From March 11, 2008
I Corinthians 13:4-8
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keep no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails..."
Romans 12: 9-17
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil."
Romans 13:9-10
"The commandments, 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not covet,' and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."
I Peter 4:8-10
"Above all else, love deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithful administering God's grace in its various form."
I Timothy 1:5
"The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."
Ephesians 5:1-2
"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
Can we remove all romantic connotations from the word for just a few moments? Love is pure, but the concept is tainted by the secular definitions. In all these verses, the "love" is not complimented by words such as "marriage", but rather the idea of reaching out to others, no matter who they may be.
Love is a word that is often thrown around quite meaninglessly, most likely because most people do not truly understand what love truly is. Now I do not claim to be an expert, but I would consider Paul one. And his description of love, as seen in I Corinthians covers it all.
It's the end of that segment that touches me the most. "Love never fails." I think it's complete crap when people utter the words, "I just don't love him/her anymore." If that's the case, then it obviously wasn't love to begin with. The things of the world are fickle and uncertain, but love is of God, and if there is one certain in life, than it is Him. If anyone's experiences with love goes against what He has said in anyway, then I am confident to say that it was not quite love.
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demon, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is Christ in Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)
Now that's love.
Of course, we are repeatedly told to love our neighbors, but I'm sure we all question whether or not it's possible to have such a sincere love for everyone, including people we haven't meant. Obviously, there must be different levels of love, defined by the amount of fervor behind it, but the same principle still remains. Though not as invested in the homeless man I pass on the street daily as I am with my mother, I am still expected to reach out to him just the same.
But I believe to fulfill the criteria of love as stated above from the Bible, certain prerequisites in the relationship aren't needed, especially since we are not talking of "romantic" love at this moment. Thus I am constantly inspired to reach out in the best way I can to everyone who may need it. It's a thought that has been swimming around in my mind a lot for the past weeks, but I feel like I haven't exactly acted on it. No, I do not blatantly shun people, but there is always more than I can be doing to show love.
I Peter 4:8-10 especially speaks to me on this matter. Verse 8 has always been one of my favorite verses, but recently I've noted the following verses. It is not a coincidence that Peter speaks of hospitality right after he mentions love. So I want to be available to anyone who may need me, may it be in the simplest way or in the most complex way. I realize how easy it is to show love and how the slightest gesture can mean a lot to a person.
"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithful administering God's grace in its various form."
Another thing that I am now becoming more focused on. I've been quite aware of my talents for some time now, mostly because compliments on them have been shoved down my throat since I was about seven. But it's come to the point that I realize that I shouldn't be using my gifts for my own joy, but for the joy of the Lord and of others. Especially in my case, when I have talents that specifically can be used to impact others (creativity, writing, humor). And without even meaning to, I've seen lately that these abilities have already been used by God to touch the lives of others, but I am not willing to just stop there. I want to take it to another level.
I just think it's very important to be a beacon of the love of the Lord. More important than myself, after all, is others.
Love is a simple concept with a powerful results. It can change moments, lives, the world. It's something we all need to be more conscience. Instead of automatically equivocating this concept to romance, we need to broaden our definitions to encompass what God truly means it as.
And this is regard to not just our friend and family, but enemies and strangers as well.
Let it be known that I am working on a blank state here. Despite lack of compatibilities or events that may have occurred in the past, I am willing to love and I'm going to love. And I think I've lost the central point of this note long ago.
But then again, isn't the central point love? 'Cause unlike most things, love never fails.
I love you all.
Showing posts with label romans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label romans. Show all posts
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Therefore let us pursue things which make for peace...
From November 7, 2008
"Receive one who is weak in faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.
For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.
Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.
He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord, and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.
For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.
For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.
For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
By why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
For it is written:
'As I live, says the Lord
Every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall confess to God.'
So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way."
Romans 14:13
Given the recent dissension amongst Christians in lieu of the result of the most recent elections, I had a note prepared, delving deeper into a case I had already made, hoping to make a point. It was calmly written - it was a passionate note, but it was not an angry or accusatory one, but definitely one meant to prove a point.
