10/31/08
10/27/08
White water rafting
Yesterday we went whitewater rafting down the Nantahala River with the ESBS. It was a beautiful fall day and some people even jumped in for a swim!
10/25/08
How Sweet the Sound
Last week, Mark Masucci, a guest teacher from Canada traveled to the ESBS to teach Romans. I had the opportunity to sit in on a couple classes while Tom entertained Anna. I walked away with a renewed understanding of grace that has really encouraged me this week. I am truly amazed by what God has done for me.
In Romans 4:17, Paul calls Him "the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were." He then goes on to describe Abraham as this faultless guy who always believed what God told him, was always hopeful, and was always confident in God's promise to him. The truth is, Abraham often doubted God and he often took matters into his own hands. He even sold his wife to a king (twice) when she was to be the one bearing the son that God had promised. (You can read about all of that in Genesis 15-22.) Yet God, who "calls things that are not as though they were", saw Abraham as completely and perfectly righteous. Why? Because even though he didn't always live it out perfectly, "Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness."
Paul goes on to explain: "The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness- for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." Because of what Jesus did for us through His life, death, and resurrection, we are considered 100 % righteous before God. That means that God actually looks at us and says- "You have never failed. You have always done what you ought to have done in every thought, word, deed, and attitude." He did this because His love for us is so great and He wants to have relationship with us. When we consistently remind ourselves of what Jesus did for us and how the Lord views us, then we can respond with thankfulness and live lives that glorify Him. Our lives will be free from obsession over ourselves. We won't beat ourselves up over the things we should do or shouldn't do. Instead, we will be captivated by Jesus and the new life He has given us because of what HE did.
God captured me with this truth years ago. But this week, He made it fresh again. And I just think, wow, how mysterious He is that He knows about my sin and shortcomings, but He says they are not there. If it's possible for Him to do that, I have increased faith that all things that are within His will are possible. He can bring justice to people who are being oppressed today in other countries and in our own nation. He can bring healing to people we know who are hurting. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound!
In Romans 4:17, Paul calls Him "the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were." He then goes on to describe Abraham as this faultless guy who always believed what God told him, was always hopeful, and was always confident in God's promise to him. The truth is, Abraham often doubted God and he often took matters into his own hands. He even sold his wife to a king (twice) when she was to be the one bearing the son that God had promised. (You can read about all of that in Genesis 15-22.) Yet God, who "calls things that are not as though they were", saw Abraham as completely and perfectly righteous. Why? Because even though he didn't always live it out perfectly, "Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness."
Paul goes on to explain: "The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness- for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." Because of what Jesus did for us through His life, death, and resurrection, we are considered 100 % righteous before God. That means that God actually looks at us and says- "You have never failed. You have always done what you ought to have done in every thought, word, deed, and attitude." He did this because His love for us is so great and He wants to have relationship with us. When we consistently remind ourselves of what Jesus did for us and how the Lord views us, then we can respond with thankfulness and live lives that glorify Him. Our lives will be free from obsession over ourselves. We won't beat ourselves up over the things we should do or shouldn't do. Instead, we will be captivated by Jesus and the new life He has given us because of what HE did.
God captured me with this truth years ago. But this week, He made it fresh again. And I just think, wow, how mysterious He is that He knows about my sin and shortcomings, but He says they are not there. If it's possible for Him to do that, I have increased faith that all things that are within His will are possible. He can bring justice to people who are being oppressed today in other countries and in our own nation. He can bring healing to people we know who are hurting. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound!
10/9/08
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)