Readings for today: 2 Peter 1-3, Psalms 35
Dallas Willard is famous for saying, “Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning.” We have this false idea in the Christian faith that because we are saved by grace through faith that what we do doesn’t matter. Nothing could be further from the truth. I love how 2 Peter describes the dynamic tie between faith and effort. “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins. Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.” (2 Peter 1:3-11 CSB) Yes, God’s divine power has given us everything we need. Yes, we share in God’s divine nature by faith and through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. But rather than create a sense of spiritual complacency in our hearts, these truths should motivate and drive us to build on what God has done. We should make every effort to add or “supplement” our faith with goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly and sisterly affection, and love.
Sadly, I meet far too many Christians who love the truth of Jesus but don’t follow the way of Jesus which is why they don’t experience the life of Jesus. They love what Jesus has done for them. Love what Jesus has accomplished for them. Love the unconditional nature of God’s love and the free gift of God’s grace. But they don’t allow it to change how they live. They don’t seek to align their lives with the life of Jesus. Align their wills with the will of Jesus. Align their hearts with the heart of Jesus. As a result, they never seem to experience victory over sin. They never seem to experience the joy and peace God promises to all who follow Him. They never seem to experience the assurance of God’s forgiveness. It breaks my heart because it’s honestly not complicated. It’s simply putting into place certain practices and attitudes that will change how you live and relate to others. Practices like a weekly Sabbath. A daily devotional time. Regular corporate worship. Attitudes like seeking to serve rather than be served. Seeking to love rather than be loved. Seeking to give rather than receive. Putting the needs of others above our own. These are challenging to be sure but they are not complicated. It simply means living with intentionality. It means waking up each day and determining to live for God rather than for Self.
My life is a testimony of what can happen when we seek to supplement faith with action. I used to be addicted to affirmation. I used to do everything in order to promote myself. I used to live for the praise of others. I used to pursue achievement and success at all costs. This was true even after God got ahold of my heart. Sure, the metrics for success may have changed but my attitude remained the same. Thankfully i was challenged early on by godly mentors to make every effort to build on what God had done for me. So I began chasing humility rather than pride. I traded in my cynicism for hope. I traded in my skepticism for trust. I gave up my anger in favor of peace. I let go of my bitterness in favor of joy. I reprioritized my life. I put God first. My wife second. My children third. My church family fourth. And myself last. I have never regretted it. Not really. Sure, I have my moments where my natural selfishness raises its ugly head but I’ve learned how to quickly pivot away from such thinking in order to love and serve those around me. This way of life does take time to develop. It doesn’t come naturally. We don’t just stumble into it. It’s a long obedience in the same direction. But like any discipline in life, it gets easier and easier over time.
Readings for tomorrow: 1 John 1-2, Psalms 36