Fasting Encouragement Day Two

Fast encouragement day 2 - Pastor Josh

I love a great story. That’s one of the reasons I love watching movies and shows and reading books. Some of the best stories are the ones that you can’t possibly imagine the ending or even what’s going to happen next. One minute you’re tracking along with the plot, you think you know what’s going on, and then BAM, the twist happens. One detail gets revealed and it changes the whole story. This is what Romans 3 and 4 feel like to me.

In the first chapter of Romans Paul tells you how this story is going to end, and this story is called The Gospel; “For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith…”. Ok, so this gospel story Paul is about to tell us ends with salvation for everyone who has faith, great, now on to set the stage for the drama to unfold. We then read about the guilt of humankind, the righteous judgement of God, the ruthless nature of the law, how the law makes us judgemental and condemns us at the same time, and then we get to the most uplifting part, “NONE IS RIGHTEOUS”. Wow, so far this is not looking good for us, Jew or Gentile alike.

However, we come to verse 21 of chapter 3, and here it is, the new detail that changes the whole story; the twist! Paul precludes his announcement of the good news with a resounding “BUT NOW”. Here comes the good part, here comes the meaning of the story.

21 But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith.

As followers of Christ in the 21st century we get to live in the “but now” of human history. We live on the other side of the finished works of Jesus Christ’s life, death, resurrection, and ascension. We don’t live in the shadow of the law, but we live in the shadow of the crucified and risen Son of God. The only one who carried out perfect love and faithfulness to His Father and to His neighbour, even unto death. The one who came from glory, to rescue those who have fallen from glory. The one who IS life, entered into our death in order to bring us into His divine life through the gift of grace. We live in the NOW of God’s complete work in Christ to save us and unite us to himself. It is finished.

So, if the work of Christ is done, then why do we fast? Why do we pray? Why do we confess our sins? I’m glad you asked.

There is another “NOW” in the scriptures I was reminded of today as I write this. John 2:1-11. Feel free to read it and come back here when you find the next “NOW”.

There is something beautiful I feel like God wants to reveal to us today. You see, the jews had many laws they had to keep in order to be pure before God. Laws and traditions were practices of prayer, sackcloth and ashes, scripture memorization, social expectations, fasting, asceticism, and much more. Among those laws were laws regarding ceremonial washing at meals. This is the context that Jesus does His first miracle in, standing before the six empty waterpots of religious duty. These same waterpots would have been poured out on religious hands seeking a cleansing the water could not provide. And now they stand empty, their ability to cleanse dried up. What does Jesus do? He has them filled with new water, not a water to be poured out and made dirty by the filth of our hands, but a water to be transformed into a drink that inebriates. “You have saved the best wine until NOW” (v11). The form that used to hold the fading ability of the law to purify is now the form that holds the intoxicating drink of new covenant life. In the NOW of the finished works of Christ, the jars (religious practices) are no longer poured out ON us to inevitably dry up—they’re poured out IN us for intoxication and refreshment.

This is the encouragement for you today. Don’t use the old form to try to gain something that Jesus has already given you as a gift. Don’t use the old form as a hunger fast to get God’s attention or get him to do what you want. We fast in order to drink deeply of that which we already possess in Christ. We fast to enjoy the inexhaustible life, power and joy of the new covenant that is available to us NOW. Drink deeply today, and let the wine of the new covenant transform you from the inside out!