Lone Wolves

 Rizzo ~ "Mike Eruzione...Winthrop Massachusetts!" 

Herb ~ "Who do you play for?"

Rizzo ~ "I play for....the United States of America!"

Herb ~ "That's all gentleman" 

The boys of this U.S. Olympic hockey team had just been through over two hours of grueling end to end ice skating drills.  Up until this point, many of the players were more concerned with personal statistics than becoming a team which could compete against the worlds best.  They were, as their coach Herb Brooks told them, a bunch of lone wolves.  Brooks preached that individuals would not win in the Olympics, yet up until this point his words had not been heeded by his players.  In fact, the reason they were in their current predicament was because of a lackluster effort against a team they should have beaten easily.  For coach Brooks, it was the last straw.  Lone wolves would not win games.  His team would not be a team of individuals.  As his players stood on the line waiting for Brooks to send them once again, team captain Mike Eruzione told Herb Brooks what he had been waiting so long to hear.  His team was finally a United States team.  A few months later, playing as that team, his players defeated the best team in the world in what was best described as a miracle.  At the conclusion of the 1980 winter Olympics, Herb Brooks' boys stood on the winners podium with their gold medals.  Not as individuals, but as a team.  As Herb Brooks preached to his team, individuals do not win in team sports.  The same could also be said for Christianity.  Those who believe in Jesus are not alone but part of a larger family whose head is Jesus {Colossians 1:18}.  Yet far too many believers go through life living a lie.  They have bought into the lie the accuser spoke to Eve in the garden.  Satan had assured Eve that when she took of the fruit which the Lord had commanded her not to eat that she would be "like God" {Genesis 3:4-6}.  This, of course, was a lie.  But Eve could not have known that, having been created in the Lords image, that she was ALREADY like God {Genesis 1:27}.  Even so, Satan convinced Adam and Eve to buy in to his lie.  This is the very same lie of the accuser that Christians continue to live today.  Many believers have been taught that they are somehow separated from God who created them.  This lie is often perpetuated by the theology of the mainstream church.  

There is no independent, self - operating self in the universe, except the One who calls Himself the I AM {Ex 3:14} and says, "I am the Lord and there is none else, there is no God beside Me"{Isa 45:5}. 

Norman Grubb, No Independent Self

Just as coach Brooks' players were under the false belief that a team of individual stars could win, many well meaning believers mistakenly believe the Christian life they live is the desire of the Lord.  They struggle and strive, believing that in the end their efforts will bring them closer to God.  But they are living a lie.  The lie being that we, by our own efforts, will be deemed "good enough" to share eternity with God.  However, the apostle Paul spoke against this way of thinking in Ephesians when he said that it is the grace of God which saves us and not our own efforts {Ephesians 2:8-9}.  Therefore, believing that we must do better, pray more and give more is only believing in the lie of the accuser.  This has never been the desire of the Lord.  What HAS been the desire of God is that His children would be one with Him {John 17:21}.  God did not provide His Son as a sacrifice that we would continue in our struggle to be good enough for Him.  Paul again spoke to the reality of who we are in Galatians.  It is Christ Jesus who lives in us {Galatians 2:20}.  We are not a collection of struggling, striving lone wolves, but one family in the Father.  Knowing this truth will change your life.  You were not meant to strive for the Fathers love and acceptance.  We were never meant to live apart from Him.  We are one in Him.  

For in grace, through faith, are you saved, and this is not out of you; it is Gods approach present, not of works, lest anyone should be boasting. 

Ephesians 2: 8-9, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~