Obey by Grace?
by Robert Krumrey
Last Sunday we looked at what it takes to fight against temptation in a world where we must regularly engage in hand to hand warfare with our own indwelling sin (sin), the corporate expression of all that sin (the system), and the demonic forces who are out to accelerate both the sin and it’s corporate expression (Satan). The danger of such a sermon is that we start thinking we have to win these battles in our own strength. Even this attitude of “self-empowerment” is part of the sin within us and the system that we swim in. This attitude will always sabotage our spiritual life.
So how is it that we are to exert our wills in saying no to temptation and obeying God’s commands while at the same time trusting only in his grace? It’s called faith and it is a mystery. The Apostle Paul even refers to the “mystery of faith” (1Timothy 3:9). Even though it is a bit mysterious, every Christians is expected to exhibit this unique way of living life. The writer of Hebrews goes so far as to say that “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). Think of the implications. I’m doing something that looks like good works and holy living but if it’s not done in faith, it’s worthless.
So how do we live by faith? One way is to constantly remind ourselves of our need for the gospel. That we needed the grace that came from Jesus’ death on the cross to save us from sin. That we need that grace to keep us saved today. That we will need that grace to keep us saved throughout all eternity. The more we become aware of our need and the all sufficient gift of salvation that God has given us in Christ, the more we will lean on that grace instead of our own power. This is why we need to gather with other believers on a regular basis to sing the gospel, hear the gospel preached, and see the gospel in the taking of bread and cup in communion. We also need additional reminders of this grace through our own scripture study and interactions with other Christians in official groups and less formal settings.
Another way to cultivate a life of faith is through prayer. Prayer is such a natural reminder of our need for God’s sustaining grace. Jesus instructs us through the model prayer (Matthew 6, Luke 11) to pray for “daily bread”. This is a powerful admission of need before our Father who loves us and cares about every part of our lives. I’m fairly certain that we are not merely in need of daily bread. We are in need of daily physical energy, daily intellectual wisdom, and daily emotional strength. God in his wisdom orchestrates our lives in such a way that we find ourselves on our knees asking for everything. This undermines our self-sufficiency and shepherds us toward the life of faith.
So how do I know if I’m living by faith? One indicator is the presence of humility in our lives. If we have strength in a certain area and find ourselves looking down on other Christians who don’t have that strength, it’s a red flag that we are not experiencing that area by faith. We should instead, be grateful for whatever growth we have and long for growth in that area for others. We should feel about our growth the same way we feel about our salvation. We have been saved by grace through faith and consequently we can’t boast (Ephesians 2:7,8). The same is true about our ongoing growth (sometimes called sanctification). Any genuine transformation that is occurring in our lives is by grace through faith and there is no room for boasting.
The church leader Augustine writes in The Confessions:
“Give me grace, O Lord, to do as you command, and command me to do what you will.”
and
“…when your commands are obeyed, it is from you that we receive the power to obey them. ”
His life before meeting Christ in the gospel was one of absolute enslavement to sexual sin. He knew full well that his ability to obey was a gift of God’s grace alone. Perhaps our reflection on our own need for grace and the sufficiency of that grace to save us and keep on saving us will bring us to a similar confession.