Showing posts with label Compromise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Compromise. Show all posts

Saturday, October 11, 2014

The Mystery of the Gospel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapters_and_verses_of_the_Bible 

"None of us likes pain. All of us wish at times we did not need to 'go through all this stuff.' Let us settle it once and for all: we cannot know Christ and the power of His resurrection without the fellowship of His suffering."
-Elisabeth Elliot, "Quest for Love," 40
For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus [the new Man] and put no confidence in the flesh [the old man] — though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.  
-Philippians 3:3-11
"Self is a tight lock. I see many decent sinners who are in spiritual prison because their self is on the throne of their hearts, and Jesus is on the cross. What liberation comes when Jesus cleanses their hearts with His blood and comes to throne, and self goes on the cross!"
-Corrie ten Boom, "Each New Day," 69
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.  -Romans 6:3-11 Cross reference: Colossians 2:9-14
 And He said to all, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.  -Luke 9:23
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.  -Galatians 2:20 
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self [the old man] with its practices and have put on the new self [the new Man], which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.  -Colossians 3:1-14 (underline mine)  Cross reference: Romans 13:14
Now to Him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
-Romans 16:24-27 

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

"I Have No Good Apart From You"

     Last night I was reading through Psalm 16.  I think this one is becoming a favorite.  I love the verses, and as I read God brings to mind other verses.  It's really cool how there is SO much life in each individual verse in Scripture and yet it all fits together like one big puzzle!
Preserve me, O God, for in You I take refuge.I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;    I have no good apart from You.”  Psalm 16:1-2  ESV
     I can go to so many other things to try and take refuge from the storms of life.  But only God is a true refuge in times of trouble.  Praying verse one really helps me to remember to go only to Him.  There are so many other verses in Psalms that correspond with this one.  Psalm 27:1 and 118:6 are favorites (you should take a minute to grab your Bible and read them, even though you're probably familiar with them).  I also like meditating through Psalm 18.
     "LORD" when in all caps in the English Bible means "YHWH," often pronounced, "Yahweh."  The proper translation is "He is" (third person).  I love it whenever I read this because "He is" holds so much meaning.  You could say, "He is . . . what?  He is love?  He is forgiving?  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever?  He is forever-present?"  Well, yes . . . but He is so much MORE than that!  He . . . is.  He just is.  He is more than my words will ever say.  ♥
     Last of all, "I have no good apart from You" is a really strong statement.  Often my Christian life doesn't reflect this.  There are things in this world I can feel like I can't live without.  But the truth is that apart from Christ I have nothing good!  This also acknowledges that I cannot bring myself good.  I do not . . . cannot bring good bring good to anyone, including myself.  I am not good.  There is nothing good in me.  This brings to mind a passage from John 15:
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.  John 15:4-5
     Perhaps the God's spiritual giants never become less weak or less dependent on God.  Perhaps spiritual giants are those who are most aware of their own weakness and dependency on God.  For God's power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9-10).

Monday, May 26, 2014

From Whom Does My Praise Come From?

     When Paul was addressing the matter of Jews vs. Gentiles, circumcision vs. uncircumcision he writes:
But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.  Romans 2:29 ESV
     That last sentence has stuck with me today.  "His praise is not from man but from God."  It's stuck with me in a convicting way.  From whom does my praise come from?  So often I'm worried about what others think about me.  I look for their approval - their praise.  But God's Word is very clear about fearing God vs. fearing men; seeking praise from God vs. praise from men.  God is a jealous God.  Does He not deserve all my fear?  Isn't His approval the only one worth seeking?
     The thing about being a Christian is that, while I receive amazing spiritual blessings, I seemingly become more and more despised by those of this world.  It's so tempting to try and compromise - to get spiritual benefits while still doing things that this world esteems.  But that's not the way Christianity works, and it is only when I abandon all that I will truly gain Christ.
     It's really humbling to realize that even if I want to give up all passions of the flesh, ONLY God can save me from it.  I myself do not have the ability to choose to follow God and abandon all worldly desires.  ". . . apart from Me [Jesus] you can do nothing" (John 15:5 ESV).

     Here are some verses on this topic:

  • 2 Chronicles 19:7
  • Joshua 4:24
  • Job 28:28
  • Psalm 19:9
  • Proverbs 2:1-5
  • Proverbs 8:13
  • Proverbs 14:26-27
  • Proverbs 15:33
  • Proverbs 16:6
     These are only a handful of verses.  Consider doing a further Bible study on this topic.  Or consider writing these verses out on cards to meditate on (like I did).