A Worthy Walk Requires Faith, Hope, and Love

    As we continue our study of New Testament passages that mention the vital trio of faith, hope, and love we find ourselves this week in Ephesians 4:1-6.

"I, therefore, as a prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (NKJV)  

    Paul urgently begs Christians to “walk worthy of the calling in which they were called” (4:1). What does that mean?  First, we are called by God through the gospel (2 Thessalonians2:13-14). When we hear the gospel we are hearing God’s words for us. In God’s word, the Bible, is all that we need to know to become His child (for example: Acts 2, 8:26-40, 9:10-19, 16:11-34; 22:1-16) and all we need to know to keep growing and developing properly as a Christian all the days of our lives (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 3:14-18).

    Why does God call us? He calls us because He created us to seek AND find Him (Acts 17:26-27), to proclaim His praises (1 Peter 2:9) and to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). He calls us because He desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:1-4), so much so, that He is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). God loves us, so He calls us, through His word. In that Word He tells us what we must do to walk worthy of His calling! So we have a real responsibility to read/study and faithfully obey His instructions (James 1:25).

    God is calling us to eternal life – obeying His commands/instructions will keep us on the narrow pathway that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14), eternal life with Him, so you can see why ‘walking worthy of the calling’ is of paramount importance!

Love:

    Ephesians 4:2-3 makes mention of several ways in which we should walk/behave that befits a child of God: “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (NKJV) Consider also the description of a Christian given in Colossians 3:12-17.

    Love (agape) seeks the best for another. When we ‘bear with one another’ it means we hold them up when they are weak, we endure the exertion of helping them while they are strengthening their faith and gaining understanding (young/new Christians, Christians during trials, etc.).

    Love will take the time needed to help others gain clear understanding on what we all as Christians must agree – this is the unity of the Spirit – that there is: one body (Christ’s, which is the church, Ephesians 1:22-23), one Spirit, one hope of your calling (eternal life with God), one Lord (Jesus Christ, the Son of God), one faith (God’s way is the only way), one baptism (for remission of sins), one God and Father of all (Ephesians 4:4-6).      

 Hope:

    We see mention of “one hope of your calling” in Ephesians 4:4 – we can have confident expectation of eternal salvation when we walk worthy of the calling! Paul wanted the Ephesians brethren, and us, to know the hope of God’s calling (Ephesians 1:15-23), to know of God’s promise of eternity and to anchor our soul’s to it (Hebrews 6:19), believe in it (1 Timothy 4:6-8), and strive toward it (Philippians 3:12-16)! That is why God told us of it in His Word! He wants us to be in eternity with Him!! He wants us to live in hope!! This hope keeps our mind focused on God (Colossians 3:1-3) and keeping our minds focused on Him will develop our hope as we in love and increase our faith through humble obedience to His Word!

 Faith:   

    There is one faith. The conviction that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and through Him we gain eternal salvation. We cannot be saved through any other name (Acts 4:10-12), Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:1-6).

    We must be careful that we are obeying God’s Word and not men’s words (books, doctrines, creeds, ideas/notions, philosophies, etc.). Read and consider Matthew 7:22-23; Acts 17:11-12, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Mark 7:6-9, Colossians 2:6-10, and Hebrews 11:6 – we must seek HIM – GOD – no one else! He has provided all that is needed in His word. It can be understood, it can be obeyed! We do need a degree from a seminary school to understand it, we simply need God’s word, the Bible, and a heart ready and willing to receive the instructions found within it (Luke 8:11,15)!

    To walk worthy of our calling – to show God our absolute appreciation for His love and provision – we must bear with one another in love (help others to grow and strengthen), agree that there is one hope of our calling (eternal life with God), and one faith (Jesus Christ is the Son of God and only through Him can we have our hope of eternity)!

    Are you ready to walk in a worthy way? God’s calling is worth every effort and every sacrifice to do just that!!

You can do it! So can I!!    

Walking in the Spirit: Faith, Hope, Love

 "For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness
by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision
avails anything, but faith working through love." (Galatians 5:5-6 NKJV)

    Last week we looked at the first mention of the vital trio: faith, hope, and love. Let's take some time to look at the next mention (as seen above) found in Galatians 5:5-6.

