Christianity takes too much effort.
(Luke 13:24-28; Hebrews 4:11; Hebrews 12:14; 2 Peter 3:14)
It requires too much focus and devotion.
"Purity of heart is to will one thing."
"May my heart's one aim be to fear His Name."
I heard a great quote today from Mark Powell:
"The mission of the Church is to love Jesus. Every thing else is just strategy."
I've realized this week that I'm doing a poor job of this.
I've been negative, short-tempered, selfish, gossipy, and ungrateful.
I don't want the Lord's mecy to be an excuse for spiritual complacency.
Thank God for His mercy:
"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, have mercy on me, a sinner."
And He does!
Listen to this verse from 2 John.
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love.
Amen, and amen.
But not only am I not "making every effort," I'm hardly making any effort.
And I fear I'm not alone...
"My brother and sisters, this should not be so."
4 comments:
I'm not saying that it's hard to stay in God's good graces. I just don't see much of a living, breathing relationship with Christ in what so often passes for Christianity.
We are forgiven & secure in Christ, but we must remain "in Christ." It's not a punched ticket. It's a way of life. There's a paradox here that's well expressed in Hebrews 4:9-11.
9There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.
Maybe it's akin to the tension between sanctification as an event and as a process (or to the interplay between our role and God's role in the process--see Philippians 2:12-13).
I didn't really flesh out the paradox in Hebrews, but it's the idea that we have to make every effort to enter this rest.
I heard a professor at ATS say several times, "Grace is not opposed to effort." It takes some on our part just to receive it. Once we learn to really receive it we are humbled and approach work, God, others, and life in a different way. Some days are better than others, for sure. I think this is because we forget to begin again each day. He makes His mercy new everyday. What makes us think we do not need to receive it anew each day? Pride, probably. Sin, definitely.
Thank you, Julie. I'm so glad you commented. I love what you said! It's probably well-worn ground, but I've really been thinking about this lately. I've heard so many different takes on grace. What you say makes sense and really encourages me. Thank you!
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