I posted this note, let it settle for awhile, but in the midst of my procrastinations and distractions, I somehow returned to the note. The in that moment, a strong feeling arose in my gut. Immediately, I knew what the feeling meant - take down that note.
Immediately, I was reluctant and determined to ignore it. Yet as I moved to X-out of the page, the feeling remained, and I knew it would be a blatant disregard to God's will if I left it up. Against better judgment, my reaction still was along the lines of "Well, He'll get over it. Tomorrow, it won't matter."
But then God brought this verse to my heart, a verse I had came across earlier that day. Romans 14:19 - "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification."
And then He spoke to me (and I loosely quote):
"Chanelle, take down the note. You're not wrong, but it won't bring the Christian people together. Take it down."
So I did.
And it's true. It doesn't matter what I intended on fighting or how eloquently and nicely I put it. It doesn't matter how right I believe I am, or how good my intentions were in posting it, because it would've naturally caused disagreement. And though arguing has its fruits, when it gets to the point where it's pitting Christian against Christian - not just over any subject, but over God's Word, Will, and Intent - then we're teetering into something dangerous.
There's nothing wrong with a calm discussion, exploring different sides of an issues, and trying to mutually discover and derive a true meaning, whilst respecting and giving merit to each other's viewpoints. But there's a pretense set to these sort of discussions usually, and the intent is to discover as opposed to convincing.
But I had seen how other arguments on this particular subject developed - it was border-lining malicious with no sort of conceding and barely any respect. Given the subject of my note, there was a high chance that this comment section would've turned into a battlefield. As Christians, that is not what God wants from us - to be pitted against one another over a discord in beliefs, when at the heart of it, we believe in the exact same thing - the love of Jesus Christ.
Both sides were advocating for the same Lord, deriving their reasoning from the same Word, and ultimately came to a conclusion that they felt succeeded in glorifying the Kingdom. Perhaps we need to be focusing on that, because in this world, the last thing we need is a thick, black line separating the Christian community. We can argue over other things as much as we want, but I am quite certain that at least that is not God's Will for us as a body.
I am still highly bothered by some of the things expressed in recent days, but I just have to let it go. That is why I will argue no more, for the stability of our body is more important than defending my viewpoint and what it says about my relationship with God when I am quite confident in it already.
So we shouldn't judge or fight against each other - don't worry about what the other person says about a particular issue in regards to their faith in Christ and if it makes them more or less of a Christian, because the definition of a Christian is not up to us, and if a person's heart really belongs to Christ, despite his opinion on a matter - may it be wrong or right -"God is able to make him stand."
I guess it's less about making sure our specific beliefs align, but realizing that a person can, for example, believe that it is God's will that everyone has a choice (even if it is a choice that we vehemently disagree with), and still most definitely be a serious Christian, just as much as someone who dons the complete opposite standpoint, for "God has received" both. It is not that which defines our faith, but our love for the Lord and our love for others, and what we strive to do to promote both.
And if what we're doing is not out of love, then we have an issue. And I realize that the kind of arguing that I was participating in and potentially promoting was not creating an environment of love, but encouraging a divide. And that does not lead to either peace or mutual edification of the Christian body.
So I apologize for arguing. I stand by what I believe, but fact of the matter is, we've all given up our lives for the same Savior and are all trying to live according to the same purpose - His purpose, and derive our convictions, beliefs, and actions for the same Word. And that's all that matters. So instead of bickering amongst ourselves, instead "let us each be fully convinced in our own mind[s]", let's turn our focus and energy outwards in order to have a truly positive effect on this world by living our lives the right way.
"Receive one who is weak in faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.
For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.
Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.
He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord, and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.
For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.
For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.
For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
By why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
For it is written:
'As I live, says the Lord
Every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall confess to God.'
So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way."
