Galatians 1:6-7 (NLT)
6 I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News 7 but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.
The apostle Paul writes to the Galatians saying they have allowed the truth about God’s salvation to become twisted. What was the Good News of mercy and grace through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was being put aside for Jewish law. Where Christ sets us free from the law, there were those in the church insisting the law should be mingled in with the doctrine of Christ, which added back the guilt and shame always reflected by the law. Paul refers to it as another way of justification and salvation different from the Gospel of Christ.
I believe a person who becomes a Christian is always a Christian. The Bible tells us that it is faith in God and Christ that saves us from sin. It goes on to say there are no good works we can do on our own to save us from the judgment of sin. Christ became the propitiation for sin, justifying those who believe in Him once and for all. To give an example, let us assume without Christ God’s requirement of holiness and righteousness should be equal to His. If God’s holiness and righteousness is 100%, where does everyone else fall on the scale? I can guarantee without a doubt there is no one on this earth who would measure 100%. Some will be at the 10% mark, maybe some at the 25% mark, but no one can say they are without sin. Therefore we all have sin in our lives, varying degrees for various people, but there is no one without sin. There is no one who can live up to God’s standard so God allowed His Son Jesus to be sacrificed to atone for the sin of man. Through faith in Christ we have forgiveness from sin and we are able to enter into God’s presence. Now with acceptance of Christ there begins a change, a desire to move away from sin. But sin still remains in the world, always tempting, always trying to cause a person to feel shame and guilt for their actions. For if sin can pull a person away from their relationship with God and Christ it has marked a victory. Therefore understand when you place your faith in Christ you will still be tempted to sin, but Christ will always be there reminding you that you are forgiven and that you do not have to give into sin, not linger on the shame and guilt if you do. Instead confess your sin and let God forgive, grant you mercy and love on you with all His heart.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Faith and struggles
Hebrews 11:35-40 (NLT)
35 Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. 36 Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. 37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. 39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.
In this chapter of Hebrews the apostle has given many examples of faith. The apostle tells us in verse 1 ‘Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.’ Faith is untouchable, faith is not logical; faith is only found within the depths of a person’s soul. There have been many who have suffered for the sake of their faith in Christ. They gained a good reputation and commendation from God who declared the world is not worthy for them. These faithful have been taken to a better place where they have found rest and freedom from abuse.
When Detroit sportswriter Mitch Albom heard his favorite college professor, whom he hadn't seen in 20 years, was dying of Lou Gehrig's disease, he renewed their friendship through weekly meetings. In his best-selling book, Tuesdays with Morrie, Albom describes their visits, focusing on his old professor's wit and insights. During one of their conversations, Mitch asked Morrie Schwartz why he bothered following the news since he wouldn't be around to see how things would turn out anyway. In response, Morrie offered a brilliant insight into empathy: It's hard to explain, Mitch. Now that I'm suffering I feel closer to people who suffer than I ever did before. The other night on TV I saw people in Bosnia running across the street, getting fired on, killed, innocent victims…and I just started to cry. I feel their anguish as if it were my own. I don't know any of these people. But—how can I put this?—I'm almost drawn to them. [Greg Asimakoupoulos, Naperville, Illinois] Jesus is drawn to us because he knows our struggle. He knows all of our struggles including yours.
35 Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. 36 Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. 37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. 39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.
In this chapter of Hebrews the apostle has given many examples of faith. The apostle tells us in verse 1 ‘Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.’ Faith is untouchable, faith is not logical; faith is only found within the depths of a person’s soul. There have been many who have suffered for the sake of their faith in Christ. They gained a good reputation and commendation from God who declared the world is not worthy for them. These faithful have been taken to a better place where they have found rest and freedom from abuse.
When Detroit sportswriter Mitch Albom heard his favorite college professor, whom he hadn't seen in 20 years, was dying of Lou Gehrig's disease, he renewed their friendship through weekly meetings. In his best-selling book, Tuesdays with Morrie, Albom describes their visits, focusing on his old professor's wit and insights. During one of their conversations, Mitch asked Morrie Schwartz why he bothered following the news since he wouldn't be around to see how things would turn out anyway. In response, Morrie offered a brilliant insight into empathy: It's hard to explain, Mitch. Now that I'm suffering I feel closer to people who suffer than I ever did before. The other night on TV I saw people in Bosnia running across the street, getting fired on, killed, innocent victims…and I just started to cry. I feel their anguish as if it were my own. I don't know any of these people. But—how can I put this?—I'm almost drawn to them. [Greg Asimakoupoulos, Naperville, Illinois] Jesus is drawn to us because he knows our struggle. He knows all of our struggles including yours.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Chance
Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 (NLT)
11 I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time. 12 People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy.
