Transforming Grace
I copy this thought since it reconfirms what I've been reading in Bunyan.
My whole theology of gospel preaching rests on the foundation of truth that the quote below illuminates. God’s grace is a beautiful, and scandalously freeing, thing!Might be a good book to read.
My observation of Christendom is that most of us tend to base our relationship with God on our performance instead of on His grace. If we’ve performed well—whatever ‘well’ is in our opinion—then we expect God to bless us. If we haven’t done so well, our expectations are reduced accordingly. In this sense, we live by works, rather than by grace. We are saved by grace, but we are living by the ‘sweat’ of our own performance. Moreover, we are always challenging ourselves and one another to ‘try harder’. We seem to believe success in the Christian life is basically up to us; our commitment, our discipline, and our zeal, with some help from God along the way. The realization that my daily relationship with God is based on the infinite merit of Christ instead of on my own performance is very freeing and joyous experience. But it is not meant to be a one-time experience; the truth needs to be reaffirmed daily.
Jerry Bridges, Transforming Grace
At the risk of mixing my readers confusion, I want to add another thought. I'm still developing this idea, but I'm getting a sense that something that's different in our current culture is that we no long are willing to do the hard work of searching out the truth. In fact it might be said we have been trained or even dumbed down to the level that we neither know how to pursue truth or even have the patience or persistence to look for it.
Take a simple passage of scripture out of context and make it our mantra for today.
1 Cor 6:12 "All things are lawful for me," ....
When you add the 2nd part of the sentence it begins to qualify the thought.
but not all things are helpful..... "
Paul goes on to imply that it's easy to be enslaved by liberty.
..."All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything. ESV
He then goes deeply into a long list in chapter after chapter of things that are not helpful or which ensalve us. Good reading.
In 1 Cor 9:24-27 he goes on to imply that we do not run with intent or discipline ourselves.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. ESV
In other words we don't do the hard work, either before the event in day to day training or even during the event. The book of Hebrews talks about perseverance...
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. NIV
or endurance in the ESV:
Heb 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ESV
So we have a double whammy...we want all liberty to do and think what we want and then even if we find the correct path, we wimp out on being able to do the hard work to go along the narrow path, as Bunyan says.
A couple of other examples to illustrate:
G.K. Chesterton - "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried,"
Acts 20:24-25 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. ESV
Gal 5:7-9 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.ESV
So what is the hard work...In today's post-modern culture maybe it's to desire to go deeper though disciplined training in the Word of God. If the Bible truely is the Word of God we have to make that a priority in our lives.
I'm thinking about how hard it is to commit again to read through the Bible every year. What about studying the classic writings of our faith..the confessions and catechisms. Reading early reformed teachers like Luther, Calvin, and later teachers such as Bunyan and Edwards.
It's much easier to just hang out with Tweets and Facebook friends. Not that community is bad in itself...but it might be lacking of substance and focused on fleeting moments and ideas. Just getting into a deep conversation is hard since I want to go off and pursue side roads and often have an overwhelming desire to go on treasure hunts tracking down all the interconnections. (Which is sort of what I'm doing here) A simple Bible study becomes an event involving multiple tools: books, concordances, reference lists, search sites, articles...and so on.
Some teach that the deep way is to sit quietly and mediate on a word or a phase in the Bible, that may be good in one sense but it's always torn at me that the better deeper way is to let God's word draw you into it, checking out the cross-references, looking up the Greek definitions, reading the footnotes and commentary. It's sort of like Jesus saying come and followme....but you have to actually put your brain in gear to do it. In my experiense it's amazing how interconnected the Bible Old and New Testaments are.
The mediative practices like lectio divina run the risk that you are participating in feeling/experiential spiritual areas...although I've actually been involved with people and groups that do this. In thinking about a word or phase, however, it always leads me into a deep hunger to get out the Bible and see where the actual written Word of God takes me. I've read that the practice of this an other disciplines can lead into deeper paths of error: into eastern mediation, Hindu yoga practices or directly into a hidden spiritual realm. I don't know what you think about this but if you read the Bible the risks are real. See 1 Tim 4:1
An overarching tenet today is that if it's acceptable by a broad or broading community then it's good and helpful. This is the lie of the village or community or even in a political sense democracy...just because people agree doesn't make it right. If it's permissible or acceptable then it must be ok. But that's not true. If it feels good do it, or if it's not "politically correct" don't say it.
Romans 1:16-17
Anyway, back to the subject, I like to think of this as mining the gold of scripture. But mining is hard work. Lots of effort to find a nugget...that's why they call it a nugget.
And even if you see it you still have to believe it and apply it and not misunderstand it or corrupt it.
If you read this maybe you'll understand or agree. I don't think I've exactly made the point I intended, so I'll go back to the openning thought we need God's Grace to be in the forefront of our thinking. This is true to not only bring us to the correct path but to empower us to carry on.
2 Cor 12:9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
The work we do is the end result, if we put the work first it's our efforts that save and empower us. If we stand on the grace of God and go to the Word of God for: teaching, reproof, correction and training. We can grow in righteousness and be equipped of our work.
2 Tim 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. ESV
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