And Hope does not disappoint.
Prov 23:17-18
Don’t envy sinners, but always continue to fear the Lord.
You will be rewarded for this, your hope will not be disappointed.
Romans 5:3-5
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 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.
What is hope?
What do we mean when we say we are hoping for something and how does that differ from Biblical Hope?
We usually think of hope as something fleeting, or a reward for something we have done. E.g. I hope I get paid on time? It is not necessarily a sure thing. In the time of the ancients, hope was considered transitory, and a temporary illusion. It was nothing strong, nothing certain.This is often how we view hope today, it’s temporary, it’s uncertain and it’s rarely a sure thing. In racing, they talk about a “sure thing”, but it is never certain. Therefor I hope my “sure bet” wins today!!
Biblical Hope is different. Biblical hope is about a sure thing. Biblical hope is possible because of God.
Paul says that those that don’t know God are without hope and without God. Eph 2:12. Hope is inseparable from faith in God. Faith is complete trust in God, Hope is an eager expectation based on who God is and what he has done, is doing and will do. It is a sure and certain hope.
There are two words used for hope in the New Testament. One is a noun and refers to the hope we have. This hope is what Jesus has done. The other is the verb form of the word and relates to our response to what God has done and is doing. The Hope we have is not based in prevailing circumstance but it is based in the reality of God.
In other words our hope for the future is based not in what I see today, but in what God has done, is doing and will do.
Hope:
1. Is based on who God is, not on meOur Hope is based on who Christ is and my relationship to him. It is not based on anything I can do myself.
It is based on who I am in Christ
Titus 3:6-8
He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”
This is the hope we have. Eternal life through Christ, through relationship with him.
Col 1:27
For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.
The NIV says "Christ in you the Hope of Glory."
The hope Paul is talking about is the hope we have based on what Jesus has done for us, it is based in the saving power of Christ and our response to him.
Col 1:21-23
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation – if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
In everything Paul writes, he discusses the hope we have through Christ, through his shed blood and through God’s saving Power for those who believe. In Christ and through Christ, are common phrases.
1 Tim 1:1
This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus, who gives us hope.
Hope is based on what God has already done, is doing and promises to do in the future. Our future, in the hands of a loving Father, who cares about us and wants relationship with us.
Eph 1:18
I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
There is so much about hope in the new Testament. A hope that is strong, a hope that is confident.
1 Peter 1:21-22
Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.
Our hope, our confident assurance and expectation, is in God, because Jesus was raised from the dead, and it is based in my faith and trust in God.
2. Is about the eternal not the temporalThe hope we have, is not based on present circumstance or even future circumstances. The hope we have is based on the eternal promise of God, on his faithfulness and on what he is doing according to his eternal purpose.
Heb 6:13-20
For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying:
“I will certainly bless you,
and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.”[c]
Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.
Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.
The hope, that keeps us secure in the here and now, is the same hope that allows us to come confidently into God’s presence.
It is hope that brings joy with it. When we hope in God, when we trust in him, this brings joy.
We will never be put to shame if we place our hope in God. When we go past circumstance to our amazing God who cares, he is our helper, he is our joygiver.
Ps 146:5
But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.
God has given us his promises and they are eternal promises. They give us hope now and they give us hope in the age to come. God is unchangeable and we can be sure that he will not change his mind.When we trust him, this hope (in an unchanging God, faithful and true), becomes an anchor for our soul.We will not be tossed around by circumstance, but we will stay strong and true with our hope placed in our eternal God and his love for us and not swayed by everything that comes around.
Want to know how to stand strong in the storms of life? Place your hope in God and who he is and not in the circumstance or in any other person.The prophet Jeremiah gives us a great example of this. He was around in the time of the destruction of Jerusalem. He was living in horrible days. We would say, like a holocaust, where many of his own people were destroyed, the city he loved was destroyed, the country came under despotic foreign rule and his friends were killed. This is not pretty. This is not just a nice story, this happened to this man.