The preacher of these words reminds us all our works are in the hands of God. The most likely to win the race does not always win. The strongest does not always triumph in battle. There are those who are wise and skilled yet they end up hungry and without wealth. Trying to predict the outcome of the future is like trying to predict fish being caught in nets or birds caught in snares. One never knows what the day might bring.
In 2007, the Boon family was on their way to their mountain cabin when they were swept off the mountain by an avalanche of snow. It only took a second for the avalanche to strike their car and send it hurling down the mountain. In their younger years the Boons did a lot of mountaineering. They even named their daughters after some of the mountains they had scaled. They knew all about avalanches, the danger, but never in their wildest dreams did they ever think about an avalanche pushing their car down the mountain. Fortunately no one was hurt, but it just reminded the family how quick catastrophe can be upon you. Solomon taught we cannot predict when sudden tragedy will strike for only the Lord knows. Therefore we should submit to the Lord and always ask for his guidance and protection.
11 I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time. 12 People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy.
The preacher of these words reminds us all our works are in the hands of God. The most likely to win the race does not always win. The strongest does not always triumph in battle. There are those who are wise and skilled yet they end up hungry and without wealth. Trying to predict the outcome of the future is like trying to predict fish being caught in nets or birds caught in snares. One never knows what the day might bring.
In 2007, the Boon family was on their way to their mountain cabin when they were swept off the mountain by an avalanche of snow. It only took a second for the avalanche to strike their car and send it hurling down the mountain. In their younger years the Boons did a lot of mountaineering. They even named their daughters after some of the mountains they had scaled. They knew all about avalanches, the danger, but never in their wildest dreams did they ever think about an avalanche pushing their car down the mountain. Fortunately no one was hurt, but it just reminded the family how quick catastrophe can be upon you. Solomon taught we cannot predict when sudden tragedy will strike for only the Lord knows. Therefore we should submit to the Lord and always ask for his guidance and protection.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Judgment
James 4:11-12 (NLT)
11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?
In these verses the apostle tells us to carefully consider the rashness of our judgment against others. Those judgments are to be carefully avoided for God is the judge of people’s hearts and it is up to each individual to follow as God would lead them. The Greek word used by James for speaking of someone harshly is katalaeite, which signifies speaking anything that may hurt or injure another. Krino is the word for judge, means to pronounce an opinion of right and wrong. It is a choice, a preference, and opinion. James wants us to understand we are not to give an opinion that hurts someone, but instead love the person while understanding what God desires.
A bank robber, nicknamed the “Gentleman Bandit”, would rob banks while apologizing for his actions. So gentlemanly was this robber that his notes to the teller were always kindly written. Unfortunately there was a Catholic priest who resembled the robber. A woman came forward saying the priest was her lover and he may have been the robber. At first the church stood behind the priest, but as the prosecutor continued to press the case people began to believe he was actually the perpetrator. They conceived a priest might be a mild manner gentleman robber. During the midst of his trial the real robber came forward and confessed to the crimes. The Catholic priest was innocent and was set free after the confession by the other man proved true. People need to be careful about their judgments of others. It is best to remain silent than to speak of a person in a way that hurts them. Our words should be motivated out of love and not out of harsh emotion.
11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?
In these verses the apostle tells us to carefully consider the rashness of our judgment against others. Those judgments are to be carefully avoided for God is the judge of people’s hearts and it is up to each individual to follow as God would lead them. The Greek word used by James for speaking of someone harshly is katalaeite, which signifies speaking anything that may hurt or injure another. Krino is the word for judge, means to pronounce an opinion of right and wrong. It is a choice, a preference, and opinion. James wants us to understand we are not to give an opinion that hurts someone, but instead love the person while understanding what God desires.
