SPIRITUAL FAKING (GALATIANS 5:6 & ROMANS 14:23)
"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love." Galatians 5:6
"But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin." Romans 14:23
The Lord has been peeling back layer after layer, scale after scale. It's difficult to know what to write and that's why I haven't in a couple days. It's not that there wasn't anything new to write; it's just that I wanted to be sure that what I did write was glorifying to God. I don't really care if I'm misunderstood. What God has been doing in my life these past two weeks especially can only be characterized as a watershed in my walk with Him. As a result, I'm praying and waiting for the right words to describe what is happening. He is teaching me that I don't necessarily have to emote about every single detail. What I need to do is listen to Him (His word), rely on the Spirit's guidance and share only what He wants me to share, when He wants me to share it.
So, what do I mean by spiritual faking? For all my spiritual life I've had a zeal for knowledge. I loved learning new things. And as I said before, if I admired someone's method I tried to implement for me. Guess what? Failure. Duh! One example -- I've always felt like a failure in evangelism because I never had success using XYZ method, whether it be The Four Spiritual Laws, The Bridge, etc. I would go into relationships with this method as my 'god' and if the results didn't follow (i.e. decision for Christ, ask me questions about my faith, etc.) I felt like a failure. The Lord is graciously and sensitively showing me how stupid I've been. I've been married to the method and as a result come off like a fake. Because I was looking at people through a certain lense or paradigm or whatever, I never really saw them! I was only looking at them as a statistic or a notch on my spiritual belt, a potential jewel in my crown. Wow, how humbling this has been, but wonderfully freeing at the same time!!! I'm asking God to work according to His ways, in His time, for His glory. I'm praying these words all the time (they may sound corny but I don't care) - "Lord, may my words be few, and may they be of You."
Back to the verses I quoted. I have been living by faith, but not faith in God, in the knowledge that He will be exalted in the nations and in the earth. I have been living by faith in my puny Meredith-centered methods. And as a result I come across as a fake. These past two weeks I have lived in so much freedom I cannot describe it. Scripture I've read for years is coming alive and sins I've struggled with for so long are just falling off me like dead weight. This verse is especially coming alive for me - "He who has foujnd his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it." Matthew 10:39
Later I want to write about how I've been a spiritual polygamist. I've been married to my laws, my way of seeing the world, my theology, etc. But for now my kids and I need to scale Mt. Washmore.
6 comments:
Maybe a copy of THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD by A.W.Pink would be useful to you. (Written in 1928)
"The average evangelical pulpit conveys the impression that it lies wholly in the power of the sinner whether or not he shall be saved. It is said that, "God has done His part, now man must do his." Alas, what CAN a lifeless man do, and man by nature is "DEAD in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1)! If the truth were believed, there would be more dependence upon the Holy Spirit to come in with His miracle-working power, and less confidence in OUR attempts to "win men for Christ."
When addressing the unsaved, preachers often draw an analogy between God's sending of the Gospel to the sinner, and a sick man in bed, with the healing medicine on a table by his side: all he needs to do is reach forth in his hand and take it. But in order for this illustration to be in any wise true to the picture which the Scripture gives us of the fallen and depraved sinner, the sick man in bed must be described as one who is blind (Eph. 4:18) so that he cannot see the medicine, his hand paralysed (Rom. 5:6) so that he is unable to reach forth for it, and his heart not only devoid of all confidence in the medicine but filled with hatred against the physician himself (John 15:18). O what superficial views of man's desperate plight are now entertained! Christ came here not to help those who were willing to help themselves, but to do for His people what they were incapable of doing for themselves.
Hey there, Mere,
I would add to Anonymous that even indeed, the man on the table would be *DEAD* and completely unable to reach forth to grab anything (because we were dead in our transgressions).
Thank you anonymous for the quote and your comments. I do agree with Karen that the picture painted in the Scripture is one of death and a total inability even to hear, understand, see, respond, etc. I won't go into a diatribe about the five points, etc. Now's not the time and I am woefully equipped to try to describe the ways of God with my own human words.
What is cool is that the Lord has been teaching me that even though pulpits may be preaching this (and yes, there are times we need to correct them, but only under the direction of the Spirit. Plus I need to be praying for these pulpits a lot more than talking probably) Psalm 46:10 is still true. "Cease striving and knkow that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." And He doesn't depend on me spouting my point of view to get this accomplished.
Blessings
I forgot to put the entire quote from the book in quotations.......that's all A.W. Pink. Not my words at all.....but I agree with them all.
I'm not at all interested in starting a "diatribe".
I hope Anonymous doesn't think I've started something...I just wanted to add to what s/he said. When I've heard Pink's writings quoted, I've found him to be kindred in thought and theology. No bashing you, Anonymous, or Pink from me!
Hey, no harm no foul. I doubt I'm gonna go off on a diatribe much any more. Please Lord, don't let me :)
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