Hello, dear girls! [This is Day #150 of emailing daily, by the way!]
Tonight I'm reading from Psalm 69-71.
"O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18 So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
your power to all those to come."
You
and I have the immense privilege of being raised in Christian homes and
having been saved early in life. If only we fully understood and
appreciated the years of grief we've been spared by having such a
wonderful start! It is, of course, not a default that we can just "coast
along" through life on our parents' coattails of faith; no, we have to
sweat and bleed and work and feel the pain of claiming the cross of
Christ as our own. At the end of the day, it is each of us, alone, in
the Colosseum, dared to deny our Lord. No wimpy church-camp religion
here, girls. But at the same time, we have been given the gift of a Lamp
to our paths so early in the journey, the right Word of truth to guide
us from all lies--think of all those people out stumbling in the world,
unable to discern truth from error, unsure of which way is right, weak
and unfit for any battle! What a long road they have. And those who are
saved later in life, after sowing seeds of sin in their earlier years,
they reap the grievous harvest not only in this life, but the next:
think of the spouses or children who will not be among the redeemed.
Entire families who turn against the one believer and persecute their
own kin with a vengeance (think of the Christians who come to the truth
amidst a system like Islam!). Their lives are hard.
Be grateful for what
you have been given--a faith that claimed you while you were so young,
and a life that stretches out before you, even into your silver-haired
years, a life of joyful submission, service, freedom, comfort and
assurance beneath the banner of the salvation of God through Jesus
Christ. Use this gift wisely, and do not waste your young years in
comfort and indifference. Spend them stocking up on spiritual wisdom and
knowledge, cultivating the fruits of the Spirit, and learning more and
more about the character of God, that you may be able to withstand in
the evil day. Then go out into the fields, which are white for harvest.
Be strong. Strengthen yourselves, not bodily, for the body is wasting
away and growing older only to die and decay, but rather strengthen
yourselves spiritually--for your soul shall not die, but live eternally
in the presence of the great and wondrous King! Gloria!
Showing posts with label salvation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label salvation. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Who Has Bewitched You?
Instead of writing a usual email to the girls tonight, I sent them this excerpt and paraphrase from Galatians 3:1-8.
-----------------------
Hi girls! I hope you enjoyed this most lovely Saturday. I certainly did, out-of-doors, prepping to put in raspberry plants. We're a little late, but a friend of mine just gave me a big tote of starts from her garden, so I will be putting them in anyway.
Tonight I started the book of Galatians in my reading (I've gotten a bit off-schedule this past week or two). Here, Paul writes to the church at Galatia, which has allowed erroneous teaching to creep in and lead them astray into salvation-by-works-of-the-law teaching, which we know is false--yet it was appealing to them then, and it is still appealing to people today. Why do you think every other religion and cult requires some kind of works or rule-keeping in order to "join the elite"? Because it makes people feel as if they are doing something to earn their righteousness, and it glosses over the ugly reality that "all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God." "There is none who is righteous, no, not one." If the devil can have people feeling that they're doing a good thing and somehow contributing to their right standing before God, then he knows he's got them all the way deceived and nowhere near being genuinely saved--for true salvation comes only from recognizing that our own righteousness is filthy rags, and there is only one intermediary between us and God--the Lord Jesus Christ. See here what Paul writes to the church struggling with this serious issue:
"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith."
. . . Coram Deo . . .
"Living before the face of God"
-----------------------
Hi girls! I hope you enjoyed this most lovely Saturday. I certainly did, out-of-doors, prepping to put in raspberry plants. We're a little late, but a friend of mine just gave me a big tote of starts from her garden, so I will be putting them in anyway.
Tonight I started the book of Galatians in my reading (I've gotten a bit off-schedule this past week or two). Here, Paul writes to the church at Galatia, which has allowed erroneous teaching to creep in and lead them astray into salvation-by-works-of-the-law teaching, which we know is false--yet it was appealing to them then, and it is still appealing to people today. Why do you think every other religion and cult requires some kind of works or rule-keeping in order to "join the elite"? Because it makes people feel as if they are doing something to earn their righteousness, and it glosses over the ugly reality that "all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God." "There is none who is righteous, no, not one." If the devil can have people feeling that they're doing a good thing and somehow contributing to their right standing before God, then he knows he's got them all the way deceived and nowhere near being genuinely saved--for true salvation comes only from recognizing that our own righteousness is filthy rags, and there is only one intermediary between us and God--the Lord Jesus Christ. See here what Paul writes to the church struggling with this serious issue:
"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith."
