Whiteboard Wednesday

As a believer I easily fall into thinking God's plan is for me to be increasingly a better lawkeeper. Like the judgment on the bad things I do are countered by the increasing good things I do. But that's just not Christianity. James says even what we consider good areas, like planning and saving, are crushingly evil. Our only hope is to turn to Jesus, where we find that he forgives and frees, takes our rightly crushed selves and gives actual life from the outside. Remarkable, upside down... and the truth. Yes, the law derails us, but outside the tracks we find real salvation... in Christ.

James just wrecks our own ability. We think he's giving us a way to be blessed: cultivate humility. Instead what he is doing is showing us that the law totally crushes us. We are humbled because in our best efforts we stumble. Even our efforts to use the law reveals our judging and sin. Thankfully there is an actual, real savior. He gives grace! He has done everything for us, and he brings forgiveness and freedom in simply trusting him. Real life is life in this incredible reality that Jesus paid it all, and it works. We mourn over our real sin, but we rejoice that we are given such amazing grace by our loving God!

Conflict? The problem is you, says James. Your heart. But that's not the real issue. The real issue is that we say--ok, I will improve. I'll work on that. I'll be better. And the message of the Bible is that our increased effort is not the answer. Grace is. Forgiveness, full and free, in the finished work of Jesus Christ. The message isn't 'do,' it is 'done.' Humility is finding no hope in ourselves and turning instead to the one who has all the ability: our incredible Savior, Jesus Christ. Receive the good news that he loves you and forgives you and has you now and forever.

So often we focus our lives on moving from folly to wisdom. But James points to a deeper problem: earthly wisdom. Earthly wisdom is reasonable, has skill, and is oriented on ourselves. We work to make good choices, advance ourselves, make ourselves better. But this, says James, is surprisingly unspiritual... and demonic. Whoa! Instead we need heavenly wisdom. That's wisdom outside of us, pure and true and for us. Jesus Christ, who became for us wisdom from God. Our wisdom is gained by receiving, by trusting that he is using us just as he desires. Our only hope is the one who paid it all for us, and keeps us our whole lives. Humbling... but life itself is simply receiving Jesus Christ, our wisdom.

The tongue is small and influential... and a restless evil, full of deadly poison. When we hear that, we are tempted to think that James is giving instruction for self-improvement, and so we get to work. But this passage is not a command but an observation. It crushes all of us our whole lives in the flesh, no matter how much we work. The good news is not in our improving, but at the cross, where our sin is forgiven and we are free in Christ. We are loved, useful, and His by what he has done, not by our improved tongues. And that's really good news!

From John Lynch. Two paths stretch before us in our Christian journey: pleasing God, or trusting God? Pleasing God as a primary motivation leads toward striving to make him happy by good choices. But we don't actually get there -- and we begin to hide. Perhaps the other path? Trusting God -- that actually is the instruction of John 6:29. Trusting Jesus means trusting we are forgiven, new, alive, and even used by simply trusting a Savior who promises all this to us. It seems crazy, but it is the pathway to real life, humbly and transparently living a life in the wonder of Christ for us always.

The most well-known passage in James urges us to consider that faith... works. And we're tempted to take that as a measuring stick, a way to determine if we are doing enough to really be saved. But James actually has another idea in mind. Faith alone is absolutely all you need... and you have the assurance from God that faith accomplishes exactly what he wants. Sure, faith works... because simple trust in Jesus means the Holy Spirit is working through you in ways you can (and more importantly, can't) see. Faith works... and that's really good news for all who believe!

From James 2. Christianity clearly teaches against partiality. Wealth, charisma, health -- circumstances are no longer a marker for God's favor. Jesus Christ has died for whomever believes in him! But we hear that and think, 'ok, I'd better work on that.' Actually, James' point is that it is too late. We continue to sin, to fall down, to have partiality. Thankfully that crushes us, and pushes us to where our hope really is: the perfect work of Jesus for us. All of us together find our hope only in Christ for us, and not in our improved behavior. We are forgiven and freed by Jesus' sacrifice for us! So 'good luck' being impartial -- but such actual good news that we are clean in Christ.

Knowing we've been saved by grace, the real issue in life for many Christians is 'what should I do now?'. James has an answer: anything! So often teachers push us back to the bible for principles, now using the law to help Christians live a better life. But the law is a mirror showing us that our works are never enough, says James. The law is meant to push us back to the cross, where we find that we are blessed in all our doing simply by trusting Jesus. In faith he uses all of our deeds, and we are part of his plan whether we see it or not! Such wonderful news, that our God bears fruit by the Spirit through us, and we are with him forever.

