SCRIPTURE
Galatians 3:1-6
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
LANGUAGE
Vs 1 Foolish - not understanding, unwise, foolish
Vs 1 bewitched - to charm, to bewitch
COMMENT
So it appears that at least some (many?) of the Galatians just did not understand the gospel. I think this is true in the church today as well. We think we know it all. We think we have to do certain good things (while totally ignoring other things) to be saved. But this is not the gospel that was preached to them by Paul! Not only Paul, but many had seen the gospel lived out in the crucifixion of Jesus. And then there is the gift of the Spirit. They received the Holy Spirit, not by following a set of laws, but they received Him through faith. Did they think that would change over time? Here is this wonderful gift of faith, which you get to keep if you obey? No! Here is this wonderful gift of faith, and as you grow in it, you will grow in your obedience. It's called sanctification, and it comes through growing in faith and not through obedience.They had witnessed miracles. Did they think those miracles came because of their obedience? That quote about Abraham, it comes from the Old Testament. (Gen 15:6) It was Abraham's faith that earned his righteousness.
Yet this is what we want to believe, that somehow me and my obedience play a part in the process. I sometimes wonder way we think this way. I think it is just part of our human nature to think that we have to be a part of the process. It is why prosperity preachers are so popular. They even couch their version of works based Christianity into a version that turns faith into a work. "If you are not getting what you want from God, it is because you do not have enough faith!" As if mustard seed faith was not enough. As if we could believe, but not believe good enough. As if a woman could be a little bit pregnant.
This goes to be thoughts on repentance. We are told to repent of our sins and turn to Jesus. No. The repenting is to turn to Jesus, the sins then go away because we love Him and want to please Him. If we are going to say it at all, it should be that we turn (repent) to Jesus, then turn away from our sins. We turn not out of effort, but because they no longer appeal to us.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
Showing posts with label Self Control. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Self Control. Show all posts
Thursday, May 21, 2020
Sunday, April 26, 2020
It's NOT About You, Really! (Matthew 25:1-13)
SCRIPTURE
Matthew 25:1-13
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
COMMENT
So very much like the last post from Matthew 23. Kind of like a part two, which I talked about at the end of the post. In chapter 23, Jesus is addressing the leadership. In this section, He is addressing the hearers with a definite message: DO NOT BE LIKE THEM!
We feel the need to worship, but sometimes the focus of that worship is misplaced, and we worship the messenger rather than the sender of the message. Some preachers exploit this, and have become multi-millionaires in the process. They sometimes preach prosperity, and other times they preach pain and suffering. But the thing they do not preach is the cross of Christ, and without that, their preaching is in vain. (1 Cor 1:17, 1 Cor 15:14)
Repentance. That is where the servant's heart comes from. It is not enough just to be a servant, there must also be the servant's heart. That is why the cross must be preached, for it is the basis for our actions. We offer our lives as living sacrifices in view of God's great mercy toward us. (Romans 12:1-2) DO NOT BE LIKE THEM, those who would ignore, or even worse, abuse the cross of Christ by making it about us and what we do or need. I think one of the teachings of Christ that we tend to not want to think about is the idea that the road to heaven is a narrow one. Many have chosen a path, but it is not the right or righteous path. My belief is that those on the wide path are not just those who don't want any part with God, but also those who seek to go to heaven, but are not taking the correct path to get there. Do we really believe that the path to God is about us and our own righteous deeds? Is it really a "try harder, do better" mentality that will get us to our goal? How did that work for the Jewish leaders? Read the book of Philippians, look at all that Paul was, and how he learned that is was meaningless, like dung, and the only thing that mattered was Christ, and Him crucified.
Philippians 3:12 "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own." Why does Paul press on? It is to earn salvation, or is it because of what Christ has already done? SO then, the life and deeds of Paul, his service, are not a means of achieving salvation, but rather a response to the salvation he has been granted. Praise God!
Matthew 25:1-13
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
COMMENT
So very much like the last post from Matthew 23. Kind of like a part two, which I talked about at the end of the post. In chapter 23, Jesus is addressing the leadership. In this section, He is addressing the hearers with a definite message: DO NOT BE LIKE THEM!
