DISCONTENT
John
12:23-27
John
12:24: “I tell
you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it
remains only a single seed. But if it
dies, it produces many seeds."
If you are just saved, God is discontent with you.
Our heavenly Father wants sooo much
more than salvation for His kids!
Believers in Jesus Christ already claim many benefits and free gifts:
the indwelling Holy Spirit marks us for salvation (Ephesians 4:30), named as
God’s child that makes us heirs to His kingdom, co-heirs with Christ Himself
(Romans 8:17), and redemption of our sins that brings us eternal life (John
3:15).
Why is our Father discontent with
those who’re just saved?
We’ve already been positioned with
Christ. This means that the Father sees
us as His wisdom, holy, righteous and redeemed in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30). The Father sees believers as blameless (1
Corinthians 1:8). BLAMELESS! All this isn’t from human effort. We earned nothing.
But that doesn’t mean that we don’t
do anything after salvation. Philippians
2:12 says that we’re responsible for “working out our salvation with fear and
trembling.” Another paradox (confusing
puzzle).
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by
grace you have been saved, through faith….It is a gift….Not [earned] by works, so
that no one can boast.”
Jesus continues in verse 25, “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who
hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” This “working out our salvation” isn’t
a something you learn in Sunday school. It’s
just you and Jesus in a one-on-one teacher-student relationship. It’s intense.
And it’s the only way you’ll participate in getting the Father’s best
for your life.
You’ll learn to rely only on
God. Jesus gets intimately
personal. He tears open layers of
self-deception. Soon self-contentedness,
inadequacies, failures, and pride are laid bare. You see yourselves the way God sees you. You are humbled. You are broken.
But you’re ready to bear fruit!
If you refuse to participate in this
adventure, you are that grain of wheat that never dies. It’s never planted. It never grows. It never bears fruit. It just blows away. But whoever willingly
dies to self will produce an astounding bounty of fruit for God’s kingdom! This is how Christ can live through us. This is the only way to get God’s best for
our lives.
Now God is pleased with you!
Take
Home Nugget
Will you accept God’s dare to “work
out salvation with fear and trembling?” Would you prefer that the Father be
pleased instead of discontent with you?
God’s rewards far outweigh temporary discomfort for getting His best—in
this world AND forever.
Help me to work out my salvation, Lord!
J.D.
Griffith
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