"Biblical Mulligan?"

Before I get to the point of my post today I want to encourage those readers that don't attend HBC to go to our sermon page and listen to Matt Wiggins' message from a couple of weeks ago. You can access that sermon by clicking "here."

When I returned from GA I brought with me a horrible case of Bronchitis and Matt graciously filled in for me with very little notice. When I later took an opportunity to listen to the sermon, titled STAND, I realized that it was indeed what I needed at that very moment and, no doubt, what our people needed that day. I believe you will be greatly challenged and encouraged by listening...then go and do what God's word says - STAND.

Now, to the mulligan. If you are a golfer, you know exactly what a mulligan is. For those non-golfers, still living in their sin, let me explain. A mulligan is, simply, a "free do-over." Someone, somewhere in the world came up with this wonderful little device that allows a novice golfer to erase a bad shot and get a free do-over from the same spot. Depending on whom you're playing with, you may or may not be allowed any mulligans. Generally, the better the player the fewer the mulligans they want to allow during a round. Or they can get really spiritual and say things like "I don't use mulligans but you feel free to use as many as you like." What they're really saying is "I'm much better than you are but I want you to have fun." But I digress... My point is that a mulligan, in golf, is a chance to take another shot and forget the first one ever happened.

When I was sick last, I got off my planned preaching schedule. Because I didn't want to have to adjust several weeks I decided to address Joshua 8 here on the blog. In Joshua 7 we saw that Israel made a very bad "shot" at the city of Ai. Sin was in the camp which caused Israel's aim to be way off the mark. God had removed his hand from them and they suffered a great defeat. God revealed their sin and instructed them to remove it from the camp, which they did. Once the sin was dealt with, God was again ready to fight for Israel. Chapter 8 takes us right back to where Israel was before chapter 7 - facing Ai. You can read the chapter for yourself but I'll let the cat out of the bag by saying that God did, indeed, give Israel a great victory over Ai. My question is this, "Was Joshua 8 a "Biblical Mulligan?" Was this God granting Israel a free do-over? I don't think so and I'll explain why.

When I'm playing golf with "good friends" that allow mulligans, the bad shot never makes it to the score card. It never happened. No one ever knows about the first shot that went into the woods or across the street or into the the fairway of the next hole or that never made it off the tee box. That's the beauty of a mulligan - the bad shot never happened. This is not the case with God and His dealings with His children. Chapter 8 is not a mulligan. Chapter 7 happened. Thirty-six funerals occurred. One man and his children and all he owned were stoned and burned because of sin. Israels defeat was entered onto the score card of God's word. It's there to remind readers of the severity, effects and consequences of sin. Chapter 8 is not a mulligan. It is, however, a picture of the grace of God. Chapter 8 is Israel having a chance to do the right thing the right way but it's not a mulligan. Now don't take this thought to the extreme or misunderstand and think that God doesn't really forgive because He does. When God forgives, He truly forgives. When God forgives, He doesn't hold our sin on display or beat us over the head with it. God forgives - don't ever forget that. God forgave Israel and He honored their obedience in dealing with the sin in the camp. But every time they passed by that way they had to see the grave stones of those killed in defeat and the big pile of stones that covered Achan. We must not ever presume upon the forgiveness of God. We must never think that God's forgiveness allows us to intentionally take risky or bad shots in our Christian walk.

If I know I have a mulligan to use in a round of golf I will likely take a risky shot because I know I have a free do-over. I think a lot of Christians live that way. They love the fact that God is long-suffering, forgiving and merciful and they're willing to take bad shots because they believe God is a God of the mulligan. Don't deceive yourself friend. You take a bad shot and it will cost you. It might even cost you more than you were wanting to pay. Bad shots make it to the score card and they can leave big scars; scars that you will see every time you look in the mirror. The truth is you don't have any mulligans. You don't have any free do-overs. You do have a gracious God that loves you and wants you to avoid the consequences that accompany sin. And you do have a God who is merciful and forgiving and will pick you up when you mess up in a royal fashion. You have a God that will walk with you down the path a second or third or forth time, as many as it takes for you to learn what it is He's trying to teach you. But God's not giving out any mulligans. There is no free do-overs. They all cost. They all ultimately cost the blood of God the Son. So line up straight. Keep your eye on the ball. Don't try to kill it. Keep your shoulders square. Keep your feet still. Rotate your hips. Let the club do the work... See you Sunday.