Walking by faith . . .

Isaiah 48:1–49:26, Luke 19:11–48, Job 11:1–12

Yesterday I shared with someone that I felt discouraged because I could not see God doing anything in answer to my prayers, particularly for my family. This person told me that I needed to try harder, be more obedient, and so on, then God would hear and answer me.

This made me feel even worse. If God does what I say or reveals Himself to me only in relation to my performance, then our roles are reversed; I become the god and He becomes the servant. “Trying harder” has never worked for me.

Later in the day, God corrected my complaint. Instead of needing to “see” what He is doing, He reminded me that I am to walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) I need to trust Him even when I cannot see what He is doing. Instantly my spirits lifted.  

Then this morning, the Lord reminded me of His gracious power to save in relation to my prayers. He said . . . “Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and raise my signal to the peoples; and they shall bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders . . . those who wait for me shall not be put to shame . . . . for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children . . . . Then all flesh shall know that I am the Lord your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” (Isaiah 49:22–26)

What is it about the human heart that forgets the truths of God and needs to be continually reminded? Sometimes I wonder if I will ever “get it” when it comes to simply trusting God. He said it; He will do it; and that is final! Until I forget . . .  sigh.

God also encouraged me from Job. These lines are words from one of his ‘comforters’ and have value, but they were spoken from an attitude of accusation, rather than trying to comfort Job in his misery.

Zophar said, “For you say, ‘My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in God’s eyes.’ But oh, that God would speak and open his lips to you, and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding. Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.” (Job 11:4–6)

Of course we get less than our guilt deserves. God does say that the soul that sins must die, but He also says that whoever puts their faith in Jesus Christ will have eternal life. Both statements are true, but if I live by the first one, I have no hope. Being told to ‘try harder’ is a statement that fits with that hopelessness. I already know that my efforts apart from Christ are useless.

However, if I live by the second statement, my life is lifted above what my guilt deserves. Faith carries me into obedience, and that is not my own doing; it is the work of God’s Spirit in me and it happens by faith. When comparing these two, I can rejoice because mercy triumphs over judgment.

Jesus affirms that any worthiness we have is a gift from Him. While some have more opportunities than others, everything we do depends on what He gives us. His parable about the nobleman who gave money to his servants illustrates how Jesus gives resources to His people. Some get much, others little, but each is expected to be faithful with what they have and each will be rewarded. From that, I understand He is more concerned about faithfulness, not quantity or big productions.

The story illustrates the importance of being obedient with a willing heart. Some of the nobleman’s citizens hated him and declared they didn’t want him to rule over them. One of them refused to use what he had been given. This man lost everything. The nobleman had those who refused his rule brought to him and he said, “Slaughter them before me.” (Luke 19:12–27)

Those who reject the lordship of Jesus Christ will suffer judgment, getting what their guilt deserves. Those who submit to Him and use the resources He gives will have varying degrees of success and at the end their work will become visible, even revealed by fire. That fire “will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:13–15)

That is, if I do what Jesus tells me, big or small, He will reward me. Anything I do apart from what He tells me will not pass the test and be lost. However, my salvation does not depend on those works. Salvation is by “grace through faith” — and both are gifts from a merciful God, One who gives us everything we need to do whatever He wants us to do, even the faith to trust Him when we cannot see what He is doing.

Trying harder is not the answer. . .

Joshua 22:10–24:33; 2 Corinthians 13:11–14; Psalm 60:1–12

I used to tell my children ‘try harder’ but that was not a good way to teach them about faith. Finally I learned that repentance does not mean ‘try harder’ either. Yesterday my course professor reminded me, “Never tell God of your resolve to serve Him; tell Him of your inability and ask for grace and help.”

Experience with New Year’s Resolutions ought to be enough to convince anyone. Years of trying to do things in my own strength ought to be enough to convince me. However, God already knows that He must give me challenges that I’m absolutely sure I cannot do without His grace and help.

While learning this takes far too long, I’m not the only slow learner. Israel went into their promised land by the grace of God, fighting and winning battles because He was with them. The Lord reminded them . . .

“And you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the leaders of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And I gave them into your hand. And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.’” (Joshua 24:11–13)

This reminder didn’t sink in though. Within minutes Joshua challenged them to serve the Lord. Here is what he said, followed by their confident response . . .

“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”

But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.” (Joshua 24:14–20)

Joshua was right. These people resolved to serve God, but resolve does not work, only humility and utter dependence. God hears and answers humble cries for help. I wonder if He just smiles kindly at confidence as He takes me back into the classroom of life to learn again where my strength really is.

Paul knew this principle. He said God’s strength was perfected in his weakness. He reminded Christians many times to obey, but do it in faith and relying on the Lord. He ended 2 Corinthians with this prayer: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (13:14)

David, Israel’s song writer, said it even better: “Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.” (Psalm 60:11–12)

My ‘foes’ this week are three assignments that are to be submitted in a certain style. I’ve no clue how to do it, so I’m asking the Lord for grace and insight. I can say “I can do all things” but must not forget the ending of that verse. Those ‘all things’ can only be done “through Christ who gives me strength.”

