Believe and Enter

Matthew 11:28-29 [28] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Why are people weary and burdened? What is the key to the rest that Jesus has given us? Resources: The Sabbath Law https://www.livinggodministries.net/living_god_ministries/radio_archive/sabbath.htm Are you reminding God of sins He no longer remembers? https://youtu.be/80bLlm5RBkY

John 15:4-5 Abiding in the Vine

John 15:4-5 "[4] Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. [5]“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." What does it mean to abide in the vine? Can you know and rest in the love of God? Resources: 96tolife: Rest https://96tolife.blogspot.com/search/label/Rest?m=1 Vine and Branches https://www.livinggodministries.net/living_god_ministries/radio_archive/audio_files/gospel_of_john_083_15_1_6_vine_and_branches_ext.mp3

Knowing Where God Is Taking You

"I have no idea where God is taking me, but I trust Him."

This is a quote from a Christian social media influencer. Does this motivate you? Is it something that you would say regarding your relationship with God? In response to this post, I said, "Maybe God isn't taking you anywhere, but allowing you to take Him with you as you go through life." I don't know the background to this post. The individual who wrote it could be going through a life circumstance or experiencing uncertainty in life. Whatever is behind them writing this, I believe it is something we can all relate to. Surprisingly, they responded to my comment with, "John 16:3, Isaiah 58:11, Isaiah 48:17, Psalm 23:2 are all verses where God leads or guides, therefore, He's taking me somewhere. Thank you, Jesus." My first response was to ask myself, "Does God lead without us knowing where He is taking us?" Children, for the most part, always know where their parent is taking them. But, that aside, what do these verses tell us about God leading or guiding us? 

John 16:13

John 16:3 says, "And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me." I don't see what this verse has to do with God guiding us. However, I believe they meant to reference John 16:13, which states, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." This verse is about Jesus Christ promising the Holy Spirit after His death." It is a passage about salvation; the restoration of the Holy Spirit of God to all who place faith in Jesus Christ. It is also a passage that defines where it is God is "taking" us. He is guiding us "into all truth." After reading this passage, it would seem that it doesn't support the idea that we "have no idea where God is taking" us. It is the opposite. Jesus Christ is clear as to what the purpose of the Holy Spirit is in our lives. 

Isaiah 58:11

In Isaiah 58:11, we read, "The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail." First and foremost, who was Isaiah writing to? He was writing to the people of Jerusalem around the time of Israel's return. The passage parallels John 16:13 in that it is a picture of restoration. The difference is that this entire chapter centers around fasting that pleases God. Written during the time of the Old Testament, we see the typical pattern of the Mosaic Law. That being if the people obey God, then He promises to bless them. As one commentator writes, "If the people choose the fast God sets before them, then they will have the blessing they seek: light, healing, help, protection, satisfying of needs, and, most centrally, the presence and guidance of God among them." God's guidance is conditional on the obedience of the people. Again, there is no mystery surrounding where God is "taking" the people. Also, we are not under the Law, therefore, there are no conditions we must meet for God to guide us. And with His indwelling Holy Spirit living in us, we have the "spring of water" strengthening our bones, watering our garden, and His love that never fails us. 

Isaiah 48:17

Earlier in the book of Isaiah, he says, "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go." This is a passage similar to Isaiah 58:11 where the author is writing to the Jews reminding them of who God is and that He leads them in the way they should go. We can take encouragement from this passage as it reminds us of the love of our God. However, a wise man once said, "keep reading" when it comes to taking Bible verses in isolation. In the next verse, Isaiah writes, "Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea (Isaiah 48:17)." There is the condition popping up again. The promises of God are contingent on the Jews heeding His commandments. That doesn't apply to Christians. Furthermore, we are at peace, or at least we should be, because "having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1)." The Jews didn't have peace because of their constant disobedience. Christians have peace with God because we are justified in God's eyes because of the obedience of Jesus Christ. This promise to guide the Jews wasn't unknown to them, but, in many ways, it was unattainable because of the impossibility of obeying the commandments of God. We are not Jews who are hopelessly desiring for God to guide us somewhere but knowing that His doing so is dependent on us doing the impossible. 

