sleeves rolled up with a heart to work

So we rebuilt the wall, and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

Nehemiah 4:6; NRSVue

Nehemiah is a most interesting book, written in a different time. Walls for large cities were important for protection. And in that era unlike now, God’s people were confined to one land, one space, as a national entity. It was supposed to be a nation set apart as God’s light to the world, but whether in God’s will or not, had a fighting force from the beginning, and eventually became more or less amalgamated with the other nations so that its light as to God’s will for the nations was all but snuffed out.

Yet God’s work went on as we see in Nehemiah. We compare and contrast the book like everything else with the revelation given to us of Jesus in the four gospels. That said, we can learn a lot from this book.

And one of the main points is the importance of having a heart to work together for a common, good cause in God’s will. Nehemiah was troubled and became the leader of a movement to rebuild broken down Jerusalem. As a good leader, he oversaw the project, and was able with the help of God and others to thwart hostile opposition to the work.

We all have our humble part as part of the community of faith in God’s work in the world. And whatever we do, it should be related to that. We live in houses or have responsibilities related to providing for our families, and all of that should be connected with God’s will and work in the world. God will give us wisdom as we endeavor to have our minds set in that direction. With hearts to do our part in God’s redemptive, saving, freeing work in the world.

wanting resolution

Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and hold fast to the faith of Jesus.

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who from now on die in the Lord.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.”

Revelation 14:12-13; NRSVue

I don’t know about you, but there’s few things in life I dislike more than not having resolution, in other words not being finished with a particularly difficult project. If one is referring just to a challenging issue, that can be another story. We might actually like to work through that and make progress and the process might be even more fun so to speak than the outcome when the goal is reached and the achievement done. What I’m referring to is something else, more in line with trials which of course are trying to us.

In the context of Revelation from which the above passage is taken, it is indeed trying times for the saints, those who follow Jesus and keep the commandments of God. They are being persecuted, certainly being under fire from the world system, the devil and human corruption in the works including religious corruption.

I think the above passage highlights two things for us: our need to remain faithful now no matter what we’re experiencing, come what may, and the fact that someday it will all be over, that a full and final resolution will come, that we will indeed reach a final rest.

From this passage we can see that our deeds in this life do matter. What isn’t true in this life is any final resolution. I wonder if that might be part of the problem in some traditions which seem to teach and want a full complete resolution and rest now.

If one is referring to the sabbath rest that comes from faith in Christ, that’s a different matter altogether. That rest is in this life and our works are not the source of it. The rest spoken of here is different, something final, past all the issues of this life. By faith in Christ we continue on in the midst of such. Enduring and faithful, knowing that this will not last forever, that full, final resolution is promised.

it’s entirely up to you and me and us together

His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence. Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust and may become participants of the divine nature. For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with excellence, and excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For anyone who lacks these things is blind, suffering from eye disease, forgetful of the cleansing of past sins. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.

2 Peter 1:3-11; NRSVue

I’m not sure what it is in so many of the circles I’ve been a part of, but it seems like there’s an aversion to doing. The emphasis in most of these places for sure is that it’s already been done, that Christ did it in his finished work on the cross. Therefore we not only don’t have to do anything, but indeed shouldn’t. Yes, for sure, Christ secured our salvation for us, no doubt about that. But what follows from that is a whole host of things that we’re to do, in the words of 2 Peter 1, to add to or support our faith with. And really at least many churches which seek to be faithful in teaching Scripture will talk about things we should and shouldn’t do, even if making it sound like grace is antithetical to human effort.

These virtues are not just things that float in the air, that we’re to breathe in and then work out, though you might venture that something like that by the Spirit is actually happening. They are things that we’re called to take in, be exercised with, and do. And the “we” here, and this comes out in the Greek is certainly plural. Though it’s up to each one of us, we’re in this together no less. We honestly cannot make it by ourselves, or at least not very well at all by ourselves. We’re not meant to. We’re in this life in Christ together.

