Tag Archives: kindness

FULL STEAM AHEAD – 13

Christian Life, ,

Peter 5:10-11 NLT‬
[10] “In his kindness, God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. [11] All power to him forever! Amen.”

Peter concludes this gem of a letter with a vote of confidence in the Ones who occupy the theme of his writing, God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

He puts everything into their correct order – ‘a little while’ of suffering now, an eternity of glory with Them. Though Peter doesn’t mention the Holy Spirit by name, he knows that He is always present because He administers to us all that God has made available by His grace.

The interim on earth is an important time for us. It is the apprenticeship we serve here for our place and function in God’s eternal kingdom.

Trouble is, we are often so caught up in the struggles of this life that we lose sight of their purpose. Learning to take the long look is the secret of navigating trouble with patience, perseverance, and hope.

‭2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT‬
[18] “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

We learn to ‘have finished with sin’ by celebrating the weaknesses that keep our feet on the ground in place of flying above in the realm of make-believe or mouthing our discontent and unbelief, and wiping off our unhappiness on others. When we trust God instead of trying to change what we don’t like, God will trust us with a future more glorious than we can imagine.

So, as Peter urges us throughout his letter, let’s stay within the boundaries of God’s infallible and enduring Word. Through this Word, we have been born again. Through this Word, we have the prescriptions for living holy lives.

Through this living Word, Jesus Himself, we have the model and mentor for enduring the sufferings associated with this life and the prospect of an eternity with Him. Through this Word, we have the promise of a support system that will see us through to the end, God’s Holy Spirit who dispenses all the grace and mercy we need to overcome all the obstacles on our way to glory.

It’s full steam ahead for all who have the goal in mind with no intention of not reaching it. All the negatives we experience mean we will not fail because God is determined to keep us on track. He wil do whatever it takes to get us home safely. It’s His promise!

KINDNESS AND STERNNESS

Bible Study, ,

KINDNESS AND STERNNESS

“Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God; sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in His kindness. Otherwise, you too will be cut off. And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature and, contrary to nature, were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?” Romans 11:22-24.

That puts paid to the pernicious “once saved, always saved” doctrine!

There is a never-ending supply of God’s grace for those who “continue in His kindness.” Of that we can be absolutely confident. However, God’s covenant with His people is a two-way agreement. In one sense, He has done it all. There is nothing we can add to what Jesus did by His life and death to make it more effective. He has redeemed us from slavery to sin, reconciled us to the Father and restored us to His family as His sons and daughters. “He has given us everything we need for living a godly life…” 2 Peter 1;3a. He has placed His Spirit within us to nuture and guide us in His ways.

But, like the Israelites who were cut off because of their unbelief and disobedience, we can also be cut off if we persist in living according to the flesh. There is ample evidence in the Scriptures, both in the Old and the New Testaments that the initiative to remain in union with God is ours. Consider what Jesus said to His disciples on the eve of His crucifixion:

‘If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” John 15:6.

Sobering words from the Master Himself!

Paul was equally adamant that the life of God in us must produce the fruit of that life.

“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:5, 6.

From where does the idea come that we can continue to live as we like and still remain in the vine? Our union with Jesus is both passive and active – passive in that we need do nothing to remain in Him because He has called us into His rest, yet active in that we continue to trust Him, obey His Word and walk in the Spirit.

“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.” Romans 8:14.

There is no limit to God’s kindness towards those who believe and obey what He says, but only punishment for those who do not. He cannot do otherwise because He has done everything necessary to restore us to Himself but leaves the choice to us. Answering an altar call or signing a decision card, or even receiving Jesus as our personal Saviour is not the criterion – only faith and obedience are.

For the Jew as well as the Gentile, the way back to God is the same. They, and we, cannot count on our ancestry to guarantee our relationship with the Father; it is individual and personal, just as God revealed to Habakkuk:

“…The righteous person will live by his faithfulness.” Habakkuk 2:4b.

Like many of God’s promises, eternal life is conditional. It is a partnership between us and God. We believe and He responds to our faith by energising us to obey. The Holy Spirit is the “fuel” who gives power to our choices. We act upon the promises of God and He moves us closer to the image of His Son.

“Through these (His own glory and goodness), He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world caused by evil desires.” 2 Peter 1:4.

I think that the issue is not so much about being saved and then living in the flesh but about thinking one is saved but has never been born again of the Spirit of God. Saying the “sinner’s prayer” or answering an altar call does not save anyone. Paul said,

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 1 Romans 10:9-12

The evidence that one has truly been born again of God’s Spirit lies in the transformation of the life from ungodliness to the new life that seeks after God and lives according to the Word.

“No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.” 1 John 3:9-10

Acknowledgement

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Kindness And Sternness

Bible Study, , ,

KINDNESS AND STERNNESS

“Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God; sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in His kindness. Otherwise, you too will be cut off. And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature and, contrary to nature, were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?” Romans 11:22-24.

That puts paid to the pernicious “once saved, always saved” doctrine!

