RENEWED COMPASSION

Sin is a symptom, not the condition.

Lying, cheating, stealing, adultery, fornication, substance abuse, every abuse, human trafficking…Like you, I see all of this in the world. But my question is, when you see people caught up in these things, what is your reaction? Is it disgust or compassion? Is it judgement or heart break? Don’t feel guilty or boastful about your answer, just be honest. Being honest will help in taking a deeper look.

Imagine a patient who is broken out with chicken pox. What is your reaction to them? Is it disgust or compassion? Is it judgement or heart break? Are your thoughts – come back when you are well or do you have a desire to help?

How are these two scenarios similar and how are they different?

Just like Chicken Pox Outbreaks, Sinning is a symptom of a greater condition. What is the condition? For those with Chicken Pox, the condition is a virus that has permeated the blood stream on the inside and manifests itself on the outside of the skin.

For those who sin (which is all of us), the condition is similarly described. We have a condition that permeates our very blood on the inside and the condition manifests itself outwardly in our actions. Our condition is humanity. Because of The Fall, all sin. Every single one. It’s in our blood.

There is only One who walked this earth, whose blood did not carry sin even though He was human. We will pause on this thought for a moment and come back to it later…

I have unfortunately observed that those of us who claim to have been saved from our sin condition often judge those who haven’t. Unfortunately we also judge those who already have been saved as well. Do you see a pattern here? Too much judging. I see this as very harmful to the cause of Christ.

The apostle Paul declares in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus”, so my question is why is there so much condemnation by those who claim to follow Him and are commissioned to share the truth of who He is?

The problem with judgement and why so many in Christ are not only judging the lost, but also those who are saved is because they are also judging themselves. They are focused on self condemnation – condemning themselves when they mess up and then condemning others to make themselves feel holier. I recognize this because I used to be caught up in this cycle. So it is my observation, not as further condemnation, but with understanding and compassion in hopes to share the solution.

Maybe I can help us take a deeper look so that we can all seek to remedy this problem.

First we must recognize that there are only two types of people.

The only two types of people walking around in this world are people who are alive and people who are dead.

You may say, “Wait…How can someone who is walking on earth be dead? That doesn’t make sense.”

Let me explain.

Those who don’t believe in Christ and what He did on the cross for their sins are dead in their sins. They are acting dead by sinning. That is who they are. They are slaves to sin because they are dead. They can’t help but sin – they can’t help but exhibit deadness because they are in fact, powerless to sin. They are dead in sin. Not dead physically, obviously, but dead spiritually. We all were at one point.

“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.” – Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:1

“Even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!” – Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:5

Too often, we (Christians) see dead people (lost people) and think they should look alive. But they can’t. They are dead. We get frustrated and tell them to stop sinning. But they can’t. They are dead. They are not alive to stop. Telling a nonbeliever in sin to stop sinning is like telling a person with Chicken Pox to stop “poxing” – to stop breaking out. You see, it’s the wrong approach. It’s not effective. It doesn’t help anything except make Christians look like they are intolerant to Pox. To sin.

Now you may say, “I am intolerant of sin and so is God, and that is my point…to let them know.” I understand this stance in being devoted to God, but this brings us back to your view of those in sin. Is it disgust? Is it judgement? Is it compassion? Is it heart break?

What do you think God’s response is? This is a weighty question because the answer reveals your view of God. The answer also reveals which covenant you believe God currently operates in with people.

Second, we need to have a correct view of God.

This leads us to the question: What then should our view of God be? The answer – look at Jesus. Jesus said “I only do what I see my Father doing, and I only say what I hear my Father saying.” (John 5:19) So to view God is to look at Jesus. Now let me add in this question: When Jesus looks at these people in sin, what is His response: disgust or compassion? Judgement or heart break?

There are many examples in scripture that reveal Jesus’ response to all those in sin is compassion, heartbreak, and a desire to help, while His response to those who are judging them is…well, judgement. (Stay tuned, I will address this more in a later post).

