The Gospel Motivates Obedience

By Wendy Wood

Scripture is written in “indicative” and “imperative” format.  An indicative is defined as “showing, signifying, or pointing out”.  An indicative is used to show the cause behind a behavior.  We are sinners, so we sin.  The phrase “we are sinners” is indicative.  It states what has already happened and is a foregone conclusion.  “We sin” is what the indicative points out.  An imperative is a command.  “Go clean up your room” is an imperative statement.  Scripture uses these two types of writing to show what the gospel (the indicatives) should produce in us (the imperatives). 

Colosians 3:12-13 is a concise example:

“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

The indicative (the reasons behind the commands) are that we are already chosen by God.  We are holy and beloved.  We’ve been forgiven by the Lord.

Therefore (Scripture often uses “therefore” or “so that” to separate indicative from imperative)

The imperatives then state that we are to be compassionate, kind, humble, meek, patient, bear with one another, and forgive.

The only hope we have to live this way is what Christ has already done for us (the indicative).  Jesus came and endured every type of temptation and did not sin.  Jesus was mocked and beaten and hung on the cross without sin.  Jesus took all the sins of all believers of all time on himself and was crucified and forsaken by God satisfying the holy and just God’s wrath against sin.  He then arose, setting us free from death and sin, and ascended to heaven where He continues to be enthroned and is our Mediator before God.  He left the Holy Spirit to empower us so that we can be obedient to His commands to continue His work of glorifying God by the way we live. 

That’s why the gospel matters everyday.  What Jesus has accomplished and completed, allows us to put off our sinful ways through His Spirit, and put on Christlike desires, attitudes, words, and actions.

Look at Romans 6:5-14.

In Romans 6:5-10 Paul tells us what Christ has already accomplished.  Paul even “sandwiches” the rest of the passage by going back to indicatives in verses 12-14. Make a list of the “indicatives” about what Christ has done:

1. Vs 5 - we are united with Christ in death

2. Vs 5 - we are united with Christ in resurrection - raising from the dead

3. Vs 6 - our sinful self was crucified with him

4. Vs 6 - we are no longer slaves to sin

5. Vs 8 - we are raised from the dead and will not die again

6. Vs 9 - death has no dominion over Him

7. Vs 10 - He died to sin, once for all (only one time sacrifice was necessary)

8. Vs 10 - He lives for God

9. Vs 14 - Sin has no dominion over you

10. Vs - You are under grace, not law

As a result of the things listed above, what Christ has already accomplished for us, we are given “imperatives” or commands to be followed.  Make a list of what we are to do.

1. Vs 11 - So consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to Christ

2. Vs 12 - Let not sin therefore reign in your body

3. Vs 13 - Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness

4. Vs 13 - Present yourselves to God as one brought from death to life

5. Vs 13 - Present your members to God for instruments of righteousness

These are only possible when we are saved by grace through faith in Christ for God’s glory.  All of what Christ accomplished is a gift (grace).  God opens our eyes to our need for Christ (faith) and we put our trust in Him.  It is only Christ, Son of God and Son of man, who could be the perfect sacrifice for our sin.  And our motive for being obedient, must be for God’s glory, that as we live God’s power and holiness is evident and others see it and give God praise.

Summary:

Indicatives are facts. They are realities. And in the Bible, they are firm and secure because the Bible is the unchanging Word of God.

The imperatives are commands or implications. They are statements of direction, made with authority, that have a direct and expected act of obedience expected to follow.

Your turn.  The book of Ephesians is written in this format (as is most of the bible!).  Read Ephesians chapters 1 - 3 and make a list of ALL that God has done through Christ (indicatives).  You should have at least 25 things that have been accomplished by Christ for your salvation.

Then, read Ephesians 4 - 6.  Because of what Christ has done, therefore, you are to live obediently to God.  Make a list of God’s commands (imperatives) in these chapters.

