-
The Sabbath, Holiness, and Righteousness By Faith
I’ll begin with a quote…
“No other institution which was committed to the Jews tended so fully to distinguish them from surrounding nations as did the Sabbath. God designed that its observance should designate them as His worshipers. It was to be a token of their separation from idolatry, and their connection with the true God. But in order to keep the Sabbath holy, men must themselves be holy. Through faith they must become partakers of the righteousness of Christ. When the command was given to Israel, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” the Lord said also to them, “Ye shall be holy men unto Me.” Exodus 20:8; 22:31. Only thus could the Sabbath distinguish Israel as the worshipers of God.”
Ellen White, The Desire of Ages, 283 (emphasis mine)
I think of this quote when the legalism of my carnal nature tempts me to “remember” and “keep” the written code while denying the spirit of the Sabbath with a critical, judgmental nature over the moral failings of others.
Moral high ground is the good place to stand, not for an advantage over others as we look down on them in self-righteousness, but because we are rising up toward our Saviour who continually calls us, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)“Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock…”
— Exodus 33:21Being “distinguished” and “designated” a worshipper of God through loyalty to His disregarded Sabbath commandment (Exodus 20.8-11) has meaning only if I practice the “obedience of faith” (Rom. 1.5). For only through the righteousness of faith can I have the holiness the Sabbath calls for. Our Holy God will have a holy people. And this holiness is ours through faith in the blood of his Son, who died to save us from our sins.
In him this promise remains and is fulfilled:
“If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot
From doing your own pleasure on My holy day,
And call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable,
And honor it, desisting from your own ways,
From seeking your own pleasure
And speaking your own word,
Then you will take delight in the Lord,
And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
(Isaiah 58:13-14)
“But if you bear the name “Jew” [or Christian] and rely upon the Law and boast in God, and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God?
— Romans 2:17-23
Paul uses this argument as he moves towards his conclusion that everyone, by virtue of their carnal natures, Jew and Gentile alike, are “under sin” (Rom. 2.9) and the condemnation of death (Rom. 6.23), having become morally corrupt.
Said Paul of his own natural self, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.” (Romans 7:18)
How then can we meet the laws just and legal demand for perfect righteousness, which includes a perfect Sabbath obedience?
In one way only.
“But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.
This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.
Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.
— Romans 3:21-31
“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
— Romans 8:1-4
“Without the cross, man could have no union with the Father. On it depends our every hope. From it shines the light of the Saviour’s love, and when at the foot of the cross the sinner looks up to the One who died to save him, he may rejoice with fullness of joy, for his sins are pardoned. Kneeling in faith at the cross, he has reached the highest place to which man can attain.”
Ellen White, Acts of the Apostles, 209
“As the sinner, drawn by the power of Christ, approaches the uplifted cross, and prostrates himself before it, there is a new creation. A new heart is given him. He becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus. Holiness finds that it has nothing more to require. God Himself is “the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” Romans 3:26. And “whom He justified, them He also glorified.” Romans 8:30. Great as is the shame and degradation through sin, even greater will be the honor and exaltation through redeeming love. To human beings striving for conformity to the divine image there is imparted an outlay of heaven’s treasure, an excellency of power, that will place them higher than even the angels who have never fallen.”
Ellen White, Christ’s Object Lessons, 162
“Let no man deceive his own soul. Christ’s words clearly show that if we do not follow his injunctions, we shall be lost. But altho the law can convince us as transgressors, it can not save us from its penalty. “By the law is the knowledge of sin.” “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” By looking into this mirror, we may discover the spots in our character; but in order to have them cleansed, we must wash in the fountain prepared by the world’s Redeemer. The law is not to be abolished; this would not remove our defects. Christ came not to save men in their sins, but from their sins. When we feel condemned by the law, and come with humble, penitent hearts to God for pardon, Jesus, our Advocate, takes our sins, and imputes unto us his righteousness. We can look to a crucified and risen Saviour, and claim his merits. He, the Great Physician, will heal the wounds that sin has made; for his blood was shed to make the sinner whole. Thus he is made unto us sanctification and righteousness and redemption.”
