ALL
GOD WANTS FROM US 2
If all God wants from us is to
believe in Jesus and to love one another, how do we obey these two simple
requirements in real terms?
There are many people who believe that Jesus was a historical figure who lived
on earth over 2000 years ago, but He makes no difference to them. Their belief
that Jesus existed is like believing that Julius Caesar also lived, and Caesar
makes no difference to their lives either.
What did Jesus do two thousand years ago that no one else can do?
Has anyone else claimed to be the Son of God and given evidence of the truth of
this claim as He did by the things He said and did? Has anyone else claimed,
not only to be able to raise the dead, but also to BE the resurrection? Jesus
pulled that one off, first, by raising a man to life who was already
decomposing in the grave after four days, and then by rising from the dead
Himself!
No one has ever been able to disprove the resurrection after examining the
evidence from every angle. So, if He spoke the truth when He predicted His
death and resurrection, we can safely assume that everything else He said is
true.
This means that, by believing in Him, we commit ourselves entirely to Him if we
want to live forever, even after we die. No more living selfishly; no more
living independently; no more living sinful lives as and when we please.
Jesus becomes our Supreme Authority, aka “Lord”, when we surrender
our lives to Him. By His Spirit, we are indissolubly joined to Him, like
branches in a vine, and His life flows into us and through us to the world
around us.
We are in a partnership with Him through which He supplies the power to live
His life as we respond in obedience to the leading and prompting of the Holy
Spirit. He provides everything we need when we receive His promises by faith.
We receive our spiritual food to grow in faith and character from His Word and
we communicate with Him in prayer.
2 Peter 1:3-4 NLT
[3] “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a
godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who
called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. [4] And
because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious
promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and
escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”
The second part of what God wants from us is the outflow of our union with
Jesus. Since Jesus is God and God is love, the Holy Spirit (the third person in
the Godhead) pours God’s love into us, changing us from selfish, self-serving
sinners, to loving and caring children of God.
1 John 4:11-12 NLT
[11] “Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love
each other. [12] No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives
in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us….
[17] And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be
afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we
live like Jesus here in this world.”
How do we express this love to our fellow believers in practical ways?
The Bible gives us some clear directives.
1. We love by helping those in need.
John 3:16-19 NLT
[16]”We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So
we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. [17] If
someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but
shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? [18] Dear children,
let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our
actions. [19] Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be
confident when we stand before God.”
2. We love by living in honesty and transparency with one another.
1 John 1:7 NLT
[7]”But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we
have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us
from all sin.”
1 John 2:9-11 NLT
[9] If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer,
that person is still living in darkness. [10] Anyone who loves a fellow
believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. [11] But
anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness.
Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the
darkness.”
3. We love by preserving unity.
Ephesians 4:3 NLT
[3] Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding
yourselves together with peace.
3. We love by submitting ourselves to one another.
Ephesians 5:21 NLT
[21] And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
4. We love by building our fellowship with one another.
Ephesians 4:2 NLT
[2] Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance
for each other’s faults because of your love.
5. We love by praying for one another.
Ephesians 6:18 NLT
[18] “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert
and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”
6. We love by building one another up in our faith.
Jude 1:20-21 NLT
[20] “But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy
faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, [21] and await the mercy of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep
yourselves safe in God’s love.”
How important it is for us guard against laws, burdens, and requirements that
religions and religious people try to put on us that are not from God.
Jesus extends an invitation to all those who have tried hard to live up to
standards that others put upon us. He offers us the rest that being in
partnership with Him brings.
Matthew 11:28-30 NLT
[28]”Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry
heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you. Let me
teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for
your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is
light.”
Category Archives: Christian Life
ALL GOD WANTS FROM US 1
ALL GOD WANTS FROM US 1
The Christian life can be confusing at times, so many requirements… do this, do that… be this, be that! It’s no wonder people sometimes give up.
God’s people, under the Mosaic Covenant, had 613 laws to obey to become “righteous”. Even then, if they did obey all 613 laws all the time, their righteousness would only have been ceremonial, not spiritual.
Hebrews 9:9-10 NIV
[9] “This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. [10] They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.”
Hebrews 9:13 NIV
[13] “The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.”
Hebrews 10:1, 3-4 NIV
[1] “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason, it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship….
