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This one snuck up on me. The discovery that this new life in me wants to do right. I’m not a bad person who believes in a good God. I’m a new person now fused with God. And that new me wants to obey this God from this new heart of love. For years I feared that wouldn’t be enough. I was still carrying enough dark and erratic thoughts to convince me that my heart could not be trusted. I bought that lie all through seminary and into the first few years of preaching. 

I loved God, and probably thought that meant I shouldn’t trust me if I wanted to be pleasing to him. I, like millions of others, thought that statement in the Old Testament about my heart being wicked and not trustworthy was true about me. It’s not. Not at all. The result of the Cross and Resurrection were this powerful: I have a good and noble and trustworthy heart, and I am maturing into these new clothes! Not only do I not want to do the bad, I also want to do the right. In the past, with that dead, moralistic theology of shame, I never gave myself a chance to hunger or thirst. I always supplied some artificial band-aid to get me back, even though my heart had not been given a chance to respond from its new life. It was devastating to discover my own safeguards and techniques were actually keeping me from getting a chance to do right.

 I’m not sure there is a more life-giving revelation for a believer than discovering I actually want to live for Christ, instead of secretly imagining I must resent myself for not wanting to. As long as you see you as a bad person trusting a good God you will surround yourself with teachers and writers who will compel you to promise, care more, care more about caring more, sell out, give it all up, blah, blah, blah. We were made for so much more. It’s an absolute revelation.

Posted on Tue, October 2, 2012 by John Lynch

11 comments (Add your own)

1. Alex wrote:
Yeah for the good heart! Yeah to God for transforming my heart!

Tue, October 2, 2012 @ 11:23 AM

2. Rebekah Grace wrote:
Dude (she said with respect and passion in her voice).....you've really got to stop hangin' out in my head!

"I loved God, and probably thought that meant I shouldn’t trust me if I wanted to be pleasing to him"

John, do you know how often you've written something that I knew but never put words to (and for me, that's saying' something. You'd have to know me to know how well I express my emotions and pin-point where they come from). This is so true for me. I'm the rebel black sheep who is defiant and only looking to be so - ahhhh yes - how can THAT be trusted?? "Because you've been fused with God," he says.

I'm anxiously awaiting the book - even if this doesn't "make it" in, other profound truths will and I'll gobble them up!

Tue, October 2, 2012 @ 11:38 AM

3. Hayes Conner wrote:
I am assuming that you're drawing a drastic distinction between my new heart and my old flesh..I continue within that new heart too long for obedience to God and righteousness, but sense near futility when it comes to the notion of a portion of me ever being regenerated on earth. He loves and accepts me in spite of this reality, for which I'm eternally grateful. I'm simply puzzled on the notion of how "trustable" I am when I realize what I'm capable of.

Tue, October 2, 2012 @ 11:54 AM

4. Dave Dravecky wrote:
John I love it! If we don't know who we really are we will never truly understand the original good news! Thank you for that reminder!

Tue, October 2, 2012 @ 12:28 PM

5. John Lynch wrote:
Rebekah-I say it alot but I probably mean it more with you: I'd try to write this thing if for only you alone. Thank you so much for walking this journey with me. Your insights, struggles, and new life pouring through give me so much hope, encouragement and joy! Thank you my friend. John

Tue, October 2, 2012 @ 12:33 PM

6. John Lynch wrote:
Thank you Dave! Do you have any idea how strong it is to be carrying these truths and know that you're doing the exact same? Real strong.

Tue, October 2, 2012 @ 12:35 PM

7. kathy wrote:
John--a friend of mine pointed me to your "two roads" video on youtube about four months ago. I fell apart watching it, the pull of God's goodness was so strong. I desperately wanted to believe that God's Glrace was as all-encompassing as you ssid, but didn't know if I could bring myself to believe it because of this very concept... how could i possibly be made THIS new if i had so much darkness naturally inside? But i'm finally beginning to actually believe it. "I never gave myself a chance to hunger or thirst." I can feel the love and goodness of God germinating in my heart with that one phrase, just /waiting/ to bear fruit. Thank you, sir, for reminding me that i really have been made new.

Thu, October 4, 2012 @ 8:27 AM

8. John Lynch wrote:
Kathy-How utterly encouraging to read this! You're doing it my friend. We'll be right here, along with thousands of others who are risking the same. John

Fri, October 5, 2012 @ 7:37 AM

9. Dan wrote:
John, Last year a friend sent me the "two roads" video and it affected me in a very profound and most positive way - I truly will never be the same. Hard to explain it. Since then I have been reading / listening to almost everything Open Door and TrueFaced has out there - podcasts, Bos Cafe, Truefaced, Cure, etc. I read, listen, think about it and talk about it with my friend. Each time, I get a little more out of this message. It's been a life changing trip so far. Recently, when I talk to God and even when I am not, I sometimes have this real feeling of Love inside me. It is so real. I have to believe it is Christ inside me. Its like the feeling one gets when they fall in Love but probably different - don't know - can't explain it - its like a glow. I want to talk to more people about it, so I am looking for a church or study group in my area where I can build more relationships with others that may be taking this same road.. Anyway, thanks for all you do. Kind Regards, Dan

Sat, October 6, 2012 @ 12:09 PM

10. Tim Gifford wrote:
good stuff :) (once again :)

Mon, October 8, 2012 @ 5:01 PM

11. Ron Lindblom wrote:
John, keep discovering and passing on those revelations. God has made you so beautiful in how you see things that open up others eyes to what God wants them to see. Thank you brother!

Tue, October 9, 2012 @ 7:23 AM

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