"For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." (Romans 7:22,23)
I have yet to fully make sense of this verse at this hour, so....this will be work in progress.
Friday, March 28, 2003
"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" (Romans 6:1,2)
It's funny how we can excuse something so severe as sin while not tolerating ourselves to fall backwards in our life advancements. Once a person becomes a millionaire, it's hard to fall back to being just middle class. It is deemed as shameful and self-degrading. One would start to avoid the topic with the group of elite friends. However, how long can one keep that up when one cannot afford to dine at a five-star restaurant anymore?
Have we never considered that we might be in that elite class? We are the children of the Kings of kings and Lord of lords. We are part of the top elite class. 'We were buried with Him through baptism,' (Rm 6:4) 'united together in the likeness of His death,' (5) 'our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin' (6). God has taken us out of that life in the dump into His kingdom. We are transformed from dirt to refined gold in Christ.
Now that we are part of the elite class, why go back to the old life in the slum? Do we feel no shame associating with sin that we would've easily avoided if it were a rundown filthy house in the ghettos? Would we have chosen to live in the dirty house when we can live in a nice neighborhood? Why choose to present ourselves 'as instruments of unrighteousness to sin' when we can present our 'members as instruments of righteousness to God' (13)? Why is it ok to let 'sin have dominion over [us]' (14), when it's unheard of to have our subordinates order us around? Are we above sin or does sin reign over us? We know the right answer, but do we live for the true benefits?
The 'benefits' of living in the slum are unheard of, unless of course you consider filthy places a benefit. The benefits of being in high society are many. It gets us things that our hearts desire. It gives us a sense of accomplishment. It gives us something to be proud of. Hence, we pursue a comfortable life. The reward of sin is death. However, A life with God will give us 'fruit to holiness' and 'the end, everlasting life' (22). Why don't we pursue that gift from God that's even better than a comfortable life on earth? Who would want to trade a piece of diamond for a glop of mud? Who would want to trade everlasting life for death? When are we going to live a non-contradictory life to show where our heart truly lies? We cannot hate filth and love it at the same time. 'The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord' (23). So, what's it gonna be?
It's funny how we can excuse something so severe as sin while not tolerating ourselves to fall backwards in our life advancements. Once a person becomes a millionaire, it's hard to fall back to being just middle class. It is deemed as shameful and self-degrading. One would start to avoid the topic with the group of elite friends. However, how long can one keep that up when one cannot afford to dine at a five-star restaurant anymore?
Have we never considered that we might be in that elite class? We are the children of the Kings of kings and Lord of lords. We are part of the top elite class. 'We were buried with Him through baptism,' (Rm 6:4) 'united together in the likeness of His death,' (5) 'our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin' (6). God has taken us out of that life in the dump into His kingdom. We are transformed from dirt to refined gold in Christ.
Now that we are part of the elite class, why go back to the old life in the slum? Do we feel no shame associating with sin that we would've easily avoided if it were a rundown filthy house in the ghettos? Would we have chosen to live in the dirty house when we can live in a nice neighborhood? Why choose to present ourselves 'as instruments of unrighteousness to sin' when we can present our 'members as instruments of righteousness to God' (13)? Why is it ok to let 'sin have dominion over [us]' (14), when it's unheard of to have our subordinates order us around? Are we above sin or does sin reign over us? We know the right answer, but do we live for the true benefits?
The 'benefits' of living in the slum are unheard of, unless of course you consider filthy places a benefit. The benefits of being in high society are many. It gets us things that our hearts desire. It gives us a sense of accomplishment. It gives us something to be proud of. Hence, we pursue a comfortable life. The reward of sin is death. However, A life with God will give us 'fruit to holiness' and 'the end, everlasting life' (22). Why don't we pursue that gift from God that's even better than a comfortable life on earth? Who would want to trade a piece of diamond for a glop of mud? Who would want to trade everlasting life for death? When are we going to live a non-contradictory life to show where our heart truly lies? We cannot hate filth and love it at the same time. 'The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord' (23). So, what's it gonna be?
"through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:2)
Romans is just full of one liners that other denominations cling to as their sole belief to Salvation, and this one is no exception. A more popular and familiar twin to this verse may be 'for by grace you have been saved through faith' in Ephesians 2:8. These verses although comforting, are for the most part, easily misused. These verses are paradise to those too lazy to find out the whole doctrine of Salvation, or those so naive to believe that God only spoke one line in the entire Bible concerning Salvation.
Ok, even if they did read just that one line, is the whole line read or just the part that sounds pleasing? Yes, it does say 'for by grace you have been saved,' but it also continues on to say 'through faith'. Doesn't anyone ever wonder what 'through faith' means? Is faith something you never have to work at to possess? Do they believe that everyone is born with faith, therefore, we are directly saved by grace? As I have already shared in my reflection for chapter four, faith doesn't come without effort. It is something we constantly work at to perfect.
