Is Sinlessness Possible?

So, I've heard this teaching, and I really admire some of the folks who teach it; but I'm not sure I get it. It goes like this: If you are in Christ, you are a saint, not a sinner. So far, so good. But it continues: Because you are a saint, it is possible to live sin-free. Um, no. I mean, I'm not sure what sort of world they're living in, and I'm not sure what they consider to be sin, but I can't do it. At least, not right yet. Now, I'm not saying that I'm cheating at Monopoly, or knocking over liquor stores, or cussing like a sailor, or kicking puppies, or any of those kinds of things; but there are thoughts...

Like, the other day. I and the guy ahead of me have been sitting on this road for every bit of twelve minutes --not that I was timing it or anything. Okay, of course I was. The light turns red and there are about six cars stopped before us. If everybody does their due diligence, we can all get through once the light changes again. Now, I don't know about Guy Ahead, but I wanna go home. I'm tired of burning up my hard-earned fuel. I'm watching the lights in the other direction just waiting for them to turn red, knowing that is my cue to be ready to GOOOO! What does Guy do? the one whose been with me on this road so long I feel like we should be buying each other lunch? He looks down at his phone. NOOOO! Don't do that! You've got to be ready to romp on it when that light turns green! Hey! Guy! Pay attention! Nope. The light turns green, and Guy just sits there. Six cars go, and by the time Guy realizes that is my horn blasting in his ears, he has just enough time to squeak through the orange light, leaving me stuck waiting for the next round. Grrrr!

I don't know what these teachers think, but that right there, that irritation, that impatience, that desire to smack the peaches right off Guy Ahead's tree --that's not love, and I know it's not love. (Check out 1 Corinthians 13 if you have doubts.) But you didn't cuss him out at the next light or do anything crazy. After all, the Bible says we can be angry; we just can't sin. Maybe I'm too hard on myself (I doubt that), but I don't believe that means we can be angry about any ol' thing. In fact, the sin may actually stem from the things we get angry or annoyed over; our emotions (whether they are followed by corresponding behaviors or not) are the overflow of our hearts. I think there are things worth being angry about --babies aborted, lives wasted in addiction, spouses abused; but anger that stems from not getting my way? Annoyance resulting from Guy Ahead not looking out for his teammate (me)? Those things stem from selfish desires. I didn't say bad desires --it's good to want to save fuel; it's good to want to get home --but when those desires become more about me than they are listening to the Holy Spirit, waiting on God's time, giving thanks in all circumstances, esteeming others better than myself, they are selfish desires. This was not righteous indignation; this was me wanting what I wanted when I wanted it --and angry that it didn't happen. 

All this to say, when it comes to sinlessness, I haven't yet (I don't think) had a "sinless day." I've been annoyed by my husband asking me the same thing he just asked me five minutes before. I've felt the pangs of jealousy when someone who did as little as possible got all the accolades. I've been impatient when one of our children has struggled to get out the door on time. I've been disgusted by the coworker who has expended more energy trying to get out of work than actually doing it. I've been insulted by the person who has asked me how to spell a word only to turn around and ask someone else. I've gotten indignant when a friend has celebrated the wonderful advice her sister gave her, the same advice I've given her every bit of six times over the past three years --and she has, up until this point, ignored! Not a one of these occurrences was followed up by sinful behaviors, but --and I don't think I'm wrong in saying this --not a one was spawned absent my ego. Those feelings didn't come only because I wanted the best for the other person or because God was not receiving the glory He was due. Those feelings were precipitated, first and foremost, by my love of self. And that is sin. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. (Phil. 2:3)

I know I need Jesus. I know the Holy Spirit is working in me. I know I need to read Scripture and pray and memorize God's Word in order to grow and remain spiritually healthy. And I know there have been tremendous improvements in my character through the years because of those things. But sinless? Even the Apostle Paul knew the limits of his flesh. And though we should be striving for perfection through obedience and abidance, as long as we remain flesh and bone we will have limits and triggers and failures --and sin that comes from deep within us. Praise God for His great mercy! 

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I hope in Him!' (Lam. 3:22-24) 

One Plus One Equals One

Welcome to Hump Day! I'd like to share with you today, a meditation from one of my favorite --and at the same time, least favorite (IYKYK)-- authors, Frederick Buechner. This was originally published in his work, A Room Called Remember:

By all the laws both of logic and simple arithmetic, to give yourself away in love to another would seem to mean that you end up with less of yourself left than you had to begin with. But the miracle is that just the reverse is true, logic and arithmetic go hang. To give yourself away in love to somebody else—as a man and a woman give themselves away to each other at a wedding—is to become for the first time yourself fully. To live not just for yourself alone anymore but for another self to whom you swear to be true—plight your troth to, your truth to—is in a new way to come fully alive. Things needn't have been that way as far as we know, but that is the way things are, that is the way life is, and if you and I are inclined to have any doubts about it, we can always put it to the test. The test, needless to say, is our lives themselves. 

