A thought for today

Micah 6:8 NLT
No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

God has shown us what is good and right. What he requires,what he wants from us, what he asks us to do, is to love mercy and to live with a posture of mercy towards others.

This means to be a person who seeks God, and his mercy, and then extends mercy to others. To be able to do this requires us to have an attitude of humility and an understanding that everything we have comes from God. This attitude comes from walking closely with God and listening to the prompting of His Spirit within.

Nothing can substitute for a close relationship with our heavenly Father through Christ. God wants relationship with us and has made a way for us to have relationship with him.

By accepting Christ and following him we begin that relationship and by walking humbly and closely with God, we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. In turn we better understand his will, we hear his voice more clearly and we are able to follow more closely. In this process we also, having freely received God's love, his grace and his mercy, can freely extend love, grace and mercy to others.

Convictions of Grace

Last week we looked at Paul's understanding of God's love and his complete conviction that nothing could separate him from that love. Today we will look at grace. The writers of the New Testament were convinced of the grace of God that flowed towards us, because of his great love.

The palmist understood that Good extends have towards us.

Psalm 84:10-12 NLT
A single day in your courts   
is better than a thousand anywhere else!
I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God     
than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is our sun and our shield.     
  He gives us grace and glory.
The Lord will withhold no good thing     
from those who do what is right.
12 O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,     
what joy for those who trust in you.

The Hebrew for Grace is 'chen' and means grace, favour and acceptance.

Paul writes to us in Ephesians in what for many is a very familiar passage. We are saved by God's grace alone and not by what we do.

Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

In the Greek, the word is charis and means
- grace, favour, good will.
- A grace that keeps, strengthens and increases faith that leads to an increase of the exercise of Christian virues
- A spiritual condition – one governed by divine grace.
Grace.

It is said that we live in the dispensation of Grace. We are filled by Grace, not by law. Jesus has ushered in a new way. We are no longer under law, but under grace.

Romans 11:5-6 NLT
5 It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel[c] have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. 6 And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.

Paul says in Ephesians that it is by grace that we are saved. It is by grace that we are saved; it is by Grace that we live and it is by Grace that we have being have being. There is nothing we can do to earn grace because it is a gift bestowed on us by God.

In a world where striving to become better seems to be the norm, it can be difficult for us to grasp hold of the truth that we don’t need to strive to be right with God. We are right with God because he has made us right with him. It is through faith that we take hold of this truth.
John 1 tells us that the law was given through Moses but that grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 1:16-17 NLT
16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.[f] 17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.

Gracious blessing is written in the original text as grace, for grace; that is that there is more and more grace. God’s unfailing love and faithfulness in the above passage is better translated as grace and truth. The law pointed to the grace that was to come, but we live under the grace that has already come.

Paul wrote to the Galatians because he was concerned that they had fallen into the trap of legalistic behaviour and were trying to gain salvation through the law. This is something for us to be aware of too. Legalism and law are not helpful in drawing others to the grace of God or for us to live by grace either.

If others are truly to know God’s grace we need to extend it to them by living in a way that shows love and grace. We struggle to live according to God’s standards; we cannot expect others without God to do so.

Galatians 2:21 NLT
21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

Galatians 5:1-6 NLT
Freedom in Christ
1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. 2 Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. 4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.

5 But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. 6 For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.

Note how grace, mercy and love are all connected. Paul says that if we are trying to obey the law and make ourselves right with God by the law, we are not living in grace and have fallen from grace. I’m not suggesting that people who are legalistic have lost salvation, but we need to be aware that living by what we do and trying to be right by what we do is of no benefit.

It is who we are because of what God has done through Christ that is important. When we live in grace, we allow the Holy Spirit to flow in us and he will guide and direct us into all truth;  he will help us to live according to God’s ways because that is the fruit of living in freedom and living in the Spirit. This allows grace to rule in our lives.

1. God’s free gift means we are made right with God

Romans 5:15-17 NLT
15 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

This is a great section of Scripture where Paul clearly lays out the grace that is brought to us through Christ and it means that we are made right with God in Christ. No striving, no living a certain way, but just coming to Jesus.

The old Hymn – Just as I am without one plea but that thy blood was shed for me…. This writer of this hymn, written over 100 years ago, had a heap of grace and the need to come just as we are. There is nothing we can do or offer that earns grace. We come as we are and receive grace as God's wonderful and free gift to us.