Psalms 23:2

In one of the most memorable passages in scripture, we are comforted by the words, "He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters (Psalms 23:2)." Where is God leading us in this passage? He is leading us to rest. This is a picture of the rest we have in Jesus Christ as a result of His finished work. That is what God wants to lead all of us into. We are not being taken by God to someplace that leads us to say we have no idea where He is taking us. This is an idea repeated throughout the Bible. For example, God wanted to take the Jews to the promised land, but they were disobedient. To this day the Jews are not resting because they have not turned to their Messiah. Unfortunately, many Christians are not resting either. They are falsely believing they need to live obedient and repentant lives to the laws and commands God gave to "guide" us to the His grace and mercy found in Jesus Christ. Instead, they are not lying down in green pastures or being led beside still waters. On the contrary, they are like Jews wandering in the wilderness, seeking blessings of the flesh, desiring the bondage of slavery instead of being free in Christ, and having no idea where God is leading them. Perhaps, if you don't know where God is leading you it is because you are heading in the wrong direction.

Wherever we go as Christians, God is with us. He is using our feet to walk, our hands to touch, our eyes to see, and our ears to hear. Plus, we have the mind of Christ to help us make decisions in line with who we are as God's children. Furthermore, if God feels He needs to intervene and direct us in a certain way, He does not have a communication problem. If you feel you don't know where God is taking you, then ask Him. Chances are there is something wrong with what you believe instead of falling back on the platitude to trust a God who appears to have left you in the dark as to where He is taking you. 

Black Widow Christianity

"If you have died with Christ to the world’s way of doing things, why do you let others tell you how to live? It’s as though you were still under the world’s influence. People will tell you, “Don’t handle this! Don’t taste or touch that!” All of these things deal with objects that are only used up anyway.  These things look like wisdom with their self-imposed worship, false humility, and harsh treatment of the body. But they have no value for holding back the constant desires of your corrupt nature." Colossians 2:20-23

A Black Widow, similar to the spider of the same name, is a term given to wives who murder their husbands. Most often these women will commit their crimes by poisoning the food of their victims. For example, one woman attempted to kill her husband "by placing [antifreeze] in multiple beverages to be consumed by her husband." Another lady tried carrying out her evil deed "by putting eye drops into [her husband's] water for several days." A third woman attempted to kill her husband when she "proceeded to poison her husband’s glass of milk." While it is obvious, but may go unnoticed, the means by which these women carried out their plan was through deception. They would mask the poison they were using by placing it inside an otherwise harmless food item. The antifreeze was mixed into "several beverages." The eye drops were put into water. And the last lady put the poison into her husband's milk. The men were unaware of the damage that was being done to them. Within the church, there is a form of deception not unlike what these men experienced that is slowly killing the faith of many Christians. I stumbled across an article titled, "Are Narcissists Ruining the Church?" The article defines a narcissist as having "excessive interest in oneself." The narcissist will "tend to also have a lack of empathy for others simply because their focus is on themselves." Narcissism is said to be a "mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance and a deep need for admiration." This so-called mental disorder will lead the narcissist to things like being so busy and consumed with one's own agenda that they will be left with questions like, "What if my husband had needed to speak to me in the morning and all that I had time for was a very quick goodbye? What if I cross paths with a polite stranger that needs my help in some way and I don’t even see them? How can I help anyone else if I’m so busy with my tasks and duties?" Thus, they come to the conclusion that, "Simply thinking too much about myself and my plans is enough to ruin the church." While this article may be true in that there could be narcissistic and self-centered people who are so consumed with themselves that they have forgotten to focus on the needs and wants of others, I don't believe it is narcissism in the church that leads to people having an "excessive interest in oneself." It is legalism, masked in grace, that is doing this.