Romans 14:13
Given the recent dissension amongst Christians in lieu of the result of the most recent elections, I had a note prepared, delving deeper into a case I had already made, hoping to make a point. It was calmly written - it was a passionate note, but it was not an angry or accusatory one, but definitely one meant to prove a point.
I posted this note, let it settle for awhile, but in the midst of my procrastinations and distractions, I somehow returned to the note. The in that moment, a strong feeling arose in my gut. Immediately, I knew what the feeling meant - take down that note.
Immediately, I was reluctant and determined to ignore it. Yet as I moved to X-out of the page, the feeling remained, and I knew it would be a blatant disregard to God's will if I left it up. Against better judgment, my reaction still was along the lines of "Well, He'll get over it. Tomorrow, it won't matter."
But then God brought this verse to my heart, a verse I had came across earlier that day. Romans 14:19 - "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification."
And then He spoke to me (and I loosely quote):
"Chanelle, take down the note. You're not wrong, but it won't bring the Christian people together. Take it down."
So I did.
And it's true. It doesn't matter what I intended on fighting or how eloquently and nicely I put it. It doesn't matter how right I believe I am, or how good my intentions were in posting it, because it would've naturally caused disagreement. And though arguing has its fruits, when it gets to the point where it's pitting Christian against Christian - not just over any subject, but over God's Word, Will, and Intent - then we're teetering into something dangerous.
There's nothing wrong with a calm discussion, exploring different sides of an issues, and trying to mutually discover and derive a true meaning, whilst respecting and giving merit to each other's viewpoints. But there's a pretense set to these sort of discussions usually, and the intent is to discover as opposed to convincing.
But I had seen how other arguments on this particular subject developed - it was border-lining malicious with no sort of conceding and barely any respect. Given the subject of my note, there was a high chance that this comment section would've turned into a battlefield. As Christians, that is not what God wants from us - to be pitted against one another over a discord in beliefs, when at the heart of it, we believe in the exact same thing - the love of Jesus Christ.
Both sides were advocating for the same Lord, deriving their reasoning from the same Word, and ultimately came to a conclusion that they felt succeeded in glorifying the Kingdom. Perhaps we need to be focusing on that, because in this world, the last thing we need is a thick, black line separating the Christian community. We can argue over other things as much as we want, but I am quite certain that at least that is not God's Will for us as a body.
I am still highly bothered by some of the things expressed in recent days, but I just have to let it go. That is why I will argue no more, for the stability of our body is more important than defending my viewpoint and what it says about my relationship with God when I am quite confident in it already.
So we shouldn't judge or fight against each other - don't worry about what the other person says about a particular issue in regards to their faith in Christ and if it makes them more or less of a Christian, because the definition of a Christian is not up to us, and if a person's heart really belongs to Christ, despite his opinion on a matter - may it be wrong or right -"God is able to make him stand."
I guess it's less about making sure our specific beliefs align, but realizing that a person can, for example, believe that it is God's will that everyone has a choice (even if it is a choice that we vehemently disagree with), and still most definitely be a serious Christian, just as much as someone who dons the complete opposite standpoint, for "God has received" both. It is not that which defines our faith, but our love for the Lord and our love for others, and what we strive to do to promote both.
And if what we're doing is not out of love, then we have an issue. And I realize that the kind of arguing that I was participating in and potentially promoting was not creating an environment of love, but encouraging a divide. And that does not lead to either peace or mutual edification of the Christian body.
So I apologize for arguing. I stand by what I believe, but fact of the matter is, we've all given up our lives for the same Savior and are all trying to live according to the same purpose - His purpose, and derive our convictions, beliefs, and actions for the same Word. And that's all that matters. So instead of bickering amongst ourselves, instead "let us each be fully convinced in our own mind[s]", let's turn our focus and energy outwards in order to have a truly positive effect on this world by living our lives the right way.
Gosh, I'm Blessed.
From June 24, 2011
I have so much. I guess it’s easy to get caught up in the trap of “wanting more”, but I think the better way is to focus on the fact that God has a plan. And He promises to provide all of our needs.