Lam 3:19-24
The thought of my suffering and homelessness
is bitter beyond words.[a]
I will never forget this awful time,
as I grieve over my loss.
Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:
The faithful love of the Lord never ends![b]
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”
There is a change from the temporal (all that is happening) to the eternal (Who God is and his faithfulness and his promises.) This man does not deny his situation, he is lamenting his loss, but he focusses his thoughts and his mind onto God. In the circumstance he looks past today, past the here and now to the future and to the eternal. We can do the same, because we trust in the same unchanging God
Ps 42:5 expresses a similar sentiment.
Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Saviour and my God!
Again this is a change from the temporal to the eternal.This is a choice we make daily in every decision. It doesn’t just happen. This hope comes from an understanding of who God is, but it has to be applied every day in every circumstance. It is a choice. WE choose, by our thoughts and actions either the temporal, the here and now, or the eternal.
Which one will we choose??
Romans 5:3-5
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 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 circumstances have a place. The question is what will our attitude be? Problems and trials are about producing something in us of eternal value. Endurance develops our strength of character which strengthens our hope. In other words, our understanding of who God is and what he has done and will do should become more confident and stronger if we will let it.And we will not be disappointed, because God loves us, has given us his Spirit. We can have patient endurance, because we hope in God.
3. Leads to right livingThe hope, the eager expectation, the waiting patiently is meant to manifest itself in right living before God because of what he has done for us.
1 Peter 1:13
So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
Right living, clear thinking, self control and obedience are meant to be results of this hope we have. Because of everything Jesus has done for us, because of his great love, we are to live differently. We are to become more and more like Christ. This is choosing to be holy. It clearly says “do not slip back into your old way to satisfy your own desires”. Our own desires are about our present circumstances not about God’s purposes.
Since the hope we have is about eternal purposes, then we are to reflect that by right and holy living, not living that reflects selfish desire.
1 John 3:2-3
Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.
Right living and purity are meant to be a result of our faith in God (His love and gracious forgiveness) and our hope, our eager expectation. (Let’s not confuse justification – saved by grace with sanctification, the ongoing becoming like Christ which is about changed lifestyle and right living).
Hebrews 6:10-12
For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.
Colossians 1:3-5
We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.
Faith Hope and Love are inextricably tied together. Faith in God brings hope for the future. It outworks itself in right living and in love for others. The best thing we can do is to love others enough to help them to hear and know the good news of salvation through Christ. Our lives are the example.
Conclusion
So hope is the eager expectation, based on who God is and what he has done. It is:
● About who God is and who we are in him
● About the eternal, not the here and now
● Is expressed in right living
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Faith
Faith hope and love are intangibles. They are difficult to define, but incredibly important.
.
Hebrews 11:1
Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen (what we hope for is those things God has spoken about, life, salvation, his promises etc. Full rights as adopted children Romans 8:24); it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
According to the Blueletter Bible Lexcicon:
Faith is a conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it
a) relating to God
1) the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ
b) relating to Christ
1) a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God
So faith is a conviction of the truth, even though we cannot physically see it.What we see is what is immediately in front of us. What we cannot see is what we need faith for. Hebrews gives us some clues about what faith is about.
Hebrews11:3
By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command and not by anything that can be seen.
Faith is about belief. It is about believing without seeing. The writer to the Hebrews thought faith was so important he spent a whole section writing about it in chapter 11. Jesus said to his disciples that those who believe without seeing will be blessed.
John 20:29
You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.
Faith is important to our existence, to our relationship with God and to our everyday lives.
1. Faith pleases GodHebrews 11:2
Through their faith, the people in the days of old earned a good reputation.
Faith is important to God. It is by faith we believe and are saved, it is by faith that we build a good reputation, it is by faith that we live.
Hebrews 11:6
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
It is very clear that faith in God is what is all important. God is not interested so much in our great deeds that we do, in our so called goodness. God is interested in us having a conviction of the truth about himself, about who he is and about his grace and salvation offered to us.
Romans 1:16-17
For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes-the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. It is through faith that a righteous person has life.