In Colossians 2, the Apostle Paul takes time to list out a few behaviors that are evidence of someone who is influenced by legalism (my conclusion). The behavior that sticks out the most to me is "harsh treatment of the body." This harsh treatment of the body can take many forms. It could be the extreme version practiced by Martin Luther who, according to one source, "plunged into prayer, fasting, and ascetic practices—going without sleep, enduring bone-chilling cold without a blanket, and flagellating himself. As he later commented, "If anyone could have earned heaven by the life of a monk, it was I."" But, the most common form it takes is simply by people being so focused on their behavior that they rob themselves of the joy of their salvation. Nearly every Christian is taught and believes how much God loves them, how they are forgiven of their sins and how nothing will separate them from God. God, in essence, is that spouse who loves them unconditionally. Yet, this stated belief is masking the poison that is truly being taught to them and that they are believing; that the grace of God is contingent on their behavior, their works, their ability to live a certain way, etc. They believe that the goal of the Christian life is to stop sinning and involve themselves in so much Christian activity there is little time for much else in their lives. These people are not narcissists, but they do display many of the traits of a narcissist. They tend to lack empathy for others because of their focus on themselves. How can you understand and share the feelings of another when all you are consumed with is your own circumstances and how you feel about them? Do you have time for your spouse or the polite stranger when it is always about you? And even if you take time out for these people, is it done out of sincere love for these people or out of your duty to God or your church and what you can get for behaving that way? You cannot help anybody else because you are so busy with your religious tasks and duties. You become cold, judgemental, unloving, bitter and critical. Why? Because you will end up treating others the way you believe God is treating you. You may say you love God and God loves you, but deep down you don't believe it because you aren't living up to the expectations no matter how hard you try. You will discover, as the Apostle Paul said, nothing is "holding back the constant desires of your corrupt nature." The more you try the worse it gets. That is the end result of letting others tell you how to live. If this describes you, it is time to stop, rest and remember it is Jesus Christ who lived the life you could not so that raised from the dead, He could live His life in and through you. Get your eyes off of yourself and on to Jesus Christ. You are married to the Lord, not to a pastor, teacher, organization or body of believers. Quit taking the poison from someone who claims to love you, but is killing your spirit and rest in the One who truly loves you and whose Spirit lives in you.  "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20)." Amen!

Rest A While

"Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.'' Mark 6:31

Regarding Mark 6, one author writes, "The disciples endured a stressful period ... At the start of the chapter, they were caught in a riot in Nazareth. In mid-chapter, they went out two-by-two to practice their ministry skills.  Then John the Baptist was executed. By the time we get to verse 31, we're told "There were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat." That's when Jesus gave them a command: "Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." The author continues, "Our Lord often said, "Come to Me," but here He said, "Come with Me." Never leave Jesus behind when you take a break or a vacation. Your soul needs rest as well as your body. And notice the words "by yourselves." Don't drag the world around with you. Turn off your phone and ignore your email. Find "a quiet place," not a loud and pulsating spot. And note those final words: "Get some rest." God doesn't want you to live in perpetual weariness. He wants you to take care of yourself so you can better serve Him." In general, this makes sense. We all need to take time to rest and be alone with the Lord. However, when I read this I am reminded of something that is missing in this commentary about rest. There is no talk about resting from your spiritual or religious works. Hebrews 4:10-11 tells us, "for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience." Taking a physical break to rest our bodies is necessary or we will simply shut down. Often times, Christians are told that they must live their lives like the disciples were living in the first century. As one Christian said, regarding his past life of works, "Jesus was exalted and I was exhausted!" Too often Christian leaders never dare talk about the life of works they are preaching to their followers. In many ways, it is their teachings that chew up and spit out Christians to the point that they need a rest from the leaders. The breaks or the vacations the people take often end up with them leaving their churches and seeking new places of worship to attend, becoming spiritual nomads who may only show up at church on special occasions or they end up leaving the faith altogether because their idea of Jesus is as this relentless taskmaster who makes their secular and spiritual lives even more difficult to navigate.

One thing to make note of is that the Bible tells us, specifically in the New Covenant, that we are disobedient if we are trying to live a life of works. This doesn't mean that if Jesus tells you to do something not to do it. What this means is that the motivation for what you do should not be to do things for the Lord in hopes that He will reward you or, worse, punish you. Your motivation should be one of wanting to engage the world with what the Lord has already given you. Remember, a change of heart leads to a change of behavior. When you have been given everything, you are determined to give it away to those in need. And who doesn't need the unconditional love of God, His complete forgiveness of all their sins and the restoration of His life to a spiritually dead spirit? That is what God has given to everyone who has placed faith in Jesus Christ. The rest Jesus has called us to is an eternal rest, not just a break or vacation. The more you rest from your self-righteous works, the more you will begin to see the works of the Lord, He has prepared for you to walk in, reveal themselves to the world through you. You will realize that your life is not one of making time for Jesus, but one where you are taking Jesus into your time. Whether you are actively engaged in the work of the ministry or taking a break or vacation from life, Jesus is with you because He is your life. You will begin to see opportunities to share the Lord in every area of your life. Your personal life and your spiritual life begin to become one and the same. Resting with Christ is a lifestyle not a moment of your life. Your life is not one of serving the Lord by your works, but one of allowing the Lord to do His work as He lives His life in and through you. That is why the Apostle Paul could say, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20)." We have been crucified with Christ in that we are dead to our former lives. Christ lives in us means that the Holy Spirit of God has come to indwell us and has resurrected us from the spiritual death we were born with into this world. To live our lives by faith in Jesus is to live each moment of our lives responding to the truth God is revealing to us. God, in Christ, loves us so much that He died for us so that raised from the dead He could give His life to us. If God has given us His life, that means we can rest from trying to give Him our lives because, honestly, we do not have a life to give Him in the first place. Go with Jesus and rest a while.

