Sunday, October 26, 2014
“I’ll Go If You’ll Go!”
Scripture: Exodus 33:12-23
Relationships are an integral part of our lives. Of course, you already knew that, but what most folks don’t realize is that without a connection to others, our life would be completely devoid of purpose. We might still have a job, but we would be doing it alone. There would be no membership in organizations, no attendance at church, no marriage, and no family. Without relationships, life as we know it would cease to exist.
Studies and surveys have revealed monotonously that relationships require four ingredients: Time, Touching, Talking, and Trust.
According to Priority Management of Pittsburgh, the average working couple spends four minutes a day in meaningful conversation with one another. That same quality time with their children only calls for 30 seconds a day.
- Homiletics Online
And the list of “4 T’s” is pretty much in order of occurrence. Without spending Time, there can be no Touching; without the intimacy of Touch, we will never become confident enough to Talk with each other; and if we can’t converse, there will never be any meaningful level of Trust. Is it any wonder that marriages fail, families disintegrate, and nations are constantly at each other’s throats?
Faith is no different. The extent of the Time, Touch, Talk, and Trust that exists between us and God will fairly well define the depth of our relationship with him. Very little Time spent in intimate contact and in prayer with the Lord will never lead us to know a significant and enduring faith in Christ. That was one of the problems that Israel had, and it is one that the Church of today is experiencing as well.
Read Exodus 33:12-14
Now Moses had spent a lot of time with Yahweh, touching and being touched by Grace, and both had been engaged in constant conversation, but Moses was still at odds with God over one little issue – that of Trust. He had spent plenty of time with God, but the conversations always revolved around the Lord telling Moses what he must do, and Moses’ replying with excuses as to why he couldn’t, or why the people wouldn’t, or what he thought might happen if, for some reason, anyone did!
Trust, whether in the Almighty or in another person, comes from a deep understanding of who the other is, and how they think, and why they act. With God, we are able to develop this sense to an extent, but never completely, so there is one more aspect of divine relationships that must exist – Surrender.
In our human relationships, there is an interactive “give and take” at play, but with God, it isn’t quite that simple. God is the infinite wisdom in our lives, and we need to trust (there’s the word!) that his way is in our best interest.
Moses was concerned that he was to lead the people to a Promised and Holy Land, but he had yet to be told where that was. And to make matters worse, God knew who he was and was pleased with him, but Moses had yet to come to grips with who God must be.
And so, he asked the Lord to teach him the ways of heaven. But instead of revealing the details of the trip that was laid out before them, God says he will go with them, presumably to lead and guide them, so that Moses could rest from his concerns and fears.
NOT what Moses wanted to hear!
Read Exodus 33:15-17
“But what if you DON’T go with us?” “What will we ever do?” “How can we possibly learn the way?”
Remember Moses on the Mountain as he stood before the bush that burned, but wasn’t burned up? (Exodus 3:1-4:17) Every time that the Lord tells Moses that something is going to happen, Moses responds with “But what if it doesn’t happen that way?” Yahweh gives him assurance after assurance after affirmation after sign, until Moses runs out of excuses and questions, and relents.
He knew who God was, as evidenced by his fear to look upon him in the Fire, but the relationship still had a long way to go before trust could rise up in this servant of Yahweh. And by the time Moses and the nation had arrived back at the Mountain, trust still wasn’t all that it should be.
And now Moses’ reluctance to step out in faith before he understand just what God was about to be put to rest once more. “How will others know that you love us if you aren’t with us, and how will we stand out among the rest without your Presence?” I think that Moses’ point here is actually this - that “Others won’t fear us and run away if they don’t know that you are on our side!” And the Lord offers the very promise that Moses already understood – that God was pleased with him and knew him by name.
And that isn’t what Moses wanted to hear, either!
The issue is far more basic than that he didn’t know the way without the Lord – I believe that his reluctance was grounded in the fear of the unknown, fear that they aren’t self-sufficient, fear that others will be too strong for them, fear that the Lord might change his mind. And in light of our reading last week, in which the people had turned against Yahweh and created that golden calf to worship (Exodus 32:1-14), maybe Moses was concerned that all was not well between him and the people and their God, and that in spite of the Lord’s assurances to the contrary, God was being somewhat less than honest with him.
A solid relationship cannot exist between two people if doubt is hovering within and around everything they need to do together. And the same is true with God. We can always seek assurance that our understanding of his call on our life is correct, but disbelief that he is going to be with us in that call can be the death knell of our faith.
