Positional Love

Are you a parent? There's something magical that happens in the moment you become one. When your child is born, you instantly love them more than anything else on the planet. You would from that moment on give your life for them. At least that's how it was for me when each of my children was born.

I love them more than life itself because they are my children, before they've even done anything, either good or bad. Of course, we want our children to make good choices that bring blessing into their lives and not pain. But we love them based on their position to us – simply because they are our children, not based on what they do.

That's how God loves us, based on our position to him, as his sons and daughters, as his children. When we try to earn his love by being good, we're acting like orphans who don't understand their sonship. True sons (and true daughters) live to please their father because they are already secure in his love for them, not to make him love them.

Why Write 1 John?

Why did John write the letter of 1 John? It's not why you might first think. Certainly the theme is the awesome love of God, how God is love, and God defines the very concept of love by who he is. But that's not why John wrote the letter, which is a bit odd. Usually communicating the theme is why an author writes a book (or a letter). But John had a different purpose.

The last verse, 1 John 5:21, at first seems out of place. “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” But this is John's purpose for writing, to turn Christians away from idols, to modify their behavior. John was distressed by the idolatry even among Christians, especially Gentiles. They'd grown up sacrificing and worshipping the family idols, and often continued their family practices after they got saved. They grew up that way, and thought it was normal. (Most of us have unhealed brokenness in our lives that we grew up with, that we think is normal, but that God wants to heal.)

Personally, I'd have used examples from Israel's history. The Old Testament is ripe with examples where idolatry doesn't end well. “Be good or God will punish you!” While it's important for the church to teach holiness, often we come at it from that approach. But that doesn't work; it never has. At best it only builds religion—converting younger brothers in the Prodigal Son parable into older brothers—but both missed their Father's heart.

John takes a completely different approach. After we read five chapters about the incredible love of God, and the Father's heart for us, we read that last verse, “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols,” and we think, “Well, duh! Why would I trade the mind-blowing love of God to love a rock? To kiss a stick? No way!” Mission accomplished.

Holiness has to flow out of relationship with Jesus, from being blown away over and over again by our Father's heart for us. Then we change our behavior and don't sin because we just can't live that way—we can't bear to break his heart.

What's the Oil?

Remember Jesus' parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13? They're symbolic of Christians since they're all awaiting the Bridegroom (Jesus). He caught them all by surprise since they all fell asleep. But some had extra oil and some didn't. Those with oil entered the banquet with the Bridegroom while the others were denied admittance.

So what's the oil? What made the difference? IMHO, it's intimacy with Jesus – our private, secret history with the Father. We can't use someone else's – not our pastors, our parents, etc. We have to have our own. Jesus told those without oil, “I never knew you.”

So let's spend time with him, building that private relationship. Not “one more thing I have to do.” Not “checking off my God-box today.” But spending time with our Lover-King, just the two of us. That makes all the difference.

God's Not A Myth

If you're reading blog, you probably don't think God's a myth. But do we act like it? Are we Sunday-morning Christians and Monday-morning atheists?

In the heat of the moment, it's easy to react first and think second. Sometimes our reactions are anything but godly. At that moment, we've forgotten our redeemer lives. We've forgotten he's God even of that moment.

I'm not one to beat myself, or anyone else, up over the one-offs. You know, those single occurrences that don't match the general pattern of our lives. Not saying all our actions aren't important, we never want to give ourselves a “bye” or make an excuse. We want to keep a short tab on those one-offs – confess 'um and get forgiveness quickly and move on.

But I'm more concerned about patterns and habits. Is it our habit to dirty-joke with the guys at work, as if God didn't exist there? Is it our pattern to fly off-the-handle at our kids, spouse, co-workers, or subordinates in a rage? Are we living a lifestyle of sexual impurity? If we have ungodly habits, then, in that area of our lives at least, we're living like God's a myth.

Situational Atheism. We compartment life too much in the West. We've got our God box, our family box, our work box, just to name a few. And we think if our God box is the most important box, we're good. But God doesn't want to be the most important box in our life. He wants to be the most important thing in every box.

Let's invite him into every single area of our life, nothing held back. He gave it all for us, let's give it all to him. And in the end we'll find his love was worth it.

God's View of God

Monday I posted several common views of God. Which does God want to be?

He died on a cross to be our Lover-King. Contrary to popular opinion, he didn't die to give us salvation. Yes, his death on the cross accomplished our salvation, but that wasn't the point. Salvation was just the prerequisite. He died on the cross to give us relationship with himself.

He longs to be our Lover-King. Will you let him?

If something's stopping you, tell me in the comments. Or, if you have that relationship, tell me in the comments. Either way, let's talk about it.

Our View of God

Here are some common views of God. Which can you identify with?

“A myth. Will you religious people get over it?”

“An absent creator, who made the world like winding up a top. Now he's just letting it spin down and couldn't care less.”

“Zeus, an angry God, ready to throw lightening bolts as soon as I step out-of-line.”

“Santa Claus, he brings me presents if I'm good.”

“My kind-hearted, but naïve, old grandfather, in his rocking chair on the porch. He's really nice but doesn't get life today.”

“My ATM. I go to him when I need something.”

“My insurance salesman. Thanks for salvation, Jesus, see you in Heaven.”

“My commander-in-chief, my general and my chain-of-command. I follow the rules with no emotional attachment.”

"My demanding parent I can never please. I'm never good enough no matter how hard I try."

“My Lover-King, the essence of my universe, the number one person in my life. He's just crazy about me, and I wish I could do more to please him. His smile makes my spirit soar.”

Tell me in the comments.