The Discouragement Gap
Recently on a sermon on what God’s Word says about Men, Women, and Marriage, I mentioned this verse:
"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:7-9 (KJV)
I was making a point about God’s perfect standards for gender and marriage (and indeed, all of life) and how if we aren’t careful, we as sinful, fallible humans, could become discouraged when reading them. I called the distance between those wonderful precepts and our typical living, “The Discouragement Gap.”
Real talk: sometimes, reading Scripture can be painful. Reading how marriage “ought to be” or how women “should be” or reading about the “biblical vision for parenting” can be disheartening! Our lives often seem so far away from what God has commanded and our daily decisions/routines so distant from the statues of the King.
But beloved, here is the point. God’s ways ARE higher than ours! Amen? In fact, according to the above passage of Scripture, His ways are as far from ours as the heavens are from the earth! This is His way of telling us that His holiness and perfection are unattainable for us!
Indeed, His ways being higher than ours is a “gospel statement.” The reason Christ came was because we, as sinners, are incapable of attaining unto holiness on our own. We were born in sin. We sin all our lives. God’s Laws are perfect we are most certainly not. We violate His commands constantly and are constantly in need of grace.
Jesus came to put our souls right before the Father. He was born in purity, kept the Law perfectly, and went to the cross to pay our penalty. Praise Him!
So do not be discouraged! Our King commands us, in the power of His Spirit, to live unto Him…to do everything as if we are doing them for Him:
"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons." Colossians 3:23-25 (KJV)
His promise is that He would honor our efforts to please Him by empowering us by His Spirit. (Acts 2:4; Rom 15:13; Eph 5:18) We are to strive to live in a manner pleasing to the God who saved us!
"For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:" Colossians 1:9-14 (KJV)
So beloved, embrace the truth that God’s standards ARE high. Know that on your behalf, Christ met those standards. Then, in His power, humbly receive the ingrafted Word instead of resenting it! Be a doer not just a hearer deceiving yourself! (Jam 1:22)
Love the Word! Be grateful for “the gap!” The “highness” of God’s standards demonstrates His infinite wisdom and knowledge and His total and absolute power, authority, and holiness! Know that although your works do not save you, the saved count it an honor to work! Yes, God’s expectations for men are high and His standards for women are gloriously counter-cultural! Yes, His commands to His “called out ones” (The Church) are not easy; nevertheless they are designed to ensure that we are “a city set upon a hill,” and “the pillar and ground of truth.” (Matt 5:14; 1 Tim 3:15)
So say “Amen!” to what the sufficient Word of Christ says and then pursue obedience with your whole heart! What other way is there for a Christian to live?
"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2 Peter 3:10-13 (KJV)
Amen! Solus Christus! Soli Deo Gloria!
