Basis for assurance…

 
We know a man who loves Jesus and loves people. He is continually saying that he must do something, that faith without works is dead. However he sometimes offends people by trying to ‘help’ them when they are not in need of help. The challenge in serving God is discerning His will over our good ideas. I’ve wanted to do many ‘good’ things but He did not take me down that road.

I read from five devotional books today, all on the same theme of doing the will of God. One pointed to realizing my station in life and where God puts me. From that, I know His will for my life is not to serve as a missionary in Timbuktu or a pastor in New York.

Another devotional says there is a difference between having Christ in my heart and being at one with Him, united in one will, one purpose, one interest, one life. This one says we are commanded to enter into oneness with Christ, to lay down our own lives that His life may be lived in us with no interests but His interests. This means sharing His riches, His joys, manifesting His likeness, having the same mind to think and feel and act and walk as He did.

This writer goes on to make this a matter of consenting to it, like a bride gives a willing yes to her groom. It sounds lovely, but this perfection, according to the Bible, is not ours until we see Him face-to-face in eternity (see 1 John 3:1-3).

The next devotional points out how we like a supply of goodness laid up, such as wisdom or patience and the other graces. He affirms that in God’s plan, all we need is laid up for us in Christ. We wrestle with our fleshy old nature and acknowledge our sinfulness but our life is in Christ He is our supply.

The next devotional writer says I’m not to expect to find myself any better or any nearer this ideal because I never will. I will always be utterly vile, and ignorant and corrupt. But Jesus is my life now. He is with me. The Bible says; “no more I” but Christ who lives in me. I have lost my own life and Christ’s divine life has been put in its place. My goodness is all in Christ and I must draw it from Him moment by moment as I need it.

Finally, the fifth writer says how to do this — “do not go into this dangerous world without prayer.” If I give up prayer, I will suffer for it since prayer is the way that I draw from Jesus this new life He gave me.

After all this, several Scriptures came to mind, all reminding me that Jesus is my Savior, I am not. I cannot grow or become like Him by choice. He does the work to perfect me, by grace. Cooperation is important, but willing it to happen is like waving a magic wand in the middle of the night and telling the sun to rise and shine. Each of these readings remind me of the power of God, but also the tendency of Christians to suppose that we can unite ourselves to Him and enjoy that oneness simply by choosing it.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. (Galatians 2:20–21)

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12–13)

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)

PRAY: Jesus, if I could do it, I would be like You now, right now. I want to cooperate with You yet even that desire does not make me a spiritual giant. I am what I am and trust You to make of me what You want for me. Without You, this would be impossible.

In a dark place?

 

In the past few days, my husband’s injury topped by a rare bout with a common cold makes him seem like a different person. He feels weak and has pain keeping him away from normal activities. I have felt numbed by it, feeling alone, almost as if abandoned. Yesterday, the Lord lifted me out of that deep hole and restored my trust in Him. Today, through seeing a grave error in thinking in another person, and through four devotional readings, He gives me a deeper understanding of human fragility and of how much all of us need Jesus.

The first reading was the folly of thinking I will never fail. Even though experience says we fail and all Christians agree that temptation sometimes wins, this week I confessed something to a small group and they would not let me call it sin. They defined it so the matter was God’s will rather than my disobedience. I wanted assurance, not that!

The reading said that failure/sin ought not happen but we must deal with facts, not theories. The Bible does not say sin is impossible, only that Jesus Christ saves us from it being a necessity. The writer says faith in Christ does not make it impossible to sin; only that sin ceases to be our only choice. Therefore, continual victory is available to us. This is not about theory but our experience. As the NT says:

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:8–10)

The second devotional was written many years ago by one of God’s children. It says:

