Replay: And they devoted themselves
Three years ago, I wrote a post called “And they devoted themselves.” The post is an examination of that phrase (the title of the post) in Acts 2:42. What did Luke mean when he wrote, “They devoted themselves…” and specifically what did it mean for those early Christians to devote themselves to “the apostles’ teaching”? By studying this important passage (Acts 2:42-47), I think we can learn alot about the life of the church immediately after Pentecost.
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And they devoted themselves
Acts 2:42 is often called a summary verse concerning the early followers of Jesus Christ. Luke records:
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Acts 2:42 ESV)
I think the ESV missed something in the translation here. The phrase “they devoted themselves” is a translation of the Greek verb phrase “ἠσαν προσκαρτεροῦντες” (esan proskarterountes). For those who are familiar with Greek grammar, this is a periphrastic participial construction – a verb of being along with a participle. According to several Greek grammars, the periphrastic participle is the most marked verb form when it comes to verbal aspect. Thus, this verb phrase focuses on the continuous aspect of the verb. The NASB translation tries to bring out this continuous aspect by translating the phrase as “They were continually devoting themselves…”
Lexically, the verb προσκαρτερέω (proskartereo) can mean “devoted to” which we see in both the ESV and NASB translations. According to BDAG (the standard Greek lexicon), in Acts 2:42 it carries a meaning of “hold fast to, continue or persevere in”. The context should help us understand what Luke is communicating to us about these early followers of Jesus Christ.
Luke says that the believers were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers. This does not mean that they were “devoted” to listening to what the apostles were teaching. Instead, it means that these early Christians were continually persevering in living according to the message that the apostles taught, as well as continuing to fellowship (share life) break bread (eat together), and pray.
Think about it this way: If the phrase “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” conjures up an image of people sitting around listening to the apostles teach, then the translation is NOT communicating the image to you properly.
On the other hand, if you read that phrase and picture the early believers attempting to live their lives in accordance with the message that the apostles taught, then you’re understanding what Luke wrote.
We see that Luke helps us understand what he means in the following verses:
And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:43-47 ESV)
This passage demonstrates how those early believers lived according to the gospel (the apostles’ teaching), and how they shared their lives and their meals with one another. On the day of Pentecost, God did not create individuals who loved to sit and listen to teaching. Instead, God created a new community who now lived new lives – lives that were not lived for themselves any longer. Instead, they lived their lives for God by sharing their lives with one another and with the world around them.
The world noticed… and the world found favor on this new community and new way of life. (2:47)
My love/hate relationship with Bible trivia games
Have you heard that there’s a new game show called The American Bible Challenge on GSN (Game Show Network) hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy? I watched an episode a few days ago, and I enjoyed the show. There were some great questions from Proverbs during the final segment of the show.
The show reminded me of a board game that I was given for Christmas once. It was a Bible trivia game based loosely on the popular board game Trivial Pursuit… and I loved both the Bible version and the original Trivial Pursuit game. I’m not bragging… but I’m pretty good at trivia. I have a good memory and a brain filled with useless (or rarely useful) information.
I like trivia… I like Bible trivia. I love moving my little game piece around the board and filling the slots with the little multicolored pie wedges.
I once thought that my ability to recall tidbits of information about the Bible indicated that I was a spiritual mature person. I mean, if I know alot of stuff about the Bible, then certainly I’m a good follower of Jesus Christ, right?
But, of course, there are several problems with my thinking.
First, knowledge of tidbits of information about the Bible has nothing to do with being a follower of Jesus Christ. In fact, in many ways, these tidbits of information distracted me from actually following Jesus.
The second problem with my thinking is that the Bible (the Scriptures) were not written to provide people with tidbits of information. In other words, I was completely missing the purposes of the Scriptures.
So, I still have a love-hate relationship with Bible trivia… even the new show The Great American Bible Challenge. But, this time, I found that I was able to watch the show without thinking my ability to answer the questions (or not) was an indication of following Jesus Christ.
However, when I watched that episode of the game show… and while all the contestants were answering questions about the Bible… I couldn’t help but wonder, “Are they missing the point of the Scriptures? What are they teaching their audience about the Scriptures?”
What do you think?