A bank robber, nicknamed the “Gentleman Bandit”, would rob banks while apologizing for his actions. So gentlemanly was this robber that his notes to the teller were always kindly written. Unfortunately there was a Catholic priest who resembled the robber. A woman came forward saying the priest was her lover and he may have been the robber. At first the church stood behind the priest, but as the prosecutor continued to press the case people began to believe he was actually the perpetrator. They conceived a priest might be a mild manner gentleman robber. During the midst of his trial the real robber came forward and confessed to the crimes. The Catholic priest was innocent and was set free after the confession by the other man proved true. People need to be careful about their judgments of others. It is best to remain silent than to speak of a person in a way that hurts them. Our words should be motivated out of love and not out of harsh emotion.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Sorrow
2 Corinthians 7:8-10 (NLT)
8 I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. 9 Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. 10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
The Apostle Paul had previously written the church of Corinth concerning an issue taking place in the church. At first he was sorrowful for having to write such a letter, but the sorrow turned to joy. The church had repented and made a change for the good.
“I am sorry.” For some those are difficult words to say. A person may be so entrenched in their problems they refuse to examine the feelings of anyone else. The words “I am sorry” acknowledges to another person that you understand their feelings and you can relate sympathetically to them. “I am sorry” says I understand you were hurt and in the future I will try not to hurt you in that same manner. However, there are some who abuse the words “I am sorry” as an excuse for their behavior. They do not relate to how the other person is feeling, nor do they care. They just want to provide a quick escape, an excuse that might move them past where they are. The apostle tells us “the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin”. It is the same type of sorrow that brought to salvation realizing how our actions have hurt others including God. With this sorrow comes a desire for change, a desire to make things right, and a desire not to repeat past actions.
8 I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. 9 Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. 10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
The Apostle Paul had previously written the church of Corinth concerning an issue taking place in the church. At first he was sorrowful for having to write such a letter, but the sorrow turned to joy. The church had repented and made a change for the good.
“I am sorry.” For some those are difficult words to say. A person may be so entrenched in their problems they refuse to examine the feelings of anyone else. The words “I am sorry” acknowledges to another person that you understand their feelings and you can relate sympathetically to them. “I am sorry” says I understand you were hurt and in the future I will try not to hurt you in that same manner. However, there are some who abuse the words “I am sorry” as an excuse for their behavior. They do not relate to how the other person is feeling, nor do they care. They just want to provide a quick escape, an excuse that might move them past where they are. The apostle tells us “the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin”. It is the same type of sorrow that brought to salvation realizing how our actions have hurt others including God. With this sorrow comes a desire for change, a desire to make things right, and a desire not to repeat past actions.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Character
Romans 5:3-5 (NLT)
3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
The apostle explains the fruits of our justification in Christ. Though we will still face problems and trials in our Christian walk these are meant to develop us and mold us. As we work through these problems we build character that comes from endurance and confidence in our salvation. Our character becomes who we are in Christ and we understand how deeply God loves us.
Our character contains many qualities and traits. Our character defines who we are and is the aggregate of features and traits that form our individual nature. We may have a high standard of moral and ethical quality that says we are a great people of honorable character. We may live by traits such as integrity, honesty and courage that are deeply rooted in who we are. Character is not the same as reputation. Character is the truth we know about ourselves while reputation is what others know about us. A reputation is seen by the public, while character is consistent even in the most hidden places. God knows our character and He strengthens us so our character may match the reputation we have in front of others. Pray God would continue to develop our character through all trials and troubles so that our reputation may also stand firm.
3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
The apostle explains the fruits of our justification in Christ. Though we will still face problems and trials in our Christian walk these are meant to develop us and mold us. As we work through these problems we build character that comes from endurance and confidence in our salvation. Our character becomes who we are in Christ and we understand how deeply God loves us.
Our character contains many qualities and traits. Our character defines who we are and is the aggregate of features and traits that form our individual nature. We may have a high standard of moral and ethical quality that says we are a great people of honorable character. We may live by traits such as integrity, honesty and courage that are deeply rooted in who we are. Character is not the same as reputation. Character is the truth we know about ourselves while reputation is what others know about us. A reputation is seen by the public, while character is consistent even in the most hidden places. God knows our character and He strengthens us so our character may match the reputation we have in front of others. Pray God would continue to develop our character through all trials and troubles so that our reputation may also stand firm.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
What do we do when our conscience catches up with us?
Proverbs 4:14-15 (NLT)
14 Don’t do as the wicked do, and don’t follow the path of evildoers. 15 Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way. Turn away and keep moving.
King Solomon gives instruction to his son about wisdom and making wise choices. He tells his son not to follow in the way of those who are wicked and perform evil acts. Instead the thoughts should be put out of his mind and he should continue past them never looking back or thinking about following in their footsteps.