Our salvation, our life our future, are all determined by faith and it is this faith in God that pleases him. It is a faith not based on our ability and our merit but totally reliant on God. From the beginning through to the end, it’s about faith and what God can do, not about what you or I can do.
Jesus was often astounded and amazed at the lack of faith amongst the supposed believers, the people of Israel, yet he was amazed by the faith of those who were outside of Israel and foreigners, e.g. the Canaanite woman (Matt 15:21-28) and the Roman centurion (Matt 8:5-13). They had a faith that was based on who Jesus is and in Jesus’ ability rather than their own standing. They did not rely on rituals or on individual ability; they focussed only on God’s ability.
There is a lesson for us in this. Sometimes we confuse religious practice with faith. Religious practice is not faith; it is there to help us in our faith and to understand God’s amazing love for us. Whilst many religious practices may be helpful, if we confuse them with faith, then there is no power and no pleasing God. It is faith that pleases God.
I think this is really key.It is never in our own strength, or our own goodness that we achieve anything. It is only through faith in Christ, through absolute trust in him and through and unswerving belief that he and he alone has the answers we need to every situation.
2. Faith extends usPeter had faith when he walked on water, and it extended him beyond the ordinary into the extraordinary (Matt 14:22-32). It was only when he was not able to apply faith that he got himself into trouble. Again, there is a lesson for us in this. Faith has to be applied.
I can say I have faith that my chair will hold me, but unless I sit on the chair and apply faith to the situation I will not be exercising faith. Abraham exercised faith when he left Ur and moved at God’s command into the unknown.
Hebrews 11:8-10
It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.
Abraham did not know where he was going till he got there, but he stepped out in faith and trusted God for his future. He did not stay because he did not see where he was going; instead, he stepped out into the unknown, and allowed God to lead him into the future.
Faith is meant to be exercised. Otherwise it is just a good idea and theory. It’s not about so called opportunity, or talent or ability, just applied faith. We don’t need masses of faith; we just need to exercise what we have.
Matt 17:20
If you have faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible. Think about this. Jesus is saying that small faith moves mountains and that nothing is impossible. NOTHING WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE. We think of moving the landscape as impossible. God says nothing is impossible with even a small amount of faith.
What impossible thing do you have in your life right now, that needs moving? What has God said about that situation? What is he saying to do? Speak out and apply faith. If a mustard seed measure of faith will move mountains, then we don’t need much faith to do and see amazing things.
God is not asking us to shift around the geography of the world or change the shape of our topography.
He is asking us to believe in him and in all he offers us, and through that, he will accomplish much.
When Peter walked on water it was because he applied faith.
This is what faith is. It is about application and that is why it extends us. It takes us beyond the ordinary and into the extraordinary. It takes us beyond our own abilities and the seemingly impossible into the realm of God possibilities. Faith extends us because sometimes what we see and what we believe do not match up. But as we believe in faith, we will see.
3. Faith brings blessingHebrews 11:6
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
God rewards those who believe and who earnestly seek him. Faith brings blessing but it comes through earnest seeking. Want blessing, seek God earnestly, and not just for selfish reasons. I notice that belief in God goes along with sincerity in action and that produces blessing. Faith, applied brings results and rewards.
When you look at the etymology of this word "reward" in the Greek,we find that it means a reward that is related to paying off a debt, to requite. In other words, the reward is about us having a freedom from the debt we owe God and his paying it for us.
There are also other rewards. We have the opportunity to come into the presence of God, (Hebrews 10) a place in his family, (Romans 8:15-17) and a chance to do great things. God’s rewards are never about selfish ambition but about seeing his purposes achieved on the earth.
ConclusionFaith is implicit trust and belief in God and who he is. Faith pleases God and extends us beyond the ordinary and into a life of amazing possibilities in God. There is an eternal reward, as well as the reward here of life with Christ and his purposes achieved.
.