It’s up to us, period. God is not going to do it for us. Certainly we have everything we need from God to do it. We continue to receive from God in this life, grace on top of grace. But that is all meant for us to do what needs to be done as well as not doing what we shouldn’t do. Of course, we won’t get this all perfect, for sure. And like the passage above tells us, these virtues are to be found in our own lives and in our lives together increasing over time. It’s up to us, it’s up to you and me.

the task at hand

Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

Ecclesiastes 9:10; NRSVue

I’m glad this is not the case all the time, every moment, but we often find ourselves up against something which needs to be done. Probably deadlines are involved, often a routine as well. Many things which we don’t necessarily like, but they need to be done just the same.

Most of us prefer the routine over the unexpected. But we’re told here whatever our hand finds, and that with all our might. And thought, knowledge and wisdom are involved. The best we can, and not only the difficult thing, but plugging away day after day with the next task at hand.

giving up on praying is not an option

He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” So he said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father, may your name be revered as holy.
May your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
And do not bring us to the time of trial.”

And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything out of friendship, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asked for a fish, would give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asked for an egg, would give a scorpion? If you, then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Luke 11:1-13

We have words from the Lord to teach us how to pray, and simply encouraging us to pray, period. The Spirit helps us as well, and this is especially encouraging because while prayer is something we do, it won’t get through or matter apart from God’s help. But we can be assured that God will help us. We simply must persist. Giving up on prayer is not an option.

What happens at least to me in weakness is that somehow I think I’m short on time to pray. But just the opposite is the case. We can’t afford not to pray. We don’t have time not to pray. There’s actually nothing more important we can do, though rest assured, if we truly pray, we will be doing other things as well. It’s entirely possible that we won’t do as much or get as much done. Though actually we may get more done, certainly in a way that’s better. Apart from prayer, what are we really doing? It will turn out as far as God’s economy is concerned, not very much.

Something like what I’m slowly learning and have to keep coming back to time and again.

doing the best imperfect we can

Let your work be manifest to your servants
and your glorious power to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us
and prosper for us the work of our hands—
O prosper the work of our hands!

Psalm 90:16-17

I’d like to know one single thing that humans ever did perfectly. That probably depends on what you mean by perfect, and what measure is put forward to determine that. For example, humankind has flown into space, even landed on the moon. The technology to engineer and perform such feats had to take a measure of perfection. Maybe there’s some margin of error in the mix, but if it’s outside of the parameters set, disaster could be the result, or hopefully instead a scrubbed launch or whatever.

When it comes to ethics, we humans usually if not always have something of mixed motives. Maybe not all the impurities are actually sinful, like for example we may feel clumsy among others, and fear being looked down on, or something to that effect. I think we can have the right heart in doing something, out of love, and I’m a bit suspicious that any sin, latent or otherwise has to be in the mix with that.

Regardless of how we parse that, I am encouraged by the thought to just keep doing the best imperfect that I can, and together with others to do the best imperfect we can. Yes, we’re going to make mistakes, and we’ll find out down the road a way that we could have done something better. But I don’t think we humans are called to make sure we do everything perfectly. What does that mean, anyhow? How can we really know? And most importantly, is there anything that is perfect in this existence in some sort of final, permanent sense? I don’t think so.

So we happily press on, just trying to use the best judgment and make the best decisions possible with the limited resources and time we have here. But believing in all of that, that God is able to take our inevitably imperfect thoughts and acts done in love into the perfection of God’s working, both for the present and for the time to come.

where does our security lie?

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the gentiles who seek all these things, and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.“

Matthew 6:25-33

In the United States we have on our paper money the words, “In God We Trust.” It raises an interesting question: Do we really trust in God, or in money itself? It’s not like money is evil in itself. It’s the love of money which is called a root of all kinds of evil. Our lives and well-being are not dependent on our material wealth, but on God. Do we really believe that?

It’s not easy to write about things which hit so close to home. Words can be so deceptive, an actual substitute for substance in actually doing and becoming what is being talked about. Of course it’s a matter of the heart, of worship, and that always plays out in what we do and don’t do.

No matter how much one is worth or not worth money-wise, our trust should always be in God. This will never be like a slam dunk, in other words it won’t be like we’ve arrived in this life. But as far as we know, and what we should forever and always be striving for is nothing more nor less than total and complete trust in God.

