"Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." James 4:13-15
I am convinced that how I view God and how I view life really matters. It really matters whether a true view of life and of God informs and shapes the way I think and how I speak about my plans. Our mindset matters. How you talk about your plans and how you think about God matters. Why? Why does that matter? Because God created us not just to do things and go places with our bodies, but to have certain attitudes and convictions and speech that reflect the truth; a true view of life and God. God means for the truth about Himself and about life to be known and felt and spoken and lived out as part of our reason for being. You weren't just created to go somewhere and do business; you were made to go somewhere with thoughts and attitudes and words that reflect a right view of life and God.
HAVING A HUMBLE VIEW OF LIFE
1. A HUMBLE view of life sees that the future is uncertain
James tells us says in verse 14, that in all of your planning keep in your mind and give expression with your lips to this truth: “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring." That is, in humility, keep in mind that you have no firm substance on this earth. You don’t know what tomorrow will bring. We don’t know what we think we know because our knowledge, like our life, is limited. O how I have learned how limited is my knowledge during theses past 19 months! 19 months ago I was planning for a future that included my wife and my church. Little did I know that I would be divorced, I would not be pastoring my old church and be attempting to start a new church, that my income would decrease by 80%, and that I would be starting my life completely over at 58 years old. So much for my plans!
I have learned that I am not God; therefore I cannot see what is coming next! This has profoundly humbled me and kept me in a very humble posture before God in living the rest of my life! But I have come to believe that ignorance concerning the future is a God-given blessing and not a liability. Oh, I know we would all like to join with the fictional characters in Back to the Future movies and be able to bet on sporting events and invest in the stock market with a knowledge of all that is going to take place. But I think that God in his wisdom has very wisely hidden the future from us. Think about it. If God were to let you look ahead and see your future prosperity, you might become extremely careless. If you saw ahead to the adversity and personal losses you are going to be facing, you might despair or you might try to take control to make sure it doesn’t happen. God has hidden the future from you for a very good reason. It is so that you might be compelled to trust in him wholeheartedly and completely every moment of every day of your life. The Bible teaches us that the people of God shall live by faith (Romans 1:17). And without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).
2. A HUMBLE view of life sees that life is fragile
James also says, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes away" (Verse 14). Not only is the future uncertain, you are as fragile as mist and vapor. This is an eloquent simile. You see the mist at one moment and a few minutes later it’s gone. You see the steam coming out of your coffee cup and in just a second, it disappears into the air. Life is like that. James’ point is that you have no assurance of a long life! You have no promise that you will live for ten more years, one more year, one more week, one more day or even one more hour. You don’t even know if you’ll make it till tomorrow morning!
In Psalm 103:15-16, the Psalmist writes, “As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.” Every day of your life, every breath you take is totally dependent upon God. You are always just one heartbeat away from eternity. Did you know that your days, from a heavenly perspective, are numbered! You will never live one day, or one hour, or even one second longer than God has planned for you to live. In Psalm 139:16 the Psalmist writes, “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
That’s why Moses prays in Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” On October 13, I turned 58 and a half. I have about 4562 days until I’m at my allotted seventy, if I even make that. That only adds up to about 652 weeks or 152 months! Yikes! Only God can give me the wisdom I need to spend those days profitably in light of eternity. Keep in mind that you have no durability on this earth, for you appear "for a little while" - just a little while. Your time is short. And keep in mind that you will disappear. You will be gone, and life will go on without you. It matters, he says, that you keep this view of life in mind in all of your decisions and planning.
HAVING A HUMBLE VIEW OF GOD
James tells us the true view of God that we should have in our minds and in our mouths as we plot our future - as we make our plans. It not only matters that you have a humble view of life when you make your plans,- you are like a vapor, but it also matters that you have a humble view of God as you make your plans. And that you give expression of this humble view of God: "You ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that'" (Verse 15). Now it is important to see that James is not just giving us a teaching to make sure that we preface all of our actions with “if it is the Lord’s will”.
We all know that people use “God’s will” to get their way; “lord willing” becomes a cliche used to rationalize selfishness. James is not talking about spiritualizing decision making. Anyone can say the words if the Lord wills and intend nothing more than to be RC- religiously correct. James is not looking for a change of words, but a change of heart. James offers a correction to a deeply ingrained philosophy of life. The big issue is between those who live, really live, as if God exists and those who do not. In your planning for tomorrow or next week or next month or next year or for ten years from now, God wants you’re planning to be done with Him and His will in mind.
There ought to be small parentheses written in all the sentences of your planning even as Jesus taught us by both His example in Gethsemane, “Father, not my but thy will be done” and in his teaching to us on prayer: . “Father in heaven…Let Your will be done”. It is the submissive attitude toward God that says, “Lord, you may interrupt at any time. In fact God, I welcome you to do so. Change this whole plan in accordance with your will and I’ll accept it from your hand.” “Give me the desire to want what I want to ought, so that I will do what I ought to do”.
So what is the right view of God that he teaches us to have in verse 15? He tells us two very important things about God. One is contained in the words: "If the Lord wills, we will live." And the other is contained in the words, "If the Lord wills, we will . . . do this or that."
