4 Not “Ashamed”

~ Are You Ashamed of the Wrong Things? ~   

The first part of 2 Timothy lists four things of which you should be unashamed. 

Your Testimony  ~  “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God” (2 Timothy 1:7-8).

Your Savior  ~  “I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. (2 Timothy 1:11-12).

Your Friends  ~  Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God” (2 Timothy 1:8).

“The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me” (2 Timothy 1:16-17).

Your Knowledge  ~  “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

4 Truths

~ 4 Different Provisions of God for 4 Different Individuals ~

Redemption (for the slave)  ~  “In Jesus Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth — in Him” (Ephesians 1:7-10). 

Reconciliation (for the enemy)  ~  “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.  For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation” (Romans 5:6-11). 

Regeneration (for the sinner)  ~  “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.  But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:3-7). 

Restoration (for the drifter)  ~  “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.  Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

4 Prides

~ The Apostle Paul Had Reasons To Be Proud ~

The Passage  ~  “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless” (Philippians 3:3-6). 

Consider four areas where Paul could have been really puffed up.

Pride Of Ancestry  ~  “Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews” (Philippians 3:5a).  This is a subtle one—as pride usually is!  What about you?  Are you proud of your ethnicity?  Or, are you proud of your spiritual ancestry? 

Pride Of Orthodoxy  ~  “Concerning the law, a Pharisee” (Philippians 3:5b).  Another area which Christians today are susceptible to pride.  How about you?  Are you proud that you belong to the right denomination?  Are you proud of your doctrinal or theological stance in a particular area?  Note that we are commanded to be diligent in “rightly dividing the truth” but when we allow our interpretation to be a source of pride we are not pleasing God. 

Pride Of Activity  ~  “Concerning zeal, persecuting the church” (Philippians 3:6a).  Interesting that this also relates to spiritual efforts and doing what Paul thought was the right thing to do—pursuing and persecuting those that he did not agree with.  What about you?  Are there any of your past activities or efforts which are a source of unhealthy pride?

Pride Of Morality  ~  “Concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless” (Philippians 3:6b).  This is a big one in first world countries today.  Many are relying on their living a good life to win God’s favor.  The basics of the Gospel of Jesus Christ make it clear that we can “do” nothing to be acceptable in God’s sight except to accept what Jesus Christ has “done” on the Cross of Calvary.  How about you?  Do you have a feeling of personal merit which God will somehow find acceptable? 

Summary  ~  It’s not about you—you are a pride filled sinner!  It’s all about the Messiah—Jesus Christ—and what He has already done on the Cross when He cried out “It is finished!”   However, His work on your behalf is of no value to you until you come to Him humbly asking for His forgiveness and accepting His work on your behalf as the only way to have your past, present, and future sins cleared from the books!  If you have never taken that step, why not do so right now where you are? 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .