Philippians 1:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you WILL perform it until the day of Jesus Christ"



Tuesday, September 26, 2006

A warning and a promise

The verse that popped up on my blog this morning through BibleGateway.com was the very verse that I have both said and heard many times in the past few weeks. It is speaking to Christians that God will take vengeance. But as I read the entire passage, I am grieved over my own sin, and how I have "trampled on the Son of God" and treated my covenant with him. He promises consequences for that, so why are we surprised by his discipline? So we must first change our thinking about God. A great passage to follow up with is James 1:21-25. This verse promises a blessing. A blessing from God for obedience sounds much better than enduring his vengeance for deliberately choosing sin. It is so worth it. Choosing God and His way, even when we don't understand it is always the best thing to do.
Hebrews 10:26-31 (New International Version)

New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by
International Bible Society

26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,
27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
28Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"[a] and again, "The Lord will judge his people."[b]
31It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

James 1:21-25 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by
International Bible Society
21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror
24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Almost word for word what I heard on Saturday!!