“But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Romans 4:5, NASB1995).
Regardless of our shortcomings, there is an open door for anyone who wishes to enter. This door is open 24/7 to every believer.
If I had a dollar for all the times I have told the Lord that He has failed me, I would be independently wealthy today! For some, such an admission would be considered a sad commentary on someone. However, I know there are many out there who can deeply identify with the statement. Furthermore, I do not consider it a sad commentary. I have come to realize that God does not evaluate us by our capacities, or lack there of. It is only man who judges based on such things. God is interested in the heart and He is inviting all to the table of His riches.
What are His terms for attending that table? To believe that Christ has paid our debt. I understand that to some such a statement would seem to be a door to being accepted in heaven, and indeed it is. Yet, we must consider this matter from God’s perspective.
Is it only to qualify us for eternity or does this message have some determinative value here on earth? Jesus says whoever has faith as a mustard seed will be able to say to a mountain, be cast into the sea, it will obey. Is He speaking in hyperbolic terms? In other words, do we really believe His testimony? If so, what are the implications? Is He not telling us that there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome with faith? If so, then why do so many of us seem to be unable to overcome the obstacles that are before us?
In this context then, let us turn to Jesus’ parable of the servant in the field.
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you.
“Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down to eat’? “But will he not say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’? “He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? “So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’” (Luke 17:5-10)
Upon first review this parable might seem a bit harsh on the part of the master. Yet, there is a great secret hidden in these verses. The message I am referring to is that our faith is weak because we are seeking our own interests rather than Christ’s.
We ask Him for this and for that but that is not how His kingdom operates. He is Lord. It is only as we are set free from ourselves that we can begin to inherit God’s power. That power comes to accomplish what He wants to do. I did not say, to what we decide with our minds what His will is, but instead, what His will is, right here and right now.
How do we accomplish such a transformation in ourselves? The message of the cross holds the key. Our daily acceptance of the message of the cross allows us to be crucified to self so that Christ’s life can be manifest in us.
Paul is speaking of this death when he says, “always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” (2 Corinthians 4:10). This verse indicates that our carrying about in our bodies Jesus’ dying is the prerequisite for His life being manifested in us.
This verse is akin to Jesus’ statement, that “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24). Again, we see here that our inheriting the fruit of the kingdom comes at the price of our losing our own lives (i.e. spiritually speaking).
Seeking to hold on to our own lives – our wants, hopes and dreams – comes at the expense of inheriting His life daily and the fruit that only He produces. I will quote one more verse on this point. “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25-26).
This particular saying of Jesus is one of the few sayings that are found in all four Gospel accounts, so we would do well to pay particular attention to it. It is the core message of the New Testament. If we miss this, there will be disappointment.
In sum, then, we can see that our primary task is to rise above self-interest. But who can really do this? Even if we think we are – say, perhaps, because we are in service for God, could it be that we yet are unwittingly motivated by our own wants and needs in that service? Is it possible that we may yet be operating from and for our own interests at some level regardless how vicariously? Might it not be that we are deceiving ourselves and assuming we are doing God’s will, just as the Pharisees also did? Is not the heart deceitful? How then can we know for sure?
The answer again is found in the message of the cross of Christ. That is to say, if our confidence is in our own self-assessment, is our confidence well-placed? Would we not be wiser to place our whole hope in Christ’s perfect sacrifice for us as our guarantee? Did He not die for our self-deceit as well? Indeed He did. So then, if we are resting in Him and His perfect offering for us, then we will have assurance from above. I am referring to a confidence that He will be faithful to keep us in the truth and in the work that only He can produce.
Is this enough? Don’t we need to add something to it? No. It is enough.
Nevertheless, there are many ways to stumble over ourselves and He wants us to be aware, so that we can inherit all that He has for us.
In this regard, then, let us reflect on Jesus’ parable of the sower. The parable is there to show us that our persistence in believing His word of the cross so as to find and follow Him will be sufficient for us to gloriously overcome even in this life. Jesus offers us three in which we must overcome in order for us to be fruitful for the kingdom according to His standards.
The three stumbling blocks which Jesus identified are these:
- the devil blocking our understanding,
- our fears and incapacities in the face of afflictions, persecution or hardships,
- and the desire for riches or other things
The first is our not understanding the message of the cross so as to apply it to our life daily. That is, we must believe daily the message in order to stay in the truth.
The second is our turning our hope to something other than what Christ has done for us when things get really tough. If, when tested we learn to hope only in what He has done for us, and continue in that, we, or better said, He will prevail in us.
