Established By Grace

“Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.” (2Th 2:16-17 AV)

 

Much of our preaching offers practical advice and steps to take in order to be successful in life and live for the glory of God.  This is great.  We need pragmatic plans in order to be more like Christ.  However, what is often missing is the doctrine of God’s grace and empowerment in the process of living for Him.  Paul states,  “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Php 2:13 KJB).  The understanding is as the Spirit of God gives physical life and it is by the Spirit we move and have our being, the same is true of our spiritual walk.  No one, by a mere thought or attitude of self-will can make his or her heart beat, or lungs expand.  No one can, as an independent act of the will, force the brain to send impulses to control involuntary muscle movement that keeps us alive.  A force outside of our own will is what keeps us alive.  In the same sense, to live spiritually the same principle applies.  It is the work and ministry of God that enables us to live in the light of God’s word.  It is He that gives us the will to do that which is right.  We do not possess this on our own.  When we rely solely on our strength, we will fail every time.  I like the word ‘stablish’ above.  This means ‘to settle’.  To be a permanent part of who and what we are.  If we are failing, it is because we are not established by the good hope through grace.  This is where all battles for the LORD start and end.

Our whole lives revolve around what we attempt and what we can accomplish.  My wife and I are trying to diet.  We are finding that if we rely solely on our own willpower, we fail.  There are simply too many temptations out there for the human will to ignore.  There are many options out there.  There are Weight Watchers, Keto, Paleo, and Atkins all telling us how to eat.  We have gone to a nutritionist.  Our doctors get on us.  Lord willing, I may even try Noom.  But the bottom line is, unless I rely on the Holy Spirit first and foremost, no matter what I try, I will fail.  There must be help outside of myself for this to be successful.  The human interface of intervention is a great tool.  They attempt to do what the Holy Spirit also does.  They are a voice of rebuke and encouragement.  The will is not strong enough.  Mere willpower simply cannot overcome the temptations at hand.  Trying to succeed in our strength is like willing our hearts to beat or stop.  It is simply impossible.

Many believers give up on a separated and god-honoring life because of failure.  They have repented and rededicated their lives countless times.  The desire to do right is there.  But the willpower to succeed is not.  Again, Paul says,  “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” (Ro 7:18 KJB)  Paul knew his Bible.  He knew Moses could not lead his people to safety.  It took the mighty hand of God to part the Red Sea.  Joshua knew he could never take a defended city.  It was the hand of God that brought down the walls of Jericho.  David knew he could miss as much as he could hit the giant.  But it was the power of God that led that stone to the exact spot that killed the giant on impact.  Gideon, of all people, knew he didn’t have a prayer against an army 100 times larger than his.  So, the LORD sent a spirit of terror among Israel’s enemies that resulted in complete defeat.  Time and again the Old Testament saint learned he could do very little to affect the will of God in his life.  He was wholly and completely reliant on the miraculous hand of God. We are no less in the same predicament.  We may not have a sea to part, a giant to kill, a city to conquer, or an army to defeat, but our adversaries are no less overwhelming.  The world, the flesh, and the Devil all conspire to bring us to utter ruin, and only by the work of the Holy Spirit can we hope to get through each battle on victor’s ground.