What happens when our spiritual disciplines don't impress God? What if I read my Bible every day and God doesn't "ooh" and "ahh" over me? What if I attend church and give generously and sing songs and even get on my knees to pray and it doesn't blow God away, or even make him sway a little? What if I go on a mission trip to the Middle East...to one of those really scary, hard places that most Christians would never go to...and God's eyebrows don't even move one little bit upward?And what if I do all of these things and not only is God not impressed, but what if he is displeased? How could that be? Is it possible? What in the world are we talking about here?
I read a soul-shaking passage this morning from Isaiah 58. Israel was asking God why he didn't seem to accept their fasting. His response was startling.
3 "Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?"
Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers.4 Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high.
God was saying that the spiritual disciplines of the Israelites did not impress him because ultimately they were seeking to serve themselves through their spirituality. Their efforts were devoid of care for others and delight in God.
God went on to tell his people that the type of fasting he sought was that which would press them to "loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke (58:6)." Abstain from eating bread, so you can take that bread and share it with the hungry. Use your home to care for the homeless. Take your extra clothes and cover the naked. Deny yourself in order to serve others.
The promise in this passage comes in verse 8. "Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.'"
On this side of the cross, we clearly understand that simply giving food to the hungry and clothes to the naked do not make us acceptable to God. Only the righteousness of Christ imputed to us can allow us to enter into relationship with God. However, this relationship, when true, should drive us to care for others in a self-sacrificial way.
The gospel always moves us to give unto others, for at its heart, it is the work of God in giving to us in Christ. Imagine if God said, "I am going to do this great work of sending my Son into the world to take on flesh, earn a perfect righteousness before me, love like no one else, work mighty miracles, glorify me, lay his life down on a cruel cross, and then take it up again in mighty victory over sin and the grave. I am going to do all of this, and it won't make a lick of difference in your life or in this world."
Now, if God sent Jesus into this world only for his own benefit, he would still be just and right in so doing for he deserves all glory and can do all things for his good pleasure. But, he didn't do it this way. He sent Christ for his own glory AND for our good. His sacrifice blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
Because we have been the beneficiaries of blessings that come from true self-sacrifice on God's part, we are to reflect that reality to the world by sacrificing for the good of others. Isaiah 58 awakens us to the reality that this is the type of devotion that God desires of us.
How is the gospel driving you to deny yourself and care for others?
Interesting blog. I just read a devotion from Charles Stanley on the Powerful Practice of Fasting. His was referencing Nehemiah 1.
ReplyDeleteBetween Sunday service, Sunday Bible study, Charles Stanley, and now your blog- Perhaps God has gotten my attention. I personally have never fasted. I have read that people give up certain things that have occupied too much of their time, in order for them to spend more time in His Word. I don't know if I feel that is as dedicated to the fast as He would like me to be. So, in the next 7 days, I am going to commit to one day fasting based on the Gospel and hoping to come closer to the Holy Spirit. Baby steps to begin with....
DeLisa,
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome! I think what you are doing is right on. You have been hearing from God as his word has been taught, discussed among your church family, and as you have considered it yourself. From that you are sensing that God is leading you in a certain direction. Now you are desiring to take a step of obedience. I commend you for wanting to obey Jesus. And I commend Jesus far more for working in you for his good pleasure (hear more about that this Sunday when we study Philippians 2:12-18). I will be praying for you. Let me know if there is any way I can assist you in your obedience to King Jesus! See you soon.
I'm with Eric, Delisa! It's so great that you are choosing to do this. I've done some fasting before and i learned/grew A LOT! I recommend talking to someone who has fasted before if you start noticing any fears or questions like I did when i fasted. It's not as bad as i initially thought.
ReplyDeleteTo comment on the blog, this is a major idea that i love. Good job Eric. My heart is always striving to communicate to others the importance of loving God in relationship with everything we do. The Lord set me free from the bonds of the religious spirit not too long ago and it has revolutionized my relationship with Him and everything. I have so much more of all the good spiritual stuff and way less of all the negative stuff. I used to try and read 5 chapters of the Bible a day and i almost never got anything out of it. I've done a lot of fruitless things in the past just because i thought i should. But now I don't worry about it at all and I do things when i want to because I know how important doing everything BECAUSE I love God is. I understand the importance of staying in the Word of course, but i may go a couple days without reading. But it's been a good while since i've gone a day without being brought to tears at how good God is toward me with all His love and kindness. With the Holy Spirit, I've realized that anything i do on my own is pointless and (a lot of time) damaging.
When you start living from the love of God, all your desires change and become holy desires. You want to give and sacrifice for others (in the right ways).
-Brian Couvillion
(I'm having trouble recalling and re-establishing my google account) -_-