My younger son has recently come to believe that he does not need help.

I will say, “Ben, let me get your coat for you.”

And, Ben will respond, “I do! I do!”

Ben denies the help being offered to him.

I will say, “Ben, let me zip your coat for you.”

And, Ben will respond, “I do! I do!”

Ben denies the help being offered to him.

I will say, “Ben, let me open the front door for you.”

And, Ben will respond, “I do! I do!”

Ben denies the help being offered to him.

I will say, “Ben, let me hold your hand down the stairs.’

And, Ben will respond, “I do! I do!”

Ben denies the help being offered to him.

I will say, “Ben, let me pick you up into your car seat.’

And, Ben will respond, “I do! I do!”

Ben denies the help being offered to him.

I will say, “Ben, let me buckle your seat belt.”

And, Ben will respond, “I do! I do!”

Ben denies the help being offered to him.

The one interesting thing about Ben’s attempt at self-sufficiency is that almost every single time Ben denies the help offered to him, by responding emphatically, “I do! I do!,” he ends up frustrated and in tears.

In the apostle Paul’s letter to the churches in the region of Galatia, he is writing to a group of people in the church who were emphatically proclaiming the self-sufficient motto, “I do! I do!”

Paul says to them,

“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” (Galatians 3.1-9)

A few weeks ago, I attended the 11^th annual Mockingbird theology conference in New York City.  Nick Lannon, one of the speakers, was talking about what it looks like, on a daily basis, to live life as a Christian.  At the center of his presentation was the reminder that “Holiness does not lead to grace.  But, grace leads to holiness.”

What the speaker was telling us was that we do not live good, holy, God-like lives, in order to earn the reward of God’s love and grace.  That is simply not how it works.

The truth is that God’s love and grace, already present in our lives through faith, transform us and empower us on a daily basis to live good, holy, God-like lives.  We live good, holy, and God-like lives because of God’s grace that saves us and also sustains us and works in us day after day after day.

Holiness does not lead to grace. Or, doing does not lead to God’s acceptance of us.

Grace leads to holiness.  Or, God’s active love in our lives leads us to actively love Him and others.

This truth is the same truth that the apostle Paul is reminding the Galatian Christians of in this letter.

The Galatians, receiving Paul’s letter, became Christians when they rejoiced in the truth that Jesus does everything perfectly for them because they are unable to do anything perfectly.  Jesus loved God perfectly and Jesus loved others perfectly.  Through God’s grace, Jesus’ all-around perfection was credited to their account before the throne of God.  Through God’s grace, they received the gift of God’s presence in their lives every minute of every day through the Holy Spirt making itself at home in them.

However, when it came to living life as a Christians on a daily basis, they slipped back into believing that they were alone, having to live good, holy, God-like lives to keep God’s love and grace upon them.

The Galatians forgot the truth that, when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4–7)

God puts Himself in your life, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, to help you.  You did nothing to earn God’s presence in your life.  His presence through the Holy Spirit is a complete gift to you.  Through the Holy Spirit, God is present with you every day.  God is present to help you every day.  God is present to guide you everyday.  God is present to lead you every day. God transforms you to love. God empowers you to love. God enables you to love.

God put me in Ben’s life to help him.  Ben did nothing to earn me as a parent.  I am a complete gift to Ben.  I am present with him every day.  I am here to help him every day.  I am here to guide him every day.  I am here to lead him every day.

But, Ben looks at me, denies my help, while insisting, “I do! I do!”

O foolish Ben! Who has tricked you?

The problem with my son and his, “I do! I do!” attitude is that he is almost always left frustrated and crying because he cannot do what he believes he can do.

He cannot get his coat. He is too short to reach the coat rack.

He cannot zip his coat. His hand/eye coordination isn’t developed enough to attach the two pieces of zipper together.

He cannot open the door. He isn’t tall enough to reach the door knob.

He cannot walk down the stairs. His legs aren’t long enough to reach from one step to the next.

He cannot buckle his own seat belt.  His arms aren’t strong enough to snap the pieces together.

At Ben’s age, he could sit and play with his toys and do nothing else with his time.  His diapers would be changed. Food would be prepared and brought to him. He would be dressed. He would be carried up and down the stairs. Ben would be put into and taken out of the car. He would be placed in his crib at bed time and recovered from it in the morning.

Truthfully, God’s desire and design for your life is for you to rest and play with the time you have.

But, you look at God, deny His help, all the while insisting, “I do! I do!”

God says to you, “Jesus has loved me perfectly for you.”

And, you respond, “I do! I do! I will show you how much I love you!”

You deny the help offered to you.

God says to you, “Jesus has loved others perfectly for you.”

And, you respond, “I do! I do! Wait until you see how good I am to others!”

You deny the help offered to you.

God says to you, “Jesus has perfectly kept all of my commandments for you.”

And, you respond, “I do! I do! Look at my checklist! I am following your commandments one by one!”

You deny the help offered to you.

God says to you, “Rest. The work of being connected to God is finished for you.”

And, you respond, “I do! I do! Rest is for the dead! I have work to do to prove my worth to you!”

You deny the help offered to you.

The problem with your, “I do! I do!,” attitude is that you are always left frustrated and burdened because you cannot do what you believe you can do. You cannot ever do enough to earn the love of God.

You have tried and come up short.

But, there is good news!

The truth is that Ben needs help and help is always offered to him from a parent who loves him, cares for him, and wants the best for him.

The truth is that you need help and help is always offered to you.

God sees your weakness.

God sees your frustration.

God sees your tears.

God sees your burdens.

God sees your inability to love Him.

God sees the selfishness that holds you back from loving others.

God sees your attempts at self-sufficiency and your desire to take credit for being forgiven of your sin.

God hears you knocking on the gates of Heaven while crying out, “I do! I do!”

God sees the corruption in your heart and mind that hinders you from living Biblically and following His rules for life and love.

However, after seeing all of that, God still offers you help in the crucified and risen Jesus Christ!

When you receive the help that God offers to you, you are saved from the wrath of God is poured out upon sin.

When you receive the help that God offers to you are washed and the dirt of sin that corrupts you.

When you receive the help that God offers to you, you are regenerated, you are made new, you can now love God and love others because God lives in you, through the Holy Spirit and strengthens you, and enables you to do so.

When you receive the help that God offers you, there is rest.

While you look at Jesus hanging on the cross, shouting at him, I do! I do!,” asking to be hung there yourself, Jesus looks down at you and says, “I do! I do! For you!”

While you foolishly stumble around, tricked into believing you don’t need God on a daily basis, God continues to do work in you to make you more like Himself.

It is by God’s grace that you are saved.

And, it is by God’s grace that you are daily sustained and strengthened to love God and neighbor.

The promise you have is this, “[God] who began a good work in you will bring it completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1.6).

Remember the last thing the apostle Paul said before confronting the Galatians, “I do! I do!,” attitude:

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” (Galatians 2:20–21)

Be at peace today.  Jesus has done for you and continues to do for you what you cannot do for yourself—make you holy in God’s sight.

Amen.

Pastor Fred.

May 6, 2018