Pastor Stephen Dedman

Category: Trust

Peace And Holiness

Encouragement, Faith, Trust

Peace And Holiness

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:14‬ ‭

Only Through Jesus

We are instructed to pursue peace and holiness as we mature in our Christian life.  But notice carefully that without holiness no one will see the Lord. You may be active in church attendance, engaged in spiritual activities, and believe you are a spiritual person, but if you do not have holiness you will not see the Lord.  In other words those who are without holiness, which is godliness or Christlikeness, will not inherit eternal life in Heaven.

Some people believe that if they do enough good it will gain them eternal life in Heaven.  The truth is we are only able to see the Lord in Heaven through Jesus Himself, not by our good deeds.  There is no way we could do enough good things to impress God in order to gain eternal life in Heaven.  However, Jesus did live a good and perfect life which qualified Him to be the ultimate sacrifice that pleased God.  And the only way that He was able to do so was because He was God in the flesh.  Jesus lived a holy and perfect life that was in complete obedience to God and He did it all for those who could not keep the law of God.

All who trust in the person and works of Jesus Christ are given the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit enables those who are in Christ to pursue holiness and possess a longing for the things of God.  A new yearning to live holy and perfectly is the result of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  If you pursue peace and holiness it is because God gives you the ability to do so.  You cannot pursue peace and holiness outside a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Ask the Lord to give you strength and courage as you strive to live holy and perfectly according to His Word.

Saved

Encouragement, Trust

Saved

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭1:18‬ ‭

Power of God

The message of the cross is all about Jesus Christ. It is a redemption story that will be retold for eternity, even in Heaven. The most amazing element of the message is love. Jesus endured the punishment of sin so that you would be set free. Set free from your bondage and guilt of sin.

For those who are spiritually blind and ignorant of the truth, it is foolishness. Paul was stating the fact that for some people the message of the cross is meaningless. Some people do not realize how much love God has for them. Even though God hates sin, He loves the sinner and wants to redeem him/her and bring them into a right relationship and fellowship with Him and the Saints of God.

However, for us who have been saved the message of the cross brings us power. The power of God is given to us through the Holy Spirit of God that reveals to us what it means to be saved. Being saved of our sins gives us freedom to live under grace and not by the Law. No one can keep the Law perfectly but everyone can experience the grace of God. It’s given and not earned. It is power to the Believer because we know the truth. The power of God is what makes us live confidently in this evil world. It produces boldness and courage for those who desire to please the Lord.

Prayer

Lord Father, we thank you for sending us Jesus to die in our place. We boldly confess You as King. Give us someone to share Your love and grace with.

God Has Done It

Trust

God Has Done It

I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him.
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:14‬

 

Forever, Amen

Solomon shares his wisdom and experiences of life in the Book of Ecclesiastes.  He brings a worldview of believing in God as Creator and Sustainer of life.  Ecclesiastes 3 begins with the subject of time.  Verses 1-8 can be summarized as there is a time for every purpose under heaven and shows us the need to take full advantage of the time God gives each of us.  Verses 9-12 centers the focus of thinking of God as the master of time and He made everything beautiful in its time.  Then in verses 12-15, Solomon speaks of the things of God being eternal.

Solomon describes God’s actions in three aspects.  First we need to realize that God’s actions are permanent as they endure forever.  On the contrary, anything man made is temporary.  The automobile that you drive, the clothes that you wear and the treasures that we store will not last.  But the Word of God endures forever. (Isaiah 40:8)  Second, God’s actions are perfect as nothing can be added to it.  The things of God lack nothing.  Even from the beginning, His perfect plans are carried out. His plans and ways are much better than ours. (Isaiah 55:8-9)  Third, God’s actions are protected as nothing can be taken away from it.  God safely secures everything according to His power and might.  There is nothing that can defeat or demise His will.  Everything happens as He see fit. (Romans 8:28) Because God’s actions are eternal they are permanent, perfect and protected.

Prayer

Ask the Lord to give you an eternal perspective on life and to reveal His goodness through everything He does in your life.