Just as I Am, Without One Plea
The United Methodist Hymnal Number 357 Text: Charlotte Elliott, 1789-1871  Music: William B. Bradbury, 1816-1868  Tune: WOODWORTH, Meter: LM

1. Just as I am, without one plea, 
but that thy blood was shed for me, 
and that thou bidst me come to thee, 
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.  

2. Just as I am, and waiting not 
to rid my soul of one dark blot, 
to thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, 
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.  

3. Just as I am, though tossed about 
with many a conflict, many a doubt, 
fightings and fears within, without, 
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.  

4. Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind; 
sight, riches, healing of the mind, 
yea, all I need in thee to find, 
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.  

5. Just as I am, thou wilt receive, 
wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; 
because thy promise I believe, 
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.  

6. Just as I am, thy love unknown 
hath broken every barrier down; 
now, to be thine, yea thine alone, 
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

We have relationship with God, through Christ and can call God Father, because we have been given right standing with God. Just as we are!!

What ways do we strive to be accepted by God?

Let God's grace at you free.

2. God’s grace brings freedom
Forgiven and free, Paul encourages us in Galatians to use our freedom to live God’s way, but he also tells us that it is God’s grace that enables us to do so, through his spirit. We have freedom to live according to the power of the spirit. Sin has no hold on us when God's Spirit dwells in us.

Romans 6:1-4 NLT
Sin’s Power Is Broken
6 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

We are set free from the law of sin through Christ. Therefore we are to use our freedom, given by God's grace, poured out in abundance, to live for Jesus.

How are you using your freedom?

The difficult thing here is to live in grace and freedom without becoming stuck in a striving that we have already mentioned. Let God’s Spirit speak to you about what you need to do differently and ask him to help you make the changes. The Spirit is given as our guide, our counsellor and our friend to help us, to remind us of the word and to enable us to build good fruit in our lives.

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

It’s the fruit of the spirit that comes through grace, not the fruit of striving. Let God's Spirit grow good fruit in your life.

3. God’s grace brings forgiveness
Grace brings forgiveness for our sin and as we extend grace, forgiveness for others.

As far as the east is from the west, so are our sins forgiven. Ps 103:12

Jesus said, judge not, lest you be judged. When we extend judgement we will be judged. When we extend grace, because of what God has done for us, then God will be glorified. When we allow grace to produce a generous forgiving heart, we will live in true freedom.

As we become more aware of the work of grace we will be less likely to criticise or judge others. God's Grace brings forgiveness of sin and Jesus says we are to forgive in the same way we have been forgiven.

In what ways do we tend towards judgement instead of grace?

If we have a tendency towards judgement, we can ask God to give us a revelation of his grace and love extended toward us. Then we will be able to extend grace and forgiveness to others.

For I am Convinced

Convictions
Over the next few weeks we will look at convictions. What is a conviction and what convictions do we, or should we, hold. In doing this we will look at the convictions held by some of the people in the bible. Why did they hold these convictions, and where did they come from? The first is the conviction of love.

The conviction of Love

Romans 8 is a wonderful chapter in the book of Romans and here we find one of the most well-known and perhaps one of the most amazing verses in the Bible.

Romans 8:31-39New Living Translation (NLT)
Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honour at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Where did Paul get this conviction from? He knew the scriptures and he knew Jesus. Knowing Jesus was important. He was not alone in his conviction of love. The apostle John had the same conviction of love that comes through relationship with God and holding his word in their heart.

Psalm 118:1-6 New Living Translation (NLT)

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!     
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Let all Israel repeat:    
 “His faithful love endures forever.”
3 Let Aaron’s descendants, the priests, repeat:    
 “His faithful love endures forever.”
4 Let all who fear the Lord repeat:     
“His faithful love endures forever.”
5 In my distress I prayed to the Lord,     
  and the Lord answered me and set me free.
6 The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear.     
What can mere people do to me?

Why do we need to have a conviction about love?

1. God loved us first
Jesus is the embodied expression of God’s love.

John 3:16 – for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son.

1 John 4:9-10 New Living Translation (NLT)
9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved (verb) us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

Both John and Paul had the understanding that love is the very nature of God. God is love. We love because God loved us first. (Differences between verb and noun) Let us love (verb) one another, because love (noun) in from God. 1 John 4:7

These men had the conviction in their hearts that God loved them and gave himself up for them. John had walked with Jesus and seen first had the love Jesus had for people. Despite everything that Paul endured, he never wavered on the conviction of God’s love for him.

