5 replies to this topic

[Lori Smith]

Jesus said, “My Father is glorified” when His disciples bear fruit (John 15:8). What does that mean? To me it means that God is most glorified when we represent Him before the world—when we rightly reveal His nature. Jesus then told them how best to do this and said, “As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you ... these things I command you, that you love one another” (John 15:8,9,17). Thus God is glorified when we love, for He is love.

Paul stated something similar and said that the Holy Spirit shows Himself through us. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self control” (Galatians 5:22-23). This is God’s fruit through us. Certainly then this is also how God acts TOWARD us?? God would not act this way through us and not act this way toward us would He? Unfortunately that is how many think. They think God is kind through us, but wrathful and menacing to us.

But God is loving to us, and THAT is how God loves through us. It is illogical to think we can eat a steady diet of God’s uncompromising wrath and then share His kindness and mercy to the world. Fortunately, that is not how it is. No, God loves us much, and when we receive His love this gives us understanding about His nature. Then we become His witnesses and we glorify Him most when we reveal this nature of His to the world.

Some challenge this idea and assume that God’s grace will be exploited. Paul spoke to this and wrote: “What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it?” (Romans 6:1-2). Those who have tasted God’s grace won’t desire to sin, and neither do we stop offering grace because someone might abuse it. No, we must display God’s kindness and love, for that is His nature and He is glorified best when we recognize it.

[Kevin Blankenship]

That's is an awesome post to read this morning as I drink my coffee. Ya know.....I prayed last might that God would enable me to FIRST think about HIM this morning, And he answered my prayer!!! And now I actually have a desire to spend some time with my fellow Children Of God and read what's on their mind and share back with them. It is wonderful to be a Christian.
QUOTE:" It is illogical to think we can eat a steady diet of God’s uncompromising wrath and then share His kindness and mercy to the world. Fortunately, that is not how it is. No, God loves us much, and when we receive His love this gives us understanding about His nature. Then we become His witnesses and we glorify Him most when we reveal this nature of His to the world." END QUOTE
Ya know, I feel that I have been quilty of this and of also TOO MUCH introspection. SO MUCH introspection that I have become somewhat obsessed, or fixated, on how the Whole Plan of God relates to ME!! Instead of how it relates to US!!!!! Now that I belong to Christ, I am an US!!!! Not a ME. "Give US this day OUR daily bread....." Jesus taught us to pray.
Lori, your thread has caused me to think think think. And THAT is not a bad thing, but a good thing as I "work out my salvation with fear and trembling." Alot of folks don't really like that scripture because they think that it 'faces down' the teaching of " It is God Who wills and works in us according to His good pleasure." But I think that I tip the scales of balance in the wrong direction many times and focus to much on works and not nearly enough on God's Grace to his children. And then, we can mirror that Grace to a lost world so that perhaps the "measure of faith that is given to every man" can go from being a smoldering wick and burst into flame and become a sourc of Hope to the seemingly utterly hopeless. I was hopeless once. Without God, and without hope in the world, but someone, or several ones, where startling examples of God's Grace as they merely conducted themselves as true Christians in this world. Leonard Ravenhill comes to mind, and watching the wonderful Youtube videos of this awesome man of God. He studied under AW Tozer and gives many glimpses into Tozer's wonderful grace that was God given. Hope this makes sense. Thanks for your though provoking post. It helped to get my priorities right first thing this morning.

[Lori Smith]

Blessings and good morning to you brother!!

Your post makes great sense, and I love your statement that we can go from a "smoldering wick and burst into flame and become a source of hope to the seemingly hopeless." What a great statement!! That's what it's all about! Have an awesome day brother!

[chipped china]

Oh, how I love the sheep!!!!!

[Candice]

This is such an encouraging forum! Again, it is nice to know I'm not crazy for wanting the "deeper life". I have a recommendation of a book: "They Found the Secret" which give insight into all this from perspectives of the oldies, i.e. Oswald Chambers, about the deeper life and how it changed them from their former selves as "Christians".
Blessings to you all.
Candice

[Lori Smith]

Candice,

Wow, the title of the book alone excites me! I'll look for it! Thanks!

Lori