    It is beneficial to this study that you take the time to read the whole of Galatians 5 as the command to "walk in the Spirit" has as much to do with the beginning of the chapter as it does with the end of the chapter.

    Christians, those who follow Christ (1 John 2:6), are to "walk in the Spirit" so that "you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). It is only when we are so walking by faith - trusting God and His way - that we can eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness!

    What is this 'hope of righteousness' that we can eagerly wait for? 

    It is the confidence and assurance of God's promised eternity with Him if we diligently seek to do what He has declared to be right (righteous).

    The apostle Paul was writing to the Galatian brethren who were struggling with their faith (under the New Covenant) because they were being told by others that they needed to become like Jews and keep the Jewish laws (Law of Moses, Old Covenant, see 1:6-10 and chapters 2-4).

    Paul declares to them that in Christ Jesus (the body of the Christ, the church, Ephesians 1:22-23), being circumcised in the flesh (Jewish custom from OT Law) or uncircumcised (often used to denote a Gentile, anyone from outside) doesn't matter; what now matters is faith working through love. 

    We, as Christians, have conviction that there are certain things that are proper for a Christian to do and we do these because we love God first and foremost, and because we love mankind and our fellow brethren. We honour God through obedience and exhibit a good example to those who may observe us (Romans 12:1-2, 1 Timothy 4:12-13, 15-16, Matthew 5:14-16). 

    Faith leads us to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26). The fruit of the Spirit is developed in us when our faith works through love. When we have faith working through love we will diligently seek God and do what God has commanded us to do (and avoid what He has told us to avoid) and we can build confident hope/assurance that we are right and pleasing in His sight!

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, 
for he who comes to God must believe that He is, 
and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
(Hebrews 11:6 NKJV)  

    Are you flourishing in faith, walking every day in the Spirit, because you love God and those around you?  Do you have hope and confidence because you are doing what God has declared to be righteous? If you do, then keep going, keep doing His what He has commanded - live in faith with love and hope!! It is worth every effort to do just that!!

You can do it! So can I!! 

Flourishing in Faith, Hope, and Love

    Over the next seven weeks, if the Lord wills, we will dig into a new study of faith, hope, and love. This triune appears seven times in the latter half of the New Testament. My Dad (preacher with the Jordan church of Christ) recently pointed out in a sermon that while the spiritual gifts were only temporary (1 Corinthians 13:8-10), faith, hope, and love have continued and will continue for as long as this earth exists. As you read the epistles you will see a shift from mention of spiritual gifts to a increased mention of these three important parts of our life. 

"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; 

but the greatest of these is love." 

(1 Corinthians 13:13 NKJV)

    Why is love the greatest? Does that means that love is all that matters? As long as we love we're okay? Love is greatest because one day when this life is over faith will become sight (1 John 3:2, 1 Corinthians 13:12), hope will be realized (Romans 8:24-25), but love will continue for eternity - God IS love (1 John 4:8)! If we want a eternity of love with God we need to have faith that leads us to humbly obey and live anchored in hope which motivates us to keep going and keep growing right to the very end! All three - faith, hope, and love - are vital!! 

    

    Let's take the time to look at the verses that mention them so that we can flourish in faith, hope, and love!!    

You can do it! So can I!!

Those Who Call on The Lord Out of a Pure Heart

“Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace 
WITH THOSE WHO CALL ON THE LORD OUT OF A PURE HEART.” 
(2 Timothy 2:22 NKJV)

    We have spent time this year in understanding what righteousness, faith, love, and peace look like and we learned why it is so important to obey this command and continually pursue these so we can live righteously, faithfully, in love, and at peace.

    We are to pursue these things with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

    We have recently learned that ‘calling on the Lord’ is appealing to God for help, for guidance, for worship; fully acknowledging Him as supreme in authority, to the point that we desire to be named after Him/His Son --> “Christian” (Acts 11:26). We can rightfully wear the name Christian when we are IN CHRIST, part of His body, the church (Ephesians 5:23, Colossians 1:18).

IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: How do we get INTO Christ? We must not only believe in Jesus, we must not only repent of our sins, we must not only confess our faith, we must also be baptized for the remission of our sins. Many churches today do not teach the necessity of baptism, teaching instead that it is merely a sign to show others that we’ve already been saved. The problem with that teaching is that the Bible says otherwise. Please read 1 Peter 3:18- 21 – BAPTISM saves us! Sounds rather necessary, doesn’t it? This act, if done in faith, is the point that we obey God fully, and it is the point when God washes our sins away. Why else would Ananias, who was directly instructed by Jesus to inform Saul of Tarsus of what he must do, instruct Saul to “arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16)? Faith alone won’t save us. Repentance alone won’t save us. Confession alone won’t save us. Even baptism alone won’t save us. But when put together, in full obedience to the only God of this universe, we can be saved because His Son, Jesus Christ, died for our sins, allowing us to be forgiven by God’s grace. That’s what the message of salvation in Jesus Christ sounds like as found in the Bible.  That is how you are granted the name “Christian,” that is how you become part of the body of Christ (in Christ), the church (Romans 6:1-14, Galatians 3:26-29, Colossians 2:11-14)!

“THOSE WHO CALL ON THE LORD OUT OF PURE HEART”

    We have learned that having a pure heart means to have a heart that is innocent, sanctified, and set apart to God, a heart that is morally pure. So, I draw the conclusion, that those who seek God, who make appeal to Him, and have hearts that are morally pure and innocent (whose sins have been “washed” away) are the very same who make up His church. We are to flee youthful lusts and pursue after righteousness, faith, love, peace with the church belonging to God’s very Son, the church He established in Acts 2! We are to help one another flee sin and pursue God and all His ways!

Consider now, this passage: 

“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love for the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” (1 Peter 1:22-23 NKJV)

    We purify our souls in obeying the truth (see note above), and we are to love one another sincerely and fervently with a pure heart. When we love one another sincerely and fervently, we will be willing to encourage and correct in order to benefit the other (Ephesians 4:19, James 5:19-20). When this is done with a pure heart, godly wisdom should be what guides our words (James 1:5, 3:13-18, Ephesians 4:12-16), because we appeal to the God of heaven, the only source for true wisdom! And having been born again (please read John 3:1-7, baptism IS necessary!) of incorruptible seed – see 1 John 3:1-3 – through the word of God, we purify ourselves, keeping ourselves pure through continued learning, obedience, and appeal to God through prayer and thanksgiving!

    Continue to flee youthful lusts as you grow up in Christ (Ephesians 4:15-16). Continue to pursue righteousness (living right before God, humbly obeying all His commands), faith (without it, it is impossible to please Him, Hebrews 11:6), love (selflessly seeking the higher good for others, to be a benefit to others), and peace (with God and with man). Allow members of the church to help you and look for ways to help them too (Galatians 6:9-10). We are all in this together!! Keep trying! Don’t give up!!

    God provides all you need to succeed!! Do it His way – it is always worth every effort!! What you’ll get in return is unfathomable – blessings upon blessings!! Continue to pursue God today!!

You can do it! So can I!!   

 

Children of God Have Pure Hearts

“Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue 
righteousness, faith, love, peace 
with those who call on 
the Lord out of a pure heart.” 
(2 Timothy 2:22 NKJV)

    Over the past few months we have studied about these noble and necessary pursuits and as our study of 2 Timothy 2:22 is coming to a close we have looked at what it means to call on the Lord – to appeal to Him, trusting Him and obeying His instruction no matter what – and this week I would like to look at the necessity of a pure heart.

“Behold, what manner of love 
the Father has bestowed on us, 

that we should be called children of God! 

Therefore the world does not know us,

because it did not know Him.

Beloved, now we are children of God; 

and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be,

but we know that when He is revealed,

we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is, 

and everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself,

just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3 NKJV)

    Are you a child of God?

    Do you have the hope found only in Jesus (1 Peter 1:3-5)?

    If you answered ‘yes,’ you need to be purifying yourself – making your heart morally pure and right in God’s sight – you need to be continually turning away from youthful lusts and diligently running toward being more righteous, more faithful, more loving, and more desirous of peace with both God and man!

