Tag Archives: Work hard

PARTNERSHIP’S PARTNER

Bible Study, ,

Philippians 2:12-13 NLT
[12] “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.”

The greatest partner we can ever have in this life is God Himself. All the other partnerships we share are only effective when we partner with God. It’s His promise of doing the work in us that provides the hope and the desire to endure.

Can you see how this partnership works? We do the willing through the desire He awakens in us, God provides the power to do, and together, we accomplish His purpose.

Unfortunately, there is a terrible deception in the minds of many people. They faithfully attend church and all its functions, they read the Bible, they contribute to the finances of the church, they do all the stuff but…they are still dead. They have never been born from above.

To Nicodemus’ enquiry, Jesus insisted,

John 3:3, 5-7 NLT
[3] “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”…
[5] Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. [6] Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. [7] So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ “

Just as the Christian life is a partnership with God, so entry in His kingdom requires the power of the Holy Spirit to bring the dead back to life.

Ephesians 2:1, 4-6 NLT
[1] “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins…
[4] But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, [5] that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) [6] For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.”

Dead people cannot raise themselves. It’s takes the mighty power of God to awaken a dead spirit and restore spiritual life.

Ephesians 1:19-20 NLT
[19]”I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power [20] that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.”

This act of spiritual resurrection is, first, according to God’s will and then effected by God’s power. No human can make that choice. In a way we find difficult to understand, God chooses His own and sets in motion His work of salvation.

Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT
[4] “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. [5] God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”

It is not for us to contest what the Bible says if it challenges our logic and our sense of fairness. We must believe because God is good, wise, and sovereign and He said it.

From God’s perspective, all humans are condemned because we were all born rebels. God saves some through His mercy. He is not answerable to our opinion.

Romans 11:32 NLT
[32] “For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.”

His mercy is available to all but many refuse to believe Him. The reason is simple…

John 3:19-20 NIV
[19] “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. [20] Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.”

To those who respond to God’s mercy in answer to His choosing, He works the miracle of spiritual resurrection. The change is immediate and unmistakable. The soul that has been born again is transferred from darkness to light, from the dominion of Satan to the kingdom of God. The heart is changed! A new disposition to love and obey God has been implanted in the heart.

How do we know that this partnership with God has begun, transforming us and transferring us into His kingdom. The evidence is clear.

  1. We have peace with God.

Romans 5:1 NLT
[1] “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.”

  1. We love others.

1 John 3:14 NLT
[14] If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.

  1. We don’t practise sin.

1 John 3:9 NLT
[9] “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.”

  1. We live righteously.

1 John 3:7 NLT
[7] “Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.”

So, to experience the miracle of new birth and all the changes that God’s work accomplishes in us, we must partner and co-operate with the Father by faith as He works out His gracious purposes in and through us. As we began by believing in Jesus through the Father’s calling, so we continue to hear, listen anf follow His leading through the Spirit in us.

His purpose is the transform us into the image of His Son but He can only accomplish His purpose as we work with Him by loving, trusting, submitting to, and obeying Him, one step at a time.

BE A GOOD FINISHER

Christian Life, ,

Today, on the 28th day of August, 84 years ago, I transitioned from my mother’s womb into the world. I have lived through 84 years of ups and downs, sunshine and storms, building my understanding of life by looking back on experience after experience.

I am nearing the end of my journey. What can I say about my past and my anticipation of the future? How much longer do I have in time before I transition again into the realm of eternity?

I think often about these things since I have no idea whether my end will be abrupt or drawn out. Jesus urged us to be ready. We must not allow our final day to take us by surprise, leaving us no time to prepare for our eternal future.

There is a place and a designation for the elderly. Starting the journey well with Jesus is good but finishing well is better. God wants His oldies to be good finishers. This is the greatest testimony to His grace.

Paul had a triumphant declaration of his life and impending death as a good finisher.

2 Timothy 4:6-8 NLT
[6] “As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. [7] I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. [8] And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.”

He confidently asserted his qualifications for the prize he would earn for his life of faithful service to his Master.

He had a calling which he fulfilled, to take the gospel to the Gentile world. He viewed his mission as a drink offering poured out to God in worship. This calling involved blood, sweat, and tears, but he did it out of love for Jesus.

He had a treasure to guard and to pass on to succeeding generations. The gospel message was not his. Jesus entrusted it to him to deliver, unchanged and intact, to those who heard him and to those who came after them until the end of time.

His source was the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, foretold by the prophets, fulfilled in history, and interpreted by the Holy Spirit in and through him and his fellow apostles. He was not only faithful to his calling but he also urged those who came after him to stick with the truth.

2 Timothy 1:14 NLT
[14] “Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.”

He anticipated his death with joy. There was no “sword of Damocles” hanging over his head. Not even the possibility of martyrdom frightened him. He was on his way to glory and the way it would happen was simply the transition from time to eternity.

For those who anticipate Jesus’ return with joy, the interim is the time to prepare, to put right what needs attention and to endure with patience the trials and tests of the journey.

Peter joined Paul in his joyful anticipation of the future for good finishers.

1 Peter 1:6-9 NLT
[6] “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. [7] These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. [8] You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. [9] The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.”

What of those who ignore or brush aside with contempt the process by which good finishers will enjoy their reward? Some live by the foolish notion that everyone will go to heaven no matter how they finished life on this earth. Others push the notion of death aside and live as though there is no tomorrow.

What a fool’s dream. How can God welcome His enemies into His eternal home?

Romans 5:10 NIV
[10] “For if, while we were God’s ENEMIES…

How can He invite the dead to live with Him forever?

Ephesians 2:1 NIV
[1] “As for you, you were DEAD in your transgressions and sins…”

How can He tolerate sin in His holy presence?

Habakkuk 1:13 NIV
[13] “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?…”

He warns…

Galatians 6:7-8 NLT
[7]”Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. [8] Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.“

The only way to ensure that you will finish well is, first, to start the journey with the right company. Keeping company with the world will aid you on your way to destruction. Jesus is the only way to the Father.

Second, staying on course will keep you moving in the right direction towards your desired destiny. Guard and stay in the truth. Those who endure to the end will be saved.

Third, do the work you were assigned to do. Jesus requires only one way to please Him. Love one another. There are many expressions of love. Follow the directive you have received from the Spirit to express Jesus’ love to one another.

Fourth, anticipate the Lord’s return with joy for there is a great reward for good finishers.

My journey has not yet ended but my heart is moving me towards my destination with the anticipation of a grand welcome into His eternal. Kingdom.

2 Peter 1:10-11 NLT
[10] “So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. [11] Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”