tjservant wrote:I sometimes hear folks talk about their salvation and they use the word “I” a lot more than they use the word “Him”. This scares me. It sometimes seems like the folks that see themselves as having played a part in their salvation, also see themselves as playing a part in keeping it. Where as the folks that claim no part in their salvation see themselves as having no part in keeping it. This is definitely not always the case but I certainly do encounter it.
The key seems to be knowing God's part, and our part, and then allowing God to do His part, while not neglecting our part. It would seem that our part is one of depending on Him, period. The matter would be one of [b]avoiding[/b] taking up our right to strive to be holy, to be the judge of our own conduct, and executor of our own punishment, for these are the task of God alone.
To live like this would be to risk total failure, if God were not in control. We exhibit this by [b]acknowledging our sins[/b] as being ours, by [b]prayer[/b] and by [b]receiving forgiveness[/b]. Although these seem like we are [b]doing[/b] something, in the final analysis, the opposite is actually the case.
We "confess (acknowledge) our sins" knowing that "[b]He[/b] is faithful and just to forgive...and cleans...". The focus is His response, to our admission of failure. We "ask, seek and knock", as an expression of our comprehension of [b]His[/b] activity. Fact is, He often "answers our prayer", even when we haven't prayed, so it obviously isn't the actual "prayer" that moves God.
The last is a little more tricky to grasp, because it touches on a little Psychology (bear with me a moment:-)). Last night I met a men, who was a professing believer, and yet was drunk. He was feeling incredible shame over this, because he had intended to witness to his friend that night. He was by no means a "rolling drunk", but had simply had two drinks too many, due to not paying attention. His sin, if any, was one of "cautiouslessness" or an absence of "self-control".
By His grace, the Lord provided him with three Christians, who were wandering the city, look for "the one" that He would have them witness to...that being us. I noticed that this man seemed to have a barrage of explanations about his activity, with each statement beginning with, "I don't know why I do this, but..." After a little while, I said to his, "You know why you do it. You do it because you want to, and that's the problem."
He then went on to say, "You might be looking at me now, drunk, and think so and so about me...", to which I responded, "No. That's between you and God. All I see, is someone who is conscious of his sin, and yet is hiding behind excuses, rather than trusting God to cleanse him." He then began to say a lot of "How can I continue in sin, when Christ died for me.." kind of stuff, to which I responded, "Christ died for the sin you committed tonight, to for someone who hadn't sinned. The problem is, having confessed your sin, you are denying His forgiveness by all your self-abasement. He has cast your sin as far as from the "east is from the west", who are you to see it any differently. That is your sin."
After all, what is the difference between being forgiven of a sin committed five minutes ago, and the sin committed five years ago? Nothing whatsoever. Either we are forgiven or we are not. It does not come in increments.
To endure the shame of needing to be forgiven, produces the kind of brokeness that God requires in us to deliver us from sin. Our self-exertion counteracts this process. Our Saviour, when faced by jeers to come down from the cross, having been "made sin" to be there, endured it, until the death. Likewise we are to "take up our cross", and to "abide in the vine" before we can produce fruit. A branch does nothing but remain stationary to abide. Consider this in light of the exhortations in Scripture, like "Be still and know that I am God".
Fear produced out of the shame of holding onto a sense of guilt, which has been removed by the blood of Jesus, is the ultimate enemy of faith, because it is betrays of a belief that God is not as faithful as 1 John 1:9 clearly states. This may not seem serious, but Scripture defines sin as that which is not faith.
This is not to be mistaken with the kind "pop psychology" that aims to convince the sinner that they have done no wrong, but trusting that God has done His part, in response to us doing our part, living out our Christian walk spontaneously, out of a clear conscience. Ultimately, abiding in Christ is the only way that one can be assured of "remaining saved". To paraphrase Norman Grubb, Christianity is not about about consecration and maintenance, it's about [b]being[/b] consecrated and [b]being[/b] maintained.