As you practice obedience this week and for the rest of your life, you must recall what Christ has done for you.  Be awed, amazed, thankful, and excited to love God for who He is and what He has done.  That is where God glorifying lives come from.

Other passages to consider:  Make lists for these passages over the next few weeks.

Colossians 3:1-17

Romans 1-11 (indicatives) and 12-16 (imperatives)

Philippians 2:1-17

Be on the lookout for this pattern in Scripture.  It is only through Christ that we can be obedient, to His praise, glory and honor!

Is Your New Year's Resolution Biblical?

Bethany McIlrath

As a copywriter, one of my tasks is to write marketing materials. Something I’ve learned writing ads, emails, and more is that every goal has another goal behind it. This is called a motive.

You may think your goal is to lose weight this year. But what’s the goal behind losing weight? Your motive may have to do with self-image, your health, or having the energy to go on an adventure you’ve always dreamed about.

New Year’s Resolutions tend to get many of us thinking about goals, but our motives aren’t typically the focus. 

God’s attention to motives suggests we might be approaching our resolutions backward:

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23).

How do we purify our motives as we set New Year’s Resolutions this year?

1. Watch Out for Selfish Ambition

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4)

Ambition isn’t unbiblical. God Himself makes plans and has goals. Many people whose stories are commended in the Bible set out to accomplish things. Jesus once disappointed an admiring crowd because He had an ambition, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose” (Luke 4:43).

God warns us in our ambitions, though: the heart is deceitful above all things and He searches our very hearts and minds (Jeremiah 17:9–10). It isn’t hard for us to do right things for the wrong reasons—or wrong things for the right reasons. Your goal might be good, but your motive might have more to do with your own glory than God’s. It may also be more focused on you than on serving others, which is another one of God’s priorities.

Ask God to purify your heart as you set resolutions this year. Consider if your motives line up with God’s purposes.

2. Grow in Dependence

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.” (Proverbs 3:5-7)

One thing that sets a believer’s life apart is growing dependence. Sin in our hearts and in the world makes self-sufficiency seem like a sign of maturity and accomplishment. God, meanwhile, commends those who grow in reliance on Him.

Jesus sets the example for this as He does nothing apart from the will of God. He commands us to do the same: “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Apart from Jesus you can do nothing of real value. You might accomplish something temporal, but all the elements which build into eternity will be absent. Reaching your goals won’t lead to authentic worship. The process won’t show you the goodness of God. If you haven’t prayed, you won’t have answered prayers.

If you’re going to pour effort into a resolution, wouldn’t you like it be one with lasting effect? Tackle “whatever you do” leaning on God’s understanding, laid out in His Word. Acknowledge Him in prayer and praise.

3. Consider Good Examples

As you weigh your motives in regards to resolutions, examples of God’s priorities might help.

• Read Colossians 1:9-14 or Ephesians 1:15-23. What did Paul pray for those he loved? His prayer requests offer ample examples of priorities we might resolve to seek ourselves or for our loved ones.

• Reread James, an action-driven, goal-oriented letter about faith having effect. For example, James offers plenty of wisdom on bridling the tongue.

• Read Philippians 4:8 for examples of the kinds of things Christ wants us to focus on.

• Read the Sermon on the Mount, starting in Matthew 5, to review several of Christ’s calls to action for those who would follow Him, like purity, peace, and honesty.

4. Consider What’s Fruitful

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

Have you ever noticed how antithetical the fruit of the Spirit is to many modern goal-setting strategies? Current culture caters to our sinful natures. Forget patience, there are ten million ways to change your life in less than five minutes. Drop the idea of self-control: you can have your cake and eat it, sans calories, too.

The results of worldly resolutions are fragile, fickle things in comparison to the treasures of eternity. Thankfully, we can lay up our treasure in heaven even as we live our very-real lives on earth (Matthew 16:19-21). Our earthly accomplishments can also be investments in what endures forever.

