April 2, 1996
A small boy spies a bright red bicycle displayed in a store window. After a longing gaze, he carefully notes the price and rushes home. He dumps dimes and quarters out of his ceramic pig and asks his father if he has enough. Of course, he does not. His father calculates the remainder and writes it down as a goal. The boy hopes with all his heart that when he has saved enough money, the bicycle will still be in the store.
His sister comes home from school. She opens the front door and catches the faint scent of cinnamon. “Oh, I hope that is what I think it is,” she exclaims, “and I hope I can have one.”
Her mother answers from the kitchen, “Yes, it is your favorite — cinnamon buns. As soon as you come through the kitchen door, I will give you one with a glass of milk.”
Two longings. Two hopes. The first is a “I-hope-so” wish. The second is a “I-know-so” certainty. The first child tries to make his hope happen. The second knows hers is already prepared for her and will definitely be hers. Someone who loves her has made a promise.
The Bible uses the word “hope” more than 150 times. Most uses refer to the second kind of hope, which is far more than the enticing scent of a delicious cinnamon bun. The Bible says our hope is eternal life based on the love of God. Because Christ died for us, He has prepared a place for us with Him. We will have new bodies and be like Jesus.
In this life, we catch the sweet scent in the promises of God, but until we go through heaven’s door, our hope is unseen. As Romans 8 says, “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?”
The foundation of our hope is God’s love and His many promises. God proved His love by sending His Son. He says, “Whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” Psalms 147:11 says, “The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.”
As for our heavenly hope, The Apostle Paul wrote this prayer: “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.” In another place he talked about “the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven...”
Paul also said we have “a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time.”
Again, God promises eternal life so those who trust Him can consider it a sure hope. In fact, the Bible says, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” We can “hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.”
Finally, as if heaven were not enough, we also hope for personal perfection. John writes, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.”
Hope is incentive to live for God. Think of it. The boy who wanted the bicycle may get discouraged and stop saving his money because his hope is uncertain. However, his sister’s hope is a sure thing. She does not want to ruin it before she gets to the kitchen by being willfully disobedient to the one who made the promise.
Our hope is the same. Besides enabling us to live with expectation, even catch a faint whiff of it in the air as we go on our way toward it, hope gives us a God-ward focus and changes the way we live.
Showing posts with label biblical faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label biblical faith. Show all posts
Monday, November 7, 2016
Monday, September 19, 2016
“I know so” faith .......... Parables 486
September 26, 1995
My brother tells a story on himself about tearing apart cupboards during renovations and finding some money. It was paper, marked and dated prior to the American Revolution. He thought he was rich.
Of course he took the bill to a reputable coin dealer. Since it was so old, it must be worth a considerable amount. Can you imagine his chagrin when the dealer told him it was not real — it had been made by a cereal company during a promotional campaign!
His story reminded me of another I heard years ago about a man who belonged to a well-known religious group with headquarters in Utah. His daughter told how he had committed his life to the teachings of this group but on his death bed he said, “Now I will find out if what I believed is really true.”
My brother’s story was funny; the second story made me weep. An uncertain hope for increased wealth based on counterfeit money is far less serious than an uncertain hope for forgiveness of sin and eternal life based on teaching that may or may not be true.
Granted, life is full of uncertainties. Who can predict what will happen tomorrow? Who knows for sure which teams will win the game or who will win the next election? Who knows if anyone will be sick or healthy or how long they will live? On the other hand, the Bible says we can be absolutely sure of what will happen to us after we die.
In the Bible, faith is described as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Faith that merely wonders if something is true, is by definition not faith at all. It is simply wishful thinking, an “I hope so” belief rather than an “I know so” faith.
The reason true faith gives certainty is very similar to the reason my brother knew his find was worthless. Someone reliable and who had accurate knowledge told him. Furthermore, based on the coin dealers credibility, he choose to believe his words.
Biblical faith stands on the same ground. God reveals truth to godly, credible people. We are given the choice whether we will believe or reject it. When we choose to believe, “the Holy Spirit witnesses to our spirit that we are the children of God.” Deep in our hearts and minds, we know that what He says through Scripture is true.