Now, going back to 'by grace you have been saved'. 'We have access by faith into this grace,' meaning we must first have faith to receive grace. So, after exercising the steps to perfect faith, what's next? Does anybody ever wonder what 'by grace' means? Does it mean we sit idly for grace to fall on our lap? Is grace really something that's freely given? And yes, we are 'being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus' (Rm 3:24). Does that give us a green 'GO!' to be idle and receive salvation? Haven't anyone heard of the cliché, "there is no free lunch"? Even if there is 'free lunch', we got to get up and go get it. Grace may not have a monetary value, but nothing falls on our lap without some effort. What have we done to receive that grace which was already given to us freely?
Abraham put his own life in the hands of God and migrated out the comfort of his homeland. Moses realized his place was with God and His people and gave up the luxurious palace life. Joseph persisted in trusting God even while he was imprisoned. David upheld the principles of God even while Saul pursued his life. Elijah trusted that God would provide for him even in the time of drought. Stephen was martyred because he was 'full of faith and power' (Acts 6:8) in God. James was killed by Herod because he belonged to the church of God. Paul was stoned for giving glory to God. What have we done to confirm our faith is with God?
Grace has been freely given, have we made an effort to receive it?
Romans is just full of one liners that other denominations cling to as their sole belief to Salvation, and this one is no exception. A more popular and familiar twin to this verse may be 'for by grace you have been saved through faith' in Ephesians 2:8. These verses although comforting, are for the most part, easily misused. These verses are paradise to those too lazy to find out the whole doctrine of Salvation, or those so naive to believe that God only spoke one line in the entire Bible concerning Salvation.
Ok, even if they did read just that one line, is the whole line read or just the part that sounds pleasing? Yes, it does say 'for by grace you have been saved,' but it also continues on to say 'through faith'. Doesn't anyone ever wonder what 'through faith' means? Is faith something you never have to work at to possess? Do they believe that everyone is born with faith, therefore, we are directly saved by grace? As I have already shared in my reflection for chapter four, faith doesn't come without effort. It is something we constantly work at to perfect.
Now, going back to 'by grace you have been saved'. 'We have access by faith into this grace,' meaning we must first have faith to receive grace. So, after exercising the steps to perfect faith, what's next? Does anybody ever wonder what 'by grace' means? Does it mean we sit idly for grace to fall on our lap? Is grace really something that's freely given? And yes, we are 'being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus' (Rm 3:24). Does that give us a green 'GO!' to be idle and receive salvation? Haven't anyone heard of the cliché, "there is no free lunch"? Even if there is 'free lunch', we got to get up and go get it. Grace may not have a monetary value, but nothing falls on our lap without some effort. What have we done to receive that grace which was already given to us freely?
Abraham put his own life in the hands of God and migrated out the comfort of his homeland. Moses realized his place was with God and His people and gave up the luxurious palace life. Joseph persisted in trusting God even while he was imprisoned. David upheld the principles of God even while Saul pursued his life. Elijah trusted that God would provide for him even in the time of drought. Stephen was martyred because he was 'full of faith and power' (Acts 6:8) in God. James was killed by Herod because he belonged to the church of God. Paul was stoned for giving glory to God. What have we done to confirm our faith is with God?
Grace has been freely given, have we made an effort to receive it?
Thursday, March 27, 2003
Wednesday, March 26, 2003
"It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification." (Romans 4:24, 25)
We can only be justified because of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. Jesus was only raised 'because of our justification' (4:25). Even then, it does not guarantee us a sure justification, since it is THROUGH faith that we are justified. Therefore, we must take the initiative to have that faith which leads to justification. This is likened to applying for college. We are accepted through an application. Therefore, we must take the initiative to fill out that application. Failure in taking the initiative to fill it out will deny us any chance of acceptance. Not having that faith will deny us any chance of being justified.
First, let us clarify the purpose of being justified. Even though the discussion of sanctification hasn't been mentioned, we all know that justification leads to sanctification. In layman's terms, the purpose is to enter the Kingdom of God, to be sanctified as one of the heavenly inhabitants, and live eternally. With that said, how can we achieve that goal? In hopes of trying to explain the path to salvation, the story of the man born blind from gospel John can be used as an analogy.
"Now as Jesus passes by, He saw a man who was blind from birth...When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam". So he went and washed, and came back seeing. Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?"...they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?" He answered and said, "A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed, and I received sight." (John 9:1,6-8,10,11)
A simple passage such as this shows us the clear steps toward receiving the blessing from God, which can be extended to the obtaining of salvation.
1) Humble acceptance - He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay (The man heard Jesus spat but never said to Jesus, "What are you doing putting your nasty saliva on my eye," he simply let Jesus do His thing even though it was out of the ordinary.)
2) Followed without complaint - So he went and washed (The man never complained to Jesus, "Why are you making me walk, haven't you noticed that I'm blind?" He simply did as he was told without a word.)
