David Bahn - Reflections

Most of us would rather have it all together, believing we must have no flaws if we are to share the message of Jesus. But the message of Jesus is shared by messy people. We who are broken and are not afraid to admit it can testify to God's grace and power - a far better focus for others' faith than the life of even the most sanctified believer.

Is your life is worth imitating. Do you want others to behave the way you do? Do you want to have people pointing to you and saying, there goes a true believer. It's the opposite of having someone think of you as a hypocrite. It's living a life of real faith. It's about letting people see your struggles and your successes. It means recognizing we are not Lone Rangers. We are part of the Body of Christ. We need each other.

Our pathway to either preference is a product of many different experiences, times of pain and struggle, blessings of joy and favor, and challenges of many kinds. But we come into our own when we recognize the blessings of freedom in Christ and his calling to abandon anything that holds us back from faith active in love. So whether a more formal liturgical style of worship or a more contemporary style is not the point. The point is that we are free in Christ, and as we serve him in that freedom we do truly come into our own.

Any time we believe we can guarantee a good outcome by our efforts we are in danger of setting aside the true message of Jesus. His grace and truth are the foundation upon which we can build a life strong in hope and joyful in freedom. Our hope is in Jesus. Our freedom is in him, and in taking ourselves off the hook of engineering a good outcome by means of our own efforts. That freedom is made possible by his death. That hope is secured in the resurrection of Jesus. 

Our labor in the Lord is never in vain. Paul will say that to the Galatians later in this letter: "Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9). That's a good reminder for all of us.

We all have our preferences. And as long as we keep them in that category no problem. We acknowledge all modes of baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We recognize that not all people everywhere will find just one type of hymnody edifying or beneficial. But take Christ away, and his message of grace and truth, and we can end up clinging to our preferences to our shame and eternal harm. Better we cling to Jesus and his word.

We do not know what tomorrow will bring. But we do know that God is in every moment and place, situation, and event we experience. Jesus urges us to watch and wait for his appearing, recognizing his grace and goodness in every moment, and rejoicing in his goodness and mercy all the days, seasons, and years of our lives. 

The idea that we can call the King of the Universe, "Abba" is a radical idea. This is the Creator of all that exists, the King of kings and Lord of lords. So we call him "Abba?" Daddy? Papa? Father? We do. And this is a reflection of the revolutionary closeness of the relationship between God and His children, as made possible through Jesus. But it is also an acknowledgement of our adoption through Christ.

Growing up into Christ is not only a matter of becoming more spiritually mature. It is also a matter of becoming more deeply thankful for his redemption, forgiveness, grace, and love. 

God's grace has appeared to bring salvation to all people. What a gift! What a blessing! And what implications there are to this salvation.

I regularly make the point that our good deeds, our resisting temptation, our faith, and our love for God does not cause God to save us. God's salvation, his saving grace inspires our good deeds, resisting temptation, our faith and our love for God and for one another.

This passage is the clearest reference to the birth of Jesus outside of the accounts in Matthew and Luke. In the fullness of time. When the time was just right. When the Roman roads allowed safe travel. When the world was at peace (Pax Romana). When there was one language which allowed the Gospel to be communicated more universally.