A Thought for the Day – 046 – Our example is He
No doubt we know many who are lovers of pleasure and of wines and
expensive perfumes. Yet these purchases lead to poverty, no; don’t look at the
person’s wallet… look at the soul. Proverbs 21:15-17.
Comments and challenges
I am reminded of an experience
some thirty years ago. I was talking with a friend about John the Baptizer and
was making a comment from the gospel of John 1:19-28. Both of us having been
born again about the same time, but my friend did not know that John the
Baptizer and John the apostle were two different people. I did not handle the
moment well and my friend became embarrassed and critical at my lack of showing
love, what he lacked in biblical knowledge, I lacked in spiritual wisdom, the
result for me was spiritual discipline, the result for my friend and brother
was spiritual blessing.
Faith without works is DEAD! (James
2:14-26) – James who wrote the epistle of James had a lot of opportunity to
learn this truth. No one will come to this Truth without being saved by the
grace of God. But since James was of Jewish parents who brought up their
children to fear God by Jewish customs he lacked the knowledge and opportunity
to work the work faith apart from Jewish custom in those days.
The brothers and sisters of James
had a strange brother within their mist who they could not understand; mostly their
religion blocked them from fully knowing Him. Notice John 7:1-9. This brother
whose name is Jesus did not seem to apply Himself to the way of the common Jew.
With this there were many critical moments of misunderstanding as their brother
Jesus often offended them by defending His faith in God who He called His
Father.
Within our families we too have
brothers and sisters who apply their beliefs to religions and isms that are
aligned with our parental traditional and for the most part we ignore ways and often
express snide remarks toward anyone who seeks to walk away from traditional
values, just as the brothers and sisters in the family of Jews where Jesus grew
up did.
The brothers of Jesus were named
James and Jude and here in the gospel of John they show their critical
disbelief and lack of discernment. Yet
we must notice that the longsuffering of Jesus and His faithful devotion to God
who He called His Father eventually reach the spiritual ears of James and Jude who
have written epistles of truth about their half-Brother Jesus. Written Epistles
from the experience of seeing the unwritten epistle of faith in the heart of
Jesus, Hebrews 12:1-2.
It is worthy to note as well that
Jesus being God in the flesh certainly knew that one day His half-brothers
would be called and saved by the sanctifying word of God the Father who called
them to faith. This same faith is readily available today to everyone. Whoever
calls upon the name of the LORD will be saved.
Our work regarding our brothers
and sisters and our children too who are locked in a religions grip must be
like that of our Savior Jesus; who for the joy that was set before Him, endure
such hostility of sinners from sinners against Himself. Do not become weary in
well doing and do not become discouraged of soul. God is at work and it is His
work that counts, Hebrews 12:1-11.
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