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| Pastor Tullian |
Then this Pastor, Tullian Tchividjian (grandson of evangelist Billy Graham), was on TV talking about the grace of God.
First the first time in a long time, I was listening to someone explain the importance of the grace of God.
How are lives, our minds, and this world are all geared toward our doing, rather than His done.
"We have to hear the Gospel, because we will not come up with it on our own"
How true that is.
"Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ." (Romans 10: 17)
This lesson has been one of the hardest for me to accept. For so long, I have spent time and energy trying to figure things out on my own.
Yet the Bible speaks of how we have all knowledge:
"20But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. " (1 John 2: 20)
and then
"27But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." (1 John 2: 27)
He then made jokes, drawing from a fictional account in the parody newspaper "The Onion". He talked about a child who got angry with his parents. Why? Because he found out that the had been going to bed when he was told, doing his homework, fulfilling all his chores, only to find out that his parents would love him anyway, unconditionally, regardless of what he did.
Imagine a child getting angry with his parents because they will love him, regardless of all the things that he does! Yet if we are honest with ourselves, many of us engage God in that kind of a relationship.
We believe that we are working for something from God, when God has done all the work, and we proceed from what He has done.
This is hard for many people to accept as it is, and many people in churches, especially so.
Then Tullian quoted Jim Carey:
"More people need to experience the blessing of wealth and fame, so that they can learn that wealth and fame are not the answer to people's problems."
Most churches have not rested in this truth. Carrey would be a great preacher, since he is so funny.
Tullian then talked about the importance of righteousness. No matter how we may feel about it, what we feel within is the need to know that we are OK.
Then we spend much of our time working hard so that we accomplish this.
Righteousness by works defines our world, defines our experience.
Yet that is not the Gospel:
"Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." (Hebrews 10: 38)
Here, the context of "drawing back" speaks to returning to animal sacrifices for salvation, when Jesus accomplished this work once for all at the Cross.
The writer of Hebrews was quoting from Habakkuk:
"Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith." (Habakkuk 2: 4)
Wow!
Yet this truth is fallen away, and many churches are preaching what Tullian calls "Divine Self-Help."
I could not agree with him more.
Instead of teaching people to cast their cares on Jesus, people are carrying their cares, and cast about with fears and doubts.
Tullian got really angry about this agenda of Divine Self-Help.
"If you want self-help, you've got Tony Robbins for that. God does not help us to improve. He makes dead things live."
The congregation started clapping.
"You are applauding when I am angry. I'm worried about you guys," Tullian joked.
I applauded what he said, too.
Tullian nailed it. He explained perfectly why I do not go to church anymore.
I do not want to hear about Divine Self-Help. I need to hear about Divine Divine-Help!
Churches are pushing self-help, and yet in ourselves there is no help. If we could help ourselves, then in effect we would not need help in the first place.
Tullian shared about Abraham next, an example of how we don't need help, but the grace of God:
"1What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." (Romans 4: 1-5)
Abraham was not justified before God through works. He was not blessed because of what he did, but what God did.
And what God promised to keep doing:
"And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 5And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. 7And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it." (Genesis 15: 4-7)
God helps those who help themselves is not in the Bible, Tullian affirmed.
Not even one month ago, I was talking to a Christian, and he said exactly that. I rebuked him for that comment. That statement is nowhere in the Bible. Not at all.
And that perversion is creating huge problems in the Body of Christ. We treat Jesus like an add-on, when He is the whole show. We act as if we can work with Him, when He wants to work in us.
"27To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: 29Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily." (Coossians 1: 27-29)
When a man is dead and needs life, he needs more than help. He needs more a little assist, or some steps or advice. He needs life, and Jesus provides Life, and that more abundantly! (John 10: 10)
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