The Old Testament scholar comes to Jesus at night, and hears the incredible news of the new birth, of the indwelling Holy Spirit, of the gift of God for people. How can these things be? Well, Jesus says, you should know. The Old Testament isn't a book of rules to get to God. Instead it overflows with images and foreshadowing of a coming Savior who will accomplish all that God intends. He is the serpent lifted up, the curse that cures, the one who saves not with ethical instruction, but simply by looking, by receiving, this incredible salvation. Come, receive the forgiveness and life that Jesus brings in the gospel.

From James 1. We see difficulties as God's way of getting us to move. If we could just figure out what he's doing, then we could get him to stop, and our lives would go how we want them to. But our desires are off, says James. And what is actually true is that we can rejoice in the midst of difficulties... not because they are good but because our faith is revealed. Our trust in Jesus -- that he paid it all, he forgives and frees and uses us -- is all that matters, and is entirely a gift from the Father of lights. Welcome to a whole new approach to Christian living: trust in a Savior who is for us always.

Too often James is taken as a sort of "proverbs for Christians." But what if he's actually pushing us to our only hope -- the unchanging love of God for us in Christ? James, the half-brother of Jesus, initially rejected our Savior. Yet God pulled him to trust in the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus for him. And now as he examines behaviors, isn't it possible that he is pushing us back to the cross, making sure we find no hope in ourselves, especially as we live after the cross? In ourselves we continue to stumble. Yet we are used for good and loved by God. Our hope from start to finish is in Jesus, not in ourselves, and we are treasured, loved, and secure in him.

The end of Hebrews! We receive the exhortation... but are tempted to change what the text actually says. Exhortation to us mean empowerment to do, to act, to improve. We are exhorted all the time to do more, be better. That's not the idea of Hebrews at all. Exhortation is encouragement, comfort, that Jesus Christ has done it all, his once-for-all sacrifice accomplishes everything you will ever need. We have faith (trust) his promise, his work, and don't go back to thinking that the goal is our own accomplishment. Be encouraged -- Jesus Christ has you, not just for distant heaven, but for your every moment on earth.

So often we think that the respond to salvation by trusting Jesus is to have new rules, new tasks, new law. But life is really about reorienting how you see life itself. You no longer have to have strive for control; you already are cleansed, and don't need further cleansing; you don't have to "figure out" how to accomplish great things for God. Faith comes in and shifts it all. God is in control, he cleanses you, and he is accomplishing exactly what he wants in you. What rest, what relief, is in the good news that Jesus Christ really has paid it all, and is with us not just for distant future but right now in our lives here on earth.

We know how we think it should work. The ones who lead in proclaiming and living the gospel should shine like the sun, growing in amazing good works and strength. So when Hebrews tells us to look at the outcome of their lives, we are looking for that. But instead we see that these incredible leaders... suffer and die like everyone else. What we're to imitate isn't their lives... it's their faith. They trusted Jesus. They trusted he paid it all and forgave and freed them. We hold to a theology of the cross, not glory. Look at the outcome -- we all die -- and hold on to the real promise that we have: Jesus Christ for us.

Hebrews 13. The truth we dive into is that we belong. We are promised that our Father will never, never, never, never, never forsake or leave us. That gives us confidence... and leads not to great acts of service to keep God happy, but to simple affection for other members of our family, compassion for fallen sinners who struggle (like us!), an affirmation of the wonderful imaging of marriage and sidestepping the trap of loving money. We live lives waiting for our Savior, looking forward to what's been promised. Welcome to confident assurance in a God who is for us!

From Hebrews 12. It's the pinnacle of the letter: because we are in Christ, because of what he's done, because of his sacrifice and his blood and his priesthood and his amazing work for us... we have arrived. We haven't come to Mt. Sinai, where the law is given and we who are unholy tremble and don't get close. Not at all. We in Christ are at Mt. Zion, where there's a huge party. God and his holy ones and his righteous ones. And we belong, in Christ, because we are righteous and holy and part of the celebration. Welcome to the family... beloved forever in Christ.

From Hebrews 12. So often we take discipline as a negative. If only we can figure out why we are being punished, we can learn to obey so the discipline can be removed. But Hebrews presents another idea. Discipline is amazing -- because it is child-rearing, and God is your father. Our work isn't to figure out how God is using us, but to trust that he is! We have the secure promise of being in his family by the sacrifice of Jesus... so we rest knowing that God is shaping us as he desires. He's hidden, sure -- we don't know what we will be like. But we know it will be amazing, because he is our loving, powerful Father and he's got us forever.

