What Is God Waiting For (3)?
Jesus, the Apostles and the Word of God tell us certain foundational things, like:
1. We are all vile, wretched sinners who need God’s forgiveness and cleansing. Our sinfulness goes far deeper than we realize.
2. Our old nature, in Adam, must be denied; counted as dead and gone; and put off. There is no good thing in that old nature.
3. We must agree with God’s view of us; receive forgiveness and new life from Him, and deny self, take up our cross and follow Jesus.
4. We are here to serve His purposes and agenda, not in our own power or abilities, because we have none; but in the power of His life within and by walking in the authority that has been given to Jesus by the Father, and passed on to us by Jesus.
5. Our own wants, ambitions or agendas are meaningless. We have been bought with a price.
6. As new creations, we are to present the reality of Christ, not just speak occasional words about Him, and call men and women out of darkness into the marvelous light of Jesus, into His eternal Kingdom.
7. Our very life itself must be Christ; not a new, improved “religious” me.
8. We have an incredibly important, vital mission and purpose on this earth, and it must be taken very seriously; eternal destinies are at stake.
9. The world, and all that’s of the world, lies within the domain of the wicked one, and we must remain separated from it in thought, word and deed, representing and demonstrating an entirely different reality.
I have often wondered how and why it is that the Apostles and early believers understood these matters, and acted accordingly… at great personal risk… with great life and power… and we modern believers, at least in the “free world”, just don’t seem to get it.
I believe there are certain factors contributing to this, and they profoundly affect Christians today. In my view these factors are:
- The “conversion” of Emperor Constantine to Christianity in 312 AD, and the resulting marriage of the Church to the State and world which followed.
- The also-resulting shift in the Church from being an Apostolic community of disciples to being a religion.
- The division of the people of God into “Clergy” (the very few) and “Laity” (the multitude), Performers and Audience.
- The change from being all about God and His purposes to being about us, even though we continue to say it’s all about God.
Do Christians (do I?) believe God or even genuinely care about what He says? Are we concerned with His glory and honor… or are we caught up in some religious drama to somehow make ourselves “feel better” about life; about ourselves?
Can we truly not see that the foundational points 1-9 listed above are not what our beliefs and practices are based on?
Let me give you just one example of our hypocrisy; just one. I promise I’ll be good.
We say that our main purpose and mission is to “get sinners saved” and “fulfill the Great Commission”; yet the amount of time, energy and money we spend on this vitally important mission is relatively minuscule… practically non-existent in light of all the other “stuff” we’re involved with, and, the little outreach and mission that we actually do is not sound or biblical.
We say that the salvation of the lost is essential and important but we do almost nothing towards that end. That’s like saying you truly love your wife, when everyone knows you beat her mercilessly. This is a practical definition of the word “hypocrisy”.
So… what is God waiting for? There are clearly people who want to know, follow and serve Him. Perhaps a better question is, “What are we waiting for?”
Are we waiting for the Lord to sovereignly move and set things in order, apart from our faith and obedience? Are we waiting for the Great Tribulation to begin, and shock us into our right senses (If you believe in the Pre-Trib Rapture, that’s another issue. If so, we gotta sit down and talk)? If we are, we’re in for a long, uncomfortable wait.
Here are the issues:
- We don’t truly believe God. That’s also known as “Unbelief”; sin. We need to repent.
- We complicate things, with programs and projects; debates; dividing into factions; adding to and taking away from His Word; endless words flying back and forth; ever learning but never coming to the (experiential) knowledge of the truth. There is simplicity in Christ, so complicating things is sin. We need to repent.
- We have our eyes focused on ourselves, rather than on God. God says, “You were utterly worthless, so I killed you in my Son. You’re now dead and gone. Live in my Son, unto my glory and praise.” We refuse, which is sin. We need to repent.
I will touch briefly on all three points.
- We say we believe God and His word. Our actions betray us… we don’t. We have got to face this reality, and change must come.
- We don’t need to be doing this or that “for God”, running to and fro. We simply need to sit at His feet, hear His word, and obey; more change.
- I have a good friend. We say to each other, “It’s not about us; it’s about Him,” over and over and over, again, and we are both baffled, mystified and mind-boggled when we see ourselves continuing to live like it is, indeed, about us, and not Him. More change is needed.
Let’s understand something, though; we’re not going to change by our own will or godly efforts. That would only be more religion, and this world surely doesn’t need any more of that.
We will only change by seeing and acknowledging truth, looking away from ourselves to God, and casting ourselves upon Him, the One who is able to bring about godly change in us, for His honor and glory.
This is precisely how Paul got away from, “The things I want to do, I don’t, and what I hate, I do. I am a wretched man,”… to… “I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.”
Please go to one of the following links to begin exploring the incredibly important issues facing the Body of Christ in these last days. If we are unaware… we cannot prepare:
What I see clearly in what you are doing with this series on What is God waiting for is to me, personally, called precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little. it is from Isaiah 28:9-10
If you go to Matthew Henry’s commentary at this link: http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-com/view.cgi?book=isa&chapter=028, you will see what I mean. He gives a wonderful description of how a child learned back in the days of the prophets – and how we learn in God.