Overcoming sin

Years ago, my husband put on one of those very ugly, creepy soft rubber masks and tried to give me a hug. The mask freaked me out. No matter how much he tried to act like his normal self, I still wanted to run away. He had to remove the mask before I wanted to get close to him. 

Act the part or try harder is common advice given when relationships don’t work or other failures occur. However, when trying to be a godly person who overcomes sin, trying harder is terrible advice. It doesn’t work.  

Instead, God has a different way. He says when we sin, trying harder only adds to the problem. Instead of relying on the grace and strength of God, trying harder is trusting myself. Trusting myself is the root of sin in the first place. Instead, the Bible says…

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5–8)

When I fail, it was my own understanding that led to that downfall. Why then should I trust my own understanding to get me out of trouble? Trying harder will only multiply the problem, not fix it.

Instead, the solution to failure is confession and repentance. Confession is agreeing with God that I messed up. It can be as simple as getting angry in traffic or as complex as years of bitterness against someone who hurt me. Yet no matter the sin, God wants me to call it what it is. His response is always amazing.

Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. (Proverbs 28:13)

Confession is important, but so is repentance. This includes renouncing sin, but repentance is more than that. I can admit I did something bad, but keep on doing it. Instead, God wants me to forsake that sin. Try accomplishing that without help! Just as trying harder does not keep me from sin, trying harder does not help me forsake it. God’s solution for sin is far more radical. He first forgives, then cleanses, then replaces.

Forgives: When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions. (Psalm 65:3)

Cleanses: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Replaces: You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22–24)

In the kingdom of God, the children of God are never to wear masks. God asks us to be transparent before Him and before one another. We cannot conceal our sin before Him and why would we try? He offers atonement and mercy, forgiveness and new life. He also gives us the Holy Spirit that we might have power to say no to sin and yes to righteousness and holiness. 

Pride makes me want to try harder, to do it myself. But I’ve tried harder against sin, in dieting, in keeping an exercise routine, in teaching, using other skills, even in keeping my house clean. None of that works. Just as I cannot overcome sin by myself, I cannot do anything without the help and grace of God. Others might call this a crutch, but I’ve learned that using crutches is far better than wearing a mask.

The best verse . . .

Learning the secret of a victorious Christian life is never “try harder” but when I became a believer in Jesus Christ, I thought that was the way to do it. My first “brick wall” came when I became aware that I screamed at my children. I wanted to stop and tried with all my might. After months of effort with no success, I prayed and told God that I didn’t like what I was doing. It was sinful, but I couldn’t seem to stop. After that prayer, I gave up trying. In a few weeks, I noticed that I wasn’t doing it anymore.

That was the first lesson. I’ve had many concerning the failure of “try harder” and am convinced I’ve spiritual Alzheimer’s! I seem to need to learn it over and over. Yet, I also am convinced that if I only had one verse by which to live my Christian life, I would pick this one:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

God does what I cannot do. The forgiveness part is wonderful and takes the weight of sin away, but the cleansing is amazing. When I acknowledge my sin, He does something in my attitude or changes the way I think. Actually, I’m not sure how it works. I just know that the things that I hate, but couldn’t seem to stop, begin to go away.

As today’s devotional reading says, confession of sin doesn’t take place only at salvation. It continues, as faith continues, throughout my life. Being willing to confess sin is part of the pattern of life that characterizes every Christian. Yes, this pattern also includes love, separation from the world, instruction by the Holy Spirit and a host of other things, but if I am not loving, or doing anything that is outside His will, trying harder will not make it happen. Confession is the key. As soon as I tell God that I have done the wrong thing, or failed to do the right thing, He gets to work.

Of course there are varying degrees of confession. Sometimes I confess just the incident. That is, if I spoke harshly, I confessed that (to both God and the person on the receiving end). However, speaking harshly or other sinful actions are often symptoms. Under them are deeper motivations such as lack of love, selfishness, a mean spirit, and so on. I’m thinking that is why I find myself doing the same thing again — it is because I never made as full a confession as I should and fail to get to the root of it.

However, trying harder will not work. It serves only to make me a fake. If I’ve a bad attitude and determine to button my lip, that attitude comes out eventually. If I am not interested in people and try to feign interest, my yawn (at the least) will betray me. God wants me to tell Him that I am not in the right frame of mind, or that I am not loving others, or whatever it is, and then ask Him to forgive and cleanse me. He will fill me with the Holy Spirit who freely gives His fruit of love, joy, peace, etc. to those who need it.

Actually, on second thought, there is one place in the Christian life for trying harder. I need to try harder to see and confess my sin, to keep short accounts with God. This favorite verse is my constant reminder that for me to be like Jesus, I must remember that I could not save myself from the penalty of sin nor can I save myself from its power. He is the Savior, and my efforts are useless without Him doing the work.