Unnaturally late talks with my brother. The talks I love to have. Verbalising truths we know about our Saviour, about the Bible, about our lives.
Often in the daytime, our intercourse is mostly light-hearted and in jest. When the sun is long set and we are enervated; when the exigence of the day has drained us, descant tends to adopt a more sombre tone.
My affinity toward him was borne of an appreciation of his simple yet intelligent faith, defence of women, perspicacity, and his general friendliness. Our mutual appreciation of rational conversation has made discourse easy. Time and trials have led us to a familial relationship.
Lord knows how I have needed a brother to watch out for me. And He gave me one. We've had many ups; we've had some dark downs. But the relationship yields fruit. There is a fragrance of our Lover. Sweet fellowship we have.
Our latest topic involved God's grace.
I have noticed we are often in similar states at the same time. This time we were both distraught over failure. He reminded me that God was fully aware of my sin before he chose me. Is it not amazing to realise how Christ knew that even after professing his name we would still deny him with our actions? He KNEW I would fail [intentionally at that], but still gave himself for me, and offered me salvation. Jesus knew, as he was washing Peter's feet, that Peter would be denying him soon. And still he chose to humble himself and serve Peter. Amazing love, how can this be?
I took that picture below from a friend's facebook. The timing is interesting in light of these thoughts. As I regard the rendering, I wonder what the disciples thought. I'd venture to say some thought it strange that their Messiah was washing loudmouth Peter's feet. Why did Jesus require participation for fellowship? Was Peter confused about this strange act? And Jesus? well he knew Peter would deny him, but he showed love to Peter. There was no ulterior motive. I'd bet he was saddened; hurt. But he also loved this outspoken man so ardently.
Later, Peter bears the mark of a man humbled by grace. His epistles carry an urgency toward gentleness and holiness. I'm sure Peter was haunted by memories of his failures, but he also so evidently knew the grace of God; and yet he did not have a slack attitude toward holiness. He calls for submission and love--hardly the man who sliced off another's ear or cursed when asked if he knew Jesus. God's grace is not an occasion to fail again. Rather, it must be a motivation to honour him.
Often in the daytime, our intercourse is mostly light-hearted and in jest. When the sun is long set and we are enervated; when the exigence of the day has drained us, descant tends to adopt a more sombre tone.
My affinity toward him was borne of an appreciation of his simple yet intelligent faith, defence of women, perspicacity, and his general friendliness. Our mutual appreciation of rational conversation has made discourse easy. Time and trials have led us to a familial relationship.
Lord knows how I have needed a brother to watch out for me. And He gave me one. We've had many ups; we've had some dark downs. But the relationship yields fruit. There is a fragrance of our Lover. Sweet fellowship we have.
Our latest topic involved God's grace.
I have noticed we are often in similar states at the same time. This time we were both distraught over failure. He reminded me that God was fully aware of my sin before he chose me. Is it not amazing to realise how Christ knew that even after professing his name we would still deny him with our actions? He KNEW I would fail [intentionally at that], but still gave himself for me, and offered me salvation. Jesus knew, as he was washing Peter's feet, that Peter would be denying him soon. And still he chose to humble himself and serve Peter. Amazing love, how can this be?
I took that picture below from a friend's facebook. The timing is interesting in light of these thoughts. As I regard the rendering, I wonder what the disciples thought. I'd venture to say some thought it strange that their Messiah was washing loudmouth Peter's feet. Why did Jesus require participation for fellowship? Was Peter confused about this strange act? And Jesus? well he knew Peter would deny him, but he showed love to Peter. There was no ulterior motive. I'd bet he was saddened; hurt. But he also loved this outspoken man so ardently.
Later, Peter bears the mark of a man humbled by grace. His epistles carry an urgency toward gentleness and holiness. I'm sure Peter was haunted by memories of his failures, but he also so evidently knew the grace of God; and yet he did not have a slack attitude toward holiness. He calls for submission and love--hardly the man who sliced off another's ear or cursed when asked if he knew Jesus. God's grace is not an occasion to fail again. Rather, it must be a motivation to honour him.
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound,you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:5-10
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Romans 6:1-14
Preach it Miss Annabelle. Christ's humility in contrast to our pride...what a hope we have in Jesus! What love that covers, what mercy that stays the arm of wrath, what grace when we are weak!
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