Bridges

I've been mulling over a sermon given by a visitor to my church, his text was Jesus and the woman at the well (John 4:7-42). What he shared and what I received was simular and different. I have been thinking a great deal about Love and how Love is always actively building relationship. In the story of Jesus at the well I finally saw how Jesus' singlemindedly developed a relationship with the woman. Jesu did not let her sidetrack or blockade the relationship with barriers of culture, religion or her current and apparent character issues (sin). With patient endurance and grace, he overcame those obsticles and built a relationship with her and a great many of her townspeople. Every time the woman tried to seperate herself from Jesus, Jesus countered with building an "US." Love builds "US", love builds relationship bridges. Be patient, love/grace gives people time and space to grow in truth.

Sometimes Jesus burn't a bridge or two. He wasn't very fond of the religeous hiarchy at the time. They didn't like him either. Jesus burn't those bridges for a purpose. Only relationship founded in truth/love survives eternity. In Mathew 5:20 (and elsewhere), Jesus made it clear that the righteousness of the then religeous hiarchy fell far short of what God desired. So Jesus torched the bridge that they (the religeous) were making (not God) and Jesus became the eternal bridge to real relationship.

Go ahead, love the people, and build bridges. Jesus does.

Being a Place for Grace

I was ruminating on Hebrews 4:16 "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." As a Christian, with Christ dwelling on the throne of his innermost being, the question arises (as I look in the mirror) can people come to me confidently expecting mercy and finding grace.

This raises another more personal question; What kind of life do I express so that the people around me feel confident and expectant that they will not be turned away embarrassed and empty handed when they need mercy and grace, or worse yet, be judged and condemned.

Showing humility I'm sure is a good start. However, more is needed. What can I do to inspire people to have confidence in mercy and grace, nevertheless in Christ in this very humble house of clay? Do they feel love and acceptance? Am I inclusive? Do they feel like they can talk to me? Am I a safe place to rest their weary soul?

Of course all of this means I have to lay down my own problems at the most inopportune times to serve other's needs. Can I, or should I say "Will I" do that? Hmmm.

Lord...Your will be done.


Blessings,

David C.

Jesus Christ, Servant of Love

Fifth Meeting

JESUS CHRIST THE SERVANT

Question: The bible says that Jesus led a perfect sinless life. How did he do it?

Question: Since Jesus did not follow his own way (act out of his selfish desire), can you see how he escaped from sin?

Jesus did not follow his own will, but freely chose the will of God (Perfect love expressed).
Luke 4:1-13 (Deut 6:5)
John 4:34, 5:30, 6:38, 14:10, 14:31
Matthew 20:25-28
Luke 22:42


This is how John the apostle describes Jesus. John 1:14-18

Question: What do you think John meant by “full of grace and truth.” And how about “of His fullness we have received, and grace upon grace”.

Question: Does this sound like the ministry of a servant? Is being a servant “God-like”? (John 14:9, Philippians 2:5-11)

The greatest in heaven is the servant of all. (Matt 20:26, Luke 22:26, John 13:5-17)

Question: Do you think that heaven will be about serving one another? How about here/now?

The Apostles identify themselves as bond servants (Romans 1:1, James 1:1, 2Pet 1:1, Jude 1:1, Rev 1:1)

Question: The Apostles were important leaders, why would they identify themselves as servants?

Question: How do you identify yourself? What is your expectation of yourself?

The Nature of Sin

Fourth Meeting

Sin and Death

Read Acts 20:35

Question: Does love give?
Question: Does love receive?
Question: Does love take?

How would you describe sin?

Read Genesis 3:1-24

Question: Did Eve receive or take? What did Adam partake of?

Question: What do you think? Is God's punishment a little harsh?

Question: What did they do that was so bad? Do you think eating a piece of fruit deserves death and separation?

Question: If God is love and He desires our love to be freely given (freewill), then why does He appear to be so controlling?

Question: Is God about command and control? (Genesis 2:15-25)

What is sin?
The Greek translation of sin is “to miss the mark.” This simple translation is still ambiguous (at best) in its meaning. What mark? “The Mark” is likely the holiness of God (Lev 19:1-2), but what is so unholy to God about eating a piece of fruit?

If God is about love, and you cannot love without freewill, then what is this command and control issue we are seemingly looking at???

Here is a definition that should help you understand the seriousness of sin. The definition of sin is this, “the acting out of selfish desire.” What Adam and Eve did was choose their own desire over the desire of remaining in unity with God in perfect love. Instead of living within giving and receiving, Adam and Eve took what they wanted.

