What’s in it for me?

 If honest, most would admit coming to Christ with self-serving motivations. I wanted my pain to cease. Some seek healing and reach out to God. Some have financial problems or other disasters that they realize can be fixed only with divine assistance. Others want conviction of sin to stop, which is the best reason, or at least the one we must eventually come to before our salvation is solidly determined. Fair weather faith will not do that, nor will it endure.

Dealing with sin is the issue. Once a man said to me, “I believe Jesus died for the sins of the world. What is the big deal about that?” I replied, “But what about your sin?” Long pause. “Oh, I see what you mean.” He was okay with faith but didn’t want to make it personal. But personal is what salvation is about. Jesus prayed:

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

He also 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)

Salvation and eternal life is about knowing God, not just knowing about Him, because the NT says, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” (James 2:19)

Other passages tell of this relationship and how Jesus comes to live in us by His Spirit and that we are given the mind of Christ. This is intimacy, not mere knowing or being introduced to who He is. Believing in Him goes beyond knowing He exists. Faith is about believing that He died for my sin, was buried, and after three days rose to life. It is about knowing His death was to secure my pardon for sin and to satisfy the wrath of God against all sin. But it is also about the trust that simply knows that all He says and does is true and that His great love and goodness is available for those He came to save.

Yet so often sinners first come to Him for selfish reasons. As today’s devotional reading says the  Prodigal Son is an illustration of this. He was not concerned with his father’s love or longing. He wanted comfort and “more than enough bread.” It was only after seeing his father’s great joy and experiencing such undeserved welcome that his father could say, “It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.” (Luke 15:32)

My experience was like this too. My life was in the ditch and I wanted it to be better. It took me awhile to realize that I had the cart before the horse. God sent Jesus to die for my sin, then to give me all that I need, not usually the other way around.

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

Since that day He came into my life, He has taught me not to come to Him first and foremost with my ‘gimme’ list but to enjoy our relationship, praising and thanking Him for all He does. I want to be more like He is, and need grace and strength to obey, yet I’ve had to realize than when I ask and do not receive, it is because I have asked wrongly, to spend it on my selfish desires. God resists my prideful thinking. While grace is not earned or deserved, it is for those who are humble. (James 4:3-6) Hard lessons but being in an intimate relationship with Jesus rather than trying to earn His favor, those lessons are welcome not ignored.

PRAY: Jesus, every day, all day, I need to be alert to any motivation that seeks personal gain. You know how I resist the difficult tasks, or those that tire me out and how I would rather be comfortable than making sacrifices. For me, routine is easier than surprises, yet the days are replete with unexpected challenges. For all this, I need You. I cannot be obedient without You granting grace and reminding me to say NO to those fleshy and selfish desires. Thank You for being here, for never leaving or forsaking me, even when I forget You.

Temporary faith falls short

Leviticus 20; Psalm 25; Ecclesiastes 3; 1 Timothy 5

There is such a thing as ‘temporary faith’ that often shows up when trouble comes. I cry out to God for help and deliverance, but after the trial is over, I go my own way, glad things are back to normal. Talking about this in conjunction with this pandemic, a couple people have remarked that people seem to be turning to God, but the only way to tell if their ‘faith’ is genuine saving faith is after the threat is gone. Will they still call out to God and rely on Him for everything?

The problem of temporary faith is that it is all about getting out of a jam rather than dealing with sin. When I go my own way and get in trouble, the way of the Lord requires that the sin of ignoring and resisting God is confessed. Repentance is part of genuine faith but with ‘temporary faith’ it usually becomes a bargaining chip.

David’s psalm shows that he recognized the need for personal forgiveness, even when the problems of his life were caused by someone else. He asked God for mercy when in trouble, but also forgive his sins. David said:

The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. Consider my affliction and my trouble and forgive all my sins. (Psalm 25:14–18, italics mine)

God is not a genie in a bottle. He is there for His people, but not our slave. David knew that God is God and we are mere sheep in His pasture, recipients of His kindness yet deserving wrath because of our sin.

David’s son, Solomon, also realized his place before God. He could see that even in justice and righteousness there is wickedness. Rarely does a person have pure motives and does anything without selfishness being part of it. He recognized the need for tying God’s mercy to confession of sin. He also realized that God allowed trials in our lives to show us how easily we depart from genuine faith:

I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. (Ecclesiastes 3:17–18)

This is part of the good news because in realizing my sin I am given grace. Every time God blesses me with truth about my tendency to selfishness, He also blesses me with forgiveness and cleansing. This does not happen with temporary faith for that cry for deliverance is only about using God to make me more comfortable, not more godly.

Paul also recognized this truth. He wrote to Timothy about the care of widows and said this:

She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. (1 Timothy 5:5–6)

I am not a widow nor a king, but I know that God wants me to rely on Him for all this life as well as eternal life. He will comfort me in trials because He is good, not as a reward for mere temporary faith that seeks Him to get me out of trouble.

I always thought that this come-and-go faith was a trait of unbelievers but can see that I can fall into it as well. This is a sin and in grace, He provides the answer: If I confess my sins, He is faithful and just to forgive me my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9), whether He makes the trial go away or gives me grace to endure it!

