2 Tim. 2:13 If we are faithless. He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
Peter said to Jesus, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" (Matt. 26:35). No greater promise can be made than one for which an individual is willing to sacrifice his life to keep. Peter, as a man, spoke these words intending to be true to them, to himself and to Jesus even if it cost him his life. And yet despite so great a promise and assurance of his faithfulness, Jesus knew that Peter was just a man. And like any other, when faced with adversity, trouble or affliction, was capable of being unfaithful and denying the very words he spoke and promises he made. And as we all know, he did. Not only once, but three times!
Faithfulness is a quality we appreciate. A quality that God appreciates. And yet when faced with hardships, we too, like Peter, can be miserably unfaithful. To ourselves, to our friends and family, and most importantly to God. Yes, we are capable of hurting even those closest to us because we are all men.
What then are we to make of the words of Jesus and the promises He made? Numbers 23:19 tells us that God is not a man. Therefore, He cannot lie or break His word nor can He change His mind concerning what He has spoken or promised! We can know with complete certainty that what He said, He will do! Because He is God and by His very nature He cannot deny Himself. He cannot behave in a manner contrary to who He is. He is faithful no matter what the circumstances may or will ever be. If He said it, He'll do it. If He promised it, He'll fulfill it. In Whom then shall we trust?
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. And there is no denying it!
Sock Monkey Snippet: Because He is God, He is always faithful.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Sunday, July 8, 2012
The Product of Our Association
1 Jn. 3:2 ...when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
People influence our lives. And we influence their lives, too. Through relationships or associations, transformation occurs in us. Sometimes it is immediately noticeable but usually change is a gradual process. We take on, let's say inherit, their characteristics. Association brings assimilation. Simply put, we rub off on each other.
Negative, angry, bitter people can actually cause us to act and feel the same way they do. Conversely, positive, happy and contented people can produce these same attitudes in us. People either build us up or bring us down. We need to always be mindful of the effect others are having on our lives and the effect we are having on theirs.
This particular verse speaks of our association or relationship with Jesus. It is relevant in our everyday earthly lives and will certainly one day be relevant in our eternal heavenly ones. Take a minute and think about how absolutely necessary and critically important this relationship really is.
When we seek His presence in this life, we will find Him (Jer. 29:13). He reveals Himself to us. Through assimilation then, we take on or inherit His characteristics and become (more) loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled. Manifesting the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). Partaking in the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). Jesus rubs off on us! Abiding in His presence causes us to become more Christ-like and we are wonderfully transformed. His presence in our lives, without fail, produces a change in us.
One day, when Christ returns, that is to say He is finally or ultimately revealed, our most important of all associations, with Him, will produce the most glorious result. We will experience the fullness of what we were created to be and receive our incorruptible inheritance (1 Pet. 1:4). We will truly and totally be like Him because we will see Him and be with Him. Forever becoming the product of our association!
Sock Monkey Snippet: Association brings assimilation.
People influence our lives. And we influence their lives, too. Through relationships or associations, transformation occurs in us. Sometimes it is immediately noticeable but usually change is a gradual process. We take on, let's say inherit, their characteristics. Association brings assimilation. Simply put, we rub off on each other.
Negative, angry, bitter people can actually cause us to act and feel the same way they do. Conversely, positive, happy and contented people can produce these same attitudes in us. People either build us up or bring us down. We need to always be mindful of the effect others are having on our lives and the effect we are having on theirs.
This particular verse speaks of our association or relationship with Jesus. It is relevant in our everyday earthly lives and will certainly one day be relevant in our eternal heavenly ones. Take a minute and think about how absolutely necessary and critically important this relationship really is.
When we seek His presence in this life, we will find Him (Jer. 29:13). He reveals Himself to us. Through assimilation then, we take on or inherit His characteristics and become (more) loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled. Manifesting the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). Partaking in the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). Jesus rubs off on us! Abiding in His presence causes us to become more Christ-like and we are wonderfully transformed. His presence in our lives, without fail, produces a change in us.
One day, when Christ returns, that is to say He is finally or ultimately revealed, our most important of all associations, with Him, will produce the most glorious result. We will experience the fullness of what we were created to be and receive our incorruptible inheritance (1 Pet. 1:4). We will truly and totally be like Him because we will see Him and be with Him. Forever becoming the product of our association!
Sock Monkey Snippet: Association brings assimilation.
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