Help or Rescue?
This Sunday, I preached about the call to patience and endurance from Colossians 1.1-14. After Paul outlines that the gospel should be bearing fruit in the lives of believers, and calling them to patience and endurance, he observes that God has “delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son” (v. 13). I think it’s important to notice a few features of this verse.
First, God is the one acting. He does it, not us. He has delivered us. We were trapped in darkness, but now through Jesus we have been rescued from that oppression, and given to Jesus, his beloved Son. Secomd, the verb is in the past (aorist) tense. This denotes a completed action. This rescue…this solution to our problem is not something that we do. It’s not even something in which we participate. It is something that has been done to us and for us.
This is crucial, because we have a tendency to emphasize what we should do. But the emphasis in this verse is on us knowing what has been done (by someone else). Romans 4 emphasizes that the decisive factor in our relationship with God is not our work, what we do. Instead, it is Jesus’ work, upon which we rest. It’s not that what we do is unimportant. However, the Scripture clearly emphasizes that the most important thing is what he has done. What we do should flow from that. So unless we grasp what he has done, we will never do what we are called to.
What we do is a result of Jesus’ work in us. He helps us to grow. But our focus must always be on Jesus’ work for us. This, rather than his work in us, is the basis of our relationship with God. Yes, you need to change. But it’s possible to emphasize your change to the point of diminishing his work on your behalf. Your change is never the basis for your relationship with God (if it were, you’d be in hell right now).
Our problem is not such that we need him to help us be better people (although we do need that, and should strive for that). Our problem is that we are hopelessly trapped and need him to rescue us.
Has he rescued you?
Posted by: Gene Schlesinger
it’s really poignant for me to read and listen and try to understand the idea of being hopelessly trapped… building off of the last few weeks with trying to break down the spiritual and religious mindsets of the past, i can clearly see how this is REAL and terrifying. not only can we be trapped by our sin, but by our prideful need to prove something. even to God. this is where it becomes really important to remember to be authentic and genuine in faith.. and let all others things flow from there. priorities. motivations. this stuff sure gets hairy.
can you talk a little bit about what this looks like? and perhaps the best way to share with others? thanks gene.
At the end of the day, the essence of our sin is pride. Rather than being content with what God provides, we pridefully assert ourselves as the master, and take charge (Adam and Eve did it, when we commit sins we do it, when we offer God our good works we do it).
Martin Luther said that our problem isn’t so much our sin as it is our “damnable good works.” We learn to operate from a baseline conviction that even at our very best, our good works are tainted with sin. As John Bunyan said, “There is enough sin in my best prayer to damn the whole world.” If we focus in on our actions, we enter a labyrinth, which will only lead us to despair. As Paul said, “I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh” (Romans 7.18).
You can try to sort through and discern your motives, but at the end of the day, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17.9). No one can fully know what their motives are. It’s good to look into…sometimes you’ll obviously have a bad motive. But, if you make that your focus, it will only lead to despair. A pure heart is a great goal. But it’s a horrible source of security or hope.
Instead, we focus on Jesus and what he has done. We recognize: even at my best, I’m damnably awful. Yet Jesus offers himself in my place. We trust in his promise…not in our skill at working that promise out in our lives.
Listen to what Galatians 3.2-5 says, “Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?…Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?…Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?” Or what Romans 10.6-8 says, “But the righteousness based on faith says, ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?”‘ (that is, to bring Christ down) or ‘”Who will descend into the abyss?”‘ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim).” Notice what Paul is pushing us towards: hearing with faith the message of the gospel. That, and not what we do (works of the law), is where the life change comes from.
And when the gospel gets us, we do change. We approach things recognizing that we are sinners, but that God has accepted us. Now we’re free to do good to others. As Luther pointed out, God doesn’t need our good works: he has all the good works he could ever need; I don’t need good works: Jesus Christ’s good works on my behalf have brought me God’s total acceptance; but my neighbor does need my good works. Now I am free to help him, without trying to use that to earn my salvation. See, this frees us from having to get morbidly introspective regarding service to others. We get rid of the sinful motives that we can. But then after that there are still others…but we don’t let that stop us. Because we believe in Jesus and his promise, we still do what is right, even though we do it imperfectly.
