Last Words - almost Part 7

Last words – almost  Part 7

Now for this very reason also . . . . 2 Peter 1:5

What reason?  THIS REASON !!!

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

(2Pe 1:2-4) NASB

1 Peter 1:2-4		1 Peter 1:5-10
multiplied		increasing,
has granted to us everything		For if these qualities are yours
the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;		true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
the true knowledge of Him		true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
called us by His own glory and excellence.		to make certain about His calling and choosing you;
become partakers of the divine nature,		neither useless nor unfruitful
having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust		for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;

There is an interesting parallel between the two passages.  They both focus on assurance.  Verses 2-4 focus on it from God’s perspective, verses 5-10 from the perspective of how we participate in God’s grace.  God guarantees our redemption and provides for us to experience in an ever growing way.  We are not only able to rest on His faithfulness to His promise but we are able to see it worked out through the practice of the qualities Peter (via the Holy Spirit) enumerates.

We are able to be PARTAKERS not only in His promise but in the very practical working out of that promise in our own lives.

There’s a quote I use in my consulting work that I think applies.

“In organizations, real power and energy is generated through relationships. The patterns of relationships and the capacities to form them are more important than tasks, functions, roles, and positions.”   ― Margaret Wheatley

It is in our relationship with Him, our “partaking” in not just His grace but in His work, that makes plain the power and energy available to the Believer.  It is the development of our relationship with Him – and only that – which makes anything we do fruitful.  That needs to be our focus and here in 2 Peter we are provided with a way of building that relationship.

Before we get into the qualities, I’d like to share the following.  I have no idea who wrote it so if you do, let me know.  It’s cute and skillful and a great way to get started in living out His grace more and more and more ----

Plant three rows of squash:

• Squash gossip.

• Squash criticism.

• Squash indifference.

Plant seven rows of peas:

• Prayer

• Promptness

• Perseverance

• Politeness

• Preparedness

• Purity

• Patience

Plant seven heads of lettuce:

• Let us be unselfish and loyal.

• Let us be faithful to duty.

• Let us search the Scriptures.

• Let us not be weary in well-doing.

• Let us be obedient in all things.

• Let us be truthful.

• Let us love one another.

No garden is complete without turnips:

• Turn up for church.

• Turn up for meetings, in prayer, and Bible study.

• Turn up with a smile, even when things are difficult.

• Turn up with determination to do your best in God’s

   service.

“His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him. . . . “

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.

Error as necessary truth?????

Superstition always breeds such sorrows, when men make themselves religious duties which God never made them, and then come short in the performance of them. Many dark souls are assaulted by the erroneous, and told that they are in a wrong way; and they must take up some error as a necessary truth, and so are cast into perplexing difficulties, and perhaps repent of the truth which they before owned. Many fearful Christians are troubled about every meal that they eat, about their clothes, their thoughts, and word, thinking or fearing that all is sinful which is lawful, and that unavoidable infirmities are heinous sins. All such as these are troubles and sorrows without cause, and therefore overmuch.

Richard Baxter

Believers, like ships, tend to pick up barnacles over time.  Many of these barnacles are little more than superstitions.

Superstition is a belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any physical process linking the two events [citation needed]; a false conception of causality, such as astrology, omens, witchcraft, etc, that contradicts natural science. WikiP

Leaving the debate between science and faith (things seen vs. things unseen) alone, superstition for us would be the belief that some action or thought, etc. that we hold (or reject) will CAUSE God to do (or not do) something.  If I wear a St. Christopher’s medallion, I will be safe on my journey.  If I fast, God will do what I want.  If I scrupulously attend to the disciplines of the faith, God will do (or not) good things for me.

This is superstition.  It is, quite simply, a false belief which carries within it the germ of causality.  That is, I believe that if I do X, God will have to do Y.  There’s a lot of that going around today and so there are a lot of greatly downcast believers.

I read much about “spirituality” and how to develop it.  Unfortunately, most, if not all, of these writers propose that the believer, “take up some error as a necessary truth.”  (Baxter)  Note!  “error as necessary truth.”  Baxter is being nice using the word “error”, I think, because in what I read today, it seems more like an insistence that the believer “take up heresy as a necessary truth.”

Take the infusion of Eastern ideas and techniques into the lives of believers.  These ideas and the techniques they utilize are based upon untruth – lies.  Yoga, Tai chi, Eastern meditation and Acupuncture, just to name a few, are based in unbelief.  Unless the believer is clearly aware of this [this what - - background/motivation/fact/factor/aspect], they are in danger of being teased off the right path.

We are spiritual.  Everyone is spiritual – even unbelievers.  WE, as believers are not called to be spiritual – we are called to be holy.  We cannot be any more spiritual than God made us, but we can be more holy – which is His whole point in redeeming us.  But I think it is easier to work towards a silly and useless goal, than to work towards THE goal.

Prayer does not make one more spiritual.  Prayer makes one more intimate with God, more aware of our dependence on Him.  Meditating on Scripture does not make on more spiritual.  It does make one more familiar with the Word of God and, I believe, it provides the Spirit more bricks with which to build in our lives.  Fasting does not get God to do anything.  Fasting focuses our attention on our dependence upon Him, the power of the world’s offerings and our own self-serving propensity.

None of the “duties” or practices that are touted as spiritual will ever cause God to do anything.  The disciplines we find in scripture (and there are few) are intended for our benefit and development.  One might as well say doing sit-ups or jogging for God could cause Him to do anything. 

“If” is a dangerous word.  When we phrase a statement, “If we do X, God will do Y,”  we are entering a danger zone.  Most of the “If/Then” books offered to believers are not Biblically sound and are subtly designed to meet the needs of our flesh more than the needs of our spirits.  Though happiness and contentment here are nice and certainly desirable, are they not to be counted as “dung” compared to what is ready for us with Him?

I am really sent over the edge when I read these bound sheets of toilet paper offering to help you become a “better” believer.  Let me ask you, who made you a believer?  Who “redeemed you?”  Ok, what did He mess up?  Where did He fall short?  Where are the gaps and tears in your redemption?

We are NOT called to improve upon what He and He alone has done.  We are called to simply grow in it.  For that [growth], He has given us all we need - the Word and the Spirit.  Out of the scandal of the crucifixion, the power of the resurrection and the glory of the ascension, everything that needs be done is done.  We simply have to PRACTICE submission and obedience to Him.  I use the word “practice’ because that’s what it is, practice.  We are not done yet and we won’t be done here.

Don’t get sucked into the vortex of superstitions.  Do not allow yourself to be seduced into taking up some error as a necessary truth (or practice).  Yoga is exercise not a spiritual discipline.  Acupuncture is a “quasi-medical” treatment not a spiritual exercise.  Meditating your belly-button is – well – just silly.  Martial Arts are simply martial arts not some spiritual endeavor.

The only “spiritual” thing about all this error is – you.  Be not deceived!

Paul tells us:

(1Co 6:12)  "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything. ESV

and

(1Co 6:17)  But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

Though he uses food and sexual immorality as examples the principle is that whatever does not glorify God is not helpful (to be profitable, advantageous, to contribute or bring together for the benefit of another).  So the question is, what has light to do with darkness – and what are the dark parts?

Spiritual = biblically based, Spirit dependent and God focused.  So whatever you do, whenever you do it, if it meets that criteria – it is “spiritual” in the context or redemption.  If it does not meet that criteria it is “spiritual” (because man are spiritual) but outside the light.