1. First, when he says, "If the Lord wills, we will live," he teaches us that the duration of our lives is in the hands of God. Or: God governs how long we will live. Or: God is ultimately in control of life and death. We may not know how long our vapor-like life will linger in the air, but God knows, because God decides how long we will live: "If the Lord wills we will live." And James is saying: If this is a true view of life and God, then it should shape our mindset and shape our way of talking. In Acts 18:21, Paul left Ephesus and said, "I will return to you again if God wills." In 1 Corinthians 4:19 he writes, "I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills." For most of his life he did not know if the next town might be his burial place. That was in the hands of God. And so are our lives. Psalm 31:15-16, "But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God. My times are in your hand.” God will decide how long we live and when we die. And James' point is: God means for that truth, that reality, to shape our mindset and our attitude and our words. He means for that truth to be known and spoken about. He means for it to be a part of the substance of our conversation. God means for a true view of himself to be known and believed and embraced and cherished and kept in mind and spoken of.
2. Now, there is another truth about God in verse 15: When he says, "If God wills we will . . . do this or that," he teaches us that the activities and accomplishments of our lives are in God's hands. God governs what we accomplish. Not only are our lives in his hands, our success is in his hands. Proverbs 16:9 we are told: “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”
1. Let us remember how wonderfully secure we are in the confidence that it is God who finally governs our lives
God and not chance, God and not our enemies, God and not disease, God and not the devil. I, for one, am very glad that my life is in the hands of an all-loving, all-wise, all-powerful Father. I pray that in the Gethsemane evening of my life I will be able to say with Jesus, "Not my will but yours be done," and then, "Into your hands I commit my spirit." Rejoice in this. You are immortal until God's work for you is done.
2. Since your life and your accomplishments are ultimately in the hands of God, then he is able, in ways you never dreamed, to help you fulfill His plans for your life and provide every need besides.
Philippians 4:19, "My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." 2 Corinthians 9:8, "God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed."
3. Trust God with your future plans.
Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Things don’t always go the way we plan them. I can absolutely testify to this! At best, our plans are tentative, because we can’t see ahead. We make plans but many times God has a much better plan. That’s why he sometimes changes our plans so that they will fit perfectly with his plan. So we must learn to be humble, flexible and tentative as we look to the future, knowing that God may have a totally different plan than what we are now thinking. In his sovereignty he may very well change those plans according to his perfect will. Oh may we live our lives in humble, loving, trust, and submission in God who governs our lives and our achievements for our good and his glory!
Trusting in Him who holds the future,
Pastor Bill
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Trusting Christ With Gutsy Guilt.
Have you sinned lately? This morning? this afternoon? A minute ago? The reality of the Christian life is that while it is God's will that we do not sin, as long as we are here in this body of ours we all still sin. The apostle John clearly spells this out for us.
"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. .. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 1:8-10; 2:1-2).
Does not this describe your life? We sin. We confess our sins. We know that we should not sin. But we do and when we do we have our advocate and propitiation, Jesus Christ. So how does God look at us when we sin? "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1) Do you believe that? The devil hates this truth and he hates the finished work of Christ. So his mission is to keep you in the place of guilt, shame, and darkness through lies, deceptions, accusation, and condemnation.
Frequently when I do sin, in spite of 1 John and Romans, even after I have confessed my sin and repented, I still feel guilt, shame, condemnation, and insecure in my perspective of God and how He views me and my sin. I find it hard to accept His mercy and feel that He does not want anything to do with me. I now know that is exactly the enemies tactic of keeping me distant in my communion with God because of my own guilt and shame.
Micah 7:8-9 is a picture of what you say to your enemy when he scoffs at your defeat. This is a description of what we do when there is "no condemnation" and yet we have sinned. How do we think and act?
Here is what you say. My summary of these words is to call them like John Piper calls them, gutsy guilt. I call it that because when I sin I must admit that I have done wrong and that God is dealing with me. But even in a condition of darkness and discipline, I will not surrender my hold on the truth that God loves me and is on my side (Romans 8:31-38).
Listen to these amazing words. Mark them. Memorize them. Preach them to yourself. Use them whenever Satan tempts you to defeat, discouragement, guilt, shame, condemnation, and despair.
"Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication." (Micah 7:8-9)
This is what victory looks like after defeat. reflect on this deeply, frequently, and faithfully. Learn to take this truth and speak like this to the devil, yourself, or anyone else who tells you that Christ is not capable of using you mightily for His kingdom purposes.
Here is what you say to the devil after you have confessed your sins and he accuses you:
“Rejoice not over me, O my enemy.” You celebrate and rejoice over my failure? You had better think again Satan!!
“When I fall, I shall rise.” Do you know why? Yes, it is true that I have fallen and I hate and despise what I have done. I grieve at the dishonor I have brought on my Lord Jesus and my God. But hear this, my enemy, I will rise. I will rise. (Proverbs 24:16, "...for the righteous falls seven times and rises again")
“When I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.” When I sin, I feel as if I am sitting in darkness. I feel miserable. I feel guilty because I am guilty. But that is not all that is true about me and my God. The same God who makes my darkness is a sustaining light to me in this very darkness. He will not forsake me (Hebrews 13:5).
“I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me.” It is true that when the devil tells you that you have sinned, he is right. Until I confess my sin I am bearing the indignation of the Lord. But that is where the devil's using the truth against me stops and my theology begins: God, the very one who is indignant with me, will also plead my cause. The devil lies and says that God is against me and that I have no future with him because of my sin. That is a lie from the pit of hell and Satan is a liar!(John 8:44) My God, whose Son’s life is my righteousness and whose Son’s death is my punishment, will execute judgment for me. For me! FOR me! And not against me.
“He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication.” This I know for sure, as sure as Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is my punishment and my righteousness, God will bring me out to the light, and I will look upon his righteousness, my Lord and my God.
