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Thursday, July 18, 2013 Ego Busting Grace Deuteronomy 9:4-6 New American Standard Bible "Do not say in your heart when the Lord your God has driven them out before you, 'Because of my righteousness the Lord has brought me in to possess this land,' but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is dispossessing them before you. It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land, but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God is driving them out before you, in order to confirm the oath which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. "Know, then, it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people. ___________ God is good. He is leading his people into the Promised Land. The promised land was a good place. Proverbially a land flowing with milk and honey but also a land filled with big bad giants. Giants that had come to the end of their grace period. Giants who would soon be facing the wrath of God. Deuteronomy chapter nine says, "...it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is dispossessing them." So it wasn't because God's people were more deserving. It wasn't because they were more liked by God or because they were on a better spiritual trajectory due to their deep and unwavering love of God their rescuer. I've meet lots of nice Christians who would not like to bring up the past sins of another person. And to avoid the unpleasantness of past sin they spiritualize their reasons for politely refraining from looking back. "You know forgiveness remembers our sins no more. they are removed as far as the east is from the west." In the name of Christian love we treat people as if they are righteous, have been righteous, and will continue to be righteous. We all feel much better in this very righteous environment. I suppose many churches today would take issue with the Apostle Paul's, little list in first Corinthians and then the blunt and rather rude statement, "such were some of you." For the most part God is not like that! God is plain talk'n! " God says here in Deuteronomy chapter nine, "Know, then, it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people." And it is not left just there. Then God rehearses for them the highpoints of their low points and his anger with their rebellious stubborn hearts. It isn't just to rub their noses in their sin either that God says these things. It is God's good grace that warns them. Nice Christians in nice churches might very generally acknowledge we were sinners in the past. But it is a major faux pas to use the past to predict the trajectory of the future. Isn't it judgemental to suggest that because you have a track record of stubbornness and rebelliousness that you might be stubborn or rebellious in the future. I mean let by gones be by gone , keep no record of wrongs and emphasis who we are as God's chosen people. We live in the greatest country in the world. God blesses us. We were chosen! We're special! That's not the way God plays it with his people here in Deuteronomy nine, nor in most of the bible. God calls a spade a spade. God graciously warns his people that they are not getting into the promised land on merit! They are not more righteous than the other nations. They do not have a good track record and they are most likely prone to pride and sin. There I've said it! I have suggested as God does that you are likely to sin! You are likely to think too highly of yourself. You are prone to thinking you've earn the grace of God! God's good grace gives and warns. Don't go thinking you have been saved because you are clever, obedient, pretty good, not a murderer, or a child molester. There is every chance that God will save them. As God give you a