SPIRITUAL WORDS WE DON'T UNDERSTAND
Greetings in Jesus:
In the book of Romans there are many words that Paul begins to us that are not understood by today's church. I think that is in part the church leaderships fault for not dealing with these Spiritual terms in ways that make sense to the Christian. These terms are really a part of our growth in Christ...things like ELECTION from God which simply means God's choice of an individual or a group for a specific purpose or destiny.
In Romans 9:10-13 Paul writes about Rebekah's children being chosen by God that the older might be a servant of the younger. We often times do not realize that God does pick certain ministries out for certain people. That is even true of certain churches within a community. Far too much time is spent in trying to produce results within various bodies in Christ that are more designed around the wishes and desires of men than around the calling of God. I have seen this at work in churches within this community where people try to sway the church in a direction that the leadership is not called on to take. Frustration always sets into those people and soon they move on with a negative feeling toward a church or a group. I think that from the outset many need to realize how important the election of God on a ministry is. I have known some ministries who refused to listen to the election of God upon the direction they were taking, and God had to step in to make something happen with out in some cases without their approval. It is very hard to know God's will in a ministry unless you stay in daily prayer over it, and unless you have a heart that weeps over the people involved within it. It is not often that God will shut down an efforts made to grow a church unless that effort becomes self centered.
JUSTIFICATION is another on of those words which literally means that God has taken the act of declaring us "NOT GUILTY" for our sins if we remain in Christ and Christ remains Lord of our lives. Romans 4:25; 5:18 makes that very clear. Many people want to say that this justification means that all sin is declared null and void in their lives, and yet that is only if we stay in Christ and Christ in us. That is the one condition that is stated over and again within this Plan of Salvation...we cannot find our way around Christ, and if we try we will loose. For me to be justified in Christ means that I never stray from His Lordship over my life at any time. I will still sin because I am human, but I can come to Him for perfect forgiveness, and He will be my advocate to the Father who is the judge of all things, and the final authority. The Word of God is pretty clear on all of this, but I find that the explanation of men is what falls so short many times in our understanding of it.
We are covered in our failure to live perfectly if we remain in Jesus, but in our desire to control and manipulate to our own benefit we screw things up all of the time. I want to follow this theme for at least one more day so we can cover more of these terms people are having trouble with. May you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
In the book of Romans there are many words that Paul begins to us that are not understood by today's church. I think that is in part the church leaderships fault for not dealing with these Spiritual terms in ways that make sense to the Christian. These terms are really a part of our growth in Christ...things like ELECTION from God which simply means God's choice of an individual or a group for a specific purpose or destiny.
In Romans 9:10-13 Paul writes about Rebekah's children being chosen by God that the older might be a servant of the younger. We often times do not realize that God does pick certain ministries out for certain people. That is even true of certain churches within a community. Far too much time is spent in trying to produce results within various bodies in Christ that are more designed around the wishes and desires of men than around the calling of God. I have seen this at work in churches within this community where people try to sway the church in a direction that the leadership is not called on to take. Frustration always sets into those people and soon they move on with a negative feeling toward a church or a group. I think that from the outset many need to realize how important the election of God on a ministry is. I have known some ministries who refused to listen to the election of God upon the direction they were taking, and God had to step in to make something happen with out in some cases without their approval. It is very hard to know God's will in a ministry unless you stay in daily prayer over it, and unless you have a heart that weeps over the people involved within it. It is not often that God will shut down an efforts made to grow a church unless that effort becomes self centered.
JUSTIFICATION is another on of those words which literally means that God has taken the act of declaring us "NOT GUILTY" for our sins if we remain in Christ and Christ remains Lord of our lives. Romans 4:25; 5:18 makes that very clear. Many people want to say that this justification means that all sin is declared null and void in their lives, and yet that is only if we stay in Christ and Christ in us. That is the one condition that is stated over and again within this Plan of Salvation...we cannot find our way around Christ, and if we try we will loose. For me to be justified in Christ means that I never stray from His Lordship over my life at any time. I will still sin because I am human, but I can come to Him for perfect forgiveness, and He will be my advocate to the Father who is the judge of all things, and the final authority. The Word of God is pretty clear on all of this, but I find that the explanation of men is what falls so short many times in our understanding of it.
We are covered in our failure to live perfectly if we remain in Jesus, but in our desire to control and manipulate to our own benefit we screw things up all of the time. I want to follow this theme for at least one more day so we can cover more of these terms people are having trouble with. May you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
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