APPLY: It is common these days to pray for relief from this pandemic, the end of the threat and a return to ‘normal’ life. Reasons for praying it vary though. Sometimes I want my life to return to normal and am thinking selfishly. Sometimes my mind is on caregivers, seniors, those without jobs and those who are struggling. Solomon said trials reveal our hearts. It does, yet at the same time, how do pity and compassion fit in? What is the will of God for this world-wide epidemic? I need to pray for His will to be done rather than ask Him to indulge my selfishness.

Saving faith changes everything

Faith often begins when disaster strikes. Because of a threatening situation, the human heart is desperate for deliverance and calls out to the God they know exists, a God that they see is the author of creation and the only One who can do anything about the troubles they are experiencing.

A friend was in a building struck by a huge tornado. She said everyone was praying, even praying aloud. However, when the storm was over and life returned to a semblence of normal, nothing had changed in their spiritual lives. Most of them returned to a life without faith.

Sometimes the Bible describes faith like an outcry in trouble. Consider this portion of a psalm:

“I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of the Lord: ‘O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!’” (Psalm 116:1–4)

The psalmist was in trouble and great distress. He cried out to God to rescue him, yet this was not the actions of one with ‘temporary’ faith — because he asked for more than physical deliverance. His prayer asked also that God would save his soul.

Some would call the first kind of faith ‘temporary faith’ because it came during a felt need for God but left when that need was satisfied. It was partial faith, not faith concerning the salvation from sin that is the main focus of biblical faith. It was temporary in that it didn’t last.

Biblical faith has an eternal component because it is about eternal life. It also comes with a declaration. That is, those with faith share with others a testimony of what God has done for them:

“And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:11–12)

Biblical faith is not about faith that God will rescue me when I am in trouble, even though that is part of it. Rather, it is faith that God, through Christ, has forgiven my sin and given me the life of His Son. Because of Jesus, I am changed!

Actually, who could not change when the Son of God comes into their hearts, their very being! And since He is eternal, that new life is also eternal, an amazing gift from God that changes everything.

As proclaimed in the Old Testament and by Jesus, the two most important commands are that we love God with all our hearts, minds, souls and strength, and we love one another. Without Jesus, this does not happen. Temporary faith is insufficient because that focus of self-preservation is always there. So is that immature, ‘I want what I want when I want it.’ We can dress it up, but it remains the driving force of life.

Saving faith has a new objective. It takes my eyes off me and turns my heart upward and outward. I can love God love others because of new life in me. Even though the ‘old me’ sometimes fights that, because God is God, He gives victory over that sinfulness and changes my focus from here and now into eternal hope.

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven . . . .” (Colossians 1:3–5)

^^^^^^^

Jesus, I love You because You first loved me and gave Yourself for me. I love others, because You have taken care of my love needs and set me free from selfish concerns that rob me of the joy of serving You. When I slip back into that old life, You pick me up and turn my heart again toward eternal matters. You are the most amazing God and I thank You for saving me!

Hard hearts

Exodus 5-11

In ancient times if a nation was successful and powerful, its gods were given credit. The many gods of Egypt were supposedly behind the success of that nation, but in Exodus 5-11, those Egyptian gods were soundly defeated by the God of a group of oppressed Israelite slaves.

In chapter 5, God instructed Moses to ask Pharaoh for permission to take those slaves out of the land so they could worship. It is no surprise that Pharaoh rejected this request and countered by increasing the work required of his slaves. This had an unexpected effect; it made the Egyptian leader more determined and the slaves became angry at Moses for this increased hardship.

However, God promised to redeem His people. He unleashed His power in a series of nine miracles which struck Egypt, devastating that land and defeating their so-called gods. The final and decisive plague took the life of every firstborn male in Egypt.

These plagues went beyond natural disasters. They were intense, came and left at Moses’ command, and some occurred only in Egyptian districts, leaving areas occupied by the Israelites untouched. However, Pharaoh wasn’t looking for natural causes. He was more concerned with comfort and control. Each plague produced increasing excuses for not obeying God, and in his mind, more reasons to harden his heart.

Since a short written devotional cannot unpack the full meaning of these chapters, my jump to application doesn’t mean the steps of interpretation should be skipped. Yet after reading these passages, I can see how the attitude of Pharaoh is not a singular experience. I’ve had those attitudes too.

At the first request of Moses, this Egyptian leader replied, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.” (5:2) Not knowing God might explain disobedience, but Pharaoh uses it as an excuse.

Then he said, “Let a heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.” (5:9) This is another way to get around doing what God asks; work hard, keep busy, involve others. Who has time for God if their daily to-do list is 27 hours long?

Moses performed a miracle with snakes, then “Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.” (7:11-12) One of Pharaoh’s evasive actions was to imitate the wonders of God using deception. This implies that God is not needed for anything, a clever ploy, but no one can outsmart God.

As the disasters increased, Pharaoh appeared to yield to God and begged for relief, but as soon as things slacked off, he hardened his heart and would not listen, just as the LORD said would happen. (8:15) This pattern continued for five of the plagues but then came a drastic change in why Pharaoh would not listen: “But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them . . . .” (9:12)

Pharaoh typifies many who refuse God. They may claim to agree with what He wants during the tough times when their house is full of frogs, or gnats, or darkness, but as soon as the particular trouble is fixed, their hearts harden and God is pushed away. This is called temporary faith. It is insufficient evidence of eternal life. The danger is obvious; do it often enough and risk not being able to stop.

Pharaoh’s words were cheap, but words of repentance and faith without a change in life are as empty as Pharaoh’s promises.