    When we work daily at purifying our hearts, seeking God and humbly obeying Him in all we do, we are better able to help others in reaching their spiritual goals. Each one of us should desire to be this kind of helper, to be an example to those around us, to be an encouragement and a giver of good, godly advice to those who are walking alongside us on the Narrow Way.  

    If the Lord wills, next week we will look at another verse that will help us know how to purify our heart and then see how 2 Timothy 2:22 is an instruction that will lead to mature Christians and a healthy church!

 Until then, continue to pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of pure heart and remind yourself daily of the wondrous truth that God loved us SO much that we can be called His children - let that fact spur on your continued purification of your heart and mind!!

You can do it! So can I!!

Pursuing Alongside Those Who Call on the Lord

“Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, 
faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord 
out of a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:22 NKJV)

    This verse has been our theme for the past few months, and as this topic of study is now drawing to a close I would like to briefly summarize what we have learned in studying this instruction:

• Righteousness is our commitment to learn from God’s word and live it.
• Faith develops when we commit to fully trust God and obey His instructions.
• Love is shown when we commit to be considerate and help others, no matter what.
• Peace is found when we commit to do what is right and proper to maintain relationship between yourself and God, and yourself and others.    

     We are strengthened in our commitment in these areas by those around us who are pursuing the same, “those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” Over the remainder of this month, as the Lord wills, we will dig into what this description means. 

    To begin let's get a better understanding of what it means to "call on the Lord."

    We find this term for the first time in Genesis 4:26, after Adam & Eve’s son Seth begot a son, himself. “Then men began to call on the name of the LORD.” (NKJV) It is then found throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament. So, what does it mean exactly?

    “Call” (Strong’s Greek #1941) means ‘to invoke, to appeal, to call on someone in authority for aid, help, decision, worship.’ It also means ‘to be named after someone.’

    Who are we to call on? To whom should we appeal to for aid, for help, for decision? Whom should we seek to worship?

    The answer is simple: “The Lord.”

    We call on the Lord, who is supreme in authority! We appeal to our loving Master and Creator for help and for guidance! It is the Almighty LORD God whom we seek to worship, in spirit and in truth!

    We come to the God the Father through Jesus (John 14:6), we call on the Lord and make our petitions known to Him through Jesus (John 16:23-24, Colossians 3:17); it is in His name that we make our requests known.

    Remember how “call” means ‘to be named after someone’? Are your named after someone? Do you wear the name “Christian”? My Uncle Roy Diestelkamp would often pronounced this name as “Christ-ian” to remind us all of Whom we were named after!

    As a Christian, you take on the name of Christ, you submit to His authority and the supreme authority of God the Father. You belong to Him (1 John 3:1-3). You give Him the power of deciding; you let His commands and instructions to be the guide for your life!

    May each of our hearts continually say, “Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! While I live I will praise the LORD; I will sing praise to me God while I have my being.” (Psalm 146:1-2 NKJV)

    Calling on the Lord is “praying without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), never giving up on prayer. Calling on the Lord is wearing His name and being happy about it, humbly doing the work, and sharing your joy in Christ with others. Calling on the Lord is going to Him first in trouble and in gladness, going to His word for answers, help, and guidance. Calling on the Lord is acknowledging that without Him we are lost and we will use every moment we are given to show Him how much we appreciate His gift of grace, mercy, forgiveness, and hope!!

 “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, 
and abundant in mercy to all who call upon You.” 
(Psalm 86:5 NKJV) 

    Be among those who call on the Lord, so that you can help 

those who are also pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace!!

You can do it! So can I!!  

Preparing to Walk in Peace

    Who among us doesn’t like shoes?

    It’s stereotypical for women to like shoes, but we do! We like to be prepared for any occasion with the right pair of shoes! Whenever I am about to travel or make a public presentation, my mind always generates this recurring dream in which I get to my destination and find I only have one shoe and I fall into panic mode... whether that means I’m shoe obsessed or simply unsure of my packing capabilities, I don’t know, all I know for sure is that “missing a shoe” and not being fully prepared is fearful to me!

