I once had a class in high school that was well beyond my ability. I had hopes of going into aeronautical engineering (building airplanes and rockets and space ships), but that required a ton of skill in high level math. I was a good math student, but in my senior year, I hit calculus. Well, not only couldn't I do the computations I was asked to do; I did not understand what the heck we were even talking about. And I knew right there that I needed to pursue a different career.
If we wanted to earn our way to heaven, all we have to do is be good. Well, that's not exactly true. In Matthew 5:20, Jesus tells us, "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." How righteous is THAT? Well, the Pharisees were people who lived up to the letter of the Jewish law. Every detail. They were sticklers for it. So how can we be more righteous than that? Jesus would go on to give six examples of what this would look like - each time taking an Old Testament example and expanding it to include our attitudes, our thoughts, and our desires. And then He summed it up in Matthew 5:48, saying, "Therefore you are to be perfect, as you heavenly Father is perfect."
In other words, if we want to earn our way into heaven, all we need to be is perfect.
Well, who can do that? Nobody, of course. It's impossible to be perfect. To be totally sinless in our actions, our thoughts, our desires, and our attitudes.
Even as Christians who have been forgiven by Jesus Christ face an impossible task - obeying God's every command. Our eternal life is not based on performance, but nonetheless the Bible is full of dos and don'ts. Nobody can keep them all.
The Apostle John understood this. And he wanted to remind us that God Himself provides us with the power to obey Him.
31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
I want to focus on verses 34 and 36.
In verse 36, John says that whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever does not obey the Son will not. Why does it say "believe" and then "obey"? Here's why. There's a real connection between belief and obedience to God. You see, while we talk all the time about Christianity not being about performance, there ARE lots of commands in the Bible. Lots of things we are supposed to do, and lots of things we are supposed to NOT do.
What are some things we're supposed to DO and NOT do?
Is it possible to live up to these expectations? Why not?
Religion tells us that the way to eternal life is to do what God wants you to do (obedience). Christianity says that no amount of doing what God wants you to do can erase our fundamental problem of sin, but it DOES say that we should do what God wants us to do. But obedience FOLLOWS salvation; it does not precede it.
So we ought to obey God and live the Christian life as He wants us to, but it's really hard. Thankfully, our eternal life is not based on it; rather, it comes as a result of our having eternal life.
And in verse 34, John gives us the key to success: It's found in the power to live this life, which is the Holy Spirit. In verse 34, we read that God has given those who believe the "Spirit without measure". That is, the fullness of God dwelling inside each believer. That's an amazing thing, and it's this power that we have access to in order to live as God calls us to live.
Discussion
1. What is the difference between a view of good works leading to salvation, and salvation leading to good works?
2. Why is it so hard to do the things that God calls us to do?
3. Consider these three passages and discuss how they relate to us trying to live the Christian life:
- Romans 8:26 - "In the same way, the Spirit helps us with our weaknesses"
- Ephesians 3:20-21 - "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
- Acts 1:8 - "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
4. We live in the power of God's Spirit through faith, not by "trying harder". Galatians 3:1-4 says, "1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? 4 Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?"
When we accept that we cannot merit God's favor by good works, but that it is a gift of God received by faith, we acknowledge that we need to rely on Him. Paul here is saying that the Galatians got that, but then fell back into the old way of thinking, that living the Christian life is to be lived in our own effort. Why is it always a challenge for us to not fall back into performance-based thinking?
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