Reality, Deal With It!

(6-20-04)

Phil.2:5-11

Paul tells the Philippians that their attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Aren’t you glad he wasn’t talking to us? Wait, maybe he was, at least some of it. Which part? Ok! All of it must still be meant for us too.

Lets do something that was popular a few years back: reality check! To whom do you belong? Into whom are you being made new? By whom? In who’s Kingdom are you now a citizen? So then who is you Lord?  What does all of that mean in real life?

Think about this carefully, to whom did you demonstrate your allegiance to this week?  Monday? Tuesday? …? ….? Today, what about today? Don’t be distressed, Today has enough wows. If you failed yesterday in your walk with the Lord Jesus, be at peace, lay it at His feet. Christ’s blood continues to cleans us of all unrighteousness. (1Jn.1:7) It is today that we are challenged with living, not in the yesterdays or in the tomorrows but in this moment called today.

If we are to be a the kind of people Jesus has called us to be for Him, then we must be a people who believe Him. Like the Israelites of old, we are called to walk in faith. Did I fail Jesus in some way this past week? Yes! Faith calls me to believe that today I am free from the burden of those sins and shortcomings. Why is this important for each of us to understand? If we can not believe that Jesus blood has taken care of yesterdays failures, then we are held captive from serving Him as He would have us to do.

If today is the moment we have, then we must be free to walk as he would have us to do. We lose the moment and the day’s opportunities by being shackled to our yesterdays. Be free! In Jesus Christ, be free!

The next challenge of being the people of God in our walk of faith is extending this attitude, not only towards ourselves, but also towards each other. I know your yesterday had failures and sin in it. Some of those failures might even have been directed towards me or a loved one of mine. As Jesus my Lord has extended His grace and mercy towards you, I also forgive. Or so I am called to believe and do. (Lk.6:37; Col.3:13)     

Why is this important? Like being free to live today from yesterdays claims upon our life, this too will hold us in bondage and keep us from being effective. It also has a tendency to imprison the one whom we will not forgive as the Lord has. What it does is, it keeps them locked in our hearts and minds as offensive and offenders before our eyes. That puts us in the seat of judgement. Is that our seat to sit in? By no means! (God forbid!)

The reading for today might have been better started where Paul began his train of thought (verse 1) “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ….” What is our common ground? The blood of Jesus was poured out equally upon each of us. Paul in verses 1-3 of Philippians 2 gives 4 ifs and a then – If any …, If any …, If any …, If any …, then …..  Paul concludes by pointing out that Jesus is Lord and that every knee will bow before Him. The point for them and us is this – We have already made the choice to bow our knees in willing submission to His Lordship over our lives. Today walk in the freedom He has called you to walk in. Today Jesus is Lord – That is the Reality, deal with it!