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RECOGNISING THE NEED
1.IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM
2.THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM
3.THE ESSENCE OF THE PROBLEM
4.ACKNOWLEDGING OUR LACK
5.EMBRACING THE PARADOX
1. IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM
Over two thousand years ago, God visited the earth. He came in the likeness of man and was known as Jesus Christ. His visit was something He had planned before the foundation of the world was laid, and it is the singularly most significant event in the history of mankind. His purpose was manifold. In essence it was to proclaim the coming of the kingdom of God and establish salvation for all.
Jesus Christ is the revelation of God to man. He is man's only hope of salvation – man's only access to eternal life. Jesus Christ is the only way anyone can be reconciled to God, be forgiven for their sin, enter into the love of the Father, and escape the impending judgement of God on all the wrong-doing and wickedness of man.
Jesus Christ came from heaven, sacrificed His own life for love, and was raised from the dead to be seated at the right hand of God Almighty. Jesus Christ lives and reigns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords over all that is. He has been given all authority, power, and dominion. He has established His church and is in the business of building it. He remains head of the church until His return to earth from heaven.
Jesus Christ has been loved and followed ever since He was revealed to man. His words are revered by many. They have become the foundation upon which not only many lives have been built, but nations too. Only in His name can anyone find life and salvation.
Yet for all that Jesus Christ accomplished, and despite all that His word promises, those that love Him still find certain facets of faith a real struggle. The issue is not that there is necessarily any one particular aspect of faith we struggle with, nor is the fact that we even have to struggle. Faith is of itself a struggle at times – this is as God purposed it. The concern is that all too frequently, the required or expected victory in our struggle, is often not fully attained. Worse still, some believers have simply lost their way.
Stepping back and taking a long, hard, objective look, at both the individual and corporate progress of believers over the last two thousand years, one cannot but wonder, "Is what we have today, all that Jesus intended?" Have the people of God, the church of Jesus Christ, even retained that which the first apostles established in terms of faith and witness?
I think the answer to both those questions is, "Most certainly not!"...
...Believers of the early church were charged with "turning the world upside down" with their gospel. There is little evidence of anything like that today. On the contrary, the world is steadfastly turning from a Christian ethos and redefining its own secular morals and values.
Yet even in the east, while there are indeed wonderful reports of many believers finding salvation in Jesus, the emerging errors of the west inevitably follow and take root.
Taking a broad scope of all that goes by the name of Christ, we find a diverse range indeed – innumerable denominations, varied expressions, divergent practices. Such is the plethora of "Christian" representation, it becomes impossible to categorize it all.
Let it be clear, there is nothing awry with diversity. However the point remains, as expressed by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians – Chapter 4: verses 3 and 13 "endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ... till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;"
There will inevitably be error among those who profess to follow Christ – even scripture acknowledges this. More importantly, how close to where we should be, are the majority of believers today? What is evident, among the vast and diverse range that follow Christ, is that while we may have a measure of unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, we are no nearer to the unity of the faith. We lack considerably the knowledge of the Son of God, are well short of the perfect man, and far below the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
Compared to Christ's objective, mainstream Christianity is in disarray. Traditionalist churches are in decline. Popular churches are fragmenting or polarizing. Mega-churches host huge congregations but spiritual maturity appears lacking. Statistics tell us there are now more believers who do not attend a structured church than those that do attend. Crusades are losing their effectiveness and appeal. The Great Commission of Christ to take the gospel into all the world, and to make disciples of all nations, is not being fulfilled. Disillusionment is growing and too many genuine believers are falling away. All is not well!
Some would assert that this is just symptomatic of the church in the west but that in the east, revival continues. Certainly God continues to work where He can, but as much of the evangelism is promulgated by those from the west, the inherent errors of the west soon follow in the east.
There are indeed pockets of good work in various locations, but the eventual regression to the current status quo inevitably follows in every place.
All these things are symptomatic of a failure in structure. If the gospel of the kingdom of God and salvation in Jesus Christ is all that scripture presents it to be, then clearly we must have a lack. Where is the unity of the faith? Where is the knowledge of the Son of God? Where is the perfect man? Where is the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ?
As one studies church history, we struggle to find anything that remotely resembles these accomplishments. If there ever was a period when these things were prevalent, those days were short-lived and those days have long gone.
Identifying the problem then is not too difficult. When we read the scriptures and consider the things Jesus and the apostles taught, we cannot help but see things are not what they should be.
