But He Gives More Grace

John Bunyan wrote Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners to tell his testimony of salvation.  Paul also saw himself as the "chief of sinners."  It is true that the more sin, the more grace from God's abundance and bountiful provision:  "Where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more" (Rom. 5:20).  We are great sinners and need a great Savior!  Salvation goes to the unqualified, not those who see themselves as righteous.  "No perfect people need apply" to God's church!  James 4:6 tells of God granting more grace to the believer and how:  "He opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

This is the way it is in God's economy:  the way up is down; we must humble ourselves to be exalted.  Christianity is full of paradoxes like these:  we must become emptied to be filled; we must give to receive; we must love to be loved; we must serve to be served &c.  God sees things in a different light than the natural man. The wisdom of the world is foolishness to God!  The lesson on grace is that we are commanded to grow in it:  "But grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ"  (cf. 2 Pet. 3:18).

Notice that grace and knowledge are juxtaposed or linked in this verse!  They go hand in hand and can be distinguished but not separated.  God doesn't want us to remain in ignorance but to grow in knowing Him; for this is eternal life--to know God and His Son Jesus whom He sent.  To know Him is to love Him!  But God frowns upon ignorance and puts a premium on knowledge and wisdom.  One fault of Israel is that they had a "zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (cf. Rom. 10:2).

Our hearts must be right before the Lord in our service not like Amaziah's who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord but not with a right heart (cf. 2 Chron. 25:2).  We are only eligible for grace when our hearts are right before the Lord, for the Lord looks upon the heart and sees our motives (cf. 1 Sam. 16:7; Prov. 21:2). Then we are candidates for more grace!  God is a God of grace and mercy and is good to all: to some in all ways, to some in few ways (cf. Psalm 145:9), but good to all nevertheless!  No one will be able to accuse God of not being good! But some will realize that this isn't the whole equation for them--God is also just, holy, and righteous!

Some err in adding merit to grace, tradition to Scripture, the church to Christ, and works to faith!  Salvation is by grace and not by merit or it wouldn't be grace, it would be justice and God would be obligated to save us; however, He is obligated to save no one!  In grace, God gives us what we don't deserve, in mercy He withholds what we do deserve.  Merit is the antithesis of grace and there is no place for merit in salvation--we cannot prepare ourselves for it or do any pre-salvation work; therefore, there is nothing for us to boast of before God. Grace is not only necessary for our salvation, but sufficient--it doesn't just facilitate it, but completes it and we don't deserve it, cannot earn it, cannot pay it back, and we cannot add to it! Therefore, grace is defined as the unmerited favor of God and one of the Five Only's of the Reformers was that salvation was sola gratia or by grace alone!

Our salvation is by grace all the way we are:  called by grace; saved by grace; believing by grace; kept by grace; empowered by grace; delivered from sin by grace; sanctified by grace; and glorified by grace!  God gets all the credit in our salvation.  That's why Jonah 2:9 says, "Salvation is of the LORD," (not of us and the Lord nor of us alone either)!   If it were even partly by us, we'd blow it!  When God is responsible for our salvation, it's by grace and cannot be taken away or forfeited, because it wasn't by merit in the first place.   Soli Deo Gloria!

In God's Economy

"... God, be merciful to me the sinner" (cf. Luke 18:13, emphasis mine).  

The kingdom of God differentiates itself from the ways of the world in manifold ways.  They say you should stick up for yourself and defend yourself at all cost, and bully your way to the top of the dog-eat-dog world, but in God's economy the way up is down, just as John predicated, seeing Jesus:  "He must increase, but I must decrease," (cf. John 3:30, ESV).   The question is not how high we can aspire to and how high our dreams or aims are, but how low can we go in Christ's name--can we share in His humiliation? The world measures a man by how many people serve him, but God does by how many men he serves. 

Faith alone pleases God and it's given, not achieved; however, we must put it into practice! NB:  In God's economy, there's purpose and design, and everything is done in a "fitting and orderly way" [or decently and in order] (cf. 1 Cor. 14:40).  As is said, it is in giving that we receive, and in dying we live!  In admitting our failures, we find success.  As Socrates said, that we must first admit our ignorance to begin learning.  In humbling ourselves, we're exalted.  It seems like God's economy is antithetical and a paradox.

