Romans 8:28 / #SpeakLight / Danny Gokey

SpeakLight

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. – Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

Romans 8:28 Read by Danny Gokey

Life isn't always simple and easy. It can be filled with sadness and pain. But we, who are in Christ Jesus, have this hope: God is working all things for good according to His plans. That is a light for us in times of darkness. How does this verse speak light? #SpeakLight The NKJV Bible Danny Gokey

Posted by The Bible Connection on Sunday, September 9, 2018

KJV Study Bible Full Color

This King James Study Bible draws on the excellent scholarship of conservative scholars from a range of educational institutions to ensure a well-balanced commentary on the scriptures. The commentary is complemented by full-color maps, charts, and photos providing a visual experience in one’s Bible study.

Spiritual Growth

What it Really Means to “Love Your Neighbor”

So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your... Read more
March 10, 2017
Bible Study

God Encourages the Humble

God encourages the humble and discourages the proud. What does that look like in the life of a... Read more
February 01, 2023
Spiritual Growth

Imitating Each Other

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” — 1 Peter 1:15–16 Peter was... Read more
February 02, 2016

Amanda

2016-02-06 07:12:10

I agree. Thanx for pointing out that some scripture can be read as a command because of translation, although it’s not. Unfortunately many pastors preach it as a command.
Apostle Paul helps by calling all believers saints. So we are saints. Nowhere it says we need to be saints, or try to become saints. We are saints.

fruitofhisdeath

2016-02-04 03:15:33

God’s path of salvation is from glory to glory. Amen!

Hazel Ruddle

2016-02-03 20:05:44

My husband ani were married for only 28 yrs when he suddenly died ! I found him dead on the bedroom floor ! He was 50 I was 49 ! 5 months previously we lost our eldest son aged 25 ! 5 days after our son died his wife gave birth to their first son ! To say I was devastated would be wrong ! That all came much later ! Years later ! At the time I had too much to do ! A young suicidal mother who had just been widowed with a new born son ! And my husband’s finance business to close down ! It was a nightmare ! But God was with me in that nightmare ! He stood by me whilst I took too many prescription drugs and after that I tried to find the answer in alcohol ! It was then He gave me a promise to restore the faith of my youth and He would be a husband to me ! Hosea ch2 v 14-20 ! But I didn’t understand and I went through more years of pain before God took me in hand and He was all I had to rely on ! It has taken me 20 years to realise that God has indeed kept that promise which He gave me through a stranger who doesn’t even know how God used her ! I can finally say at the age of 70 ! ” The Lord God Almighty is my husband and I am holy ” God kept His promise but it was me who didn’t believe!

John Hayhurst

2016-02-03 16:30:43

I am convinced that we as the New Testament Church have attempted to reach back into the Old Testament, putting Old Testament practices into place to as evidence of our Holiness. So much of what we do to prove our holiness is based on our personal perception of obedience. We try to act right, obey all the rules, attend church regularly wear the proper clothing and the list goes on and on. While all these things might be good and even beneficial none of them makes us holy.

I believe our Holiness is based on our love affair with God. When we love someone we do everything in our power to please them. We avoid voicing harmful things or acting in a hurtful manner because of this. Therefore obedience becomes a side effect of our love for Him. Obedience then is evidence of our love, not proof!

The real test of love seems to me to be forgiveness. God so loved, that He gave His Son, that by belief in Him we could be forgiven.
“forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us.”
On the cross, just before He gave up the Ghost, Jesus asked that the very people that murdered Him be forgiven.

We are most like Christ, (the epitome of Holiness), when we become selflessly head over heals in love with Him.

johan

2016-02-03 16:08:11

In my opinion this is one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible. Many Christians use it to prove that it is our job to become holy. Fact is (and Paul says it so many times that I don’t know how I’ve missed it over the years) that we are holy. You cannot command someone to become something that he/she already is! When we read this verse in the KJV we see that the word ‘be’ is in brackets meaning that it was not there in the Greek but inserted by the translators to make the sentence readable in English. They could just as well have translated it as ‘you are holy’ or ‘you shall be holy’ or whatever. But when we look at Lev 11:44 (KJV again) we see that it is translated there as ‘you shall be holy’ which I interpret as a promise rather than a command. As I said, we are already holy, so this makes much more sense. God even promised the Israelites that they would be holy. And this is not about sinlessness, ‘sanctify’ simply means to be set apart for a special purpose. That is why the Israelites could be called holy. Now when were they as a group ever without sin!?

