There is a very human tendency to avoid discomfort of any kind, but the reality of our existence is that we aren’t likely to change until we absolutely have to. Thus, it often takes adversity to bring about a significant transformation. For those who count themselves as followers of Christ, we must grapple with the knowledge that Jesus (a man of perfect faith) learned obedience from the things He suffered (Heb.5:8), and that what is pleasing to the flesh is not pleasing to the Spirit (Gal.5:17). Western culture aspires to create a pain-free existence, which fundamentally works against the process of spiritual growth. Indeed, it is in the midst of a situation we cannot hope to control that we are most likely to cry out for help; it is the circumstance that we cannot wrap our hands around that we are most apt to release to God; and it is in those moments when there is no earthy wisdom to calm our anguish that we are best positioned to receive the words of life. Despite our ardent desire to avoid anything that might challenge our perception of prosperity, it is in the midst of our weakness that His strength is made perfect (2Cor.12:9), and it is a broken and contrite heart that He honors (Psalm 51:17, Isa.66:2). Most often, it is only when our capabilities are completely overwhelmed that we can achieve a thorough and genuine level of surrender. But for those who emerge on the other side of such experiences, the reality of who God is, and of our place in Him are forever changed.
Posts Tagged ‘obedience’
The Blessing of Brokenness
Posted in Commentaries, tagged adversity, broken, brokenness, changed, circumstance, discomfort, flesh, obedience, pain-free, perfect faith, spiritual growth, suffered, surrender, transformation, weakness on December 31, 2024| 1 Comment »
The Great Omission
Posted in Commentaries, tagged disciple, discipleship, esteeming others, Great Commission, Jesus, obedience, selfish ambition, substitute, surrender, transformed, vain conceit on August 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »
I have often sensed that Western Christianity’s consistent failure in the area of discipleship is rooted in the fact that there are so few actual “disciples” of the person of Jesus Christ within the movement. This isn’t to say that folks aren’t “Believers” (i.e. in the man, Jesus or His teachings), or that they do not take their faith seriously, it’s just that our westernized sensibilities aren’t particularly compatible with the concept of completely surrendering our lives to anything outside of ourselves.
While we understand that the original disciples sacrificed everything to follow Jesus, we reason that our particular brand of religious practice is an acceptable substitute. After all, we’ve made a “decision for Christ,” we’ve been baptized, we regularly attend, we give offerings (maybe even tithe), we do our daily devotions, we partake of sacraments, we study our bibles, we go to worship concerts, we wear religious t-shirts, we apply religious bumper stickers to our SUVs, and we’re “not ashamed” to let folks know that we are Christians. Some even speak in tongues, prophesy, and see miracles happen. But none of that necessarily equates to the discipleship that Jesus describes.
He said that whoever wants to be His disciple must deny themselves, taking up their cross daily, and following Him (Luke 9:23). Denying ourselves looks like forfeiting the “way that seems right” to us (Prov.14:12) in favor of the way that is exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ask for or imagine (Eph.3:20). It’s not trying to gain our lives, but yielding our lives to Him and His purposes (Matt.16:25). It’s doing nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, and esteeming others above ourselves (Phil.2:3). It’s taking every thought captive, and making it obedient to Christ (2Cor.10:5) and loving the way He loves (John 13:34).
It’s refusing to be conformed to the pattern of this world and allowing our minds to be renewed (Rom.12:2), so that His character would be manifest in us (Gal.5:22-23). Ultimately, it’s being transformed into the image of Christ (2Cor.3:18), so that His light would shine upon the darkest corners of His creation.
The decision to surrender our lives (i.e. take up our cross) and “follow” Jesus is not a one-time thing, it’s an everyday process (Luke 9:23), and a journey that lasts a lifetime (Phil.1:6), which is completely at odds with our cultural and religious paradigms. We prefer to think of ourselves as, “saved, sanctified, and going heaven,” which implies that the work has already been completed, and we’re just waiting for the bus to take us to the mansion He’s prepared for us.
Our version of discipleship generally consists of inviting people to come to our church, or to outreach events, yet our friends, neighbors and/or co-workers may not see any tangible evidence of our supposed passion for Christ as they walk along side of us on a daily basis. This is the anti-thesis of what Jesus described.
If the western church has any hope of fulfilling “The Great Commission (Matt.28:19),” we must first go back and become true disciples ourselves. Jesus taught that unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it remains a single seed (John 12:24). Without taking that step we aren’t likely to accomplish much more than the promotion of “Christian” values, the perpetuation of “Christian” culture, and/or the preservation of the “church” industry.
Neglecting Our Salvation
Posted in Commentaries, tagged apathy, Calvin, choices, chosen, complacency, confessing Christ, consequences, contribute, covenant, cross, faith, full counsel of scripture, Hebrew, Jesus, just believe, mantra, neglecting, neighbor, obedience, obey, reconciliation, salvation, scripture, shortcut, theology, works on September 15, 2026| Leave a Comment »
There is an increasingly popular brand of theology that centers on the idea that God has done 100% of the work for our salvation and thus we have no part to play. It comes cloaked in a reverence for the awesomeness of God’s provision yet subversively relieves us of any responsibility in terms of how we respond to that gift. It essentially argues that God’s grace is so great that it covers us regardless of how we choose to live.
