Luxurious Faith

Jesus readily satisfied justice on the cross so humans can become the beneficiaries of grace. Now God writes His laws on our hearts, and devotion perfects us in a way that rules and methods never could. Likewise, when we follow Jesus, our ministry to the world is not through laws that bring condemnation but through the Spirit who gives life.

God gave me a dream once to illustrate this truth and show me how His love transforms hearts. in the dream, I was out doing some grocery shopping and had just returned home to an apartment building. Walking in form the parking lot, I saw a figure dart out of the shadows near my front door. It was a young girl and startled by her lurking around, I shouted and waved my hand at her. As I did, my fingertips briefly touched hers and I felt a burning sensation against my skin. I took a closer look and realized that the 11- or 12-year old girl had a meth pipe in her hand. She ran off and I quickly went inside.

Within a minute of closing the front door, there was a knock. It was the young girl again. She had abandoned her meth pipe but was clearly still high. Though she stood physically before me, her glazed eyes put her somewhere else. When she asked me if she could have some food, I responded with a question of my own, "What is your name?"

"Elsie," she replied.

Standing with the screen door propped open, I assessed the situation and went through a well-intentioned process of determining the right thing to do. A checklist began in my mind. First, I considered if my children, who were asleep in the apartment behind me were safe. Next, would it be better to wait until she sobered up before I offered her anything?

That's when I felt Jesus come up behind me and put His hand on my shoulder. He knew what I had been thinking, so He leaned in close and whispered these words in my ear: "Angels minister to external needs, but healing begins from the inside." I turned and looked at His face. He was so happy to see Elsie standing there, like He had been hoping to see her, and I was convicted and embarrassed that I hadn't see her the way that He did. In that moment, I realized that Jesus was showing me that Elsie needed more than food; she needed love, and He had reserved that unique privilege for me.

Jesus smiled and held up a finger as if to say, "I'll be right back." Then He went back into the apartment. A moment later, He returned with plates full of egg sandwiches and peanut butter toast, which I knew He had multiplied from our dinner the night before. When I turned to face Elsie again, I saw that the food wasn't the only thing that multiplied. Elsie was now there with her sister, several other neighborhood kids, and my own children, who were awake and finding seats next to Elsie and her friends at the patio table. Listening to them giggle, I realized that my desire to protect my principles had nearly caused me to forfeit love.

Jesus performed a miracle when He multiplied food for the neighborhood kids in my dream, but His words revealed an even greater miracle taking place in the unseen. His unconditional love wasn't only feeding stomachs; it was healing hearts, and that would last longer than a meal but for a lifetime. Jesus gently reminded me that He could send angels to serve and minister to physical needs, but salvation and healing begin in the heart, and unconditional love is my ministry to the world.

In the dream, I could honestly say I had good intentions. When Elsie came to my door, I wanted to protect my family and discern the rule of law so I could do the right thing. What I didn't realize, however, was that my faith had only taken me as far as the old covenant ever took the Israelites. They were given the luxury of the law, which revealed God's righteous ways. Though this knowledge distinguished and set them apart from other nations, it never transformed their hearts or helped them grasp the power of grace and sacrificial love.

AFFORDING LOVE

Several weeks later, God spoke to me again in another dream and said, "What if faith affords more than the luxury of knowing what's right, but love?" These words were a revelation of His new covenant. God judged sin through Jesus and released grace to humans so that by faith, we are forgiven and can become one with His Spirit. Now He impresses His ways on our hearts, and love motivates us to follow Him. Under the new covenant, righteousness isn't a moral standard I simply know about or obey outwardly; it's an internal way of life affectionately submitted to God's Spirit. In other words, the luxury of God's righteousness isn't just a way of behaving; it's a power that enables me to love.

In Hebrew, the name Elsie is short for Elisheba, which means "oath of God" or "God is satisfaction" (1 John 2:2). In the dream, Jesus provoked me to look past Elsie's external behavior, and what I could see was wrong, to understand that He made Elsie and satisfied justice on her behalf. Elsie didn't need me to reprimand her because God's righteousness can only be received by grace afforded with faith. He encouraged me to love her unconditionally, the way He loves me, and from there, He would do the rest in her heart.