Nobody with any sense claims that marriage is going to be clear sailing all the way, least of all the author of the marriage service. "For better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health"—there will be good times and bad times both. There will be times when the vows exchanged here—wild and implausible as in countless ways they are—seem all but impossible to keep. But by holding fast to each other in trust, in patience, in hope, and by holding fast also to him who has promised to be present whenever two or three are gathered together in his name as he was present that day in Cana of Galilee, the impossible becomes possible. The water becomes wine. And by grace we become, little by little, human in spite of ourselves, become whole, become truly loving and lovely at last. 

~ Frederick Buechner

All God's Children Are on the Whitelist

One evening, someone from our fellowship was ill; they spent some time in the ER and walked home late at night. I was more than concerned and spoke with our pastor's wife. "They should have called," she said. "Pastor keeps his phone on all night." I recalled a memorial service a few weeks prior; the family's clergyman talked about the dread of "those late-night calls" --another pastor who keeps his phone on all night. 

Personally, my "Do Not Disturb" is set for 8PM and the only people on my whitelist are our children. Do you understand what I'm saying? These pastors, ordinary men do much more than prepare messages for Sunday morning and baptize the occasional confessor. They visit the sick and deliver meals and counsel couples and comfort the grieving and mow the grass at the church (ours does, anyway). I and other saints can enjoy the luxury of sleeping soundly, setting our phones to "Do Not Disturb," because there's someone else handling the calls and concerns of our brothers and sisters. As we dream, our pastor is praying. As we recline in our beds, our pastor is standing with someone at the scene of an accident. As we remain warm and dry, our pastor is driving in a downpour to the ER. As we allow muscles to relax and weariness to fade into sweet repose, our pastor is bearing another's burden. We can simply enjoy the benefits of his watchfulness and his faithfulness. And while this sounds like an ode to pastors (and maybe should be), it is an important picture. Pastor keeps his phone on all night. 

In Webster's 1931 dictionary, the number one definition for the word pastor is "shepherd." The true pastors of the Christian faith are shepherds. They shepherd the sheep in a manner after the Good Shepherd, Christ, revealed in Scripture. The local pastor, the flesh and blood shepherd of the flock, is a picture of the Shepherd greater than all others. The Shepherd who watches over His children and does not slumber or sleep. The Shepherd who is selfless and lavish in His giving; He is willing to sacrifice for His sheep. The Shepherd who cares for the flock, who counsels His people, who never leaves those who are His, and who is near to those who need Him. Our flesh and blood shepherds --as incredible as they are --are only a picture of the protection, provision, correction, comfort, and leadership we find in our Lord. They are human and the tools at their disposal are temporal. Phones malfunction or lose connection or require charging. Those in need may be unable to use them. Sleep overtakes weary bodies. Illness keeps even the best shepherds from the fields. But Psalm 34 says our Shepherd, Jesus, hears the cries of His sheep: His ears are sharp, attentive, listening for them. And He is always near. Think about that! Maybe you remain at home with your parents. Maybe you are married with a strong, vigilant, former MMA star husband. Maybe you have the latest in home security, live in a gated community, or sleep with Smith & Wesson. None of that is as effective and reassuring as the Shepherd who is one cry of the heart away, the Shepherd who knows and has authority over all things. We, His sheep, are given the freedom to simply be the best sheep we can be within the safe borders of His pasture. We can rest and enjoy and serve Him, as He does all the heavy lifting. What an incredible benefit! 

But it's only for His sheep. Just as my children alone can reach me after 8PM, our Shepherd's eyes are on the righteous, His flock --and not a one is missing. Only His children --each and every one --are on His whitelist. The angel of the Lord surrounds and protects those who fear Him; He delivers them. He is near to those with a contrite spirit and delivers His sheep. Those who fear the Lord will not do without. You must be one of His own; but there is still time. The psalmist tells us, Come...Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The gate to the sheepfold is open to allow more to come in. Do not hesitate; enter and be cared for, protected by the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep. 

But if all that sounds a little exclusive to you, give me your number and we can talk about it. How's 2AM sound?