Does It Matter?

DOES IT MATTER HOW WE LIVE?

It is unfortunate that sometimes the words we need to hear from the Lord are the ones that we are most familiar with and, so, we are quicker to dismiss them.  There is a deception circulating the body of Christ whose emphasis is Freedom in Christ, but whose end result is Freedom of the Flesh.

Are we free in Christ to do whatever we want?

In terms of losing our salvation?  Yes; yes, we are.

In terms of staying close to the Lord and maintaining the kind of anointing that furthers His kingdom, the answer is a solid “ABSOLUTELY NOT.”

(Titus 1:16)  They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

(1 John 3:1-3) See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

When the Apostle Paul exhorts us that “it was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery,” he is referring to slavery to the kind of legalism that says a person must add to what Christ did on the cross in order to be saved (5:4).  The key thought of the Book of Galatians is “Salvation by Faith.”

The people who perpetuate the notion that Freedom in Christ means that we can do whatever we want because we are saved, tend to not continue on past the first verses of the fifth chapter of Galatians, because it clearly shows that true salvation walks in the Spirit, where the Spirit walks, and how the Spirit walks, and therefore, bears the Fruit of the Spirit.

(Galatians 5:16-25) But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 

There are clearly two options for the believer:  walk in the flesh or walk in the Spirit.  And that is where our freedom lies.  You the direction you want to go, but we must realize that the direction DOES matter.

(Galatians 6:7-9) Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 

The seeds of the flesh sprout quickly and bear fruit that satisfies momentarily.  The fruit eaten, though, quickly turns to poison and begins to produce death.

The seeds of the Spirit sprout slower, because the roots are going deeper to produce a solid stalk on which to bear the kind of fruit that satisfies permanently; it satisfies the soul, and continues to bear more fruit, so that it becomes a source of life.

(James 1:14-15) But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. 

According to James, it is our very own desire that gets us into trouble.  We falsely assume that lust refers only sexual desires so as long as we aren’t having actual physical sexual intercourse outside of marriage, these verses do not apply to us.  Not so, the word means “a deep longing for anything, especially for that which is forbidden.”  It is our desires that bait us, they seduce us.  We enjoy the flirty, never really intending to go any further with it; but by the nature of bait, it gets its hooks in and does not let go until we are lying in a pan as dinner for the enemy.

(Titus 2:11-14 ESV) For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, training us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, looking for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works.

The grace of God saves AND instructs us.  It teaches us to “just say ‘no'” to behavior that isn’t characteristic of the Lord (1 John 2:3-6).  It teaches us to “just say ‘no'” to the seemingly tasty morsels the world offers us (1 John 2:15-17).  The grace of God also trains us to live in such a way that we control SELF and choose to live the kind of lives that reflect our Savior (Galatians 2:20; 1 John 1:5-9).  The focus is not on what we do as much as on WHO we are doing it for.

(1 Corinthians 6:12, 20)  All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable.  All things are lawful to me, but I will not be mastered by anything… For you have been bought with a price:  therefore glorify God in your body.

Some would point out that there is no specific commandment from God regarding particular behaviors, and so they have freedom to exercise them if they choose.  That is when it is important to remember that sin is a direction, not a line that we cross.  Have you ever wondered how a solid believer can fall so hard and land so far from the things of the Lord without even seeming to care?  It is because they assumed they could dance so close to the line of sin and not fall victim to its lures.  This is foolishness and the enemy delights in it.

(Romans 13:11-14) Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

Some will point out that they are very involved in church, that they love the Lord, and that they are still in their Word everyday, so a little smoking here, an inappropriate movie there, a tiny dip into the pool of fantasy through video games or daydreams… isn’t a big deal. What they don’t realize is that they have a tiny island of rock on which they have one foot standing, in the middle of acres of quicksand; and it won’t take but a little bit to blow them right off their foundation into the miry depths waiting for them (Matthew 7:24-27).

(Philippians 3:7-12) But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 

Any area of behavior that we feel the need to defend with a self-righteous argument of freedom in Christ should probably give us cause to wonder if the enemy has inadvertently found a place in which to put a hook.

(Philippians 2:14-16) Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life…

What does your behavior say to the world around you?  Does it scream to the lost that you love the Lord enough to follow Him, even when it means not being able to do the things that you’d really like to do? 

(John 12:25-26) He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”

If you are truly saved by grace through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, you were rescued from the land of darkness and transferred to the Kingdom of God as His kid (John 1:12; Colossians 1:13-14); and you have the freedom to choose (Joshua 24:15).  Your choice in any given area reflects the whole of your choice.  Choose Life for your own sake and for the sake of those around you (Deuteronomy 30:15-17).

(Ephesians 4:1)  Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.

More Intense Battles Require a Greater Faith

Psalms 119:107 I am exceedingly afflicted; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word.

