Hebrews 2:1-4 Paul tells us to pay attention to what we have heard and not to forget what we have heard. I got thinking about what I have heard and whether or not I retain the information or if I just dismiss it. When we dismiss what we have heard, we have more possiblilty or a larger guarantee that we will slip into the old ways or backslide.
So I started thinking about what I have heard myself that I am not "hearing"? These are the things that realize about myself and need to be willing to change;
1. I am prideful. I do not always do things for the glory of God. My life should be a radiant reflection of God and everything I do should be done only for His glory and not for human recognition, appreciation or satisfaction.
2. I can be arrogant. I know that I'm not any better of a person than anyone else, but I do tend to react in that way and the emotion is in the deepest part of my heart. God knows my core and when I really sit and evaluate my reations to things and people and why I react the way I do, often times it is because I am both prideful and arrogant. This combination will not allow me to ask forgiveness or even to grant forgiveness. It will cloud my judgement and smudge my testimony. A deadly combination!
.3 I am selfish. The first two will create an outcome that will only allow for this conclusion. Selfishness is the act of being centered on self and looking at the result of your efforts and how they directly affect you. Also, it shows a severe lack of servanthood. Christ showed the ultimate in servitude. Washing the disciples feet, laying His life down for us, allowing Himself to be covered in all our sins and lowering Himself to our level of existence from His own high position. When is the last time you thought about how truly self-centered and selfish you are? Do you even realize that you are?
4. I am discontent. Paul states that we should be content no matter what condition we find ourselves. No matter what we have, how much, how little, how healthy, how busy, etc. I always am looking for more and better. Not “things”, but just that life would be more or better. That desire creates discontentment.
5. I will mumble! I know that this falls under discontentment, but I thought that it sometimes overpowers me to the point that it needs it’s own category! I will mumble and grumble about things that I have no right to grumble about! Rather than talking to God and giving Him all the worries and choices, I take them and run to another human or twist them around inside me so much that they start to eat me.
Life can change in an instant! My faith is still there and still alive and well. Sometimes I wander away and forget what it is that I have learned, but I am a work in progress. As long as I remain willing to listen to Him and let Him mold me, I’ll be in good shape. Are you setting sail, or are you a drifter? What have you heard that the Holy Spirit is challenging you about?
Monday, April 14, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
How Well?
One of my favorite hymns to sing as well as to listen to is "It is Well With My Soul". Without ever having known the circumstances behind this hymn, I loved it. Then I heard the story that is attatched to the words.
The article below is a copy of a wonderful rendidtion of this tale. The link is as follows and has additional Bible Study attatched to it. I hope whoever would read this would take the time to look at the study. http://www.biblestudycharts.com/A_Daily_Hymn.html
This hymn was written by a Chicago lawyer, Horatio G. Spafford. You might think to write a worship song titled,'It is well with my soul', you would indeed have to be a rich, successful Chicago lawyer. But the words,"When sorrows like sea billows roll ... It is well with my soul”, were not written during the happiest period of Spafford's life. On the contrary, they came from a man who had suffered almost unimaginable personal tragedy.Horatio G. Spafford and his wife, Anna, were pretty well-known in 1860’s Chicago. And this was not just because of Horatio's legal career and business endeavors.
The Spaffords were also prominent supporters and close friends of D.L. Moody, the famous preacher. In 1870, however, things started to go wrong. The Spaffords' only son was killed by scarlet fever at the age of four. A year later, it was fire rather than fever that struck. Horatio had invested heavily in real estate on the shores of Lake Michigan. In 1871, every one of these holdings was wiped out by the great Chicago Fire.
Aware of the toll that these disasters had taken on the family, Horatio decided to take his wife and four daughters on a holiday to England. And, not only did they need the rest -- DL Moody needed the help. He was traveling around Britain on one of his great evangelistic campaigns. Horatio and Anna planned to join Moody in late 1873. And so, the Spaffords traveled to New York in November, from where they were to catch the French steamer 'Ville de Havre' across the Atlantic. Yet just before they set sail, a last-minute business development forced Horatio to delay. Not wanting to ruin the family holiday, Spafford persuaded his family to go as planned. He would follow on later.