During the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Selena Roberts wrote in the New York Times of a heated controversy that threatened the integrity of the games:
About 10 yards past a security checkpoint along the path of a cinder-block hall inside the Salt Lake Ice Center, a panel of nine judges filtered into a room for a standard post-competition meeting last Tuesday morning. Twelve hours removed from the controversial moment when gold medallions were draped over Russia’s Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze instead of Canada’s Jamie Salé and David Pelletier, the judges assembled for a review of the decision under Ron Pfenning, the head referee.
At first, it was business as usual as the judges sat around a table, pouring over marks for several skaters, according to two high-ranking figure skating officials who spoke Friday on condition of anonymity. Then the meeting took a bizarre turn. Pfenning, known as a gentle and meticulous caretaker of skating, handed each judge a piece of paper with a passage about honesty and integrity, officials said. As each person passed back the pieces of paper, the judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne began to sob, officials said.
“It was a rambling avalanche of words,” Pfenning said when reached by telephone. “I hadn’t asked her a question. She had been teary-eyed through a lot of the meeting. It was an outburst: ‘You don’t understand. You don’t understand. We’re under an awful lot of pressure. My federations, my president Didier, I had to put the Russians first.’ Didier Gailhaguet is the president of the French Figure Skating Federation. Pfenning said that when Le Gougne called out Gailhaguet’s name, he knew he had to report the incident to the International Skating Union. “I never gave it a second thought,” Pfenning said.
For several minutes, the wail from Le Gougne grew so loud, one official said, that a person in the room stripped tape over the crack in the door in an apparent soundproofing effort. The two high-ranking skating officials said no one embraced Le Gougne, the stylish 40-year-old Frenchwoman, as she cried out. Many of the judges, officials said, saw her as a pathetic figure. They already knew why Le Gougne was distraught, they said: her conscience had caught up to her.
What do we do when our conscience catches up with us? How does a commitment to Integrity of heart and life save us from disastrous relationship crises? [Selena Roberts, "Early Tears: Sign of Scandal to Come," New York Times online (2-17-02)]
14 Don’t do as the wicked do, and don’t follow the path of evildoers. 15 Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way. Turn away and keep moving.
King Solomon gives instruction to his son about wisdom and making wise choices. He tells his son not to follow in the way of those who are wicked and perform evil acts. Instead the thoughts should be put out of his mind and he should continue past them never looking back or thinking about following in their footsteps.
During the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Selena Roberts wrote in the New York Times of a heated controversy that threatened the integrity of the games:
About 10 yards past a security checkpoint along the path of a cinder-block hall inside the Salt Lake Ice Center, a panel of nine judges filtered into a room for a standard post-competition meeting last Tuesday morning. Twelve hours removed from the controversial moment when gold medallions were draped over Russia’s Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze instead of Canada’s Jamie Salé and David Pelletier, the judges assembled for a review of the decision under Ron Pfenning, the head referee.
At first, it was business as usual as the judges sat around a table, pouring over marks for several skaters, according to two high-ranking figure skating officials who spoke Friday on condition of anonymity. Then the meeting took a bizarre turn. Pfenning, known as a gentle and meticulous caretaker of skating, handed each judge a piece of paper with a passage about honesty and integrity, officials said. As each person passed back the pieces of paper, the judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne began to sob, officials said.
“It was a rambling avalanche of words,” Pfenning said when reached by telephone. “I hadn’t asked her a question. She had been teary-eyed through a lot of the meeting. It was an outburst: ‘You don’t understand. You don’t understand. We’re under an awful lot of pressure. My federations, my president Didier, I had to put the Russians first.’ Didier Gailhaguet is the president of the French Figure Skating Federation. Pfenning said that when Le Gougne called out Gailhaguet’s name, he knew he had to report the incident to the International Skating Union. “I never gave it a second thought,” Pfenning said.
For several minutes, the wail from Le Gougne grew so loud, one official said, that a person in the room stripped tape over the crack in the door in an apparent soundproofing effort. The two high-ranking skating officials said no one embraced Le Gougne, the stylish 40-year-old Frenchwoman, as she cried out. Many of the judges, officials said, saw her as a pathetic figure. They already knew why Le Gougne was distraught, they said: her conscience had caught up to her.
What do we do when our conscience catches up with us? How does a commitment to Integrity of heart and life save us from disastrous relationship crises? [Selena Roberts, "Early Tears: Sign of Scandal to Come," New York Times online (2-17-02)]
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