I Don’t Know…But God Is Good…As Jesus Revealed Him
Years ago, while visiting my folks at a family reunion, I overheard my mom in the kitchen telling my sister, Aimee, how Thomas was her favorite disciple of Jesus.
I was a little surprised by her choice and thought I’d be clever.
“Mom, I don’t want to be a doubting Thomas, but I’m pretty sure your favorite disciple was the fella with the underwhelming moniker,” I playfully and sarcastically yelled into the kitchen.
My mom came out of the kitchen and gave me a fiery look. One I saw too many times in my youth, a look that releases the awe-inspiring fear of God. “Jason, it’s just horrible we call him that! Think about the Scripture we have because Thomas was bold enough to ask when the others weren’t?”
And just like that, my whole thought about Thomas changed. Thanks, Mom! I am so grateful for your wisdom and understanding!
* * *
Jesus, attempting to prepare His disciples for the coming dark days of His death, tells them, “You know the way to the place where I am going.” 1
And John leans over to Peter and whispers. “Hey, Pete?”
“What?” Peter responds in a whisper yell. Peter was a horrible whisperer.
“Do you know the way to the place Jesus is going?” John asks with sincerity.
Peter furrows his brow, “Of course!”
John raises an eyebrow, “So you have no idea then.”
Peter waves John off brusquely. John is a little concerned, but then he remembers and smiles, “No worries, Thomas will ask Him,” he whispers, and Peter grins.
Then, like clockwork, Thomas asked. And we are all infinitely glad he did.
“Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 2
“We don’t know.” It was nice Thomas included the other disciples in his ignorance, but because of his question, we all have an answer, and it’s one of our all-time favorites!
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.’”
Thomas’ “we don’t know” made room for Jesus to speak to our faith, to highlight the mystery and revelation, “You will know” and “From now on, you do know…” Jesus’ answer is a beautiful invitation to live in the tension of not knowing with a promise of knowing—in the faith of I don’t know…but God is good.
Like always, Jesus is speaking in the infinite, mysterious, trustworthy language of sovereign love.
John and Peter looked at each other after Jesus was finished. They still didn’t understand, but that wasn’t unusual. Jesus was always saying stuff that was not only confusing but also often seriously controversial.
The fact is, most of the time, most of the people listening to Jesus had little to no idea what He was talking about.
One time, Jesus told His followers that they could only experience eternal life if they ate His flesh and drank His blood. A lot of people stopped following Jesus that day. When Jesus asked the twelve disciples if they would leave Him also, Peter famously said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” 3
Interpretation—I don’t know… but God is good, and that’s enough.
Peter, John, Thomas, and many others have revealed that to truly follow Jesus, we must be willing to live in the faith of not knowing and the invitation to know; to “get wisdom. Though it cost all (we) have, get understanding.”
We must embrace the mystery of sovereign love if we are to gain revelation.
In the age of certainty, we are invited to live in the faith of, I don’t know…but God is good…as Jesus revealed Him.
Jesus is the way to where we are going; He is the lens by which to discover wisdom, the key by which to unlock understanding.
I don’t look poorly upon Thomas’ doubt anymore. He was a man of faith willing to live in the tension of the question so he might discover the whole story, the greater revelation. Thomas gave everything up to follow Jesus. Thomas is believed to have shared the gospel of sovereign love, planting churches in Syria, Babylon (Iraq), Persia (Iran), and even into India before dying by a spear, martyred for his profound faith in the way the truth and the life.
1 John 14:4
2 John 14:5-7
3 John 6:68
This article is excerpted from I Don’t Know, But God Is Good, chapter ten of, God Is (Not) In Control: The Whole Story Is Better Than You Think
A Family Story has partnered with TWS (The Writers Society) for the release of this Refreshed Edition.
“In God Is (Not) In Control, Jason gives us the liberty to color outside the lines of our many unperceived biases about God. He courageously addresses the “logic of love,” which always leads us on a journey from knowing, to not knowing, to a new knowing…This book is an invitation to those who realize that if we are afraid of the answers, we will never ask the hard questions. I applaud Jason for the courage he’s demonstrated to reintroduce us to a God who is immeasurably good and relentlessly loves us regardless of where we are on our journey.”
—Dr. Randall Worley
Author of Brush Strokes of Grace, Wandering and Wondering, & A Manifesto for Spiritual Searchers
Three In One
Three In One
Jesus revealed sovereign love in everything He said and did, but I think the clearest way to perceive and know this love is through His relationship with Father and Holy Spirit.
When I look at their friendship—I see perfect union displayed through a mutual surrendering of one to another. I see self-giving, other-centered love. I see trust and intimacy. I see righteousness, peace, and joy—the family expression of the Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
Three persons, three wills, three personalities, and in everything, they are in union. There is never a quarrel regarding roles, never a struggle for power or a clash of wills. In all things, they are perfectly one.
And Jesus prayed that we would know this same relationship, “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” 1
How is this possible?
I would like to suggest it’s about control… but not the control we have so often been shackled with. No, this is a self-control empowered in union with a Greater Love…
Not My Will, But Yours Be Done
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 1
Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed this. He was in such emotional anguish that He sweat drops of blood. He knew He was about to experience the greatest horror of His life. He was headed to a cross where He would feel the heartbreaking sense of separation—the fruit from The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Jesus told us He only did what He saw His Father do 2 and only said what He heard His Father say. 3 Jesus didn’t take a breath outside the wonder of His Father’s company. He didn’t make a move without the infilling presence of Holy Spirit.
