Response to Chambers "My Utmost" November 4

"The dominating power of the world, the flesh and the devil is paralysed, not by your act, but because your act has linked you on to God and His redemptive power."

Here, there is cause for some misunderstanding. Oswald Chambers, like James, may appear to undermine the infinite power of God's grace in our lives. Yet even Chambers makes it clear: not our doing, necessarily, but His working in us, accomplishes great things.

His act cannot be a fact in our lives, although it remains forever the truth, until be faith we allow His power to be released in our lives.

"By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:2)

Paul in his letter to Ephesians connects how this grace through faith works in our lives, working out the great works that God has already worked in :

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

"Not of works, lest any man should boast.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

God created us, God redeems us, and He esteems us enough to have placed good works in us, which He then accomplishes through us.

Seems too simple or too good to be true? Consider Jesus' final words to His disciples before the Passion:

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

"Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

"Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5)

He is the Vine, we the believers are branches who are nourished by His Word, infused with the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit borne in us is manifold (cf Galatians 5:22-23), but we do not effect it -- we receive it by grace through faith!