Grace - Why do we stress and emphasize Grace? Because Paul said to!

Here excerpts from an article by Chad Mansbridge:


Titus: Stress These Things

by Chad Mansbridge

"The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders…(who) hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught." Titus 1:5,9

At some point in their travels, Paul asked Titus to remain on the island of Crete for an undisclosed period of time, that he may 'put in order' certain areas of church-life that required further apostolic attention and adjustment.

This infamous island community was known for its greed, deceit and brutality. A sentiment noted by pagan poets of the day, and echoed here by Paul himself.

However, Paul's criticism is not essentially directed at the Cretan community or culture as a whole, but is specifically targeted at particular religious people (of Jewish persuasion) within the Cretan community. Experience had taught Paul that such men and their trouble-making, Gospel-distorting antics, were to be taken very seriously, and strongly guarded against.

In this opening chapter, Paul's main directive is for his colleague to ensure that the local church in Crete is led well.

Of particular note, is that these leaders were to hold fast and firm to something Paul describes as "the trustworthy message". A unique term, repeated in Chapter Three, referring specifically to the message of God's grace.

For a [physical] body to be healthy, it requires a well-balanced intake of a variety of foods and beverages. To have a well-balanced diet does not mean we treat all food types with equal importance, but rather that we understand our bodies require more of certain food than others, and that we need to emphasize and prioritize accordingly.

In order to turn the Christian community of Crete right-side-up; to establish her as a shining beacon of God's life, love and light in that community, fit and focused on devoting themselves to "doing what is good" and being increasingly productive in their Christian witness, Paul presses upon Titus to give his time, effort and energy to "stress" the Gospel (Titus 3:8, 14).

Ultimately and most importantly, Titus' task was to constantly and consistently affirm the true and trustworthy message of God's grace to those who had already received it!

(The term "to stress" is the Greek word diabebaimoomai, meaning to asseverate; to assert and affirm a thing confidently and constantly. Interestingly, it appears only twice in the New Testament. Here, where Titus is instructed to stress the Gospel; and, in direct contrast, once more in 1 Timothy 1:7, as a warning against those who confidently affirm the law.)

Writes Paul:

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things…" Titus 3:3-8 (NIV)

"And it is on these subjects that I desire you to lay special stress…" – Titus 3:8 (TCNT)

"…and concerning these things I want you to insist steadfastly…" – Titus 3:8 (AMP)

"…and these things I want you to affirm constantly…" – Titus 3:8 (KJV)

In the opening verse of this epistle, Paul says that it is "the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness". By constantly acknowledging the simple and scandalous truth of the Gospel and all of its glorious implications, we are empowered to look and live more and more like Jesus on the earth—to live out in our bodies who we already are in the spirit!

This is why Paul was so committed to visiting churches in foreign cities, like those in Rome, as he was "eager to preach the Gospel" to them (Rom. 1:15). The Good News of Jesus and of His great salvation is something that Christians themselves need to constantly hear!

When writing his first epistle to the Corinthian believers, Paul spends fourteen whole chapters dealing with all the issues and concerns they had raised with him, and one-by-one he graciously addressed them all. Then finally, he begins to draw his letter to a close by sharing what was heavily on his heart for them to hear, when he says:

"Now brothers, I want to remind you of the Gospel I preached to you…for what I received, I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins…" 1 Cor. 15:1,3

While all their issues certainly mattered to Paul, the critical issue of his concern was that these believers stay grounded in the Gospel of Grace!

Jesus made the point that those who understand they are forgiven much will demonstrate great acts of love and worship in return. Similarly, Peter tells us that those who fail to constantly grow in qualities of Christian maturity, do so because they have lost sight of the wonder of their great salvation and the forgiveness therein (Luke 7:36-50; 2 Peter 1:5-9).

Feed on those truths which God Himself deems to be of greatest value for a healthy spiritual life. After all, while all Scripture is equally true, not all truths are equally important to the overall health of the Christian or his community. Certain truths demand greater emphasis than others. It's as simple as that.

"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace." – Acts 20:24


Love you all!

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy

One of the most important words in the Old Testament

Hi Everyone,

The Bible states in Colossians 1:21-22 that we were once "alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death...."