I have to confess tonight with deep humility of soul before God that I am a poor miserable sinner in His sight! The question I asked myself last night revealed to me the unbelief and rebellion of my heart. I found that I could not trust Jesus unconditionally for the future; and further and worse, that I was cherishing hard thoughts of Him because He did not bless me as I desired! I have passed a day of intense wretchedness. I seemed to lose my hold of everything, and to be cut adrift upon a fearful sea of unbelief and sin.
I doubted Jesus and nothing else was of any account. None of my past experience seemed worth anything, and Satan urged me to throw the whole thing up, and to turn to the world for that satisfaction which he tried to persuade me I had not found in Christ. So dreadful a thing is the slightest unbelief! But my faithful Savior would not let the Devil carry off one of His sheep like that, and He has delivered me from his snare. —Journal, May 11, 1868

Earlier this week, those could have been my words and today, I can joyfully add the last sentence. The struggle to have faith in the unseen future when it threatens to grow bleak and darker still happens — a battle common to all who trust in Christ. It may not be expressed but the enemy often throws our hearts into a deep hole.

The third reading speaks of a boy on a bicycle pedaling up a hill against the wind. Then a trolley car came along going the same direction. The lad laid hold of the bar at the back end of the car and his efforts ceased as the trolly carried him easily.

The author of this reading had been in a time of weariness and weakness, almost worn out by the circumstances of life. This scene put in mind the available strength of Jesus Christ and how only “reaching out and grasping Him in faith was enough to make His power mine” was all that was needed to dismiss his weariness. The assurance is this:

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you… was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. (2 Corinthians 1:19–22)

PRAY: God, most often the words I hear from You are, “I am here, with you.” How awful the sin of forgetting this truth and dropping into a dark place. Why do that? It is the way of the world (read the newspapers) and the way of the flesh (I can do this myself) and the lie of the devil (God does not want the best for you) and all three shout it. No excuses; Your whisper is louder, longer, true and sustaining. Praise Your name for holding on to me, no matter how foolish my thoughts and sinful reactions to the trials of life. Your faithfulness is most precious.

 

Only the Savior can save me . . .

Most of my Christian life has been characterized by a lot of self-effort. I could call it a regime of spiritual disciplines, yet in my heart I know it more as my efforts to establish my own righteousness — even though I knew that was impossible.

There were clues along the way. I remember the first time a sin stumped me. I was yelling at my children and determined to stop, but I could not. All efforts failed. I’d confessed each incident but that had not stopped the incidents. Finally, I said to God, “You are my Savior. please save me from this.” Within a week or two, the habit was gone — without any effort on my part. God simply changed my attitude and I quit yelling.

However, I’d not yet figured out fully that this was the way to live as a child of God. Many years and many lessons eventually convinced me that 1 John 1:9 was the key verse for spiritual growth: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

This morning I will attend a study at our church. The guidebook we are using has become increasingly a “do it yourself” manual. Of course, it advises to rely on God, but the author has not yet discovered what I know for certainty — I cannot even rely on God. He is the Savior and I need Him continually to save me from my continual tendency to ‘do it myself’ rather that run to Him in humble confession.

The other part of this lifetime of walking with Jesus is learning that the righteousness that I seek will never happen by my efforts. God saved me by calling that what it is (sin) and instead put all of it and every other sin I have done and will do on Jesus. Then He put the righteousness of Christ on me. I’ve sometimes called this “the great exchange” yet it has taken me years to realize how deeply ingrained is that desire to establish my own righteousness.

It won’t happen. I cannot do it. God had to take me into a very difficult situation before finally getting it through my head and heart that the only righteousness that is mine is that of His Son . . . and this is a free gift. I cannot earn it; there is absolutely no need to work for it, and it will never happen by my efforts anyway.

The Bible compares the sin of Adam with the saving work of Jesus Christ. Death because of sin reigned from Adam to Moses, even though our sin is not exactly like his, nor is His free gift of life exactly like the sin. Many die through that one man’s sin, yet many more experience the grace of God and God’s free gift through the grace that is in Jesus Christ. One sin brought condemnation, but God’s free gift brought justification.

