'The Shadow Proves the Sunshine' - Switchfoot

S - Hebrews 9:24-10:1 (NIV): " For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship."

O - Copies and shadows are NOT unimportant, they are just NOT the point. Jesus is reality and he brings the realities of heaven to bear in the lives of all those are his - his by choice made possible only by grace. The commands to worship, to believe, to follow, to obey all involve choice. Choice is a part of the copies and shadows just as surely as it is a part of the realities themselves. This, and this alone, is the only thing we are allowed to bring to the table of God's will on earth, in heaven and in us. God's end game is perfection … and we will never be able to attain this by our efforts … all our efforts are also copies and shadows (not unimportant, just not the point). Jesus is perfection and includes all who choose to join him in the perfection he alone is and provides. We are to choose, and to keep choosing, Jesus who has once for all done away with sin. The great snare of culture/religion (personal and corporate) is to make the copies and shadows the point. This is how we end up keeping the words and losing the meaning of God's written voice. As Switchfoot aptly observes - the shadows prove the sunshine.

A - We've been created, redeemed and called to live in light, in the realities themselves. We do this by living in the One who is reality. He alone is and makes perfect. We receive perfection and grow in it. The growing is the reflection of what we've already received. It is the shadow or copy, it is not the reality itself. Not sinning is good, it happens as we grow. Not sinning is not perfection and it is not justification and it is not right standing and it is certainly NOT life or living. It is a copy and shadow. Not sinning is healthy, it disables severe consequences and regrets. It sets a good example. It helps shape a strong character. It does not make one better than another or no less needy of the Savior. A vibrant faith in Jesus is ultimately all about presence and not performance. As Paul says, even if I know nothing against myself this is not what justifies me; and again, if righteousness can be gained by observing the law then Christ died for nothing. The not sinning is seen, the vibrant faith in Jesus is unseen. With perfection as the only end game God wants, I have no hope apart from the personal and consistent intervention and interface with Jesus. He has called all and commands all to choose him back. I choose him back unto his perfection and to unutterable and exalted joy in him.

P - You Who Are Reality, Dear Jesus,

I CHOOSE YOU BACK! O Lord, I want you to be everything in me you desire to be. I thank you for including me/us in your perfection and for allowing us to grow in it at the same time. I want to live out loud your greatness and goodness. I do not want to make the shadows, reflections and copies the point … I do not want to keep the words and lose the meaning. Lord, all of this needs to work and live in me in the context of today while it is called today. O King let me do this, live this and in this living make you glad and bring you glory. Today is all I have and according to you all I need. Lord I believe, please help my unbelief.

Turning into heavenly sunshine,

Steve