Hebrews 12 encourages us to look at Jesus. So often this used as a command to "be like Jesus" in some sort of sacrificial way. But that's not actually what's being urged. We are encouraged to keep looking at Jesus because he actually has done everything for us. He is using us. His promise is sure because he did die for us. Don't rest your hope on your self-improvement, your advancement, your circumstances. Instead rest on the rock-solid promise that the whole cloud of witnesses through all generations testifies is true: God loves us and has us, and Jesus is the unassailable proof. Our hope is sure because our Savior has done all for us.

We hear the incredible stories of the saints of old and we think -- that's faith. Faith to believe that God will work miracles through me. But then the stories of faith go on... to affliction, suffering, saints who were sawn in two and huddled in caves. And we realize that faith is so much deeper than trusting God for successful living. It is trusting that God has you, loves you, forgives you, treasures you, in the midst of every moment, no matter what circumstances say. The proof and the reality is Jesus. He has done it all for us, and our lives aren't about getting ourselves better, but trusting that we are in him now and forever.

So often the examples of faith focuses on examples to get to work -- like faith is an enablement to make good choices and work hard to "get stuff done" for God. But that's directly against what faith actually is. Faith is trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ. It is finished. This simple trust is what actually pleases God, allows us to just live life knowing that our seemingly mundane choices are used by God as part of his plan. The goal isn't to enable our improved work, but the goal is actual trust, a life trusting in the finished work of Jesus. He's for you -- and that's great news!

Hebrews 10 has one of the strongest warnings in the New Testament, and we often take it out of context. Like "if you keep on sinning...then there's no hope for you." So we worry about our sin, we worry about circumstances that are hard, we doubt when time passes and none of this improves. And that's precisely the danger. Because the "keeping on sinning" is simply to reject that Jesus really has paid it all, forgiven us, made us new by promise. Hold on! Jesus' promise is sure, and our sin, our suffering, and the passage of time are just distractions when the only issue that matters is His love and work for us.

From Hebrews 10. We are trapped in the cycle of the law. We sin, and we make a sacrifice, an offering that we do to present to God that we are repentant and sorry. But it solves nothing. The law just exposes that we continue to sin. That's why the Gospel is so amazing. Jesus Christ has come, and with his one sacrifice we are holy, perfected, forgiven forever. He does it all, not us, and he promises he will bring it to completion. Our part is to receive, to trust that what he says he will do... he will. What a great gift!

So often we treat the cross as enablement. Like God has given us the potential to remove sin and come into relationship with him. But the actual truth is much better. Jesus Christ in his once-and-for-all sacrifice has shed his blood for us, on us. He has, Hebrews says, set aside sin. Our sin. That means we are in relationship by what he has done, not by what we then do. We don't work hard to become clean. We trust in his finished work, and eagerly wait for him... because from start to finish, he has done it all for us!

On that resurrection morning, first the angel, and then Jesus himself told the women to tell his disciples that he would "meet them in Galilee." Why? Why not Jerusalem, where the death and resurrection happened, where the temple was, where prophesy was fulfilled? But that's the plan... for the disciples to make the week-long trip home. To not see Jesus. To eventually go back to daily living, out fishing... and that's where Jesus showed up. He didn't abandon or reject or leave them. He had them exactly where he wanted them. Everything has changed... Jesus has done it all! Your life might not look different... but it is, changed forever, by the gift of Christ!

Palm Sunday is amazing! All four gospel accounts show Jesus coming into Jerusalem, surrounded by crowds waving palm branches and singing out 'hosanna'! Yet underneath reveals Jesus planning exactly what he wants to happen, from gathering the crowd to finding the donkey to making sure the prophesies are exactly fulfilled. He will accomplish salvation! The crowd doesn't understand, their understanding is limited, yet they are accomplishing what Jesus wanted. This is the great wonder of our lives, that we bear fruit simply by abiding in Jesus, trusting his work. He really has paid it all -- it is finished! And he has us in this life, treasured and used and forgiven in him!

Hebrews 8. What life-altering news! The old covenant, like an amazing beautiful portrait, is what was the best image of our God and his ways. We were all under the regulations to preserve it and keep it. But that was only a copy, a shadow. Now the actual person has shown up, and so the portrait is being set aside. The new covenant is relationship with the actual person, and is based on better promises -- that he provides all we will ever need. He really has done it all -- and it worked! Come, receive this amazing promise of our sins forgiven and us united forever, with Jesus Christ!

