Ahhh how nice it is to speak my mind and not be interrupted.
Well it has been a couple of days since I've been able to post my thoughts. So naturally I have plenty! Except at this moment I can't remember all that I was going to say. I'm sure it will come back to me.
I have been reading a lot of good books lately. Not exactly novels or whatnot. More like bible study books. I'm really excited that I get to do these bible studies, though at times the reading can be a little overwhelming I'm learning lots!
This week kinda has felt like new years. I guess because I started school and started some bible studies! Feels like I'm starting afresh. A most wonderful feeling! I was reading a book called "The practice of Godliness" by Jerry Bridges, which my youth group is going through. And I really like this part of it. He was quoting William Law and he says;
" 'Devotion signifies a life given, or devoted to God. He therefore is the devout [godly] man, who lives no longer to his own will, or the way and spirit of the world, but to the sole will of God, who considers God in everything, who serves God in everything, who makes all the parts of his common life, parts of piety [godliness], by doing everything in the name of God, under such rules as are conformable to his Glory.' "
This is sort of a new thought to me. Not entirely new because I've heard it a thousand times, but this time it really hit me that this is what I should be doing!
As it says in 1 Corinthians 10:31, "Whether than, you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God." (emphasis added)
This is what I needed to do! It means when I talk to my siblings about anything, do it for His Glory. When I eat breakfast, do it for His Glory. When I check my email(!), do it for his glory! So far I'm not doing a great job of it. In fact I'm failing miserably! But does that mean God is not as good to me? In the words of Paul, "May it never be!" God's love and goodness is just as good as if I was doing a perfect job of it. I find that amazing! Don't you?
Later that day (yesterday) I went to a woman's bible study that is going over "Respectable Sins" again by Jerry Bridges. What we read hit me pretty hard.
At one part he was talking about the Christians being called Saints by Paul. He was talking about the U.S. Air Force Academy, how they train kids, set apart, kids to be officers in the Air Force. The word Saint means "one who is separated unto God". In relation to what Jerry was saying about the Air Force cadets he said;
"In a way similar to a young person entering the Air Force Academy, every new believer has been set apart by God, separated unto God to be transformed into the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ. In this sense, every believer is a saint - a person separated from his old sinful way of life and set apart by God to increasingly glorify God as his life is transformed"
I thought that was a really cool idea!
Another part that really hit me was this;
"We often indulge in what I call the 'respectable' or even 'acceptable' sins without any sense of sin. Our gossip or unkind words about a brother or sister in Christ roll easily off our tongues with any awareness of wrongdoing. We harbor hurts over wrongs long past without any effort to forgive as God has forgiven us (this one hit me especially hard, since I tend to do that). We look down our religious noses at 'sinners' in society without any sense of a humble 'there but for the grace of God go I' Spirit."
Ouch. We all tend to do that as Christians.
Another part says;
"Sin is sin. Even those sins that I call 'the acceptable sins of the saints' - those we tolerate in our lives - are serious in God's eyes. Our religious pride, our critical attitudes, our unkind speech about other, our impatience and anger, even our anxiety; all of these are serious in the sight of God."
Lots to think about there! How sinful we are!
In essence I am enjoying this book. And I hopefully we will be more Christlike at the end of it. That is my goal. To be like Him!!
I could keep going on, and on, and on. There are other things I'd like to talk about, but I think I shall be done for today!
Thanks for reading!
Much Love,
TessieB
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