The ironic thing about the rat race, according to Lily Tomlin, is that even if you win it, you're still a rat!  And who wants to be the top dog who wins in the law of the jungle and the survival of the fittest by applying the Iron Rule when the leadership class eventually develops.  These social Darwinist theories don't jibe with Christian dogma and in God's economy the weak are taken care of by God and the job of the mighty and noble is to look out for the destitute and needy--the less fortunate, for God made the rich as well as the poor and it's an insult to our Maker to despise anyone in God's image.  We may not have a social gospel to preach but the Christian social commission to aid the needy has not been rescinded.   In the ways of the world, one learns to brownnose and curry favor by flattery and bribery--saying just the right things to gain approbation.  Even lying is a way of gaining an edge and advantage over one's competition or political opponent--what politician is known for being aboveboard nowadays?

Also, in God's economy (spiritually speaking), emptying comes before filling; i.e., we must confess our sins and seek the filling of the Holy Spirit--it's not a given regardless of our conduct and behavior.  To meditate on Christ, we must forget about ourselves!  When we look at Christ all else fades in comparison. We must walk the walk, not just talk the talk (being sensitive to the presence of God and the Spirit) and practice what we all preach or profess in Christ's name, not to be nominal Christians in name only.  Ethics or praxeology (right behavior) is the practice of our orthodoxy (right belief).  How can you find yourself in God, but by losing yourself?  We find out that we must die to our dreams and then our meaning in life is hidden with Christ in God according to Colossians 3:2 as quoted in paraphrase; i.e., we die to self in order to live and lose our life to find it!  Most people don't know that it's not about them and it doesn't occur to them to get their eyes off themselves and to stop focusing on self and living selfishly.

In God's economy, we never make a real sacrifice--Christ made an infinite one for us.  Whatever we do we are rewarded for and God makes up for bad or hard times with equal good times and blessings. We never come out the loser in God's economy. He is on our side--we cannot lose; He believes in us--our situation is never hopeless; He is with us--we are never alone.  Jesus paid the price and the battle is already won through His work.

Also, in God's economy, it pays to give and it is in blessing others that we are blessed in return.  We can never out-give God and this is a true test of our faith to see if we will trust Him for His daily bread or provision.  In God's economy, He promises to meet all our needs, but not our felt needs or wants.  He promises to withhold nothing good, but that isn't the same as having everything, for some people, are doubly blessed, but all are blessed--for God is good to all in some ways, and to some in all ways, and everything in the continuum.  There are so many resources God entrusts to our accountability and we have made stewards over, such as time, talents, gifts, ambitions, property, relationships, opportunities, testimony, witness, and hobbies or pastimes, and so forth.  Let us all seek to be a blessing, for this is the very purpose of our calling and salvation that brings God glory (cf. Zech. 8:13; Isa. 43:7).

But it's a bleak outlook with no real hope in a belief system without God in the equation or economy!  Remember, the greatest in the kingdom of God is the one who can humble himself as a child (cf. Matt. 18:3), not exalt himself, for whosoever exalts himself shall be humbled and whosoever humbles himself shall be exalted.   For God "resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (cf. James 4:6).  We share in His glory and will be glorified in heaven because He has given us this moral compass and code to share as examples of Christ to the world as we are the feet to go where needed, the voice to speak for Him, the heart to share His love, and the hands to help those in need.

On the other hand, the Eastern faiths believe in karma and don't want to interfere with anyone's karma--Christians alone are known for their charity and good deeds as well as noble social movements and reforms in Christ's name.  We must stop thinking like the world, which is so pragmatic (the ends justify the means and only results, not truth matter) and practical (how it works for us), and they think something is true because it works (a la yoga as faith, not an exercise, TM, meditation, horoscopes, et al.), but Christianity works because it's true--just the opposite (but we must find out for ourselves--as they say the proof of the pudding is in the eating--and "taste and see that the Lord is good" according to Psalm 34:8; 1 Pet. 2:3!).

In God's economy, salvation is free but not cheap--it will cost you everything (surrender of the ownership of your life)--you can never pay it back, you don't deserve it, and cannot earn it because it's grace.  When we realize that life comes from death and the old can be reborn, our eyes are on their way to enlightenment and our souls to regeneration. NB:  Christ is not against our works, just ones done in the flesh!

A FINAL WORD TO THE WISE:  IN GOD'S ECONOMY SUFFERING BRINGS CHARACTER AND CROSSES BRINGS CROWNS.   Soli Deo Gloria!

The Way Up Is Down

"He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30, NASB).
"Humble yourself before the Lord and he will exalt you" (James 4:10, ESV).
NB:  A non-serving Christian is a contradiction in terms, for Christ came to serve (cf. Mark 10:45).  
"... [T]he straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie" (John 1:27, NIV).