Because of one man’s sin, death reigned but those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness will reign in life through one man — Jesus Christ. One sin led to condemnation for all, but one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. Again, one man’s disobedience made sinners of us all, yet by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:14–21)

“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:18–21)

This last line is the “great exchange” — the act of God that makes me His child. God made Christ to be sin for me, charging Jesus with my sin. Jesus became responsible to the law for my failure to keep it and the penalty of sin was exacted from him. He died under God’s wrath for it, for me.

The most amazing, difficult to grasp reality is that God imputed the righteousness of Christ to me, and to all who believe. I am righteous in the sight of God and have received the reward of perfect righteousness: eternal life. Again, my sin was given to Jesus, and His righteousness was given to me. This is substitution and an unalterable fact, the good news of the Gospel. I knew it, but it took me years to know it.

^^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, this business of creating a ‘rule of life’ or doing a whole mess of spiritual disciplines to put myself in a place of grace where You can transform me strikes me now as an exercise that only serves to make me more aware that my self-effort does not work. It is not part of walking by faith. Forgive me for being so slow to learn. Right now, all I want to do is rest in You, keep short accounts, and let You do the work of transforming me into Your image.

Self has a tough time with self-discipline

Last week a friend of ours had a medical episode. All indications are that he will need to change a few things in his lifestyle. This will include a healthier diet, more exercise, and less self-indulgence. Those changes will require discipline until they become habit.

I know what that is like. Every time I see a dessert table, I am reminded that too much sugar and too many fats will add pounds and put strain on my heart. When my weight is at or under a certain point, I’ve energy to do things, but any gain zaps me and all I want to do is sleep.

The Apostle Paul had deeper reasons for self-disciple. He compares himself to an athlete rather than a person with heart or health problems . . .

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:25–27)

Serving the Lord as Paul did requires the power of the Holy Spirit. However, it also requires the power of a healthy body. This man travelled many miles on foot to take care of the Christians in each church. He also suffered much physical and mental abuse from those who opposed him. Even though he had a “thorn in the flesh” (the Bible does not fully define it), Paul was no wimp.

Chambers says that “God has made us to have government over all the temple of the Holy Spirit, over imaginations and affections.” While we are responsible to keep our minds and our bodies clear from any sort of pollution, it helps me a great deal to remember that my body is the temple of the Lord. That is, because He lives in me and is with me to provide the self-disciple I need, I can do as He asks regarding this self-governing. Yet I must never think this is ‘my’ power; all biblical self-discipline is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and not something that I can produce . . . 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:22–26)

I like this passage. It tells me if those things are missing, then I am trying to live the Christian life by myself. Instead of that, I need to be filled with God’s Spirit. Then I can function as He wants. I can say NO to rich desserts and self-indulgence, yes to exercise and good habits.

Keeping in step with the Spirit also means that I will not be conceited and boast about my self-control as if it were mine. Also, I will not challenge others or be in competition with them in any way, nor will I envy anyone, even those who have perfected this discipline and practice it far better than I do.

Chambers often separates God’s work from his work for God. I cannot do that for several reasons. The main reason is that I do not want to even come close to glorifying my efforts. I know that apart from the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, I can do nothing. 

Jesus is the Savior — I am not!

A particular way of thinking has plagued me for several years. I’ve fought it, tried to think like Jesus about it, knew it was hindering my spiritual life, wanted it to go away, but nothing worked.

Several times I have prayed, “Lord, You are my Savior. Save me from this.” My pleading seemed to bounce off the ceiling. Nothing changed. One thing that seemed good is that the battle with one thing brought out a lot of lesser problems and God cleansed them from my life.

However, this morning, I woke up and immediately realized I had been delivered from this ornery thing. It was gone, replaced by a better way and exactly what I’d wanted for a long time. While my relationship with Jesus seemed unbroken during this battle, leaning on Him seems fresh and easier today.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” (John 15:4)

This illustration of the vine and the branch is a rich one. It shows the importance of relying on Jesus for everything. I cannot bear spiritual fruit without Him, but as verse five says, apart from Him I can do nothing. I’ve learned that is true, often the hard way.