Be Still

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10

In referencing Psalm 46, one author writes, "When we are still and surrendered to God, we find peace even when the earth gives way, the mountains fall (verse 2), or the nations go into an uproar and kingdoms fall (verse 6). When life gets overwhelming and busyness takes precedence, remember Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Run to Him, lay down your weapons and fall into His arms. Acknowledge that He is God and that He is exalted in the earth. Be still and know that He is God." Psalm 46 is written in what seems to be a time of war and unrest. The psalmist takes a moment to acknowledge God as his fortress. A fortress is defined as a heavily protected and impenetrable building, a military stronghold, especially a strongly fortified town fit for a large garrison or as a person or thing not susceptible to outside influence or disturbance. Each of these definitions describes aspects of God in one way or another; although to perfectly describe the Lord is nearly an impossible task. In the modern age, while wars still exist, most of us face numerous times of trouble which come in a variety of forms. Many times it seems like we don't even have any weapons of our own to fight with against those forces causing us trouble. In some cases, it can seem like we are like the Israelites of old. Just after Moses fought for and won the freedom of the Jews from Pharoah and slavery in Egypt, they found themselves stuck between Pharoah's advancing army and the Red Sea. After the people complained about Moses and God for bringing them out of Egypt so they could "die in the desert," Moses answered them and said, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still (Exodus 14:13-14).” In other words, Moses told the Jews, "Be quiet and watch God work!" How long did it take the Jews to forget all that God had done for them before they were grumbling and complaining to go back to Egypt and be slaves again? Not too long. Did they forget all the plagues God subjected the Egyptians to, but spared them from experiencing? Did they forget the Passover where God killed the firstborn child of the Egyptians but spared them? Yes, they had forgotten. Moses told them to "be still" and watch as God delivered them from the Egyptians once and for all. God fought for them while they only had to observe.

The main battle Christians face today is a spiritual battle; a battle between the truth of God and the lies of the devil. While Christians are not Jews fleeing slavery, we are similar in that we are constantly trying to avoid being put back into bondage. Only the bondage we seek to avoid is the spiritual bondage of a works-based life. God told the Jews to be still while He works. He tells Christians to rest while He works. When Paul was chastising the church in Galatia, what was he upset about? He asks them, "After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh (Galatians 3:3)?" He could have easily asked them, "After being still and resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ, are you now trying to be slaves again to the works of the law?" What is taught today in many Christian churches is a form of "Egyptian" Christianity or Galatianism. People would rather be slaves and told what to do by their "masters" and rely on their flesh to obey instead of standing firm in the grace of God; being still and resting while God does His work in and through them. They may not complain about being led into the desert to die, but they will argue against the grace of God by claiming those who believe in it are teaching a "license to sin," labeling them as an "antinomian" (someone who's against God's law) or a "Lone Ranger Christian" (someone who doesn't need church or direction). To me, these are the slanderous words used by those who do not understand the role of the Holy Spirit in a person's life. While there may be some Christians who abuse the grace of God, it doesn't take away from the truth of God's word and what it means to those who are free to get to know Him and trust Him with their lives and eternity. You will struggle to see God as your refuge and strength in times of trouble when there is a work to be done or a law to obey in order to please Him. You cannot be still if you are working. You cannot stand firm when you are concerned with the activity of your flesh. You cannot rest and watch God work through you when you are busy working for Him. Peter asked his fellow brothers, who were teaching circumcision, "Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear (Acts 15:10)?" If this one fleshly act was considered a yoke (an act of service) that Peter's Jewish ancestors could not obey, why do we continue to put a similar yoke on Christians who were never given the law in the first place? It is time to be still, rest from your works and let God deal with those who desire to put you into bondage. My prayer is that this becomes a reality in the lives of every Christian so they will never have to see the "Egyptians" in their lives ever again.

