Be energetic about your faith!

Be energetic about your faith!

Where’s the balance between faith and works, between prayer and purpose?  The story of Nehemiah inspires me with the blend of complete faith and diligence on his part in bringing about the restoration of Jerusalem. In the very first chapter when Nehemiah hears about the sorry state of the city, he allows himself to feel deep sorrow, but he doesn’t stop there. He prays fervently and then he offered himself to be a part of the solution.  He left a job in the king’s court to become the leader of an expedition to Jerusalem, a long, arduous trip.  Once in Judah, he shows the same pattern, praying and analyzing, trusting God while making plans to go work.  During the work, when enemies threatened to attack, he repeats the pattern with a phrase that sticks in my mind: "We prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat." (Nehemiah 4:9, NIV)

We have God’s promises but surely they do not release us from personal responsibility, do they? These questions are important! More than a few times I have gone to prayer only to have the Spirit show me where my choices and actions have contributed to my problem. I know I can trust God to lead me but not if I am passive or simply want to be rescued.  He asks us to participate in His work.  Paul emphasized the complete work of God in making us right before Him.  The Word is abundantly clear that we can never be ‘good enough’ to save ourselves from the judgment of the Lord; and yet, we find this exhortation: "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." (Philippians 2:12-13, NIV)   God gives grace but desires that we make His work within visible on the outside with our choices to obey.  We are charged with the work of living a life that reflects our status as His chosen people!

I am grateful for God’s forgiveness and patience, aren’t you?  We ignore His will and even sin knowingly. Then, after we’re up to our eyeballs in the messes of life, we run to Him asking for help. Graciously, He hears.  Wouldn’t we so much wiser to just obey Him in the first place?  Why wait until our marriage is terribly broken before we decide to love our spouse in a whole and godly way?  Why wait until our health is nearly destroyed by stress or abuse of our bodies before deciding it’s time to honor the Lord’s will in these ‘temples of clay?’

God’s wonderful gift of grace does not exempt us from personal responsibility. Somehow that idea has slipped into the minds of Christians today. We fail to remember that the Word which promises us grace we could never deserve also teaches us the law of the harvest, that the seeds we plant produce the crop we harvest.  "The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." (Galatians 6:8, NIV)

Are you a passive Christian? Have you mistakenly assumed that your Abba will rescue you from all your willful sin, from failure to pray, from unwillingness to do the disciplines of the Spirit?  Take this word from the Word into your mind and live by it. “What I’m getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you’ve done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I’m separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure. " (Philippians 2:12-13, The Message)

______________

I Would Be Like Jesus

Earthly pleasures vainly call me,

I would be like Jesus.

Nothing worldly shall enthrall me,

I would be like Jesus.

Be like Jesus! This my song,

In the home and in the throng.

Be like Jesus! All day long.

I would be like Jesus.

Bentley DeForest Ackley | James Rowe

Public Domain