Every thought, every experience, every heartbeat was a display of mutual, self-giving, other-centered love—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit walking as One. Jesus lived every moment immersed in the lavish surrender of perfect love and the liberty of consent—sure in His Father, confident in the Holy Spirit.
That didn’t change in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus was no less in His Father and no less filled with Holy Spirit when He prayed, “Not my will, but yours be done.” 4
My point? If we interpret this interaction between Jesus and His Father through the lens of separation—the narrative of control—we might conclude that somehow, just this once, there was a wrestling match within the Godhead. As though God the Father was demanding God the Son bow to His will. But that’s just not true!
When Jesus, one with His Father, prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me,” 5 He was echoing His Father’s breaking heart. After all, Jesus only said what His Father was saying.
And when Jesus, filled with Holy Spirit, said, “Not my will, but yours be done,” the Father and Holy Spirit were saying it right back to Him. After all, Jesus only did what the Father was doing.
Please get this, Jesus’ prayer wasn’t revealing some cosmic battle of wills; this was not a Son capitulating to the authoritarian demands of a controlling Father. This was surrender—mutual, self-giving, other-centered love; three powerfully free individuals consenting one to another, revealing what it is to be perfectly yielded to each other in the most significant circumstantial tension of history.
And in this surrendered agreement, Jesus went to the cross on behalf of the Trinity.
Jesus “told His disciples just before going to the cross, “Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.” 6 There is no separation in the incarnation, not even at the cross!
Jesus, perfectly in control…of Himself—in mutual, self-giving, other-centered love, for the sake of the world—so we might know union—chose to surrender His very life.
The Father and Holy Spirit, perfectly in control…of Themselves—in mutual, self-giving, other-centered love, for the sake of the world—so we might know union—chose to surrender Jesus even unto death.
“For God so loved the world He gave…”
Triune Love, mutual, self-giving, other-centered sovereign Love, for the joy set before Him, free and in complete control of Himself, chose to endure the cross, scorning its shame. 8 And He forever exposed the lie of separation and forever destroyed the bondage of sovereign control so we could be free.
This article is excerpted from Free To Choose, chapter thirteen of, God Is (Not) In Control: The Whole Story Is Better Than You Think
A Family Story has partnered with TWS (The Writers Society) for the release of this Revised Edition.
“In God Is (Not) In Control, Jason gives us the liberty to color outside the lines of our many unperceived biases about God. He courageously addresses the “logic of love,” which always leads us on a journey from knowing, to not knowing, to a new knowing…This book is an invitation to those who realize that if we are afraid of the answers, we will never ask the hard questions. I applaud Jason for the courage he’s demonstrated to reintroduce us to a God who is immeasurably good and relentlessly loves us regardless of where we are on our journey.”
—Dr. Randall Worley
Author of Brush Strokes of Grace, Wandering and Wondering, & A Manifesto for Spiritual Searchers
Free To Give / Sapphira
Just before our wedding, Karen and I removed the word ‘obey’ from our vows as we determined mutual, self-giving, other-centered love would be the foundation of our marriage. We decided our surrender would always be voluntary, that consent would be the high watermark of our love and the path to intimacy; we resolved to submit one to another, to freely give and freely receive. That’s how love works, that’s how trust works, that’s how intimacy works.
Freely is a powerful word.
Love can’t be coerced, controlled, pressured, compelled, manipulated, or forced. There is no arm twisting, crowbars, compulsion, shaming, or condemning, no fear of retribution. Our marriage isn’t built upon the letter of the law; its foundation is grace. Our marriage isn’t transactional, but relational and intimate.
And so, obey was taken out of our vows.
But obey was most definitely in Sapphira’s.
During Sapphira’s day, women had few rights, equality wasn’t a thing, and husbands often saw their wives as little more than possessions. The consequences of not obeying your husband could be severe, even unto death.
Scripture implies Sapphira agreed with her husband’s deception. Who knows, it may have even been her idea. But let’s recognize the cultural context of the day. She was expected to obey her husband. And let’s also recognize Peter, a man, the leader, the top of the power dynamic, and the fella who’d just presided over her husband’s death, knew this.
Was Peter surprised by Ananias’ death? I don’t know. But I imagine he was heartbroken; at least, I hope he was… cause that’s what a Good Shepherd would be when one of his flock is lost to a prowling lion.
Just years earlier, after Jesus’ disciples asked Him to call down fire on a city, He corrected them with the Gospel. “You know not what spirit you are of,” He said, “For the Son of Man has not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” (See Luke 9:56)
Peter knew this good news. And so, I imagine that immediately after the death of Ananias, he turned his attention to saving Sapphira. Like his Good Shepherd, I imagine he modeled His heart to leave the ninety-nine “in the open country and go after the one.” (See Luke 15:5)
I imagine Peter set about lighting lamps and sweeping his metaphorical house, carefully searching “every nook and cranny” for the lost coin. (Luke 15:8-10)
I imagine he positioned his motives with the good father’s heart of forgiveness and reconciliation toward his lost and striving sons, both prodigal and older. (See Luke 15:11-32)
You see, Peter intimately knew this New Covenant gospel. He knew God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting Sapphira’s sins against her. (2 Corinthians 5:19)
And so, I imagine, especially after the death of Ananias, that Peter would remind himself how Jesus had made him “competent as a minister of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:6)
However, it appears once again that Peter went old school.
