Inspiration – Page 3

What Should We Do When We Fail?

March 11, 2019 by Dudley Hall

It just popped up as a text on my smart phone. I read it and choked up.

Religion: "I've messed up. My dad is going to kill me."

Son-ship: "I've messed up. I'd better call my dad."

This accurately expresses the deepest heart-cry of both a failing child and a caring father. Every sane father wants his child to call when he/she is in trouble. There is no mire too messy to get in, if your child is in it. Every failing child wishes for a father who would understand, and get involved.

Literature is replete with examples of such stories. Maybe the most popular is the story of the "prodigal son." (Luke 15) The younger of two sons decides he is ready for independence and goes off on his own, making poor decisions, He ends up slopping pigs, hungry enough to eat the pig's food. All the while, the father watches and waits for his son’s call. As soon as he sees a tiny spec on the road home, the father runs with robe, shoes, ring, to invite the boy to the biggest feast ever.

That is the Father's heart.

A New Understanding of the Father

Why don't failing ones call dad? Why are so many still slopping around in a pig pen when there is welcoming Father awaiting? Could it be that alienation is preferable to risking rejection? We are never sure we will be rejected until we chance it. Maybe the thought of being finally and fully rejected is too much of a gamble. We instead insist on living in self-imposed isolation.

Maybe disappointing dad is too painful. We can't afford to lose whatever pride he might still have in us. We must keep up the appearance so he will approve us to some extent.

The prodigal must have fought with such thoughts when it became evident to him that his plan was not working. Maybe he thought his father expected him to make it on his own. Or maybe he thought he could outlast the failure and his dad would never know. He probably just couldn't entertain the thought that his dad would know what a mess he had made.

Shame makes a coward out of us all. The lies we believe when we've pushed his presence away are devastating. We are so self-conscious, we can't see reality. That is why the father ran toward the prodigal with a robe in his hand. His shame was covered by the father's robe.

It is why God came to Adam and Eve with skins for clothing when they were hiding behind bushes in the Garden of Eden. It is why God clothes us with the robe of righteousness that belongs to Jesus.

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The prodigal evidently became so miserable that he was willing to risk rejection. He still didn't understand his father's heart. He came with a deal. He planned to offer servitude for provisions. He was so surprised! No deals. No negotiations. Sons in the house must be sons in the house. The father offered full restoration. Undeserved, unmerited, unconditional, unending acceptance and partnership. It began to dawn on the son. "He knows! He loves!"

It is not probation. It is full son-ship. Partnership. A new robe to cover the shame. New ring to signify family authority. New shoes that identify family members. A new understanding of the Father.

Call Dad

Once when David was hiding in a cave from a crazed enemy, he called dad.

"With my voice I cry out to the Lord; with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord. I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him ... I cry to you, O Lord; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." -- Psalms 142:1-2, 5

Call him! He knows!

Light is Featured in Darkness

February 6, 2019 by Dudley Hall

As I backed out of my driveway early this morning, I noticed that the carriage lights outside the garage were still on, though it was daylight. They had done their job during the night of dispelling the darkness around our house. But, they were still shinning, hardly noticeable.

"I'll bet they are sad," I thought as I decided I would not reopen the garage to turn them off. My sweet wife will notice soon and hit the switch. They aren't very that effective in the daylight. Hardly noticeable. They do their best work in the dark. If they were animated, they would probably tell with delight that the darkness is their chance to shine.

Moral blindness is not our friend. If offers cover for all kinds of wickedness, which destroys everything beautiful in our culture. Darkness has always been a metaphor for decay, deception, and destruction. Only in the light where truth reigns can we live as humans are designed to live. We don't actively invite darkness. Neither do we despair when darkness has crept in.

Jesus is the light that enlightens all people without distinction.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:4-5

When he came to earth, it was during a dark night in history. He was a brightness greater than the world had ever seen. He didn't just tell the truth. He is the truth; living truth. His own people did not receive him gladly, but those, both Jews and Gentiles, who received him became reflections of his light. Wherever these lights have gone, darkness has been pushed back. Ignorance, fear, superstition, tyranny, and wickedness has receded. Without such light, civilizations stumble in darkness.

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We have always done our best work in darkness. We have confidence that light can't be extinguished by darkness -- ever. We dare not shrink back just because darkness has increased in intensity and influence. The light of truth and grace has shown in our hearts, so we shine in our world. We are not selling a product for profit. Nor are we competing with various forms of human opinion. Light exposes all forms of darkness. We don't even have to be experts in analyzing the darkness. Light chases all darkness.

