In my quiet time this morning I was reminded that we Christians have an amazing capacity to selectively apply Scripture to our lives. Perhaps it is only me that has this capacity, but my observation of Christendom give credence to the thought that we all struggle with this. We give in to the pull to ignore the bits that make us uncomfortable due to our pride, or preconceptions of how things ought to be.

Worse yet, we sometimes use scripture to justify our unforgiveness or condemnation of others. In this mode, we use the Bible as a club to bludgeon others into behaving as we think they ought.

Even a cursory acquaintance with the Bible gives us the idea that as Christians, we are called to live holy lives. Scripture validates our feeling that things are not quite as they ought to be. There is no doubt that Christians are called to pursue holiness.

In his sermon this past Sunday, our Pastor reminded us that any attempt to produce holiness that is not done in the context of increasing love will lead to what he called “lifeless legalism.” In this mode, we pound ourselves and others with scriptural demands reducing the Christian life to a list of rules and regulations that leave us ineffective and defeated. This approach reduces us to what Paul calls a “noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1, NASB).

On the other hand, if there is an emphasis on love without a deep call to obedience to scriptural commends, this will lead to “lively licentiousness.” While it may feel loving to validate people (including ourselves) in their choice to violate or ignore God’s requirements, in the end this approach leads to death as we are told twice in the Proverbs (Proverbs 14:12; Proverbs 16:25).

The third and best way is to have both a deep love for others and a firm commitment to obedience to the commands of scripture. The gospels demonstrate how Jesus did this perfectly, and he gives us an example to follow. This third way leads to true righteousness that is life changing.

By this reflection I am challenged to ask myself two questions as I read scripture and reflect on it:

1. How does this passage challenge me to live differently?
2. How does this passage challenge me to love God and my neighbor more deeply and effectively?

I am not the first, and certainly not the most eloquent, writer who has reflected on Emmanuel as one of the names for Jesus, the Messiah.

This reflection, in no small part, has be influenced by the movie “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” which was released a little while ago.

If Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us, then that truth changes everything. Having grown up with this knowledge has desensitized me to it somewhat, but the truth remains. The fact of this reality changes everything whether I realize and act upon it or not.

If Jesus created the world we see around us (Colossians 1:16), can he not do amazing things in our world today?

Can he not rearrange DNA to heal a genetic disorder?

Can he not overthrow tyrants and criminals who perpetrate genocide and promote evil?

Can he not provide a job for the person who remains unemployed or underemployed?

The list of such questions is endless. Jesus warned us that we will have tribulation (John 16:33) and certainly this is one prediction for which we have ample evidence that it is true.

The conclusion I draw is that when life doesn’t go the way I think it ought, God has a higher purpose that I cannot see from my perspective.

I have new found fascination with the idea that God entered human life in the same way that you and I did. He was born as a helpless baby who was totally dependent upon his parents for his physical existence.

He had to be burped, comforted, bathed, and fed just like every other baby that has been born on this planet. He chose to experience life exactly the way we do. He went from creating everything we see to becoming completely dependent upon Mary and Joseph.

While all of this is interesting to reflect upon, we can’t lose sight of the reason why Jesus chose to come as that helpless baby. The writer of Hebrews tells us that he came to have joy in being in relationship with us by enduring the cross (Hebrews 12:2).

One of the last things that Emmanuel said to us before he departed is that he will be with us always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). God was with us in the manger, and remains with us today.

Have you ever sat through a sermon on a Sunday, thinking that the preacher was doing well, only to walk away not remembering the point of the sermon? I have experienced a sermon or two after which I remembered the opening joke or a touching illustration but did not remember anything about the Biblical text for the message.

In contrast, I have also experienced “meat and potatoes” preaching that was not flashy or great oratory but helped me learn Scripture and apply it to my life.

I have often wondered what made the difference between memorable and forgettable preaching. Perhaps I was given a clue about answering this question when I read this:

“The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.” (John 7:18, ESV)

Is it safe to say that anyone who fills the pulpit on a Sunday must first wrestle with his motivation for being in the pulpit? The same would be true of anyone who has any teaching ministry in the church.

Honesty requires me to admit that I have never done anything from entirely pure motives. Pride sneaks in to steal some of the glory. I assume that this is true of others also.

The question for those of us who presume to teach (or write blog posts) in the church is “Why am I doing this?” Or as Jesus puts it, “Whose glory are you seeking?

Am I writing or speaking to glorify God and encourage people into deeper relationship with him or am I trying to display my knowledge and look brilliant?

In the end, the closer I can get to seeking only God’s glory in what I do, the more worthwhile is the doing of it.