Put on your armor - Stand in grace

Mason - Dixon Line - Where you stand, determines what rules you live by

Setting such border markers is not a problem limited to foreign lands in antiquity, however. The American Colonies provide a much more recent and close-to-home example. Between 1632 and 1681, three different British kings (Charles I, Charles II, and James II) issued three conflicting land grants to Cecil Calvert (Second Lord Baltimore) and William Penn involving the lands that would become Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

Drawing a consolidated border was deemed near impossible, as it would not be straight, but include arcs, tangents, and even a transpeninsular bisecting line. Border conflicts grew steadily worse until another British monarch—King George III—demanded in 1760 that the parties resolve the dispute. Accordingly, the Penn and Calvert families (William Penn had died in 1718, Cecil Calvert in 1675) hired two expert British astronomer-surveyors. It would take them almost six years and was only possible due to cutting-edge equipment.

The task required inventing a new methodology (NOTE 4) that included astronomical sightings, often requiring waiting out epic rainstorms in tents. Also, to be able to sight down their lines, they had to cut a 30-foot-wide swath the entire 233-mile length. (NOTE 5)

The two left about three hundred stone markers along their surveyed lines. (NOTE 6) Most marker stones contained a “P” on the side towards Pennsylvania, while the opposite side had an “M” for Maryland. Every fifth mile, a larger “crownstone” was placed with the Penn family coat of arms one side and the Calvert family coat of arms on the other.

The surveyors were Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, and the border would become known as “The Mason-Dixon Line.” It has been called a technical achievement akin to the Moon landings. (NOTE 9) Despite being resurveyed several times with steadily improved equipment including satellites and GPS, the legal border remains the straight lines between where the 18th Century surveyor pair placed their stones.

What is he not covering? How to fight the flesh. How to be wise and not foolish. How to fight off legalism.

Armor -Where are you afraid of being a failure? Of being ashamed and defeated?

Being a pastor at funerals. Being a parent in the store. “I want a shot.” Being a parent of teenagers.

Speaking from where I am...

“Great is the Diana of the Ephesians.”

Chosen Truth

Adopted Righteousness

Redeemed Readiness

Knowledge of History pointing to Christ Faith

Inheritance Salvation

Sealed with Spirit Word of God from the Spirit

Stand ...in Grace

Big Idea: We can stand in the grace God has provided and speak from that grace as we pray thankfully and trustingly to the God who has given us His grace.

Vision - a Place of Grace

Stand - Trusting what you possess

Shame says you will never… Get chosen and be wanted, be loved and cared for, make up for your mistakes, know what’s going on and that things will work out in Christ, have a future worth working toward, be secure in who you are

Devil tries to get you out of the space of grace and into the space of shame… so that you act and speak out of that space… Doing and saying things to be wanted that actually hurt you and others, doing things you shouldn’t do just to feel cared for, running away from your mistakes or others’ mistakes, always lashing out when people when they threaten your understanding of what’s going on, quitting on your future because it doesn’t seem worth it or controlling your future as much as possible, never knowing who you are unless you can get everything you want or feel

Truth - there is objective truth about who you are, who God is, and what the world is like. It’s not all power plays because God keeps His promises. It’s also not my truth so I can stay curious about what I don’t know rather than threatened by it. Grace provides truth not based on your performances but based on who God is and His promises.

Uncertainty is not a place of shame but reminder of grace.

Righteousness - God provided righteousness to you in Christ and therefore you desire to do good in situations even when you aren’t sure what that is. Grace provides the space for this because it’s not based on your ability to get it perfect but your acknowledgement that God has provided a way. His plan will unfold and we can rest and do what good we can.

Limitations of grace vs “You’re not enough”

Readiness - Not a readiness to share the Gospel as much as a readiness to meet what happens with grace because we have a gospel of peace that can handle every division. I can meet new and different people and welcome them not because I have it all figured out or am so charismatic but because God has provided a place of peace and I am in that place. I’m not longer striving to stay in the Christian “bubble” but willing to interact with messy situations in love because I have God’s peace.

Racism

Prayer thanking God

Speak examples

Stand - Believing in what God has done and will do

Faith - God is for me and not against me. Regardless of what I fear people think or what anxieties I have about the future. God is still going to accomplish what He has promised. The fiery darts of shame that burn and would seek to destroy have no power if I know God is at work and He loves me and will be for me. Fear and shame’s predictive power are false lies rather than true prophecies. You will have to stand where you can’t see what’s going on and how it’s all going to work out, but you know God is for you.

Parenting/ Children

Salvation - God will save me. My inheritance is secure. His work while not complete has effective and enduring power. My redemption is complete. I can stand in grace because even my mistakes are conquered by His salvation. I don’t need to flee but can know His work will stand rather than mine. God will also save the world. He is not done with the world. It will not remain the way it is.

Injustices

Christ’s temptation

Word of God - The Spirit uses the Word to help me to see, believe and speak these truths and actions. I do not have this on my own authority. The Spirit convicts me of the truth, helps me know it is mine, and enables me to walk in it. He uses the Word of God to do all of these things. We have this grace - God’s revealed Word so that we might know Him and be assured of His promises.

Christ’s temptation

Praying asking God for faith and for the Spirit to continue to work in us

Speaking out of this space of grace

We can stand in the grace God has provided and speak from that grace as we pray thankfully and trustingly to the God who has given us His grace.

Will you embrace the grace you have received? Will you remind yourself of your blessings? Sing of God’s mercies? Delight in His church - the family of grace? Submit to one another because of His grace?

Will you remember this will be an ongoing wrestling match? Will you set up rhythms and patterns of life that help you stand in grace rather than manage and mitigate shame?