Sadly, many who have believed in Jesus have concluded that the daylight will last forever. They have kept their light hidden. It is getting dark. It is time to turn on the light. We don't have to fight the darkness with anger and revenge. We just act in accordance with who we are. The love in our hearts is stronger than the hatred in the hearts of those captured by evil. The truth we share is stronger than all the arguments made against the truth. The wisdom that is ours by virtue of sharing life with Jesus can overcome any complexity darkness has created.

There is a sound from heaven to the people of God. I think it says, "It's getting dark. Turn on the light. It is time to brighten up." We do our best work in the darkness.

The Media and The Church

February 5, 2019 by Dudley Hall

President Trump has made his conflict with the media very public, though he has his own version. It is not the first time elected officials have fought with the media.

We are bombarded with the vitriol of the fighting. Many of my friends have stopped listening to any of the news outlets. It seems that anger and frustration are stirred any time we stop long enough to listen to the spin. The media are either blamed or praised for moving society ideologically according to an agenda commonly held by its proponents. It is inevitably biased according to the ideology being promoted.

Objectivity is an ideal, but is not achievable by biased people. What is reported is interpreted by those doing the reporting. Those who agree with the bias are glad, while those who disagree claim "foul." For some time now, the mainstream media has embraced an ideology far different than the one that held sway for centuries. Secularism has been exalted as the religion of the day. Some who are deeply disturbed by that direction are looking for an alternative media. There is one I suggest.

The Good News Media

God gave the church to the world as his media. The followers of Christ were and are commissioned to proclaim news -- good news. It is the news that gives a framework of interpreting all events in history. Understanding the story of creation, fall into sin, and redemption allows us to participate in earth's story in a meaningful way.

The church has been silenced by its own cowardice. Refusing to address the issues that matter in current society, it has been thwarted by the religion of secularism.

The problem we currently face is that the church has dropped the ball in this area. When no alternative voice is heard, the secular voice rules supreme.

The Form Without Power

The church has been silenced by its own cowardice. Refusing to address the issues that matter in current society, while claiming success in numbers and buildings, it has been thwarted by the religion of secularism. To become relevant, it has adopted a message of human compassion without divine power. This form without power is embarrassed by the claim that all are broken and that the resurrection of Jesus Christ can transform anyone. And an increasing number of people are leaving it because of this hollow message.

Reduced to a marginal role in a society that features civil government as the power to respect and fear, the church -- though still tolerated by some -- is mocked by many.

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Without competition in announcing news, the secular media are dominating the field. For a long time, movies and TV shows have depicted preachers as weird, judgmental, and irrelevant characters, while villains are heroes. The foibles of some TV preachers have added to the cynicism that makes mocking so easy. It is no wonder that recent surveys reflect a growing trend to disassociate with church-going.

But, beware! The true church is the body of Christ, and it is empowered by the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.

Jesus put his reputation on the line when he declared that the gates of hell would not prevail against his church. Just as the demonic religion of the Jewish leaders and the tyrannical power of Roman government could not prevent Jesus from rising from the dead, neither can the intimidating forces of secularism keep down the true church, whose head is Jesus Christ the Lord.

God’s News Organization

God emphasizes the household of relationships rather than structures and rituals. He works through his children to bless all people.

God builds his church with his children, not programs and buildings. (Psalm 127) He works through human partners. He always has. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus testify that God has linked his work on earth to humans who relate to him as Father. In his gracious salvation, he offers all a second chance at a healthy childhood. All who receive Jesus as God's only solution to human alienation become children of God. (John 1:12-13)

God emphasizes the household of relationships rather than structures and rituals. He works through his children to bless all people. He gives them access to him and promises to hear their prayers. (John 14:13-14) Finally, everyone has a chance to enjoy a healthy family life where the inevitable wounds of natural family dysfunction are healed.

As the darkness of deception grows, the children are waking up, suiting up, and showing up. No longer afraid of being mocked, they are standing in the gates of the city, and proclaiming the radical good news that there is a way -- not only to heaven, but to living a life of meaning now. They are finding that their unity is not in race, ritual, or rage, but in sharing the same life with the Father and the Son.

It has happened before in history when most thought the church had gone out of business. It had just gone underground, only to explode into life that honors the one who is the head.

It is our time. The media are ruling now, but the source of news -- good news, is making his voice heard again. Listen, join the news service.

Christians Can!