O foolish girls! Who has bewitched you? You
have seen and believed the evidence that Jesus Christ was indeed
crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive salvation because
of all the good things you did, or was it by believing the Word of God
in faith, without any good work? Having begun your Christian life so
ardently in the Holy Spirit, have you now rabbit-trailed off and tried
to "supplement" it with being a "good" person? Was your initial exuberance and
steadfastness all for naught--or is there yet a shred of
hope for you? God supplies the Holy Spirit to you and works miracles in
you--but does he do it because you adhere to the old law, or is it
because you heard the gospel and believed through faith? After all, even in
the Old Testament, Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as
righteousness." In the same way, all who believe are also counted
among the redeemed, just like Abraham. The Bible, because God would justify all who believe by faith, records the early presentation
of the gospel to Abraham, speaking of Jesus: "In you shall all nations
of the earth be blessed." So remember, girls, all who believe by faith and live by faith
are also blessed, and their salvation is secured, just like Abraham of old.
The only place good works have in the believer's life is that they are an out-flowing expression of the love we have for our Lord and our delight in obeying his word. Good works are a fruit of saving faith, not a bargaining chip in negotiating one's salvation. Such knowledge should fill us with joy and even more delight in doing good works as ambassadors of the name of Christ, because there are no stipulations to be met, no burden to bear--only the joy of true freedom. "I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart." (Ps. 40:8)
Good
night! Have a most glorious and blessed day worshiping our Lord
together tomorrow! I'll see [some of] you at church tomorrow.
Love,
~Brenna. . . Coram Deo . . .
"Living before the face of God"
Friday, April 19, 2013
The Speck in My Brother's Eye
For scores of Americans, this week has been one of terrible loss. From my own small town to the great metropolis of Boston, grief and terror have seen an abrupt rise to power. In my town, a fifteen year old boy killed himself last week, shocking our close-knit community. In Massachusetts, double bombings killed and maimed dozens, and emotionally scarred thousands. In Texas, a fertilizer plant explosion compounded the national chaos and loss of precious lives. Law enforcement and emergency personnel are slain in the line of duty. Children lose parents. Parents lose children. Runners lose legs. And the whole world falls to shambles. Isn't there something or someone, somewhere, to blame for this terrible mess?
Yes.
There is one terrible, hellish curse to blame for the atrocities we've seen this week. It's name is Sin, and it is the grotesque delight and consuming passion of humanity's archenemy, Satan. How he laughs when bombs detonate and chaos reigns. How his legions cheer when children die on sidewalks. What sick delight he finds in sowing seeds of darkness in every heart, cultivating his crops of terror in every corner of the globe.
It is easy in times like these to attribute the heinous insanity of Tamerlan and Dzokhar Tsarneav to devilish forces. Discussion forums across the web wish them both eternal damnation for their crimes. It's tempting to agree.
But, truthfully, do I have any right to wish that these young terrorists burn in hell? What makes them more deserving than I? The fact that they set off bombs and killed people, while I did not?
Listen to these words by C.J. Mahaney: "When I become bitter or unforgiving toward others, I’m assuming that the sins of others are more serious than my sins against God. The cross transforms my perspective. Through the cross I realize that no sin committed against me will ever be as serious as the innumerable sins I’ve committed against God. When we understand how much God has forgiven us, it’s not difficult to forgive others."
The message of the cross is not a system of "worthiness to be saved," with some people working their way to the top of a waiting list. It's not for "good people" who are proud and blind to their sins. It's for the scum of the earth, to redeem them from the destruction that reigns in their darkened hearts and consumes them with an everlasting death. And here, Jesus says to us, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (see Matthew 9:11-13)
I, too, have a heart of sin like the Tsarneav brothers, like you, like every other person on this earth today. We are equally condemned in our sins. Friends, we're all the scum of the earth.
"Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye." (see Luke 6:41-42)
The response to this Week of Terror ought not be bitterness, revenge, or hatred. My attitude cannot be one of scorn or mockery toward the condemned. What hypocrisy to preach mercy and salvation to all--except those who "jump off the deep end" and kill people. They ought to perish in their sins. No! My attitude must be one of tremendous grief and fervent prayer for a country reeling in the aftershock of devastation, both victims and perpetrators. All desperately need the salvation that comes through repentance and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, a message rejected by millions, but hope and healing and life and peace to all who surrender to Him.
. . . . . . . . . .
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month.
