Exploring Dependence – The Rich Young Ruler, Pt. 1

So, as we began to look at the story of the Rich Young Ruler last week, we noted that, at first glance, he appears to be asking Jesus how to go to heaven when he dies. And it appears that Jesus tells him that there are certain things he must do, as if going to heaven is dependent on our works.

But we also recognized that we need to place this episode in the context of The Story to understand it. So, we went back to the beginning of The Story. There we found two realms of existence. God placed man and woman in the Garden, where there was Life. Yet, Death loomed as an imminent possibility.

They faced a choice. They could trust God for Life, or take matters into their own hands, decide for themselves what was good, and pursue Life independently of God.

Of course, they chose control and independence over trust, but instead of finding Life, they entered the realm of Death.

Every character in The Story since has faced the prospects of Life and Death, and had to choose the path that they would take in hope of finding Life.

Will they opt for control and independence, or will they choose trust in God?

Each decision is influenced by the assumptions they hold — by their the worldview.

Which brings us back to the story of The Rich Young Ruler. We call it that because Matthew identifies him as a young man, and Luke identifies him as a ruler. However, we will be focusing on Mark’s account of the encounter. Mark identifies him simply as a man.

So, which worldview does this man bring to his encounter with Jesus?  Read more

Exploring Dependence – Life & Death

As we have followed Jesus’ teaching and the training of the Twelve through the Gospels, we have seen Him emphasize this issue of dependence. Having taught the concept in the Sermon on the Mount, He sent the disciples out in pairs to proclaim the Kingdom, and to experience God’s daily provision for their personal needs. In feeding of the multitudes, He stretched them further, putting them in positions where they had to trust Him, not only for themselves, but also for the needs of those they were ministering to.

Now, let’s look at His interaction with the Rich Young Ruler (Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-30), where He will stretch the disciples further yet. Read more

Exploring Dependence – After the Exile

The Old Testament is the story of Israel’s relationship with God. As we have surveyed this story, the following highlights stand out:

• As God brought Israel out of Egypt, and began to form them into a nation, He used the manna to teach them that their continued, daily existence was absolutely dependent on His active decree. They were kept alive, not by the food they ate, but by the words that proceeded out of His mouth (Deuteronomy 8:3). He was preparing them for life in the Promised Land, where He would bless them abundantly. In the midst of that blessing, they must not become confused and forget that He, not their own effort, was the source of that wealth. Such confusion would lead to the worship other gods (Deuteronomy 8:5-19).
• While the manna only lasted for 40 years, the lesson was perpetuated in the system of the Sabbaths (Leviticus 23-25).
• The Sabbath system included a Sabbath year as well as a Sabbath Day. Every 7^th year, they were to let the land lay fallow and trust that God would cause it to produce enough in the 6^th year to last them through the 8^th year. In this, they would be reminded of their dependence, and experience His provision.
• However, there is no biblical record of them ever celebrating a Sabbath Year. By the time we get to 2 Chronicles 36:20-21, they owed 70 Sabbath Years, and Yahweh sends them into captivity for those 70 years. For 490 years, the people of Israel refused to trust God as their Provider. Thus, they became proud, and chased after other gods, just as Yahweh said they would. But that was the effect, not the cause.
• The cause was that they lost the core of their relationship with God. The did not recognize Him as their Provider and Protector.

So, the Exile was God’s discipline to reinforce His message to them from the very beginning – He was their Provider and Protector, and was to be the sole object of their affection.

Which raises the question, “Did Israel learn their lesson from the Exile?”

Let’s see. Read more

Exploring Dependence – From The Beginning

So, we have set out to examine this issue of our dependance. In the previous article, we pointed out that our failure to acknowledge our dependency brought about the fall. We did not see ourselves as dependent and so, chose to act independently, as though we could be like God.

Now, realistically, I expect that if you are reading this article, at a very minimum you will already acknowledge God and and our dependence on Him.  So, why the need for this examination?

Well, I think there are two things we need to explore:

• The depth of our dependence -  It is quite possible to acknowledge the idea of our dependence, while at the same time, minimizing the degree or significance of that dependence.
• The areas and ways in which our independence continues to manifest itself – Even among believers who claim a firm commitment to Christ, I find attitudes and beliefs that I have come to suspect are at odds with the true nature of our dependency.

Why do I think this?

Well, in my years of seeking to walk with God, I have discovered a number of areas where the values and beliefs of popular Christian culture were at odds with Scripture. One of those areas is the area of money and possessions – how a Christian should view and handle finances. This is significant to our discussion because I have come to realize that it is in money and possessions that our pursuit of independence is most prominent. Read more

The Practical Pursuit of God’s Pleasure – The Heart of The Matter

Now that we are thinking of the marks of a disciple as commitments, let’s explore the relationship between them.

To review, the commitments are:

• Supreme Love for Jesus – Matthew 10:37-39; Luke 14:26
• Regularity in His Word – John 8:31-33
• Renunciation of My Agenda – “deny yourself” – Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23
• Submission & Sacrifice – “take up your cross” – Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23
• Pursue His Agenda – “follow me” – Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23
• Open-Handed Stewardship – Luke 14:33
• Love for One Another – John 13:34-35

We have already noted that this probably reflects both the order in which Christ first introduced these traits, and their logical flow. We might track that flow as follows: Read more

The Practical Pursuit of God’s Pleasure

Seven months ago, we began a journey to understand what it means to love what God loves and hate what He hates. That journey has brought us to the discovery that God’s soul has no pleasure in those who pursue life according to their own agenda. While I doubt we have arrived at our final destination, the place we now find ourselves is surprising. Not so much in the description of those with whom God is displeased, but with the realization that it can so readily include believers.

