Something I have observed over time in many churches and heard from countless pulpits is this familiar disclaimer...and it goes something like this. (Start listening...you’ll hear it too). Pastor/preacher wants to address, timidly, the idea of ‘holy living’ or ‘dealing with sin’ and maybe even touching on similar topics. But it is always prefaced with “Now let’s not confuse the free gift of salvation with how we live. You are saved and going to heaven...but.....”
Funny...how they feel a need to tell folks upfront that this ‘free gift of salvation’ is ‘done settled’. As if nothing is required of us. We all know John 3:16 well,...more so than Hebrews 5:9 that says clearly that Jesus became the ‘author of eternal salvation to those who OBEY Him.” As previously stated, I try to avoid the whole debate/discussion on who is ‘saved’. My focus is on ‘abiding in Christ’. But here is another spin I hear promoted frequently... “SINCE...we have been given this great gift of free salvation by a loving and generous Father/God...we should be inspired and motivated to live a life pleasing to Him.”
Here’s the problem I sense with that mindset. It reminds me of the wealthy parent who has a very spoiled, bratty-self-centered teenager and thinks that if they give them the car/truck of their dreams for their 16th birthday, that they will automatically turn on a dime and be such a sweet and grateful child.
Yeah...we all know how that usually plays out. But gosh...do you not see the fallacy of this kind of thinking? We are often guilty of applying our own mindsets towards God. And we forget His ways are so far above and different than our ways. And please dismiss that pesky whisper you just heard in your ear accusing me of teaching that we have to ‘earn our salvation’. I’m telling you, those pesky ‘birds in the air come quickly’ to snatch God’s word from your hearts. This has nothing to do with ‘earning our salvation’. Period.
So let’s maybe take another look as to how this ‘walk of faith’ or ‘salvation’ was supposed to play out in our lives. Trying to convince rebellious sinners that because they mumbled some phrase of a prayer that now a place in heaven is guaranteed for them regardless of what they do or how they live, does more damage than good.
Before I totally turned in repentance to Jesus, I was dead in my sins and trespasses. My old sinful nature was the ‘vehicle’ through which the powers of darkness operated IN me and I was living according to my flesh nature. (Eph. 2:1-4). You’ll notice there that the enemy was working IN me and influencing and controlling me. ( 1 John 5:19).
I could have easily been a ‘religious person’, walking in a form of godliness, even prophesying and ‘casting out devils’ and doing all kinds of great works for God...yet...still have a sinful and defiled heart. (Matt. 7:21-23; 2 Tim. 3:5; 1 Cor 13:1-3; and Mark 7). – Mark 7 is a good one to spend time in. Also, check out Rev. 3:1
The problem with that is I’m not abiding in Jesus. When I finally hear the ‘true gospel’ and come under conviction and see my defiled condition...or, as the prodigal son did in Luke 15 and ‘came to his senses’ I humble myself and turn to God in repentance. (James 4:1-10)
God sees my heart...and has never stopped looking for me to return to Him (Luke 15:20) and He runs to me and embraces me in spite of my wretched condition. He puts a new robe on me and calls me His son and places a ring on my finger and takes me in to dine at His table. Amazing, is it not? Do yourself a favor here...and quite trying to set a marker and say “Now I’m saved”. Let your focus be on the fact that you have entered in to covenant with God almighty...you are at His table and good things await you....provided you continue with Him.
What is the difference here? This time...you have surrendered your whole heart. What is the greatest commandment? That we love God with ‘how much of our heart’? And know this...He will test it. (Deut 8:2; 1 Thess. 2:4). The minute we enter in...to this covenant relationship, we enter in...to peace. His peace. Allow me to use the illustration where you and I have gotten out of the ‘driver’s seat’ and handed the keys over to Him and He gets to drive and lead and guide. But also make note that the door next to you in the passenger seat is not locked and you can open that door and exit any time you want.
