Tuesday, April 01, 2008

if

"once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. but now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation - if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel."
- col 1:21-23


alienated from God. enemies in your minds.

reconciled. holy in His sight. free from accusation.

IF...

faith, established and firm. not moved. hope.

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the "if" does not refer to the reconciliation. that was given free, no strings attached. there's no danger of it ever being repossessed or taken away.

it refers to the liberation from accusations, the lies that attack us at our weakest point during our most vulnerable state. we'll have victory over them if we continue, are established and firm, immovable from the hope we have in Jesus.

and part of that hope is in His word and His teachings. as disciples, we obey. we question, we seek, and yet in the end, we lay down our nets and follow Him.

---

it still remains a reminder to myself, more than a chastisement towards anyone else.

He doesn't give me strength, He gives me opportunities to draw on His strength. He doesn't give me grace, He gives me opportunities to look to Him for grace.

the willingness to set my pride aside and walk past my enemies in my mind, the desire to see what He has to say and then to obey...it takes established and firm faith, the kind of faith that Jesus has promised will be the key to reconciliation and victory from the devil's schemes.

and it's the opportunities He gives to exercise faith that keep me going.

lishun at 10:13 PM

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