Free to Experience Peace

Over the last few weeks we have looked at some of what the Unconditional Good News frees us from….performance, condemnation and fear- to name them.  Now, let us bask in an aspect we are free to experience. The Unconditional Good News sets us free to experience peace!  Peace is defined as: Freedom from agitation or disturbance by the passions, as from fear, terror, anger, anxiety or the like; quietness of mind; tranquility; calmness; quiet of conscience (http://webstersdictionary1828.com).

 As we recognize we are completely loved by Christ we are free from earning approval, from being judged and punished and, when we fail, from being rejected.  Having this corrected outlook of who we are, then we are able to set our minds on peace. “Setting our minds on” implies it takes effort and will not happen without conscientious energy. It is so easy to pick up any of our chains again,  but Romans 8:5-6 says,

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. (ESV)

We want to live our lives according to the Spirit! Once our outlook is corrected though, we need to let that peace of Christ have rule, sway and dominion.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,

to which indeed you were called in one body.

And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15 ESV)

No only does the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, it guards our hearts and minds! While we are setting our minds on things of the Spirit we receive peace, which then can rule and guard our hearts minds yielding peace! What an awesome circle of peace!

  

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 ESV)

And so…

To those who are called,

beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. (Jude 1:1b-2 ESV)

Freedom From Fear

Continuing on with our examination of some aspects of unconditional love we will consider freedom from failure next. Failure is something most of us struggle to overcome.  Rare is the individual who wants to fail.  The pressure to persevere is often born out of the desire not to fail.  The root of fear of failure has at its center that inability to be perfect and then, as the consequence of imperfection, rejection.

1 John 4:17-18 (ESV)

By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Fear has to do with punishment, but remember last week, we are free from condemnation – judgment and punishment! In His unconditional love for us, we need to have that awestruck and powerful regard for God and what he has done for us, but we need not fear rejection.  

Recently in a Biblical Counseling Seminar, Pastor David King had us hold up our fist and one at a time unfurl the fingers on our hand saying, “He.”, “Will.”, “Never.”, “ Leave.”, “Me!”  Our God will not reject us if our hearts have been turned to Him. He will never leave us!  Therefore, there should be no fear of rejection by God, 

no fear of failing Him.

Freedom from Condemnation

The next aspect of the Unconditional Good News to examine is that of the freedom from condemnation.  When one is without love, behavior and the person performing the behavior are judged.  Judgement typically brings with it punishment, as in a decrepit building deemed uninhabitable and then slated to be demolished or a criminal convicted of a crime and then sentenced to a prison term.

Romans 8:1 (ESV) says,

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Seeking to better grasp what the phrase no condemnation looks like we need to look at what Christ Himself said: 

Matthew 7:1-5 (ESV)“Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.  Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. 

Why shouldn't we judge?  Because then we ourselves are subject to the same judgement we have meted out!  We are in need of the atoning covering of Christ, so that when our Heavenly Father looks upon us He sees the blood of His precious Son rather than our sinful souls.

So why is it that we so easily fall into the pattern of judging others?  Could it be that we resort back to our system of rules? That looking at our fellowman we see the places where they don’t measure up to our self-imposed check lists? That we require of them that need to perform at our level of standard rather than trusting that the Creator of the universe can handle their behavior?

Unfortunately, this is far too often the case in my heart! I need the reminder to, “take the log out” of my own eye.  I need to let the Holy Spirit convict and change others while I humbly fall on my face recognizing what it means to have been spared condemnation.  I deserve the judgement and the death penalty! I can too easily take for granted that dreadful sacrifice that was made on my behalf.

Father, let my life reflect a heart of gratitude for you Son’s willingness to take on all my guilt! My verdict is guilty but my sentence was transferred to Jesus! Thanks be to you, O Lord and your Sweet Son! Holy Spirit continue to remind me of all that has been done for me that I may yield my heart to Your direction and please, keep my judging bent at bay.  For Your Glory !

Freedom from Performance

Last time we looked at the unconditional Good News of Jesus, the Gospel. This Good News issues us the challenge to view ourselves and others differently as we look through the lens of Christ. Over the next several weeks we will glance at specific shifts that should take place allowing our viewpoint to better align with Jesus’. The first of those is that we are free from performing.

If nothing we do can make Jesus love us more, than we can stop putting ourselves through the hoops of performance for performance's sake. Performance implies playing a role for an audience, but even with God as our audience, genuine authentic interaction is the desire, not performance. This is what happens in close intimate relationships. When we love unconditionally we are free to express our deepest selves without the pressure of expectation.

Of course, as we are willing to be authentic, we must also give permission for others to be genuine as well. Releasing them from meeting our expectations is tough and yet will demonstrate Christ’s work in us faster than nearly anything else. This is part of the very essence of Paul’s words in Philippians:

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.  (Philippians 3:13-14 ESV)

So as we seek to grasp Christ’s unconditional Good News let’s enjoy the freedom from performance that has been granted, instead seeking to bask in the fullness of the Good News for us and others!

Absolutely Unlimited!

Unconditional is defined as being “not limited in any way: complete and absolute,” by Dictionary.com. So when we speak of unconditional love we have love not limited in any way or complete and absolute love. Complete indicates one hundred percent one sided. Love independent of the reciprocation of the emotion or action from the other side.

Therefore, when we are told Jesus’ love is unconditional, it is complete and unlimited.  Try to process that! This means there is nothing we can do to make Christ love us more. “His grace is sufficient for us,” is a common statement but a complex one.

Ephesians 2:3b-6 (ESV) reminds us, we….

…were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—  and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

We are moved as believers from being children of wrath to being alive in Christ because of the great love Jesus showed us – to the point that he has seated us in the heavenly places! Wow, what an amazing statement!

  

Now if this love He has shown us is so boundless, infinite even, can He love us less when we sin?  Infinity minus one is still infinity, just as infinity plus one is still infinity.  He loves completely and nothing we add or subtract changes that love. 

That age old question then pops up, how then shall we live?  Seeking to model Jesus not out of things we do rather out of obedient hearts – 

“All well and good” you say.

“We've heard this before.”

However, let your hearts be open to the challenge of where we replace love with rules without even realizing we have done so.….places such as having quiet time, praying before meals, having accountability partners …

The list may contain a small fraction of the legalism infusing its way into our lives, depending on our motivations.

But Jesus…

      …..set us free! 

So let us grow up in Christ with a heart motivated by the desire to obey and model the very Christ who gave us life.  Let us be willing to examine our hearts and see where rules reign and submit those rules to our loving Heavenly Father and allow Him to bring our behavior into check ~ out of love.

Precious Jesus, grant us deeper and deeper understanding of what it means

   to be 

        the unconditionally beloved.