Posts Tagged ‘ a simple man of God ’
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, ESV
We need to give up our rights to anything just as He gave up His rights as God to give us life.
Stop demanding and expecting Him and others to do what we think we deserve. Start giving all of you to love others for His glory.
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2, ESV
Do not be confused. Jesus was not happy to die, but He was willing to endure anything for what was on the other side: eternal life with His forgiven adopted brothers and sisters, to the glory of the Father through the Holy Spirit who draws us in guides us to that perfection of faith.
As he was blessing them, he departed from them and was taken up into heaven.
Luke 24:51, GNT
Imagine seeing your friend, who you now know is also your God risen from the dead, leaving you again.
But this time you have a mission He has blessed.
And you know He is coming back to be with us.
Forever.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
Psalm 51:1-2, ESV
Mercy: Not getting what we deserve.
Grace: Getting what we do not deserve.
We did not deserve forgiveness, but praise God He sacrificed His Son to give us just that!
The holy God of Israel, the Lord who saves you, says: “I am the Lord your God, the one who wants to teach you for your own good and direct you in the way you should go.
Isaiah 48:17, GNT
We humans are very fickle, wanting to be right and assuming we know better than everyone else.
God is God, and we need to let Him teach us “for [our] own good”.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
John 3:18 ESV
Our world feels it is unloving and judgmental to say we are condemned in sin and that only Christ can save us.
However, it is the truth revealed by God. It is not judgmental to say. In fact, it is one of the most loving things we can do.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18, ESV
The simplest meaning of this is that the realization of our sin and complete inability to remove that sin should break our hearts and crush our spirits.
Until we realize that is why Jesus came. When we understand and believe this fully, we are saved from our sins and God’s wrath.
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:11 ESV
“Discipline” has gained a negative reputation in recent decades, intoning punishment. However, when we think of it in terms of sports or finances we tend to realize its important good qualities.
May we see the need for discipline in every aspect of our lives, realizing that circumstances are not God punishing us but teaching us godliness and self-control.
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:12, ESV
Too many people have not counted the cost of discipleship (Luke 14) and therefore misunderstand what the Christian faith truly is.
If we wish to be faithful to our Lord, we must forcefully take hold of the truth of Christ and what it means for our lives, and we must strive to live in light of that truth, not the truth we make for ourselves.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV
A grateful heart cannot help but rejoice in all things. Look at the disciples in Acts who thanked God for being worthy to suffer because it was for their Lord. This only becomes possible by continuously being in contact with Him.
Do you have a grateful heart?
a simple man of God 