Monday: The Divine-Human Combination
What is your greatest accomplishment ever? Chances are, whatever you achieved did not happen simply by your rolling out of bed in the morning. If we want to achieve something worthwhile in this life, it takes time and effort. Our discipleship to Christ is no different.
Read Colossians 1:28-29. Though Paul talks about God working in him, in what ways does he show the human effort also involved? See also Deuteronomy 4:4, Luke 13:24, 1 Corinthians 9:25, Hebrews 12:4.
Image © Jack Purdue at Goodsalt.com
In Colossians 1:29 there is a very interesting insight into the way Paul sees his relationship with God in this work. He says that he is struggling — but with the power of God.
The word for “labor” means to “grow weary,” to “work to the point of exhaustion.” This word was used particularly of athletes as they trained. The word for “struggle,” which comes next, can mean in some languages “to agonize.” So, we have the word picture of an athlete straining with everything to win. But then Paul adds a twist to the idea, because Paul is straining, not with everything he has, but with everything that God gives him. So we are left with a simple conclusion about Paul’s ministry — it was a ministry done with great personal effort and discipline, but done with God’s power. This relationship works in exactly the same way as we pursue the development of Christ’s character in us.
This is important to remember, because we live in a world in which we want more and more with less and less effort. That idea has crept into Christianity, too. Some Christian evangelists promise that if you just believe, the Holy Spirit will fall upon you with amazing supernatural power and perform great miracles. But this can be a dangerous half-truth, because it can lead people to the conclusion that we just need to wait for God’s power to come while sitting comfortably in our seats!
| What is your own experience with the kind of striving Paul talked about? What things has God laid upon your heart that you are struggling with? How can you learn to surrender to God’s will? |
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In one of my classes on Data Structures and Algorithms, the lecturer said something that appeared to contradict something he has said in a previous class. Those were the days when class sizes were small enough to ask the lecturer questions. So I asked him about the apparent contradiction. The rest of the class was a bit aghast that I had the cheek to point out a contradiction, but that was their problem. Turns out that the contradiction was easily explained and we all learned from the answer.
So, today we have the following from Paul:
... and a little bit later, an apparent contradiction.
Are we saved by grace or do we have to fight for it?
The problem is that some of us only read half the story and make the rest up to suit themselves.
If you think that grace means mental assent, and that is it, then you have not read the consequences bit.
Here is an illustration. Its not perfect so don't pick holes in it:
Someone gives me a car and says, "its yours!" What do I do with it? I could take it home and put it in the garage. I could show it to visitors and tell them what a great car I have and all its nice features. Or, I could take it and use it daily to go shopping with Carmel, or take the grandkids to their appointments, and so on. At the end of the day my car would serve a useful purpose as it was intended.
Likewise, grace is not to be put in the garage of life but rather taken out and used (read shared). And that is where the fighting and finishing of the course takes place. Grace that sits on the shelf is not grace. Grace that takes part in battle and is shared freely is essentially what the Gospel is about.
Thank you, Maurice. Again, your analogy is understandable.
Sure, life is a gift! It is given because there is nothing we can do to pay it back. Since it is free, does it mean we don't have to show any gratitude for it? We are all alive because we are granted! Does that mean we can waste this priceless gift as we wish? God is so loving that with this awesome present He also offers us the freedom of choice, to do whatever we want with it! Unfortunately, because we misunderstand His limitless love we choose wrong and degenerate so fast! Now, instead of just taking back what is given us, He himself offers us something even more precious, His only Son, in order to buy us back from "our own selves"! Really, there is nothing we can do to pay for this Grace. At this point, our "inevitable" God also grants us with some more New Instructions, reminding us every day that all things can be taken for free, while happiness is achieved when we freely choose to offer them back to the Giver!
Study asks:
What is your own experience with the kind of striving Paul talked about !
Answer-
Romans 7:
5:When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.
6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.
NLT version.
Our cognitive, rational minds are a wonderful gift from our creator, made to be in his image (qualities of character, and godly motivation) above all creatures/creations, In the kingdom of the Son of his love.
Our minds are the control center that rule our actions in our body members. (Besides involuntary movements)
In our disconnect from the presence of God through Holy Spirit, because of Adam and Eve's dis-inheritance of the Spirit, we have no compass, no light to guide us, no relationship with a loving Father, we are spiritual orphans and spiritually dead.
Our minds absorb all the signals through our thoughts from nefarious sources and through our selfishness.
However, through the great gift that Christ Jesus (as the second Adam) give us his inheritance of the Holy Spirit and fellowship in adoption.
Ephesians 1:2-23,
Colossians 1:27
Once are minds are focused on our need for the Spirit, like beggars, for the free gift of Spirit of God, our motivations have a fighting chance to fight all the other signals bombarding our minds.
What dominates my/our mind, will control our actions in our bodies.
