We have fallen into a trap in our modern age; we actually believe that it is easy to enter into eternity with Jesus. This seems strange considering the number of warnings Jesus gave about making every effort to enter in. Me saying this might seem strange, being a guy who preaches salvation by grace not works, but it does not mean that works is not important.
Jesus stated that those who believe will be saved. That has never changed. But he also stated that we must love God with all our heart, all our mind, all our soul and all our strength. This is what it means to believe. Father never wants to take second place in your heart but instead your heart must be consumed with him. Jesus also stated that his followers must deny themselves, take up their cross daily and live like he has lived. This is a must, not an "if you feel like it". So belief is more than a mental exercise, it is an all consuming thing.
We need to be careful to not allow the popular preaching and the easy teaching of this age to move us from the narrow way to the broad way. The easy going attitude in the Church is accommodating those who are Christian in name only, who are quite comfortable in living by the philosophies of this world. You cannot serve two masters, Jesus warned. You will love one and hate the other. For many Christians, if push came to shove, they would gladly drop Jesus and take up the world, since that is the thing with which they are most comfortable.
In the Bible we find an incident where the various leadership were trying to trap Jesus. When the Sadducees took a turn they tried to trap him concerning the Resurrection. They did not believe in the Resurrection. They had no idea they were talking to the Resurrection. In Jesus' correcting their outlook he said something most of us glaze over:
"People who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy to participate in that age, that is, in the age of the resurrection from the dead, won't marry nor will they be given in marriage." (Luke 20:34-35)
Did you catch it? "Those who are considered worthy to participate in that age." Considered worthy. What makes us worthy? We aren't worthy of anything from Yahweh, considering we have all fallen short of his glory. Yet, to those who believe according to Yahweh's grace, we are deemed to be worthy. But that belief is qualified by the rest of Jesus' teaching, that this belief must cost us everything that we were. Paul, the apostle, stated that he considered everything he was and achieved before he encountered Jesus to be lost, because it is only what he has done through Jesus that is of any eternal good.
Is that where we are in our belief? Has our belief in Jesus, our trust in him, replaced everything that we considered to have had any worth? Is our life, our thinking and our actions shaped by our relationship with Jesus Christ. Is our love for him far superior to our love for anyone or anything else? Are we completely sold out as a follower of Jesus, because that is what Jesus was referring to when he said "whoever believes will be saved". You may find it harder than it looks but take courage, Jesus said it would be hard.
Showing posts with label works. Show all posts
Showing posts with label works. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
And Whatever You Do ...
It's funny how scripture evolves as we experience more of God. It isn't really that scripture evolves as much as it is our growing in the revelation of God's Word. It starts off as baby food to us as we learn to digest it and put it into action. As we go along the Spirit takes us to deeper places as our digestive system matures. At first we take small scripture verses in isolation but as we mature we put those scriptures in the context of the whole Bible. Here's an example:
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)
I used to think this was telling me that whatever I decide to do I needed to do it in the name of the Lord. It gave me a sense that I get to choose my own course, as long as I ask God's blessing and dedicate it to Jesus. That is what it looked like to me in isolation. However, as I began to put it into context with the rest of the Bible I began to see it differently.
How can we be dead to ourself and still get to choose our own course? How can the Word say that we no longer belong to ourselves because we have been bought at a great price and yet we get to decide our future? How can Jesus say, "Come, follow me" and we get to decide the direction? Jesus hasn't come alive in me, I have been raised to life in him. I am not asking Jesus to come walk with me, I am accepting the invitation to go and walk with him. I am not inviting God into my life, he is inviting me into his.
On the flip side, it is possible to follow Jesus but then profit from it for ourselves. We can take his direction and make it about us instead of about his glory. We can be alive in him and still make it about us. He can give us very precise instructions and we can hi-jack those plans. This is the reason the Spirit prompted Paul to write, whatever you do, do it in the name of Jesus. Whatever you have been called to, do not do it in your strength or authority but in the authority of Jesus.
Listen, you have great ideas and plans and I am sure it will turn out great, but it would be incredible if they are done in the authority of Jesus and not your own. Yes, with a lot of hard work you could feed 5,000 but Jesus did it with a prayer. There is the difference. You can do a lot in your own strength but it can't compare with what you can do in Jesus' strength. You can accomplish a lot in your own ability but it is nothing compared to the glory of doing it in God's infinite ability and authority.
