What are we supposed to be doing now?

Facebook is an interesting thing isn't it? You know much of what is posted is a bit dubious in its value but within that there is the opportunity to hear God. In the last week God has spoken to me via Facebook more than once.

This morning I read an interaction between two people and it set me thinking.
Effectively one person was saying that we need effort on our part to grow in the Lord, to develop our relationship with Him and that we have moved on from what we were when we first believed in Jesus because 'you have increased your goodness, your knowledge, your self control, your perseverance, your godliness' and 'that has come through relationship, studying the Word of God and applying it to your life.'

The other person basically said that it isn't self-effort but Christ,...'I need Christ and no effort on my behalf.'

Interesting conversation and I want to say right here that I respect each view and the people who make them but feel to declare my thoughts because over a number of years God has been speaking into me a new way, the New Covenant way, the Way of Grace...and recently He said to me that He has given me a role to 'have the people sit down.'

The tragic thing is that within 'Christianity' today lies the same challenge that has always existed and that is the conundrum of Grace versus Law.
Succinctly put Law demands effort and Grace gives rest.
The Law was given, but Grace and Truth came. That's John 1: 17
Look at the Law, it required [God speaking]; 'you will, you will, you will, you will, you will not, you will not.' This is clear in Exodus 20.
On the other hand when we come to Hebrews 8 and see the terms of the New Covenant and it declares [God speaking]; 'I will, I will, I will, I will.'
Can it be any clearer?
Read the epistles, all of them, particularly those written by Paul and you will see that the basic issue that they all deal with is Law and Grace.
Our penchant as people is to have some sort of 'need' to pursue Law. In practice this means that we feel the need to have some input of effort into our restoration to God, and, sadly, this is what is preached day in, day out in the churches across our world.
Is this God's way for us in this Day of Grace? Is this God's way for us in this Day of the New Covenant? Is this God's way for us in this Day of the Finished Work of Christ?
NO. I do not not believe this is God's way. How could a people who have NO ability to save themselves but receive Jesus, the gift of God, then be expected by that same God to contribute their own effort to their on-going walk and restoration in Christ. I'm sorry, I don't believe it and that teaching sounds like bondage to me, not the freedom Jesus promises and provides.

www.ubfriends.org

I preach Jesus, nothing else. That's freedom. Whenever I have the opportunity to preach I don't have to sweat over a meaningful sermon with a meaningful, classy structure and a meaningful strategy...Jesus reveals Himself to me everyday and my role is simply to declare Him, exalt Him by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, who gives the words to speak in His role of exalting Christ. That's what it's all about!

So, there is much I could say on this but as I considered the interaction I shared above the Lord spoke to me, encouraging me [again] to consider what the role of the Christian is today.

What is our role having accepted Jesus as our Saviour, having believed in Him?
What is our role?
Is it effort? Or is it something else?

As I contemplated this the Lord said to me, 'YOUR ROLE IS REST, NOT EFFORT.'

We have no input into our restoration, no input into our growth in Christ-likeness; no role to play apart from RECEIVE.

Oh yes, this flies in the face of everything we are as human beings because we are affected generationally by Adam, our first father, and his desire for independence. But Jesus turned everything upside down. We can no longer accept that we have an independent stance because He came to FREE us from our inability to help ourselves by completing THE work of restoration on our behalf.
Wow! This post could be very long. I will finish with this scripture which beautifully describes our role...

'God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.' 

Ephesians 2: 4 - 10

God has done everything in Jesus. Even our good works, which people use as justification for self-effort, were prepared beforehand by God.

Beloved, rest. Sit down. Jesus is the key. It is in His finished work, and nothing else, that enables Peter, the Apostle, to bless us with the words...

'Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord [that is, receive the truth of the finished work of Jesus, the great gift of God]; seeing His divine power [the Holy Spirit of God] has GRANTED [already done, complete in the completed work] to us EVERYTHING pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him [that is, correctly discerning the completeness of the work of Jesus, it is finished and requires no additional effort on our part] who called us by His own glory and excellence.' 

2 Peter 1: 2 - 3

The work is done. No effort required.
Your role?
Rest in it...you are seated...it is a position of rest.

Now that is freedom!...