Remember the 4th “T” – “Trust”? Without it, Israel’s Promised Land journey, as well as our faith walk with Christ, will be strewn with obstacles after obstacle, and we will get nowhere fast! For Israel, their lack of trust in God would cause their journey home to stretch out over 40 years. How long will we remain standing at our own Mount Sinai before we begin our journey with Jesus?
Read Exodus 33:18-23
It sounds like Moses is asking God to grant him that 2nd “T” – Touch. It can’t be in a physical way, of course, but sight may be the next best way to establish confidence in another person’s, or in God’s, presence. Have you noticed that no matter what Moses has asked for, no matter how uncertain he is in this relationship, no matter how much his “doubt” is causing a lack of trust in his life, God will not let the bond that he wants with Moses to deteriorate? “You want to see my glory? I’ll let you see as much as you can handle!”
Was Moses ready to put his all in the Lord? Was he ready to journey back up Sinai to get a fresh set of Commandments? Was he ready to continue on the way, in complete trust and obedience to Yahweh, to the ultimate destination?
Maybe we should be asking ourselves those questions – “Is experiencing the backside of God’s glory sufficient for me?” Each of us has to answer that for ourselves, but I think that if Glory doesn’t do the job, then we must resign ourselves to the fact that we are nothing short of hopeless.
If spending time in prayer and meditation with God, if reaching out to touch just the hem of his coat in faith (Mark 5:25-34), if trusting Christ as Redeemer and Savior for your life isn’t enough for you, then I call you to ask the Lord for a vision of his Glory. And I am completely serious in that suggestion. But notice that the other 4 must come first – spend time with him, talk to him, touch him and let him touch you, and make every effort to trust his precious Word – and if that doesn’t bring you into an eternal relationship with Jesus, then ask him is you could just get a glimpse of the “backside of his glory”.
The Lord will do anything – everything! - to assure us that if we will but commit to follow him, that he will lead us throughout this life and into the next one, into that Promised Life that awaits us. “I’ll go wherever you go Lord, because I trust you and love you and depend on you that much.”
And when we can say that, God will be pleased. And it could never get any better than that!
Sunday, October 19, 2014
“Oh Ye of Little Faith!”
Scripture: Exodus 32:1-14
News anchor and journalist William Boggs writes:
What passes for faith in our time is not much different from that experienced at the orchard. So often we stay right around the edges, not trying very hard to deepen our understanding, content to lead unexamined lives where we know ourselves very little and God even less.
No wonder the fruits of religious experience taste so bitter in our mouths and bring so little nourishment to the lives of people who are otherwise quite famished and searching for something that will fulfill the deepest hunger of their souls.
-William Boggs, in his book, Sin Boldly: But Trust God More Boldly Still (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1990), 101-102.
Why, indeed, is a deep faith so difficult? Everyone wants to believe in something that is greater than themselves; no one wants to think that this is all there is and there is no more! So, when the truth of a greater and more powerful Being is offered to them, why do so many reply “No Thanks!”? It really makes no sense!
We all want to look upon something with admiration and awe, as long as it satisfies our own desires, of course!
Read Exodus 32:1-4
Moses is still on the mountain with Almighty God. The Lord has just finished giving instructions to Moses regarding the design and construction of the Arc, the Tabernacle, and the priestly robes. (Exodus 25-31) God has just finished emphasizing the importance of keeping the 7th day in a holy way - that it is to be Sabbath. It would be a sign to the rest of the world that the nation had a special relationship with the Almighty, and also that they would come to know Yahweh in a new way. (Exodus 31:12) And even while Moses is receiving divine and vitally import information for the people, they deny their God and turn to worship a device of their own making.
They had become impatient. Moses had been gone for about a month and a half, and with all the vapor and fire and thunder that was coming from the top of the mountain, they just knew that the one who had been leading them would never appear again. (Exodus 24:15-18) And they decide to make their own god to replace the One who had destroyed their leader.
But to be perfectly honest, it’s tough to be patient with the Lord! His ways are not our ways, his timing is not in our time, and his thoughts are never ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), and unless we have an overpowering trust and confidence in the Lord’s ways, our life in him will never be satisfying. That, I believe, was the problem at Mount Sinai – too little faith in God, and too much trust in themselves.
Who was it that first said “Some things never change!”? Whoever it was, they had perfect insight into the human condition! Our nature seems to be that if we can’t see it, then it can’t be all that important! So we make gods that we can see and understand – gods like money, jobs, activities, position, and so on. We trust them, we follow them, and we give them all the credit for the goodness we experience.
