Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Be The Light Even If It Hurts Someone's Eyes



…only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you. —Genesis 41:40

{CHAMBERS} “I am accountable to God for the way I control my body under His authority. Paul said he did not “set aside the grace of God”— make it ineffective (Galatians 2:21). The grace of God is absolute and limitless, and the work of salvation through Jesus is complete and finished forever. I am not being saved— I am saved. Salvation is as eternal as God’s throne, but I must put to work or use what God has placed within me. To “work out [my] own salvation” (Philippians 2:12) means that I am responsible for using what He has given me. It also means that I must exhibit in my own body the life of the Lord Jesus, not mysteriously or secretly, but openly and boldly. “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection . . .” (1 Corinthians 9:27). Every Christian can have his body under absolute control for God. God has given us the responsibility to rule over all “the temple of the Holy Spirit,” including our thoughts and desires (1 Corinthians 6:19). We are responsible for these, and we must never give way to improper ones. But most of us are much more severe in our judgment of others than we are in judging ourselves. We make excuses for things in ourselves, while we condemn things in the lives of others simply because we are not naturally inclined to do them.”

{ELGIN}   How do you filter life’s events? In other words .. what is the source from which you respond to what happens to you and around you?  Since this is a faith-based BLOG, the “right” answer is your faith.  But that may not be what actually happens.  If we fail to embrace the primacy of our new nature in our life then we will put the natural in the front of the line .. at the top of the stack of responses to life.  Galatians 2:20 says “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  The life I now live in the body .. means the natural life has been usurped by Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  How I respond to life should always be based on who I am in Christ.  Romans 12:2 says don’t be conformed to the natural but be transformed by the supernatural.  Loving God with all of you does not leave any room for the flesh and the natural.  When Jesus said (Luke 14:26-27) “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”  That means that you must put the natural in its proper place and it cannot be ahead of Jesus and your new life.

Most people want to be in harmony with their family.  Sometimes our faith gets in the way of that natural harmony.  Many people want the acceptance of their family more than anything.  If you are a Christian, that may not be possible if you are unwilling to compromise your faith.  Have you ever “tucked your faith in your pocket” when you are around certain people so as not to offend them?  If you have, you put the natural ahead of the supernatural.  You chose to deny your faith in favor of  acceptance from the world .. and that may include your family and friends.  You don’t have to be offensive, but you should also not be apologetic.  We are called to be salt and light.  Salt that has lost its saltiness …its ability to do what it was created to do … flavor and heal … is good for nothing and should be cast out to be trampled under men’s feet. (Matthew 5:13) That doesn’t sound good does it.


So .. we are looking at another Christmas … another reminder that God sent His Son so we might be saved from our sin.  The world is trying hard to erase that truth from this celebration and make it about money.  But ... you need to be salt and light – what you were created to be (2 Corinthians 5:17).   Have you ever been in a dark room and someone opened the curtains or turned the lights on.  Did it hurt your eyes?  That is what you do spiritually when you are around other people who are living in darkness.  Be the light!   “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)  Oh, and Merry Christmas!

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