So I am surprised by Chambers’ take on it. He says, “The Spirit of Jesus is put into me by the Atonement, then I have to construct with patience the way of thinking that is exactly in accordance with my Lord. God will not make me think like Jesus, I have to do it myself; I have to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. ‘Abide in Me’—in intellectual matters, in money matters, in every one of the matters that make human life what it is.”

I agree that obedience is vital in Christian living, but do not agree that I have to do it, or anything else, all by myself. If I could, then I would not need Him. If I could, then I could also take the credit and the glory for being such a nice, abiding Christian. Blah!

I can hinder God from working in my life. I can persist in wanting my own way and neglect all spiritual disciplines. But I cannot purify my life, no matter how hard I try or how many firm dedications I make. He tells me to confess my sin and He will cleanse me. He removes the junk and replaces it with new life and joy. I cannot do that.

Chambers does say that circumstances cannot hinder abiding. Whether in a prayer meeting or in a difficult and stressful situation, it is possible to abide in Christ. I agree and give Christ the credit for that. He came to live in me and promised to never leave me. Nothing can separate me from His love. The more I know about His amazing grace, the easier abiding becomes.

However, I know from experience that I cannot even abide without Him. I cannot separate the working of God in me from the responses He produces in me. Without Him, there is no way I can bring my thoughts into captivity to obey Him. Some issues might be easier than others, yet for me the battle to do it was won only because Jesus saves!

Getting up the mountain

As I read about David’s battles and compare them to mine, and as I read Paul’s exhortations and compare them to my experiences, it is plain that I will spend the rest of my life in this war between flesh and spirit. That is, the old nature will continually try to rule over the new life of Christ in me.

In Romans 6, Paul wrote about being dead to sin and alive to God, and about presenting ourselves to God as a person made righteous . . .

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin . . . . Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. (Romans 6:6;12–14)

Then in the very next chapter he describes his battle with sin and how he did what he didn’t want to do. He ended with this:

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (Romans 7:24–25)

How then am I delivered from this body of death? Chambers says it is a moral decision, a moment in life when a person decides that just as Jesus Christ died for the sin of the world, so sin must die in us. We do not curb, suppress, or counteract, but crucify. He says no one can bring any one else to this decision; we must make it ourselves and make the moral decision that sin in ourselves must be put to death.

I’m shaking my head at Chambers’ use of verbs and pronouns. Some of what he writes for today sounds a bit too much toward me being my own Savior through my own choices, as if it is up to me whether or not I am saved from sin. Paul said ‘thanks be to God’ not ‘thanks be to me that I finally decided to quit.’

Becoming a Christian means Christ came into my life. He grabbed hold of me and is in the process of delivering me from the power of sin and the control of my fleshy desires. Surrender needs to happen, but all resistance can do is delay the process. My old nature can try to take back control, but He keeps His Word and His persistence is far more powerful than my resistance. He promised to save me and He will do it; He is doing it.

I recall taking my father on the gondola at the Banff ski hill. He was afraid of heights and clung white-knuckled to the railing for the entire trip. He could have trusted the gondola and enjoyed the ride, but no matter what he did, he made it safely to the top and back down again.

Who delivers me from sin? Is it Jesus or is it my decision to enjoy the ride rather than resist it?

Paul says, past tense, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) This statement is not “I will die to sin” because it had already happened.

Jesus teaches me to stop resisting His work of saving me. I’m to put off my old self. I’m to let go of whatever railing I cling to. My effort or lack of effort is not going to move me any safer, quicker, or more securely. It is my gondola, Jesus Christ, who is taking me up the mountain, not me. Thinking that way is equivalent to “considering myself dead to sin,” and to “putting on the new self,” and to enjoying the ride.