All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His design and purpose. Rom 8:28

A word is a word, is a word… Or is it? If I share the word “arithmetic,” for example, the math-bent folks are more likely to lean forward and pay attention while some of the rest of us may want to count ceiling tiles or even worse—run in a panic. The personal perception of the word and what we do with it becomes more critical sometimes than the word itself. In today’s message, may we lead our forward leaners, tile counters, and potential panic attackers to a common answer of encouraging correction; a place where we all can benefit.

Please bear with me through a brief, painless, and surface introduction. One of the unique functions of arithmetic is in multiplication. For example if we multiply 1 x 2 it equals 2. If, however, we multiply -1 x 2 it equals -2. So any positive number multiplied by a positive number produces a positive answer. Any positive number multiplied by a negative number produces a negative answer. Whew!! In faith, I believe none of us got lost. Now let’s graduate together to an even better result…

On a more critical and practical level, this process applied to our thinking can be devastating no matter how you regard the word “arithmetic.” There are times when we behave in a decent pattern (say 100 times) and we make a mistake or blatantly sin one time. The spiritual arithmetic or religious spirit in us leaps in counterfeit joy with the claim that everything about us is therefore negative (100 x-1). As a result, we can get depressed, shrivel up in guilt and self condemnation, or go down in defeat. But God!!

A. W. Tozer said, “No matter how we may argue, true holiness and spiritual power are not qualities that can be once received and thereafter forgotten, as one might wind a clock or take a vitamin pill. Every advance in the spiritual life must be made against the determined resistance of the world, the flesh, and the devil!” We must remember, we may be morally negative on occasion, but we are never a negative as far as our loving Creator is concerned.

Our God is a forgiving God. By His grace and mercy, no matter what knucklehead things we may do, if we honestly repent of our negative behavior, He will put the eraser of forgiveness to our miscalculated act. (1 John 1:9). He comes to bring abundant life, not to steal, kill or destroy us. (John 10:10). Our eternal Father says there is no condemnation to those who walk after Him in Spirit and not in our flesh. In Him, we are free from sin and the ultimate negative—separation from Him or death (Rom 8:1-2).

So family and friends, whether you are an arithmetic whiz or not, welcome to its Spiritual counterpart; one with a positive answer, no matter how negative we may be or have been. According to God’s promise, if we have a loving relationship with Him, He is working out our problems His way for our good. After all, He is not merely a word. He is the Word who goes by the awesome name of Jesus Christ!

John 1:1-14; Jer 29:11

Editor’s Note: Thank God that when we fall, we can get up again and pick up AT THE SAME POINT where we fell. The enemy likes us to think that we are in a spiritual game of Chutes & Ladders where when you fall, you slide all the way down to the beginning (and that all of your good choices = 0). If that were the case, none of us would ever make any progress. PRAISE THE MIGHTY KING! He has turned our minuses into pluses!!