With this decided, Anna and her four daughters sailed East to Europe while Spafford returned West to Chicago. Just nine days later, Spafford received a telegram from his wife in Wales. It read: "Saved alone."On November 2nd 1873, the 'Ville de Havre' had collided with 'The Lochearn', an English vessel. It sank in only 12 minutes, claiming the lives of 226 people. Anna Spafford had stood bravely on the deck, with her daughters Annie, Maggie, Bessie and Tanetta clinging desperately to her. Her last memory had been of her baby being torn violently from her arms by the force of the waters. Anna was only saved from the fate of her daughters by a plank which floated beneath her unconscious body and propped her up. When the survivors of the wreck had been rescued, Mrs. Spafford's first reaction was one of complete despair.
Then she heard a voice speak to her, "You were spared for a purpose." And she immediately recalled the words of a friend, "It's easy to be grateful and good when you have so much, but take care that you are not a fair-weather friend to God."Upon hearing the terrible news, Horatio Spafford boarded the next ship out of New York to join his bereaved wife. Bertha Spafford (the fifth daughter of Horatio and Anna born later) explained that during her father's voyage, the captain of the ship had called him to the bridge. "A careful reckoning has been made", he said, "and I believe we are now passing the place where the de Havre was wrecked. The water is three miles deep." Horatio then returned to his cabin and penned the lyrics of his great hymn.The words which Spafford wrote that day come from 2 Kings 4:26. They echo the response of the Shunammite woman to the sudden death of her only child. Though we are told "her soul is vexed within her", she still maintains that 'It is well." And Spafford's song reveals a man whose trust in the Lord is as unwavering as hers was.
It would be very difficult for any of us to predict how we would react under circumstances similar to those experienced by the Spaffords. But we do know that the God who sustained them would also be with us.No matter what circumstances overtake us may we be able to say with Horatio Spafford...
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,When sorrows like sea billows roll;Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,It is well, it is well with my soul.Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,Let this blest assurance control,That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,And hath shed His own blood for my soul!It is well ... with my soul!It is well, it is well, with my soul.
So I ask you, how well is it with your soul? What personal tragedy do you have going on right now that would justify you turning away froma Lord and Master who has every hair on your head counted? What purpose are you being preserved for? What heavy or hurting heart will you be able to comfort because it is a reflection of your own? It may be something as tragic as divorce, death, sickness or a unexplainable as loneliness.
Take heart! Draw your strength from the Lord.
The article below is a copy of a wonderful rendidtion of this tale. The link is as follows and has additional Bible Study attatched to it. I hope whoever would read this would take the time to look at the study. http://www.biblestudycharts.com/A_Daily_Hymn.html
This hymn was written by a Chicago lawyer, Horatio G. Spafford. You might think to write a worship song titled,'It is well with my soul', you would indeed have to be a rich, successful Chicago lawyer. But the words,"When sorrows like sea billows roll ... It is well with my soul”, were not written during the happiest period of Spafford's life. On the contrary, they came from a man who had suffered almost unimaginable personal tragedy.Horatio G. Spafford and his wife, Anna, were pretty well-known in 1860’s Chicago. And this was not just because of Horatio's legal career and business endeavors.
The Spaffords were also prominent supporters and close friends of D.L. Moody, the famous preacher. In 1870, however, things started to go wrong. The Spaffords' only son was killed by scarlet fever at the age of four. A year later, it was fire rather than fever that struck. Horatio had invested heavily in real estate on the shores of Lake Michigan. In 1871, every one of these holdings was wiped out by the great Chicago Fire.
