Redemption— Creating the Need it Satisfies

December 17th, 2012 by Dave Leave a reply »

The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him . . . —1 Corinthians 2:14

The gospel of God creates the sense of need for the gospel. Is the gospel hidden to those who are servants already? No, Paul said, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe . . .” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). The majority of people think of themselves as being completely moral, and have no sense of need for the gospel. It is God who creates this sense of need in a human being, but that person remains totally unaware of his need until God makes Himself evident. Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you . . .” (Matthew 7:7). But God cannot give until a man asks. It is not that He wants to withhold something from us, but that is the plan He has established for the way of redemption. Through our asking, God puts His process in motion, creating something in us that was nonexistent until we asked. The inner reality of redemption is that it creates all the time. And as redemption creates the life of God in us, it also creates the things which belong to that life. The only thing that can possibly satisfy the need is what created the need. This is the meaning of redemption— it creates and it satisfies.

Jesus said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32). When we preach our own experiences, people may be interested, but it awakens no real sense of need. But once Jesus Christ is “lifted up,” the Spirit of God creates an awareness of the need for Him. The creative power of the redemption of God works in the souls of men only through the preaching of the gospel. It is never the sharing of personal experiences that saves people, but the truth of redemption. “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
We have struggled with the question of “What’s our part? What’s your part?” The problem we run into is that whenever we humans find that there is something that is our part to do we gravitate to making lists, checking them off, comparing our performance to others and generally get into a pride driven performance.
On the other hand, when we realize that we can do nothing and that you have done everything, there may be the tendency to sit on the couch… Over the last months we have seen that there are a few things that are “safe” for us to put on our list of things to do … One is Surrender. Another is just to Show Up. And today we add to the list: To Ask. Ask that You reveal more and more of yourself and draw us deeper and deeper into your ways and your plans for us.
No wonder this is my favorite verse….. Draw me this day, into these plans, this future and this hope….

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

I know the plans I have for you … plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

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