"... 'I live in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the oppressed'" (Is. 57:14, HCSB).
".., 'Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it' ... 'This is the gate of heaven'" (Gen. 28:16, HCSB).
We all tend to limit God naturally because we are limited in our perspective of reality. But God cannot fit into our boxes or definitions. He is beyond analysis and description! To define God to your specs is to make Him one-dimensional and that cannot be, for He is infinite and that means we cannot fathom His limits. No adequate definition of God has ever been penned, we cannot define Him nor describe Him fully or exhaustively, but we can know Him truly! The first Greek ancient philosopher, Thales, the father of Western philosophy, was asked to describe God and he couldn't. The Bible doesn't attempt to describe God either, but to make Him known.
The ancients could only conclude that God must be eternal, infinite, and immutable as well as immaterial to be God at all! The Latins said that the finite cannot contain or fathom the infinite! God doesn't measure up to your personal specs in your calculus! But the infinite can penetrate the finite and that's what happened, so we can know Him; this is why the Bible never attempts to fully describe God, but only to make Him known and knowable. '
There are many ways we put God in boxes: when we just see God as our Savior, or our Lord, simply as our Father without being our Provider, or without Him being our Judge or Maker to be accountable to. People who know little doctrine may see Him as the "man upstairs" or "the Great Spirit in the sky" or even the "Sentimental Grandfather, or Father Time." Seeing Him as our Santa Claus or Genie is also going down the wrong road, and many prayer warriors make this mistake in their prayers (the purpose of prayer is prayer and getting God's will done, not in making petitions like giving God a wish list--it changes us, not God.
God is the Creator of the time-space continuum, which means He is outside His creation and has all-mighty power over it as the Creator, not an enslaved creature like us as part of creation! With Him, time is not of the essence and is no factor. God's immensity refers to the fact that He cannot be limited by space--He is fully everywhere all the time, which is interpreted as necessitating that He is just as much in one part of the cosmos as another and not any less so--as Christians, we believe in the God who is there and also the God who is in us! What a wonderful truth: as big as God is, He can come to live in our hearts so that we can experience His eternal, divine, unconditional love!
God is also eternal and outside the time limits that we find ourselves limited and defined by. He doesn't think in terms of time like we do because it's always "now" with God--eternity past and eternity future are the same--but He is able to act and function in time for our benefit so that we can know Him. Jesus made the leap into the time-space continuum with His incarnation and became limited with our constraints in His humiliation and kenosis or the emptying of the independent usage of His Deity. Yes, God is "not far from any one of us" (per Acts 17:27) and He also dwells in the heavens and "inhabits eternity" (cf. Isaiah 57:15)! He is there, and He is not silent, according to Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer!
We must never ask ourselves or others, "Where's God?" but "Where isn't God?" And more appropriately: "Where's the church?" We must always tell ourselves that God did something about evil--He made us! It was wisely said, "What's wrong with the world? I am. Sincerely yours, G. K. Chesterton." God chooses to live through us as He inhabits our hearts: His heart to love others through, His voice to spread the good news; His ears to listen to those in need; His hands to lend a helping hand to the needy and destitute--anyone in our orbit who needs our aid is our neighbor and we are to be Good Samaritans. "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing," it has been wisely said by Edmund Burke.
We must attribute three seminal traits to God for our salvation though: His love that cared about our plight and condition; His holiness that necessitated Him to accomplish it; and His justice that had to be satisfied in Christ on our behalf--all three must act in accord and unison for our redemption.
God is big! In fact, so big He holds the universe in His hands as the hymn goes: "He's got the whole world in His hands..." He is able to roll up the heavens like a curtain and to create a new heaven and earth at will! God is so big, in fact, that everything, by contrast, is small and trivial; all our petitions and requests are as nothing to His infinity and magnitude. Caveat: It's not how big our faith is but how big our God is--faith must be aimed high! Let's not just attempt great things for God, but expect them! (cf. Willliam Carey's sermon).
Luther accused Erasmus of having thoughts of God that are too human! We tend to see things from man's perspective: How big is your church? Or, how big is your ministry? God sees potential even in the small matters! We never worry that our concerns are too trivial when we realize how big God is because it's all the same to Him! Nothing too big for His omnipotence; nothing too trivial for His love to escape His concern for us. Soli Deo Gloria!
To bridge the gap between so-called theologians and regular "students" of the Word and make polemics palatable. Contact me @ bloggerbro@outlook.com To search title keywords: title:example or label as label:example; or enter a keyword in search engine ATTN: SITE USING COOKIES!
About Me
- Karl Broberg
- I am a born-again Christian, who is Reformed, but also charismatic, spiritually speaking. (I do not speak in tongues, but I believe glossalalia is a bona fide gift not given to all, and not as great as prophecy, for example.) I have several years of college education but only completed a two-year degree. I was raised Lutheran and confirmed, but I didn't "find Christ" until I was in the Army and responded to a Billy Graham crusade in 1973. I was mentored or discipled by the Navigators in the army and upon discharge joined several evangelical, Bible-teaching churches. I was baptized as an infant, but believe in believer baptism, of which I was a partaker after my conversion experience. I believe in the "5 Onlys" of the reformation: sola fide (faith alone); sola Scriptura (Scripture alone); soli Christo (Christ alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and soli Deo gloria (to God alone be the glory). I affirm TULIP as defended in the Reformation.. I affirm most of The Westminster Confession of Faith, especially pertaining to Providence.
Monday, September 30, 2019
Sunday, September 29, 2019
God's Answer To Superstition
In antiquity, the Jews held physicians in low esteem as a rule, despite the Hippocratic oath because they resorted to the superstitious nature of man. Superstition is a form of unbelief and is an attempt to attribute the work of God to something mechanical like fate or happenstance. God is the God of Providence, fully in control of the situation at hand bringing all to His glory (cf. Rom. 11:36; Eph. 1:11).
Usually, when people were desperate they went to the physicians for some cure, if they could afford it, and it was expensive because sometimes they used herbs and spices that were rare to come by. Lepers were considered ceremonially unclean according to Rabbinic Law, but Jesus was willing to become Mr. Unclean personified for our sake to identify with our disease of sin and heal us, as well as forgive us--giving us power over it, so we aren't its slave anymore.
Jesus didn't want to be primarily known as just a divine healer or worker of miracles, but as the Savior, the Christ! Myrrh, for instance, was like the snake oil of antiquity, or the cure-all and panacea, pedaled for almost any ailment and this is one superstition that the charlatans were known for--but Jesus was for real and worthy of our faith, for He bore our illness and with His stripes, we are healed (cf. Is. 53).
There are Christians today who don't pray, except as last resort, and even pagans will pray in superstition or for "good luck." But luck, chance, and fortune have no place in the Christian faith. God is in control of all, even the throw of the die (cf. Prov. 16:33). What's so hypocritical, is that even when unbelievers pray and their prayers are answered, they find some reason to chalk it up to luck or chance and not give God the glory for answering the prayer. We blame God for all tragedies and give ourselves all the credit for our fortune (cf. Prov. 19:3).
The woman with the hemorrhage was also "unclean" and when she "touched" Jesus, He became ceremonially unclean, but Jesus wasn't concerned with Himself, but with her frame of mind, faith and salvation and in Mark 5:21ff had become broke because of the expense of paying the physicians to heal her, but no avail. As a last resort, she must have heard of Jesus' healing powers and sought Him out and "touched" Him in faith thinking that would heal her. Jesus made it clear to her after the fact that it wasn't superstition that healed her, but her faith in Him. He is the healer.
If superstition was the answer, anyone who touched Jesus would be healed, even without faith. It is said that athletes are the most superstitious of people and even their fans can be, thinking that wearing team logos brings their favorite team good fortune or "luck." They don't want to "jinx" their team--Go, Twins! Knock on wood (saying this tongue-in-cheek)! To have the Christian worldview, we ought to say that we are blessed and not lucky!
But Ecclesiastes says that luck and chance happen to all, it's part of our reality, how we interpret things, not how God sees them. We ought to get over the notion that God deliberately takes sides in a game though or that winning is everything, and it's not a matter of skill and sportsmanship--blessings are showered on all, for God is good to everyone! (cf. Psalm 145:9).
This aforementioned woman's healing shows us that we all need to confess our faith to make it confirmed and not to be ashamed of our Lord and that He is part of us and lives in us. We must not keep our faith or healing privatized! She reached out in faith the best she knew and this is all God asks: take that leap of faith toward Jesus as personal Lord and Savior, don't just be glad He heals others--make the healing yours! We are all unclean before salvation and need to come to Jesus for our healing and reinstatement.
The woman found out that she didn't "interrupt" Jesus but He mattered to her (we all do!)--He is never too busy for us (a good lesson on priorities for us all!). There are no distractions to Jesus' agenda and in God's economy, we all matter the same, since God doesn't show favoritism or partiality--He's no respecter of persons (cf. Rom. 2:11; Acts 10:34). Jesus always has time for us and is never in a hurry (neither late nor early but always on His timetable) so much that He would feel an interruption like the disciples thought. They were the ones who needed their priorities altered, realigned, and readjusted to God's timetable and agenda: Guess who needs an attitude check!
