For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. (Galatians 2:19-21)
Our works - what are they? What do we see as works
acceptable to God? What works are in
vain? What works were "prepared beforehand for us to do?" (Eph.
2:10). We can heartily "serve the
Lord" full of zeal, but all be works of flesh that count for nothing, and
perhaps even be harmful to truly reaching people for Christ. Many organizations have been started in the
name of Jesus that are nothing but men's organizations and contrary to God's
true Word. None of us as Christians who
love the Lord want that! None of us
wants to be an offense to the Gospel, even while we think we are sharing the
Gospel. Yet it happens. While well-meaning, we can even drive someone
further away from Christ. We can
misrepresent Him, as Peter did in the Garden of Gethsemane, acting of his own
accord, when he struck a soldier with the sword, cutting off his ear, thinking
to defend His Lord and thinking to serve Him.
We can be used by the devil, thinking we are speaking for God, as Peter
did when he rebuked Jesus for saying He must die. Shortly before, the Lord commended Him by
saying the Father had revealed truth to him, when He proclaimed Jesus was the
Son of God. Now Jesus said, "Get
behind me satan!" and stated that Peter did not have in mind the things of
God but the things of man.
Until we learn the meaning of what it is to be "in
Christ" and "Christ in me" we also will not learn the works that
are acceptable to God in our daily lives.
In fact what we perceive as works are not always the "works"
He is looking for. What we miss and
don't necessarily call works, is His working in and through us in our normal
daily lives, sometimes without us being aware.
How we respond to someone, how we reach out to someone, how we go about
our chores in what frame of mind, faith, acceptance, disposition, these all are
works that we don't think of as important, or even as "works." Until He has worked in us the nature of Christ
in the little things, how can we truly please Him in the big things? If we grumble over the small tasks and the
irritations of a normal day, forgetting to "put on Christ" how can we
in Christ walk out as His representatives a true witness to those around
us. If we are not loving our families
and the body of Christ how can we represent Christ? We can zealously serve others all the while
neglecting our relationships. All we do then, is wood, hay, and stubble, and
lost.
To be in Christ is the theme of all of the apostle Paul's
teaching. All begins there. We were crucified with Christ, to law, to sin,
to ourselves and our self-pursuits, to this world, and to the devil's
reach. We were risen with Christ to
Heavenly places where He is, where our true life is hidden. It is past tense. It is not something future, it is now as we
were placed "in Christ." If we
don't walk and work in faith in this life, in the reality of it, and the power
of it, and the life of Christ Himself in us, our works are dead works. They are only flesh trying to please
God. Religious flesh cannot please God
anymore than non-religious flesh.
Only the works of
Christ are acceptable to God. Only
HIS works are "good" works. Only
HIS righteousness is acceptable to God.
So only as it is His life working in us and through us to do His good
will, can we be pleasing to God. Only
what is of faith can be pleasing to Him.
Our faith in Him through difficulties, learning to stand dressed in His
full armor, learning to overcome by believing and embracing His promises, these
are works empowered by the Holy Spirit in us.
When these are happening in us as a result of our abiding in Him, then
true outward works are the natural fruit that will please Him and
glorify Him to others. Only He glorifies
Himself, we cannot glorify Him with OUR works, but His through us.
Every day we are to be a
"living sacrifice unto Him" - I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by
the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and
acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may
discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2)
We present ourselves to God in faith, knowing He
alone is the power in us, as we go about our day, that we would see ourselves
as His vessel, that He is able to work through in every part of our daily life,
not just when we are doing some "Christian service." As I clean my house, I present myself to Him,
to do it for His glory. As I have
conversations with those I encounter, I present myself to Him, that He can use
as He will in those conversations, keeping me from saying anything that would
not glorify Him or benefit another. As I
have free time, I present myself to Him, and make myself available to what He
wants me to do with it. I present my mind,
my eyes, my ears, etc. to what is pleasing to Him. Our works is everything that flows from us in
thought, word, and deed, unto Christ out of our faith in Him. Only as it is "Christ Who lives in me,
and the life I now live I live by faith in Him" can I be pleasing to
Him.
We cannot work to
sanctify ourselves. By faith, rather, we
work out in our daily lives that which He has worked in us. "Sanctification
is the imparting to us of God Himself by the Holy Spirit in the soul."
- Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary on 1 Peter 1:4. Our sanctification is His life in us,
and through us, and our working it out even as He works in us to "will and
to do," by faith. Therefore,
my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but
much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
(Philippians 2:12-13)
We cannot work to keep
ourselves, it is His power that keeps us through faith in His finished work
alone, which is given by the presence of His Spirit in us through regeneration. It is not a faith in our faith to keep us,
but in His work in us and His power…a rest in the eternal life He has given to
us and the power of His life in us. We
walk in that faith in which His works flow, and respond to the Spirit He has
given us as He works in us. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again
to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an
inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for
you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready
to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)
We cannot work to justify ourselves before God. Nor can we be perfected by or works. O
foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus
Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you
receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so
foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are
you now being perfected by the flesh? Galatians 3:1-3)
It is Christ alone and His work, embraced through faith (a complete
reliance in Him, all He is, and all He has done), that we are saved, that we
are kept, that we are perfected. His
works were completed and accepted in Heaven.
We have been raised up with Him, in Him, and His work of righteousness
becomes imputed to us, as we embrace and rely on all He is and has done,
abiding in Him. Only the fruit of His
Spirit in us then is acceptable in Heaven.
Abiding in Him, is what enables us to bear fruit unto Him. Abide
in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it
abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you
are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much
fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he
is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown
into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask
whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified,
that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. (John 15:4-8)
Father, enable us to see and grasp the life of Christ in us, the
reality of our being "seated in Heavenly places with Christ" and
abide in You daily, that our works will not be burned up but well pleasing to
You, on that day when we stand before You, and You are glorified in us! In
Jesus name may it be so. Amen.
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