Daily Archives: May 16, 2015

From Trauma to Glory

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Birth is no easy experience.  Neither is death to be desired.  Yet once birth has happened, death is inevitable.  In between the two is an innumerable number of choices to be made.  But for what purpose?

Pain calls our name.  Toil and heartache know where we sleep.  Adding to the difficulty of life, the expenses of pleasure call from every corner. 

There is nothing profitable about pleasure.  Everytime we take a break from toil and heartache, we lose something valuable; money, reputation, preparation, and resources.  Yet we justify it by saying, “I just need a little rest.  Then I’ll be stronger”. 

But no sooner do we get back to our toil and heartache and the entire pleasure becomes a forgotten matter.  All we have left is memories, pictures, souvenirs, and wasted time.  Yes, even the pursuit of pleasure is toil in itself.

You might be thinking I’m just a stick in the mud.  But you know that what I’m saying is true.  From front to back, and everywhere in between, life is full of difficulty. 

People do everything they can to remove the rough edges of life.  But even as they rub them smooth, the smoothing quickly breaks loose and sharp edges reappear.

This world has a singular design for humanity.  It is designed to teach God’s people to endure through faith.  The wicked heart will strive to find pleasure here.  But God’s righteous elect will keep their eyes firmly fixed on his Holy promise.

The wicked will have their tumultuous pleasure.  But the people of God will find pleasure in pleasing the Living God’s Christ. 

Christianity recognizes that this place was sufficient to test the Holy Son of God.   And here is where I mention that he is a very example God’s elect must follow.

Did the Lord shrink back from righteousness?  Not once.  Did he seek to use his body for pleasure?  Again, not once.  He did nothing but what his Heavenly Father told him to do. 

Did he take a vacation?  Did he chase after money?  Did he lie or cheat or steal?  He did not seal up his mouth, for fear of Man.  He did not cease to pray.  And if he had any knowledge in this world, it was the entirety of what is called the Old Testament.

There is our example. 

Consider the outcome of his life.  He is now firmly fixed as first in all creation.  Now allow yourself to ponder the outcome of mimicking his life.

Who is man, that God should send His Holy Son as a sacrifice for our sins?  What is it the righteous elect are to inherit?  How can any pleasure in this world compare to what God has in store for those who love him?

Psalm 82:6.  While you’re at it, consider the outcome of satan’s choice.  Ponder the meaning of the differences between Christ Jesus and the one condemned to destruction.

By His Grace

The Darkness of Perversity

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25 “To the holy, you show your gracious love,
to the upright, you show yourself upright;
26 to the pure, you show yourself pure,
and to the morally corrupt, you appear to be perverse.” ( Psalm 18, ISV)

The mind and imagination of Man is kept to the limits of the place he lives.  If all he sees is death and corruption, that is all he is capable of perceiving.  Men may call another man holy, but they give that title to the one who achieves the best of Man’s imagination.

True holiness and purity must come from God.  Man is not capable of achieving that level of cleanliness on his own.  And to add to Man’s difficulty, pride stands at the door.  Because of pride, no man is able to receive this testimony from another man.  It is required that God bless the receiver with understanding.

Do not be amazed when so many reject the Gospel.  They cannot receive it unless they humble themselves before the Living God’s Christ.  If the hearer retains his pride, the Gospel will sound perverse.  But if the man has a willing heart, God will confirm the noise to be true.

Keep The Faith and be faithful; let God be who he is.  The only thing God requires of us is that we are not ashamed or fearful to bring the Message to our fellow brothers of flesh.

I met a man who could not overcome sexual immorality.  I told him that victory over such a sin will not come to him except that God gives it.

A year or two later he complained that he was still embroiled in immorality.  He said he had asked God to take it away, but it was still an active part of his life.

I tried to reason with him, that salvation is a mutual work.  God may well grant freedom.  The question is: does the man have the will to retain it?  In the end, the man admitted that Christ Jesus must be a liar.

Consider the verses above.  God’s Holy Word is true.  It is we who are liars.

By His Grace