It is awesome how God has used the last 24 hours (really less than that) to confirm that this "journal" of sorts is what I am to do. The book I started reading this morning, the Sunday School lesson this morning, and the powerful sermon this morning - all were God speaking to me. I am feeling compelled to get the words God is speaking to my heart onto "paper"....and since I have two small children and this house can get chaotic....a journal on the internet is the safest place to keep my thoughts, and not lose them! :)
I felt led to start my journey with the study of God's word through the book, "Future Grace" by John Piper. (I'm embarrassed to say I have owned this book since Christmas 2006, and have not read it yet.) I'm reading the first two chapters today, which discuss and explain true gratitude...and help identify and make clear the motivator for obedience. Am I using a feeling of indebtedness to God to motivate me in my desire to obey....or am I simply grateful for all God has done, and my motivation lies in a true faith in God's future grace?? A true faith that God will be true to His promises....a true faith in God and His all-knowing, all-sufficient power. Just faith, no expectations. Just faith. "And without faith it is impossible to please God..." ~Hebrews 11:6~
This first chapter in "Future Grace" has really spoken to me, causing inward reflection of whether I am misusing the feeling of gratitude to motivate me to live a life pleasing to God - as if I can "do" enough to repay Christ for his sacrifice. How absolutely self-promoting that kind of thinking is....how wrong I am to ever have that idea. The very essence of a gift, is that it is given freely...without expectation of repayment. The very act of recognizing the sacrifice Christ made for me, accepting him as my Savior, believing in his resurrection, and knowing He is the only way, truth, and life - all of this is the ultimate "thank you" offering to God, for sending His son to save me from eternal death and to cover me with his blood to hide my sins. The rest of my life is not lived in continual indebtedness, but rather in joy because of the gift of salvation.
This snippet from the book spoke volumes to me:
"Faith in future grace, not gratitude, is the missing ethical power to overcome rebellion and motivate obedience."
And this sentence, also from the book ... "The obedience that comes from fearing God without faith in his future grace will not be free, but servile." Obedience without faith catapults me into a life of legalism. I would be servant to following an enormous amount of rules (which is impossible for anyone to follow perfectly), in an effort to "return the favor" and continually let God know I am grateful. Obedience with faith, allows your soul to be free in Christ, knowing that because of the past graces of God, we can trust that He will show grace in the future.
The Bible is filled with examples of obedience being motivated through and by faith....not once does it identify obedience being motivated by gratitude. (Romans 9:31-32, Hebrews 11, 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 2 Thessalonians 1:11, Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 5:7, 1 Timothy 1:5, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, James 2:26)
It is clear to me that when I consider the great sacrifice that Christ made, that he literally saved my life....I am filled with gratitude. Gratitude is what I should feel upon receiving the greatest gift anyone could ever receive. But, I feel that my desire to obey and please God is due to the love He has put in my heart and because I DO have faith in what God will do in the future. Gratitude is also a natural thing for me, as a follower of Christ, to have in my heart as I reflect and remember what God has done in my life so far....the many graces He has extended to me....the many ways He has disciplined me in love....the times He has not loosened His grip on me, even though I had moved far from Him. Gratitude is not to be looked upon in a negative light - it just needs not be my motivation to live in obedience.
"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name." ~Psalm 100:4~
"Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me, and to the blameless I will show my salvation." ~Psalm 50:23~
I think this paragraph from the book is a good summary... "The effort to repay God, in the ordinary way we pay creditors, would nullify grace and turn it into a business transaction. If we see acts of obedience as installment payments, we make grace into a mortgage...Let us not say that grace creates debts; let us say that grace pays debts. Past grace is glorified by intense and joyful gratitude. Future grace is glorified by intense and joyful confidence. This faith is what empowers us for venturesome obedience in the cause of Christ."
I felt led to start my journey with the study of God's word through the book, "Future Grace" by John Piper. (I'm embarrassed to say I have owned this book since Christmas 2006, and have not read it yet.) I'm reading the first two chapters today, which discuss and explain true gratitude...and help identify and make clear the motivator for obedience. Am I using a feeling of indebtedness to God to motivate me in my desire to obey....or am I simply grateful for all God has done, and my motivation lies in a true faith in God's future grace?? A true faith that God will be true to His promises....a true faith in God and His all-knowing, all-sufficient power. Just faith, no expectations. Just faith. "And without faith it is impossible to please God..." ~Hebrews 11:6~
This first chapter in "Future Grace" has really spoken to me, causing inward reflection of whether I am misusing the feeling of gratitude to motivate me to live a life pleasing to God - as if I can "do" enough to repay Christ for his sacrifice. How absolutely self-promoting that kind of thinking is....how wrong I am to ever have that idea. The very essence of a gift, is that it is given freely...without expectation of repayment. The very act of recognizing the sacrifice Christ made for me, accepting him as my Savior, believing in his resurrection, and knowing He is the only way, truth, and life - all of this is the ultimate "thank you" offering to God, for sending His son to save me from eternal death and to cover me with his blood to hide my sins. The rest of my life is not lived in continual indebtedness, but rather in joy because of the gift of salvation.
This snippet from the book spoke volumes to me:
"Faith in future grace, not gratitude, is the missing ethical power to overcome rebellion and motivate obedience."
And this sentence, also from the book ... "The obedience that comes from fearing God without faith in his future grace will not be free, but servile." Obedience without faith catapults me into a life of legalism. I would be servant to following an enormous amount of rules (which is impossible for anyone to follow perfectly), in an effort to "return the favor" and continually let God know I am grateful. Obedience with faith, allows your soul to be free in Christ, knowing that because of the past graces of God, we can trust that He will show grace in the future.
The Bible is filled with examples of obedience being motivated through and by faith....not once does it identify obedience being motivated by gratitude. (Romans 9:31-32, Hebrews 11, 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 2 Thessalonians 1:11, Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 5:7, 1 Timothy 1:5, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, James 2:26)
It is clear to me that when I consider the great sacrifice that Christ made, that he literally saved my life....I am filled with gratitude. Gratitude is what I should feel upon receiving the greatest gift anyone could ever receive. But, I feel that my desire to obey and please God is due to the love He has put in my heart and because I DO have faith in what God will do in the future. Gratitude is also a natural thing for me, as a follower of Christ, to have in my heart as I reflect and remember what God has done in my life so far....the many graces He has extended to me....the many ways He has disciplined me in love....the times He has not loosened His grip on me, even though I had moved far from Him. Gratitude is not to be looked upon in a negative light - it just needs not be my motivation to live in obedience.
"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name." ~Psalm 100:4~
"Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me, and to the blameless I will show my salvation." ~Psalm 50:23~
I think this paragraph from the book is a good summary... "The effort to repay God, in the ordinary way we pay creditors, would nullify grace and turn it into a business transaction. If we see acts of obedience as installment payments, we make grace into a mortgage...Let us not say that grace creates debts; let us say that grace pays debts. Past grace is glorified by intense and joyful gratitude. Future grace is glorified by intense and joyful confidence. This faith is what empowers us for venturesome obedience in the cause of Christ."
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