[3] But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. [4] It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”
God’s conclusion about all of humanity is,
Romans 3:10-12 NIV
[10]… “There is no one righteous, not even one; [11] there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. [12] All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”…
[18] “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
The law was never intended to make people righteous. Rather, it was given for another purpose.
Romans 3:20 NIV
[20] “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.”
Now, that’s helpful! What good is it if we are constantly being reminded of our sinfulness with no solution?
It’s little wonder, then, that most of God’s people didn’t even try to keep His laws. They simply followed their evil hearts.
God’s solution to this dilemma is both effective and permanent.
Hebrews 10:11-14 NIV
[11]”Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. [12] But when this priest (Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, [13] and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. [14] For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”
Our faith in Jesus and what He did for us by dying on the cross, forever absolves us from trying to keep the law. Instead, we rest in His work and respond to His grace by paying it forward.
So, what does God want from us?
He swept away all 613 laws with one stroke and replaced them with two requirement that encompass everything He expects from us.
Requirement number one:
John 6:29 NLT
[29] Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”
Requirement number two:
John 13:34 NLT
[34] “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”
In John’s first letter, he puts these two commandments together…
1 John 3:23 NLT
[23] “And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.”
O yes, the New, Testament writers fleshed out those two commandments for so that we would clearly understand what believing in Jesus and loving one another really mean but, He lays no burden of dos and don’ts on us. In fact, John assures us,
1 John 5:1-3 NLT
[1] “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. [2] We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. [3] Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.”
There it us, laid out for us in the simplest way possible. Jesus really meant it when He said, “I will give you rest.” Real rest is in Him. No more struggling to please Him because we now know that what really pleases Him…our faith.
Hebrews 11:6 NLT
[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.”
THE MEANING OF GOOD IN ROMANS 8:28
THE MEANING OF GOOD IN ROMANS 8:28
I love definitions because they add meaning and colour to the words that I so often use without understanding.
Take, for example, the word “good” in Romans 8:28.
“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.”
Romans 8:28 NLT
“Good” can mean anything I want it to mean, or it could mean nothing to me without a definition.
I found the meaning of “good” in Strong’s Concordance intriguing.
– Lexical: ἀγαθός
– Transliteration: agathos
– Part of Speech: Adjective
– Phonetic Spelling: ag-ath-os’
– Definition: intrinsically good, good in nature, good whether it be seen to be so or not, the widest and most colourless of all words with this meaning….
Another meaning of “good” according to ancient Hebrew understanding is “functional”, i.e., that which works.
So, God is working for us, in all our circumstances, good or bad, that which is functional, whether we see it like that or not.
Now, isn’t that comforting! This truth puts God in the centre of what is happening in our lives at any time. Nothing is accidental, coincidental, or purposeless, no matter how unpleasant or uncomfortable it may be at the time.
Of course, this does not mean that God causes our difficult circumstances. Sometimes we are the engineers of trial and trouble through our own foolishness. It does mean, however, that He uses the adversities, whether we cause them or not, for our good.
However, the meaning of “good” can be very broad. We need to read it in its context to understand “good” in greater detail.
Our problem is that we often don’t read enough to connect our word with its context. When we read on in Romans 8, the context focuses us in, like binoculars, on the purpose for the good God is working for us.
“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.”
Romans 8:29 NLT
Suddenly, what was vague becomes clear. Again, like a pair of binoculars, we see God zeroing in on Jesus His Son, as the prototype of every person born into His kingdom. He requires that all His children should be perfect replicas of Jesus!
Wow? How is that possible? He does it by using “all things” to shape and prune us until everything that does not resemble Jesus, is removed. God is determined to bring many sons to glory (Hebrews 2:10), sons who love, trust, obey, and submit to Him in all things, to be like Jesus who is the prototype of all His brothers.
We will never reach perfection in this life but, thankfully, John puts the final piece into the puzzle.
“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.”
1 John 3:2 NLT
That’s it! God will put the finishing touches to His work when we come face to face with Jesus. The sight of His glory, which we see only partially in this life, will transform us instantly into HIS perfect likeness.
“So, all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT
So, what does this all mean for us?
1. Submit joyfully to God’s “all things”! Submit, submit, and again I say, submit.
2. Gaze unceasingly on the glory of Jesus. Gaze, gaze, and again I say, gaze!
We become what we focus on. Some believers see the devil behind every bush. It’s no wonder they struggle so much with sin! Others see Jesus in every dark cloud, and problems become opportunities.
