Four Things Part 1 082514

As we cast our eye over it, we observe that what Elijah needed to be taught was (1) dependence on God; (2) fellowship with man in his sufferings; (3) confidence in God’s plans ; and (4) a sense of their essential and broad mercifulness.       Warfield, B. B. (2013-11-13). Faith & Life (Kindle Locations 66-67). GLH Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Warfield beautifully explains the curriculum of God’s school as it can be applied to Elijah and to ourselves.  Though I encourage to get and read the book Faith and Life by Warfield I’d like to sent some time reflecting of the four things God was teaching Elijah as they might be applied to our lives.

Keep in mind that Warfield has explained the as far as we can tell from the record, Elijah was in a grueling course of “on the job training,”  He was learning as he went and the key thing to remember is the he “went.”  That is fundamental if not essential for all of us to understand.  “Following,” is the key to discipleship.  Not observing the Master, not evaluating the Master but following the Master is the key.  We will be taught when we need to be and as we need to be.  That is the promise we find again and again in the lives of God’s people in the Word.

The fist lesson, and the lesson that if not learned nullifies all the others is, I think, two fold.  First we must learn that God is dependable and second we much learn to depend upon Him.  Neither lesson is easy to truly learn.

Certainly we can see in the evidence of the Word that God has demonstrated His dependability.  But for many of us it is a dependability that is abstract.  We see that He is dependable in the lives of others but that’s no guarantee we will really see Him as dependable in our own lives.  It a tough thing to go from seeing God’s faithfulness to Israel to seeing His faithfulness to us - to ME.

One reason I think we struggle so much with that old, “I know He is faithful, but...” is that we are so very used to considering faithfulness in terms f big things that we miss the commonness of His faithfulness.  He is “commonly” faithful is so may mundane way that are so easy for us to ignore. It is in the really tough times when we discover both His faithfulness and our tottering dependence upon Him.

“God is dependable and I depend upon Him,’ is a great statement but really, ask yourself, how TRUE is that statement in your mind and heart?  Do you really believe that He is dependable?  Are you willing to surrender your plans, ideas, schemes, etc., and yield to His providence in all things?

I know I thought I was but I learned real quick how flighty my faith - my dependence - my trust in Him was.  The past year and a half have taught me just how unreasonable, prideful and self-absorbed my dependence upon Him was (and still is to some extent).  Nothing in the past year and a half has gone according to our plan and yet as we look back we can see that it certainly has gone according to someone’s plan - we of course assume it was His plan.

We have learned to calmly suffer chaos and confusion because we have see Him provide and direct in the midst of the chaos.  He didn’t make the chaos go away He simply acted within it to bring about blessings and peace.

So how do we grow in our dependence upon Him - upon the conviction that he is dependable?

Ahhh, well that’s for the future - we’ll get to it next.

Freedom, Contentment, Presnce Part 5

Freedom, Contentment, Presence  Part 5
Fini

Hebrews 13:5-6 ESV
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." [6] So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?"


"I will not fear, what can man do to me?"

The fear of man is probably one of the most common sins that keeps us from breaking through from covetousness to contentment.  "What will other people think?" "What will others say?"

We covet the approval or others and we are not content to be different.  We want to fit in, to be a part of so we fear not fitting in or being a part of.  We fear what people might say to us and of us.  We fear that if we truly plant our feet for God we will be odd - peculiar - and hence be maligned and rejected.

Uhhhhhh - what part of the cost of discipleship did you not get?  Did no one tell you that being rejected and maligned was part and parcel of the Christian walk?  Did no one tell you that you have to REJECT the world to gain heaven?   Being His means you are none of the world's.  We are to be in and not of the world - but the cost is great and it can be painful.

What can man do to you if indeed you begin to grow from covetousness to contentment?  Reject you?  And why would you want to be accepted by those who wouldreject your growth in HIm, those who even reject Him?  Why do we need that new suit or that new dress?  Is it because the old are not wearable any more?  Are the old rent and torn and unmendable?  Then perhaps we do NEED those new clothes.  Do we need that new anything?  Do we even need the "thing" we have?

Christ came for one, to set us free - free from the penalty of sin - free from the power of sin but not from the presence of sin.  So He gave us His presence in the Holy Spirit as a counselor and comforter - one who comes alongside to help.  But are we addressing those things in our lives for which we need His help?

We choose comfort over contentment and then we wonder why our walks seen so halting and short.  We wonder why we do not have the wind for the long haul.  We limp along.

