Life? What's it all about?

Well well revelation has hit again... this time in the form of Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost for His Highest", with a healthy dose of John, Romans and James. (this is long, hope you have a few minutes :) )

I've been thinking and praying a lot about where intimacy and relationship with God fits in to the Christian life, and just how it really comes about. I've discovered that it is the key to any sort of meaningful walk, and one of the ways if not THE way to step into all that God has for us, daily.

But this morning during ... "God Time"... (Ha I love that name... it sounds so lame, but it's so awesome!) God gave me some new revelation that I'm going to try to piece together and understand here. Enjoy!

1 Cor 1:17 - For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not in wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made void.

For Paul, the thrust of His ministry, His calling, was to simply preach the gospel, to anyone who would listen. (Jews and Greeks alike). But we must remember that Paul's definition of "the gospel" is basically "The revelation of God's righteousness from faith to faith, bringing with it the power of God for salvation". (Rom 1:16 - 17).

Huh. What? Well, as Oswald pointed out, we are often inclined to make salvation or sanctification, or many other things for that matter, the point or goal of our preaching of "the gospel". For me, sanctification has been a big one, as that is what God has been working at a lot lately. But the point Paul, and later Oswald, and now I have made, (okay I am making, tenses are hard in lists), is that as Christians our call is to preach the gospel that Paul described; the revelation of God, simply put. Everything else will follow that, if we allow God to make that revelation real through our preaching.

Now, not to say sanctification isn't important, but taking a fresh look at it, isn't focusing first on sanctifying ourselves a little selfish? We aren't commanded to preach personal sanctification to people as the be-all end-all to Christianity, so why do we (I) treat it like it is? We're human, we'll never be 100% sanctified except through the power of Christ, so why worry so much about it?

We are called and commanded to lift up the name of Jesus, to preach "the revelation of God's righteousness" (the gospel) to everyone. Well wait a sec, that's not new news at all, is it? "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature"... sound familiar? (mk 16:15) Oh Oh tangent, which leads nicely to my next point! What does verses 16 - 18 say? well, that those who believe and are baptized (publicly professes their faith, being "reborn") will be saved... yeah okay... then, And these signs will follow those who believe, In MY Name they will cast out demons, speak with new tounges, take up serpents and drink anything deadly and it won't hurt them... they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover... yeah... wait. We can do that!?

Yes, yes we can. So why don't we? Well, if we've accepted this gospel of Christ, this "revelation of God's righteousness from FAITH to FAITH"... "as it is written, the just (righteous) shall live by faith".

Experienced the power of salvation... Check.
Experienced God's righteousness in our own lives through Faith and the power of God... ohhh... snap?

Yay more from Romans. Chapter 2! Wait let's back it up. from 1:18 to 32 Paul describes a lot of people who do a lot of bad things... who are... unrighteous. Oh, there's that word again... (read it if you want). Then back to chapter 2, he warns against judgement of others (those we are "bringing the gospel to", maybe?) because it is the goodness of God that leads people to repentance... not being judged by us stupid humans! (that turns people away from God, if you didn't catch that... Let God do the judging, or be judged in the same way, as a sinner, yadda yadda). BUT 2:6-8, God will render to each one according to his deeds (what, we can't just accept God then go back to our old life to get to heaven!?!?):
ETERNAL life to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption(immortality) and...
INDIGNATION AND WRATH to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unRIGHTEOUSNESS...

Hmm that word again. But, self-seeking... does that not remind us of our self-sanctification focus? I mean maybe if your efforts are completely selfless in motive... but I mean lets be real for a minute. We're human.

So what to do? vs. 10 : But glory, honor and peace to everyone who works what is Good... Well those are all good things... but from WORK? I thought salvation by grace was a gift? Yeah. It is. Last I checked the grace of salvation is free. to anyone who wants it. But once we have accepted that gift, the life of Christianity begins. Work. Faith by works... wait, here comes a connection.

Connect verse 10 with Paul's thoughts 4 verses earlier, and we find that eternal life goes to those who patiently continue working and doing good seeking glory, honor and incorruption or immortality. Fastforward back to verse 10, glory, honor and peace will go to those who work what is good. Glory, Honor. Peace. Incorruption. Sounds like some products of self-sanctification to me.