I want to share three things that will shock you:

1. Hostile in Mind: this is referring, I believe, primarily to the disposition of our minds as was the result of the Fall: our mode of thinking and feeling, our feelings and affections, its purposes, imaginations, reasonings, and insights. I understand that the fallen mind is carnal, but can we see here that there is the possibility that the fear produced in man because of sin separation caused man to be incapable of receiving God's reconciliation, save for the work of Holy Spirit through the renewing of the mind?

2. He has now reconciled: the word used in the Greek here (apokatallasso) for reconciled is a very strong word that means God sought after us and restored peace that was previously disturbed. It means to reconcile FULLY (the word reconcile itself means to return to friendship). Full reconciliation—wow! WOW!!!!

3. Why would God do this? Why would He fully restore people who are hostile in thought toward Him (in the case of unbelievers) or believe in their minds that there exists enmity between them and God (in the case of some believers)?

Here is a possible answer: It is because of God's lovingkindness. Look up the word lovingkindness or mercy in the Old Testament, and chances are, it will be this Hebrew word: Chesed. Now, sit down, because here's the definition of chesed:

"Chesed is one of the most important words in the OT, and is often translated in the KJV as "lovingkindness" or "mercy". Chesed is a somewhat complicated concept, however, and not easily defined in a single word. The basic idea is that of an act of kindness, love or mercy shown to someone. The quality of the kindness shown is usually that reserved for close friends and family members, but the act of chesed can be shown to anyone. Thus, while chesed describes kindnesses shown to friends and relatives, it can also pass between guest and host, master and servant, or even ruler and subject.

An act of chesed presupposes the existence of a relationship between the parties involved. Where no formal relationship has previously been recognized, the person exercising chesed has chosen to treat the recipient as if such a relationship did exist. David showed chesed to Mephibosheth on behalf of his friend Jonathan (2 Sam 9:7), which could have been expected. Rahab, however, exercised chesed on behalf of the Israelite spies, men whom she did not know and with whom she had nothing in common (Josh 2:12).

It is interesting to note that acts of chesed are often reciprocated, and that it is not unusual for the benefactor to request a return of chesed from the recipient. Abimelech asked that Abraham return his chesed by not dealing falsely with him (Gen 21:23); the Israelite spies agreed with Rahab to save her family from destruction because of the chesed she showed to them (Josh 2:12-14); and David promised to requite the chesed shown by the men of Jabesh-gilead when he heard they had buried Saul's body (2 Sam 2:4-6).

Chesed is central to God's character. It is closely tied to His covenant with His chosen people; in fact the covenant may be thought of as the relationship from which the chesed flows. However, God's chesed is not bound by the covenant itself, and though men may prove unfaithful to this relationship, God's chesed is everlasting." Zodhiates' Complete Word Study Bible

Aside from what I've highlighted in bold font, I find that it interesting that none of the examples of a request for a return of chesed were of God requesting that from man. I believe that's because He freely gives!!! It's central to His character...it is everlasting!

Be blessed!

"'But let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things', declares the LORD."

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy

Grace - It is a Lie to Say We Must Grow in Holiness

Lie #38 - You Grow in Holiness

by Steve McVey

The way that a person is made holy had been one of the most hotly debated biblical issues in the church world for many, many years. Entire denominations have been formed over differences on this matter. The interesting (but sad) thing about it is this: These differences among people on this subject generally seem to arise from looking at the question from the wrong angle from the very start.

Ask the question, "How does a person become holy?" and you're likely to get many answers, but the answer will most likely all have one thing in common. They'll speak to the issue of what a person needs to do. Some people think we need to read our Bibles and develop a strong prayer life to become holy. Others think we achieve it by fasting. Still others think it comes from giving up bad habits and beginning to do the things we believe God would have us to do in our daily walk. There are many different answer people offer, but they all take the same approach. As with all legalistic views, it's all about what we do. As you've learned by now, grace doesn't run on that track. Grace is about what God does.

What does it actually mean to be holy? The definition of the word is "to be set apart by God." The idea is that the thing made holy has been set aside from common use and is now reserved for a particular purpose by God. That definition describes you! Your Father has set you apart for Himself and for His own purposes. It's not something you have done that caused it, but it is an act of grace that He has done in your life.

