Sunday Leftovers (9/30/07)

The truth that not all who claim to believe Christ are genuinely believers in Christ is not a popular message. The common assumption is that all who profess Christ possess Christ.

Yet it wasn't that way in the day of Christ, and it isn't that way now.

The people of Galilee were interested in Christ — but only to a point (John 6:60, 66). And the people of Jerusalem likewise were curious, but not enough to make a commitment (John 8:30-31, 44).

In response to curious, half-hearted, unconvinced belief, Jesus offers a number of marks of genuine belief —

• true believers remain (live and abide in) His truth (Bonhoeffer's statement is helpful — "Only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes.")
• true believers know the truth (and are in fellowship with the Truth)
• true believers are liberated from sin
• true believers progressively grow in Christ

Yet even before making these statements in vv. 31-37, Jesus distinguishes Himself and His fellowship with the Father from those who are following Him —

"He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him" (8:29).

Because of the eternal unity between the Father and the Son as members of the Godhead, the Son lives for the pleasure of the Father. Living for the pleasure of the Father is what honors and glorifies the Father. So it is for all who are sons of God — we live for His pleasure (not our own) —

"Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him" (2 Cor. 5:9)

A mark of a believer in Christ is one who has as his ambition, whether in heaven or absent from heaven (still living on earth), to please God in all things. This is what gives glory to God, and this is a fundamental mark of believing in Christ — we live for His pleasures more than our own.

By saying we treasure Christ above all things, we say that we have no idols or desires above the desire for Him. Conversely, if we say we have any pleasure higher than the pleasure of living for Him, we acknowledge that we are idolaters. We desire a repaired marriage or a drink of beer or an .mp3 player or a $10,000/year raise or approval from others more than we want God.

That is unbelief.

And that is why Christ died — to release us from that sin and to give us a new affection.