We all need to come to Jesus in faith to be made clean and healed of our sin, realizing we matter to God as individuals and expect a miracle in faith, in effect making contact with Jesus and touching Him or connecting to Him. Jesus is never too busy! He is ready to give us His undivided attention! People are too ready to superstitiously attribute their salvation to"walking the aisle" or "raising their hand" or "coming to the altar," but we must realize that it's faith in Christ saves, not faith in faith, faith doesn't save, Christ saves!
In conclusion, when you have a strong faith you're less likely to "knock on wood" or worry about "black cats," or anything superstitious like the "full moon" or "Friday the thirteenth!" Salvation is a form of freedom from the tyranny of ourselves to have our full faith in God. Soli Deo Gloria!
Usually, when people were desperate they went to the physicians for some cure, if they could afford it, and it was expensive because sometimes they used herbs and spices that were rare to come by. Lepers were considered ceremonially unclean according to Rabbinic Law, but Jesus was willing to become Mr. Unclean personified for our sake to identify with our disease of sin and heal us, as well as forgive us--giving us power over it, so we aren't its slave anymore.
Jesus didn't want to be primarily known as just a divine healer or worker of miracles, but as the Savior, the Christ! Myrrh, for instance, was like the snake oil of antiquity, or the cure-all and panacea, pedaled for almost any ailment and this is one superstition that the charlatans were known for--but Jesus was for real and worthy of our faith, for He bore our illness and with His stripes, we are healed (cf. Is. 53).
There are Christians today who don't pray, except as last resort, and even pagans will pray in superstition or for "good luck." But luck, chance, and fortune have no place in the Christian faith. God is in control of all, even the throw of the die (cf. Prov. 16:33). What's so hypocritical, is that even when unbelievers pray and their prayers are answered, they find some reason to chalk it up to luck or chance and not give God the glory for answering the prayer. We blame God for all tragedies and give ourselves all the credit for our fortune (cf. Prov. 19:3).
The woman with the hemorrhage was also "unclean" and when she "touched" Jesus, He became ceremonially unclean, but Jesus wasn't concerned with Himself, but with her frame of mind, faith and salvation and in Mark 5:21ff had become broke because of the expense of paying the physicians to heal her, but no avail. As a last resort, she must have heard of Jesus' healing powers and sought Him out and "touched" Him in faith thinking that would heal her. Jesus made it clear to her after the fact that it wasn't superstition that healed her, but her faith in Him. He is the healer.
If superstition was the answer, anyone who touched Jesus would be healed, even without faith. It is said that athletes are the most superstitious of people and even their fans can be, thinking that wearing team logos brings their favorite team good fortune or "luck." They don't want to "jinx" their team--Go, Twins! Knock on wood (saying this tongue-in-cheek)! To have the Christian worldview, we ought to say that we are blessed and not lucky!
But Ecclesiastes says that luck and chance happen to all, it's part of our reality, how we interpret things, not how God sees them. We ought to get over the notion that God deliberately takes sides in a game though or that winning is everything, and it's not a matter of skill and sportsmanship--blessings are showered on all, for God is good to everyone! (cf. Psalm 145:9).
This aforementioned woman's healing shows us that we all need to confess our faith to make it confirmed and not to be ashamed of our Lord and that He is part of us and lives in us. We must not keep our faith or healing privatized! She reached out in faith the best she knew and this is all God asks: take that leap of faith toward Jesus as personal Lord and Savior, don't just be glad He heals others--make the healing yours! We are all unclean before salvation and need to come to Jesus for our healing and reinstatement.
The woman found out that she didn't "interrupt" Jesus but He mattered to her (we all do!)--He is never too busy for us (a good lesson on priorities for us all!). There are no distractions to Jesus' agenda and in God's economy, we all matter the same, since God doesn't show favoritism or partiality--He's no respecter of persons (cf. Rom. 2:11; Acts 10:34). Jesus always has time for us and is never in a hurry (neither late nor early but always on His timetable) so much that He would feel an interruption like the disciples thought. They were the ones who needed their priorities altered, realigned, and readjusted to God's timetable and agenda: Guess who needs an attitude check!
We all need to come to Jesus in faith to be made clean and healed of our sin, realizing we matter to God as individuals and expect a miracle in faith, in effect making contact with Jesus and touching Him or connecting to Him. Jesus is never too busy! He is ready to give us His undivided attention! People are too ready to superstitiously attribute their salvation to"walking the aisle" or "raising their hand" or "coming to the altar," but we must realize that it's faith in Christ saves, not faith in faith, faith doesn't save, Christ saves!
In conclusion, when you have a strong faith you're less likely to "knock on wood" or worry about "black cats," or anything superstitious like the "full moon" or "Friday the thirteenth!" Salvation is a form of freedom from the tyranny of ourselves to have our full faith in God. Soli Deo Gloria!
Sunday, September 15, 2019
The Joyful Call To Worship
"Blessed are the people who know the festal shout..." (Psalm 89:15, ESV)
"... You are ever on their lips, but far from their conscience" (Jer. 12:2, HCSB).
"... Because these people approach Me with their mouths to honor Me with lip-service--yet their hearts are far from Me, and their worship consists of man-made rules learned by rote" (Isaiah 29:13, HCSB).
"I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the LORD" (Psalm 122:1, KJV).
God pours out blessings on those who hear the call to worship, who prepare their hearts, and tune in to meditate on His nature and work. The essence of this is making a "connection" with God as we make "contact" as it were into His dimension and throne room. Worship is "worth-ship," and we give God His dues respect (render to God what is God's and to Caesar what is Caesar's ). Worship is an attitude we can take with us beyond the sanctuary to the workplace, doing all, whatever we do, to the glory of God as one theologian espoused (cf. 1 Cor. 10:31). Work is a form of prayer which is a form of worship, when done to the glory of God, as Augustine of Hippo said, "To work is to pray." All work can be done to the glory of God (i.e., worship).
But we should especially rejoice corporately with the body of Christ: "I was glad when they said unto me, 'Let us go into the house of the LORD.'" (Psalm 122:1, KJV). We can get into a celestial or worship fix by not letting it become perfunctory or routine, or just memorizing the Dance of the Pious, and going through the motions--any lackadaisical spirit can be avoided and changed by adequate preparation--you cannot just expect to walk into the house of the Lord and expect a miracle at the door!
The point is to spread the cheer: "Once you've experienced it, you want to pass it on!" Church is a spiritual checkup when we take inventory of our soul's needs and condition, but we must learn that it's not about us! We must learn to focus on God; getting our eyes off ourselves and our problems long enough to realize the divine. Some may need to get into the mood so to speak, realizing that worship is not passive nor vicarious--we don't admire someone else worshiping!
The call to worship involves both thanking God for what He's done and praising Him for who He is! When we do this we realize the inherent power of praise, for God inhabits the praises of His people (cf. Psalm 22:3). This will help us to cultivate a heart of praise and worship as we learn to have the right attitude that no one can take away. The real key to worship is the measure of our surrender, not the amount of the Spirit we have, but how much of the us the Spirit has. We rightly submit to God's ownership of our soul. We don't want to be like those who are the nod to God crowd on Sunday and go about their regular routine on Monday--we want the experience to last and to grow in us. Some merely offer lip service to God and don't have their hearts in the right place! But we must realize that there is no "one-size-fits-all" manner or style of worship, we are all built differently and find fulfillment in different ways.
But one thing is sure: we are hard-wired and designed for worshiping God and won't be fulfilled without doing it. Dostoevsky said that if we don't worship God, we'll worship something or someone else. Woe to him who strives with his Maker (cf. Isa. 45:9). Worship should be seen as a privilege and honor and we can say, "I get to worship!" For this reason, worship ought not ever to become blase! Church is more than a social event and worship more than an existential encounter (it must be put into action as we turn our convictions and creeds into deeds). The whole purpose is to get our batteries recharged and to get right with God, back into His service, and to learn more to seek His face and make course corrections in our life.
Malachi was written to those in Israel whose worship had become a sham, mockery, and travesty--and they were not taking it seriously--but their worship had become an insult to the grace of God all because their hearts were not right with Him and they didn't give Him His rightful place, playing church and he exposed the formalism of the worshiping--they were in a worship rut and this is what the doctor ordered: a spiritual workout! God frowns upon mere lip service and the memorizing of the Dance of the Pious (cf. above: Jer. 12:2; Isaiah 29:13). Soli Deo Gloria!
"... You are ever on their lips, but far from their conscience" (Jer. 12:2, HCSB).
"... Because these people approach Me with their mouths to honor Me with lip-service--yet their hearts are far from Me, and their worship consists of man-made rules learned by rote" (Isaiah 29:13, HCSB).
"I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the LORD" (Psalm 122:1, KJV).
God pours out blessings on those who hear the call to worship, who prepare their hearts, and tune in to meditate on His nature and work. The essence of this is making a "connection" with God as we make "contact" as it were into His dimension and throne room. Worship is "worth-ship," and we give God His dues respect (render to God what is God's and to Caesar what is Caesar's ). Worship is an attitude we can take with us beyond the sanctuary to the workplace, doing all, whatever we do, to the glory of God as one theologian espoused (cf. 1 Cor. 10:31). Work is a form of prayer which is a form of worship, when done to the glory of God, as Augustine of Hippo said, "To work is to pray." All work can be done to the glory of God (i.e., worship).
