Hebrews 10:32-39
The author continues with the theme of perseverance. In this section, the author uses positive reinforcement to motivate the reader to persevere. In the previous section, the author used negative reinforcement. The author commends the audience for standing firm under severe persecution in the past and reminds them of their need to continue to persevere in the present.
The author lists the positive actions of the audience in the past: publicly exposed to insult, stood with those who were publicly exposed to insult, suffered with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of property. The key to their perseverance is seen at the end of verse 34: you yourselves knew that you had better and lasting possessions. The audience understood that no matter what was done to them on earth that there was something better waiting for them in eternity that could not be taken away by humans. The author encourages the audience that eternity is closer than they think.
I need this mindset. I need to remember that there is something coming that is far better than anything the present has to offer. If I truly understood what eternity was about, even just a little bit of it, I would be much bolder in my work for the kingdom of heaven, I would hold on to my possessions much more loosely and I would not be as stressed about finances.
Showing posts with label eternity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eternity. Show all posts
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Our Main Ambition
2 Corinthians 5:9-10
Paul is speaking about longing for the new body that will come with the resurrection. Paul's preference is to be with the Lord, clothed in immortality. However, no matter where he is, his main ambition is to please Christ. While in his present body, Paul determines to live in such a way that he will be rewarded when he appears before the judgment seat of Christ.
This is what the pastor at First Ev Free in Fullerton was speaking about: how we live in the present affects how we will experience and enjoy eternity. Paul has abandoned himself to pleasing Christ and is anticipating a full enjoyment of eternity as a result. He anticipates that everyone will be judged based the things they have done while in their present bodies. Obviously this does not determine the salvation of the person. Paul makes that clear in other passages - by grace through faith alone. However, this does not absolve us from doing any works. Paul is equally clear in this and other passages that everyone will receive what is due them for the works they have done.
The question that arises with a salvation that is by grace through faith alone is, "why, then, should I bother to do anything when all that is required is faith in the grace of Christ?" The answer from Scripture is that what I do here in this body affects my experience of eternity.
Paul is speaking about longing for the new body that will come with the resurrection. Paul's preference is to be with the Lord, clothed in immortality. However, no matter where he is, his main ambition is to please Christ. While in his present body, Paul determines to live in such a way that he will be rewarded when he appears before the judgment seat of Christ.
This is what the pastor at First Ev Free in Fullerton was speaking about: how we live in the present affects how we will experience and enjoy eternity. Paul has abandoned himself to pleasing Christ and is anticipating a full enjoyment of eternity as a result. He anticipates that everyone will be judged based the things they have done while in their present bodies. Obviously this does not determine the salvation of the person. Paul makes that clear in other passages - by grace through faith alone. However, this does not absolve us from doing any works. Paul is equally clear in this and other passages that everyone will receive what is due them for the works they have done.
The question that arises with a salvation that is by grace through faith alone is, "why, then, should I bother to do anything when all that is required is faith in the grace of Christ?" The answer from Scripture is that what I do here in this body affects my experience of eternity.
Friday, September 28, 2007
wake up and get dressed!
Romans 13:8-14
Observe:
Key words: Love, commandments/law
There is a list of behaviour that belongs to the sinful nature and not to the child of God. Paul contrasts the sinful nature to the new nature using imagery like light and dark, day and night. He also uses a word picture: he likens putting off the things of the sinful nature to getting rid of bad armour. It is implied that a Christian would then put on new clothes or armour.
Paul also uses a word picture to depict Christians as sleeping and calls them to wake up because the dawn is approaching.
Interpret:
The word debt connects to the previous section where Paul admonishes us to give what we owe to whomever we owe it. Here, he says that the only debt that should remain outstanding is our debt of love. Paul argues that love fulfills the law for when I do not covet nor murder nor steal I am loving my neighbour which is the summary of that section of the law.
We need to make urgent payments on our debt of love because the end is coming very quickly. Not only should this motivate us to love our neighbour but to live holy lives.
Apply:
I know that God hates the deeds of darkness and if pleasing God and being like Jesus really is important to me, I'm going to put those things out of my life. Earlier, Paul implies that no one can change their life unless God changes for them but here he implies that there is some effort that is necessary on our part. I think that if we put those two ideas together, this means that I need to put a lot of effort into creating space for God to change me.
I am getting a little bit tired of people who are willing to compromise in the physical relationships, in their honesty and integrity, in the way that they treat other people (especially gossip and manipulation) and not see it as a huge deal. When I look at Matt 5, Jesus says that engaging in these behaviours puts a person in danger of hell. I'd say that's pretty serious. I'm afraid that a lot of "Christians" are going to be very surprised when they stand before God because they were relying on some prayer said when they were 3 or 4 to save them.
I want to be really clear - I do not believe that salvation is by works. It is only by the grace of God. However, the life of Christ in someone will always result in evidence in the way that they live and act, won't it? If there is no evidence, shouldn't that indicate that there is no life? I know that it is a journey and at times it is a battle (believe me, I know that - the battle continues for me!) but I am getting a little bit tired of everyone (including myself) taking sin so casually. Paul calls it the armour of darkness. Maybe it's like the venom suit in Spider Man 3 - it completely takes over and we have to fight to get rid of it. I really believe eternity is at stake if we don't.
Observe:
Key words: Love, commandments/law
There is a list of behaviour that belongs to the sinful nature and not to the child of God. Paul contrasts the sinful nature to the new nature using imagery like light and dark, day and night. He also uses a word picture: he likens putting off the things of the sinful nature to getting rid of bad armour. It is implied that a Christian would then put on new clothes or armour.