So did Israel! They had seen the Almighty God in action, and still they felt that they could make a better god with their own hands and by their own means, and that this would be the god they should honor.
Read Exodus 32:5-6
The nation not only gives their new, man-made god the credit for leading them out of Egypt, they begin to worship and celebrate this new “force” in their lives. If they had just waited a little longer, they would have discovered that the first two commandments that Moses had just received were “You shall have no other gods before me.” and “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” (Exodus 20:3-4) Without knowing it, Israel had just trampled all over the true image and nature of their God! Did they really think that he would let this pass?
Even today, with all the history behind us, we still think that the Lord is so gentle and loving that he will overlook anything and that we can get away with everything! But our God is jealous of the relationship that he has created for us – a relationship in which he calls us to put him and his ways first in our life. And when we decide that our way is just as good as his, and maybe even better, there must be consequences. It’s one thing for us to turn away from the Lord, but it’s an entirely different thing when he turns away from us. And it isn’t good!
Read Exodus 32:7-10
The scene shifts from Aaron and the deceitful nation, back to the Lord and Moses. And God is not happy! He disowns the people when he tells Moses that they are now “your people”, and that Moses is the one who has brought them out of slavery. God has just washed his hands of the rebellious nation. He calls them “stiff-necked” – that they are obstinate, arrogant, stubborn individuals, and is prepared to withdraw the covenant he made with Abraham years before.
Now before you think that the covenant is binding and can never be broken, remember that there were two parts to the covenant – Jeremiah 7:23 – “Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you.” Obedience was, and is, and always will be the caveat in our relationship with Almighty God. He will give us the chance to mend our ways, but he will never relent on this expectation.
Relationships are two way. We can have a deep and heart-felt desire to be with another person, but until they return the sentiment, or at least have a similar feeling, there is no relationship. If we care about them, but they feel nothing in return, how can we possibly have any bond, any connection with them? The truth is that we can’t, and that is also true with the Lord. The connection that had existed between Israel and Yahweh has been severed by the thoughtless act of the people, and in response, the covenant is about to be withdrawn, and the nation is about to be eliminated from the face of the earth.
God is about to begin again, not with the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but with those of Moses. But quite honestly, would Moses’ family have been any better? The truth is that humanity always did, and always will, disappoint God. We are imperfect beings, and will never be able to fully “obey” him. And the penalty for failure is death.
So I expect that God’s intention wasn’t so much that he wanted to, and would, destroy Israel, but that he was trying to impress on them the seriousness of their sin. Death would still be the penalty, but that was going to be cared for one day by the Second Person of the Trinity – by God Himself in Jesus Christ. He would take the death sentence that our sin demands, and he would willingly suffer in our place. Of course neither Moses nor the Israelites could possibly know this, but the Lord had to let them know just where they were headed if something didn’t change. And since humanity can do very little about it, God would.
Read Exodus 32:11-14
Moses intervenes with God, and the death sentence is reserved. It is only a temporary reprieve, though, but this is only a precursor to the permanent one that is on the way. Jesus would soon be on the scene, to be the once and forever intercessory for our sin, and what would be required on our part? Only faith, and not a huge amount, either - just our best offering.
Throughout the Gospels, we read of the importance of faith. Jesus told the Parable of the Mustard Seed (e.g. Mark 4:30-32), that the smallest amount of faith can grow and do marvelous things. In Matthew 17:14-20, the disciples were unable to accomplish any miracles, and Jesus tells them that it is because their faith is too weak, and that just a little more would allow them to do anything in his name. When Jesus was preaching in his home town of Nazareth, he, himself, was limited to only a few minor miracles, and why? Because the faith of the people was inadequate. (e.g. Matthew 13:54-58)
True faith in Christ can accomplish all things, but a weak faith can do nothing.
Over and over, Jesus chastised his followers for not believing, and it always seemed to be in the context of their failure to succeed. Israel didn’t trust Yahweh enough to endure the waiting, and Moses interceded on their behalf. The world doesn’t trust God enough to survive our death sentence, and Jesus interceded on our behalf. What does the Lord have to do to get our attention? The truth is that there is nothing else to do – he has already done it all, and all we have to do is believe in him as “the Way, the Truth and the Life.” (John 14:5-6).
When the Judgment Day arrives, and the sentence is pronounced, will we hear “O Ye of little faith.”, or will it be “Well done, good and faithful servant.” It’s all up to us now, isn’t it?