Now that is a picture of how to think and act when you sin against God whose whole disposition toward you is almighty mercy, free grace, and omnipotent love. He will not always handle you gently. But he will always love you. And always be for you and not against you (Romans 8:31).
So we must take our sins seriously. We hate them because God does. We must see them as a contradiction of who we are in Christ and a contradiction of our Father's love. We must confess our sins (1 John 1:9). We look to the cross where all our pardon and righteousness was fully secured. We accept the Father's displeasure and discipline, and may dwell in darkness for a season. But if our enemy rejoices and says to us in our sorrow, "See, God is against you. He is angry. You are guilty and under his condemnation," then we will say, with the authority of Romans 8:1 and on the basis of Jesus Christ's death and righteousness, and in the words of Micah 7, "Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; Though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, And I will see His righteousness."
That is what I mean by gutsy guilt. I do not know any other way to persevere in the Christian life in view of my constant failings. I do not know any other way to stay on course for the cause of Christ. I do not know any other way to live with God, others, and myself in peace, assurance, and rest in my soul. I do not know any other way to maintain hope, faithfulness, and fruitfulness in ministry, than this gutsy guilt: When I fall I will rise . . . though I have sinned, the very one against whom I have sinned will plead my case and execute justice for me - not against me, but FOR me!
Oh, love this truth, dear reader! Love and live this truth with all your might and all your faith. Do not let the devil have the final word over your sin.
Resting in the finished work of Christ,
Pastor Bill
"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. .. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 1:8-10; 2:1-2).
Does not this describe your life? We sin. We confess our sins. We know that we should not sin. But we do and when we do we have our advocate and propitiation, Jesus Christ. So how does God look at us when we sin? "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1) Do you believe that? The devil hates this truth and he hates the finished work of Christ. So his mission is to keep you in the place of guilt, shame, and darkness through lies, deceptions, accusation, and condemnation.
Frequently when I do sin, in spite of 1 John and Romans, even after I have confessed my sin and repented, I still feel guilt, shame, condemnation, and insecure in my perspective of God and how He views me and my sin. I find it hard to accept His mercy and feel that He does not want anything to do with me. I now know that is exactly the enemies tactic of keeping me distant in my communion with God because of my own guilt and shame.
Micah 7:8-9 is a picture of what you say to your enemy when he scoffs at your defeat. This is a description of what we do when there is "no condemnation" and yet we have sinned. How do we think and act?
Here is what you say. My summary of these words is to call them like John Piper calls them, gutsy guilt. I call it that because when I sin I must admit that I have done wrong and that God is dealing with me. But even in a condition of darkness and discipline, I will not surrender my hold on the truth that God loves me and is on my side (Romans 8:31-38).
Listen to these amazing words. Mark them. Memorize them. Preach them to yourself. Use them whenever Satan tempts you to defeat, discouragement, guilt, shame, condemnation, and despair.
"Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication." (Micah 7:8-9)
This is what victory looks like after defeat. reflect on this deeply, frequently, and faithfully. Learn to take this truth and speak like this to the devil, yourself, or anyone else who tells you that Christ is not capable of using you mightily for His kingdom purposes.
Here is what you say to the devil after you have confessed your sins and he accuses you:
“Rejoice not over me, O my enemy.” You celebrate and rejoice over my failure? You had better think again Satan!!
“When I fall, I shall rise.” Do you know why? Yes, it is true that I have fallen and I hate and despise what I have done. I grieve at the dishonor I have brought on my Lord Jesus and my God. But hear this, my enemy, I will rise. I will rise. (Proverbs 24:16, "...for the righteous falls seven times and rises again")
“When I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.” When I sin, I feel as if I am sitting in darkness. I feel miserable. I feel guilty because I am guilty. But that is not all that is true about me and my God. The same God who makes my darkness is a sustaining light to me in this very darkness. He will not forsake me (Hebrews 13:5).
“I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me.” It is true that when the devil tells you that you have sinned, he is right. Until I confess my sin I am bearing the indignation of the Lord. But that is where the devil's using the truth against me stops and my theology begins: God, the very one who is indignant with me, will also plead my cause. The devil lies and says that God is against me and that I have no future with him because of my sin. That is a lie from the pit of hell and Satan is a liar!(John 8:44) My God, whose Son’s life is my righteousness and whose Son’s death is my punishment, will execute judgment for me. For me! FOR me! And not against me.
“He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication.” This I know for sure, as sure as Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is my punishment and my righteousness, God will bring me out to the light, and I will look upon his righteousness, my Lord and my God.
Now that is a picture of how to think and act when you sin against God whose whole disposition toward you is almighty mercy, free grace, and omnipotent love. He will not always handle you gently. But he will always love you. And always be for you and not against you (Romans 8:31).
So we must take our sins seriously. We hate them because God does. We must see them as a contradiction of who we are in Christ and a contradiction of our Father's love. We must confess our sins (1 John 1:9). We look to the cross where all our pardon and righteousness was fully secured. We accept the Father's displeasure and discipline, and may dwell in darkness for a season. But if our enemy rejoices and says to us in our sorrow, "See, God is against you. He is angry. You are guilty and under his condemnation," then we will say, with the authority of Romans 8:1 and on the basis of Jesus Christ's death and righteousness, and in the words of Micah 7, "Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; Though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, And I will see His righteousness."
