Ephesians
"Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world." That's Ephesians 2:12. What a bleak picture that paints! Without God in the world...
Fortunately, God didn't leave us in that predicament. Verse 13 says "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ." That is a good reminder for me to live in the truth that I am near to God. That should change how I live; without hope, life is bleak. With this hope in Christ, I can live every day in confidence and joy.
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Monday, April 18, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Faithful in Prayer
If there's one thing I feel I could do better in, it's prayer. Romans 12:12 says "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer." As I just typed that out, I realized being patient in affliction could use some work in my life as well. In making friends out of enemies, you'll need both of these things in good measure. Today, practice patience, and while you're being patient (or trying to be), pray!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
God is faithful
Proverbs
Possession of land was quite important in those days, as the writer warned against changing the boundary markers of your neighbour in this chapter and in chapter 22.
Luke
I hate doing things I don't want to do. I go about them with a sense of dread, or slight animosity toward either the deed or those I'm doing it for. And yet, look at Jesus - he sure doesn't want to have to die such a violent death, but he goes willingly. He heals those who stand against him so that they can continue in their task (see 22:51). I could certainly use more of this attitude in my life.
Hebrews
God swore by his own name, thereby invoking the power of that name. If we swear by something, we are taking on the qualities of whatever or whoever we swear by. Lest the person or object lose its special qualities, Jesus warned his followers to simply let their 'yes' be 'yes'. If we swear by God that we will do something, and then we don't do it, we taint the name of God. But when God swears by his own name, he is doubly showing us that he will do what he says. First, he will do it regardless because he is God and what he says, he does. Second, he will do it because he swore by himself, thereby calling on his qualities, one of which is that he always does what he says. Thus, we have a firm hope that Christ will intervene on our behalf, because he has promised us.
*This section is based off an article in the Archaeological Study Bible.
Here is Psalm 110 again, quoted in Hebrews. Since we now know that Psalm 110 is a conversation between God and Jesus, we can see that Jesus was definitely the one being referred to as a priest in the order of Melchizedek. And who was Melchizedek? There is much conjecture, but I am satisfied with saying he was a foreign king that no one knew much about, so therefore 'has no beginning and no end', just like Christ, and so Melchizedek is a handy symbol from the Old Testament to use as a Christ-like figure.
Possession of land was quite important in those days, as the writer warned against changing the boundary markers of your neighbour in this chapter and in chapter 22.
Luke
I hate doing things I don't want to do. I go about them with a sense of dread, or slight animosity toward either the deed or those I'm doing it for. And yet, look at Jesus - he sure doesn't want to have to die such a violent death, but he goes willingly. He heals those who stand against him so that they can continue in their task (see 22:51). I could certainly use more of this attitude in my life.
Hebrews
God swore by his own name, thereby invoking the power of that name. If we swear by something, we are taking on the qualities of whatever or whoever we swear by. Lest the person or object lose its special qualities, Jesus warned his followers to simply let their 'yes' be 'yes'. If we swear by God that we will do something, and then we don't do it, we taint the name of God. But when God swears by his own name, he is doubly showing us that he will do what he says. First, he will do it regardless because he is God and what he says, he does. Second, he will do it because he swore by himself, thereby calling on his qualities, one of which is that he always does what he says. Thus, we have a firm hope that Christ will intervene on our behalf, because he has promised us.
*This section is based off an article in the Archaeological Study Bible.
Here is Psalm 110 again, quoted in Hebrews. Since we now know that Psalm 110 is a conversation between God and Jesus, we can see that Jesus was definitely the one being referred to as a priest in the order of Melchizedek. And who was Melchizedek? There is much conjecture, but I am satisfied with saying he was a foreign king that no one knew much about, so therefore 'has no beginning and no end', just like Christ, and so Melchizedek is a handy symbol from the Old Testament to use as a Christ-like figure.
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