A concept is a general idea that encompasses a set of specifics. Another way of describing it is to say it involves getting the big picture of a topic by looking at many of its individual parts. Describing concepts often produces a set of terminologies that are used to simplify and clarify those concepts. This is a normal part of our communication process that all of us use every day. The terminologies thus employed are accommodative – matching a concept to our cultural setting. It is quite natural to develop accommodative terms to describe biblical concepts. For example, we use terms like “total commitment,” “discipleship,” “quiet time,” “sold out,” and “fired up” to express these concepts in the vernacular of our day. None of these exact terms can be found in the Bible, but they represent true biblical ideas. At least some of our conceptual terminology has developed in our attempt to correct previous terminology that has either been incorrect or misunderstood.
The phrase, “cooperation with God” is a phrase that I believe can be helpful in correcting a misunderstanding that has come about through an unbalanced emphasis in teaching. Obedience and obey are biblical terms, and we should therefore never quit using them. However, if not explained well in the big picture of man’s faith response to God, their usage can lead to a man-oriented, performance mindset in Christians. As a movement, we have not explained them clearly enough, nor used them in a balanced way, which has left many of us with a wrong view of our obedience. That in turn has left many of us with a consistent sense of either guilt or self-righteousness about our performance, and has not led us to the correct understanding, appreciation and response to God’s grace in our lives.
The way we have taught people to become Christians says a lot about our misplaced emphases in the past. In the “First Principles” study series, the word grace is used once – in refuting a false doctrine: “baptism is the outward sign of an inward grace.” Also, there is no mention of the love of God. The word love appears twice: (1) We must love Christ and (2) we must love one another. In God’s “first principles,” the Book of Acts, the word grace is used 11 times. In Jesus’ “first principles” statement of Matthew 22:37-40, he said that love for God and our neighbor were the greatest commands of the Old Testament (and by implication, I think, the whole Bible). In both our study series and our follow up series here in the Phoenix Valley Church, these emphases are solidly reflected. Our desire was to focus on God much more than on man, to use this God-focus to prompt our faith responses to him. In the introduction to the study series, the question “Why are we replacing the old study series?” was answered this way: “Primarily because the old series was too focused on man’s performance and not nearly enough on God’s grace as our primary motivation for serving him. Although thousands of people became Christians through the use of the old series, for which we are thankful, the new series will provide a much better motivational foundation to help keep people on a better track once they become Christians.”
Thinking about cooperating with God helps me put my obedience in the right perspective. My initial salvation, my continuing forgiveness of sins, my overcoming entrenched sinful tendencies in my life, my living a life that consistently reflects the Christ in me, and my perseverance are all beyond my ability as a sinful human being. As Jesus succinctly put it: “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Paul said it this way: “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out” (Romans 7:18). In our own power, we are pretty helpless; in God’s power, we are able to do amazing things.
Here is the real kicker – if you see your obedience as falling under your own power to perform, you will be well acquainted with failure and frustration; if you see your obedience as falling under God’s power to do in us and through us and with us that which we could never do on our own, you will be happy and blessed. It’s all perspective, isn’t it? The concept of cooperating with God helps me keep the right perspective in the matter of obedience. God is the One with the power – all power, by the way. In my response to him – my heartfelt, trusting obedience – I am simply trying my best to cooperate with him in order to allow him to do his thing in my life. I hope that is helpful to you; it surely is to me.
My hope is in God, not in myself. I have failed and sinned far too many times to trust in my power. But that same failure and sin has caused me to look up at him and to him more and more. The old adage, “God helps those who help themselves” appealed to me as a young man. As an older man, I would change the wording to “God help those who help themselves!” It is not a matter of whether we obey God’s teachings or not; it is a matter of how we view him and ourselves as we obey. Obedience is presupposed biblically for anyone who intends to please and follow God. But our trust as we obey is the fundamental issue. Are we trying to trust ourselves, or do we trust God and his grace in our lives?
Paul described this difference very well in Ephesians 2:8-10: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– [9] not by works, so that no one can boast. [10] For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Once I would have used this equation to describe how we obtain salvation: “faith (man’s part) plus grace (God’s part) equals salvation. This leaves the impression that man’s part and God’s part are on equal or nearly equal ground. Nothing could be further from the truth. Man’s part is simply accepting the real deal, that which actually forgives and saves. Our obedience is God’s plan for us to show our trust in his power and grace rather than in our own power. So, it is not “faith plus grace” that equals salvation; it is “faith trusting grace” that turns the key to our hearts and to his. Our good works, according to Ephesians 2:10, are a result of his work in our lives. Said another way, this passage says that we don’t work in order to be saved; we work because we are saved. We cooperate with him and he works in and through us to the point that we can say with Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
—Gordon Ferguson (March 2005)
No person is ever satisfied totally with the way he or she is as a human being. Actually, that is a good thing since none of us is exactly like Jesus yet! But many people are not simply unsatisfied in their quest for growth; they are very dissatisfied with who they are as a person. Therefore, the question logically comes: “How did I get this way?” While an answer to this question is a legitimate pursuit, a better one must follow, namely, “How can I change?”