This is not the same as making up something and telling ourselves it is true. Just as the coin dealer was important regarding what my brother believed about his money, so revelation from God is vital regarding what we believe about Him and eternal life.
His revelation has two sides, one is objective, the other subjective. God revealed Himself to the prophets of Israel, then through the person of Jesus Christ. His truth continues to be revealed through the written record of those disclosures in the Bible. This is objective revelation in that it can be examined, even tested to some extent. It shows us Christ is the Savior.
Subjective revelation is what the Spirit of God does in our hearts. People can read the Bible, pray and perform religious ritual, but only when the Spirit touches and opens the inner person, do they realize that “Jesus is my Savior.”
Revelation makes us dependent on Him. On our own, we distort and wrestle with the message of the Bible. With Him, it becomes clearer. We can believe it because we are absolutely sure of what it says. The Apostle John said, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life.”
Scripture promises a certainty so that anyone who believes in God’s Word has assurance throughout their life. No one has to wait until they die to know the truth.
My brother tells a story on himself about tearing apart cupboards during renovations and finding some money. It was paper, marked and dated prior to the American Revolution. He thought he was rich.
Of course he took the bill to a reputable coin dealer. Since it was so old, it must be worth a considerable amount. Can you imagine his chagrin when the dealer told him it was not real — it had been made by a cereal company during a promotional campaign!
His story reminded me of another I heard years ago about a man who belonged to a well-known religious group with headquarters in Utah. His daughter told how he had committed his life to the teachings of this group but on his death bed he said, “Now I will find out if what I believed is really true.”
My brother’s story was funny; the second story made me weep. An uncertain hope for increased wealth based on counterfeit money is far less serious than an uncertain hope for forgiveness of sin and eternal life based on teaching that may or may not be true.
Granted, life is full of uncertainties. Who can predict what will happen tomorrow? Who knows for sure which teams will win the game or who will win the next election? Who knows if anyone will be sick or healthy or how long they will live? On the other hand, the Bible says we can be absolutely sure of what will happen to us after we die.
In the Bible, faith is described as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Faith that merely wonders if something is true, is by definition not faith at all. It is simply wishful thinking, an “I hope so” belief rather than an “I know so” faith.
The reason true faith gives certainty is very similar to the reason my brother knew his find was worthless. Someone reliable and who had accurate knowledge told him. Furthermore, based on the coin dealers credibility, he choose to believe his words.
Biblical faith stands on the same ground. God reveals truth to godly, credible people. We are given the choice whether we will believe or reject it. When we choose to believe, “the Holy Spirit witnesses to our spirit that we are the children of God.” Deep in our hearts and minds, we know that what He says through Scripture is true.
This is not the same as making up something and telling ourselves it is true. Just as the coin dealer was important regarding what my brother believed about his money, so revelation from God is vital regarding what we believe about Him and eternal life.
His revelation has two sides, one is objective, the other subjective. God revealed Himself to the prophets of Israel, then through the person of Jesus Christ. His truth continues to be revealed through the written record of those disclosures in the Bible. This is objective revelation in that it can be examined, even tested to some extent. It shows us Christ is the Savior.
Subjective revelation is what the Spirit of God does in our hearts. People can read the Bible, pray and perform religious ritual, but only when the Spirit touches and opens the inner person, do they realize that “Jesus is my Savior.”
Revelation makes us dependent on Him. On our own, we distort and wrestle with the message of the Bible. With Him, it becomes clearer. We can believe it because we are absolutely sure of what it says. The Apostle John said, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life.”
Scripture promises a certainty so that anyone who believes in God’s Word has assurance throughout their life. No one has to wait until they die to know the truth.
Friday, July 8, 2016
Faith is only as strong as its object .......... Parables 455
January 10, 1995
He was a sick little boy. Not only mute, he sometimes fell to the ground, rigid with flecks of foam coming from his mouth. The neighbors called it a demonic disorder but whatever was wrong, his family was desperate.
Finally his father took him to some faith healers. In spite of their confidence, When they tried to help him, nothing worked. Their efforts drew the attention of a few religious leaders and an argument added to an already distressing scene.
