Pressing On
“Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you” (2 Corinthians 13:11).
Many times in life we are faced with great decisions and most of the time these decisions are really tough to make. But as Christians we can be assured that when we turn to our Father for His assistance in these matters, He will make whatever we decide to do great for the furthering of His kingdom: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). We can be assured that God is working for our benefit.
As Paul was writing to the congregation in Corinth he made some encouraging reminders to help them in his absence. First of all, he encouraged them to rejoice. Although they might have had faith in Paul, they also had to understand that it is God that does the blessing. It is His love that guides and protects the church, not Paul’s. Their reason to rejoice was never in Paul but in the salvation offered only in Christ.
The second encouragement was to “be made complete.” This is a Greek word that implies allowing God to complete His work in you. Paul wanted the congregation to continue to rely on God for the strength needed to continue in their efforts to further the kingdom, even in his absence. I am reminded of Paul’s words to another congregation: “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). God’s work will continue to flourish in the Lord’s church if we will continue to allow His love to mold us into the people He can use to bring glory to His name. The church is in the process of being mad ecomplete.
Paul’s third encouragement was to stay united in their efforts and “be like-minded and live in peace.” Satan uses the world in which we live to hinder God’s work through the church. The world does not understand God’s love and therefore cannot understand the work of God’s church. The Maryville congregation will be successful as we unite our minds in “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16), remembering to always set our own personal desires aside to assure the unity found in devotion to Christ. This can only be done by studying God’s word together and reasoning through the Scriptures to know the will of God. When the minds of the Christians in Maryville are united in Christ, nothing can stop the work they are partaking in together. The world has no power over hearts solidified in faith (1 John 5:4).
Finally, Paul encouraged the Corinthians by reminding them whom they serve. Our God is the God of “love and peace” and He will always be with the faithful (Matthew 28:20). His love is unconditional but is fully received through obedient trust in His power to save the soul. His peace comes from the knowledge of His grace and the acceptance of the salvation He offers through His Son. Paul knew that the only way to success was to rely on God’s wisdom, grace and love. He also knew that if the congregation in Corinth would the worldly temptations to rely on the flesh, God would grant them love and peace.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Not of the World
“They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:16).
Jesus prays for the church’s desire to remain different from the worldliness that tries to influence her. We live in times of social confusion, and maybe even revolution, and the church has an opportunity to show the distinct nature of God during these times. To do this we must stay on guard and watch out for the enemy’s attacks (1 Peter 5:8). He is on a mission to destroy the church and to succeed he is trying to get us to lose our distinction. We are living in the midst of a hypocritical world that accepts cheating, lying and killing as the norm. But the church has been set apart from the world’s ugliness by being transformed into the distinct beauty of the Christ.
When people of the world finally come to themselves and see not only the error, but the terror of their ways, they will go looking for something that is different. And that is what the church claims to be, different. Jesus reminds us to, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). People are hearing the claim of the church to be different, but are they seeing the difference? We must do more than just say we are different, we must live in a manner that shows us as different.
One way the church shows her distinction is to live up to what they proclaim. When the church says she believes God’s word to be their authority, then she must abide by the guidelines of truth. When she teaches that the Bible says we are to assemble on the first day of the week, then her members must be faithful to the assembly. Otherwise she will be seen as just another hypocrite in the world instead of a saint in the kingdom. The church believes the grace of God has been revealed in His commands. She is willing to sacrifice everything to make sure they reveal an obedient heart to a world that does not see that attitude anywhere else. If we just hear God’s word and do not act upon the opportunities it reveals, we are just as common as any other assembly, whether it be a religious group or a social club. The Lord’s church is called to the discomfort of a cross and not the comfort of a shade tree. Staying faithful to this call makes her different from any other organization found on this earth. Let’s continue to be faithful.
Another way the church reveals a distinct nature is in her priorities. Notice what Jesus taught the first disciples: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). This is not something the world has not heard before from other groups, but what makes the church distinct is their devotion to this claim (Acts 2:41-47). If we just talk about being devoted to this new priority system and not actually live by it, then we are no different than the worldly politician that says he is devoted to the country’s needs and then gets in office to serve only the needs of those who support his cause. The church is different because they “have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer” their flesh that determines their steps (Galatians 2:20). It is the cause of Christ that determines the priority of their desires.