The reality is that you don't become holy by what you do, and you can't become more holy than you are right now. You have been set apart, and it's not possible for you to cause yourself to become "more set apart" than you already are.

The idea that you can grow in holiness is wrong on a number of grounds, not the least because it fails to recognize the finished work of Christ at the cross. The Bible teaches us that in Jesus Christ we have already been given holiness. The Scripture says in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and that the Spirit of God lives in you. Verse 17 says that "the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are." You don't grow into holiness, and you don't gradually become holy. Holiness comes to you in the person of Jesus Christ.

Many struggle to believe they are holy because they often don't feel holy, and because they don't always act holy. We need to know that truth isn't determined by what we fell or how we behave. Truth is based on what God says.

You may not always act holy or feel holy, but that doesn't change the reality of who you are. Your identity is determined by what Christ has done, not by what you do. So your feelings and actions have nothing to do with the objective reality that you have been made holy in Jesus Christ. If you want to see your lifestyle changed, then apply and appropriate the truth of the holiness that is yours in Christ to your life, and you'll see a transformation come into your day-to-day actions and attitudes.

The Truth Is So Much Better!

If you think holiness has to do with moral perfection, I encourage you to take a look at the New Testament Church in Corinth. To say that these people misbehaved is an understatement. Inside that church existed divisions, drunkenness, jealousy, sexual immorality, and many other sinful behaviors.

The apostle Paul wrote the Corinthian Christians a letter, and he began it this way: "To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling…" (1 Cor. 1:2). Paul said the Corinthians were "sanctified in Christ Jesus." He knew about their behavior and even addressed it later in his letter, but Paul knew something that many believers today don't understand. Our behavior does not determine who we are! These Corinthians were saints, regardless of their behavior. They were saints, even if they were "saints behaving badly." Their holiness didn't have a thing to do with what they did or didn't do.

Paul reminded them a little later, "But by his doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption" (1 Cor. 1:30). He say that is was God's doing that they were in Christ, and that Christ is their sanctification—or holiness. Again, we see that the Corinthians were already holy in God's sight.

The New Testament Scriptures are very clear as to HOW we have become holy. The writer of Hebrews says that God did it through Christ: "By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:10).

It is by Christ's work that we have been made holy. What about places in the Bible where the Scripture seem to teach that we are to seek holiness? Consider, for example, Hebrews 12:14: "pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord." What does the verse mean when it tells us to "pursue" sanctification (holiness)? The answer has to do with what we mean by pursuing it.

If you define pursuing sanctification as getting better and better at keeping rules, you will find yourself right back in legalism, but we have already seen that rule-keeping is not the meaning of holiness.

To pursue it means that we act diligently to agree with God concerning what He has said about us, and we act like it's true because it is true! You have Jesus Christ, and He is your holiness. So we are pursuing sanctification or holiness when we are living out of the reality of His indwelling life. We grow in the expression of holiness in our thoughts and attitudes and even in our actions, but we don't become more and more holy. You are holy. That is what you are! Remember 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.

Clarify Your Thinking

If you believe the lie that you must grow in holiness, there will be no other option than to start asking yourself what you need to do in order to make that happen. Believe the truth of the New Testament. You have already been made holy, and you'll find yourself becoming more and more motivated to live your lifestyle based on that truth.

Yes, we all find ourselves behaving more and more "holy" as we grow in grace and in the knowledge of who Jesus is in us and who we are in Him. That doesn't mean we are growing in holiness, though. It means that our actions are catching up with our identity. We are acting more and more like the person we already are.

The answer to the lie that we grow in holiness is to affirm that Christ Jesus IS our holiness and simply accept His finished work as the basis for our holiness. When we do that, we honor the cross and the Christ who gave Himself for us so that we might be made holy.

Please watch the following 2 minute video for more spiritual edification!

http://youtu.be/c6PoAp6p7sY

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy

Grace

The following is an edited post from Phil Drysdale:

For the Christian, sin only comes from poor beliefs: believing incorrectly about yourself and God. If you believe you are a sinner, you will sin by faith. How did Adam and Eve, two perfect beings without a sinful nature, sin?

