Chill Out

"Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all this is a gift from God..."

- St. Paul, 2 Corinthians 5:17-18

"Something happens from Sunday to Monday... we go from 'I am who I am by the grace of God' to 'God helps those who help themselves.'"

- A pastor

As I drove home from work last week, I noticed a large yellow bumper sticker on the car ahead of me that said,

WARNING!

Student Driver

Be Very Afraid.... Be Very, Very Afraid!

(Smile) Don't you appreciate it when someone understands their limitations and gives you fair warning? I do! Because most of the time you and I have no idea we're driving next to… or sitting next to… or walking next to… an absolute maniac who should be wearing a bumper sticker that says,

WARNING!

Impatient Person… or

Impulsive Buyer… or

Angry Person… or

Jealous Person… or

Selfish Person...

Be Very Afraid… Be Very, Very Afraid!

I know Candace would love to put a bumper sticker on me that says,

WARNING!

Hard-of-Hearing Person!

Be Very Afraid… Be Very, Very Afraid!

… because last week when I told Candace I didn't feel well, she asked me to describe the symptoms… and I said: "Well, the father is called Homer… kinda overweight… and his wife is called Marge with big blue hair…." "Harry," she insisted, "You are hard of hearing and it is a problem that could get you in trouble!" I agree! So… with a heavy heart…

… I hang another bumper sticker on my chest… until I decide to do something about it.

You know, in 2 Corinthians 5:17, the Apostle Paul said, "Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person." OK. That's great… but why then do I feel like the same old guy with the same old problems?

Answer: Because I'm still defining myself by my failures instead of God's Gift.

We are called to live in Christ's finished work on the cross that gave us a new divine nature. At our core, we are righteous, forgiven, holy, generous, loving, compassionate… at my core. So, if I act selfishly, I am acting "out of character!" Let me put the ball in your court….

So... "Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person"... Do you belong to Christ or not? Yes or No?

… Ahhh… Well… Yes.

… Are you sure? You don't sound sure.

… Yes I'm sure… it's just that I blew up at my wife last night and...

… Stop… OK… that behavior is sinful… but your nature is new… your new identity is divine.

What we need to do is stop acting like who we are not and start acting like who we are.

We tend to think that being "like Jesus" means being something I'm not. But that's not true. On that cross, Jesus took all our sins and removed them from us as far as the east is from the west. And - by our invitation - God gave us a new identity as a child of God. We are not trying to be good.

We already are good… we are simply learning to live outwardly like the person we are inwardly.

Sometimes, when I walk into church on Sunday mornings, I'll hear Jesus whisper, "Chill out! I got you!" And my inner voice will protest… "But what about that? What about this?" But as I begin to worship the One who died for me… and who rose from the dead for me… Who He is begins to remind me of who I am… and my shoulders relax and my anxiety melts away. Because I am His!

Listen, this week… why not take who you know you are on Sunday into Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday… into the rest of the week. "Chill Out! He's got you!"

Pastor Harry

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