Now is the time for the church to stand tall and be recognized for her devotion to God. The world will die in their hypocrisy but the church will live in her distinction. Her guiding authority will remain throughout eternity (Matthew 24:35). Her distinction is seen in her dedication to the life offered in Her Savior (John 14:6). Her beauty is seen in her devotion to be different from the world and her never ending desire to be more and more like Christ each and every day. Let’s continue to be faithfully devoted to truth and continue to be blessed (Matthew 5:2-7:27).
In His Love,
Cub
Jesus prays for the church’s desire to remain different from the worldliness that tries to influence her. We live in times of social confusion, and maybe even revolution, and the church has an opportunity to show the distinct nature of God during these times. To do this we must stay on guard and watch out for the enemy’s attacks (1 Peter 5:8). He is on a mission to destroy the church and to succeed he is trying to get us to lose our distinction. We are living in the midst of a hypocritical world that accepts cheating, lying and killing as the norm. But the church has been set apart from the world’s ugliness by being transformed into the distinct beauty of the Christ.
When people of the world finally come to themselves and see not only the error, but the terror of their ways, they will go looking for something that is different. And that is what the church claims to be, different. Jesus reminds us to, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). People are hearing the claim of the church to be different, but are they seeing the difference? We must do more than just say we are different, we must live in a manner that shows us as different.
One way the church shows her distinction is to live up to what they proclaim. When the church says she believes God’s word to be their authority, then she must abide by the guidelines of truth. When she teaches that the Bible says we are to assemble on the first day of the week, then her members must be faithful to the assembly. Otherwise she will be seen as just another hypocrite in the world instead of a saint in the kingdom. The church believes the grace of God has been revealed in His commands. She is willing to sacrifice everything to make sure they reveal an obedient heart to a world that does not see that attitude anywhere else. If we just hear God’s word and do not act upon the opportunities it reveals, we are just as common as any other assembly, whether it be a religious group or a social club. The Lord’s church is called to the discomfort of a cross and not the comfort of a shade tree. Staying faithful to this call makes her different from any other organization found on this earth. Let’s continue to be faithful.
Another way the church reveals a distinct nature is in her priorities. Notice what Jesus taught the first disciples: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). This is not something the world has not heard before from other groups, but what makes the church distinct is their devotion to this claim (Acts 2:41-47). If we just talk about being devoted to this new priority system and not actually live by it, then we are no different than the worldly politician that says he is devoted to the country’s needs and then gets in office to serve only the needs of those who support his cause. The church is different because they “have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer” their flesh that determines their steps (Galatians 2:20). It is the cause of Christ that determines the priority of their desires.
Now is the time for the church to stand tall and be recognized for her devotion to God. The world will die in their hypocrisy but the church will live in her distinction. Her guiding authority will remain throughout eternity (Matthew 24:35). Her distinction is seen in her dedication to the life offered in Her Savior (John 14:6). Her beauty is seen in her devotion to be different from the world and her never ending desire to be more and more like Christ each and every day. Let’s continue to be faithfully devoted to truth and continue to be blessed (Matthew 5:2-7:27).
In His Love,
Cub
Friday, February 11, 2011
Identity Crisis
Identity Crisis
"But they, our fathers, acted arrogantly; They became stubborn and would not listen to Your commandments” (Nehemiah 9:16).
When a man chooses not to want to remain different from a woman he loses his sexual identity. When the church refuses to be different, she begins to lose her spiritual identity. God is the Creator of all things and His wisdom created the church and gave her a distinct identity in Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23). He provided the sacrifice needed to separate her members from sin so they would not be separated from Him (Isaiah 59:2). His wisdom has poured His Spirit into the faithful to lead them down a different path than the world chooses to follow (Rom 8).
Ever since God has had a chosen people, they have been guided to see themselves as different. Not to build their ego but to reveal their faith. One reason the Lord’s people are different is because of their willingness to be led. They are humble and learn from their Lord (Matthew 11:8-29). Their identity is seen by all as being strong because they recognize their weaknesses (2 Corinthians 13:9). This humility is as different form the world as a woman is from a man.
