Bearing the Fruit: Love

1 Corinthians 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and  if i deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Most of us have heard the thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians read at weddings.  But if you restrict this passage to marriages only then you are not producing the fruit of love as Christians are supposed to.  As Christians, the concept of love is totally different from what today's society would have you believe.  The world today views love as some abstract emotion that is felt between people who are close with one another.  As Christians we should know that love is an action that should be shown towards EVERYONE.  If you love someone, then it should be evident to others through your actions.  You may not be thrilled about the thought of loving everyone but you should know that you're not alone.  Whenever we hear this we all have that one person who pops into our mind and we think, "Oh no.  That means I have to love that person too."  It's not easy but we are nevertheless called to do it.

Matthew 5:43 You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.  For he makes the sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others?  Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Here is Jesus telling us that it is not enough for us to love as the world around us loves.  We have to show that we love everyone just as Jesus did.  We have to remember that we are just as dirty and rotten as everyone else.  We all have that sinful nature that makes us do things we know we shouldn't.  This has caused us to sin not just against God but against each other as well.  If you have trouble loving someone because of something they have done to you, then you need to ask yourself who has trouble loving you because of something you have done to them.  If someone is persecuting you then pray, for them.  I don't know the situation; maybe they are doing it for no reason or maybe they feel you have wronged them.  It doesn't matter because we are still called to love them and to pray for God's mercy and grace be made apparent to them.

1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude.  It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

Read that passage again while remembering that love is a verb.  You are called to have patience and show kindness to EVERYONE.  You do not feel jealousy towards or brag to ANYONE.  You must be humble to EVERYONE; there is no room for pride when you are trying to show someone that you love them.  If you are filled with pride then you are making it about yourself; loving someone is you making it about them.  You must be polite with EVERYONE.  You can't have the attitude, "It's my way or the highway!" See what I said earlier about pride.  You are to conduct yourself in a calm manner and do not hold grudges against ANYONE; forgive EVERYONE.  Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. You shouldn't encourage ANYONE to do something wrong and never hold it against ANYONE for being honest.  When you are filled with God's true love then you can withstand anything, believe that all is possible with God, be secure in the hope of His promises, and thus be able to last through anything that comes your way.  If you are truly filled with God's love, then you are filled with the love that will be with you throughout eternity.

1 John 3:16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk, but in deed and in truth.

This is more evidence that love is more than just a feeling but an action.  It is not enough just to say that you love someone.  You have to show that you love them with your actions.  There are several different ways to show your love for someone.  You can be a servant.  I'm not saying to just dedicate your life to taking care of one person's needs, but to just do things that help out others.  Don't refuse to help those who need it.  The most important thing that you can ever do to show your love for someone is to share the Gospel with them.  Even if that person is a fellow Christian.  It is important for us as Christians to keep the Gospel firmly before us so that we might keep our humility and continue to progress in our sanctification.  But for those who do not yet believe, the Gospel is the message of love and hope that they have been looking for, they just don't know it yet.  So examine yourself.  Make sure that you are filled with the true love that is God's love so that you can go out into the world and through a life of servitude show this broken world what it truly means to love.

1 Corinthians 13:13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Bearing the Fruit: Introduction

 Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  16 You will recognize them by their fruits.  Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistle? 17 So every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear good fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

You are probably wondering what good fruit that Jesus is talking about here.  Is He talking about evangelizing?  The answer to that is yes, sort of.  Keep in mind that the "diseased trees" try to spread their beliefs as well.  In this passage Jesus is specifically referring to the way in which we live our lives.  What good does it do if you profess belief in Jesus but do not live your life the way that He wants you to?  Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'   We produce good fruit by doing God's will, not just professing belief in Him. 

While Matthew 7 does teach us how to tell the false teacher from the good, it should also cause you to examine yourself in order for you to make sure that you are in line with God's Will.  In the book of Galatians, Paul gives the people a list of things that should not be done followed by a list of characteristics that should be shown by anyone who truly accepts Jesus as their Lord.

Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.  I warn you as I warned you before, that those things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 

While the list of things that you shouldn't do is important, the list of things you should do is far more important.  By verses twenty-two and twenty-three we know that the fruit produced in us by the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  These are the things that as Christians, we should examine in order to test that we are following Christ as we should.  These fruits are a gift from God through the Holy Spirit that we received through our salvation.  Therefore, anyone who has truly repented of his or her sins and trusted his or her life to Jesus will exhibit these characteristics.