    God, in His great wisdom and love for us, gives us all we need to be prepared – including shoes!

“…having shod your feet with the 

preparation of the gospel of peace…” 

(Ephesians 6:15 NKJV)

    I have found that this is not a part of the armour that is often talked about, so I want to learn more about this shoes that God has prepared for His people to wear!

    “Preparation” (Strong’s G2091) means foundation, firm footing, readiness. By this we know that God has provided something that we can wear confidently! These shoes have a sturdy, gripping base that won’t let us down! We can stand for as long as it takes (Ephesians 6:11, 13)! We can go through valleys (2 Corinthians 12:9-10), we can climb mountains (Psalm 18:31-33), we are ready!

    The “gospel” (Strong’s G2098) is ‘the good news of Jesus Christ.’ “Peace” (Strong’s G1515) means ‘one, quietness, peace of mind.’ It carries with it the idea of ‘to join, tie together in a whole, wholeness when all essential parts of joined together.’  God is essential. You are essential. You coming to God through Jesus Christ is essential (John 14:6, Romans 6:1-13)! Put them all together and you have peace, being joined with God! You maintain that peace by continuing to learn and grow and humbly obeying God’s commands (Psalm 37:37)!!

    The “gospel of peace” specifically in Ephesians 6:15 expresses ‘the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lots, of whatsoever lot that is.”

    When we live this way, in peace with God, standing on the firm footing of faith, others will notice the difference! And when they do, we are PREPARED and READY to help them to pursue the same peace, by telling them how we came to have it, by sharing with them the GOSPEL OF PEACE!

“…Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, 
and always be ready to give a defense 
to everyone who asks the reason for the hope 
that is in you, with meekness and fear.” 
(1 Peter 3:15 NKJV)   

    Shoes that remind us of all our blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-14) and makes us ready and prepared for the occasion when someone asks about our hope? Well, those are without a doubt the best pair of shoes we could ever put on!!

    Are you wearing the shoes God has provided? Are you prepared to share the gospel of peace with others? Let’s remember to put these shoes on daily (along with the rest of God’s armour, Ephesians 6:10-18) as we continue to pursue peace each day!!

You can do it! So can I!!

Peace and Holiness

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, 

without which no one will see the Lord.” 

(Hebrews 12:14 NKJV)

    We need to make every effort to live in peace and to be peaceable (Romans 12:18), BUT it should never come at the expense of our holiness; without holiness we will not see God.

• We need to be kind without becoming soft toward sin.
• We need to be loving without disregarding or watering down God’s truth.
• We need to be just without lacking compassion.

    Jesus exemplified all these qualities for us. He maintained His holiness while teaching and admonishing people. He loved people so much that He couldn’t bear to let them remain unknowledgeable about God and His goodness. He pointed people toward the One source from which they could obtain true peace. He, with love, corrected them, guided them, and taught them.

    “Speaking the truth in love” will go a long way in helping others know God and it will help us to grow up in Jesus (Ephesians 4:15)! There are so many manmade doctrines and “trickeries of men”, leading unknowledgeable people astray – they seek peace but cannot find it in ever changing/adapting doctrines – but with God there is TRUE PEACE, a constant source of knowledge that has never and will never change, and a love that grows greater the more we seek Him!

    Please take time this week to read and consider these verses: Ezekiel 3:18-21, James 5:19-20, and Galatians 6:1-2

    And now let's include the verse that follows in Hebrews 12:

"Pursue peace with all people, and holiness,
without which no one will see the Lord:
looking carefully lest anyone fall short
of the grace of God, lest any root of
bitterness springing up cause trouble,
and by this many become defiled."
(Hebrews 12:14-15 NKJV)

    “Defiled” is the opposite of “holy.” We don’t want “defiled” to describe us or others. Defiled would mean that one has fallen short of God’s grace, it was not sought for and therefore not obtained. When this happens, “roots of bitterness” can spring up and cause serious trouble.

What is a “root of bitterness”?  This term is mentioned in Deuteronomy 29:18-19, when God commanded the Israelites to get rid of their foreign idols. I think it is worthwhile to put those verses in front of us.

