"No Fences: Pharisees, Philosophers, Legalists, and Jesus" Closing Remarks

Appendix:   

Advice for believers, new and old: Praying is talking to Dad. If you care about it, He cares about it. You can be as honest with Him as the psalmists were; God’s tough. Other believers are your siblings. He cares about them, so you care about them. He knows what we need before we even ask, but we pray for each other’s struggles because He chooses to involve us in the family business. Don’t wreck your car “praying without ceasing”, just be consistently in conversation with Him throughout the day. “Help!” and “Thanks, God!” are great prayers. He knows your mind, so silent prayer is fine. He knows your heart. He even installed a new one. The Holy Spirit lives in you and fills in the blanks in your prayers for you. If you can help anyone, especially another believer, in a practical manner in addition to praying for them, it will feel nice because that is how you are wired now. Giving to advance the spread of the Gospel is fun, too. Don’t feel pressured or obligated; just go with what the Spirit says to do. We are all collectively the hands and feet of Jesus in this world, and we all have different gifts and abilities. Not everyone has to be a missionary in foreign countries; we’re all in this together. Most of us are to live quiet, decent, and productive lives (2 Thessalonians 3:12) in support of the spread of the Good News. Not every tool in the toolbox is useful for every job or gets used every day, just be available and attentive to the Spirit. The apostles and the Body of Christ as a whole were given a worldwide mission of evangelism; you just have 1 Peter 3:15 (if someone asks you, tell them what Jesus did for you in a gentle and respectful way). God is molding you into who He wants you to be, and you can choose to enjoy this process. A dog on a leash can happily choose to walk toward the destination or choose to be miserable and pull against it. You will prove God right by living the fulfilling life He saved you for (Ephesians 2:10), or by sinning and being a miserable (Galatians 5:17) yet still forgiven person. God has given us a great gift in the Bible. A great place to start is the Gospel of John. Get really familiar with the Epistles (the letters the apostles wrote to early churches), especially the works of Paul. He wrote to a Gentile audience, but his message was for everyone. The other letter writers addressed Jewish Christians that still tried to keep the Law of Moses (which explains a few odd verses), but the Jewish Temple was destroyed by the Romans almost 2000 years ago, so Paul’s message of salvation by grace through faith is the only deal in town. Jesus told the apostles to teach us everything He commanded them to teach, and the letters are the fruit of that obedience. The New Testament really begins at Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection (Hebrews 9:15-28). Remember Paul’s teaching in Romans that the Law was meant to silence everyone before God and make us all aware of our need for His grace. Remember Paul’s teaching in Galatians that Jesus preached Law to those born under Law as part of His earthly ministry; these facts place the hard words Jesus had for His Jewish audience back into the context of proving that He is the Messiah (Isaiah 51:4). When the Bible warns not to quit gathering together (Hebrews 10:25), remember the only way people heard any Christian teaching back then was at public readings. Now, you can connect with the rest of the Body of Christ any time via the Internet, your car radio, etc. We are a gathering of two as you read this book, and Jesus promised to be there where even two are gathered. Joining with local believers in person to praise God, help others, and be helped is a wonderful thing that we get to do, not a chore we have to do. 

Still don’t know “what to do”? The Bible and the Holy Spirit will be your best guides. This isn’t exhaustive, but here’s some more for anyone that’s interested. See Romans 12. To paraphrase it: Be open to whatever God has lined up for you today (Ephesians 2:10); it will be a perfect fit for you (you are custom-made, after all), and will therefore probably seem easy if you ask for His help. Be ready to learn new ways to approach life as a saint (and probably un-learn some ill-fitting old patterns and unbiblical notions). Don’t take the weight of the whole world on your shoulders; again, not every tool in the box is used for every job or gets used every day. Love others, especially your brothers and sisters in Christ, pray for people, and help in practical ways. Live as an ambassador for Christ (which includes being nice to and taking care of your earthly family per Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3 since even the pagans mostly manage that). Instead of giving Christians a black eye publicly by fighting nearly everyone over everything, live like someone that quietly knows that God has got this handled and will fix it in the end. God is tough and does not need human defenders; gently correcting misconceptions will suffice. Here are a few more ideas: Let’s throw in 1 Thessalonians 4:11 for good measure – do a job well without making much of a fuss (although Paul was mostly trying to keep them from being bums waiting for the world to end) and support the advance of the Gospel. Don’t be a bad citizen (Romans 13). Look to Christ within you to do the next right thing. Know you are a saint and behave accordingly. You don’t have to always rejoice about all your circumstances, but you can rejoice about your Savior in all circumstances, keep praying, and keep thanking Him for what He has done and is doing for you (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

I hear things like this from fellow Christian friends all the time: “I want to figure out God’s will for my life.” God’s will for your life is not primarily at the level of picking the right house, spouse, job, etc., to stay on script with His plan. God’s will won’t get you stuck between all the choices; God’s will for you is Jesus, and He sets you free. God wants people to be saved (2 Peter 3:9) through faith in Jesus Christ, God wants you to find your joy in Him among whatever life throws at you (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18), and God wants you to live like the saint He made you to be (Ephesians 2:10). God’s will is Jesus living in you and living through you (Galatians 2:20, Colossians 3:4). If, say, picking a job comes down to an honest job behind Door #1 and an honest job behind Door #2, God is behind all of those doors; you’re free in Christ. Believe, Love, avoid some things that Sin is trying to trick you with, and live like a fully loved and totally forgiven child of God.

The grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit will be with you always. 

Special thanks to my editor, whose keen eye and thoughtful feedback vastly improved this book. Your dedication and expertise are truly appreciated!

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