Hebrews 11:1
Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen (what we hope for is those things God has spoken about, life, salvation, his promises etc. Full rights as adopted children Romans 8:24); it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
According to the Blueletter Bible Lexcicon:
Faith is a conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it
a) relating to God
1) the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ
b) relating to Christ
1) a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God
So faith is a conviction of the truth, even though we cannot physically see it.What we see is what is immediately in front of us. What we cannot see is what we need faith for. Hebrews gives us some clues about what faith is about.
Hebrews11:3
By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command and not by anything that can be seen.
Faith is about belief. It is about believing without seeing. The writer to the Hebrews thought faith was so important he spent a whole section writing about it in chapter 11. Jesus said to his disciples that those who believe without seeing will be blessed.
John 20:29
You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.
Faith is important to our existence, to our relationship with God and to our everyday lives.
1. Faith pleases GodHebrews 11:2
Through their faith, the people in the days of old earned a good reputation.
Faith is important to God. It is by faith we believe and are saved, it is by faith that we build a good reputation, it is by faith that we live.
Hebrews 11:6
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
It is very clear that faith in God is what is all important. God is not interested so much in our great deeds that we do, in our so called goodness. God is interested in us having a conviction of the truth about himself, about who he is and about his grace and salvation offered to us.
Romans 1:16-17
For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes-the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. It is through faith that a righteous person has life.
Our salvation, our life our future, are all determined by faith and it is this faith in God that pleases him. It is a faith not based on our ability and our merit but totally reliant on God. From the beginning through to the end, it’s about faith and what God can do, not about what you or I can do.
Jesus was often astounded and amazed at the lack of faith amongst the supposed believers, the people of Israel, yet he was amazed by the faith of those who were outside of Israel and foreigners, e.g. the Canaanite woman (Matt 15:21-28) and the Roman centurion (Matt 8:5-13). They had a faith that was based on who Jesus is and in Jesus’ ability rather than their own standing. They did not rely on rituals or on individual ability; they focussed only on God’s ability.
There is a lesson for us in this. Sometimes we confuse religious practice with faith. Religious practice is not faith; it is there to help us in our faith and to understand God’s amazing love for us. Whilst many religious practices may be helpful, if we confuse them with faith, then there is no power and no pleasing God. It is faith that pleases God.
I think this is really key.It is never in our own strength, or our own goodness that we achieve anything. It is only through faith in Christ, through absolute trust in him and through and unswerving belief that he and he alone has the answers we need to every situation.
2. Faith extends usPeter had faith when he walked on water, and it extended him beyond the ordinary into the extraordinary (Matt 14:22-32). It was only when he was not able to apply faith that he got himself into trouble. Again, there is a lesson for us in this. Faith has to be applied.
I can say I have faith that my chair will hold me, but unless I sit on the chair and apply faith to the situation I will not be exercising faith. Abraham exercised faith when he left Ur and moved at God’s command into the unknown.
Hebrews 11:8-10
It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.
Abraham did not know where he was going till he got there, but he stepped out in faith and trusted God for his future. He did not stay because he did not see where he was going; instead, he stepped out into the unknown, and allowed God to lead him into the future.
Faith is meant to be exercised. Otherwise it is just a good idea and theory. It’s not about so called opportunity, or talent or ability, just applied faith. We don’t need masses of faith; we just need to exercise what we have.
Matt 17:20
If you have faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible. Think about this. Jesus is saying that small faith moves mountains and that nothing is impossible. NOTHING WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE. We think of moving the landscape as impossible. God says nothing is impossible with even a small amount of faith.
What impossible thing do you have in your life right now, that needs moving? What has God said about that situation? What is he saying to do? Speak out and apply faith. If a mustard seed measure of faith will move mountains, then we don’t need much faith to do and see amazing things.
God is not asking us to shift around the geography of the world or change the shape of our topography.
He is asking us to believe in him and in all he offers us, and through that, he will accomplish much.
When Peter walked on water it was because he applied faith.
This is what faith is. It is about application and that is why it extends us. It takes us beyond the ordinary and into the extraordinary. It takes us beyond our own abilities and the seemingly impossible into the realm of God possibilities. Faith extends us because sometimes what we see and what we believe do not match up. But as we believe in faith, we will see.
