Standing in the Power of God
In the Christian life our faith must be planted in something, whether it is in me and my abilities, or in another’s. The philosophy of most Christians is that their faith was all theirs and that it rested in their ability to exercise it, not that someone gave them their faith or the ability to believe. Thinking that they would then relinquish their will, their ability and making them robots, unaccountable for their actions. We all want the ability to make our boast in what we have done or accomplished, even in our faith we want to say well I had faith and now because of me and my faith now I can enter into the gates of heaven. Though we want to keep Christ as the center of all evangelism, we want to add men in there too as part of the center, that we don’t violate his will. The only thing that we neglect is that there is more to saving faith than just plain faith, because (James 2:19) “you believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder!” Many men today claim to have faith in the Father and even in Christ and the atonement, but they are not Christians because they think that they must earn the right to go to heaven. There emphasis is on themselves and what they have to offer to God and what God needs from them, a me, me, me gospel.
This is no knew philosophy the devil has been deceiving men with this since the garden of Eden, convincing men that he can be as God that his destiny is up to him and nothing to do with the might maker. (Gen. 3:5) “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." That is truly what man wants too, is to be the ruler of his own destiny, standing in his own power and strength, but wanting to sneak in that it was through Jesus it was accomplished. I think that if you search through the bible you will see that all men have this tendency to be ruler of their own destiny, and when men followed their own will thinking they were in charge they fell. Not only did they fall, but great problems befell them when they fell. Abraham, Moses, David, Nebuchadnezzar, Saul, Samson, and Jonah just to name a few who decided that they could follow their own destiny and it was up to them. But even though these men supposedly followed their own destiny, where they out of the will of God? I tell you no, that everything that happened to them was not by mere chance or by a mere accident, but all was purposed and planned. It was all orchestrated by an omniscient and omnipotent hand of the all mighty, who controls all things by his power and his wisdom. (1Cor. 10:6) “Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.” (1Co 10:11) “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” Nothing happens that God is not in perfect and complete control over and works as he pleases, and no man can resist his will, but rather act according and perfectly as he chooses. (Rom 9:19) “You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?"
One of the strongest examples of men trying to be in charge of his own destiny and do as he should please would have to fall to Jonah. He chose to disobey God is his strong hate and displeasure for the people of Nineveh. (Jonah 1:1-3) “Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me." But, Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.” Jonah was resistant to God’s will it was his actions and his choice to resist, but the Lord is the supreme ruler and controller of the universe. Jonah made no decision that was out of the bounds of God’s will, for his actions were as an example to us of God’s power and perfect will. We all know the story a fish came and swallowed up Jonah and retained him in the belly of a whale until he changed his mind to go to Nineveh and preach salvation. Then the whale spit him up onto the dry land, and that ole’ boy ran all the way to Nineveh and preached God’s message to them that lest they should repent they would perish. (Jonah 3:1-3) “Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you." So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth.” Men has his free will but is not in charge of his destiny, but acts in perfect accordance with God’s will of decree which only he knows. Jonah is a perfect example of what Paul said, (Rom 9:19) “…For who can resist his will?"
Christians cannot glory in the things that he has done, as if he himself was initiator of his good works or that they were accomplished in his strength. (Phil. 2:13) “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” The things we do in our life come from the strength and power of the Spirit through Christ for God, not of ourselves lest we should boast. So we must look at why men is incapable in and of himself to accomplish God’s work without Christ, why men is weak and helpless.
(Psalms 51:5) “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Rom 5:12) “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” (Rom 1:32) “Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” (Rom 3:10-18) “As it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; “no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." "Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive." "The venom of asps is under their lips." "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness." "Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.", “There is no fear of God before their eyes." Men has a sinful nature from birth and in that sin nature all of his decisions are sinful, he lives in darkness and deliberately is disobedient to God’s law. If left to himself he would never choose any course of freedom from sin, he would eventually find himself in an eternity in hell. All his decisions would only lead him further away from a Savior, though men have a free will they must be governed by a greater authority or destruction would be there only path.
