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…and [by Thy] submission to the Law, by thy Baptism, Fasting, and Temptation, Good Lord, deliver us

Matthew 5: 29-30 ( The Message) “Let’s not pretend this is easier than it really is. If you want to live a morally pure life, here’s what you have to do: You have to blind your right eye the moment you catch it in a lustful leer. You have to choose to live one-eyed or else be dumped on a moral trash pile. And you have to chop off your right hand the moment you notice it raised threateningly. Better a bloody stump than your entire being discarded for good in the dump.

After two weeks of reflection, prayers of “I am sorry, Dear Lord”. How do we start over ? How do we allow Jesus to knit our souls and lives back together ? Well, you can’t get restored on your own. Never forget that this is His work which He allows us to participate in. Only Jesus Christ can rebuild broken worlds and shattered souls.

In the 1980’s one of more prominent Christian pastors and authors was Gordon McDonald. He wrote some good stuff, pastored a mega church and was widely celebrated. Then, he cheated on his wife. His fall from prominence was swift and severe.

Instead of kicking him to the curb, the elders of his church, after properly removing him from the pulpit and leadership, walked with him for two years in a process of exile, repentance and spiritual discipline. Slowly, very slowly, he returned to ministry, and out of the process wrote “Rebuilding Your Broken World,” a useful and honest primer for someone committed to seeking restoration. There is no instant fix and as McDonald notes:

“Restoration follows a process:
For starters: be silent and withdraw; refuse to defend yourself; assume the ministry of the interior; walk through the pain rather than avoiding it. Take preventative steps. Adopt a repentant lifestyle. Practice spiritual disciplines. Cultivate key relationships. Resist the applause that belongs to Christ. Take time to have fun. Hold things loosely. Be filled with the Spirit of God.”

Those truths above are nothing new, read the process that Jesus modeled for us above, not for His benefit, but for ours. Jesus came to complete the Law of Moses, not abolish it or create a new moral code. The Ten Commandments were and are still a path to wholesome and holy living. Our Baptism is the place we look to where we publicly announced that we belong to Jesus. In our hearts we need to remember that we are His, and on occasion remember that moment and declare “I still want to belong to Jesus”. That is the beginning of repentance and our restoration.

From there, take part in the spiritual practices of daily prayer, fasting, and service. These look different in every Christian’s life. Moreover, examine your conduct and thoughts that delivered you straight into Satan’s snares.. That takes time, effort and honesty, as well as accountability and community. Even when Jesus was in the desert wrestling with Satan he was not alone, He walked in the Presence of the Holy Spirit with a cohort of Angels on-call. You are never alone in your struggles as well; Jesus is with you, and there is a community of believers you can always reach out to.

Today or sometime this week, reread the story of David and Bathsheeba in 2d Samuel 11. Most importantly pay attention to verse 1:
11:1 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.

Right off the bat, David wasn’t where he was supposed to be, or doing what he was supposed to do. How often do our spiritual failures start there ! Moreover, walking a morally upright life takes work, takes discipline, it takes some blinded eyes and bloody stumps. Don’t watch that movie, don’t flirt with evil, don’t hang out there. Be vigilant, wary, be honest. Guard against your weaknesses and protect your strengths. We walk on a razor’s edge and the only way to do that is to keep looking to Jesus Christ. Don’t stop, don’t give up.

You are forgiven, never forget that. Restoration requires us to ask Jesus how to live as forgiven people.

Peace,

Phil Parsons

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From Rodger:  A sort of ancillary point, contained in the next post.