January 10, 2019 by Dudley Hall

What I heard as a church-going youth was what Christians can't do. If you were serious about being a Christ-follower, there were things you had to stop doing or never even try. For an example, at my church, we couldn't smoke, drink, dance, watch R-rated movies, do drugs, be sexually active, gamble or curse, for a start.

My focus was not on what Christians can do. But that is where the good news lies.

Sharing in Jesus’ Life

There are some things that those who share in Christ's life can do that others can't.

Personally encountering the Spirit who raised Jesus from the grave enables such believers to act in concert with God's order, displaying his unique grace. They can obey his commands out of a heart of love rather than fear. In fact, they can see that each of his commands is an invitation to express the life they now share with him. Commands become opportunities to experience the supernatural nature of eternal life in daily interactions.

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Some would have us believe that Christians have no greater grace to deny sinful passions and unconditionally love their neighbor than unbelievers. Such a belief will inevitably lead to a disappointing effort to practice a holy life, and it offers an excuse for slip-shod ethics on the part of the believer. It places too much hope in human virtue apart from the special grace of regeneration.

Only those born of the Spirit can see the kingdom of heaven. (John 3:3) Only Jesus has lived the human life as it was designed. Only as we share his life now by the Spirit can we hope to imitate him.

We Needed a Champion

Human life was deeply flawed by the sin of Adam. Out of the disorder of that condition comes all sorts of chaos and destruction. We cannot rely on the virtues of a race of people characterized by enmity with God and ignorant of his ways.

Humans cannot win the battle against evil in their own strength. We are continually being confronted by an enemy who already has the scalps of innocent Adam and chosen Israel hanging from his belt. There had to be a champion who could represent Adam's race and Israel's nation.

He was tempted like Adam in the garden and Israel in the wilderness, but faced down the devil's whole arsenal of temptations. He then defeated the devil personally by fulfilling justice, erasing sin's penalty, killing sin's tyranny, mocking death's threat, and ascending to the place of original human stewardship.

We have died, been raised, and established as God's human agents of mercy. Our identity comes from his story, not ours.

The devil is not a rival to God's authority nor that of his agents. He is an imposter claiming power that he has lost and seeking to intimidate the children of God.

Let’s Do What We Can

Because we are his agents on earth, we shall be tempted by the cosmic enemy, but we do not identify ourselves by our temptations, not matter how insistent they are. We will be fed lies about our identity, our victimization and our value, but we have exchanged our personal story for his.

We have died, been raised, and established as God's human agents of mercy. Our identity comes from his story, not ours. We can admit our vulnerabilities, confess our sins, forsake our patterns of unbelief. We can forgive another from the heart. We can love as God loves. We can fulfill the law of Christ by bearing the burdens of others. We can rejoice at all times. We can give thanks in all things. We can prefer others above ourselves. We can please our Father as we humbly walk by faith.

Christians can. Let's do what we can do.

I Need Help

December 29, 2018 by Dudley Hall

"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." -- Psalms 121:1-2

We all need help. Some are aware of it and others trudge on as if they are completely sufficient for every possibility. Those who are aware are faced with where they will look for help. The crowd of Israelites marching to Jerusalem to worship sang the song as recorded in Psalm 121. While it was common for people of that time to believe that their gods ruled from the majestic mountains that towered above everything, the people of Jehovah trusted the God who made the mountains.

He is not our maid who does what we demand. He is our Father who hears our cry and acts in our behalf in the best way at the best time.

He does not compete with the imagined gods of other religions. He is in a class byHhimself. He alone created all things. He alone governs what He created. He has a name. He is the God who made covenant with Israel. By His own initiative, He has assumed responsibility to be a Father to them. Without His watchful care, they will surely stumble and fall. He alone can establish them as secure. The song says, "He will not let your foot be moved." Israel can stand their ground because of the commitment of their God.

He is not a projection of human imagination -- a bigger version of man. He does not sleep. His care is perpetual. He provides shade from the rigors of the sun's heat, and protection from the mysterious influences of the moon and planets. He rules the day and the night. He ensures the sustainability of His people's faith. He watches them as they come and go. He is their God, and He cares about every detail of their lives.

A New Covenant Cry for Help

As we New Testament believers sing the song, we have further understanding of this dynamic. We cry for help from the One who not only made a covenant but ratified it by fulfilling the conditions we could never fulfill.

Jesus as our covenant mediator has kept covenant with the Father, and we are blessed with the fulfilled promise made to the obedient. We have no reason to look anywhere else for our help. He is our God and He cares for us. All the resources in creation are at His disposal to be used as He directs. We can stop looking to the gods that our culture has adopted for our help. We have a helper who waits for our call.

