The key to His goodness

 

Yesterday I asked my husband how marriages would be different if both husband and wife were always filled with the Spirit? We agreed — no conflicts ever.

At the request of a friend, I read a book in which the author didn’t understand that concept and gave a long history of the results of men and women in conflict over who is the boss. Without the Holy Spirit, this battle will continue; with Him there is no battle.

Piper gives testimony to the unity in his church between him, his wife, and the church leaders. He says that they all have the same “husband” who is Jesus Christ. As their first commitment and common allegiance, there is no competition. All three hear the same voice and the Holy Spirit is the secret of their unity. He is their peacemaker and the power behind their desires and ideas.

In another reading, another pastor said the same things, then added the way it happens and how God works to bring that understanding. He quoted:

Then (Jesus) said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. (Luke 24:44–47)

This man’s prayer was that God would open his eyes and the eyes of all Christians to see Jesus everywhere in the Bible, to read the law of Moses, the Prophets, and the psalms with Jesus clearly in view.

He also confessed that for years he thought the law was only as a bunch of rules and principles for earning God’s favor and blessings and managing his life. Finally he understood they were given to drive him to Jesus. The law has never been a way to earn God's acceptance. Any efforts without the Holy Spirit are futile and frustrating.

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)

Jesus fulfilled the law for us by His perfect obedience, and exhausted its judgment by His death. I have life because of His life. I cannot boast, just as I cannot do well without Him.
I’m reading the prophets but without fear of judgment for I see them the same way: those who listen and obey are able to walk in harmony with God. Those who do not will experience the consequences. He gave the “rules” to us for the same reason He gives us the “rules” in the NT — to show how badly we need to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. Otherwise, we cannot obey Him, nor be like Him. Life in the flesh is doing our own thing — and that is sin.

Jesus is the “Yes” and “Amen” to every promise God has made. With Him, we can do it. In ourselves, we fall short. Reading the Bible is the way God reveals this. Of course I often learn through experience and its failures, but unless God opens my mind to understand the Scriptures, I will not ‘get it’ and be in the dark about why my life gets messed up. Too often I’ve lived my own way and made so many mistakes. Selfishness is a perfect way to be miserable.

PRAY: Jesus, continue to open my mind to understand how the entire Bible is a revelation of the gospel, of You and Your commitment to redeem Your people and restore the world. Show me more of you and my place in Your story. I’ve learned that all things are intended to transform me into Your image. That is entirely awesome. Even being able to listen to Your voice and do what You say is a great wonder. I’m deeply humbled that You transform sinners such as I to do Your will. I am overjoyed too, at such love and grace. You are incredible — and that also comes from You being willing to reveal Yourself to me. Amen.

Responding to Christ’s invitation

 

Years ago, I was part of a team in an evangelism training program. We went to the homes of people who visited the church and asked permission to share the gospel with them. One visit stands out. We were talking to a shy young woman. She said yes to every question. When we got to the crux of the issue — would she like to accept Christ — she said yes again. At that point, the two other people on my team talked her out of it.

I was shocked until they explained; had she really been convicted and heard the call of Christ, talking her out of it would have been impossible. They realized that she was compliant and saying yes only because she thought it was the right way to respond to ‘grown ups’, not because Jesus was speaking to her heart.

How many people have done something like that? How many children grew up in the church and assumed they were in God’s family but had never heard His call on their life? Jesus said:

“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)

Too often the gospel comes across as ‘pray the prayer and you are in’ but this is putting the cart before the horse. First the invitation: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide . . . .” (John 15:16)

The invitation is a package. It includes being called and chosen and those who are in that group are reborn and become God’s children. Their lives are changed and they are with Him and faithful to Him:

“For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14)

“. . . He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” (Revelation 17:14)

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God . . . .” (John 1:12, also John 3:1-21)

I remember a belligerent man saying he could become a Christian any time he wanted to. I said, “No, you cannot. Jesus must call you first.”

This is not a popular thought. Our human desire is to be in charge, controlling what happens to us and having a say in what we believe. However, the Bible is clear that “no one seeks God” and that “everyone goes their own way” and it is for this independent, ‘I will do it myself’ attitude that Jesus died, rose again, and offers us rebirth and a new life in His kingdom, a realm where He rules and we do not.

Salvation is God’s work. We need to respond when He calls, but He calls when He knows we will respond; His Spirit has done the work of conviction in our hearts and we are ready and willing to have a relationship with Him. This calling is powerful. Many testify, “I went forward even though I didn’t want to and even held on to the chair in front of me” or “I don’t know why or how, but I knew God called me and I was powerless to say no to Him.”

For others, the invite isn’t as obvious and most think their response made them part of God’s kingdom. However, without the call, they would not have been chosen to be in it, they would not be given that new life from God, a heart that hates sin and repents, and they would not find themselves loving and obeying the Lord Jesus Christ. As Jesus said, some will think they are there, go the through the actions that Christians are supposed to do, like going to church or being baptized, yet they do not have that personal relationship with the Lord that happens when His Spirit changes lives. As someone once said, standing in the garage does not mean you are a car.

Answering the call of God requires faith. Up front, it can seem like giving up everything, or doing things that are not much fun, or undergoing far too much change. Faith is believing God rewards those who seek Him, not that God makes life miserable. This is the One who created all things by speaking, who makes flowers and sunsets, who heals the sick and feeds the multitudes, the One who died so we might live. If I could do those things, I’d have reasons to trust myself. Ha.

Lord Jesus, sometimes my faith is nurtured as I look at a new baby, or an orchid, or the latest photo from outer space, or even just as I breathe and walk from place to place. You and what You do in my life is a marvel. Yesterday you used a mistake I made weeks ago — cutting and sewing pieces that were useless — to supply something much needed for another project . . . and I laughed in delight at Your grace. On Sunday, I decided to do something that seemed a bit selfish at the time, but You used that choice as an unexpected opportunity to be a big help to another person. How wonderful! Being in Your kingdom is truly an abundant life. Thank You for inviting, choosing and enabling me to say YES and to trust You and know that You are good.

DO THIS: Make a list of what God invites me to do and the results of being faithful. Compare that to what the Father asked of His Son and the results of His obedience.