How do we have confidence that God is for us? Not in some vague way, but our God, specifically and intentionally keeping us? We are tempted to look at circumstances (how life is going), or even more commonly our own improvements (transformation, anyone?). But Hebrews says something different. The anchor of our soul is that God has made incredibly deep promises to us. He swore by himself. That's the promise in Abraham, our father by faith, and by Jesus, who is our forever priest in the line of Melchizedek. How amazing that God, for us, swore by himself, so that our confidence of his favor is rock-solid forever.

The warning passage from Hebrews can freak us out! We think we need to move from just receiving and trusting Jesus to the "deeper" things of living more holy. But that's not what is being said in Hebrews 6. Our moving on is from ourselves--our need for repentance, for washing, for overcoming judgment-- and into Jesus. We have received him, and we move into more and more wonder at exactly who he is and what he has done for us. It is finished! And that means he has done everything for us. Our confidence and hope are settled now and forever on Him.

A priest? Who thinks about that? But the good news in Hebrews 4 is that a priest is the answer. The question is -- what shall we do about being exposed, our sin and wrongness and shame and guilt all laid bare by the Word of God in the law? The answer isn't to make amends ourselves, or find excuses, or even be better. The answer is a great high priest, one who understands us and has passed through the heavens. The wonderful good news is that Jesus Christ is our priest, and he forgives all of our sin, forever; our hope and trust is in him alone. He has done it all for us!

From Hebrews 4. We so often miss rest. That's because we have worry, anxiety, uncertainty, and see our imperfection and failure... and think to have rest, we need to get to work on those things. Even the Sabbath becomes another way to try and work at having rest. But the author of Hebrews presents a deeper, supernatural rest that we actually have right now. In trusting Christ, we are trusting his finished work. His sacrifice is done, his work finished, and he is seated at the right hand of God. Thus by faith we actually enter into real rest, the rest of what he has done for us, instead of what we will do for him. What an amazing gift -- peace and joy and wonder at the incredible gift of Christ for us!

Hebrews 3. Jesus is better than Moses -- because he built the house, he isn't part of it. Moses was like us, following the law to obey God. That didn't (and doesn't) end well for humanity. Our hope is the one who actually built the house has accomplished what he wanted to create, by his once-for-all sacrifice for us. His work, his love, his salvation -- he is gives our identity, he is our hope and confidence, and encouraging each other with this incredible gospel is our activity. What fantastic news we have of a real God who loves us more than we can ever imagine.

From Hebrews 2. We pay close attention to the amazing instruction of the law given through Moses. But the author of Hebrews wants us to see something even more important. Jesus Christ became a human being and fulfilled the law for us. He is our purification and forgiveness and justification and sanctification and even our glorification. That means we, united to him, will be ruling over the angels. How important not to miss this critical message: Jesus Christ has done it all! This is the good news of the gospel for us, forever.

Hebrews 1 makes a claim that is so incredible we often just slide right over it. God's plan has always been that a human being, Jesus Christ, would be exalted far over all the powers and authorities that exist. Angels aren't just soft messengers. They are awesome. And Jesus, the Son, is over all. Not only that, but by simply trusting in his finished work, we are united with him. The promise of God for you and me is that we will rule and reign with Jesus, with him forever. What an amazing future awaits!

Just returned from an amazing trip to the Holy Land. And it was so striking to see not only the humble setting and actual humanity of where Jesus lived so long ago -- but also to see how different our God is. He has allowed his incredible work to be covered with layers of dirt and decay, his actual steps to be lost, Jerusalem to be filled with calls to Islamic prayer. None of our own misdirection and misguided worship matters. What really matters is that he actually did it. God became man, died for us, and rose from the dead. It is finished! He has done it! His salvation doesn't rest on our proper response, but on the reality of what he has actually done for us. Praise Jesus!

2025 is here... and our hope is to stand firm. When we hear stand firm, or press on, or run the race, or strive, we often think we are striving for obedience to improved lawkeeping. But the message to stand firm on is entirely different. The gospel is the announcement that we die to the law to be united to Jesus Christ, our goodness and value and life all a gift from him. We don't see this now, but we trust Jesus, so we need the admonition to stand firm, to not go back, to not find our value in our own good works, but in the good work of Jesus, forever. He is ours by promise, and faith will become sight. May you stand firm in 2025!