Aware of the toll that these disasters had taken on the family, Horatio decided to take his wife and four daughters on a holiday to England. And, not only did they need the rest -- DL Moody needed the help. He was traveling around Britain on one of his great evangelistic campaigns. Horatio and Anna planned to join Moody in late 1873. And so, the Spaffords traveled to New York in November, from where they were to catch the French steamer 'Ville de Havre' across the Atlantic. Yet just before they set sail, a last-minute business development forced Horatio to delay. Not wanting to ruin the family holiday, Spafford persuaded his family to go as planned. He would follow on later.
With this decided, Anna and her four daughters sailed East to Europe while Spafford returned West to Chicago. Just nine days later, Spafford received a telegram from his wife in Wales. It read: "Saved alone."On November 2nd 1873, the 'Ville de Havre' had collided with 'The Lochearn', an English vessel. It sank in only 12 minutes, claiming the lives of 226 people. Anna Spafford had stood bravely on the deck, with her daughters Annie, Maggie, Bessie and Tanetta clinging desperately to her. Her last memory had been of her baby being torn violently from her arms by the force of the waters. Anna was only saved from the fate of her daughters by a plank which floated beneath her unconscious body and propped her up. When the survivors of the wreck had been rescued, Mrs. Spafford's first reaction was one of complete despair.
Then she heard a voice speak to her, "You were spared for a purpose." And she immediately recalled the words of a friend, "It's easy to be grateful and good when you have so much, but take care that you are not a fair-weather friend to God."Upon hearing the terrible news, Horatio Spafford boarded the next ship out of New York to join his bereaved wife. Bertha Spafford (the fifth daughter of Horatio and Anna born later) explained that during her father's voyage, the captain of the ship had called him to the bridge. "A careful reckoning has been made", he said, "and I believe we are now passing the place where the de Havre was wrecked. The water is three miles deep." Horatio then returned to his cabin and penned the lyrics of his great hymn.The words which Spafford wrote that day come from 2 Kings 4:26. They echo the response of the Shunammite woman to the sudden death of her only child. Though we are told "her soul is vexed within her", she still maintains that 'It is well." And Spafford's song reveals a man whose trust in the Lord is as unwavering as hers was.
It would be very difficult for any of us to predict how we would react under circumstances similar to those experienced by the Spaffords. But we do know that the God who sustained them would also be with us.No matter what circumstances overtake us may we be able to say with Horatio Spafford...
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,When sorrows like sea billows roll;Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,It is well, it is well with my soul.Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,Let this blest assurance control,That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,And hath shed His own blood for my soul!It is well ... with my soul!It is well, it is well, with my soul.
So I ask you, how well is it with your soul? What personal tragedy do you have going on right now that would justify you turning away froma Lord and Master who has every hair on your head counted? What purpose are you being preserved for? What heavy or hurting heart will you be able to comfort because it is a reflection of your own? It may be something as tragic as divorce, death, sickness or a unexplainable as loneliness.
Take heart! Draw your strength from the Lord.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Sunrise and Sunset
I am thinking about the night before Christ rose from the dead and the Resurrection Day. I wonder if the sunset of that evening prior to His resurrection is clipped in a scrapbook by God. What did the sky look like that evening? Was there a glorious mixture of purples for royalty, reds for the shed blood and sleek white clouds to show the upcoming pure cleansing which would then prevail from that day forward? Were the birds quiet that evening and the olive trees still against the sky? What did the sea of Galilee look like that evening? Were the tides low and the waves quiet ripples or were the seas crashing against the shore line in eager anticipation to feel Christs feet on their shores again?
And what of the sunrise on that glorious morning? The women had gone down to the tomb very early in the morning. ( Luke 24 ) I wonder if the sun had even come over the horizon yet. What time of the day did Christ rise from the dead? Was He out of the tomb as soon as the days had changed from one to the next or did He wait for a glimpse of daylight and the symphony of renewal that the Creation would pulse with upon His resurrection? How brightly did the sun shine that morning than it ever did before? The birds must have been singing, the insects and butterflies flitting around, the squirrels chittering, the fish leaping and the trees waving. No one must have noticed the change in nature that day as they tried to understand that Christ had done just what He had said He was going to do....Risen from the dead!