•  Exceedingly:  vehemently; wholly; with great intensity
• Afflicted:  to depress, bring low, humble
• Revive:  Bring back to life

More than halfway through this long psalm, and troubles have not left; in fact, they have brought the psalmist all the more low.  He once again cries out for the Lord to resuscitate him according to His word.

 Our service of the Lord does not screen us from trial, but rather secures it for us. The Psalmist was a consecrated man, and yet a chastened man; nor were his chastisements light; for it seemed as if the more he was obedient the more he was afflicted. He evidently felt the rod to be cutting deep, and this he pleads before the Lord. He speaks not by way of murmuring, but by way of pleading; from the very much affliction he argues for very much quickening. — C. H. Spurgeon

(1 Peter 4:1-2, 12-19; 5:6-10) Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God… Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER? Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right…  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.  Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 

The psalmist does not wail to know why he is suffering under such a weight.  He does not murmur and whine about it.  He has already seen that God is good and does good, even in affliction.  He has not gone back on his commitment to trust His Sovereign.  Instead he casts himself at the feet of the One who Cares for him, trusting His ability to revive him anew.

 (Isaiah 42:1-13) “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. “He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. “A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. “He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.” Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it And spirit to those who walk in it, “I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon And those who dwell in darkness from the prison. “I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images. “Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.” Sing to the LORD a new song, Sing His praise from the end of the earth! You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it. You islands, and those who dwell on them. Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voices, The settlements where Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing aloud, Let them shout for joy from the tops of the mountains. Let them give glory to the LORD And declare His praise in the coastlands. The LORD will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies. 

It all comes back to faith.  Repeated trials and difficulties test our faith.  If it is firmly established in who God is and in His faithfulness, that faith does not fail no matter how often it finds itself in an intense battle.  The psalmist could persevere because He believed God was a God to be trusted in all things, at all times, and with everything.

 Our greatest need in times of trouble is more spiritual life. Afflictions will be a gain to us if they are sanctified to our more thorough arousing and enlivening.  We have a promise that it shall be so, for the psalmist says, “according unto thy word.” — C. H. Spurgeon

What is it that is intensely bringing you low?  Is it work issues?  Relational issues?  Health issues?  Sin?  Temptation?  All of these?

And what are you doing about it?  Are you self-medicating?  Are you ignoring it?  Are you trying to fix it?  Are you trying to find someone else to fix it?  Are you getting angry?  Bitter?  All of these?

My personal goal is to think of the things that bring me intensely low as opportunities to practice the things the Lord is teaching me.  Repetition is the mother of all learning.  I’m not all that shot up about the whole process of humbling, but I know that when it has its perfect work, that it is a good thing.  I am making ever effort to choose to NOT try to get up, but to raise my eyes, heart and hands to the One who is a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head (Psalm 3:3).  Did I mention it was a process?  I try and fail, and the Lord does His work, and I get a tad farther in the process by His grace and spirit.  Then I try and fail, and the Lord does His work, and I get a tad farther in the process by His grace and spirit.   Then I try and fail… and, well, you get the idea.  It is a process and God is faithful to complete it.  Our job is just to trust in Him.

 (Psalms 145:1-21)  I will extol You, my God, O King, And I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of Your majesty And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate. Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, And I will tell of Your greatness. They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness. The LORD is gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. The LORD is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works. All Your works shall give thanks to You, O LORD, And Your godly ones shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom And talk of Your power; To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD sustains all who fall And raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to You, And You give them their food in due time. You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all His ways And kind in all His deeds. The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them. The LORD keeps all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever. 

Lord, when I am intensely brought low by anything, revive me according to Your word.  Remind me of Your faithful promises in it.  Remind me of all the ways that You have worked on my behalf in the past.  Remind me of Your love and compassion.  Remind me of Your great grace.  Remind me to keep my eyes focused on You, to call out to You alone, and to love and fear You at all times.  With my mouth I will speak praises and thanksgiving and with my life I will bless you and please you!  I trust You, O Lord.

Spiritual Muscle Memory

Psalms 119:56 This has become mine, That I observe Your precepts.

A road traveled often becomes ours by way of familiarity so that we no longer have to consciously think about it; we just move along it.  The psalmist had spent enough time keeping the precepts of God that adherence to them became natural to him.  We experience the same principle all the time:  learning to drive requires conscious effort to watch the mirrors, adjust the speed, and to correct the steering.  The longer we drive, the less we have to think about doing it because we develop muscle memory.  Athletes practice over and over to develop and strengthen their ability to perform automatically.

 “We shall never be rooted and grounded in our belief unless we daily practice what we profess to believe.” — C. H. Spurgeon

Consciously choosing to walk in the way God mandates is the beginning.  The psalmist claimed God’s precepts as his own.  He made them personal.  No one else can choose for us.  At first it is a moment by moment choice; but after a habit of making that choice, soon those moments are spread farther and farther until we don’t have to choose quite so consciously.  Spiritual muscle memory makes the choice for us.