“About three hours later, Ananias’ wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”
The difference between an honest question and entrapment is the spirit in which it’s asked. When Grace is the spirit, the question confronts for the purpose of repentance, transformation, and restoration. When Law is the spirit, the question condemns for the purpose of separation and retribution.
This does not appear to be an honest question. It reminds me of the query once hurled at Jesus by religious rock-holding Pharisees who stood ready to participate in the punishing death of a guilty woman; a story in which Jesus disarmed the men and the spirit of accusation so the woman might be set free from sin. (See John 8:1-11)
I would like to suggest this interaction with Sapphira was religious entrapment—Peter seemed to ask an Old Covenant question in the context of the wages of sin with no thought for eternal life.
Why do I suggest this? Because Sapphira died.
“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”
Then Peter responded with grace, “Why are you slaving? Everything I have is yours.” (See John 17:10)
Nope.
Then Peter responded with a kindness that leads to repentance (See Romans 2:4) “Father, forgive her; she knows not what she does.” (See Luke 23:24)
Nope.
Then Peter responded with a heart of reconciliation, “Jesus did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” (See Luke 9:56)
Nope.
Peter spoke to her in the spirit of the Old Covenant, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord?” he said.
Look, I’m all for leaders bringing correction, but the Truth is supposed to set us free. (See John 8:32) If your pastor corrects you with the letter of the law—in the spirit of separation and retribution—if he literally speaks death over you—run!
“Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also,” Peter said, swinging his verbal sword. Like many years earlier in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter seemed to partner with the wages of sin by declaring death—something Jesus NEVER did. Not once.
Jesus only ever spoke reconciling love and resurrection life.
But after Peter spoke, “… she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband…”
This article is excerpted from my chapter in, FREE TO GIVE
Order Now At AMAZON.COM
CO-AUTHORED BY MALCOLM SMITH, FRANCOIS DU TOIT, WM, PAUL YOUNG, STEVE MCVEY, LISA WENTWORTH COUTRE, PAUL GOLF, JASON CLARK, DON KEATHLEY, TOMMY MILLER, MATT PANDEL, LOGAN BARONE, ROBIN SMIT, CORY RICE
In a world where the act of giving is often burdened by expectations and legalistic constraints, “Free to Give” emerges as a guiding light of grace and liberation. If you’ve ever been shackled by the weight of ritualistic and obligatory giving or the oppressive thoughts of giving to meet performance standards, this book is your path to freedom.
Within the pages of “Free to Give,” twelve co-authors extend a heartfelt invitation to experience the transformational power of giving in its purest and most unrestrained form. Drawing from a wellspring of wisdom and personal experiences, these co-voices offer you the opportunity to discover the joy of giving without the constraints of obligation.
Within these pages, you’ll discover:
- A Christ-centered, grace-infused exploration of the account of Ananias and Sapphira.
- Wm. Paul Young’s masterful narrative of the widow’s mite, bringing new depth to this beautiful story.
- A reinvigorated perspective on the classic tale of the Prodigal Son.
- New Testament insights that deconstruct traditional Old Testament ideas about giving, including tithing.
- And an abundance of other revelations and wisdom waiting to be unveiled as these extraordinary authors bring new language, insights, and revelation to the grace of giving.
Let this book be your invitation to a transformed perspective on giving.
This article is excerpted from, FREE TO GIVE
Order Now At AMAZON.COM
https://afamilystory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Free-To-Give.mp4
Free To Give / Peter, You, Me, & Even Ananias
And So On Throughout Eternity
After Ananias and Sapphira were greeted in heaven by Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, after being immersed in an atmosphere of grace and love, after their punishing religious obsession with good and evil was exposed, and self-righteous striving had ceased, in the freedom of consent, as they celebrated union, and as the band took a quick five, Jesus leaned over and with a heavenly grin, said, “Sorry about Pete. I told him to ‘feed my sheep,’ and he’s doing a brilliant job of it—most days. But occasionally, he still stumbles over the punishing lie of separation and forgets reconciling love. And when that happens,” Jesus chuckled as He opened His arms, recognizing their participation in the sweet by and by, “well, you know.”
Then Jesus gave a good-natured wink, “At least he didn’t use a sword this time.”
Everyone laughed because, it’s heaven—the Kingdom within and at hand, where all Creation is reconciled in Christ.
Laughter, peace, joy, and love resounded throughout the celestial realm as grace flowed like an exquisite vintage. And freely Ananias and Sapphira received. And freely Ananias and Sapphira gave and so on and so on throughout eternity…
Freely You Have Received, Freely Give
Acts 2:42-47 describes the early church as a communal fellowship where they matured together, experienced miracles, and favor, and “sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” (v45)
They chose to give—freely.
Freely is a powerful word; it’s what made the early church so beautiful. It’s what’s so beautiful about the church today. Freely we receive—for God so loved He gave (See John 3:16) —and freely we give—we love because He first loved. (See 1 John 4:19)
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” (Galatians 5:1) And so, the early church gave freely, in the consent of mutual, self-giving love. The giving wasn’t forced or controlled; it wasn’t coerced. There were no manipulative messages from pulpits, no arm twisting, no crowbars, compulsion, shaming, or condemning, no fear of retribution; just “freely you have received, freely give.”