That is what I mean by gutsy guilt. I do not know any other way to persevere in the Christian life in view of my constant failings. I do not know any other way to stay on course for the cause of Christ. I do not know any other way to live with God, others, and myself in peace, assurance, and rest in my soul. I do not know any other way to maintain hope, faithfulness, and fruitfulness in ministry, than this gutsy guilt: When I fall I will rise . . . though I have sinned, the very one against whom I have sinned will plead my case and execute justice for me - not against me, but FOR me!
Oh, love this truth, dear reader! Love and live this truth with all your might and all your faith. Do not let the devil have the final word over your sin.
Resting in the finished work of Christ,
Pastor Bill
Monday, November 14, 2011
LIVING ON GRACE
"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
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work" 2 Corinthians 9:8
"For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed." Romans 15:18
"With great power the apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all." Acts 4:33
There is a saying that I have used over the years that personally means more to me than ever. It simply states: Christian living is either supernatural or it is nothing. I have been a Christian for 37 years. I believe that the call to deny ourselves, to love God and others,to do the works of Jesus like healing the sick, to return good for evil, to forgive seventy times seven, to endure one another, to obey His commands, and to keep doing this with joy for fifty, sixty, or seventy years is just not possible to the natural human. It is only possible to do this supernaturally.
I am thankful that the scriptures affirm this.
John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Colossians 1:10-11 that you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and long suffering with joy;
It truly takes supernatural power to live and endure for Christ until we die. So we must seek the supernatural power of God’s sovereign grace daily in order to be the church and to be a Christian. Paul confirmed with his own words the absolute necessity of God’s grace for his ministry. He said, "By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not 1, but the grace of God with me" (I Corinthians 15:10).
Paul realized that the first part of this verse might be misunderstood. Someone might say, "See, he is telling us that God gave him grace in the past and now Paul is simply responding to that grace, out of gratitude or a sense of duty, by working for God as hard as he can." {This is exactly how some look at the Christian life!} That would be a partial, but very distorted, truth. It is not the picture of Christian living Paul wants to leave in our minds. So he goes on to say, "Yet not I, but the grace of God with me."
Paul says that, at every moment, the grace of God enabled his work. Does it really say that? Doesn't it just say that the grace of God [worked] with Paul? No, it says more. We have to come to terms with the words, "Yet not I." Paul wants to exalt the moment-by-moment grace of God in such a way that it is clear that he himself is not the decisive doer of this work. "Yet not I. "
Now the paradox is that nevertheless, Paul is a doer of this work. "I worked harder than any of them." He worked. But he said, it was the grace of God "with me." If we let all the parts of this verse stand, the end result is this: grace was the decisive doer in Paul's work.
This means that, as Paul faced each day’s ministry burden, he had a firm conviction and lived out that conviction with a humble, dependent posture and attitude that unless God’s grace was given for that day’s work, he would not be able to do it. He recalled the words of Jesus, "Apart from Me you, can do nothing’ (John 15:5). So he prayed for fresh supernatural grace for the day, and he trusted in the promise that it would come with power. "My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). Then he acted with all his might. And when he came to the end of the day, he called his might the might of grace and gave God the glory. "Yet not I, but the grace of God with me." Or, with different words, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13); ""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). So, God’s grace did not replace Paul's effort; it enabled and carried it. No wonder Paul could say His grace toward me did not prove vain! Grace made Paul what he was. Grace gave him the courage to be who he was. Grace energized him to accomplish what he did. Grace was the silent partner and his constant traveling companion.
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Heb.13: 20-21
God himself, graciously arriving each moment, brings grace into the present moment. So when Paul describes the effect of the grace of God that was with him he says, "I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed" (Romans 15:18). The power we need for today’s ministry is the today grace of the omnipotent Christ, who will always, be there for us..
So how do we tap into this grace that we need to live supernaturally? Prayer connects us today with the grace that will make us adequate for today's living for Christ.
Hebrews 4:16 tells us, "Let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need” The Greek original behind the phrase "grace to help in time of need" can be translated literally, "grace for a well-timed help."' The point is that prayer is the way to find God’s grace for a well-timed help. This grace always arrives from the "throne of grace" on time. The phrase, "throne of grace" means that grace comes from the king of the Universe who sets the times by his own authority (Acts 1:8). His timing is perfect, but it is rarely ours: "For a thousand years in [his] sight are like yesterday when it passes by" (Psalm 90:4). At the global level, he sets the times for nations to rise and fall (Acts 17:26). And at the personal level, "My times are in [his] hands" (Psalm 31:15). When we wonder about the timing of grace, we must think on the 'throne of grace." Nothing can hinder God's plan to send grace when it will be best for us. God’s grace is always well timed.
The need for grace is the constant plea of the praying psalmists. They pray for it again and again to meet every need. They leave every minister a model of daily dependence on grace for every emergency. They cry out for grace when they need help: "Hear, 0 Lord, and be gracious to me; 0 Lord, be Thou my helper" (Psalm 30:10). They cry out for grace when they are weak: "Turn to me, and be gracious to me; 0 grant Thy strength to Thy servant" (Psalm 86:16). They cry out for grace when they need healing: "Be gracious to me, 0 Lord, for I am pining away; heal me, 0 Lord" (Psalm 6:2). They cry out for grace when they are afflicted by enemies: "Be gracious to me, 0 Lord; behold my affliction from those who hate me" (Psalm 9:13). They cry out for grace when they are lonely: "Turn to me and be gracious to me, For I am lonely and afflicted" (Psalm 25:16). They cry out for grace when they are grieving: "Be gracious to me, 0 Lord, for I am in distress; My eye is wasted away from grief" (Psalm 31:9). They cry out for grace when they have sinned: "O Lord, be gracious to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee" (Psalm 41:4).
