienced shame?
- What difference does it make to you that Jesus experienced these extremes of rejection?
Friday, July 26, 2013
New Boundaries for a New Kingdom
Now Welch explains how when Jesus overturned cultural conventions and stretched religious boundaries, He was reclaiming land that had been in enemy hands too long. The Beatitudes showed who was honoured in the Kingdom but if we think of the anti-Beatitudes we can see who is excluded: the self-satisfied, those who don't care about the misery of others, those who continually shake their fist at God, those who hunger for earthly riches and honour above King-God, the hypocrites intent only on their own self-seeking goals, those who divide people with their anger and gossip, those who refuse to taste shame for the sake of Jesus' name.
This list might make us feel a bit uncomfortable - am I an outcast after all? But Welch goes on to say "if the anti-Beatitudes step on your toes and hurt a little, or provoke a hint of anxiety, then you are not an outcast." (p. 169)
Welch now encourage us to look a little closer at the boundaries of the Kingdom of God. It includes the outcasts, failures, poor, poor in spirit, those without earthly honour, all who claim a childlike neediness for Jesus Himself. It excludes those who identify with the world's guidelines for inclusion: wealth, reputation, power and personal honour. Amazing when you look at these boundaries and you see how God's normal is made abnormal by satan, and God's abnormal is made normal by satan and we have gotten sucked up by this LIE.
But then Welch turns us back to another side of shame. Most people experience shame because other "powerful" people impose shame on them and we can't minimize that! What we do have to understand, Welch warns, is that the oppressors' days are numbered. Other people can still victimize, BUT THEY CAN'T DRAG US AWAY FROM THE HOLY ONE!! By faith we have a connection to Jesus that no perpetrator can sever (p.161).
Now contamination can only come from inside ourselves. Please read Matthew 15:17-20. Jesus is telling us that no longer can anything outside us make us unclean. The things that make us UNCLEAN are the things that come out of our own heart!! And only God can make us truly CLEAN:
What keeps me from becoming unclean by those who touch me? When we trust God to keep us safe, instead of trying new ways to self-medicate we are being touched by Him. When we are touched by the Holy One, we become HOLY. Holiness is contagious (John 13:10) and once holy always holy, although we will still get our feet dirty (still sin) and need daily washing that does not nullify the bath of holiness.
What do I do with the uncleanness I bring on myself? We will still sin, turn away from God, but that doesn't affect what God has done for us through Jesus. He has still touched us (given us a bath), all we have to do is turn back to Him and ask for forgiveness and He WILL forgive (Is 43:25). The wonderful thing about this is that it's not about us! God forgives for His sake. When He forgives that gives Him honour and glory!!
Am I ready to begin distinguishing the sins of others from my own sins? Welch asks us to ask ourselves the next question before we try to answer the first one - Do I believe it honours God when I trust Him to forgive and cleanse me? Sometimes things get complicated when although someone victimizes us, we also sin because of it, or in response to it and then we need to look to God to help us unwind the complications. When we pray "God have mercy", He will help us OWN what belongs to us and let Him look after the sins of others and what belongs to them. Mercy comes to us as cleansing for both guilt and shame (p.165).
Welch encourages again when he says "Jesus is the BURDEN-LIFTER (Mt 11:30) and if we feel as if Jesus just adds new burdens, we are mistaking Him for someone else (Mt 23:4). We don't have to get defensive but make Psalm 139:23-24 our own words!
Now Welch goes on to warn us to BEWARE OF THE "REALLY BAD SIN". Perhaps you have been feeling hope that you might be cleansed and then something happens BAM, you might "discover that you believe there are two categories of people: those who do normal sins, which are forgivable, and those who commit really bad sins, which might be forgivable but only after you.... you don't know what you have to do to be forgiven" (p.167). Remember we're Christians under Construction so our growth is slow, and sometimes things may have to be taken apart and re-built, but steadily you WILL grow in Christ's image!
Welch counters this BAM moment by turning us to Scripture again, to look at some of the truly human people there: murderers (Moses, David, Paul), adulterers (David), and blatant denier of Jesus (Peter) and see that they were ALL FORGIVEN. Paul, in his letter to the Galatians is very clear that "Jesus death paid for everything, especially the really bad sins, and he is more than a little ticked off if you disagree. If you try argue with Paul about this he'll argue right back at you (1 Tim 1:16)" (p.169).