There is something I would like to clear up at this point.  Just because you do not perfectly exhibit the fruits of the Spirit does not mean you are not saved.  While we have been justified through Christ Jesus our Lord we have yet to be completely sanctified.  Indeed our sanctification will not be completed until we die or Jesus returns.  We are sinful creatures; therefore we cannot perfectly exhibit Christ's characteristics but we are called to pursue them with all that we have and that is what makes the difference. 1 Timothy 6:11 But as for you O man of God, flee these things.  Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness,  gentleness.  In the next verse Paul urges Timothy to, "Fight the good  fight of the faith."  As Christians it is important to realize that nothing in this world is a bigger obstacle to us than our own sinful natures.  Romans 7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.  For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.  The fruits of the Spirit are not natural for us.  That is why it is so hard for us to exhibit them, and why it is so important for us to exhibit them.  These are the things that set us apart from the rest of the world.

For the next little while each post I make is going to be over one of the fruits of the Spirit so that you might gain a better understanding of  them that you might be able to accurately test yourself to make sure that you are exhibiting them.  If you find that you are seriously lacking in these fruits then I would suggest you take a step back and completely reexamine your faith.  Have you repented of your sins? Do you really believe that Jesus was crucified in payment for your sins? Do you believe that Christ was raised from the dead after three days in a victory over death? Have you confessed that Jesus is your Lord?  If you have truly done these things then you should be able to look at your life and see the influence that Christ has had on you.  Have you completely devoted your life to Him?  By examining the fruits of the Spirit I hope that we can better understand the types of lives we are called to lead as Christians.  Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

4 Big Reasons to Read Your Bible(Reasons 1 & 2)

2. The Law

Romans 7:7 What then shall we say?  That the law is sin? By no means!  Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin.  For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."

                              

The Law is important for three reasons. 1. It reveals to us what sin is. 2. It leaves us guilty before God. 3. It teaches us how to live.

1 John 3:4 Everyone who makes a practice sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.

Since sin is going against the Law then shouldn’t we know what the Law is?  How can you know what the Law is if you don't read your Bible.  You want to know what the Law says?  Then read Exodus 20 for a start.  I guarantee that you are guilty of breaking at least a few of these laws.  Once you realize that you are guilty before God for violating his laws then that leads us to reason number 2.

Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

Now that the law has been made known to you, you will no longer be able to justify your sins because now you know that they are wrong beyond doubt. This leaves the door open for the Gospel because you realize that without some help you are going to be condemned.  This is why the Law is such an important part of evangelizing, because it is only through the Law that people realize their deep need for the grace of Jesus Christ. How can we make them realize their need of grace if we as Christians do not even know the Law?  It also ties into an earlier point I made about how the Bible teaches us to live.

Romans 7:22 For I delight in the Law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

This is a very important passage because it shows that while we should take delight in the Law it is impossible for us to keep it.  It also shows that it is very important for us to TRY to follow the Law in a pursuit of righteousness.  Just because we are Christians and freed from the Law does not give us license to disobey it.  On the Contrary.

1 John 3:9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep sinning because he has been born of God. 

Notice that it says that, "no one born of God makes a PRACTICE of sinning." It does not say that one who is born of God does not sin, just that they do not willfully sin.  So therefore it is important for us Christians to study the Law of God so the sins that we are not yet conscious of may be revealed to us in order that we might correct them in our pursuit of righteousness.

1. The Gospel Message

Romans 1:16 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for the salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jews first and also to the Greek . 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."

This passage gives a definition for what the Gospel is.  It is the power of salvation for anyone who believes.  Well, believes in what exactly?

Romans 10:9 - because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

It is important to realize that Jesus came and was the fulfillment of the Law.  Because God must be just and cannot let sin go unpunished He sent His one and only Son to bear the punishment for our sins (death) so that we can be safe from His wrath.  This is the gospel message.  That we who are guilty sinners are saved from God's just wrath by the blood that was shed by Jesus (who was guiltless before the Law) when He was crucified on the cross.  God further showed His power over death and thus showed us His power to save us from death when He raised Jesus from the dead after three days.

Romans 5:8 but God showed his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned alread , because he has not believed in the name of the Son of God.

