[Essay] Faith from the inside out.
Many recent discussions have sparked me to study the nature of grace and obedience. The following will be a bit boring to non-Christians...
Let me begin by two disclosures. First: I consider myself a fundamentalist. Not as the media portrays that label, but as a Christian who holds importance the truth of the Bible as divinely inspired. That does not make me a bigot, hatemonger, backwards, or other stereotypes associated with that label.
Second: I am a member of the Church of Christ, a Campbellite if you will. We're a denomination that has been one of the more conservative ones around, historcially concentrating on obedience over grace.
Early in my Christian walk it was easy for me to be very legalistic. Legalism can quickly turn a burning faith into cold ashes. Granted, obedience to the divine does bring it's own rewards, but it's hard to keep zealous for very long, at least for me. I began to wonder what my problem was, why I was having a hard time. Why was I not producing the 'fruit' that Jesus mentioned?
Over the years, I began to understand the nature of grace and that it's not about me and how hard I try, but about grace and it's results. Strangely, there has been a movement within the Churches of Christ that has focuse more on grace-centered faith. Perhaps I was not the only one taking these steps into a grace-centerd faith.
I began to slowly understand. Grace, only, saves. God doesn't need us to do anything for us to be saved. He paid the ultimate price on the Cross. We simply realize that the Grace is there and it flows through us.
What then of obedience? Are we not to follow the things written? Taken to the extreme, is that not total legallism? The Pharisees were guilty carrying that label:
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.
--Matt 23:25-26
Jesus goes on to explain to His disciples what He meant:
There is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. ... Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated. ... That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man. --Mark 7:14-23
Jesus tells Christians to be clean from the inside-out. Can we do it ourselves? No. But must we at least try? Ahh, that's where I find the balance between faith and obedience. Our hearts must seek to be clean, to be holy from the inside out. But it is impossible to do without the gift of Grace and the Holy Spirit. If we have our heart guided by the Spirit, it is by default that we seek to obey. Not the other way around. We are enthusiastic (lit. spirit filled) about obeying and living right.
The Holy Spirit empowers. The Spirit is a comforter. It helps us, praying when we are too weak, helping us focus our eyes towards the eternal. It empowers us, helping us overcome our sinful urges when we cannot. The Spirit also teaches. I am convinced that without the Spirit, it is difficult to put together some of the more difficult teaching in the scripture. In Acts, did Paul teach the masses the things he wrote to the various churches? No, he spoke of Christ and Him crucified. The deeper points of faith he saved for the context of those who were already believers.
Does that mean that we will live perfect lives. Far from it. Take King David, a man after God's own Heart:
He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will. --Acts 13:22
What of David's predecessor, Saul. He did not have a heart like David. He disobeyed God's explicit commands because of that. David had that heart. However he still fell and sinned (adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah). Still, God saw into David's heart. And though David suffered the consequences of his sin, God still blessed him afterwards.
Grace cleanses us. The Spirit empowers us. The rest: love, faith, obedience, etc. - flow from a Spirit-filled heart.
I realize that some may disagree or have semantic issues with that. But we all are trying to find the truth. It's good to remember:
For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts
--Isaiah 55:8-9).
We only see glimpses of God's nature. We may never understand fully, but life is a journey of it's discovery.
Let me begin by two disclosures. First: I consider myself a fundamentalist. Not as the media portrays that label, but as a Christian who holds importance the truth of the Bible as divinely inspired. That does not make me a bigot, hatemonger, backwards, or other stereotypes associated with that label.
Second: I am a member of the Church of Christ, a Campbellite if you will. We're a denomination that has been one of the more conservative ones around, historcially concentrating on obedience over grace.
Early in my Christian walk it was easy for me to be very legalistic. Legalism can quickly turn a burning faith into cold ashes. Granted, obedience to the divine does bring it's own rewards, but it's hard to keep zealous for very long, at least for me. I began to wonder what my problem was, why I was having a hard time. Why was I not producing the 'fruit' that Jesus mentioned?
Over the years, I began to understand the nature of grace and that it's not about me and how hard I try, but about grace and it's results. Strangely, there has been a movement within the Churches of Christ that has focuse more on grace-centered faith. Perhaps I was not the only one taking these steps into a grace-centerd faith.
I began to slowly understand. Grace, only, saves. God doesn't need us to do anything for us to be saved. He paid the ultimate price on the Cross. We simply realize that the Grace is there and it flows through us.
What then of obedience? Are we not to follow the things written? Taken to the extreme, is that not total legallism? The Pharisees were guilty carrying that label:
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.
--Matt 23:25-26
Jesus goes on to explain to His disciples what He meant:
There is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. ... Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated. ... That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man. --Mark 7:14-23
Jesus tells Christians to be clean from the inside-out. Can we do it ourselves? No. But must we at least try? Ahh, that's where I find the balance between faith and obedience. Our hearts must seek to be clean, to be holy from the inside out. But it is impossible to do without the gift of Grace and the Holy Spirit. If we have our heart guided by the Spirit, it is by default that we seek to obey. Not the other way around. We are enthusiastic (lit. spirit filled) about obeying and living right.
The Holy Spirit empowers. The Spirit is a comforter. It helps us, praying when we are too weak, helping us focus our eyes towards the eternal. It empowers us, helping us overcome our sinful urges when we cannot. The Spirit also teaches. I am convinced that without the Spirit, it is difficult to put together some of the more difficult teaching in the scripture. In Acts, did Paul teach the masses the things he wrote to the various churches? No, he spoke of Christ and Him crucified. The deeper points of faith he saved for the context of those who were already believers.
Does that mean that we will live perfect lives. Far from it. Take King David, a man after God's own Heart:
He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will. --Acts 13:22
What of David's predecessor, Saul. He did not have a heart like David. He disobeyed God's explicit commands because of that. David had that heart. However he still fell and sinned (adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah). Still, God saw into David's heart. And though David suffered the consequences of his sin, God still blessed him afterwards.
Grace cleanses us. The Spirit empowers us. The rest: love, faith, obedience, etc. - flow from a Spirit-filled heart.
I realize that some may disagree or have semantic issues with that. But we all are trying to find the truth. It's good to remember:
For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts
--Isaiah 55:8-9).
We only see glimpses of God's nature. We may never understand fully, but life is a journey of it's discovery.