For any given individual, their particular experience in the faith may well be valid. The question remains however, "Do we each have the fullness of the experience Christ intended?" Is there not a common faith we can all embrace as followers of Jesus Christ, to walk consistently in the victory and freedom He proclaimed?
Perhaps there will never be a reconciling of it all. Perhaps what we have experienced over the last two thousand years is the best it's ever going to be. Somehow, I just cannot accept that. To the contrary; I have been greatly encouraged at the prospect of change for the better.
The purpose of this book is not to dwell on failings and wrongs. It is not to castigate, criticize or lay blame. There is nothing to be gained by pointing the finger or finding fault. It is also not so much to demand a change, but to add a deeper dimension of practical, effectual faith.
The purpose of this book is to bring an enlightenment of God's word that will provide clarity for a way forward – a hope that what is explained afresh will usher in a period of reformation. It is to help all believers to increase their faith and walk in greater, more enduring victory. It is to build on what Christ has begun in every believer's heart, and assist them in finding increasing fulfillment in their life and the things of God...
2.THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM
God has always required of man three things - faith, love, and obedience. Heb 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please God..." The two great commandments declare in Mark 12:30-31 "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbour as yourself." Jesus went on to say in John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, as I have loved you." Then, in John 14:15 Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." And again in John 14:21 "He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me."
Faith is what separated Abraham from the rest. It was his faith that provides the example for us to follow, in establishing our foundation of faith under the new covenant.
God has always required faith. His word declares, that the magnificence of His creation about us, provides all the evidence anyone may need, to prove that God exists.
God is love. Life is all about love, and if we only lived by love, there would be no need for any other commandment or law.
So to obedience. God has always required obedience. It was Adam's failure to keep just one commandment that brought sin into the world. Later, when God established His covenant with the descendants of Abraham, the Israelites, He founded that covenant upon a requirement of obedience. If the Israelites kept the commandments of God, He would bless and prosper them. If they turned away to sin, they would bring the curse of God upon themselves. History records that they persistently failed to keep the commandments of God and so inevitably they suffered the consequences.
It was the abject failure of the Israelites to keep God's law that brought about the need for "a new covenant".
Faith is generally not so difficult for man. Even love comes easier than obedience, however it is interesting to see how God links love to obedience. If you do not obey God, can you say that you actually love Him? It would seem not.
A new covenant was established because the Israelites were not keeping the old covenant. Therefore, the new covenant's primary purpose is to enable those who enter into it with God, to do what was not being done under the old covenant - keeping God's commandments.Many believers however, regard the new covenant as primarily God's provision for their forgiveness and acceptance. Now of course it is, but the greater objective of the new covenant is to enable believers to walk in obedience and righteousness.
If we accept God's reconciliation through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ; if we are washed clean in the blood of Jesus Christ and our sins have been cast far from us; if we are born again to newness of life; if we receive His Holy Spirit and commit our lives to our heavenly Father in the wonderful embrace of His acceptance and love - it is so that we may walk in obedience in all things.
To know what God requires of us, we must examine carefully the Scriptures. Consider for example what Jesus spoke to the people in Matthew chapter 5 - in what we call the Beatitudes, given as the 'sermon on the mount'.
A careful study of this chapter establishes emphatically that Jesus requires a standard of righteous living far in excess of that which most Israelites were striving to attain by keeping the laws of Moses.
In His address, Jesus effectively raised the bar of what is required of man in his conduct before God. It is like Jesus was saying, "You think the standard of righteous living is here, but I tell you it is much, much higher." One could say Jesus "upped the ante" somewhat significantly.
This is effectively borne out in the very last verse of the chapter, Mat 5:48 "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."
Now many will say, "But we can't be perfect." In one respect, this is of course true, and it is precisely what Jesus was ultimately driving at. Unfortunately too many give up at this point and fail to press on to determine exactly what Jesus intended for us to discover. Alternatively they resign themselves to the impossibility of a perfect life and live with the burden of besetting sin, failure, and compromise.
Only when we thoroughly appreciate the full provision and purpose of the new covenant will we grasp the essence of Jesus demands and embrace them in victory. Obedience to the full demands of Jesus is non-negotiable. "If you love Me, (you will) keep My commandments." These words ring in our ears, yet for failure to apply them, we remain in constant conflict of conscience.
Even Jesus' command in the 'Great Commission' "... teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; ..." reiterates His command to a life of perfect obedience.
