Week 41—Sunday 2 Corinthians 9:13-15
Week 41—SUNDAY
“WE DO NOT WORK TO THE VICTORY
BUT FROM THE VICTORY”
We are now in a position to emphasize the fact that the Christian faith is not a verbal faith to be believed, but it is an offer to be accepted. If it were a philosophy you would verbally accept it and act on it as far as you are able. “As far as you are able” is important, for it would depend on you and your resources—a human whipping up of the will. But the Christian gospel is quite different—it doesn’t depend on what you do, but on your acceptance of what God has done. This doesn’t mean that you don’t do anything, a sort of quietism. You do everything, but only after you have accepted what God has done. You love because God first loved you; you do because of what God has done; you give because of God’s giving.
A theological professor in England asked his students whether the gospel they preached was a demand or an offer. With one accord they replied that it was a demand. “Think again,” said the professor. “Well, it is a demand and an offer,” they replied. “Think again,” said the professor. And they finally came to the conclusion that if it is the Christian gospel it is an offer. Since the center of the gospel is the Word become flesh it is an offer within life to life. Jesus makes available what he has wrought—not merely what he has taught, but what he has wrought. He offers his wrought-out Victory as our very own. We plug in at his highest point.
So all his promises are performances become available to the receptive. We do not have to take his verbal promises and make them real. We take his vital performances and accept them as our own and live by them. As Mary Webster says, “We do not work to the victory, but from the Victory.” We begin with Jesus’ victory and by receptivity make it our own. So it doesn’t depend on our reserves, but on his Resources. “Not my responsibility, but my response to his ability.” Not my mental approval, but my appropriation.
O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I see the point of my failure. I screw myself up mentally to believe when I should be letting go and trusting and appropriating. I try to make you willing, but you are waiting for my willingness. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: Since God is in a state of Yesness to me, I shall be in a state of Yesness to God.