Sitting at the Lord's Feet

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”" Luke 10:38-42

To sit at the feet of someone is to be in a position of devotion or worship or to pay homage to or be reverential to them. When Jesus arrived at the home of Martha, we read where her sister, Mary, "sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said." You would think that everybody would be like Mary and worship the Lord; hanging on every word He spoke. Yet, there is Martha working away "distracted by all the preparations that had to be made" and being upset that Mary wasn't helping her. She was so upset that she was looking for Jesus to support her in her frustration to the point that she snapped at Him for not caring that she was working so hard. What did He say to her in response? "You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed -- or indeed only one." In other words, the important thing is to do what Mary was doing and focus on Jesus; worshiping Him, devoting time to Him, paying homage to Him and listening to what He has to say. This brief interaction between Martha, Mary and Jesus is a perfect picture of the contrast between law and grace, the Old Covenant and the New Covenant and between works and rest. Martha is an example of the Old Covenant; focused on works, judging others who are deemed to not be working as hard as she is, being bitter and angry and all the while missing out on what God has to say. Mary, in contrast, is an example of the New Covenant; resting from works, being available to the Lord and what He is saying to you and, unfortunately, being criticized by your brethren for doing so. There are those that have been left busy and barren by the Christian life. As one Christian author put it, "But, straying from Christ Himself as our life, we have no other option than to substitute furious activity and service.  It has gotten to the point where to be a member of many churches today, you don't need to pass a doctrinal exam; you need to pass a physical!" Martha was so busy focusing on tasks she felt needed to be done that she was completely missing out on cultivating her relationship with the Lord. In fact, it was Jesus who would many times say things to His followers that instructed them to focus on Him and not whatever worldly tasks needed completing.  "For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me (Matthew 26:11)." "Let the dead bury their own dead. You, however, go and proclaim the kingdom of God (Luke 9:60) .” "As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow Me, Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” And at once they left their nets and followed Him.…(Mark 1:16-18)." These are all examples where Jesus reminded us to focus on Him and not the current tasks we are performing.

When it comes to the modern Christian experience, how often are religious activities deemed to be the main focus of the Christian life? The "right things" to be engaged in are things like your church commitment; being at church Sunday morning, Sunday night, Monday night for visitation, Wednesday night service, plus other times for innumerable committee meetings.  Even things that you may want to do become burdens because they are cast as tasks to do rather than things you want to do; extensive Bible Study, memorizing hundreds of Scriptures, witnessing to everybody you meet, praying for everyone and everything, etc. Jesus is exalted and you are exhausted. Then you have to submit yourself to the Martha's of the world; fruit inspectors and members of "accountability" groups who make sure you are keeping up with all your responsibilities, tasks and promises. And if they deem your effort to be inadequate, judgment will soon follow. You literally want to tell them to, "Get off my back and sit down!" In Romans 12:1, it says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." Our "true and proper worship" is to offer our bodies as a "living sacrifice." In other words, we are to make ourselves available to the Lord to live His life in and through us as He sees fit to do it. This sounds a lot like Mary "sitting at the Lord's feet" listening to what He says. When you are resting from your works and getting to know Jesus, who you are through faith in Him and allowing Him to direct you, guess what happens? All those things the Martha's of the world criticize you for not doing will get done anyway. Instead of a Christian life of works where you are focused on doing things for God, you will begin to want to do those things because of God! As you bear the fruit of the Spirit the Lord produces in and through you the by-product will be to study the Bible more, memorizing Scriptures, witnessing to others, praying more and wanting to fellowship with like-minded believers (i.e. church activities). And you will begin to understand what Jesus meant when He told Martha, "Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." It is better to focus on Jesus instead of works because what you learn directly from God about Him, your identity in Christ and your relationship with God will not be taken away from you. The love of God, His forgiveness, His indwelling life and your inheritance in Christ is yours for eternity and can never be taken away. And this all begins when you rest from your works and sit down at the feet of the Lord. "There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.  (Hebrews 4:9-11)." Do not follow the example of Martha. Be like Mary and rest.