There is a never-ending supply of God’s grace for those who “continue in His kindness.” Of that we can be absolutely confident. However, God’s covenant with His people is a two-way agreement. In one sense He has done it all. There is nothing we can add to what Jesus did by His life and death to make it more effective. He has redeemed us from slavery to sin, reconciled us to the Father and restored us to His family as His sons and daughters. “He has given us everything we need for living a godly life…” 2 Peter 1;3a. He has placed His Spirit within us to nuture and guide us in His ways.

But, like the Israelites who were cut off because of their unbelief and disobedience, we can also be cut off if we persist in living according to the flesh. There is ample evidence in the Scriptures, both in the Old and the New Testaments that the initiative to remain in union with God is ours. Consider what Jesus said to His disciples on the eve of His crucifixion:

‘If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” John 15:6.

Sobering words from the Master Himself!

Paul was equally adamant that the life of God in us must produce the fruit of that life.

“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:5, 6.

From where does the idea come that we can continue to live as we like and still remain in the vine? Our union with Jesus is both passive and active – passive in that we need do nothing to remain in Him because He has called us into His rest, yet active in that we continue to trust Him, obey His Word and walk in the Spirit.

“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.” Romans 8:14.

There is no limit to God’s kindness towards those who believe and obey what He says, but only punishment for those who do not. He cannot do otherwise because He has done everything necessary to restore us to Himself but leaves the choice to us. Answering an altar call or signing decision card, or even receiving Jesus as our personal Saviour is not the criterion – only obedience is.

For the Jew as well as the Gentile, the way back to God is the same. They, and we, cannot count on our ancestry to guarantee our relationship with the Father; it is individual and personal, just as God revealed to Habakkuk:

“…The righteous person will live by his faithfulness.” Habakkuk 2:4b.

Like many of God’s promises, eternal life is conditional. It is a partnership between us and God. We believe and He responds to our faith by energising us to obey. The Holy Spirit is the “fuel” who gives power to our choices. We act upon the promises of God and He moves us closer to the image of His Son.

“Through these (His own glory and goodness), He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world caused by evil desires.” 2 Peter 1:4.

Acknowledgement

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

Strangers to Grace

Christian Life, , , ,

STRANGERS TO GRACE

“‘That’s when you’ll find yourselves out in the cold, strangers to grace. You’ll watch Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all the prophets march into God’s kingdom. You’ll watch outsiders stream in from east, west, north and south and sit down at the table of God’s kingdom. And all the time you’ll be outside looking in – and wondering what happened. This is the Great Reversal: the last in line put at the head of the line, and the so-called first ending up last.'” Luke 13:28-30 (The Message).

This makes terribly sad reading for those who have experienced grace, the unimaginable favour of God that takes worthless sinners and makes them over into beloved sons because they have taken seriously what Jesus was saying.

Imagine getting to the end of the road, so sure you are right, only to find that Jesus was right and you were wrong and now there’s no going back. The Pharisees and religious leaders were so cock-sure of themselves that they exterminated Him on the strength of their conviction, only to find that what He predicted happened – He rose from the dead and proved them dead wrong!

“Consider, therefore, the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in His kindness.” Romans 11:23 (NIV).

God’s offer of kindness in forgiving sin, wiping the slate clean and starting you all over again is extended to everyone without exception, but He never forces His kindness on anyone. He has provided the sacrifice – His own Son, Jesus – and made the offer, but it is up to us to take what He offers seriously or pooh-pooh His grace and face the consequences.

God’s sternness is reserved for those who are foolish enough to brush aside His provision as though He were either a liar or irrelevant. If His warnings fall on persistently deaf ears, we have no-one but ourselves to blame when we hear His sorrowful words, ‘Go away. I never knew you.” For those who have a conscience (and who hasn’t, except that many pay no attention to it), there is no excuse because conscience is God’s inner voice built into us at conception.

“When outsiders who have never heard of God’s law follow it more or less by instinct, they confirm its truth by their obedience. They show that God’s law is not something alien, imposed on us from without, but woven into the very fabric of our creation. There is something deep within that echoes God’s yes and no, right and wrong…” Romans 2:14, 15 (The Message).

God has no pleasure in tossing people onto the eternal rubbish dump (called hell), but He has no option but to uphold His word and confirm our choices. Like seeds, God has put endless potential into every life. Look at an apple. What do you see? A tasty fruit or a forest-in-the-making? It depends on our perspective. God looked at Abraham and saw a nation. It’s all about potential. His greatest sorrow is to have to discard people eternally because of wasted potential.

He has woven into human beings (that’s us too), the potential to become sons of God with all the rights and privileges Jesus has as God’s Son. He has actually named His sons heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, reigning with Him in eternal glory! Why pass that up for a stubborn refusal to take Him seriously?

Hence Jesus’ warning, “Before your day-to-day choices are confirmed forever,” He said, “take the trouble to verify My credentials, My trustworthiness and My promises, and act on what you discover.”

Once again, it’s your choice…