1 Corinthians 13
1 Corinthians 13 is spoken of as "the love chapter". This discussion will focus on verse 7.
"(Love) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things". As we have previously discussed, all things does not mean any thing but all His things. I see this portion of scripture as the place where the Lord initiates His perfect plan for our individual lives and shows us how to work out that plan in and with Him as opposed to working it out in our own power.
Bear, the verb, has 26 applications or definitions according to Webster's dictionary. A few that interest me and are applicable to this discussion are: to accept or have as an obligation; to carry in mind or heart; to carry or conduct; to sustain or be capable of; to give birth to; to hold up or support; to tend in a course or direction; TO BE SITUATED. The love of God in us situates us in the direction He wants us to go. If we love Him, we will bear it, willing to conduct or carry it. We will allow Him to change our course.
Believing all things means, once we have been situated by His course, to do what He reveals to us regarding the course or vision, taking the steps you feel inspired to. His vision will thrill you although you are yet unrefined in it. The thrill is meant to bring your focus on Him and His righteousness. You will seek Him for revelation regarding the course; He will show you who He is. He is making it real to you that you can do nothing in this course without Him; but all things are possible WITH HIM.
Hoping all things means that you are willing to be stimulated in the course by the truth of what He has revealed to you. It is not "maybe it will happen some day if I am lucky". It is a knowing that what He has said will come to pass.
Enduring all things is the place where He and His course are truly refined. Without doubt, we bear His things in a place of carnality. He situates us so that we may come to a place where we are carnal no more. No matter what you think, you will make mistakes in this course as you will take action based upon the thrill you have. The carnal nature of the self-sufficient man must be replaced by the nature that desires to walk just as Jesus himself walked: He said what His Father said; He did what He saw the Father do. Endurance is strengthened by repentance: recognizing your mistake and returning to Him. If you make no mistakes, He did not come for you. He came for those who need help. The idea is that enduring all things will bring you, under His tutelage, to the place of oneness with He and the Father, walking out His perfect will. "To be made complete in one, so that the world may know that You have sent Me (Jesus) and have loved them (that's us) just as You loved Me (Jesus)"(John 17:23).
Monday, May 21, 2012
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Refining Your Approach to Him
Luke 14:26-33
"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." Sounds like a message to be digested by a mature Christian, doesn't it?
"For which of you , intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it--- lest, AFTER HE HAS LAID THE FOUNDATION, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'this man began to build and was not able to finish'." What does "coming to Him", "counting the cost" of starting and "laying the foundation" mean to you regarding our salvation through/in Christ Jesus? Could Jesus be saying to those who are considering accepting the Lord's salvation by being born again that they should know what they are getting into?
"Or what king, going to make war against another king, DOES NOT SIT DOWN FIRST AND CONSIDER WHETHER HE IS ABLE with ten thousand TO MEET HIM WHO COMES AGAINST HIM with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation AND ASKS CONDITIONS OF PEACE. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple".
I believe the Lord showed me a clear example of what Jesus is saying here. I had heard sometime ago that there are few medical school students who leave school or fail out; very few (less than a few percent). Yet medical school is one of the most rigorous of matriculations, both in intensity of study and length of time to graduate. Very expensive! Would seem to me that those circumstances would produce many dropouts. Why not? The medical student has already counted the cost- he/she knows what is expected long before application.
Now apply that to our Christian population. Is that what we see, a small percentage of dropouts? Maybe the converts to Christianity are not being informed of the cost of discipleship. Maybe the prospective converts should be read this before they lay the foundation so they may finish strong!
"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." Sounds like a message to be digested by a mature Christian, doesn't it?
"For which of you , intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it--- lest, AFTER HE HAS LAID THE FOUNDATION, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'this man began to build and was not able to finish'." What does "coming to Him", "counting the cost" of starting and "laying the foundation" mean to you regarding our salvation through/in Christ Jesus? Could Jesus be saying to those who are considering accepting the Lord's salvation by being born again that they should know what they are getting into?
"Or what king, going to make war against another king, DOES NOT SIT DOWN FIRST AND CONSIDER WHETHER HE IS ABLE with ten thousand TO MEET HIM WHO COMES AGAINST HIM with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation AND ASKS CONDITIONS OF PEACE. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple".
I believe the Lord showed me a clear example of what Jesus is saying here. I had heard sometime ago that there are few medical school students who leave school or fail out; very few (less than a few percent). Yet medical school is one of the most rigorous of matriculations, both in intensity of study and length of time to graduate. Very expensive! Would seem to me that those circumstances would produce many dropouts. Why not? The medical student has already counted the cost- he/she knows what is expected long before application.
Now apply that to our Christian population. Is that what we see, a small percentage of dropouts? Maybe the converts to Christianity are not being informed of the cost of discipleship. Maybe the prospective converts should be read this before they lay the foundation so they may finish strong!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)