The mystery of God’s justice

The mystery of God’s justice
1. “’Why do you think we came up with the Ten Commandments?’
‘I suppose, at least I have been taught, that it’s a set of rules that you expected humans to obey in order to life righteously in your good graces.’
‘If that were true, which it is not,’ Sarayu countered, ‘then how many do you think lived righteously enough to enter our good graces?’
‘Not very many, if people are like me,’ Mack observed.
‘Actually, only one succeeded – Jesus. He not only obeyed the letter of the law but fulfilled the spirit of it completely. But understand this, Mackenzie – to do that he had to rest fully and dependently on me.’

Q. How many of the Ten Commandments can you recite from memory? (See Exodus 20: 1-17) How have you done at keeping them?

Q. The Apostle Paul wrote, “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13) How does it make you feel to know that God cancels the record of your failures through the death of Christ?

Q. Is it possible for us to keep God’s commandments if we ‘rest fully and dependently’ on him? (See Romans 8:1-11)

2. ‘They why did you give us those commandments?’ asked Mack.
‘Actually, we wanted you to give up trying to be righteous on your own. It was a mirror to reveal just how filthy your face gets when you live independently.’
‘But as I’m sure you know there are many,’ responded Mack, ‘who think they are made righteous by following the rules.’
‘But can you clean you face with the same mirror that shows you how dirty you are? There is no mercy or grace in rules, not even for one mistake. That’s why Jesus fulfilled all of it for you – so that it no longer has jurisdiction over you. And the Law that once contained impossible demands – Thou Shall Not… - actually becomes a promise we fulfill in you. But keep in mind that if you live your life alone and independently, the promise is empty. Jesus laid the demand of the law to rest; it no longer has any power to accuse or command. Jesus is both the promise and its fulfillment.’
Q. Why do you think God gave us the Ten Commandments? (See Galatians 3:10-23)

Q. If no one but Jesus has successfully obeyed God’s law, does that mean we just throw up our hands and stop trying? (See Romans 3:9-31)

Q. The Apostle John wrote, “The law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17) How would it change your relationship with God if there was no ‘mercy or grace’ – just rules to keep?

3. ‘Are you saying I don’t have to follow the rules?’
‘Yes. In Jesus you are not under any law. All things are lawful.’
‘You can’t be serious! You’re messing with me again,’ moaned Mack.
‘Mackenzie,’ Sarayu continued, ‘those who are afraid of freedom are those who cannot trust us to live in them. Trying to keep the law is actually a declaration of independence, a way of keeping control.’
‘Is that why we like the law so much – to give us some control?’ asked Mack.
‘It is much worse than that,’ resumed Sarayu. ‘It grants you the power to judge others and feel superior to them. You believe you are living to a higher standard than those you judge. Enforcing rules, especially in its more subtle expressions like responsibility and expectation, is a vain attempt to create certainty out of uncertainty. And contrary to what you might think, I have a great fondness for uncertainty. Rules cannot bring freedom; they only have the power to accuse.’

Q. Why aren’t Jesus followers under the law? (See Galatians 5:18)

Q. Why do some of us prefer to be under the law? What does our addiction to rules say about us?

Q. Sarayu says, “Trying to keep the law is actually a declaration of independence, a way of keeping control.” What do you think she meant by this? How do we twist God’s law to accomplish our purposes?

Q. One reason many people are turned off by religion is the tendency of Christians to judge others. Have you ever experience the condemnation of someone who thinks they are better than you? How did it make you feel? What does the Bible say about judging others? (See Matthew 7:1-3, Romans 14, and James 4:11-12)

