WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING

 There is a misconception today about what is good. Good is not the same as easy. Good is not a feeling. Good does not mean everything always goes the way we think it should. So when it is preached that God has good plans for us, no one is saying anything the Bible does not say. The issue lies with the hearer of the message. The Word of God will always bring out what is in the heart of the hearer. I fully believe that many times there is a lack of understanding. And because there is a lack of understanding people like to throw the baby out with the bathwater so to speak. If we do that, we really miss out on the purpose of the bath in the first place. 

The word "good" appears 720 times in the Bible. That number might vary depending on translation. 

Psalm 34:8 says, "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him." 

Psalm 100:5, "For the LORD is good, and His loving devotion endures forever; His faithfulness continues to all generations."

Lamentations 3:25, "The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him."

For whatever reason, it disgusts some people when the goodness of God is talked about. I am convinced it is because the word "good" is misunderstood by the hearer. 

Go to Philippians 2:12, "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed- not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence- continue to work out your salvation with fear and trebling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose." Who works in you to will and to act? Is it you? Nope! It is God. We also again see the word "order", Why does God work in you? In order to fulfill His good purpose. What kind of purpose? His GOOD purpose. So what is "good"? 

Would you agree that working out is good for you? If you stick with it, is the end result good? Is your trainer saying what is good for you is easy? NO! No one is saying that. Good does not mean easy. Is your trainer saying that because working out is good for you, that you won't have to sweat, push through and sometimes be in pain? No! No one is saying that! What is the result of pushing through the "work" of working out? Your muscles grow, your endurance grows and your quality of life gets better! Was the purpose of working out to point out possibly injuries? When someone is working out is it beneficial for them to keep thinking about how small their muscles are and how they won't ever work themselves up to more weight because they can barely lift anything? No! Their eye is on the prize, the goal, the finish line- to become strong. Increase is the goal. They push and they push, not to show their weakness but to build up the body. Think about this for a moment.

When someone is preaching about the goodness of God, stop criticizing them and listen. You might just humble yourself enough to receive the faith to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Is there trembling that occurs while lifting weights? You bet ya!  Just like we go to the gym and work out our natural body, we have a spiritual body. Faith is like a muscle. If it does not get worked, it will not increase. You don't need big muscles to go to the gym. The same way you only need a mustard seed of faith. Who gave you your small muscles that need strengthened? That's the same good God that gives you faith when you hear the message of Christ through the Word of God. It's the same God who works in you to will and act in order to fulfill His GOOD purpose! Would you ever look at anyone and discourage them from working out because its hard? Would you ever tell them working out is painful and embarrassing and you might not ever see the results from the hope you have? Maybe you would. I don't know. What I do know is that salvation must be worked out. It seems like people are more concerned to preach how hard it is to work out, then the benefit to work out. It's not deception to believe that God has good plans for your life. Is it false or even greedy to believe you will get healthier if you work out? The purpose of reading our Bible is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. When we come to know Him we receive salvation. Salvation isn't a reward for the lowly. Salvation is the life we have from being saved. Look up what saved means in the Greek. 

How deceiving it is to preach that we can trust God to get to heaven but not trust Him enough to take care of us on this earth. Why do you trust Him for your future but not for your present? You know about the God who was, the God to come, but nothing about the God who is! You trust him for "life preservation" but are convinced He wants you to struggle until you get there?! The new birth is not in heaven "SOMEDAY". The new birth is into a LIVING HOPE through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of salvation is ready to be revealed in the last time. Notice it doesn't say, 'this inheritance is kept for you in heaven for when you get there.' It says it is kept there until salvation is revealed to you in the last day. This doesn't mean we didn't have to suffer. This doesn't mean it was easy. The possibility for increase is in your muscle wether you work it our or not. But never working it out, because you thinks its humble to stay weak is the most ignorant thing I've ever heard. I will boast about my weakness, not to stay weak but because I can do nothing on my own. Jesus was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God's power ( 2 Corinthians 13:4). We are weak, but in Him we are strong. This is His power made perfect in our weakness. No-where in scripture does it say to magnify our weakness, exalt our weakness or focus on our weakness. The boasting in our weakness that Paul talks about is so that Christs power may rest on Him. He does not pursue hardship. he delights in difficulties because he finds pleasure, joy and satisfaction in them, because in them, he is made strong. I hope this is making sense to you. Thanks for reading. I hope the Holy Spirit speaks to you and teaches you. May you be a good receiver and your life bear much fruit of the finished work of Christ.