The difference between alive/dead and healthy/unhealthy
Last year, when I started eating better foods and exercising regularly (ok… exercising at all), I learned something important. There is a difference between being alive and being healthy. (In the same way, there is a difference between being dead and being unhealthy.)
For several years, I had been living a very unhealthy lifestyle, although I was still alive… I was still living. I was not dead. Thankfully, people did not treat me like I was dead even though I was unhealthy.
You know, it’s only people who are alive who can be healthy or unhealthy.
That’s true for physical life and physical health. It’s also true of spiritual life and spiritual health.
I’ve noticed that people often confuse the two issues. I’ve seen spiritually dead people exhorted toward spiritual health. I’ve also seen spiritually unhealthy people treated as if they were spiritually dead.
The issues involved with being spiritually alive or dead are different than the issues involved with being spiritually healthy or unhealthy.
It’s only people who are spiritually alive who can be spiritually healthy or unhealthy.
Did you know that almost all of Scripture was written to people who were already spiritually alive in order to encourage them toward being more spiritually healthy? It’s true. Even passages that discuss spiritual life and death were usually written to remind those who are already spiritually alive. (For example, consider Ephesians 2:1-10.)
Have you ever thought about the difference between being spiritually alive/dead and spiritually healthy/unhealthy? Do you make a distinction when you talk to and encourage other people? Do you know if you are encouraging them toward spiritual life or toward spiritual health?
What happens if you do not make a distinction? What happens if you exhort spiritually dead people in ways that are intended to help people who are already spiritually alive become more healthy?
What happens if you address spiritually unhealthy people as if they were spiritually dead?
How do we know whether to turn back or keep going in the face of struggles?
In my previous post, I asked, “Are struggles a sign from God to stop or an opportunity to persevere?” In Scripture, we see examples of both.
In some cases in Scripture, struggles and trials are an indication that the person is going in the wrong direction (think about Jonah). In other cases in Scripture, struggles and trials come along because the person is going in the right direction, and God intends for them to persevere through the difficult times (think about all of Paul’s shipwrecks).
So, when we face difficulties, how do we know if God wants us to push on and persevere through the struggles or if God wants to us to stop or change directions because we’re going against his will?
The answer is both extremely simple and extremely complicated. God will tell us.
This is extremely simple because we do not have to worry about which direction to take. God will communicate that to us. Remember, he loves us more than we can ever realize. He is not like us; he does not take pleasure in his children going in the wrong direction; he does not sit back and laugh at our mistakes or make fun of us when we fail. He loves us. And, we can trust that he will communicate his desires to us.
But, the answer is also extremely complicated. The answer is not complicated because of God; the answer is complicated because of us. Although God communicates to use clearly, we do not always hear him clearly. We allow so many other voices and concerns and noises and worries and desires drown out his clear and loving directions.
Did you know that Paul did not always start out going the way that God wanted him to go… and, yes, I’m talking about after his conversion:
And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16:6-10 ESV)
Even though Paul and his team headed in the wrong direction a couple of times, God continued communicating to them and did not give up on them. Also, did you notice that after Paul’s vision, the group (“we”) together concluded that the dream that God was directing them to go to Macedonia?
Yes, head in the direction that you think God wants you to go, and keep listening to him. Read Scripture and ensure that your plans are not contrary to what God has already revealed, and keep listening to God. Talk to the brothers and sisters in your life, listen to their advice, and keep listening to God. Always, always, always be ready to change directions. Never conclude that you’ve got it all figured out.
And, most of all, trust God.
Are struggles a sign from God to stop or an opportunity to persevere?
When I run long distances, I often get to a point where I do not want to continue. Some people call it “hitting the wall.” Of course, if you break through that wall, common wisdom says that running gets easier.
There are other times, however, when I struggle while I’m running because of pains that indicate I should stop running. Recently, I began to feel a tightness in my leg and decided to slow down and eventually stop. In other words, I did not try to “push through the wall” in that case.
So, when I’m running, I have to pay very close attention to my body to understand when I should push through the pain and struggle and when I should stop.
Something similar happens in our lives. Sometimes, when we struggle, we are supposed to push through and persevere in spite of the struggles, trusting that God is going to give us the strength and grace to continue. At other times, struggles are an indication that God is telling us that we are headed in the wrong direction and that we should stop or turn in a different direction.
But, how do we tell the difference?
