Standing Strong

A few nights ago I sat in a home and talked of theology with a group of people from my church. We were discussing the sermon that we had heard the previous week on Titus 2. The verses are about the need for elders to teach sound doctrine. In the group we were discussing how the teaching of sound doctrine effects a congregation.

One of the members said that it strengthens the people of God to think clearly about who God is and then to trust Him even when the world or their own emotions do not agree. As I sat and thought about that I remembered a line from the book Jane Eyre. The context of the quote is as follows: Jane has discovered at the marriage altar that the man she is getting ready to marry is already married. However, the woman he is married to is insane and unable to function like a wife normally does but in fact, has to be under constant supervision and care to be prevented from injuring either herself or other people. Jane desperately wants to marry this man. For the first time in her life she has felt love and acceptance and she desires to be with him badly; however, she does not marry him. She flees the situation because she knows she cannot really be his wife but only a mistress and thus, would be living in contradiction to the law of God. Here is what she says:

“I will keep the law given by God;….I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad — as I am now. Laws and principles are not for the times when there is not temptation; they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigor; stringent are they; inviolate they shall be. If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth? They have a worth—so I have always believed; and if I cannot believe it now, it is because I am insane —quite insane; with my veins running fire, and my heart beating faster than I can count its throbs. Preconceived opinions, foregone determinations, {speaking of her convictions before this moment} are all I have at this hour to stand by: there I PLANT MY FOOT.”

By far this is my favorite scene in the book. My favorite because by this point in the book I too am happy for Jane, excited at what she has gained in this man (even with his faults clearly defined unlike silly, shallow romantic stories of our day) and I can feel the conflict that she is experiencing. I can also feel my own heart want to make justification for her so it was an amazing and encouraging scene to see her in utter despair fall down safely on the Word of God.

That’s one of the benefits of sound doctrine….it shows us the way when our hearts mislead us (or I could say when our culture misleads us). I am grateful to be among people who want to study it!

Conversation to Consider

As usual I met with a great group of ladies last Thursday night for some great conversation about the book, Don’t Waste Your Life.

We are almost finished reading it and will only have one more discussion time…it has been so much better to discuss this book with others than to read it alone. (Though the first time that I read it alone I got alot out of it too!)

The chapter that we read was titled “Glorifying God 8 to 5″ and he could have added “Monday – Friday” because he is actually talking about glorifying God at the work place.  I think a subtitle could be “Don’t Waste an Opportunity” because really our inability to live for Christ as opposed to ourselves is what gets in the way of being a wittness at work.

The following is a summary of what we talked about:

The majority of Christians will not be vocational ministers and/or missionaries.  They will work in the secular workplace.  So much of our witnessing will actually be people witnessing who we are, what makes us tick, how we care, and how we think about life….we set Christ on display or we make light of the gospel in how we LIVE each day. Do we blend in to the culture or do we stick out?   And if we stick out, is it because we are compassionate people of godly character or because we are loud-mouths who don’t live what we believe?

We make much of Christ at the workplace by trusting His promises at work.  We trust that He will help us to discern how to do our work to the best of our ability.  We trust that He gave us this job and therefore do not complain that we have a job and that we have to work.  We trust that the money that it provides is from Him and spend it on things that are honoring to Him, helpful to our families, helpful to others in need etc.

We make much of Christ at the workplace by being a person of Godly character.  We do not gossip about our co-workers.  We care about those that are hurting.  We are willing to overlook offense for the betterment of a situation.  We clean up after ourselves.  We show compassion, gentleness, knowledge of what we believe without being angry at those who can’t see things the way we do.  In other words we earn the right to speak the name of Jesus by first being an obedient follower of Jesus.

We make much of Christ at the workplace by being a great employee.  We apply the God-given talents that we have in order to do the best that we can.  We complete work in a manner that shows we have integrity.  We accept criticism, learn from it and then improve.  We do not lie to, cheat or steal from our employer; not in the little things and not in the big things.  Ultimately, it is the Lord Jesus Christ that we desire is honored in our work.

Even in the most difficult of work situations the Bible says…” ….they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.” Titus 2

There are other points in the chapter but we ran out of time!  If you are interested, read chapter 8!

Thanks ladies for an invigorating, convicting conversation!

www.bondedtogether.wordpress.com

The Amazing List

And now, the continuation of the Fantastic News. The following list is what the 29 women at the retreat found as we searched the Scripture, looking specifically for the identity that Christ has given us. This is the description of someone who has been redeemed!

Again the list is in no particular order…so if you are trying to match from the scripture list, then you will need to read them all.

-united with Christ
-alive in Christ
-holy and blameless through Christ
-lavished with grace
-recipient of mercy
-sealed with the Holy Spirit
-instrument of His praise
-heirs: daughter of the King
-forgiven
-chosen
-redeemed
-justified
-given peace
-given every spiritual blessing
-set free from death
-in the light
-able to do good works
-given preseverance
-given hope
-have access to God
-new creation
-given faith
-regenerated
-renewed
-citizen of heaven
-saved from God’s wrath,
-reconciled
-given the ability to glory in tribulation
-member of a royal priesthood
-adopted
-given His purpose for my life
-brought near to God
-given a dwelling place with God
-given revelation
-given unity with others

It’s overwhelming. This is what the Scripture says about the followers of Jesus! So based on what He has done for us by way of the cross, we are fully equipped by faith in Christ to have healthy relationships because we can have confidence in Him, we have been chosen by Him, and we are significant because we have an amazing identity with Christ Though friends will encourage us to live in light of what Christ has done for us, they have NOT accomplished this work in us and it is Christ primarily that propels us forward.

For we are Christ’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in these. Ephesians 2:10