The answer is obvious and in the plain text of the Bible: they believed a lie that they were not like God.

The key to living a holy life is not trying harder or warring against your sinful nature – its deciding not to focus on sin, sinful nature, sinning etc. Focus instead on who you are in Christ: perfect, righteous and holy, and that will flow out of you as easily as sin did when you were full of a sinful nature.

Just remember, the war is in our minds, it's already finished in His.

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy

"And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people." -- "They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” -- "...I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him." (Acts 6:8, Acts 7:59, Acts 22:20).

Sometimes, when you preach Grace and move with confidence in your spiritual gifts for people's benefit, you get stoned. But that's OK, because sometimes the person doing (or approving) the stoning ends up becoming a Paul: they get knocked off their (high) horse, the scales fall off their eyes, and their name (or purpose) changes. It is then that they will continue striving, for the REST (both duration and condition) of their life, to explain both their encounter with the agape love from their Father and His continual pleasure in them as a beloved child, because of the super-abounding grace in which they have ALWAYS existed.

May their dullness of hearing be gone, so that they may receive and understand the word of righteousness (Hebrews 5:11-13).

The goodness of God is that which disposes Him to be kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of good will toward men.  He is tenderhearted and quick of sympathy, and His unfailing attitude toward all moral beings is open, frank, and friendly.  By His nature He is inclined to bestow blessedness and He takes total pleasure in the happiness of His people.  – A.W. Tozer

I no longer try to fast. I fast trying. A branch does not produce fruit by trying, rather a branch produces fruit by simply letting the nutrients and such flow through the vine and out of the branch into fruit. - Phil Drysdale

The Holy Spirit doesn't convict unbelievers of their specific sins, because that wouldn't meet the deepest need they have. Their biggest problem isn't their misbehavior. He convicts them of the one thing that ultimately matters--their unbelief in Christ.

We have bought into a Christianity that aims to bring people to Heaven. This is why very few Christians ever experience the manifestation of spiritual gifts and the Spirit's power. The purpose of the Gospel and our mandate is to bring Heaven to people. 1 Th 1:5; Isa 61:1-ff.

10 Myths about the Holy Spirit (Part 2)

Myth 6: The Holy Spirit inspires us to fear a holy and distant God.
Truth 6: The Holy Spirit helps you to know and draw near to God your Father (Eph 1:17, Gal 4:6).

"For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God's children, and by the Spirit's power we cry out to God, 'Father! My Father!'" (Rm 8:15, GNB). Wow! How good is that?!


Myth 7: The Holy Spirit lives somewhere out there, probably behind Alpha Centauri.
Truth 7: The Holy Spirit lives in you (1 Co 6:19; 2 Ti 1:14, Rm 8:11).

Under the old covenant, God lived in the temple. In the new covenant, you are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Co 6:19). Where does He live? In you! As Ralph Harris says, you are "God's sacred mobile home."


Myth 8: The Holy Spirit comes and goes. We need to cry out for Him to come.
Truth 8: The Holy Spirit abides, dwells, stays with you and in you (Jn 14:17, 1 Jn 3:24, Rm 8:11).

In the old covenant the Holy Spirit rested on certain people for certain times. But in the new covenant He abides with us and "makes His home in us" (2 Ti 1:14 AMP). If you have received the Holy Spirit, be comforted, for He's not going anywhere. He has promised to never leave nor forsake us (He 13:5).


Myth 9: The Holy Spirit plays hard to get.
Truth 9: The Holy Spirit is The Gift, sent by Jesus and freely given by the Father (Jn 16:7, Lk 11:13, Acts 10:45).

According to Galatians 3:14, Jesus redeemed us so that we might receive the blessings promised to Abraham, namely, the promise of the Holy Spirit. Do you believe that Jesus has redeemed you? Then you are eligible to receive the promised Holy Spirit. Who is not eligible to accept Him? The (unsaved) world, "because it neither sees Him or knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you" (Jn 14:17). Look at what Peter said to those who heard the gospel at Pentecost: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). The Holy Spirit does not limit Himself to a chosen few. Believe in Jesus and you will, you will, you will receive the promised Gift! Believe it!

