Does God use tests and trials, including those caused by others, for our good? That can be a challenging thought for many of us.
How do you respond when someone sins against you? Do you get angry? Defensive? Do you allow it to justify sinning in return? If God allows us to be sinned against at times, what do we need to understand about our responses and how we should respond so we can benefit from our trials?
Abortion is one of those topics that can hardly be discussed anymore. Those who are against it are passionately so. And those who are in favor of it are almost religious about it.
As believers, how should we view the subject? Is it always a sin? What about in cases of rape and incest? And if it’s a sin, is it an unforgivable sin? If it’s forgivable, why not terminate an inconvenient pregnancy and ask for forgiveness later?
What about women who have had an abortion or men who have encouraged their wives or girlfriends to have one? How does God view them? How should we? These are important questions. How would you answer them?
Once we were slaves to sin, but now we have not only been forgiven for our sins but set free from the bondage of sin. Yet many of us live as if we are still slaves to it. What about you? Are you living in the power of the Holy Spirit with the resources God has provided or are you still living as if you are a slave to sin?
Also:
Why is a dry crust of bread better than the abundance that many enjoy? And why is the Old Testament still important to us today?
During His earthly ministry, there were many different reactions to Christ and His claims. Some were convinced, some contrary, some confused, and others hostile. Not much has changed today.
Where are you and what is your attitude toward Him? Do you say you believe without trusting Him personally or without putting “feet” to your faith? Do questions about other religions or science confuse you? Or are you convinced He is who He said He was and live your life accordingly?
Even as professing believers, we can fall into some of these attitudes. We can trust in Christ for our salvation, but be contrary about obedience in certain areas or refuse to trust the Bible wholeheartedly. Or we can be confused because He isn’t working in our lives the way we want. We can believe He isn’t answering our prayers. Could it be that we have a wrong understanding of God and how He works in our lives? I hope you’ll read today’s post and evaluate where you are.
Where is God when you’re mistreated or attacked unfairly? Why would He allow one of His children to be treated that way? What can we learn from David’s response to unfair attacks and His understanding of the sovereignty of God that can help us when we face those situations?
Do you have genuine saving faith? Do you have confidence that if you should die tonight, you would spend eternity with God? Jesus and the Apostles warned us that there are those who may come to church, listen to the Word preached, and even make some moral changes in their lives, but who do not have saving faith and have not had the kind of internal heart change that we call conversion. They have not been born-again by the Spirit of God.
Also, as David’s story continues to unfold in 2 Samuel, we see the foolishness of thinking we can sin in secret and that our sins won’t affect anyone but us. David had set in motion laws of sowing and reaping and the sad results were happening before his eyes in the lives of his own children. This should drive us to our knees to pray for God’s wisdom in our own parenting.
God’s restraining grace is something we often take for granted. It’s even present to some degree in the lives of unbelievers. The Puritans called it common grace. It’s seen in the work of the conscience and in society’s acceptance of certain basics of right and wrong. But is it possible to lose God’s restraining grace?
There is no sin in our lives that is too big or for which God won’t forgive us if we are truly repentant. But knowing that doesn’t mean we can sin with impunity like children with our fingers crossed behind our backs. The person who thinks he or she can do whatever and ask for forgiveness later is in rebellion against God.
One of the consequences of willful sin can be the removal of God’s restraining grace where He steps back and allows us to do what our sinful heart desires. Without that restraining grace, we find that the sin we thought we could control is now controlling us. As someone once said, “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”
Bait-and-switch schemes, we have all heard of them and no one wants to be a victim of one. But could following Jesus ever come across as one more bait-and-switch scheme?
Recently, I heard of someone who said he was willing to come to church to “see what God has to offer him.” While that sounds self-serving, it’s understandable for an unbeliever, especially in this day of consumerism. But are there preachers whose messages feed that very idea? Could they be replacing the true gospel with a false one that keeps people from seeing their genuine need for Christ?
Many people today are looking for answers to life’s toughest questions: Why am I here? Is this all there is? What’s my purpose in life? When I die, then what? If that’s you, are you looking in the right place? Could the answers be closer than you think?
These are important questions. Finding the right answers can mean the difference between peace and joy or anxiety and unrest and sometimes have life or death consequences.
Who is Jesus? A good teacher? A prophet? A good man? Is He really the Son of God? Or is He something else? Even the disciples struggled to understand these questions. What about you? Have you answered those questions for yourself? If so, who is Jesus to you?
And if you have settled those questions in your own heart, could you explain your answers to a friend?
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