All was grace. (Matthew 10:8)
Paul noted this heaven-on-earth freedom when he told the church in Corinth, “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure… or under compulsion. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” (2 Corinthians 9:6) Paul seemed to understand there is no cheerful giving where compulsion exists. There is no “freely give” where consent isn’t the high-water mark of love.
There are two types of surrender in the world: forced or voluntary. Jesus never forced. He always volunteered. He modeled ‘freely give’ by laying His very life down, not counting our insecure, self-righteous religious obsession with measuring sin against us.
“Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.
Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?
Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal?
What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” (Acts 5:1-11)
You know, I imagine Peter was pretty good at recognizing someone who had partnered with Satan, seeing as he’d done it a few times himself. “Get behind me, Satan,” Jesus once said to a striving Peter. (Matthew 16:23)
I imagine Peter was pretty good at recognizing a lie, seeing as he’s one of the most famous liars in the Bible, having three times denied he even knew Jesus. (Matthew 26:69-75)
And I imagine Peter knew how to pray for someone’s faith so they may turn back to God, seeing as he had once been on the receiving end of Jesus’ prayer just before He took up His cross. “Peter, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.” Jesus told him, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
I imagine Peter knew well that “the wages of sin are death, but the gift of God is eternal life.” And I imagine he knew this eternal life was a gift freely given by his best friend, Jesus, on a cross where He reconciled the world to Himself, not counting Peter’s, yours, mine, or even Ananias’ sins against us. (Romans 6:23) And I imagine he knew this gift was freely received by grace through faith— “so that no one can boast.” (See Ephesians 2:8-9)
To me, it seems Peter was perfectly positioned to address the punishing and delusional spirit of Satan that Ananias was striving under—that same punishing delusional spirit of Satan Jesus once recognized Peter striving under.
Peter appears to be perfectly positioned to pray for Ananias’ faith as Jesus prayed—so he could turn back and strengthen his brothers and sisters. Peter appears perfectly positioned to cry out, ‘Father, forgive him, he knows not what he does’ (See Luke 23:34) just as Jesus cried out for Peter, you, me, and even Ananias.
Peter appears to be perfectly positioned to release the Spirit of Christ’s reconciling love—the finished work of the cross—just as Jesus had done for him—so Ananias might awaken to LOVES saving grace; the kindness of God that leads to repentance, that sets free, transforms, restores, and reconciles; the gift of eternal life that’s freely given so we might freely receive; the same love that saves Peter, you, me, and even Ananias.
But it appears Peter went old school, what some might call Old Covenant…
“When Ananias heard [Peters words], he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him…” (Acts 5:1-11)
This article is excerpted from, FREE TO GIVEAMAZON.COM
CO-AUTHORED BY Malcolm Smith, Francois Du Toit, Wm, Paul Young, Steve McVey, Lisa Wentworth Coutre, Paul Golf, Jason Clark, Don Keathley, Tommy Miller, Matt Pandel, Logan Barone, Robin Smit, Cory Rice
In a world where the act of giving is often burdened by expectations and legalistic constraints, “Free to Give” emerges as a guiding light of grace and liberation. If you’ve ever been shackled by the weight of ritualistic and obligatory giving or the oppressive thoughts of giving to meet performance standards, this book is your path to freedom.
Within the pages of “Free to Give,” twelve co-authors extend a heartfelt invitation to experience the transformational power of giving in its purest and most unrestrained form. Drawing from a wellspring of wisdom and personal experiences, these co-voices offer you the opportunity to discover the joy of giving without the constraints of obligation.
Within these pages, you’ll discover:
- A Christ-centered, grace-infused exploration of the account of Ananias and Sapphira.
- Wm. Paul Young’s masterful narrative of the widow’s mite, bringing new depth to this beautiful story.
- A reinvigorated perspective on the classic tale of the Prodigal Son.
- New Testament insights that deconstruct traditional Old Testament ideas about giving, including tithing.
- And an abundance of other revelations and wisdom waiting to be unveiled as these extraordinary authors bring new language, insights, and revelation to the grace of giving.
Let this book be your invitation to a transformed perspective on giving.
This article is excerpted from, FREE TO GIVEAMAZON.COM
https://afamilystory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Free-To-Give.mp4
THE PROBLEM WITH RETRIBUTION WITH JASON CLARK
Chapter Seven / Leaving and Finding Jesus
This podcast announces and features Jason’s new book, Leaving and Finding Jesus, in audio format. Retribution is the title of chapter seven and is presented in its entirety.
In this chapter and podcast, Jason juxtaposes retribution with reconciliation and recognizes that a punishment lens on the nature of God is one of the reasons the church is navigating broken trust. It’s also why we currently find ourselves in a Deconstruction Movement.
God is as Jesus revealed Him, and on a cross, Jesus forgave. And on a cross, God, in Christ, reconciled the world to Himself.
Please rate, review, share, and subscribe!
For more on Leaving and Finding Jesus
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Podcast intro and outro music by Wilde Assembly
YOU ALSO MIGHT LIKE…
Donald Trump, Politics, and the Church
Over the last year, and especially the last days, I have witnessed the church and particularly her leaders, my brothers and sisters on both sides of an American aisle that doesn’t exist in heaven, go to war with one another on behalf of their devotion ‘for or against’ a politician.
The politician Donald Trump isn’t a Savior or a Satan; he’s the catalyst that is exposing the church’s broken ideology and dualistic thinking.
Also.