As onlookers wondered what was happening, three more approached. One of them asked the men who tried to heal the boy why they were arguing. The father of the boy answered: “Teacher, I brought my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
The Teacher, whose name was Jesus, told him to bring the child. Immediately the boy went into a convulsion, fell to the ground and rolled around foaming at the mouth. The father said the boy had been like this for a long time and added, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
Jesus said, “’If you can?’ Everything is possible for him who believes.”
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help my unbelief!” At that, Jesus rebuked the evil spirit and the boy was healed.
This remarkable narrative from the New Testament tells us about human doubt in the face of divine power. I can identify with the “faith” of that father. I believe yet there is sometimes doubt. Is God really able to take care of my problems? Is my faith sufficient?
Sometimes people claim to have “strong faith” but actually are focused more on their own fervent emotional assurance. From personal experience, I recognize this as misplaced faith. Instead of believing in God, the emphasis has shifted to believing in “faith.” When that happens, I need reminding that Biblical faith is not measured by the strength of personal convictions. God’s reliability does not slide up and down with my feelings.
Faith is only as good as its object. If my object or basis of trust becomes the strength of my come-and-go emotions, my responses to life soon begin to match. On the other hand, stability returns as I and focus on God and rely on His power, regardless of what I feel. Biblical faith is not faith in the strength of faith but faith in the strength of God.
Faith does not stand alone. It requires an object, something or someone to believe in. It also requires knowledge about that object. It is impossible to believe in something we don’t know. Because we tend to make up gods in our own image, God graciously gave us a revelation of Himself so we can know about Him, but we also need to be aware of this revelation. Faith can’t be conjured up by someone who is ignorant about God.
The Bible affirms this need: “Faith comes by hearing... and hearing by the Word of God.” As we read about God as described in Scripture and revealed through His Son, Jesus Christ, faith can develop and grow. If we look at circumstances (like sick children), and our human weaknesses, doubts, emotions, and wavering convictions, “faith” wobbles along with them, kept on a teeter-totter by our gut-reactions.
The solution is hearing... or reading the Bible. The father went to the Living Word with his confession of mixed feelings. We now can go to the Written Word where God replaces doubt with confidence in Him. He is in control and He wants us to know it.
He was a sick little boy. Not only mute, he sometimes fell to the ground, rigid with flecks of foam coming from his mouth. The neighbors called it a demonic disorder but whatever was wrong, his family was desperate.
Finally his father took him to some faith healers. In spite of their confidence, When they tried to help him, nothing worked. Their efforts drew the attention of a few religious leaders and an argument added to an already distressing scene.
As onlookers wondered what was happening, three more approached. One of them asked the men who tried to heal the boy why they were arguing. The father of the boy answered: “Teacher, I brought my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
The Teacher, whose name was Jesus, told him to bring the child. Immediately the boy went into a convulsion, fell to the ground and rolled around foaming at the mouth. The father said the boy had been like this for a long time and added, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
Jesus said, “’If you can?’ Everything is possible for him who believes.”
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help my unbelief!” At that, Jesus rebuked the evil spirit and the boy was healed.
This remarkable narrative from the New Testament tells us about human doubt in the face of divine power. I can identify with the “faith” of that father. I believe yet there is sometimes doubt. Is God really able to take care of my problems? Is my faith sufficient?
Sometimes people claim to have “strong faith” but actually are focused more on their own fervent emotional assurance. From personal experience, I recognize this as misplaced faith. Instead of believing in God, the emphasis has shifted to believing in “faith.” When that happens, I need reminding that Biblical faith is not measured by the strength of personal convictions. God’s reliability does not slide up and down with my feelings.
Faith is only as good as its object. If my object or basis of trust becomes the strength of my come-and-go emotions, my responses to life soon begin to match. On the other hand, stability returns as I and focus on God and rely on His power, regardless of what I feel. Biblical faith is not faith in the strength of faith but faith in the strength of God.
Faith does not stand alone. It requires an object, something or someone to believe in. It also requires knowledge about that object. It is impossible to believe in something we don’t know. Because we tend to make up gods in our own image, God graciously gave us a revelation of Himself so we can know about Him, but we also need to be aware of this revelation. Faith can’t be conjured up by someone who is ignorant about God.
