So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. Hebrews 10:35,36 NIV
In our youth, we feel that we can take on the world, and nothing will be able to get in our way. But as we get older, we start to realise that our confidence ebbs as we find out that there are some things, no make that many things we just can’t do anymore. It’s a stark truth and reality, and something we can’t change.
This verse gives me some comfort because the rich reward is not limited only to those who have boundless confidence. For me, the key word is not ‘confidence’, but to ‘persevere’ doing the will of God. Then, and only then it becomes certain, that we will receive God’s promise.
However, there is a serious note of caution. I started out to say that our confidence can ebb, and that is true as life affects us, but we are warned ‘do not throw away your confidence’. As with many things in the Christian life, we have choices, and here we have a choice to make too. If our God given free will allows us to throw our confidence away, thus losing the promise, we must also have that same free will to retain our confidence! With the strength given by God, we have the certainty of receiving the promise of God. What could be better than to be in the will of God, and in His favour?
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Showing posts with label sure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sure. Show all posts
Monday, 1 October 2018
Friday, 22 June 2018
A Certainty
...and be sure your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:23 ESV
Benjamin Franklin, said, “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes” but let me add another certainty according to the Bible, and that is a source we can trust. Cast your mind back to your Sunday School days, and I am guessing one of the verses used a lot would be this one. Stories aimed at the younger mind would be told to emphasise the fact that we can’t hide from God and whatever sin we committed, that very sin would be our undoing. It was true then, and it stays true today.
We can bring it up to date, and right into our day and age. How about replacing the word ‘sin’ with your own failing? So the verse becomes, “..be sure your (???) will find you out.” All we have to do now is be truthful enough to add the sin that so easily trips us up (Hebrews 12:1) and prepare ourselves for the consequences.
The sins that trip us up aren’t always the big ones. With good living and good judgement we can usually avoid major sins, but what about the little foxes that ‘ruin everything’ (Solomon 2:15)? Pride that becomes an obsession? Opinion that turns into arrogance? Trust that becomes suspicion? A balanced lifestyle that changes into being a single sided, critical one? An all round knowledge that morphs into a know-it-all attitude? The list could go on, and you could add some of your own thoughts too.
The certainty of our sin finding us out, is surely followed by the certainty that others will see, and be affected by some of these little ‘foxes’ more than we know. But we can rise above this as we were taught all those years ago and deal with those ‘little sins’ before they grow into the off-putting big sins, by placing them on the altar and letting God deal with them, and in turn, with us. I fear there are more ‘little sins’ than we can ever know, and no one is exempt. That’s the certainty of the little sin catching every one of us out, and you can be sure it will!
Benjamin Franklin, said, “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes” but let me add another certainty according to the Bible, and that is a source we can trust. Cast your mind back to your Sunday School days, and I am guessing one of the verses used a lot would be this one. Stories aimed at the younger mind would be told to emphasise the fact that we can’t hide from God and whatever sin we committed, that very sin would be our undoing. It was true then, and it stays true today.
We can bring it up to date, and right into our day and age. How about replacing the word ‘sin’ with your own failing? So the verse becomes, “..be sure your (???) will find you out.” All we have to do now is be truthful enough to add the sin that so easily trips us up (Hebrews 12:1) and prepare ourselves for the consequences.
The sins that trip us up aren’t always the big ones. With good living and good judgement we can usually avoid major sins, but what about the little foxes that ‘ruin everything’ (Solomon 2:15)? Pride that becomes an obsession? Opinion that turns into arrogance? Trust that becomes suspicion? A balanced lifestyle that changes into being a single sided, critical one? An all round knowledge that morphs into a know-it-all attitude? The list could go on, and you could add some of your own thoughts too.
The certainty of our sin finding us out, is surely followed by the certainty that others will see, and be affected by some of these little ‘foxes’ more than we know. But we can rise above this as we were taught all those years ago and deal with those ‘little sins’ before they grow into the off-putting big sins, by placing them on the altar and letting God deal with them, and in turn, with us. I fear there are more ‘little sins’ than we can ever know, and no one is exempt. That’s the certainty of the little sin catching every one of us out, and you can be sure it will!
Monday, 15 October 2012
Be Sure
...you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:23 NKJV
The simplest words are the easiest to remember and apply to our lives. This verse is a favourite in Sunday School, and can be understood by the youngest. Why is it then that we more advanced and intelligent adults seem to forget the simple truth of the verse? We seem to be surprised that our actions, not only have consequences, but those sins we commit, even those way back in our lives will find us out.... someday!