The politician Joe Biden isn’t a Savior or a Satan; he’s the catalyst that is exposing the church’s broken ideology and dualistic thinking.
The kingdom of heaven, the family of God, has been established through the incarnation of Christ crucified and risen. The family of God is revealed as we awaken to, and participate in Jesus’ prayer that we would be one with our Father and brothers and sisters just as He is one. (see John 17)
Jesus said, “If you live by the sword you die by the sword!” (see matt 26:52) It’s the rebuke Jesus gave after Peter tried to establish his idea of God’s Kingdom through the use of a sword.
If you live by ‘for or against thinking,’ you will die by ‘for or against thinking.’
That’s what Jesus was saying to Peter just before He modeled the way into life by taking up His cross and laying down His life for His friends.
Today, much of the church, and particularly her leaders, are acting like Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane; swinging their swords in defense of ideologies absolutely contrary to the revelation of Christ crucified.
Much of the church, and more specifically, many of her leaders, men and women I greatly respect, are operating in the paradigm of the knowledge of good and evil. They’ve picked sides ‘for or against’ a politician and have justified waging war on behalf of their devotion.
And war makes a hypocrite out of even the best-intentioned Christian.
And nothing undermines trust quicker than hypocrisy.
You know why we can trust Jesus? Because He laid his life down on our behalf not counting our accusations, fears, sins, political affiliations, or dualistic ideologies against us.
He was not against us!
There is no ‘for or against’ in Christ crucified and risen.
Yes, there is great evil and injustice in this world. And yes, we are in a fight, but not against flesh and blood, but against the dualistic nature of Satan. (see Eph 6:12)
The Christian devotion to a politician in the spirit of ‘for or against’ births a call to arms that is counter to the gospel of Jesus and proves us untrustworthy.
Right now, people are looking for somewhere to place their trust. They are looking to their politicians, their government, the news media, and the church. And sadly, when they look at the church, they often see sword-wielding untrustworthy Christians justifying their devotion ‘for or against’ a politician; they see hypocrisy.
In the act of swinging our swords on behalf of our ideology, we, the church, are proving untrustworthy.
Dear church, stop giving your devotion to ‘for or against,’ ‘us and them’ thinking. If you feel you must attack a person to defend your thoughts about God and His kingdom, your thoughts about God and His kingdom are wrong.
God is love, sacrificial, transforming, unfailing, unconditional, reconciling, Christ crucified love.
Dear church, repent, turn away from the warlike thoughts of good and evil and discover the power of Christ crucified and risen.
Repent, step away from dualistic thinking and awaken to your union.
Repent and lean into Jesus’ never-ending, kind, just, and heart transforming Love.
Repent, live confident in and as God’s affection, wisdom, and grace; live in love as love, knowing Love wins.
Love always wins.
Over this year I’ve continued to grow in agreement with the completed work of Christ Crucified and risen.
And that is my prayer for all of us; the church, and this beautiful world.
Because there is no ‘us and them’ ‘for or against’ in how our Father thinks, no ‘us and them’ ‘for or against’ in His Kingdom, no ‘us and them’ ‘for or against’ in our Family.
There is no Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male or female… no black or white, lost or found, sinner or saint, gay or straight, republican or democrat, capitalist or socialist, Christian or Muslim or Atheist… there is nothing that separates us from His all-inclusive love.
“…For you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (See Gal 3:28)
There is no death He hasn’t defeated, no hell He hasn’t invaded, no delusion He hasn’t infiltrated, no darkness He hasn’t illuminated; there is nothing that separates us from the love of Christ revealed through His death and resurrection.
There is No “Us” and “Them”
The early church, led by Peter and a handful of others, was beautiful—and that’s an understatement.
From the moment Holy Spirit burst onto the scene in the upper room, as depicted in Acts 2, there was an evangelistic explosion. With “many wonders and signs,” folks were added to the church daily, weekly, and monthly. (1)
Unity marked this early church. The phrases “all together” or “of one accord” can be found five times in the first five chapters of Acts. The power of God displayed by leadership was remarkable. Even Peter’s shadow healed people. (2)
Young leaders—most notably, Paul and Timothy, both championed by Barnabas, and later James, championed by Peter—were raised up and commissioned to spread the Good News from village to village and city to city. (3)
Miracles occurred at a rate the world had never seen. Yes, there was persecution, and yet the church grew, and “throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria [they] had peace and richly increased in numbers.” (4)
The presence of Holy Spirit manifested in every aspect of the church. From Pentecost on, Holy Spirit was present and known to fall “on all who heard the word.” (5)
In this beautiful church, sons and daughters grew confident in the love of a good Father! This was a church passionately releasing heaven on earth, the Kingdom within us; a church where righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit were deeply rooted in the soul and every aspect of life. (6)
This was also a generous church where the lost were being found, the sick healed, the sinner forgiven and transformed, the lonely placed in family, all who were thirsty could come and drink, and “where they sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” (7)
All could be saved.
Except anyone who wasn’t Jewish.
So, not literally all, I guess. Just, well, the Jewish all.
In those first nine years or so of the early church, when I write, all could be saved, what I mean is that a small exclusive group of people could be saved; all of the included us, but none of the excluded them could be saved.
Just like today, the understanding of the Good News of Jesus within the church and her leadership was limited but ever-expanding. In those beautifully formative early church days, the limitation was that only Jews were in.