This is unsettling. Our journey was partially prompted by David’s commitment to align himself with God, against those who hate God. This seemed like choosing up sides – “us vs. them.” Just a simple matter of figuring out which of “them,” or of “their deeds” we should hate. But now we discover that we are at risk of becoming objects of God’s displeasure as well.

In this discovery is another refinement in our thinking that should be noted. We began with a focus on “hate,” which implies total rejection. But our journey has brought us to the realization that it is not enough to avoid being hated by God. Being the object of His displeasure, even as His child, is a fearful place to be.

So we are still unsettled, with questions that need answers. The last article has come up in conversations several times this week, and several versions of the same concern have been raised:

• “How do we move this beyond the cliche of ‘pursuing life according to God’s agenda, rather than mine’ ?”
• “I am still afraid that I might be that third guy from the parable of the minas.”
• “In pursuing the pleasure of God’s soul, don’t we end up back at either salvation by works or Lordship Salvation?”

Read more

The Pleasure of God’s Soul – Part 7 – A Whole Lot of Hope

So far, this little journey to understand what is going on in Hebrews 10 has turned into an expedition that is in its seventh week. Seems like we have been talking about this forever. In fact, it’s hard to remember why we are here, or where we are going. Wait. What was the question?

Oh, yeah. We are talking about the “pleasure of God’s soul” in Hebrews 10:38-39 -

“But My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.’ But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”

In the middle of all that is the phrase that prompted this little expedition – “. . . and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him . . .”. The pleasure of God’s soul is somehow linked to our choices. Very unsettling. How do we “shrink back”? As I read on, it seems that the destruction of my soul is at stake. How can that be? I thought we were saved “by grace, through faith”. What about eternal security? How does all this fit with the little message we have become so accustomed to – some version of “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” This doesn’t sound very wonderful. Sounds like we could really foul things up if we are not careful.

Read more

The Pleasure of God’s Soul – Part 5 – Hope Grows

Yep. Hebrews 10 is still our destination.

In our re-examination of the story, we have moved from the Garden, through Noah and the Flood, to God’s covenant with Abraham. At this point in the story, we have learned that The One Who Is Coming to crush the Enemy will indeed bring, not simply relief from the curse, but, in it’s place blessing.

And so, Abraham begets Isaac, and Isaac, Jacob. Jacob is renamed “Israel”, and it is with his 12 sons, who become the tribes of Israel, that the promise of a nation coming from Abraham begins to take shape. The book of Genesis ends with these sons and their families seeking relief from a famine by going to Egypt.

Four-hundred thirty years later, these 12 have grown 600,000 men capable of going to war, in addition to women and children. But, fearing them, the Egyptians have made them slaves.

God sends Moses to lead them out of Egypt, into the Land of His promise to Abraham. Egypt’s objections are mitigated with a series of 10 Plagues, and God brings them out, to Mount Sinai, where they meet Him and formalize their relationship.

Having received a commitment from the people of Israel, through Moses, to obey God and become His chosen people, God calls an assembly at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:1-15).

After careful preparation,  the people gather at Sinai. What they experience is very different from Adam and Eve’s meetings with God, where they walked with Him in the cool of the day, in the Garden, pre-fall. Instead, they find themselves before a mountain that is quaking violently and engulfed in smoke. They are surrounded by thunder and lightening, with the sound of a trumpet that grows louder and louder. And, they have been warned that if they touch even the edge of the mountain, they will be killed. In the midst of this God speaks to them, laying out the 10 Commandments – the outline of the Covenant that will govern their relationship with Him. The experience is so terrifying, they never want to do it again. Read more

The Pleasure of God’s Soul – Part 1 – “Bad News”

The “pleasure of God’s soul” – There is something unsettling, yet compelling about that phrase. Unsettling because I don’t think of God as having a “soul”. Clearly, He is Spirit (John 4:24). But the idea of Him “having a soul” is somehow foreign. Unsettling also, because it seems that I might have something to do with this pleasure . . . and compelling for the same reason. Also compelling because it seems like a good thing for God’s soul to have pleasure. If I can impact that . . . Wow!

It is this idea – the “pleasure of God’s soul” – that draws me back to Hebrews 10-11. It is so powerful that I memorized Hebrews 10:35-39 a few years ago -

“Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. ‘For yet in a very little while, He Who is coming will come, and will not delay. But My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.’ But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”

Right there in the middle is the idea that draws me – “. . . and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him . . .”. God is speaking, ascribing a soul to Himself. And the pleasure of His soul is linked to our choices. Very unsettling. How do we “shrink back”? As I read on, it seems that the destruction of my soul is at stake. How can that be? I thought we were saved “by grace, through faith”. What about eternal security? Read more

Loving What God Loves; Hating What He Hates

Most of us are quite aware that God calls us to love what He loves, but I don’t think I had given much thought to hating the things He hates. Not until recently.
Read more