So then we are faced with a real dilemma of sorts. Scripture would seem to be requiring of us a standard of righteousness and obedience that proves to be impossible for us.
Certainly those who have known the "born again" experience will have found a capacity to live beyond the realm of righteousness and obedience that natural man can experience. Many will testify that having believed on and received Jesus Christ, their experience included a whole new motivation for right living, empowering them to change their lifestyle dramatically. Sinful habits simply fell away and doing right became not only achievable, but desirable.
This is not uncommon. In fact one could say that unless at least a perceptible change has occurred, one most likely is not "born again". Evidence of true faith and reconciliation with God is manifested in a changed life that was previously beyond the capability of any individual.
This is indeed central to the whole issue of new covenant living. In John 3:3-8 Jesus said, "... unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God ... unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God ... Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again'..."
Throughout the 20th century, much of Christendom experienced afresh, a renewal of both the born again experience and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Pentecostal movement and the Charismatic Renewal movement were prominent in restoring these experiences to many followers of Jesus Christ.
These movements simply transformed the Christian experience like nothing before. They were, of themselves, what I consider to be the early stages of a new millennium reformation. Yet where are they now? So much promise has failed to produce the kind of church Christ died for. The vast majority of these churches no more resemble the early church than the more traditional churches they sprung out of. Different expressions yes, but no more powerful or effective.
Revivals of earlier periods undoubtedly brought a renewed dedication to Christ that exceeded much of what was associated with these movements. However these revivals waned, and eventually the societies that were once transformed by the revival, slowly reverted back to a nominal expression of faith in Christ.
So then, the issue remains - we are faced with the demands of Christ that exceed the capacity of most believers to embrace, even those having been genuinely born again and filled with the Holy Spirit.
Essentially we have come part of the way, but now need to find the way through to fullness. That is what this book is about. Firstly, it is to identify the lack - which is clearly evident in scripture. Secondly, to examine the clear scriptural evidence that provides the means. Thirdly, to convey the practical application required to transition through.
I have no idea whether the reformation I believe God is undertaking now, will require further stages beyond what I have envisioned. Perhaps it will, but inevitably, Christ will have what He has purposed (Eph5:27): "... a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish."
The greater challenge is to the local church. I suspect it is impossible for those who so loyally hold fast to their Christian expression to even consider the need for significant structural change - such is the nature of man. While imperfections may be acknowledged, most would argue that things are not that bad. I expect that only God by His Spirit is capable of opening their eyes, and of course I pray that He does so.
We must be careful not to limit through our unbelief, what God can, and wants to do. Scripture is replete with passages we either don't understand or cannot reconcile as ever being part of our experience. There seems to be a natural tendency among us, to either consciously or sub-consciously, dismiss the application of those scriptures we have not experienced.
Limiting our belief to what we (or others) have experienced, or tried to experience but failed, is fraught with problems. If the word of God is true (and indeed it is unquestionably true), then just because our experience does not reflect that truth, ought never to give us a basis for reconciling any experience less than what the truth reveals.
For example, in Mark 9:23 Jesus says, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." How incredible is that!? Do we truly believe what Jesus has said? Certainly we do not find this to be our experience. More so, when in John 14:14 Jesus says, "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." These passages are simply not within the experience of most believers today. Therefore what shall we do? Shall we question the veracity of the word? Shall we explain away these statements of Jesus as being applicable for just a select few, or applicable only in some bygone era?
May I suggest that when we come across scriptures that are beyond our experience, we simply acknowledge our commitment to believe them, and trust God for the enlightenment necessary to make the reality of those truths become our experience. Even if those truths never become our experience, we ought not to doubt Him or His word."
So then, when scripture exhorts us to "be holy" or as Jesus says, "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect", let us not doubt the word and dismiss the notion because our experience falls short - or because we can never imagine attaining to it. Let us be open to hearing from God just how His word may be fulfilled in us.
I am absolutely convinced that Jesus would never command us to be something we can never be. We would all acknowledge how totally unreasonable it would be for any earthly parent among us to demand of their children something they could never attain to. Surely we all know of people hurt and alienated as a result of unrealistic and unattainable expectations and demands of their parents. God would never be like that.
Therefore, when we read in His word demands of us that seem impossible, let us not dismiss them. Rather, let us seek Him all the more that the reality of His truth may become our experience.