Once we are persuaded that the normal Christian life is supernatural, if we desire to “be” Christians, we will be on our knees. His grace is available to each of you.
1 Corinthians. 2:1-5, "When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.
2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Habakkuk. 3:17-19, Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls--Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; he will make my feet like deer's feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
John Newton
Learning to live on grace,
Pastor Bill
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work" 2 Corinthians 9:8
"For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed." Romans 15:18
"With great power the apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all." Acts 4:33
There is a saying that I have used over the years that personally means more to me than ever. It simply states: Christian living is either supernatural or it is nothing. I have been a Christian for 37 years. I believe that the call to deny ourselves, to love God and others,to do the works of Jesus like healing the sick, to return good for evil, to forgive seventy times seven, to endure one another, to obey His commands, and to keep doing this with joy for fifty, sixty, or seventy years is just not possible to the natural human. It is only possible to do this supernaturally.
I am thankful that the scriptures affirm this.
John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Colossians 1:10-11 that you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and long suffering with joy;
It truly takes supernatural power to live and endure for Christ until we die. So we must seek the supernatural power of God’s sovereign grace daily in order to be the church and to be a Christian. Paul confirmed with his own words the absolute necessity of God’s grace for his ministry. He said, "By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not 1, but the grace of God with me" (I Corinthians 15:10).
Paul realized that the first part of this verse might be misunderstood. Someone might say, "See, he is telling us that God gave him grace in the past and now Paul is simply responding to that grace, out of gratitude or a sense of duty, by working for God as hard as he can." {This is exactly how some look at the Christian life!} That would be a partial, but very distorted, truth. It is not the picture of Christian living Paul wants to leave in our minds. So he goes on to say, "Yet not I, but the grace of God with me."
Paul says that, at every moment, the grace of God enabled his work. Does it really say that? Doesn't it just say that the grace of God [worked] with Paul? No, it says more. We have to come to terms with the words, "Yet not I." Paul wants to exalt the moment-by-moment grace of God in such a way that it is clear that he himself is not the decisive doer of this work. "Yet not I. "
Now the paradox is that nevertheless, Paul is a doer of this work. "I worked harder than any of them." He worked. But he said, it was the grace of God "with me." If we let all the parts of this verse stand, the end result is this: grace was the decisive doer in Paul's work.
This means that, as Paul faced each day’s ministry burden, he had a firm conviction and lived out that conviction with a humble, dependent posture and attitude that unless God’s grace was given for that day’s work, he would not be able to do it. He recalled the words of Jesus, "Apart from Me you, can do nothing’ (John 15:5). So he prayed for fresh supernatural grace for the day, and he trusted in the promise that it would come with power. "My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). Then he acted with all his might. And when he came to the end of the day, he called his might the might of grace and gave God the glory. "Yet not I, but the grace of God with me." Or, with different words, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13); ""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). So, God’s grace did not replace Paul's effort; it enabled and carried it. No wonder Paul could say His grace toward me did not prove vain! Grace made Paul what he was. Grace gave him the courage to be who he was. Grace energized him to accomplish what he did. Grace was the silent partner and his constant traveling companion.
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Heb.13: 20-21
God himself, graciously arriving each moment, brings grace into the present moment. So when Paul describes the effect of the grace of God that was with him he says, "I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed" (Romans 15:18). The power we need for today’s ministry is the today grace of the omnipotent Christ, who will always, be there for us..
So how do we tap into this grace that we need to live supernaturally? Prayer connects us today with the grace that will make us adequate for today's living for Christ.
Hebrews 4:16 tells us, "Let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need” The Greek original behind the phrase "grace to help in time of need" can be translated literally, "grace for a well-timed help."' The point is that prayer is the way to find God’s grace for a well-timed help. This grace always arrives from the "throne of grace" on time. The phrase, "throne of grace" means that grace comes from the king of the Universe who sets the times by his own authority (Acts 1:8). His timing is perfect, but it is rarely ours: "For a thousand years in [his] sight are like yesterday when it passes by" (Psalm 90:4). At the global level, he sets the times for nations to rise and fall (Acts 17:26). And at the personal level, "My times are in [his] hands" (Psalm 31:15). When we wonder about the timing of grace, we must think on the 'throne of grace." Nothing can hinder God's plan to send grace when it will be best for us. God’s grace is always well timed.
The need for grace is the constant plea of the praying psalmists. They pray for it again and again to meet every need. They leave every minister a model of daily dependence on grace for every emergency. They cry out for grace when they need help: "Hear, 0 Lord, and be gracious to me; 0 Lord, be Thou my helper" (Psalm 30:10). They cry out for grace when they are weak: "Turn to me, and be gracious to me; 0 grant Thy strength to Thy servant" (Psalm 86:16). They cry out for grace when they need healing: "Be gracious to me, 0 Lord, for I am pining away; heal me, 0 Lord" (Psalm 6:2). They cry out for grace when they are afflicted by enemies: "Be gracious to me, 0 Lord; behold my affliction from those who hate me" (Psalm 9:13). They cry out for grace when they are lonely: "Turn to me and be gracious to me, For I am lonely and afflicted" (Psalm 25:16). They cry out for grace when they are grieving: "Be gracious to me, 0 Lord, for I am in distress; My eye is wasted away from grief" (Psalm 31:9). They cry out for grace when they have sinned: "O Lord, be gracious to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee" (Psalm 41:4).
