When we are driving and get upset with the person that cuts us off, or chew out the person on our tail or look down upon someone making a "stupid" decision on the road, I'm convinced it's a gospel issue.
Maybe you feel justified to make comments about other drivers or maybe you think it's just a matter of holding your tongue. When in reality, as a Christian, it is none of these. You see, road rage and even hints of it start in the heart, and shows how well we understand and appreciate what Jesus did for us on that cross.
I was driving with some friends in Dallas traffic this last semester and something interesting was pointed out. One guy noticed that my friend who was driving was not getting upset with people on the road like he used to and I loved his response. He basically said that over that semester the Lord had shown him how much grace He has on his life and so it was then much easier and natural to show others simple grace on the road. This left me thinking about how true that is.
Before I realized how much grace God has truly and abundantly placed on my life, I was quick to be cynical on the road. When I realized how much I had offended God and how many times I disobeyed or disrespected him yet was showered with grace my driving habits changed. When you realize you deserve hell and are completely ill-deserving of the grace that was abundantly given to you, grace pours out of you and onto ill-deserving people like ourselves. What if we all drove as if our lives had been exponentially changed? What if we pardoned people like we have been pardoned? So many times when I start to get irritated with another driver, I have to pray that God will remind me of how much grace He has shown me or remind myself that I have done so much worse to God than cutting him off or not letting Him in. After all, when we lack self-control, godliness, or brotherly affection on the road, it is because we have forgotten that we were cleansed from our former sins (2 Peter 1:5-9). One of my friends and I who drive a lot together have a joke where whenever we get frustrated with another driver, we sing "Grace, grace, God's grace...grace that is greater than all our sin." This has become our funny way of reminding ourselves that God's grace on us is so much bigger and covers so many of our sins toward Him.
Oh that His grace may continually change the core of who we are and how we act.
If you realize that this is a struggle in your life right now, I encourage you to start by praying that God will make the earth-shattering beauty of His grace toward you come alive, that you may see how ill-deserving you are of the abundant grace poured out on you. Correcting hints of road rage doesn't start with a list of methods. It starts with the heart, and the heart is directly linked to the understanding and appreciation you have for the great, great gospel of Jesus Christ.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Today's Barabbas
There I was, consumed with pride, rebellion, lust, selfishness, shame, and lies. A rebel with a wandering heart. Ill-deserving of anything but the jail cell I sat in, expecting my soon judgement. When will they come to get me? When will they call my name? What will it be like to walk to that cross in front of all the people I have hurt? I fully deserve to be spat upon and cursed as I make that walk. Surely, I will walk with my head down, feeling the pain and shame I fully deserve. I expect nothing less of a harsh punishment. I know that time is coming when they call my name, release me from my prison, and lead me down the road to my final judgement in front of all whom I have hurt. When will they call my name?
I sat there waiting, then I heard my name. I knew what was to come in my final hour. The guards came in, grabbed me, chains and all. My bondage covering me, they dragged me outside.
Then, I heard the word: Pardoned.
A man, fully innocent and ill-deserving of my deserved punishment got up and entered into the walk I was anticipating.
I sat there, in absolute shock as someone chose to take my place. Why would you pardon a sinner like me? Why would you willingly walk the road I fully deserved to walk? I never felt that kind of love before.
Speechless, I watched as that man was scourged. "They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him." Matthew 27:28-31
That scarlet robe was meant for me. Those thorns were meant to be pushed into my head. That spit was supposed to be on my face. Those beatings were supposed to scourge my back,
That cross was meant for me.
That man was Jesus. I am today's Barabbas.
I did absolutely nothing to earn His pardon. Not only am I undeserving of that grace, but I am ill-deserving. I have absolutely nothing to bring to the table. Absolutely nothing. How in the world does God desire to show me, the worst of sinners, grace? By His death, I am FREE! I have been given LIFE, and life to the fullest (John 10:10). It's not about how can God send people to Hell, but how in the world can He show people grace? Here's the even crazier thing...not only did my Jesus pardon me when I became a Christian, but He pardons me every day. Oh how vast the love and grace of Jesus! There is nothing I could ever do to earn that grace and salvation. Just like Barabbas, I bring nothing to the table. There is no amount of works that could have earned me grace. It is fully the grace of my Jesus. If I could lose my salvation, I would have never received it from day one. There's absolutely no way I could ever have gained that favor.
Does Easter truly excite you that you have been fully pardoned, every day?
The moment the gospel does not excite us and bring us to our knees is because we have forgotten the gospel. Do you further your faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love everyday? 2 Peter 1:9 says that if you are lacking these things, it is because you are so nearsighted, that you are blind, having forgotten that you were cleansed from your former sins.
I dare us to live as if we are pardoned. I dare us to remember the gospel daily. I dare us to not just think about the gospel this weekend, but for us to allow it to penetrate our hearts daily, so we may be reminded of how much we don't deserve Him and be reminded of the grace that our Jesus so fully brings. We have a special hope, as our Savior is ALIVE. Will you dare to live like He is alive?
I sat there waiting, then I heard my name. I knew what was to come in my final hour. The guards came in, grabbed me, chains and all. My bondage covering me, they dragged me outside.
Then, I heard the word: Pardoned.
A man, fully innocent and ill-deserving of my deserved punishment got up and entered into the walk I was anticipating.
I sat there, in absolute shock as someone chose to take my place. Why would you pardon a sinner like me? Why would you willingly walk the road I fully deserved to walk? I never felt that kind of love before.
Speechless, I watched as that man was scourged. "They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him." Matthew 27:28-31
That scarlet robe was meant for me. Those thorns were meant to be pushed into my head. That spit was supposed to be on my face. Those beatings were supposed to scourge my back,
That cross was meant for me.
That man was Jesus. I am today's Barabbas.
"BUT GOD, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were DEAD in our trespasses, made us ALIVE together with Christ. By GRACE you have been saved." Ephesians 2: 4-5
I did absolutely nothing to earn His pardon. Not only am I undeserving of that grace, but I am ill-deserving. I have absolutely nothing to bring to the table. Absolutely nothing. How in the world does God desire to show me, the worst of sinners, grace? By His death, I am FREE! I have been given LIFE, and life to the fullest (John 10:10). It's not about how can God send people to Hell, but how in the world can He show people grace? Here's the even crazier thing...not only did my Jesus pardon me when I became a Christian, but He pardons me every day. Oh how vast the love and grace of Jesus! There is nothing I could ever do to earn that grace and salvation. Just like Barabbas, I bring nothing to the table. There is no amount of works that could have earned me grace. It is fully the grace of my Jesus. If I could lose my salvation, I would have never received it from day one. There's absolutely no way I could ever have gained that favor.
Does Easter truly excite you that you have been fully pardoned, every day?
The moment the gospel does not excite us and bring us to our knees is because we have forgotten the gospel. Do you further your faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love everyday? 2 Peter 1:9 says that if you are lacking these things, it is because you are so nearsighted, that you are blind, having forgotten that you were cleansed from your former sins.
I dare us to live as if we are pardoned. I dare us to remember the gospel daily. I dare us to not just think about the gospel this weekend, but for us to allow it to penetrate our hearts daily, so we may be reminded of how much we don't deserve Him and be reminded of the grace that our Jesus so fully brings. We have a special hope, as our Savior is ALIVE. Will you dare to live like He is alive?
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