The next question I guess that comes to mind is; how do men ever come to the enlightening and understanding of salvation? In Romans Paul answers the question; (Rom 10:14) “But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Rom 10:17) “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Rom 1:16) “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” So what is this power of salvation that is found in the scriptures? What could the scriptures possibly do that men in his wisdom and eloquence of speech could not do? I think the scriptures explain themselves, (1Co 2:4) “and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” Paul points out something very interesting in the scriptures here about preaching, that it is not about words of wisdom and eloquent and moving speeches, but rather it is about the power of the Spirit. Men can try all he wants to convict people and try and make them change, but if it is not of the Spirit it will be but only fleeting here today and gone tomorrow. Men’s conviction play on the emotions and may cause change but it is only momentary and inspired by a man putting his faith in another man.
So where does true conviction come from? (John 16:8-11) “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” It is not man that convicts the lost or the righteous, but rather the Holy Spirit that convicts man and guides man to an understanding of a need for a Savior. The Spirit works through our preaching of the gospel, which is foolishness because though we preach the gospel; the work that changes the heart and converts a sinner belongs to the Spirit’s efficacious work. Man has no where to boast in the conversion of one sinner, not even of themselves because it is the work of the Spirit and his conviction and his transformation.
Why should it be that man should have no where to boast in the conversion of any sinner or in their own salvation? Jesus made a very valid point concerning salvation of the lost. (John 15:16) “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” The reason that we can’t boast is because God chose us not because of anything good in us, but because he loved us with an everlasting love. (Ezekiel 34:15-16) “I Myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.” (John 10:16) “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” Christ has an effectual call that no human being can equal or even come close to, it is not with mans wisdom either that the Spirit speaks to the heart either, but with an efficacy and power enough to change hearts and save the worst of sinners. The reason that we must recognize and give honor to God is that our faith and all that we believe will not stand in us but in God. For we are finicky and wavering, but God is immutable and unchangeable the same yesterday and today so we must plant ourselves on a solid rock, (1Cor. 2:5) “that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
Everything in our Christian life should be planted in the power of God. When we began to put faith in ourselves, we only begin to move farther and farther away from the true power. We may be able to draw in the crowds, and see the multitudes moved to tears, but if there is no real Holy Spirit life changing convictions. Then our salt is not salty any more only to be tossed out and trampled on, ready to be spewed out of the mouth of God and have his candle stick removed from our midst. Let our focus be turned back to monergism, that God may receive the glory and honor due unto him in his work.
This is no knew philosophy the devil has been deceiving men with this since the garden of Eden, convincing men that he can be as God that his destiny is up to him and nothing to do with the might maker. (Gen. 3:5) “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." That is truly what man wants too, is to be the ruler of his own destiny, standing in his own power and strength, but wanting to sneak in that it was through Jesus it was accomplished. I think that if you search through the bible you will see that all men have this tendency to be ruler of their own destiny, and when men followed their own will thinking they were in charge they fell. Not only did they fall, but great problems befell them when they fell. Abraham, Moses, David, Nebuchadnezzar, Saul, Samson, and Jonah just to name a few who decided that they could follow their own destiny and it was up to them. But even though these men supposedly followed their own destiny, where they out of the will of God? I tell you no, that everything that happened to them was not by mere chance or by a mere accident, but all was purposed and planned. It was all orchestrated by an omniscient and omnipotent hand of the all mighty, who controls all things by his power and his wisdom. (1Cor. 10:6) “Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.” (1Co 10:11) “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” Nothing happens that God is not in perfect and complete control over and works as he pleases, and no man can resist his will, but rather act according and perfectly as he chooses. (Rom 9:19) “You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?"
