A Living Faith #10: Our manner of Life #2

A Living Faith

Our Manner of Life

Prev. A Living Faith #9 Our Manner of Life

 

Having explored in some measure a broad overview of some of the attributes of character that disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ must develop if they are to truly be his disciples, it is time to draw our thoughts towards a conclusion. Jesus in his prayer as recorded in John 17 has this to say:

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3 

This sums up the crux of the matter. The whole purpose of life is not to have existence for the sake of living, but rather that the created order of things fulfils the purpose of its creation. The purpose of Yahweh was not that we should have life merely to exist, but that we, as created beings, give Him pleasure by reflecting His Divine Glory. Yahweh has graciously extended His love toward you and me; He has invited us to be part of His great divine family. Because of our response by accepting baptism and becoming ‘in Christ’ we have been adopted into that divine household. Adoption has brought many joys, many privileges, many hopes, but also an immense responsibility. 

The wise man wrote:

“Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come... .. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:1, 13-14

Now is the time of opportunity. Now is the time to seek Yahweh. Now is the time to keep His commandments. The commandments govern and guide all aspects of daily life and continuing the line of thought about personalising those commandments some areas to examine could be:

•         My place in the Body of Christ and my Ecclesia.

•         My private and public worship.

•         My relationships with my brethren and sisters. What is true fellowship?

•         My relationships within my work and with other people in general.

•         My character and behaviour

All things are open to the sight of Him who created us, it is easy to deceive oneself but Yahweh sees all, our every thought and action is known to Him. He knows our frame, He knows our sorrows and joys, our motives are laid bare before Him. Our love may be feeble and faith frail, yet mercy triumphs over judgement (James 2:13).  If we truly love the Lord our God, if we have a living and active faith holding fast to that which so good, then with David we rejoice:

“O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.” Psalm 139:1-4

Surely with such lofty thoughts in mind our hearts are filled with awe and indeed David continues:

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it. (v6)

Thus we are brought to realise our own imperfection and limitations. It is not within man to guide his own footsteps, nor within us to foresee the path must we take. Yahweh knows what is best for each of His children; His goal is not our present comfort, but our eternal welfare. All present joys and sorrows are transitory and ephemeral, only having meaning within the context of Yahweh’s plan and purpose with His creation. 

How great a love has the Lord our God and Father bestowed upon us that we should be His children (1John 3:1). Is your love for Him such that with David the heartfelt response comes:

“Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.” Psalm 119:97

“How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!” Psalm 139:17

Only a living and active faith will look deep inside the inner person and know the honest answer.

  Andy Peel

Next:  ‘My place in the Body of Christ and my Ecclesia’.

A Living Faith #2 State of your faith

A LIVING FAITH

What is the state of your faith?

Previous: A Living Faith #1 Substance of things hoped for

Faith is a very personal thing and the true state of a person’s faith can only be judged by God. It is impossible to hide our true feelings from Him for He knows our innermost thoughts and all motives are laid bare before Him. Anything less than an honest appraisal of our personal level of faith is a futile effort, for it will be of no spiritual benefit whatsoever. As we have seen in the previous section even a small amount of faith, small as a mustard seed, can accomplish much.

However, we should know and must never forgot that whatever is accomplished is not by our own efforts, but is of God. We have nothing; no knowledge, no skill, no ability, not one single thing that has not been given to us. Even the apostle Paul was moved to say:

“I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” 1Cor 15:10

It is Paul who also notes: “Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand” 2Cor 1:24. It is according to the depth and breadth of our personal faith that we stand or fall. Further, the value of our faith is proved by how we act upon it day by day.

Faith is demonstrated by the degree to which it affects and moulds an individual’s life. So what would you answer to the following questions?

•         What is the objective of faith?

•         What is your spiritual goal?

•         Are you moving towards that goal?

The promised reward of faith is eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Yet we must question if eternal life in itself is the objective of faith. If our primary personal spiritual goal is to attain eternal life, then it is possible we have somehow missed the thrust of God’s purpose with those called to be His children. The primary purpose of God is not that men might find salvation, but that the earth will be filled with His Glory. His purpose requires that the earth be filled with beings who will perfectly reflect His divine attributes. Thus in a sense eternal life is a consequence of the true objective of faith.

