Cross Eyed

Lately I've been supplementing my daily bible reading with a book called The Enemy Within by Kris Lundgaard. It has been quite helpful in reminding me that each Christian ought to daily do battle with sin. If there is no battle, then we've become complacent and are not pressing, "on toward the prize which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus (Phil 3)."

The chapter I read today reminded me of one way that the flesh operates. Here's an excerpt:

You must understand this: the flesh weakens conviction against sin by separating the remedy of grace from the design of grace. The scriptures teach nothing more clearly than that God's design in showing mercy is to make us holy people: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say no ungodliness and worldly passions and to live upright and godly lives in this present age." pg 64

In other words, the remedy of grace stirs within us a restful assurance that Jesus died once for all sins (I Peter 3:18). Yet we cannot separate, as we so often want to, the remedy from the design of grace: to make us look more like Jesus. Of course we aspire to this holiness not by sheer effort, but by repenting of the idols of our hearts (comfort, respect, money, power, sex, pleasure, etc....) and seeing Jesus as the ONE worthy of our highest affections.

But we must not forget that the design of grace calls us into a war zone, where competing affections regularly do battle against us. Ludgaard's reminder is not only "catchy," but biblical and powerful: we need to be more "cross-eyed." Jesus cross displays God's wrath and white hot hatred of sin. And we need to hate sin more. But it also reminds us of his Fatherly love towards his children. He forsook his own son, which became the irrevocable price of our adoption. What love! Let us be more "cross-eyed."