IT’S THE PROUD WHO BELIEVE THEY HAVE NO NEED OF GOD

Posted on by

There seem to be many paradoxes in Scripture. Not in the sense that the Bible contradicts itself, but that the Bible proclaims truth that makes no sense to those who are not in Christ. Even for believers, we’re struck by the unfathomable workings of a God who makes all things work together for good to those who love Him.

For instance, Scripture proclaims that, for the Christian, to lose is to gain. We read that to be humble is to be exalted. Perhaps most amazingly, the Bible proclaims that Christ’s victory over the grave means that to die is to live and to live abundantly. But what I’m sure confuses many, in or out of the church, is this concept Paul writes about in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, where he makes the case for how our weakness is our strength. It’s interesting, especially given the fact that weakness is often considered a grave flaw, and something meant to be hidden.

“ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

How are we expected to boast about our weaknesses? We are far weaker than we ever care to admit. It is in ignoring our weaknesses that our lives become harder. In fact, Christianity only makes sense when you’ve reached the end of yourself.” Think about it — it is the proud who most believe they have no need for God. The plague of thinking, “I can do it,” has hurt countless relationships. But Christianity declares this profound truth that what often makes Christianity most understandable is rooted in the fact that we need help. We need saving. Why? Because we are weak and helpless.

James 1:9 tells us, “Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,” we shrink back in shame as we reflect on the fact that, more often than not, we’re actually slow to hear, quick to speak, and quick to resort to anger.

And if you take a step even further back, it becomes clear just how quickly we fail in many other areas of life — especially when compared to how Scripture calls us to live. We often covet, lie, steal, and cheat. We may not be as heinous as a murderer, yet murder occurs frequently in our hearts.

Thankfully the Bible provides stories such as David and Bathsheba: Scripture tells us that David is a man after God’s own heart, and yet David not only sleeps with Bathsheba and gets her pregnant but he tries to cover it up and when that is unsuccessful he conspires to kill Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband.

 “In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.” 2 Samuel 11:14-15

Though David made a horrible decision, he took responsibility and had remorse for his actions. He earnestly sought God’s forgiveness. David penned Psalm 51, “A Contrite Sinners Prayer for Pardon,” after his sin of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. In this Psalm, David brokenheartedly confesses his sin and asks for God’s forgiveness and restoration. David never stopped worshipping God.

Jealousy is such a blinding emotion that consumes us easily, and our hearts are hardened toward those we feel have wronged us. Scripture says to “bear with one another in love,” forgive “seventy times seven,” and “value others above” ourselves, but how often do those commands actually take priority in our lives?

Suddenly, when the world is crashing down around us, and we can’t seem to get anything right, we realize: “Wow, I truly am weak.” And it’s not just the rude awakening of becoming aware of said weaknesses that hurt, but the harsh reality of the fact that the world is quick to use them against us. Far too commonly, weakness is abused in the machinations of manipulation and mockery. And if the world was all we had to turn to, we’d likely find ourselves wondering: what’s the point of it all?

But thanks be to God because He does not define us by these weaknesses. Indeed, Psalm 103 declares, “The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. … The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. … He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.” Don’t you see? We may struggle, fail, or feel dismayed, but our God does not treat us as weak, failing sinners. He treats us as forgiven and free children of His promise!

Perhaps among several seemingly paradoxical yet joyous truths in Scripture is this understanding of our weakness being our strength, for it is in embracing our weaknesses that we can see Christ’s strength. And this strength resides within us, for Galatians 2:20a states, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are new creations, and yet we still fail Him daily grieving the Holy Spirit. And yet, He never fails us. We neglect time with Him and time in His word, yet He never leaves us nor forsakes us. We made it necessary for God to send His Son to die on the cross, yet He has loved us with an everlasting love that leads us into eternity with Him. We take blessings for granted, yet He never stops blessing us. How astounding and unfathomable, this God we serve. May we never tire of singing His due praises, just as He never tires of holding us in His embrace of sovereign grace.

Adapted from an article in The Washington Stand 19/07/2024: Embracing Weakness Allows Us to Understand Our Strength Is Found in Christ by Sarah Halliday

HUMAN BEINGS WERE MADE TO “IMAGE” GOD

Posted on by

This life-changing truth comes from Martyn Isle’s book WHO AM I? Solving the identity puzzle.

“God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

When we read that verse we learn that mankind clearly reflected and embodied something that was God’s. In Colossians and Ephesians, the Apostle Paul connects the “new self”, after we have received the Holy Spirit, with the image of God, and in doing so he tells us what the image is.

“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11

“Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” Colossians 3:9-10

The same thought is expressed in Ephesians, this time the “new self” is described according to the likeness of God, which is also Genesis 1:27 language. The template of the “new self” is the image and likeness of God.