In one account Mark explains the compassion Jesus displayed.

“Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” – Mark 1:41

Third we want to respond in a way that will help, not in a way that will hurt.

Let’s take a look at our Chicken Pox patient once more. Imagine that the patient goes to a doctor and the only thing the doctor says to the patient is, “You are breaking out with chicken pox. You need to stop breaking out with chicken pox! I will not have anything to do with you until you stop breaking out with Pox because if I do, people will think I am a doctor who promotes Chicken Pox break outs!”

Now that seems silly, right?! If that were your doctor you would leave to find another doctor or maybe even reject doctors altogether. You would certainly not listen to anything the doctor has to say, maybe not any doctor ever again. Unfortunately, this is the way too many Christians treat nonbelievers. If you take the same statements and change outbreaks to sin, it sounds like this, “You are sinning. You need to stop sinning. I will not have anything to do with you until you stop sinning because if I do, people will think I am a Christian who promotes sin.”

This approach is not helpful to the patient or the sinner because in both cases, the patient and the sinner have a condition that causes them to break out, (ie. sin). Most of us know that if a good doctor had a cure to Chicken Pox, that doctor should respond to the patient by telling them about the cure. The doctor should only focus on the outbreak long enough to find a diagnosis – That it is in fact Chicken Pox (ie. that the person needs a Savior). Once the diagnosis is made, the doctor should tell the patient about the Cure and the Great Physician who came up with the Cure. This is the only way to lead the patient to being healed of the outbreaks. Telling the patient that he is breaking out or that he should stop breaking out does nothing. Telling the patient of the Great Physician who provides the Cure and the Cure itself is the only way to rid the patient of the disease is the only answer.

Lost people, like Chicken Pox Patients, also have a condition. It is called deadness. They are dead. Telling them they are acting dead or telling them to stop acting dead does nothing. (ie. telling them that they are sinning and to stop sinning does nothing.) Telling them how to become alive and Who provides this Life is the only effective treatment and possibility for change. It’s the only answer for their fatal condition. But telling isn’t even the answer. We have to show them. How do we show them? Through Love and Compassion.

Fourth we share the Cure, not religion, through our attitudes and actions.

We know the Cure to spiritual deadness. The Cure is Jesus. The Cure is Life in Christ. Placing our faith in Christ joins us to His Life, Death, Burial, and Resurrection. Once our faith is in Christ we are raised to Life in Him. We are a New Creation and He dwells within us. It is a beautiful mystery, but all who join in the Life of Christ experience that these truths are affirmed in their spirit.

Instead of any of us – all people who have the condition of humanity, being held accountable for our sin, Jesus Himself took all sin to the cross and He, in our place, was held accountable for it there. Not only held accountable, but He became it. He became our sin – past present, and future, and He (as Our Sin, All Sin) was crucified. Sin was crucified. Put to death. Done away with. No more. Sin – the condition (noun), not the act (verb), was defeated on the cross. The sin problem (noun) between God and man no longer exists because of Jesus. Thank you Jesus!

So now you may ask…

I know why those who haven’t placed faith in Christ still sin, but why then do Christians..why do I still sin?

Fifth we must understand the difference between our old identity and our new identity.

The answer to why people sin is something the enemy tries his hardest to distort. But it is simple. Identity. The answer of why people sin is inherent for those who are dead (lost) and is often veiled for those who are alive. The answer is simply identity. Before coming to Christ, our identity was in ourselves. Our identity was sinner. We all inherited Adam’s sin. It’s who we were. None of us have power over sin, therefore we were slaves to it.

You say, yes that makes sense, but I still sin even though I’m a Christian. The answer is still identity. This is true because we have lapses of identity. We forget who we are. Some of us have never even fully understood our true identity in Christ and religion has lied to tell you to earn your new found identity.

Here is the truth.

Once in Christ we have a New Identity. This identity is Christ. As John says “As He is, so are we in this world.” – (1 John 4:17) Christ did defeat sin and has power over it. When we are resting in our true identity in Christ we have power over it as well. It’s in the moments that we forget our identity that we succumb to the temptations of sin. It’s in those moments that we choose sin. But those of us in Christ, aren’t comfortable with it. It’s like putting on the wrong size jacket. It doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t fit because it’s not who we are anymore. Some religious people will tell you this feeling is the Holy Spirit convicting you. This is partially true. The Holy Spirit is convicting (convincing) not of what you did wrong, because you already know that. No – He is convicting you that this is not who you are in Christ. He is reminding you that you are righteous. He is convicting you of your true identity. He is singing over you that you are holy. This is why it doesn’t feel right. Sin no longer “fits” in our lives.

Grace doesn’t make us comfortable with sin, it makes us confident of our identity.

So we take the jacket off as we renew our minds to the truth of our identity. We thank Jesus that He paid for it, apologize to anyone we may have hurt by it, and we walk freely and confidently in the identity of Christ once more…until we forget and put the old jacket back on again. (Humanity)

Forgetting isn’t really the correct word. Actually it’s more like reverting. Denying our true identity. It’s more like being subject to the noise, misinformation, religious confusion that tells us that we ourselves can overcome sin if we “make ourselves” holy enough, and lies of the enemy.

The truth is we can never be holy enough. There is no amount of Bible reading, prayer, fasting, giving, and serving that will make us holy enough – that will make us stop sinning or earn favor and forgiveness. Trying to stop sinning that way will never work. Maybe temporarily, but when we mess up, we beat ourselves up with condemnation because we failed. When we do well, we develop pride, which is sin – and so it continues. Living in this condemnation and pride cycle further veils our true identity because we are focused on own our behavior.

Religion is the enemy’s successful plan to get those in Christ to focus on good deeds and disciplines in the name of Jesus, instead of focusing on Jesus. Shifting our identity to our works rather than Christ’s finished work.

When we are trying to achieve holiness through our good works, we fail…every time. So we condemn ourselves. But there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus! Renewing our minds to our identity in Him is the key. Realizing that we are already holy because of what He did, not because of good works that we do, and that we can’t do more to keep it, or do less to lose it. We only renew our minds to who He is in us.

Now we walk confidently in our True Identity.

Holy. Righteous. Clean.

That is what He says about me. That is who I am. The more I believe that, the less often I put on the old jacket of sin. And the more the old jacket is uncomfortable when I do put it on. It’s not who I am. Friend, it’s not who you are in Christ.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” – Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 5:17

Instead of spending so much time and effort in religious games trying to make yourself holy enough to be “approved” by God and trying to stop sinning, rest in the approval you already have because of Christ. Rest in the fact that he defeated sin and that old jacket doesn’t fit you anymore because it’s not who you are in Christ. Because of what He did on the Cross. That is where our faith is placed. Our faith is in His works, not our own.

Don’t worry, you will read your Bible, pray, serve, give…all the good works will still happen because it’s who you are. Only the motivation will change. You will do it not out of discipline, but out of identity. Not on a schedule, but as led by the Spirit. This is called FREEDOM.

Jesus died not only to set us free from sin, but also to set us free from the Law, religion, and self righteousness.

“It is for Freedom that Christ has set us free.” – Galatians 5:1

“He who the Son sets free is free indeed!” – John 8:36

You will actually find it is much easier to stop falling into the traps of sin when you stop trying to be holier and simply surrender. Simply renew your mind to the fact that you already are holy. Jesus gave you that. Jesus alone. Not your good works. He made you holy, righteous, and redeemed. He gave you perfect right standing with God both now and forevermore – even when you temporarily put on the old jacket of sin – because it has already been dealt with and paid for. That is your identity.