3) Glorifying God - A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes (When asked what happened to him, he proclaimed the Name of the His benefactor without hesitation.)
4) Blessed Result - So I went and washed, and I received sight (By accepting the way of Jesus without a word, the blind man was able to receive sight.)
The journey from having faith to receiving eternal life can be summarized in the four steps mentioned above. It is only with humble acceptance that we are even able to get glimpse of who God is. With that initial step, we give ourselves the chance to understand the ways of God. Through further digging, we come to realize that God's ways don't always synchronize with human ways, such as the way of receiving the Holy Spirit. It is only by following without complaint that we are able to really experience God.
To know something and to act on it are two totally different things. Knowing the way of receiving the Holy Spirit doesn't mean accepting it. To actually kneel down and pray for the Holy Spirit, however, means that someone believes in it enough to try it. It takes a lot of humility and trust in order to kneel down without question and pray in a silly way. After knowing that God is true through the experiences we have with Him, we are able to share it with others. We must never be ashamed to proclaim His Name and His blessings. To deny Him His glory is like taking credit for someone else's work. It is not only degrading, it is shameful. In all things, we must give glory to the One above.
In order to have faith in something, we must understand the purpose of our belief. We can build our faith toward God through 1) accepting Christ, 2) studying God's Words to better understand Him, 3) following His commandments without question, and 4) giving all the credits and glory to God. It is only when we truly have faith and understand what faith encompasses of, are we able to be justified through faith.
We can only be justified because of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. Jesus was only raised 'because of our justification' (4:25). Even then, it does not guarantee us a sure justification, since it is THROUGH faith that we are justified. Therefore, we must take the initiative to have that faith which leads to justification. This is likened to applying for college. We are accepted through an application. Therefore, we must take the initiative to fill out that application. Failure in taking the initiative to fill it out will deny us any chance of acceptance. Not having that faith will deny us any chance of being justified.
First, let us clarify the purpose of being justified. Even though the discussion of sanctification hasn't been mentioned, we all know that justification leads to sanctification. In layman's terms, the purpose is to enter the Kingdom of God, to be sanctified as one of the heavenly inhabitants, and live eternally. With that said, how can we achieve that goal? In hopes of trying to explain the path to salvation, the story of the man born blind from gospel John can be used as an analogy.
"Now as Jesus passes by, He saw a man who was blind from birth...When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam". So he went and washed, and came back seeing. Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?"...they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?" He answered and said, "A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed, and I received sight." (John 9:1,6-8,10,11)
A simple passage such as this shows us the clear steps toward receiving the blessing from God, which can be extended to the obtaining of salvation.
1) Humble acceptance - He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay (The man heard Jesus spat but never said to Jesus, "What are you doing putting your nasty saliva on my eye," he simply let Jesus do His thing even though it was out of the ordinary.)
2) Followed without complaint - So he went and washed (The man never complained to Jesus, "Why are you making me walk, haven't you noticed that I'm blind?" He simply did as he was told without a word.)
3) Glorifying God - A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes (When asked what happened to him, he proclaimed the Name of the His benefactor without hesitation.)
4) Blessed Result - So I went and washed, and I received sight (By accepting the way of Jesus without a word, the blind man was able to receive sight.)
The journey from having faith to receiving eternal life can be summarized in the four steps mentioned above. It is only with humble acceptance that we are even able to get glimpse of who God is. With that initial step, we give ourselves the chance to understand the ways of God. Through further digging, we come to realize that God's ways don't always synchronize with human ways, such as the way of receiving the Holy Spirit. It is only by following without complaint that we are able to really experience God.
To know something and to act on it are two totally different things. Knowing the way of receiving the Holy Spirit doesn't mean accepting it. To actually kneel down and pray for the Holy Spirit, however, means that someone believes in it enough to try it. It takes a lot of humility and trust in order to kneel down without question and pray in a silly way. After knowing that God is true through the experiences we have with Him, we are able to share it with others. We must never be ashamed to proclaim His Name and His blessings. To deny Him His glory is like taking credit for someone else's work. It is not only degrading, it is shameful. In all things, we must give glory to the One above.
In order to have faith in something, we must understand the purpose of our belief. We can build our faith toward God through 1) accepting Christ, 2) studying God's Words to better understand Him, 3) following His commandments without question, and 4) giving all the credits and glory to God. It is only when we truly have faith and understand what faith encompasses of, are we able to be justified through faith.
Sunday, March 23, 2003
"But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? Certainly not!...Where is boasting then? It is excluded...man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law...since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law." (Romans 3:5,6,27,28,30,31)
This chapter is certainly a confusion if read without much thought. With some focus, however, some main ideas can be gathered. With first glance, it may seem unfair that God should inflict wrath upon those who demonstrate righteously. As the chapter unfolds, it is clear that the message is that we are not justified by deeds alone but by 'grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus' (Rm 3:24). And it is up to God's Sovereignty whether He chooses to inflict His wrath because under the law, 'there is none righteous' (10).