But we should especially rejoice corporately with the body of Christ: "I was glad when they said unto me, 'Let us go into the house of the LORD.'" (Psalm 122:1, KJV). We can get into a celestial or worship fix by not letting it become perfunctory or routine, or just memorizing the Dance of the Pious, and going through the motions--any lackadaisical spirit can be avoided and changed by adequate preparation--you cannot just expect to walk into the house of the Lord and expect a miracle at the door!
The point is to spread the cheer: "Once you've experienced it, you want to pass it on!" Church is a spiritual checkup when we take inventory of our soul's needs and condition, but we must learn that it's not about us! We must learn to focus on God; getting our eyes off ourselves and our problems long enough to realize the divine. Some may need to get into the mood so to speak, realizing that worship is not passive nor vicarious--we don't admire someone else worshiping!
The call to worship involves both thanking God for what He's done and praising Him for who He is! When we do this we realize the inherent power of praise, for God inhabits the praises of His people (cf. Psalm 22:3). This will help us to cultivate a heart of praise and worship as we learn to have the right attitude that no one can take away. The real key to worship is the measure of our surrender, not the amount of the Spirit we have, but how much of the us the Spirit has. We rightly submit to God's ownership of our soul. We don't want to be like those who are the nod to God crowd on Sunday and go about their regular routine on Monday--we want the experience to last and to grow in us. Some merely offer lip service to God and don't have their hearts in the right place! But we must realize that there is no "one-size-fits-all" manner or style of worship, we are all built differently and find fulfillment in different ways.
But one thing is sure: we are hard-wired and designed for worshiping God and won't be fulfilled without doing it. Dostoevsky said that if we don't worship God, we'll worship something or someone else. Woe to him who strives with his Maker (cf. Isa. 45:9). Worship should be seen as a privilege and honor and we can say, "I get to worship!" For this reason, worship ought not ever to become blase! Church is more than a social event and worship more than an existential encounter (it must be put into action as we turn our convictions and creeds into deeds). The whole purpose is to get our batteries recharged and to get right with God, back into His service, and to learn more to seek His face and make course corrections in our life.
Malachi was written to those in Israel whose worship had become a sham, mockery, and travesty--and they were not taking it seriously--but their worship had become an insult to the grace of God all because their hearts were not right with Him and they didn't give Him His rightful place, playing church and he exposed the formalism of the worshiping--they were in a worship rut and this is what the doctor ordered: a spiritual workout! God frowns upon mere lip service and the memorizing of the Dance of the Pious (cf. above: Jer. 12:2; Isaiah 29:13). Soli Deo Gloria!
God's Vindication In Our Adversities
"I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me" (Psalm 57:2, NLT).
"The LORD will work out his plans for my life..." (Psalm 138:8, NLT).
"So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny" (Job 23:14, NLT).
"But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold" (Job 23:10, NLT)
"This is not a reference to David, for after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died as was buried" (Acts 13:36, NLT).
When David was in the cave of Adullam he sought the Lord Most High for his vindication because he knew he was the future king and that king Saul unlawfully sought him. Saul didn't see him, even when David cut off his robe (what faith!), but David knew that God saw him and he couldn't hide from Him--who always knows where we are. But David may have had his doubts and confusion, and he knew where to go for aid and comfort! He also knew how big God was and that God could meet his every need.
He may even have thought of what Jacob said upon awakening from his dream; "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it" (cf. Gen. 28:16, HCSB). As David prayed in Psalm 32:7, "For you are my hiding place." He never doubted the whereabouts of his God! And what the Lord told Joshua: "... Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go" (Josh. 1:9, HCSB). He knew that God was on his side (cf. Ps. 118:6), that God believed in him and was with him in essence.
It was time to believe God for a miracle and God came through. As it is written in 1 Sam. 30:6, NLT, "... But David found strength in the LORD his God." He also found out that he had a faith worth dying for, not just one he could live with. Then he left the cave! And David kept the faith that God would fulfill His purpose for him (cf. Psalm 57:2, NLT) and that he was willing to wait on the Lord and His timing. God will never let us down but is the great Promise Keeper and that we can always count on. I'm sure he kept his mind on his mission and calling like Paul: "But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus..." (Acts 20:24). David considered that God was offering a way through the crisis, not a way out!
God has no Plan B as it were and we can be assured His will is done, with or without cooperation. "...[F]or he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to His plan" (Eph. 1:11, HCSB). To the seasoned believer, being part of God's plan and seeing God at work through him is a satisfaction. We ought always to seek God's will on earth and realize we are just vessels of honor that have the privilege of being used for His glory: "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever" (The Westminster Shorter Catechism, cf. Isaiah 43:7). We will all realize in the glory that we were only actors in a play directed by God who appears front and center as the theme. When David was seeking vindication, he was really seeking the Lord's vindication and that God would make good on the anointing he had received from Samuel.
We all have a limited perspective on life, but when God opens our spiritual eyes we see the big picture and can live with a higher purpose. The scope of the unbeliever is merely mundane and God is not in the picture. David had a sense of purpose because he knew God was in control--there was a reason for everything (cf. Prov. 16:4)--no flukes in history. Once we've experienced God, nothing else satisfies. Zeal for God involves a zeal for the Word and a desire to uphold its integrity. That's why God frowns upon ignorant zeal or not according to knowledge (cf. Rom. 10:2). But when David had completed God's will he departed this life (cf. Acts 13:36).
David's faith withstood the loneliness, confusion, and doubt of the cave of Adullam, but faith must be tried as if by fire in the crucible of life's adversities to be proven genuine because it's more valuable than silver or gold and we all should know that nothing in life that's worth it is easy to come by; likewise, if faith weren't difficult and tried and true, even with a stiff upper lip at times, it wouldn't be worth much! ["... For he gets their attention through adversity" (cf. Job 36:15, NLT)]. David's faith wasn't a "do-it-yourself" proposition nor did he believe in just lifting himself up by his bootstraps or that God just helps those who help themselves, but he had faith in a BIG God that was able to come to his rescue for all his needs and fears.
The point is that it doesn't matter how big your faith it, but how big your God is--big faith in a little God isn't adequate. NOTHING EASY TO DO IS WORTH MUCH! Soli Deo Gloria!
"The LORD will work out his plans for my life..." (Psalm 138:8, NLT).
"So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny" (Job 23:14, NLT).
"But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold" (Job 23:10, NLT)
"This is not a reference to David, for after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died as was buried" (Acts 13:36, NLT).
When David was in the cave of Adullam he sought the Lord Most High for his vindication because he knew he was the future king and that king Saul unlawfully sought him. Saul didn't see him, even when David cut off his robe (what faith!), but David knew that God saw him and he couldn't hide from Him--who always knows where we are. But David may have had his doubts and confusion, and he knew where to go for aid and comfort! He also knew how big God was and that God could meet his every need.
He may even have thought of what Jacob said upon awakening from his dream; "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it" (cf. Gen. 28:16, HCSB). As David prayed in Psalm 32:7, "For you are my hiding place." He never doubted the whereabouts of his God! And what the Lord told Joshua: "... Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go" (Josh. 1:9, HCSB). He knew that God was on his side (cf. Ps. 118:6), that God believed in him and was with him in essence.
It was time to believe God for a miracle and God came through. As it is written in 1 Sam. 30:6, NLT, "... But David found strength in the LORD his God." He also found out that he had a faith worth dying for, not just one he could live with. Then he left the cave! And David kept the faith that God would fulfill His purpose for him (cf. Psalm 57:2, NLT) and that he was willing to wait on the Lord and His timing. God will never let us down but is the great Promise Keeper and that we can always count on. I'm sure he kept his mind on his mission and calling like Paul: "But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus..." (Acts 20:24). David considered that God was offering a way through the crisis, not a way out!
God has no Plan B as it were and we can be assured His will is done, with or without cooperation. "...[F]or he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to His plan" (Eph. 1:11, HCSB). To the seasoned believer, being part of God's plan and seeing God at work through him is a satisfaction. We ought always to seek God's will on earth and realize we are just vessels of honor that have the privilege of being used for His glory: "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever" (The Westminster Shorter Catechism, cf. Isaiah 43:7). We will all realize in the glory that we were only actors in a play directed by God who appears front and center as the theme. When David was seeking vindication, he was really seeking the Lord's vindication and that God would make good on the anointing he had received from Samuel.
We all have a limited perspective on life, but when God opens our spiritual eyes we see the big picture and can live with a higher purpose. The scope of the unbeliever is merely mundane and God is not in the picture. David had a sense of purpose because he knew God was in control--there was a reason for everything (cf. Prov. 16:4)--no flukes in history. Once we've experienced God, nothing else satisfies. Zeal for God involves a zeal for the Word and a desire to uphold its integrity. That's why God frowns upon ignorant zeal or not according to knowledge (cf. Rom. 10:2). But when David had completed God's will he departed this life (cf. Acts 13:36).
David's faith withstood the loneliness, confusion, and doubt of the cave of Adullam, but faith must be tried as if by fire in the crucible of life's adversities to be proven genuine because it's more valuable than silver or gold and we all should know that nothing in life that's worth it is easy to come by; likewise, if faith weren't difficult and tried and true, even with a stiff upper lip at times, it wouldn't be worth much! ["... For he gets their attention through adversity" (cf. Job 36:15, NLT)]. David's faith wasn't a "do-it-yourself" proposition nor did he believe in just lifting himself up by his bootstraps or that God just helps those who help themselves, but he had faith in a BIG God that was able to come to his rescue for all his needs and fears.