Ellen White, Signs of the Times, January 7, 1897, par. 10
“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
(1 Corinthians 1:30-31)
Sabbath Blessings! 🔥🙏❤️ -
The Jewish Witness of Jesus As The Messiah
The New Testament writers, all of them Jews by birth, gave convincing evidence from their Scriptures that Jesus, and only Jesus, was the promised Messiah. They were Jews. Jesus was a Jew. The Scriptures came through the Jews, God’s elected covenant people. “…to them were committed the oracles of God.” Romans 3.2
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
(Psalm 14.7; Isaiah 59.20)
“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
(Galatians 4.4)Promise and fulfillment, over several thousand years of prophetic light, is the foundation of our faith, in both the veracity of Scripture and the reality of the living Christ, of Christ as Lord.
Peter put it this way:
“For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. [Matthew 17.1-8]
And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
~ 2 Peter 1.16-21Accordingly, here are 47 Old Testament Verses About Jesus as Messiah, with their New Testament Fulfillment.
1 Messiah would be born of a woman. Genesis 3:15 Matthew 1:20 Galatians 4:4
2 Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Micah 5:2 Matthew 2:1 Luke 2:4-6
3 Messiah would be born of a virgin. Isaiah 7:14 Matthew 1:22-23 Luke 1:26-31
4 Messiah would come from the line of Abraham. Genesis 12:3 Genesis 22:18 Matthew 1:1 Romans 9:5
5 Messiah would be a descendant of Isaac. Genesis 17:19 Genesis 21:12 Luke 3:34
6 Messiah would be a descendant of Jacob. Numbers 24:17 Matthew 1:2
7 Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah. Genesis 49:10 Luke 3:33 Hebrews 7:14
8 Messiah would be heir to King David’s throne. 2 Samuel 7:12-13 Isaiah 9:7 Luke 1:32-33 Romans 1:3
9 Messiah’s throne will be anointed and eternal. Psalm 45:6-7 Daniel 2:44 Luke 1:33 Hebrews 1:8-12
10 Messiah would be called Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 Matthew 1:23
11 Messiah would spend a season in Egypt. Hosea 11:1 Matthew 2:14-15
12 A massacre of children would happen at Messiah’s birthplace. Jeremiah 31:15 Matthew 2:16-18
13 A messenger would prepare the way for Messiah. Isaiah 40:3-5 Luke 3:3-6
14 Messiah would be preceded by a forerunner. Malachi 3:1 Matthew 11:10
15 Messiah would be rejected by his own people. Psalm 69:8 Isaiah 53:3 John 1:11 John 7:5
16 Messiah would be a prophet. Deuteronomy 18:15 Acts 3:20-22
17 Messiah would be preceded by Elijah. Malachi 4:5-6 Matthew 11:13-14
18 Messiah would be declared the Son of God. Psalm 2:7 Matthew 3:16-17
19 Messiah would be called a Nazarene. Isaiah 11:1 Matthew 2:23
20 Messiah would bring light to Galilee. Isaiah 9:1-2 Matthew 4:13-16
21 Messiah would speak in parables. Psalm 78:2-4 Isaiah 6:9-10 Matthew 13:10-15, 34-35
22 Messiah would be sent to heal the brokenhearted. Isaiah 61:1-2 Luke 4:18-19
23 Messiah would be a priest after the order of Melchizedek. Psalm 110:4 Hebrews 5:5-6
24 Messiah would be called King. Psalm 2:6 Zechariah 9:9 Matthew 27:37 Mark 11:7-11
25 Messiah would enter Jerusalem on a donkey. Zechariah 11:12 Matthew 21:4-5
26 Messiah would be praised by little children. Psalm 8:2 Matthew 21:16
27 Messiah would be betrayed. Psalm 41:9 Zechariah 11:12-13 Luke 22:47-48 Matthew 26:14-16
28 Messiah’s price money would be used to buy a potter’s field. Zechariah 11:12-13 Matthew 27:9-10
29 Messiah would be falsely accused. Psalm 35:11 Mark 14:57-58
30 Messiah would be silent before his accusers. Isaiah 53:7 Mark 15:4-5
31 Messiah would be spat upon and struck. Isaiah 50:6 Matthew 26:67
32 Messiah would be hated without cause. Psalm 35:19 Psalm 69:4 John 15:24-25
33 Messiah would be crucified with criminals. Isaiah 53:12 Matthew 27:38 Mark 15:27-28
34 Messiah would be given vinegar to drink. Psalm 69:21 Matthew 27:34 John 19:28-30
35 Messiah’s hands and feet would be pierced. Psalm 22:16 Zechariah 12:10 John 20:25-27
36 Messiah would be mocked and ridiculed. Psalm 22:7-8 Luke 23:35