Myth 10: To receive the Holy Spirit you must fast, pray, attend some classes, get straightened out, act holy…
Truth 10: The Holy Spirit is received by faith (Gal 3:14).

Did you fast and pray to receive Jesus? Didn't think so. You just received by faith. It's exactly the same with the Holy Spirit. How do we receive the promise of the Spirit? By faith (Gal 3:14)! "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Lk 11:13). Here Jesus is saying that the Holy Spirit is freely given to all who ask. Don't let anyone tell you that you must do stuff to earn what God freely gives. Jesus already did it all. "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." (Jn 16:24)


Grace=Peace,

Jeremy

Suffering

An article on suffering by grace preacher Phil Drysdale:

Suffering is a big topic, one that everyone is passionate about. Why? Because, on some level or other, we all experience suffering. Be it a loved one who dies prematurely, a mother that is bedridden, needing our constant attention, a young child with a debilitating disease, an entire nation destroyed by earthquakes and tsunamis or having your pastor burned alive for loving Jesus.

People like me, who don't shut up about God's goodness and His good and glorious purposes towards us, often come under scrutiny for not talking about suffering enough, it can often seem like we have scored out certain parts of our Bibles. I don't blame many people for thinking this, however it couldn't be further from the truth.

You see I have experienced my fair share of suffering, I was extremely ill and stuck in my house for the best part of 6 years. My mother has died multiple times and still suffers daily from the after effects of a brain hemorrhage, I am daily persecuted for my beliefs and have been ostracized from certain friendship circles and churches I once called my closest families. I do not say this to gain pity, but rather to point out that I'm just like everyone else out there, I too experience suffering (maybe more than some, definitely a lot less than many!).

So why don't I talk about these things, why do I seem so intently one-track-minded?

I'm currently working on a small book focusing on this topic of suffering, but since that will not be available for several months I wanted to put a few thoughts out there for people to read in the mean time. These thoughts are not comprehensive, and may leave many with more questions still, but they should serve to give you an idea of where I'm coming from and hopefully will challenge people in their views of suffering. The topics I'm going to touch on briefly are, the biblical context of suffering, God's will concerning suffering, God's ability to work good in all situations and most importantly…

The Sovereignty of God

Did I just go there? I did. I think there are few topics as important to address as the sovereignty of God.

The word sovereign has for so long been interpreted to mean that God is in control. That He is up in Heaven somewhere as a grand master puppeteer working out every aspect of our lives: if we brush our teeth it's God's will, if we get hit by a car it's God's will, if we get cancer it's God's will, and so on.

The problem with this is that it's really quite drastically unscriptural. The idea of a sovereign God as described above isn't in the Bible. First of all, for everyone that uses the NIV as your translation (and I want to state it's a great translation) there is something you should know. Every time you read "Sovereign God" (288 times to be precise) it actually should read "Lord God". The Hebrew does not mean sovereign and that was a translator's decision. Secondly, where the word sovereign is used it does not mean in control, it means in charge. Did you catch that? Here exactly is our problem. In charge and in control sound very alike but are actually widely different.

Take for example a CEO of a company, while he is in charge and responsible for a large amount of employees he ultimate isn't in control of their actions, in fact this is typically what makes or breaks a good employer, whether they can recognize this and empower their employees or if they will try to control them by micromanaging every move they make. Just like the employer, God is in charge, this is what His sovereignty means, He is over everything, answers to nobody and has responsibility for everything. From the very beginning God chose his "employees", those He would delegate responsibility to and put in control of the Earth. It talks about this in Psalm 115:16 where it says the Heavens are God's but the Earth He gave to men. We then see man hand those keys of authority to Satan in the garden of Eden. This is why Satan could offer Jesus in the wilderness the whole Earth, because the whole Earth was no longer under Jesus' control but rather it belonged to Satan. (Matt 4:8-9)

The idea of a God having absolute control is a Greco-Roman way of thinking, you see they would see a god who doesn't have absolute control as a powerless god. The Bible paints a different picture for us of a God who is so secure in His position and power that He comfortably gave us control knowing we'd screw up. He could do this because He is so good at working things out for good and seeing His overall purposes come to pass. This to me describes a God who is infinitely more powerful, not less-so.

