NO WAVERING NOW!

Hebrews 10:23 Hold fast the profession of my faith without wavering.

That sure sounds like a tall order for me to stand strong, no matter what! However, I benefit from remembering the comment by Watchman Nee, “If the God on the throne had given these commandments for me to keep, that would be most unfair (and show an enormous lack or reality testing on the part of God) but, what if He gave these commands for himself to keep, through his yielded body members?” That would be totally fair and reasonable.

Jesus does not say, “I went through it, so follow my example and go through it yourself.” Rather, He is saying, “I went through it and am ready to go through it again and again as I live in you. We are going through this together. Don’t forget, the life that you live in the flesh, you are not really the one living it, for you are dead to sin but alive to me. The life that you now live, you live by my faith; the faith of the one who loves you and gave himself for you, and now continues to give himself for you.”Galatians 2:20

So, how good is Jesus at “not wavering?” Well, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Pretty non-waverish huh? Hebrews 13:8 So, if I look, listen, say, think and move according to my growing understanding of his will in action. If I get out of his way and yield my body members to him, then I will not waver. Romans 6:13

I like to compare the experience of someone watching my life, to someone watching a driver education car which has two sets of controls, the students controls and the master teacher’s. So how well does the car drive? Depends on who has his hands on the controls. Sometimes I wish he would simply disable my controls, but at any given time I have the ability to grab them back and mess everything up.

So, first I need to ask, in every moment and for the rest of my life, “In this situation and this moment, what would Jesus do?”

I need to humbly admit that I have a limited and unbalance picture of his ways in action. So, I need to continually upgrade my ability to picture his Word in action. I need to never assume that what I see, and feel, and think is, actually, a full and dynamically balanced approach.

I need to look at what might cause me to waver. Have I accepted the New Covenant or do I want to stay in the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant was that God would be with me and prove it with health, food, wells of water, houses and victories. If I live in this Covenant, “god” will let me down and I will waver. In order to not waver i must live in the New Covenant which is Jesus in me and I in Him and We in the Father. This Covenant is proved

I need to look at what might cause me to waver. Have I accepted the New Covenant or do I want to stay in the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant was that God would be with me and prove it with health, food, wells of water, houses and victories. If I live in this Covenant, “god” will let me down and I will waver. In order to not waver i must live in the New Covenant which is Jesus in me and I in Him and We in the Father. This Covenant is proved by God’s Spirit bearing witness with my spirit that I am his and he is mine, even while I am being starved, persecuted all the day long and counted as sheep for the slaughter, John 14:20

(See below my blog on FAITH)

Without a good foundation, I will waver. I need to be sure of my,”foundation” . Have I built my life on the rock of the Lord Jesus Christ? If so, then the storms and floods of life will not move me. Matthew 7:25 I need to look at his loving, peaceful face and ask, “Is he worried about his ability to handle this situation,to keep my weak self from sinning, and to have the last blessed word?” If he is not worried, then why should I worry? Or do I, deep down, think that he just does not care?

But, I can cast all my cares on him with confidence because He does care for me! 1Peter 5:7

Non wavering does not mean that I learn a formula that can be rigidly applied to each person and situation. No it means that I do not waver in my commitment to God’s truth being always right even when it, “passes understanding” Philippians 4:7and even when it seems to lead to actions and situations that are unfair, impossible, and will make me seem downright crazy. I need to remember that the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of man. It means that I keep my gaze on him even as I am being stoned to death. 1Corinthians 1:25

James 1:6 says, “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering: For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. Let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” It is instructive to remember the issue here in James. The double minded man asked for wisdom but must have asked just to make himself look good and wanted an “easy wisdom download” so did not pay attention as God tried to give him wisdom through, “tough wisdom opportunities”. (Wisdom requires, admitting that I really do not have wisdom and then rejoicing in the uncomfortable situations that God brings into my life that will teach me wisdom, if I pay attention.) I am often like Calvin in the Calvin and Hobbes cartoons who wanted to take a knowledge pill and skip out on all the lessons needed to actually learn things.

FAITH:

Ask most Christians what faith is, and they will tell you that it is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen. Well, this is how one can tell that faith has been exercised – it strengthens and makes more solid the invisible hopes that pull us forward. It is the evidence that the invisible promises of God are real. But, practically what is it? How can I grow in it?

FAITH:  A type of belief.  Belief in the practical principles of responding to life’s challenges, as set  forth in God’s Word. This type of belief FORCES me to ACT in accordance to a growing picture of God’s principles lived out. Action driven by growing hope=actively picturing the rewards God has promised that will soon be. Faith built by hearing God’s word and asking, “so what”

If, in a life situation, obedience bubbles out of me, then it doesn’t need faith. Faith is needed when I, feel unworthy, feel terrified that I’ll lose all, know that I am too weak to do it God’s way, and I’m sure his way could never work in the reality of my situation, everyone (even Christians) will think I’m crazy or even wrong.

Why do I obey when I am so troubled at the thought? Because I owe him everything. It is only reasonable to yield my body parts according to his principles in action, even if I fear the loss of all, but him.

I obey because I see that his way could be no worse that my way, or any other way. I yield my body members slaves and instruments by moving them according to my limited, but growing, picture of God’s principles in action.

Lastly, having obeyed, I rest, leaving the results to him, and thank him for the opportunity to obey. I trust that, in the end, having done it his way has to turn out for the best. I refuse to connect my worth, sense of power and security to the outcome. I see myself as successful because I obeyed not because of any result or lack thereof.

LORD, I LONG TO PLEASE YOU, WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT FAITH. I HAVE SOME FAITH, HELP ME WHERE MY FAITH IS WEAK AND FALLS SHORT.