We have seen how the Law keeps people from justifying their sin.  So it is important that after we have stopped their own justifications that we let them know the Gospel so that they might truly be justified before God. 

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through  the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

How can we hope to spread the Gospel without knowing exactly what it is?  These are just a few clarified verses that help explain exactly what the Gospel is, but I cannot describe to you the feeling of awe that will fill you when you are reading the Bible on your own and you come to the realization that the Gospel isn't one of the many themes in the Bible.  It IS the theme of the Bible.  The more you read, the more you will begin to realize that the whole Bible tells of the Gospel and that all of its passages are tied to the Gospel.

The Bible does not need to be modernized or revamped or spiced up in order to get people interested.  The Bible simply needs to be taught so that people can realize on their own just how wonderful it is. You won't realize this if you think of the Bible as a textbook.  Its wonder and majesty can only be realized when you have that eureka moment when you realize that it is God's Word to you.   Every time I read from it I am left in awe and wonder and I want more.  The Bible is fascinating.  The more you read, the more you understand how it all ties together and you just can't get enough of it.  

4 Big Reasons to Read Your Bible (Reasons 3 & 4)

These next two posts are going to be slightly different than my others.  If you have read my other posts then you know how important the Bible is and why every professing Christian should devote time to studying it.  In these two posts I am simply going to put this into a list and expand on why the Bible is important and the importance of knowing what it says.

4. Sword of the Spirit.

Ephesians 6:17- and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God,

Hebrews 4:12- For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of the soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the hearts.

The Bible is the ultimate weapon in any spiritual battle.  The Bible is what Christians need to turn to for any need.  Need help evangelizing? Read your Bible (For more on this see number 2).  Feel like you are under attack by the enemy? Read your Bible.  It is important to know the Bible so that you can fully utilize it as the Sword of the Spirit.  If a soldier is under trained with a sword then it is likely that someone could take it away and use it against him.  The same can be said of the Bible.  If you do not know scripture well enough, then the enemy will try to use it against you. This is shown very clearly during Jesus's temptation in the desert. (Matthew 4:1-11) If you are familiar with this then please take note of how Jesus countered.  He countered with MORE scripture and the devil left with his tail between his legs.  Because of Jesus's intense knowledge of scripture (He is the Son of God after all) He knew how to use the weapon at His disposal when the devil tried to use it to trip Him up.  Now we don't have the inherent and perfect knowledge that is at Jesus's disposal, but we can certainly enhance our understanding of scripture by constant study of it.

3. God’s Voice

Luke 11:28 But he said, "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"

If people want to hear the Word of God it is really a simple thing to accomplish.  All that you have to do is open the Bible and you will have 66 books of the Word of God, and in it God talks addresses any question that you might have.  I'm not saying that if you are reading the Gospel of John you are literally going to read, "You need to be a doctor."  No, I am merely saying that if you want to know God, and how He wants you to make your choices, then reading the Bible is the best way to accomplish this.

You may have been praying once and felt like you audibly received a word from God.  I am not going to refute that this is impossible because I believe that it is.  However, you shouldn't just accept it as God's voice without first checking what was said through scripture.  Here are a couple of reasons for this.

1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Yes there are some bad things in this world.  They want to derail you from your pursuit of righteousness.  Just because you have a feeling, heard a voice, or have some other inclination, it does not necessarily mean that it is God-sent.  That is why you must put everything to the test even what other people tell you; it is your responsibility to test its accuracy.  The Bible is the measure in which to test it.  Whether it is from another person, by supernatural experience, or by some feeling that you have, it must be verified through scripture.  The Bible is God's word.  God does not change.  He will not contradict Himself.