We live lives of bondage and that bondage is by choice - the choice to follow our covetous desires and the common covetousness of our culture.  We are "wanting" oursevles into shallow, weak and ineffective lives in Christ.we are making the links in the chain that binds us to this world and the ways of this word.  And so the author of Hebrews adminishes us - indeed commands us:

Hebrews 13:5-6 ESV
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." [6] So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?"

Only in centering and building our lives on the gospel can we ever hope to fe free of covetousness, bound in contentment and living out the presence of the Lord in our hearts.

Oh, will you not see and allow the Spirit to convict your hearts of the covetousness in which you have become content and are bound by the fear of man.  Will you not let Him drive you to yur knees crying out for the freedom He provides?  Will you not repent of and reject the covetousness and face the rejection of man for your efforts?

Oh Lord, have mercy on me, a miserable sinner.

Freedom Contentment Presence Part 3

Freedom, Contentment, Presence  Part 3
Presence

Hebrews 13:5-6 ESV
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." [6] So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?"

"For he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Luke 12:22-23 ESV
And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. [23] For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.

Luke 12:28-31 ESV
But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! [29] And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. [30] For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. [31] Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

Do we believe what our Lord has said?  Do we really?  Or do we believe this only when we are comfortable and at our ease?  Oh believer know you not that there is much great danger in comfort and ease?  Know you not that you risk much when your dependence strays from His promises, when you demand and aquire more than He would have you - and for reasons of satsfying yourself?

Is the great thing in your life the presence of Christ or is that presence obscured by the presence of possessions and covetousness?

Let me bunny trail here and plainly state that it is not just in plenty that we obscure His presence but we can do that when in need as well.  We can so focus on the need that we darken our ability to acknowledge and rejoice in His presence.

We must consider being free from the love of money-stuff, being content with what we have and the presence of Christ being inseperable and necessary to the life of the believer.  His promise to never leave us or forsake us needs to be seen in opposition to the love of money and lack of contentment.  They conflict one with another and ceate in the heart of the believe a raging torrent of grief - or at least I hope they do.

But there is one work here we must take seriously.  It is the word "FOR."

Reread the verse this way:
"Becasue he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you," keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have."

Does that change your perspective just a little?  It is His presence and His non-forsaking of us that is the justification for freedom and contentment.

But, more importantly His promise of His presence and not to forsake us should be the core of our freedom and contentment.  He should be enough.  He and His promises are for ever.

Think on this oft used passage:

 1 John 2:16-17 ESV
For all that is in the world- the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions-is not from the Father but is from the world. [17] And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

The question we must ask is, "If someone looked at my life and how I use the blessings and mercies of God (especially money-stuff) could they tell I find freedom and contentment in His presence and promises?"

Oh Lord, deliver us again and again from the bondage of our corrupt natures that we might be free of idolatry and covetousness and content with using Your provision for Your glory and honor.  Father make the presence and promises of Your Son rise in my heart and indeed in my life.  Make me a simple satisfactory steward of all You entrust to me and keep me safe from myself, the world and the devil.  Let me not yield to the conventions and covetousness of my culture and to see everything You provide as a challenge to my faith and my heart.

Freedom, Contentment, Presence Part 1

Freedom, Contentment, Presence Part 1
Freedom

Hebrews 13:5-6 ESV
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." [6] So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?"

Keep your life free from the love of money ----

Easily said - not so easily done.  Sure, we can talk about not loving money but money buys things and oh how we love our "stuff."  Money is just paper - until we exchange it for stuff ---  so perhaps we need to add "and stuff," to this admonition.

And the "love of stuff," is a tough one in our culture where the latest's i-phone is seen as a necessity and the newest car a need and -----well you know what I mean.

Look around your house or apartment - what of all the "stuff," you see there.  Did you need it when you bought it?  Do you need it now?  Or was it a "want it."

I (and I think most of us) are very very good at rationalizing a want into a need.  There are great things we can do with "it," we can do things so much better with "it."  We need "it" because - well, we need "it".  "It" will remind us of a time or an event, a trip, that we took since we will soon forget it.  "It" has a "special" meaning to us.  I just "had to have it."  "It" reminded me of you.

Yeah, we can have all kinds of reasons for loving money stuff.  And we all have to admit we have more stuff than we need - but not enough that we want (OUCH).

Not having money can be a real eye-opener as to how much we love money (stuff).  When money is scarce it is not unusual to get just a little bit "testy," about money and stuff.  WE can find ourselves resenting others their money-stuff.  We can begin to disparage the culture of "I want it and I want it now."  We can grow to hate instant gratification.  We can get envious and jealous of people we really care about because they have money-stuff and we don't.  There is nothing more sad than a person who is resentful and critical because they don't have money-stuff.