Finally, when we find ourselves wanting worldly things, we must keep our confidence in the word He has spoken to us. He has testified that His death is sufficient for all things. Paul says,
“But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” (Romans 10:8-11).
From what, then, does this word free us? Paul’s answer is “and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.” (Acts 13:39). Again, we must ask ourselves if this (and the hundreds of other similar verses) are mere hyperbole or trustworthy truth?
Some believers think of themselves highly. It is possible Paul may have been one of those. Yet his testimony was that he had come to count all that he once was (a Jew of high standing) as loss and mere rubbish in comparison to the treasure of Christ. Perhaps, on the other hand, you see yourself as a believer who is bankrupt, a loser, a betrayer, as one unworthy of God (as Peter) or a victim, an outcast, or even hopeless.His promises are granted equally to all who acknowledge need for mercy!
Should we just give up? Even realizing that we do not have the wherewithal to make it through the testings we are not thereby disqualified. I failed ten thousand testings but kept coming back to learn to believe in His death as the complete sufficiency, even for the likes of me. God continued to carry me forward until I eventually realized that I did not have to cut and run in the heat of battle. I finally realized that it was not God that was seeking to destroy me, but His enemy. Jesus helped me to accept His death for me so as to prevail in all things! That persistence is important to understand.
We do well to consider the parable of the “Persistent Widow!” She would not take no for an answer! Did not Jesus instruct us to imitate her? How much do you want from Him of His kingdom? Jesus beckons us, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32, ESV). You will not be disappointed with the outcome even in this life. “Yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these” (Matthew 6:9). How much more gloriously will He cloth those that hope only in Him?
Do you think that you are special because of your abilites and gifts? God is not impressed as others are. Do you think God has no place for you among others who function so well? Contrary to our earthly intuitions, God’s grace neutralizes all grounds for superiority or inferiority. He “brings down every mountain and raises up every valley. He brings justice and mercy to the humble of heart and sheds grace among all those who humble themselves to Him. Only He is exalted.
When we abandon all self-qualifications, then we become qualified for inheriting according to “the perfect law of liberty.” If we continue in that hope (James 1:25), we will inherit according to His worthiness. Thus there is no limit to His grace. Moreover, the work He has for every one of His servants is great because He is is the one working. We have the privilige of serving the King of Kings.
Contrary to common belief, every believer is ordained to full-time ministry. We must only persist in coming to the throne of grace to find all the help we could ever need to please the Father to the utmost. We bring our worthiness and present His righteousness – His own Son’s sacrifice offered on our behalf.
“So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together, and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; 5and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed.” (John 20:3-8)
He invites us all to enter and believe. Look inside that empty tomb, my friend! He is risen. It was a perfect sacrifice that could only be made by God Himself, and He made it on our behalf. What more do we need? Armed with this, we have “everything pertaining to life and godliness.” (2 Peter 1:3).
We, too, can also enter and see and believe. He will build your faith and dazzle you with the wonders of His great love. Continue to place all your hope in that word of faith. This is not the “word of faith” that seeks to inherit the kingdom of self on earth but the kingdom of God.
Believer, let nothing deter you. Not the littleness of your faith nor any other deficiency in you or your life. Could you ever produce sufficient worthiness to inherit the kingdom of God?.
What do you want from God? Is there something you desire Him to do? Then, he will graciously conform you so that instead of your desire, He will pour upon you the lavishness of the riches in Christ Jesus.
Do you lack faith? Do you compare yourself to others who seem to have so much faith so quickly? I too am a “you of little faith,” by nature. Has your faith that once burned so brightly gone dim? Would you be able to recreate it? Where does faith come from? It comes from “hearing the word of Christ.” Your faith will grown bright again as you let Him cleanse you daily from your own wants, your own agenda, even from a “Christian agenda.” He will be the builder. Let His voice be your only food, your only hope.
Paul says, “Now I commend you unto God and the word of grace, which is able to build you up and give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” (Acts 20:32).
As a result, we needn’t be held back by our inadequacies – our shortcomings. Do not despair or be discouraged. Remember who it is with whom you are speaking and whom you are seeking! It is the “Holy One of Israel!” Remember that “All authority has been given unto (Him), in heaven and earth.” (Matthew. 28:18). He will never cheat you. He will not fail to make you able to overcome all things and enter, more and more each day, into His glorious inheritance.
“In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight.” and “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:7-8,18-19, NASB1995).
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