Last week’s game plan ended as follows: (And I repeat for two reasons… first it is a good intro into this week’s plan… and second, because I just pulled up the website and realized that it was “hidden” as a font color didn’t change. [Which also made me realize that those who “read” it on the site didn’t bother to tell me it was “hidden”])
I love the way my dear friend Grant Hawley put it in his book The Guts of Grace: “The believer has been called to a life that is far more holy and righteous than what was called for in the law, but by giving Christ to indwell and empower us. God has supplied everything to make that not only possible but realistic. ‘We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.’” (Romans 8:37)
We are living in some challenging times… I spend much time in evangelism, BUT also, as a coach, I want to call the team to, in the midst of our freedom, RAISE THE BAR (in our Behavior… our Attitudes… and our Relationships!!!)
I love the words “far more” in Grant’s statement… the reality is that my thought of “raising the BAR,” stems from years of seeing “players” settle for mediocrity!
In athletics, players are content to work hard in practice and the weight room… they will play hard during games… but they are not committed in the off times! Let’s take a simple scenario of the weight room: no one can lift weights all day long, every day… that is not practical. Yet, how the athlete lives in the off times does affect how beneficial the time in the weight room is… You see, “far more” carries the idea of commitment… if one is sold out to maximum benefits of the weight room it will affect how he eats, sleeps, etc.
I am tempted to go on with an athletic lesson, but that will take entirely too long for this space… to the point: often when I see a child of God fully committed to maximum results, that person is often labeled over-zealous or fanatical or legalistic. My concern is that in the process of viewing life from our liberty/freedom has resulted in a lack of understanding what we are “free from” or what we are “free to.”
So let me give a quick lesson on “legalism.” I am in full agreement, especially since the Scriptures say so, that WE ARE NO LONGER UNDER THE LAW… we are not striving to earn or gain God’s favor… that was found through the lawful substitutionary death and resurrection of Christ. By faith we receive pardon and life! But the word “legal” is not a synonym of “law.” It refers to what the law established… Christ came to fulfill the law (See Matthew 5:17), not to abolish it. And he also explains what the law established was the idea that we should love God and love others! (See Matthew 22:36-40)
There is an established goal of living our lives in a way that glorifies God and serves others… there are many commands of what we should and shouldn’t do as a result of loving God and others… to be radically committed to these commands is NOT GOING BACK UNDER THE LAW… to the contrary IT IS LVING LIFE LOVING GOD AND OTHERS! It is RAISING THE BAR (in our BEHAVIOR, ATTIUDES, and RELATIONSHIPS)!
This may include giving up some things… it may include being careful of what “junk food” (see Philippians 4:8) we are putting into our minds… it may be a “legalistic” approach to the Law of Christ… please hear me clearly… this old coach is calling us to excellence… to rise above mediocrity and see the results of a committed life!
5 But also for this very
reason, GIVING ALL DILIGENCE, add to your faith virtue, to
virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to
self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to
godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For
if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge
of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things
is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed
from his old sins. (2 Peter 1)
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