The law encourages good deeds, on the contrary, the chapter quotes that 'man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law' (28). By looking at this verse, it is easy to omit the rest of the Bible and proclaim that no matter what our deeds may be, we will be justified by faith alone. Many denominations claim that all their wrongdoings will be overlooked because of this verse. However, they fail to read further that 'through faith...we establish the law' (31). This translates to: Because of our belief in Christ, we go on to perform the good deeds. Therefore, the 'deeds of the law' (28) are a part of our 'faith in Jesus' (26) and not something to be omitted.
The conclusion to this 'totallay contradictory' but yet non-contradictory chapter would be to keep the deeds of the law because 'eternal life [will be] to those who by patient continuance in doing good...' (2:7). Yes, even though we are not directly justified by good deeds, Jesus exhorts us to 'let [our] light so shine before men, that they may see [our] good works and glorify your Father in heaven.' (Mt. 5:16). Having good works is an extension of our faith in Christ, therefore, 'those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works' (Titus 3:8). Just as sacrifice is part of the love Christ gave to us, the good deeds we perform is wholly because of our firm faith in God. Therefore, even though we are not justified by our good deeds only, those deeds will be counted in the eyes of God if we do it for the purpose of glorifying Him.
This chapter is certainly a confusion if read without much thought. With some focus, however, some main ideas can be gathered. With first glance, it may seem unfair that God should inflict wrath upon those who demonstrate righteously. As the chapter unfolds, it is clear that the message is that we are not justified by deeds alone but by 'grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus' (Rm 3:24). And it is up to God's Sovereignty whether He chooses to inflict His wrath because under the law, 'there is none righteous' (10).
The law encourages good deeds, on the contrary, the chapter quotes that 'man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law' (28). By looking at this verse, it is easy to omit the rest of the Bible and proclaim that no matter what our deeds may be, we will be justified by faith alone. Many denominations claim that all their wrongdoings will be overlooked because of this verse. However, they fail to read further that 'through faith...we establish the law' (31). This translates to: Because of our belief in Christ, we go on to perform the good deeds. Therefore, the 'deeds of the law' (28) are a part of our 'faith in Jesus' (26) and not something to be omitted.
The conclusion to this 'totallay contradictory' but yet non-contradictory chapter would be to keep the deeds of the law because 'eternal life [will be] to those who by patient continuance in doing good...' (2:7). Yes, even though we are not directly justified by good deeds, Jesus exhorts us to 'let [our] light so shine before men, that they may see [our] good works and glorify your Father in heaven.' (Mt. 5:16). Having good works is an extension of our faith in Christ, therefore, 'those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works' (Titus 3:8). Just as sacrifice is part of the love Christ gave to us, the good deeds we perform is wholly because of our firm faith in God. Therefore, even though we are not justified by our good deeds only, those deeds will be counted in the eyes of God if we do it for the purpose of glorifying Him.
Friday, March 21, 2003
"For 'The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,' as it is written." (Romans 2:24)
Although this verse was formerly quoted in Isaiah and Ezekiel referring to the Jews, it should serve as an eye-opener for the present time believers. Today, the term 'Gentiles' tend to mean those who have not found the true gospel. For those of us who were blessed by God to understand the true doctrine, we no longer refer to ourselves as 'Gentiles'. Therefore, the verse would apply to us just as much as it applied to the Jews when it was first spoken.
With that said, this quote is telling us that we are committing a huge crime worthy of the death penalty; and this is not just one of Texas' death penalties, this is the penalty from God. However, from a more positive light Paul stated:
"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 4:26-29)
Why should we choose to be the stumbling block for the Gentiles when we are the heirs of Christ? Why should we be the reason people reject God when we can be the reason that they come to know God? Instead of rejecting God in our daily lives, we need to remember to live out a Christ-like life. Instead of being ashamed to say grace in the company of our friends, we should be honored that we understand the love from God. Instead of whispering "True Jesus Chuch" when asked which church we belong to, we should proclaim boldly because God chose us. However, this is only half the battle.
Our walk with God is a process. The beginning of our faith is being able to trust in our belief. After understanding the profound Words of God, our belief slowly transforms to a conviction. That conviction is where we draw the energy when we can proclaim loudly that "I go to the True Jesus Church"!. However, belief and conviction will get us no where if it is not followed up by actions. The constant words of "faith without works is dead' (James 2:20) turns in our head. How many times do we stop to realize that those words apply to us and not others only. In order for the Gentiles not to blasphem the name of God, we must 'put on Christ' and 'be holy'. To prevail in our strive to perfection we must keep in mind that:
"In all things showing [ourself] to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of [us]" (Titus 2:7,8).