So,
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Colossians 3:1-4 NIV
DON’T LIGHT FIRES, MEND FENCES
DON’T LIGHT FIRES, MEND FENCES
James 2:12-13 NIV
[12] Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, [13] because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
James 2:12-13 NLT
[12] So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. [13] There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.
There is so much evidence in God’s grace towards us that encourages us to “pay it forward”. This response to those who sin against us is perhaps one of the most powerful ways we can reach out to unbelievers, and especially those who hate us for our faith in Jesus.
Revenge is the name of the game in modern society, even more than the principle of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Too many people in our land take revenge to its ultimate end. “You don’t do… give me what I want so, I’ll take your life.”
Both Old and New Covenants record stories of people who acted in mercy towards those who should have received judgment. David is a superb example of an Old Testament saint who received mercy because he showed mercy.
After the death of King Saul and Jonathan, David had every right to secure his throne by exterminating their descendants. Instead, he brought Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s crippled son, into his own household and restored everything he should have inherited from his father and grandfather.
When David sinned against the Lord by committing adultery and murder, his fate should have been death. Yet God showed him mercy. He forgave his sin although David did not escape sin’s consequences.
A glowing example of mercy in the New Covenant is, of course, our Lord Jesus Himself. Peter described Jesus’ way of dealing with His persecutors in these sublime words,
1 Peter 2:22-24 NIV
[22] “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” [23] When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. [24] “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
By His life and death, Jesus mended the biggest rift between man and God, our sin-debt to the Father, and the strongest boundary fence between us and the hostile world. His love for us, and everything that love secures, is the guarantee that we shall be with Him forever.
Some people, including certain politicians in our country, love to light fires. They enjoy watching those burn whom they hate, forgetting that eternal fires await them in the future. This attitude fosters only more pain and suffering than we already have.
So, Paul counsels us to put an end to the fires of revenge in our hearts that perpetuate hatred and bitterness.
Romans 12:17 NIV
[17] “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone….
[19] Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. [20] On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” [21] Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.”
Jesus’ gracious forgiveness opens the way for us to do the same. Imagine the difference we could make if we deliberately and purposefully want about mending the rifts between ourselves and others rather than lighting the fires that will forever burn the space between us and them.
DECEPTION
DECEPTION
Two characters in Scripture have the same name but a very different perspective on life and very different destinies. Their names were Saul and Saul. Both were prominent figures in God’s story.
Saul, the first king of Israel, was tall and handsome, a Benjaminite whose father was a wealthy and influential man in his community. Saul was a man of privilege, but he had an unfortunate sense of insecurity which caused him to fear David to the extent that he ordered the murder of an entire priestly family in revenge for helping David.
Saul’s insecurity led him to disobey God on more than one occasion so that God took the kingship away from him, chose David to replace him and had him and all his sons but one killed in battle.
Saul pronounced his verdict on himself when David refused to kill him for the second time, “Surely I have acted like a fool, and I have been terribly wrong.”
.
Saul, renamed Paul, was a highly educated Pharisee who had a miraculous encounter with Jesus on the way to Damascus. His life was transformed from an arrogant religious fanatic to a humble yet powerful servant of Jesus.
Paul’s verdict, at the end of his life, was vastly different from king Saul’s.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
2 Timothy 4:7-8 NIV
What made the difference between these two Sauls? King Saul lived for the moment and failed to take his future into account. He bought into the devil’s lies. “God doesn’t see; God doesn’t know; God doesn’t care.” Saul played to the people and lost… his kingship, his dynasty, and his life.
Paul, by contrast, played to an audience of one. H;is focus was always on Jesus. His life was centred on pleasing the Lord. He kept his eye on the goal.
“So, whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.”
2 Corinthians 5:9-10 NLT
So, what is the great deception?
Whom do you believe? Who do you trust? Satan says, “Believe me and don’t take God seriously.” Saul believed the lie, lived for the moment, and lost everything.
Paul believed God and trusted Jesus. He lived today with his eye on tomorrow. He obeyed the Lord because he took Him seriously.
PRAYER
Father God, thank you that you continuously warn us in your Word to be careful of deception. The devil is a deceiver, and he has many people who work for him to spread his deception all over the world.
Please help me and all your people to guard our hearts against deception by reading your Word and believing the truth you Word teaches us about you, us, and the life you want us to live.
Thank you for the Bible. You gave us this book to save us from sin and foolishness when we believe what is written.