The point is that it doesn't matter how big your faith it, but how big your God is--big faith in a little God isn't adequate. NOTHING EASY TO DO IS WORTH MUCH! Soli Deo Gloria!
Saturday, September 14, 2019
The Peace That Surpasses All Understanding
"Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became a delight to me and the joy of my heart..." (Jeremiah 15:16, HCSB).
"I rejoice at Your promise, like one who finds great treasure," (Psalm 119:162, HCSB).
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope," (Rom. 15:13, ESV).
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," (Rom. 5:5, ESV).
God promises peace to all whose hearts are fixed on Him (cf. Isaiah 26:3). Heb. 3:1; 12:1 also emphasizes this only more specifically focused on Jesus. Corrie ten Boom said that if we look at the world we are distressed, if we look at ourselves we are depressed, but if we look at Christ we are at rest! We must heed biblical admonition and fix our thoughts on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, to get the "perfect peace" promised, Phil. 4:6-7 takes it from another angle: avoiding anxiety is as simple as letting our requests be made known unto God with a grateful heart and we shall have this peace (the formula is that we worry about nothing, pray about anything, and thank about everything!). As David said in Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O LORD," we are to bring every thought into the captivity of Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 10:5) to enjoy His peace.
Many believers seek peace through some comforting or favorite Bible passage or verse, as I have been asked to cite a good verse for someone depressed. The answer is that what elevates and lifts my spirits may not work for that person, and besides, they're just getting into the habit of spiritual dependency instead of maturity. We must learn to feed ourselves sooner or later and not be spoon-fed by our spiritual leaders.
"I rejoice at Your promise, like one who finds great treasure," (Psalm 119:162, HCSB).
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope," (Rom. 15:13, ESV).
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," (Rom. 5:5, ESV).
God promises peace to all whose hearts are fixed on Him (cf. Isaiah 26:3). Heb. 3:1; 12:1 also emphasizes this only more specifically focused on Jesus. Corrie ten Boom said that if we look at the world we are distressed, if we look at ourselves we are depressed, but if we look at Christ we are at rest! We must heed biblical admonition and fix our thoughts on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, to get the "perfect peace" promised, Phil. 4:6-7 takes it from another angle: avoiding anxiety is as simple as letting our requests be made known unto God with a grateful heart and we shall have this peace (the formula is that we worry about nothing, pray about anything, and thank about everything!). As David said in Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O LORD," we are to bring every thought into the captivity of Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 10:5) to enjoy His peace.
Many believers seek peace through some comforting or favorite Bible passage or verse, as I have been asked to cite a good verse for someone depressed. The answer is that what elevates and lifts my spirits may not work for that person, and besides, they're just getting into the habit of spiritual dependency instead of maturity. We must learn to feed ourselves sooner or later and not be spoon-fed by our spiritual leaders.
If I tell you some fantastic verse that could lift your mood and get you out of a funk or the doldrums, it would only be a temporary fix, and then later you would need another verse from me or another spiritual leader. We can search our Facebook posts from our friends for something uplifting or read and like someone's post or re-post, but this isn't maturity.
The psalmist of Psalm 119:162 said that he treasured the Word of God as bounty and treasure--the joy is in finding it and letting God open your eyes to something in the Word. Job 23:12 says that he treasured the Word of God more than his necessary food! As is also said in Psalm 119:18, "Open my eyes that I may contemplate wonderful things in Your instruction,"(HCSB). The joy of a treasure hunter is in the discovery, the proclamation of eureka, or "I found it!" Then we won't need the crutch of some website to inspire us and give us verses to lift our spirits.
So there is no single verse that's going to lift someone from their depressed funk or downcast spirit of discouragement, but the answer is in knowing how to find one of your own tailored to your needs at the moment--suited just for the situation you are in. I would tell that person who is an earnest seeker that God rewards those who sincerely seek Him and His face and that they simply should open the Bible and start reading and let God do His work and perform a miracle on their soul.
The main reason we get moods is that God intends us to know how to manage them and what to do to overcome our natural inclination to be negative--that is to say, we all are subject to the blues now and then! But how we handle them is the challenge and we must learn to do something therapeutic for our spiritual health, not harmful to our attitude, for we all need an attitude check too, now and then. Soli Deo Gloria!
The psalmist of Psalm 119:162 said that he treasured the Word of God as bounty and treasure--the joy is in finding it and letting God open your eyes to something in the Word. Job 23:12 says that he treasured the Word of God more than his necessary food! As is also said in Psalm 119:18, "Open my eyes that I may contemplate wonderful things in Your instruction,"(HCSB). The joy of a treasure hunter is in the discovery, the proclamation of eureka, or "I found it!" Then we won't need the crutch of some website to inspire us and give us verses to lift our spirits.
So there is no single verse that's going to lift someone from their depressed funk or downcast spirit of discouragement, but the answer is in knowing how to find one of your own tailored to your needs at the moment--suited just for the situation you are in. I would tell that person who is an earnest seeker that God rewards those who sincerely seek Him and His face and that they simply should open the Bible and start reading and let God do His work and perform a miracle on their soul.
The main reason we get moods is that God intends us to know how to manage them and what to do to overcome our natural inclination to be negative--that is to say, we all are subject to the blues now and then! But how we handle them is the challenge and we must learn to do something therapeutic for our spiritual health, not harmful to our attitude, for we all need an attitude check too, now and then. Soli Deo Gloria!
Sunday, September 8, 2019
But He Gives More Grace
John Bunyan wrote Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners to tell his testimony of salvation. Paul also saw himself as the "chief of sinners." It is true that the more sin, the more grace from God's abundance and bountiful provision: "Where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more" (Rom. 5:20). We are great sinners and need a great Savior! Salvation goes to the unqualified, not those who see themselves as righteous. "No perfect people need apply" to God's church! James 4:6 tells of God granting more grace to the believer and how: "He opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
This is the way it is in God's economy: the way up is down; we must humble ourselves to be exalted. Christianity is full of paradoxes like these: we must become emptied to be filled; we must give to receive; we must love to be loved; we must serve to be served &c. God sees things in a different light than the natural man. The wisdom of the world is foolishness to God! The lesson on grace is that we are commanded to grow in it: "But grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (cf. 2 Pet. 3:18).
Notice that grace and knowledge are juxtaposed or linked in this verse! They go hand in hand and can be distinguished but not separated. God doesn't want us to remain in ignorance but to grow in knowing Him; for this is eternal life--to know God and His Son Jesus whom He sent. To know Him is to love Him! But God frowns upon ignorance and puts a premium on knowledge and wisdom. One fault of Israel is that they had a "zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (cf. Rom. 10:2).
Our hearts must be right before the Lord in our service not like Amaziah's who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord but not with a right heart (cf. 2 Chron. 25:2). We are only eligible for grace when our hearts are right before the Lord, for the Lord looks upon the heart and sees our motives (cf. 1 Sam. 16:7; Prov. 21:2). Then we are candidates for more grace! God is a God of grace and mercy and is good to all: to some in all ways, to some in few ways (cf. Psalm 145:9), but good to all nevertheless! No one will be able to accuse God of not being good! But some will realize that this isn't the whole equation for them--God is also just, holy, and righteous!
Some err in adding merit to grace, tradition to Scripture, the church to Christ, and works to faith! Salvation is by grace and not by merit or it wouldn't be grace, it would be justice and God would be obligated to save us; however, He is obligated to save no one! In grace, God gives us what we don't deserve, in mercy He withholds what we do deserve. Merit is the antithesis of grace and there is no place for merit in salvation--we cannot prepare ourselves for it or do any pre-salvation work; therefore, there is nothing for us to boast of before God. Grace is not only necessary for our salvation, but sufficient--it doesn't just facilitate it, but completes it and we don't deserve it, cannot earn it, cannot pay it back, and we cannot add to it! Therefore, grace is defined as the unmerited favor of God and one of the Five Only's of the Reformers was that salvation was sola gratia or by grace alone!
Our salvation is by grace all the way we are: called by grace; saved by grace; believing by grace; kept by grace; empowered by grace; delivered from sin by grace; sanctified by grace; and glorified by grace! God gets all the credit in our salvation. That's why Jonah 2:9 says, "Salvation is of the LORD," (not of us and the Lord nor of us alone either)! If it were even partly by us, we'd blow it! When God is responsible for our salvation, it's by grace and cannot be taken away or forfeited, because it wasn't by merit in the first place. Soli Deo Gloria!
This is the way it is in God's economy: the way up is down; we must humble ourselves to be exalted. Christianity is full of paradoxes like these: we must become emptied to be filled; we must give to receive; we must love to be loved; we must serve to be served &c. God sees things in a different light than the natural man. The wisdom of the world is foolishness to God! The lesson on grace is that we are commanded to grow in it: "But grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (cf. 2 Pet. 3:18).
