“5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: ‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
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6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.’
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7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?
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8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.
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9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?
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10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.
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11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
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12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,
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13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
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14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
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15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled…”
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I realize that Christian living is more about “being” than “doing“, Angel. But I wouldn’t be a Christ follower if I didn’t feel like the gospel had some positive effect on people’s daily existence.
Over the past few days, I have been thinking about some aspects of what faith in Jesus Christ can do, not just suggestions of what we can do to be better Christians, or even better people. Too often we can find ourselves shaped more by the stories of the world than by the story of redemption as unfolded in the Scriptures. Our age is one of increasing ignorance of the biblical message. This means that followers of Jesus have to must move beyond simply a recitation of biblical facts as though knowledge of Scripture could be equated with preparation for Jeopardy or some other quiz show. Instead, we must be committed to helping women and men to understand and find their place in the grand story that God is writing from Creation to New Creation.
I hope your recent teachings on suffering will foster transformation in the lives of your readers as they follow Jesus faithfully on mission. The goal of such a life is to unleash transformed people not merely to make a difference in the world but to share in God’s work of crafting a different world.
God is looking for women and men who are willing to step into the role for which they were created. And in times of suffering, we need to go to Scripture to be encouraged. We need to understand that purpose brings promise. When you begin to walk in the purpose of God, God releases promises to you that are connected to that purpose. Then, the promise will bring provision. When God releases the promises, they release vision in you. When it’s His vision, then it’s His provision. I want to show you God has an inheritance for you, but it is tied to you walking in the purposes of God.
In Ephesians 1:7-11, we read, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight.” I’m telling you. God is on your side. God is for you, He is not against you. God is lavishing towards you, not just in wisdom and insight, but God is lavishing towards you in forgiveness. God is lavishing towards you in riches. God is lavishing towards you in his grace, in his mercy. God is on your side.
The 9th verse says, “He did this when he revealed to us the secret of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ.” I want you to notice that there is a secret of his will. Remember, God doesn’t want to be a secret to us and he’s not hiding from us, but there are things God hides for us. It has been my experience that when God speaks destiny to us and speaks prophetically to us, often it warns the devil and alerts the devil to God’s plans for our lives. So there are secrets God hides for us until the appointed time, until we’re able to bear it, until we’re able to war a good warfare, until we’re able to stand in strength and character and integrity, until we’re ready to possess the land God has for us. So there are parts of his will that remain a secret to us until we start walking in his purposes. The more we walk in his purposes, the more he releases promises to us which are going to be in line with his will for us and to help us fulfill his purposes.
Notice it says, he reveals the secret of his will according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ There are things in Christ for us. These things God has set forth in Christ that he will release to us in the times that we’re walking in and fulfilling his purpose.
Verse 10 says toward the administration of the fullness of the times. Notice the term “fullness of time.” In other words, “the secret of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ” is waiting for the proper time. Never forget that knowing God’s timing is as important as knowing his will, that even obedience has to be in his timing. God keeps some things a secret for us until the fullness of time. Notice it says, “to head up all things in Christ– the things in heaven and the things on earth.”
So our purposes, our dreams, our visions are all in God. As a matter of fact, there is only one real dream, and it’s God’s dream. Our dreams are part of God’s dream he releases to us that we are to fulfill. We are, in obedience, to walk it out to bring together all things in Christ — you doing what God has called you out to do, me doing what God has called me out to do, God working in us and through us and with us to cause our dreams to come true. Our dreams are part of his dream. Understand God wants our dreams to come true because he released the dream to us, and our dreams are part of his dream. So, as our dreams come true, then the dream God has and the desires and purposes that God has, will be fulfilled.
It’s all in him. We dream in him. Our purposes are in him. Our destiny is wrapped up in him. Our fullness of times are in him. “The things in heaven and the things on earth,” are in him. The things he set forth in Christ for us are in him. The secret of his will is in him. Why we are here, our purposes, our desires, our dreams, our destinies are in him.
Notice the 11th verse says, “In Christ we too have been appointed a portion of the inheritance.” There is an inheritance God has for each of us, but I want you to understand your inheritance is tied to your purpose. In other words, there are things God has for you in him that he will release to you so you can be successful. There are anointing, there is money, there are people God has stored away in him that will release you to accomplish his will, to fulfill his purpose in him. So when you begin to walk in God’s purpose for your life, God will release everything you need to fulfill it.
Look at John 15 and center in on the last part of verse 16. It says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.” Read the last part again, “that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.” Do you get it? That scripture does not stand alone, it is part of the entire sentence. What he’s saying is this: I have chosen you and appointed you to bear fruit , fruit that remains. Now what ever you need to do that, whatever you need to fulfill that, just ask the Father in my name he will give you. Why will he give you whatever you ask? Not to consume it of your own lust, but because God wants you to bear fruit that will remain. He has promised to give you what you need to do it.
Look at Romans 8:28. We quote it in part most of the time, but the part we often leave out says, “who are called according to his purpose,” All things work together for good for those who love God, and to those who are called according to his purpose, In other words, for those who are called to purpose and walking in purpose, God will cause all things to work together for your good, for the good of his purpose. God’s going to release to you all you need to fulfill it.
There is an inheritance God has for you that will be released to you. That’s why I say, purpose brings promise, promise brings provision, provision brings power. God will empower you to do what he’s called you out to do, so when you walk in his will, God will release power in you to accomplish his will. The Prosperity Message says “name it and possess it,” but I say purpose brings promise, promise beings provision, provision brings power to live as a missional community that serves by reflecting and embodying the holiness of God to/for/in the world. How well are we playing our part?
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Amen Dennis!
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As Christians we will have; we can’t ever out-give God. Also, as Christians we must do, for faith without works is dead. This series is addressing the message of suffering specifically and the fact that what we have and what we do ought to flow out of who we are. The emphasis is then on who we are in Christ; suffering is that spiritual Gym that will get us there. The message of suffering can’t be ignored and must be Biblically explained. I already ended the series, so hopefully we will get a better understanding of what the main point is. God bless you Dennis!
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Great post and scriptural references! I’d definitely recommend Andy Stanley’s new book, “The Grace of God” on this topic http://bit.ly/97gsL6
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Thank you Joel!
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