Set your resolutions with the goal of being fruitful. Ask: how will this open my heart to the work of the Spirit so He might produce fruit in me? How will this testify to others about Christ?

Bethany McIlrath: A learner at heart, Bethany loves to share about her Savior and ways to lovingly serve others whom God has so loved. She wants those immersed in Christian environments to know the sweetness and joy of abiding in Christ for themselves. You can find her reflections on First and Second Blog and connect with her on Twitter or Facebook.

WANT A FAITH THAT LASTS? CHECK YOUR MOTIVATIONS

Trillia Newbell 

The trashcan was full of CDs, and I was convinced it was for the best.

It was a small act, really, but one that was significant to this music-loving gal. A year or so after I became a Christian at twenty-three, I had thrown all of my CDs in the trash. I would have a fresh start and begin a new collection—one filled only with Christian music. After all, I was motivated by my love for and devotion to God. Having made my decision, I made sure others knew about my brave act of obedience so I would receive their approval.

The specifics of the trashed collection are forgotten now, I just knew that it felt more holy to throw them all away than to keep them. But was that action really motivated by a love for Jesus? No. I was more concerned about looking Christian than I was about being motivated by the gospel.

A music clean-out could certainly be a wise and God-honoring decision, but the motivation for such an action is vitally important. A friend once told me about a man who gave up baseball and then became legalistically transfixed on the idea that baseball was wrong—even to the point of becoming angry when someone invited him to a game. I guess we all have our things we do—things we believe will make God pleased with us.

Let’s step back and recognize that the right motivations are essential for living consistently—that is, with our actions in step with our beliefs. When actions flow out of a heart that’s motivated by the right reasons, we experience joy, freedom, gratitude, and peace. This is possible only if our motivations are rooted in Christ. It’s also hard but incredibly freeing.

I had been motivated to look Christian, so throwing away all that music felt like the right decision to make, like what a good Christian ought to do. But my motivation didn’t come out of a desire to guard against the temptation to indulge in the world; that music wasn’t leading me to think sinful thoughts. So instead of joy, freedom, gratitude, and peace, I found guilt and dissatisfaction because of a desire to please others. I lacked the peace of knowing I was secure and loved in Christ.

JESUS’ OBEDIENCE AND OURS

Any time we discuss running our race with endurance, it’s good to make sure we’re thinking rightly about our obedience and Jesus’ obedience on our behalf. Jesus endured for the joy set before him (Heb. 12:2)! His endurance was focused on joy.

Thankfully we have a Savior who relates to our suffering. Jesus is aware of and acquainted with the grief of humanity. He is acquainted with my grief and yours. The God-man endured trials and temptation but remained without sin (Heb. 4:15). He was abandoned by his friends. He was a man of sorrows. He endured to the bitter end because he too was in a race. He was on a mission: the redemption of the world! The joy set before him was that he would be seated at the right hand of the Father. Death was defeated!

“So Jesus knows what it’s like to endure; he understands what you experienced yesterday, what you will experience today, and what you will experience tomorrow.

So Jesus knows what it’s like to endure; he understands what you experienced yesterday, what you will experience today, and what you will experience tomorrow.

On his way to the cross, Jesus sat and prayed to his Father, asking that if it was God’s will, the cup of wrath would be taken away. Yet Jesus willingly drank that cup, and he hung on the cross. And in his final moments on the cross, he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mk. 15:34).

His pain and suffering was for a purpose: the redemption of the world. He endured great pain—pain I can only imagine, pain and wrath on my behalf. But he knew the end. And his endurance through pain and mocking—a death fit for a criminal, not a savior—was all because he was fulfilling a plan formed before the foundation of the world. And now we know that “we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven” (Heb. 8:1).