Although this verse was formerly quoted in Isaiah and Ezekiel referring to the Jews, it should serve as an eye-opener for the present time believers. Today, the term 'Gentiles' tend to mean those who have not found the true gospel. For those of us who were blessed by God to understand the true doctrine, we no longer refer to ourselves as 'Gentiles'. Therefore, the verse would apply to us just as much as it applied to the Jews when it was first spoken.
With that said, this quote is telling us that we are committing a huge crime worthy of the death penalty; and this is not just one of Texas' death penalties, this is the penalty from God. However, from a more positive light Paul stated:
"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 4:26-29)
Why should we choose to be the stumbling block for the Gentiles when we are the heirs of Christ? Why should we be the reason people reject God when we can be the reason that they come to know God? Instead of rejecting God in our daily lives, we need to remember to live out a Christ-like life. Instead of being ashamed to say grace in the company of our friends, we should be honored that we understand the love from God. Instead of whispering "True Jesus Chuch" when asked which church we belong to, we should proclaim boldly because God chose us. However, this is only half the battle.
Our walk with God is a process. The beginning of our faith is being able to trust in our belief. After understanding the profound Words of God, our belief slowly transforms to a conviction. That conviction is where we draw the energy when we can proclaim loudly that "I go to the True Jesus Church"!. However, belief and conviction will get us no where if it is not followed up by actions. The constant words of "faith without works is dead' (James 2:20) turns in our head. How many times do we stop to realize that those words apply to us and not others only. In order for the Gentiles not to blasphem the name of God, we must 'put on Christ' and 'be holy'. To prevail in our strive to perfection we must keep in mind that:
"In all things showing [ourself] to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of [us]" (Titus 2:7,8).
Thursday, March 20, 2003
"Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed beast and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts or their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen." (Romans 1:22-25)
The mere mention of God's disowning of the people should serve as a red flashing lightbulb warning us of danger. We may ask ourselves, "Isn't that the same God who left the ninety-nine sheep to seek for the one that is straying"? Isn't the Love of God great? And yes, it was the same God who gave Adam and Eve a chance to turn back; the same Jesus who gave Judas countless times to reconsider his plan. However, the results?
We all know the tragic ending to the stories of Adam & Eve and Judas. These stories should serve as reminders to ourselves not to take advantage of the Love of God. Yes, it is important to emphasize the Love of God; however, it is for a different purpose than this. The Love of God is to remind us of our duties toward God, not how much we can go on before God's wrath turns against us. The Love of God is a reminder of how we should lead our lives in the world in order to glorify God. The Love of God was never meant to be taken advantage of and trampled on. We should never forget that the Justice of God is the other side of the coin.
There is 'the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to [the] gospel' (Rm 2:16). The day when it doesn't matter even if we are the chosen ones of God. The day when it doesn't matter even if we were NOT unrighteous in the eyes of God. On that day, only 'the just shall live by faith' (1:17). We will only be regarded for our righteousness and not our unrighteousness. There are no degrees of being righteous, we are either righteous or we are not; we are either going to heaven or we are not. Therefore, turn back while we are still under the mercy of God. Turn back before the wrath of God pours upon us. Turn back...
The mere mention of God's disowning of the people should serve as a red flashing lightbulb warning us of danger. We may ask ourselves, "Isn't that the same God who left the ninety-nine sheep to seek for the one that is straying"? Isn't the Love of God great? And yes, it was the same God who gave Adam and Eve a chance to turn back; the same Jesus who gave Judas countless times to reconsider his plan. However, the results?
We all know the tragic ending to the stories of Adam & Eve and Judas. These stories should serve as reminders to ourselves not to take advantage of the Love of God. Yes, it is important to emphasize the Love of God; however, it is for a different purpose than this. The Love of God is to remind us of our duties toward God, not how much we can go on before God's wrath turns against us. The Love of God is a reminder of how we should lead our lives in the world in order to glorify God. The Love of God was never meant to be taken advantage of and trampled on. We should never forget that the Justice of God is the other side of the coin.
There is 'the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to [the] gospel' (Rm 2:16). The day when it doesn't matter even if we are the chosen ones of God. The day when it doesn't matter even if we were NOT unrighteous in the eyes of God. On that day, only 'the just shall live by faith' (1:17). We will only be regarded for our righteousness and not our unrighteousness. There are no degrees of being righteous, we are either righteous or we are not; we are either going to heaven or we are not. Therefore, turn back while we are still under the mercy of God. Turn back before the wrath of God pours upon us. Turn back...
Wednesday, March 19, 2003
"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." (Heb 10:24, 25)
There are many verses in the Bible exhorting us to unit and assemble together with our fellow brethren. I believe that God encourages us to do that for many reasons. He knows that we will need support during our lifetime journey. Not only that, He has provided us companions and fellow workers to aid in our good works for Him. On top of all that, He wants us to unit so that we may be separated as different from the corruptions of this world.
