Dear Bythespirit, You know I love you, my dear fellow laborer. So know it is not easy to tell someone they are in error, however it has.
What you just espoused is simply put..... DO BETTER! LOL. Not exactly motivational, is it?
If people are walking in all the fullness of God they possess, and found surging ever deeper, ever higher for more of Jesus, more of God's nature to grow into them, would they not be surging for good works, for helping others? Of course they would! No one will have to tell them to "know the Lord", for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest. God promised that!!
So, it seems logical to me to go a bit farther back in searching for the cause of the Laodecian malaise that we see ever growing just a teensy further away from the one who died to save you... from you.
Do we not see? We CAN'T do better!! Oh, that we would hurry up and learn that lesson, that "without Me, you can do nothing. NOTHING." We cannot bypass this lesson. God has to make sure we know how deep self goes. It goes to the core of who we are and truly 'get it' (can you say awakened?LOL. it is rotten.
You see, we have to learn this first part of the free-indeed lesson, before we can learn the second part.... where the good stuff is. LOL. We have to see if it is left up to us, we will end up going round and round in circles, always moving, always learning, but dang, when do the fruits finally appear?
When do we get the joy that is our strength? If that is true, and it is, then is it any wonder we are getting the spiritual snot knocked out of us, while inside, we are wondering if this is all there is.
Let's see if this sorta hits the nail on the head.
Get saved. Faith? Check! What's next?
Go to church, religiously. (Sorry, couldn't help it)
Tell God you are really sorry occasionally and cry.
Do good occasionally. It does wonders to quiet a conscience.
Read you Bible or at least keep it close by in case of an emergency. LOL. (I think I am going to start selling Bibles locked in glass boxes that mount to a wall with a sign that says
In case of Emergency, break glass.
Yes, God is always there when you need Him. He is! But it should break our hearts that our hearts are not broken for our attitudes towards Him. You know what? Our attitude is the definition of entitlement. When we should be bowing our heads in shame, shame for our lack of zeal, for our nonchalance at billions headed to hell, with only us standing in their way? We have one of two paths available, don't we?
We either fall into one of two groups for a core doctribe 'try harder' group who, inside, are those ones who start out seeking God with great intensity, and who understand that grace turned into a sin license is deception. So we try to make ourselves perform better. Reign in our flesh, Get some discipline, right?
So, may I ask you dear saints a question, you who feel that following God cannot be good if it is not hard and that we all need to take this whole Heaven and Hell thing a wee bit more seriously. How is that going, for you?
Listen, I pray you, all ye who are running your race this exhausting and unwinnable way. You cannot... CANNOT.... be good...... nor righteous...... nor loving.... nor walking with sin under control. CANNOT. Like EVER.
Why? At the core of the old nature, self still sits on the throne, not God, with us determined to show God how much we really appreciate Him... I mean all that stuff He did for us, you know, dying on the cross and all that.
How do I know? I was the poster boy for this core belief for 38 years, serving the God who wanted to reap without sowing. And if I had to serve under a hard God, so did everyone who made the serious mistake of asking me what I thought, LOL.
This method has legalism... or in other words...human effort, confidence in self, as the drive engine. This is, in essence, attempting to beat a live horse to death that is almost dead but simply refuses to die, trying to get it to run faster. LOL.
On the opposite side of the valley, another precious group of saints, defenders of grace, who wish James would just go away, lol. These stand proud and tall, boasting that they understand what we do not, that real grace allows such attitudes and actually encourages them.
Unlike the legalists, the defenders of James, these Pauline graceaholics'.... (hey, cool name) instead mount their saddles of their dying horse that are and, propped up just slightly askew, say "This horse isn't dead, he rides just fine". They refuse correction that the Holy Spirit brings, and stick their fingers in their ears and repeat 'grace, grace" any time to subject of sin or responsibility comes up.
They declare they understand that sin has already been paid for, so what the heck? Stop stressing about it! As to their seeming lack of concern and passion for souls, they flex their superior TRUST muscle, saying their rest is uninterrupted because "God knows His own. His will will be done, and nothing we can do will change it anyway.
You know what? I hate to be the one breaking it to you, but both stances makes God sick. LOL.
Look, you know which group you belong to. I hope you hear me, because both sides are missing the mark here. Legalism creates a fake Jesus who demands obedience but with no empowerment to actually obey, and the graceaholic has left the back door wide open for satan to come in any time he likes and harden our hearts.
BOTH are missing the sliver of light between the two, where James and Paul fellowship perfectly. Truth be known, they most probably are looking out at us, full of OUR opinions, but bearing no fruit, and then look at each other as if to say 'Where did we go wrong?
What do we all need? Let me male it clear. We need the grace of God that actually 'causes us' both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Hey, that 'cause us' part? He promised it. If you don't like, it, take it up with Him.
When will we finally declare spiritual bankruptcy and cry out for God for Him to do what He promised to do.... set us free indeed? How much longer before we cry uncle and admit we cannot obey.... cannot do good.... cannot love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Everything hinges on this moment, for if we do not learn that, it is back to the wilderness for another lesson. LOL.
I pray you take this in the spirit with which it is offered. Love you bud.
Gideon
