“Where are the nine?”
Luke 17:17 (ESV)
Relationship or Transaction
Jesus defined eternal life as a relationship; many view it as a transaction. Understanding the difference between these two concepts determines our capacity and ability to grow in the dynamic of His Life.
“And this is eternal life, that they know You,
the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
John 17:3 (ESV)
The transactional view is that because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven; I have procured eternal life irrespective of my relationship with Him. Of course, because of His mercy, there is a truth here. It is much like the ten lepers who were healed. All ten received healing, but only one returned to give thanks and praise to Him.
The Ten Lepers
“And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; And he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks…”
Luke 17:12-16 (ESV)
Jesus inquired of the one:
“Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed?
Where are the nine?”
Luke 17:17 (ESV)
Note that all ten were genuine in their cry to Jesus for healing. They were desperate, as not only was leprosy a horrible degenerative affliction from which there was no cure, but they were also outcasts from society. In their desperation, they addressed Him as “Jesus, Master,” but after receiving their healing, they no longer walked with Him. They likely spoke well of Him, perhaps even shared what He had done for them, but they did not follow Him. Their confession of “master” was short-lived. Their healing from Him was a transaction; something to be very grateful for, but not consequential enough to move them to relationship and commitment.
Lost within the gospel of God’s forgiveness is the bitter truth that we have, as God’s children, the capacity to grieve Him and to dishonour Him by our conduct. Whenever we consider our salvation strictly as the result of a transaction, we have lost sight of the magnitude of His suffering, and the call to bear our cross and follow Him has little appeal or power. It is because of this that His people may lose “the fear of the Lord” and become insensitive and ignorant of His honour and glory.
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God…”
Ephesians 4:30
The test of our relationship is revealed in our sensitivity to Him in respect to our thought life, our conduct, and our willingness to receive His correction.
“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
Matthew 5:23-24
We too seldom see this truth lived out in our day. Amid the strife and divisions that we see all around us, Jesus is clear about the evidence of a life sensitive to Him. May we weigh ourselves by His Word and not by the insensitivity of our own hearts!
The Body of Christ suffers tremendously amid tepid and lukewarm relationships. There is no greater demonstration of our relationship to Him than the treatment and attitude we express to His people.
“Whoever says “I know Him”
but does not keep His commandments is a liar,
and the truth is not in him.”
1 John 2:4 (ESV)
What is His Commandment?
“This is my commandment,
That ye love one another,
AS I have loved you.”
John 15:12
No life rightly related to the Spirit of God can ignore our need of others.
“And the eye cannot say unto the hand,
I have no need of thee…”
1 Corinthians 12:21
If our walk in Him is focused only on the forgiveness of sins (past tense), we fail to apprehend the consciousness that comes from relationship with Him, present tense. May God restore a sensitivity to His Spirit that we no longer grieve Him by our callousness to His people, which IS HIS BODY!
“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates* his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”
1 John 4:20 (ESV) (1 John 4:20 AMP)
*hates – μισέω
“miséō; contracted misṓ, fut. misḗsō. To hate.
(I) With the acc. of person, usually implying active ill will in words and conduct, a persecuting spirit.”
– Spiros Zodhiates
May the Lord lift the veil of this scripture and impact us afresh to walk more circumspectly before Him. There is an eternal heritage of faith reserved for those who walk in the fear of the Lord.
“For Thou, O God, hast heard my vows:
Thou hast given me the heritage of those
that fear Thy Name.”
Psalm 61:5
Part One of the “Where are the Nine?” Series
Where are the Nine? – Relationship
Where Are the Nine? – His Word
“Grace will ever speak for itself and be fruitful in well-doing;
the sanctified cross is a fruitful tree.”
Samuel Rutherford
Brian Troxel
Thank your for this, Brian. We are so blessed by God and yet, our human nature puts the focus on ourselves rather than the One who healed us from all our transgressions. A simple thank you is not even close to the gift we received through Him.
“A simple thank you is not even close to the gift we received through Him.”
Darling of Jesus, you are absolutely, irrevocably right! For the glory of His grace, the God of all grace and all glory be given everlastingly increasing gratitude!
The Glory Of His Grace
Romans 8:28-39 (AMP)
28 And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew [and loved and chose beforehand], He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son [and ultimately share in His complete sanctification], so that He would be the firstborn [the most beloved and honored] among many believers. 30 And those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified [declared free of the guilt of sin]; and those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity].
31 What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us? 32 He who did not spare [even] His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect (His chosen ones)? It is God who justifies us [declaring us blameless and putting us in a right relationship with Himself]. 34 Who is the one who condemns us? Christ Jesus is the One who died [to pay our penalty], and more than that, who was raised [from the dead], and who is at the right hand of God interceding [with the Father] for us. 35 Who shall ever separate us from the love of [d]Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 Just as it is written and forever remains written,
“For Your sake we are put to death all day long;
We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.”
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]. 38 For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The One Holy Triune God is most extolled for the everlastingly, incomparably exceeding excellence of His majesty, might and munificence, when we, from the overflow and outworking of conscious union and inimitably intimate, abiding communion with the Spirit of grace, exult, even ecstatically, in His tender mercies, His loving kindness, and His faultless faithfulness, affectionately, ardently ascribing to Himself the unmerited grace that is the rich receptivity of and right responsiveness to all His matchless grace, for His ineffably great glory, as the immutable I Am of eternal glory.
Romans 12:1-3 (MSG)
Place Your Life Before God
12 1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
3 I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.
“So, grace is God’s initiative of extravagant generosity, offering all He is and has freely and without cost.” Dr. John B. MacDonald
What Does It Mean to Praise the Glory of God’s Grace? Ephesians 1:6
https://shorturl.at/jmeWR
I may “steal” this theme someday of the difference between a relationship and a transaction! Very wisely said!
❤️&🙏, c.a.
All truth is God’s truth! Always good to hear from you.
Blessings
BT
Amen 🙏
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service
Romans: 12:1
Those in transaction have yet to awaken to the reality of the Holy Spirit, and those in relationship are sharing fellowship with Christ, may we strive to be among them.
Blessings.
Romans 12:3 (MSG)
3 I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.
“So, grace is God’s initiative of extravagant generosity, offering all He is and has freely and without cost.”
Dr. John B. MacDonald
What Does It Mean to Praise the Glory of God’s Grace? Ephesians 1:6
https://shorturl.at/jmeWR
Thank you!