ETT - Favor With God

Post 164

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” Luke 2:52.

As we read the story of Jesus here in Luke, we tend to read it as a novel. He was born, grew up, and then we get to the important part; His ministry.
But God did not write the Bible with just the big picture in mind. The small topics are not there just as filler aiding the big picture conclusion, they have very important concepts we need to know.

Here we see Jesus as a child. The son of Mary, and adopted son, as it were, of Joseph.
And the scriptures tell us Jesus was not born fully-grown.

Of course! That just makes sense. Duh.

But this remark is entered here not as if we didn’t know this already, but because it relates to the other part of the remark;
And Jesus increased in wisdom.

Here is the Son of God. The actual Creator of the universe. But he increased in wisdom over time just as he increased in stature?
Yes.
This is strong support that establishes the fact that he laid aside his omniscience (having universal knowledge; infinitely wise) when he came to earth as a man-child. But note this does not tell us he laid aside his omnipotence (unlimited in power, ability, or authority; almighty)

Yet this is not all;
He also increased in favor with God.
This tells us that he was not born with full favor.
What could this possibly mean?

Clearly, being the Son of God, if he was not born fully in favor with God, then it is sure that neither are we.
And here, the verse tells us plainly that this favor with God is won over time as wisdom and stature are won, little by little (increase), and the same way favor with man is won, with understanding and effort.

So what does this mean for us?
By far the majority of Christians I meet, are quite content to rest in their salvation.
They boldly proclaim; “I confessed my sins to Jesus, and he forgave me according to the scriptures, so I am saved. I don’t need anything more than that!”

And with great joy I can confirm this is completely true!
That is all you need to be saved! (*1)
There is no "but."

Yet our short scripture verse of topic tells us there is a great deal more to be won than your basic salvation.
What is that?
Wisdom,
and Favor with God.
And favor with man.

These are the things that simple-minded Christians do not have.
Are they saved?
If their faith is real, then they are.
But very much like a child is born with Downs Syndrome.
They survived the birth into the world, but their abilities are far diminished because they did not develop properly in the pre-natal stage.
Do their parents love them? You bet! Are they part of the family? Absolutely!
Their person-hood is not contested by any rational human being, though all can immediately tell they are sadly and permanently diminished.

This is the temporal representation of the spiritual reality.
The above simpleton Christians will be born into eternity (at physical death) with spiritual Downs Syndrome, for all eternity.
* * *

A six year old child constantly asks; “Why?”
This child is growing in wisdom, in fact hungry for it.
To similarly ask “Why?” spiritually, is to grow in wisdom.
In both cases the heart wants to know the cause, and uses the mind to find out.
Only as the child matures does he change from seeking Why? to How?
"How" is knowledge.

The result of wisdom, aids in your growing favor with God and man.
This comes over time, with effort.
But note, this verse does not include knowledge in the equation.

Why?
Because, we all know that a know-it-all is a great irritant from which no one gains knowledge!
Knowledge is not primary in your growing in favor with man, or with God!

So what is the difference?
"How" is the knowledge gained with the mind
"Why" is the wisdom gained with the heart.

If the heart is not on board, the result is simply knowledge without wisdom.
* * *

If you have a really good pastor, and he preaches the word with great wisdom and accuracy, what do you gain from his sermons?
Do you gain favor with God?
No.
Do you gain wisdom?
No.
You gain knowledge. And only knowledge.
But the knowledge you gain may actually encourage you to seek wisdom by bringing the heart on board. Not so much the “How”, as the “Why”.
In this analogy, I can pass on the knowledge of How, but you must seek the wisdom of Why.

If you read my blog because you think it is interesting, or exciting, or gives you knowledge you did not have, this is good.
But you only get knowledge. And nothing more.

The purpose of my blog is to provoke you to jealousy, not for more knowledge, but for wisdom that comes through a deep and personal relationship with the Creator which no amount of knowledge can give you!
* * *

I just finished renewing 40 hours of Emergency Trauma Technician (ETT) training as a member of our local Volunteer Fire Department.
In our class was a deeply involved member of our department who has had years of Medical training and experience, so this refresher class was quite low in the knowledge area for him.
We all politely marveled as we watched him take every break in the class to go outside and smoke, even after the entire section on Airway, and its injuries!

Why?
Because his vast knowledge never translated into wisdom.
What he knows with his mind, does not reach his heart.
Does he need more knowledge?
No.

This concept extends further into the spiritual representation as we realize that teasing, and rebuking, and persuading, and reason, have no effect but to irritate.
Why?

Because he does not yet believe with his heart the consequences of tomorrow are worth resisting the pleasure today.
He can know the consequences with his mind, and know great detail and knowledge of the problem and the result. He might even actually fear the consequences, But his heart's desire for the vise is stronger than his mind’s desire to avoid the result.
And no amount of knowledge, persuasion or reason, is going to change that.

I have titled my blog; “When did reason die?” which shows just a fraction of the available knowledge, and history, and science, and truth… and the logical resulting reason of the data evaluated.
1 + 1 = 2.
Reason asks the question; Do I like 2 as an acceptable result?
But what is missing is the appeal to the heart...
Because although the heart thinks, it cannot be reached with raw knowledge (*2)
* * *

I have used this blog to give you history, and science, and logic, to show you our present reality in the macro-cosmic world, and your own micro-cosmic world, with the hopes that it would provoke you to seek answers to your needs.
But like in the temporal world of my ETT class, we can only show up on scene when the patient calls 911. Before that, we are at best an irritation and at worst an offense.

In our response to the call, the patient is now ready to receive the help, but we are not there now to prevent a problem, but to attempt to reduce the consequences after the fact.
And as we stuff the patient into the ambulance, unsure if he will live or die, the crowed of neighbors quietly watch while puffing on their own cigarettes, or drinking from their can of beer, or returning to their comfortable vises, waiting patiently for their own turn in the ambulance.
The scripture says;

“I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter” Isaiah 51:40

As a Fire Fighter/ First Responder, it breaks my heart to watch people destroy their lives from destructive things that can easily be avoided.
But rarely are these patients/victims results of attempts to intentionally destroy themselves.
Usually the problem is due to unhealthy lusts that don’t present immediate consequences, including careless driving.

This is exactly how “sin when it is finished, brings forth death.” James 1:15
Both in this temporal world, and the eternal one to come.

As much as it breaks my heart to see these physical consequences, my heart break more for the eternal consequences.
* * *

I have readers who are provoked to seek hard after God to find their own similar relationship with the Creator,
I have readers who nod their heads in agreement with my posts, thinking agreement equals relationship.
I have readers who struggle to understand what they are reading, but are curiously drawn to the obscured truth behind it.
I have readers who have no idea how I come to the reasoning that I do, and frankly don’t care to find out.

Which reader are you?
And what do you expect to get from the reading?
* * * * * * *

(*1) "But these (the words of this gospel) are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." John 20:31
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Romans 10:9

(*2) Genesis 6:5 "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
Deuteronomy 15:9 "Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart,..."
Judges 5:15, I Chronicles 28:9, 29:18-19 Esther 6:6, Job 17:11-12, Proverbs 23:7, Jeremiah 4:14,Matthew 9:14,
"For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man..." 15:19-20
"Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee." Acts 8:22
"For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)" Romans 2:14-15
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful,... and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
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