“ …and you saw their abominations and their idols which were among them—wood and stone and silver and gold); so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood; and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart’—as though the drunkard could be included with the sober.” (Deuteronomy 29:17-19 NKJV)

    A root of bitterness can crop up when one becomes resentful of being told what to do, what they have to change about themselves, and/or what they have to give up.

    Have you experienced a root of bitterness yourself? I have! Usually, these roots first test the soil of our hearts when we are young and become resentful of our parents telling us “no” all the time.  And when they aren’t saying no, they’re telling us to “clean your room, take out the garbage, and lose your attitude”! We grow bitter and angry and plot and plan parental avoidance methods, so as to bypass hearing their endless rules.  It makes life miserable for everyone involved.

    When this same resistance transfers to God and His commands, we not only continue to make life harder for ourselves, but we also are endangering our souls. We, like the mistaken Israelites, may say in our heart, ‘I don’t have to give that up, I can still have peace' or 'I don’t need to do EVERYTHING God says; His words are more suggestions for good behaviour than actual rules or guidelines! I’m fine, I can just do what suits me! I’m a good person, God loves me! It’s all good!'

    We cannot follow the dictates of our own heart and claim peace for ourselves. We cannot disregard God and think we will be counted among the righteous.

“”Woe to the rebellious children,” says the LORD, 

“Who take counsel, but not of Me, and 

who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, 

that they may add sin to sin.”” 

(Isaiah 30:1 NKJV) 

    True peace comes only from God. His ways are constant – they do not become obsolete or outdated – they are consistent in their benefit and their wisdom! God tells us that if we want to have a good life, a peaceable life, we need to depart from evil and do good, we need to seek peace and chase after it diligently, tirelessly pursue it (Psalm 34:11-15, 1 Peter 3:10-12)! We must do all that is necessary on our part to always come back to a place of peace with God first, and then live at peace with others around us (Romans 12:18).

    We know the glories of God, His goodness, His grace! Let’s never compromise our love and appreciation for Him by calling wrong, right (or ‘okay’), for the sake of peace. God calls us to be holy – that is top priority. Peace comes through speaking the truth in love.

Are you ready to do that? Are you willing to stand against the wiles of the devil and speak God’s truth without compromise? Are you ready to deny self, take up the cross and follow Jesus in obedience to all God has commanded (Matthew 16:24-26)? These are essential components in our pursuit of peace! God’s ways are a benefit; His commands overflow with wisdom! Turn away from your own notions of what you think is good and let God’s words guide you towards true peace!

You can do it! So can I!!

Understanding Peace So We Can Pursue It

    I would like to share with you something that I read while studying and researching the word ‘peace’ (Hebrew: ‘shalom’, Greek: ‘eirene’). 

    “Shalom really means everything that makes for a man’s highest good, all that makes life life indeed. In English peace has come to have something of a negative meaning. It is apt to mean the absence of war and the absence of trouble. For instance, if in a campaign hostilities actually came to an end and there was no more fighting we would be likely to say that there was peace; but quite certainly the Hebrew would not call a situation where there was a blasted earth, and where people still regarded each other with a kind of terrified suspicion, peace. …The greeting salaam does not simply express the negative wish that a man’s life may be free from trouble; it expresses the positive hope and prayer that he may enjoy all good gifts and blessings from the hand of God. In thinking of the meaning of peace, both in the Old and New Testament, it is essential to bear in mind the positive meaning of the word.” (William Barclay, Flesh and Spirit, 1962)

    Can you understand why love comes before peace in most every list of qualities a Christian is to have?

    We need to have a heart that learns to truly love – undefeatable goodwill and benevolence that seeks only good for the other – in order to pursue peace which is a sincere wish that the other person will blessed with ‘everything that make’s for man’s highest good.’

    All too often we are content with a peace that is only visible. We think, ‘there are no negative interactions, no outward upset, so we are at peace, right?’ Yet our hearts are disappointed, discouraged, angry, frustrated, irritated, or fuming. Our hearts are so darkened that the very idea of hoping that our fellow man has everything that makes for their highest good is something we may sneer and scoff at. God wants us to pursue true peace, and it begins in the heart.