It is easy to think when things go wrong that God does not love us or loves us less than others. The truth is that in all things, God’s love is shown and he is love. He cannot be unloving.

So what stops us from taking hold of God’s love for us? Let's remember that no matter the circumstance God is still there, he is still love and he loves us and wants the best for us.

Ephesians 3:14-19New Living Translation (NLT)
Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,[a] 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.[b] 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

How wide
How long
How high
How deep

God’s love is not as incomprehensible to us as we may think, if we will only open our hearts to God, and “put down roots” into his love. A plant when it comes from a seed puts down roots into the ground first to get a strong hold, then, it is able to put up leaves and flourish.

A transplanted tree or flowering shrub, or any plant for that matter, must also put down roots, it must become stable if it is to grow and flourish. Sometimes we are trying to flourish without putting down the roots that will stabilise us and help us to enlarge our understanding of who God is.

How far are you putting your roots down into God’s love?

Paul and John both had roots deep into God’s love and they knew his love and were convinced that nothing, no matter what it was, would ever change that situation.

2. Others will know that we are disciples of Christ because we love others

Jesus said that the single most defining thing that would set Christians apart as Christ followers was their love for one another. This is the reason that the enemy tries to get in and to destroy relationships. Its also the reason why Grace (next week) and forgiveness are so important.

We show the world who Jesus is by the way we respond to each other. This does not mean we are to be always all lovey dovy. That is not what Jesus meant. He meant that our motivation for what we do must be love – agape love – the love of God in us that truly desires the best for others.

So we speak the truth in love – not just saying it, but actually doing it. The context of speaking the truth is that we speak the truth about who Jesus is because we are strong in God and his word, able to live as mature Christians, who love each other and share the truth of Jesus,  growing together in his love.

Ephesians 4:11-15New Living Translation (NLT)
11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.

We work out our differences in a manner that shows love and forgiveness not bitterness and hatred. Notice that speaking the truth in love comes as a result of relationship with Jesus, and with others. We have a right to speak truth when we truly love others, otherwise we speak in judgment not love.

We forgive. Love forgives and keeps no record of wrongs.

1 Corinthians 13New Living Translation (NLT)
Love Is the Greatest

13 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it;[a] but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages[b] and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10 But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.
11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.[c] All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

I think if we took hold of the truth here, we would see that this is the way God loves and because he loved us we can love this way too.

How are you going in the loving others stakes?

What aspect of love do you find most difficult to practice?

Can I encourage you to allow God to love you and to love others through you?

In our own strength we cannot possibly achieve it all – we would try and fail, but God’s love at work in us and through us never fails.

3. It sums up the whole law
Jesus said that loving God and loving others was the sum total of the law. Everything is based on Loving God and loving others.

Matthew 22:34-40New Living Translation (NLT)
The Most Important Commandment

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. 35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’[b] 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.

What does he mean by this?

I believe it means that if we have God’s love in us and through us; if we understand God’s great love for us and respond in love towards God; then we will love others in a way that God does. I believe it means that our actions would always place the best interests of others above our own interest and treat people in a way that honours them and respects them, giving dignity, not because it is deserved, but because it is what God does.

Note that it starts with loving God wholeheartedly with everything we have because he is God. His love at work in us then enables us to love others the same way he loves us. And this changes everything. Having a conviction about love means like Paul, we are convinced that no matter what, nothing can separate us from his love and that loving God and loving others is the motivation for everything we do.

Salt and Light part 2

Jesus calls us to be salt and Light in our world. This week looks at how we can be salt and Light by letting his light shine more brightly through us. Then others will see Jesus more clearly.

Matt 5:8...
You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. [14] "You are the light of the world-like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. [15] No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Luke 8:16-18 NLT
"No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. [17] For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all. [18] "So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them."

Pay attention to how you hear.

What are we paying attention to?

There are many things that vye for our attention. What are we listening to and what are we feeding ourselves with and allowing through the east and eye gate.? These verses clearly state that when we take note of something, when we take hold of how Jesus asks us to live we will be given greater understanding and insight.

There is a physical and spiritual aspect to this. What you study, what you learn about and think about naturally leads to a better understanding. There is also the spiritual aspect. God gives us greater understanding when we take note of his teaching and his word. If we are to be salt and light,  then listening and paying attention are crucial. We are the light of the world.