Why do you think that Jesus told us to pray that God's will would be done on Earth as it is in Heaven? Because His will is done in Heaven but not always on Earth. Why do you think Jesus raised dead people, or healed them? Because it wasn't God's will for them to die or to be sick. You see in 2 Peter 3:9 it states that God's will is that none would perish. If we hold to the view of God being in absolute control we are left with two options, we must either become universalists (and call Jesus a liar for saying that many will perish) or we must tear that passage out of our Bible. Rather if we read that passage in context we can see that it is simply stating that not everyone will be saved, but God is good and His desire is that they would be.

Love can only exist in freedom

In Paul's famous discourse on love in 1 Corinthians 13 he states "Love does not insist on its own way"

You see for love to be possible God must allow us to have free will within His sovereignty. Love without choice is no love at all. If one is not free to choose to hate someone then they can never truly love them. I love that my wife loves me, but if I had somehow brainwashed her into loving me before we got married I'm certain I would not be as happy today as I am knowing she makes the choice of her own accord everyday to love me.

When I look at the creation account I don't see God interested in having robots in the garden but friends who choose to love Him. He even created two trees within that garden and gave them a choice, "don't eat from that tree or you'll die". Their freedom to choose was more important to Him than the choice they made.

This is why I can confidently say that God's sovereignty is not His being in control of every aspect of our lives and the lives of everyone else, but rather Him being over our lives and the lives of everyone else.

But what about 1 Peter 4:19; is suffering God's will?

A lot of people bring up this verse when we talk about suffering. At first glance this passage is pretty condemning of what I am trying to say, but I want to dive into it a bit deeper and look at what it is really saying in context.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the passage it reads, "Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good." Pretty condemning proof that God's will is for us to suffer right? Hmm… not really. We really need to read the passage in context, if you do a study on "God's will" you will find that it's a big theme in 1 Peter, it is mentioned as anchors four times in chapter 2-4. To understand the will of God then, lets look at how it is used…

He starts in chapter 2 by setting the stage, it is here he explains what the will of God is.

"For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people" – 1 Peter 2:15

Next he makes sure you are still tracking, you may suffer for doing good, but it's OK because doing good (not suffering) is God's will.

"For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil." – 1 Peter 3:17

The next time he mentions suffering it really needs the verses around it to follow well so I'll let you read them in your own time, basically Peter is saying here that we no longer operate in the old man, by the lusts of the flesh, but rather in the new man, in the will of God (doing good)

"so as to live for the rest of time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God" – 1 Peter 4:2

It is here we come to the verse that seems to suggest that suffering is God's will, which with this framework is going to mean something very different now you read it in context.

"Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator." – 1 Peter 4:19

So as you follow the train of thought of Peter's letter you can see it's not saying that God's will is for you to suffer, but rather you may suffer for doing God's will.

This passage here teaches us a valuable lesson though, we need to read our Bible in context. I want to talk about what happens when we pull passages out of their context next.

Suffering in context

When we come to the word of God we have to look at things in context, we tend as people to read the Bible with some lenses on. These lenses are our experience, how we come to the Bible is heavily influenced by our experience in life and the way we have become preconditioned by that experience. This is very dangerous at times and very helpful at other times.

You see this can be a great tool, for example, when we are aware and fully convinced of some Biblical truths, like God's goodness or the absolute finality of Christ's work on the cross it helps us read the Bible with a biblical lens (this is especially helpful when reading harder to understand old testament passages). On the flip-side however when we have an experience of life being hard, everyone we know being sick and we don't have much faith in God actually truly being good on a practical level in our lives we might draw some really scary conclusions from certain passages. It's knowing this tendency of myself that I endeavor to always ensure I am reading the Bible in context.

Why do I say that here? I'll give you some examples… Did you know that Jesus never once said we would suffer, but rather said we would face persecution (John 15:20)? Paul in 2 Tim 2:3 states that all believers will face persecution, again, persecution, not suffering (if your translation chooses suffering a quick glimpse at the context of it shows it is persecution). In Phil 1:29 it states that we should "not only believe in Him [Christ] but suffer for His sake" – again in the context of persecution, the next verse clarifies that.