Notice that grace and knowledge are juxtaposed or linked in this verse! They go hand in hand and can be distinguished but not separated. God doesn't want us to remain in ignorance but to grow in knowing Him; for this is eternal life--to know God and His Son Jesus whom He sent. To know Him is to love Him! But God frowns upon ignorance and puts a premium on knowledge and wisdom. One fault of Israel is that they had a "zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (cf. Rom. 10:2).
Our hearts must be right before the Lord in our service not like Amaziah's who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord but not with a right heart (cf. 2 Chron. 25:2). We are only eligible for grace when our hearts are right before the Lord, for the Lord looks upon the heart and sees our motives (cf. 1 Sam. 16:7; Prov. 21:2). Then we are candidates for more grace! God is a God of grace and mercy and is good to all: to some in all ways, to some in few ways (cf. Psalm 145:9), but good to all nevertheless! No one will be able to accuse God of not being good! But some will realize that this isn't the whole equation for them--God is also just, holy, and righteous!
Some err in adding merit to grace, tradition to Scripture, the church to Christ, and works to faith! Salvation is by grace and not by merit or it wouldn't be grace, it would be justice and God would be obligated to save us; however, He is obligated to save no one! In grace, God gives us what we don't deserve, in mercy He withholds what we do deserve. Merit is the antithesis of grace and there is no place for merit in salvation--we cannot prepare ourselves for it or do any pre-salvation work; therefore, there is nothing for us to boast of before God. Grace is not only necessary for our salvation, but sufficient--it doesn't just facilitate it, but completes it and we don't deserve it, cannot earn it, cannot pay it back, and we cannot add to it! Therefore, grace is defined as the unmerited favor of God and one of the Five Only's of the Reformers was that salvation was sola gratia or by grace alone!
Our salvation is by grace all the way we are: called by grace; saved by grace; believing by grace; kept by grace; empowered by grace; delivered from sin by grace; sanctified by grace; and glorified by grace! God gets all the credit in our salvation. That's why Jonah 2:9 says, "Salvation is of the LORD," (not of us and the Lord nor of us alone either)! If it were even partly by us, we'd blow it! When God is responsible for our salvation, it's by grace and cannot be taken away or forfeited, because it wasn't by merit in the first place. Soli Deo Gloria!
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Who Am I?
"But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me--and not without results ["I am what I am by the grace of God]" (1 Cor. 15:10, NLT).
"But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!" (Rom. 5:8, HCSB).
"The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more" (Rom. 5:20, HCSB).
"But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me" (2 Cor. 12:9, HCSB).
"Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!..." (Isaiah 45:9, KJV).
"I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see." --Amazing Grace, public domain
When I was in college it was popular to search for yourself, find yourself, and to know yourself. I had gotten religiously confused and was going through an identity crisis or moratorium to find myself--but which one, for I came to feel I was a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! I went all through high school thinking I was a somebody because of my scholastic achievements--they said I bloomed too early--then when I went to college found out I was a nobody in comparison, actually being with students who offered intellectual challenge.
Then my pride in myself or my self-respect or ego had suffered a blow. I endured several years wandering from job to job and finally entering the military thinking I was a nobody going to amount to nothing or what you might call a ne'er-do-well, or even a loser! But in the service I found new life as I really got connected with a fellowship known as the Navigators (a parachurch ministry), with whom I hooked up with and who discipled me to grow up in Christ and realize the spiritual potential I always had but never realized--we all have unrealized potential if we look for it and use it!
I was a fast learner and soaked up the Bible, memorizing hundreds of verses and realizing a new talent I had doing this. I was finding out in real time that even being a nobody, God could do something with me to His glory and use me as a vessel of honor, if I submitted to His lordship and ownership of my life. I learned to lead people to Christ, and even my mom credits me for doing this while I was on leave. I can remember my first witness to her as saying, "Mom, you're going to love the new me!' and her reply was that she loved "the old me!" I felt for the first time that I could lead a fulfilling life doing God's will without achieving the so-called American dream or of being a success according to the standards of the world.
Moses went through similar steps in his life: forty years thinking he was a somebody; then forty years thinking he was a nobody; then finally forty years finding out what God can do with a nobody! It was during his sojourn in the land of Midian that he was called of God and wondered there about his being unqualified to serve a gracious and merciful God (this is a contradiction in terms). He had three excuses: Who am I? I am slow of speech; and they won't believe me!
I have wondered the same thing as that about myself. Of course Jesus was right that your own family is the last who people actually give you any praise or credit. But we are to witness to them first! I never thought I was a great writer but I just felt called to write and to vent or hone my skills via blogging and voila, there were hundreds and hundreds of posts fit to be published (and to this date they comprise ten volumes personally published). But the point is that I believed the verse promise: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (cf. Phil. 4:13).
God will always be with us to give us strength to do His will (cf. Col. 1:19)--even the means and support. The Bible also says God promises to meet our need (cf. Phil. 4:9) and to equip us to do His will (cf. Heb. 13:21). Now I'm perfectly poised to do nothing but God's will even as if I were a monk in a monastery with no outside or mundane worries or concerns--just like Christ said that a soldier doesn't get involved in civilian affairs to be a good soldier. I can virtually devote myself into full-time service of the Lord.
I not only have had the time and opportunity to do God's will, but the encouragement, the inspiration from a Bible-preaching church with inspired expository preachers, but also a little extra financial support for the extras that my mom as a special benefactor to me. She is responsible for making the transition a little easier and also been my closest spiritual confidant and support or even rock to depend on when I needed advice or sympathy--it is good to have a wise and godly mom to learn from and I realized in time that she was wise, while my younger brothers seem to not yet have come to this realization.
We all must realize that we have potential with God and must aim high to realize it. As William Carey preached: "Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God!" If we aim at nothing--we'll get there! Jesus is the prize and goal! (Cf. Heb. 12:2) Success, which has many definitions besides monetary, doesn't come by accident! Now, I feel fulfilled in life because I know I'm doing God's will and that's ultimately the safest place to be where the devil cannot touch me and there is a hedge of protection around me. When Christians say that they have found it (in reality He found us per Isaiah 65:1), I can connect with that. There is meaning and purpose in life beyond the mundane and what the world offers (cf. 1 John 2:1)--for the more room for what the devil offers with his delicacies and temptations, the less room for God's riches and blessings--that's simple math and I was always good at mathematical equations, which can come in handy!
But we will never find out who we are in Christ unless our hearts are fully committed and we know Christ as our Lord. To find your spiritual gift you have to be willing to serve and find out what God uses you for--it may take experimentation and a willingness to debut for your dreams--but don't stop dreaming. Some people only know Him as the Savior: for instance, they may say, "I am a great sinner, and Jesus is a great Savior; it's a great relationship!" These believers are merely carnal and cannot expect to get anything from the Lord. We don't want to sin presumptuously (cf. Gal. 2:21), tempt or test God and take His grace for granted or to resist it either. We must learn to walk with God to ever grow into adulthood, for the length of being saved doesn't always mean maturity. Some believers never grow up!
Moses (cf. Numbers 12:3) was one of the few men in the Bible who actually walked with God and the only one besides Christ who was called meek or humble! But Christ calls all His children to walk with Him in fellowship and the Holy Spirit makes this possible. We are called to walk by faith and not by sight! No matter how far we progress spiritually or in the eyes of the world, we must never forget who we are and what our roots are--where we came from. Many of us have humble beginnings like Gideon (the least in his family) or Amos (the shepherd and took care of sycamore-fig trees), and few of us are of noble roots like Moses (the crown prince). Even David was but a humble shepherd before being called and anointed of God.
Few of us are as educated as a Dr. Luke or Paul as a Pharisee, but we don't have an excuse to remain ignorant for God frowns upon that and places a premium on knowledge, wisdom and understanding. Isaiah says to look to the rock from which we were hewn! That means remaining faithful to our calling in God and never losing touch or caring about family if possible. But Christ did say that He could be a cause of division and even a sword within families, so we must put our faith first.
Now there was one man in the Bible who was righteous in God's eyes, but also knew it; namely, Job. He would not let go of his integrity for the world and would never consider himself a sinner or worthy of punishment, but he kept his faith in God and didn't charge Him with error. At the end of his ordeal, he was humbled by a vision of God and realized he was indeed a nobody--and then he finally repented. We must all realize that we amount to nothing apart from God but it doesn't matter who we are in the long term, but who God is: it all boils down to how big our God is.
In closing, let me add one final thought: In light of the fact that we are in a no-lose proposition or that we are in a win-win one from the spiritual perspective, we cannot fail at God's will done in faith for God is on our side and we cannot lose (cf. Psalm 118:6), He is with us eternally and we are never alone (cf. Isa. 41;10), and He believes in us more than we do and our situation is never hopeless (cf. Isa. 49:6; Jer. 29:11). Soli Deo Gloria!
"But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!" (Rom. 5:8, HCSB).
"The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more" (Rom. 5:20, HCSB).
"But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me" (2 Cor. 12:9, HCSB).
"Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!..." (Isaiah 45:9, KJV).
"I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see." --Amazing Grace, public domain
When I was in college it was popular to search for yourself, find yourself, and to know yourself. I had gotten religiously confused and was going through an identity crisis or moratorium to find myself--but which one, for I came to feel I was a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! I went all through high school thinking I was a somebody because of my scholastic achievements--they said I bloomed too early--then when I went to college found out I was a nobody in comparison, actually being with students who offered intellectual challenge.
