August 27: Theology Alive
Because America is no longer a Christian nation and some pretty deviant behaviour happens around us every day, it is easy for us to compare our thoughts and actions to the people around us and become smug. Our spiritual pride puffs up and we begin to think we have "arrived." God help us!!! This lesson points out something that we must consciously bring to our minds whenever we start to feel superior. Our standard of behavior is not modeled after another person, not even the most pious people that we know. Our standard is none other than Christ Himself, perfection personified.
When we talk to someone who would like to trust Jesus as their Saviour, we often point them to some key verses in Romans. "For all have sinned and FALL SHORT of the glory of God." (3:23) "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still SINNERS, Christ died for us." (5:8) "For the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (6:23) And in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by GRACE you have been saved, through FAITH - and this NOT from yourselves, it is the GIFT of God - not by works, so that no one can BOAST." Although we may have memorized these verses, we supposedly mature Christians often miss the important message of the words I capitalized: We have nothing to be spiritually proud about because we did absolutely nothing to earn our salvation!
Jesus, please help us to really see You for the awesome, perfectly holy deity that you are. Moses was the most humble man of his time, yet he got to see and talk to You face to face. It was this very intimacy with You that made him aware of his many imperfections. May we, too, become so intimate with You that there will be no trace of spiritual pride in our lives.
When we talk to someone who would like to trust Jesus as their Saviour, we often point them to some key verses in Romans. "For all have sinned and FALL SHORT of the glory of God." (3:23) "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still SINNERS, Christ died for us." (5:8) "For the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (6:23) And in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by GRACE you have been saved, through FAITH - and this NOT from yourselves, it is the GIFT of God - not by works, so that no one can BOAST." Although we may have memorized these verses, we supposedly mature Christians often miss the important message of the words I capitalized: We have nothing to be spiritually proud about because we did absolutely nothing to earn our salvation!
Jesus, please help us to really see You for the awesome, perfectly holy deity that you are. Moses was the most humble man of his time, yet he got to see and talk to You face to face. It was this very intimacy with You that made him aware of his many imperfections. May we, too, become so intimate with You that there will be no trace of spiritual pride in our lives.
posted by Jane at 5:41 AM
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