Focus on working the good deeds that God would have us do, and self-sanctification will come as a by-product! Possibly one of the most important by-products, but nonetheless... The more we work for God His good works, the more sanctified we become, allowing us to do more for God, which will in turn sanctify us more! What a sweet circle!

God is the only one who can make us righteous. Through Christ Jesus. And He will do so in His timing. If we have surrendered our lives to God, God realizes that. And He will, at His leisure, keep us on our toes and moving toward righteousness. We can't keep doing great things for Him if He isn't remaking us and re-building our character. But He uses SITUATIONS to do that. If we surrender our life to God, as great as that is, but just sit around waiting for Him to make us perfect and sanctified before we go out and do His work... wow we've missed the point. And we'll miss the sanctification.

For in [the gospel of Jesus] the righteousness of God is revealed, from FAITH to FAITH; as it is written "The just (righteous) shall live by faith". Rom 1:17...

But in James 2 we learn that Faith without Works is ... DEAD. 2:14: What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him?

Wow. Faith leads to Righteousness leads to Sanctification. But Faith without works is Dead. and not just that...

James 2:19-24 Thou believest that God is one; thou doest
well: the demons also believe, and shudder. But wilt thou
know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he
offered up Isaac his son upon the altar?
Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works
was faith made perfect [righteous]; and the scripture was
fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was
reckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the
friend of God. Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not
only by faith.

Huh. Well you have faith that God exists. Great. So do the
demons. And they have a proper fear of the Lord too (ohh i feel that'll be another blog soon). Don't you see! FAITH IS MADE WHOLE BY WORKS. which leads to RIGHTEOUSNESS. which leads to being called a FRIEND OF GOD. Intimacy. Wow. I love this stuff.

So let's try to tie this all together and make it coherent with a final thought and scripture. John 12. See what Jesus has to say about the whole matter. Read the whole chapter if you want context, but I'm just going to pull out my points. Unless you DIE you will not bear fruit. If you love your life, you will lose it. Give it up, hate the selfishness, greed, sin that comes with it... and let it die. Let Jesus nail it to the Cross. God will give you a new one. (Jesus said that).

Verse 26... If anyone serves Me, let him FOLLOW me; and where I am, there My servant is also. If anyone serves me, Him my father will honor.

If we are Christians, we must Follow Jesus, as we are Servants to Christ. That is the price we pay for the Christian life. But if we follow Him, We should be where He is. Not expect Him to come to us. We want to work with Jesus to make whole our faith. But we have to do the work that Jesus wants us to do, where He wants us to do it. We may not always want to, but it's necessary!
Verse 27 - JESUS SAID!: "Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father save me from this hour? (in other words I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS!) BUT for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, Glorify your name."

Wow. *cough*. Well doesn't that make my excuses for not talking to that guy on the bench look stooooopid. Jesus died on the cross for all of us. Did he want to? uhmmm nope. But God wanted Him to. And He wanted what God wanted (like we should). So He did. And he didn't complain about it. He said "Father, Glorify Your name!". And later we see God in turn Exalts Him and gives Him the name above EVERY Name. That at His name every knee shall bow (Phil. 2:9). Because He did what God wanted where He wanted Him to.

Jesus' faith was made complete by works. He did EVERYTHING he saw the father doing, because He always saw the father. The Righteous shall live by faith (and works). Jesus was the only human to ever be perfect, sinless and completely righteous.

Maybe we should take the hint.

"God, I want to be righteous, I want to be sanctified and called your friend. I want intimacy, and I want you to glorify me as I glorify You. But I don't want to chase these things because that is self-seeking! But You tell us to want these things. It's confusing but you've given me clarity.
Father help me to focus on You all my days, and be where You are, and do all I see you doing. Through my works given to You my faith will be made complete, and from there the gospel has its full effect, for as it has revealed your righteousness and made it obtainable, I shall obtain it through Jesus!

Thank you that you know what you're doing, and that you show us every now and again. We'd be lost without you. All the Glory to You. In Jesus' Name."