Mind of Christ, Surrender & Belief

Mind of Christ, Surrender & Belief
November 15th, 2005

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. J0hn 3:16-17

Last time we noted that belief, the kind Christ forms in our hearts soul and spirit is intrinsically different than mere consent. In the New Testament it is noted that "even the demons believe and tremble": most people today make one of two errors: they either believe that a mere 'consent' to the truth, or agreement is real belief, or they required belief plus something else.

Consent vs Belief

To truly BELIEVE, in the sense of saving faith, in the sense of entering into relationship with God, requires trust, love, and a depth of spirit and committment. We used to play a game as children where someone would stand behind another person and 'dare' them to fall backwards. Some would and some wouldn't: depending on the person behind them, and the degree to which they believed they would truly 'catch' them. And true to human form, being kids, sometimes the one behind would step back and let them fall, to a mildly cruel laughter. The belief Jesus requires of us though is that: without any props, without any rails, without knowing what will happen, to lean in and trust Him completely.

Consent on the other hand, is far too often today what others mistake for saving faith. Many go to the altar of a local Church, and when a call to Salvation is made, they go to the altar, agreeing with what the preacher has said, and figure they better 'get in on eternal life' and go to heaven when they die. It has frequently been compared to buying fire insurance. "Yes, I believe that Jesus is Lord, that He died to save us, and that that means we go to Heaven when we die." That sounds good but more than any other religious deception it is the most dangerous: be careful to understand: that statement is absolutely TRUE, but the deception lies in the heart and mind: how much do we REALLY believe it?
It has become popular today to be a 'born-again' Christian: seems everybody thinks they are anyway. But most continue after acquiescing to lead the same life as everyone else out in the world. They may go to church more often and read the Bible a little, but they conduct business the same, watch the same things, talk in the same way etc. I am not insinuating that certain 'works' go along with belief: they do not: Christ has paid the entire price on Golgotha: we have nothing to add.
But simple agreement continues on as if salvation had never occurred. Real BELIEF enters into relationship, and begins from the moment the Holy spirit comes to indwell the believer to walk in 'the newness of Life'.
This is the 'back to Antioch' stuff: to really believe and not just say it, or consent.

On Golgotha, a divine event so monumental occurred that the course of all things were changed forever . FOREVER. Our sins were literally removed as if they had never been: we no longer had to be 'good', we couldn't: we had instead to believe, trust, love and not let go. When this happens, and one realizes what a great release that is: that our accountabilty for our own errors, horror and sin have been forgiven and not charged to our account, then one experiences a divine relief, a burden of life lifts; you do not have to be 'perfect' anymore, or fit anyone's expectations or opinions, you do not have to try to do right: right is given in perfection. One of the things that changes then or shortly after is that one realizes that there are no persons better than any others: we share the dust at the foot of the Cross. When speaking of race, I told my children when they were little that God sees one color: red. A Christian will understand what I mean. He sees us through the blood of His Son: we were bought at that cost: all colors. Oddly, it does not mean that you automatically believe that interracial marriage is all right, or that you don't notice certain culture differences, etc, but that the most genuine tolerance in the world occurs: you come to understand what God means by no respect of persons. How could one consider one person above or below another? How could one use another person or their works or goods without right? With what we have been given? With what we did not deserve? Its best not to get too far from the Cross: its best to stay in sight of that blood: no one's 'cells' or 'status' in life matters to Christ: life matters to Christ. He would have ALL. That does not mean there are not those who will horrify you in life, who will harm you beyond all expectation: people become dangerous without Christ: they become hurtful. But Christ's tolerance comes after the utter trust and belief in the atonement and sacrifice He made there: in the Blood. A Sacrifice promised since the beginning, so dynamic, complete, perfect and excellent that it overwhelms the believer forever, and effects a real change forever. It takes a leaning in and leaning on: it takes trust and real love and perserverence: it takes more than a nod that that is 'probably what happened.' Golgotha changes the heart and the Mind completely. The World is no longer the same.

Belief Plus Anything.

The second and greatest error made in Christianity today is that once we come to the Cross that we have anything to add. We do not. What could a created person do which would add to what their creator could do? How perfect could your gift, or behavior or thinking or changing be? A thousand rules followed still do not add a speck to Salvation wrought by God who knew it would take a divine act not a human one. This is the error which Paul had to address in the Jewish community: they kept accusing him of teaching that we could just go on sinning and sinning and that since Christ had paid it all, it was all right. His pronounced remark was 'God Forbid'! Now, if you actually got down to 'doing anything' and counting on grace to cover it, you are already exhibiting a disregard and sincere hatred of the Gospel. A real believer coming to Christ can't stand the idea of causing harm to the Savior or one of His, and can't stand to be apart from Him. A Taste of the divine makes all the streams of earth sour and bitter. You run to the opposite: to perfect love and peace, to the face of the Bridegroom. Grace however, at the same time, is THAT BIG!!!! Martin Luther once said, " If you are going to sin, sin boldly. He did not mean people ought to sin: he meant that Grace is so profound, so wide and so eternal, that even in the act of running away from God He will take it and turn it to the believer's benefit and the benefit of His Way. (Rms 8:28) On the other hand, too many today, use Grace lightly as a 'do not go to jail' monopoly card: that is critically wrong too. In the old Testament, God condemns an act of Israel as doing every cruel thing to the weak vulnerable, women and children and the poor and then crying 'Grace , Grace, Grace'. There is still a place of God's correction, even severe trials that take you apart, but it does not damage the gift that God gives in Salvation to the true believer. We do not however want to walk that way and here is why: we will probably not damage God's will in the end, Grace will see to it; but we will find the walk far harder than we ever imagined. Far harder.

Jonah could have obeyed God immediately, but his disgust for his enemy who had brutalized Israel and those he loved made him run to Tarshish, the city of wealth. He never arrived and God used his aliyah to turn him and the nation Ninevah around, but before it was over: well, we know the story.

The point is this: real belief is an intense relationship which causes obedience and surrender: our minds and hearts are changed. That is the mind of Christ. We do not add to the work of Christ by living perfectly, nor frustrate it by running away: it is His Work, and this tenet of the Mind of Christ must be gotten ahold of, to proceed in the walk. We most often though end up wanting to do good, live holy and 'do right' because we LOVE HIM: NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO. More to follow