If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know how important Scripture is to me. But, in this case, we cannot find the answer to this question in Scripture. In fact, we find BOTH answers in Scripture.
For example, at times when Paul faced difficulties in a city, he would leave that city and go in a different direction:
But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. (Acts 17:13-14 ESV)
At other times, when Paul faced difficulties in a city, he remained in that city:
But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. (Acts 19:9-10 ESV)
(By the way, if you read though Acts 19, you’ll find that Paul faced many struggles while in Ephesus.)
So, when you face struggles, how do you know if God is telling you that you are going in the wrong direction or if God is telling you that it’s time to persevere through the struggles?
Do you want to run with me?
Just over a year ago, I went to the doctor, and the news was not good. I wrote about this in a post called “A change in diet and exercise for me… and for the church.” (Yes, of course I had to relate my experience back to the church…) I wasn’t dying (at that moment), but I was headed toward a very unhealthy lifestyle unless I changed the way that I was eating and began exercising.
In the last year, I’ve lost about 35 lbs, and my exercise has increased to the point that I’ve been able to run in a couple of half marathons (13.1 miles) and a 12 mile trail race plus several training runs of even longer distances up to 17 miles.
As you can imagine, people who knew me (or who saw my pictures change on Facebook) recognized that I was losing weight. Also, many people who knew me also knew that I was running, either because they heard me talk about running or they saw me panting down the side of the street or around a local park.
Over the last year – especially the last 6 months or so – many people have asked me about how I lost so much weight or how I have been able to work up to running long distances (when I could barely walk a mile when I started). I’ve explained the changes in eating habits, and I’ve explained how I slowly and consistently increased the amount that I was walking and/or running.
Then, I would often hear something like this: “I wish I could run like that.”
To which, this is almost always my answer: “Do you want to run with me?”
Now, often people do not want to run with me for various reasons, but the one most often given is this: “I don’t want to slow you down.” To which I reply: “I’d rather walk or run slower with you than run faster alone.”
Over the months, I’ve seen several people begin exercising, and sometimes they actually begin by walking or running with me. I’m serious when I tell them that I’d prefer to exercise with them at a lower intensity than to exercise alone at a higher intensity. (Yes, I still need to run faster or longer, but I can do that at another time.)
Since I have more experience running than these particular people, I’m often the one helping them learn to run. However, I still find that I’m learning from them as well, especially as they grow and advance in their exercising.
Recently, I was thinking about this in the context of discipleship – that is, helping people follow Jesus. In discipleship, we’re actually asking people if they’d like to follow Jesus along with us. I haven’t always thought about discipleship like this, and, unfortunately, I thought of following Jesus as a more individualistic pursuit.
But, like I’ve learned in exercising and helping others exercise, we should be inviting people to follow Jesus along with us – and then be willing to walk with them, even if that means “walking” a little slower than we think we could do alone.
Again, when we invite people to follow Jesus with us, we may find that we doing most of the “helping” and they are doing most of the learning at first. But, more and more, we’ll find that Jesus will also use them to help us follow him.
So, do you want to run with me? Do you want to follow Jesus with me?
When Paul DOES use the language of superiors and subordinates
In this short series, I’m looking at the ways that Paul referred to people who traveled with him and people he worked with in various cities in order to answer these questions: How did Paul think those who traveled with him and worked with him? Did he think of himself as being a superior with them being subordinates (i.e., a hierarchy)? Did he think of them all as equals?
A few days ago, I introduced the series by asking, “What did Paul think of his subordinates?” Next, I defined some of the terms that I will use: superior, subordinate, and hierarchy. Then, I covered the terms that Paul used most often to refer to other believers: brother/sister and fellow-worker/soldier/servant. Next, I listed all the passages in which Paul used father/child (or mother/child) language and summarized how Paul used father/child language according to those passages. Finally, I asked if Paul used the term “apostle” to denote a superior/subordinate hierarchy.
In this post, I want to examine a passage in which Paul does employ language indicating a relationship of superiors to subordinates (i.e., a hierarchy).
As I mentioned in a previous post, Paul often uses “co-” language to refer to people he worked with: co-workers, co-servants, etc. But, in his second letter to the Corinthians believers (sent after his second visit and before his third visit to Corinth), he used different language to refer to others.
Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. (2 Corinthians 11:5 ESV)
I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. (2 Corinthians 12:11 ESV)
The two words translated “super-apostles” in both of those passages is a combination of the word for “apostle” along with a superlative indicating “very chief,” “most eminent,” “most prominent,” etc. Thus, in a hierarchy, Paul is placing these “super-apostles” at the top of the pyramid (at least among apostles).
However, we also know that Paul says that he is being “foolish” using this kind of language to refer to these people, whom he also refers to as false apostles.
Throughout the two chapters (2 Corinthians 11-12), Paul points out several problems associated with these “super-apostles.” Some of those problems relate to the fact that these people DID attempt to place themselves over the Corinthians and others in a superior to subordinate (hierarchical) relationship.
Notice, though, that while Paul says that he is not inferior to these so-called “super-apostles,” he also does not place himself above anyone else. In fact, he says, “I am nothing.” (2 Corinthians 12:11 ESV) Instead of placing himself above the Corinthians or anyone else, Paul continually points to his own weaknesses, lack of abilities, and “foolishness.” He refuses to elevate himself above anyone else, though he also says that he is not inferior (even to these super-apostles).
So, when Paul DOES use the language of superior to subordinate, the calls it “foolishness.” Even when he compares himself to the false apostles and says he is “better,” Paul admits that he is “talking like a madman” (2 Corinthians 11:23 ESV). Paul does not have a positive view of the kind of language that indicates a superior to subordinate relationship (i.e., a hierarchy).
So, if I’m correct in the way that I’ve translated all of these passages (throughout this short series), then Paul never refers to other Christians in language that indicates a superior/subordinate (hierarchical) relationship. At least, he never uses this kind of language in a positive manner.
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Series: Does Paul refer to other Christians as superiors/subordinates?
- What did Paul think about his subordinates?
- Defining the terms
- The ways that Paul most often refers to other believers
- When Paul refers to other believers using father/child language
- Examining Paul’s use of the father/child language
- Does Paul use the term apostle to refer to a superior/subordinate relationship?
- When Paul DOES use the language of superiors and subordinates
Does Paul use the term apostle to refer to a superior/subordinate relationship?
In this short series, I’m looking at the ways that Paul referred to people who traveled with him and people he worked with in various cities in order to answer these questions: How did Paul think those who traveled with him and worked with him? Did he think of himself as being a superior with them being subordinates (i.e., a hierarchy)? Did he think of them all as equals?
A few days ago, I introduced the series by asking, “What did Paul think of his subordinates?” Next, I defined some of the terms that I will use: superior, subordinate, and hierarchy. Then, I covered the terms that Paul used most often to refer to other believers: brother/sister and fellow-worker/soldier/servant. Next, I listed all the passages in which Paul used father/child (or mother/child) language and summarized how Paul used father/child language according to those passages.
In this post, I’m examining another term that Paul uses that is occasionally used as an example of a hierarchy with some being superior while others are subordinates. That term is “apostle.”
We know that Paul often refers to himself as an apostle, and he also refers to others as apostles: Apollos (and others in 1 Corinthians 4:9, 1 Corinthians 9:5, and 1 Corinthians 15:7,9), Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25), Silas (and perhaps others in 1 Thessalonians 2:6), and perhaps Andronicus and Junia (Romans 16:7). Does Paul use the term “apostle” to indicate that these people are superior to others in some type of hierarchy?
No. In fact, if we read what Paul says about apostles, he says just the opposite. He does not place apostles above other Christians. Instead, he places apostles below others as their servants. (See especially 1 Corinthians 4:1,9.)
But, wait! Doesn’t Paul say that apostles are “first” among gifts given by God? Yes, Paul wrote the following to the Corinthians:
And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:28 ESV)
So, doesn’t this indicate that apostles are first in the sense of superior to other believers in a hierarchy? No. Whatever Paul intended to communicate with that ordered list of spiritual gifted persons (and there are a few suggested interpretations), he could not have meant an order of importance or superiority.
How do we know that Paul could not have meant this? Because just before that previous statement, Paul had written this:
On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. (1 Corinthians 12:22-25 ESV)
Based on that passage, regardless of what Paul means when he wrote, “God has appointed in the church first apostles,” he did not mean that God gave them authority over others or made them superior to others.