2 Corinthians 4:5-7 NLT
You see, we don't go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus' sake. [6] For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. [7] We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

As we live for God and let his light shine,  he shines in our lives even though we are not perfect vessels. But we trust that as we become more like Christ,  we are able to shine more brightly, not hiding away but living for him in a way that honours him. .

Ephesians 5:3-17 NLT
Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God's people. [4] Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes-these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. [5] You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. [6] Don't be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. [7] Don't participate in the things these people do. [8] For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! [9] For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. [10] Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. [11] Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. [12] It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. [13] But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, [14] for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, "Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light." [15] So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. [16] Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. [17] Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

Live as people of light. The light produces what is good, right and true. This scripture is a great list of those things that dim the light and those things that help the light shine more brightly. So here are some thoughts.

We have light that comes from God.  His light shines into the dark and brings hope and salvation. There are practical things we can do. We looked at a couple of them last week. This passage speaks to us about the kind of things we should not be participating in and what we can do instead.

Live wisely
-Make the most of every opportunity
-Think before you act
-Know what Good wants you to do.

Think before you act - we are not robots programmed to act in certain ways by others. However - for all sorts of reasons we 'act' like we are.
This is where renewing the mind is important if we are to live as salt and light. Our responses to the things around us are to be different to others .

We are to think and respond not just react in every situation. We are to be wise. What do you think it means to act wisely? Living wisely means in this context not getting involved in the things of darkness and excusing them when we find them in ourselves. There are plenty of people who will tell you what you want to hear. This passage clearly says - don't excuse them - remove them - have nothing to do with them. It doesn't say have nothing to do with people just nothing to do with what they do. In other words - be different.

Make the most of every opportunity. God gives us opportunity to live for him and to shine his light, his love into every part of our lives. Shining our light by being ready to share his love to others.

Luke 11:33-36 NLT
"No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. [34] "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness. [35] Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. [36] If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light."

I like this translation because it talks about "dark corners" the things in our lives that we pretend aren't there or we push away and hide away because we don't want others to see them but we know are there. God wants us to shine a light, his light, into those dark corners and expose what is there so that we are free and his light shines more brightly through us.

Think about the things in these passages. What things are the ones that are  a challenge for you.

What are you excusing in your life?

What ones are you willing to work on?

What is God asking you to do?

How can we make the most of every opportunity?

Just to finish.
Romans 5:6-11 NLT
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. [7] Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. [8] But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. [9] And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. [10] For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. [11] So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

As we look at these things let's remember that in all our struggle God loves us and is on our side working in us and with us. Jesus died for us and brought us back into relationship with him. We deal with this stuff from that relationship and not outside of it.

Romans 8:1, 9, 12 NLT
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. [9] But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) [12] Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.

God is at work and he does his work in us.

Philippians 2:12-13 NLT
Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. [13] For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

And no matter what; God's love is always there and his mercies are fresh and new every day.

Romans 8:26-35, 37-39 NLT
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. [27] And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will. [28] And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
[29] For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. [30] And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. [31] What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? [32] Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else?
[33] Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one-for God himself has given us right standing with himself. [34] Who then will condemn us? No one-for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us. [35] Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? [37] No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
[38] And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. [39] No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God's love and grace is always available to help us. Let his life and love flow through you,  not striving but living in his love and grace.

Salt and Light

Salt and Light

Matthew 5:13-16 NLT
"You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. [14] "You are the light of the world-like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. [15] No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

We are called to be salt and Light, to stand out, to make a difference. To do this its necessary to deal with the things in our lives that do not reflect God's light. Recently we heard from the WOW girls on what they do to be salt and light. Each of them said that it starts with relationship with God. Everything flows from there.

If we understand what grace has been given us and we choose relationship, then we will want to deal with the stuff that dims our light and destroys our 'flavour'. But what are the key challenges? What does the Bible say to help us live as salt and light?

For each of us they will be different,  but I will touch on a few.

1. Kindness and forgiveness v Anger
Matthew 5:21-22 NLT
"You have heard that our ancestors were told, 'You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.' [22] But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.

Jesus tells us that anger is not helpful. In fact Jesus is tough with this stuff. He declares that we are subject to judgement when we hold on to anger. This sounds harsh but it is because anger is destructive. James tells us to be quick to listen,  slow to speak and slow  to get angry.

James 1:19-21 NLT
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. [20] Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. [21] So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

When we are angry we forget to listen, we speak out of turn and it certainly does not help us live God's way. In Ephesians Paul tells us that we are to get rid of anger.

