Last Words – almost Part 5

Last Words – almost  Part 5  

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.   (2Pe 1:5-14)  ESV

If there is any clear description of the weak or struggling believer, this is it.  That they are a believer is not in dispute.  That they are weak in their faith because their inability to clearly live their redemption and the graciousness of God is the point.

There are several things that can result in this condition and I’ll run through a few of them here.

1.    A lack of appreciation of sin and its consequences. 

2.    This viewpoint will focus on the material consequences apart from or in lieu of the eternal consequences.  Many times I have heard the Gospel presented as an escape from sin and especially its material consequences.  Come to Jesus and you won’t need drugs and you won’t get busted.  Come to Jesus and you won’t be sexually promiscuous so you won’t face an unwanted pregnancy and perhaps an abortion. 

3.    There are two problems with this concept: 

First, coming to Jesus holds no assurance that we won’t do sinful things and hence face the consequences; and

Second, it is an example of the “good news to me,” as opposed to the Good News of Christ.” It is a completely self-serving approach which has nothing to do with God’s call to righteousness and His provision for our answering it.

4.    A response to the offer of happiness and fulfillment.

Again, this view is all about me, what I want and NOT, in God’s view, what I need.  Typically it is offered wholly disconnected from the righteous God of the Bible who is sovereign.  It’s an offer of a “Santa” not sanctification.

5.    A response out of calamity with a sole focus on the calamity.    

6.    The respondent finds themselves in a very tough circumstance and is offered “Jeeeeesus,” as an answer to that calamity.  It’s Jesus the Lifeguard, not Jesus the savior that is in view here

7.    A lack of understanding grace and forgiveness in light of our battle against the flesh.

8.    Perhaps the individual has committed some sin and has suffered bearing that knowledge to the point that it has infected their whole life.

This sin looms larger than even the grace of God.

They don’t “feel” forgiven.

This sin has been such an integral part of their lives that underneath it all they are afraid to live without the guilt and shame.

9.    A resentment or anger.

They have been violated, injured, abused and this has defined their lives to the point where it consumes their thoughts and feelings.

They are so used to being the “victim” that the idea of being victorious makes no sense or, in some cases, is terrifying.

These are just some of the issues that fill our lives with smoke and make it hard to clearly see the Gospel in all its glory.  And if we can't see it clearly, we can’t live it well.

These folks cannot follow the admonition from Hebrews below:

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,   (Heb 6:1) ESV

Why?  Because they have never had the elementary doctrine of Christ clearly and correctly presented.  When the Spirit touched them they came and, though the Spirit lives in them, so do the lies of the world, the flesh and the devil.  These lies cloud, obscure and even hide the truth from these believers and so they struggle in uncertainty and a sense of hopelessness.

Saved they are – but they are miserable in that salvation.

Our faith is a relational faith.  God chooses us, Christ calls us and the Spirit seals us and dwells within us.  You cannot get more relational than that.  BUT, if I cannot get to the point where understanding my utter unworthiness to be saved I surrender to the gracious fact I am saved, I will be the most miserable of believers.

TRUTH

Eph_2:3  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Eph_2:13  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Col_1:21  And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,

Col_3:7  In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.

Tit_3:3  For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

What do you read here?  Let me show you the important part - - -

Eph_2:3  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Eph_2:13  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Col_1:21  And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,

Col_3:7  In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.

Tit_3:3  For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

Get the point???

remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

BUT

now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility (Eph 2:12-14)ESV

As we move forward let me say that there are many who struggle because the gospel they heard was “another gospel,” and not the Gospel of the Christ.  It may have had truth(s) in it – but – it was not the truth – it was and is a lie.

But the Spirit of God, more wise and able than the spirit of deceit uses all truth in God’s service.  These believers responded to the truth in what they heard but it was perhaps the last truth they heard.  They were and are little children still in need of the pure milk of the Word but offered a poor even poisonous alternative.