Why do Christians struggle with Jesus being the embodiment of truth and love?

chab123

When I read the Gospels, I see Jesus as the embodiment of truth and love. In other words, to attempt to divorce the two is to make Jesus into what we want him to be. Obviously, when we read John’s Gospel, Jesus, as the Word become flesh, is full of grace and truth (1:14), and is the source of grace and truth (1:17). In contrast to the woman at the well, who felt geographic location of worship was important, Jesus states that the issue is not whether one should worship God in Moriah or Gerizim, but rather one should worship in spirit and in truth. For John, truth is ultimately identified with, and is personified in the person of, Jesus. The ministry of John the Baptist is to bear witness to the truth (5:33).

Did Jesus try to show people thy’re wrong? 

To finish: https://chab123.wordpress.com/2021/07/30/why-do-christians-struggle-with-jesus-being-the-embodiment-of-truth-and-love-2/

Don’t Worship Wrongly!

David Jeremiah Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels. Colossians 2:18 What would you do if you encountered an angel from heaven? One would not be blamed for falling down, prostrate, before such a magnificent being. If one fell down out of fear, that would be understandable. But if one fell down in worship, that would not be appropriate. The apostle John discovered that when he bowed down to worship an angel in heaven and was reprimanded—twice.

John had seen a lot of “falling down” in heaven, specifically the four living creatures and the 24 elders worshiping before the throne of God. So when John himself encountered a mighty angel, he fell down at the angel’s feet to worship (Revelation 19:10; 22:8-9). But in both cases, the angel told John to stand up because “I am your fellow servant….Worship God.” This testimony could not be clearer: Angels are worshipers, like us. Multitudes of them circle around the throne of God and worship Him (Revelation 5:11-12). Angels are not to be worshiped. All of creation—in heaven and on earth—bows a knee before Jesus Christ and Him alone (Philippians 2:10). What or whom we worship determines our behavior. John Murray

Attitude Check Trinity!

Philippians 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

This is one of my favorite passages. I have a number of them for sure. Years ago I took this verse and created a favorite saying. Many of our readers have heard this saying numerous times and could quote it with me. It goes like this – Christianity Boils Down to Attitude. Years after coming up with this saying – I added the following – Christianity boils down to attitude – the condition and position of one’s heart. Now – I know full well that Christianity is all about God’s grace – that it is all about Christ’s life – death and resurrection. But – as we mentioned many times in teachings and in sermons – Christian maturity is all about the condition and position of the heart. Christian maturity is about doing – about walking out our faith – and this takes an attitude likened to the attitude of Jesus.

Read more: https://raymcdonald.wordpress.com/2021/07/29/attitude-check-trinity/

Glorying in God

A Broadcast with H.B. Charles Jr.

The study of doctrine should always produce doxology. The more we know of God, the more readily we should sing His praise. Today, H.B. Charles Jr. points our attention to a passage in Scripture that celebrates the wonder of God’s greatness.

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When We’re Tempted to Quit

James 1:2-12 ² My Christian brothers, you should be happy when you have all kinds of tests. ³ You know these prove your faith. It helps you not to give up. ⁴ Learn well how to wait so you will be strong and complete and in need of nothing.

⁵ If you do not have wisdom, ask God for it. He is always ready to give it to you and will never say you are wrong for asking. ⁶ You must have faith as you ask Him. You must not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like a wave which is pushed around by the sea. ⁷ Such a man will get nothing from the Lord. ⁸ The man who has two ways of thinking changes in everything he does.

⁹ A Christian brother who has few riches of this world should be happy for what he has. He is great in the eyes of God. ¹⁰ But a rich man should be happy even if he loses everything. He is like a flower that will die. ¹¹ The sun comes up with burning heat. The grass dries up and the flower falls off. It is no longer beautiful. The rich man will die also and all his riches will be gone. ¹² The man who does not give up when tests come is happy. After the test is over, he will receive the crown of life. God has promised this to those who love Him.

Have you ever thought, I can’t take this anymore or I give up? These phrases have the power to change the direction of our life. Let’s look at three things that could cause these sentiments.

1. Satan and his angels. Through their involvement, we can be tempted to stop waiting on God for solutions and instead seek our own way out. Or the enemy may try to redirect our focus away from Jesus and onto our negative emotions. If he can make us feel helpless and hopeless, then he is successfully distracting us from God.
2. The world. Ungodly people are always ready to give believers advice. We need God’s wisdom to set ourselves apart from their thinking and yet stay connected enough to share God’s message of hope with them.
3. Our own flesh. We have a tendency to do what feels good and benefits us, but God’s way is always best and the most fulfilling.

If you have ever wanted to give up, you’ve probably been influenced by one or more of these factors. But God has good purpose for the trials He allows in our life: They produce perseverance that helps to mature us as Christians. When we look at things from that perspective, we can actually “consider it all joy” to have struggles (James 1:2-4).

Results of Yielding to Culture

1 Corinthians 3:1-3 Christian brothers, I could not speak to you as to full-grown Christians. I spoke to you as men who have not obeyed the things you have been taught. I spoke to you as if you were baby Christians. ² My teaching was as if I were giving you milk to drink. I could not give you meat because you were not ready for it. Even yet you are not able to have anything but milk. ³ You still live as men who are not Christians. When you are jealous and fight with each other, you are still living in sin and acting like sinful men in the world.