He is not our maid who does what we demand; He is our Father who hears our cry and acts in our behalf in the best way at the best time. If you are ready to admit you need help, look beyond the mountains to the creator and Father, and call.

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A New Kind of Strength

November 15, 2018 by Dudley Hall

Our two-year-old grandson likes to flex his biceps and boast to me of how strong he is. He is a picture of the desires we all have. We would like to be strong in every area. It is our weaknesses that scare us. We instinctively try to hide or at least cover our vulnerability.

The problem lies in the true definition of strength. For many it is more like bullying and intimidating. The room gets awfully noisy when everyone is boasting of their own strength.

Jesus offers a new model of strength. To those who didn't get it, he looked like a victim, but he demonstrated what being strong is all about when he defeated death and ascended to rule over all.

Strength That’s Available to You

The apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church in Corinth describing the new kind of strength found in the shared life of the resurrected Jesus. It is known as Second Corinthians. He uses five illustrations to get his point across. First, in the introduction he mentions that God has used the weaknesses of his servants as an opportunity to give them a kind of comfort that is beyond human capability.

"Who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." (2 Corinthians 1:4)

They don't need to see how strong we are in ourselves. That only discourages them since they aren’t us. They need to know of a strength (comfort) that is available to them.

Since we are his image bearers, we are privileged to reflect a level of strength that is only made evident when we are weak in ourselves. We must get comfortable identifying what looks like weakness as strength. When we are weak he is strong. This gives hope to others who are weak and helpless. They don't need to see how strong we are in ourselves. That only discourages them since they aren't us. They need to know of a strength (comfort) that is available to them.

Captive for Christ

Second, he describes us as captives who emit an aroma of victory.

"But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere." (2 Corinthians 2:14)

The picture is of a conquering general leading his army, and the captives of his victory, through the streets of his city. To mask the smell of war, the air is filled with pleasant smells of perfume. The captives become a part of the parade. Paul is saying that we have been captured by the Lord and have no rights to demand. But we are made into his sons and enlisted in his mission to spread the aroma of hope to the whole world. We must get accustomed to being his captive. It is how we rule.

Shining God’s Light

Third, he describes us as earthen vessels that contain the treasure of his life. When we are broken in the presence of a world of death and darkness, his glory gets out.

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." (2 Corinthians 4:7)

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We should not be surprised to learn that we are led into places of affliction and suffering. Just as it was with Jesus on earth, we live for the sole purpose of extending his influence. We do not lose heart, because we are not measuring things the way the temporal world does. Like Stephen, we might get stoned while some unsuspecting "Saul" is watching -- and is later converted by the same light and life he saw on Stephen's face.

Refusing to Bring Reproach on the Gospel

Fourth, he says that we are only limited in our freedom by the desire to promote a clear gospel to those around.

"We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities.” (2 Corinthians 6:4)

Since we don't live to please ourselves, we refuse to bring reproach on the gospel by anything we might do to distract others from the pure truth of God's word.

Rejoicing in Weakness

Fifth, he declares that boasting on our part should be about our weaknesses rather than our strengths. This is after Paul had prayed that his thorn in the flesh would be removed. He knew God to be good, powerful and interested. So, he prayed for deliverance from some debilitating circumstance. God answered that his strength is magnified in Paul's weakness.

"If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness." (2 Corinthians 11:30)

Comparing our afflictions and weaknesses to glory is an eye opener. Afflictions are light and momentary. Glory is forever.

God does deliver us from all kinds of trouble. Sometimes he transforms the trouble by supplying more grace than the trouble can supply pain. After all, it is his grace that we want magnified, not our personal ease.

There is peace through strength -- when the strength comes from overwhelming grace. It is worth getting accustomed to. It is our calling. There is an entire eternity to enjoy the glory that shall be revealed. Comparing our afflictions and weaknesses to such glory is an eye opener. Afflictions are light and momentary. Glory is forever.

We Hold the Key!!

October 31, 2018 by Dudley Hall

Key Hole Light Unlocking the Door to the Kingdom - 900

We are experiencing a suffocating wave of despair and loneliness in these days. Many are wringing their hands wondering where we are headed. While rancor and violence are on display, voices that could offer solutions are either silent or ignored. Political parties offer to solve the problem, but are obviously a major part of stirring it. But there is some good news. It is in fact, great news because it has the authority of heaven behind it.

