Posts Tagged ‘ Rebellion ’
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace
Ephesians 1:7, ESV
God came to us when we were in full rebellion against Him that He might save save us through His sacrifice by His grace and love.
Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in
Isaiah 40:21-22, ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
Our sins have stacked up to heaven, deeper and more vile than we could know.
We think that our sin will go unnoticed by God, that there isn’t really anything He can do against us.
We think that God is impotent, powerless, and unable to hold us accountable for our sin. This is evidenced in the way we live, how we talk, what we do, ignoring His ways, saying “He’ll forgive me” or “I can do what I want.”
But this is the God who can create everything from nothing, hold everything together and within His hands, and stretches out the univers with those same hands.
Yes, we are basically nothing compared to Him, but God intimately knows every part of His Creation, from the farthest flung stars to our innermost thoughts.
He knows how the cosmos work, and He knows our every sin, our every rebellion against Him.
We therefore prepare ourselves by admitting we don’t understand as much as we think we do, turning to our Creator and Savior who became our example and demonstrated His vast power over our own vast stubbornness.
May we seek the Lord who has no reason to consider us, yet He still lavishes His love and grace on and in us.
Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men, and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is godless and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.
Isaiah 9:17, ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
We do horrible things to ourselves, to each other, and against God.
We don’t seek God, but instead we think we know better than He does.
We even accuse Him of evil and being a moral monster for not doing things the way we think He should.
As a whole, we have turned from God and chosen to do our own thing far more than we have chosen Him and His ways.
Look at history and see how much we have rebelled against God and hurt each other, through cults, tyranny, bullying, murder, war, and so many other horrible things.
Because “we know better.”
If we are ignoring God and His commands, why should He care for us? If we want nothing to do with Him, why should He be kind to us?
May we seek the Lord who has given us kindness and grace because of His great love for us.
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9, ESV
We are rebellious and even speak against God, but we can also be saved by believing in and confessing the life, atoning death, and resurrection of Jesus, our Lord and God.
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus
1 Timothy 2:5, ESV
With all of our sin and rebellion, there is only one we can trust to save us – Jesus – who stands with the Father. May we proclaim this truth boldly to a world lost in sin and rebellion.
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
Proverbs 13:20, ESV
We can choose to follow this world and its rejection of and rebellion to God, or we can follow God and His People – the Church – pursuing Christ, the Wosdom of God.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Matthew 5:4, ESV
Foremost, we mourn our sin and rebellion against God, then we will be blessed with the comfort of our Savior.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:8, ESV
God became a man to do what we never could: be perfectly obedient and offer the perfect sacrifice to atone for our sin and rebellion.
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 8:6-8, ESV
How easily we get caught up in our worries, wants, and walking. (Being indifferent. Alliteration is fun.)
These times are active rebellion against God. We should pay for the Father to give us the strength and wisdom to overcome in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
a simple man of God 