“Imagine how much a man’s life would be changed if he trusted that he was loved by God?  He could interact with the poor and not show partiality, he could love his wife easily and not expect her to redeem him, he would be slow to anger because redemption was no longer at stake, he could be wise and giving with his money because money no longer represented points, he could give up on formulaic religion, knowing that checking stuff off a spiritual to-do list was a worthless pursuit, he would have confidence and the ability to laugh at himself, and he could love people without expecting anything in return.  It would be quite beautiful really.

Do you know what King David did one time when he was worshiping God?  He took off all his clothes and danced around in the street.  Everybody was watching him and he didn’t care.  His poor wife was completely embarrassed, but David didn’t worry, he didn’t care what anybody thought about him; he just took off his clothes before God and danced.

Don’t get me wrong, I have no intention of taking off my clothes on Sunday morning at church.  I bring this up only to say there is a certain freedom in getting our feelings of redemption from God and not other people.  This is what we have always wanted, isn’t it?  And it isn’t the American dream at all, it is the human dream, the deepest desire of our hearts.

I would imagine, then, that the repentance we are called to is about choosing one audience over another.  Jesus says many times in the gospel that He knows the heart of man, and the heart of man does not have the power to give glory.  I think Jesus is saying, Look, you guys are running around like monkeys trying to get people to clap, but people are fallen, they are separated from God, so they have no idea what is good or bad, worthy to be judged or set free, beautiful or ugly to begin with.  Why not get your glory  from God?  Why not accept your feelings of redemption because of His pleasure in you, not the fickle and empty favor of man?  And only then will you know who you are, and only then will you have true, uninhibited relationships with others.”