Man was born with a free will. He was given the ability to freely choose his way. He was given a choice to trust God with the knowledge of good and evil, or to choose to have the knowledge and face death. The choice God gave man was simple. It was to trust, love, and choose to remain in the circle of His love (choose us), or choose yourself over Him outside of His love. It was as if God was saying “if you love me, you trust me and therefore live in perfect harmony with me.”


When we choose our own way outside of God, we decide to live for ourselves. When we live for ourselves, we no longer live according to perfect love but live according to selfish desire. Once we make our selfish choice, our soul is terminally infected with sin (selfish desire). We become a people no longer capable of perfect love. The soul of man no longer has the ability to commune with God within our spirit. The soul turns to the natural man (natural senses) and responds to the environment naturally instead of God supernaturally. This is the primary difference to living a life by faith. We become a slave to sin (the natural man). We are unable to live a life in response to God and make choices free of selfish desire.

Life by the flesh: Galatians 5:19-21
Contrast life by the Spirit: Galatians 5:22-24
Definition of “flesh” is “the natural man”: Romans 6:16-19, 7:14-25.
The natural man is hostile towards God: Romans 8:5-8
Sin is lawlessness: Rom 6:19, 2Cor6:14, Heb 1:9, 1John 3:4, Matt 24:12

Why is lawlessness contrasted to love? Lawlessness only governs self. Perfect love is subject to one another with God as the head. (Eph 5:21, Phil 2:3)

Sin is always about me..me..me and perfect love is always about us. Because perfect love is eternally communal and sin is eternally selfish, they are mutually exclusive and therefore eternally separated. The eternally selfish is without resource and unable to spiritually commune with anyone else. S/he is a spiritual black hole. (2Cor 6:14)

Question If you could stop sinning today, what difference would that make in light of eternity?
Answer: You would still be a sinner. Eternity does not forget.

Without death we would be in trouble: The grace in death. (Gen 3:22-24)
Death gives us an opportunity to die by faith and fulfill the law of God. (Romans 6:4-7)


Prayer time

Remember: Sin is “acting out of selfish desire.” Sin says, “I choose me.”

The Nature of Man: Free Will

Third Meeting

The Nature of Man


Opening question: Can you force someone to love you? Is it love when you can't choose?

Created in His image (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:7)

Review last week: God is Perfect Love

What is free will?

Webster's Definition: Free- “not subject to the rule or control of another”
Webster's Definition: Will- “a desire to act in a particular way or have a particular thing”
Wordbook Definition: Free will - “the power of making free choices unconstrained by external agencies”

Contrast to slavery (Romans 6:6, 14)

Created to have free will. (Genesis 2:15-17)

Man was born with a free will. In the likeness of God man was made (Genesis 1:26). If we are to be a people in perfect loving unity with God, then we had to be a people of choice. To love requires choice. To love freely, we must be able to choose freely (1John 3:16). Without choice, love would be meaningless.

For freedom we were set free. (Galatians 5:1, 5:13, John 8:31-32, 2Cor 3:17, James 1:25)


An Eternal Soul:

Question: If you could have done something different in your life, what would it be?

As discussed in the first meeting, man's soul is designed to survive eternity and it will never die (John 5:25-32).

Also, everything you do is painted eternally on your soul. Eternity does not forget. There is nothing you will do that will not affect your soul. Your every thought (Matt 5:27-28) and every action eternally paint your soul. Even our words (Matt 12:33-37) are not forgotten in eternity.

In conclusion, we have seen that man has an eternal soul and that our actions eternally paint our soul. We have also seen that each of us has a free will and that without being free, the ability to love is not possible. Together, by God's design, these two features give man the unique ability to live in eternal fellowship with God as He wanted.


Prayer time: Open requests

Remember: Without free will perfect love cannot be.

Perfect Love, The Nature of God

Here are the notes on my second meeting.


Second Meeting

2. The Nature of God

In Revelation 4:1-8 the four living creatures cry day and night, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.”

The opening question is this: How would you describe the word holy?

What is Holiness? Definition: Apart, sacred
Holiness- Leviticus 19:1-37
In Leviticus we see that God gives examples of “holy behavior.” He set down a pattern that the Israelites were to follow so they could be like Him in behavior. (Lev 19:2)

You could you say that being holy is a constant demonstration of love. (Lev 19:18)

Let's look at what Jesus taught about that portion of scripture.
What did Jesus say? (Matthew 22:37-39, Mark 12:28-34, John 13:5, 13:31-35)

God wants us to be more like Him (Lev 19:2). Since he wants our character to be one of giving love, what would you then deduce of God's character? God is love?