Once we are persuaded that the normal Christian life is supernatural, if we desire to “be” Christians, we will be on our knees. His grace is available to each of you.
1 Corinthians. 2:1-5, "When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.
2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Habakkuk. 3:17-19, Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls--Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; he will make my feet like deer's feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
John Newton
Learning to live on grace,
Pastor Bill
Monday, November 7, 2011
HOW GOD MAKES LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE DESIRABLE AND DOABLE
One of the most encouraging passages in my life is the statement that the apostle Paul makes in Philippians 2:12-13, "“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” In verse 12, God tells us what He wants for our life. Many Christians hear just that part of the verse and get very very discouraged because it seems as if God is saying something that we must do on our own, "work out your salvation with fear and trembling."
Now let us first understand what Paul is not saying. The verse does not say, "Work for your salvation." There’s only one person who has worked for your salvation and that’s Jesus Christ. He alone worked for your salvation. Nor does Paul command the church here to work on their salvation. Our salvation cannot be improved upon. The rescue is complete. The salvation equation is very simple: Christ = salvation. There’s no plus sign in this equation. You dishonor Christ if you try to add a plus sign, if you try to work on your salvation, because a plus sign suggests that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross wasn’t enough for you.
So what then does Paul mean when he says “work out your salvation”? Christians sometimes struggle with growing in grace because they don’t understand how it works. Either they think that God does something like this…He says, ‘OK, I’ve saved you by Jesus Christ, I’ve forgiven you, and now you’re on your own. Get crackin’! Get to it.’ And other times, they think, ‘Well, God saved me, and He’s at work in me changing me, so I don’t have to do anything.’ And the Apostle Paul with this exhortation is both encouraging us and correcting us at the same time.
The ideal behind the words "your own salvation" is that God has a plan for each of our lives. He has a design for you and He has a duty for you. Paul says in Romans 8:29 that we were predestined to be conformed the very image of Christ. We are to fulfill that plan so that our lives will bring forth fruit to the glory of God. So one thing Paul is saying here is that as Christians we must strive to get the greatest potential benefit from our salvation. God puts tremendous capacity for good in our lives-like the mother lode in silver mine or a field full of ripe crops-and He wants us to realize that capacity to its fullest. It is as if Paul is saying, don’t stop halfway; don't be satisfied with partial benefits when it comes to your relationship with God. Get the full benefit of the gospel.
The Christian life is not just a one time commitment. It is an ongoing walk, a race to be run, a fight to be fought. As Paul writes in Colossians 2:6-7, “As you received Jesus Christ as Lord (past tense), so (now, presently) walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him.” God wants to continue His saving work in us everyday-refining, strengthening, making us more into His likeness. Discipleship is a lifelong process. So Paul urges us here to get on with that process-to continually strive to work out our salvation-to mine all the benefits we can from it-to constantly seek to grow and mature and be more and more like Christ. 1 Corinthians 9:24, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” Colossians 1:29, “To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.” 2 Peter 1:1, “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble.” Believing does not make the Christian passive. It makes them hopeful, energetic, and courageous. Each day there is work to be done and we are commanded to work.
BUT...
How many of you have lived in verse 12 and felt completely discouraged, defeated, debilitated, and downcast because you cannot do what verse 12 seems to demand of you? You battle your desires to work out your salvation, your will to work out your salvation, and your ability to work out your salvation. Perhaps you feel defeated before you even get out the door.
Thank God for verse 13!It is here that we find the key to the door of living verse 12. In verse 13, He tells us how this is brought to pass. “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” Do not get stuck in verse 12 dear reader!
"It is God who works in you.” Is this good news my friend? Paul is telling us that the Christian life is not our attempt at the imitation of Christ but the incarnation of Christ who lives in me (Galatians 2:20). The Christian life is not a series of “ups and downs” it is rather a process of “ins and outs.” God works in and we work out. Paul is saying that God is the decisive worker in your life! We work, but we work by and through and because of His working in us.
There are two great needs in every Christian life. First, there is the desire to do God's will and the second is the ability to do His will. If I only have the desire chances are on the basis of what I have seen in my life I will not do God's will. I will want to, but because of my flesh, I won't do what I want to do. I need the power and the ability to do what I want to do. That is why Philippians 2:13 is such stupendously good news to you and me.
God does more than merely strengthen our willing and doing. He does not add just a little help so that I can partner with Him. Paul's explanation goes deeper. "God himself is working in us both to will and to act: He works in us at the level of our wills and at the level of our doing God works in us, not merely with us. It is not the thought that my work plus God's work gets it done.
Augustine wrote, "Our deeds are our own, because of the free will producing them, and they are also God's, because of his grace causing our free will to produce them." And he says elsewhere, "God makes us do what he pleases by making us desire what we might not desire."' And finally he says, "Give me the grace [O Lord] to do as you command, and command me to do what you will! . . . O holy God . . . when your commands are obeyed, it is from you that we receive the power to obey them."
Notice the enthusiastic heart of God in his working in you. "...it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” The word "pleasure" means "a happy joyful desire or purpose." God is working in us that His desire and purpose for our life to be fulfilled and that brings him great joy.
Second Thessalonians 1:11-12, "To this end we always pray for you, that our God may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you.”
Hebrews 13:20-21, `Now may the God of peace. equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
1 Corinthians 15:10, “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.”
Romans 15:18, “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me.”
