Elyse Fitzpatrick at Liberate Conference

Elyse Fitzpatrick was one of my favorite speakers at Liberate 2014.  And when I went to post my notes following her talk, my iPad crashed.  Anyway, I had to listen to her message again so I could get all of the great wisdom and truth she shared.

She is author of Found In Him. I highly recommend this book to you.  I will be writing a review of the book in a few weeks on the blog.

Here are my notes from her message entitled, "The Fruit of One Way Love":

Are you thirsty for good news?

This One Way Love is free to us, but it was not free for Jesus.  What did it cost Jesus?  He had to leave heaven, he had to be born, he had to learn, he was weak, he suffered like us. He paid for it on the cross.

Why?  We need a perfect representative.  We need someone like us. We need someone to fulfill the Law in our place. 

Jesus came to fulfill all of the Law in our place so that as God's perfect sacrifice, the lamb of God who takes away all my sin can die substitutionary death for us so that the slate is wiped clean. God has no more anger, no more wrath, no more debt, no more judgment, all gone.  

Romans 4-Not just for our justification but also just as if I have always obeyed.  

Do our children think Christianity is good news?

If the gospel doesn't hold the center of your life (what defines you, what motivates you), it will be something else (politics, gender roles, etc.)

Our brains just leak gospel.  What is easiest goes into our brain and it is the Law. We must take ourselves back to the gospel over and over and over and over again. 

Fruits of One Way Love

• Transparency-I am up to here with people who think they have it all together and are perfect. The only place Law goes is pride or despair. It either comes as law light or law heavy.  I want to be transparent.  I am a mess.  I am a sinner. I want to validate myself and not trust in Christ's righteousness. I am willing to stop pretending.  I am broken. He loves me. There are three kinds of people in the world represented at Golgotha: one of them is angry, one of them desires mercy and asks Jesus to remember him, and Jesus-He wasn't afraid of nails or lashes, but instead of wrath and sin that was to come upon him. 
• Laughter-Here's God's joke-he chose you. He looks at us and says you are my treasured possession. We need to capture that laughter again. Say to someone beside you, "I don't have my act together." One day we will attend the best party ever in heaven.  Come in for free or don't come in at all.  I'm with Jesus. Laugh at yourself.
• Rest-The more trust the gospel, the more you trust Christ has fulfilled the Law in your place, the more you will be able to rest. You can't do it.  Someone else has to do it for you.

God is not disappointed in you! Jesus is singing and we are running around trying to get it together. 

Hear her benediction from Zephaniah 3:14-17

Sing, Daughter Zion;
    shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
    Daughter Jerusalem!
¹⁵ The Lord has taken away your punishment,
    he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;
    never again will you fear any harm.
¹⁶ On that day
    they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
    do not let your hands hang limp.
¹⁷ The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”

More guilt does not result in more obedience. It hasn't worked before.

Here's the good news: you are forgiven, you are righteous, the Lord has taken away the judgments against you, He rejoices over you with gladness, He has promised to bless and keep you, He will be gracious to you, He sees you, He is watching over you, He is rejoicing, Go in peace, and smile.