The Bible affirms this need: “Faith comes by hearing... and hearing by the Word of God.” As we read about God as described in Scripture and revealed through His Son, Jesus Christ, faith can develop and grow. If we look at circumstances (like sick children), and our human weaknesses, doubts, emotions, and wavering convictions, “faith” wobbles along with them, kept on a teeter-totter by our gut-reactions.
The solution is hearing... or reading the Bible. The father went to the Living Word with his confession of mixed feelings. We now can go to the Written Word where God replaces doubt with confidence in Him. He is in control and He wants us to know it.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Tampering with the Bible? .................. Parables 424
June 7, 1994
A certain group of scholars have decided to color-code the Bible. They are trying to determine which words Jesus actually said, which words He may have said, and which words (in their opinion) He did not say. Their goal is to print these words in red, grey, or black.
Christians believe that the Bible was inspired by God and is an accurate historical record. That is, all words the writers attribute to Jesus actually do represent things He said.
On the other hand, these scholars (who may call themselves Christian), come from a tradition of liberal theology. In that tradition, sceptics and rationalists, for many years, have discounted the literal value of the Bible. For instance, they say miracles are not logical therefore cannot happen, so the miracle accounts cannot be accurate.
They also say Jesus was perhaps a real person but the New Testament could not have been written by those who knew Him directly. It was compiled much later. Because of that, so they say, whoever Jesus is, and whatever He actually said, is lost. Based on their rational judgment, the scholars have put themselves in a position to decide which quotes have merit and which are only a later addition.
The entire premise behind this reasoning is that Jesus could not possibly be God and the miracles attributed to Him could not have happened. Their color-coding is not an attempt to discredit the value of the Bible as religious literature but somehow explain where it came from. After all, it has endured and has a positive effect on those who follow its teachings.
Some Christians feel threatened by this sort of “scholarship.” Others laugh at the “stupidity” of the so-called educated. Quite frankly, it seems these people are sincerely trying to understand, but cannot do it because their God is too small. He is unable to come into history in a human form or do miracles.
Sometimes my concept of God shrinks a bit too, but not quite the same way. For example, if I give in to despair in “impossible” situations, I am not really believing that “with God, all things are possible.” Whenever I yield to temptation, I am not relying on a God who is able to help me resist it.
An even more extreme situation is whenever I disobey God by choice. I may know what He wants of me but, for a time anyway, I simply refuse to do it. During that kind of rebellion, my attitude may actually come from listening to Satan instead of God. When this inventor of evil and “father of lies” tempted Eve in the garden of Eden, he used this line: “Did God really say that?”
When Eve began to doubt what God said, she actually changed His command from “do not eat” to “do not touch.” Her tampering with the Word of God led to disobedience on her part, then Adam’s. As a result, their sin brought the propensity to sin into the entire human race.
Doubting that God really means what He says leads to sin. Doubting that Jesus is not deity and casting doubt on everything He said sounds like dangerous business for anyone.
However, rather than point fingers at the foolishness of that error, all who claim to be Christian need to be on guard. If we obey only what appeals to us from the words of Jesus, perhaps we are no different than the liberal scholars. That is, if we don’t follow ALL of His Words, we too are “color-coding” our Bibles.
A certain group of scholars have decided to color-code the Bible. They are trying to determine which words Jesus actually said, which words He may have said, and which words (in their opinion) He did not say. Their goal is to print these words in red, grey, or black.
Christians believe that the Bible was inspired by God and is an accurate historical record. That is, all words the writers attribute to Jesus actually do represent things He said.
On the other hand, these scholars (who may call themselves Christian), come from a tradition of liberal theology. In that tradition, sceptics and rationalists, for many years, have discounted the literal value of the Bible. For instance, they say miracles are not logical therefore cannot happen, so the miracle accounts cannot be accurate.
They also say Jesus was perhaps a real person but the New Testament could not have been written by those who knew Him directly. It was compiled much later. Because of that, so they say, whoever Jesus is, and whatever He actually said, is lost. Based on their rational judgment, the scholars have put themselves in a position to decide which quotes have merit and which are only a later addition.
The entire premise behind this reasoning is that Jesus could not possibly be God and the miracles attributed to Him could not have happened. Their color-coding is not an attempt to discredit the value of the Bible as religious literature but somehow explain where it came from. After all, it has endured and has a positive effect on those who follow its teachings.