During our spiritual journey, there are bound to be times of ups and downs in our faith. It is during those troughs that we need our brethren to pull us up. During those good times, it is our turn to look after those weaker than us. The see-saw effect will continue to take place until we all reach perfection and balance off. However, before that occurs, God has placed people around us to help us and exhort us.
It is also important that we aid each other in the works of God. We are all given different gifts and function as different vessels in the body of Christ. If we can congregate our talents together, there is no telling what great things God have in store for us. God also wants us to 'consider one another', meaning give one another a chance in being part of the team. Sometimes we may discriminate against certain people believing they have no talent in a certain area. If we've never give them a chance, how are we able to judge what God has blessed them with? In many cases, people just need to be included before they feel comfortable performing a task. Not many try to appear puffy by telling everyone what they are capable of doing. So when we fail to include new comers or even people we've neglected, the church may be missing out on those talents that have been dormant waiting to be awakened.
Lastly, in order for us to stay strong in Christ, we must unit as one. If we scatter among ourselves, there is no reason why unbelievers should join in our congregation. An army of a thousand is much stronger than that of just one man. In order for us to fight the spiritual battle with Satan, we must unit under one mind and one heart to strive for that one goal. A split of mind among ourselves only shows those observing afar that we are not concrete in our own faith. A lack of harmony only appears as a disconcerted crowd. In no way will we ever exhibit the love of Christ or be an example for Christ unless we assemble ourselves together.
In loving and exhorting one another, we are able to unit together under Christ. Through our comrades we are able to draw strength. With the help of our companions we are able to do greater things for God. By exhibiting the love of Christ, we will be able to draw the unbelievers to Him. May we all remember the importance of a strong bond within ourselves and look to God for the strength to unit us as one body just as Christ is one body
There are many verses in the Bible exhorting us to unit and assemble together with our fellow brethren. I believe that God encourages us to do that for many reasons. He knows that we will need support during our lifetime journey. Not only that, He has provided us companions and fellow workers to aid in our good works for Him. On top of all that, He wants us to unit so that we may be separated as different from the corruptions of this world.
During our spiritual journey, there are bound to be times of ups and downs in our faith. It is during those troughs that we need our brethren to pull us up. During those good times, it is our turn to look after those weaker than us. The see-saw effect will continue to take place until we all reach perfection and balance off. However, before that occurs, God has placed people around us to help us and exhort us.
It is also important that we aid each other in the works of God. We are all given different gifts and function as different vessels in the body of Christ. If we can congregate our talents together, there is no telling what great things God have in store for us. God also wants us to 'consider one another', meaning give one another a chance in being part of the team. Sometimes we may discriminate against certain people believing they have no talent in a certain area. If we've never give them a chance, how are we able to judge what God has blessed them with? In many cases, people just need to be included before they feel comfortable performing a task. Not many try to appear puffy by telling everyone what they are capable of doing. So when we fail to include new comers or even people we've neglected, the church may be missing out on those talents that have been dormant waiting to be awakened.
Lastly, in order for us to stay strong in Christ, we must unit as one. If we scatter among ourselves, there is no reason why unbelievers should join in our congregation. An army of a thousand is much stronger than that of just one man. In order for us to fight the spiritual battle with Satan, we must unit under one mind and one heart to strive for that one goal. A split of mind among ourselves only shows those observing afar that we are not concrete in our own faith. A lack of harmony only appears as a disconcerted crowd. In no way will we ever exhibit the love of Christ or be an example for Christ unless we assemble ourselves together.
In loving and exhorting one another, we are able to unit together under Christ. Through our comrades we are able to draw strength. With the help of our companions we are able to do greater things for God. By exhibiting the love of Christ, we will be able to draw the unbelievers to Him. May we all remember the importance of a strong bond within ourselves and look to God for the strength to unit us as one body just as Christ is one body
Monday, March 17, 2003
"But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance." (Heb 9:7)
We all know that before the sacrifice of Christ, human beings weren't able to communicate with God directly. Only through the high priest were God's messages communicated, and as the verse stated, this happens only once a year. After the sacrifice was made on the Cross, the veil was torn and the barrier of communicate broken. We were able to come before God since Jesus has already made atonement for us through the sacrifice of His blood. Even though the blood of Jesus washed away our sins during baptism, we continue to sin with each day of our lives. Therefore, for us to continue to have a direct communication with God, we must first repent of our sins as the priest repented the sins of the people and himself before communicating with God.
Even though Christ has opened the channel of direct contact with God, our prayers are not able to reach Him unless the spiritual barrier we have between us and God is removed. That barrier keeps building up as we continue to sin. If we fail to confess our sins, even the ones we 'committed in ignorance', before each communication with God, our prayers will go unanswered. Even though we won't be physically struck to death as a high priest might if he failed to atone for the sins of the people and himself, we will be spiritually dead because our unrepented sins are filled to the brim. Maybe we wonder why God has been neglecting us in our prayers, but have we remembered to offer up our sacrifice before we communicate with Him? Maybe it wasn't God who wasn't listening, rather it was us who created that noisy static. God is already ready to hear our prayers, He "walks in the midst of [our] camp, to deliver [us]...; therefore [our] camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among [us], and turn away from [us] (Deut. 23:14). May we always remember to clear that barrier and offer up that spiritual sacrifice before our tete-a-tete with God.
