Let's All Give Up in 2015 (Part IV)
- by Jonathan Whitaker
Ok, sorry this is a long one. But you have come this far...
Jesus is Lord! By faith you declared Christ's Lordship on the day you were saved by God's grace. But, what is faith? Faith is "...the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1). Logically, there must be an object of that hope and a cause for that conviction. In our case, it is the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, by which He conquered death and took his seat at the right hand of the Father in heaven. (Mark 16:19)
Our hope in the Lordship of Christ is grounded in the fact that He has proven worthy of His title as Lord. You and I know that because Jesus is Lord, we are immeasurably blessed. The only sane response to the Lordship of Christ by a redeemed sinner is nothing short of obedience.
Hebrews 10:26-29 (paraphrased) doesn't mince words with believers: " For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins...How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?"
These verses aren't saying that you can lose your salvation. Just as you could not earn your salvation with your works, you cannot lose it for your sin (Eph. 2:8-9, Heb. 10:19-22).
The fact remains that when Christ followers deliberately choose disobedience over obedience to Jesus, we make His sacrifice seem ridiculous. Take that one step further: not only do we deserve judgment because of disobedience, but we are incapable of assuaging God's judgment by our works. Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousnesswere through the law, then Christ died for no purpose." (Gal. 2:20-21)
Sounds like a Catch-22. God has given us the law to obey. We cannot fully obey it, and even if we could, we would still fall short of righteousness. There must be something more.
There is. Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." By the same faith that saved you, Jesus can transform you into an obedient servant. Remember that faith has to have an object. As stated above, the object of saving faith is the belief that God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day (Rom. 10:9). What about faith that allows us to be obedient to Christ?
This question reveals God's great love and provision to all who believe. "You shall love the Lordyour God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart” (Deut. 6:5-6). Loving God is the object of our faith that compels the believer to be obedient.
From ancient times believers have demonstrated their faith, not by works, but by trusting in God's work.
The common tie among all of these ancient believers is not the work that they accomplished, but what God did. "...God was able..." "...the reproach of Christ (was) greater wealth..." Even Rahab, a prostitute, not even a Jew, believed the promises of the God of Israel. Her faith not only saved her life and demonstrated the condition of her soul.
It is worth noting that all of these people lived long before Christ. Two of them lived before there was a law, and yet they were saved through the same means by which you and I are saved: faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross.
Genesis 15:6 and Romans 4:3 tell us that Abraham (simply) believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. If none are righteous except for Jesus and there is no other name by which we are saved, what must that mean (Rom. 3:10, Acts 4:12)? It means that Abraham believed God would save him because he could not save himself. Abraham believed God the Son would die for his sins. While he may not have understood the particulars of how God would save him, he had faith (looking forward) that God would save him (Heb. 11:8-10).
When people of faith trust Jesus to be Lord, He makes them very useful for the Kingdom. Abraham, Moses, Rahab, Joseph, Jacob, Paul, Timothy, the list is endless, all submitted to Christ's Lordship and out of their faith Christ accomplished mighty works through them.
On the day of your salvation Christ began a new work in you. And you can be sure that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it (Phil 1:6). Will you faithfully trust Him? In 2015, I hope you will join me as I seek to yield my will and desire and place my faith in the Lordship of Christ. Surely He can do a better job with my life than I can.
Jesus is Lord! By faith you declared Christ's Lordship on the day you were saved by God's grace. But, what is faith? Faith is "...the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1). Logically, there must be an object of that hope and a cause for that conviction. In our case, it is the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, by which He conquered death and took his seat at the right hand of the Father in heaven. (Mark 16:19)
Our hope in the Lordship of Christ is grounded in the fact that He has proven worthy of His title as Lord. You and I know that because Jesus is Lord, we are immeasurably blessed. The only sane response to the Lordship of Christ by a redeemed sinner is nothing short of obedience.
Hebrews 10:26-29 (paraphrased) doesn't mince words with believers: " For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins...How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?"
These verses aren't saying that you can lose your salvation. Just as you could not earn your salvation with your works, you cannot lose it for your sin (Eph. 2:8-9, Heb. 10:19-22).
The fact remains that when Christ followers deliberately choose disobedience over obedience to Jesus, we make His sacrifice seem ridiculous. Take that one step further: not only do we deserve judgment because of disobedience, but we are incapable of assuaging God's judgment by our works. Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousnesswere through the law, then Christ died for no purpose." (Gal. 2:20-21)
Sounds like a Catch-22. God has given us the law to obey. We cannot fully obey it, and even if we could, we would still fall short of righteousness. There must be something more.
There is. Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." By the same faith that saved you, Jesus can transform you into an obedient servant. Remember that faith has to have an object. As stated above, the object of saving faith is the belief that God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day (Rom. 10:9). What about faith that allows us to be obedient to Christ?
This question reveals God's great love and provision to all who believe. "You shall love the Lordyour God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart” (Deut. 6:5-6). Loving God is the object of our faith that compels the believer to be obedient.
From ancient times believers have demonstrated their faith, not by works, but by trusting in God's work.
- "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son,of whom it was said, 'Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.' He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead," (Heb. 11:17-19)
- "By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward." (Heb. 11:24-26)
- "By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies." (Heb. 11:31)
The common tie among all of these ancient believers is not the work that they accomplished, but what God did. "...God was able..." "...the reproach of Christ (was) greater wealth..." Even Rahab, a prostitute, not even a Jew, believed the promises of the God of Israel. Her faith not only saved her life and demonstrated the condition of her soul.
It is worth noting that all of these people lived long before Christ. Two of them lived before there was a law, and yet they were saved through the same means by which you and I are saved: faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross.
Genesis 15:6 and Romans 4:3 tell us that Abraham (simply) believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. If none are righteous except for Jesus and there is no other name by which we are saved, what must that mean (Rom. 3:10, Acts 4:12)? It means that Abraham believed God would save him because he could not save himself. Abraham believed God the Son would die for his sins. While he may not have understood the particulars of how God would save him, he had faith (looking forward) that God would save him (Heb. 11:8-10).
When people of faith trust Jesus to be Lord, He makes them very useful for the Kingdom. Abraham, Moses, Rahab, Joseph, Jacob, Paul, Timothy, the list is endless, all submitted to Christ's Lordship and out of their faith Christ accomplished mighty works through them.
On the day of your salvation Christ began a new work in you. And you can be sure that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it (Phil 1:6). Will you faithfully trust Him? In 2015, I hope you will join me as I seek to yield my will and desire and place my faith in the Lordship of Christ. Surely He can do a better job with my life than I can.