In God's economy, the way up is down, so to speak, because humility comes before honor; God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble (cf. 1 Pet. 5:5; James 4:6).  John was inclined to put this into action by demurring to baptize Jesus, saying he wasn't worthy to untie Jesus' sandals, and ultimately said, "He must become greater, I must become less" (John 3:30, NIV).  

Jesus humbled Himself ultimately to the point of death on a cross, but on the eve of the Passover celebration, the Seder, He took a towel to do some foot-washing--demonstrating that nothing should be beneath us if we have a servant's attitude and heart, i.e., menial chores. This can be called the order of the towel whereby we serve one another in the body, for there is no elite in the church but we are all members one of another and family. No one is indispensable in the sense of not being replaceable gift-wise in the body, and we are all necessary for the body to be healthy.

Jesus is the supreme exemplar of servanthood, for He emptied Himself (kenosis in Koine). He took on our infirmities and limitations as man and stood in the gap experiencing our pain in order to be able to sympathize and intercede for us as our High Priest in heaven.  We are exhorted to think of ourselves as Christ thought of Himself--to be of the same mind (cf. Phil. 2:5). Everyone wants to be Number One in the kingdom, but Jesus stated that the first shall be last (cf. Mark 9:35)!  

Greatness in God's economy is not measured by how many people serve you, but by how many you serve!  Real servanthood is when we forget ourselves long enough to lend a helping hand (cf. Phil. 2:4, MSG), and make a difference in the world for the good. No one serves in obscurity, for God sees in secret and will reward us in time.

John Wesley's motto was an example to emulate:  "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can."  Servants make themselves available and see open doors and opportunities to use whatever God has entrusted them to as stewards.  Don't ever say that you are a limited servant and cannot make yourself useful when there's a need: if you see a man in a ditch, pull him out--don't say you don't have the gift of "helps!"   Matt. 10:42 says that even offering a cup of cold water for the sake of the Name will not go unrewarded.  When we've done it to the least of His brethren, we've done it unto the Lord (cf. Matt. 25:40).

In God's economy, it's not how much we can exalt ourselves or play the fool, it's how low we can go, for the kingdom of God goes to the lowest bidders--we must realize our unworthiness.  "... He that humbles himself shall be exalted, "(cf. Matt 23:12).  We ought not to think of ourselves any more highly than we ought (cf. Rom. 12:3).  "Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be proud but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited" (Rom. 12:16). 

Caveat:  Do not imitate Diotrephes (cf. 3 John), who loved to be first and lord it over the flock, but be examples of having the mindset of a servant, i.e., of Christ.   A final word to the wise:  He who humbles himself shall be exalted!      Soli Deo Gloria! 

A Dead Heat

"We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ"  (2 Cor. 10:5, ESV).
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace" (Acts 20:24, NIV).

Are you Christ's competition?  In God's economy: greatness is not how many serve you, but how many you serve; the way up is down; humility comes before honor; emptiness comes before fullness--we must confess with John the Baptist:  "He must increase; I must decrease" (cf. John 3:30).   You commence growth in spirituality once you become cognizant that it's not about you!  Christ defeated Satan at the cross and the battle has been won to the chagrin of Satan, who thought he was winning when Christ went to Calvary.

God used the worst atrocity in history to bring about the devil's defeat (cf. Acts 4:28)--he stands defeated and we fight from victory, not for a victory--the battle is the Lord's. We all have individual races to run that comprise God's will for our lives and to gain its prize; however, we must compete according to the rules.  The battle is won! Satan is a defeated foe.  Jesus is the victor and we are in a mop-up effort to proclaim it to the world, notwithstanding Satan's resistance.

When we have completed the will and purpose of God, our time on earth is up and we go to meet our Maker (cf. Acts 13:36, ESV):  "For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption." Hebrews 12:1 (ESV) says, "And] let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."  We all have different races and are to find God's will and plan for us.  We are all to compete as an athlete who runs for a perishable crown or wreath, but ours is an imperishable one and it isn't a sprint, but a marathon. Jesus won and we are just members of the winning team.  Our enemy is the world, the flesh, and the devil--not each other! We are our own worst enemy.

We all finish in a dead heat--there is no elite Christian who is above the others, though God is not unjust to withhold due reward for those who win their personal race and find God's will for their lives to do it.  The rule of this world is "winner takes all."  It's not "each man for himself" in a life ruled by the law of the jungle, but each of us looking out for each other's interest.  "One for all and all for one!"  We pray:  "For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory..."  We are mere stewards of the riches of God and will be rewarded according to our faithfulness in these blessings.  We are all members one of another of the same body, some being an eye, and some an ear, for example.