Review the story again with a new outlook. Put yourself in the shoes of the believers of that time and consider what you may have thought. This is a story that needs consideration every day of our Christian walks. Reminding us that He is the reason we have hope and joy!
Thank you Jesus for the new life you have given me and the day to celebrate each year your Resurrection!!
And what of the sunrise on that glorious morning? The women had gone down to the tomb very early in the morning. ( Luke 24 ) I wonder if the sun had even come over the horizon yet. What time of the day did Christ rise from the dead? Was He out of the tomb as soon as the days had changed from one to the next or did He wait for a glimpse of daylight and the symphony of renewal that the Creation would pulse with upon His resurrection? How brightly did the sun shine that morning than it ever did before? The birds must have been singing, the insects and butterflies flitting around, the squirrels chittering, the fish leaping and the trees waving. No one must have noticed the change in nature that day as they tried to understand that Christ had done just what He had said He was going to do....Risen from the dead!
Review the story again with a new outlook. Put yourself in the shoes of the believers of that time and consider what you may have thought. This is a story that needs consideration every day of our Christian walks. Reminding us that He is the reason we have hope and joy!
Thank you Jesus for the new life you have given me and the day to celebrate each year your Resurrection!!
Friday, March 14, 2008
This Little Light
I heard this let of verses read the other night and when I actually thought about the way the words were presented, the literal meaning changed from the preconceived translation I had always had. The verses I am referring to are Luke 11:33-36. We have heard that “the eyes are the windows of the soul” but why is that true? This will prove that there is Scriptural foundation for that quote. Luke is quoting Jesus here, who is saying; “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand so that those who come in may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you.”
Have you ever been some place where the darkness is practically palpable? Standing on a country road in the middle of the night with no streetlights, or on a farm that is a good distance from anywhere else? What happens when you turn on a light or you have only one light one, like the dusk to dawn light on the side of the barn? The light reaches far out into the darkness. It’s fingers touching further than you realize and chasing away the shadows. The light Jesus is referring to in this verse is His light that is inside of us when we believe on Him. Christians are distinctive because they have a glow about them and there is no way to cover that light.
Secondly, Jesus says that the eyes are the lamp of the body. The eyes are a channel into the soul. Not a mirror of what the soul is, but a funnel that will determine what your soul is. So if you spend time watching violence, giving dirty looks, looking at questionable magazines, surfing wrongful sights in the internet or watching TV shows that would make your mother blush, all these things are things that feed your soul. Luke continues to write that if what you observe with your eyes is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if what you observe is bad, than you will feed the darkness. Think about what you do that interrupts your communication with God. How much quiet time to do spend with Him? I don’t mean that the kids are an interruption, either. I mean things that you voluntarily put in your own way. TV, computer, I-pod, whatever it may be. It is extremely crucial that we protect ourselves from what come in through our channels; our eyes and our ears.
Develop your light and let others see it shine. You’ll be surprised at how well received the joyous light of Jesus is received and how many moths you may draw to your flame.
Have you ever been some place where the darkness is practically palpable? Standing on a country road in the middle of the night with no streetlights, or on a farm that is a good distance from anywhere else? What happens when you turn on a light or you have only one light one, like the dusk to dawn light on the side of the barn? The light reaches far out into the darkness. It’s fingers touching further than you realize and chasing away the shadows. The light Jesus is referring to in this verse is His light that is inside of us when we believe on Him. Christians are distinctive because they have a glow about them and there is no way to cover that light.
Secondly, Jesus says that the eyes are the lamp of the body. The eyes are a channel into the soul. Not a mirror of what the soul is, but a funnel that will determine what your soul is. So if you spend time watching violence, giving dirty looks, looking at questionable magazines, surfing wrongful sights in the internet or watching TV shows that would make your mother blush, all these things are things that feed your soul. Luke continues to write that if what you observe with your eyes is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if what you observe is bad, than you will feed the darkness. Think about what you do that interrupts your communication with God. How much quiet time to do spend with Him? I don’t mean that the kids are an interruption, either. I mean things that you voluntarily put in your own way. TV, computer, I-pod, whatever it may be. It is extremely crucial that we protect ourselves from what come in through our channels; our eyes and our ears.
