“Intertwined” by Wesley Spears
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; – Colossians 1:9-10 ESV
You have been saved by grace through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:8-10
So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ – 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
Among many other things, these verses speak of the mysteriously intertwined nature of Christian life, wherein we fully participate with all freedom and faith, yet it is entirely God who enables and guides us to participate. Like strands of a rope so tightly braided that it’s impossible to differentiate between them, where God’s working “ends” and human activity “begins” is imperceptible. He has prepared our paths with good works. At the same time, His preparing our works
As we grow in spiritual wisdom, our faith actually prompts us to take decisive action that glorifies Jesus. Therefore, action verifies spiritual wisdom. This is probably why James says that faith and works are inseparable, and why Jesus explains the better way to do good works (See James 2:17 & Matthew 5:16, 6:1-4). Or, as J.B. Phillips renders 1 John 3:18: “let us not love merely in theory or in words—let us love in sincerity and in practice!” In practice, then, it is the life of faith to ask with all fervency, and then to walk with all confidence.
Additionally, our actions should be based consistently on our identity. Who are we, as Christians? We are delivered, adopted citizens of the Kingdom of light, redeemed, forgiven. This is us. God has spiritually rebirthed his already physically born, fallen, creations. We cannot manipulate this, and it is so much bigger than any “good” works that we have done or will do. Yet, it is from this identity that He calls us to go do good things: to live fruitful lives, to grow to know Him more, to make decisions and act on them. Jesus died and rose again so that we could live full lives (See 1 John 4:9).
Life, even a full life, and the work it entails are hard. Others often don’t recognize our fruit – or they dislike the taste of it. But is the power of God only limited to our initial regeneration? No! Our identity cannot be stolen. God’s power saves and holds us secure. This is why endurance and joy are so important. If we are secure children of God, it is crucial that we live like it. When we don’t, we flounder in inactivity or pursuit of selfish gain. Thus, our good works and decisions are faithful responses to God’s loving invitation to participate in His kingdom. All of time and space is marching towards glorification and reign of Christ, and He has chosen that us participating and living fully is part of how He gets glory both now and then! His glory is magnified when we are fully alive.
There is a genuine Resistance: the world, devilish forces, even our own flesh
Therefore, such is life (for us):
When the snares of death surround us,
Pride, ambition, love of ease
Mammon with her false allurements, Words that flatter, smiles that
please Then ere we yield, Savior Lord be Thou our shield
Then ere we yield, Savior Lord be Thou our shield
“In the Hours” – Helen L. Parmlee, Kevin Twit
But:
Soul, then know thy full salvation
Rise o’er sin and fear and care
Joy to find in every station,
Something still to do or bear.
Think what Spirit dwells within thee,
Think what Father’s smiles are thine,
Think that Jesus died to win thee,
Child of heaven, canst thou repine.
“Jesus I My Cross Have Taken” – Henry Lyte
Application: Decision-Making
To attempt some semblance of closure and specific application, let us say this:
Recognizing and embracing how God invites us to participate out of our identity should impact our decision-making: I should not endlessly seek a specific sign or path (as I am too often prone to do), nor just “let go and let God” (God never calls us to passivity). To make decisions in spiritual wisdom is to let go (of our sins, selfish desires, and presumptuous pride), let God (move according to His lovingkindness and eternal perspective, including changing or convicting us), and then do according to what He has done, recognizing that God has already made way for the direction.
In other words, God is so big that even the good things we pursue are actually God at work.
Let us earnestly seek the Father’s will, trust that we already have the mind of Christ, and then act out of what He has already said, plus anything new He may reveal. The greatest personal harm of paralysis or apathy in decision-making is not missing out on “doing something for God” or “missing our calling” – it’s unbelief. God has clearly said He has saved us to good works, to a good path, that includes our action and participation. When we don’t act, we are often implicitly saying, “I don’t actually believe that You are directing my life, that you promise never to leave me,” or “I don’t believe that what You have already told me is sufficient.”
As someone who is prone to get caught in a
– About the author, Wesley Spears –
Every scene has shadows, every story has contrast, and mine is no different. Overall, though, it’s a story of God’s faithfulness. I do not remember a day that Jesus Christ was not my Lord and Savior. However, I remember many days when I did not live like He was. Yet, He always brings me back. I believe knowing God is the most important and beautiful pursuit any human can embark on, because God is the most important and beautiful being. I hope He uses me to bring Him glory, and to bring more people into joyous relationship with Him.
Married to the most amazing woman, and father of two, I am regularly reminded how gentle and giving the Lord is. I am passionate about intentional community, meaningful conversations, marriage, deer hunting, accidentally over-thinking everything, and taking God seriously. You can check out what is a new adventure in vulnerability & faith for me at experience-of-grace.com.
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