Imagine a church stunning in fellowship—a church Jesus referenced as “the light of the world, a city set on a hill.” Imagine the revelation of eternal life flowing through their veins. Imagine the power of their evangelism.
Now imagine, because of their tradition, culture, and limited understanding, they only shared this life-transforming Good News with a select few. Imagine meetings like the one I had with those two elders, except it was not just women who weren’t at the table. Most of humanity was excluded, as well.
I know, it’s nearly impossible, but imagine a church interpreting Scripture to reveal Jesus as the Savior of a select group, a people who looked, believed, and acted like them—as though atonement was somehow limited… Imagine they interpreted Scripture in ways that separated Gentiles from Jews, in from out, and women from ministry.
I know it’s difficult, but try to imagine a church experiencing profound revelation, favor, life, joy, and unity while simultaneously living with a heart-breaking limited perspective regarding the all-inclusive nature of our heavenly Father.
You may be picking up some playful sarcasm.
Why? Because it’s actually quite easy to imagine this church. You likely have participated in it. I certainly have.
I don’t mean that as a condemning statement. Rather, it is an invitation to daily repent—to mature in reconciling Love.
The early church and her leadership were authentic, sincere, and growing in revelation. At the same time, the early church had a serious flaw on its God lens, the same dualistic hierarchal flaw the church and her leadership continue to discover and repent of today.
Us and Them
For and Against
In and Out
And I could go on.
The early church knew the transformational revelation of Jesus’ great affection. And this church was led by a man who had experienced mercy, grace, and the all-inclusive love of His friend, Jesus, in a way that few ever have.
And in every day that passed, Peter and the early church grew in the revelation of our Father’s always good, no distance, no separation love. And yet, even in the daily profound manifestation of God’s presence, for the first nine years or so, the early church seemed oblivious to their devastating (especially if you were a Gentile) ‘us and them’ flaw on their God lens.
God didn’t ignore their delusions, nor did He condemn them for their exclusivity. He just kept revealing Himself. He continued to meet them where they were, His presence profoundly known.
Throughout history, God always seems to believe that His love is more powerful than our flawed understanding. God seems to think our hearts will win out in the end.
And it is, and they do…
Along the way, the early church’s fallen ‘us and them’ thinking and their closed hearts began to change. Peter first. Then one day, when the soil was ready to bear good fruit; Peter is given a vision by God that is offensively good. A gospel so expansive as to include the whole world in the finished work of the cross. It even included bacon! (See Acts 10)
Offensively good!
And Peter was willing to be offended by the goodness of God. And that’s a big deal. The willingness to be offended by God’s goodness is the birthplace of revelation and transformation and an absolute requirement for leaders.
Peter rises from that vision and within hours, welcomes me and several billion more into the family. Within hours, the gospel included the whole world. Within hours, every tribe and tongue was a welcomed son or daughter. Within hours, the good news was even better than Peter or the church could think or imagine.
Many of us today long to go back to the early church days, viewing those first few years as the high-water mark of what a church is meant to be. They weren’t. Not even close! As beautifully transformative as She was, the early church was even more beautifully transformative the day She repented, and Cornelius and his family, and my family, and every family was included! And She continues to grow more beautiful each day because Her foundation is firmly laid upon the rock of an all-included finished work of the cross.
One of the reasons I love Peter’s leadership is because the man’s heart was ever-expanding, his mind ever open to rethinking. He was a man who knew how to repent.
Jesus said, “upon this rock,” I will build the expansiveness of my church. Then Jesus gave the reins to a narrow-minded hothead. But a narrow-minded hothead who was continually open to being offended by the all-inclusive goodness of God. And as Peter matured in his faith and leadership, he became way less narrow in his thinking…
I believe a good leader is continually discovering a gospel that is more inclusive than the last time he or she checked. A good leader is one who is daily repenting from ‘us and them,’ ‘for and against,’ ‘in and out’ thinking.
The love of God is all-inclusive, and a good leader is a person who is ever learning not to divorce their heart from their head.
In my 46 years, I have often been surprised by how many leaders divorce their hearts for the sake of their understanding. I know it’s not just leaders, but I expect more humility from them.
I have sat in many rooms and watched love undermine every argument of separation, every case made for ‘us and them,’ only to witness leaders close their hearts and deny love for the sake of their dualistic understanding.
Peter, as a leader, was the gateway for changing the way the church thought regarding the inclusion of Cornelius and his family into the Family. If Peter had been too proud to repent when the goodness of God was revealed to him, he’d have actually stood against God and made a mess of things for those who followed him. So it’s a big deal!
Leadership, the kind Peter revealed, is evidenced by repenting from the exclusivity of ‘us and them’ thinking. Leadership, the kind Peter revealed, is evidenced in the willingness to rethink theologies, systems, methods, traditions, and institutions that undermine the all-inclusive other-centered love of our Father.
But I am encouraged! Lately, and more regularly, I speak with leaders, sons, and daughters, in all walks of life and leadership, who are willing to be offended by His love, then willing to repent, rethink, and re-imagine.
I believe the church is on the cusp of another “Cornelius breakthrough”—a deeper understanding and agreement with the same revelation that Peter was stewarding in the early church; there is no ‘us and them’ in how our Father thinks, no ‘us and them’ in His Kingdom, no ‘us and them’ in our Family.