Understanding & Appreciating Grace

Romans 3:22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for who we all believe.  For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God , 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.  This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

The concept of God's gift of grace is very strange to most people who are not Christian, and there are several Christians who do not truly appreciate what a magnificent gift grace is or who miss it all together.  In order to properly understand grace you must first understand why you need it in the first place.  The reason that you need grace is because without it you stand zero chance of getting into heaven.  This is because heaven cannot be earned by anyone  therefore we need to have grace given to us in order to have eternal life.  Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Why can't we earn heaven?  You may be thinking that you are pretty much a good person and do not need grace because God will see that on your Judgment Day and overlook the "small" crimes that you are guilty of.  Let's look at a modern courtroom and see how this defense would hold up.  For the sake of argument let's say that you are texting and driving.  While you are doing this you do not see that the light has turned red and you drive straight through the intersection slamming into another vehicle and killing the driver.  You are arrested, you are taken to trial, and you are found guilty.  The judge asks if you would like to say anything before you are sentenced and you reply, "Yes Judge, I would like to point out that I know what I did was wrong, but I am really a good person.  I don't drink. I donate money and time to all of these charities.  This is the only time I have ever broken the law.  Because of this and because I know that you are a good man, I know that you will commute my sentence." After your answer the Judge pauses a moment before replying, "All that you said it true. This is the only time you have broken the law. However, I am a good man and because of that I must see that justice is served." He then proceeds to punish you to the fullest extent of the law.

Now you may be saying to yourself, "Well that's a bad example. I would never do something that bad."  Wouldn't you? Matthew 5:21 You have heard it said to those of old, "You shall not murder; whoever murders will be liable to judgment." 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to council; and whoever says, "You Fool!" will be liable to the hell of fire.  Now are you guilty of that?  I have yet to meet anybody who isn't.  And that isn't the only crime you are going to be held accountable for.  Matthew 5:27 You have heard it said, "You shall not commit adultery." 28 But I say to you that everyone who has looked at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  So now you may realize that you are a murdering adulterer.  Well I'm sorry to say that we are not done yet.  Have you ever lied or stolen something? (Exodus 20:15-16)  Have you ever used God's name in vain? (Exodus 20:7, Matthew 12:36) I don't know of anyone who has not done all of these things.  If you are honest with yourself then you should know that you are guilty of all these crimes against God.  My dear friends, this why heaven cannot be earned.  We have been given the standard for entering heaven but we cannot maintain it because we are sinful by our very nature.  Romans 3:20 For by the works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through knowledge of the law comes knowledge of sin.

Now this is where grace comes into play.  God wants us to be in heaven with Him.  Just because He might have to send us to Hell because of our sin does not mean He takes any joy in it.  So what did God do to save us?  He took on a mortal body in the form of Jesus.  He lived a sinless life.  And because He loved us He gave Himself over to death so that He might bear the punishment for our sins.  Then to further show His power over death, Jesus rose from the dead after three days.  This is the gift of grace.  Jesus died so that you might be saved from your just and deserved sentence of Hell.  We didn't do anything to earn this.  The only thing in this life that we earn is Hell.  That is why grace is a gift.  God has given it to us although we didn't deserve it.  All we have to do is accept it and that is a very easy thing to do.  You have to acknowledge the fact that you are a lawbreaker (sinner).  You have to willfully turn your back on sinful things.  This won't stop you from sinning because you are a sinful creature, but it is an important mindset to have.  Romans 7:19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.  The process of turning your back on sin, (no longer willfully sinning) is called repentance.  Now you are ready to receive the gift of grace.  Romans 10:9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  There you have it.  After you have repented all you have to do is believe and confess that you know Jesus is God and was raised from the dead.  It is that simple.  It's like accepting a million dollar gift because someone showed you the receipt proving it was legally paid for.  Why wouldn't you take it?  Especially now that you know you need it.  I hope grace makes more sense to you now. It's us being given a gift that wasn't earned, and cannot be repaid.  If you haven't accepted it then I sincerely pray that you do.  If you have, then I hope this has helped you to understand just how wonderful a gift grace is and that you never stop giving thanks and praises to our loving God.

Judged by Righteousness

Psalms 9:7 But the LORD sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, 8 and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the people with uprightness.

I have discussed how God is both our Creator and our King.  Today we are going to look at a much trickier aspect of God and that is God as our Judge.  What gives God the right to judge us? Well, He did create us and as our King He gave us laws to follow so logically who better to be our judge than God?  The Bible states in the above verses and in other places (Acts 17:30) that when God judges us, He will judge us in righteousness because He is a righteous judge. Psalms 7:11 God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. So that begs the question, what is righteousness?

This is where things can get tricky.  It's very important that you don't rely on just what I point out here, but that you also open up your Bible and discover all it says about the subject of what it means to be righteous because the word "righteous" appears in the Bible (ESV translation) two hundred and sixty-two times.  The word "righteousness" appears two hundred and fifty-nine times. Clearly the Bible has a lot to say on the subject that I can't fit into one post, so please do some research on your own.  However, I am going to try to explain the concept of biblical righteousness as best I can.

