Galatians 1-3 Theological words, great meaning

December 7th, Galatians 1-3

jus·ti·fied

ˈjəstəˌfīd/

adjective declared or made righteous in the sight of God.

right·eous

ˈrīCHəs/

adjective

1. 1.

   (of a person or conduct) morally right or justifiable;

       "Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified." Galatians 2:16

       This verse is at the heart of Galatians. Jewish believers were demanding circumcision of gentile believers. Jesus + some other expectation = being justified and right before God. Former Jews stuck in an old pattern, forcing an issue that in the eyes of God is a none issue. Culture gets in the way of what God truly wants from us.

       Lest we think we have the upperhand in these regards, this is part of our fallen humanity. Forcing people into our cultural version of faith. Making tribesman in Africa wear a suit and tie to church, certain instruments and chord progressions as the only way to sing praise to God. You should be like us..."be a clone and kiss conviction good night, cloneliness is next to godliness right?" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9lyT8UUw_I Steve Taylor: "I want to be a Clone"

       The invitation is for our debt to be paid by Christ on the cross. The sentence required is served by Christ and not Christ +... I'm not declared righteous because of my efforts. If that were true...Christ died in vain. Because of all of this their are some implications for the way I would live my life no doubt. Thus the reason I love the ongoing discussion of reconciliation. To be one with someone requires a desire on my part to say thanks and live a life where I don't disregard the one who gives me hope, life, mercy, grace.

       Praise be to God for serving my sentence of judgement. Thanks be to God for bestowing on me a sentence of righteous, when the sentence used to be "guilty." Thanks be to God for 3:29 "If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise."

Psalms 40-45 Since I gave up HOPE I feel a lot better!!

June 20th Psalms 40-45

     Hope

       It's been said you can live 40 days without food, 4 days without water and 4 minutes without air...but there is no life at all without hope. One of the intangibles in life that may go unnoticed is this need for hope.

       Trying to think back to times in life when I've been or witnessed hopelessness. There is a despair that can be overwhelming. The psalm speaks of a deer longing for water. Here in northern MN this is a concept not really appreciated. There is water everywhere. What happens in a desert filled with a wadi and a well. What would a deer do with either of those? As the desert heats up and dries up, so does hope.

       I never noticed until today that chapters 42 and 43 have the same last verse. Memorize one you get two(if your counting). "Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God."

       In the movie Shawshank Redemption one character(prisoner) is a little concerned for the newbie(prisoner) who seems to cling on to hope. Hope is something that will mess with you in prison, best to give it up. The response is one of the great lines of the movie..."I either gotta get busy living or get busy dying!"

       In the opposite world of Steve Taylor comes the song "Since I gave up hope I feel a lot better." The lyrics to the bridge...

       

       While the world winds down to a final prayer

               Nothing soothes quicker than complete despair

       I predict by dinner i won't even care

               Since I gave up hope I feel a lot better.

     Expressed perfectly in opposite world!! Thanks Steve