There is no Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male or female, no black or white, lost or found, sinner or saint, gay or straight, republican or democrat, capitalist or socialist, Christian or Muslim or Atheist… there is nothing that separates us from His all-inclusive love. “…For you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (See Gal 3:28)
There is no death He hasn’t defeated, no hell He hasn’t invaded, no delusion He hasn’t infiltrated, no darkness He hasn’t illuminated; there is nothing that separates us from the love revealed through His death and resurrection.
As Bono sings, “One love, one life…”
We are one, and we are growing in this ever-expanding revelation; one family discovering our Father’s great desire revealed through the prayer of His Son, Jesus.
“I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” (John 17:21)
These are not early church days, these are 2020 church days! Isn’t that amazing!? You are the church! And you’re beautiful!
So go find your Cornelius today and reveal the desires of his or her heart: that they are loved and included!
Be the leader Peter was to your spouse, kids, family, neighborhood, shopping mall, and even your local church gathering.
“No other except the impulsive Simon could have been at once the embodiment of the Adversary (get behind me Satan) and the incarnation of the Rock on which the church should rest (Matt 16:16-23).” – Frank Grant Lewis, Peter’s Place in the Early Church, 1909
The Ultimate Revelation
Jesus pressed his disciples asking, “And how about you? Who do you say I am?”
Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus responded, “…You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am.”
Can you imagine how excited Jesus was about Peter’s revelation? Everywhere Jesus went, every breath He ever took, every smile, every tear, every gesture, every word was meant to reveal the Father. He said, “If you really know me, you will know my Father as well (John 14:7),” and “I am in the Father and the Father is in me… (John 14:11)” Jesus’ life was an expression of the Father’s perfect love. But the disciples, and everyone else for that matter, never seemed able to really get it.
Then Peter has a revelation. He sees and describes Jesus, and in so doing meets His Dad!
What Jesus says next is amazing!
“And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are.”
Don’t miss this. Peter, in a relationship with Jesus, meets the Father and then is given his identity.
“Peter, in a relationship with Jesus, meets the Father and then is given his identity.”
“You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.”
Can you imagine? Peter is given a perspective of how the Father saw him, what he was created for – his life’s purpose.
Jesus wasn’t finished.
“And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A ‘yes’ on earth is ‘yes’ in heaven. A ‘no’ on earth is ‘no’ in heaven.” (Matthew 16:15-19)
Not only is Peter given his identity, but he is also given his inheritance. “No barriers Peter, no measurable limits. You will live from the measureless revelation of heaven. You will have all the authority I have Peter.”
“Keys to open any and every door.” Or you could say it this way, “Love trumps any and every need.”
If we want to know who we are, if we want to know what we are called to, if we want to know what we have access to, all we have to do is say ‘yes’ to Jesus – the perfection of our Father’s good love.
“If we want to know who we are, if we want to know what we are called to, if we want to know what we have access to, all we have to do is say ‘yes’ to Jesus – the perfection of our Father’s good love.”
One revelation of the Father brings more clarity regarding
“Who do you say that I am?” It’s an invitation to hear and know the Father and it’s an invitation to discover our identity and inheritance.
And Jesus is still asking today.
And Jesus is still revealing the Father today. He is still releasing the keys to “any and every door.” He is still empowering sons and daughters.
Jesus, may we know You, and in knowing You know our Father, and in knowing our Father become sure as sons and daughters.
The Promise: Who Do You Say That I Am
Peter is one of my favorite fellas from the Bible.
I can often find my story in his. He was a favorite of Jesus as well. Peter often gets a bad rap for his impulsive, headstrong, and occasional disastrous conclusions, but I love him for his ardent and fierce trust. I love him because he wasn’t afraid to risk, to try, even if he got it wrong.
I imagine him as that confident kid in high school you wanted to hang out with, at least until the cops came. He was the cool kid who drove the muscle car way too fast; it was awesome until he crashed it into a tree stump while doing donuts in
Peter was a pioneer, a revolutionary, and wasn’t afraid to go first. He let everyone else know it could be done, albeit, better and with more style. Peter encouraged and empowered following generations into believing.
There is this one story where Peter shows us the way into our future through his own radical discovery of his. He found his promise in the discovery of the Promise Giver, and in so doing showed us the keys to discover ours.
Jesus, walking one day with His disciples, asked a question, “Who do you say I am?” And Peter rushed in, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responded to Peter, “You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God Himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am” (Matt. 16:17 MSG).
Now here’s the deal: everywhere Jesus went, every breath He ever took, every smile and tear, everything He did, every word He spoke, was meant to do one thing—reveal God as Father. Jesus told the disciples continually that He came to show us the Father. He said, “If you really know Me, you will know My Father as well” (John 14:7), and “I am in the Father and the Father is in Me” (John 14:11). So I imagine Jesus was thrilled with Peter’s statement as it was directly from Father God.
Peter looked at Jesus and met the Father. He got it!
After Jesus let Peter know where his revelation came from, He continued with a personal enlightening message from the Father: “And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together My church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out” (Matt. 16:18-19 MSG).
Can you imagine this scene? Peter, while describing Jesus, meets Father God and is then given his promise. Peter discovered his promise through the discovery of the Promise Giver. But Jesus wasn’t finished:
“And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven” (Matthew 16:19 MSG).
These verses absolutely astound me. Not only is Peter given his promise in the form of his identity, but he is then given his promise in the form of his inheritance as a son of God. It was as if Jesus were saying, “Peter, as you keep your eyes on Me, you will discover there are no barriers, no measurable limits to My promises—all impossibilities become possibilities. When you keep your eyes on Me, you won’t live chasing an ever-elusive promise, you will live smack in the middle it. When you see Me, you can see your true self, and all the promises I have given you. And these promises will powerfully transform you, the lives around you, and the lives to come.”