Sunday, October 12, 2014
"Living Up to Our Salvation"
Scripture: Philippians 3:15-21
Last week, we ended with Paul’s thought that Jesus had “taken hold” of him to both bring perfection into his life and to use him for some divine purpose. (3:12-13) But even in recognizing Christ’s hold on him, he also confesses that he hadn’t yet arrived in the place where the Lord ultimately wanted him to be, but he wasn’t giving up – he would “press on toward the goal”. (3:14-15)
Personally, I give Paul a lot of credit for readily admitting this to the Philippians. His letter was one of encouragement and thanksgiving, and even in doing so, he confesses that he himself still has a long way to go in his faith walk! Have you ever wondered how the church accepted this information? After all, Paul had founded this church years ago, and the people saw him as a marvelous example of what Christian faith should be about! Where would Paul take this thought, and would it serve to encourage them, or discourage them?
Read Philippians 3:15-16
Paul takes the high road, and tells the people that everyone – both mature Christians and those new to the faith – need to understand that attaining perfection in following Jesus is an excellent goal for life, but that they will never attain it. And when you have a difference in understand with a brother or sister, let God work it out, and don’t come to blows with each other! Just live your life as though you truly honor the Lord for the faith that you have received. This, he says, is the mark of Christian maturity.
So what does Christian Maturity look like, if not perfection? Apparently, Paul thinks that maturity in faith is anything but perfection! It is more of an attitude regarding what your faith needs to be – that none of us is perfect, and that we are all still in the place of discovering just what Jesus does needs from us.
In this, Paul may very well have been addressing a concern that some of the earliest converts to Jesus Way were not treating the newer converts with respect. Have you ever known someone who thought that since they had held a particular position for many years, that they should continue to hold it – that they were the only ones who could do it “right”? Have you ever known someone who made others feel inferior because they had “seniority” in the church? Have you ever known someone who used their family’s longevity in a congregation as the means to get others to follow their lead?
It’s very possible that the Philippians were experiencing similar issues. And Paul wanted them to know that everyone, including him, still had a long way to go in faith. And his statement in verse 6, I believe, is intended to make them think humbly about how much they had already received from Almighty God, and not how great these gifts had made them! He would have us understand that no matter who we are, we are to use the gifts and graces that God has already given us, regardless of whether we have been in the church for 3 months or 30 years!
James 3:13 also addresses this very issue. He writes that we should demonstrate our wisdom in faith by how we live our life, by those things we offer to others in humility as servants, and not as great and learned leaders!
Read Philippians 3:17-19
Who are we to follow as Christian examples? Not those who “lord” it over others, not those who choose to tell everyone just how important and vital they are to the church, not those who are arrogant in faith, but rather those who quietly go about following the Lord and humbly doing what he calls them to do and be. And just because Paul offers his own life as a standard for Christian living does not imply that he has lost his humility! From the very moment that he met the living Christ on his way to Damascus, Paul lost all of his arrogance, his self-serving attitude, his “I’m better than you, so you had better do it my way” approach to faith. Paul offers them, and us, his entire life in Christ as an example in modest and unpretentious living.
The apostle sought nothing for himself. Not sustenance, not wealth, not position, not admiration. Since Jesus came into his life, Paul gave it all – ALL – to the Lord, and kept nothing for himself. Perhaps his words should be understood more as “follow my example of imitating Christ”, and not as “Imitate me”.
And that is the epitome of what it means to be a Christian leader. Leadership in the church is not about being the one who everyone looks to for guidance, it is not someone who holds a church office or position, it is not about gaining glory and prestige for ourselves – it’s about pointing the way to the true source of wisdom and power, that which resides in Almighty God alone, and it’s about bringing honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ!
Back in verse 16, Paul writes that we are to “live up to what we have already attained.” But how can we possibly live up to the gift of salvation and eternal life in Christ Jesus? That is a gift that is so far beyond our understanding, so far beyond our will, that we will never be able to live up to it! About all that we can do is to do our level best to follow Jesus’ steps throughout this life and into the next. And quite honestly, that is all that he expects from us – our best.
And Paul cautions us that many do not give their best. Some commentaries say that verses 18 and 19 are about those who refuse to give up their former Jewish practices. But I think that he is addressing a much greater issue than dependence on ritual – I believe that he is calling out those who are only half-hearted in their faith. They are focused on “feeding themselves” through faith – attempting to make themselves look better to others, and not in lifting others up higher than they themselves already are. They are focused on gaining glory for themselves instead of gaining glory for the Lord. He says that “Their mind is on earthly things”, on the ways of earth, instead of the ways of heaven.