Let us be dead to sin, and live in the Spirit.
It's a life time challenge in santification.
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints
Ephesains 1:18
Shalom in Christ 🙏
Keep on trucking (meme)
How I see yesterday's lesson and today's: Work of the Holy is to show me my weaknesses. It is my duty also to ensure that I change.
Praise God, without the crucibles, I am not able to see the work of the Holy Spirit and my efforts to change.
I am glad to see today's lesson touching on the concept of the Divine-human combination. The vital necessity of this combination is due to at least two core reality aspects:
1) Salvation is actual restoration of us back again in harmony with God's original design (which alone is capable of fostering true/abundant living). Thus our nature and character (who we are and how we live) needs to be rebuilt back to once again being in harmony with that original design. This is also known as being transformed into (or back to) Christ-likeness.
2) Because that original design inherently requires (a) existence and preservation of freedom-based love (beneficence), and (b) actual re-development of our nature and character, we necessarily need to both consent to God's initiative to restore us and co-participate in that initiative.
Paul also describes the Divine-human combination in Philippians 2:12-13 where He acknowledges that it is God who takes the lead to rebuild us (via His Holy Spirit) and makes provision for all the resources needed for that rebuild - including awakening our desire to want to be rebuilt and provision of the energising to participate in the rebuilding activities. However, unless we both consent to and draw upon all that God provides, we will not participate in the necessary 'workout' process and therefore will not grow and re-develop back to Christlikeness.
Unfortunately, at times the 'workout' is exhausting. However, God has promised that He will be with us every step of the way (Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 28:20), that He will provide all that we need (Philippians 4:13,19), and therefore that we will be able to do what is needed (1 Corinthians 10:13).
I, indeed, am a person of action... I always try to do things, instead of waiting for others to do them. Thus, I make a lot of mistakes. Because only God is the One Who makes everything perfect! My own actions are frail. I have to learn that the master is the One Who sets up the rhythm and order in which things may orderly happen! I have to do my part and let the Lord finish the work. The miracle is up to Him, I may only be used through the work.
In answer to the kind of striving Paul talked about, I remember hearing the word to love my enemies and do good to those who hurt me in the Beatitudes. I purposely chose God's way over what I felt in my heart because I was getting to know Him and His ways were best. I now choose to do something nice for the people who keep hurting me. It was a struggle at first. The more I chose this course of action, the more my heart had changed; and I found myself wanting to actually love them in spite of what they were doing to me. I found that my love for God was greater than my own desires. This has to be the Holy Spirit's work in me! He keeps renewing my mind every day.
To answer your question let me say we are saved by grace through faith which is a gift of God, though Jesus had to die for our salvation to give it as a gift. Jesus expects us to make an effort to maintain the gift.
Paul says now after I have told you all of this about salvation being free, does not mean you go out and sin. Romans 6:1-3. No, Jesus said, "if you love me keep my commandments." John 14:15. Reiterated by all of His apostles. Jesus said in a parable of the talents, Matthew 25:14-30. Christ gives us life it is up to us to maintain it and share it. Like Maurices Trooper that was for illistration purposes given to him, the giver was not expected to maintain it. Now Christ goes one step further and gives us the desire and power to use it. Philippians 2:13. He gives, we are to utilize the gift.
There is not one I have talked to, who argues for salvation being free by faith alone who when I question them agrees that they also obey the laws of God.
When we get to heaven we will say it was worth it. It was worth accepting the gift and maintaining it.
Now let me say this we are not working to maintain our salvation we are working for Christ. It is all about our attitude, our prospective.
I admit I don't have an answer that fully satisfys. I do like Larry's in Romans 7 also. I am willing to wait until heaven to fully understand. In the interm I am going to continue to maintain a relationship with Christ and let Him work out the details. Hebrews 13:20-21.
Where in the Old Testament" do we have examples of "resisting unto blood against sin?" And why does Paul compare working for God as going after an "imperishable crown?" And why does Paul even bring in the idea of going after a "Perishable crown" at all?
Hi Pete
My 2 cents...
As Regards blood.
Satan was NOT allowed to kill job, not spill his *life sustaining blood* .
God's law of justice is a life for a life.
The precious #divine life# of Christ incarnate was a judicial act of God's divine justice to himself, since God has to be consistant with his #own divine nature#.
2 Corinthians 5:19
19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to #himself#
And
Colossians 1:20
20 and through him to reconcile #everything# to #himself# whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his #blood#, shed on the cross.
So, Based on Christ's divine life, he redeemed a fallen mortal creation to a new eternal creation, not just one man's mortal life for a another mortal life existence.
As Regards the imperishable crown of life?
It's the hope of mankinds glory as images of God's nature in immortal bodies.
Romans 8:18-37
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.
21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the #glorious freedom of God’s children#
Do you not consider immortality as an imperishable crown for a moral creature like us, made of clay ?