Best way to share with others? Love them. Tangibly love them. But also tell them. Use words. We must hear with faith. Often when you help someone, that opens a door to share why: because God has been gracious to me in Jesus (etc.).
Does that help?
I have been studying and asking God to teach me how to explain this to others. You have indeed helped me (Jason). My question revolves around how to disciple leaders. Where does the practical physical stuff like “you need to be diciplined in studying, serving, etc…” fall in. If I am in a ministry that seeks to develop others for ministry do you condition your time together around what you have been studying? The reason I ask is I have brothers in ministry who say you have to get rigid at first to get someone walking, grounded etc… I keep feeling like I am setting up standards for them rather than lovingly sharing our walk and allowing the Spirit to guide/develope. Should we push potential leaders or simply trust God will work that stuff out? I have ideas but based on what you wrote so well I would love to pick your brain as to how you approach discipleship/leadership development. Thanks for yout time, Jason Turner
Jason, great question, I love the pastoral concern that attends it.
My take is that we do both. We lovingly share our walk, we trust that the Spirit will guide and develop them. But we also push them. People need SOME standards. A lot of time people don’t know what they should be aiming for. So giving them some tasks, etc. Can be helpful. This goes to what the Reformers called the “third use” of the law. The law shows us our sin and drives us to Christ. It also restrains wickedness through fear. But after it drives us to Christ, we’re able to see in the law what is pleasing to God. And we’re able to obey it out of love, rather than out of fear, or to establish our own righteousness. We realize that our own law-keeping is too imperfect and sinful to earn us favor with God. But, because we love him, and are grateful to him, we gladly (and imperfectly) follow the law.
So you get your leaders well grounded in the gospel: they’re accepted by God on Jesus’ behalf, and not based on ANYTHING they do. Their obedience can’t increase it. Their disobedience can’t decrease it. Then you say, “ok…if you’re serious about following God, let’s get you studying, praying, etc…this is what it looks like for us to love him.” If they DO love him, they’ll want to express that love. If they don’t want to express it, it’s questionable whether they’ve embraced the gospel.
And, assuming that your potential leaders are men, you’ll want to REALLY push them (in love). In my experience, most male adults are really grown-up boys. They need pushed to take responsibility and become men.
Let me know if that helps!
Thanks. I agree. Quick thought I had: When you said “we’re able to see in the Law what is pleasing to God. And we’re able to obey it out of love, rather than out of fear, or to establish our own righteouness”
I would probably write “we’re able to see in Christ what is pleasing to God. And we’re able to obey Him out of love rather than out of fear, or to establish our own righteousness”
For me the second line I changed would mesh better with your original posts, your response to mp and me.
Thanks for the input. I am with you on everything but the focus on the law cause I thought the intent with the Help or Rescue was to see our situation so much like God does we abandon self-effort, law keeping (which we can’t do) and our sin and embrace His effort on our behalf, His ability to keep the whole law and His payment for our sin. Once we are set free through His blood there is no need for legal requirements.
Don’t worry about posting this if you disagree I unnderstand. I had typed a whole bunch and then realized the blog thing doesn’t come across right when we are trying to work through intracate things. I appreciate your taking the time to post your thoughts out there where we all can chew. Thanks, Jason
Hmmm…I certainly didn’t mean to say that we should focus on the law. Focusing on the law is a good way to get into trouble quickly.
Our focus should be on Christ and his gospel. And I love what you said about how “we’re able to see in Christ what is pleasing to God.” That’s a really wonderful way of putting it.
My comments about the third use of the law were simply to indicate that we learn some good things to emulate and some bad things to avoid by understanding the moral law. Obeying Jesus is going to look a lot like obeying the law (which he reaffirms repeatedly).
We look to Jesus, not to ourselves or to what we are doing. We look to Jesus, not to the law and its standards. But at the same time, that doesn’t mean that we are free to ignore the law (or our own behavior). It’s tricky to express…
But I hope this clarifies. Push back if you like.
I am smileing real big cause you said It’s tricky to express…I totally agree. The largest stack of books I constantly read and re-read are on this very topic. That is why I am asking God to teach me how to articulate these things to potential leaders. I don’t want to produce an apathy but an excitement about God’s wonderful Grace. I have truely enjoyed your post. Keep up the Good work! Or since I am so scared of leagalism in my life I must say…Keep your eyes on Him! =) In Christ, Jason