So, before you cast this book away at such a preposterous proposition, please allow me the opportunity to present to you what I have found to be the scriptural evidence that not only fully sustains such demands, but goes on to clearly demonstrate how this can become our reality and experience.
3.THE ESSENCE OF THE PROBLEM
We fail to meet Christ's demands because we have not fully understood exactly what the new covenant is and how it applies to our life.
We certainly claim to be new covenant believers, but while we may embrace aspects of new covenant, the great majority of believers are predominantly living under old covenant practices.
But before we examine in more detail the two covenants, it is necessary to look again at scripture and find the hidden truths.
The Holy Bible is without doubt an indispensable resource for believers - it is the very Word of God. What is often overlooked is that it is a spiritual book requiring spiritual understanding or enlightenment. Unless the Spirit of God enlightens us to the truths it holds, we will inevitably be confused at best, or deceived at worst.
The apostle Paul said in 1Cor 2:12-14, "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
Every one of us is first a natural man. Believers, born of the Spirit and having received the Holy Spirit, are also spiritual. Believers therefore have the ability to know the things that have been freely given to us by God. However, believers must recognize this is a "spiritual" exercise, and we must be careful not to resort to our natural abilities to try and understand what God would have us to know.
Unfortunately much reading and interpreting of scripture is undertaken with the natural mind rather than by enlightenment of the Spirit. Therefore, when we read in our natural state, that Jesus requires us to be perfect, just as God is perfect, we say this is "foolishness".
What we must constantly do, is seek God for the spiritual enlightenment of His word. This is a work of the Holy Spirit, and one must be careful not to resort to "human understanding" when we lack the spiritual insight necessary to understand what God is teaching us.
In Mat 13:10-13 the disciples asked Jesus, "Why do you speak to them (the multitudes) in parables?" He replied, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand." Jesus then went on to quote from the prophet Isaiah where God speaks of the state of the people of Israel as being dull of heart.
Many believers would say Jesus used parables to help explain His teachings and make them easier to understand, but of course the opposite is true. Jesus was often deliberately obscure in His words and teachings. Many times He said things with an alternate truth, not immediately evident in the literal interpretation.
While Jesus often spoke with hidden meaning, He requires us to be explicit. It seems strange, yet where Jesus is being obscure, the likes of Paul, Peter, John, and other writers of the epistles of the New Testament writings, are endeavouring to be as clear as possible in explaining spiritual truths. To this end, so am I - I have no intent to be anything other than clear.
So then, even though the epistles require spiritual enlightenment, for they too teach spiritual things, they can be read more literally. On the other hand, the teachings and sayings of Jesus frequently hold deeper and deliberately obscure truths that must be sought out by way of enlightenment. Let me give some examples to clarify the point.
In Mat 9:13b Jesus said, "For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." A literal interpretation of this passage is that clearly there are two categories of people, the righteous and the sinners, and that Jesus had come for the sake of the sinners. The truth of course is that Jesus knew what the Scripture taught (particularly Psalms and Isaiah) as conveyed to us in Rom 3:10 "There is none righteous, no, not one; ..." Why then did He not say something like, "You are all sinners, there is no-one who is righteous, and I have come to call you all to repentance"? You see Jesus required the hearer to identify himself as either a sinner or a supposedly righteous person. Therefore, to those who considered themselves to be righteous, Jesus' message had no application for them.
On another occasion, in Luke 10:25-28, Jesus was asked by a certain lawyer, "'Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?' Jesus said to him, 'What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?' So he answered and said, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbour as yourself.' And Jesus said to him, 'You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."
Now if you ask any knowledgeable teacher of scripture, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" you will be advised the only way to receive eternal life is to believe on and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour - and this is true! So then, did Jesus lie? Why did He not say to him what He said to others in John 6:40, "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." Understand that Jesus did not lie. If anyone did manage to keep the law of Moses without fault, as the lawyer answered, they would indeed inherit eternal life. It is just that the lawyer should have acknowledged, as the apostle Paul did in Romans 7:10, "And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death." Scripture makes plain that no-one can keep the whole law and not fail in some part of it.
Jesus was again looking to His questioner to examine his heart, and confess what was true - that he just could not keep that law, no matter how hard he tried.
Mark 10: 17-27 records a similar event. Jesus was asked the same question, this time by a rich young ruler (see also Luke 18: 18-27). After a similar reply where Jesus told him to keep the commandments, giving some as examples, the young man said (see Mat 19:20), "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?" Jesus must have been encouraged. Finally here was someone who could actually recognize that they just couldn't measure up to the requirements of the law.