God does not have to force His church to be humble, it is a choice. He loves her in a way that motivates a response of dependency. Understanding our God makes us realize how inadequate we truly are. This inadequacy is not only a physical inadequacy but also a mental deficiency. Our minds cannot conceive the complete wisdom of God because we are flesh and He is Spirit (Job 21:27). His judgments come from an omniscient mind where our judgments come from a limited mindset. The church’s vision of this truth has humbled their hearts and gives them distinction.
When God refers to His church, He refers to her as His “own possession” (1 Peter 2:9). His church is distinct because she has surrendered her identity with the world to be born again into a “new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17) that no longer resembles the world but is being transformed into the image of His Son (Colossians 3:10). God loves us too much to leave us in the resemblance of death. His blood that streamed down from the cross now cleanses us from the results of our fleshly decisions and the love that allowed this blood to flow motivates us to remain separated from the power that caused sin’s stain to form us into the world’s likeness.
When the church no longer desires this distinction, she loses her identity. We surrender the opportunity to look like Christ by being humble to God’s wisdom. Our identity is our faith in Jesus and our leaders must be weak in their fleshly knowledge so the Lord can strengthen them in the power of His divine wisdom. The church must be humble enough to follow their lead and allow God’s Spirit to dictate our steps. Even when God is leading us to places our minds cannot understand, we must close our physical eyes so our our spirit can be led to His rest. The church will always struggle when she doesn’t realize that her struggles originate in her flesh (James 4:1). That is why we must deny ourselves to follow Christ (Matthew 16:24). We must be identified by our hearts desire to follow the Spirit’s lead. Let the church remain distinct in her identity.
In His Love,
Cub
"But they, our fathers, acted arrogantly; They became stubborn and would not listen to Your commandments” (Nehemiah 9:16).
When a man chooses not to want to remain different from a woman he loses his sexual identity. When the church refuses to be different, she begins to lose her spiritual identity. God is the Creator of all things and His wisdom created the church and gave her a distinct identity in Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23). He provided the sacrifice needed to separate her members from sin so they would not be separated from Him (Isaiah 59:2). His wisdom has poured His Spirit into the faithful to lead them down a different path than the world chooses to follow (Rom 8).
Ever since God has had a chosen people, they have been guided to see themselves as different. Not to build their ego but to reveal their faith. One reason the Lord’s people are different is because of their willingness to be led. They are humble and learn from their Lord (Matthew 11:8-29). Their identity is seen by all as being strong because they recognize their weaknesses (2 Corinthians 13:9). This humility is as different form the world as a woman is from a man.
God does not have to force His church to be humble, it is a choice. He loves her in a way that motivates a response of dependency. Understanding our God makes us realize how inadequate we truly are. This inadequacy is not only a physical inadequacy but also a mental deficiency. Our minds cannot conceive the complete wisdom of God because we are flesh and He is Spirit (Job 21:27). His judgments come from an omniscient mind where our judgments come from a limited mindset. The church’s vision of this truth has humbled their hearts and gives them distinction.
When God refers to His church, He refers to her as His “own possession” (1 Peter 2:9). His church is distinct because she has surrendered her identity with the world to be born again into a “new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17) that no longer resembles the world but is being transformed into the image of His Son (Colossians 3:10). God loves us too much to leave us in the resemblance of death. His blood that streamed down from the cross now cleanses us from the results of our fleshly decisions and the love that allowed this blood to flow motivates us to remain separated from the power that caused sin’s stain to form us into the world’s likeness.
When the church no longer desires this distinction, she loses her identity. We surrender the opportunity to look like Christ by being humble to God’s wisdom. Our identity is our faith in Jesus and our leaders must be weak in their fleshly knowledge so the Lord can strengthen them in the power of His divine wisdom. The church must be humble enough to follow their lead and allow God’s Spirit to dictate our steps. Even when God is leading us to places our minds cannot understand, we must close our physical eyes so our our spirit can be led to His rest. The church will always struggle when she doesn’t realize that her struggles originate in her flesh (James 4:1). That is why we must deny ourselves to follow Christ (Matthew 16:24). We must be identified by our hearts desire to follow the Spirit’s lead. Let the church remain distinct in her identity.
In His Love,
Cub
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