What then is the true objective of faith? Well, Jesus said in his prayer as recorded in John’s gospel record:

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3

So, eternal life is defined as firstly knowing Yahweh the one true God and secondly knowing Jesus Christ His Son who fully and perfectly displayed His Fathers divine attributes. Again Jeremiah writes:

“Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:23-24

To know Yahweh is not merely to know about Him. It is not just to have an academic knowledge of His Word and purpose. Knowing Him is not simply having an understanding about His dealings with Israel, His mercy shown towards them and how they fit in with His promises to the patriarchs of old. To know Yahweh is not just about appreciating the principles that lie behind His provision of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Job gives an object lesson for those who would truly know Yahweh. He realised the requirements of his Creator, such that in his fear of the wrath of God falling upon him and his family, after his children had run a course of feasting we read: “Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did regularly” Job1:5. One would thus think that Job fully ‘knew’ the Lord his God and yet after losing all he possessed and enduring so much suffering, Job has these profound words to say:

"I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.” Job 42:5

During his discourse Job had noted, “Wisdom is with aged men, And with length of days, understanding.” Job12:12 and later asks “But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Job 28:12. Wisdom and knowledge may come with age and experience, but only if one with a true and honest heart seeks out the Lord God. For Job answers his own question saying that Yahweh “understands its way and He knows its place… Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding." Job 28:23&28

Job had throughout his life up until that time known of Yahweh, he had known about Yahweh, he had known the principles of Yahweh. But it was as it were almost an academic knowledge and appreciation, with reliance upon the observance of law.  But after all his sufferings, after hearing about the glory of creation and about the absolute power and wisdom of his Creator, Job was moved to say:

“You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” Job 42:3

Job’s faith was thus placed in an entirely new context, his eyes clearly saw Yahweh in His resplendent glory. Jobs emotions were stirred within him and he knew and feared the Lord his God. Fear in this context being that reverential love and piety that characterise the lives of all the true children of God.

To know Yahweh, is to truly love Him with the whole being given over to His service. Not just knowledge about Him, not just knowledge about His Word, but rather a deep and abiding emotional entanglement with all that He is and will be. Then, and only then, can we truly appreciate and fulfil the greatest commandment of all:

“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30

To be continued…A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action

Andy Peel

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In this series:
A Living Faith #1 Substance of things hoped for
A living faith #2 State of your faith
A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
A Living Faith #4 Effort
A Living Faith #5 Perseverance
A Living Faith #6 Sacrifice
A Living faith #7 Prayer
A Living Faith #8 Change
A Living Faith #9 Our Manner of Life
A Living Faith #10: Our manner of Life #2
A Living Faith #11 My place in the body of Christ and my ecclesia
A Living Faith #12 The Love for Jesus

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2016 linkupdate
 

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Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Niets kan de man met de juiste mentale houding stoppen van de verwezenlijking van zijn doel

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal;
nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."
- Thomas Jefferson

"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 3:14

My Lord and my God, I keep the eye focused not on the visible but on the invisible,
on your hopeful promise.
Let me have the right mental attitude for reaching the right goal.

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We should use the Bible every day

SOMETHING TO CHEW ON

Abraham Lincoln once said “Read the Bible for what, on reason, you can accept and take the rest on faith, and you will live and die a better man.” We know that not only will we die a better person for having read the Bible but if we are wise enough to obey its commands after reading them we shall also rise to live forever. Jesus said, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

   

As we have now progressed well into 2009, how are our daily readings going? It is a great pity that so few read the Bible every day. How can we think godly if we don’t read God’s thoughts? In the natural we sometimes feel we get to know a certain author by being thoroughly familiar with his writings. 

Certainly those who have made a study of Shakespeare feel they are acquainted with him and his thought processes; so it is with any other writer who has left his works behind. It may be nice to know a human author this way but it in no way compares with getting to know God through His Word. In fact, it is completely impossible to obey the first command to love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind if we do not constantly read His Book, pray and meditate upon His goodness and mercy to us.

  Remember John’s point about hating or loving our brethren? The last part of his question is, “How can he love God whom he has not seen?” How can we? It is impossible to love the unknown. We cannot love someone we have never seen, never heard from, never heard of. Only by becoming familiar with a person can we love them. In the natural this usually comes as a result of personal contact but it has occurred by correspondence. Many lovers first met by mail and the love grew even before they saw one another. Since we have never seen God it is only possible to love Him as a result of our familiarity with His Word and His spirit which he dwells in us with. It goes without saying that if we are not faithful in our daily readings in His Book, we will not love Him. How can we expect Him to save us if we break His first and most important command? Paul asks the question “How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?” His answer is, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”

  It is this word of God that must fill our minds and hearts if we are to love Him, obey Him and receive from Him the crown of righteousness. To ignore the Bible readings is to ignore God. It won’t make much use what else we do if we don’t do them. That’s the trouble with the world today. Every man is doing that which is right in his own eyes. The world expresses it as “doing your own thing.” “Our own thing” will be of no value in the day of judgement.

 If we do not read our Bible regularly in January, we must not let February and the rest of the year take the same course. Making and breaking New Year’s resolutions is the butt of many jokes but not reading God’s Word is no joke whether it was a New Year’s resolution or not. If we cannot find time to read God’s book every day, just how much do we really love Him? Our actions are speaking louder than words.