For the Bible tells me so

How often have you heard something like this preached to you? "To submit is to yield to the will and control of another, and, with reference to Christians, it is yielding to the will and control of Jesus Christ. This means that when Scripture commands believers to love one another (John 15:17), that is what is to be done. It means that when Scripture says we are not to commit adultery or steal (Exodus 20:14-15), these things are not to be done. It should be understood that submission, or obedience to the commands of God, is related to Christian growth and maturity, and is not related to becoming a Christian." Let me ask you a question, "How often are your actions genuine if you are responding to a "command"? Often times they are not. We may obey a command, but it is often done for one of two reasons; the promise of rewards for doing so or to avoid punishment for not doing what you're commanded. The willingness of your heart to do these things is not even a factor. Take for example the subject of adultery. If you are married, do you stay faithful to your spouse because the Bible says, "You shall not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14)" or because you love your spouse and don't want to commit adultery? Is your motivation for not stealing based on the fact the Bible says, "You shall not steal (Exodus 20:15)" or because you are content with what you have and don't want to steal? Do you love another person because Jesus said, "This I command you, that you love one another (John 15:17)" or because you are being loved by your God and bearing the fruit of the Spirit to those in your life? If we are living our lives by "commands," there is the idea, at least to some extent, that it doesn't matter if we want to or not, just that we behave and do it. Furthermore, when something is not from the heart, i.e. natural, it is not only difficult to do it is equally difficult to convince the one on the receiving end of your action that it is, indeed, authentic. Besides, what is the penalty for disobeying a command? From a worldly standpoint, the penalties for adultery and theft are obvious; destroyed marriages and imprisonment for starters. If you are a respected individual in your church, you may lose any ministry position you have, get shamed and, perhaps, even have your faith in Jesus questioned. But, what about God's opinion?

Since we are focusing on what the Scripture says, let's take a look at what God has to say about how we are to live. Regarding love, it says, "We love, because He first loved us (1 John 4:19)." When it comes to adultery, we read, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25)." As for stealing; "Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need (Ephesians 4:28)." The common thread in all of these verses is love. The love a Christian expresses doesn't come from a physical response to a command to do so, but from a changed heart stemming from the indwelling Holy Spirit of God making us a "new creation" in Christ. Scripture clearly states, "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law (Galatians 5:18)." A command, no matter how it is presented, is a law and Christians are not under any law; God's or otherwise. The law only stirs up more sin (1 Corinthians 15:56) and is a ministry of death and condemnation (2 Corinthians 3:7-9). The exact thing that people are saying to do, obey the commands of God, will only lead to those things, sin and condemnation, they are trying to avoid by being "obedient" to God's commands. The end result is a life of fear as you soon realize you are not obeying God and that He must be disgusted with you. But, Scripture says, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love (1 John 4:18)." God wants us to rest in His love and finished work, not live in fear, condemnation and expecting punishment. God did not create mankind to live in obedience to His commands. He created mankind to rest in His love and be led by His Spirit. That is why Scripture says, "Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10)." Love is the fulfillment of the law. In other words, love is the fulfillment of God's commands. When you are loving your neighbor, you will not be sinning with or against them because you don't want to. Therefore, among other things, you will not be coveting their spouse or their property, which means you will not be committing adultery or stealing. John 15:17 and Exodus 20:14-15 will be fulfilled because you are resting in God's love, not trying to obey His commands. And when you are not focusing on your attempts to be obedient, you can focus on God and begin to grow and mature in the knowledge of Him.

Walking on Water

"Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”  “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”  “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:25-31

The story of Jesus walking on water is one that everyone remembers. Some may even recall that Peter, albeit for a brief moment, also walked on water. But, aside from these two facts nothing else is ever really discussed regarding the event. However, one thing I see in the midst of Jesus and Peter walking on water is how it is a perfect illustration of our inability to live up to the standards God demands as well as the Gospel and Christian living. Often times the Christian life is said to be one of "becoming like Jesus" or more "like Christ." Therefore, believers are told that we must live obedient lives to whatever God commands. As evidence of this, people refer to God's laws as those commands we are to obey; either the Mosaic Law of the Old Covenant, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount or laws made up by our denominations. Well, here in this story about Jesus walking on water, we have a perfect example of how this will play out. Jesus, being God, has no problem walking on water. Peter asks to be commanded to come to Jesus on the water and the Lord obliges. Peter, for a short time, does walk on water, but eventually succumbs to fear and starts to sink into the water. This is just like us trying to be like Jesus. We believe that with Jesus' help, we too can do the things He can do; i.e. walk on water. We tell ourselves if we just had enough faith or tried hard enough at being "obedient" then we would be what God wants us to be. And, we may even deceive ourselves into believing we are being obedient, but what we perceive as being obedient is simply our success at those laws we find easiest to obey; church attendance, giving, scripture study and the like. However, the measure of our obedience is not our ability to live up to our standards, but to God's. Jesus said, "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20)." And if that wasn't hard enough, He upped the anti when He followed up with, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48)." What is perfect in God's eyes? Being perfect, for example, would be if Peter was able to come to Him on the water without doubting. It is no different with us.