3. Faith brings blessingHebrews 11:6
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
God rewards those who believe and who earnestly seek him. Faith brings blessing but it comes through earnest seeking. Want blessing, seek God earnestly, and not just for selfish reasons. I notice that belief in God goes along with sincerity in action and that produces blessing. Faith, applied brings results and rewards.
When you look at the etymology of this word "reward" in the Greek,we find that it means a reward that is related to paying off a debt, to requite. In other words, the reward is about us having a freedom from the debt we owe God and his paying it for us.
There are also other rewards. We have the opportunity to come into the presence of God, (Hebrews 10) a place in his family, (Romans 8:15-17) and a chance to do great things. God’s rewards are never about selfish ambition but about seeing his purposes achieved on the earth.
ConclusionFaith is implicit trust and belief in God and who he is. Faith pleases God and extends us beyond the ordinary and into a life of amazing possibilities in God. There is an eternal reward, as well as the reward here of life with Christ and his purposes achieved.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
How do we know the will of God for our lives. Many Christians struggle with this and spend a lot of time trying all sorts of things and still don't know God's purpose for their life. Of course, there are many factors that fit together to help us understand who we are and what our purpose and calling in life is. Romans 12:1-2 gives us the way to know God's will.
"And so dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don't copy the behaviours and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good pleasing and perfect."
Paul says that because of all God has done for us, because Jesus laid down his life for us, and since God has made us part of his family through Christ, because of all this, we are to present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice. We are to worship God, by living a life pleasing to him. A sacrifice means giving up our life, the things we want and the way we were living, for the cause of the Kingdom. Paul goes on to say, don't live like everyone else does, don't copy what others are doing. Its easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing, but we are to live differently.
As a living sacrifice, worshipping God by the way we live, we are to allow God into our lives and to change the way we think. This means getting God's perspective on how we think. We are no longer to think the way others do, or to chase after the things of this world. This is a challenge because our culture is very materialistic. Our culture says that money and material gain are important. But Paul says we cannot be like this or think like this, we must be different.
When we choose to be a a living sacrifice, when we allow God in and we begin to change the way we think, when we begin to live in transformation, then we will be able to know what God's will is. God's will for us is good and pleasing, but to know what it is requires us to be truly seeking Him, to be living as he calls us to live. If we want to know the will of God, then live as a living sacrifice, laying down our lives for the kingdom, living differently to the world around us, in short, living according to Romans 12:1-2.
"And so dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don't copy the behaviours and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good pleasing and perfect."
Paul says that because of all God has done for us, because Jesus laid down his life for us, and since God has made us part of his family through Christ, because of all this, we are to present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice. We are to worship God, by living a life pleasing to him. A sacrifice means giving up our life, the things we want and the way we were living, for the cause of the Kingdom. Paul goes on to say, don't live like everyone else does, don't copy what others are doing. Its easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing, but we are to live differently.
As a living sacrifice, worshipping God by the way we live, we are to allow God into our lives and to change the way we think. This means getting God's perspective on how we think. We are no longer to think the way others do, or to chase after the things of this world. This is a challenge because our culture is very materialistic. Our culture says that money and material gain are important. But Paul says we cannot be like this or think like this, we must be different.
When we choose to be a a living sacrifice, when we allow God in and we begin to change the way we think, when we begin to live in transformation, then we will be able to know what God's will is. God's will for us is good and pleasing, but to know what it is requires us to be truly seeking Him, to be living as he calls us to live. If we want to know the will of God, then live as a living sacrifice, laying down our lives for the kingdom, living differently to the world around us, in short, living according to Romans 12:1-2.