Q. Paul wrote, “All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable All things are lawful, but not all things edify.” (1 Corinthians 10:23-24) Is God giving us the freedom to decide what is beneficial for us? How are you doing at this?
Q. In his letter to the Galatian (5:13-14) Christians, Paul wrote, “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself. Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.” Instead of the 10 commandments, what is the new guide for our behavior? Give yourself an honest evaluation. How are you doing at loving your neighbor? (See Jesus definition of ‘neighbor’ in Luke 10)
4. ‘Whoa!’ Mack suddenly realized what Sarayu had said. ‘Are you telling me that responsibility and expectation are just another form of rules we are no longer under? Did I hear you right?’
Sarayu…began to speak slowly and deliberately. ‘Mackenzie, I will take a verb over a noun anytime.’
Mack wasn’t at all sure about what he was supposed to understand by her cryptic remark and said the only thing that came to mind. ‘Huh?’
‘I,’ she opened her hands to include Jesus and Papa, ‘I am a verb. I am that I am. I will be who I will be. I am a verb! As my very essence is a verb,’ she continued, ‘I am more attuned to verbs than nouns. Verbs such as confessing, repenting, living, loving, responding, growing, reaping, changing, sowing, running, dancing, singing, and on and on. Humans, on the other hand, have a knack for taking a verb that is alive and full of grace and turning it into some dead noun or principle that reeks of rules: something growing and alive dies. Nouns exist because there is a created universe and physical reality, but if the universe is only a mass of nouns, it is dead. Unless ‘I am,’ there are no verbs, and verbs are what makes the universe alive.’

Q. Why does Sarayu prefer a verb over a noun? What does it mean that ‘God is a verb?’

Q. If the universe were only a ‘mass of nouns’ what would the problem be? How does God, the great ‘I AM,’ make the universe alive?

Q. How do we take God’s verbs and turn them into nouns that ‘reek of rules?’

Q. Does Sarayu mean that we don’t need to concern ourselves with ‘responsibility and expectations’ in our relationships with God and others? What is her point?

5. ‘And,’ Mack was struggling, although a glimmer of light seemed to begin to shine into his mind. ‘And, this means what, exactly?’
‘For something to move from death to life you must introduce something living and moving into the mix. To move from something that is only a noun to something dynamic and unpredictable, to do something living and present tense, is to move from law to grace. May I give you a couple examples?’
‘Please do,’ assented Mack. ‘I’m all ears.’
‘Then let’s use your two words: responsibility and expectation. Before your words became nouns, the were first my words, nouns with movement and experience buried inside of them; the ability to respond and expectancy. My words are alive and dynamic – full of life and possibility; yours are dead, full of law and fear and judgment. That is why you won’t find the word responsibility in the Scriptures.’
‘Oh boy,’ Mack grimaced, beginning to see where this was going. ‘We sure seem to use it a lot.’
‘Religion must use law to empower itself and control the people who they need in order to survive. I give you an ability to respond and your response is to be free to love and serve in every situation, and therefore each moment is different and unique and wonderful. Because I am your ability to respond, I have to be present in you. If I simply gave you a responsibility, I would not have to be with you at all. It would now be a task to perform, an obligation to be met, something to fail. Let’s use the example of friendship and how removing the element of life from a noun can drastically alter a relationship. Mack, if you and I are friends, there is an expectancy that exists within our relationship. When we see each other or are apart, there is an expectancy of being together, of laughing and talking. That expectancy has no concrete definition’ it is alive and dynamic and everything that emerges from our being together is a unique gift shared by no one else. But what happens if I change that ‘expectancy’ to an ‘expectation’ – spoken or unspoken? Suddenly, law has entered into our relationship. You are now expected to perform in a way that meets my expectations. Our living friendship rapidly deteriorates into a dead thing with rules and requirements. It is no longer about you and me, but about what friends are supposed to do, or the responsibilities of a good friend.’

Q. How are nouns like the law and verbs like grace?

Q. Sarayu says, “Religion must use law to empower itself and control the people who they need in order to survive.” Have you heard of or experienced examples of this in your life? What does want his people to represent?

Q. What if all of the responsibilities and expectations were removed from the church you attend? What would happen to attendance? What about the offerings?

Q. Is there a place for ‘duty’ in our relationship with God and others? If so, what is it? (See Luke 17:10 and 1 Corinthians 7:3)

Q. What happens if God changes an expectancy of being together with him into an expectation of something we have to do? How does it affect our relationship with him?

