Jesus Isn't Ashamed Of You

Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. (Hebrews 2:11)

That verse sums up all of my theology. 

I could never earn my way to heaven or deserve an afterlife. I could never deserve anything good in this life. But I don't have to deserve anything. I would rather just accept what God freely gives. Jesus is shame free and the love he gives is shame free. Shame isn't a Godly concept.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)

We became ashamed of ourselves all on our own. Shame isn't a Godly concept. 

How To Hope

Hope is a constant expectation of good, not a "50/50" shot something might happen. Nor is it a prayer for a stroke of luck. We all have believed this way though. How does one "hope" the right way?

Often we only hear half of the Gospel. We hear that Jesus died for our sins. Or maybe that Jesus took our place and got what we deserve. But that is only half of the equation.

Think about the story of the Israelites. They were freed from slavery. Then they marched out into the desert to go and live in a land that was better than anything they could have imagined. But a whole generation never made it through the desert simply because they did not believe that God was good. They lived in between slavery and goodness, forgiven but never making it to their destiny. They completely fell short of what God had for them.  Everyday they saw the goodness of God, literally protecting and feeding them, but they didn't believe that He was good.

The same happens to many believers. We have been freed from slavery only to be found in limbo. We know Jesus got what we deserve but we need to hear and believe that now we get what He deserves.
Some made Him out to be a liar by saying, "You are not able to do what you promised." (Hebrews 3:16-19)

But the truth is that God chose us to have His grace. (Ephesians 1:3-9) We are supposed to know the full richness of His kindness every day. The Bible says that Jesus did nothing wrong but took all of our sin on himself at the cross, literally becoming sin. In this same way, He literally made us righteous.

Are you ready to start hoping? We are supposed to continue in our faith just as we started it, by grace. The full Gospel, or Good News, says that Christ got what I deserve and that now I get what He deserves. Does Jesus deserve to be loved? Yes. So do I.

Resting Is Easy

How does one relax? Typically relaxation occurs when one believes for a moment that all is right with the world. Inner turmoil can only be superseded by something that does not promote chaos or pain. That "something" must promote peace.

Jesus gives two commands which are really actually invitations:

"Do not worry! Look at the birds. They do nothing and still they are taken care of."

And

"Come to me and rest."

Despite the tumult that "life" throws at you, God's Spirit remains intact within you. So that when grace is presented and effort ceases, we find this to be true: anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.  (Hebrews 4:10)

But to enter that rest there must be a moment of giving up and acceptance that all is right. How can you accept that all is right when all may not seem right? Because Jesus lives forever. He is able to save completely those who come to him. He always lives to intercede for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

That means Jesus' full time job is to intercede for you. Contrary to some beliefs, he isn't too busy for you. Rather, you take up all of his time! You are a part of his body and because of that "all is right". Rest is an all the time mentality. You can be at rest all the time knowing that there is no longer a mountain to climb to God. With grace comes rest.

How effective can a rested person be? How effective was Jesus?

Success

Success is defined as "the accomplishment of an aim or purpose." Most of us look at success as just hitting the mark or the "aim" as the definition puts it. But I think long term success is guaranteed when you are living with a purpose and not just an aim. 

There was a king in the Old Testament named Hezekiah and the Bible says that "the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook." (2 Kings 18:7)

When I read this I am reminded of another passage written in Psalms 1:1-3
"Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers."

Now it is important to understand that (as the Bible says) we are no longer under law but under grace. So you can read this passage as saying, "meditate of the grace on God day and night."

With that in mind, let's look at what Hezekiah did. 

^"3 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done. ⁴ He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. ⁵ Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel." (2 Kings 18:3-5)

What did he do? He basically demolished any type of false worship or false idea of who God is. This is important for us to do as we meditate on the grace of God. As we do, it becomes easy. This is what we do. And as we do it we discover our purpose. 

^"4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power (grace) to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Cor 10:4-5)

As we accept God's opinion about us (that we are indeed his own children) we destroy any voice that says contrary. We destroy any idea that we can't approach God. We get rid of thoughts of condemnation because Jesus himself is wisdom from God and He is our justification. Finally, we find our purpose is to be loved by God. 

Then, success is inevitable.

BE HOLY!

I know a lot of people talk about holiness. There are a lot of mixed opinions and ideas about what it is, how it's done, who is, who isn't....

Anyway, I like talking about it because I have a vastly different perspective than most. So take it or leave it, here is what I believe. 

There is nothing you can do to be holy. You are holy because Jesus gave you His Holy Spirit. 

You might here a phrase like, "Jesus is more concerned about your holiness than your happiness". This is true but He was so concerned with it that He took care of your holiness for you and provided you with His. 

 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. Hebrews 2:11

What is holiness? I don't know if you can actually define it or quantify it. The best thing you can do is look how perfect, complete, and solid God is. You can look at His truest nature (His goodness) and get a glimpse because He loves revealing deep things to us. But that is the nature He provides for you. 

You see, this is what happened....

⁶ But there is a place where someone has testified:

“What is man that you are mindful of him,
    the son of man that you care for him?
⁷ You made him a little lower than the angels;
    you crowned him with glory and honor
⁸     and put everything under his feet.”

In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. ⁹ But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:6-9

God made us and gave us everything. Then we gave it away. The good news is that He came back and took it for Himself and now shares it with us. Now that it is His, He will never let go of it again. He holds it for us while holding us. 

This should make it clear. 

¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— ¹³ for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.
¹⁵ But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ,overflow to the many! ¹⁶ Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. ¹⁷ For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
¹⁸ Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. ¹⁹ For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
²⁰ The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, ²¹ so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:12-21

And that should make you pretty happy.