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)
I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)
So read and understand well the whole counsel of the Word. It is not about us, our ideas, abilities or talents. It is all about Jesus, his power, authority and glory. He calls us and equips us to represent him in this place. Our name goes on nothing. We do not receive the applause. We take credit for none of it because it was Jesus' in the beginning, middle and end. And that is the truth of the matter.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)
I used to think this was telling me that whatever I decide to do I needed to do it in the name of the Lord. It gave me a sense that I get to choose my own course, as long as I ask God's blessing and dedicate it to Jesus. That is what it looked like to me in isolation. However, as I began to put it into context with the rest of the Bible I began to see it differently.
How can we be dead to ourself and still get to choose our own course? How can the Word say that we no longer belong to ourselves because we have been bought at a great price and yet we get to decide our future? How can Jesus say, "Come, follow me" and we get to decide the direction? Jesus hasn't come alive in me, I have been raised to life in him. I am not asking Jesus to come walk with me, I am accepting the invitation to go and walk with him. I am not inviting God into my life, he is inviting me into his.
On the flip side, it is possible to follow Jesus but then profit from it for ourselves. We can take his direction and make it about us instead of about his glory. We can be alive in him and still make it about us. He can give us very precise instructions and we can hi-jack those plans. This is the reason the Spirit prompted Paul to write, whatever you do, do it in the name of Jesus. Whatever you have been called to, do not do it in your strength or authority but in the authority of Jesus.
Listen, you have great ideas and plans and I am sure it will turn out great, but it would be incredible if they are done in the authority of Jesus and not your own. Yes, with a lot of hard work you could feed 5,000 but Jesus did it with a prayer. There is the difference. You can do a lot in your own strength but it can't compare with what you can do in Jesus' strength. You can accomplish a lot in your own ability but it is nothing compared to the glory of doing it in God's infinite ability and authority.
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)
I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)
So read and understand well the whole counsel of the Word. It is not about us, our ideas, abilities or talents. It is all about Jesus, his power, authority and glory. He calls us and equips us to represent him in this place. Our name goes on nothing. We do not receive the applause. We take credit for none of it because it was Jesus' in the beginning, middle and end. And that is the truth of the matter.
Monday, September 17, 2012
A Bunch Of Do Gooders
A couple of days ago I wrote concerning the tension between grace/faith and works. We created that tension. It shouldn't exist. It didn't exist for apostle Paul. He is the one who had the great revelation of the gospel of grace. He was the promoter and defender of this revelation. Yet, he was able to speak of grace and works in the same breath.
Of course I am not speaking of earning our salvation and I wrote very clearly about this a couple of days ago. Our salvation is by God's grace alone. This grace is by faith and even this faith God gives to us. If you missed this then go back and read it before we progress.
Re-read the passage for me and take note of how easily Paul speaks of grace and works together:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Salvation by grace not by works and yet we have been created in Christ Jesus to do good works. This is the part that concerns me. Everyone is so hyper sensitive about making sure that the world understands we can't earn our salvation that we back away from the good works. But we can't back away because God has prepared these good works for us in advance.
We have not been saved and left here to become philosophisers but doers. We are not "doing" for our salvation, to get in good with God, but in obedience to the love he has drowned us in. We do not "do" to have a relationship with Jesus but because of the relationship with Jesus. The "created" part comes first followed by the good works. If we get it backwards we are in trouble, but this does not mean we back away from it. We just need to make sure we have it in the right order. Now note a couple of things here.
First, we are God's workmanship. We are the result of his fine work. He did all of this, not us. We could not provide even the faith that was required. When I came to Jesus it was a result of a brief moment when God flooded me with faith to see and believe. All I did was accept the truth, fall on my face in repentance, and receive what was being offered to me. The moment before I had no faith and could not see. One hundred percent of my salvation belongs to God and I am here today as a result of his work.
The second thing to note is that we have been created in Jesus. I think we sometimes forget that the old us has passed away. We died and have been raised in Jesus. We died and became a new creation. We have been created in Jesus for God's purpose. We do not belong to ourself and every selfish notion that we have is foreign to what God created us to be. Let go of what you were and embrace what God has created.
Now he has not created you to sit around. You have been created to do good works. Not just any good works but the good works he has prepared in advance for you to do. How do you know what they are? Easy, they are whatever he brings to your attention. If you see the struggling mom on the bus then he has given you the job of helping her. If you notice the overgrown lawn of your neighbour then he has given you the task of lending a hand. If someone's financial need is brought to your attention then you are the one tagged to do something about it. If you know of a neighbour who is gravely ill you are to go to them and pray healing. If you come across someone possessed by the spirit of drugs then it is you who must cast out that demon.
