Part 4, Chap. 4 in FOR HIS GLORY
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A Big Problem
One problem is that we try to understand the things of God with our human minds, but we can’t.
Paul writes “But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (I Cor. 2:14 nasb).
Further, His ways are contrary to the instincts of the flesh. Jesus confirms that in John 5:39-40: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, and these are the ones testifying about me, and you are not willing to come to me so that you might have life.”
We are free to come or to refuse to come, and we face that question multiple times daily. As we grow, we learn that the life that we seek truly does follow coming to Him. Obedience is the axis upon which authentic spirituality and Kingdom Life turn.
Born Again
In John 3:5-6 Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone would be born from water and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God. What has been born from the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born from the Spirit is spirit.”
And in John 1:12, “But as many as received him, he gave to them the authority to become children of God, to those believing in his name.” Consider the word “received” there. The Greek word there means to take initiative to accept, and emphasizes our initiative. What we are to receive, is the abundant, overflowing, Zoe-Life of John 10:10.
Moving On
Many Christians live a dull life that is very much like the Law, living under the “should” and “should not” expectations of similarly joyless leaders.
There is little exuberance, and little that makes others want to be like them. How would you respond to my opinion that we too often give others, reason to not want to be like us?
There is much more to this and we’ll consider it next in “48-Bit Color or Black and White.”
Ken Stoltzfus
Kidron, Ohio USA
April 15, 2022
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