Fresh Start part 2
"I already know I'm going to hell, so who cares?" The statement--because that's what it was, a matter-of-fact statement--shocked me. And not just because I totally and completely disagree with every single bit of it. But because someone I love had totally and completely given up. They had let their past mistakes bury them and were absolutely DEAD in their trespasses and sins. And not only the walking dead... but DOOMED. They didn't even have anything to look forward to except an eternal fiery punishment for the deeds they were already suffering the effects of. It broke my heart. Because some people might call that "sound doctrine" but to me it's complete and utter nonsense. Before we go forward let me quote my favorite verse about "hell" really quick. Just to get it out of the way. Revelation 20:14, "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." So first things first: Hell can't BE a lake of fire if it was thrown INTO the lake of fire. Also, GOD is the consuming fire... And secondly: Adam died the first death when he ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And then Jesus died the second death on the cross. Once you've had a second death you can have a new birth. A new LIFE. HIS life. Abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life! Not by going through the same motions we were going through before. Not by letting our past drag us down. But by letting go of some things. It's hard to see everything under your feet--and in that way walk by faith--when you're letting all that stuff drag you down and bury you. When you're focusing on the problem instead of the solution. When you're telling your God how big the storm is instead of telling the storm how big your God is. When you're not only dragging the past around, but living in it. Abiding in death. Letting it define you. Mistakes are not supposed to define us. Jesus is supposed to define us. The problem (the MAIN problem, I should say) with religion is that it can only tell you what's WRONG with you. It takes the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth that testifies of your true identity by testifying of Jesus, to tell you what's RIGHT with you. We don't need to be someone we're not. We simply need to find out who we really are. And that's what I was trying to say yesterday. There's a YOU that is buried deep down inside. And for a lot of reasons we don't let it out. But we should. We shouldn't be afraid of that thing that makes our heart sing. Because guess how that thing got there; "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). And this is actually where I think I'm going to spend my time tomorrow. But for today... GOD put that thing in your heart. It's HIM working IN you both to WILL and to DO of His good pleasure. The desire comes from Him, and the power to achieve that desire comes from Him. Remember yesterday about committing our ways to the Lord? About being our true selves by doing what we do best--that thing that makes us... us!--and doing it with love. Because that's who we really are. And that's what it all comes down to. Walking in newness of life is walking in love. Making a U-turn is turning from death to life. That's what Jesus did both for us and as us!