Ephesians 4:17-32 NLT
With the Lord's authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. [18] Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. [19] They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. [20] But that isn't what you learned about Christ. [21] Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, [22] throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. [23] Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. [24] Put on your new nature, created to be like God-truly righteous and holy. [25] So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. [26] And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, [27] for anger gives a foothold to the devil. [28] If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. [29] Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. [30] And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. [31] Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. [32] Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Get rid of.... v 31

In other words remove it completely from your life.  Don't package it away and store it in a room. For example, I have a spare room that basically acts as a storeroom. Things I'm not using get stored away. Sometimes we hold on to anger like this and we store it away for a later date. The bible tells us to get rid of anger. 

This is not the emotion of anger referred to earlier in this passage that we are to deal with, keeping short accounts. It is actually referring to a person who is characterised by anger. This is the person who has deep seated anger. We are told to get rid of it and to remove from our lives the trappings that go with it.

Be deliberate in getting rid of those things that get in the way; remove them and then replace them with positive steps. We are not to keep a void. This passage doesn't leave us hanging in limbo. Instead, it provides an alternative. For each issue it deals with, it gives another option, a God option. Instead of anger and bitterness, rage etc. we are to live with kindness, and forgiveness.

Kindness and forgiveness bring better outcomes in every area of life. Our relationships are stronger when we are kind to one another, and when we offer forgiveness to each other.

Some practical steps:

• Acknowledge the anger and it's cause,  then look at what within you has reacted?
• Is it something that requires action. We can feel angry about injustice etc. But what has been triggered in us. I
• s it a boundary issue, has someone or something hurt us?
• Don't blame another person. Accept that dealing with the anger is our responsibility.

Next step - determine to forgive, and to forgive the person and the loss or the debt.
Remember, forgiveness means letting go of the offence and  never holding it against the person or using it against them.

Matthew 5:43-47 NLT

"You have heard the law that says, 'Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. [44] But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! [45] In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. [46] If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. [47] If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.

Do it differently.  Set an example.

What causes anger to rise up?

What steps do I need to take to deal with anger or one of its trappings?

Who do I need to forgive?

Where can I show kindness?

2. Generosity v Materialism

The reason this is here is because in our culture and our society, materialism is pervasive and can become invasive in our psyche. We like to think we are free from it, but every day we are bombarded by it and it creeps into our lives so easily.

We go to Vietnam and we see how others live and realise just how materialistic we are. We come home saying how challenged we are, desiring to be different and then before we know it, we are caught in the loop again of our Western mindset.

Sometimes we think we must have things and we simply don't need them. How many of us have bought something and never used it. Sometimes we justify it and it becomes a habit that we don't even realise we have.
Jesus hits it head on. 

Matthew 6:19-27 NLT

"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. [21] Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. [22] "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. [23] But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! [24] "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. [25] "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? [26] Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? [27] Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

What treasures do we store up on earth? What is the best use of our money? Maybe it's just me,  but I'm sure we've all thought "I wish I had...",  Or "I could really use...". Its the trap of materialism. Jesus gives us the alternative. God cares about the things we need. He cares about whether or not we have enough to eat,  drink,  roof over our head. The question for us is, do we really believe that God cares about those things?

1 Timothy 6:6-8, 17-19 NLT
Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. [7] After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. [8] So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

[17] Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. [18] Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. [19] By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

Paul writes to Timothy giving him Instructions  on how to live and what to teach others. 

• Learn contentment
• Trust God
• Be generous
• Do good works. 

This is how we store up treasure that won't rust or be destroyed but has eternal worth. This is contrary to almost everything the world says to do. The world says spend it, compete with others, have the best of everything you don't need. Jesus says give, be generous, make a difference. This is what sets you up for the future. 

This does not mean we can't make money. Jesus told the parable of the talents.  Those who invested and made money were commended. We are to be good stewards of the masters money. But it is the masters money, not ours. We give account for what we do with it. 

Love God, use money, not the other way around. 

Some practical steps.

• Know your weakness with money
• Take responsibility for it, and develop an intentional plan of action to deal with it
• Take small faith steps - learning to trust in God's word
• Exercise faith and be deliberately generous

What areas of my life am I not trusting God for?

How well am I stewarding God's resources? What can I change to be a better steward of those resources?

Where or to whom can I show generosity?

How can I store up treasure in heaven?

Am I living as salt and Light in this area of my life?

 

 

http://bible.com/72/rom.11.33.hcsb Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments and untraceable His ways!