An important caveat for all of us to consider in our own lives!
Read Philippians 3:20-21
Those “enemies of the Cross of Christ” still hold on to their worldly life, but Paul is encouraging those in the church to relinquish it in favor of a new “citizenship in heaven”. What does the issue of citizenship mean to each of us? Citizens of the United States have a number of privileges and obligations, such as voting for our leadership, ensuring the freedom of thought and life for others, living within the laws of our nation, and so on. But as a citizen of heaven, we have but one obligation, and that is to lift the name of Jesus up to the world and to bring honor and glory to only that name. For the people of Philippi, who were in all probability citizens of Rome, they had to live under pressure from their government officials, as well as in faith. But remember Jesus’ words to the Pharisees when they asked the question about obedience to Rome and God? “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s”. (Matthew 22:15-22) We are to be obedient to both our national government and its laws, as well as obedient to God’s ways, which may mean that we must accept the world’s hostility and condemnation when we choose to follow God’s law instead of their expectations and understanding. So be it.
But that is what comes from “living up to our salvation”. It is God who has transformed our lives to be in his image, and the power of earth brings us nothing that is even close to being comparable. It is God who promises us eternal life, and earth that gives no such promise. It is God in Christ who will come to our rescue to raise us up to his level, while the power of earth, even in the name of freedom, can only hold us down. While it is true that both of these powers, that of earth and that of the Lord, want to transform us into their own image, it is only the power of God that will do this to our benefit and not its own.
“Living up to what we have already attained” is not an easy prospect for any of us, and the reason is that we only have a partial understanding of what we have already gained! But we have some fine examples before us to help us to understand and live in that way. Paul, Timothy, Peter, and many others throughout scripture show us what it means to live and strive, even in our struggle, to bring honor to God through our faithful lives.
Will any of us ever fully live up to our salvation? No, not even close, but giving our best, our all, is all that our Almighty and Glorious Savior asks of us.
No more than that, but no less either.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
"Glory - Is It Mine or God's?"
Scripture: Philippians 3:2-14
Paul first visited Philippi during his 2nd missionary journey. He had intended to travel eastward toward Asia, but the Holy Spirit inspired him to go to Macedonia instead. (Acts 16:6-10) This route would take him considerably further north and west than he had even gone before, and it would prove to bring both significant victories and struggles to his life. Philippi would be one of the victories, and would prove to be a special joy for Paul.
He writes this letter as an encouragement to the Church, even while he is a prisoner in a Roman jail. His closeness to the people is obvious, and he offers them not only Christian hope, but warnings of the evil that will also rise up in their way.
Read Philippians 3:2-4a
In the first few verses, Paul tells the church that those who worship Christ by the Spirit of God, those who put all glory in Jesus and not in themselves, are “the circumcision” – that is that they no longer have any confidence in their own abilities and accomplishments – this is “the flesh” that he writes about (v.3). He also warns against those who would speak against this truth, those “dogs” who he wants the people to be aware of. It isn’t clear who they are exactly, but they are most certainly ones who are placing doubts in the minds of the new believers, those who may be reintroducing Jewish ritualistic practices back into the faith. Regardless of who and what these “dogs” may be, he wants the Church to be discerning of just what the truth is, and what it isn’t!
And this has been the biggest problem – that of false teaching - that the Church has faced throughout the centuries. Ancient Israel fell for the lie that other gods were just as powerful and important as was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Israel in Jesus’ day had been taught that it was the ritual – the “right” things they did – that brought joy to the Lord, and that this was far better than trust and faith in the great Jehovah. The early church would be subjected to philosophical and logical thought to explain away the concept of the Trinity, as well as all the teachings and miracles of Jesus. We Christians have made huge missteps in our approach to the rejection of evil, as evidenced by the Crusades and the Inquisition. And even today, we are barraged by the false faith of both fundamental thought and liberalism.
It’s incredible that true faith has even managed to survive after all this! But it has thrived, not because the Church has become so holy, but because the Holy Spirit continues to move and work and touch and change the people of God. Nicodemus would come to know the truth of God; Peter and the Disciples would come to feel this divine power; Saul, who was so immersed in legalism that he persecuted the truth, would be changed so radically that even his name had to be left behind, and God’s correction has continued to come into our lives time and time again for 2,000 years!
