Fear God, 131

~ The Fear of God Establishes Hope ~

God does not want His children living in fear.  “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:2-3).  However, God does want His children to have a proper respect and reverence for Him.  We are told in many places in Scripture to “fear God.”  

This Week’s Passage  ~  “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day; for surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off” (Proverbs 23:17-18).

Fearing God Results in Salvation  ~  “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).  “A wise person fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident” (Proverbs 14:16).  This does not mean the Christian is to live a fearful life—but a life which reverences God and seeks to do His will. 

Fearing God Results in Fearlessness  ~  “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).  The answer is: only God.  With the gift of salvation comes responsibility.

Fearing God Results in Witnessing  ~  “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul” (Psalm 66:16). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

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Run Well, 2of3

~ The Christian Race: The Basics ~

The Start (conversion and preparation)  ~  “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).

The Course (from the Cross to glory)  ~  “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25).

The Action (ongoing endurance) ~  “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.  Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).

The Goal (Christ and His saints in glory)  ~  “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25).

The Reward (a crown)  ~  “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25).

~ 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/ .

Run Well, 1of3

~ The Christian Race: Overview ~

The Race for The Crown  ~  What does it take to be a champion in a given sport?  For one, it is necessary to have a dedication to succeed no matter what the cost.  A passion for the game is certainly essential, as is a single-minded determination to accomplish the task at hand.  A willingness to train incessantly is also required.  And a burning desire for the trophy or prize awarded to the one who wins is an absolute must.

In his letter to the Corinthians [1 Corinthians], the Apostle Paul drew a direct comparison between the Christian life and an athletic completion.  This comparison would have had an immediate resonance with Paul’s Corinthian readers.  Corinth was the site of the Isthmian games, a great athletic festival that was very similar to the Olympic games [of our day].  Contestants in the Isthmian games endured ten months of mandatory training.  Anyone who failed to complete this training was barred from competing in the games.  The highlight of the Isthmian games was a great endurance race.  It was this race that Paul used as an illustration to depict the faithful Christian life. 

In the Isthmian games, several athletes competed for one prize; there could be only one winner.  In contrast, the Christian life offers the opportunity for many people to be winners.  The winner of the Isthmian games received a pine wreath crown.  Those who faithfully complete the Christian life, on the other hand, will receive an imperishable crown. 

Paul illustrates the “champion” mindset required to faithfully complete the Christian life with his statements, “I run thus: not with uncertainty” and “Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air” (9:26).  Paul was not an aimless competitor.  He had a clearly defined goal.  Like an athlete preparing for a race or a boxing match, Paul knew that he had to discipline his body; he had to force himself to maintain the strenuous, consistent practice needed for success. 

The race which Paul prepared himself for, the race that all Christians need to prepare themselves for, was the calling of God.  Paul taught that Christians are rewarded for the calling that God gives them.  Paul had an apostolic ministry for which he sacrificed all things.  He knew that if he was faithful to his calling he would receive a reward from the Lord for his service (4:2).  Paul also knew that if he ignored or treated lightly his mission he would not receive from God the victor’s crown for service.  Having seen some of his close friends forsake their calling (see 2 Timothy 4:10), Paul recognized that the loss of the victor’s crown was a very real possibility for any believer, regardless of his or her standing in the Christian community.  The Apostle’s overwhelming passion was to fulfill his ministry at all costs, to stay faithful to the “fight” (9:26) to the very end.  In Paul’s last letter, written shortly before his death, we discovered that he accomplished his goal (see 2 Timothy 4:6-8).

Paul’s spiritual training was the very best available.  Yet he did not assume that he would automatically persevered to the end of the race.  He continued to discipline himself, to fight, and to follow his calling from God.  In doing so, Paul provided an ideal model for all Christians striving to become champions. 

~ The above is a direct quotation from study notes in the Nelson Study Bible, page 1926 (opposite 1 Corinthians 10).

~ 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/ .