Jesus then told the young man to go and sell everything he had, give it to the poor so that he would have treasure in heaven, then to take up his cross and to follow Him. At this the young man went away sorrowful because he had great possessions.
Jesus then proceeded to further blur the edges of what we need to know. He said (Mark 10:23-25), "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." And they were astonished beyond measure, ('exceedingly amazed' - Mat 19:25), saying among themselves, "who then can be saved?" But looking at them, Jesus said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible."
Bear with me as I explain further - this passage holds a key for understanding the essence of new covenant faith.
We need however, a clarification on two points. Firstly, Jesus was referring to an actual camel and an actual needle. Had he been referring to a gate in the city wall as 'the eye of a needle" (as is a common teaching on this passage in certain circles), the disciples would not have been astonished beyond belief, nor exceedingly amazed - they would have said, "Oh yes, I understand now." Also, if this 'gate in the wall' theory, were valid at that time, Jesus could not then have used the word impossible, for it would have no application.
Secondly, the Greek word used by Jesus for 'riches' in Mark 10 verses 23 and 24 (also Luke 18:24), when He referred to those "who have or trust in riches" not being able (without God) to enter the kingdom of God, is 'chrema'. This is a word that actually means, "something useful or needed", rather than wealth, or possessions and/or money in abundance. The more commonly used Greek word for riches that clearly implies "monetary wealth" is 'ploutos'. The word 'chrema' is a term Jesus only uses in this particular instance. When Jesus refers to "the deceitfulness of riches" in His parable of the sower, and the "true riches" in His teaching on faithfulness, He uses the term 'ploutos'. Clearly He knew the difference in meaning even if the English translators chose to use the same English word for both.
The significance of the term 'chrema' in this passage of interest, is that Jesus' implication is that we all cannot enter into the kingdom of God, because we all trust to some extent or another in the world to provide for us the things that are useful or needed. It is not just about those few people who actually have wealth. This is partly why the disciples were so amazed and astonished because they immediately identified Jesus was talking about the likes of them, and not just the rich young ruler or his kind. Hence Peter went on to query Jesus concerning what they had done - but more on that in a moment.
So then, what exactly was Jesus angling at? Essentially He was saying, it is impossible for you to accomplish anything without God, even getting saved, but that with God, all things are possible, even being perfect as God is perfect.
Every believer must come to that place of ultimate humility and confess, "Lord God, I just can't be the person I should be - it is impossible to do even those simple things You require of me, let alone be perfect." From that point on, when we acknowledge our total dependency on God for everything, He comes to our rescue and does the impossible - He makes it possible for us not only to enter the kingdom of God, but also to be perfect.
Before we examine exactly how that comes about, there is one further example to finish with that shows how Jesus speaks beyond the literal interpretation of His words.
Immediately after the passage in Mark 10:17-27, Peter reminded Jesus how he and his fellow disciples had left everything to follow Him - something the rich young ruler was unwilling to do. Had this rich young man not gone away sorrowful, he may well have received the information in Jesus' reply to Peter, that would likely have changed his mind.
Jesus said to Peter (Mark 10:29-30) "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time [my emphasis] - houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions - and in the age to come, eternal life." You see Jesus was challenging the rich young ruler to do what He demands of all those who desire to be a disciple of His and follow Him - that is to forsake all, deny self, and take up one's cross. However, all we are forsaking in this world is nothing by comparison to what God intends to restore to us, even in this life.
Mat 13:44-46 tells us that the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field and like a pearl of great price, which those who find such, go and sell all that they have, so as to possess the new found wealth. So also for us. We may seem to have to forsake much in this world, but by comparison to what God has in store for us in His kingdom, what we are required to forsake is of little value.
It is indeed fundamental and inescapable that we must forsake all to follow Jesus Christ. Now who in their right mind is ever going to do that simply because we tell them Jesus demands it? Surely a few have, but so many will not - and you can hardly blame them. If we preached the kingdom of God as we should, so that our hearers would "see" the true value of the kingdom (as did the man who found the treasure hidden in the field and the merchant the pearl of great price), we would have far less reluctance among willing souls to forsake all. It is our duty to make plain the gospel of the kingdom, such that the hearer, having been given all the facts, can exercise their own faith, and believe with confidence in God's word.