This is encourages me so much, and there are two things that encourage me. He says we can do verse 12 because God Himself is at work in you already, so that you will want to do it, and you will be able to do it, so that you will do it for His good pleasure in you. God is the workman; we stand in need of his services. He is the doctor, we are the sick patient. We are the weak, He is the strong. We have the broken down jalopy, He is the mechanic. That’s incredible.
In short, God makes living the Christian life so desirable and so doable!!!
Do you know what else is encouraging to me about this? It’s that he says this in the present tense. God is working now at this very moment! NOW! Dear reader, say that to yourself! ____________ God is working now at this very moment in me.
Even when we are most actively working out for God, we are still the recipients of His working in us. The power to work out daily our salvation is the power of the living God always there to work for us and in us every moment that we enter. Not only that, He doesn’t stop and wait for you to get working rather He is now and always working The God who in the past worked and changed you is the same God who is at work in you now to change you. And let me tell you, my friends, that truth keeps me from despair, because one of the great realities that I live with every waking moment is that I know that I am not what I ought to be. And the Apostle Paul is simply saying to you here, ‘Child of God, He’s not finished with you yet. He is at work with you, in you, for you, for His pleasure and glory.’
I cannot imagine a more comforting and encouraging thing to know in the pursuit of godliness in the Christian life than that my God is not done yet. It keeps me from going over the edge. It keeps me from the brink of despair. It is the promise (God will work in you!) that sustains and gives hope to the willpower (work out your salvation). Take heart. God will not leave you to yourself. John Newton once wrote: I am not what I want to be, I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I should be, but by the grace of God, I am what I am.”
Can anything be more radical than this? It means every good desire; every Christ-like thought, attitude, decision, and aspiration which I have is something which has been produced in me by God. God controls my willing, it is God who is energizing my very desires and hopes and aspirations and thoughts. He stimulates it all!” It means God understands our weakness and is committed to helping us. It means we are not left to simply work to muster more of our strength but we are invited to tap into His. It means we don't have to worry about falling away in the end because God is working on our desires and appetites so that we won't want to drift away. It means that the victories and accomplishments we have in the spiritual realm should be acknowledged as coming from the Lord and we should give Him the glory. It means that we can live the Christian life.
Oh reader, we need not fear the will of God or flee the will of God on the basis of feeling inadequate or insufficient. God will enable us to do anything He asks of us. God wants to lure you into obedience with his irresistibly beautiful and ineffable promises of enablement! Where God guides, He will provide.
Take the following texts as encouragements from God that He will help you fulfill His purposes for your life:
Jeremiah 31:31 33, `Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel.... I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.
Deuteronomy 30.6, "The LORD your God will circumcise your heart...so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. "
Ezekiel 11:19–20, A new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them."
Ezekiel 36:26-27, `I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, "To this end we always pray for you, that our God may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you.”
Hebrews 13:20-21, `Now may the God of peace. equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
1 Corinthians 15:10, “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.”
Romans 15:18, “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me.”
1 Peter 4:11, "Whoever serves" is to do so `as one who serves by the strength which God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1 Thessalonians 3:12. "May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another "
Utterly thrilled that God makes living the Christian life so desirable and so doable!
Pastor Bill
Now let us first understand what Paul is not saying. The verse does not say, "Work for your salvation." There’s only one person who has worked for your salvation and that’s Jesus Christ. He alone worked for your salvation. Nor does Paul command the church here to work on their salvation. Our salvation cannot be improved upon. The rescue is complete. The salvation equation is very simple: Christ = salvation. There’s no plus sign in this equation. You dishonor Christ if you try to add a plus sign, if you try to work on your salvation, because a plus sign suggests that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross wasn’t enough for you.
So what then does Paul mean when he says “work out your salvation”? Christians sometimes struggle with growing in grace because they don’t understand how it works. Either they think that God does something like this…He says, ‘OK, I’ve saved you by Jesus Christ, I’ve forgiven you, and now you’re on your own. Get crackin’! Get to it.’ And other times, they think, ‘Well, God saved me, and He’s at work in me changing me, so I don’t have to do anything.’ And the Apostle Paul with this exhortation is both encouraging us and correcting us at the same time.
The ideal behind the words "your own salvation" is that God has a plan for each of our lives. He has a design for you and He has a duty for you. Paul says in Romans 8:29 that we were predestined to be conformed the very image of Christ. We are to fulfill that plan so that our lives will bring forth fruit to the glory of God. So one thing Paul is saying here is that as Christians we must strive to get the greatest potential benefit from our salvation. God puts tremendous capacity for good in our lives-like the mother lode in silver mine or a field full of ripe crops-and He wants us to realize that capacity to its fullest. It is as if Paul is saying, don’t stop halfway; don't be satisfied with partial benefits when it comes to your relationship with God. Get the full benefit of the gospel.
The Christian life is not just a one time commitment. It is an ongoing walk, a race to be run, a fight to be fought. As Paul writes in Colossians 2:6-7, “As you received Jesus Christ as Lord (past tense), so (now, presently) walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him.” God wants to continue His saving work in us everyday-refining, strengthening, making us more into His likeness. Discipleship is a lifelong process. So Paul urges us here to get on with that process-to continually strive to work out our salvation-to mine all the benefits we can from it-to constantly seek to grow and mature and be more and more like Christ. 1 Corinthians 9:24, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” Colossians 1:29, “To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.” 2 Peter 1:1, “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble.” Believing does not make the Christian passive. It makes them hopeful, energetic, and courageous. Each day there is work to be done and we are commanded to work.
