Depending on Jesus

     Earlier this week, I read an article in which the author warned against preaching that focuses on obedience more than on the finished work of Jesus.  I appreciate the author’s concern for moralistic sermons that treat Christianity as a list of duties.  This is precisely what the prophets consistently opposed.  This article led me to ask another minister, “What does it mean to ‘depend on Christ?’”

     All too often, I am reading  Christian ministers with good intentions who treat the idea of obedience as if it always involves legalism—an effort to gain acceptance with God through strict adherence to God’s rules.  Philosophically, I believe that the current fear of legalism comes from a confusion of the doctrines of justification and sanctification.  We have treated the words “righteous” and “holy” as if they were synonymous.  My conversation regarding depending on Jesus helped me focus on the practical aspect of the current discussion.

     Consider Jesus’ invitation from Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”  Jesus' invitation seems to match the Spirit’s words in Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to Him must believe…”  Depending on Christ involves faith.  We have a tendency to assume that a person who is working hard is depending on himself and not Jesus.  I am not sure if that is necessarily true.

     “Faith without works is dead.”  “Take my yoke…” “Applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence…”  God continually links obedience and faith.  He shows us that to truly believe is to make decisions and take actions based on the truth we believe.  Because I depend on Jesus’ active power in my life (Ephesians 3:20-21) and His promise that I need not give in to temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13) I can resist the urge to entertain a lustful glance, or a judgmental thought.  Because I depend on Jesus to meet all of my needs (Psalm 73:25), I can remain faithful to my wife, even if she is unresponsive and harsh.  My action is directly driven by my dependence on God and His promises in Christ.  I depend on the faithfulness of God’s word that the Ten Commandments are actually beneficial in my life (Mark 2:27, Psalm 119:165, and Romans 7:12).  I do not view them as some arbitrary bondage placed on me by God in an effort to control me.  Instead, I see them as a good gift that enriches my life. I therefore order my life in obedience because I want to do the good God enables me to do (Ephesians 2:10).  I depend on the fact that God accepts me in Christ and I depend on the fact that such acceptance empowers me to do the good.

     I want to depend on Christ more fully.  I want to preach the whole counsel of His Word which sets us free from sin and enlivens us to the good.  I want the cry of my heart to be, “How blessed are those who observes His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart.”