One of the best known UK TV presenters died a year ago, and he was venerated as a great man with monuments to his fame erected in his home town, and in those other places where he gave his time freely to help charities in prisons, hospitals and children’s homes. But wait a minute, this same man now has a list of hundreds of incidences of child abuses of the worst kinds coming to light. His young victims were afraid to come forward, or were even discouraged from damaging his career or charity work. So in his life they kept quiet. After all, who would believe them over such a famous celebrity?
There are two words which are not heard today, for the sake of offending someone’s feelings. One of the words is ‘sin’ and the other is ‘hell’. Why do we avoid them? I think it is because we don’t really accept them as severe any more. We have believed the lie of the devil, that neither are real, or at least not as bad as we have been told by our Sunday School teachers. I don’t know about you, but there are few words which adequately describe the sordid actions of this famous and previously trusted presenter, but for me the word is ‘sin’. Plain and simple. As for his eventual eternal destination, that is not for me to judge, because only God is qualified to do that. Having said that, let us not discount the reality of a place of punishment, and if sin is not addressed by us, and remains unforgiven by God, His Holy Justice is clear as described in His Word. We ignore sin and hell at our eternal peril. For my part, I prefer the gift of God, rather than the wages I may deserve.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 NKJV
The simplest words are the easiest to remember and apply to our lives. This verse is a favourite in Sunday School, and can be understood by the youngest. Why is it then that we more advanced and intelligent adults seem to forget the simple truth of the verse? We seem to be surprised that our actions, not only have consequences, but those sins we commit, even those way back in our lives will find us out.... someday!
One of the best known UK TV presenters died a year ago, and he was venerated as a great man with monuments to his fame erected in his home town, and in those other places where he gave his time freely to help charities in prisons, hospitals and children’s homes. But wait a minute, this same man now has a list of hundreds of incidences of child abuses of the worst kinds coming to light. His young victims were afraid to come forward, or were even discouraged from damaging his career or charity work. So in his life they kept quiet. After all, who would believe them over such a famous celebrity?
There are two words which are not heard today, for the sake of offending someone’s feelings. One of the words is ‘sin’ and the other is ‘hell’. Why do we avoid them? I think it is because we don’t really accept them as severe any more. We have believed the lie of the devil, that neither are real, or at least not as bad as we have been told by our Sunday School teachers. I don’t know about you, but there are few words which adequately describe the sordid actions of this famous and previously trusted presenter, but for me the word is ‘sin’. Plain and simple. As for his eventual eternal destination, that is not for me to judge, because only God is qualified to do that. Having said that, let us not discount the reality of a place of punishment, and if sin is not addressed by us, and remains unforgiven by God, His Holy Justice is clear as described in His Word. We ignore sin and hell at our eternal peril. For my part, I prefer the gift of God, rather than the wages I may deserve.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 NKJV
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Be Sure!
...ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out. Num 32:23 (KJV)
We are living in the age of the Court Injunction, and the Super Injunction, and these laws have been exercised a lot lately. These laws not only mean that journalists (and therefore you and me) cannot report what the court injunction is about, it also means they cannot even report that there has been any court proceedings at all!
Basically it's a news blackout, but only used by the rich and famous to protect their reputations when they have done something very wrong, but don't want anyone to find out. We all now know the name of the (in)famous footballer at the centre of the recent row, and his actions backfired on him. His name is everywhere! Twitter was his downfall, and the internet will also be the downfall of others who will try to hide from, and deny their lifestyle. Other so called celebrities, take note!
I well remember telling the bedtime stories to our girls when they were small, and the verse at the top somehow found its way into the 'moral of the story'! It seemed to fit so many of life's little dramas, and was always true. It would seem that some celebrities and footballers never had the benefit of Bible stories when they were small, or a moral compass either.
These celebrities have sinned 'big time' and now want to hide their sins equally 'big time' from the watching world, but in the words of the well known TV ad... “It don't work like that”! Like it or not, some of the rich and famous are seen as 'role models' by many of our youth, so where does that leave our following generations? Possibly with the impression that it is ok to do what you like immorally, and the law of the land will help you hide it from your family and friends.
We cannot afford to be smug, or too high and mighty. The truth is that we 'have all sinned', without exception, and regrettably with some sins greater than others. The great difference, however, is that we have a great High Priest or Judge, who will forgive, and forget those wrongs, never to bring them up against us.... ever again... when we confess them to Him! So, Christians are well aware that our sins do catch up with us, but we are also Blessed to have a great Saviour, who forgives when we confess to Him. For that reason I also really like this verse....
And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:1-2 (KJV)
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