A Sunday reflection…

i definitely drew a line in the sand today.

in a modern church world where reformed and neo-reformed doctrine is dominating the landscape (both real and viral),  i made it clear that i’m not buying it.   i never really have…and the older i get,  the more comfortable and confident i find myself becoming with the significance of personal responsibility and the ultimate importance attached to the choices we make.

i don’t believe that god is the initiator or instigator of everything that happens.  i don’t believe when we fail or when we make poor choices, that god is to be blamed.  i don’t believe that the sovereignty of god renders our will impotent or that predestination makes the future already set in stone.   sorry.

and i need not go any further than matthew 6:33 (and a quick side trip to hebrews 11:6) for validation.

today, we looked at this great and foundational statement that jesus made,  just past the mid-point in the sermon on the mount:

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” also,  “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

here’s the deal about seeking.  first, in the matthew 6:33,  seek is a verb that means “to look in order to find … by thinking, meditating, reasoning, to enquire into”; to “strive after”; to “require, demand.”  bible scholars define “seek” in the present tense, active voice and imperative mood.  basically that means, “hey you, I mean you (active voice); do this…and do it now and don’t stop doing it (present tense); and that’s not a suggestion, it’s an order (imperative mood).

this is significant.  this is a command to fully invest in the pursuit of god…of his rule…and the holiness of a life modeled after his righteous and perfect character,  as a matter of first priority.   and inherent in the command is meaning.   when we obey the commands of god,  we are not just going through the motions.  our response carries real consequence.  obedience carries real blessing.   our disobedience carries real discipline.   this is not shadow boxing.

in light of that truth,  i also came clean on another issue.  here’s a synopsis of what i said:

whatever you want spiritually, you can have if you want it badly enough.  i don’t think we come anywhere close to understanding or  appreciating the importance of that truth.  most of us are about as close to god now as we determine to be.  we have about as much joy as we want…and about as much peace as we want.  we are the way we are because that’s the way we want to be.  if you were hungry for something better from god, you could have it….

if you want to,  you can have a close walk with God…or a better marriage.   if you want to, you can do god’s will.   if you want to, you can tell others of your faith…or you can learn to pray…or you can grow spiritually.  if you really want to.

if you want to, you can be filled with the spirit and experience the fruit of the spirit.   if you want to,  you can become a man of god or a woman of god.   if you want to, you can change deeply ingrained habits…and you can break destructive patterns of behavior.

hebrews 11:6 promises that.   the author says that god is a rewarder of those who seek him.   jesus said  that what we seek, we find. this is true in every area and realm of life.  unless we seek,  we will not find.   and when we do,  especially when it comes to the kingdom and righteousness,  this promise is money.

our choices matter.   our obedience matters.   seeking matters.

will you seek god and the things of god with your whole heart this week?   i have a notion you will be amazed at what happens if you do.

#faith #obedience #seek #theology