Turning Again To The Basics
Dear friends,
A fortnight ago I spent the best part of 4-5 days cleaning out my office and was amazed at the amount of stuff I had accumulated in cabinets, drawers and storage areas – a spring cleaning that was a long overdue (5-6 years?) ! I managed to unearth the whole swag of training and teaching notes that are still useful, but there was far more – it seemed like truckloads – of other material that I happily binned/schredded to make room for the new. It is well worthwhile exercise, because I found (rediscovered) a lot of material that drew my focus back to some of the basics of our faith.
One item that caught my attention was a transparency, which had the definition of a Christian upon it; viz,
“Someone who has repented from sin and dead works and accepted and confessed Christ as their personal saviour, being led by the Holy Spirit to live under the righteous government of Jesus Christ“
Ro 5:17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
Ro 5:18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in and life for all. (The Holy Bible, Today’s New International Version®. 1041. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, © 2001, 2005. )
We are saved/made-righteous by what Christ has done for us, it has nothing to do our own efforts (or “dead” works), e.g., trying to do the right thing or keep God’s law – it is a gracious gift God grants us because of our faith and trust in Jesus Christ who paid the price and penalty for our sin – amazingly, His (Christ’s) perfect righteousness becomes ours. That means that we are acquitted of the charge of unrighteousness (sin), and we are dismissed from the courts of God’s judgement as “not guilty”, God viewing us “Just-as-if-we’d-never-sinned” and admitting us into intimate fellowship with himself in the person of the Holy Spirit. But the evidence of our faith and trust in Christ is our willingness to obey His instruction and accept His guidance and plan for our lives; in other words, our lives are to be dedicated to serving God – that’s what Paul means when he says we have been bought with a price … the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
1Jn 2:3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.
1Jn 2:4 Those who say, “I know him,” but do not do what he commands are liars, and the truth is not in them.
One of the things that troubles me sometimes is the ease with which some people seem to make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ as their personal saviour but fail to accept his government over their life and to live in obedience to God’s Word – I’m troubled because it raises for me the question of whether they are truly saved. Someone said that the greatest problem in the church today is self-centredness, or selfishness – which is simply rebellion against the righteous government of God, refusing to submit to the principles of His Word as a disciple of Jesus Christ and as Jesus did himself during His earthly ministry. This willful independence may be evidenced in many ways, such as refusing to fellowship with God’s people as a committed member of the local congregation or church family, or in honouring God with our time and substance. One simple testing ground is in the area of finance (tithing), another might be in a willingness to serve and help others in the work and vision of the local church. Friends, what I’m talking about has to do with heart attitude, an inner desire to want to please God just because we love him and are grateful to Him for what he has done for us – it has nothing to do with performance, trying to impress Him or others. When you have been born again of the Spirit of God there is a hunger and passion to want to know Him more and to please him and live out a lifelong “thank you” for the gift of His presence and the promise of eternal life – just like when you were courting your spouse and just couldn’t get enough of their company and went out of your way to please them. So a Christian, I think, is someone who, apart from accepting the basic doctrines of the faith, lives out their life in grateful partnership with the Holy Spirit, valuing & seeking His help with the Challenges of life, His guidance on major decisions, submitting to His processing (sanctification) where their character is concerned as He prepares them for “higher service” and heaven, trusting him with their future.
1Jn 5:2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.
1Jn 5:3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
May the Lord rekindle your first love for Him and intensify its passion – Your friend, Lew McMaster