He equips us for these good works. He will give you back whatever energy you need to put into it. Whatever time is used he will make sure is blessed. Whatever resources you need to use he will replenish. Never think that you can out give God. It is his plan to glorify himself through you, through the good works he has planned in advance for you to do. Don't be shy about it, rise up and take your place. It is your purpose.
We are a bunch of "do gooders" and we should be happy for it. Doing good, not for our salvation but in obedience to love. Jesus told us that we have freely received so we must freely give. As we have been loved we must also love. As we have been forgiven we must also forgive. Let's be that Army of love, do the good works we have been given to do, allow God to be glorified through us, and watch as the Spirit convicts the hearts of people through our actions.
Of course I am not speaking of earning our salvation and I wrote very clearly about this a couple of days ago. Our salvation is by God's grace alone. This grace is by faith and even this faith God gives to us. If you missed this then go back and read it before we progress.
Re-read the passage for me and take note of how easily Paul speaks of grace and works together:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Salvation by grace not by works and yet we have been created in Christ Jesus to do good works. This is the part that concerns me. Everyone is so hyper sensitive about making sure that the world understands we can't earn our salvation that we back away from the good works. But we can't back away because God has prepared these good works for us in advance.
We have not been saved and left here to become philosophisers but doers. We are not "doing" for our salvation, to get in good with God, but in obedience to the love he has drowned us in. We do not "do" to have a relationship with Jesus but because of the relationship with Jesus. The "created" part comes first followed by the good works. If we get it backwards we are in trouble, but this does not mean we back away from it. We just need to make sure we have it in the right order. Now note a couple of things here.
First, we are God's workmanship. We are the result of his fine work. He did all of this, not us. We could not provide even the faith that was required. When I came to Jesus it was a result of a brief moment when God flooded me with faith to see and believe. All I did was accept the truth, fall on my face in repentance, and receive what was being offered to me. The moment before I had no faith and could not see. One hundred percent of my salvation belongs to God and I am here today as a result of his work.
The second thing to note is that we have been created in Jesus. I think we sometimes forget that the old us has passed away. We died and have been raised in Jesus. We died and became a new creation. We have been created in Jesus for God's purpose. We do not belong to ourself and every selfish notion that we have is foreign to what God created us to be. Let go of what you were and embrace what God has created.
Now he has not created you to sit around. You have been created to do good works. Not just any good works but the good works he has prepared in advance for you to do. How do you know what they are? Easy, they are whatever he brings to your attention. If you see the struggling mom on the bus then he has given you the job of helping her. If you notice the overgrown lawn of your neighbour then he has given you the task of lending a hand. If someone's financial need is brought to your attention then you are the one tagged to do something about it. If you know of a neighbour who is gravely ill you are to go to them and pray healing. If you come across someone possessed by the spirit of drugs then it is you who must cast out that demon.
He equips us for these good works. He will give you back whatever energy you need to put into it. Whatever time is used he will make sure is blessed. Whatever resources you need to use he will replenish. Never think that you can out give God. It is his plan to glorify himself through you, through the good works he has planned in advance for you to do. Don't be shy about it, rise up and take your place. It is your purpose.
We are a bunch of "do gooders" and we should be happy for it. Doing good, not for our salvation but in obedience to love. Jesus told us that we have freely received so we must freely give. As we have been loved we must also love. As we have been forgiven we must also forgive. Let's be that Army of love, do the good works we have been given to do, allow God to be glorified through us, and watch as the Spirit convicts the hearts of people through our actions.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
We Are So Pathetic God Even Has To Provide The Faith
As soon as you mention "works" associated with the Kingdom there are people who start hyperventilating. There are a great hoard of grace zealots who bounce on anyone who dare mention "works". I am in agreement that we must defend, teach and hold up the cornerstone of apostle Paul's great revelation on grace but we must also recognize that we have been left here to "do". So I want to consider this in two parts.
First, let's consider that apostle Paul was so completely comfortable with grace and works that he could actually mention the two in the same breath:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Let's start with grace.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith."
We have said it before and we will continue to say it: there is nothing you can do to save yourself. The only way to salvation is through Jesus. The only access to the Father is through Jesus. The only method of entering eternal rest is through Jesus. The only path to the blessings of God is through Jesus. And Jesus was a gift. We didn't ask for him. We couldn't imagine him. He was not someone we earned. Jesus was given in love, despite the fact we were the enemies of God.
" - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -"
What is Paul talking about here? What is the gift of God? Grace or faith? Considering that we already know that grace is not from ourselves and that grace by definition must be a gift, Paul can only be talking about faith. Faith is not found in us. Faith is not from us. Faith is a gift of God. We really can't do any of this on our own. There is no good thing in us to earn any favour from God. We can't even muster up enough faith for our salvation. God has done everything for us just as we have to do everything for a new born baby. Let that reality grip you: even faith is a gift from God.
"not by works, so that no one can boast."
We are saved by grace and not by works so no one can boast and God receives all the glory. I don't know about you but I know this fact to the core of my being. From the top of my head to the very inner place of my soul I know that I could never earn any favour from God. I know my former rebellious nature. I still feel it's shadow with every temptation I face. I know every day that it is God who is working out his will in me and I gladly surrender to him. I do this because I know the alternative, the thing from which he saved me, and I do not want to go back there.
I find it amazing that he has even provided me with the faith I need to receive his grace. He really has done everything and we have done nothing. "Not by works" and yet Paul continues, "created in Christ Jesus to do good works", and that is where many people get confused. Having addressed grace and faith today, I want us to consider this thing of "works" tomorrow.
Until then,
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph 1:2)
First, let's consider that apostle Paul was so completely comfortable with grace and works that he could actually mention the two in the same breath:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Let's start with grace.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith."
We have said it before and we will continue to say it: there is nothing you can do to save yourself. The only way to salvation is through Jesus. The only access to the Father is through Jesus. The only method of entering eternal rest is through Jesus. The only path to the blessings of God is through Jesus. And Jesus was a gift. We didn't ask for him. We couldn't imagine him. He was not someone we earned. Jesus was given in love, despite the fact we were the enemies of God.
" - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -"
What is Paul talking about here? What is the gift of God? Grace or faith? Considering that we already know that grace is not from ourselves and that grace by definition must be a gift, Paul can only be talking about faith. Faith is not found in us. Faith is not from us. Faith is a gift of God. We really can't do any of this on our own. There is no good thing in us to earn any favour from God. We can't even muster up enough faith for our salvation. God has done everything for us just as we have to do everything for a new born baby. Let that reality grip you: even faith is a gift from God.
"not by works, so that no one can boast."
We are saved by grace and not by works so no one can boast and God receives all the glory. I don't know about you but I know this fact to the core of my being. From the top of my head to the very inner place of my soul I know that I could never earn any favour from God. I know my former rebellious nature. I still feel it's shadow with every temptation I face. I know every day that it is God who is working out his will in me and I gladly surrender to him. I do this because I know the alternative, the thing from which he saved me, and I do not want to go back there.
I find it amazing that he has even provided me with the faith I need to receive his grace. He really has done everything and we have done nothing. "Not by works" and yet Paul continues, "created in Christ Jesus to do good works", and that is where many people get confused. Having addressed grace and faith today, I want us to consider this thing of "works" tomorrow.
Until then,
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph 1:2)
Friday, September 14, 2012
Glorify Yourself Through Me Today
Part of the reason we aren't getting much done for the Kingdom of God is because we do not realize that we have already received everything God has promised. We have everything we need. We do not have to be concerned about ourselves any more. There should be no focus on us and all focus should be on the work of the Kingdom.
There are those who will tell you that we have no work to do; that it is God who does all the work. They are right that we can't do anything for our salvation and all we can do is cooperate with the Holy Spirit when it comes to our own salvation. However, the instructions in the gospels and epistles are very clear that we have been called to do the work of the Kingdom of God, whatever the Spirit instructs us to do.
There are far too many Christians who just want to sit around and navel gaze, ponder deep thoughts, be romanced by Jesus. I'll give you that there must be a time of romance in every relationship but a husband and wife can ill afford to ignore their other work to sit at a candle light table for two all day. They have house work to do, looking after the children, earning money to put food on the table. The must reserve a time for romance to keep the relationship healthy but it isn't 100% of the time.
We have no idea why but God has called us into a partnership. It is like a father calling his son to his side to join him in his work. Perhaps it is so he can mature us through this work (I believe Ephesians 4 lends itself to this idea). Perhaps it is just because he wants to spend time with us. Whatever the reason, he has called us to join him in his mission to save the world. Through these jars of clay he is glorifying himself for the same reason he glorified himself through Israel, that the whole world would know him.
