week 7 - Jesus and Holiness
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. - Ephesians 4:22-24
Check out the transformation journal readings for this week.
posted by SonHarvest Kids @ 3:52 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ -— the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." Phillipians 3:7-11
"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin -— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin." Romans 6:1-6
In this week's discipleship class, I am reading how we are made in God's image. How that distinguishes us from all the rest of His creation. That our relationship is unique. That we are made to love and honor God.
The Word tell us that we are free, by His grace alone. We share with the Christ his suffering in death, as well as freedom through his resurrection. That we are to love God. And that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves.
As I contemplate what it will be like to go to Honduras and "do" mission, this message comes into perspective for me, and somehow comforts me.
The image of the boat, with Jesus asleep in the boat with me, sticks with me. I can visualize the boat rocking and taking on water, as waves crash beside it. I can picture freaking out. And I can hear Jesus asking me what is wrong? Where is my faith?
Putting off my old self for the new sometimes seems like hard work. Then I realize that there is not that much of the "old self" that is too easy, or too pretty, to maintain. In fact, the "old self" is getting quite old, and burdensome.
Lord, help me to change. To recognize what is important, and good, and to forego the rest. To help my fellow man. Take me, and use me. Amen.
Post a Comment
<< Home