A few months ago, I was frustrated with the way my life was going, but as I spent more time with God, I realized how detrimental that was. So I made a point to focus on something good in my life every time I was tempted to complain. And it really has helped to change my perspective (and you know, as well as good ol’ fashioned prayer).
And it’s like - what do I possibly really have to complain about? Starting with the fact that I get to spend eternal life with a Savior who loves me more than I can fathom. That fact alone overrides anything negative I encounter in life. I mean, life on earth is temporary - Jesus is forever, you know?
But even beyond that. I’m healthy. I’m well-fed. I live in a nice house. I have amazing parents, a great little brother, and the best friends in the world. I’ve been blessed with plenty of talents that I get to use often, and Selena Gomez just released the catchiest song ever that has made my day. When I really take a second to dwell on it, it’s hard to find anything worth complaining about in the face of my blessings.
It’s just something I implore everyone to do. Life isn’t perfect at all. And sometimes really terrible things do happen. But often times, I think we make bigger deals than necessary out of the so-called bad things in our life. And if you’re a follower of Christ, you have the comfort of knowing that God will work all things for the good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). So even when something truly unfortunate happens, we know that something good will eventually come out of it.
Just having this perspective - little inconveniences, like being stuck on a train in the middle of nowhere for two hours, doesn’t seem so bad. And even bigger things - like the fact that my parents are divorced - aren’t so detrimental. Because at least the train didn’t crash and at least both of my parents are active in my life, so you know, I’m choosing not to focus on the bad. I’m choosing to focus on God, trust in His plan, know that He’ll work out things for the good, and relish in the blessings He’s given me.
I have so much. I guess it’s easy to get caught up in the trap of “wanting more”, but I think the better way is to focus on the fact that God has a plan. And He promises to provide all of our needs.
A few months ago, I was frustrated with the way my life was going, but as I spent more time with God, I realized how detrimental that was. So I made a point to focus on something good in my life every time I was tempted to complain. And it really has helped to change my perspective (and you know, as well as good ol’ fashioned prayer).
And it’s like - what do I possibly really have to complain about? Starting with the fact that I get to spend eternal life with a Savior who loves me more than I can fathom. That fact alone overrides anything negative I encounter in life. I mean, life on earth is temporary - Jesus is forever, you know?
But even beyond that. I’m healthy. I’m well-fed. I live in a nice house. I have amazing parents, a great little brother, and the best friends in the world. I’ve been blessed with plenty of talents that I get to use often, and Selena Gomez just released the catchiest song ever that has made my day. When I really take a second to dwell on it, it’s hard to find anything worth complaining about in the face of my blessings.
It’s just something I implore everyone to do. Life isn’t perfect at all. And sometimes really terrible things do happen. But often times, I think we make bigger deals than necessary out of the so-called bad things in our life. And if you’re a follower of Christ, you have the comfort of knowing that God will work all things for the good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). So even when something truly unfortunate happens, we know that something good will eventually come out of it.
Just having this perspective - little inconveniences, like being stuck on a train in the middle of nowhere for two hours, doesn’t seem so bad. And even bigger things - like the fact that my parents are divorced - aren’t so detrimental. Because at least the train didn’t crash and at least both of my parents are active in my life, so you know, I’m choosing not to focus on the bad. I’m choosing to focus on God, trust in His plan, know that He’ll work out things for the good, and relish in the blessings He’s given me.
I Refuse to Let Anything Get Me Down
From September 7, 2011
I refuse to let anything get me down.
It’s so easy, when things go the slightest bit wrong - or even just the slightest bit against your expectations - to immediately get discouraged about it. And that’s definitely a trap. For me, when I started getting angry/bitter/upset over one thing not going right, I start dwelling on everything that hasn’t gone right - things that have absolutely nothing to do with the matter at hand, that I thought I was over. And then I’m down and discouraged, feeling this dark cloud of emotion weighing down on me and goes from a mood to this long term funk.
