Bible Ballistics: Source or Resource? 11/03/13 Vol. 2 No.25

Recently I was listening to Tony Evans on the radio and he said something that stuck with me and I’d like us to consider it today.  Is God our ‘Source’ or a ‘Resource’?  Two similar words, but they have some distinct differences that are worthy of our consideration.

Source- a person, place or thing from which something comes or can be obtained.

Resource-a stock or supply of money, materials, staff and other assets that can be drawn on by a person or organization in order to function.

Our question is whether these two options affect or indicate our relationship with God.  Is God my ‘source’ or only one of many ‘resources’?  The first thing we must always consider is that I actually belong to Jesus.  If I have been born again 1 Peter 1:22-23 says,

“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”  

Peter tells us that we are born of incorruptible seed, by the word of God—Jesus.  Remember John 1:1+ reminds us that Jesus IS the ‘Word’—

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” 

This is one of the primary passages that tell us that Jesus

IS GOD,

He IS CREATOR and

He IS light.

A light for our souls and our life—n fact without Him we don’t have life—

He is the source and sustainer of

real,

eternal,

spiritual life,

the new birth.

How can this be? We see in verses 12-13 of this same chapter,

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”   

Jesus makes us ‘sons of God’ when we trust in his atoning death as payment for our own personal sin.  Then I have a relationship with God—I become a ‘son of God’—I have a new and eternal spiritual source of real, abundant life.

John 10:10b, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”   

Ephesians 2:1-6 reveals a contrast of real life and death,

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”   

Before our salvation we were:

dead in sin,

walking with the world forces and through the power and influence of Satan’s forces (the same as the world forces, see Ephesians 6:12),

living in the lusts of our flesh and

fulfilling the desires of our minds

–children of wrath along with all the lost world.  Hard words but true ones.  We are created by God but living under Satan until we come to faith in Christ.

This passage tells us that when we are born again we are “quickened”, that means made “alive” from the deadness of our trespasses and sins and receive ‘eternal life’ instead of eternal death.   Paul repeats this in

verse 1 –quickend you,

verse 5 –quickened us with Christ, and

verse 6 –raised us up (from the dead) together and caused us to sit in heavenly places with Christ Jesus.

And that is our present state spiritually, and one day soon that will be our physical location.  YOU can live in, through and by Jesus’ power.  If you have been born again, HE IS YOUR SOURCE!!!

So when God/Jesus is my source I can:

be alive unto God “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Ro. 6:11—;

be truly alive by HIS Spirit in me; “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”  Ro. 8:11—;

be confident that God is working IN ME; “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”  Phil. 1:6—

know that Christ is in ME, and He will bring me to glory.“ To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:” Col. 1:27 —

All this from my ‘Source’, the one who

saves,     supplies and    keeps me.

In contrast I can choose to live my own life, my own way and us the ‘resources’ of God to meet my own needs and become what I want to be.

James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

However Romans chapter 1 gives a clear picture of those who, knowing the ‘resources’ of God, chose to worship and serve the creature rather than the creator.

But since we are out of time and space, we’ll continue this side of our discussion next week.  In conclusion for today, what do I consider God to be?

Is He my source of all things-

wisdom, grace, power and truth–LIFE?

Or is He only a resource from which I draw when there is no other available? You know, the ‘firehouse’ God on whom we call only when there is an emergency.  Have a blessed week thinking on these things and join us again next week.