These doctrines hang on passages like, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no man may boast (Eph.2:8-9)” or “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Rom.10:9).”
Jonathan Edwards famously said, “You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.”
John Calvin went so far as to say that God chooses who will go to heaven, that we have no ability to choose God if He doesn’t choose us, and that we have no ability to resist Him if He does. Again, this theology relieves the beneficiaries of all responsibility (while leaving the unchosen completely without hope and making the Great Commission pointless).
While the originators of such theologies may not have intended for these ideas to lead people away from the narrow path, they breed complacency in our relationship with God and apathy in our relationship to our neighbors. The appeal of these paradigms lies in the concept that nothing is really required of us and that no matter what we do, we cannot lose this awesome inheritance.
There is even a modern worship chorus that goes, “I could never mess it up, I could never mess it up, I’m loved, I’m chosen, Your arms wide open, I could never mess it up” (The Perfect Love of Jesus – LO Worship & Adohan King).
While the Hebrew writer extols the superiority of the covenant Jesus gained for us (Heb.8), he also challenges us to consider the consequences of “neglecting” this great salvation (Heb.2:1-3). To do that, we must consider the full counsel of scripture.
Paul certainly told the Romans that they needed to confess with their mouth (Rom.10:9) and Jesus warned that those who are ashamed to confess His name before men will reap eternal consequences (Mark 8:38, Luke 9:26). But simply confessing Christ isn’t an end unto itself. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord (i.e., confesses Christ’s name), will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father (Matt.7:21-23).”
Similarly, both Paul and Jesus address the importance of believing (Rom.10:9, John 3:15), but it is still a giant leap to turn those words into the popular “Just Believe” mantra. James chides, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder (James 2:19), while 1 John 2:4 unequivocally states, “Whoever says, I know Him, but fails to keep and obey His commandments is a liar.”
The scripture clearly states that we cannot earn our salvation (Eph.2:8-9), but Jesus also said that if we love Him, we will obey His commandments (John 14:15). Not as payment for what He did, but as the fruit of our trust in, and fidelity to Him. Likewise, our good works don’t gain us God’s approval, but James makes it clear that a faith that isn’t strong enough to manifest itself into works is dead (James 2:20).
To be sure, God is the One who orchestrated our salvation, Jesus is the One who fulfilled mankind’s part of the covenant, and no one would come to Him without His drawing (John 6:44). In that regard, it is right to say that I had nothing to do with facilitating my own salvation. But the cross demands a response and our failure to respond has implications.
Even the concept that we love God comes with an expectation. When asked about the greatest commandment Jesus certainly placed loving God at the center of our mission (Mark 12:30 – love the Lord with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength). If He had stopped there, our passion for the Lord might be enough. But He went on to command that we love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:31) and before He went to the cross, Jesus raised that bar to loving them as He loves them (John 13:34)
Once again, the full counsel of scripture tells us that if a man says that he loves God, yet hates his brother, he is a liar (1 John 4:20); and that whatever we do unto the least of these, we do unto God (Matt.25:40 & 45).
To be sure, things like believing in God, confessing Christ, being obedient to His commands, good works and loving Him are all a part of walking out our salvation. But simply grabbing a hold of one of those concepts and ignoring the rest of scripture is to our own peril.
Jesus is our example, and He laid down His life in order to reveal the Father’s heart to a lost and dying world (John 14:9). Now, He is asking us to lay down our lives to reveal Him (Col.1:27) to a world that still desperately needs to find Him. He came that we might be reconciled to God and He has left to us the “Ministry of Reconciliation (2Cor.5:18)”. There is no shortcut, it will cost everything (Matt.10:39, Rom.12).
To follow Jesus, we must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily (Matt.16:24). If we try to gain our lives, we’ll ultimately lose them (Matt.16:25). If we refuse to take up our cross, Jesus says that we are not worthy of Him (Matt.10:38).
The cross demands a response and the choices we make reveal our hearts.
Choices to make:
(Deut.30:19) Life and death; blessings and curses
(Josh.24:15) Whom you will serve
(Matt.6:24) God and money
(Matt.7:13) The narrow gate and the broad gate
(Gal.5:16) The Spirit and the flesh
(James 4:6) Friendship with the world and relationship with God
(1Cor.3:19) The wisdom of men or the wisdom of God
Things to do:
(2Cor.4:18) Don’t focus on what is seen
(Prov.4:23) Guard your heart
(Heb.12:2) Fix your eyes on Jesus
(John 15:4-5) Abide in the vine
(1Thes.5:16-18) Pray without ceasing and in all things give thanks
(John13:34) Love others as He loves them
(1John 2:27) Live by the Spirit
God does not demand perfection, but He yearns for sincerity (2Chro.16:9).
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