StriperAddict
Senior Member
President John Kennedy famously declared, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country." That was a great day for America, but a terrible day for the modern mainstream church. Church leaders with sincere intentions and love for God and country began to teach the God-version of Kennedy's line as the Gospel. It isn't even close.
Ask what you can do for your country, absolutely. But ask what you can do for God? "You can do nothing," Jesus said, big, nice-looking piles of nothing. Whatever is apart from Him is nothing. Whatever is not of faith (belief, dependence and trust, all beautifully wrapped in abiding in Christ, as He abides in us) is sin.
You realize that a lot of sin is popular and nice and helpful, right? Yeah. People, including believers, all over the world do awesome stuff for God everyday. But if, "apart from Me," sorry, Charlie, it's nothing.
What can I do for [You] God?
What can our family do for God? What can our church do for God? What can our company do for God? What can our city do for God? What can our country do for God? Nice sentiments, but not biblical prayers.
Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. "You know I do, Lord," and Jesus told Peter, "Feed my sheep." Please note that Peter didn't say, "I'm sorry for what I did. What can I do for You, Lord?" The New Covenant never works that way. Read Hebrews and count the ways that the New is BETTER than the Old. Yes, the Old Covenant was all about what can I/we/they do for God? "What is required of thee?" That was B.C., Before the Cross. After the Cross and that gloriously empty Tomb (His Resurrection) the Grace of the Lord took center stage.
He took me this morning to John6. Verse 40 bowled me over! What a plan! By beholding Jesus and believing on Him, we receive and experience Life, His Life in us, forever! His Finished Work turned the table on us! The Old Covenant was about doing for God. The New Covenant is about what God thru Christ Jesus did, has done, and is continuing to do for, in, and thru us! God for us, not us for God. Christ for us, not us for Him. For, In, and Thru us.
Years ago Father showed us the F-I-T Believer. The one who is trying to do for God is not a fit believer. In fact, he is unfit, and his works, as good-looking as they may be, according to scripture, are dead works. Is it any wonder that the New Covenant message of Grace is despised by many? Brother Yun answered his new American friends, "It is amazing all that you have accomplished without God." He didn't hate what they did. The problem was the way they did it, without dependence on Christ living for, in, and thru them.
How would he know? Who did he think he was?
No, the differences between the Spirit of Christ and the best the flesh has to offer are like night and day, dark, and light, death and life. Have you seen a dead person in a coffin? Dead people can look pretty good, but anyone can tell they're not in their bodies anymore. But far more important than how Yun knew what was what, Father God knows. Jesus knows. Whether we are humbly consenting to Him, or not, He knows. How? He is one with us, and lives in us. And He does not want us doing for Him. He wants us to allow Him to do with us, thru us. It's a much better deal, a better Covenant. It's so much better that, surpringly, many believers say, "No, thanks. My way has been working just fine, thank you." And we bless and pray for them! Jesus isn't mad at them. He doesn't hate their works. There is nothing to hate. Nothing means nothing.
So how do we make sure to stay on the Something Side? Abide means to stay, to stay put, to dwell, to live. He has already done it. It is happening right now. We are abiding in Christ, and He is abiding in us.
"You're kidding! So, you're saying I don't have to ask Him to abide in me? I don't have to do things for Him to get Him to make Him want to live in me and thru me and with me? Well, what about when I leave Him or He leaves me?"
Good News, friend! Those never happen to believers! And because He is our very Life we can relax and rely on Christ in us all the time.
"Rely on Him for what?"
Everything we need for all of life and godliness!
"Really? He does everything FOR US?"
Winner, winner! Chick-fil-A dinner !
=========================
- Used by permission,
Dan Camp
-------------
There is a rest for the people of God. Amen
- Hebrews
Ask what you can do for your country, absolutely. But ask what you can do for God? "You can do nothing," Jesus said, big, nice-looking piles of nothing. Whatever is apart from Him is nothing. Whatever is not of faith (belief, dependence and trust, all beautifully wrapped in abiding in Christ, as He abides in us) is sin.
You realize that a lot of sin is popular and nice and helpful, right? Yeah. People, including believers, all over the world do awesome stuff for God everyday. But if, "apart from Me," sorry, Charlie, it's nothing.
What can I do for [You] God?
What can our family do for God? What can our church do for God? What can our company do for God? What can our city do for God? What can our country do for God? Nice sentiments, but not biblical prayers.
Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. "You know I do, Lord," and Jesus told Peter, "Feed my sheep." Please note that Peter didn't say, "I'm sorry for what I did. What can I do for You, Lord?" The New Covenant never works that way. Read Hebrews and count the ways that the New is BETTER than the Old. Yes, the Old Covenant was all about what can I/we/they do for God? "What is required of thee?" That was B.C., Before the Cross. After the Cross and that gloriously empty Tomb (His Resurrection) the Grace of the Lord took center stage.
He took me this morning to John6. Verse 40 bowled me over! What a plan! By beholding Jesus and believing on Him, we receive and experience Life, His Life in us, forever! His Finished Work turned the table on us! The Old Covenant was about doing for God. The New Covenant is about what God thru Christ Jesus did, has done, and is continuing to do for, in, and thru us! God for us, not us for God. Christ for us, not us for Him. For, In, and Thru us.
Years ago Father showed us the F-I-T Believer. The one who is trying to do for God is not a fit believer. In fact, he is unfit, and his works, as good-looking as they may be, according to scripture, are dead works. Is it any wonder that the New Covenant message of Grace is despised by many? Brother Yun answered his new American friends, "It is amazing all that you have accomplished without God." He didn't hate what they did. The problem was the way they did it, without dependence on Christ living for, in, and thru them.
How would he know? Who did he think he was?
No, the differences between the Spirit of Christ and the best the flesh has to offer are like night and day, dark, and light, death and life. Have you seen a dead person in a coffin? Dead people can look pretty good, but anyone can tell they're not in their bodies anymore. But far more important than how Yun knew what was what, Father God knows. Jesus knows. Whether we are humbly consenting to Him, or not, He knows. How? He is one with us, and lives in us. And He does not want us doing for Him. He wants us to allow Him to do with us, thru us. It's a much better deal, a better Covenant. It's so much better that, surpringly, many believers say, "No, thanks. My way has been working just fine, thank you." And we bless and pray for them! Jesus isn't mad at them. He doesn't hate their works. There is nothing to hate. Nothing means nothing.
So how do we make sure to stay on the Something Side? Abide means to stay, to stay put, to dwell, to live. He has already done it. It is happening right now. We are abiding in Christ, and He is abiding in us.
"You're kidding! So, you're saying I don't have to ask Him to abide in me? I don't have to do things for Him to get Him to make Him want to live in me and thru me and with me? Well, what about when I leave Him or He leaves me?"
Good News, friend! Those never happen to believers! And because He is our very Life we can relax and rely on Christ in us all the time.
"Rely on Him for what?"
Everything we need for all of life and godliness!
"Really? He does everything FOR US?"
Winner, winner! Chick-fil-A dinner !
=========================
- Used by permission,
Dan Camp
-------------
There is a rest for the people of God. Amen
- Hebrews