I'm not saying that all passages translated suffering actually mean persecution, I'm just saying that we've made it a much bigger focus than it is in the Bible and I think this is because of some of our worldly lenses. My challenge to you is how much do you do this as you read the Bible? I know I do at times!

But what about when it is talking about suffering?

Now what about when the Bible does talk about suffering? Well again let's read in context, I want to know what was their purpose of talking about suffering? Never does the scripture talk about suffering as an end, instead they talk about how to view suffering.

Take Romans 5 for example, Paul says that we glory and have joy in trials and troubles. What's his point? He's not trying to point out that God wants us to suffer! He's trying to point out that when we do suffer (for whatever the reason) we are to expect a glory and joy in the midst of it! Even Jesus Himself "endured the cross for the joy set before Him" (Heb 12:2).

My point here is that the Bible is full of keys of how to respond in suffering to get through and out of that suffering. It is not constantly mentioning suffering to appease you in your suffering so you can wallow in it! Let's make sure we read joy into our suffering from the Bible and not suffering into our joy.

Works all things for good

This topic of God turning our suffering into joy falls squarely under the umbrella of Romans 8:28, "He turns all things to good for those who love Him." This is such a beautiful truth that we have all seen again and again. Yet it's strange that this truth is sometimes so powerfully effective that we use it to pervert the image of our God and His nature.

Take a family that sees their child get cancer for example, they spend years in and out of hospital (more in than out!) and many nights unsure whether or not their child will live to see his teenage years never mind grow old to have a family of his own and see his dreams fulfilled. They watch their child go through the agony the cancer eating away at his body married with the harrowing experience of going through the chemotherapy which makes him sick 24/7. And yet God moves, He loves the family so well, they grow closer than they have ever been through the experience, their church bonds together throughout the ordeal and supports the family and grows closer together too, people in the children's ward are inspired by the strength that God provides the family and some even meet Jesus through it. What's more the child eventually comes out the other end cancer free and grows up to live out his dreams.

The above is just an example but I can think of countless people who fit that bill almost exactly! Praise God that they are alive and well today and God brought them through it all. (Not that He caused it to come about!)

God is SO good at turning the devil's next great idea into something so good he'll regret he ever tried it. The problem I have witnessed is that some people having seen things turn out so well, will attribute the whole ordeal to God's master plan. He wanted them to get cancer so that He could show off and heal them. Aside from this being cosmic child abuse it's also really, really bad theology.

A house divided can not stand and God does not contradict Himself. Jesus was the perfect representative of the nature of the Father and you never saw Him making someone ill so He could heal them, or create storms to calm. God does not bring about suffering, as we have already covered, and while we are expected to be amazed at how great He is at turning those sufferings around for good, we certainly shouldn't be so foolish as to attribute the suffering to God! There must be few things as heart breaking to God as when His children attribute the devil's work to their Father.

Let me tell you something, God is more than capable of making us go "wow" in a world that is perfect, He doesn't need darkness so His light might shine brighter – that is a theology based on man's experience and nothing else. Let me ask you this? If we truly believe that, do we realize how dull God is going to look in Heaven where everything is perfect, nothing goes wrong and there is no darkness?

Exactly.

So why don't I focus on suffering?

So all of that to explain why I don't spend time talking about suffering.

I don't talk about the devil and his works, I talk about my Father and His great lovingkindness. I focus on what God is doing, not what He has yet to do. I don't talk about sickness when I can talk about healing, I don't talk about people being damned for eternity if I can talk about them being saved into eternal life, and I don't focus on my lack of money when I can talk about how much He's blessed me (and will continue to bless me) financially.


Grace=Preace,

Jeremy

Grace - 10 Myths about the Holy Spirit (Part 1)

10 Myths about the Holy Spirit (Part 1)

One of the biggest signs that a believer does not fully understand what happened at the cross of the Calvary, is that they are scared of the Holy Spirit and His work. They view him as a Convictor and Policeman even though Jesus called Him the Comforter and Counselor. Their perceptions are shaped by old covenant traditions rather than new covenant truths.

Here are 10 myths and 10 truths about the Person of Holy Spirit:

Myth 1: The Holy Spirit keeps a record of my sin.

Truth 1:  The Holy Spirit remembers your sin no more (He 10:17).