6. ‘Or,’ noted Mack, ‘the responsibilities of a husband, or a father, or an employee, or whatever. I get the picture. I would much rather live in expectancy. But if you didn’t have expectations and responsibilities, wouldn’t everything just fall apart?’
‘Only if you are of the world, apart from me and under the law. Responsibilities and expectations are the basis of guilt and shame and judgment, and they provide the essential framework that promotes performance as the basis for identity and value. You know well what it is like not to live up to someone’s expectations.’

Q. What does it mean to you to ‘live in expectancy?’

Q. How have you experienced the guilt and shame associated with legalistic religion? What affect did it have on your relationship with God?

Q. How can we be freed from living under the laws, responsibilities, and expectations of other people?

Q. What is the basis for your identity? When someone introduces you to a friend do they refer to your performance (occupation, role in the church, etc.), your relationships (father/mother/sister/brother), or your essence as a person (characteristics of compassion, integrity, etc.)?

7. “(Mack) paused briefly, a new thought flashing through his mind. ‘Are you saying you have no expectations of me?’
‘Papa now spoke up. ‘Honey, I’ve never placed an expectation on you or anyone else. The idea behind expectations requires that someone does not know the future or outcome and is trying to control behavior to get the desired result. Humans try to control behavior largely through expectations. I know you and everything about you. Why would I have an expectation other than what I already know? That would be foolish. And beyond that, because I have no expectations, you never disappoint me.’
‘What? You’ve never been disappointed in me?’ Mack was trying hard to digest this.
‘Never!’ Papa stated emphatically. ‘What I do have is a constant and living expectancy in our relationship, and I give you an ability to respond to any situation and circumstance in which you find yourself. To the degree that you resort to expectations and responsibilities, to that degree you neither know me or trust me.’
‘And,’ interjected Jesus, ‘to that degree you will live in fear.’”

Q. Is it true that God has no expectations of us? If so, what does he provide instead of expectations? (See John 15:4-5)

Q. What about the expectations of people we work for, our families, and our government? Can we disregard them?

Q. What does living in bondage to the expectations of others produce in our lives?

Q. Do you think God is ever surprised or disappointed by our actions or words? (See Romans 3:10-20)

Q. Why does living with expectations and responsibilities make us live in fear? The Apostle John wrote, “As we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” (1 John 4:17-18) What is the ‘fear factor’ in your relationship with God?

8. ‘But,’ Mack wasn’t convinced. ‘But don’t you want us to set priorities? You know: God first, then whatever, followed by whatever?’
‘The trouble with living by priorities,’ Sarayu spoke, ‘is that it sees everything as a hierarchy, a pyramid, and you I have already had that discussion. If you put God at the top what does that really mean and how much is enough? How much time do you give me before you can go on about the rest of your day, the part that interests you so much more?’
Papa again interrupted. ‘You see, Mackenzie, I don’t just want a piece of you and a piece of your life. Even if you were able, which you are not, to give me the biggest piece, that is not what I want. I want all of you - all of every part of you and your day.’
Jesus now spoke again. ‘Mack, I don’t want to be first among a list of values; I want to be at the center of everything. When I live in you, then together we can live through everything that happens to you. Rather than a pyramid, I want to be the center of a mobile, where everything in your life – your friends, family, occupation, thoughts, activities – is connected to me but moves with the wind, in and out and back and forth, in an incredible dance of being.’
‘And I,’ concluded Sarayu, ‘I am the wind.’ She smiled hugely and bowed.” (pg. 202-207)

Q. Shouldn’t we have priorities? (See Matthew 6:32-33) What do you think Sarayu is driving at with her statement?

Q. What does it mean to give God all of us – to make him the center – not just give him the ‘biggest piece?’

Q. Is your life arranged more like a pyramid or a mobile? How would it change your life to connect everything with Jesus?

Q. How does Sarayu, as ‘the wind’ effect the movements of the ‘mobile’ of our life? (See Galatians 5:17-23)