Thinx 104: Bearing the likeness of God

Were God to introduce you to someone, he would say, “See! My son/daughter.” Not, “See my adopted son/daughter” because when God adopts us, the change in relationship is permanent and irrevocable

— 

“the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable”

— Romans 11:29

Were God to introduce you to someone, he would say, “See! My son/daughter.”

Now when we introduce our own children, people look at them to see if there is a family resemblance. But in this case, we’re talking about God’s family. So whose family resemblance do you bear?

It’s as well that God is Spirit. If God looked like Akin, then family resemblance would be on the basis of physical appearance and folk like me would be doomed.

But God is spirit and so has no physical resemblance against which to compare. The only way to see if there is any resemblance is to look for similarities in character and behaviour. Do you bear the family likeness of God in your character and behaviour? Or do you still bear the family resemblance of that other spiritual father, the Devil?

I closing I say this to you: Abide in the vine! Actively remain in Christ! Study God’s word. Pray. Weep. Rejoice. Dance. Sing praises. Give thanks. Intercede for others. Do good works of service. Share with others! Bear fruit in an out of season!

In everything, bear the family likeness of God; In everything, demonstrate your Christian-ness by being like Christ, loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and loving your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

[The expert in the Law] answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

— Luke 10:27-28

© Copyright , 2018

Thinx 102: A verse a day? Not quite.

"I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete. My commandment is this - to love one another just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this - that one lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you."

— John 15:11-14

Jesus did as his Father commanded him. He was always perfectly obedient to his Father. We must behave in like manner, doing as Jesus commands. This is what is expected of us as disciples, as apprentices, of Christ, And where do we find his commands? In the Bible. So study it diligently.

By studying God’s word, I don’t mean just reading a verse out of the Bible App on your phone at breakfast every morning saying, “There I’ve done my Bible bit for today.” Think about the passage and ask yourself questions about it. In Psalm 119:18 it says,

“Open my eyes so I can truly see the marvelous things in your law!”

— Psalm 119:18

So ask God to reveal himself as you read his word. And ask yourself questions of the text. For example,

• What is the context of the passage?
• What does the passage tell me about God?
• What does the passage tell me about myself?
• What does this tell me of the past, the present and the future?
• Do I need to repent of something
• What should I take from this into the day ahead?

© Copyright , 2018

Thinx 101: Faith is a verb

"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."

— John 15:9-10

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."

— Matthew 8:9

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.

— Colossians 3:16

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.”

— 1 Corinthians 2:16

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.”

— Philippians 4:6

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.

— James 5:16

(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 2:10

— Ephesians 2:10

First 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.”’

— Ephesians 6:2

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.”

— Habakkuk 2:4

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.

© Copyright , 2018

Thinx 89: Forgiveness Leading to Fear? to Love?

But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.

— Psalm 130:4 ESV

"Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little."

— Luke 7:47 ESV

I'm trying to figure this out. How is it that forgiveness leads to fear? Is this just an OT thing or is there more to "fear" than just being afraid? Is there more to "love"? How should we respond to forgiveness, both in the short term and in the long?

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2016

Thinx 81: Love and Harm

Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

— Romans 13:10 (NKJV)

This doesn't mean that if you refrain from harming your neighbour, then you've fulfilled the law. Rather, having loved your neighbour in word and action, the sum of these does good to your neighbour rather than harm. The previous verse gives more context.

For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

— Romans 13:9 (NKJV)

To love your neighbour as yourself works like this: When your body is hungry, do you feed it? When your body is in danger, do you protect it? You are demonstrating by feeding and protecting youself, a love for yourself. In the same way, if your neighbour is hungry, feed him, and if he is in danger, protect him.

We all love ourselves -- we all seek to eat, drink, stay comfortable, and stay safe. It is extremely rare to find anyone who willing seeks opportunities to starve to death. All the things that we would have for ourselves in this regard, seek also for the neighbour. This is what it means to love others as you love yourself.

It is not enough just to avoid harming. One must actively pursue loving.

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2015

Thinx 70: Do no harm

The world says, "do no harm" which in the main means "do nothing, good or otherwise." It can even be taken as far as "live and let die", which may be what people are thinking when they stand idly by and watch others get mugged, raped or murdered. Far better is the commandment in Romans 13:10: Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.  There is something that is better than inactivity: selfless love, seeking the best for the neighbour; non-random, deliberately planned and executed actions of beauty, kindness and compassion.