Read Philippians 3:4b-6
Paul is so concerned over this issue that he lets the people know that his experience in this matter gives him a unique understanding of the problem! He has lived intensely on both sides of the “faith tracks”, and he then goes on to describe the many ways that, through the law and his birth, he once rejoiced in the confidence he had in his “flesh” – the many ways that he rejoiced and lived in false hope.
He had been “circumcised on the 8th day” – a reference to his being born into the faith and was not just a convert to Judaism; he was “of the People of Israel” – always a Jew, never a Gentile; he was “of the tribe of Benjamin” – the tribe that was considered to be the most faithful; he was “a Hebrew of Hebrews” – a scholar, a racial purist, the best of the best; he was “a Pharisee” – an educated man, a student and teacher of the law, faithful in holiness to the “nth degree”; and he was zealous to the extent that he persecuted all who did not believe and live the way that he did, which made him perfect in his righteous adherence to Jewish law. These were his bragging points, his glory, his means to salvation, his privileges.
They were his pride, and I imagine that each one of us is thinking – “I sure am glad that I’m not like that!” This was Paul’s “resume of faith”, but how many of us have a similar one? “I’ve served on this committee and that task force, I’ve worked on 5 mission trips, I’ve done this and I’ve done that.” And not a single word to indicate that we have placed our trust and our life in Christ, and now allow him to do his work through us.
Read Philippians 3:7-11
He had been an example for all of Israel, and it gained him nothing in the sight of God.
But through his spiritual circumcision, he came to see that his confidence was false and that it could gain him nothing. Paul had every earthly reason to be proud of who he was. He had prestige, position, power, respect, conviction in faith (misguided as it was!) – his human pride was anything but hollow! But in his discovery that the power and strength in these accomplishments were worthless, their weakness also began to show through. They were actually his downfall, and not the source of his personal glory.
Every time that Jesus had a confrontation with the leaders of Israel, this was the very issue that divided them. They “knew” that they were right because this was the way they had been doing things for centuries! But Paul now understands that “whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.” (v. 7) In referring back to verse 3, Paul is saying that his “circumcision” of worldly glory was no loss at all – that he had gained such marvelous gifts in Jesus that the former no longer held any hope at all for him.
And who was this change, this new understanding, for? In v. 7 & 8, he says that this change in attitude was for the “sake” of Christ alone. While we could take this to mean “for Christ’s benefit”, I don’t think that this is what Paul intended. The gaining of Godly wisdom such as this is really to our benefit, but at the same time, it brings glory to God.
And so it is with us. By surrendering our hold on the impotent, the ineffectual things of earth, and claiming the promise and power of Christ’s sacrifice, death, and resurrection for our own lives, it is then that the Spirit of God can begin to work the true ways, the divine ways, in Christ’s way in all of us.
Read Philippians 3:12-14
As powerful as Paul’s ministry had become, and as much as we might celebrate all that he had accomplished, he says that he has yet to arrive at a full understanding of Christ and his ways. And if Paul hadn’t yet arrived in faith, where does that leave us? Quite honesty, it leaves us at the same juncture as Paul was at – solely dependent on the mercy of Jesus Christ!
For many, their former lives continue to be a stumbling block in their journey toward salvation in Jesus Christ. They can’t seem to let go of their failures. “My sins are so great that God can never forgive them all!” And in their believing this, they are placing self-imposed limitations on the grace of Jesus Christ.
So does that mean that we throw up our hands and give up? No Way! Remember that great old hymn – “Grace, grace, God’s grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within; grace, grace, God’s grace, grace that is greater than all our sin!” (UM Hymnal, # 365 “Grace Greater than Our Sin”) Paul tells us that when our lives seem to overwhelm us, and limit us, and fail us, that we should just throw ourselves on the powerful mercy of Christ, and “press on toward the goal”.
Are we pressing on toward the goal of a relationship with Jesus? Have we let go of the things of earth, or is our grip on them still too strong to let them slip away? Do we let Jesus be the inspiration for every aspect of life, or is earth still warping and influencing us?
The New Interpreters Bible says “To know God is thus to honor God and to obey God’s will; it is not to simply have knowledge of ‘facts’ about God but to enter into a personal relationship [with him].” Paul had come to the conclusion that glory was never about the things he did, or the honors he had received, or the admiration that people showered on him, or how much knowledge he had accumulated. Glory is about surrender; glory is about trust; glory is about God and it is never about us! Glory comes to us through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and our confession of all that he has done to bring us his glory.
So the answer to our question of the day is this – “Yes! Glory is ours, but only because it has come from God!” “Press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” And the prize is in knowing the extent of the love that the Lord has already shown to each of us.
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