37 Soldiers would gamble for Messiah’s garments. Psalm 22:18 Luke 23:34 Matthew 27:35-36
38 Messiah’s bones would not be broken. Exodus 12:46 Psalm 34:20 John 19:33-36
39 Messiah would be forsaken by God. Psalm 22:1 Matthew 27:46
40 Messiah would pray for his enemies. Psalm 109:4 Luke 23:34
41 Soldiers would pierce Messiah’s side. Zechariah 12:10 John 19:34
42 Messiah would be buried with the rich. Isaiah 53:9 Matthew 27:57-60
43 Messiah would resurrect from the dead. Psalm 16:10 Psalm 49:15 Matthew 28:2-7 Acts 2:22-32
44 Messiah would ascend to heaven. Psalm 24:7-10 Mark 16:19 Luke 24:51
45 Messiah would be seated at God’s right hand. Psalm 68:18 Psalm 110:1 Mark 16:19 Matthew 22:44
46 Messiah would be a sacrifice for sin. Isaiah 53:5-12 Romans 5:6-8
47 Messiah would return a second time. Daniel 7:13-14 Revelation 19
-
Another Essential Passage
Few passages, if any, have done more to shape my understanding of righteousness by faith, of Christ our righteousness.
This passage is from a larger chapter commenting on the story Jesus told of two worshipers, the Pharisee and the Publican in the Gospel of Luke.
I’ll offer the Bible text and follow with the passage of comment.
“And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Luke 18:9-14Now, the comment:
“No man can of himself understand his errors. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9. The lips may express a poverty of soul that the heart does not acknowledge. While speaking to God of poverty of spirit, the heart may be swelling with the conceit of its own superior humility and exalted righteousness. In one way only can a true knowledge of self be obtained. We must behold Christ. It is ignorance of Him that makes men so uplifted in their own righteousness. When we contemplate His purity and excellence, we shall see our own weakness and poverty and defects as they really are. We shall see ourselves lost and hopeless, clad in garments of self-righteousness, like every other sinner. We shall see that if we are ever saved, it will not be through our own goodness, but through God’s infinite grace.
The prayer of the publican was heard because it showed dependence reaching forth to lay hold upon Omnipotence. Self to the publican appeared nothing but shame. Thus it must be seen by all who seek God. By faith—faith that renounces all self-trust—the needy suppliant is to lay hold upon infinite power.
No outward observances can take the place of simple faith and entire renunciation of self. But no man can empty himself of self. We can only consent for Christ to accomplish the work. Then the language of the soul will be, Lord, take my heart; for I cannot give it. It is Thy property. Keep it pure, for I cannot keep it for Thee. Save me in spite of myself, my weak, unchristlike self. Mold me, fashion me, raise me into a pure and holy atmosphere, where the rich current of Thy love can flow through my soul.
It is not only at the beginning of the Christian life that this renunciation of self is to be made. At every advance step heavenward it is to be renewed. All our good works are dependent on a power outside of ourselves. Therefore there needs to be a continual reaching out of the heart after God, a continual, earnest, heartbreaking confession of sin and humbling of the soul before Him. Only by constant renunciation of self and dependence on Christ can we walk safely.
The nearer we come to Jesus and the more clearly we discern the purity of His character, the more clearly we shall discern the exceeding sinfulness of sin and the less we shall feel like exalting ourselves. Those whom heaven recognizes as holy ones are the last to parade their own goodness. The apostle Peter became a faithful minister of Christ, and he was greatly honored with divine light and power; he had an active part in the upbuilding of Christ’s church; but Peter never forgot the fearful experience of his humiliation; his sin was forgiven; yet well he knew that for the weakness of character which had caused his fall only the grace of Christ could avail. He found in himself nothing in which to glory.