The Holy Spirit is not forgetful, but love keeps no record of wrongs. At the cross, justice was done and all your sins were forgiven (Col 2:13). To forgive literally means to send away. Your sins have been removed as far as the east is from the west (Ps 103:12). God has reconciled the world to Himself and is no longer counting men's sins against them (2 Cor 5:19). If the old covenant was characterized by remembrance of sins (He 10:3), the new is characterized by forgetting them (He 8:12).

Myth 2: The Holy Spirit convicts me of my sin.

Truth 2: The Holy Spirit convicts you of your righteousness (Jn 16:10).

How could He convict you of something that He chooses not to remember? Jesus has done away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Heb 9:26). Your sins are not the problem. The real question is whether you trust in the grace of God. As an expression of His love and mercy, the Holy Spirit convicts the world of the sin of unbelief in Jesus. But the only thing He "convicts" or rather, convinces, Christians of is their righteousness (Jn 16:8-10).

Myth 3: The Holy Spirit leads me to confess my sin.

Truth 3: The Holy Spirit leads you to confess Jesus is Lord (1 Co 12:3)!

The Holy Spirit will never seek to distract you from Jesus. His ministry will always make you Jesus-conscious rather than self-conscious (Jn 16:14). Specifically, the Holy Spirit will lead you to recognize Jesus as Lord which means everything you have – including your problems and sins – belongs to Him. You don't have the right to your sins. They are not yours for He bought them with His blood. Still thinking about your sins? Then reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Rm 6:11).

Myth 4: The Holy Spirit is watching to see if I slip up and fail to finish.

Truth 4: The Holy Spirit personally guarantees your salvation and inheritance (Eph 1:13-14).

When you were saved you were marked as one of God's own (2 Cor 1:22) and sealed with the Spirit for the day of redemption (Eph 4:30). The Holy Spirit is not a fault-finder, but a hope-giver (Rm 15:13). His hope is a firm and secure anchor for the soul (He 6:19). What's your part in this? Trust Him!

Myth 5: The Holy Spirit reveals God's judgment.

Truth 5: The Holy Spirit reveals God's love (Rm 5:5).

"God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit…" (Rms 5:5, GNB). "So then, love has not been made perfect in anyone who is afraid, because fear has to do with punishment" (1 Jn 4:18). If you fear God's punishment, please allow me to introduce you to the Holy Spirit.

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy


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Definition of a friend: A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.
A friend involves himself in your life and you in theirs.

"And he said to him, 'Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.'" -- The older brother already had abundance, he just did not know it, because he was in bondage in his thinking: he was a son with a slave mentally.

Stop seeking His Kingdom and His Righteousness!

Hello Everyone,

That's right, I said it:

STOP SEEKING HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!!!!

Now, here's why: Look at Matthew 6:31-33:

Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

In the above passage we see the word "seek" twice, yet there are two groups of people, doing two types of seeking. When the Gentiles are eagerly seeking, the Greek word for "seek" here is epizeteo. It means "to seek with all their might with much sweat or with much stress". We've all seen Christians who have the best intentions, but this accurately describes how they live their Christian lives, and especially, how they worship! Calling on God to open the heavens and send Fire/Revival/Rain/the Spirit…you name it. Certainly they may indeed love God and be devoted Christians, but their passion is simply begging that's covered up as holy desperation. They've believed a lie that their passion, holiness, seeking, continual seeking, purity, righteousness, etc., will move a lethargic God who seems to be motivated only by the emotions and tears of His people. Is this what Jesus died for?

On the other hand, when we are called to "seek" His kingdom and His righteousness, the Greek word here is very different than the first. The way God wants us to "seek" in "seek first the kingdom of God" is the Greek word zeteo, which means "to hunger, to desire to worship". It is simply a hungering, a desiring for the kingdom of God, without any labor or toil.

By the way, what is the kingdom of God? In Romans 14:17 we read that it is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Moreover, the Holy Spirit dwells in you, so…inside of you is righteousness, peace, and joy!

If you want to seek something, seek this: Every day, be conscious of your righteousness in Christ, not your own righteousness, but His righteousness given to you as a gift. When you do this, just watch how God will supply all your needs, because He has already given you that which your greatest need required.

Grace=Peace,

Jeremy