We feel the need to worship, but sometimes the focus of that worship is misplaced, and we worship the messenger rather than the sender of the message. Some preachers exploit this, and have become multi-millionaires in the process. They sometimes preach prosperity, and other times they preach pain and suffering. But the thing they do not preach is the cross of Christ, and without that, their preaching is in vain. (1 Cor 1:17, 1 Cor 15:14)
Repentance. That is where the servant's heart comes from. It is not enough just to be a servant, there must also be the servant's heart. That is why the cross must be preached, for it is the basis for our actions. We offer our lives as living sacrifices in view of God's great mercy toward us. (Romans 12:1-2) DO NOT BE LIKE THEM, those who would ignore, or even worse, abuse the cross of Christ by making it about us and what we do or need. I think one of the teachings of Christ that we tend to not want to think about is the idea that the road to heaven is a narrow one. Many have chosen a path, but it is not the right or righteous path. My belief is that those on the wide path are not just those who don't want any part with God, but also those who seek to go to heaven, but are not taking the correct path to get there. Do we really believe that the path to God is about us and our own righteous deeds? Is it really a "try harder, do better" mentality that will get us to our goal? How did that work for the Jewish leaders? Read the book of Philippians, look at all that Paul was, and how he learned that is was meaningless, like dung, and the only thing that mattered was Christ, and Him crucified.
Philippians 3:12 "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own." Why does Paul press on? It is to earn salvation, or is it because of what Christ has already done? SO then, the life and deeds of Paul, his service, are not a means of achieving salvation, but rather a response to the salvation he has been granted. Praise God!
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Self Control
I am currently reading the book, Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges.
Chapter 13 - Self Control
What role does self control play in the life of the Christian? Aren't we supposed to let God be in control of all things? I that is completely true, then why is self-control on of the fruit of the Spirit? (Galatians 5:23) Why is Titus told to tech self control? (Titus 2:2,5,6)
But I thought that God would free me from temptations and take my sinful urges from me. But that has not completely worked yet, at least for me. I think of my experience with AA and the 12 steps. While working in ministry I was invited to attend some meetings and exposed to their program. One of their sayings in reference to the programs goes something like this, "Keep working it (the steps, the program), it works if you work it." I have talked to folks involved in the program. Some will say that the desire to drink has passed from them. Others still struggle. Same with some Christians. I recall talking to one man who was sharing that he used to have a foul mouth, but one day God took that from him. No more desire to curse. Does that mean he lived a sin-free life from that point? No. God does play a part. But we do too. And for those sins that God does not remove from us, we must exercise some level of self control. I believe it is called sanctification.
This self-control is dependent on the influence and enablement of the Holy Spirit. It requires continual exposure of our mind to the words of God and continual prayer for the Holy Spirit to give us both the desire and power to exercise self-control. We might say that self-control is not control by oneself through one’s own willpower but rather control of oneself through the power of the Holy Spirit. Bridges, Jerry. Respectable Sins (p. 107). NavPress. Kindle Edition.
So our struggles are not without purpose. It would seem that they are there to ground us in our faith, and it in our dependence on God, His Spirit, and His word.
What role does self control play in the life of the Christian? Aren't we supposed to let God be in control of all things? I that is completely true, then why is self-control on of the fruit of the Spirit? (Galatians 5:23) Why is Titus told to tech self control? (Titus 2:2,5,6)
But I thought that God would free me from temptations and take my sinful urges from me. But that has not completely worked yet, at least for me. I think of my experience with AA and the 12 steps. While working in ministry I was invited to attend some meetings and exposed to their program. One of their sayings in reference to the programs goes something like this, "Keep working it (the steps, the program), it works if you work it." I have talked to folks involved in the program. Some will say that the desire to drink has passed from them. Others still struggle. Same with some Christians. I recall talking to one man who was sharing that he used to have a foul mouth, but one day God took that from him. No more desire to curse. Does that mean he lived a sin-free life from that point? No. God does play a part. But we do too. And for those sins that God does not remove from us, we must exercise some level of self control. I believe it is called sanctification.
This self-control is dependent on the influence and enablement of the Holy Spirit. It requires continual exposure of our mind to the words of God and continual prayer for the Holy Spirit to give us both the desire and power to exercise self-control. We might say that self-control is not control by oneself through one’s own willpower but rather control of oneself through the power of the Holy Spirit. Bridges, Jerry. Respectable Sins (p. 107). NavPress. Kindle Edition.
So our struggles are not without purpose. It would seem that they are there to ground us in our faith, and it in our dependence on God, His Spirit, and His word.
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