… he made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt (Exodus 32:4ESV)!” Can God do anything? The answer is no. God cannot lie. God cannot deny Himself. God cannot do evil. God is unable to do things that are not in sync with His character. He unlike us, fragmented in our being, is complete. The good news is that in Christ we ar e complete. In Christ, we put on the new man making it possible for our actions to align with the character of the Lord. God is good, and He cannot be bad. No one on earth is immune to bad things even tragedies. Most of the bad things we endure are the result of either the choices we make or of those we
But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets (Daniel 2:28). The secret counsel of God belongs to His friends. Abraham believed God and became His friend. The LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as one talking to a confidante. Jesus called His apostles His friends rather than servants. Apostle John described himself as the disciple Jesus loved. He leaned upon Jesus’ chest as he reclined at the table with Him. What made these men different from other followers of God? The Lord has no favorites, as we know He is not a “respecter of persons.” And yet He does have intimates of whom He reveals His secrets. The truth is that every believer does not love God the same. The Lord is close to th
But now faith, hope, and love remain; these three virtues must characterize our lives. The greatest of these is love (1 Cor. 13:13). The number three in Scripture signifies divine perfection. Within the Godhead, we see the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in divine fullness. Apostle Paul wrote that three virtues remain which are faith, hope, and love with love being the greatest. Two is better than one but three is better than two. Faith is unable to work unless it comes from a place of love in your heart toward God and His creation. Hope is an anchor to the soul because love sustains its strength. Faith is not hanging on but letting go so Love can do the impossible. Trust the Lord, and He will
By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world (1 John 4:17). So you want to be a Christian? Indeed, well perhaps you need to think about that long and hard before you commit to Christ. Jesus makes it clear that if you are going to follow Him, you should sit down and count the cost first. Salvation is a gift of God, but without the surrender of your old self, you cannot receive it. The person Christ created you to be will rise as you put off the old man for the new. Conflict does not end once you surrender to Christ rather it begins. An internal conflict between your new nature in Christ and your old