None of the apostles or prophets ever claimed to be without sin. Men who have lived nearest to God, men who would sacrifice life itself rather than knowingly commit a wrong act, men whom God had honored with divine light and power, have confessed the sinfulness of their own nature. They have put no confidence in the flesh, have claimed no righteousness of their own, but have trusted wholly in the righteousness of Christ. So will it be with all who behold Christ.
At every advance step in Christian experience our repentance will deepen. It is to those whom the Lord has forgiven, to those whom He acknowledges as His people, that He says, “Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight.” Ezekiel 36:31. Again He says, “I will establish My covenant with thee, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; that thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.”Ellen White, “Christ’s Object Lessons”, 159–160
-
How Do I Know?
How do I know I’ve been “born from above”, born again, of the Spirit and not merely the flesh?
I like the way Ellen White put it in her book, Steps to Christ.
“
Like the wind, which is invisible, yet the effects of which are plainly seen and felt, is the Spirit of God in its work upon the human heart. That regenerating power, which no human eye can see, begets a new life in the soul; it creates a new being in the image of God. While the work of the Spirit is silent and imperceptible, its effects are manifest. If the heart has been renewed by the Spirit of God, the life will bear witness to the fact. While we cannot do anything to change our hearts or to bring ourselves into harmony with God; while we must not trust at all to ourselves or our good works, our lives will reveal whether the grace of God is dwelling within us. A change will be seen in the character, the habits, the pursuits. The contrast will be clear and decided between what they have been and what they are. The character is revealed, not by occasional good deeds and occasional misdeeds, but by the tendency of the habitual words and acts.
It is true that there may be an outward correctness of deportment without the renewing power of Christ. The love of influence and the desire for the esteem of others may produce a well-ordered life. Self-respect may lead us to avoid the appearance of evil. A selfish heart may perform generous actions. By what means, then, shall we determine whose side we are on?
Who has the heart? With whom are our thoughts? Of whom do we love to converse? Who has our warmest affections and our best energies? If we are Christ’s, our thoughts are with Him, and our sweetest thoughts are of Him. All we have and are is consecrated to Him. We long to bear His image, breathe His spirit, do His will, and please Him in all things.
Those who become new creatures in Christ Jesus will bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” Galatians 5:22, 23. They will no longer fashion themselves according to the former lusts, but by the faith of the Son of God they will follow in His steps, reflect His character, and purify themselves even as He is pure. The things they once hated they now love, and the things they once loved they hate. The proud and self-assertive become meek and lowly in heart. The vain and supercilious become serious and unobtrusive. The drunken become sober, and the profligate pure. The vain customs and fashions of the world are laid aside. Christians will seek not the “outward adorning,” but “the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.” 1 Peter 3:3, 4.~ Steps to Christ, 57–58.
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:16-19 -
Complex Trauma: Dr. Diane Langberg Video
I first read Diane Langberg’s, “On the Threshold of Hope”, around 2006. It was hard to read. Trauma is contagious.
I was a pastor in Newport, Wales. A young black woman from the Caribbean who had outstayed her visa in England came to me for counseling. She and her two sisters were sexually abused by their father. He started early. Her mother knew. He was arrested and went to prison when she was 12. The family blamed her.
She was in a relationship with a young man. She wanted me to help her understand how to give and receive love. I did the best I could, which was not enough, but we made some progress.
I helped her get back home to work out her visa status. Her father had gotten out of prison and her mother offered her to come and stay with them. Imagine that, if you can.
It was then, listening to her story, that I read the book. More of Langberg’s work would follow.
I highly recommend a more recent book of her’s in which she takes up complex trauma. It is called, “Suffering and the Heart of God: How trauma destroys and Christ restores”. It is available on Amazon in print or Kindle. I recently bought the audio version too.
Later, on returning to America and pastoring here, Icame across her videos. This is one I appreciate very much. It is on understanding complex trauma and its treatment. You will find a deeper treatment in her book which I believe is the basis of these lectures.
I’ve come back to it again, this video, out of my own need to understand who I am, why I am. Why did I become an addict, why did I relapse, why have all my relationships with women failed? Why the clinical depressions? Why am I still alive to tell the tale? I have the answer for that last question. God is love.
