NOTE: This item expresses the views of the individual to whom the item is ascribed and does not necessarily reflect the position of the WRF as a whole.]

Law and grace - is it about me or is it about Jesus; does my Father love me already since I trust in Jesus or do I have to prove that I do love Him?  Many trees have been killed to try to answer those hard questions.  I want my answer to be pastoral. As Jay said, exegete the people.

  If they are discouraged and down-hearted, tell them about the love of Jesus that endures forever.  If they’re lazy and stubborn, get after them with the righteousness of God and tell that it’s about time they figured out if they’d really be at home in the Lord’s presence in heaven.

My friend Frank  puts it this way: “Did you ever tell your kids ‘I love you but at the moment I don’t like you too much?’  So can God love us in Christ but at times not like us too much because we’re being greedy or selfish or unloving or whatever?” 

We need to keep on plugging away on his, the heart of everything. Remember Luther’s word: if you work too hard to keep from falling off the horse on one side, you’re going to fall off on the other.  ‘O Lord, may I relish the love of Jesus and may I glorify your name in my life.  Both, O Lord.’

There’s another big piece to the puzzle.  Our world is collapsing into unbelief all around us, especially among younger people, our younger people.  The church of Jesus Christ is aging and time is running out.  Revival is the only answer, and that means us, doesn’t it?  We need to add to our prayers, ‘Lord change me deeply, so your gospel will be credible in my life and in my words, so I won’t stand in the way of friends coming to Jesus, or coming back to him.’

For me, it’s clear my next step is to listen to Jesus in the gospels.  I’m not that happy doing it.  I’m thinking, if Paul wrote the last chapter, why do I need to read anything else?  Plus, we know all about the ‘messianic secret,’ and how Jesus disguised what he said so the story wouldn’t be over too soon, before the disciples got to know him better.  But then I hear my friend Paul Miller, telling me to read Paul through the lens of the gospels, so I’m trying.  Jesus makes it so clear, we are called to be his disciples, and that means doing what he says, doesn’t it?  Very clear that is, before Paul had his say, as here in Matthew 5:

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness 'sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.  

So you and I are called to be meek and merciful, since we are the salt and the light of the world, and when others see our lives they will give glory to our Father.  How in the world can that fit Paul’s wretched man, I do everything wrong?   But that is your and my calling, isn’t it?  Without our salty lives there will be no revival, maybe not for a very long time.  America will look like Europe, with churches overflowing—with tourists.  

The best I can do with those Jesus words is to focus on “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”  I’m not at all satisfied with where I need to be for God’s glory—and that’s my hunger and thirst, and Jesus promises that hunger will be met and be satisfied.  Satisfied with who I am, in the presence of God?  That’s what Jesus said.  Geerhardus Vos is a great help to me to begin to understand that.  http://www.kerux.com/doc/0603A1.asp

Paul went on from wretched man to—thanks be to God.  Jesus said we’ll be satisfied.  They fit well, don’t they?  Somehow by God’s grace Jesus is getting my attention more than ever.  For all of us, let’s ask the Lord for godly satisfaction as he works in our lives, for his glory as the people we know come to him.