You see, had the rich young ruler stayed around, he may have realized that Jesus promised a hundredfold return in this life on what He was asking him to forsake, with the added benefit of eternal life to follow.
Knowing then that Jesus requires us to be perfect, (and I do not for a moment believe that Jesus would demand something of us that is unattainable, for that would be unreasonable, and Jesus is not unreasonable. Nor would Jesus use terms that mean something else. Unfortunately, whenever men find scriptures that are just too hard, they want to find some way to explain them away. When the reality of truth is not our experience, rather than question the veracity or integrity of the word, we should humble ourselves and wait on God for His enlightenment. Truth is truth and we must rely totally upon the grace of God for the reality of His truth to become our experience. To do otherwise is at best unwise, or gross sin at worst) we must set a course to discover exactly how we can fulfill this demand. How can we make the reality of God's truth our everyday experience?
To begin, we must understand clearly what is 'old covenant practice' and what is 'new covenant practice'. We must also be able to distinguish the difference, then learn how to live fully under the new covenant. This is our provision for life.
4.ACKNOWLEDGING OUR LACK
Change is never comfortable. Hence we are often reluctant to admit that we need change. We are also not keen to acknowledge our own lack, all the more so, the longer we have been established in our way.
A new believer is far more open to change than someone who has walked in the faith for many years. Yet even after thirty odd as years as a full-on committed follower of Jesus, I knew I was not fulfilling the demands of Jesus as conveyed to us in Matthew chapter 5.
Although I have for a long time now experienced a deep, personal and meaningful relationship with God through prayer, I was very much aware that I had more to attain to. There were frustrations concerning fruitfulness and holiness. I was also very concerned at what I regarded as "prevalent legalism" among many churches - a practice that I now simply term 'old covenant'. So, I embarked upon a reflection of what were the identifying factors of old covenant practice among believers, and if possible, what was the remedy.
At much the same time, a friend gave me a copy of a passage from a book by renowned and respected writer, teacher, and pastor Andrew Murray. Murray was a South African who lived from 1828, and died at 88 years of age in 1917. He has apparently over 240 books under his name, although I have read but one. It was in reading from his book "Absolute Surrender" that I was able to so closely identify my circumstances, with what he was writing about.
In 1895, Murray visited England and delivered a series of addresses in Keswick, in preparation for a great evangelistic campaign in East London. Every one of those messages, recorded in this book, is inspirational. I was absolutely intrigued to discover, virtually all of what he said some 110 years ago, is as relevant today as it was then. I think that goes some way to proving my assertion that what we desperately need, is not another sermon, but another reformation.
Before I get to the point, allow me a minor diversion. In the chapter entitled, "Absolute Surrender" Murray writes: "Bow before God in humiliation, and in that humiliation confess before Him the state of the whole Church. No words can tell the sad state of the Church of Christ on earth. Just think of the Christians around you. So little power, so little devotion or consecration to God, so little conception of the truth that a Christian is a man utterly surrendered to God's will! Oh, we need to confess the sins of God's people around us, and to humble ourselves. We are members of that sickly body, and the sickliness of the body will hinder us, and break us down, unless we come to God, and in confession separate ourselves from partnership with worldliness, with coldness toward each other, unless we give up ourselves to be entirely and wholly for God. How much is being done in the spirit of the flesh, and in the power of self! How much work, day by day, in which human energy - our will and our thoughts about the work - is continually manifested, and in which there is but little of waiting upon God, and upon the power of the Holy Ghost! Let us make confession. But as we confess the state of the Church and the feebleness and sinfulness of work for God among us, let us come back to ourselves. Who is there who truly longs to be delivered from the power of the self-life, who truly acknowledges that it is the power of self and the flesh, and who is willing to cast all at the feet of Christ? There is deliverance."
These words so clearly, in my mind anyway, exemplify the state of much of the church of Jesus Christ today. I know I have addressed my perception of the state of the church in an earlier chapter, but I just couldn't resist making the comparison to how Murray saw the state of the same church some 110 years earlier.
