Tag Archives: holiness

October 27
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“You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings — what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured.  Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. . .  But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”   (2 Timothy 3:10-11,14-15, NIV)

In these, Paul’s final words to his protege Timothy, we have the commendation of a holy life to another person walking the same path.

What do we “senior” disciples commend to those coming behind us?  Does our lifestyle, purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, and our personal testimony of the Lord’s deliverance from perils give them courage and hope in their time of testing?

A benefit of our pain and suffering is our testimony of God’s faithfulness through all of it.  When those who know us best look at our life, do they see a faithful God and an unyielding hope; or is it something less?   – Luther

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May 23
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“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”  (Colossians 3:12, NIV)

In the tug and pull of daily living, we are apt to forget how God feels about His children; but Paul offers to us this reminder: We are “holy and dearly loved.”

To be holy is to be like our heavenly Father, because He is holy — which is to say, “separate,” or “uncommon.”  Separate, because we follow only our God.  Uncommon, because the world doesn’t see many who live as we live: “[Clothed] with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

To accept that we are “dearly loved” is the fire of inspiration; it is the freedom to go beyond ourselves; it is the frame that informs and circumscribes all of our choices.

It is a rare and wonderful state to be holy and dearly loved by God; and that is us.  Today.  Live it!  – Luther

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April 13
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“These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): The five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath.  They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord’s commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses.”  (Judges 3:1-4, NIV)
In the life of a disciple of Jesus, even one’s enemies are a part of God’s plan.
In today’s scripture reading from the book of Judges, enemies existed to teach the children of the Exodus how to defend themselves, and to test their devotion to God. (Please see Judges 2:20-22.)
Today, our biggest threat is not the sword (although physical threats do, indeed, exist).  Instead, our biggest threats are all of the influences and agents that oppose the Spirit of God within us.  Even here we must pray for our enemies as we utilize the weapons of the Spirit, which are: Truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God.
So, do not curse your enemies.  Pray for them.  Resist them with the weapons of the Spirit, which alone are adequate for spiritual warfare.  – Luther
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