Ephesians 1:4-5 says this:
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
Do you feel that? Do you understand what that means? If you have entrusted your life to Jesus then you have become a child of God!! A legitimate heir to the throne of Christ. . . You are chosen, loved, holy, and blameless.
What in this life should we fear if these things are true of us?!?! Nothing! I know that some of you are going through struggles. . . I know that you are hurting - sometimes at the hands of those who are supposed to be loving you and supporting you. But there is a love that can overcome every hurt. There is a destiny that can wipe away the insecurities and fears that so often control us all. . .
I am a child of the King, the bride of Christ, the beloved of my Savior and Lord. I am forgiven, accepted, indwelled, loved, lavished, protected, preserved, and beautiful in the eyes of God. Can you say that? Do you believe that?
Oh, if you are in a place of hurt or fear do not walk away from this computer without getting on your knees and begging God to make those things true in you. . . to transform your heart and life through the knowledge of who you are and Whose you are. And if you aren't even sure if you are a legitimate daughter of the King, then lift your eyes to heaven and ask God to reveal Himself to you. . . beg Him to draw you nearer to Himself that you might become grafted into His family.
Nothing else on this earth will satisfy you, and there is nothing more true and real than this God and this Savior who has promised us all of these things simply through trusting in Him.
Oh, God is good! And I, for one, am walking into this day with my head held high and my heart soaring with gratitude and confidence. I know who I am. I know whose I am. I have nothing to fear.
Ephesians 1:4-5 says this:
ReplyDeleteFor she chose us in her before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in her sight. In love she predestined us to be adopted as her daughters through Jesus Christ, in accordance with her pleasure and will - to the praise of her glorious grace, which she has freely given us in the One she loves.
Call me crazy, but I identify a lot more with this. It's hard to connect with a piece of writing that is so androcentric. I'm not trying to be nit-picky by any means--this is a big deal to me. And makes a big difference in my eyes. I don't feel so invisible when it's written this way.
Thanks for sharing you thoughts. . . Can I ask a couple questions??
ReplyDeleteOne, do you see any potential danger in us fashioning the Creator of the Universe after our own individual feelings and preferences?
Two, if you choose not to accept the identity that God has clearly defined for Himself in Scripture, then why would you accept any Scripture at all?
In my opinion, we either believe that the bible is the inspired Word of God and place our lives under it (not allowing our feelings and emotions to define it) or we see it as a bunch of bologna. I don't see how we can pick and choose which parts to accept and which to redefine and change to satisfy our personal feelings and preferences.
what are your thoughts??
I think inevitably everyone has fashioned the Creator of the Universe after their own individual feelings and preferences. Your image is surely different than mine. Also, I believe it impossible and absurd that the Creator of the Universe has male anatomy. He/She is not human--He/She is beyond that. We can't even imagine it--I think Christianity and humans have but this amazing being in a teeny tiny itty bitty little box.
ReplyDeleteI think the identity that has been fashioned from God has been clearly defined by something or someone--humans/patriarchy. I think that the Bible is a product of culture and human error just like anything else.
I think that it isn't quite as black and white as you say--humans feel the need to make everything into a dichotomy. Screw the binaries, there's so much gray area, and that is the most fun to explore! It's how we grow!
I agree that it maybe isn't right to pick and choose. But everyone does it, I would have to assume that even you fall victim to this.
So really, what makes me so different than you? I think God understands what I'm thinking, and that I love her/him, but choose to define my love in a much different way.
Well, to be honest I think there is one big, huge gap between us. I believe that the bible is the inspired Word of God. I believe that God spoke through the authors to communicate clearly and definitively Who He is and What He came to do. I believe that there is not one part of the bible that God has not protected and preserved as truth and authoritative wisdom. I believe that my God is big enough, powerful enough, and perfectly capable of preserving His word - and why on earth, if there is a God at all, would He allow the one source of information we have about Him to be tainted? What kind of God would do that?
ReplyDeleteBecause of that, I believe that our goal and aim in life should be search to the scriptures to understand this God apart from our own preferences. We might initially bring our preconceived notions to His word - but over time as we accept and believe what He has revealed to us, we begin to understand Him as He truly is. The extent to which I allow my own feelings and preferences to change God is sin, and I will bend down on my knees and beg my Father to help me to see Him clearly.
In addition, God did have human male anatomy when He came down as Jesus Christ. Over and over the bible refers to God as Father - and I don't believe that those references are errors or human interpretations or cultural additions. Whether you like it or not, God - as revealed in the bible - has chosen to identify Himself as a man.
So, I'm ok with you struggling with this character trait. . . I'm ok with you saying that you find it difficult to believe that the bible doesn't have errors and that it is truly the inspired Word of God. But I'm not ok with you suggesting that I am approaching God's word in the same manner. On this point, we simply disagree.
Does that make sense??
It makes sense. To a point. I'm not saying that you are approaching God's word in the same manner as me, but you are approaching it in your OWN way.
ReplyDeleteAnd about trusting God to be conveyed truthfully through the Bible, because what kind of God would skew it? Well, there are lots of different texts that claim to be the TRUE text. What makes the Quran different?
And God works in mysterious ways. What kind of God takes away a family's mother? Is it fair to ask what kind of God...we've already determined that God works in mysterious ways.
It certainly is mysterious that so many religions have manifested among human beings.
Right?
Just some thoughts...
hmm. . . I understand your thought process, but I guess I have a couple questions for you:
ReplyDeleteWhat evidence do you find to trust the Quran as inspired by God and absolute truth?
If you have none, why would you allow the existence of the Quran to discredit the bible as absolute truth?
If you believe that they are both inspired by God and true, then how do you reconcile the obvious contradictions in them?
It's not really about trusting the Quran over the Bible. I'm not sure I trust either. The question is more for you, because you DO trust one over the other.
ReplyDeleteMy problem is more with circular argument.
"How do you know God is real?"
"Because the Bible tells me so"
"How do you know the Bible is true?"
"Because it's inspired by God."
I just have a real hard time accepting that kind of argument. ESPECIALLY when other texts claim to be truth.
I'm not sure I fully believe in either. But I do believe that some of the millions of people who strongly believe in the Quran, put a lot of faith in God (their God, whatever) and that when they pray He/She hears them.
Would God "not listen" just because someone reads the Quran rather than the Bible?
Now I'm just getting into a whole other thing. Ha. But enjoying it nonetheless.