So this verse is not to be used as a stick to tell Christians that they must become holy (sinless). The NET translates this verse as ‘you shall be holy’ – a promise. It is rather a confirmation that we are set apart and can therefore stop focusing on sin and rather start focusing on Jesus. That is how transformation takes place: 2Cor 3:18 [NET] And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

My point is this: you cannot transform yourself by trying to be holy (sinless). It will never work, I repeat – NEVER. The Word tells us that we are to focus on Jesus and then the Holy Spirit will transform us into the same image as that what we see. Now that is Biblical and that is grace. It is no longer by my effort but by the Spirit working in me. God does it like He does everything else. My part is to not resist Him. To simply yield.

Mark Besh

2016-02-03 08:46:29

I would say that “love” and “faithfulness” might be the ‘couple’ of attributes that would make any marriage the best it can be.

The apostle Paul reveals love’s supreme importance to life. He contrasts love’s value to faith, hope, prophecy, sacrifice, and knowledge—and indirectly with all other ‘gifts’ of God mentioned previously. He does this to emphasize love’s importance, completeness, permanence, and supremacy over all other qualities we consider important to life. He in no way denigrates the other gift’s usefulness to life and God’s purpose, but is adamant that none can compare in importance to love. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” [ 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 ]. Paul goes on to say “Let love be your highest goal!” [ 1 Corinthians 14:1 ].

Of course, THE ultimate manifestation of “agape” love was shown when Jesus willingly died upon the cross for the sins of mankind. We didn’t deserve this sacrifice, but Jesus gave His life willingly and God the Father gave up His Son to make it possible that we might be ‘saved’ from our sins. Love is the first quality mentioned in the “Fruit of the Spirit” because of its importance.

Only by knowing God can we have this kind of love; only by loving can we know Him; and only by obedience to God will it ‘prove’ our desire to love—keeping His commandments (1 John 5:3). It is the product of God’s Holy Spirit ‘living’ in our ‘hearts’ and our yielding to His guidance. It does not arise naturally within us and frequently requires us to change our will and make sacrifices.

When we speak of one another as faithful, we mean that we adhere to our word—that we are trustworthy. It is much the same when we think of God’s faithfulness. Usually, the first idea that comes to mind when God is called faithful is that He keeps His promises.

Faithfulness is devotion to God, loyalty to friends, and dependability to carry out responsibilities. It is keeping your word. It is a firm and unchanging attachment to a person or idea. The word “faith” assumes there will be challenges to this loyalty—the passing of time, disappointments, setbacks, or even danger.

The thing is, unfaithfulness is rampant in our world today—even among God’s children—because they fail to use His Word as a guide and therefore quench the Spirit by their thoughts and behavior. We see this manifested in the increase of breakups between business partners and divorce in marriages.

Faithfulness is as much needed in our time as it was in Jesus’ time on the earth. “Faithfulness” turns out to be one of the most common and important words in the New Testament. It’s simply a variation of the word “faith.” To have faith in God is to trust Him, to take Him at His Word, and to put ALL of our confidence in Him. God IS worthy of our trust!

Jesus wanted Peter to hold Him of greater importance than anything on earth, and He expects the same staunch commitment from us today! We must love Christ supremely, or we do not love Him much if at all. If we are not willing to give up all earthly possessions, forsake all earthly friends, and obey Him above all others—including our own carnal desires, and to be faithful to Him—our attachment to Him is tenuous at best. Is such a proposition too much? Does not marriage require a similar faithfulness from each spouse?

Perhaps our greatest obligation on earth is for us to imitate Jesus’ faithfulness. It does not become an individual who professes to trust in the faithful God to be shifty and unreliable in word and deed. Since God has been faithful to us, it should become our responsibility to imitate Him in being faithful by being faithful to others.

Jesus was and is faithful to the Father. Because Jesus Christ is our Lord and Master, we not only seek to serve Him, we also desire to be more like Him as we grow as His followers. We are ‘called’ but be faithful servants of God. “His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” [ Matthew 25:21 ].

As Christians, we are called to faithfulness to God and to each other as reflected in our lives by keeping our promises and God’s commandments. God grants us ‘access’ to Himself through His Spirit—giving us the ‘means’ to be faithful.

Mark Besh
LifesDeepThoughts.com
[ Excerpts from the February 2016 post “The ‘Fruitful’ Life” (A summary on each of the nine “fruit of the Spirit” attributes) ].