“heaven isn’t a place for those who fear hell; it’s a place for those who love God”
–Grace Driven Effort: The Weapons Grace Provides by Matt Chandler
Tag Archives: Dependence
What Motivates Your Pursuit?
“All too often, religious people view their acts of piety or moral efforts as a means of gaining acceptance with God. Check yourself now. Even if you’ve been a Christian for a long time, don’t you sometimes feel like God is more pleased with you on days when you’ve been faithful in daily devotions than those rushed days when you neglected time in the Word and prayer? Do you tend to view your relationship with God as a long list of “do’s and don’ts”? Is your obedience to God motivated by love and characterized by joy—or guilt and fear? Is it easy for you to admit your failures and take ownership of your sins? Or does the possibility of being exposed feel threatening to your sense of well-being?
Like Luther, our relationship with God can easily become based on our own performance, rather than the performance of Christ. Even good spiritual disciplines, such as Bible-reading, prayer, and worship, become in our minds, like rungs on the ladder to heaven. We may not express it this way. In fact, we might even deny it. But functionally, and practically, we live as if approval from God depended upon our obedience, instead of Christ’s obedience for us.”
–Christ Formed in You by Brian Hedges
Faith is a relinguishment of all work
“Faith is believing in and relying upon God. It is “not a work, but a relinquishment of all work, an unqualified trust in God who gives life to the dead (Rom. 4:17), who raised Christ from the dead (4:24), who in Christ gave ‘a righteousness from God.’”
–Christ Formed in You by Brian Hedges (location 1094 Kindle Edition)
God nourishes the soul
“For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, and unless and until the hearers find God in personal experience they are not the better for having heard the truth. The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.”
–The Pursuit of God by AW Tozer (location 85 Kindle Edition)
It was to our advantage for Jesus to depart
It was better that Jesus departed. The Spirit of Jesus now indwells the hearts of believers.
“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7 ESV)
Our begrudging submission does not glorify God and indicates that we have a fundamental misunderstanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. (John 15:4–11 ESV)
True obedience flows out of love (John 14:15) that moves us to depend upon God in an abiding relationship. The picture of abiding is one of relational trust, love and dependance upon Him as our source for direction, significance, meaning and true joy in life. Authentic, God glorifying, fruit is produced as a byproduct of this relationship. Our glad submission to the commands of scripture glorify God and lead us to joy. Our duty filled obedience, birthed out of obligation, will never produce true fruit, joy, or glorify God. Our begrudging submission does not glorify God and indicates that we have a fundamental misunderstanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Faith wars against fear. Trust God for He is sovereign over all things. “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” (John 14:1 ESV)
Faith wars against fear. Trust God for He is sovereign over all things. “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” (John 14:1 ESV)
Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)
Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me) by Casting Crowns (itunes)
Songwriters: John Mark Hall; Michael Jr Bleecker
One day when Heaven was filled with His praises
One day when sin was as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be born of a Virgin
Dwelt among men, my example is He
Word became flesh and the light shined among us
His glory revealed
Living He loved me, dying He saved me
And buried He carried my sins far away
Rising He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming, oh, glorious day, oh, glorious day
One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He
Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree
And took the nails for me
‘Cause living He loved me, dying He saved me
And buried He carried my sins far away
Rising He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming, oh, glorious day, oh, glorious day
One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now He’s ascended, my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him
The grave could not keep Him from rising again
Living He loved me, dying He saved me
And buried He carried my sins far away
Rising He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming, oh, glorious day, oh, glorious day
Glorious day
One day the trumpet will sound for His coming
One day the skies with His glories will shine
Wonderful day, my beloved one bringing
My Savior Jesus is mine
Living He loved me, dying He saved me
And buried He carried my sins far away
Rising He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming, oh, glorious day, oh, glorious day
Glorious day, oh, glorious day
As unbelief gets the upper hand in our hearts, one of the effects is anxiety. The root cause of anxiety is a failure to trust all that God has promised to be for us in Jesus.
“Jesus says that the root of anxiety is inadequate faith in our Father’s future grace. As unbelief gets the upper hand in our hearts, one of the effects is anxiety. The root cause of anxiety is a failure to trust all that God has promised to be for us in Jesus.” Battling Unbelief by John Piper (page 25, see Matthew 6:25-34)
A transaction with Jesus in the past that has no ongoing expression in our lives was a false transaction.
“A transaction with Jesus in the past that has no ongoing expression in our lives was a false transaction.” What Jesus Demands from the World by John Piper (page 62)
The Gospel Centered Life 