Then my pride in myself or my self-respect or ego had suffered a blow. I endured several years wandering from job to job and finally entering the military thinking I was a nobody going to amount to nothing or what you might call a ne'er-do-well, or even a loser! But in the service I found new life as I really got connected with a fellowship known as the Navigators (a parachurch ministry), with whom I hooked up with and who discipled me to grow up in Christ and realize the spiritual potential I always had but never realized--we all have unrealized potential if we look for it and use it!
I was a fast learner and soaked up the Bible, memorizing hundreds of verses and realizing a new talent I had doing this. I was finding out in real time that even being a nobody, God could do something with me to His glory and use me as a vessel of honor, if I submitted to His lordship and ownership of my life. I learned to lead people to Christ, and even my mom credits me for doing this while I was on leave. I can remember my first witness to her as saying, "Mom, you're going to love the new me!' and her reply was that she loved "the old me!" I felt for the first time that I could lead a fulfilling life doing God's will without achieving the so-called American dream or of being a success according to the standards of the world.
Moses went through similar steps in his life: forty years thinking he was a somebody; then forty years thinking he was a nobody; then finally forty years finding out what God can do with a nobody! It was during his sojourn in the land of Midian that he was called of God and wondered there about his being unqualified to serve a gracious and merciful God (this is a contradiction in terms). He had three excuses: Who am I? I am slow of speech; and they won't believe me!
I have wondered the same thing as that about myself. Of course Jesus was right that your own family is the last who people actually give you any praise or credit. But we are to witness to them first! I never thought I was a great writer but I just felt called to write and to vent or hone my skills via blogging and voila, there were hundreds and hundreds of posts fit to be published (and to this date they comprise ten volumes personally published). But the point is that I believed the verse promise: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (cf. Phil. 4:13).
God will always be with us to give us strength to do His will (cf. Col. 1:19)--even the means and support. The Bible also says God promises to meet our need (cf. Phil. 4:9) and to equip us to do His will (cf. Heb. 13:21). Now I'm perfectly poised to do nothing but God's will even as if I were a monk in a monastery with no outside or mundane worries or concerns--just like Christ said that a soldier doesn't get involved in civilian affairs to be a good soldier. I can virtually devote myself into full-time service of the Lord.
I not only have had the time and opportunity to do God's will, but the encouragement, the inspiration from a Bible-preaching church with inspired expository preachers, but also a little extra financial support for the extras that my mom as a special benefactor to me. She is responsible for making the transition a little easier and also been my closest spiritual confidant and support or even rock to depend on when I needed advice or sympathy--it is good to have a wise and godly mom to learn from and I realized in time that she was wise, while my younger brothers seem to not yet have come to this realization.
We all must realize that we have potential with God and must aim high to realize it. As William Carey preached: "Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God!" If we aim at nothing--we'll get there! Jesus is the prize and goal! (Cf. Heb. 12:2) Success, which has many definitions besides monetary, doesn't come by accident! Now, I feel fulfilled in life because I know I'm doing God's will and that's ultimately the safest place to be where the devil cannot touch me and there is a hedge of protection around me. When Christians say that they have found it (in reality He found us per Isaiah 65:1), I can connect with that. There is meaning and purpose in life beyond the mundane and what the world offers (cf. 1 John 2:1)--for the more room for what the devil offers with his delicacies and temptations, the less room for God's riches and blessings--that's simple math and I was always good at mathematical equations, which can come in handy!
But we will never find out who we are in Christ unless our hearts are fully committed and we know Christ as our Lord. To find your spiritual gift you have to be willing to serve and find out what God uses you for--it may take experimentation and a willingness to debut for your dreams--but don't stop dreaming. Some people only know Him as the Savior: for instance, they may say, "I am a great sinner, and Jesus is a great Savior; it's a great relationship!" These believers are merely carnal and cannot expect to get anything from the Lord. We don't want to sin presumptuously (cf. Gal. 2:21), tempt or test God and take His grace for granted or to resist it either. We must learn to walk with God to ever grow into adulthood, for the length of being saved doesn't always mean maturity. Some believers never grow up!
Moses (cf. Numbers 12:3) was one of the few men in the Bible who actually walked with God and the only one besides Christ who was called meek or humble! But Christ calls all His children to walk with Him in fellowship and the Holy Spirit makes this possible. We are called to walk by faith and not by sight! No matter how far we progress spiritually or in the eyes of the world, we must never forget who we are and what our roots are--where we came from. Many of us have humble beginnings like Gideon (the least in his family) or Amos (the shepherd and took care of sycamore-fig trees), and few of us are of noble roots like Moses (the crown prince). Even David was but a humble shepherd before being called and anointed of God.
Few of us are as educated as a Dr. Luke or Paul as a Pharisee, but we don't have an excuse to remain ignorant for God frowns upon that and places a premium on knowledge, wisdom and understanding. Isaiah says to look to the rock from which we were hewn! That means remaining faithful to our calling in God and never losing touch or caring about family if possible. But Christ did say that He could be a cause of division and even a sword within families, so we must put our faith first.
Now there was one man in the Bible who was righteous in God's eyes, but also knew it; namely, Job. He would not let go of his integrity for the world and would never consider himself a sinner or worthy of punishment, but he kept his faith in God and didn't charge Him with error. At the end of his ordeal, he was humbled by a vision of God and realized he was indeed a nobody--and then he finally repented. We must all realize that we amount to nothing apart from God but it doesn't matter who we are in the long term, but who God is: it all boils down to how big our God is.
In closing, let me add one final thought: In light of the fact that we are in a no-lose proposition or that we are in a win-win one from the spiritual perspective, we cannot fail at God's will done in faith for God is on our side and we cannot lose (cf. Psalm 118:6), He is with us eternally and we are never alone (cf. Isa. 41;10), and He believes in us more than we do and our situation is never hopeless (cf. Isa. 49:6; Jer. 29:11). Soli Deo Gloria!
Monday, August 26, 2019
Come As You Are Party!
"Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound" (Psalm 89:15, NKJV).
God wants us to celebrate a new life with Him, which began upon acceptance of Him as the owner of our life and in the dedication of ourselves to Him and whatever that may involve, known as our cross to bear. We must be willing to follow through thick and thin, come what may, wherever the chips may fall, even when they are down, nor to faint in adversity but go from faith to faith. The Christian life, though no easy affair, is a family affair lived with the Godhead indwelling us and engaging the fellowship of the church body.
It has been said that Christian living is not hard, but impossible! The only way to have victory is to walk in the Spirit and to abide in Christ, for without Him we can do nothing and are nothing but weak vessels of clay in the hands of the Potter (cf. Isaiah 45:9; 64:6). We must live to glorify and enjoy Him as we desire to honor Him in all we do and think and rethink--for our religion isn't just externalism, but internally affecting our thought life and meditations.
God invites all to come to Christ in the message of the gospel and opens our hearts to have faith and repent, in that they are not meritorious works, but acts of grace by the Holy Spirit. We believe through grace! God quickens faith within us and we become alive in Christ with a whole new perspective and outlook on life. We can do no pre-salvation works to prepare for salvation (the only qualification is to acknowledge we are unqualified as sinners), but we all must come as we are in faith and believe God for a miracle to transform us into new creatures in Christ--it's all a work of grace, God getting all the glory. But the good news is that we will not stay that way, no matter what our prior condition was, Jesus is still in the resurrection business and the power that rose Him from the dead can be alive in us as we come to know it first-hand (cf. Phil. 3:10), not second-hand or hearsay.
We live our lives as works in progress realizing all the while God is not finished with us yet, till we arrive in glory. God always finishes what He starts and He has begun a good work in us! When we enter eternity we will receive a threefold commendation: an affirmation of "well done, thou good and faithful servant!" a promotion of "thou hast been faithful in small things and shall be faithful in much," and a final celebration of "enter thou into the joy of the Lord!" The party that will last for eternity and we must realize that this world is passing away and is temporal while we are pilgrims with our real citizenship and portion are in heaven forever.
Oh, the joy of those who have learned to walk by faith and not by sight or even feeling, but have learned by faith that God is real and seeing Him at work in the world, in their lives, and in circumstances known as Providence. Noah probably had the best resume in the Bible, for he was a just man and perfect in his generations, and he walked with God! (cf. Gen. 6:9). We all have the opportunity and ability to do likewise--walk with God, because we have the indwelling Spirit to convict us of our sins, illuminate the Word, and to enjoy in fellowship, even to inspire us for life.
What is worship, but celebrating what the Lord has done and who He is? We can learn to appreciate and adore Him for all His works and to realize that we are His greatest miracle because He transformed us from the inside out and made us new creatures in Christ. Christians realize that Christ is the Lord who made us and owns it all, and worshiping is a way of giving back to Him spiritually and acknowledging this ownership of our spirit as a mere token of our gratitude. We are led by the Spirit to worship the Godhead and thus celebrate the glory of God realized in Christ's work.
In our celebration, we should keep certain things in mind: our past is forgiven, our present is given meaning, and our future is secured. We have a reason for living and can live on purpose for God's glory and not for ourselves. Our salvation is more than mere forgiveness, it's a new adventure with Jesus, a way of life or relationship, turning our creed into deeds (cf. Titus 2:14). How shall we escape if we neglect such great salvation? (cf. Heb. 2:3).
