Identification Of Identity

I've been struggling with a few questions this past week.

I understand that how we treat others is paramount in the light of the coming judgement of "the sheep and goats" as Jesus described it.

It seems contradictory in the understanding of our salvation being by grace through faith.

Clearly no one is good enough, so how is this going to work? I'm not perfect, and will never be so...in this life anyway.

I have said and done many things that could be considered "goat" like. Sin is a struggle for all of us, or we wouldn't need His grace!

So, how does this work? How are goats different from the faithful?

As I lay awake in the middle of last night, trying to be quiet so as not to wake Martha, I put these questions to my Maker and Friend. He didn't answer until a few minutes ago.

I put in a decent days work, well, for a retired guy anyway. I finished out most of the tile work on our master bathroom. I had gutted it a few weeks ago. I started at 9am and quit at about 2:45pm, so yeah, a good day for a retired guy!

After my shower, I went to my happy place to relax...my porch swing. While sitting here, I pondered those difficult questions and my thoughts turned to the scriptures where Paul confronts Peter for being a jerk.

Galatians 2:11-14

[11] When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.

[12] Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.

[13] The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

[14] When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

Peter was in fact being a jerk. It's not very Christ like! Treating as "less than" those Gentile believers because of other Jewish brothers? Yeah, bad move on Peter's part.

Was he a goat? No.

"Why?"

Look at the result. Peter repented from his action.

"How do you know? Its not written anywhere!?"

Ah, but it is. If Paul had a falling out with Peter over that public dressing down, don't you think it would have been written about? Surely Paul would have added that in the letter to the Galations, or it would have been added to the book of acts.

It wasn't...because Peter realized his error. Paul and Peter got along fine after.

Considering this, God reminded me of one of the most terrible things a "man of God" had ever done to me. This from a pastor who was the most evil man I have ever known...yes, that includes those who are not saved at all.

I was his youth pastor, though he would never call me that or give me the title. I was simply called "the youth guy". This man hated me. I never knew why. I didn't give him a problem. I wasn't disobedient, or rebellious. No, I was just a young man doing my best to serve where God put me.

At the end of my tenure, the man called a meeting of parents, youth and all who the youth group touched. I, of course, was there. In that meeting the man criticized the youth group as aweful. He listed problems one after another.

Eventually, I started asking questions and defending my reasons for what we had been doing. The man then scolded me in front of everyone, "This is not about you! This is about the youth!"

But, it was about me. It was obvious to everyone.

Needless to say, after that meeting, I was no longer the Youth Guy. I left there and drove around for almost an hour on my motorcycle and just cried.

It gets really old being despised...

Years later at another church, a man approached me, and apologized for being at that meeting. I remembered him, but didn't know him well. He told me that the pastor wanted him to take over the youth group and become the youth pastor, but after that meeting, he wanted nothing to do with it.

Yes, we all can easily be "goatlike", but there is a rather large gulf between "blowing it" and "living in it".

Faith is what saves. God also says He will forgive all confessed sin.

1 John 1:9

[9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

The difference between a child of God being a human being, and not being a child at all, is this. The confession, and repentance.

It's a matter of the heart.

Look, we are required to apologize when we do someone wrong. So, this act, on its own, shows we trust God's way is best.

"But what if we don't realize we wronged someone!?"

Of course this happens. I have no doubt I have done this many times.

Colossians 3:13

[13] Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

I forgive, as should everyone who trusts Jesus Christ.

Matthew 7:1-2

[1] "Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

[2] For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

The measure matters. You see, as a man who is fully aware that my salvation is a gift that I did not deserve, I have no problems with a brother or sister bumping me hard enough to break my arm...especially, if they don't realize it.

Forgiveness comes easy, when we know we need it too.

For Paul, he realized a wrong so bad it even affected Barnabas. It was bad enough for Paul to confront Peter publicly. It appears that Paul's confrontation was effective in bringing correction...as it should.

The difference between Paul and my evil pastor...is huge.

I didn't do anything wrong biblically. I did nothing wrong before God. Like Peter, I was publicly called out. The action of the evil pastor wasn't for correction, it was simply hateful. Nothing more.

There was no opportunity to fix it.

That, is the action of a goat.

This is what God says is the difference.

Faith is shown by what we do. Likewise, a lack of faith is also shown by what we do.

Now, this poses another question...what about those "friends" of mine who where aware of this yet said nothing?

Yeah, I've got no answer on that one...yet.

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