30

WHILE I WAS A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME, WE lived in a three-bedroom home in downtown South Bend. Our two spare bedrooms served very specific purposes. One was for guests, and the other functioned as my office. We kept the guest room spotless, just in case. We never knew when we might have a last-minute guest. My office, on the other hand, was a complete wreck. Old books, papers, and equipment were strewn across the room. It was difficult to walk around in the room without stepping on trash.

Imagine you’re walking down the hallway of our home. And let’s say you’re looking for a spot to throw something away. Where would you be more likely to toss your garbage? In the guest room? Or in my office? In my office, I suppose. Well, thanks. I appreciate that! No, I can understand why you’d choose my office. It’s already full of trash anyway.

As you reflect on this scenario, let me ask you an important question: Which room are you —the dirty office or the spotless guest room? How do you see yourself? Your answers to these questions determine what you do with garbage that comes your way.

Picture a sinful thought traveling down the hallway of your mind. If you’re the dirty office, then why not just add one more piece of trash to the pile? You’re dirty anyway, so it doesn’t really matter. But if you’re the clean guest room, garbage doesn’t seem to fit there. It’s out of place.

Our standing as completely forgiven, righteous saints is given to us, before heaven, for a reason. It has everything to do with daily living. In the moment we’re offered a sinful thought, how do we perceive ourselves? As dirty or clean? As sinful or righteous? As sinners or saints? If we’re dirty sinners, then why not just place one more sin on the pile? But if our slate has been wiped clean and we’re now righteous like Christ, then sin just doesn’t fit.

It’s out of place.

CLEAN FOR LIFE

Some are afraid
the teaching
of the New
will somehow lead
to more sinning.

Some are afraid the teaching of the New Covenant will somehow lead to more sinning. Nothing could be further from the truth. God himself has declared that awareness of our clean state is the way for behavior change to occur. In fact, anything other than this motivation for upright living isn’t the gospel in action.

Below are two Bible passages that directly link knowledge of our forgiveness and new identity with daily behavior choices. It’s easy to see that our beliefs about our spiritual state can directly affect our actions:

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if any of you do not have them, you are nearsighted and blind, and you have forgotten that you have been cleansed from your past sins.

2 PETER 1:5-9, italics added

Those who listen to the word but do not do what it says are like people who look at their faces in a mirror and, after looking at themselves, go away and immediately forget what they look like.

JAMES 1:23-24, italics added

What are we really afraid of when it comes to believing in our clean, righteous state that is not obtained daily through confession or request? Do we really believe it will lead to more sinning? What’s the difference between sinning first and then asking for forgiveness versus being forgiven already and then sinning? Is the former somehow more humble or more spiritual?

The reality is that the amount of time we spend sinning won’t increase if we agree with God about his Son’s once-for-all sacrifice. In fact, the opposite will occur. We’ll begin to realize that our slate is clean before God. We’ll see that Jesus Christ accomplished this in order to remain in us every moment of every day, no matter what. With awareness of his unconditional presence comes the power to say no to sin.

In Ephesians, Paul also addresses the attitude of forgiving and releasing others from anything they’ve done. His reasoning is that it’s the same treatment we received from our heavenly Father: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). Essentially, Paul is saying “Pass it on!”

Since we’ve already examined our once-for-all forgiveness in Christ, this passage can mean a lot more. As a blanket statement, God has declared that he keeps no record of our wrongs. We can’t begin to pay him back. He has released us from what we owe him, even if we continue to do the same things over and over again. If we never realize what we’ve done, or even if we forget about our sins altogether, we’re still forgiven.

We can issue
the same blanket
statement to others:
“You’re off the hook!”

Our own forgiveness isn’t contingent on our memory, our sorrow, or our apology. It rests solely on what was accomplished at Calvary. This is the amazing forgiveness that God chose for us through the finished work of his Son.

In light of this all-encompassing forgiveness, Paul urges us to allow our hearts to be softened and to issue the same blanket statement to others: “You’re off the hook!” We can choose to release others just as God released us, even if they never realize what they’ve done and even if they do it again. Do you see how an understanding of our once-for-all forgiveness is essential to releasing others with no strings attached?

THE SELF ISSUE

But it’s not just our forgiveness that leads to good behavior. Paul also makes a direct connection between identity and behavior:

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

COLOSSIANS 3:9-10

This is just one example of how crucial it is to be aware of our new identity in Christ. People tell lies to protect themselves or delay pain—or for other self-edifying reasons. With an unshakable identity and all of our needs met in Christ, we’re not designed to live in fear. So here we see a bit of divine logic applied to the behavior issue: “Don’t lie because you’re a new creation.”

Here’s another example. These verses give us insight into what should motivate our expressions of forgiveness and grace toward others:

As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you have a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

COLOSSIANS 3:12-14

Paul first affirms our true identity. Then he acknowledges that we have a choice to put on one thing or another. He urges us to “wear” qualities that match who we are and how God treats us.

The phrase clothe yourselves speaks of getting dressed spiritually. Paul is essentially asking, “What will you wear today?” Just as we wake up every morning and choose the outfit we’ll wear, we also choose what to put on spiritually.

Does this sound like oppressive religion to you? It’s not in the least! Paul is simply appealing to our God-given common sense to suggest healthy choices. The outcome of indulging the flesh can be stressful and divisive. But living from our new identity leads to peace, fulfillment, and unity.

BEHAVIOR VERSES

Behavior follows on the heels of the New. It certainly does not act as a condition for it. We forgive because we’re already forgiven. We release others because we’ve already been released. We see others as God sees them because we too have been made new as a gift.

Behavior passages foretell our destiny. It makes sense to seek them out and crave them, since they quench our thirst for conformity to Jesus Christ. They’re a road map for saving time and expressing who we really are. And as we live out who we really are, we experience peace:

Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule —to the Israel of God.

GALATIANS 6:15-16, italics added

Behavior follows on
the heels of the New.

We can concoct all kinds of doctrines and motivations for upright living. But the only thing that really matters is the new creation. And as we focus on our newness and Christ’s presence within us, our behavior changes.

Nearly two thousand years ago, the apostle Paul penned thousands of words begging the church to leave the law behind, to make central the finished work of Christ, and to discover who they really were. And I believe he’d have a similar admonition for the church today:

Celebrate the New!

Learn who you really are!

And then just be yourself!