When you find yourself feeling nervous or apprehensive to simply come and examine scripture, then it might be good to pause and ask yourself why that is. Jesus told us that “he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen. But everyone who practices evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” (John 3:21,20). What is hiding inside of us?
Just what IF...you had been mis-taught some things or learned doctrine that was not truly sound; - what might hinder you from coming to grips with that....pride maybe? Maybe there are some things in our hearts that we are not really wanting to ‘come to light’? It really is much easier to just retreat to our own standby beliefs that provide a ‘sense of security’. But what could possibly be more secure than resting in Him and His word?
Jesus is Light as in- He is The Light. He is Truth. He is the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. He is also the express image of the invisible God. When we see Him, we see the Father. His words, not mine.
“I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.” (John 12:46)
I will tell you what has really brought more freedom to me, personally. I have nothing to prove to anyone. I am not out on some mission to start something and I am so fully aware that I cannot make anyone ‘see’ anything. All I am doing is sharing some truly wonderful gems I’m finding in God’s word and want to share with anyone and everyone who ‘has ears to hear’. I am fully confident that God is more than able to confirm His word as it will not return void but accomplish what it is being sent out to do. Kind of exciting, really...knowing He’s in charge and directing His word to hearts that have good or prepared soil.
We read in Acts where Paul and Silas went to Berea and visited with the Jews there in their synagogue. We are told that they “were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” (17:10-11). That is all I ask of you...examine these scriptures I share to see if there is any truth to what you are reading.
God is up to something. And so is the enemy. Better get off the fence if you are not fully in yet.
Sometimes we think this ‘way’ is hard. It really is not. Jesus invites us with this promise: “Come to me all you who are weary and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me...I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30)
Wait...wait...wait....Go back and read that last paragraph again. Jesus said His way is easy.
The way of the transgressor (sinner) is hard. (Proverbs 13:15)
This walk of faith is very hard if/when you are not fully vested and in it with your whole heart. Seriously...I speak from experience. This idea of being all in or not in at all...rubs us the wrong way. We don’t like that kind of talk. We don’t mind giving God 50% of our heart or 75% of our heart. Why our friend, the rich young ruler was 90% there...but yet, that was not good enough. Well, it was not good enough for this gospel to work for him and for him to become a true follower of Jesus. He took his toys and went home. Or maybe, he just went down the street and found a group that was more than happy to take him in. I bet he might even have been made a deacon or finance minister for that group.
Paul wrote about a group who clearly had a ‘zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” (Rom. 10:2). He said they- ‘being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.(3)
This is what we tend to do when we don’t want to surrender all (even though we sing that beloved hymn all the time). We seek to establish our own way of ‘getting to heaven’ or joining the church’. “Do this, this, and this, and you are in.”
Do you know what our biggest hinderance to fully submitting to God and His will is? Our flesh. Our carnal nature. Paul wrote about just two chapters prior there in Romans 8. He said that the ‘carnal mind is hostile towards God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (7-8)
It is hard...when our hearts our divided. It’s very hard. I’ll even go as far to say that it is impossible to truly follow Jesus and allow Him to lead us in to ‘possess the land’ where He can truly bless us when we are holding on to those hidden things that reside deep within our hearts. Remember Achan? That did not end well for him. (Joshua 7)
If you are in that divided place...you are not alone. God’s people spend more time there than anywhere else. I guess that is why God was always sending prophets to His people to call them to repentance asking...”How long will you stand before two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” (1 King 18:21)
God lets us choose...so...Choose! Listen to Joshua’s exhortation to the people: “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!. And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, ....(adding)...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!” (Joshua 24:14-15)
It's one thing to ‘say’ we ‘love God with all our hearts’; which by the way, we discussed recently is the fulfilling of all of God’s law. Remember that one? But it’s another thing to actually live it out. And He will test our hearts- that, you can be certain of.
Jesus said: “IF you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). Pretty cut and dry there, is it not? And for those who kind of tapped the brakes on my post yesterday regarding the ‘law’ and thinking the law does not apply to us anymore...what ‘commandments’ is Jesus speaking of here? And look at what He promises further down there in that same passage:
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who love Me will be loved by My Father and I will love him...and... (are you ready for this?) ...I will manifest Myself to him.” (John 14:21)
That word, ‘manifest’ means to ‘reveal’ or ‘make clearly known’. How about that? :- )
But this won’t happen until you are ‘fully in’. I mean, All. The. Way.
I cannot tell you what a difference it makes when you just ‘lay aside every weight and sin that so easily can beset us’. (Heb. 12:1)
I can still hear those faint whispers in your head saying...”But it’s just sooooo hard...”. Again, let me tell you what is hard...trying to walk this walk with an un-surrendered heart. That is hard. But please note...none of us can walk this walk and fulfill the law of God (which is to love Him with all our hearts and to love our neighbor) without Jesus. That is what He came to do...to fulfill the law of God IN us. (Rom 8:4). But that does not happen while we remain fixed to a pew ‘saying and singing’ how much we love Jesus. We have to get off the pew and take up this cross and begin to follow Him as He leads us to die to flesh so our hearts can be perfected in His love. He was to be the ‘firstborn of many brethren’.(Rom. 8:29). And make no mistake about it...Jesus said “He who DOES the will of God...these are my brothers and sisters.” (Matt. 12:50). Again, His words, not mine.
“This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3). Wait, they are not...what? Not Burdensome? Hard? Grievous?
Remember that rich young ruler...when he was informed what it meant to love God with all his heart...it says he was ‘grieved’ or ‘sorrowful’. Then he walked away. Why do you suppose that is? I can tell you...he loved something else more...than he loved God. And that...is a problem for any of us.
Perhaps we will explore that more tomorrow.
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