Value
Our value does not come from what we do but from who we are. We are valuable because we exist, because we are, not because we do. We are fearfully and wonderfully made, created in the image of God and according to his divine plan and purpose. In fact God had us in mind before he created us and formed us. He made us as his masterpiece and we are incredibly valuable to him. We should never underestimate our worth in his eyes. For this reason, and because we are valuable to God, we show our gratitude by living in obedience to him, and by doing what he has called us to do. Eph 2:8-10
Monday, October 31, 2011
Today
I'm sitting in my office trying to concentrate on my work. This is not that easy at the moment as a small child is "helping" me. Not that I have any problem with that, he is adorable and I love him heaps. But it certainly makes the work environment interesting and I wonder how all those Mums who work from home manage it. At the moment my office is covered in yellow sticky notes, sultanas and various other "items of Interest" that catch an inquisutive almost two year old's eye. I am reminded that some-one recently said that a two year old is a scientist, they want to learn and to experiment. This is certainly true. There have been various experiments this morning, some more successful than others, and my desk makes a great hidey-hole to "disappear" into.
Still, its fascinating to see how many things a child can find to play with, and to grow and develop their imagination. I know that children learn so much in the first few years of their life. Who am I to interefere with that learning. My job is to love and encourage, guide, and direct and help this gorgeous boy grow into who he is meant to be, and I know that sooner or later his Mum will turn up, and "normalcy" will return to the office. My life will have been enriched and I will have hopefully enriched his.
Still, its fascinating to see how many things a child can find to play with, and to grow and develop their imagination. I know that children learn so much in the first few years of their life. Who am I to interefere with that learning. My job is to love and encourage, guide, and direct and help this gorgeous boy grow into who he is meant to be, and I know that sooner or later his Mum will turn up, and "normalcy" will return to the office. My life will have been enriched and I will have hopefully enriched his.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Pressing On
Pressing ahead and focussing on the future, forgetting the past is the basis of Philippian's three. Sometimes the past is not easy to forget, but I love the apostle Paul's determination to press forward, forgetting what has been, whether good or bad, and pressing towards the goal of becoming like Jesus. Paul's past had many good things and also many bad things in it, yet he focussed on what lay ahead and not on what had been.
We cannot change the past. We can learn from it and we can grow from the experiences, but we cannot go back and change it. We can however choose to do things differently in the future. How we do this is important though. We can make the past experience into something positive for our future or we can allow the past to stop us from progressing by staying stuck in it. The choice is ours.
That is why Paul in Philippian's 3 says that he is not focussing on the past. It is gone. But what he is focussing on, what he is looking forward to, is the future. If we too are focussing on the future, we are focussing on what God has planned for us, and we can press on and forwards to become more Christlike. We do not have to be stuck in the past. We do not have to live in past glories or failures never moving forward. No, we can learn from these experiences but they should never define us.
I do not want to be defined by the past. I want to be defined by pressing forward, following after God's direction and desires for my life and pressing on to the goal of becoming Christlike. God is in the transformation process and he can take what we offer and use it for his glory. this is what I want. I don't always get it right. It is a life long process, but as I press forwards, and keep my focus in the right place I can confidently trust that what God started he will finish. My part is to keep my attitudes and my focus in the right place and keep in step with what God is doing.
We cannot change the past. We can learn from it and we can grow from the experiences, but we cannot go back and change it. We can however choose to do things differently in the future. How we do this is important though. We can make the past experience into something positive for our future or we can allow the past to stop us from progressing by staying stuck in it. The choice is ours.
That is why Paul in Philippian's 3 says that he is not focussing on the past. It is gone. But what he is focussing on, what he is looking forward to, is the future. If we too are focussing on the future, we are focussing on what God has planned for us, and we can press on and forwards to become more Christlike. We do not have to be stuck in the past. We do not have to live in past glories or failures never moving forward. No, we can learn from these experiences but they should never define us.
I do not want to be defined by the past. I want to be defined by pressing forward, following after God's direction and desires for my life and pressing on to the goal of becoming Christlike. God is in the transformation process and he can take what we offer and use it for his glory. this is what I want. I don't always get it right. It is a life long process, but as I press forwards, and keep my focus in the right place I can confidently trust that what God started he will finish. My part is to keep my attitudes and my focus in the right place and keep in step with what God is doing.
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