Some Christians feel threatened by this sort of “scholarship.” Others laugh at the “stupidity” of the so-called educated. Quite frankly, it seems these people are sincerely trying to understand, but cannot do it because their God is too small. He is unable to come into history in a human form or do miracles.
Sometimes my concept of God shrinks a bit too, but not quite the same way. For example, if I give in to despair in “impossible” situations, I am not really believing that “with God, all things are possible.” Whenever I yield to temptation, I am not relying on a God who is able to help me resist it.
An even more extreme situation is whenever I disobey God by choice. I may know what He wants of me but, for a time anyway, I simply refuse to do it. During that kind of rebellion, my attitude may actually come from listening to Satan instead of God. When this inventor of evil and “father of lies” tempted Eve in the garden of Eden, he used this line: “Did God really say that?”
When Eve began to doubt what God said, she actually changed His command from “do not eat” to “do not touch.” Her tampering with the Word of God led to disobedience on her part, then Adam’s. As a result, their sin brought the propensity to sin into the entire human race.
Doubting that God really means what He says leads to sin. Doubting that Jesus is not deity and casting doubt on everything He said sounds like dangerous business for anyone.
However, rather than point fingers at the foolishness of that error, all who claim to be Christian need to be on guard. If we obey only what appeals to us from the words of Jesus, perhaps we are no different than the liberal scholars. That is, if we don’t follow ALL of His Words, we too are “color-coding” our Bibles.
Friday, September 11, 2015
Verbs: to be or to do? ................ Parables 325
July 7, 1992
“Use action verbs. Passive verbs drain energy out of your readers. Keep the story moving...”
This is typical stuff stressed at the writers’ conference I attended in Toronto last month. We were repeatedly reminded that passive verbs are no-no’s; active verbs give interest to the story, keep it moving and produce more vivid visual images. One example of passive voice is: The dog was injured by the boy. Put it in active and you have: The boy kicked the dog.
When I went to school, verbs were defined as words that describe both action and state of being. This definition implies that nouns (such as people) could not only DO something but BE something. The definition may still stand, but the emphasis is definitely on the action aspect. Some person has even formed a society in which the members are determined never to use any form of the verb to be. It makes me wonder if being is somehow a no-no and doing is the only possible choice.
I could not help but draw a connection between this literary principle and some theological beliefs. For instance, many people tend to think that the only way anyone can gain favor with God is by doing something. That is, most religious systems stress the same inclination for action in regard to God as writing instructors have in regard to verbs. That the two ideas run parallel suggests humans find doing far easier to get a handle on than being.
The list of deeds acceptable to God differs depending on which group defines the standards. Some would call themselves “Christian” and include baptism, or church membership or tithing (giving 10% of one’s earnings to the “church”). Those not into religious activities include in their lists activities such as be kind to animals and donate to charity. Most would include actions like love one another and take care of the sick, maybe even pay your taxes.
A few frame their activity list in a more negative vein — if you would please God, you must NOT do certain things. Their lists would have a whole raft of don’ts rather than do’s, taking potshots at smoking, drinking, immoral behavior, and a few peripherals such as nail polish, dancing, eye-shadow and chewing tobacco.
Before saying anything else, I want to affirm that God IS interested in what we do. Both the Old and New Testament are crammed full of commands and expected behavior because God does not, in the name of grace, grant us the liberty of doing whatever we please expecting Him to simply excuse it.
However, there is a definite difference in doing and being in the Bible. For one thing, it says we must BE something before we can DO anything that pleases God. That is, before our actions give Him pleasure, our state of being must be changed. Put another way, the old saying, you cannot get blood out of a stone restated in theological terms is: no one can produce right behavior out of a sinful heart.
That is why God can say “All your righteousness is like filthy rags.” He was talking about the deeds that come from unregenerate people. What is needed is a new life that begins on the inside, a life that starts when individuals are forgiven, cleansed of their sin, and filled with the Holy Spirit. This is something we cannot do but must allow God to do, even inviting Him because we realize our inadequacy and sin. That is the being aspect of pleasing God, being new creatures living under a new Master.
This change in our state of being results in having the will and capacity to do right because from the moment we believe, we are able to allow our action verbs to be governed by the One who simply IS.