 The Rabbins have an analogous saying, — The reward of a precept is a precept, or, A precept draws a precept. The meaning of which is, that he who keeps one precept, to him God grants, as if by way of reward, the ability to keep another and more difficult precept. The contrary to this is that other saying of the Rabbins, that the reward of a sin is a sin; or, Transgression draws transgression. –Simon de Muis, 1587-1644.

Some have said that it takes 21 days for something to become a habit, either positively or negatively.  Some spiritual habits take much longer because they are continually being broken down by the flesh, the world, and the enemy.  Perseverance is the key, no matter how long it takes.  Blowing it does not mean that we start all over again either.  As we continue to retrain our thinking, our spiritual muscles will become stronger and more able to retain the Truth.

 We are not rewarded for our works, but there is a reward in them. Many a comfort is obtainable only by careful living: we can surely say of such consolations, “This I had because I kept thy precepts.” How can we defy ridicule if we are living inconsistently? how can we comfortably remember the name of the Lord if we live carelessly? It may be that David means that he had been enabled to keep the law because he had attended to the separate precepts: he had taken the commands in detail, and so had reached to holiness of life. Or, by keeping certain of the precepts he had gained spiritual strength to keep others: for God gives more grace to those who have some measure of it, and those who improve their talents shall find themselves improving. It may be best to leave the passage open just as our version does; so that we may say of a thousand priceless blessings, “these came to us in the way of obedience.” All our possessions are the gifts of grace, and yet some of them come in the shape of reward; yet even then the reward is not of debt, but of grace. God first works in us good works, and then rewards us for them. — C. H. Spurgeon

Lord God, I love Your truth and it has become mine through wave upon wave of grace that has watered each tiny choice I have made to turn to You.  Thank You for not giving up on me.  Thank You for filling me with Your Spirit so that I can persevere, so that I can grow in Your grace and knowledge, so that I can develop the kind of spiritual muscle memory that trusts in You at all times.  Keep me mindful of Your great love so that I don’t let weariness, busyness, or selfish ambition interfere with my daily spiritual workout.  May You be my constant motivation for being spiritually strong.  Be mine, O Lord, and everything else will fall into place.

The Next Step of Spiritual Maturity

Psalms 119:27 Make me understand the way of Your precepts, So I will meditate on Your wonders.

•  Understand:  the ability to separate mentally
• Way:  a well-trodden road
• Precepts:  refers to something entrusted to man; mandates for which man is responsible
• Meditate:  to ponder; implies conversing aloud with oneself about
• Wonders:  to do something extraordinary or difficult

What strikes me right off the bat is that the psalmist prays “Make me”.  It is an immature and insolent child that says, “You can’t make me!, but the psalmist has progressed past that prideful stage to a mature view of his needs.  He knows instinctively that left to his own ability and desires, understanding is out of his league, so he asks the Lord to do it for him.

The psalmist wants the Lord to do whatever is necessary so that he can know and understand the things He has given him to do.  He has a road map (the Word) but he wants to be able to zoom in and see the finer details of the wonderful things God is doing so that none of it is lost to him.

Blind obedience has but small beauty; God would have us follow him with our eyes open. To obey the letter of the word is all that the ignorant can hope for; if we wish to keep God’s precepts in their spirit we must come to an understanding of them, and that can be gained nowhere but at the Lord’s hands. Our understanding needs enlightenment and direction: he who made our understanding must also make us understand… It is to be noted that the Psalmist is not anxious to understand the prophecies, but the precepts, and he is not concerned about the subtleties of the law, but the commonplaces and everyday rules of it, which are described as “the way of thy precepts.” — C. H. Spurgeon

We are often set on the road of spiritual maturity by obedience, but understanding is required to continue the journey.  Understanding internalizes the precepts, making them sweet and personal to us; it makes them our own.  It becomes less of a “because God says so” and more of a “I want to” type journey.  And it is on that road that we find we are walking hand in hand with the God of wonders who can point out His amazing miracles at every turn, instead of being tugged or coaxed by the hand of His faithful discipline.

Some in this place read “meditate” or “muse” instead of “talk”; it is singular that the words should be so near of kin, and yet it is right that they should be, for none but foolish people will talk without thinking. If we read the passage in this sense, we take it to mean that in proportion as David understood the word of God he would meditate upon it more and more. It is usually so; the thoughtless care not to know the inner meaning of the Scriptures, while those who know them best are the very men who strive after a greater familiarity with them, and therefore give themselves up to musing upon them.   — C. H. Spurgeon

Set my feet firmly on Your path, O LORD, and give me understanding so that I will delight in the common every day life of faith in You.  Make Your way so much a part of me that I am unable to turn from it.  Give me the ability to see and magnify Your wonders, no matter what the circumstances.