Walking in Faith

I read a great post over on The Broken Messenger regarding free will. I have always struggled with a solid explanation of how free will can work in conjunction with the Lord’s predestination. I think Brad did a great job of presenting the position and establishing a solid foundation on which to build.

God works on a completely different level than humans. Often times, I feel that we feel like we have to understand everything completely. An example of this, in my mind, is the Trinity. I think many understand the concept but have no real understanding of how it works. Do we need to know? Not really. What we need to know, the Lord has made clear to us through His word. To this end, I am not sure that is essential for humans to understand how the concept of free will really works, other than to know that the Lord has given us the ability to make our own decisions in our life.

Let’s take the example of what to eat for dinner (or to fast). Does the Lord predestine our meals? I don’t believe so, but He influences our desires and our senses. If I have a craving for chicken, for pizza or for vegetables, is that something from the Lord? I believe that my cravings and my desires are based on who the Lord has created me to be. While the simple decision of what is for dinner is not a critical decision in one’s life, it can have meaningful impacts. Perhaps the Lord wants me to stay at home and discuss a given topic with my family. Perhaps the Lord wants me to go out to eat because I may bump into a friend that is need of encouragement. I think you get the idea. Every decision in our life is not handed to us by the Lord but is based on the character and the traits He has built into us.

So, whose will is it really? Ideally, if I am living my life for the Lord (as I should be), my will should be His will.

¹ Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. ² For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. ³ For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. ⁴ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Sound, simple, doctrine in these verses! Paul prays that people would subject themselves to God’s wisdom and commit themselves to Christ. Belief in Christ is the only way to righteousness.

I wonder — if you look around you today, how many people have a very real zeal for the Lord but do not have a good knowledge of the Lord? It seems to me that this is very much a common situation in today’s society. There are so many people that talk about the Lord, preach about the Lord and speak of the Lord’s greatness, yet they limit and confine His abilities. What I mean by this are those religions that define salvation through works or deeds. The Scripture is very clear on this point, yet it is so highly debated. I must have a different Bible than other people, but Paul makes this point as clear as day in this verse.

In order to be obedient to the Lord, one must submit themselves to Him. This means that a person must put aside their pride and live their life for Christ. Obviously, it is much easier to say than to do. I struggle with this constantly — especially in the workplace. What marks success in the work place (in many people’s job) does not necessarily tie to success in the Heavenly Father’s eyes. Which is more important? Is it important that you have earthly riches today or that you have heavenly riches forever? Seems pretty simple and straight forward when asked like that, yes?

Father, I know that you have a plan for me and that plan included coming to you through Jesus Christ. I thank you for helping me realize how lost I am and that Christ is the only way to salvation. I thank you for filling me with the Holy Spirit so that I may do good deeds here on this earth for you. Father, please remove my pride and my selfishness so that I can live my life for you. I pray this in Jesus most precious name, Amen.

Tim Challies, of challies.com, interviews Dr. Wayne Grudem on the topic of Continuationism and Cessationism.

This interview was incredibly helpful to me as I thought about my position and belief on this topic. Simply put, I am led to believe that gifts of the Spirit can, and do, still occur within the church. I have not personally viewed these sort of gifts (speaking in tongues, prophecy, healing, etc.) but would never think to limit the power of the Godhead. I believe that many of the cessationists would agree to this point but would state that these gifts have filled their use and are no longer necessary. Where I get lost in this viewpoint is that God still has so many lost people to reach. The Lord’s grace will shower down on people and they will believe in Him, if He so deems it. If it means that a person needs to witness a gift of the Spirit for them self, that is God’s plan — not to be thwarted by simple humans.

Where I struggle is my view of charismatic churches from the past. In several of these situations, I was made very uncomfortable. As I think back, I try to recall why. Two reasons stand out in my mind: (1) they were different than me and I didn’t know how to respond and (2) I was not experiencing the same thing as them. Do they (or did they) love God any less? I can’t answer that for sure, but there was certainly a great amount of enthusiasm about the Lord in the church. How can that be a bad thing?

My modern day concern is for exclusion to others that still don’t understand it. The other concern is that there are those that would try to profit (financially, pridefully, whatever the means may be) from the gifts. The churches that do not approach continuationism in a careful manner, in my opinion, stand to exclude themselves from many others and get a bad reputation as a church. This is certainly not good for the glory of God’s name. As long as people are welcomed with open arms and do not feel excluded, threatened or “trapped”, I think it is a great thing.

I want to also add that Adrian Warnock has had several blog postings on this topic here, here and here.

³⁰ What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; ³¹ but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. ³² Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, ³³ just as it is written, “BEHOLD , I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”

Paul brings back the Jew and Gentile argument. He is making the point that not only the Jews can now find salvation. In fact, many Jews will stumble because of their commitment to the old covenant. God has provided for everyone on the world if only they are willing to believe.

He also makes a point to call out that justification is not by works but a gift of faith. Maybe this seems like a simple point to many people, but to lots of people (and religions) it is all about your deeds. The Word is very clear on this point. Thankfully, we can trust in the Lord to deliver us and to sanctify us because of our faith in Jesus Christ. No, there was nothing we did that made us deserving of this faith — it is simply a gift from God.

Father God, thank you for the God of faith. Thank you for giving me salvation through faith and Jesus Christ. I ask that you help me to open other’s eyes to this simply truth and allow them to enter into the Your kingdom. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.

²⁶ “AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, `YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,’

THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD.”

²⁷ Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT IS THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED; ²⁸ FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD ON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY .” ²⁹ And just as Isaiah foretold, “UNLESS THE LORD OF SABAOTH HAD LEFT TO US A POSTERITY , WE WOULD HAVE BECOME LIKE SODOM, AND WOULD HAVE RESEMBLED GOMORRAH.”

Again, God chooses His people. It is not whom we feel are the right people, or the chosen people, but whom God has chosen. He has chosen Israel to be His holy people but He still offers salvation to the Gentiles. He doesn’t have to, He does because He is merciful.

Paul quotes several Old Testament references. In my mind, this is because He wants the reader to know that what he is explaining is not non-sense, but Scripture-based truth. Paul is trying to reach the inner depths of the readers soul and he needs to rely on Scripture to validate his statements and proclamations. Isaiah and Hosea are two excellent Old Testament Prophets to quote with regards to his validation, in my opinion.

I am compelled to believe that, once again, God is telling me that I need not worry but that I am one of his chosen children. Nothing I have done, or will do, has forced God to make that decision — it was simply grace. The grace He showed Israel when they were not obedient to Him is overwhelming, as well.

I am also reminded that God is just from this passage. As He speaks to Hosea and Isaiah, I am reminded that while He showed them grace, He also separated Himself from them because of their disobedience. God longs to be close to us and to have a relationship with us. It is only because we are so sinful and full of evil thoughts/deeds that we are so far removed from Him.

Father, draw me close to you. I want to be in Your arms all of the time. I want to know the righteousness of You. I long to have a clean and pure soul, full of love, grace and compassion — just as You teach me in your Word. Lord, I want to make sure that I am appreciative and reasonable with the great blessings You have given me as I deserve none of them. I thank you Lord and pray all of this in Your precious son’s name. Amen.