You can’t!!! Do yourself a favor; quit trying! And
stop acquiescing to other’s attempts at controlling what you “do” or “don’t”
do! Yes, I’m referring to all authority figures in your life. There is no one
in your life (including yourself) that has the power to change your behavior or
even your (quote-unquote) “want to”!
Christianity (Authentic or the fake Political
Christendom) is not behavior modification. Even if they were compatible; behavior modification
does not change behavior-it only gives the behavioral theorists’ something to
do-keep bureaucratic statistics. However they manipulate the stats; have they/you
checked with the individuals who are yet struggling that they pronounced
changed? I have and it’s rather troubling!
Helping people control
their fleshly appetites through human effort and adherence to rules is not only
thankless but a never-ending task. Religious leaders tend to employ any
strategy that promises even a measure of success, whether it is guilt, shame,
condemnation, or threats in God’s name as viable options.
Let’s look at what God’s Word has to
say about behavioral modification…
“God hears it all, and from his judge's bench puts them in
their place. But, set in their ways,
they won't change; they pay him no mind.”
Psalm 55:19, Msg (And yet He still did
not reject them!)
“So why does
this people go backwards, and just keep on going - backwards! They stubbornly
hold on to their illusions, refusing to change direction.” Jeremiah 8:5, Msg (And yet He still did not reject them!)
“I threw you
to the four winds and let the winds scatter you like leaves. I made sure you'll
lose everything, since nothing makes you
change.” Jeremiah 15:7, Msg (And yet He still did not reject them!)
“So do
something about it! Change the way you're living, change your
behavior. Listen obediently to the Message of your God. Maybe God will
reconsider the disaster he has threatened.” Jeremiah 26:13, Msg (And yet He still did not reject them!)
“John came
to you showing you the right road. You turned up your noses at him, but the
crooks and whores believed him. Even when you saw their changed lives, you didn't care enough to change and believe him.” Matthew 21:32, Msg (And yet He still did not reject them!)
"Tell
them, 'As sure as I am the living God, I take no pleasure from the death of the
wicked. I want the wicked to change their ways and
live. Turn your life around! Reverse your evil ways! Why die, Israel?'
Ezekiel 33:11, Msg (And yet He still did
not reject them!)
“Change your life,
not just your clothes. Come back to God, your God. And here's why: God is kind
and merciful. He takes a deep breath, puts up with a lot, this most patient
God, extravagant in love, always ready to cancel catastrophe.” Joel 2:13, Msg (And yet He still did not reject them!)
“Later, a
great many people from the Gerasene countryside got together and asked Jesus to
leave - too much change,
too fast, and they were scared. So Jesus got back in the boat and set off”
Luke 8:37, Msg (And yet He still did not
reject them!)
Modifying one’s Christian
behavior from any position or effort not based on truth is futile. Many
have been taught to “walk in the Spirit and you (we) will not fulfill the lusts
of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16) with
personal behavior as the measure.
Yet, walking in the Spirit
is more a matter of believing the truth about our identity in Christ and living
that out by faith, rather than striving to behave better, giving altar
confessions, renewing our discipline, making New Year resolutions, and
committing to feeling really, really bad when we fail.
Neither will
people's behavior change by quoting (or memorizing) scripture, and condemnation
will never change anyone. Memorizing and meditating on scripture is a very good
discipline: but, it will not modify behavior. We must be dedicated to bringing
real change not the counterfeit that religion offers!
Okay, what does result in the power
to change?
1.
A faith born out of
romance! Jesus desires for us,
a faith born out of romance; not will-power! We can
never will ourselves into change. It is a gift of Divine Love, only received by
a faith born and experienced in the intimate exchange between two lovers-you
and Jesus! You
will never exhaust the vast ocean of His love. You will forever be discovering
greater lengths, widths, depths, and heights of His love.
“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, 15 from whom
the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory,
to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your
hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with
all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- 19 to know the love of Christ which
passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Ephesians 3:14-19, NKJV
Our intimate romance with Jesus is ever deepening and strengthening
our inner man; and it is kindled by a continuous fresh revelation of Calvary’s
Cross!
Willpower is
the language of the law, and it never brings permanent change, only more
condemnation and separation; love is the
language of (a changing-powerful) grace and it ignites (a) faith that leads to
romance; nothing beats falling in love with the One who first loved us! “~
Francois Du Toit, parentheses added
2.
The incredible power that is released
in believing the Gospel of Grace for yourself! “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for
everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also
for the Greek.” Romans 1:16, NKJV
“(But) if
you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don't like, it is
not the Gospel you believe, but yourself." St. Augustine (354 AD)
Grace through faith seems too good to be true! Oh, but it is
true! It takes grace to receive grace and its incredible embrace! As mentioned before;
grace is kindled by an ever deepening knowledge of Calvary’s Cross!
