Virtuous Jealousy
This is a link to another blog:
Understanding God's Jealousy
I don't think everyone who reads my blog necessarily reads Danny's blog. His post today spoke to my heart in a timely way. I love the way God provides understanding in the most creative ways. I prayed as I began reading last night that God would show me His truth. I try to always ask that when I read.
I was reading in Romans last night and I often feel confused by the perceived (on my part, because I know God does not contradict Himself) conflict between His demands and requirements as opposed to constant reminders that my salvation is by faith and not by works. In Romans, this tension is present. We are commanded to obey, but told pretty much that we can't. And that is why we need grace and faith in what Christ has done FOR us.
Janette and I talk about this frequently. We grew up believing God's ingredient was giving us the Holy Spirit and the rest was up to us. Perfection was the requirement. Mortifying the deeds of the body meant achieving complete sinless perfection in this life. I never believed in my ability to achieve that. So I lived my whole life with no hope. Nevertheless, I wanted to live my life as a Christian. I never wanted a life of worldly adventure and excitement. I loved God. I wanted God. But my defeated acceptance of my eventual outcome led me to minimize some sins (who was I hurting?) and pursue my own selfish desires, thinking this life was all I had and what difference would it really make in the end since I was not going to heaven anyway? After all, I was probably just a tare no matter how hard I tried. (Sins that hurt other people have always torn me up inside because I didn't want to do that whether I went to heaven or not.)
I have come a long way from those days. But the perfection indoctrination still haunts my thoughts at times when I read the Bible. If I was looking for cheap grace, if I didn't care how I lived or if I pleased Him, I don't think I would be constantly struggling with this.
Danny's post on the subject of God's jealousy and the analogy of coaches and their players spoke to my heart about this. I'm sharing a link to his blog because I don't want you to miss it if you ever find yourself in this same struggle.
Understanding God's Jealousy
I don't think everyone who reads my blog necessarily reads Danny's blog. His post today spoke to my heart in a timely way. I love the way God provides understanding in the most creative ways. I prayed as I began reading last night that God would show me His truth. I try to always ask that when I read.
I was reading in Romans last night and I often feel confused by the perceived (on my part, because I know God does not contradict Himself) conflict between His demands and requirements as opposed to constant reminders that my salvation is by faith and not by works. In Romans, this tension is present. We are commanded to obey, but told pretty much that we can't. And that is why we need grace and faith in what Christ has done FOR us.
Janette and I talk about this frequently. We grew up believing God's ingredient was giving us the Holy Spirit and the rest was up to us. Perfection was the requirement. Mortifying the deeds of the body meant achieving complete sinless perfection in this life. I never believed in my ability to achieve that. So I lived my whole life with no hope. Nevertheless, I wanted to live my life as a Christian. I never wanted a life of worldly adventure and excitement. I loved God. I wanted God. But my defeated acceptance of my eventual outcome led me to minimize some sins (who was I hurting?) and pursue my own selfish desires, thinking this life was all I had and what difference would it really make in the end since I was not going to heaven anyway? After all, I was probably just a tare no matter how hard I tried. (Sins that hurt other people have always torn me up inside because I didn't want to do that whether I went to heaven or not.)
I have come a long way from those days. But the perfection indoctrination still haunts my thoughts at times when I read the Bible. If I was looking for cheap grace, if I didn't care how I lived or if I pleased Him, I don't think I would be constantly struggling with this.
Danny's post on the subject of God's jealousy and the analogy of coaches and their players spoke to my heart about this. I'm sharing a link to his blog because I don't want you to miss it if you ever find yourself in this same struggle.