“Be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:23-24

Scripture tells us that the whole of God’s nature may be summarised in that sacred word “HOLY”. First, it means sinless and perfect. So Adam and Eve were made sinless and perfect. But when we refer to the holiness of God, it refers to all aspects of His perfection and character traits. So we can assume that all of God’s character traits were able to be demonstrated by Adam and Eve because of their holiness. They were able to radiantly image Him and reflect His glory. This includes His love, grace, mercy, righteousness, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, etc. But to be made in God’s image means to be made with the knowledge of God. Adam and Eve knew God. They spoke to Him directly, and He with them, so rationality, objectivity, creativity, love, and other such abilities cannot be irrelevant to God’s image. We have all these unique abilities so that we may apply them to the great high calling of God’s image on the human race. They enable us to be holy. They enable us to act righteously. They enable us to know God. These are the ends for which they are designed. This is what we should use our special faculties for. The more we know about God, the more we discover who we ought to be, and the more we want to be that person.

Take the human mind as one example. It is unique. We apply it rightly when we use it to grow in the knowledge of God. When the mind is renewed by that knowledge, it changes our whole person, teaching us to reject sin, embrace righteousness, and be holy. It also animates our lives to do small and big things in a way that serves God.

“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.” Romans 12:2

When we understand the truth about what God’s image is, we understand the high calling on our lives. Mostly, when we hear people say that humans are made in God’s image, we hear them say it as if that’s the end of the story. It is not the end of the story. It is better to put it this way: human beings were made to image God. We should not think about it as a status, we should think about it as our calling.

It is our calling to be holy, righteous, and to know God. It is how we live up to our purpose of bearing God’s image.

USA MASTERS GOLF WINNER SAYS HE PLAYS GOLF TO GLORIFY GOD

Posted on by

New Masters champion Scottie Scheffler said he’s “trying to glorify God” through his golf career, giving all the credit to the Lord as he spoke with reporters after his stunning victory. Scheffler was asked how he balances his desire to golf competitively without letting it define him as a person. “The reason why I play golf is: I’m trying to glorify God and all that He’s done in my life.” The 25-year-old champion golfer didn’t stop there. He went on to say his “identity isn’t a golf score” and shared how his wife, Meredith, recently offered an encouraging reminder of that reality. “Like Meredith told me this morning, she says, ‘If you win this golf tournament today if you lose this golf tournament by 10 shots if you never win another golf tournament again,’ she goes, ‘I’m still going to love you, you’re still going to be the same person, Jesus loves you, and nothing changes,’” Scheffler said.

Scottie Scheffler wins the 2022 Masters.

Scheffler said his wife regularly prays for him to experience peace, something he always wants to have on the golf course. Additionally, he seeks to experience “God’s presence.” “Every day when we go out there, Meredith always prays for peace, because that’s what I want to feel on the golf course, is peace and have fun and just feel His presence,” he said. “So that’s her prayer every day. That’s my prayer, and I really felt that today. I felt at peace.” Earlier in the press conference, Scheffler shared how overwhelmed he was before his win. He felt Sunday morning like he might not be ready for all that was unfolding. But Scheffler came to some critical realizations after talking with his wife. “My wife told me, ‘Who are you to say that you’re not ready?’ Who am I to say that I know what’s best for my life?” he said. “What we talked about is: God is in control, and the Lord is leading me, and if today’s my time, then it’s my time.”

LIFE IN CHRIST FOR YOUR FAMILY

Posted on by

Seven years ago Robert and his wife Evelyn decided to take a leap of faith to leave their jobs and careers behind, trusting God to provide for them and lead them further. In this video Robert shares what happened since then and the things they learned. Living eternal now being directed by the Holy Spirit believing God’s Word.

“Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.” Luke 18:28-30

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? … But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:25-34

MORE FROM THE LAST REFORMATION MOVEMENT:

I want to say that this is not only a life Robert and his family are called to live. I believe this is a life many more people are called to live! Not that everyone should do exactly as they did, but everyone CAN do so much more than we are often doing! Start where you are! Use the free resources we have – The Kickstart Package, the online Pioneer School, etc… all the resources which are available for you to use to bear fruit!

But I also want to challenge many of you out there – I think many more people ARE called to do like Robbert and his family! We have just done a new page on TheLastReformation.com called FAMILY ON A MISSION. You can see the link here: youtu.be/lXvMqdLzGyo

On this page, you will find other stories of other people who started to see amazing fruit! What you can see is that every story is different, but every person is the same in the sense that the Holy Spirit is leading, God is providing, and there is amazing fruit!

So I want to challenge you even more, especially in the times we are living in now – don’t get old and look back at your life regretting that you did not take some big steps for Jesus! Don’t stand in front of Jesus one day when He comes back very soon, not having anything to show! Do what He has called you to do! And let us know how we can help you!