HAVING RIGHT MOTIVATIONS

As Christians, you and I want God’s truth to inform how we think and how we live. We pray for the alignment of what is true, what we believe, what we think, and how we act. As we seek to live this out, we fight an important battle for the right motivations, and we resist wrong motivations. It’s easy for our motivations to shift, so it’s essential to root ourselves in the truth of the gospel continually: Christ sought you and me out while we were still sinners, and he humbled himself to take the punishment we deserve in order to give us new life to the glory of God. Jesus defeated death and promises to finish the work he began in us. This truth is the foundation of right motivations.

Your heart motivations matter because our God isn’t fooled by outward appearance and actions. Running with the wrong motivations also leaves us depleted and wanting to give up this race. He desires our obedience both externally and internally—in action and in thought. This is why Jesus warned the Pharisees that to look beautiful on the outside meant nothing if inside they were full of death, uncleanliness, and impurity (Matt. 23:27). There’s freedom, joy, and praise to our God in living with the right motivations. As we look into our motivations, you and I need to recognize that we live a difficult tension as Christians: we are saved by grace and are compelled to put off the old self and walk in a way worthy of our calling.

“Although legalism can look like trusting in God because of good works, it’s actually a form of unbelief because we aren’t resting in faith in the finished work of Jesus.

What I was struggling with regarding CDs has a name: legalism. At its most basic, legalism is trying to save one’s self. It’s trying to do right things without believing that God justifies us by faith alone. It’s trying to obey without God’s help, without his power, and without his grace. Although legalism can look like trusting in God because of good works, it’s actually a form of unbelief because we aren’t resting in faith in the finished work of Jesus.

When we’re motivated to work hard for God in order to earn his favor, we aren’t operating with faith or trust. Instead we’re trying to add to the finished work of Jesus on the cross. We’re living as though his work isn’t enough so we must strive to make him happy—as though our acceptance by God depends on our efforts.

Because we’re justified through faith alone as a gift from God, you and I are freed from attempting to earn God’s love and favor. Our salvation isn’t—and never will be—a result of our works (Eph. 2:8). There’s nothing we could ever do to earn God’s saving favor. No amount of sacrifice could earn us anything more. If you are in Christ, you have his favor—forever!

My temptation into legalism was motivated by selfish ambition. I was taking my works and showing them off to God. Look, God! I threw out all my CDs for you. This thought seems ridiculous now that it’s written out. That’s why Ephesians 2:9 is so important; salvation is “not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” We don’t finish the race and then boast in ourselves. That’s what makes salvation a gift: it’s free and unearned by us. So salvation isn’t ultimately about you and me but about God. God does the work, and he receives the glory. A legalist wants to do the work, earn the favor, and get the glory.

It’s probably apparent already that this isn’t a good motivation because it’s skewed and tainted by sin. Instead of pursuing good things out of the joy and knowledge of the firm standing and identity I have in Christ, my motivation was marked by insecurity, by selfishness, by mistrust, guilt, and doubt. We want to watch that our running toward Jesus isn’t more about us and less about him.

BREAKING FREE FROM LEGALISM

I got this good advice from a pastor: “If you’re struggling with legalism, don’t fight it by quitting your Bible-reading time.” In other words, if we aren’t living out of the right motivations, there can be a temptation to jettison good things (such as Bible reading, acts of love, or evangelism) because we think they are part of the problem.

Examining our motivations is a good thing; we need to be mindful about what’s behind our actions. But in this process it’s easy for confusion to set in.

In the midst of this confusion, look what has been revealed to us through God’s Word:

• God has given us all we need for godliness (2 Pet. 1:3).

• There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1).

• Our obedience to God comes out of our love for him (Jn. 14:15).

If we struggle with legalism, somewhere in our pursuit of godliness we forget that only by God’s grace can we live for him. God is the one who has granted us “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3).

In turn, his love motivates us. It is the fuel we need.

Taken from Sacred Endurance by Trillia Newbell. Copyright (c) 2019 by Trillia Newbell. Published by InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL. www.ivpress.com.

Posted at: https://gcdiscipleship.com/article-feed/2019/11/22/want-a-faith-that-lasts-check-your-motivations