As with other types of spiritual gifts (prophecy, teaching, pastoring, evangelizing, serving, encouraging, working miracles, healing, etc.), God gives those gifted as apostles to the church as servants, not as authority figures.
So, Paul did not refer to some as apostles in order to show that they were superior while others were subordinate in some type of hierarchy.
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Series: Does Paul refer to other Christians as superiors/subordinates?
- What did Paul think about his subordinates?
- Defining the terms
- The ways that Paul most often refers to other believers
- When Paul refers to other believers using father/child language
- Examining Paul’s use of the father/child language
- Does Paul use the term apostle to refer to a superior/subordinate relationship?
- When Paul DOES use the language of superiors and subordinates
Examining Paul’s use of the father/child language
In this short series, I’m looking at the ways that Paul referred to people who traveled with him and people he worked with in various cities in order to answer these questions: How did Paul think those who traveled with him and worked with him? Did he think of himself as being a superior with them being subordinates (i.e., a hierarchy)? Did he think of them all as equals?
A few days ago, I introduced the series by asking, “What did Paul think of his subordinates?” Next, I defined some of the terms that I will use: superior, subordinate, and hierarchy. Then, I covered the terms that Paul used most often to refer to other believers: brother/sister and fellow-worker/soldier/servant and listed all the passages in which Paul used father/child (or mother/child) language.
In this post, I return to those passages in which Paul used father/child (or mother/child) language to determine if he used that language in a sense that denotes a superior/subordinate (hierarchy) relationship.
In most of the passages, Paul simply calls someone his “child” or calls himself a “father” without explaining what he means by using that language. However, a few passages help us understand what Paul means when he uses that father/child language.
To begin with, Paul uses this language in many different contexts. He uses this language in reference to a specific individual such as Timothy, Titus, or Onesimus. However, he also uses father/child language when referring to a large number of people, such as the believers in Corinth or Thessaloniki. This is interesting because Paul spent a lot of time with the Corinthians, but, according to Luke (Acts 17:1-10), he spent only a few weeks with the Thessalonians. Even though he only spent a few weeks with them, he still referred to their relationship like that of a father to a child (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12). (By the way, he also used mother/child language to describe his relationship with the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8.)
The passage in 1 Thessalonians is interesting for another reason as well. In that passage, he does not only refer to himself as the “father” in the relationship, but instead he also includes all of those who were traveling with him. We don’t know everyone that Paul included in the “we” as fathers in 2 Thessalonians 2:11, but it seems that at least Silas is included in that number (according to Luke in Acts 17:10).
Finally, in the 1 Thessalonians passage, we read exactly what Paul considered to be their work as “fathers”:
For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 ESV)
So, according to Paul, a “father” is one who exhorts, encourages, and charges his “children” to walk with God. This is not relationship of superior to subordinate (perhaps like a father to an infant child or toddler) but more of a relationship of the more mature toward the less mature… like a father to an adult child who is seeking wisdom and advice from one who has more experience.
Another passage when seems to point in this same position is found in Paul’s first letter to his “child” Timothy:
Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. (1 Timothy 5:1-2 ESV)
In this passage, Paul is encouraging Timothy to treat all older men as “fathers” (and older women as “mothers”). So, the “father/child” language does not seem to represent a special type of relationship to Paul, but a general relationship between any more mature (or older) believer to a less mature (or younger) believer and vice versa. So, it refers to respect that is owed to someone who is older or more mature, it does not refer to a hierarchy of relationships / functions / positions.
Like I said earlier, Paul does not explain what he means by the father/child language in every passage in which he uses it. However, I think that every passage fits within the patterns that we find in the few passages in which Paul does explain what he means by the father/child language.
What do you think? This is obviously a brief examination of the father/child language. What have I missed?
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Series: Does Paul refer to other Christians as superiors/subordinates?
- What did Paul think about his subordinates?
- Defining the terms
- The ways that Paul most often refers to other believers
- When Paul refers to other believers using father/child language
- Examining Paul’s use of the father/child language
- Does Paul use the term apostle to refer to a superior/subordinate relationship?
- When Paul DOES use the language of superiors and subordinates
Guest Blogger: Mercy vs. Sacrifice (part 2)
I’ve invited people to write “guest blog posts” for this blog. There are several reasons for this: 1) To offer different perspectives. 2) To generate even more discussion and conversation between blogs. 3) To introduce other bloggers to my readers.