We Hold the Key!

We hold the key! America's moral future is in the hands of Christians. It is our time to shine in service to our culture. We have no time for being personally offended by those who don't understand. We are not victims of a darkness that cannot be penetrated. We are vessels of mercy in the hand of our God who loves all people and wants societies to flourish. Jesus declared us to be lights in a dark world as we reflect him. We are sprinkled in society as salt for the preservation of truth and the establishment of peace.

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We have been given the great privilege of knowing the Father through the Son, thereby having access to both his wisdom and his life. We can not only know what to do, but do it, as we are energized by the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.

We have kept silent while those who deny the existence of the creator have tried to find a way to run the world. With no creator of order, and no discoverable order, there is no right way to structure life. We cannot stand by while such nonsense permeates the public sector. We have the word and the voice that offers hope.

The word is the truth that sets people free from the deceptions that paralyze them. It declares that God has acted to restore us to the humans he envisioned in creation. As humans who can know and be known by God, we are capable of being his partners in earth's development.

We Have a Voice!

We have a voice. There are still millions of ears eager to hear the sound from God's body on earth. There is a lot at stake. We can no longer shrink back from criticism or fear of losing tax status. God addresses moral issues and if we are faithful witnesses, we do too. There are several issues that we have a right and responsibility to address.

(1) He endowed humans with a dignity that is not determined by public opinion. Humans are persons whether in the womb or outside, with the rights of all humans. That is not political. That is moral.

(2) God gave personal property as a means of developing our managing skills. It is to be protected.

(3) God gave some more than others to ensure human sharing. He wants to the strong to care for the weak.

(4) God is the source of our provisions, and governments that deny that are sure to fail. All cultures that refuse to recognize the distinction between creator and creation are doomed to deception and destruction. It is impossible to ignore the source of truth and hope to find truth.

It is time to stop with the complaining and criticizing and get on with our commission. We are sent into the world as God's vessels of mercy. We represent the ultimate authority and it will not be toppled. We will suffer persecution, but that is not a deterrent. Amid persecution, we shall display a kind of peace the world does not now know, but is desperately longing to find. The key is in our hands. Let's stop wringing them and use them to hold up our Lord.

Am I a Bigot?

September 24, 2018 by Dudley Hall

Holding Worn Bible Sunlight Reverence - 900

The guy in the t-shirt promoting abortion, the sexual revolution, social victimization, and open borders said that I was a misogynist, legalist, and racial bigot because I did not agree with his t-shirt. Am I?

Honestly, I felt the arrow. Maybe I harbor hidden bias. Perhaps I don't love the world as Jesus does. Then I remembered some verses from the apostle John that give perspective.

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. -- 1 John 3:18-19 (ESV)

Our own hearts are not infallible in evaluating our standing in righteousness. God is greater than our hearts. He knows everything. His verdict is the one that matters. (Now, there is a t-shirt for Christians: God's verdict matters.)

What Does Love Look Like?

What does it mean to love the world? Well, we know God does. What does his love look like?

First, he didn't allow the world to define love or what was needed. He looked beyond the deceptive thoughts of people bound in sin, and blind to true beauty, and gave the only gift that would free us and restore the glory of humans. He gave to meet the needs we had misidentified, so we could enjoy a greater liberty than we could imagine.

In order to prove my love, do I have to agree with everyone? It would be anything but authentic love to promote what I believe is destructive.

Second, he gave himself at great cost. It wasn't just a theory he was promoting. He didn't give a new ideology or fresh idea on how to structure society. He came into our dilemma and accepted the eternal consequences of our condition so that we could enter his condition as righteous before God.

Third, he loved us as people. Each of us has a unique story of need, though we share a common alienation from God because of sin. Jesus doesn't deal with us as a subset of society classified by our ethnicity, sex, or social standing. He loves persons!

Authentic Love

Someone asked me if my biblical worldview prevented my loving the LGBTQ community. Instead, it compels me to love the people who may identify or be classified by those letters.

I know and love many people who have been classified in this subset -- and I am eager and willing to love many more. I am just not sure what loving a subset of society means. In order to prove my love, do I have to agree with the particular agenda of that subset? It would be anything but authentic love to promote what I believe is destructive. If Jesus had loved like that, he would have abandoned us to our own wishes, consigning us to the misery of self-delusion forever. I can respect their right to believe without affirming their belief to be right.

