S - Galatians 3:1-7, 13-14, 27-29 (NRSV): "You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified! The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Did you experience so much for nothing?—if it really was for nothing. Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? Just as Abraham "believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham. … Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. … As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise."
O - Faith does include obeying (Romans 1:5), but it is not an obedience to gain righteousness or standing before God. It is not an obedience which makes one better than another or is used as a comparison or standard with another. If ever obedience takes the lead in one's response to Jesus, to God's promises and person way to right standing, then faith has been disabled and grace is being refused. We receive from God because we believe. Because we believe we want to do those things which 'make him glad.' We begin in Spirit and must remain "in Spirit" for spirit life, real life (vibrant, refreshing, irrefutable and irresistible) really is exclusively about believing. Abraham's trip up Moriah did not change his standing before God, it did crystallize his faith and his interface with all God's blessings … Abraham would forever be God's friend first and the father of Isaac second. Those who start with the Spirit and try to work it out by the flesh are called foolish. Those who start with the Spirit start there by faith and those who stay with the Spirit stay the same way. Life in the Spirit is not cause and effect -- my doing producing my standing before God. Life in the Spirit is all about cause and cause -- by believing Jesus who is God's life and righteousness (causes) he becomes our life and righteousness (cause).
A - Over time I am compelled by some mysterious inner religious force to think that doing and not doing certain things is the basis for what I've received, have and hope to have from God. This will always be worse than flawed thinking -- it is fatal thinking; death producing and life defying in me and through me to others. Faith is death defying and life giving. Jesus is life and in Jesus death is defeated. Jesus defies death, sin and the devil. The grace that is in Jesus does this in and through me. Cause and Cause … Jesus and grace … all by believing. The obedience of faith is not about standing before God or improving my status … it is about believing so that my thoughts, words, deeds and attitudes all take on the trajectory of amazing grace -- sweet in its sound, its effect and its benefits.
P - Dear Jesus,
You are grace and truth, I am neither. You are life and I am not. I admit my thoughts are not well focused on this critical point but you are never blurry. I know that I don't have to understand it to receive it and that childlike faith is what pleases you. I guess a part of my inner religious self tries to "perform" especially when delays in receiving go on and on. However and whatever, there is no life in such actions, even actions that are right and honorable. If faith leads such can be life giving and sustaining … if religious/theological doing leads then such are not just lifeless they are life taking. You are life and you call me to follow you, to come near and stay near. In this day and in my current condition I come. I welcome your promises by faith; I put on you and your grace for this very day. You alone are life and you have loved us/me more than life. O great and only King … thank you for the Spirit and for the work the Spirit does. I choose to believe, and to stay yielded to the work you are doing. I refuse to attempt to do my own work … holy to you not holy for you. Thank you for letting me pray and live in your Name.
Steve
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