Comments
paul says that the law is a tutor to lead us to christ. it is also a revelation of god's perfect and holy character.
take the sermon on the mount. in it, jesus outlines what is required for salvation. be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect. cut out an eye that leads you to sin. hate is murder. lust is adultery. if your asked for a shirt, give a coat also. if you're asked to go one mile, go two. but he starts the whole sermon with "blessed are the poor in spirit." those who acknowledge they will never be able to attain that type of righteousness are given it freely in christ.
this has been one of the sweetest freedoms in my life. now that my obedience earns me nothing in his sight, i am free to see the law for its beauty. when i thought my obedience secured my salvation, the law was a burden (i claimed it wasn't - as many there will also claim - but it was. it is logically impossible to claim there is no burden when you have to attain something and you haven't - unless you think you have which is the unfortunate state of some i've talked to - the whole, I haven't sinned in three days" line.)
now that i know i have been given all of his righteousness i am free to see my sinfulness and admit its fullness. no need to hide. i'm accepted. no need to run. i cannot be condemned.
it reminds me of this song by william cowper.
Love Constraining to Obedience
Chorus: To see the Law by Christ fulfilled,
To hear His pardoning voice,
Changes a slave into a child
And duty into choice.
1. No strength of nature can suffice
To serve the Lord aright
And what she has, she misapplies,
For want of clearer light.
(Repeat chorus)
2. How long beneath the Law I lay
In bondage and distress
I toiled the precept to obey,
But toiled without success.
(Repeat chorus)
3. Then to abstain from outward sin
Was more than I could do
Now if I feel its power within
I feel I hate it too.
(Repeat chorus)
4. Then all my servile works were done,
A righteousness to raise
Now, freely chosen in the Son,
I freely choose His ways.
(Repeat chorus)
April 4, 2008 12:44 PM
Delete
25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
BUT...this is the caveat and the part that's always left out:
26And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?
27And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
Thank God that ALL things are possible through Him, including my salvation through Christ's shed blood at Calvary...
I heard, once upon a time, and now I don't remember from whom I heard this, but "The Eye of the Needle" is actually a place somewhere in the Middle East, a passage to somewhere. It's where the passage greatly narrows and caravans have a real difficult time getting through, hence, "the camel through the eye of the needle" metaphor. The camels can get through but it's a struggle.
The same is true of "Hell." Not all places where the word "hell" is used is referring to eternal damnation, but of a nasty place all knew about i that day that actually existed around those parts. Sometimes, the hell (in some places spoken of in the Bible) that is threatened is a consequence we may suffer right here on earth due to our own bad choices, and may not be referring to our eternal soul.
All you researchers can get out your bible dictionaries and see if this is true. According to Kelie, The 'hell' metaphor is true for sure, according to Rob Bell. And, Rob Bell would know. ;-)
Momma, I think what you (or Kellie?) are referring to are the passages in the Bible on Hades, instead of hell. Is that correct?
"Understanding God and His Covenants" covers this subject matter pretty thoroughly and it's all Biblically based. Did you get a chance to go through that course when it was offered a few years ago?
it is funny how appealing it would be if there really was such a place. it would imply it could be done, but it takes effort. hardly poor in spirit theology.
the gospel is, "i cannot do it unless god does it for me." very different.
"Interesting thing about the camel and the eye of the needle explained by MacArthur is that from the Jewish mindset being rich meant being blessed by God. The O.T. is full of blessings/riches going to those who obey. So, when the disciples said "then who can be saved"? they were saying if a rich man who in their mind was being blessed because he was keeping all of the rules was difficult to save then how could those who were not rich/blessed be saved.
This story explains what a miracle it is for anyone to be saved. Because it is entirely of God..."
For the whole of his comments, you can refer back to that post.
Danny, I see the point you are making about how that story would support that it could be done through effort. When the emphasis was on nothing being impossible for God rather than nothing being impossible for us.
Changing the subject..... I really love the William Cowper song "Love Contstraining to Obedience". I love the part about duty into choice, that can only be done through a supernatural change in us called regeneration. That is why Cowper says we are "freely Chosen in the Son", before he says "I freely choose His ways". That is the only way that I ever chose Jesus, is because he chose me first.
By the way, Rob Bell believes we are all already saved also..... He is a quasi-universalist at least......
God bless,
Todd E.
"I don't follow Jesus because I think Christianity is the best religion. I follow Jesus because he leads me into ultimate reality. He teaches me to live in tune with how reality is. When Jesus said, 'No one comes to the Father except through me', he was saying that his way, his words, his life is our connection to how things truly are at the deepest levels of existence. For Jesus then, the point of religion is to help us connect with ultimate reality, God."