And that’s just not good. And I’ve been there before, and I’m at the point where it’s just like “No more.” I’m going to take the hits in stride and not just hope for the best, but know that the best will come of it. And really, it’s nothing of me - my sometimes overly emotional, and definitely flawed self. No, it all stems from Jesus.
Faith is so multi-faceted, and this certainly is an aspect of it. When things go bad, knowing that it’s temporary, and that God will see you through it. Romans 8:28 - “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose.” Philippians 4:19 - “And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Boom. That’s it. Greatest insurance policy ever. We live in an imperfect world - things are going to go wrong. And we are imperfect beings with often times expectations that don’t play out the way we want them to. But ultimately, it’s God who is in absolute control, and He’s looking out for His sheep, you know? And that’s something I’ve been drilling in my mind, since before I moved out to California - I feel like God was helping to really build up my faith in Him and really get to know His ways. And it was for a reason, because I’ve already hit some bumps, and I know maybe even just six months ago, I would’ve began to unraveled at this, but I am standing strong in my Lord, and He’s keeping me together. I refuse to fall prey to those negative thoughts - to let things going wrong get me down. I told myself when I first came out here - if nothing else, I refuse to let go of my faith and trust in God. I’ve been focused on that more than anything - I won’t underestimate Him. I won’t let anxiety, fear or anything else weaken my grasp on faith.
And having that mindset has really helped. Because I feel the temptation of slipping into a sort of subtle despair as things keep on coming up specifically with this car I bought. And I potentially am about to have to put a lot of necessary money into it, but you know what - it’s fine. God’s gonna make it work out. And He gonna take care of all of my needs. So the money I need is always gonna be there, no matter how much I have to spend on this car. And He’s going to make this work out in the long run. I might have feelings of slight regret when purchasing this car now (as much as I sort of do really love it, it’s having so many issues that start to override that), I know that God will make it work so that purchasing this car will turn out to be a good thing.
On another side of refusing to let things get me down, I gotta also realize how blessed I am, even inspite of things going wrong. Yes, my car failed its smog test and I’m might have to drop half a grand on it tomorrow, but at least it has been running. So many people don’t have cars. So many people have cars even worse off than mine. So the fact that I have a car right now is a blessing in itself.
And that perspective keeps me hopeful, keeps my spirits up, keeps me strong in the Lord. Because I have so much to be grateful for. In fact, the unfortunate truth is that I have so much more to be grateful for than most people do :/ So will I really have the audacity to sit here and depress myself into a slump over the small issues in my life when I’m well fed, completely loved, and am living out a dream I’ve had for six years? No. I’m going to fully trust in my Lord, know that He’s going to make everything turn out okay, and smile at the blessings I have in my life.
That’s all.
I refuse to let anything get me down.
It’s so easy, when things go the slightest bit wrong - or even just the slightest bit against your expectations - to immediately get discouraged about it. And that’s definitely a trap. For me, when I started getting angry/bitter/upset over one thing not going right, I start dwelling on everything that hasn’t gone right - things that have absolutely nothing to do with the matter at hand, that I thought I was over. And then I’m down and discouraged, feeling this dark cloud of emotion weighing down on me and goes from a mood to this long term funk.
And that’s just not good. And I’ve been there before, and I’m at the point where it’s just like “No more.” I’m going to take the hits in stride and not just hope for the best, but know that the best will come of it. And really, it’s nothing of me - my sometimes overly emotional, and definitely flawed self. No, it all stems from Jesus.
