Friday 8 November 2024

Motivation


Motivation is a strange thing. Sometimes we wake up feeling motivated for the day or some meetings we know are coming up. However, the very next day, we can wake up and feel flat - there is zero motivation to do anything. 

So, if our motivation is not going to come from how many hours sleep we had last night, where is it going to come from? Perhaps it needs to come from another person? Someone who knows us and who wants the best for us. Someone who believes in our potential and can see that we are struggling. What do you think of that?

The same reasoning applies to our faith. Read this verse: 

"Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works." - Hebrews 10:24

The writer clearly believes that acting in love and doing good for others is an important part of following Christ. However, in the same breath, he also implies that this doesn't always come naturally for us. One day we may feel excited to do this, but the chances are, that we may not feel like it on another day. We need Christian friends to help motivate us towards these end goals! 

Thought: Who needs some motivation today? How can you 'spur' them on towards love and good deeds?

Living in grace

D3LM3


Thursday 7 November 2024

Holding Fast


On more than one occasion, the writer of Hebrews encourages his listens to hold onto their faith. Clearly this was something that they were struggling with and needed to be motivated to keep the faith. 

"Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise." - Hebrews 10:23

I am convinced that these words ring true for many of us today too. We profess our faith in Jesus Christ, but there are many things and people that can cause us to waver. Let us remember that the 'hope we affirm' is not in our own ability, but rather in the greatness of God. 

The Lord is the one we can trust to keep his promises. Other people and institutions will disappoint us, but Christ remains faithful.

David Wilkerson - "Beloved, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love. When all means fail-his love prevails. Hold fast to your faith. Stand fast in his Word. There is no other hope in this world."

Living in grace

D3LM3

Wednesday 6 November 2024

What is Faith?


In answer to the question, What is Faith? there are thousands of responses. The Bible gives us many insights into the experience of faith, as well as examples of many faithful people. If I asked you the same question today, what would your response be?

What is faith?

Hebrews 11:1 gives us one of the clearest answers to this question. It says:

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." - NRSV

Putting this into contemporary language, J. Packer writes:

“Christian hope expresses knowledge that every day of his life, and every moment beyond it, the believer can say with truth, on the basis of God's own commitment, that the best is yet to come.” - J. I. Packer

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Tuesday 5 November 2024

Overcoming the worst in ourselves


In a blog post attributed to the late Frederick Buechner, I stumbled across these words:

"'Fight the good fight,' he says (1 Timothy 6:12), where it's not the fight to overcome the best of the competition that he's talking about, but the fight to overcome the worst in ourselves."

The words in italics are the ones that stood out for me. How often is it that I need to overcome the worst in myself, in order to fully rely on God's grace. The worst in ourselves (which I believe is our deepest sin) threaten to keep us away from the loving embrace of our heavenly father. And the lies of the evil one add weight to the battle we fight - he tries to feed our minds and hearts with these lies, in order to keep us from running to the arms of Jesus.

Thought: May you rest in the strength of Christ, as you fight the good fight of faith. Remember that Jesus is already aware of the 'worst in us' and he died for these sins. Lean on his mercy and grace.

John 16:33 - "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Monday 4 November 2024

Will and Testament


I found the following verse to be very helpful as we contemplate the death of Christ. Often, we wonder why it was necessary for Jesus to die, in order for us to receive the promised inheritance of grace and mercy. This scripture helps us understand:

"Now when someone leaves a will, it is necessary to prove that the person who made it is dead. The will goes into effect only after the person’s death. While the person who made it is still alive, the will cannot be put into effect." - Hebrews 9:16-17

Very simply - we could only enjoy the great benefits of our eternal inheritance once Christ had died. The Divine will and testament only came into being, once Jesus had died on the cross.

Charles Spurgeon put it like this: “If there be a question about whether a man is alive or not, you cannot administer to his estate, but when you have certain evidence that the testator has died then the will stands. So is it with the blessed gospel: if Jesus did not die, then the gospel is null and void.” (Spurgeon)

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Thursday 31 October 2024

Semper Reformanda


One of the slogans of the Reformation was semper reformanda ("always reforming"). Perhaps a better translation of these 2 words would be: "always being reformed." 

What I like about this is that it reminds me of the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. God is always trying to transform and renew us - we can choose to resist these moments of refreshing and change, or we can embrace them.

2 Corinthians 3:18 - "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

"There is no justification without sanctification, no forgiveness without renewal of life, no real faith from which the fruits of new obedience do not grow." - Martin Luther
"Sanctification is not my idea of what I want God to do for me; sanctification is God’s idea of what He wants to do for me." - Oswald Chambers

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Wednesday 30 October 2024

An empty, open hand



"Faith is like an empty, open hand stretched out towards God, with nothing to offer and everything to receive" - John Calvin

In this week, when we remember the significant changes brought to the Church, through the Reformation, I thought I'd share a few inspiring words from John Calvin. Although he is not everyone's favourite, John did have a remarkable impact on the Church and Theology. Here are a few more of his insights:

"Humility is the beginning of true intelligence."

"People will never worship God with a sincere heart or be roused to fear and obey Him with sufficient zeal, until they properly understand how much they are indebted to His mercy."

Matthew 9:2 - Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

Living in Grace

D3LM3