BUT...
How many of you have lived in verse 12 and felt completely discouraged, defeated, debilitated, and downcast because you cannot do what verse 12 seems to demand of you? You battle your desires to work out your salvation, your will to work out your salvation, and your ability to work out your salvation. Perhaps you feel defeated before you even get out the door.
Thank God for verse 13!It is here that we find the key to the door of living verse 12. In verse 13, He tells us how this is brought to pass. “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” Do not get stuck in verse 12 dear reader!
"It is God who works in you.” Is this good news my friend? Paul is telling us that the Christian life is not our attempt at the imitation of Christ but the incarnation of Christ who lives in me (Galatians 2:20). The Christian life is not a series of “ups and downs” it is rather a process of “ins and outs.” God works in and we work out. Paul is saying that God is the decisive worker in your life! We work, but we work by and through and because of His working in us.
There are two great needs in every Christian life. First, there is the desire to do God's will and the second is the ability to do His will. If I only have the desire chances are on the basis of what I have seen in my life I will not do God's will. I will want to, but because of my flesh, I won't do what I want to do. I need the power and the ability to do what I want to do. That is why Philippians 2:13 is such stupendously good news to you and me.
God does more than merely strengthen our willing and doing. He does not add just a little help so that I can partner with Him. Paul's explanation goes deeper. "God himself is working in us both to will and to act: He works in us at the level of our wills and at the level of our doing God works in us, not merely with us. It is not the thought that my work plus God's work gets it done.
Augustine wrote, "Our deeds are our own, because of the free will producing them, and they are also God's, because of his grace causing our free will to produce them." And he says elsewhere, "God makes us do what he pleases by making us desire what we might not desire."' And finally he says, "Give me the grace [O Lord] to do as you command, and command me to do what you will! . . . O holy God . . . when your commands are obeyed, it is from you that we receive the power to obey them."
Notice the enthusiastic heart of God in his working in you. "...it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” The word "pleasure" means "a happy joyful desire or purpose." God is working in us that His desire and purpose for our life to be fulfilled and that brings him great joy.
Second Thessalonians 1:11-12, "To this end we always pray for you, that our God may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you.”
Hebrews 13:20-21, `Now may the God of peace. equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
1 Corinthians 15:10, “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.”
Romans 15:18, “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me.”
This is encourages me so much, and there are two things that encourage me. He says we can do verse 12 because God Himself is at work in you already, so that you will want to do it, and you will be able to do it, so that you will do it for His good pleasure in you. God is the workman; we stand in need of his services. He is the doctor, we are the sick patient. We are the weak, He is the strong. We have the broken down jalopy, He is the mechanic. That’s incredible.
In short, God makes living the Christian life so desirable and so doable!!!
Do you know what else is encouraging to me about this? It’s that he says this in the present tense. God is working now at this very moment! NOW! Dear reader, say that to yourself! ____________ God is working now at this very moment in me.
Even when we are most actively working out for God, we are still the recipients of His working in us. The power to work out daily our salvation is the power of the living God always there to work for us and in us every moment that we enter. Not only that, He doesn’t stop and wait for you to get working rather He is now and always working The God who in the past worked and changed you is the same God who is at work in you now to change you. And let me tell you, my friends, that truth keeps me from despair, because one of the great realities that I live with every waking moment is that I know that I am not what I ought to be. And the Apostle Paul is simply saying to you here, ‘Child of God, He’s not finished with you yet. He is at work with you, in you, for you, for His pleasure and glory.’
I cannot imagine a more comforting and encouraging thing to know in the pursuit of godliness in the Christian life than that my God is not done yet. It keeps me from going over the edge. It keeps me from the brink of despair. It is the promise (God will work in you!) that sustains and gives hope to the willpower (work out your salvation). Take heart. God will not leave you to yourself. John Newton once wrote: I am not what I want to be, I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I should be, but by the grace of God, I am what I am.”
Can anything be more radical than this? It means every good desire; every Christ-like thought, attitude, decision, and aspiration which I have is something which has been produced in me by God. God controls my willing, it is God who is energizing my very desires and hopes and aspirations and thoughts. He stimulates it all!” It means God understands our weakness and is committed to helping us. It means we are not left to simply work to muster more of our strength but we are invited to tap into His. It means we don't have to worry about falling away in the end because God is working on our desires and appetites so that we won't want to drift away. It means that the victories and accomplishments we have in the spiritual realm should be acknowledged as coming from the Lord and we should give Him the glory. It means that we can live the Christian life.
Oh reader, we need not fear the will of God or flee the will of God on the basis of feeling inadequate or insufficient. God will enable us to do anything He asks of us. God wants to lure you into obedience with his irresistibly beautiful and ineffable promises of enablement! Where God guides, He will provide.
Take the following texts as encouragements from God that He will help you fulfill His purposes for your life:
Jeremiah 31:31 33, `Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel.... I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.
Deuteronomy 30.6, "The LORD your God will circumcise your heart...so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. "
Ezekiel 11:19–20, A new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them."
Ezekiel 36:26-27, `I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, "To this end we always pray for you, that our God may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you.”
Hebrews 13:20-21, `Now may the God of peace. equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
1 Corinthians 15:10, “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.”
Romans 15:18, “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me.”
1 Peter 4:11, "Whoever serves" is to do so `as one who serves by the strength which God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1 Thessalonians 3:12. "May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another "
Utterly thrilled that God makes living the Christian life so desirable and so doable!
Pastor Bill
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