First let's ask the question, who is righteous before God? Psalm 143:2 Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you. There you have it.  No one who is alive is righteous before God.  Even Jesus backs this up. Mark 10:18 and Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone." Why is no one good?  Because God gave us His standard of righteousness in the law.  These laws embody who God is.  The laws that God gave the people of Israel are a description of God because they outline His very nature. In order for a person to be righteous he must keep God's commandments.  However, this is an impossible task.  All anyone has to do is go through the Ten Commandments to discover that they are guilty of breaking these laws, are therefore unrighteous in the eyes of God. 

You may be asking yourself what you can do in order to be judged worthy to get to heaven, and the answer to that question is that there is nothing you can do to get to heaven. Romans 5:17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in the life through one man Jesus Christ.    Paul tells us here that righteousness is in fact a free gift of God through the death of His Son Jesus.  Just as one man's actions (Adam) caused the rest of us to have a nature of sin, so it is that we can receive righteousness through the actions of Jesus.  But the most important thing to take away from that verse is that righteousness cannot be earned by anything that you or I do as people because it will be given to us as a freely given gift of grace. 

But it is important to point out that God will not force this gift upon you.  If you don't want any part of the grace offered to you then God will not make you accept it and give it to you anyway.  God has offered you the gift, but it is you who must accept it.  The Bible says in both Genesis 15:6 and in Romans 4:3 that all Abraham had to do was to believe and it was credited to him as righteousness.  So what does this have to with you? Romans 10:9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  All you have to do is truly believe that God gave His Son to die for your sins and raised Him from the dead after three days in a victory over death, then confess that fact with your mouth.  Because if you truly believe then you are going to recognize your sins and the unrighteousness in your life and you are going to give those up in a pursuit of righteousness.  While The Bible tells us that we cannot obtain righteousness by the works of our hands, we are to pursue righteousness.

1 Timothy 6:11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display at the proper time- he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in the unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.  To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

True Hope

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you. 13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, "I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.  16 So we do not lose heart.  Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Hope. That is what this passage gives me and hopefully it gives it to you as well.  Why is hope important?  If you have no hope, then what is the point?  If you have hope then you will not despair, instead you will persevere.  All people go through times in their life when all they want to do is just lay down and give up.  However, as Christians we can take refuge in our hope that all trials for us are temporary.  Psalm 30:5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. We may have be having a hard time in this life right now but we have to remember that since this is only a temporary life; it won't last forever and when it’s over we will never have another worry.

With every breath we take we get closer and closer to death.  But the thing is, although our bodies will eventually return to the dust from which they came, our souls are immortal and will continue on.  Now for the Christian this shouldn't be a worry, but for some reason I see a lot of Christians who live their life like they are afraid of losing it.  Why is it so many Christians are afraid to do as Paul commanded Timothy to do and take hold of their eternal life (1 Timothy 6:12)?  Why should we be afraid? What does it matter what happens to us?  Why fear death? As Christians we are called to die.  We are called to turn our bodies over to Christ and let him shape us into his image.  Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.   

When Christ is in us we should be filled with an unbreakable resolve because we know that no matter what happens we will one day be standing by His side and sharing in His inheritance.  1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  Verse five tells us that God is guarding us through our faith.  So as long as we have faith then why worry so much about the things of this world? I'm not saying that we should just relax and rest on our laurels because God is going to take care of everything, but there is no sense in getting yourself worked into frenzy over temporal things.  Luke 12:25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to the span of his life?

What then shall we do? Through the hope we have in Him, we should be content in Christ Jesus our Lord in every situation.  Philippians 4:11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.  In every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.  While powerful, verse thirteen is not a rallying cry for those who want to climb mountains or become a financial success.  Instead it is a statement that no matter what situation that he is in, be it good or bad, Paul knows that Jesus is with him and that Jesus will see His will done.  Paul recognizes that as a Christians our goal is to see Jesus's will done and that knowledge is the secret to his contentment.  Why can't more of us today be like that?  If we are doing God's will, then what do we have to be worried about?  Don't you trust in the promise of Jesus?  Do you not have enough faith to have hope?