Knock Softly

I have been wrangling with my viewpoint compared to some viewpoints of more seasoned Lutheran Christians and praying about it sincerely. Many times we seem to be at opposite ends of the Bible. I am firmly planted in the New Testament and still reconciling myself to the harshness of the Old. They sometimes seem to be snuggled solidly in the Old Testament with cautious allowances for the grace of the New.

I struggle with this. I feel they are missing the positives and peace that permeate both Testaments. But, am I of the “feel good” generation? Do I only want to see the Good News and ignore the tough stuff?

I don’t think so. I pray that it isn’t so! 

What I see is that God has ushered in a new way of viewing Him with Christ: 

Christ did not come to replace God or to negate the lessons and truth of our God from the Old Testament, but He did come to clarify and make a way to receive God’s love.  

Yes, our God is a jealous God. He created us. He wants us to remain in Him because we are His.  But, the Old Testament is missing the true intent of His jealousy. It is not complete without the promise being fulfilled by Christ Jesus. 

And the New Testament is not complete without the Old.  We cannot understand the purpose and reason Christ is in our lives without seeing our God in all His glory and strength. Without seeing how sadly ill equipped we are to ever be what God wants us to be by ourselves. 

All Good News doesn’t give us our foundation.

All Fire and Brimstone doesn’t give us our saving grace…our way out…our unconditional love. 

I see the frustration of many solidly based Lutherans with the new “feel good” churches.  They understand that to have that grace and love be truly meaningful, a Christian must know the ground rules: the law which clearly states our Lord’s expectations of us.

But, sometimes, they’re so caught up in the “thou shalt nots” that they miss understanding that hammering someone with something, even if it is good for them, many times will cause them to pull away. 

Gently, gently, good Christians.  Remember the prodigal son.  He was welcomed back with open arms and a loving heart.  There’s time enough to instruct them in the ways of our Lord. First let’s get them in the door and well-schooled in the understanding that our Lord loves them unconditionally. 

God loves. God is love!

That doesn’t mean that He doesn’t have expectations.  But, His Holy Spirit is going to be the one that starts to convict their heart and bring them to their senses. 

If we keep hammering on a closed door, does that mean it will open? Maybe.  But, does that mean we’ll be welcomed in when the door is finally opened?  Not likely.

Knock softly. Bring Good News (and some chocolate or a fruit basket).  Reach out in love and kindness. Give those whom we love a reason to welcome us in.  Once we are comfortably established inside - when these troubled hearts are secure in the knowledge that we care and all their messy clothes and dirty dishes don’t bother us, only then can we start to share with them the more difficult aspects of Christianity:

•  The need for cleansing and repentance. 
• The law that we were hardwired to understand from the moment we were first created.  

We know the truth of it, but if we only see that harshness and “less than because we can never measure up” message (instead of focusing on the One who has paid the price for us) we are going to avoid that cleansing process with all our might! (I use "we" and "they" interchangeably because I was and am both the seeker and the lost sheep in my thoughts here.)

The question is: Do I want to be in the “right” or in a relationship? 

I need to take a clue from the One who has every right to say, “You’re wrong and I AM right!”…and He has said it and continues to say it…but He also sacrificed His only son so that He could establish a relationship with us. God understands, above and beyond all our puny human understanding, that first He must develop trust in us before He can begin to convict our hearts of our iniquities.  We need to know that He loves us…no matter what…and that He has provided us a way to come to him unblemished.  Once we finally understand that (through the Holy Spirit) that’s when He can start to do His greatest work in us. 

If God has chosen to knock softly and bring Good News, shouldn’t we?

Dear Father in Heaven - Thank you for helping me understand how radical your love for me is.  If I learn nothing else from your Word, the knowledge of the power of your love for me and for all of your creation is enough. It's enough to give me courage to lower my defenses and listen to your will for my life. It's enough to give me the strength to get back up when my imperfections and self-will stumble over your immovable law.  You know that I have not come to this understanding easily, nor quickly. Your Spirit has been working on me and through me for many years..and He still has a long way to go to get me where you want me to be.  I thank you from the bottom of my heart for gently knocking on the door of my soul and giving me a safe place to learn and grow. Your tenderness is what I needed. I pray for that tenderness to touch everyone's life and change them in ways they never imagined! I love you for your jealous love that pierced our world with the life of your Son. I can never repay or understand such a sacrifice. I can only humbly thank you from the bottom of my saved and redeemed soul. Amen.

Blessings and peace,

Leah