But note - we are the actors in this passage- "keep your lives."  There is something we are to do here.  We are to attain and "keep" a certain freedom - a freedom from the LOVE of money-stuff.  It is not money - it is not stuff - it is the love of money-stuff of which we are to be free.

How do we do that?

Mmmmmm that's a tough one.  First we have to see our love for money-stuff - our covetousness (which, by the way, is idolatry).  Are we willing to admit that we have such a love - even if we don't have the money to get the stuff?  Are we willing to see our covetous hearts and to repent and seek His power to kill that covetousness?  Are we willing to fight with His aid in changing the way we think and the way we see the world and all the "stuff?"

To keep our lives free we have to get our lives free - we can't just start where we are and go forward.  We have to dig deeply into our hearts and see how twisted and corrupted they have become in and from the world.  We have to - well, go backwards - that's what repentance is, a 180 degree turn.

That might mean we, like the rich young ruler, have to dump the stuff and give, or give the stuff.  This is NO easy thing - we get our "self-esteem" and all that other "self" stuff from what we have and what we don't have.  This repentance demands a complete change of focus - a change of center - a change of heart - and a radical one.

NOOOOOOOOOO do not just go crazy here.  This needs to be a well thought out move on your part not some willy -nilly whole sale dumping of all the stuff.  Slowly and mercifully we begin to divest ourselves of "I want = I need."  Until we do that no reduction of "stuff" will have any meaning - we'll just get more stuff.  We have to carefully accept (and prayerfully engage) a change of view about everything.

Do you NEED a new season wardrobe?  Do you NEED that new piece of jewelry?  Do you NEED that new suit, shirt, shoes - ad infinitum.

You see we must stop loving money-stuff before we can ever hope to address the stuff we have and do not need!  Just dumping stuff is futile if our hearts are not yielded to Him and resistant to the love of money-stuff

Free slaves?!? Faithful Master!!!!

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.   (1Pe 2:16)

Free!

Free?

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.   (Rom 6:22)

This is the whole of our freedom.

Whether Peter is referring to a freedom from the Law is not certain, but we know that Paul references it:

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.   (Gal 5:13)

We are free from the bondage of sin and free from any pretense that we can in and of ourselves resolve the conflict we had with God when we were still unredeemed. 

We are free but it is not a wide-open freedom rather it is a freedom in Christ, by Christ and for Christ.  What we undertake, that we cannot undertake in His name, is never an act of freedom.

Jesus said:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  (Joh 8:34-36)

Sin and freedom are mutually exclusive.  We are free from the imposed rule of sin but when we sin, we are submitting to that which has no rights over us.  When we sin, we are re-shackling ourselves – binding ourselves to that from which we have been loosed.

We receive our freedom for we have been redeemed, forgiven, saved.  But though the grace of God has no limits for us, to abuse and misuse it, to rebel against His rightful authority over us, is to bring into question the surety of our redemption. 

Consider:

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,   (Heb 12:1)

Forgiven we may be – free of sin’s bondage we may be – but free of Christ, never. 

It is sometimes the way of believers to see themselves so utterly apart from the “world” that they may do or say what they will for they are “saved.”  Yet ours is a freedom that is defined by the One who provided it, the One into whose hands God has delivered all things.

Many use their freedom to vilify unbelievers.  Many use their freedom as a red cape to a bull.  Many use their freedom as an excuse to disassociate from those to whom they are called to witness.  Many use their freedom to – just go along as they have – only avoiding the grosser types of sins.

But this verse has a catch.  We are free – free servants of God.

But – that word “servants” is troublesome.  The “authorities” I regularly consult in my studies hold that it is more accurately translated slave.

One reason for this is quite simply:

for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.   (1Co 6:20)

and 

For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.   (1Co 7:22-23)

We were bought out of our bondage to sin to be the slaves of Christ.  In this we have great freedom – freedom from sin and freedom to serve God as His.

Though it may irritate some, our freedom in Christ is far beyond any freedom a document written by man can give – anyone.  The tough side of our freedom is that we are free to be oppressed, harassed and even killed because of it. 

In chains, on the rack, in dungeons, on desert islands, and even in the flames we are free.  We have to keep in mind that this freedom is not of man and indeed is often opposed by man.   With this freedom we need to accept:

Luk 21:17  You will be hated by all for my name's sake.

Father, help me understand and appreciate my freedom as well as Your ownership of me.  Make me quiet and trusting under Your loving hand.  Teach me, patiently, to be a good and faithful servant.  Teach me Your faithfulness as my Master.

Calm my heart and still my mind with the assurance of Your sovereignty and grace.

Amen