- Velvet Elvis p. 83 (Rob Bell)
“Who does Peter lose faith in? Not Jesus; he is doing fine. Peter loses faith in himself. Peter loses faith that he can do what his rabbi is doing. If the rabbi calls you to be his disciple, then he believes that you can actually be like him. As we read the stories of Jesus’ life with his talmidim, his disciples, what do we find frustrates him to no end? When his disciples lose faith in themselves..... Notice how many places in the accounts of Jesus’ life he gets frustrated with his disciples. Because they are incapable? No, because of how capable they are. He sees what they could be and could do, and when they fall short it provokes him to no end. It isn’t their failure that’s the problem, it’s their greatness. They don’t realize what they are capable of....God has an amazingly high view of people. God believes that people are capable of amazing things. I’ve been told I need to believe in Jesus. Which is a good thing. But what I’m learning is that Jesus believes in me....God has faith in me.”
-Velvet Elvis, pp. 133-134
"I can't find one place in the teachings of Jesus, or the Bible for that matter, where we are to identify ourselves first and foremost as sinners."
- Velvet Elvis, p. 139
For more info on Rob Bell:
http://www.apprising.org/archives/2007/02/rob_bell_in_a_n.html
http://www.symphonyofscripture.com/?p=568
http://sites.silaspartners.com/partner/Article_Display_Page/0,,PTID314526%7CCHID598014%7CCIID2396222,00.html
Todd E.
I am learning not to accept teachings because of the way they make me feel, as I once did. The way advertisers get us to buy things is to make us connect a feeling to a belief. The same is true for any message that lacks scriptural integrity.
The Cross is the most important event in human history and the central, most critical element of salvation and true Christianity. Whenever Jesus is portrayed primarily as someone who came to "show us how to live," that message can be more universally accepted, but (and because) it is no different from Budhism or Hinduism. This is exactly the kind of Christianity (Jesus came to be our example of how to live) that Oprah is promoting. As long as it's all about peace and love and finding our reality, a better us, nobody is offended.
The culture around us is pushing hard for a new Christianity; one that diminishes or leaves out the Cross and Jesus as the only way to salvation as Savior and Redeemer, the Lamb of God. It's being pushed in different ways. Oprah is pushing it her way. New age authors and gurus are making their contribution. And this new "Christian" movement labeled "emergent" is making a contribution as well. It is humanism masquerading as Christianity, which is more dangerous than any of the others.
I was taught to guard against deception my whole life. And yet I see others who were raised the same way buying into this theology. It's very confusing to me because I never would have expected that. But then I have to remember what I was taught about salvation. I have to remember that I was taught more about Jesus as example. I was not taught that faith in Christ's work on the cross was a finished work or had accomplished my salvation. So maybe that is the explanation. Perhaps that teaching is the cultivation of the soil for embracing this new-agey type of gospel? I don't know.
I was taught to be looking for all of Christianity aligning with the Roman Catholic Church as a sign of worldwide deception. But what I am seeing is really far different. I am seeing a movement toward believing that Jesus just came to show us how to live, how to reach our potential, how to have a better life here. And that is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Bible.
*I deleted and reposted this to edit one sentence. It seems I always see something after I hit publish.
You are correct, when we take the cross out of Christianity, it becomes a way of following a good teacher. It offends no one for the most part. That is why the scripture says that the Cross is foolishnes to those who are perishing and it also says that it is a stumbling block as well.
Babylon is made up of those who despise the finished work on the Cross, those who think there are other paths besides Christ alone. It is offensive to our fallen nature to not want at least the tiniest part in saving ourselves. It is also offensive to us to submit ourselves to the Lordship of Christ, that appears to be why the rich young ruler went away sad. He wanted a religion that he could contribute to, but when he found out he had to give up all and submit to Christ, he just left. That is one of the most telling stories in scripture to me that the "seeker sensitive" gospel is not biblical. Jesus just let him leave, he did not appeal to his flesh in any way, HE just told him what was required and let him walk away.