Category: Interior Life

sadness sorrow guilt

The Blessing Of Guilt And Sorrow

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As unbelievers we may have tried to rationalize away our actions as not being wrong because if we admitted our wrongs then it would mean that our actions were not justified and so we would have to view ourselves as guilty. And in our minds guilt naturally required devaluation of someone as well as some sentence of judgment. This is why the great majority of unbelievers in the public eye present justifications for their actions. They do not want to admit that their actions are corrupt; they want to believe that they are justified and they want others to view them as justified. But we are free from all this. We are not afraid of honest guilt because guilt does not lead to devaluation, rejection or a sentence of judgment. Through faith in Christ, God justified us (accepts us) and adopted us as his children. The justification issue in our Continue Reading →

seeing the unseen

Learning To See The Unseen

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An important element of our faith is learning to “see” God’s unseen realities. These realities shape our lives as we internalize them. As believers God enables us to “look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18 ESV). “Look” is a present verb; it is continuous. It is a stance that our heart adopts.   What are some of the other unseen things around us, in addition to our destiny? The most obvious one is the exaltation of Christ. We see Christ enthroned as king over all kings and authorities of this age and as king over his church (Eph. 1:20-22). Moreover, with faith we can see that we sit with Christ, for God “seated us with him in the heavenly places” (Eph. 2:6, ESV). Continue Reading →

heaven

Does Your Heart Dwell In Heaven?

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The purpose of this post is to change the reader’s conception of reality and where their life is. I hope that it helps to create a new orientation in your soul that aligns with God’s reality. We begin with Colossians 3:1-2: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (ESV). We can get an idea of what we seek by asking ourselves: “How do I actually prioritize my life?” We can get an idea of what our minds are set on by asking ourselves: “What do I value in my mind and treasure in my heart?” This orientation to things above is critical to our growth since the environment of our heart determines what we will become. If we Continue Reading →

cross suffering

Do You Think Suffering Is An Opportunity?

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The Apostle Paul said, “I want to know Christ–yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Phil. 3:10, NIV). Notice that Paul wanted the good and the “bad” because both were part of knowing Christ better. He loved Christ and knew that in him “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3, NIV) and that he was the source of Paul’s restoration into the image of God. Therefore, he was eager to be remade in the image of Christ’s suffering and death, knowing this was a requirement for transformation and deeper communion with Christ. The word for “participation” in Philippians 3:10 is the same word used for “fellowship” in the New Testament. We have fellowship with Christ when we suffer. It did not matter to Paul what his experience was as long as it meant that Continue Reading →

eating

Honoring God In Our Eating

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I confess anxiety about discussing the topic of eating. People easily feel condemned or embrace self-rejection, but we should be motivated to healthy eating by love for God and others. During the holiday season we are especially tempted to unhealthy eating. God cares about our bodies and wants us to take good care of them. He loves the physical world he created and the human body is the marvelous pinnacle of his material creation. When we eat too much and become overweight then we are harming our God-given bodies. The same goes for the habit of eating unhealthy food. You can find endless studies about the negative health effects of being overweight or eating unhealthy including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and an increased probability of neurological disease. Being overweight is also hard on the bodies’ joints and hinders needed exercise. Proverbs warns against gluttony (overeating): “A companion of gluttons shames Continue Reading →