So to the point in question. It was Christ's call to perfection, and our complete inability to acknowledge the command, let alone fulfill it, that occupied my mind. When I read the chapter "Impossible with man, Possible with God" from Murray's book, I was delighted to discover that the dilemma I now faced, was recognized way back then. Follow if you will the following excerpt from this chapter: "Just look for a moment at a man who is learning this lesson, 'With man it is impossible to serve God and Christ'. At first he fights against it; then he submits to it, but reluctantly and in despair; at last he accepts it willingly and rejoices in it. At the beginning of the Christian life the young convert has no conception of this truth. He has been converted, he has the joy of the Lord in his heart, he begins to run the race and fight the battle; he is sure he can conquer, for he is earnest and honest, and God will help him. Yet, somehow, very soon he fails where he did not expect it, and sin gets the better of him. He is disappointed; but he thinks: I was not watchful enough, I did not make my resolutions strong enough. And again he vows, and again he prays, and yet he fails. He asks: Am I not a regenerate man? Have I not the life of God within me? And he thinks again: Yes, and I have Christ to help me: I can live the holy life.
'At a later period he comes to another state of mind. He begins to see that such a life is impossible, but he does not accept it. There are multitudes of Christians who come to this point: I cannot; and God never expected me to do what I cannot do. If you tell them that God does expect it, it appears to them a mystery. They do not understand it fully, and so, under the impression, I cannot, they give way to a thought of despair. They will do their best, but they never expect to get very far.
'But God leads His children on to a third stage. When a man comes to take that word, 'It is impossible', in its full truth, and yet at the same time says, 'I must do it, and I will do it - it is impossible for man, and yet I must do it'; ...
'Now comes the second lesson. 'The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.' I have said that many a man who has learned the lesson, 'It is impossible with men', then gives up in despair, and lives a wretched Christian life, without joy, or strength, or victory. And why? Because he does not humble himself to learn that other lesson: 'With God all things are possible'."
This brought confirmation to my own understanding that the concerns I was experiencing, were common among believers - this was greatly encouraging. I knew then that my struggle was not just a personal one, but that this was a common struggle.
In Andrew Murray's book, the solution is presented as dependence upon the power of the Holy Spirit to rule in us, that the self-life shall not have power or dominion over us. It is that which brings us into the 'possible with God' realm. However, he concludes, that the lack within the Church of Christ to be "absolutely surrendered", is why the Holy Spirit cannot fill us, and why we cannot live as a people entirely separated unto the Holy Spirit; and that is why the flesh and the self-life cannot be conquered - because we never understand what it is to be absolutely surrendered to God, as Jesus was.
Now to a large extent this is so true. In the ensuing hundred years the church of Jesus Christ experienced both the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, which effectively restored the prominence and practical outworking of the Holy Spirit in believers' lives. Yet despite this great blessing, the church is by and large still in much the same predicament.
I regard both absolute surrender, and the effective working of the Holy Spirit, to be indispensable for any believer. For these both, to be established within a believer's heart, is essential. However, these two states have long been my experience, yet still the impossibility with man, and the need for God's working the impossible remain. So I knew there must be more to come.
Just prior to the time I read Andrew Murray, around 2004, I began to realize just how prevalent old covenant practices were, within the churches I had some association with. The Holy Spirit was stirring me up, and I became really quite concerned at what was going on. To me it was unmistakable legalism, and not what I wanted my children or anyone searching for God to come under.
From my own endeavours, I started to employ scripture as a diagnostic tool to help identify where old covenant practice was prevalent. Romans 14:17 states, "for the kingdom of God is ... righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." 1 Peter 1:8 talks of believers that, "...rejoice with joy inexpressible..." Jesus said in Matthew 11: 28-30, "Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."So, with these passages in mind, I began asking some of the believers I knew, to rate their daily experience of righteousness, peace, joy, and rest, on a scale of 1 to 10. Unsurprisingly, there were few who could rate either above 5 or 6.
If we are not experiencing righteousness and peace and joy inexpressible on a regular abiding daily basis, we are most probably not experiencing the kingdom of God as we should. More, if we do not have rest in our souls but feel burdened, even if only from time to time, we probably have not fully entered into what Jesus has for us. We are not living the full new covenant experience.
Romans 8:14 states: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." Again, a difficult question arises: "Are we confident, on a regular daily basis, that we are being led by the Spirit of God?" For if we are not, are we even able to claim to be "a child of God"? It is clear from scripture that every believer must not only live in the Spirit but to walk in the Spirit. It is only by engagement with the Spirit of God that we can overcome the failings of our human condition (the flesh and self), and live as we ought to live, as believers and followers of Jesus...
COPYRIGHT: This book and all excerpts are the sole copyright of author Grant Bowater. No reproductions for any purpose may be made without the prior permission of the author obtained in writing.