Develop your light and let others see it shine. You’ll be surprised at how well received the joyous light of Jesus is received and how many moths you may draw to your flame.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
In Like a Lion
February is the shortest month of the year but it seems to last forever!! Then, as we emerge on the other side, March awaits us in all its raging glory! The winds blow, the snow falls, the mud swallows up anything brave enough to cross its threshold, the icicles hang sideways and the birds sing mightily. Crazy!
As I venture out for my morning walk on this mild March morning, I am reminded of what Paul said about “putting off the old man” (Ephesians 4:22-24) and also how he himself struggled with doing what he didn’t want to do (Romans 7:14-25).
Just as the seasons battle year after year, so we battle constantly over the sin nature. Our sin nature, or old self, is powerful, terrifying and sometimes immense. Sounds like it’s hopeless, doesn’t it? Our “new man”, the person we are with the help and saving grace of God is radiant, steadfast and enduring. We should hold godly characteristics like kindness, gentleness and humility. II Corinthians 5:21 says “God made Him (Christ) who had no sin, to be sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” To be sin…Christ had never had a mean thought, never talked back to His parents, never stole anything, never kicked the dog, never was vengeful to anyone, been jealous or envious or anything! Then He became all that sin is. It’s ugly, full of guilt, hateful, angry, dirty and lost. Think about what your core self feels like when you knowingly have done something wrong. Now multilply that not only by all the things you have done in your own life, but what about all the people you know and all the people who have lived and died since Christ was on the earth.
It is incomprehensible what that must have been like for Christ and yet we take this gift of salvation and eternal life for granted.
Take some time this month of March to evaluate your growth and your battle. Is the Lamb of God winning that battle over the “old man”? Have you surrendered the battle to Christ to let Him fight for you?
As I venture out for my morning walk on this mild March morning, I am reminded of what Paul said about “putting off the old man” (Ephesians 4:22-24) and also how he himself struggled with doing what he didn’t want to do (Romans 7:14-25).
Just as the seasons battle year after year, so we battle constantly over the sin nature. Our sin nature, or old self, is powerful, terrifying and sometimes immense. Sounds like it’s hopeless, doesn’t it? Our “new man”, the person we are with the help and saving grace of God is radiant, steadfast and enduring. We should hold godly characteristics like kindness, gentleness and humility. II Corinthians 5:21 says “God made Him (Christ) who had no sin, to be sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” To be sin…Christ had never had a mean thought, never talked back to His parents, never stole anything, never kicked the dog, never was vengeful to anyone, been jealous or envious or anything! Then He became all that sin is. It’s ugly, full of guilt, hateful, angry, dirty and lost. Think about what your core self feels like when you knowingly have done something wrong. Now multilply that not only by all the things you have done in your own life, but what about all the people you know and all the people who have lived and died since Christ was on the earth.
It is incomprehensible what that must have been like for Christ and yet we take this gift of salvation and eternal life for granted.
Take some time this month of March to evaluate your growth and your battle. Is the Lamb of God winning that battle over the “old man”? Have you surrendered the battle to Christ to let Him fight for you?
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Kingly restraint
I enjoy good stories! Whether the transference is real or imagined, a good storyteller captivates me. My father was an excellent storyteller. He had the right balance of detail and pleasure that you could almost see, hear and smell what was occurring. The Bible is full of so many wonderful stories and the Old Testament really built you up for the climax of Christ in the New Testament. The authors predict, recount and track many facts. Some stories are joyous; some exceed suffering and anguish, while others have a surprise ending.
One such story is the story of David. In a segment of his life, before he was king but after the incident with Goliath, Saul was out hunting David down. I think Saul may have been manic or something because he had such opposites. He would love David one minute and hate him the next. Saul’s son was David’s best friend, Jonathan and Saul’s daughter was David’s wife!