Why did Peter doubt? Was it a lack of faith? To a degree, yes. But, it was also a recognition that he is not God and cannot walk on water. He became afraid, got his eyes off of Jesus and on the wind and began to sink. Is that any different than what many Christians, or anybody for that matter, encounter when they try to be like Jesus or live up to the standards of their own personal or religious beliefs? We soon realize our own limitations and the impossibility of the attempt to be like God. Unfortunately, many people keep trying to step out on that water in hopes that they will figure it out, but never do. And you know what? If, by some chance, Peter mustered up enough faith to walk all the way to Jesus, then what? He would not have become God. Jesus didn't promise Peter entrance into heaven. What probably would have happened is that both Peter and the others in the boat would have taken their eyes off of Jesus and put them onto Peter and if they could walk on water too! And that's what we do as Christians when we try to be like Jesus; the focus is on us and off of Him. We never realize what Jesus was really trying to accomplish. At the end of His teaching on the Rich and the Kingdom of God, Jesus said to His disciples, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God (Mark 10:25)." Upon hearing this, the disciples replied with, "Who then can be saved (Mark 10:26)?" To the disciples, and many Christians today, being rich was believed to be a sign that God was pleased with their behavior; i.e. their obedience to His commands. So, when Jesus said these words to them in Mark 10:26, they realized that was not the case. What Jesus was trying to tell them was that the only way to get to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (be saved) was through the grace and mercy of God. So, when Peter realized he was sinking and unable to continue to walk on the water to reach Jesus, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Peter knew his efforts were not enough. And what did Jesus do? He reached out his hand and caught him. He saved him. The purpose of the Christian life is not trying to be like Jesus by living a life we cannot. It is about realizing we can't live the Christian life and letting Him live it out in and through us. He saved  us. We didn't save ourselves. Finally, one last thing to note is that after Jesus saved Peter, they got in the boat and crossed over. Jesus didn't instruct Peter on how to properly walk on water. He got in the boat with Him, the wind died down, and they crossed safely over to their destination. That's the Christian life in a nutshell; resting in Christ as He leads you through this life to our destination in Heaven.

Rest for the people of God

One of the best ways to discover if someone is under the law is by determining what a person is focused on. If a person is focused on what you are doing or what they have done, then you have your answer; they are under the law. It may not be the Mosaic Law, but it could be the law of their denomination, the law of their religion, or their own personal law they have made up. If a person is focused on God, in Christ, then chances are they are under grace or, at the very least, headed in the right direction. Referring to the Mosaic Law, one of the best quotes I have heard was, "The Law was God's contribution to Man's best effort to be like Him." Basically, the Old Covenant is Man reaching up to God with self-effort to be accepted by Him; i.e Law. The New Covenant is God reaching down to Man through Jesus Christ with love and acceptance; i.e. Grace. Therefore, the question must be asked; "Are you willing enter God's rest?" Hebrews 4:1 says, "Therefore, since the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it." There is no rest when your focus is on you and trying to get your flesh under control. Continuing on, in Hebrews 4: 9-11, we read, "There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience." Do you notice that the ones said to be disobedient are the ones working! The ones who are trying to reach up to God in the energy of their own flesh are the ones being disobedient. Are you willing to die to all self-effort and rest in the saving grace of Jesus Christ? Again, if your focus is on yourself, you are under law and if your focus is on Jesus Christ you are more than likely under grace. For example:

Under Law Man Says:                                                    Under Grace Jesus Says:

Look at what I'm doing for You!                                    Look at what I did for you!
Look at how I went to church.                                        Look at how I went to Calvary.
Look at how I was raised in my denomination.              Look at how I was raised from the dead.
Look at how I gave my money.                                      Look at how I gave My Life.
Look at how I confessed my sins.                                  Look at how I took away your sins.
Look at how I stood against sin.                                     Look at how I died for your sins.
Look at how I judged the lost world.                              Look at how I saved the lost world.
Look at how I marched against evil-doers.                     Look at how I suffered for evil-doers.
Look at how I bowed down to You.                                Look at how I became one of you.
Look at how I healed the sick.                                        Look at how I raised the dead.
Look at how I spoke in tongues.                                     Look at how I spoke in love.
Look at how successful my life was.                              Look at how successful my death was.

