The Big Push

For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Romans 8:3-4

Paul wants to impress us with the inadequacy of the flesh, despite appearances, and the adequacy of the Spirit, despite the evaluations of people. If you seek to live by your own resources rather than by the life of Jesus within you, you are like a man who buys a car and doesn't know that it comes with a motor. A man buying a car on that basis would have to push it home. When he arrives, he might invite his family out for a ride, so his wife gets behind the wheel, the kids in the back seat, and he starts pushing from behind. At that point you might come along and ask, How do you like your car?

Oh, it is a tremendous car. Look at the upholstery, and get an eyeful of this color, and what a great horn this car has. But, I do find it rather exhausting! It goes downhill beautifully, but if there is even the slightest incline, I find myself panting and struggling. It is very difficult to push uphill.

Well, you say, you do need help. Our church is having special meetings this week. Our speaker is addressing the very subject you need to hear: How to Push a Car Successfully! On Monday night he will show us how to push with the right shoulder. On Tuesday night he will illustrate how to push with the left shoulder. On Wednesday night he has video to show us how to use our back to push. On Thursday night he has workshops to help us all push more effectively, and on Friday there will be a dedication service where we all come down in front to commit ourselves anew to pushing cars.

That is how much of Christianity is lived today. We spend hours teaching people how to mobilize their human resources and try harder to get the job done, but all we are mobilizing is the flesh. We seek to build up their confidence in the resources of the human spirit and the possibilities of a determined will.

But if we really wanted to help the man pushing his car, we would say, Look, come around here in front. We would lift up the hood and say, Do you see this iron thing? Do you know what that is? It's a motor. The maker of this car knew you would have the problem you've been having, so he designed a power plant to enable you to go uphill as easily as downhill. When you learn about operating the motor, you will experience the power. Just turn this key and the motor will start. Then step on the pedal on the floor and away you go. You do the steering, but the motor supplies all the power. You don't have to push at all. Just sit back and go up the highest hills with as much ease as if you were going downhill. The motor is equal to any demand you make.

This is what authentic Christianity is all about. God knew that we aren't adequate in ourselves to meet the demands life makes upon us, so he supplied a power plant — the life of Jesus himself, which is perfectly adequate for the task. Our part is to learn to operate it correctly, then make the choices necessary for steering. Then we experience the restfulness of activity in the strength of God in us.

Lord, I'm tired of finding new ways to push my car. Teach me to rely on the source of power you have supplied though the life of Jesus within me. Amen.