Want to exercise this faith in Christ? Next time you put on the old jacket of sin and you feel how uncomfortable it is, resist the temptation to condemn yourself. (In the same way, resist the temptation to feel holier and prideful when doing good – it’s Jesus in you anyway – all credit goes to Him) Instead remind yourself that because of Christ, you are holy and righteous while wearing the old jacket. You will be surprised how empowered you will be to quickly take that jacket off. That is true faith in Christ, my friend. To realize it’s what He did that makes us holy. Not what we do or don’t do.

The enemy knows how empowering identity in Christ is which is why he works so hard to cloud it for those who are in Christ. Religion has taken up his battle and does a great job in perpetuating this confusion. Even well meaning, Christ worshipping and teaching churches play into this rhetoric with to do lists, self help messages on what you should do to be better, and guilt trips for not doing enough.

Let us remind ourselves again – “There is therefore no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” Reread that Biblical truth and ask yourself if you truly believe it. Do you truly believe that you are not condemned? Ever?

The condition of humanity is true for each one of us – whether we are in Christ or lost. Whether we are spiritually dead or alive. We are human.

The difference is Christ. The difference is identity in Him or identity in ourselves. The difference is being spiritually dead or being a New Creation in Him.

Instead of seeing those with pox outbreaks as someone to reject, ask Jesus to give you His eyes, because that’s not how He sees them.

The eyes of Jesus

He doesn’t see them as someone to reject. He sees them as someone to rescue.

He doesn’t see them as someone to loathe, He sees them as someone to love.

He doesn’t see them as someone to avoid, He sees them as someone to embrace. Not once they stop poxing, no, exactly how they are.

He doesn’t see them as someone who is sick. He sees them as someone who can heal. He wants to be the healing process. He’s desperate to pour out love, forgiveness, and compassion.

The Question

The question is, are those of us who claim to follow Him, seeing what He sees in people? Are we desperate for what He longs for, for people?

The answer is YES! WE DO! We do see and feel as Christ sees and feels because we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16) That is our identity. It’s in our Life blood. It’s just not manifesting that way on the outside through our actions because we aren’t renewing our minds to the truth of our identity. The problem is that often times our minds aren’t renewed.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” – Romans 12:2

This is why so many professing Christians sound like the rejecting Doctor we talked about earlier. Their minds aren’t changed. They aren’t renewed. They are carnal. They are operating in the Law when they have been set free from it. They have fallen into the traps of religion. They too, have on the wrong jacket. It’s not who they really are. But in their truest identity, they do love, forgive, and have compassion. Because that’s who Jesus is. They just need to renew their minds to His truth, to the truth of who they are in Him and they will be able to see and feel as He does. The Life blood of their identity will manifest in their outward actions.

Because many professing Christians haven’t yet accepted and stepped into their true identity in Christ, I am so burdened that the picture many lost people see of Christ is one of judgement, rejection, and conditions. I am burdened that those who are poxing have been rejected and judged by the very ones who can actually share the Cure. The Cure is Love. The Cure is Jesus.

I find it quite interesting that the root of the word compassion is the word compass.

Just like a compass, without compassion, we lose our way in the cause of Christ.

Jesus doesn’t see poxing/sin as a problem. He sees it as a symptom for those who He can help and heal. It is my prayer that those of us who know the Cure, will open our eyes, our identity-in-Christ eyes, to see them this way too. These eyes are our truest identity. It’s who we really are. We must break free from the confusion and lies we have learned from religion and look only to the Cross and Resurrection. Look only to Jesus. That is where we all find healing in our humanity.

I pray that all of us in Christ will understand our New Identity and see and feel as Christ does. I pray that we will see sin not as something to judge, but as a symptom and to reach out in love. I pray that our minds will be renewed by His Compassion to compassion.

On your journey consider this…

How we view others is rooted in how we view ourselves. Do we see ourselves as Jesus says we are or do we see ourselves based on what we do? Jesus sees us in our True identity in Him that He paid a high price for. He sees sinning as a symptom of a condition that He longs to heal. His healing comes through giving us a New Identity. We just have to believe it’s true.

“May your journey bring freedom and your mind be ever renewed to His truth.” – Angel