putting God to the test

In the wilderness Satan tempted Jesus to jump off the pinnacle of the Temple, since God had promised that he would send his angels to rescue his servant, so that none of them would dash their foot against a stone. I know Jesus was going through the same temptations as Israel of old, but unlike them, he was succeeding as the true Israelite, the unique son of God. At the same time we in Jesus live in many ways parallel to his days then. Notice Jesus' answer: "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" (from Deuteronomy 6:16)

We are all tempted, and sometimes we think it's okay to give in in little ways. We know God is a god of grace and there is always forgiveness, and that no matter what we do, God has promised never to leave us nor forsake us (though we very well, in our sin, may be leaving him). And somehow we believe that we need something that God has not given us. So that in effect we are doubting God's goodness and provision for us.

But the heads up here is that we must beware of putting God to the test. We can test and try God by our sin. When we make decisions that are questionable at best we do what Jesus refused to do: we jump off the high place and think there will be little or no consequences. God may give us what we want, but send judgment or discipline on us because he wants us to repent.

In what ways might we be putting God to the test? Is it presumptive on our part to assume that God will bless our disobedience, even in little things? Do we see that when we do this we are in effect doubting God's goodness and provision to us?

no condemnation

We are told that for us in Christ Jesus, there is no condemnation. This is because Jesus took our just condemnation on himself when he died on the cross for our sins. So that we can go away, free from guilt by the forgiveness of our sins, and free to live a new life in Jesus by the Spirit. It's interesting how this passage ties the new life we're to live out by the Spirit along with Christ's death for us. Yes, in Jesus we're no longer condemned, but we're to live out that life of no condemnation.

Over my life, even as a Christian, I've experienced many days in which I've felt condemnation. I've learned not to accept that so that those days have become less and less. I do have days in which the Lord is dealing with me in loving discipline. There is a big difference. We in Jesus must reject all condemnation, even if there is truth in the accusations to our hearts. Instead we must learn to rest in God, and seek the justification through Christ, which brings us peace no matter what.

I am glad God deals with me as one of God's children. So I don't accept the feeling of condemnation, even when I can't shake it. I simply seek to rest in God, and in the truth I find in God through faith in Jesus. The Spirit brings conviction to us, but not condemnation. A conviction over sin which helps us one step at a time deal with it in accepting God's forgiveness, making a clean break of it, while making appropriate restitution. Or, as in many times in my life, calling Satan's bluff, and standing on the truth that my sin is forgiven.

One other thing: Condemnation is on us and usually is hazy, whereas God's conviction on us is over our sin and is specific. And condemnation results in or would push us toward death, while conviction helps us find forgiveness and life in Jesus.

What thoughts on this would you like to add here?

trials

Yesterday was as good for me, as the day before was bad. Good to have those days of laying down in green pastures and being led by still waters, in having our souls restored and refreshed by the Shepherd of our souls.

I was wondering why all "hell" so to speak had broken loose the day before. I was trying to understand before God just where I had went wrong, why God's disciplining hand was evidently at work in my life. 

There is mystery we can't unravel in our troubles. Just living in a fallen world, and seeking to truly follow God in this world brings all the troubles one might imagine. Of course we are told to accept all hardship as discipline from our Father's loving hand for our good.

I think it's key to learn to embrace the good and the bad. All God sends or allows to come our way. I don't mean we're to accept the flaming arrows of the evil one. Not at all. We have the shield of faith to fend those off, etc. But we have to arm ourselves to suffer in our bodies for our faith, just as Christ did, Peter tells us. And we have to remember that troubles beset us for a number of reasons. Just a cursory, quick glance at Job and others in Scripture makes that perfectly evident. But that God is doing his great, mysterious work in it all. Not Satan, or our own doings to our undoing. God is great and good and sovereign in it all.

And we must remember, to whom God entrusts much God gives much. But for us to be like Christ in this world will involve suffering. Some of the "richest" saints/Christians I know are those who have suffered and are suffering the most. So that in the end, along with the apostle Paul we can say that we worked hard, but not us, but the grace of God with us.

What would you like to add to these scattered thoughts on trials?

the gentle breeze of God

After a day which I interpreted as the hand of God on me for needed discipline, a difficult day indeed, yesterday was quite the opposite. It was like a gentle breeze engulfing one and changing the atmosphere inside and out. The life-giving, life-changing, grace-filled presence of the Spirit of God.

We need the hard days at times. Sometimes we need a good glimpse at ourselves. Or we just need some discipline from the Lord's hand. Such days prepare us for better days. We are humbled and seek to be repentant and really live out a repentant life. That is all part of the work of the Spirit for us as well. God doesn't let us go by the wayside when we go off the way of Jesus. And this is not only a "me and God" thing, but involves fellowship in the community of God in Jesus.

So it was a wonderful day. Those two days contrasted side by side something for me to remember. Most days have their ups and downs. But regardless, I want to learn to live more and more in the presence of God. And just rest in that presence, while growing and continuing to meet the challenges that come before me.

Of course I won't arrive. I'll have other times when God needs to get through to me over something. In small ways perhaps daily. But I'm speaking of obvious wrongs which God brings to our attention.

The gentle breeze of God. We are thankful for "the disturbing and comforting presence of the Spirit of God." (The Holy Spirit, by F. LeRon Shults and Andrea Hollingsworth, 10)

What would you like to add to this?

birth pangs

Of course I have no idea what it means to have birth pangs in delivering a baby. Paul, of course, didn't either, but it didn't keep him from using such language in describing his deep concern and agony over the Galatian professing believers, who were being moved away from the grace that is in Jesus. In my own way, at different places, at various times, I too have agonized, though not as much for others as I would like to be the case. But oftentimes over my own life, and over life itself. It seemed just too heavy to carry, and I felt too far gone to continue going.

Enter in again, Paul's analogy of birth pangs, or travailing in birth. Personal, and in this case until Christ is formed in me. There are those issues which, if we don't meet them with faith, in the truth and love of Jesus, can become problems in which we become the problem. Enter in God's discipline. Though in love, it can be quite unpleasant, hopefully not for those around us, but certainly so, for us.

When a woman has birth pangs, of course it's not good in itself. But it is good and necessary, to help the baby be born. So the mother does what she has to do and in the end, it's more than worth all the pain and discomfort she experienced. True with us as well. When we have to go through those periods of deep anguish so that ultimately Christ might be formed in us, and our lives might be not just ourselves, but Christ living in us, we then need to be willing, and even more than willing to go through such unpleasantries, and even inward horrors and decimations.

Maybe I'm going overboard in the descriptions used, but I'm reminded of our Lord's words to Peter, about the disciples at the time of Jesus' trial and crucifixion. Satan desired to sift them like wheat, but Jesus had prayed for them, and when Peter had repented, he was to strengthen his brothers. Certainly Satan sifting us like wheat sounds like no fun at all. But our Lord is praying for us. We need to hang in there, work through the birth pangs and all that comes with it. And see, in the end, God's good will begin to be formed in us, through Jesus.

Again, hazy. Something of what I went through just yesterday. Don't know all the details of it, myself, though I know enough and the Lord knows all, of course. But true for all of us, at times.

May it be, more and more in my case a matter, not over myself, but like Paul, over others, for Jesus' sake. May I experience, in reality, something of these birth pangs so that Christ might be formed, not just in me, but in others.

What might you like to add to this?

Tomorrow: "Goldsworthy's Wall - sacrifice" from L.L. Barkat's book: Stone Crossings: Finding Grace in Hard and Hidden Places