I read a couple verses this morning in Daily Light and thought of this discussion:
"When
Christ Who is our life appears" (Col 3:4)
"When He comes, in that day,
to be glorified in His saints." (2 Thes 1:10)
Then I read in the T. Austin Sparks devotional the piece I copied below. So of course, there should be works, and works should flow out of the new nature He has birthed in us. "Faith without works is dead," but isn't the inverse also true? That's all I think Hannah and Sparks are saying here - the basis has to be the new life in us.
So the critique of the so-called "Inner life" position doesn't seem to hold merit and appears to me as a mischaracterization. Both works and faith are taught in scripture. Hey, as humans we tend to gravitate too much to one extreme or the other, when both are needed. But let's be clear, without the born-again, inner life of Christ working through us, it's just folly and some sort of well-meaning entertainment, right?
Practically, I don't see this as sitting around on our hands, for instance, when we see something that needs attended to and just waiting for His Spirit to move. I see it as saying to Him, "Lord, here's a need. Work through me and supply me to handle this in Your strength." Then move in faith that He will be my supply.
Quote:
April 30
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4: 13)
What is abiding? Abiding in Christ, as we have often said, is the
Opposite of abiding In ourselves. To abide in ourselves is simply to try to
do this living, and this working for the Lord, of ourselves; asking the Lord
to help us to do it, instead of recognizing that a Life wholly pleasing to
God has been lived and that faith appropriates that accomplishment in
Christ. Abiding in Christ is simply doing everything, meeting everything as
out from Christ. It is a sure ground. There is no need for question and
reasoning: "Can it be done? Can 1 do it?" Or, "1 am not sure about it." It is
done. The Lord Jesus has met everything that you or ] will meet, and in all
things has done what is needful. That is available to faith, and faith says,
"Well, in myself the thing would be absurd, and to attempt the thing would
be ridiculous; as to myself it would be folly to contemplate it. But it can be
done, because it is done; I can meet this demand, and I can stand up to that
one; I can go through with this, and I can do that - 'I can do all things ("all"
is a big word) through Christ, which strengtheneth me. ", It is what Christ
is as our secret source of strength, of sustenance, of nourishment. This is a
school, and we learn this lesson in a progressive way ....
We have to learn how to come back to His fullness and we learn
progressively, step by step, like little children, first of all learning to walk
and to talk. Like them we are confronted with things which we have never
done or even attempted before, things which are all new and strange; a new
world, sometimes a very tenible world. The contemplation of taking his
first step to a little child is a most terrifying proposition. You and I are
brought into this realm of faith, wherein the simplest thing at the beginning,
the taking of a first step, is sometimes fraught with horror for us. But there
are arms stretched out, and those arms now represent for us the
accomplishment of what is required of us, the thing is done. The strength is
there, available for the matter in hand, a strength which has been proved.
Recognizing those arms and trusting, taking the step, we learn to walk by
Christ, to live by Christ; and the next time we shall be able to go a bit
further. Each time capacity is being enlarged and we are coming to a fuller
measure of maturity.
From: The Risen Lord and the Things Which Cannot be Shaken - Chapter 7
www.austin-sparks.netfenglish/booksf002222.html
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