We all know that before the sacrifice of Christ, human beings weren't able to communicate with God directly. Only through the high priest were God's messages communicated, and as the verse stated, this happens only once a year. After the sacrifice was made on the Cross, the veil was torn and the barrier of communicate broken. We were able to come before God since Jesus has already made atonement for us through the sacrifice of His blood. Even though the blood of Jesus washed away our sins during baptism, we continue to sin with each day of our lives. Therefore, for us to continue to have a direct communication with God, we must first repent of our sins as the priest repented the sins of the people and himself before communicating with God.
Even though Christ has opened the channel of direct contact with God, our prayers are not able to reach Him unless the spiritual barrier we have between us and God is removed. That barrier keeps building up as we continue to sin. If we fail to confess our sins, even the ones we 'committed in ignorance', before each communication with God, our prayers will go unanswered. Even though we won't be physically struck to death as a high priest might if he failed to atone for the sins of the people and himself, we will be spiritually dead because our unrepented sins are filled to the brim. Maybe we wonder why God has been neglecting us in our prayers, but have we remembered to offer up our sacrifice before we communicate with Him? Maybe it wasn't God who wasn't listening, rather it was us who created that noisy static. God is already ready to hear our prayers, He "walks in the midst of [our] camp, to deliver [us]...; therefore [our] camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among [us], and turn away from [us] (Deut. 23:14). May we always remember to clear that barrier and offer up that spiritual sacrifice before our tete-a-tete with God.
Thursday, March 06, 2003
"For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." (Heb 5:13, 14)
The cliche, "Practice makes perfect", comes to mind as I read this verse. An amateur can never advance unless the basics of the trade is molded into a foundation, which in turn acts as the root of all practice. However, having the basics doesn't guarantee us a perfect practice unless we exercise our skills to good use through time. As we all know, the basics in consuming food comes in the form of swallowing. Before one learns to chew, one must learn to swallow so as not to choke on the food. It may sound like the process comes naturallly as a baby grows to a child, however, it still takes practice to perfect the semi-involuntary effort. Just as a baby is learning to walk, the first step is to exercise and build the leg muscles through crawling. Once the muscles are built and strong enough, the baby then tries to stand. The process eventually leads to a 'drunken' walk with occasional falls before it is perfected. Through daily practice, the baby acquires the natural process of walking.
Therefore, to perfect in the word of righteousness, we must utilize and practice it. Just as a babe learns to chew solid food, we must learn to use our foundation in the gospel to discern good and evil. And just how are we supposed to learn the art of discerning good from evil? Here the author states that "by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." Only through using the word of righteousness are we able to exercise our senses. We must meditate and use these words daily to strengthen our senses. The lack of use will desensitize us in discerning of good and evil, just as the lack of use of a bed-ridden patient's legs are no longer inclined to walking. The patient must relearn the once involuntary gesture. Therefore, to keep ourselves from decreasing back to the basics, we must use what we have often. Just as an English teacher advises that "once you learn a word and use it three times, it is yours", we must use the word of righteousness and make it part of us.
The cliche, "Practice makes perfect", comes to mind as I read this verse. An amateur can never advance unless the basics of the trade is molded into a foundation, which in turn acts as the root of all practice. However, having the basics doesn't guarantee us a perfect practice unless we exercise our skills to good use through time. As we all know, the basics in consuming food comes in the form of swallowing. Before one learns to chew, one must learn to swallow so as not to choke on the food. It may sound like the process comes naturallly as a baby grows to a child, however, it still takes practice to perfect the semi-involuntary effort. Just as a baby is learning to walk, the first step is to exercise and build the leg muscles through crawling. Once the muscles are built and strong enough, the baby then tries to stand. The process eventually leads to a 'drunken' walk with occasional falls before it is perfected. Through daily practice, the baby acquires the natural process of walking.
Therefore, to perfect in the word of righteousness, we must utilize and practice it. Just as a babe learns to chew solid food, we must learn to use our foundation in the gospel to discern good and evil. And just how are we supposed to learn the art of discerning good from evil? Here the author states that "by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." Only through using the word of righteousness are we able to exercise our senses. We must meditate and use these words daily to strengthen our senses. The lack of use will desensitize us in discerning of good and evil, just as the lack of use of a bed-ridden patient's legs are no longer inclined to walking. The patient must relearn the once involuntary gesture. Therefore, to keep ourselves from decreasing back to the basics, we must use what we have often. Just as an English teacher advises that "once you learn a word and use it three times, it is yours", we must use the word of righteousness and make it part of us.