The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more.
They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
~Revelation 22:1-5
Yes.
There is one terrible, hellish curse to blame for the atrocities we've seen this week. It's name is Sin, and it is the grotesque delight and consuming passion of humanity's archenemy, Satan. How he laughs when bombs detonate and chaos reigns. How his legions cheer when children die on sidewalks. What sick delight he finds in sowing seeds of darkness in every heart, cultivating his crops of terror in every corner of the globe.
It is easy in times like these to attribute the heinous insanity of Tamerlan and Dzokhar Tsarneav to devilish forces. Discussion forums across the web wish them both eternal damnation for their crimes. It's tempting to agree.
But, truthfully, do I have any right to wish that these young terrorists burn in hell? What makes them more deserving than I? The fact that they set off bombs and killed people, while I did not?
Listen to these words by C.J. Mahaney: "When I become bitter or unforgiving toward others, I’m assuming that the sins of others are more serious than my sins against God. The cross transforms my perspective. Through the cross I realize that no sin committed against me will ever be as serious as the innumerable sins I’ve committed against God. When we understand how much God has forgiven us, it’s not difficult to forgive others."
The message of the cross is not a system of "worthiness to be saved," with some people working their way to the top of a waiting list. It's not for "good people" who are proud and blind to their sins. It's for the scum of the earth, to redeem them from the destruction that reigns in their darkened hearts and consumes them with an everlasting death. And here, Jesus says to us, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (see Matthew 9:11-13)
I, too, have a heart of sin like the Tsarneav brothers, like you, like every other person on this earth today. We are equally condemned in our sins. Friends, we're all the scum of the earth.
"Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye." (see Luke 6:41-42)
The response to this Week of Terror ought not be bitterness, revenge, or hatred. My attitude cannot be one of scorn or mockery toward the condemned. What hypocrisy to preach mercy and salvation to all--except those who "jump off the deep end" and kill people. They ought to perish in their sins. No! My attitude must be one of tremendous grief and fervent prayer for a country reeling in the aftershock of devastation, both victims and perpetrators. All desperately need the salvation that comes through repentance and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, a message rejected by millions, but hope and healing and life and peace to all who surrender to Him.
. . . . . . . . . .
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month.
The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more.
They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
~Revelation 22:1-5
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
But It Sounded So Good
From my email to the girls this morning . . .
Good morning, girls!
In addition to your daily email from your sisters, I recommend signing up for either (or both) of these two devotional emails, called "Tough Questions with RC Sproul" and "Essential Truths of the Christian Faith." You can sign up for these emails here: http://www.biblegateway.com/
This morning I read from 1 Samuel chapters 6 through 10. It is an interesting account of the ark of God causing all sorts of problems for the Philistines who had captured it (the ark brought divine judgments of tumors and rodents to plague the Philistines), and how they at last sent it away, back to the Israelites to rid themselves of its curse. It's interesting; while reading this story through today's culture's mindset, it sounds like a magical fairy tale. Tumors? Mice? Curses? It sounds silly, but it was not silly at all. It was the means by which God chose to interact with the peoples of that era, in that time and place, to make manifest his power. Even the Philistines, a pagan God-hating nation, acknowledged the greatness of his power and their utter helplessness before him.
Also in these chapters is the account of the people of Israel's complaint against God, demanding a king like other nations. Last week I mentioned how God told the prophet Samuel to acknowledge the people's request, because their hearts had turned not against Samuel, but against God. Today, I read how God chose a young man from a lowly tribe and a lowly clan, a young man who was just out looking for some lost donkeys; God selected him to become the king of Israel. This whole account has a sorrowful undertone to it. What could have been joyous occasion, the rising of a leader chosen by God, is tainted because it arises from circumstances of hardened hearts and rebellion against God as their all-sufficient Ruler.
The Bible specifically mentions that Saul was young and extraordinarily handsome in appearance, and all the people in the land only came to his shoulders in height. He was a tall, imposing figure, one who was winsome and would easily garner followers. In these early stages of forming a kingship, Saul seems to be open to the word of the Lord, accepting direction from Samuel and willing to obey the Lord's command. In fact, the Holy Spirit rushed upon him, overpowered him, and he prophesied with the prophets, thereby giving a shocking proof to stunned onlookers that the God of the Israelites had indeed chosen him and set him apart. The Bible explicitly says that Saul received a "new heart" at this time.
