Casket Man

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?" - Jesus

"Because I'm a ridiculous sinner Jesus!"- Me

Sometimes I really don't like reading my Bible. And I don't believe it's always because I'm interpreting it wrong. Though I know that has to plays in a lot. But the Gospel doesn't fit into my worldview, I fit into its.

Sometimes I just don't want to hear it. Why can't the life of following Jesus resemble me kicking back into my easy chair. That's what I'm talking about.

But Jesus knows I don't do what I tell him. He knows that I build my house on sand. He knows that I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to power-tools and building. To mix metaphors, he knows that the power-tool of his word has gone off again in my hand and shot a nail in my eye.

It's in these very passages we're forced to cling to Jesus. They're impossible. And as I've said before (I've said it enough times now that I don't need to site whoever I stole it from), the Gospel is about making the impossible possible.

I have a friend who doesn't truck with the Gospel. All this sacrificing your son and whatnot. It's just so violent and crazy to him.

But if it wasn't violent and crazy, it couldn't speak to the real sin that locks us in, defines us and determines our lives. We have free-will without Christ. Free-will to sin, sin and sin some more!

My friend does a ton of good stuff. He does more than I do. Common grace is astounding and confusing. But he doesn't have Jesus. Or maybe he does and doesn't even know what to call him yet. The Spirit moves in mysterious ways.

As Jesus moves in us we actually do good. I know it sounds crazy. But we can't even help it now. His grace compels us. I'm not saying it's easy. I have a really hard time obeying. As my Grandma says, "The Old Man is dead, but he keeps sitting up in the casket." Que picture above. Mine doesn't look like Elvis, but hey, it's a really cool picture.

But obedience brings so much joy. And here I'm trying to talk myself into it... It brings the only real joy. Believe it Phil.

My pastor says that many of us have it backwards. We think that we have to have the right motives to do the right thing. We don't. Sometimes doing the right thing, following Jesus, will bring the right motive of dependance and understanding. In fact, for the believer, that's a promise.

Would that I'd believe this more. Then I'd cry "Lord, Lord" when I see my feeble attempts at obedience frustrated by my Old Man. This cry, far from being hypocritical, is the very cry Jesus is waiting to hear.