Tuesday, March 04, 2003
"For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His." (Heb 4:10)
I think this trend of thought will be more of a technical than inspirational one. There are just too many implied pronouns in Hebrews. Everyone becomes 'he', whether it be Moses, Jesus, God, or human beings in geneal. However the 'he' in this verse was identified as 'the people of God' from the previous verse. We, who believed and are baptized, are defined as this 'he' mentioned. As many verses in the Bible could be taken at the physical or spiritual level, the message in this verse does not differ.
When 'rest' is mentioned, it takes on its physical meaning of the time we take off from the world on Sabbaths to attend worships. This is the time we dedicate to God and take a leave of absence from the world. To 'rest' on Sabbath doesn't mean we do no work. It simply means we separate ourselves from worldly matters and focus on the matters concerning God. Therefore, we still cook that one dish for pot luck love meal, wash dishes, mop the floor, take out the trash, etc...Jesus also upheld the performing of good deeds on Sabbath by healing a man with a withered hand when it was clearly unlawful (Mt. 12:10-13). However, this 'rest' is a temporary rest that we enjoy one day out of the seven day week.
The spiritual meaning of 'rest' is that eternal rest promised by God. When we obtain that eternal rest, we will be separate from this world. There will be no more worldly worries, no more work, and no more school. It is for that eternal rest that we strive for while we still live. When we enter that eternal rest, there will be no love meals to cook for, no trash to take out, no floors to mop, and no more dishes to wash. That rest is a true rest, a total rest from tasks of this world. Since we are still of this world, Sabbath is the closest we can get to that heaven on earth feeling. Let us take advantage of what God has established for us to enjoy, a rest under His wings.
I think this trend of thought will be more of a technical than inspirational one. There are just too many implied pronouns in Hebrews. Everyone becomes 'he', whether it be Moses, Jesus, God, or human beings in geneal. However the 'he' in this verse was identified as 'the people of God' from the previous verse. We, who believed and are baptized, are defined as this 'he' mentioned. As many verses in the Bible could be taken at the physical or spiritual level, the message in this verse does not differ.
When 'rest' is mentioned, it takes on its physical meaning of the time we take off from the world on Sabbaths to attend worships. This is the time we dedicate to God and take a leave of absence from the world. To 'rest' on Sabbath doesn't mean we do no work. It simply means we separate ourselves from worldly matters and focus on the matters concerning God. Therefore, we still cook that one dish for pot luck love meal, wash dishes, mop the floor, take out the trash, etc...Jesus also upheld the performing of good deeds on Sabbath by healing a man with a withered hand when it was clearly unlawful (Mt. 12:10-13). However, this 'rest' is a temporary rest that we enjoy one day out of the seven day week.
The spiritual meaning of 'rest' is that eternal rest promised by God. When we obtain that eternal rest, we will be separate from this world. There will be no more worldly worries, no more work, and no more school. It is for that eternal rest that we strive for while we still live. When we enter that eternal rest, there will be no love meals to cook for, no trash to take out, no floors to mop, and no more dishes to wash. That rest is a true rest, a total rest from tasks of this world. Since we are still of this world, Sabbath is the closest we can get to that heaven on earth feeling. Let us take advantage of what God has established for us to enjoy, a rest under His wings.
Monday, March 03, 2003
"For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end." (Heb 3:14)
Easier said than done. With that verse, I don't know how many people will become the partakers of Christ. There are many questions we can ask ourselves to reexamine our faith in God.
We often have spurts of zeal for God, but how often do those spurts last. Are they over by the time our growth spurt ends or do they persist on til' our skin sag?
It is true that God is always in the back of our mind, but why isn't He always in the 'front' of our minds?
Do we only think of God when trouble arises or is He a part of our daily decision making?
Do we cease to remember God's omnipotence when the period after a miracle prolongs?
It is fit then to mention the lesson given to the church of Ephesus, "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love." Have we left the first confidence we established in God while we were still ignorant? The church of Ephesus was cautioned by God to 'repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent.' Let us take heed of this caution as one that was given to us so that we may keep our lampstand when the time comes.
Easier said than done. With that verse, I don't know how many people will become the partakers of Christ. There are many questions we can ask ourselves to reexamine our faith in God.
We often have spurts of zeal for God, but how often do those spurts last. Are they over by the time our growth spurt ends or do they persist on til' our skin sag?
It is true that God is always in the back of our mind, but why isn't He always in the 'front' of our minds?
Do we only think of God when trouble arises or is He a part of our daily decision making?
Do we cease to remember God's omnipotence when the period after a miracle prolongs?
It is fit then to mention the lesson given to the church of Ephesus, "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love." Have we left the first confidence we established in God while we were still ignorant? The church of Ephesus was cautioned by God to 'repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent.' Let us take heed of this caution as one that was given to us so that we may keep our lampstand when the time comes.
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