In I Samuel 23 the story begins with Saul pursuing David. It’s really a little humorous to me that David is out there running from place to place with about 600 men and yet Saul can’t find him. Paul can’t find him because God didn’t want Saul to find him. The details of this story are interesting as David goes to the city of Keilah to fight off the Philistines and save the people of Keilah. This was a walled city and when Saul found out that David and his men were there, he headed right out to try and find him. Well, God told David that Saul was coming after him so he fled to the mountains and when Saul found out that he was in the mountains, he took 3000 of his men and went after him there! (Here comes the humorous end of this story!!) Saul and David chased each other around the mountain until David and his men finally hid in a large cave. While they were hiding in the back of this deep cave, Saul walked in the cave and decided to relieve himself. What would you have done? David had 600 hundred men and they were all in that cave! Saul was in a compromising position and they could have eliminated him without any trouble at all. Did they? No they did not! David snuck up behind him and cut a piece off of Saul’s robe and then waited until Saul walked out of the cave and was a distance away before he showed himself and proved that he could have eliminated him without any trouble but chose not to. After all this time of Saul threatening David and the steady chase and David’s life being constantly challenged, it must have taken quite a large amount of restraint NOT to have killed him. But David was eager to follow the leading of God in his life. David did not always follow the right path but he was striving at this point to do just that. What do you struggle to restrain a reaction to? Is it an act of passion? Is it an act of anger? Is it a quick word or sharp look? Perhaps it is even a vengeful plan rather than waiting for God to perform His own vengeance.
David knew that he was continuing to please God in Psalm 41:11 “The Lord is pleased with me because my enemies do not triumph.”
One such story is the story of David. In a segment of his life, before he was king but after the incident with Goliath, Saul was out hunting David down. I think Saul may have been manic or something because he had such opposites. He would love David one minute and hate him the next. Saul’s son was David’s best friend, Jonathan and Saul’s daughter was David’s wife!
In I Samuel 23 the story begins with Saul pursuing David. It’s really a little humorous to me that David is out there running from place to place with about 600 men and yet Saul can’t find him. Paul can’t find him because God didn’t want Saul to find him. The details of this story are interesting as David goes to the city of Keilah to fight off the Philistines and save the people of Keilah. This was a walled city and when Saul found out that David and his men were there, he headed right out to try and find him. Well, God told David that Saul was coming after him so he fled to the mountains and when Saul found out that he was in the mountains, he took 3000 of his men and went after him there! (Here comes the humorous end of this story!!) Saul and David chased each other around the mountain until David and his men finally hid in a large cave. While they were hiding in the back of this deep cave, Saul walked in the cave and decided to relieve himself. What would you have done? David had 600 hundred men and they were all in that cave! Saul was in a compromising position and they could have eliminated him without any trouble at all. Did they? No they did not! David snuck up behind him and cut a piece off of Saul’s robe and then waited until Saul walked out of the cave and was a distance away before he showed himself and proved that he could have eliminated him without any trouble but chose not to. After all this time of Saul threatening David and the steady chase and David’s life being constantly challenged, it must have taken quite a large amount of restraint NOT to have killed him. But David was eager to follow the leading of God in his life. David did not always follow the right path but he was striving at this point to do just that. What do you struggle to restrain a reaction to? Is it an act of passion? Is it an act of anger? Is it a quick word or sharp look? Perhaps it is even a vengeful plan rather than waiting for God to perform His own vengeance.
David knew that he was continuing to please God in Psalm 41:11 “The Lord is pleased with me because my enemies do not triumph.”
Friday, March 7, 2008
Staying Power of Salvation!
An interesting debate rears its ugly head sporadically in our congregation and it disturbs me on many levels. We have debated that there is a possibility that one could loose their salvation. Now, don’t run from the room with your arms above your head in a panic!!