We get the way we are in two basic ways. One, we are born with certain qualities, or certainly tendencies in many areas of both capability and character. While inheritance is not the total issue, nor the final word in who we become, it unquestionably plays a fairly major role. Two, we are molded by our environment, particularly our closest relationships in that environment. Within these two general areas, many possible combinations of inheritance and environment work together to make us who we are at a given point.
Our basic tendencies which are inborn can be positive or negative. Our outside influences can also be positive or negative. In between the two extremes, neutral tendencies and influence are possible, but the extremes are the most important to understanding why we are as we are.
If I am born with a “bent” toward a given quality or ability, my “discipling” (atmosphere, influences) can alter it in a major way. Suppose I have a bent toward mathematics. A strong atmosphere for mathematics by parents and/or teachers can produce a highly skillful mathematician. On the other hand, a negative atmosphere toward math can stifle the bent almost entirely, while a neutral atmosphere would allow it to go in either direction.
The same principle holds true in a character tendency. If I have an inborn tendency for being an unselfish servant, my discipling can affect it significantly. Parents who are themselves unselfish and who actively direct their child toward serving will undoubtedly end up with an unselfish child. On the other side of the coin, selfish parents who train their child in selfishness (consciously or unconsciously) can stifle the positive natural bent in the child’s character. A more neutral environment can produce either general direction (“Allow” is a better word for this influence than “produce.”)
Now let’s apply the principle to negative abilities or character qualities. A person without aptitude for math will never develop math abilities in a negative atmosphere for math. Conversely, a very positive atmosphere for math can significantly alter the person’s ability to do well in the subject. The earlier the emphasis and the more intense the positives are applied, the more the skill can be developed. For example, the person with little or no aptitude for learning new languages has already learned one foreign language quite well–his mother tongue! At any age, a person with high aptitude can learn a new language. At a very young age, with proper training, a person with a low language aptitude can learn a new language. But the older this person gets, the more difficult to offset the lack of aptitude and lack of early training.
Now, let’s apply the principle to a much more sensitive area–that of character qualities. Suppose that I am born with strong tendencies toward selfishness. A selfish environment will strengthen the tendency in a major way. Clearly, two negatives do not a make a positive! However, a positive atmosphere of discipling (parents’ example plus their training of the child) can significantly alter the natural tendency toward selfishness. Again, the earlier and the more intensely the training is applied, the more significantly the change.
When negative tendencies are met with negative atmosphere, the depth of negative character traits goes farther than when positive tendencies are met with negative atmosphere. Changes later in life are possible in either case, but the will be quicker in the latter, and probably more complete. Once growth occurs for a person in either case, a positive atmosphere will likely sustain the changes. A neutral atmosphere will likely sustain the status quo for the positive/negative combination, but probably will not for the negative/negative type person. A return to the negative atmosphere may offset the growth for the positive/negative background person and it will almost certainly destroy all progress for the negative/negative background person.
Thankfully, a person’s own convictions and resolve push virtually any negative atmosphere into the neutral zone. The goal must be to change the atmosphere and the character, and to keep it changed. Success in changes will never be permanent by accident–it takes planning and perseverance. A neutral influence is never an acceptable goal. Satan is strong, sin is real, and we cannot approach righteousness without a serious commitment to it.
The question remains: “How can I change?” Whether we started with negative or positive tendencies, the wrong training took us in the wrong direction. Depending on the degree of negativity in either tendency or environment, the changes may be easier or harder to effect and maintain, but the changes are possible. “All things are possible with God!”
The actual path to change is fairly simple (but not easy). In the case of a child with positive tendencies, he needs mostly direction in which to channel and develop the tendencies. In the case of a child with negative tendencies, he needs a balance of correction and direction. His natural direction must be continually corrected and changed into the right direction. When this approach is applied frequently and consistently, the changes will occur at some point.
Therefore, an older person who missed the early training has to once again become a child (Matthew 18:1-2), and accept the needed correction and direction from God through His Word and through his people. Lasting character changes without God’s principles and God’s plan of discipleship are an impossibility!
The conclusion of the matter is all of us need to develop an accurate view of our weaknesses, develop long-range and short-range plans for change, and put the plans into effect daily. Disciplers are needed to help us see our weaknesses accurately, to formulate practical plans on a weekly basis, and to then help us with the follow-through on a daily basis. If we have deep convictions about our weaknesses, deep desires to change, a plan to help us change behavior, and a strong prayer life to allow God to change our hearts, we will change both character and actions. We will become more and more like Jesus.
At this juncture, our two basic questions have been answered, at least in a general way. Now, one last question remains: “Will you change?” No matter how you got this way, you can change with the help of God. The only issue now is how badly do you want it. Let’s go after it!
—Gordon Ferguson (July 1994)