  The Bible reading charts are not the only way to read the Bible but they are a very good way. Whatever way we use to read the Bible, we should use it and do it every day. It is good to do it as a family if possible. May the words Paul addressed to Timothy apply to us as well. “Continue in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing of whom you have learned them; And that from a child you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

* * * * * * *

The reason why the majority of people are forgetful hearers of the Word of God, is because they are not constant readers of it.

Don’t count your troubles. Rather, count the challenges that are already stacking up higher than a pyramid before you. Whether you want to make a million this 2009 or not, it is entirely up to you. It is in your hands completely. And by a million, I don’t necessarily mean dollars. I mean all the other things besides. Like friends, kindly acts, gestures of goodwill to those who need them most.

  

 Set your sights high. Make a goal, and thereupon work at it with frenzied non-stop effort. Aim at becoming a “Goal-achievement millionaire.” That means in twelve months hence you will have reached your goals, solved your problems, secured inner peace of mind, mental refreshment.

 You will have made more friends than ever before, and in turn, you will find you are on the friendship list of a greater-than-ever range of people, too. This is a wonderful start.

  You may have made a few more dollars as well. But suddenly you find this is not so important. Your new concept of living, working out simple solutions to your vexing problems, finding that negative thoughts have no place in your mental environment, solving problems on a day-by-day basis with a strong, forthright, positive approach - these have suddenly converted you into a mental millionaire.

  Intimately associated with all this, come important facets in your spiritual life. This is a basic key to help solve all problems.

  Did you used to read the Scriptures on a regular daily basis? Maybe up to until a year or two ago. What happened in the interim? Bowed down by the cares of the world? Couldn’t be bothered? Too tired?

 Taking Christ into your life as a working partner is a top way to achieve your goal. He will help keep your computer mind working steadily and accurately. He will keep it oiled with the balm of enthusiasm, a sweet nature, a sober spirit and Christ-like temperament.

  There will be no more need to go mad at your offensive contemporaries. The well-adjusted computer is programmed to cope with such difficulties as they rear their ugly heads. But it is essential you walk hand-in-hand with the Master-mind at all times. With His aid, success is never more assured, never more gratifying and overwhelming in volume.

  Think positive right through 2009 and, without doubt, with Christ in your life your goals will spin into reality with frightening rapidity.

* * * * * * *

- John Aldersley

> Bible Reading Plan

Try driving forward instead of backwards

Dutch translation / Nederlandse vertaling > Probeer vooruit te rijden in plaats van achteruit

"Serve the LORD with gladness:
come before His presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD He is God:
it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
and into His courts with praise:
be thankful unto Him, and bless His name."
Psalm 100:2-4

"How many times to we begin our prayers with thankfulness?

Someone once said, "There [are] so many times that we load up all of our
burdens and worries onto a big dump truck and we put that truck in reverse
and then we back that truck right up to the throne of God and flip the switch
and dump all of that trash at God's feet, all without ever seeing Him."

This is completely backwards from God's teachings.
We should enter God's presence with praises and thankfulness.
Then, after we have spent time thanking God for His mercies
and praising Him for his greatness,
we can turn the truck around and unload our worries and burdens.

Which direction are you driving your dump truck today?

Try driving forward instead of backwards into the presence of God."
(From The Daily Psalm)
 

English: Dump Truck 1b (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Life is like a ten-speed bike.

Dutch version / Nederlands> Het leven is als een tien-versnellingen fiets.

"Life is like a ten-speed bike. Most of us have gears we never use."
- Charles M. Schultz

Do More

"Do more than exist ... live.
Do more than touch ... feel.
Do more than look ... observe.
Do more than read ... absorb.
Do more than hear ... listen.
Do more than think ... ponder.
Do more than talk ... say something."
- John H. Rhoades

"To do righteousness and justice is more
acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice."
Proverbs 21:3

"Jesus replied:
"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
Matthew 22:37-39

Lord let me win the race of this life
and give that I use the correct gears to my goal.
Give me enough inspiration, strength and love for people, animals and plants around me
to treat them with goodness and glory of your name.

Single-speed mountain bike (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Suffering produces perseverance

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Dutch version / Nederlands > Ellende leidt tot volharding

Romans 5:3-4, New International Version

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    What are you living to produce in your life? Wealth? Fame? Status? Significance? Legacy? How about character! Isn't having the character of God our real goal in life? So even in our worst of times, if we can be people of character, then nothing can steal from us our most desired goal, the character of God, given us in Jesus Christ. 



    Dear Father, please bless me so that I can be strong in difficult times and consistent in holy character. Please give me a heart of courage and compassion so that in some small way I can more nearly remind others what you are like and what you can do in their lives. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Your purpose explains what you are doing with your life

"Your purpose explains what you are doing with your life.
Your vision explains how you are living your purpose.
Your goals enable you to realize your vision."
- Bob Proctor

"I press toward the goal for the prize of the
upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 3:14

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