“Use action verbs. Passive verbs drain energy out of your readers. Keep the story moving...”
This is typical stuff stressed at the writers’ conference I attended in Toronto last month. We were repeatedly reminded that passive verbs are no-no’s; active verbs give interest to the story, keep it moving and produce more vivid visual images. One example of passive voice is: The dog was injured by the boy. Put it in active and you have: The boy kicked the dog.
When I went to school, verbs were defined as words that describe both action and state of being. This definition implies that nouns (such as people) could not only DO something but BE something. The definition may still stand, but the emphasis is definitely on the action aspect. Some person has even formed a society in which the members are determined never to use any form of the verb to be. It makes me wonder if being is somehow a no-no and doing is the only possible choice.
I could not help but draw a connection between this literary principle and some theological beliefs. For instance, many people tend to think that the only way anyone can gain favor with God is by doing something. That is, most religious systems stress the same inclination for action in regard to God as writing instructors have in regard to verbs. That the two ideas run parallel suggests humans find doing far easier to get a handle on than being.
The list of deeds acceptable to God differs depending on which group defines the standards. Some would call themselves “Christian” and include baptism, or church membership or tithing (giving 10% of one’s earnings to the “church”). Those not into religious activities include in their lists activities such as be kind to animals and donate to charity. Most would include actions like love one another and take care of the sick, maybe even pay your taxes.
A few frame their activity list in a more negative vein — if you would please God, you must NOT do certain things. Their lists would have a whole raft of don’ts rather than do’s, taking potshots at smoking, drinking, immoral behavior, and a few peripherals such as nail polish, dancing, eye-shadow and chewing tobacco.
Before saying anything else, I want to affirm that God IS interested in what we do. Both the Old and New Testament are crammed full of commands and expected behavior because God does not, in the name of grace, grant us the liberty of doing whatever we please expecting Him to simply excuse it.
However, there is a definite difference in doing and being in the Bible. For one thing, it says we must BE something before we can DO anything that pleases God. That is, before our actions give Him pleasure, our state of being must be changed. Put another way, the old saying, you cannot get blood out of a stone restated in theological terms is: no one can produce right behavior out of a sinful heart.
That is why God can say “All your righteousness is like filthy rags.” He was talking about the deeds that come from unregenerate people. What is needed is a new life that begins on the inside, a life that starts when individuals are forgiven, cleansed of their sin, and filled with the Holy Spirit. This is something we cannot do but must allow God to do, even inviting Him because we realize our inadequacy and sin. That is the being aspect of pleasing God, being new creatures living under a new Master.
This change in our state of being results in having the will and capacity to do right because from the moment we believe, we are able to allow our action verbs to be governed by the One who simply IS.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Faith is a “can do” thing ................. Parables 175
(July 26, 1989)
A friend once remarked, “That fellow will never amount to much -- he’s a CAN’T MAN.”
An apt description of a man who seldom finished what he started, and seldom even started. Sounds just like the “slothful” man in’ Proverbs who excused his inactivity with, “There is a lion outside. I’ll be slain in the streets.”
Quitting comes easy to the lazy. A person whose heart isn’t really in the thing hasn’t much staying power either. Ask any committee. Even the most brilliant ideas sooner or later deteriorate into tedious hard work! So how do you get motivated when passion for a project fizzles and motivation dawdles and dwindles?
DETERMINATION: Some folks keep on keeping on because they’re stubborn. Their goal is set, their jaw is too. Nothing’s going to stop them. They want what they want when they want it. An iron will ensures completion.
NECESSITY: Others keep on because someone depends on them. It might be baby’s cries calling “I’m hungry, I’m wet. I need a hug.” It might be creditors playing their song, “I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.” Whether it’s a job that must be done or food put on the table, survival is a strong motivator.
HABIT: One of my relatives cleans her house every Saturday, top to bottom, inside out, until it sparkles. When her children were small, dirt made the chores necessary. These days the shine is still there on Friday. Nevertheless, she cleans house every Saturday.
VISION: “Maybe no one else can see my goal but I can either smell it, taste it, or picture it in my mind.” With that, all obstacles are taken in stride. The job gets done.