There are many committed followers of Jesus Christ who are focused on pleasing God and growing in faith. But others who identify as Christians don’t concern themselves with spiritual matters at all and instead retain a carnal mindset. This can happen when people start compromising their convictions.

When a believer loosens his grip on God’s Word, he may disobey a command or refuse to believe a certain truth. Or he may simply stop reading Scripture. Sooner or later, something in society will appeal to him, and as he fixates on it, his time and resources are consumed. Slowly this “new love” wins his affection away from the Lord.

After a while, other aspects of the culture that once appeared detestable don’t seem so bad—the believer may dabble and eventually indulge in them with abandon. Inevitably, his witness will be undermined because neither his conduct nor his character is fitting for a man of faith.

It’s important that believers resist giving themselves to things that can never bring lasting peace. If you have yielded to the world’s mindset in some area, repent and return to your first love—the God who saved you. Peace and fulfillment are the reward of those whose sole focus is to please the Lord.

A Cure for BBS (“Broken Brain Syndrome”)

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I suffer from a condition called BBS. I’ve created the term for this malady because I think many of us are afflicted by it. BBS stands for “Broken Brain Syndrome.” I’m not talking about some head injury that I’ve sustained. I’m talking about how my thinking is often distracted, confused, unfocused, muddled, and unspiritual.But I’ve found the cure for BBS. It’s here in Hebrews 3 where the writer says, “Fix your thoughts on Jesus!” I need my thoughts fixed. How about you?

Three Steps in Curing BBS (Getting Your Thoughts “Fixed”) from Hebrews 3:

Find it at: https://larrydixon.wordpress.com/2021/07/18/a-cure-for-bbs-broken-brain-syndrome/

10 Things I Think about when Life is Overwhelming

By Chuck Lawless on Jul 21, 2021 01:00 am

Sometimes life is overwhelming. Things out of our control unexpectedly happen. Responsibilities increase. Time seems way too short. Rest is fleeting. When I find myself in one of these situations, I try to remind myself of these truths:

1. God is still in control. My life might seem chaotic, but God’s still sovereign.
2. God is not worried. That’s why it’s sin for me to worry.
3. God can handle my burdens. His shoulders are much bigger than mine.
4. God loves me so much His Son died for me. That simple truth is still powerfully comforting.
5. God’s mercies are renewed every day. When the sun comes up, it’s a new day no matter what I face.
6. God is still conforming me to the image of His Son. And, He uses all the craziness of life to move me in that direction.
7. God has never let me down in the past. Like the psalmist, I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken.
8. God lives in me. He indwells me through His Spirit—and that miraculous truth gives me peace.
9. God sees the bigger picture. He knows how the seemingly disconnected puzzle pieces of my life today fit into His puzzle.
10. God is the story—not I. My responsibility is simply to trust Him.

If your life is overwhelming today, I pray these words help you today.

 

Comment at: http://chucklawless.com/2021/07/10-things-i-think-about-when-life-is-overwhelming/

Crucified with Christ

A Broadcast with Sinclair Ferguson

When we come to faith in Jesus and are united to the crucified, risen Savior, our old life is left on the other side of the cross. Today, Sinclair Ferguson identifies what it means for Christians to be crucified with Christ.

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Mary and Martha: Brave Friends (Luke 10:38–42; John 11:1–44)

By Jess Lyons

Read Luke 10:38–42; John 11:1–44

At first glance, the story of Mary and Martha is simple and straightforward. Many of us are familiar with Luke’s account of these women. Don’t be a busy Martha, always fussing and “doing” for Jesus. Instead, be like Mary. Sit with Jesus, listen, recognize that only “one thing is needed.”

Do a quick Google search using the words “Mary and Martha,” and you’ll find sermons focused solely on devotion over performance. You’ll come across ideas for Mary and Martha parties where hosts can buy serving trays and decorative pillows to create a welcoming environment for guests. But don’t neglect the companion Bible Study plans that really make your party pop!

This familiar Mary and Martha narrative is good but not complete. We’re inspired to prioritize time with Jesus over service for him. But unfortunately, on their own, these six familiar verses from Luke’s Gospel create difficult choices for followers of Christ, especially for women.

One writer notes this well: “For centuries, Luke’s story has been used to polarize women into no-win situations. ‘Marthas’ have been criticized for their mundane busy-ness, while studious or professional ‘Marys’ have been condemned for unnatural disregard of family or usurpation of male roles.”

Thankfully, we are given a fuller, more dimensional picture of these women and their faithfulness. We read about their deep friendship with Jesus more in John 11 and 12, and this is where we get some good stuff to complement Luke’s picture.

Scripture tells us that Jesus loves these sisters and their brother, Lazarus, dearly. He frequently visits their home, almost as if it is a haven of sorts. We see his level of comfort with them in their conversations, allowing the sisters to talk candidly and even complain a bit. When Lazarus suddenly dies, Mary and Martha call on Jesus.

Read more: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/anabaptistrevisions/2021/07/mary-and-martha-brave-friends-luke-1038-42-john-111-44/