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Jesus' love was expressed in that while we were yet bound in deception and ignorant of our desperate condition, he did what was necessary to set us free. (See Romans 5:8.) Love is costly, and it expresses itself in actions. It cares more for the condition of another than for our own comfort and ease. (See 1 Corinthians 13.)

If I listen to the angry voices telling me who I am, I will either shrink from being real, or I will strike back and lose my sense of peace. Either way, I will be weak and cowardly. Confidence comes from knowing God's verdict and accepting it as final. That frees me to see any person as created in the image of God, valuable and worth loving. It also releases me to hear God, my Father when he lovingly tells me that I have hidden bias he wants to eliminate. I like being loved like that, and I want that for everyone.

Christianity Works Only in Its Most Radical Form

September 17, 2018 by Dudley Hall

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After 30 excruciating minutes of expressing deep frustration with his personal life, Peter confessed, "I gave up on Christianity during college days. It just didn't work." He went on to describe how hard he tried to stay inside the moral boundaries as outlined in the teaching of the Christian church he attended, but never could. In an effort to be authentic, he decided to abandon the standards and live like most of his friends.

Peter is an example of the thousands of former churchgoers who now identify on religious surveys as "nones." The now have no affiliation with a church. Some wear that identity as a badge of freedom from religion.

A Broken Form of Christianity

It is now coming to light that the form of Christianity that has been promoted for several generations is not the form that Jesus taught and lived. From the Roman Catholic's sex abuse scandal to the slowly dying Protestant congregations, to the garish consumer-driven spectacle affecting Evangelicalism, the evidence seems to suggest that something isn't working.

Disciples like those who brought transformation to cultures in the early days of the church are few today -- and rarely noticed by the church culture. The model disciple today seems more interested in gaining and maintaining relevance to the culture, rather than offering an alternative to the steady march toward meaninglessness.

The agenda of secular society is gaining momentum while we Christians try not to be perceived as contrarians. We must not offend. We must not confront. We must lose or ignore our convictions. We must change our core beliefs. All the while, millions are fraught with life-destroying addictions, dysfunctional relationships, and twisted identities.

Only Full Abandonment Satisfies

When the popular brand of Christianity eliminated the power of transformation from its core, multitudes were doomed to live in their spiritually defective condition with nothing stronger than willpower to confront their afflictions. It is no wonder we have normalized behavior that is prohibited by both Scripture and common sense. If we can't change, we must adapt. We now call that progress.

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Early Christianity offered radically changed lives, as evidenced by the apostle Paul's comments:

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

-- 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (ESV)

The early church was not a gathering of good people trying to be better. They were captivated by the One who was raised from the dead. They had been transformed by him.

But radical Christianity is not just for the extreme outcast of society. Even regular church attendees are often beset by disappointment with their level of spirituality. They are discovering that a partial buy-in cheats the seeker. Any hold-back denies the bounty of grace. Only full abandonment to God's love satisfies the yearning of the human soul, which was designed to be loved fully.

Living By the Spirit

Jesus describes a life far beyond external standards and man's ability to achieve them. He spoke of forgiving your enemies. Turning your cheek to insults. Eliminating hatred, anger, lust, greed and vengeance. He described disciples as lights in the darkness, salt in society, and houses built on a foundation that no storm can topple.

He commanded people to do things they couldn't so he could do those things for them and through them. "Stretch forth your hand," he commanded a man with a withered hand. "Lazarus come forth," he said to a dead man. Later, his apostles followed suit, giving instructions that can only be obeyed by those born of the same Spirit that raised Jesus from death. "Love without hypocrisy," "outdo one another in showing honor," "bless those who persecute you," "live in harmony with one another." The implication is that when a Christian does these things, it is coming out of his new life -- the one he shares with Jesus by means of the indwelling Spirit.

Those who are born of the Spirit are infused with a radical love that demonstrates a radical alternative kingdom.

These displays of love have death-defying power in them. This kind of love cannot be defeated. It annihilates hate. It exterminates fear. It will not stop at the edge of human hardness. It will still be reigning when all the ideologies of history lie bankrupt in the pit of shame.

It Took a Radical Act of God to Redeem Us

The form of Christianity that settles for theological propositions, transcendent principles, altruistic projects, and moralistic practices doesn't work!

It took a radical act of God to redeem us. It required a costly death, a miraculous resurrection, and a glorious ascension. Nothing short of that would have solved our problem. The radical act of grace demands a radical response of faith. God's grace toward us does not produce a half-hearted moralist who is trying to get better. Those who are born of the Spirit are infused with a radical love that demonstrates a radical alternative kingdom.