But thanks be to God! He gives us the VICTORY through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57
In the midst of a threat you can choose that moment to surrender in weakness. That choice ultimately leads to failure. This happens daily within the context of marriage, parenting, exercise, business, ethics, morality, dieting, finances, addiction...
1 Corinthians 15:57
In the midst of a threat you can choose that moment to surrender in weakness. That choice ultimately leads to failure. This happens daily within the context of marriage, parenting, exercise, business, ethics, morality, dieting, finances, addiction...
In every area of life we face very real threats every moment of every day; yet we feel frequently feel compelled to accept failure as the final say.
Thankfully, the Gospel of Christ extols, “Failure is not the final say!”
Failures become battles when we cease to accept them.
Battles become victories through realized opportunities.
Failure is ONLY failure if you accept it as the final say.
Momentary weakness is a legitimate ongoing struggle for every person who ever walked this planet; with one exception: Jesus. His flawless resolve is sourced in the same Wellspring, Deposit, and Insignia available to us. And not merely available, but truly the new identity and reality for those born-again of the Holy Spirit!
Failure is ONLY failure if you accept it as the final say.
Momentary weakness is a legitimate ongoing struggle for every person who ever walked this planet; with one exception: Jesus. His flawless resolve is sourced in the same Wellspring, Deposit, and Insignia available to us. And not merely available, but truly the new identity and reality for those born-again of the Holy Spirit!
He has forever been, and eternally is, God. Jesus is not a created being who “figured it out” and achieved God-status under His own right choices, morality, or will. No. Instead, Scripture tells us in Philippians 2:7, “he ἐκένωσεν (deprived) himself in taking the form of a servant.”
Failure is only failure if you accept it as the final say.
Jesus went to the Cross not only to shoulder the sin of the world and bury it forever down to the grave with Him, but also to make His perfect righteousness available to and a reality within. We can achieve nothing greater than what He has freely given. We can earn no merit based on sacramental accuracy or adherence. There are no bonus points for works; as if we could buy a stairway to heaven. The beauty of it, and our ABSOLUTE JOY, is that none of what Jesus accomplished was in, through, or by His own power. Instead, it was in perfect obedience to the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Failure is only failure if you accept it as the final say.
Jesus voluntarily deprived Himself of all the entitlements of being God in order to glorify the Father. Here is where we miss the boat: Scripture tells us that Jesus deprived himself of His entitlements as God, yet we reckon Jesus acquired a new skill of absolute dependence through His incarnation, passion, and death. This is where our non-Trinitarian theology betrays us - not only in thought, but in daily practice. Our “practical theology,” (what our faith looks like in the day-to-day choices and decisions) ultimately denies The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as perfectly, eternally, one indivisible God of Holy Trinity.
Failure is only failure if you accept it as the final say.
Jesus did not learn dependence through His incarnation, the Bible tells us: “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered” (Heb 5:8). Not that He was ever disobedient, but through His incarnation, the Passion, the Cross, and ultimately His sacrificial death - Jesus demonstrated obedience through practical experience just as Adam demonstrated disobedience.
Failure is only failure if you accept it as the final say.
Jesus came so that we would NOT accept failure as the final say in anything: parenting, addiction, relationships, finances, prayer, or synthetic religion. He came to earth (advent) and experienced obedience THROUGH the power of intimate UNITY with the Holy Spirit and the Father.
Failure is only failure if you accept it as the final say.
Jesus went to the Cross not only to shoulder the sin of the world and bury it forever down to the grave with Him, but also to make His perfect righteousness available to and a reality within. We can achieve nothing greater than what He has freely given. We can earn no merit based on sacramental accuracy or adherence. There are no bonus points for works; as if we could buy a stairway to heaven. The beauty of it, and our ABSOLUTE JOY, is that none of what Jesus accomplished was in, through, or by His own power. Instead, it was in perfect obedience to the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Failure is only failure if you accept it as the final say.
Jesus voluntarily deprived Himself of all the entitlements of being God in order to glorify the Father. Here is where we miss the boat: Scripture tells us that Jesus deprived himself of His entitlements as God, yet we reckon Jesus acquired a new skill of absolute dependence through His incarnation, passion, and death. This is where our non-Trinitarian theology betrays us - not only in thought, but in daily practice. Our “practical theology,” (what our faith looks like in the day-to-day choices and decisions) ultimately denies The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as perfectly, eternally, one indivisible God of Holy Trinity.
Failure is only failure if you accept it as the final say.
Jesus did not learn dependence through His incarnation, the Bible tells us: “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered” (Heb 5:8). Not that He was ever disobedient, but through His incarnation, the Passion, the Cross, and ultimately His sacrificial death - Jesus demonstrated obedience through practical experience just as Adam demonstrated disobedience.
Failure is only failure if you accept it as the final say.
Jesus came so that we would NOT accept failure as the final say in anything: parenting, addiction, relationships, finances, prayer, or synthetic religion. He came to earth (advent) and experienced obedience THROUGH the power of intimate UNITY with the Holy Spirit and the Father.
His incarnation was new and temporal, but His relationship of obedience to the Father and dependence upon the Spirit are eternal. Jesus never told us to pick ourselves up by our bootstraps. Jesus never told us to simply try harder or to meditate on getting “better.”
Jesus did tell us that the ONLY difference between the wise and foolish builder is this: obedient implementation. Jesus didn’t offer up suggestions for living a healthier or happier life. Jesus exhorts us to repent from sin to subsequently reveal in and through us the truth and grace of the Gospel!
IMPERATIVE: Jesus tells us to identify 100% with Him.
IMPERATIVE: Jesus tells us to identify 100% with Him.
RESPONSE: Accept Him exclusively as LORD and Savior.
IMPERATIVE: Jesus tells us to identify 100% with the Father. RESPONSE: Accept His sovereign will over your life.
IMPERATIVE: Jesus tells us to identify 100% with the Spirit.
IMPERATIVE: Jesus tells us to identify 100% with the Father. RESPONSE: Accept His sovereign will over your life.
IMPERATIVE: Jesus tells us to identify 100% with the Spirit.
RESPONSE: Yield to His perfect power and provision.
That’s what it means to be baptized (identified) in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and not just in the name of Jesus.
That’s what it means to be baptized (identified) in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and not just in the name of Jesus.
There can be no authentic obedience disconnected from the Father’s will. There can be no obedience devoid of the Holy Spirit’s power and presence. There can be no obedience separated from Christ by sin.
Failure is only failure if you accept it as the final say.
Failure exists in taking one of two fateful roads: 1) The first is to strive to earn salvation or merit with God through works rather than by the transcendent gift of faith alone. 2) The second is to become so comfortable with the concept of grace, we never pause to truly examine our lives for the essential firstfruits of faith.
Failure is only failure if you accept it as the final say.
Failure exists in taking one of two fateful roads: 1) The first is to strive to earn salvation or merit with God through works rather than by the transcendent gift of faith alone. 2) The second is to become so comfortable with the concept of grace, we never pause to truly examine our lives for the essential firstfruits of faith.
There is beauty and freedom in dependence upon God because that’s how, why, and what we were created for.
In Christ, failures become battles when we cease to accept them as the final say.
In Christ, battles become victories through realized opportunities.
Our failures really do become eternal victory parade in Christ.
Our failures really do become eternal victory parade in Christ.
His power truly is made perfect in weakness!
Blessings,
-Kevin M. Kelley
aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com
Blessings,
-Kevin M. Kelley
aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com
No comments:
Post a Comment