What I have discovered, and I was sharing this a short while ago with a very dear brother who came for tea and was telling him about you and your blog, was that God first reveals His Truth to you, then he shows you how to live it out in your life. Revelation to Living. That is the precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little there a little. Oswald Chambers also says the same thing but in a more natural way. Revelation first from the mountain top, then down into valley of real life to have God batter you into His shape for you. (great Scots word – batter)
We would learn nothing about living in Him if He did not do it this way, of that I am utterly convinced and see it clearly happening in my own life and in the lives of others around me.
We must count it all joy. All joy!
Amen Jessie!
Jessie,
I hear what you’re saying and strongly agree. You always bring much insight.
The one thing where I differ is that I would not call it “precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little,” and I’ll explain why.
I’m going to paste the entire Isaiah 28 passage (verses 9-13) below, and then make some points. Here is the passage:
9 “ Whom will he teach knowledge?
And whom will he make to understand the message?
Those just weaned from milk?
Those just drawn from the breasts?
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little.”
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue
He will speak to this people,
12 To whom He said, “This is the rest with which
You may cause the weary to rest,”
And, “This is the refreshing”;
Yet they would not hear.
13 But the word of the LORD was to them,
“ Precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little,”
That they might go and fall backward, and be broken
And snared and caught.
Here are my points. Someone please show me if I’m wrong. I’ll be happy to see it if I am.
1. Notice the sing-song effect of the words and how they are repeated, in TWO different places:
“ Precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little,”
This strikes me as “religion”, a formula that the “leaders” were probably using in Israel… perhaps even a religious song.
2. Read verses 11-12 again. To me it shows God trying to break into the religious formula, the ritual.
He wanted to give them the TRUE rest and refreshing (from religion), YET they would not hear.
3. Verse 13 begins with the word BUT. This is very important. Look at it:
13 But the word of the LORD was TO THEM,
“ Precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little,”
That they might go and fall backward, and be broken
And snared and caught.
again in the sing-song mode, with ideas repeated.
What’s my point?
Simply that when I read this entire passage, it clearly looks to me like God is not COMMENDING and praising the concept of:
“Precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.”
BUT, rather, denouncing it, and saying that THIS WAY of dealing with the things of God would result in judgment.
Having said that, I repeat that I agree with and appreciate what you were communicating, aside from the label of, “precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”
Be blessed, sis. You are a blessing.
Getting there – Bless you
Hey Bro, I so enjoy chatting with you! It’s like a great delicious meal each time
I hear you loud and clear. I am sorry if I put you to so much effort! I appreciate it all and more.
The context of what precept upon precept, line upon line in scripture really means to me with regard to what is ging on on your site is below, but my understanding in the light of this particular passage (which I obvioulsy confused everyone with) is as yours. I probably just caused chaos – I told you before I don’t always get my thoughts out clear. Sorrrreeeee to all! :-}
Matthew Henry has this to say first,
“The prophets taught them as children are taught; for,
1. They were constant and industrious in teaching them. They took great pains with them, and with great prudence, teaching them as they needed it and were able to bear it (v. 10): Precept upon precept. It must be so, or (as some read) it has been so. They have been taught, as children are taught to read, by precept upon precept, and taught to write by line upon line, a little here and a little there, a little of one thing and a little of another, that the variety of instructions might be pleasing and inviting,—a little at one time and a little at another, that they might not have their memories overcharged,—a little from one prophet and a little from another, that every one might be pleased with his friend and him whom he admired. Note, For our instruction in the things of God it is requisite that we have precept upon precept and line upon line, that one precept and line should be followed, and so enforced by another; the precept of justice must be upon the precept of piety, and the precept of charity upon that of justice. Nay, it is necessary that the same precept and the same line should be often repeated and inculcated upon us, that we may the better understand them and the more easily recollect them when we have occasion for them. Teachers should accommodate themselves to the capacity of the learners, give them what they most need and can best bear, and a little at a time,
Deu. 6:6-7 6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
Right, back to what I was ‘trying’, albeit somewhat unsuccessfully, to share in my previous comment, but hopefully will be clearer this time.
I honestly understand from it happening in my own life that we learn a little at a time and each time we learn a little more and is built on the foundation of what we learned first.
We cannot (I should rather say ‘I’ here) understand and learn all at once. It does not matter whether it is out learning to Trust the Lord or Growing our faith, or about Him, or how He works in our lives etc. It all takes place over a protracted period of His time.
So that’s what I was meaning when I say God is working with you precept upon precept line upon line. You are moving forward with Him as He is giving it to you bit by bit, and sharing this process (if I may call it that) with us all here.
And it is great!
p.s. I am scared to press Submit and have read this thing over 8 times.
Hey Jessie,
No big thing, sis. Like I said, I heard what you were meaning.
PLEASE don’t be scared to hit “Submit” on this blog, and NEVER read over your comment 8 times.
Seven, maybe; but not 8.
Ha ha. Fellowship like this brings much joy.
Ok, 7 it is.
Just needed to unconfuse anyone else.
Gene and Jessie,
This is refreshing….
Great insight from both of you.
Thanks.
Sherry and Jessie,
Real fellowship with real believers is so good, even if you are thousands of miles apart.
Let’s remember, too, that all genuine insight comes from Him.
Absolutely!
So does genuine fellowship…
Amen