Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with GOOD. (Rom 12:21)

Sometime people treat us in an unacceptable way. whether it’s in a direct contact or it’s just by words. When this things happened, we have choices to choose whether we choose the “An eyes for an eyes” way, or just ignoring it and waiting for the right time for a revenge, or we choose the hardest way of forgiveness. This reminds me what Christ have choose when he knows that he will be captured, punished and hanged on the cross ’til death. He was entirely human in the flesh and blood, but at the same time He is the Son of God. When he was praying in Gethsemane, He says, “Abba,^[a] Father,” he said, “everything is possible for You. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” – Mark 14:36. That surely convinced us about human nature of afraid, worries, self-ambitious, etc.  but the difference here is what He have chosen. He choose to obey the will of God, even though it is not what He wanted, and even though He had done no wrong. Even though the Romans authority found nothing to accuse Him. That is the meaning of Agape; an unconditional love.

Romans 12 (NIV)
Love in Action
⁹ Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.^[c] Do not be conceited.

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[d] says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”^[e]

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Mat 5:39

But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.

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Sunday Christian

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. – 1 Corinthians 13:2 (NIV)

The Sunday Christian

Source: http://www.1way2god.net/devs/dev_023.html

Exodus 17-19 | Psalm 23 | Romans 2

In today’s reading of Exodus God promises Israel that if they obey Him fully and keep His covenant, they will be for Him a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation”. The Israelites were to know God’s will and seek to apply it in their lives.

When we read of Paul’s day (well over a thousand years later) in his letter to the Roman believers, we find that he has to rebuke the Jewish believers for acting as though their knowledge of God’s law made them superior to the Gentile (non-Jewish) believers. ‘It isn’t important whether you have been given the law or not,’ writes Paul, ‘rather, it is important to keep the law if you know it. All men have consciences and know right from wrong, and those who haven’t been given God’s law will be judged by their consciences.’

The Jews Paul wrote to had lost sight of the meaning of the Law and simply trusted in knowing it, lording it over the struggling Gentile believers. But the law was there so that the Israelites could know God’s will and apply it to their lives. Failing to do God’s will after having received it in written form is much like a lawyer who fails to see that the law of the land actually applies to him – the whole point in both cases is the application of the law, not the knowledge of the law.

Christians today often fall into a similar trap: it is not uncommon for believers to follow a path of works though outwardly paying tribute to salvation by faith alone. “Sunday Christians” is a term categorising those who ‘act Christian‘ around their Christian friends or at church, whilst reverting to other behaviour at all other times.

It is easy to grow to think that attending Church is all that God wants, indeed this seems to be a common belief in parts of the established Church. It is easy to believe that regular outward shows of a loyalty to the Christian Church is sufficent – as opposed to possessing faith in Christ.

Such thinking is a loss of sight of the real purpose of our faith: God wants to be in a relationship with us and so sent His Son to die in order that those relationships could happen. Then He sent His Holy Spirit so that those relationships could flourish and eventuate in eternal life with Him.

Regular church attendance – as well as good deeds and other Christian acts – are important and beneficial but aren’t in themselves a relationship with God – they are not the purpose for which God sent His son to die. The Church was established by Jesus so that believers could carry out God’s will together, recieving encouragement and support from each other – it is simply meant to aid believers in their relationship with God. Like the Jews who focussed on the means God provided to the end rather than the end itself, believers can focus on the Christian lifestyle rather than the Christian purpose.

Satan does His best to pervert the will of God in this world and the fallacy of a Christian without faith in Christ is a common tool he uses.

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Unlike Christ (Video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WucgZBXq2lg

 

Beyond Comprehension

“Can you fathom the mysteries of God?
Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?”

– Job 11:7

“God is ABOVE TIME”, “See the bigger picture…” – Bishop John Yeo