Matthew 7:7-8 " Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."
What a statement! I hear so many people talk about asking to get, seeking and finding your answer. Mostly what I hear is asking, and asking selfishly. What is it about this verse that makes people think of a "prosperity gospel?" I know that recently a good, solid Christian (as far as I could tell) told me that I should not let the world discourage me. I agreed with him, and I added that if for some reason things became easy for me then I would have to re-evaluate my walk with Christ. His response to this showed how prevalent this whole "bounty of God and easy blessings" thing is. He said, "Well, blessed are those who are faithful to the truth. If you put God first then he will bless you with many things." God will bless me, but I don't think it will be with an easy life or lot of things. Lets look at this section closer.
Christ's discourse on asking and seeking follows immediately after teaching us about judging and discerning. After warning us to with-hold judgment and condemnation yet holding other believers accountable to following His word, He asks us go and ask Him or the Father for something, we are to seek and search. What are we asking, seeking, and searching for?
The easy answer is God's will. We are to live in the will of God completely, just as Christ lived. Unfortunately for us we are sinful and thus unable to fully live the will of God. In the end our fallen human nature fights our new sanctified spiritual nature and we become confused and disoriented, succeeding at times to mortify the flesh and failing at other times in following Christ completely. Fortunately we are covered by the blood of Christ. Watchman Nee says "God is the One who demands that the Blood be presented, in order to satisfy His own righteousness, and it is he who says: 'When I see the blood, I shall pass over you.' The Blood of Christ wholly satisfies God....The Blood is first for God to see. We then have to accept God's valuation of it."
The harder answer is that we are to seek for discernment and guidance from God on what is judging and what is accountability. We must ask who has determined to snub God and our witness to them will be like throwing pearls before angry swine. The only way we can do any of this is to be guided and advised by Christ.
We can ask anything of the Father because we are covered by the son. Our greatest desire should be that we follow Him completely. We are asking and seeking for Christs will in all things. When we are completely in His will then He will provide everything we need or want – and our wants have become His wants for us. What door then are we knocking on? The name of this door is Pure Righteousness and Holiness and it is only through this gate which is the Cross that we can enter the Kingdom of God. Let us remember to seek first the kingdom of heaven in everything we do!
What a statement! I hear so many people talk about asking to get, seeking and finding your answer. Mostly what I hear is asking, and asking selfishly. What is it about this verse that makes people think of a "prosperity gospel?" I know that recently a good, solid Christian (as far as I could tell) told me that I should not let the world discourage me. I agreed with him, and I added that if for some reason things became easy for me then I would have to re-evaluate my walk with Christ. His response to this showed how prevalent this whole "bounty of God and easy blessings" thing is. He said, "Well, blessed are those who are faithful to the truth. If you put God first then he will bless you with many things." God will bless me, but I don't think it will be with an easy life or lot of things. Lets look at this section closer.
Christ's discourse on asking and seeking follows immediately after teaching us about judging and discerning. After warning us to with-hold judgment and condemnation yet holding other believers accountable to following His word, He asks us go and ask Him or the Father for something, we are to seek and search. What are we asking, seeking, and searching for?
The easy answer is God's will. We are to live in the will of God completely, just as Christ lived. Unfortunately for us we are sinful and thus unable to fully live the will of God. In the end our fallen human nature fights our new sanctified spiritual nature and we become confused and disoriented, succeeding at times to mortify the flesh and failing at other times in following Christ completely. Fortunately we are covered by the blood of Christ. Watchman Nee says "God is the One who demands that the Blood be presented, in order to satisfy His own righteousness, and it is he who says: 'When I see the blood, I shall pass over you.' The Blood of Christ wholly satisfies God....The Blood is first for God to see. We then have to accept God's valuation of it."
The harder answer is that we are to seek for discernment and guidance from God on what is judging and what is accountability. We must ask who has determined to snub God and our witness to them will be like throwing pearls before angry swine. The only way we can do any of this is to be guided and advised by Christ.
We can ask anything of the Father because we are covered by the son. Our greatest desire should be that we follow Him completely. We are asking and seeking for Christs will in all things. When we are completely in His will then He will provide everything we need or want – and our wants have become His wants for us. What door then are we knocking on? The name of this door is Pure Righteousness and Holiness and it is only through this gate which is the Cross that we can enter the Kingdom of God. Let us remember to seek first the kingdom of heaven in everything we do!
Ask what thou wilt, believing heart,
The answering time will come;
Pray and believe—that is thy part,
The answering time will come.
posted by Carter at 4:36 PM
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