So realize this, we have received all the promises, we have everything we need, we do not have to beg anything from Jesus because it is already ours. If there is anything you feel you need just ask and it is yours. He has equipped us for the work. Now drink this in and realize where God sees us:
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6-7)
So we are already sitting with Jesus in the heavenly realms. In our body we may be in this place where we are partnered with God in the mission, but in the spirit we are seated in the heavenly realms, in Jesus. We have everything ever promised so we do not have to be concerned with ourselves in order that we can concentrate on others.
We do not work to earn anything from God. We are not joined in this mission to earn brownie points. There is nothing to earn. We work out of love. We work in obedience. We work because we are compelled by the Spirit and by the love of Jesus. It is a pleasure for us to do so. Everything we need we have been given by the grace of God. If we are seated in the heavenly realms with Jesus what more could we want?
Nothing.
So stop filling your days with yourself and trust Jesus. Trust the promises. Trust that you already possess everything and that there is nothing else you need. Then get your eyes off yourself and on to everyone around you. Listen to the Spirit. Do what he tells you to do. Listen to the instructions and watch as our Father glorifies himself to the world through his obedient children. That should be the prayer constantly on our lips, "Father, glorify yourself through me today". Our desire is that the world would see Jesus, not us! Don't make it about you.
There are those who will tell you that we have no work to do; that it is God who does all the work. They are right that we can't do anything for our salvation and all we can do is cooperate with the Holy Spirit when it comes to our own salvation. However, the instructions in the gospels and epistles are very clear that we have been called to do the work of the Kingdom of God, whatever the Spirit instructs us to do.
There are far too many Christians who just want to sit around and navel gaze, ponder deep thoughts, be romanced by Jesus. I'll give you that there must be a time of romance in every relationship but a husband and wife can ill afford to ignore their other work to sit at a candle light table for two all day. They have house work to do, looking after the children, earning money to put food on the table. The must reserve a time for romance to keep the relationship healthy but it isn't 100% of the time.
We have no idea why but God has called us into a partnership. It is like a father calling his son to his side to join him in his work. Perhaps it is so he can mature us through this work (I believe Ephesians 4 lends itself to this idea). Perhaps it is just because he wants to spend time with us. Whatever the reason, he has called us to join him in his mission to save the world. Through these jars of clay he is glorifying himself for the same reason he glorified himself through Israel, that the whole world would know him.
So realize this, we have received all the promises, we have everything we need, we do not have to beg anything from Jesus because it is already ours. If there is anything you feel you need just ask and it is yours. He has equipped us for the work. Now drink this in and realize where God sees us:
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6-7)
So we are already sitting with Jesus in the heavenly realms. In our body we may be in this place where we are partnered with God in the mission, but in the spirit we are seated in the heavenly realms, in Jesus. We have everything ever promised so we do not have to be concerned with ourselves in order that we can concentrate on others.
We do not work to earn anything from God. We are not joined in this mission to earn brownie points. There is nothing to earn. We work out of love. We work in obedience. We work because we are compelled by the Spirit and by the love of Jesus. It is a pleasure for us to do so. Everything we need we have been given by the grace of God. If we are seated in the heavenly realms with Jesus what more could we want?
Nothing.
So stop filling your days with yourself and trust Jesus. Trust the promises. Trust that you already possess everything and that there is nothing else you need. Then get your eyes off yourself and on to everyone around you. Listen to the Spirit. Do what he tells you to do. Listen to the instructions and watch as our Father glorifies himself to the world through his obedient children. That should be the prayer constantly on our lips, "Father, glorify yourself through me today". Our desire is that the world would see Jesus, not us! Don't make it about you.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Why Do We Need To Have Faith? What's The Big Deal?
I realize I have been going on for quite a bit about the Law and grace but there is a vital lesson here that most people are not understanding today. Some people are still basing their salvation on following the Ten Commandments. Others are turning parts of the New Testament into a new law to live by. We must understand that there is a difference now with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The Law has been lifted off the parchments and has been written on our hearts. The Law has become part of us because of Jesus Christ but it is a deeper thing; obedience is provoked by love not fear. And where we fail, because fail we will, the cocoon of God's grace covers us. This is a relationship thing, not a salvation thing. Salvation only has one source and that is the work of Jesus.
