It is not out of us

Many people carry around an image of “faith” that has little to do with reality. It is the view that everything depends on myself. Faith is something that one “does”. Faith has long since degenerated into a “work,” even though the Bible contrasts it with works. Confusion of terms is ubiquitous. Not infrequently, these lead to “faith stress.” How liberating then is Paul’s statement in Corinthians:

“But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, as also unto righteousness, sanctification, and redemption: that it might be so, as it is written: Let him who boasts boast in the Lord!”
1Cor 1,30-31

But from Him you are in Christ. So it is not from me, but from God Himself that we are in Christ. Isn’t that a remarkable statement? No stress is put on me, but it is already given from God. And let us read how Paul writes it to the churches:

“For by grace are ye saved, through faith; and this is not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we might walk in them.”
Eph 2:8-10

It is not of us. We are God’s “work of deeds. He created us in Christ Jesus. I don’t have to doubt that, but I can gratefully accept that. No faith stress or performance stress is required. He prepared it, made it possible and gave it to us. It is the gift with which God draws near to us. He Himself is coming towards us. We can accept it in trust (= faith), but we do not have to contribute anything to it. Because it is already there. There are no more preconditions to fulfill. Nothing is mentioned here. We are His deed work.

Can we make that any clearer? It is not that God wants to meet us only halfway. He comes all the way. All that is necessary for us to live reconciled with Him is there. This salvation is by grace, not by works. It is a gift, not a certificate of achievement or payment for our righteousness, for our effort of faith.

Faith is so very different from any form of religiosity. Faith is not religious. Human aspiration is religious. God is not religious and does not demand religious acts from us.

It is not in us

Faith is very different from what many people think. Not only is faith not of us, but the important thing is not in us. Paul wrote

“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus.”
1Cor 1,30

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.”
Eph 2:10

Not even God’s blessing is within us. It is also “in Christ,” that is, outside of us:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blesses us with every spiritual blessing amidst the celestials in Christ.”
Eph 1:3

What we are and have is all “in Christ.” This is sobering and liberating at the same time. If someone thinks that faith must be “felt,” he may be putting his feeling and thus himself at the center. However, the Gospel does not speak of me, but of God and His Christ. With this we are not unimportant, but the Gospel is a message of joy because of what I do not achieve by my own strength. The Gospel does not formulate a requirement, but a response.

We are not centrally located and that is very sobering. He who believes points to God, not to himself. The Gospel speaks of God and His Christ and what He provides. Blessing is in Christ, and it is spiritual. I myself or my feeling are not central. My life may (still) be a mess, but spiritually there is a reliable blessing. It’s about something other than me. This has meaning. Reliable is this blessing also because this just is not in me and therefore is not dependent on me. Those under performance stress can breathe a sigh of relief.

However, if we trust this blessing of God in Christ Jesus, it can affect our lives. We may become what we are called to be. There are no preconditions that we must fulfill before God looks at us. God looks at us in Christ. This is the basis. It is not our behavior that forms the basis, but what He has done. That is why it is safe, that is why it is enough and that is why it leads on.

It is precisely the sober realization that everything is of God and in Christ that enables a transformation of life. No religiosity is promoted, no effort, because this only satisfies our needs for self-righteousness. However, if I can let go of that and trust completely in Him, I step out of dependence on myself into dependence on God. That changes everything.

Where it goes wrong

As simple as the basics of the gospel are, it can be difficult for us to recognize this. The Gospel speaks of God’s grace and what He has done and will do in Christ. Human religion, on the other hand, speaks of us, our faults, our tasks, what we know how to feel and report. This is all human effort and thus limited in power and range.

This is where things can go wrong:

• Someone else determines if you are OK
  • The pastor (guru, Bible study leader, parent, partner …)
  • the doctrine (doctrines of sanctification, legal thinking …)
  • the self-image you have (yes, that was determined by others!)
• Your maturity is not promoted
  • Independent thinking is prevented (only the community leadership has the answer)
  • Growing up in faith is seen as “knowledge” (Christian gnosis looks like this, you are put on the wrong foot)
  • Not grace, but something else is central (such as the teaching of the community)
  • Fear and dependence are promoted (manipulation, spiritual or emotional abuse, hell doctrine, …)
• Feeling and mind become confused
  • Soul and spirit are confused (but cf. Heb 4:12).
  • Bible (letter, mind) and spirit become confused (cf. Prov. 3:5; 2 Cor. 3:6).
  • Focusing on experiences (music, feeling, healings, miracles, religious deeds …, cf. Col 2).

If you look backwards, you can’t see the path in front of you. Those who focus on man in teaching and preaching cannot see God. If everything were made dependent on man, it would go no further. You become blind to what God has already done. Only the view away from oneself to God’s work and the trust in Him makes free. This is not about self-denial, but about sobriety in the face of one’s own limitations (Phil 3:12-16). Only grace leads further.

What makes faith possible is the discovery of the eternal counterpart, the discovery of God’s action in this world and His action for you and me. If I trust it, I look away from myself at the same moment. Those who look only at themselves end up with their own inadequacy, which has a paralyzing effect. On the other hand, those who look to God can dare to take the next step in this world with confidence. Faith becomes the basis for a positive orientation of life, full of confidence and courage. This allows transformation and development to take place.

“But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, as also unto righteousness, sanctification, and redemption: that it might be so, as it is written: Let him who boasts boast in the Lord!”
1Cor 1,30-31