By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
— 1 John 4:9-10
We love, because He first loved us.
— 1 John 4:19 -
Blog (life) Update
I continue to write in my journal. I still think of myself as a writer, not by profession though I’ve published a few times over the years, but more as a part of who I am. I have to write. It can be very hard, but I like it. I need it. I do it, like many of you, to sort my thoughts and values, understand and test my convictions for what is true, and to satisfy this often mysterious need for self-expression. I am also a teacher, with an impulse to challenge the status quo’s morality from time to time. Am I a scold? I pray not.
Writing is more than that to me, I’m sure, but this explanation will have to do for now.
I came here with what is probably an apology, more to myself than you, a way to assuage my sense of failure for not blogging more often. (Edit: Is that too cliche…how often has a blogging said as much?) My reason, not an excuse, is that I devote weekly time, nearly everyday of the week, toward producing a video or two for my YouTube Channel, Voices in the Garden. Being an auditory learner, if indeed such a thing really exists (some have cast doubts), I find the videos are tools for self-discovery, as is writing, for exploring my own spiritual life. And if you see them, you know they are meant as guidance for the spiritual life of others too.
My ten years as a pastor, in Europe and the States, stay with me as a calling, a vocation I cannot and will not escape. I did resign my pastorate in 2012, a case of discouragement at the time; I’ve continued teaching and preaching in other venues, in other forms since then.
Resigning added more stress to my struggling third marriage; it ended in divorce nearly seven years ago. Has it been so long now? We still keep in touch every few months with Messenger. (Sharon returned “home” to England.) We don’t talk about the past, just family updates, those more frequent now as my parents age with the too common ailments.
As you can see, I’m digressing. Really, I didn’t have a plan at all when I opened my Macbook’s lid. I write and I want to do it more…here. As with past blogs, it’s not polished prose, but first drafts with a quick second edit for glaring mistakes or typos. Laziness may account for this, but it’s acceptable for me for another reason: I need the freedom, the relaxation of sharing as it comes. Blogging has always carried me along with a feeling of immediacy, of realtime contact, another form of social media, that is, if the blog is like this, a personal thing.
If you find me unreadable (you would not have gotten this far) I’m sorry. Like my teachers, my mentors of the essay, I have great sympathy for the reader. I’ll do my best. And please feel free to have a word with me.
That’s enough for now. Let’s see if I can keep this up. Readers or not, it matters to me.
-
Recorded yesterday, this is a full message, 30 minutes, in the form of a personal testimony of my experience with the love of God in Christ. I briefly talk about my addictions and multiple marriages, the nature of my fall, briefly of my childhood to the present, and how the love of God heals my traumatized soul. How did I became who I am in my relationship with God, to others, and with you?
My thoughts come from and with a reading of 1 John 4:7–21:
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.
By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us.
If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.
— 1 John 4:7-21 -
The Problem of Sin | Romans 2: The Jew and Gentile Under The Law’s Condemnation
Here is a fresh video from my YouTube channel, Voices in the Garden -
From My Reading This Morning
Something on having sympathy for each other with our inevitable imperfections…
“If we keep uppermost in our minds the unkind and unjust acts of others, we shall find it impossible to love them as Christ has loved us; for there are few persons who do not on close acquaintance reveal unamiable traits of character. Even the best of us have these unlovely traits; and in selecting friends we should choose those who will not be driven away from us when they learn that we are not perfect. Mutual forbearance is called for. We should love and respect one another notwithstanding the faults and imperfections that we cannot help seeing; for this is the Spirit of Christ. Humility and self-distrust should be cultivated, and a patient tenderness with the faults of others. This will kill out all narrowing selfishness and make us large-hearted and generous.”
Ellen White, Signs of the Times, March 5, 1885, par. 12
“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”
— Colossians 3:12-17 -
Watch “The Bread of Life | The Bread from heaven was baked in the furnace of affliction.” on YouTube
One of my recent messages…
Home
About Me
A Christian, thinking, vlogging, and writing online. I live elsewhere as well. I follow the theology of the cross in the faith and practice of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Formerly a pastor in Europe and America, now living semi-retired in Kentucky (U.S.), driving for the Amish and in-home carer.
Crucified Hearts 