Today we make up our own laws to observe because they are easier than the law the Spirit writes on our heart. We make Bible reading, prayer, worship, church attendance part of this law to earn our salvation, but these things are relationship things. The same with acts of kindness which we turn into works for salvation instead of a loving response to God's love for us. The Word is very clear on this matter:
All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” (Galatians 3:10)
It is very simple with God's law: You break one part of the Law, you have broken all of it. We cannot win God's favour by living by any law because we cannot do it. No matter what you set up as a law you will fail. If you use Bible reading as a means of salvation, or prayer, or worship, what happens when you miss a day? Does that mean you are now condemned? Of course it does. No matter what you try to do to earn God's favour, even if you could outside of Jesus, you would fail because we are too weak in ourselves.
Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” (v. 11)
It sounds easy but we are a people who are prone to trust no one and to rely on our own resources. It is our downfall in our relationship with God. If we are not aware of our weakness we will slowly slip away from faith and fall back into doing what we think is the right thing to do, relying on our own wisdom and strength. But the righteous must live by faith. There is no other way. Simply put:
The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” (v. 12)
Any law we may try to live by, to earn the favour of God, removes faith from our lives. Our life should not be complicated, or burdened, filled with worry or fear. Peace has been promised to us and is ours when we learn that faith means trusting God with everything, especially our salvation. If we do not have faith that he loves us and has poured his blessings out on us, why even bother pretending to serve him? However, for those who live by faith, the truth is a simple thing:
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. (vv. 13-14)
And there is the part that much of the Church fails to understand, "so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit". The Spirit is absolutely vital to a continued walk of faith. The Spirit is vital to everything to do with us and Jesus. Without the Spirit we have nothing, we do not have Jesus yet he is everything to us. Jesus is absolutely everything, our very life, our sustenance, but without the Spirit we do not have Jesus.
Without faith we cannot please God. Without faith we cannot have the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit we do not have Jesus. Without Jesus we do not have salvation. Without salvation we are facing destruction. The Law ends up working against us when we try to live it. The Law only produces death. It is holy and perfect but it's purpose was to show us how much we needed a saviour; how much we need Jesus. Live by faith, according to the grace of our Father and allow the Spirit to write the law on your heart. Trust that when Jesus declares you redeemed that you are redeemed and stop trying to save yourself. Relax in the Spirit and do the things that burn in your heart to do out of obedience and not in a desire to win favour with God.
Today we make up our own laws to observe because they are easier than the law the Spirit writes on our heart. We make Bible reading, prayer, worship, church attendance part of this law to earn our salvation, but these things are relationship things. The same with acts of kindness which we turn into works for salvation instead of a loving response to God's love for us. The Word is very clear on this matter:
All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” (Galatians 3:10)
It is very simple with God's law: You break one part of the Law, you have broken all of it. We cannot win God's favour by living by any law because we cannot do it. No matter what you set up as a law you will fail. If you use Bible reading as a means of salvation, or prayer, or worship, what happens when you miss a day? Does that mean you are now condemned? Of course it does. No matter what you try to do to earn God's favour, even if you could outside of Jesus, you would fail because we are too weak in ourselves.
Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” (v. 11)
It sounds easy but we are a people who are prone to trust no one and to rely on our own resources. It is our downfall in our relationship with God. If we are not aware of our weakness we will slowly slip away from faith and fall back into doing what we think is the right thing to do, relying on our own wisdom and strength. But the righteous must live by faith. There is no other way. Simply put:
The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” (v. 12)
Any law we may try to live by, to earn the favour of God, removes faith from our lives. Our life should not be complicated, or burdened, filled with worry or fear. Peace has been promised to us and is ours when we learn that faith means trusting God with everything, especially our salvation. If we do not have faith that he loves us and has poured his blessings out on us, why even bother pretending to serve him? However, for those who live by faith, the truth is a simple thing:
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. (vv. 13-14)
And there is the part that much of the Church fails to understand, "so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit". The Spirit is absolutely vital to a continued walk of faith. The Spirit is vital to everything to do with us and Jesus. Without the Spirit we have nothing, we do not have Jesus yet he is everything to us. Jesus is absolutely everything, our very life, our sustenance, but without the Spirit we do not have Jesus.
Without faith we cannot please God. Without faith we cannot have the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit we do not have Jesus. Without Jesus we do not have salvation. Without salvation we are facing destruction. The Law ends up working against us when we try to live it. The Law only produces death. It is holy and perfect but it's purpose was to show us how much we needed a saviour; how much we need Jesus. Live by faith, according to the grace of our Father and allow the Spirit to write the law on your heart. Trust that when Jesus declares you redeemed that you are redeemed and stop trying to save yourself. Relax in the Spirit and do the things that burn in your heart to do out of obedience and not in a desire to win favour with God.
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