The Word of God often refers to “keeping on.” The Greek word is translated patience, or endurance, or persistence, and is simply the ability to continue doing what God requires under all kinds of opposition, stress, pressure and disadvantage. Such persistence may be fueled by a vision or assisted by determination. A sense of being needed helps too. So does good habits. Yet hotter still burns the fuel of faith.
Faith is, “the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is moving along life’s path with the desires of the heart linked to God. It is knowing that He gives purpose to all that I do.
Faith carries with it the idea of vision. God opens blind eyes and enables “sight” of eternal realities through faith in Jesus Christ. This vision includes assurance. Obeying God will be rewarded - not necessarily in this life but certainly in the next. Such assurance fuels persistence. Faith is determination too. It is knowing that God tells the truth and stubbornly hanging to that truth, even if “every man is a liar.”
Faith even increases through developing the habit of turning to God in trials. He proves Himself to be true once, then again, and again, and again — until trials produce an automatic response for all of life. Faith soon becomes “the only thing to do”.
As well, faith senses being indispensable. While God certainly is not helpless without us, He has purpose for our lives. He is building a kingdom. He will use our obedience as a bricklayer uses mortar to hold walls together. The Bible even calls believers “God’s building.”
Not only that, our obedience adds fireworks to the display of His power. Who else but a mighty God could bring sinful people into submission to Himself? Every time I act in faith, it is a testimony to God’s grace. Far from abstract or useless, faith gives not only life but motivates the faint-hearted, the aged, and even the lazy. Who knows, some may even themselves excited about going out and tackling that lion in the street.
A friend once remarked, “That fellow will never amount to much -- he’s a CAN’T MAN.”
An apt description of a man who seldom finished what he started, and seldom even started. Sounds just like the “slothful” man in’ Proverbs who excused his inactivity with, “There is a lion outside. I’ll be slain in the streets.”
Quitting comes easy to the lazy. A person whose heart isn’t really in the thing hasn’t much staying power either. Ask any committee. Even the most brilliant ideas sooner or later deteriorate into tedious hard work! So how do you get motivated when passion for a project fizzles and motivation dawdles and dwindles?
DETERMINATION: Some folks keep on keeping on because they’re stubborn. Their goal is set, their jaw is too. Nothing’s going to stop them. They want what they want when they want it. An iron will ensures completion.
NECESSITY: Others keep on because someone depends on them. It might be baby’s cries calling “I’m hungry, I’m wet. I need a hug.” It might be creditors playing their song, “I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.” Whether it’s a job that must be done or food put on the table, survival is a strong motivator.
HABIT: One of my relatives cleans her house every Saturday, top to bottom, inside out, until it sparkles. When her children were small, dirt made the chores necessary. These days the shine is still there on Friday. Nevertheless, she cleans house every Saturday.
VISION: “Maybe no one else can see my goal but I can either smell it, taste it, or picture it in my mind.” With that, all obstacles are taken in stride. The job gets done.
The Word of God often refers to “keeping on.” The Greek word is translated patience, or endurance, or persistence, and is simply the ability to continue doing what God requires under all kinds of opposition, stress, pressure and disadvantage. Such persistence may be fueled by a vision or assisted by determination. A sense of being needed helps too. So does good habits. Yet hotter still burns the fuel of faith.
Faith is, “the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is moving along life’s path with the desires of the heart linked to God. It is knowing that He gives purpose to all that I do.
Faith carries with it the idea of vision. God opens blind eyes and enables “sight” of eternal realities through faith in Jesus Christ. This vision includes assurance. Obeying God will be rewarded - not necessarily in this life but certainly in the next. Such assurance fuels persistence. Faith is determination too. It is knowing that God tells the truth and stubbornly hanging to that truth, even if “every man is a liar.”
Faith even increases through developing the habit of turning to God in trials. He proves Himself to be true once, then again, and again, and again — until trials produce an automatic response for all of life. Faith soon becomes “the only thing to do”.
As well, faith senses being indispensable. While God certainly is not helpless without us, He has purpose for our lives. He is building a kingdom. He will use our obedience as a bricklayer uses mortar to hold walls together. The Bible even calls believers “God’s building.”