Don't view the faith as an escape, a crutch, a way out, or a way to just cope with life, but how to live victoriously through life with the peace of God, and the purpose and power to overcome our sin nature--our worst enemy could be ourselves! (Cf. John 10:10) We can view our salvation as past (saved us from the punishment due our sin); present (being saved from its power); and pending (awaiting glory and freedom from the presence of sin in glory). We even see new meaning in our trials and adversities that build our character, and it is our privilege to suffer for \the sake of the Name. In the final analysis, it's not just forgiveness for what we've done, but deliverance from what we are!
CAVEAT: NO ONE REMAINS THE SAME AFTER AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE LORD, WE COME AS WE ARE, BUT ARE GUARANTEED NOT TO STAY THAT WAY! SO ASK YOURSELF IF YOU ARE READY FOR A NEW LIFE WITH CHRIST AT THE HELM OWNING YOUR SOUL AND DESTINY. LET THE PARTY BEGIN! THE BEST IS YET TO COME! Soli Deo Gloria!
God wants us to celebrate a new life with Him, which began upon acceptance of Him as the owner of our life and in the dedication of ourselves to Him and whatever that may involve, known as our cross to bear. We must be willing to follow through thick and thin, come what may, wherever the chips may fall, even when they are down, nor to faint in adversity but go from faith to faith. The Christian life, though no easy affair, is a family affair lived with the Godhead indwelling us and engaging the fellowship of the church body.
It has been said that Christian living is not hard, but impossible! The only way to have victory is to walk in the Spirit and to abide in Christ, for without Him we can do nothing and are nothing but weak vessels of clay in the hands of the Potter (cf. Isaiah 45:9; 64:6). We must live to glorify and enjoy Him as we desire to honor Him in all we do and think and rethink--for our religion isn't just externalism, but internally affecting our thought life and meditations.
God invites all to come to Christ in the message of the gospel and opens our hearts to have faith and repent, in that they are not meritorious works, but acts of grace by the Holy Spirit. We believe through grace! God quickens faith within us and we become alive in Christ with a whole new perspective and outlook on life. We can do no pre-salvation works to prepare for salvation (the only qualification is to acknowledge we are unqualified as sinners), but we all must come as we are in faith and believe God for a miracle to transform us into new creatures in Christ--it's all a work of grace, God getting all the glory. But the good news is that we will not stay that way, no matter what our prior condition was, Jesus is still in the resurrection business and the power that rose Him from the dead can be alive in us as we come to know it first-hand (cf. Phil. 3:10), not second-hand or hearsay.
We live our lives as works in progress realizing all the while God is not finished with us yet, till we arrive in glory. God always finishes what He starts and He has begun a good work in us! When we enter eternity we will receive a threefold commendation: an affirmation of "well done, thou good and faithful servant!" a promotion of "thou hast been faithful in small things and shall be faithful in much," and a final celebration of "enter thou into the joy of the Lord!" The party that will last for eternity and we must realize that this world is passing away and is temporal while we are pilgrims with our real citizenship and portion are in heaven forever.
Oh, the joy of those who have learned to walk by faith and not by sight or even feeling, but have learned by faith that God is real and seeing Him at work in the world, in their lives, and in circumstances known as Providence. Noah probably had the best resume in the Bible, for he was a just man and perfect in his generations, and he walked with God! (cf. Gen. 6:9). We all have the opportunity and ability to do likewise--walk with God, because we have the indwelling Spirit to convict us of our sins, illuminate the Word, and to enjoy in fellowship, even to inspire us for life.
What is worship, but celebrating what the Lord has done and who He is? We can learn to appreciate and adore Him for all His works and to realize that we are His greatest miracle because He transformed us from the inside out and made us new creatures in Christ. Christians realize that Christ is the Lord who made us and owns it all, and worshiping is a way of giving back to Him spiritually and acknowledging this ownership of our spirit as a mere token of our gratitude. We are led by the Spirit to worship the Godhead and thus celebrate the glory of God realized in Christ's work.
In our celebration, we should keep certain things in mind: our past is forgiven, our present is given meaning, and our future is secured. We have a reason for living and can live on purpose for God's glory and not for ourselves. Our salvation is more than mere forgiveness, it's a new adventure with Jesus, a way of life or relationship, turning our creed into deeds (cf. Titus 2:14). How shall we escape if we neglect such great salvation? (cf. Heb. 2:3).
Don't view the faith as an escape, a crutch, a way out, or a way to just cope with life, but how to live victoriously through life with the peace of God, and the purpose and power to overcome our sin nature--our worst enemy could be ourselves! (Cf. John 10:10) We can view our salvation as past (saved us from the punishment due our sin); present (being saved from its power); and pending (awaiting glory and freedom from the presence of sin in glory). We even see new meaning in our trials and adversities that build our character, and it is our privilege to suffer for \the sake of the Name. In the final analysis, it's not just forgiveness for what we've done, but deliverance from what we are!
CAVEAT: NO ONE REMAINS THE SAME AFTER AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE LORD, WE COME AS WE ARE, BUT ARE GUARANTEED NOT TO STAY THAT WAY! SO ASK YOURSELF IF YOU ARE READY FOR A NEW LIFE WITH CHRIST AT THE HELM OWNING YOUR SOUL AND DESTINY. LET THE PARTY BEGIN! THE BEST IS YET TO COME! Soli Deo Gloria!
Thursday, August 22, 2019
He Saved Others....
"His name shall be called Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins" (cf. Matt. 1:21).
When Jesus was crucified the crowds taunted and mocked Him, admitting He saved others and wondered why He didn't save Himself! If Jesus had saved Himself, He couldn't have saved us! He loved us more than Himself and His life and paid the penalty we deserved. The crowds were convinced that He performed miracles and healed people, and even that He saved others; so why couldn't He save Himself? He deliberately chose to be Savior first, then King and His saviorhood was on His mind not His own well-being.
The crowds actually condemned themselves by admitting they knew He was the Savior and could save, because they never were saved themselves and applied what He taught--on His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, they hailed Him as the King, and shouted "Hosanna!' or Lord, "save us now!" Perchance they had become disillusioned and thought He was not going to deliver them from the Roman rule after all.
We all can be guilty of the sin of vicarious faith. We can hear someone's testimony and see a miracle at work in their life and actually believe they are saved and have been transformed by the blood of Jesus, but not apply it to oneself. Believing Jesus saves isn't enough; we must believe He saved us! We must personalize our faith and not let it be second-hand knowledge. We must individually experience Christ and then authenticate it by sharing it and spreading the word by faith. The only way to keep our faith is to give it away! We may have family and friends with whom we are familiar and have personally witnessed them morph into new creatures in God's eyes, but that isn't enough to save us--we must personally receive Christ into our heart as its Lord and surrender ownership of our life to Him to even get to first base in the game of following Christ.
Jesus never encouraged the curious or the half-hearted trifler who wasn't ready for full commitment. He was honest enough to warn us of the trials and tribulations and adversities we'd face, to test our faith. Salvation is free but not cheap; it costs something to be saved (our ownership of our life), but it costs infinitely more not to be saved. Some people will never apply the equation to themselves and live their whole life vicariously admiring how God worked in other people's lives, but not witness personal transformation.
The Jews weren't interested in being saved from their sins! But that is precisely why Christ was born! The Jews wanted deliverance from Roman rule! When the geopolitical dreams vanished, so did the enthusiasm and false disciples. Jesus had no trouble gathering crowds, for His reputation preceded Him, and He even had to keep a low profile later on and stay out of the limelight, for the leaders often tried to kill Him. He wasn't going to die before His time and before completing His work and purpose to glorify the Father. In the final analysis, it's not whether He can save Himself, or whether you believe He saved others, but whether He saved you and you believe this!
In sum, Jesus wasn't the Messiah of conventional wisdom, but He was born to be a man on a mission extraordinaire to save His people from their sins ( cf. Matt. 1:21). Soli Deo Gloria!
When Jesus was crucified the crowds taunted and mocked Him, admitting He saved others and wondered why He didn't save Himself! If Jesus had saved Himself, He couldn't have saved us! He loved us more than Himself and His life and paid the penalty we deserved. The crowds were convinced that He performed miracles and healed people, and even that He saved others; so why couldn't He save Himself? He deliberately chose to be Savior first, then King and His saviorhood was on His mind not His own well-being.
The crowds actually condemned themselves by admitting they knew He was the Savior and could save, because they never were saved themselves and applied what He taught--on His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, they hailed Him as the King, and shouted "Hosanna!' or Lord, "save us now!" Perchance they had become disillusioned and thought He was not going to deliver them from the Roman rule after all.
We all can be guilty of the sin of vicarious faith. We can hear someone's testimony and see a miracle at work in their life and actually believe they are saved and have been transformed by the blood of Jesus, but not apply it to oneself. Believing Jesus saves isn't enough; we must believe He saved us! We must personalize our faith and not let it be second-hand knowledge. We must individually experience Christ and then authenticate it by sharing it and spreading the word by faith. The only way to keep our faith is to give it away! We may have family and friends with whom we are familiar and have personally witnessed them morph into new creatures in God's eyes, but that isn't enough to save us--we must personally receive Christ into our heart as its Lord and surrender ownership of our life to Him to even get to first base in the game of following Christ.
