The devotional I’m reading asks whether my faith is genuine or not. After reading the author’s comments, three passages come to mind. This first is a man who based his authenticity on his behavior:
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9–14)
And the second one tells how we are supposed to base our veracity on our behavior and not think we are genuine believers because we say we are . . .
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:22–27)
Yet the third one is a warning from Jesus about basing our salvation on what we do in His name . . .
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21–23)
Comparing these passages seems to rubber stamp the idea of ‘I believe because I am doing . . . .’ but Jesus points to knowing God and doing His will rather than merely doing ‘good’ without checking out from God what He wants. Faith is about a relationship in which a true believer knows the Lord and recognizes their sin and our need to rely on Jesus to save us, not our deeds.
The Pharisee was self-righteous; the tax collector realized his sin. The man who looked in the mirror may have seen his sin but forgot what he saw and went about doing what he thought was good. The third person did all kinds of ‘good’ things but did not have a personal relationship with God. Whatever he did was in his own strength and he boasted about it. True faith has no boast for it knows that apart from Christ, he is nothing and can do nothing. We could even be “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:4-5)
Thinking I am a Christian but deceived and heading for eternal judgment it a terrible thought. MacArthur says one good test is our attitude toward God’s Word. It is vital to salvation and sanctification, working in God’s people to confirm our faith and conform us to the image of Christ. That’s why the NT says, “You have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God. … [Therefore] like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation” (1 Peter 1:23–2:2). Even the OT says, “Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek your statutes.” (Psalm 119:155)
PRAY: Jesus, You know my heart. Would I rather read and study the Word of God or do other things like talk to friends, play games, read a novel, watch television, etc.? Do I pass the test? Have I “inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes forever, even unto the end”? (Psalm 119:112). Thank God for the gift of faith and the ability to act on it. You are my Savior!
THINK: The Bible is filled with instructions for Christian living. While I cannot do all of them all the time, am I neglecting opportunities to draw nearer to Jesus by failing to read what He says and obeying His words?
No comments:
Post a Comment