Paul also uses a word picture to depict Christians as sleeping and calls them to wake up because the dawn is approaching.
Interpret:
The word debt connects to the previous section where Paul admonishes us to give what we owe to whomever we owe it. Here, he says that the only debt that should remain outstanding is our debt of love. Paul argues that love fulfills the law for when I do not covet nor murder nor steal I am loving my neighbour which is the summary of that section of the law.
We need to make urgent payments on our debt of love because the end is coming very quickly. Not only should this motivate us to love our neighbour but to live holy lives.
Apply:
I know that God hates the deeds of darkness and if pleasing God and being like Jesus really is important to me, I'm going to put those things out of my life. Earlier, Paul implies that no one can change their life unless God changes for them but here he implies that there is some effort that is necessary on our part. I think that if we put those two ideas together, this means that I need to put a lot of effort into creating space for God to change me.
I am getting a little bit tired of people who are willing to compromise in the physical relationships, in their honesty and integrity, in the way that they treat other people (especially gossip and manipulation) and not see it as a huge deal. When I look at Matt 5, Jesus says that engaging in these behaviours puts a person in danger of hell. I'd say that's pretty serious. I'm afraid that a lot of "Christians" are going to be very surprised when they stand before God because they were relying on some prayer said when they were 3 or 4 to save them.
I want to be really clear - I do not believe that salvation is by works. It is only by the grace of God. However, the life of Christ in someone will always result in evidence in the way that they live and act, won't it? If there is no evidence, shouldn't that indicate that there is no life? I know that it is a journey and at times it is a battle (believe me, I know that - the battle continues for me!) but I am getting a little bit tired of everyone (including myself) taking sin so casually. Paul calls it the armour of darkness. Maybe it's like the venom suit in Spider Man 3 - it completely takes over and we have to fight to get rid of it. I really believe eternity is at stake if we don't.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Functional Art
Ephesians 2:4-10
I think this answers the question about what it means when it says "the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints" (1:18b) I think it's talking about the saints (us) being the inheritance of God. Here's my reasoning: By grace, God has raised us up with Christ and seated us with Christ in the heavenly realms in Christ so that he might display the imcomparable riches of his grace, expressed to us in his kindness in Christ (that's a lot of with and in Christs! 2:5b-7). In other words, all the saints are the evidence or display or God's rich grace and kindness expressed to us in Christ Jesus. Because of the common phrasing, it seems like these two statements are connected (as well as the statement calling us God's possession - 1:14).
The phrase "heavenly realms" appears a few times in this book: 1:3 - we've been blessed in the heavenly realms, 1:22 - Christ is seated in the heavenly realms, 2:6 - we are seated in the heavenly realms, 3:11 - we are evidence of God's wisdom to the rulers of the heavenly realms, 6:12 - our struggle is against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Paul is very aware of the eternal implications of our actions here in time. What we do on earth does echo in eternity (thank you Gladiator!). He is also very confident of eternity, talking as if we are already seated with Christ in heaven and as if the display of God's glory is already complete. I think Paul gets this confidence from 1:13-14 - the Holy Spirit guarantees our inheritance. It's a sure thing!
Finally, Paul says that we have been saved to be God's workmanship (the Greek connotation is "work of art"), created to do good works. We are not just useless paintings hanging on his wall. We are functional art, created to display God's glory, the incomporable riches of his grace and mercy. We are on display for all to see and marvel at. Our role is to point to the glory of our Creator - not just the rulers of the heavenly realms but the people here on earth as well. God has painted or sculpted us with his image and, now that we are redeemed, the image of God has been (and is still being) restored in us. We are to bear that image in the cosmic art gallery to the glory of God.
I think this answers the question about what it means when it says "the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints" (1:18b) I think it's talking about the saints (us) being the inheritance of God. Here's my reasoning: By grace, God has raised us up with Christ and seated us with Christ in the heavenly realms in Christ so that he might display the imcomparable riches of his grace, expressed to us in his kindness in Christ (that's a lot of with and in Christs! 2:5b-7). In other words, all the saints are the evidence or display or God's rich grace and kindness expressed to us in Christ Jesus. Because of the common phrasing, it seems like these two statements are connected (as well as the statement calling us God's possession - 1:14).
The phrase "heavenly realms" appears a few times in this book: 1:3 - we've been blessed in the heavenly realms, 1:22 - Christ is seated in the heavenly realms, 2:6 - we are seated in the heavenly realms, 3:11 - we are evidence of God's wisdom to the rulers of the heavenly realms, 6:12 - our struggle is against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Paul is very aware of the eternal implications of our actions here in time. What we do on earth does echo in eternity (thank you Gladiator!). He is also very confident of eternity, talking as if we are already seated with Christ in heaven and as if the display of God's glory is already complete. I think Paul gets this confidence from 1:13-14 - the Holy Spirit guarantees our inheritance. It's a sure thing!
Finally, Paul says that we have been saved to be God's workmanship (the Greek connotation is "work of art"), created to do good works. We are not just useless paintings hanging on his wall. We are functional art, created to display God's glory, the incomporable riches of his grace and mercy. We are on display for all to see and marvel at. Our role is to point to the glory of our Creator - not just the rulers of the heavenly realms but the people here on earth as well. God has painted or sculpted us with his image and, now that we are redeemed, the image of God has been (and is still being) restored in us. We are to bear that image in the cosmic art gallery to the glory of God.
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