Jesus never encouraged the curious or the half-hearted trifler who wasn't ready for full commitment. He was honest enough to warn us of the trials and tribulations and adversities we'd face, to test our faith. Salvation is free but not cheap; it costs something to be saved (our ownership of our life), but it costs infinitely more not to be saved. Some people will never apply the equation to themselves and live their whole life vicariously admiring how God worked in other people's lives, but not witness personal transformation.
The Jews weren't interested in being saved from their sins! But that is precisely why Christ was born! The Jews wanted deliverance from Roman rule! When the geopolitical dreams vanished, so did the enthusiasm and false disciples. Jesus had no trouble gathering crowds, for His reputation preceded Him, and He even had to keep a low profile later on and stay out of the limelight, for the leaders often tried to kill Him. He wasn't going to die before His time and before completing His work and purpose to glorify the Father. In the final analysis, it's not whether He can save Himself, or whether you believe He saved others, but whether He saved you and you believe this!
In sum, Jesus wasn't the Messiah of conventional wisdom, but He was born to be a man on a mission extraordinaire to save His people from their sins ( cf. Matt. 1:21). Soli Deo Gloria!
How To Live The Good Life
"If I want to know how to live in reality, I must know what God is really like." --Plato
Most people have dreams and fantasies, maybe even a bucket list of things to do in life in order to feel fulfilled or complete. How about a bucket list of doing God's will? Achieving the American dream isn't the answer to life; you can have everything to live on and nothing to live for! The problem has never been dreams or wishes but in how to achieve them; most people end their lives in frustration have never "found themselves" or what God's will was for them. We must be purpose-driven to have an impact and focused on our goals with a chord that will vibrate for eternity.
Not just to be remembered, but to be a game-changer. According to the Bible, God has an intricate purpose and individual tailor-made plan for each of us, and if we are in God's will, walking by faith, we will find it to be the safest and most blessed place to be found. We are hard-wired to work in our calling and to worship God. He is interested in our whole being (heart, mind, body, soul, spirit) and its holistic health, not an unbalanced life that isn't worthy of our walk and has no testimony.
Even Christians can have a secular worldview and not think biblically. The goal in life is not just to be a goody-goody or to seek pleasure (you only go around once, grab all the gusto you can!), because God isn't primarily concerned with our "happiness," (which depends on happenings), but with us glorifying and enjoying Him. There are intrinsic rewards and incentives in finding wisdom, which is more precious than rubies (cf. Prov. 8:11). The result of the moral life is one of confidence and a good reputation, which is more valuable than riches too.
We all ought to seek a life beyond reproach so that the infidel has nothing evil to say about us (cf. Eph. 4:1). One blockage to good thinking is not to have a Christian worldview; we all need to get our thinking straightened out and learn to think clearly, which will result in sound discourse and dialogue. When we do find fulfillment and joy in life we become contagious and it shows. Many people claim inner joy but haven't told their faces!
Plato thought of three inputs to our will, which control our ways: desire, emotion, and knowledge. We must make sure that we seek truth and feed on knowledge, wisdom, and understanding and even have a thirst for the Word, and we must have worthy ambitions and desires in life, and also the fulfilled person has his emotions in check. But most people just are about as lazy as they dare to be and take the path of least resistance--the easy way out!
We must not ever pray for an easy life, but for God to increase our faith and strength. Remember, all a man's ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart (cf. Prov. 16:2). The study of ethics is about living the good life and we find it by practicing our ethics (putting our creed into action) and believing in miracles from God. What we do is expect great things from God, but we must attempt them too, as William Carey would say. Aim high, then!
God is the moral center of the universe and we all must have a moral compass and show moral fiber, for character counts! But there is a danger to reducing Christianity to a system of ethics, a rule book, a catalog of rules, or a list of dos and don'ts. We must never lose focus but keep looking onto Jesus and cultivate that personal relationship with Him. Our ethic shows our character and the faith we have is the faith we show: we demonstrate, validate, and authenticate our faith by turning it into deeds, otherwise it's suspect and spurious, even bogus and hypocritical. Turning our knowledge into action is faith, demonstrated in obedience. But avoiding sin and immorality is not all there is to Christian ethics; its summation is to follow Christ in full renewing, ongoing surrender. We must not only cease to do evil, but do good!
Upon following Christ, now we don't go by feelings, but when doing the will of God, we'll have a peace that passes all understanding. The person who really knows Christ knows how to live and live in reality. Knowing truth is a matter of repentance and of being oriented to reality--only God can set us free form delusion (cf 2 Tim. 2:25). Life in Christ isn't always a religious high or on cloud nine, but varies with the task, for God always fills us and anoints us for His work. We must know and learn the real formula for feeling good: know right, think right, do right, and finally, to feel right. Doing the right thing should make one feel right.
God is good, but being good without God is evil and a parody of the real thing. Now, I must conclude with the standard Jesus set (the Golden Rule): the highest ethic of all and the highest incentive to do it. We will never be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect--that's the standard, but the direction we go is the test! Remember, God has great expectations for us and wants us to attempt to move mountains with our mustard-seed faith! We all have unrealized potential and should actualize the innate worth we possess, not to let it be dormant and thus waste our lives. Soli Deo Gloria!
Most people have dreams and fantasies, maybe even a bucket list of things to do in life in order to feel fulfilled or complete. How about a bucket list of doing God's will? Achieving the American dream isn't the answer to life; you can have everything to live on and nothing to live for! The problem has never been dreams or wishes but in how to achieve them; most people end their lives in frustration have never "found themselves" or what God's will was for them. We must be purpose-driven to have an impact and focused on our goals with a chord that will vibrate for eternity.
Not just to be remembered, but to be a game-changer. According to the Bible, God has an intricate purpose and individual tailor-made plan for each of us, and if we are in God's will, walking by faith, we will find it to be the safest and most blessed place to be found. We are hard-wired to work in our calling and to worship God. He is interested in our whole being (heart, mind, body, soul, spirit) and its holistic health, not an unbalanced life that isn't worthy of our walk and has no testimony.
Even Christians can have a secular worldview and not think biblically. The goal in life is not just to be a goody-goody or to seek pleasure (you only go around once, grab all the gusto you can!), because God isn't primarily concerned with our "happiness," (which depends on happenings), but with us glorifying and enjoying Him. There are intrinsic rewards and incentives in finding wisdom, which is more precious than rubies (cf. Prov. 8:11). The result of the moral life is one of confidence and a good reputation, which is more valuable than riches too.
We all ought to seek a life beyond reproach so that the infidel has nothing evil to say about us (cf. Eph. 4:1). One blockage to good thinking is not to have a Christian worldview; we all need to get our thinking straightened out and learn to think clearly, which will result in sound discourse and dialogue. When we do find fulfillment and joy in life we become contagious and it shows. Many people claim inner joy but haven't told their faces!
Plato thought of three inputs to our will, which control our ways: desire, emotion, and knowledge. We must make sure that we seek truth and feed on knowledge, wisdom, and understanding and even have a thirst for the Word, and we must have worthy ambitions and desires in life, and also the fulfilled person has his emotions in check. But most people just are about as lazy as they dare to be and take the path of least resistance--the easy way out!
We must not ever pray for an easy life, but for God to increase our faith and strength. Remember, all a man's ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart (cf. Prov. 16:2). The study of ethics is about living the good life and we find it by practicing our ethics (putting our creed into action) and believing in miracles from God. What we do is expect great things from God, but we must attempt them too, as William Carey would say. Aim high, then!
God is the moral center of the universe and we all must have a moral compass and show moral fiber, for character counts! But there is a danger to reducing Christianity to a system of ethics, a rule book, a catalog of rules, or a list of dos and don'ts. We must never lose focus but keep looking onto Jesus and cultivate that personal relationship with Him. Our ethic shows our character and the faith we have is the faith we show: we demonstrate, validate, and authenticate our faith by turning it into deeds, otherwise it's suspect and spurious, even bogus and hypocritical. Turning our knowledge into action is faith, demonstrated in obedience. But avoiding sin and immorality is not all there is to Christian ethics; its summation is to follow Christ in full renewing, ongoing surrender. We must not only cease to do evil, but do good!
Upon following Christ, now we don't go by feelings, but when doing the will of God, we'll have a peace that passes all understanding. The person who really knows Christ knows how to live and live in reality. Knowing truth is a matter of repentance and of being oriented to reality--only God can set us free form delusion (cf 2 Tim. 2:25). Life in Christ isn't always a religious high or on cloud nine, but varies with the task, for God always fills us and anoints us for His work. We must know and learn the real formula for feeling good: know right, think right, do right, and finally, to feel right. Doing the right thing should make one feel right.
God is good, but being good without God is evil and a parody of the real thing. Now, I must conclude with the standard Jesus set (the Golden Rule): the highest ethic of all and the highest incentive to do it. We will never be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect--that's the standard, but the direction we go is the test! Remember, God has great expectations for us and wants us to attempt to move mountains with our mustard-seed faith! We all have unrealized potential and should actualize the innate worth we possess, not to let it be dormant and thus waste our lives. Soli Deo Gloria!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)