This story tells us that if we want to know who we are, if we want to know what we are called to do, if we want to know what we have access to, if we want to know and live smack in the middle of our promise, then we must keep our eyes on the Promise Giver. One revelation of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit brings more clarity regarding
I’m not suggesting Bible study and good messages aren’t valuable, I’m simply noting they should always lead to Jesus and reveal the Father. It’s an encounter with God that reveals our promise and releases the keys to personal and then worldwide transformation.
Peter had many more bumbling adventures after he received his promise from the Father. He continued to display what getting it wrong looked like. However, he also continued to believe and trust, and he kept his eyes on Jesus and a yes in his heart. Along the way, his vision of Jesus became clearer and he continued to be transformed.
Many years after Jesus had risen and ascended, “people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by” (Acts 5:15). Peter’s shadow had authority to heal. The same Peter who got it wrong so many times before discovered a believing that led to a personal transformation that ended up changing the world.
I haven’t always fully known what my promise looks like, I haven’t always been able to describe it, but I am learning, and I think it’s a little like “God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven” (Matt. 16:19 MSG).
I am discovering that if I’m willing to surrender—my heart for His—I get to engage and experience all His heart offers. I think that’s what untamed living is all about—coalescing my promise with His purpose, His love.
I believe we all have a one-of-a-kind promise from God: His Kingdom of heaven birthed within us. This promise is unique to every individual, is discovered in a revelation of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and lives in our hearts. And His promises are greater than anything we could ask for or even imagine. His promises are invitations to believe, step out, risk, trust, and fail; to discover Jesus, be transformed, and walk in the authority of heaven.
“Who do you say that I am?” Jesus is still asking us this question today. It’s an extended hand to take an untamed adventure, to live a world-changing faith.
This is an excerpt from my new book Untamed, A Fools Guide to Surrendered Faith.
A Matter Of Trust
“Simon (Peter) I’ve prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through your time of testing, turn to your friends and give them a fresh start.”
Peter gave the typical Peter response: “I will, even if the other disciples don’t.” Then Jesus, just after telling Peter that he is praying for him to keep
What?! It’s hard for me to wrap my head around this. It seems cruel and it feels cruel. Why set Peter up to fail? Jesus was already going to the cross. Wasn’t it already painful and confusing enough for Peter? Wasn’t the test big enough just to be a disciple of Jesus during this time? Why add to the trauma?
In the midst of writing this, with tears in my eyes, I asked God to please show me why this was necessary. I feel He gave me this revelation – Jesus wasn’t expecting Peter to understand or even “pass” the time of testing. Whether he passed or understood was irrelevant; it was simply that he experience and endure, and learn to dance.
“Never give a man a sword who can’t dance.” Celtic proverb
I believe Peter had to have this painful testing experience. It was an absolutely essential part of his story. It was never about his understanding of the situation. It could be said Peter failed during his time of testing but it wasn’t about his success, it was about his experience. Jesus already knew Peter would deny Him. Yet the experience was essential to Peter’s journey. His ownership of that experience from denial to redemption was what allowed him to be life to his friends.
After Jesus has risen from the grave and all was said and done, He met with the disciples out on the beach. Jesus and Peter went for a walk and then Jesus asked Peter the same question three times: “Do you love me, Peter?”
I think you could also phrase the question this way, “Peter, can I trust you with a sword?”
Peter can only respond, “Yes Lord. Lord you know I love you.”
Jesus says, “Feed my sheep.” And with that commission, Peter was released to live his promise fully untamed. And with that commission, Jesus released an anointing on Peter that any believer would envy.
That day on the beach Peter learned that the sword Jesus had told them about was not an extension of his arm but rather of his heart. – That the power of his sword was not found in determination but in surrender. It meant trading his self-consciousness for God-consciousness. When you’re not self-conscious, you’re free to dance, forgive, serve, and love.
I believe God was cultivating a profound revelation of surrender in Peter. You see,
Three days earlier, Peter boldly knew he loved Jesus. You couldn’t have convinced him otherwise. He was willing to murder for Jesus. A man who doesn’t know how to dance is a dangerous man, even if he’s a disciple. He might just kill you. However, now on the other side of the disillusionment, Peter not only loved Jesus in brash boldness but in pure brokenness.
And that is where our promise lives, within the marriage of surrendered and untamed. Jesus said it is not by might and not by power, but by His spirit.
Amazingly, because of the cross, because of grace, we can fail Jesus and not be failures. In fact, to think otherwise belittles what He did at Calvary. Outside of His grace, we are not capable of loving Jesus. Inside of His grace, we are not capable of failing him. We can get it wrong, but in believing get it right. We won’t always understand the journey, and that’s the point. We have to learn the dance steps of disillusionment. God shatters our illusions until our hearts are in full alignment with His. Then it’s our joy to run after Jesus and it’s His joy to work it all to His glory.
You see, the wilder God wants to use us, the larger His invitation of our surrender to Him. And God is thorough in His preparation of us when releasing His power and authority. God doesn’t think small. God’s plans for us are big. He has plans so big that to engage them we must step into a greater revelation of who God is. And for that, we’ll need a sword. But first, we have to learn to dance…