You know...’saved by faith’ or is there ‘something else’ that follows or comes in to play?
(ah...I hear the sound of theologians pulling out their swords to sharpen them). No need...you can put them away...I’m not here to debate who is ‘saved’ and who is not. But I’ll talk about what it means to ‘abide’ in Christ as long as you want. :- )
Yes...I’m fully aware it is ‘by grace’ and ‘not of works lest we boast’ and ‘faith alone’, as we like to tell ourselves regularly. So now that I’m on board with those verses...let’s talk about a few others we tend to skate over that bring in other points to consider besides ‘faith’. Like where Paul told us that “it is not the hearers of the law who are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified’. (Rom 2:13) “Doers”...of the law?
Then when addressing the issue of circumcision, he told the Corinthians that whatever option they chose on that physical act really did not matter anymore, but that ‘keeping the commandments of God is what matters.” (1 Cor. 7:19). He also explained in his letter to the Romans that “we don’t make void the law through faith but on the contrary, we establish or confirm or uphold the law.” (3:31). What is he saying here?
Well, in Romans 8, it is spelled out rather nicely...the true followers or children of God are the ones who are being led by His Spirit (14) and in the process of doing this, all the ‘righteous requirements of the law are being fully met in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit’. (vs 4). And IF...you are being ‘led by the spirit...you are not fulfilling the desires of the flesh nature’. (Gal. 5:16) And why is that? Because the Spirit leads you to put it (old man) to death and ‘those who belong to Christ” have done just that. (Gal. 5:24)
Oh...and the ones who ‘follow the Lamb wherever He goes...they are the saints who keep the commandments of God and have faith in Jesus.’ (Rev. 14:4,12; & 12:17). And don’t you love where Jesus declared: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me and I give them eternal life and they shall never perish...” (John 10:27-28) He (Jesus) knows them...unlike our friend in Matt. 7:21-23 who was very busy doing great things for God but was shut out with the words: “I never knew you...You who continued to practice sin!”
Which leads me back to our friend there in Matt. 19...you know...the rich young ruler who came to Jesus asking what he might do to inherit eternal life. To which Jesus answered: “You want to enter into life?...Keep the commandments.” (vs 17)
I find the follow up question by the young man rather amusing...”Which ones?” Sounds like what my students used to ask me before taking a test when I taught in school...’how many do I need to get right to pass?” Why is it we are always preoccupied with the ‘minimum score required’ to get by? What was he expecting Jesus to respond with, “Hmm...well there are Ten of them...and we all know 70% is passing...unless I grade on a curve, of course. And given how wicked so many people are today, I may have to grade on a curve so it looks more like 50% will get you in. And just because I’m so loving and understanding...I’ll even let you choose which 5 of the 10 you want to keep. Then when we all get to heaven...what a day of rejoicing that will be!”
Sigh...
So our young ruler claimed that he had indeed kept all these commandments since he was a youth. Funny ...how that works...that sense of confidence that we are standing firm. I have a hunch we do that more often than we think...”Oh yeah...I believe...I have faith...I’m following Jesus.” There’s a reason Paul warned us to be careful with this mindset. (1 Cor. 10:12). He then advises us to ‘test ourselves’ to see if we ‘pass the test’. (2 Cor. 13:5) Even Peter popped off one time telling Jesus that he was not only willing and ready to follow Him to prison, but he was ready to die as well. To which Jesus responded...”Peter, before this night is over you will deny three times that you even know me.”
Yeah...that really happened.(Luke 22:34)
So Jesus who saw in to the heart of this young ruler (as well as Peter’s ) told him...”you just lack one thing.’ Now...we know how this story plays out...and if you are asked to identify the commandment he was struggling with, you probably would point to the 10th one about ‘coveting’. He had a lot of wealth and possessions and just was not quite ready to let go of them. Funny how that commandment was not in the few that Jesus rattled off there in vs. 18. The ones Jesus did offer up, the young man was quick to say: “Oh...I’ve kept all these.”
There’s another commandment that Jesus sidestepped there. It was the second one. And it’s a pretty significant one as well- as they All are. You might flip back to Deut. 5:7 and look it over. I touched on this one awhile back and am circling back to expound more. It has to do with making or carving ‘other gods’. We tend to use the word or phrase about ‘having idols’. That is an accurate expression. The first commandment was letting it be known that He is the Lord our God who delivers us and we are to have no other gods before Him.
Then, that second one spills in to the idea we may be prone to making our own gods and bowing down and serving them. But then here is where it gets interesting. God lets us know He is a ‘jealous God’ and that He will ‘visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation. I should not stop there given He follows up about his merciful side and extending His love to thousands...to those who love Him and keep His commandments. No wonder Paul reminds us in an accurate and balanced manner when he writes: “Behold, the goodness and the severity of the Lord!” (Rom. 11:22)
Allow me to get to the point here. Anything...that we ‘put before God’, or ‘love more than God’, or hold on to, not wanting to cut loose of ANYTHING God says we need to repent of and turn from...can be considered an ‘idol’. If you have ever silently prayed or thought to yourself- “oh gosh...I hope God never asks me to give up _________(this), you might take a step back and ask why that is? I can tell you with confidence that God’s first priority is to remove and unroot all those things in your heart that defile it and are contrary to the nature and likeness of God. (Mark 7:22-23). IF there are outward or natural ‘objects’ associated with some of those issues, well...so be it.
But what is it about ‘idols’ that we are so reluctant to give up and turn from? Is it possible that those ‘things’ are providing something extra special for us that maybe God wants to replace or provide Himself? I would suggest, with scriptural evidence, that there are literally demon spirits closely associated with objects of affection that know which ‘buttons to push and levers to pull’ within our souls/hearts that make us ‘feel good’. (Lev. 17:7; Deut. 32:16-17,21; 2 Chron. 11:15). This is usually easier to see when it is ’someone else and their idol’ ...and not yours. And we all have’em.
For example, I just don’t get attached to vehicles. I obviously own some, use them, but they are just a piece of steel and wiring and mechanical parts that enable me to get from one place to another. But what is it about those folks that spend an inordinate amount of time caring and caressing and cleaning and polishing and showing them off? And when they drive around town...what is that ‘feeling’ they derive when people look and admire them simply because of that piece of red steel they are driving around in? Does someone gain a sense of ‘self-worth’ because of what they drive around in?
Or what about food? Do you think food can become an ‘idol’ that controls us? Why is it we find so much pleasure thinking about, preparing, and then enjoying an elaborate meal? And how about those foods we are quick to admit are ‘comfort foods’. Is that not an interesting admission? Especially in light of the fact that God wants to be our source of pleasure and comfort. Why would we turn to a bowl of chips and salsa? Unless there is something ‘else’ unseen working within us that subtly turns our hearts gradually away.
And do we even want to start talking about ‘money/wealth’ and the control is has over us? What did Paul say was the ‘root of all evil’? Do we find security in our 401K’s...or God? Where did the rich ruler find security in? Hate to stop here. Might be a good day to search your heart and ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and reveal anything and everything that could fall in that category. Here's a good place to start: What is something you constantly turn to, or respond with...that instantly give you a sense of gratification...but afterwards, you fall into buyers remorse and regret and beat yourself up over and over and over in a viscous cycle of self-loathing. Then...to pull yourself out of that pit, you turn again to the very thing that put you there? There just might be something 'spiritual' working behind that 'idol' you turn to.
See you tomorrow.
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