Would you describe God's love as perfect? Would you equate holiness with perfect love? Matthew 5:43-48

My definition of holiness is this: Holiness is the result of acting out of perfect love.

Question: How would you describe love?

Question: Is love relational? Of course it is! God is perfectly relational.

How does the bible describe love? 1Cor13

Question: Is love selfish?
Love gives: John 3:16

God's love is always about service to others, it is always eternally communal in its nature. His love is always about the expression of perfect love and never about His own selfish desires. Love does not seek its own (1Cor 13:5).

Question: Is love fair?
1Cor 13:6 - Justice and Love
Lev 19:1-37 - Different elements to justice

The word unrighteousness in 1Cor 13:6 can also be translated into the word injustice. How it is translated from the Greek is dependent on the translator (bible translation). In this verse we see that justice is a part of love. In Leviticus we see different elements of love/justice in concern to equity and mercy.

In closing we have looked at the nature of holiness and love and have found them to be describing the same expression. We have also seen that God's perfect love has the element of justice to it. In a future meeting we will see that this is an important facet to God's love, important enough to sacrifice His eternal son, Jesus.

In 1John 4:8 the Apostle John says “God is Love.” This explains every motive of God. We have to believe this if we are to trust Him and know Him. His love is the foundation of grace.

Prayer Time: Emphasis on the Love of God.

Eternity Does Not Forget

This is the start of my bible study. I hope you see and experience God more clearly through it.

BIBLE STUDY PART 1

Mind (truth) guards and strengthens the heart (relationship).

1. Truth:
a. Guides (Psalms 119:105,112)
b. Guards (Eph 6:14)
c. Girds (1Sam17:45)
d. Guts (Proverbs 27:6)

Without truth the heart has no support, the heart does not understand the basis of the relationship it is designed to have with God and people. The truth that leads people into correct relationship with God will be in accordance with the character of God. (1Samuel 16:7, Jer 11:20, Jer 17:10, Rev 2:23)

2. A View of Eternity

Why is eternity important?

Eternity is the final dwelling place for:

God, Angels, Mankind

Here are a few scriptures that deal with eternity. There are many more.
Gen 1:1, Proverbs 8:22-31, Isaiah 43:10-13, John 1:1-3, John 8:56-58, Eph 3:11, 2Titus 1:9-10, 1Pet 1:20, Rev 1:8, Rev 13:8 Rev 22:13

God views all actions through the lens of eternity. It is kind of like looking at an hourglass. You can see the space and all the moments of time (moving grains of sand) within the glass all at once.

God dwells outside the glass and therefore sees the beginning and the end of time and space. He knows the choices you are going to make. They are still your choices, He just knows them. (Eph 1:4)

Question: What kind of choices do you make every day that affect your outcome in the future? (i.e., brush your teeth). How about choices that have eternal implications?

God views your soul all at once. When it comes to your soul all your actions are laid out before Him. If you were to take a stack of sticky notes and on each one was a description of a day of your life, God would not view your actions as one note on top of the next. He sees them all laid out in front of Him at the same time. None of your actions today would cover your actions from yesterday. Since God sees all your actions at once, yesterday and today and tomorrow, there is nothing we can do to cover our previous actions with today's or tomorrow's actions. This is important, because it shows why reincarnation cannot work. Our actions are forever locked up into eternity and there is no changing or painting over them by our own actions. No matter how many times you came back reincarnated your previous actions would still have painted your eternal soul. To God your actions are eternally marked and there is nothing you can do to unmark them.

Because your actions have eternal implications, God is always taking the long view towards your well being. God is not above giving momentary suffering in order to reap eternal benefits (1Pet 1:6-7, James 1:2-4). God does not take joy in your suffering, but in its righteous benefits. His grace considers eternity.

Prayer time.

Remember: Eternity does not forget.

A Relational Gospel

My next post will be the start of the notes I'm using for my bible study. The focus of the study is to show how central relationship is to the Gospel. Christians talk a great deal about "obeying God," however we often lose the point of the Gospel. The point is that the Gospel is all about relationships. God is perfect love, and holiness is the result of His every expression of that love. If God is perfect love, then the following two things are true. The first is that God is a sentient being. The second is that God is a purely relational being. The bible says we were built in His image.

This bible study I'm posting is to show a bridge between modernism and post modernism. From the head of mechanistic thinking to the relational heart of the Gospel which is the growth and expression of perfect love in God and in all humankind.

This study will take a little time in building a firm foundation. So here we go.