But if you decide to ‘continue in the faith’, you will begin this process of sanctification where the Holy Spirit is going to begin purifying your heart of all the crud, evil, and sin that has resided there since the day you were born into this corrupted and tainted world. A world, I might remind you- that was under a cures of darkness and death thanks to Adam. (Rom 5:9; John 3:36) It might also be helpful to just cut to the chase and tell you the reason that prior to you turning in repentance, you were powerless to overcome the sins in your life because they were demonic in nature/origin. Yes...evil and unclean spirits reside in your heart. We saw that in Eph. 2. But the moment you enter in to this walk of abiding, they remain in ‘check’ because you have now made Jesus your master...or Lord. You are no longer serving the powers of darkness. There is a ‘new sheriff in town. ;- ). But they still need to be evicted. Think of them as ‘squatters’.
Remember the story I have been speaking about lately of the Israelites going in to possess the land where God wants to bless them? The one condition he stresses over and over is the need for obedience to His laws and commands. He tells them about the wicked nations on the land and how much stronger they are than them...but if they will follow, He will clear the land and rid these evil foes. That...is what Jesus came to do with your heart and my heart. To clear the land. One. Nation. At. A. Time.
As a new ‘babe in Christ’, there will be this period of learning how to walk again with Him. You may stumble at first. No worries...He loves you, will discipline you (Heb 12) and bring you along. IF....you sin, you will quickly know it...and can confess and repent but it will be the exception and not the norm. ( 1 John 2:1). And Please...give up this idea for now that God is going to call you into some public form of ministry of singing and going to do great things for God. This will be a frequent temptation. I only point you to Jesus and how He started His ministry God had for Him. It begins in Luke 4 immediately after being baptized by John, where the Spirit led Him into the desert wilderness to have His heart tested by Satan. It wasn’t until after He ‘passed the test’ that He returned in the power of the Spirit and began to minister to others. Where do we come off thinking we can bypass that if Jesus had to be tested? And we are told we are going to walk just as He walked. ( 1 John 2:6)
I want to spend the rest of this posting today looking at James 1. But let me preface this with the understanding that Jesus is not just wanting us to stand and ‘confess that we believe in Him’; on the contrary, we are to ‘take up our own cross and follow Him where true treasures await us. (Mark 10:21). And remember...If He is leading...we should be following. And the first thing He begins to do is lead us to deal with this sinful flesh nature (old man) that has to die. (Rom 8:13) Don’t look for shortcuts either!
“My brethren...count it all joy when you fall into various trials/tests, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4)
So what does this look like, you ask? We know our hearts are defiled and in need of being purified. This is what the Spirit leads us to do. We don’t even know our own hearts like God does. (Jer. 17:9; Mark 7:20-23). So ...God allows these ‘testing’s and trials’ to come our way. If God knows I have a problem with a ‘spirit of irritation’ and just the littlest things will set me off, God will start ‘allowing’ these irritations to occur to expose this spirit in my heart. (Remember, from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Whatever is in there will come out.)
When you face this test, James says ‘count it all joy’. Why? Because now you have the opportunity to prove to God that you love Him more than that spirit of irritability’ that has dwelt and operated in you for who knows how long?! The moment He reveals this to you, you would do well to stop and agree and confess and repent with/to God. This is fruit of the ‘old man’ and it has to go. Not be ‘dialed down’ or ‘put on a leash’ or ‘in a cage’. God wants it off the land and out of your heart where you can experience genuine freedom.
It is in that moment of repentance, you are cleansed by the blood of Jesus- in that particular area of your heart. This is the beauty of the Christian faith...you no longer have to offer up sacrifices of bulls and lambs and goats and such...to ‘amend for your sins’. We now have a better covenant and a better sacrifice where the blood of Jesus cleanses and removes the source of sin from our defiled hearts. In that very moment, that ‘spirit of irritation’ HAS to go. As in evicted and uprooted from the land (your heart). Previously, you were powerless and defenseless against that spirit.
Many of you had resigned yourself to believing you would ALWAYS have to struggle with that because of your ‘nature’. But now, Jesus...evicted...as in ‘cast out’ the source of that struggle. Now remember what happens when a spirit is evicted...he will attempt to return. (Matt 12:43-44). This...is where you and I are tested and we get to prove that we love God more...than that spirit of irritation (or whatever He’s dealing with you on).
I’m going to encourage you to read James 1:13-15 on your own and study. I’ll pick up from here tomorrow. I hope you are feeling encouraged...as many of you have struggled for years with various sins. Jesus is going to lead and enable you to overcome them ALL. Yes...even those big ones you would be ashamed if anyone knew you struggled with. This is for real. :- )
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