A Heavenly Treasure – by Glenna Salsbury
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”
~ James 4:7, 8
In addition to these exhortations from James, we could add hundreds of others from the Old and New Testament. “Pray without ceasing.” (I Thessalonians 5:18) “Quench not the Spirit.” (I Thessalonians 5:190 “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (I Thessalonians 5:22) “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord…”. (James 4:10)
You, no doubt, can think of many others. Don’t be envious. Give your money cheerfully, don’t gossip or backbite. Don’t judge. Obey the laws of the land. Love your wives. Submit to your husband. Don’t lose your temper. Be kind, gentle, patient, longsuffering.
Are you exhausted yet? Depressed? Feeling hopeless, condemned, sinful, a bit of a failure? If your answer is yes then you would be normal. As believers, even though we think we understand the grace of God, the exhortations from the Word often create extreme discomfort in us. Why is that?
St. Augustine wrote, “God has given us commands that we cannot perform in order that we might know what to ask of Him.” In other words, the Lord has outlined the daily attitudes and practical actions that He has designed to bring us the greatest peace and joy as we are on this planet. Yet our flesh often rebels against these exhortations because our flesh is focused on the lusts of this world, the pride of life. As believers, our only response is to confess the weakness of our flesh, and ask for the strength of His Spirit in us to lead us into the life of true joy and peace.
There is another response to these exhortations, other than rebellion, which is equally dangerous. Many believers think that through “self-effort and discipline” they are capable of living the daily Christian life. And, if they are successful in being outwardly obedient, humble, etc., they often become proud of their own performance and very judgmental of those who, in their eyes, are failing to live the life of a believer. This, of course, is just another form of sin.
The question may then arise, “Well, then, how do you know that your obedience is in the pride of the flesh or the work of the Spirit?” Here’s how we know. There is no good thing in us. (Romans 3:10-20) And Jesus said, “Without me, you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) If any good thing is unfolding in our lives it is His work, not ours. His grace keeps us from falling. Every good gift (patience, love, longsuffering) comes down from the Father above. (James 1:17) Therefore, whenever we are walking in the Spirit it is a result of His power and His grace. We cannot take credit for one ounce of obedience and right living. And the Lord has a reason for that. He does not want to share His glory. “He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” (I Corinthians 1:30)
There is another powerful, yet rarely understood, truth about all these exhortations to righteousness which abound in the word. There is transforming power in their very existence. The Scripture says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)
The true meaning of hearing is to hear in one’s heart and to obey. When we are exposed to the Word of God the Word is anointed with power and actually transforms us. We experience the faith, the power, the ability to respond (response – ability) because of the hidden power in God’s Word. It is manna, the daily provision by which we are empowered to be obedient and to walk in the Spirit.
Prayer
Lord, give us the grace to come to You and to Your Word, day by day. May Your name be glorified.
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