Welch finishes this chapter with the words "If you live as though that forgiveness needs a small boost from your own grief or good works, then you don't understand what He did. You could read Galatians with this theme in mind." So when we sometimes lose our bearing, instead of turning to ourselves, let's turn to God, read about Jesus, perhaps taking a quick read through Galatians before Welch's next chapter.
This list might make us feel a bit uncomfortable - am I an outcast after all? But Welch goes on to say "if the anti-Beatitudes step on your toes and hurt a little, or provoke a hint of anxiety, then you are not an outcast." (p. 169)
Welch now encourage us to look a little closer at the boundaries of the Kingdom of God. It includes the outcasts, failures, poor, poor in spirit, those without earthly honour, all who claim a childlike neediness for Jesus Himself. It excludes those who identify with the world's guidelines for inclusion: wealth, reputation, power and personal honour. Amazing when you look at these boundaries and you see how God's normal is made abnormal by satan, and God's abnormal is made normal by satan and we have gotten sucked up by this LIE.
But then Welch turns us back to another side of shame. Most people experience shame because other "powerful" people impose shame on them and we can't minimize that! What we do have to understand, Welch warns, is that the oppressors' days are numbered. Other people can still victimize, BUT THEY CAN'T DRAG US AWAY FROM THE HOLY ONE!! By faith we have a connection to Jesus that no perpetrator can sever (p.161).
Now contamination can only come from inside ourselves. Please read Matthew 15:17-20. Jesus is telling us that no longer can anything outside us make us unclean. The things that make us UNCLEAN are the things that come out of our own heart!! And only God can make us truly CLEAN:
- only our own sins can contaminate us
- no one has the power to make us sin
- God is quick to forgive when we turn to Him
- when the inside is clean, the outside is clean (Mt 23:25-26) (p.162)
What keeps me from becoming unclean by those who touch me? When we trust God to keep us safe, instead of trying new ways to self-medicate we are being touched by Him. When we are touched by the Holy One, we become HOLY. Holiness is contagious (John 13:10) and once holy always holy, although we will still get our feet dirty (still sin) and need daily washing that does not nullify the bath of holiness.
What do I do with the uncleanness I bring on myself? We will still sin, turn away from God, but that doesn't affect what God has done for us through Jesus. He has still touched us (given us a bath), all we have to do is turn back to Him and ask for forgiveness and He WILL forgive (Is 43:25). The wonderful thing about this is that it's not about us! God forgives for His sake. When He forgives that gives Him honour and glory!!
Am I ready to begin distinguishing the sins of others from my own sins? Welch asks us to ask ourselves the next question before we try to answer the first one - Do I believe it honours God when I trust Him to forgive and cleanse me? Sometimes things get complicated when although someone victimizes us, we also sin because of it, or in response to it and then we need to look to God to help us unwind the complications. When we pray "God have mercy", He will help us OWN what belongs to us and let Him look after the sins of others and what belongs to them. Mercy comes to us as cleansing for both guilt and shame (p.165).
Welch encourages again when he says "Jesus is the BURDEN-LIFTER (Mt 11:30) and if we feel as if Jesus just adds new burdens, we are mistaking Him for someone else (Mt 23:4). We don't have to get defensive but make Psalm 139:23-24 our own words!
Now Welch goes on to warn us to BEWARE OF THE "REALLY BAD SIN". Perhaps you have been feeling hope that you might be cleansed and then something happens BAM, you might "discover that you believe there are two categories of people: those who do normal sins, which are forgivable, and those who commit really bad sins, which might be forgivable but only after you.... you don't know what you have to do to be forgiven" (p.167). Remember we're Christians under Construction so our growth is slow, and sometimes things may have to be taken apart and re-built, but steadily you WILL grow in Christ's image!
Welch counters this BAM moment by turning us to Scripture again, to look at some of the truly human people there: murderers (Moses, David, Paul), adulterers (David), and blatant denier of Jesus (Peter) and see that they were ALL FORGIVEN. Paul, in his letter to the Galatians is very clear that "Jesus death paid for everything, especially the really bad sins, and he is more than a little ticked off if you disagree. If you try argue with Paul about this he'll argue right back at you (1 Tim 1:16)" (p.169).
Welch finishes this chapter with the words "If you live as though that forgiveness needs a small boost from your own grief or good works, then you don't understand what He did. You could read Galatians with this theme in mind." So when we sometimes lose our bearing, instead of turning to ourselves, let's turn to God, read about Jesus, perhaps taking a quick read through Galatians before Welch's next chapter.
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