Monthly Archives: March 2013

"And when the Holy Spirit comes He will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment." John 16:8

On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your personal appearance? In a survey of 26,000 people almost no one listed themselves as lower than a 7. In one experiment researchers took 11 pictures of the subject, altered 5 to look better, 5 to look worse. Then they asked the subject to choose the real one. Everyone chose a better looking picture. We tend to overestimate ourselves. By the way, people under 30 were especially misled.

We also overrate ourselves in altruism. 80% said they would give to a charity, but only 40% actually did. Even lottery winners are less generous than they believe themselves to be. By the way, every time someone wins one of those half-billion dollar lotteries, I think "I hope they're tithing church members." Of Broadmoor, of course. And yes we are very serious about confidentiality.

Intelligence, physical abilities, work production are three other areas we generally overrate ourselves.

While ego inflation is harmless and even amusing in these areas, it is vastly more serious in spiritual matters. Failing to be aware of and then address grievous faults can distance you from God. We have to admit a severe handicap here. Jeremiah wrote, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it?” (17:9)

And self-improvement, even genuine repentance is not simply a matter of "trying harder." Paul wrote of knowing the right thing but doing the wrong thing. We have all felt that frustration. We need help from something beyond ourselves.

The challenge is also magnified because of a shift from self-sacrifice to self-fulfillment. Daniel Yankelovich, a social scientist working for the New York Times noted this shift began in the 1970's. Self-sacrifice is good for surviving Depressions and winning wars. Self-fulfillment is good for promoting and obsessing about self and then overlooking flaws. Self is a great deceiver.

Where do we turn? Jesus said one function of the Holy Spirit is to convince us of sin and righteousness (John 16:8). The Spirit of God is always characterized by energy and action. One of the Spirit's tasks is to search our souls and illuminate the dark places to which we have become accustomed and even embraced.

So especially during Lent, beware of self. We can’t be trusted. Pray that God will reveal to you the spiritual areas He wants to work on. Listen and follow Him

Grace,

Dr. Terry Ellis

March 17, 2013

"Your sins are forgiven." Luke 7:48

Two main characters command our attention in the story for this week's GraceWaves (Luke 7:36-50). One is a Pharisee whose name was Simon. He had invited Jesus to eat with him. This was an act of considerable hospitality but the motive was completely disingenuous. Simon was intrigued by Jesus, but highly suspicious of Him.

The other main character is an unnamed woman whom Luke described as "a woman of the city, who was a sinner" (7:37). She also performed an act of great sacrifice, but her motive was entirely genuine and heartfelt. She brought an expensive alabaster flask of ointment, cleaned Jesus' feet with her tears and hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the oil.

Jesus understood the dynamic. He saw what was going on. In response He told the parable of the two debtors. One debtor was forgiven a sum of 500 denarii, the other owed 50. Both were forgiven. Then the question: "which one loved the creditor more?"

It's not hard to see where Jesus was heading with this story, and who represents whom in the parable. Simon thought himself a righteous man. The woman knew herself to be unrighteous. I think Simon knew where Jesus was heading too. His answer "the one, I suppose, to whom he forgave more" (7:43) sounds grudging and reluctant. Simon suspected that Jesus' set-up favored the woman.

In fact, the parable favors neither the woman, nor the Pharisee. It does not favor you or me. It does not favor the most morally upright among us. The parable favors all of us. The real point is not the amounts owed (how many people know what a denarius is?), but the fact that neither debtor could pay. They were both, large and small, unpayably in debt to the creditor. We are unpayably in debt to God, from the worst among us to the best.

Jesus had the habit of going to sinners, I mean the really obvious sinners, not the ones that are cleaned up and drive nice cars. He would go to sinners who didn’t even appear to be trying and befriend them. Jesus would be on the side of this woman, or Zaccheus who cheated everyone he could, or the woman caught in adultery, or Peter who betrayed Him. Jesus would give them all something that they did not work to receive. He gave them grace. He gave them what they did not earn. The irony is that He made the same offer to Simon. And He makes the same offer to us. Grace.

God’s grace is puzzling. I don’t really understand it. I think that God’s attempt to teach me about grace would be the equivalent of my trying to teach fractal geometry to a three year old. I don’t know fractal geometry, but I would still have a greater chance to understand it than I would to understand God’s grace. It’s inherently, eternally, wonderfully puzzling.

One step we can make toward a more grace-filled life is to call to mind "our most grievous sins." During Lent we have that special challenge. We are called to do what Simon was clearly unwilling to do, to recognize his debt and receive infinite grace.

One final quick point. Simon clearly viewed himself as superior to the woman of the streets. In his eyes she was a sinner. His unwillingness to share grace with her, limited his ability to receive grace from God. So as you confess, also forgive.

Grace,

Dr. Terry Ellis

March 4, 2013