One of the strongest examples of men trying to be in charge of his own destiny and do as he should please would have to fall to Jonah. He chose to disobey God is his strong hate and displeasure for the people of Nineveh. (Jonah 1:1-3) “Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me." But, Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.” Jonah was resistant to God’s will it was his actions and his choice to resist, but the Lord is the supreme ruler and controller of the universe. Jonah made no decision that was out of the bounds of God’s will, for his actions were as an example to us of God’s power and perfect will. We all know the story a fish came and swallowed up Jonah and retained him in the belly of a whale until he changed his mind to go to Nineveh and preach salvation. Then the whale spit him up onto the dry land, and that ole’ boy ran all the way to Nineveh and preached God’s message to them that lest they should repent they would perish. (Jonah 3:1-3) “Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you." So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth.” Men has his free will but is not in charge of his destiny, but acts in perfect accordance with God’s will of decree which only he knows. Jonah is a perfect example of what Paul said, (Rom 9:19) “…For who can resist his will?"
Christians cannot glory in the things that he has done, as if he himself was initiator of his good works or that they were accomplished in his strength. (Phil. 2:13) “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” The things we do in our life come from the strength and power of the Spirit through Christ for God, not of ourselves lest we should boast. So we must look at why men is incapable in and of himself to accomplish God’s work without Christ, why men is weak and helpless.
(Psalms 51:5) “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Rom 5:12) “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” (Rom 1:32) “Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” (Rom 3:10-18) “As it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; “no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." "Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive." "The venom of asps is under their lips." "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness." "Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.", “There is no fear of God before their eyes." Men has a sinful nature from birth and in that sin nature all of his decisions are sinful, he lives in darkness and deliberately is disobedient to God’s law. If left to himself he would never choose any course of freedom from sin, he would eventually find himself in an eternity in hell. All his decisions would only lead him further away from a Savior, though men have a free will they must be governed by a greater authority or destruction would be there only path.
The next question I guess that comes to mind is; how do men ever come to the enlightening and understanding of salvation? In Romans Paul answers the question; (Rom 10:14) “But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Rom 10:17) “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Rom 1:16) “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” So what is this power of salvation that is found in the scriptures? What could the scriptures possibly do that men in his wisdom and eloquence of speech could not do? I think the scriptures explain themselves, (1Co 2:4) “and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” Paul points out something very interesting in the scriptures here about preaching, that it is not about words of wisdom and eloquent and moving speeches, but rather it is about the power of the Spirit. Men can try all he wants to convict people and try and make them change, but if it is not of the Spirit it will be but only fleeting here today and gone tomorrow. Men’s conviction play on the emotions and may cause change but it is only momentary and inspired by a man putting his faith in another man.
So where does true conviction come from? (John 16:8-11) “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” It is not man that convicts the lost or the righteous, but rather the Holy Spirit that convicts man and guides man to an understanding of a need for a Savior. The Spirit works through our preaching of the gospel, which is foolishness because though we preach the gospel; the work that changes the heart and converts a sinner belongs to the Spirit’s efficacious work. Man has no where to boast in the conversion of one sinner, not even of themselves because it is the work of the Spirit and his conviction and his transformation.
Why should it be that man should have no where to boast in the conversion of any sinner or in their own salvation? Jesus made a very valid point concerning salvation of the lost. (John 15:16) “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” The reason that we can’t boast is because God chose us not because of anything good in us, but because he loved us with an everlasting love. (Ezekiel 34:15-16) “I Myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.” (John 10:16) “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” Christ has an effectual call that no human being can equal or even come close to, it is not with mans wisdom either that the Spirit speaks to the heart either, but with an efficacy and power enough to change hearts and save the worst of sinners. The reason that we must recognize and give honor to God is that our faith and all that we believe will not stand in us but in God. For we are finicky and wavering, but God is immutable and unchangeable the same yesterday and today so we must plant ourselves on a solid rock, (1Cor. 2:5) “that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
Everything in our Christian life should be planted in the power of God. When we began to put faith in ourselves, we only begin to move farther and farther away from the true power. We may be able to draw in the crowds, and see the multitudes moved to tears, but if there is no real Holy Spirit life changing convictions. Then our salt is not salty any more only to be tossed out and trampled on, ready to be spewed out of the mouth of God and have his candle stick removed from our midst. Let our focus be turned back to monergism, that God may receive the glory and honor due unto him in his work.
posted by James | 2:19 PM
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