Agreement, Yes — But Who with Whom?
Amos 3:3 poses one of the most important questions in all of scripture: “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (NKJV). The obvious and logical answer to the question is no, two cannot walk together unless they agree. In the context of walking with the Lord, however, the deeper question is who is supposed to agree with whom?
Everyone has desires; they are innate to the human condition. God, the creator of all life, understands the human condition. He also understands that what is innate to us is not necessarily beneficial to us. God, in His great love, seeks only the best for all of His creation. The problems in the world do not exist because of a complacent or passive God, but because of the willfulness of men — believer and unbeliever alike.
God says, “Behold, the LORD's hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear” (Isaiah 59:1). God has taken action to save and bring His blessing to the world through Jesus. Man, however, has made the choice to walk independently of God’s blessed way.
Furthermore, when we are not in agreement with God we often go the next step of trying to get Him to agree with our plans and ideas. We “lobby” God for His support of our ideas. This mindset is and indicator that we have either forgotten or rejected Christianity 101 as taught by the Lord Jesus:
If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Jesus said that saving causes loss and loss enables finding. It seems counter intuitive; the concept runs contrary to human instinct and logic. But isn’t that just like the Lord? Through the prophet Isaiah God said: “For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden” (Is 29:14b).
According to Colossians 3:3, our real life is hidden or concealed in Jesus; it is unequivocally tied to Him. The key to unlocking that concealed life, according to the previous two verses in Colossians 3, is to be mentally disposed towards the things above, not the things that are on earth. The initial investment of our attention and energy should begin heavenward each day. Then, when our perspective is adjusted to agreeing with God’s perspective, we are propelled into the day fully equipped to address the challenges of life. This is the essence of losing your life; a conscientious decision to focus on the purposes of God rather than the purposes of self.
This is not to say that we become passive towards earthly responsibilities or use the “be heavenly minded” admonition to avoid earthly realities. To the contrary, God is fully aware of our life situations, our needs and our responsibilities. Jesus dealt with the realities of life yet remained perfectly submitted to His Father’s voice and direction. A relationship with the Lord and being heavenly minded equips and encourages the believer to courageously face the issues of life, not to avoid them.
Mankind was created to agree with the Lord but went his own way. Nevertheless, God said “Come, let us reason together; though your sins are as scarlet I will make them white as snow” (Is 1:18). He will not agree with the world but calls the world to agree with Him. This is the essence of the Gospel message; can two walk together if they do not agree? If we are trying to live life as the world does, we cannot be in agreement with God. Even though God has made a way in Jesus for the people of the world to agree and to walk in the life He has provided, our testimony won’t convey that plan effectively until we are in agreement with Him and walking in His way.
Prayer:
Lord, I thank you today for the life you have provided me in Jesus. As I walk in agreement with you, I realize that your life will shine through me and bring blessing to others. Forgive me for seeking to save my life by living my own way. Today I acknowledge your Lordship and prefer your will over my own, in Jesus name.
Everyone has desires; they are innate to the human condition. God, the creator of all life, understands the human condition. He also understands that what is innate to us is not necessarily beneficial to us. God, in His great love, seeks only the best for all of His creation. The problems in the world do not exist because of a complacent or passive God, but because of the willfulness of men — believer and unbeliever alike.
God says, “Behold, the LORD's hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear” (Isaiah 59:1). God has taken action to save and bring His blessing to the world through Jesus. Man, however, has made the choice to walk independently of God’s blessed way.
In the context of walking with the Lord, the deeper question is who is supposed to agree with whom?
Furthermore, when we are not in agreement with God we often go the next step of trying to get Him to agree with our plans and ideas. We “lobby” God for His support of our ideas. This mindset is and indicator that we have either forgotten or rejected Christianity 101 as taught by the Lord Jesus:
If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 16:24-25 (NASB)
Jesus said that saving causes loss and loss enables finding. It seems counter intuitive; the concept runs contrary to human instinct and logic. But isn’t that just like the Lord? Through the prophet Isaiah God said: “For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden” (Is 29:14b).
According to Colossians 3:3, our real life is hidden or concealed in Jesus; it is unequivocally tied to Him. The key to unlocking that concealed life, according to the previous two verses in Colossians 3, is to be mentally disposed towards the things above, not the things that are on earth. The initial investment of our attention and energy should begin heavenward each day. Then, when our perspective is adjusted to agreeing with God’s perspective, we are propelled into the day fully equipped to address the challenges of life. This is the essence of losing your life; a conscientious decision to focus on the purposes of God rather than the purposes of self.
This is not to say that we become passive towards earthly responsibilities or use the “be heavenly minded” admonition to avoid earthly realities. To the contrary, God is fully aware of our life situations, our needs and our responsibilities. Jesus dealt with the realities of life yet remained perfectly submitted to His Father’s voice and direction. A relationship with the Lord and being heavenly minded equips and encourages the believer to courageously face the issues of life, not to avoid them.
“For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden” (Is 29:14b)
Mankind was created to agree with the Lord but went his own way. Nevertheless, God said “Come, let us reason together; though your sins are as scarlet I will make them white as snow” (Is 1:18). He will not agree with the world but calls the world to agree with Him. This is the essence of the Gospel message; can two walk together if they do not agree? If we are trying to live life as the world does, we cannot be in agreement with God. Even though God has made a way in Jesus for the people of the world to agree and to walk in the life He has provided, our testimony won’t convey that plan effectively until we are in agreement with Him and walking in His way.
Prayer:
Lord, I thank you today for the life you have provided me in Jesus. As I walk in agreement with you, I realize that your life will shine through me and bring blessing to others. Forgive me for seeking to save my life by living my own way. Today I acknowledge your Lordship and prefer your will over my own, in Jesus name.
I just got back from a 4-day trip to St. Louis where I learned what essentially is contained in this article. I may have saved myself $300 if I had read (and taken to heart!) the message in this writing.
ReplyDeleteWell said!
Greg