I believe, right up front, that you cannot loose your salvation. If you have made a true confession of sin and asked for forgiveness and asked Christ to live in your heart, you are saved! I don’t see anywhere in the Scriptures where it states that Jesus died on the cross for us but….
In John 3:16, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son that whoever believes on Him will not die but have eternal life.” No stipulations there.
John 6:40 “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life.”
John 6:47 “I tell you the truth, he who believes has eternal life.”
John 8:12 “…I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:34-36 “Jesus replied ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.’” Meaning that if you believe that Jesus can make you feel free and have hope about life and your future, you will be a member of the family of God and a member of the family is always a member of the family. No matter what you say or do, you are always a member of your earthly family. We get one mother and one father and they are ours for life.
John 10:28 “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”
If the power of salvation were so feeble, it would not be strong enough to sanctify (or set apart) an unsaved spouse and make children of a Christian parent ‘holy’ by association. I Corinthians 7:14
Romans 10:9-14 Confess and believe and you are saved. Simple and yet so very powerful!
I could go on but I think I’ve made my point. Many of us have continued to make mistakes after we became Christians and some of our mistakes (sins) are big. Sometimes it can be hard to stay where we want to be and doing what we want to be doing because Satan has always been really good at convincing us otherwise. Paul talked about this and it is a comfort to me that even Paul had trouble with this. It doesn’t give us license to do wrong, but we have to be real about it and know that being saved doesn’t make us perfect or set us up on a pedestal where nothing can get to us. We just have the power within us to quantify our earthly life and guarantee our eternal destination. We have been given the Holy Spirit to guide us, as Christians, and to help us and even to pray for us when we cannot pray ourselves. (Romans 8:26-27)
So I encourage you to dwell on the joy and peace inside your heart that is a wonderful treasure and seek out ways to share it with those around you rather than dwelling on the legalities that humans tend to cloud a picture with. You have a strength inside you that parted the Red Sea, if you have believed in Jesus! What more power could you ask for and how much stronger a staying power could we ask for.
I believe, right up front, that you cannot loose your salvation. If you have made a true confession of sin and asked for forgiveness and asked Christ to live in your heart, you are saved! I don’t see anywhere in the Scriptures where it states that Jesus died on the cross for us but….
In John 3:16, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son that whoever believes on Him will not die but have eternal life.” No stipulations there.
John 6:40 “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life.”
John 6:47 “I tell you the truth, he who believes has eternal life.”
John 8:12 “…I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:34-36 “Jesus replied ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.’” Meaning that if you believe that Jesus can make you feel free and have hope about life and your future, you will be a member of the family of God and a member of the family is always a member of the family. No matter what you say or do, you are always a member of your earthly family. We get one mother and one father and they are ours for life.
John 10:28 “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”
If the power of salvation were so feeble, it would not be strong enough to sanctify (or set apart) an unsaved spouse and make children of a Christian parent ‘holy’ by association. I Corinthians 7:14
Romans 10:9-14 Confess and believe and you are saved. Simple and yet so very powerful!
I could go on but I think I’ve made my point. Many of us have continued to make mistakes after we became Christians and some of our mistakes (sins) are big. Sometimes it can be hard to stay where we want to be and doing what we want to be doing because Satan has always been really good at convincing us otherwise. Paul talked about this and it is a comfort to me that even Paul had trouble with this. It doesn’t give us license to do wrong, but we have to be real about it and know that being saved doesn’t make us perfect or set us up on a pedestal where nothing can get to us. We just have the power within us to quantify our earthly life and guarantee our eternal destination. We have been given the Holy Spirit to guide us, as Christians, and to help us and even to pray for us when we cannot pray ourselves. (Romans 8:26-27)
So I encourage you to dwell on the joy and peace inside your heart that is a wonderful treasure and seek out ways to share it with those around you rather than dwelling on the legalities that humans tend to cloud a picture with. You have a strength inside you that parted the Red Sea, if you have believed in Jesus! What more power could you ask for and how much stronger a staying power could we ask for.
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