"Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain in my love. If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commandments and remain in his love."Jesus never seemed to be in a hurry. He knew where he was going and what he was doing. When the centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant, as recorded in Matthew 8:9, among the things he said was this:
“For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to this one, 'Go' and he goes, and to another 'Come' and he comes, and to my slave 'Do this' and he does it."The centurion could see by Jesus’ manner and behaviour that he was not acting by himself. Jesus knew what was expected of him at any given moment. He saw himself as an active instrument in the hands of his Father.
To receive from the vine then we must listen to what Jesus says and that is best achieved by constant study of his word. Jesus promised us that his Holy Spirit would help us do this.
And it is in our attitude to his Word that we stand or fall.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.Where the word of Christ dwells richly there the Christ dwells.
As Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote, “The great challenge to those of us who wish to take the Bible seriously is to let it teach us its own essential categories; and then for us to think with them, instead of just about them.”
WWJD is only so helpful as there are many challenges and choices we face for which we have no record of what Jesus did in response. More helpful is HWJT – How Would Jesus Think. If we have the mind of Christ the we will think correctly and respond approriately to every challenge and need.
“For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to advise him? But we have the mind of Christ.”We also need to make a habit of prayer for this is how we communicate our requests to God
“Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God.”
So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness.(confess for accountability, not forgiveness as only God can do that.)
And we need to express our Christianity in good works, the one’s that God has prepared for us to do
“For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.” – Eph 2:10First look to what must be done around you. Are you living with your parents? Honour them!
‘“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment accompanied by a promise, namely, “that it may go well with you and that you will live a long time on the earth.”’Obey them! Contribute to the running of the household. Keep your room tidy. Accompany your parents on outings from time to time. Be polite to them.
And all these things need to be done with faithful constancy.
“Look, the one whose desires are not upright will faint from exhaustion, but the person of integrity will live because of his faithfulness.”As God is faithful, so the one who bears the family likeness will also be faithful. Not simply having “faith” but living out that faith faithfully.
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