From the surface, it looks so promising. But in my heart, I read this account, and it's almost as if I hear a mournful violin solo in the background, sad, crying for the loss of the people's love for their God. Saul begins so well, but in a few short years, he too will forsake the God who raised him up. Soon, Israel will be swallowed up in rebellion, sin, oppression, contention . . . and the beautiful picture of a nation led by faith in their living God will be lost.
Ch 10, v. 24: And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
And so their hearts turned away from the only One who could lead them in the paths of life. It is sad. It is painful to read about. But it is placed in Scripture, an inspired account, for our instruction. It is a warning: there is no human leader incapable of falling away. There is no man who can redeem a people. There is no president, no government, no patriotic social movement, no elected or appointed official who can lift the curse that reigns in darkened hearts. There is only one Man, the Son of Man, by whose name we can be saved, the Man Jesus Christ, who is both Lord and Savior of all who believe in him by faith. "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me."
Dwell on these thoughts, dear girls, let them penetrate into your heart and lodge there, making you mindful of your own heart's attitude toward the One who rules supreme above all earthly powers, the One who raises nations up and tears nations down, the One who directs the hearts of kings like rivers of water in His hands.
Love,
~Brenna
. . . Coram Deo . . .
"Living before the face of God"
Good morning, girls!
In addition to your daily email from your sisters, I recommend signing up for either (or both) of these two devotional emails, called "Tough Questions with RC Sproul" and "Essential Truths of the Christian Faith." You can sign up for these emails here: http://www.biblegateway.com/
This morning I read from 1 Samuel chapters 6 through 10. It is an interesting account of the ark of God causing all sorts of problems for the Philistines who had captured it (the ark brought divine judgments of tumors and rodents to plague the Philistines), and how they at last sent it away, back to the Israelites to rid themselves of its curse. It's interesting; while reading this story through today's culture's mindset, it sounds like a magical fairy tale. Tumors? Mice? Curses? It sounds silly, but it was not silly at all. It was the means by which God chose to interact with the peoples of that era, in that time and place, to make manifest his power. Even the Philistines, a pagan God-hating nation, acknowledged the greatness of his power and their utter helplessness before him.
Also in these chapters is the account of the people of Israel's complaint against God, demanding a king like other nations. Last week I mentioned how God told the prophet Samuel to acknowledge the people's request, because their hearts had turned not against Samuel, but against God. Today, I read how God chose a young man from a lowly tribe and a lowly clan, a young man who was just out looking for some lost donkeys; God selected him to become the king of Israel. This whole account has a sorrowful undertone to it. What could have been joyous occasion, the rising of a leader chosen by God, is tainted because it arises from circumstances of hardened hearts and rebellion against God as their all-sufficient Ruler.
The Bible specifically mentions that Saul was young and extraordinarily handsome in appearance, and all the people in the land only came to his shoulders in height. He was a tall, imposing figure, one who was winsome and would easily garner followers. In these early stages of forming a kingship, Saul seems to be open to the word of the Lord, accepting direction from Samuel and willing to obey the Lord's command. In fact, the Holy Spirit rushed upon him, overpowered him, and he prophesied with the prophets, thereby giving a shocking proof to stunned onlookers that the God of the Israelites had indeed chosen him and set him apart. The Bible explicitly says that Saul received a "new heart" at this time.
From the surface, it looks so promising. But in my heart, I read this account, and it's almost as if I hear a mournful violin solo in the background, sad, crying for the loss of the people's love for their God. Saul begins so well, but in a few short years, he too will forsake the God who raised him up. Soon, Israel will be swallowed up in rebellion, sin, oppression, contention . . . and the beautiful picture of a nation led by faith in their living God will be lost.
Ch 10, v. 24: And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
And so their hearts turned away from the only One who could lead them in the paths of life. It is sad. It is painful to read about. But it is placed in Scripture, an inspired account, for our instruction. It is a warning: there is no human leader incapable of falling away. There is no man who can redeem a people. There is no president, no government, no patriotic social movement, no elected or appointed official who can lift the curse that reigns in darkened hearts. There is only one Man, the Son of Man, by whose name we can be saved, the Man Jesus Christ, who is both Lord and Savior of all who believe in him by faith. "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me."
Dwell on these thoughts, dear girls, let them penetrate into your heart and lodge there, making you mindful of your own heart's attitude toward the One who rules supreme above all earthly powers, the One who raises nations up and tears nations down, the One who directs the hearts of kings like rivers of water in His hands.
Love,
~Brenna
. . . Coram Deo . . .
"Living before the face of God"
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