In God's economy, all believers are winners and are members of His royal family that will rule with Him in the Millennial Kingdom, and even judge the world and angels.  You have a different race to run than I do, for instance; mine may be only a week long, while God expects you to endure a year to finish His will.  Note that the race is not a sprint, or how fast we go, but how we endure and how faithful we are--God isn't looking for our achievements or success, but our obedience!  As Mother Teresa of Calcutta (recipient of 1979 Nobel Peace Prize and now canonized) said, "God doesn't call us to success, but to faithfulness."

Christians are in an angelic conflict with the forces and authorities of darkness and the demonic realm, that we can only defeat by wearing the armor of God.  There is plenty of rewards to go around and share with the members of the kingdom of God, and it all belongs to God; we are just stewards of the blessings of God and are here to demonstrate our faithfulness and worthiness of eternal reward. Nothing in this life is permanent--we have spiritual green cards and are only passing through, as our real citizenship is in heaven (per Philippians 3:20).  We are stewards and God has leveled the playing field:  "The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof'  (cf. Psalm 24:1).

There is no caste system in the body of Christ, for we are all royalty and equally members one of another--having different gifts, but the same Spirit.  We are all on the same team as a family in Christ!  When one part is honored, the whole body is honored. We must be careful that we are not competing with God; He is on our side and when we join Him we cannot lose the battle--which we fight in the name of the Lord with the full armor of God described in Ephesians 6:12ff.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Prosperity Theology Or Karma?

This is an age-old complaint: Asaph is appalled at the prosperity of the wicked in Psalm 73. Surely the reward of the wicked is in this life ("...whose reward is in this life...").  The Bible says that the rich and the poor have this in common: The Lord is the maker of them all. To be sure, prosperity is not the sign of God's favor or the litmus test for specific personal blessing--they may just be following the "law of the jungle" and the "survival of the fittest" rule better than the pack.

Some modern-day preachers insist that, if you aren't prospering or aren't in excellent health and successful, that you are out of the will of God or are lacking in faith--like you haven't turned in your spiritual lottery ticket yet. God does indeed bless some of the faithful in all ways even making them rich, and God does indeed bless all believers in some ways--but it is to the discretion of the triune God who gets what blessing.

We live in the "what's-in-it-for- me" gospel or "name-it-and-claim-it preaching where they ask what can God do for them, rather than what we do for Him. This is a spin on Jack Kennedy's speech ("Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country!). Have we forgotten duty to our Creator? They are jumping to conclusions by insisting that God wants all believers to be prosperous (now by whose standard anyway?) and even healthy (we all will die, for instance-it's not cancer that's terminal, it's life (caveat emptor)! Buyer beware!

Watch out for the "prosperity gospel" or even "social gospel", which are misnomers and portray a counterfeit message. If you can't preach this gospel to the starving everywhere it is not the true gospel. They want you to believe that all you need is the right formula, right blessed water, prayer, or faith seed. This is bogus! God promises to meet our legitimate needs and not necessarily our wants. And the reason He meets our needs is so we can do good works (2 Cor. 9:8). Jesus said you will know them by their love (John 13:35), not their prosperity!

Don't store up treasures on earth! Don't rejoice in your 401(k)but in the Lord! I have been told that I'm rich because I don't have any debts and I live in the relative security of income (regardless of how low it is), it meets my needs and gives me enough to give away to God's causes. Being rich (look at the average world income) is only relative and a matter of definition. We are to be spiritually rich--woe to him who is fiscally rich but not spiritually rich.

Now to my thesis: teaching prosperity theology is like teaching karma because you treat God like a soda dispenser or coke machine trying to get what you want out of Him. Press the right buttons, etc. You get the impression that you deserve to be rich because you have sown the seed of faith. Actually, it says in Deut. 8:17-18 that God is the one who makes one prosper and in Isa. 48:17 it says that God leads you in the right ways to riches ("For your own good I teach you and lead you along the right path"). But God also prospers the wicked who play by the rules of God's economy. It also rains on the wicked.

The believers that I know that are prosperous are that way because of good work ethic and wise investments, not because they tithed their way to riches. God is no man's debtor though You cannot out-give God, this is not a ticket to riches (1 Tim. 6:5 says disparagingly that those "...who think that godliness is a means to financial gain" are in error. Karma teaches that you deserve what you get(even from a previous life) and that is contrary to grace and God's blessings. No matter how rich or poor we are, we owe our blessings to God.   Soli Deo Gloria!