(If you are interested in writing a guest blog post, please contact me at aknox[at]sebts[dot]com.)
Today’s post was written by Norm Mitchell. You can connect with Norm via his email at norman.mitchell.iii [at] gmail [dot] com.
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Mercy vs. Sacrifice (part 1)
(You can read Part 1 of this Guest Blogger post here.)
God clearly desires a close relationship with people. Just like old testament Israelites fell back on their sacrifices and religious practices rather than pursuing a relationship with God, many Christians today do the same thing. They go through the motions of what He’s commanded without doing anything to deepen their relationship with Him. They listen to weekly lectures and sing along with the worship songs and put some money in the offering plate and think the’ve satisfied God’s requirements for us. Then they turn a blind eye to (or God forbid, even actively participate in) injustices, both in society and in the church. They look at fellow believers and at the non believers around us with a critical eye instead of a compassionate one while avoiding putting any effort into pursuing a close relationship with God.
Although it leaves us spiritually hollow, it seems easier to do the religious check-in-the-box thing and not put any serious effort into building our relationship with God. After all, relationships are hard work! I find myself doing this in my marriage at times. It’s easier to hand my wife my paycheck and say, “Here. Go to the grocery store. Get some school clothes for the kids, and I’ll go mow the lawn.” That seems so much easier than sitting down and listening to a detailed description of how my wife’s day went, and then taking my girls to the playground, and then having a tea party with them. But living that way isn’t really living. It’s going through daily motions that never provide satisfaction.
But didn’t Jesus say that His yoke is easy and His burden is light? I know it’s true, but it has seemed counter-intuitive to me and I’ve have a hard time believing it–or at least grasping the reality of that statement.
Remember what it was like to be in love? I mean really head-over-heels in love? Not the quick peck-on-the-cheek, “Have a nice day, Dear” kind of love. But a truly passionate, I’d-do-anything-for-you-and-want-to-spend-every-minute-with-you kind of love. With that attitude, is anything really difficult? Not one bit! In fact, I think we’d be willing to do anything at all just to maintain that sort of a relationship. Now I realize that no relationship can be based on feelings, but a truly deep relationship will manifest itself in every area of your life and will be truly satisfying.
I think that kind of mindset/feeling/lifestyle is what God desires for us. He has demonstrated the fullness of His love to us, and in return, wants for us to have a passionate love for Him. I think that if we loved Him like that, He’d fill us with an exuberance for life and a love for other people that would far surpass the feelings we have when we are in love with another human.
How do we get there? I don’t think that more effort is the key. I picture myself trying to patch things up with my wife and saying, “There! I washed the dishes and picked up my socks. Now what are you going to do for me?” You can’t build a relationship simply by service.
Several times, when I’ve said, “I love you,” my wife has asked me, “Why do you love me?” I’ve thought about it, and said, “I really don’t know.” She’s pretty, but I don’t love her because she is pretty. She’s a good cook, but I would love her even if she couldn’t cook. I like her fun, outgoing personality, but I like other people’s personalities also. All I could come up with, is that I love her because she loves me. True love is a really contagious thing.
I John 4:19 tells us that “we love Him because He first loved us.” The Bible makes 2 things abundantly clear:
1. God loves us.
2. We can’t have a relationship with Him without accepting His Son, Jesus Christ.
There was nothing we could DO (no sacrifice we can make) to enter into a relationship with God. He only accepts us because He looks at us and sees the righteousness of His Son that is now attributed to us. Even after we are saved, there is nothing we can DO to deepen our relationship with God. There is no formula. There is no checklist. There is the command to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.” Which falls right in line with God’s plainly-stated, old testament requirement to “do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him.” Every other directive falls under those two commands. Do “good works” ever come into play? Sure. If you are truly IN LOVE with your Creator and Redeemer, the “good works” will be a natural part of your life as the love of God flows through you and spills over to touch everything around you. There would be nothing you wouldn’t do for God because you value Him so much that you wouldn’t think that any service done for Him is too much or unreasonable.
Romans 12:1 commands us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God. Paul tells us that it’s reasonable to give Him every part of us. At first glance, it sounds extremely difficult and costly. But if we look at this verse, and at God through eyes of love, then yeah, I guess it’s the most reasonable thing in the world.