Faith is so multi-faceted, and this certainly is an aspect of it. When things go bad, knowing that it’s temporary, and that God will see you through it. Romans 8:28 - “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose.” Philippians 4:19 - “And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Boom. That’s it. Greatest insurance policy ever. We live in an imperfect world - things are going to go wrong. And we are imperfect beings with often times expectations that don’t play out the way we want them to. But ultimately, it’s God who is in absolute control, and He’s looking out for His sheep, you know? And that’s something I’ve been drilling in my mind, since before I moved out to California - I feel like God was helping to really build up my faith in Him and really get to know His ways. And it was for a reason, because I’ve already hit some bumps, and I know maybe even just six months ago, I would’ve began to unraveled at this, but I am standing strong in my Lord, and He’s keeping me together. I refuse to fall prey to those negative thoughts - to let things going wrong get me down. I told myself when I first came out here - if nothing else, I refuse to let go of my faith and trust in God. I’ve been focused on that more than anything - I won’t underestimate Him. I won’t let anxiety, fear or anything else weaken my grasp on faith.
And having that mindset has really helped. Because I feel the temptation of slipping into a sort of subtle despair as things keep on coming up specifically with this car I bought. And I potentially am about to have to put a lot of necessary money into it, but you know what - it’s fine. God’s gonna make it work out. And He gonna take care of all of my needs. So the money I need is always gonna be there, no matter how much I have to spend on this car. And He’s going to make this work out in the long run. I might have feelings of slight regret when purchasing this car now (as much as I sort of do really love it, it’s having so many issues that start to override that), I know that God will make it work so that purchasing this car will turn out to be a good thing.
On another side of refusing to let things get me down, I gotta also realize how blessed I am, even inspite of things going wrong. Yes, my car failed its smog test and I’m might have to drop half a grand on it tomorrow, but at least it has been running. So many people don’t have cars. So many people have cars even worse off than mine. So the fact that I have a car right now is a blessing in itself.
And that perspective keeps me hopeful, keeps my spirits up, keeps me strong in the Lord. Because I have so much to be grateful for. In fact, the unfortunate truth is that I have so much more to be grateful for than most people do :/ So will I really have the audacity to sit here and depress myself into a slump over the small issues in my life when I’m well fed, completely loved, and am living out a dream I’ve had for six years? No. I’m going to fully trust in my Lord, know that He’s going to make everything turn out okay, and smile at the blessings I have in my life.
That’s all.
Romans 5:8
From January 14, 2012
There seems to be an unfortunate, but common misconception that one must be free of sin before they accept Christ. And it’s a misconception that Christians sometimes seem the perpetuate. More concerned with the sin in the life of non-believer - that’s what we address sometimes, to the point of condemnation. The focus we place on sin implies that that is what keeps us from salvation and thus we cannot experience Jesus until that sin is gone.
Not true. It is sin that keeps us from God, but not from salvation. Or rather, kept us from God, until Jesus interceded on our behalves. Though acknowledging our sin is a step towards salvation, we don’t have to be sin free for Jesus to come into our hearts. Obviously, because that’s the whole point of needing a Savior - Jesus came to save us from our sin.
Romans 5:8 states it pretty clearly to me: “but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
You don’t have to get your life together to come to Christ. You come to Christ, and He gets your life together. He takes us exactly as we are - full of sin, completely broken, and sometimes absolutely despicable people - and if we open ourselves to Him, we are soon amazed at how Jesus transforms us into a completely different person as He takes our sin upon Himself, and then sanctifies us.
I just think we need to stay away from a false gospel of condemnation, but rather drill in a gospel of redemption.
Not true. It is sin that keeps us from God, but not from salvation. Or rather, kept us from God, until Jesus interceded on our behalves. Though acknowledging our sin is a step towards salvation, we don’t have to be sin free for Jesus to come into our hearts. Obviously, because that’s the whole point of needing a Savior - Jesus came to save us from our sin.
Romans 5:8 states it pretty clearly to me: “but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
You don’t have to get your life together to come to Christ. You come to Christ, and He gets your life together. He takes us exactly as we are - full of sin, completely broken, and sometimes absolutely despicable people - and if we open ourselves to Him, we are soon amazed at how Jesus transforms us into a completely different person as He takes our sin upon Himself, and then sanctifies us.
I just think we need to stay away from a false gospel of condemnation, but rather drill in a gospel of redemption.
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