Have you ever marvelled at the incredible diversity of languages in our world? It's astounding how we can communicate complex ideas, yet sometimes struggle to understand someone from a different culture. But what if I told you that God has a way of transcending these linguistic barriers in the most extraordinary ways? Let's embark on a journey back in time to a pivotal moment in history that changed everything – a day when language became a bridge instead of a barrier.
Have you ever felt like you're on a spiritual roller coaster, constantly struggling to maintain your faith and wondering if you're truly secure in God's love? Well, let me tell you, you're not alone! I was like this for 22 years as a Christian under religious instruction and legalistic teaching. But today, I want to share some incredible news that will set your heart at ease and fill you with joy. It's a truth so profound, yet so simple, that it might just revolutionise your entire perspective on your relationship with God.
One of the single biggest things I have struggled with in life is the issue of love. I have always had problems with receiving love from family, friends, and anyone in general, really. Early childhood trauma and a bit of Asperger's wiring have most likely been the culprit. But the love of God has melted away much of that resistance in me. It’s still there in the natural in some ways, albeit much reduced, but the love I feel from my Father in Heaven has just grown stronger and stronger each and every day. Well, looking back anyway, it’s also a season-upon-season thing for me. So I do receive love better now than in the past, I believe. We just tend to have deeper revelations of His love over time when we are earnestly soaking and abiding in His word and presence each day. When you think about it, that's actually pretty logical. And regarding feeling loved, time with that person is a big factor... Hello!
Over the past few days, we have been exploring what it is to be a son or a daughter of our beautiful Heavenly Father and what our identity looks like according to that. We have also explored the fundamental truth of our new creation being that was made possible due to the Great Exchange, the Finished Work of The Cross.
Have you ever felt like you're on a spiritual treadmill, constantly running but never quite reaching your destination? I know I have! It's easy to get caught up in the idea that we need to do more, be more, or somehow earn God's favour. But let me tell you, that's not what the Christian life is all about. So today we are going to have a look at what that means when the rubber hits the road. What does it look like regarding putting on the New Man as we arise each day according to the incredible grace of God and how it empowers us to live lives worthy of our calling?
Today, I want to explore a topic that's absolutely fundamental to our identity as believers – the glorious truth of being a new creation in Christ. It's a concept that's often misunderstood or overlooked, but when we truly grasp it, it has the power to revolutionise how we see ourselves and live our daily lives.
One of the most profound truths we can embrace as believers is the reality that we are sons and daughters of the Most High God. This isn't just a nice metaphor or poetic turn of phrase—it encapsulates the very essence of the new covenant we've been ushered into through Christ's finished work. Under the old covenant, God's people were positioned more like servants under the watchful eye of the law. But now, through the cross, we've been granted the privileged status of beloved children, adopted into God's forever family!
As we delve into the profound truths about covenants in today's blog, I can't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder. You see, our great God is a covenant-making, covenant-keeping Deity. Throughout the Scriptures, we see Him establishing solemn agreements that reveal His unwavering commitment to an eternal plan of redemption for humanity. At the epicentre of it all stands the unshakable Promise Covenant made with our father Abraham – the very same covenant that birthed the New Covenant we now embrace through the blood of Christ Jesus.
Today, I’d like to take a look at the wonderful truth of living by faith. It’s quite a different reality from what most people think. There's so much rubbish being preached about this topic, with false doctrines getting punted around the church circuits that promote living by our own dead works instead of by faith alone in Christ Jesus. Alternatively, the pure gospel reveals a righteousness that comes solely through faith from start to finish—no working your way into it. Any teaching that tries to mix works with faith for our righteousness is just a false gospel through and through!
Today I want to take a bit of a wander through the wonderful truth of the grace we have in Christ Jesus. So often in Christian circles, we can hear grace being mentioned, but sadly it's frequently mixed with law and legalism, it’s far more common than not. The sad reality is that much of the church still operates from an old covenant mindset, a works mindset, rather than embracing the glorious new covenant we have been ushered into by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Today I want to share some thoughts from a powerful passage in Hebrews that gets to the heart of how we can truly experience intimacy with God. It's a journey from sin-consciousness to righteousness-consciousness, and it's the key that unlocks the door to the deep relationship with our Heavenly Father that we were created for.