Keep on trucking (meme)
👍🏻🙏
We cannot earn salvation, but we are to seek for it with as much interest and perseverance as though we would abandon everything in the world for it. Proverbs 8:17. Amos 5:4. Jeremiah 29:13.
Yes I know this is talking around your question, but I do believe it is a good answer, because if we seek Him diligently and make an effort as the author suggests above with 4 texts, we will live and not have to experience the second death. Actually Paul's fight was quite the contrary, Paul's fight from sin was turning it over to Christ. Romans 7:4. You would agree that with our human nature it is an effort. Last week we studied four men in the old testement that turned the the fight over to God to avoid disobeying God and/or cursing God.
Other Old Testement has the sacrifice of the Lamb.
Brother Pete, I'm thinking of Able, Moses, Elijah, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego and Isaiah among many others.
Paul was using athletes as an object lesson. The winner received a Laurel wreath which obviously faded after a while but Jesus gives His followers a crown of life.
1Cor 9:24-26ISV, 2Tim 4:8, James 1:12, 1Peter 5:4
Pete !
OT sacrifices are only shadows, types, pointing to the divine Lamb of God
Revelation 5:1-14
lamb 7 Spirits. Embodiement of Fullness of divine nature.
The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?” says the LORD. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
Isaiah 1:11
Hebrews 10:8-16
8 After he says above, You did not desire or delight in sacrifices and offerings, whole burnt offerings and sin offerings (which are offered according to the law),
9 he then says, See, I have come to do your will. He takes away the first to establish the second.
God Works, We Rest. Let me explain…
Rest does not mean, “to do nothing.” It means, “to do no work thinking it is contributing to our salvation.” Rest means to receive not earn. Rest is assurance, work is insurance; as if God’s grace isn’t enough and we need some emergency funds just in case the check doesn’t clear. We have an inheritance not an occupation. We have a relationship not a business partner.
In this Divine-human combination, while the Divine works, we are to work tirelessly on not depending on self. This is not an easy task, but the equation is simple: Get out of the way. However, our culture/society has conditioned us to work first, and then receive the reward later. But God in His counter-cultural ways, says, “I reward you FIRST, NOW work. It will probably take a lifetime to get this drilled in our minds. A daily morning dose of death will sure help, and if you’re like me, you may need a moment by moment death.
We are not to bring our own tools to build our temple. Christ has given us His temple which was destroyed and resurrected and is impenetrable. If we allow Him, the Holy Spirit will do routine maintenance, security checks and upgrades as needed when our own works defiles the temple.
We do have a work to do, and it is Rest.
The idea of "rest" came as a blessing to me when a sister, at our Sabbath School Class, indicated how God made the "night" part of the day first and then came the "Day" part of it to then call a "day" by the "night" first (evening) then the "Day" part came after (morning) to call a total day "Evening and morning." So the idea of rest then came from her as God making a day "Night" first for rest for us to then go for the "Morning" part of the day to then prepare us with 12 hours of night for us to rest then go on with 12 hours of daylight to work for Him and bless others that way with daylight energies after "night time rest" first. I had been having trouble sleeping until that time that she shared this idea of "night" rest for the day and then "morning" day time with energies of the day to work and bless for God and neighbors. Then, a brother, (SDA Christian) shared how Psalm 63:5,6 helped him to sleep when this Psalm indicated to him that he could seek God when he was trying to sleep and could not. Since then, this Psalm also helps me to sleep whenever I cannot sleep at night along with the idea that "the night" is for the purpose of us getting the "night rest" first before we go on to do the "days work" for God and neighbors.
If I was blessed with brilliance and could invent a complex creation that had specific purpose, would I then not be considered an expert in that particular device? And if I decided to use my kitchen food processor as a unit for mixing cement, would I not be considered a fool? My point is merely this: We humans all have a Creator, a Power that wired us together, designed our DNA and wrote the instruction book on how we should be oiled, cleaned and maintained for maximum efficiency. Rather unfortunately, we too often want to take the controls and determine how best to use this amazing privilege of life.
God, our designer and manufacturer, knows how best to use our gifts and privileges to produce the highest degree of efficiency. We can of course override “His” intent, ignore “His” instruction and mock “His” advice, but usually, at our own peril and thereby miss out on our true purpose.
IF we choose to align our motives and life to that of Christ’s will, we will be blessed with the peace, contentment and joy that our Designer intended for not only this life but for all of eternity. It is the reason why we have soaring stories of inspiration of those who are the poorest, most afflicted and victims of the greatest atrocities overcoming their worldly trials and maintaining hope. Jonah 2:8 states rather simply “Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies.” Yes, life is our will and choice, but when aligned to God’s will, we can truly find purpose and hope in this difficult world...
Shalom
Hi Samuel
Welcome and thanks for joining in the conversation. Hopefully we will get to see more contributions from you across time as you are able...