Not only that, our obedience adds fireworks to the display of His power. Who else but a mighty God could bring sinful people into submission to Himself? Every time I act in faith, it is a testimony to God’s grace. Far from abstract or useless, faith gives not only life but motivates the faint-hearted, the aged, and even the lazy. Who knows, some may even themselves excited about going out and tackling that lion in the street.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
What about John 3:16? ................. Parables 031
A man asked, “Why do you, and some others, tell me that my faith is not Biblical faith? After all, I do believe John 3:16, that Jesus came and that he died for the sins of the world.”
“But what about YOUR sins?”
He paused some moments, then soberly replied, “I see what you mean.”
Sad to say, that man was not prepared to acknowledge that his condition was serious enough to warrant the death of the Son of God. Other people were perhaps rotten to the core, but his failures did not need that kind of drastic action. He believed John 3:16, but he didn’t believe John 3:16.
That kind of “faith” could be called “head knowledge,” a verbal acknowledgment of what God says, and a general agreement that it is true, but that truth has never been specifically and personally applied to the total person. That man had an intellectual understanding of the gospel, but he failed to understand that believing it involved a little more than just agreeing that God did send His Son to die for sin.
James 2:19 tells us that “even the devils believe and tremble.” It is inconsistent with all of Scripture to conclude that intellectually agreeing with the Bible is Biblical faith. The legions of Satan know that book is true, but they are not going to share eternity in heaven with God. Their “faith” will not save them.
God speaks of a different kind of believing. It is a faith that not only says, “Yes, I agree that this is true,” but it also says, “Because God is true, I respond to Him, mind, soul, and body, surrendering all that I am and have to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.” When that happens, there are some drastic changes. In fact, if the changes are not there, the Word of God boldly charges that such “faith” is dead, and the person who has it is like a man who looks in a mirror, sees what he looks like, and then walks away and does nothing about it. (James 1) It is a useless and fruitless faith, not affecting anyone’s eternal destiny. It could be compared to the person who is told his house is on fire, and he says, “Oh, I smell the smoke, you’re right,” and then stays inside to be burned. He never really believed it.
Genuine faith cannot assent to verses like John 3:16 and then go on living as if it were not true. If someone truly believes that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,” there will be changes, and those changes will testify to the reality of their faith. Those who genuinely know that they “will not perish but have everlasting life” cannot remain the same, because this truth, when applied personally, has the power to transform lives.
“But what about YOUR sins?”
He paused some moments, then soberly replied, “I see what you mean.”
Sad to say, that man was not prepared to acknowledge that his condition was serious enough to warrant the death of the Son of God. Other people were perhaps rotten to the core, but his failures did not need that kind of drastic action. He believed John 3:16, but he didn’t believe John 3:16.
That kind of “faith” could be called “head knowledge,” a verbal acknowledgment of what God says, and a general agreement that it is true, but that truth has never been specifically and personally applied to the total person. That man had an intellectual understanding of the gospel, but he failed to understand that believing it involved a little more than just agreeing that God did send His Son to die for sin.
James 2:19 tells us that “even the devils believe and tremble.” It is inconsistent with all of Scripture to conclude that intellectually agreeing with the Bible is Biblical faith. The legions of Satan know that book is true, but they are not going to share eternity in heaven with God. Their “faith” will not save them.
God speaks of a different kind of believing. It is a faith that not only says, “Yes, I agree that this is true,” but it also says, “Because God is true, I respond to Him, mind, soul, and body, surrendering all that I am and have to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.” When that happens, there are some drastic changes. In fact, if the changes are not there, the Word of God boldly charges that such “faith” is dead, and the person who has it is like a man who looks in a mirror, sees what he looks like, and then walks away and does nothing about it. (James 1) It is a useless and fruitless faith, not affecting anyone’s eternal destiny. It could be compared to the person who is told his house is on fire, and he says, “Oh, I smell the smoke, you’re right,” and then stays inside to be burned. He never really believed it.
Genuine faith cannot assent to verses like John 3:16 and then go on living as if it were not true. If someone truly believes that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,” there will be changes, and those changes will testify to the reality of their faith. Those who genuinely know that they “will not perish but have everlasting life” cannot remain the same, because this truth, when applied personally, has the power to transform lives.
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