    Consider your heart this week. Take note of any upset that you keep bottled up under the guise of peace. Is your heart truly at peace with your family, friends, brethren, and neighbours? Can you sincerely hope for them everything that makes for their highest good?

You can! So can I!!

Pursuing Peace: Know God, Know Peace

    Last week we looked at the passage in James 1 that stated that we need to be careful to ask in faith and without doubting (double-mindedness). We were instructed to ask for wisdom, of which God will give freely, even generously, and He will not scold you for asking for it, even if you ask for it every day!

    Wisdom is found in doing/obeying God’s commands (see Deuteronomy 4:5-6), and the wisdom God gives, that which is from above, is first pure, then PEACEABLE, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy (James 3:17).

    When we study and humbly obey ALL of God’s commands and instructions, letting HIS word create the guidelines we live by, not adding to it or taking away from it, but studying and applying His pure, unsullied word, we will find that we can be at peace with God, and live peaceably with others – KNOWING GOD allows us to KNOW PEACE.

    James 3:14-16 to see how earthly wisdom (No God) results in confusion and every evil thing (No peace).

    The peaceable wisdom that come from God, through His word, teaches us gentleness, as well as reasonableness and consideration for others. It helps us to remember God’s great mercy, so we in turn show mercy to others; we behave as a child of God. God’s wisdom helps us to see souls – the one thing we ALL have in common – teaching others through both our spoken words and unspoken words (consistent example, we practice what we “preach”).

    Can you see why James encourages us to ask God for wisdom? How faithfully requesting it can help us in our pursuit of peace?     

    Faithfully pursuing peace, living in it through studying and applying God’s commands/instructions, will grant us a harvest of righteousness – being found right in the sight of God (James 3:18)!

    What a noble thing to work toward, a bounty to harvest!

    Are you desiring to KNOW PEACE? Begin with truly KNOWING GOD. Let the seed settle into your heart (Luke 8:11-15) by reading His word, let it take root as you humbly obey His commands, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18), and look forward to a flourishing harvest of righteousness!

You can do it! So can I!!  

  

Pursuing Peace

    Peace, perfect peace.

    It is more than just a quiet moment after a chaotic day. It is a quiet mind and a calm heart even amidst the chaos.

    Is it attainable? YES!

    If the Lord wills, over the next few weeks we will look to gain a better understanding of peace so that we can truly “seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14) as God commands. We will look at all things that pertain to it: how to attain it, how to maintain it, and how to be at peace with God, your brethren, and mankind.

    Are you ready to pursue peace? Me too!!

    When we are commanded to pursue peace in both 2 Timothy 2:22 and 1 Peter 3:11, we are being told to pursue 'being at one again.'

    Consider for a moment James 1:5-8. James warns against being double-minded (vv.6-8). The term 'double-minded' holds the idea of being anxious, that stress-inducing battle between rational and irrational thought. It is a mind that is not at peace.

    God wants us to have peace. He instructs us to "be anxious for nothing" in Philippians 4:6, and He does not leave it at that, He tells us exactly what needs to be done to overcome anxiety and "be at one again" in our mind and heart - "in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7) 

    We go through many struggles and hardships in our lives, but through it all God is more than willing to supply His abundant peace, all He is asks of us is to give over our worries and anxieties, lay them down at His throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) and ask Him for His help. 

Side note: God loves us SO much that He also provides us with a 'maintenance plan' - a help to abide in peace - He provides us with a list - a whole list - of good and proper things to think on (see Philippians 4:8), so that we can train our minds to stop dwelling on frets and worries by replacing our negative thoughts with a positive one from the list. When we purpose to focus on what God has told us to focus on it changes our perspective and heals our minds. It takes time. I've been there, I've done it - it's difficult at times, but it works!!  God's way IS ALWAYS the BEST WAY!! It is worth every effort to try!! 

Are you ready to pursue peace? Are you willing to give your worries to God in exchange for His perfect peace? God is ready, willing, and able to provide!

You can do it! So can I!!