My efforts vs. God’s enabling

 
In our small group Bible study, my focus is often on the flesh vs. spirit issue but received as if I’m saying we don’t do anything — all of our obedience is God’s doing. But I’ve not made clear that there are two “we’s” in the discussion. The flesh is dead and useless. To obey God, I must be walking in the Spirit, not the flesh which is my old nature. The problem is that I have not been clarifying which “we” is helpless and which is able to obey.

Another confusion is that many Christians do not recognize when the flesh is at work (even though it is dead to God) or what being filled with the Spirit is like. Many do not want to examine their motivations but it seems vital to me that I know why I do what I am doing.

Today’s reading begins with a question about pursuing faith. Since it is a gift from God, do i try to increase it? As with anything else He grants, I cannot make it happen without faith or by my human efforts, but God is eager to enable me to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” so that He is glorified “both now and to the day of eternity.” (2 Peter 3:18) Certainly faith is a gift from God.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8–9)
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. (Romans 12:3)
For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake… (Philippians 1:29)

Other verses show that faith is granted to us by a revelation to our hearts. That is, He makes it possible for me to believe. This is also a gift as Jesus told Peter: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:17) Otherwise, flesh remains in darkness. We need the gift of new life and the light from God which He shines “in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Even though faith is a gift, the Bible says it needs to grow so I am trusting Him all the time. What is true for salvation — “faith comes from hearing through the word of Christ” — is also true after that new life comes. Being in the Word, spending time with Jesus and with His Body, and obeying Him are important, yet also must be activities of the new nature. The flesh can go through the motions but is not the way to build faith or express it. If I do anything, even what seems like ‘good works’ I am not honoring God nor producing fruit without His enabling.

So faith is about walking in the Spirit, not the flesh, and about glorifying God and not doing things to make the old nature feel good or be praiseworthy. I now see when I talk about being useless, I need to better clarify that all that talk is about the old me — and my flesh needs to be ignored. The new nature listens to God and obeys. This means that I need to be able to discern which is which. The old nature wants to rule things and can imitate or fake godliness and render my actions useless to serve or honor God.

PRAY: Jesus, Thank You for clarifying how to better explain when I make comments about passages like John 15:1-5 or 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 and how ‘I’ am useless yet I can do all things through Christ. Most Christians tend to be unaware of the flesh-spirit conflict because they have not recognized the differences or do not want to admit how the flesh messes with their faith. You want me to be clear about my battles so all of us are better at walking in Your Spirit and enable to do so by Your amazing grace.

Shocking Theology

 

Sometimes I read books with a dictionary close at hand. Words are important to me. Not only do I look for precise meanings but accurate use. This morning I read this statement and was appalled: “If you are an uncomfortable Christian, the only thing to give you a thoroughly comfortable religious life is to know God.”

I know the meanings of these words without a dictionary, but went to the Internet anyway. The word “Christian” means anyone, man, woman, or child, who trusts in Jesus Christ as his or her Savior and Lord and who strives to follow Him in every area of life... the stress is on the importance of an individual's personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

The primary shock in the statement read and quoted above is that assuming anyone who does not know God can be called a Christian. Does this mean church goers? If that is being defined, another quote says that standing in a garage does not make me a car. Christianity is a faith system based on what Jesus said:

This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3)

Knowing God is not only a given, it is necessary. How could anyone believe in Someone that they do not know?
The next thing about this statement is that knowing God will “give you a thoroughly comfortable religious life.” What Bible is this person reading? Jesus said:

Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you... (John 15:20)

Paul also wrote of the things he suffered because of his Christian faith. He experienced joy in his suffering, but to say his life was thoroughly comfortable is not true. I cannot say that of my own life, and I’m not the firebrand he was, or even close. Besides that, the goal of living for Christ is not a comfortable life, but to obey God and glorify Him no matter what. The NT says I will experience trials and unpleasant circumstances. It promises joy in them, or after they cease, but thoroughly comfortable is not in the mix.

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance... (Romans 5:3)
And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:17)
For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake... (Philippians 1:29)
For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. (1 Peter 2:19–21)
For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. (1 Peter 3:17)

The “name it and claim it” preachers are living in a fantasy. God may shield them from suffering but it is not biblical to say that the Christian life will be thoroughly comfortable, nor is it truthful to tell others that if they have faith, they will experience a comfortable life. Joyful? Yes, but joy is from the Holy Spirit – promises of no discomfort are from the Liar.

PRAY: Jesus, some genuine Christians are miserable because they seek this false promise and are confused when trials come. When I’m focused on my comfort, I’m walking in the flesh and need to confess it. You give joy in trials, and I’d like to avoid them, but Your joy is so amazing, just as knowing You is amazing. My prayers today are also for those who are confused to think that a person that does not know You can be called a Christian. That is so far from truth that it makes me weep. Please clarify the hearts and minds of those whose eternity is at risk because of such lies.

God’s work or my will?

A stubborn man who rejected God in every way told me that he could become a Christian anytime he wanted, but he simply was not interested. I told him that if he decided within himself to do that without the enabling of God, he would not be able to have faith or become a Christian. He argued with me saying this was totally a matter of his will. It was not about God doing anything.

Had he known the Bible, he likely would defend his view with verses that emphasize the will and choices of people, such as:

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. (1 Chronicles 28:9)

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)

As MacArthur points out, those verses seem to contradict Paul’s teaching that, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10–12) and the words of Jesus: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:44)

The former passages are about people believing God and receiving Christ for salvation. The latter are about God enabling man to do so. How does this make sense? Note how these verses tie the two together:

For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake. (Philippians 1:29)

And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. (Acts 13:48)

One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. (Acts 16:14)

Unless God grants faith (it is a gift) and opens a person’s heart, salvation will not be presented as a choice to anyone. Not only that, on the day that He visits us, He has already been opening our hearts, making changes in our thinking and our desires so that the invitation not only appeals but makes sense. Two Bible versions put it this way: “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed” . . . and “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” (Romans 10:11)

PRAY: Jesus, I know that You are the author and finisher of our salvation. For that reason, my main prayer for the unsaved is that You will open their hearts to say YES to You as You feed them truth on their journey to Calvary. May they realize their part is to simply agree with You. My heart’s desire and prayer is that they may be saved, whatever it takes and however long it takes. (Romans 10:1)

PONDER: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9)