The only thing that remains to ask is, "Are you willing to enter into the New Covenant with full assurance of faith?" Hebrews 10:19-23 says, "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God,  let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." That is it; God is faithful. No matter how hard we try and no matter how sincere we are, we cannot live up to the holy and righteous standard of God. We are not faithful. In Matthew 5:48, Jesus said, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." This is impossible to do no matter how we spin it. He didn't say. "Try to be perfect" or "Give your best effort to be perfect." He said, "Be perfect." He said this in order to bury us and drive home the point that the only way we could be right in the sight of God was through His grace and mercy found through faith in Jesus Christ. Thankfully, in Christ, God is faithful. All we can do is humble ourselves and admit that we can neither save ourselves or maintain our salvation through our works. You must rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ on your behalf and live your life in thankfulness; confidently entering the Most Holy Place because you are forgiven, alive to God, holy, blameless, sanctified, justified, unconditionally loved, totally accepted, a citizen of heaven, a joint heir with Christ, saved from God's wrath and free from fear. By one act of faith in Jesus Christ, your eyes can now come off of you and what you're doing and placed squarely on Jesus Christ and what He has done. Amen!

The Committed Christian

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." Romans 12:1

You get that phone call from a loved one. Quickly answering the phone you say, "Hey, let me call you right back," and hang up. An invitation to a friend's party comes in the mail, but you can't attend because you have a previous engagement. The play your child is in is tonight, but you have to get that project finished at work. Many people have experienced these circumstances or ones similar to them their entire lives. In an effort to produce for their loved ones, they have sacrificed them on the altar of commitment to what are perceived to be works done for them. Being a committed Christian has been described as Jesus telling us that "every fiber of our being, every facet of our lives must be committed to loving and serving God." Often times, in our pursuit of being the "committed Christian," we end up being so focused on what we are doing for God that we have no time for Him; the one who truly loves us. One author describes this type of Christian as follows: "He is the super-spiritual man who gets up every day at 4:00 a.m. so he can pray for four hours. Then he reads his Bible for four hours. He goes to work (at which he is tops in his field), where he effectively shares Christ with everyone in his office. He teaches several Bible studies, goes to church every time the doors are open, and serves on several committees. He is also a wonderful spiritual leader at home - a sterling example of a loving husband and father, who leads stimulating family devotions every day for his "Proverbs 31" wife and perfect children." Now, this is an obvious exaggeration, but it makes a great point. This only leads to burn out and in many cases leaves a person feeling further from God then when they first became a Christian. Yet, this is what many would describe as being a "committed Christian."

However, our "commitment" to God is not found in how much we are doing, but in how much God, in Christ, has already done. Paul describes being a "living sacrifice" as our "spiritual service of worship." How do you become a living sacrifice? You become a living sacrifice by resting! In Hebrews 4:9-11 we read, "So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience." Notice how it says not resting is an act of disobedience? Often times being a "committed Christian" is equated to being "obedient" to God by what you are doing. If you want to be "obedient" to God, rest from your works. There is nothing wrong with getting up early for Bible study, being the best at your job, witnessing to coworkers, going to church, leading studies and being the spiritual leader of your household. However, what is your motivation? If you are doing these things to prove you are a "committed Christian" your motivation is wrong. When you understand what resting in Christ means your motivation will change. When you realize you are totally accepted by God, completely forgiven by Him, unconditionally loved by Him and have been given everything you need for life and godliness you will enter into the rest He has called every Christian into. Instead of your flesh motivating you to get something you may not believe you have, the spirit of God will remind you that you already have everything in Him through His indwelling Holy Spirit. This will lead to you bearing the fruit of the Spirit which to the average person make you look like a "committed Christian" when in fact it is God living out His life in and through you because you are resting in His finished work. The result will be you finally having time to enjoy your God, love Him and receive His love.