I wanted to blog today on my day off and on account of it being Good Friday...but a lot has happened in the last month that I am having a hard time picking what to write on...but my heart has really be pierced with this topic, and I believe that it will rub off into all areas of our lives (including the recent debates that are being publicized EVERYWHERE!!) If you don't see how, ask God to reveal it to you, because I do believe that this applies to all our future endeavors and it will guide us in all our choices in life, including these fine areas where we don't know how to respond.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me."
Matthew 16:24 NLT
Faith versus Saving Faith Fan verses Follower
Orpah versus Ruth (yes, it's another Ruth reference)
Read the first chapter of Ruth, and look at Orpah. In summary, this girl is very sincere and compassionate toward the widowed Naomi. It says in this chapter that both Ruth AND Orpah clung to Naomi and wanted to join her back to the Promised land. Now, after Naomi's pessimistic approach to the idea, Orpah departed and Ruth stuck on. I never looked at this comparison in this manner, and I want to bring this to your attention through Ruth and Orpah.
Orpah had faith, Ruth had saving faith. Why? Orpah was a good person....she loved Naomi. She did the right things, had the best intentions, truly cared for Naomi. But she didn't have the saving faith in God to make the sacrifice to really follow where her heart was going like Ruth did. To give you a brief context, what Ruth did was not only loving, but dangerous for herself. She was an outcast. She was a single woman with no secure male in her life to protect her in a foreign land. She was giving up her comfort land to not only follow Naomi and care for her, but she put away her old ways and struggles to go into an unknown territory to pursue a God that would later give her blessing beyond her wildest dreams (at the time, she had no idea what God was going to do for her).
Orpah did not have this faith. She did not give up her life. She did not like the idea of not knowing what would happen to her. It wasn't because she didn't love Naomi that much, I bet she loved Naomi just as much as Ruth did. The difference was in the faith in God. It's scary, but I want you all to hear this...just because you are a good person does not mean you are going to be with Jesus.
My verse above speaks just that to us today. It is the difference between Faith and Saving Faith. My friends, some of you love Jesus....but do you really LOVE Jesus? Are you like Orpah, who cared enough to latch on, but when it gets hard you run back to comfort? Now I am not perfect, and I have my doubts as well...and thank God that He is gracious to forgive me and give me second and third chances....I don't know your heart and I am not writing this to accuse anyone. You can point fingers right back at me, in fact I encourage you to so I may grow more.
But here is how I know I have saving faith...when I look at the Cross today, I don't just see an obligation that I meet once a year. I am reminded how Jesus gave up the perfect to live with the imperfect. I see how Jesus endured 33 years, being tempted in every way, and not falling once into sin. I see how Jesus submitted to the Father's will and provided the narrow way for me. I see how ultimate sorrow and ultimate joy come together. I see power and glory of God. I see the sign of victory. And seeing these things change how I live.
"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"
2 Corinthians 5:17
Jesus did not die to save us from Hell. He died to save us from Sin. He died to save us from ourselves...here and now. It begins here. It begins now. Not later after we die. When you look at the Cross, is it your ticket to Heaven, or your Saving Grace? Let the Cross save you and change you today. Because if you don't, you will be dissappointed.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in
heaven."
Matthew 7:21
This Easter, I pray that you just don't see a routine and obligation. I pray you don't just hear the story again. I pray that you don't settle with where you are in life. I truly pray that you will put away all selfish desires and run toward the Cross, broken and aware of your neediness for a Savior now and every day.
I love you all.
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