Which means we’ll want to be obedient and will take the steps to do so, giving to those in need and seeking God’s kingdom and righteousness first and foremost in our thoughts and actions.

We’ll never really be secure unless our security comes from God which is where our only true security lies.

the “rest” of faith

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest is still open, let us take care that none of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For indeed the good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed are entering that rest, just as God has said,

“As in my anger I swore,
‘They shall not enter my rest,’ ”

though his works were finished since the foundation of the world. For somewhere it speaks about the seventh day as follows, “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” And again in this place it says, “They shall not enter my rest.” Since therefore it remains open for some to enter it and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he sets a certain day—“today”—saying through David much later, in the words already quoted,

“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.”

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak later about another day. So then, a Sabbath rest still remains for the people of God, for those who enter God’s rest also rest from their labors as God did from his. Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs.

Indeed, the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.

Hebrews 4:1-13

Yesterday I talked about how faith that is alive is active. Today, I want to speak to the importance of what is called the “rest” of faith.

A faith that is alive and well can only be a faith that at the same time, rests. Only when we’re resting from our own works will God give us the work God has for us to do (cf.: Ephesians 2:8-10).

The “rest” here refers to believing in God and God’s word to us from scripture, and specifically concerning the good news of Christ for us and for the world. While it is more than that, it is personal. We have to believe and accept this for ourselves.

There will always be off and on temptations to resist this “rest” just as there was with the Israelites of old. They saw this and that, getting their eyes off of God and God’s promises to them. And then they felt that they had to take matters into their own hands. Not good. God corrected them, but not without great consequence.

But when we do rest in faith, then God enables us to do what we could never do ourselves. The “rest” has to be absolute. Never dependent on us, but only on God. We must make sure though that we’re entirely given over to finding this rest, to get out of our own ceaseless resistance to that. If we make a sustained effort, God will indeed help us. We’ll then find our way into all that God has for us. But never apart from that rest. In and through Jesus.

a passive faith is not enough

Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and by works faith was brought to completion. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

James 2:21-24; NRSVUE

I would like to emphasize to the utmost degree that a passive faith is not enough. It might be a good start, but if there’s no finish, there’s no faith at all, or that’s what James seems to be saying. The story of Abraham here which he cites is about Abraham sacrificing his son Isaac on the altar. At least Abraham acted in faith in doing that, although his act would have been better if he would have interceded before God beforehand so that he would not have actually come right up to the point of doing it. They could have had a ram before this was even made known to Isaac. (see J. Richard Middleton).

Forget it if you think that simply believing something you read or hear read from the Bible or about Christ is enough. It’s not. It might seem life giving, life changing at first, but unless you act on it, it won’t be. Hopefully if we’re failing to act on it, seeds are planted in our hearts to bear fruit later, but the fruit will be actions corresponding to what has been heard. And we must keep doing that. It’s not enough to read and appreciate it. And this is a good place to start:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30; NRSVUE

Christ’s invitation is wonderful to hear and dwell on. But that’s not enough! We must accept it. And we must keep coming back to him again and again. As we do, that faith will be met.

What’s true here is true everywhere. Faith without a response that results in works and life change is no faith at all. Whether or not we have faith is the question or not. Yes, Christ is the answer, but we must follow. God is present to help us. In and through Jesus.

confirm your faith by following through with action

You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works.

James 2:22

James is referring to Abraham’s faith confirmed as it were in his obedience to God’s command to sacrifice his son, Isaac. That is an impossible one to wrap one’s head around. Key is to understand that this kind of faith does not depend on our own understanding. God helps our understanding, so it’s not like understanding is left behind. But again, it’s not our own understanding, not from our own reasoning.

When we have clarity, and a sense of what we need to do by faith, then we need to follow through in that, even if “a thousand screaming monkeys” might be yelling at us otherwise. In doing so, in the words of James, our faith is not passive, but active along with our works, indeed brought to completion by the works. Our faith might be good insofar as it goes, but may not be complete until we follow through with the action which corresponds to it.

As followers of Christ, we certainly want to live by faith. And that faith involves our entire lives, and every part of them. God will help us to have the understanding needed at each point and juncture of our lives. In and through Jesus.