It's been so long since I've stopped by! Where has the time gone? What in the world have I been doing? It's been one of those nightmare things. You know the kind. You miss doing something once, then twice, and then the longer you put it off the more difficult it becomes to start again. God has not stopped revealing wondrous truths -- I just haven't been sharing them. So much speculation on the whys. Alas. Let it be said that I've missed this blog.
In January I signed up for a Precept study on the book of Daniel. Somehow it seemed safer than the new Beth Moore study on James. Ha! This week we are on Chapter Three. It's where 'the boys' refuse to bow down and worship Neb's huge golden image. (The class has come up with some nicknames for the characters - I love it.) One of our cross-references is Deuteronomy 4 and then on to Ezekiel 6:9. They are about idols and other gods. Which has been interesting because this week a group of us girls are starting Kelly Minter's study "No Other Gods". Can't wait. What has me intrigued this morning is the passage in Ezekiel 6.
"Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations to which they will be carried captive, how I have been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which played the harlot after their idols; and then they will loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed, for all their abominations." I talk a lot about freedom, about captives being set free. Freedom from fear, freedom from rules that lead to conformity and oppression. But this verse goes to the very heart of freedom. It's hard for me to put this into words, but I shall try nonetheless.
When I think of freedom, I'm not talking about being free to do as I please. God tells us to be holy, because He is holy. But He also points out that the only way we can be holy is because of His gift, which is Christ's atonement for us. Jesus paid the penalty for me - and for you. And when we accept that gift, the Holy Spirit comes and indwells us. So ultimately, Christ lives through us.
The freedom in that is this. God changes me from the inside out. He changes my attitudes. He reminds me that the guilt over the past is paid for. He reminds me that the cost of my disobedience has been met. The self-loathing, pity party stuff that Satan throws at me should be forever cast off - because again, Christ has atoned for that. And none of it is about what I've done. It's all about God.
He knew who I was, and He loved me anyway. He knows I'm going to hurt Him, and He loves me anyway. It's not about rules, it's about relationship and unconditional love. It doesn't matter what you or I have done in the past or what we will do in the future. It's about mercy and grace and love. And because God has so graciously extended that to me, I can graciously extend that to you. I don't know what evil dwells in your heart, but I sure do know the evil that dwells in mine. It's ugly and mean and hurtful and angry. But God - He's changing all of that in me. I'm a work in progress.
And Ezekiel knew. He knew we would need to be freed from self-loathing. He knew because God knew, and He told him in chapter 6 verse 9. The people who turned away from Him would loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed . . ." Our self-loathing can become our idol and our excuse.
Freedom and life. It can only be found in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
