By: Undre Griggs, Jr. The will of God is for all to be saved. Sometimes, this means God is trying to help us get out of our own way. He knows that humans are a prideful bunch. We have the uncanny ability to forget all the help that went into our successes the moment the task is completed. 1 Peter 5:6-9 (NIV): Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. You will see throughout Scripture; Jesus warns us about forgetting the work God put into our salvation. Jehovah sent His son to die in our place, and Jesus lived the perfect life, so He could be the perfect sacrifice. Jesus then died on the cross in our place and rose from the dead on the third day. This is the difficulty I find within the idea of being a good person. Are there people who exhibit Godly traits, sure, but are they righteous? Luke 18:9-14 (NKJV): Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Righteousness can only come by dying to your sins in the watery graver of baptism. It is God who exalts the humble, and it is the humble who are willing to admit they need a Savior. There was only one perfect man, and the rest of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Therefore, the only way we can become holy enough to enter the kingdom of heaven is by the washing away of our sins in baptism. It is not until our sins are washed away that we are truly clean enough to be a child of the Most High God.
By: Undre Griggs, Jr. The characteristics and traits of God are as majestic as they are vast. We could talk about His love, His compassion, or His wrath. We could study His patience and desire for all to be saved. It can be overwhelming to think about God and all He has to offer. With the time we have, we will focus on His promises and the need for His followers to follow Him. Psalm 33:4 (NIV): "For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does.” God is consistent in His promises. He is the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega; He is the same today, tomorrow, and forever. The fact we can rely on His word should bring us comfort in the worst of situations. God is never going to change His mind and if we obey Him, we can be confident we will remain in His good graces. I like to think of two criminals being questioned separately. The interrogator is telling each of them the first one to testify against the other will have the lighter sentence. You can see the concern on each of their faces as they consider the likelihood of their partner remaining true. Christians do not have that problem. If they tell the truth in all circumstances, God will reward them for their actions. Ephesians 4:14-16 (NKJV): that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. The apostle Paul knows it is not always advantageous to speak the truth, and that can result in well-meaning people altering the word of God. However, altering the word of God means you are no longer speaking the word. It means you have separated yourself from Him and created another body with you as the head. Paul emphasizes the fact that Christians are bound to the head of Christ. It is Christ who sets the example, and it is obedience to Him that creates growth. The imagery of being joined and knit together by our individual contributions, yet the contribution benefits the group is powerful. When we compromise the truth for personal gain, we are negatively affecting the entire body. By trusting in the promises of God, we can remain confident obedience is always the right answer. Even if the situation looks dim, compromising the word of God is never the answer. Be confident your heavenly advocate will always advocate for you (Hebrews 13:5).
By: Undre Griggs, Jr. Throughout Scripture, there is several common themes that continue to reappear. One of them is the need to be obedient to God in spirit and in truth. I Timothy 4:11-16 (ESV): Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. You can see from the passage, the apostle Paul is telling Timothy what he needs to do to progress in the faith. On the truth side, there is the need to read and understand scripture. As you grow in understanding, you need to teach. On the spirit side, you need to conduct yourself with love and purity. Growth cannot occur unless you are working on spirit and truth. It is not enough to understand scripture if you do not care about living the values they portray. It is also true it is not enough to love others, if you are not interested making sure your advice is scriptural. There is the need to be consistent in word and deed. Matthew 18:3-4 (ESV): And said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” As God's children, our goal is to please Him. Even though we may have the best intentions, it is not our place to set the standard. We have to be humble enough to accept the fact we do not always have the best ideas. Choosing to focus on spirit is to devalue the need to understand scripture. On the other hand, choosing to focus on truth is to devalue the need to do all things in love and purity. There is a balance Christians need if they want to be effective when encouraging and bringing others to the faith. It is God's desire for all to be saved and to come to repentance. As Christians, it is our mission to bring His desire to fruition; and the only way to accomplish our goal is to live as the Father commands.
By: Undre Griggs, Jr. When attempting to build unity, it is important to remember your actions will speak as loud as your words. The apostle Paul encourages us to make sure our actions are aligned with our words. If we want to understand God and His will, there is only one way to accomplish this. Reading His inspired word found in the Bible will enable you to know God on an intimate level. You will be able to see His passion, creativity, love and wrath. You will also see where His focus has been from the beginning. 2 Peter 1:20-21 (ESV): Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. One of the things you will notice throughout Scripture is God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. This is important because that means no one should come with new a new revelation God “just told them.” The apostle Paul said, when that is which is perfect is complete (the Bible), that which is done in part (prophecies and other spiritual gifts) will be done away with (1 Corinthians 13:10). So how does God talk to us today? I went to a barbeque and there was a person there who was dressed to impress. He was wearing a suit, with designer sunglasses and loafers. Someone asked him about being overdressed for the occasions and he said that God told Him to wear those clothes. He said God wanted him to look good. He even went as far as to say God woke him up at 5:00am and told him to buy designer socks. As awesome as not having to decide what to wear each morning could be, God is not concerned about our fashion. Joshua 1:8 (ESV): This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. You will see throughout Scripture, the emphasis of God and His Spirit is on the Word. Most of the time you see the Holy Spirit being quoted in the New Testament, he is quoting God’s word in the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit was working through the apostles in a similar manner. The apostles were writing and quoting the revelation of the Holy Spirit in their writings. When the apostles were not quoting God, they were speaking from their own mind and conscious. This is why each writer in the Bible has a different and distinct writing style, without contradicting another. For matters outside of the word of God, the apostles spoke from their own thoughts and experiences. For matters pertaining to the word of God, the apostles spoke by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. If you cannot find a verse in the Bible telling you what socks to buy, then you should not expect the Spirit of God to share a personal revelation.
By: Undre Griggs, Jr. When attempting to build unity, it is important to remember your actions will speak as loud as your words. The apostle Paul encourages us to make sure our actions are aligned with our words. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (ESV): First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. If our actions are not unified with Christ, they can become stumbling blocks. While they are ultimately accountable for their actions, there are people who leave the church due to the actions of another. There are also people who never enter a church because of the actions of another. Understanding this, we know why living a life of peace and humility is essential to Christianity. You do not want to assist someone being apprehensive about being added to the church. Recognize that Paul is living in a time when “kings and all who are in high positions” were persecuting Christians. Paul experienced firsthand the unjust rulings of those in power. He was imprisoned, beaten and eventually murdered by those in power. The same holds true for Jesus Christ. He was flogged and murdered on the cross by those in power, yet, it does not change what is expected of us. 1 Peter 4:12-14 (ESV): Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. Since Christians are supposed to rejoice in suffering, it removes our ability to change our behavior in the presence of mistreatment. As long as you are suffering in the name of Christ, know your suffering is an opportunity to share God’s glory. When you share His glory while enduring the tough times, it will be a proclamation to God’s power. On the other hand, if you retaliate or mistreat others, it will show you are no different from the next person and a hypocrite to the faith. If you live a worldly life, but proclaim to be a Christian, your behavior will turn people off to the faith. With Jesus having the desire for everyone to be saved, we must always be mindful of our behavior, ensuring it is aligned with the pattern of Jesus Christ and his apostles.
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Dean Road
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