1 “Who believes what we've heard and
seen? Who would have thought God's saving power would look like this? 2 The
servant grew up before God - a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched
field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a
second look. 3 He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who
knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him,
thought he was scum. 4 But the fact is, it was our pains he carried - our
disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on
himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. 5 But it was our sins
that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him - our sins! He took
the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. 6
We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost. We've all done our
own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we've
done wrong, on him, on him. 7 He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn't say
a word. Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he
took it all in silence. 8 Justice miscarried, and he was led off - and did
anyone really know what was happening? He died without a thought for his own
welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my people. 9 They buried him with the
wicked, threw him in a grave with a rich man, Even though he'd never hurt a
soul or said one word that wasn't true. 10 Still, it's what God had in mind all
along, to crush him with pain. The plan was that he give himself as an offering
for sin so that he'd see life come from it - life, life, and more life. And
God's plan will deeply prosper through him. 11 Out of that terrible travail of
soul, he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it. Through what he
experienced, my righteous one, my servant, will make many "righteous
ones," as he himself carries the burden of their sins. 12 Therefore I'll
reward him extravagantly - the best of everything, the highest honors - Because
he looked death in the face and didn't flinch, because he embraced the company
of the lowest. He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many; he took up the
cause of all the black sheep.” Isaiah 53, Msg
In light of the Passion of Christ, I am
definitely Hyper Grace and you might as well throw Hyper Love in there for good
measure! And it is not a theological position; it is a lifestyle of Grace
through faith in every moment and every experience of my life! "His power
(great grace) is made evident in my weakness!" Hyper grace, huh?
(From Dictionary.com (hyper):
word-forming element meaning "over, above, beyond, exceedingly, to
excess," from Greek hyper (prep. and adv.) "Over, beyond, overmuch,
above measure," from PIE super- "over".
From the Bible - "Where sin increased, grace *abounded* all the
more." Romans 5:20
From The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon - to abound beyond measure, abound
exceedingly to overflow, to enjoy abundantly NAS Word Usage - Total: 3 abounded
all, abounded all the more, overflowing)
“To those who call me a "hyper
grace teacher," thank you. I gladly accept the "insult" and am
honored to stand together with many others who carry that charge, just like
early believers at Antioch gladly owned the word, "Christian" when it
was hurled against them as an insult. I just wish the critics would take the
time to learn what it means . . . "Hyper grace?" Over and beyond?
Exceeding? Super much? Over the top? Yes, I'll take it. In fact, I pray to
understand more of it.
To suggest that teachers of grace are saying that sin doesn't matter is either
inexcusably ignorant of our teaching or shamefully dishonest. Sadly, when I
read and hear these charges, I can smell the fear in the stagnant air around
the critics. Fear that people will go wild if they embrace grace is a failure
to recognize that to embrace authentic
grace is to be *consciously* embraced by Jesus Himself and that, my friends,
never leads to a bad place.” (Steve McVey)
“So, if your
present revelation of Grace is not too good to be true then it is not truly
GRACE! Grace is scandalous and too good to be true!”
3.
A Biblical hope? How can we have an authentic Biblical hope concerning our genuine
desire to change obsessive and destructive behaviors, negative attitudes, and
ultimately our lifestyle? The following scriptures illumine the Grace that
unleashes change!
“For the eyes of the LORD move to and
fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is
completely His.” 2 Chronicles 16:9, NKJV
“For I know the
thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of
evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and
I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for
Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the Lord”…Jeremiah 29:
11-14a, NKJV
“I've come to change
everything, turn everything right side up - how I long for it to be
finished!” Luke 12:50 Msg
“Or did you
think that because he's such a nice God, he'd let you off the hook? Better
think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he's not soft. In kindness
he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.” Romans 2:4, Msg
“(He is
always) working firmly but patiently with those who refuse to obey. You never
know how or when God might sober them up with a change
of heart and a turning to the truth,” 2 Timothy 2:25, Msg
“But since
it didn't get the job done, there was a change of
priesthood, which brought with it a radical new kind of law (and lasting
change).” Hebrews 7:12, Msg
“God isn't
late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on
account of you, holding back the End because he doesn't want anyone lost. He's
giving everyone space and time to change. “2 Peter
3:9, Msg
“For the word of God is living
and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword,
it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges
the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12, NIV
“I'm
baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life.
His baptism - a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit - will change
you from the inside out." Mark 1:8, Msg
And the following
scriptures will encourage us even when we struggle and fall. “A righteous man
will fall down seven times, but he will get back up!” Romans 7 & 8 provide
powerful evidence that will give us the impetus to keep on keeping on!
“What I don't understand about myself
is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely
despise. 16 So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best
for me and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary. 17 But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep
it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I
obviously need help! 18 I realize that I don't
have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. 19 I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad,
but then I do it anyway. 20 My decisions, such as
they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and
gets the better of me every time. 21 It happens so
regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there
to trip me up. 22 I truly delight in God's commands, 23 but it's pretty obvious that not all of me join in that delight. Parts
of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. 24 I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there
no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question? 25 The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to
set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with
all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something
totally different.” Romans 7: 15-25, Msg
“With the arrival of Jesus, the
Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's
being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black
cloud. 2 A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in
Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from
a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death. 3 God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn't deal with
the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he
personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of
struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. The law code,
weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done
that. 4 And now what the law code asked for but we couldn't
deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply
embrace what the Spirit is doing in us. 5 Those who think they can do it on
their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get
around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's action in them find
that God's Spirit is in them - living and breathing God! 6 Obsession with self in these matters
is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious,
free life.” Romans 8: 1-6, Msg
When you
embrace these truths, the truth will embrace you right where you are in your
faith journey! And In the world we now inhabit, we will
experience a communion with God that doesn’t depend on your next experience
with Him. Nor does it depend on blessings from Him. To really live is to
release the life of Christ through yours. Release Him in any and all
circumstances, no matter what you feel. Relate as He relates; giving when no
one gives back, loving when no one returns love, forgiving when you wrongly
judge others as undeserving of forgiveness, suffering in the place of those who
should suffer.
The following scripture reveals our great hope for change
like no other! “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20, KJV
In the process of changing from Glory to Glory! Ron Ross
