Reliable

The Stanley Brothers offer up a bluegrass gospel standard to tell us about the only One who's truly reliable. 

In American culture, self-reliance is a virtue. To Americans, the self-made wo/man is an icon. We value independence in thought and action -- so much so that we long to do what Jesus does in John 11:1-45, which tells the story of the death and resurrection of Lazarus.

"Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, 'Lord, he whom you love is ill.' But when Jesus heard it he said, 'This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.' Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was." (verses 1-6) 

"This illness does not lead to death," he says in verse 4. Then, in verse 14, He says, "Lazarus has died ...."

If you had the power to heal a dear and close friend, would you just let him die? What if you had a good reason for it? If you knew that your friend's death was for the best, could you let him go?

Jesus finishes the sentence in verse 15, " ... and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."

"Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, 'Take away the stone.' Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, 'Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.' Jesus said to her, 'Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?' So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, 'Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.' When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out.' The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, 'Unbind him, and let him go.' Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him." (verses 38-45)

We'd all like to be able to do that -- so much so that we believe we can heal ourselves of sin, "[f]or the wages of sin is death," Paul writes in Romans 6:23a. We've done and said so much wrong in our lives that we're desperate to get rid of it, and rightly so. We might be whole and healthy now, but when Jesus comes back to judge us, that's it: We're dead meat. We can't buy our way out of it. We can't argue our way out of it. We can't charm our way out of it. We're dead.

Trouble is, our willful self-reliance is sinful, too. "For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God." (I Corinthians 1:26-29)

Great! He chose us, but we're sinners, so what did He choose us to do? Be the first shrimps on the barbie?

No. "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you." (John 15:16, emphasis mine)

How can we do that if we're so sinful? How can I say that when I don't know what you've done?

Here's how: "And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.' And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, 'This man is blaspheming.' But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, 'Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins'—he then said to the paralytic—'Rise, pick up your bed and go home.' And he rose and went home."

Jesus has the authority to forgive sins, but how do we get Him to use His authority on our behalf?

"Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus." (Acts 3:19)

Then what?

"... because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, 'Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!' But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?' So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." (Romans 10:9-17)

He raised Lazarus from the dead. He submitted to a horrible death on the cross, and was resurrected. Throughout all time, He has raised billions of sinners from the dead to have new life in Him, as only our Creator can do. He did it all so that -- no matter who you are, no matter what you've done or to whom -- you may believe.

Here's The Stanley Brothers with "Leaning On the Everlasting Arms".