Good morning. Continuing
about those who have fallen away: he talks about vegetation receiving rain.
Those that bring forth useful things, receive a blessing from God; those that
have thorns, are worthless, close to being cursed, and are burned. But we are
convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation.
God won't forget your work in ministering to the Saints. Show the same
diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end. In other
words don't give up doing the good deeds you have been doing, just because you
become tired or discouraged. That you may not be sluggish, but imitators of
those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Just like it's all
too easy to become sluggish in your everyday life like doing household chores
etc.; it is all too easy to become sluggish in doing good deeds for the kingdom
of God. Notice that it is not only through faith, but also patience that you
need to inherit the promises. As Winston Churchill said in an address to a
graduating class at a university, "Never. Never. Never give up". That
was his entire speech. (I bet they were happy!). God promised Abraham that He
would bless and multiply him. And having patiently waited, he obtained the
promise. From our point of view, he was not patient – remember Hagar. But from
God's point of view, he was. After all, he had only one son of the promise –
Isaac; he only saw two sons from Isaac – Jacob and Esau. That is not an
auspicious beginning to "I will greatly multiply you". And yet he
still believed right up to the end. He believed so much that he was willing to
sacrifice his only son of the promise – Isaac. Could we do that? Would we be
willing to sacrifice what seems to be the only way for God to fulfill His
promise to us? Father thank You that the reader waits patiently for the
fulfillment of Your promises. He/she stands firm until the end.
Law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners
Good morning. So, was the law a bad thing? We know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully (not to control people, as some were), realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane…, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the Blessed God, with which I have been entrusted. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer etc. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. Formerly Paul was good in the eyes of the law, but unrighteous in the eyes of God. Despite that, God was more than able to use him in a magnificent way to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. Father thank You that Your Grace is gre...
Comments
Post a Comment