Obedience by Faith NO ADVANTAGE FOR THE STRONG
He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Isa. 40:29.
The good news of salvation by faith in Jesus is not merely good news for the strong person. It is good news for the weakest person as well. This is true for obedience as well as for eternal life. Because genuine obedience always comes from within, and because the strongest person, apart from Christ, can produce only outward obedience, none have an advantage in overcoming.
But what about the relationship with Christ? The effort involved in the fight of faith, in coming to Christ initially and in continuing to come, does not always happen spontaneously. And if that faith relationship with Jesus is the entire basis of the Christian life, then doesn't the strong person have an advantage after all?
Have you ever read that "when it is in the heart to obey God, when efforts are put forth to this end, Jesus accepts this disposition and effort as man's best service, and He makes up for the deficiency with His own divine merit"?--Signs of the Times, June 16, 1890. Sometimes we have read this sort of statement and concluded that it is talking about putting forth effort in trying hard to obey the commandments. But if you check the context, if you read the whole article from which it was taken, you will find that it is referring primarily to the effort put forth in seeking the relationship with God, from which all genuine obedience springs. It is talking about having the desire in the heart to obey God by opening the door and inviting Him into your life. It is talking about the effort involved in reserving that quiet corner of the day for fellowship and communion with Him, so that He will be able to go with you all through the day. When you do that, then Christ with His own divine merit will make up for deficiencies in the constancy that the growing Christian feels.
The weakest person, who can't stop his drinking or smoking or anything else, who also fears that he cannot enter into a meaningful private life with God, has hope too, because God will meet him more than halfway. When it comes to overcoming sins, God doesn't meet me more than halfway--He has to do it all.
He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Isa. 40:29.
The good news of salvation by faith in Jesus is not merely good news for the strong person. It is good news for the weakest person as well. This is true for obedience as well as for eternal life. Because genuine obedience always comes from within, and because the strongest person, apart from Christ, can produce only outward obedience, none have an advantage in overcoming.
But what about the relationship with Christ? The effort involved in the fight of faith, in coming to Christ initially and in continuing to come, does not always happen spontaneously. And if that faith relationship with Jesus is the entire basis of the Christian life, then doesn't the strong person have an advantage after all?
Have you ever read that "when it is in the heart to obey God, when efforts are put forth to this end, Jesus accepts this disposition and effort as man's best service, and He makes up for the deficiency with His own divine merit"?--Signs of the Times, June 16, 1890. Sometimes we have read this sort of statement and concluded that it is talking about putting forth effort in trying hard to obey the commandments. But if you check the context, if you read the whole article from which it was taken, you will find that it is referring primarily to the effort put forth in seeking the relationship with God, from which all genuine obedience springs. It is talking about having the desire in the heart to obey God by opening the door and inviting Him into your life. It is talking about the effort involved in reserving that quiet corner of the day for fellowship and communion with Him, so that He will be able to go with you all through the day. When you do that, then Christ with His own divine merit will make up for deficiencies in the constancy that the growing Christian feels.
The weakest person, who can't stop his drinking or smoking or anything else, who also fears that he cannot enter into a meaningful private life with God, has hope too, because God will meet him more than halfway. When it comes to overcoming sins, God doesn't meet me more than halfway--He has to do it all.
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