Faith as our Foundation - Seamless Session Three

We've just spent two weeks (of a seven week study) studying Genesis. I figure old Angie Smith is gonna have to pick up the pace a wee bit if we're going to make it to Revelation in the next five weeks! I confess that I peeked ahead to this week's homework to see where we'd end up. I've had several people mention that they'd like to read the entire portion of Scripture that we're studying along with the book. So if you're one of those people who wants to read ALL of the Scripture, get ready, because this next week we're going to be studying Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth and part of 1 Samuel. I hope you read fast, friend! Here's the great news about that: This study really whets your appetite for MORE of Scripture. You may not be able to keep up with the pace we're about to set with the book, but the fact that this overview study of God's Word is leaving you hungry for more is a very good thing. You don't have to read any certain amount of Scripture as we study, but I do challenge you to read the Scripture! If you're able to do this study without cracking open your Bible, you're missing the point! The point is this: We grow to love God more when we grow in our knowledge of Him through His Word. We're using Seamless as a guide through the Bible because it grows our knowledge of His Word and in turn, it grows our knowledge of and love for Him.

Since we're all fired up to read more of His Word, crack open your Bible to Hebrews 11. If you studied with us in class this week, you heard me read this aloud. Whether or not you heard it this week, I want you to take a few minutes and read it yourself. Yes, the whole thing. And if you have a copy of the Message Bible, I'd love for you to read it from there. It's really neat.

Here's Hebrews 11:1 from the Message. "The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living."

Over the past two weeks in Genesis, Angie has guided us through this firm foundation of faith. As we studied Adam and Eve and Noah and Abraham and Sarah and Isaac and Rebekah and Jacob and Rachel and Leah and Joseph and all the others in between, we've seen this amazing heritage of faith that we have as believers. Hebrews 11 gives us a great summary of what we've just covered and why it's so important.

Hebrews 11:13-16 says, "Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted. But they were after a far better country than that - heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them."

When God told Abraham to go, Moses could've said no. When God told Noah to build, Noah could've said no. When God told Sarah to wait and trust, Sarah could've taken matters into her own hands and used her maidservant to have a baby for her. And actually, that's exactly what she did! Can you imagine how the story would've read if she had said "yes, Lord!" and then sat back and trusted and waited? Each of these people had a choice - follow or don't follow, obey or disobey. Some of them chose wisely and some didn't. Some reaped the benefits of obedience and others reaped the consequences of disobedience.

We're in the same boat with them. You're allowed to turn back to your old self. God will never make you come to Him. He will never force you into a relationship with him or demand that you obey. He always gives you a choice. You can look down that long hall at your old self, fearing the future, dwelling in the past. Or you can fix your eyes on Him, the one who is faithful and true, and your faith will open up a beautiful life of walking with the Lord.

Let me encourage you with this - If you haven't been able to come to Bible study on Wednesday mornings at 9 am, do your best to get there next week. We've had such precious times of worship, fellowship and Bible study together (not to mention Melissa's chocolate chip banana muffins!). I want you to put your excuses away. We've all got them. It doesn't matter if you've never been before. It doesn't matter if you came once and then haven't come back. It doesn't matter if you don't know anyone or you're in your grungy clothes or you haven't done your homework. We need you to come and walk this road through Scripture with us. Please come. And if you truly can't come because you're too far away or stuck at home, please feel free to comment here or send me an email with comments and questions. My email address is amberirving00@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you.

This week we're studying Week Three. It starts on page 60. If you'd like to download Angie's video from today's session (Session Three), you can do that here for $2.99. Thanks for coming, studying and reading with us.

A Passionate Pursuit - Seamless Session Two

I have so enjoyed studying Genesis along with you over the past few weeks. I'll admit I'm wondering how Angie is going to take us all the way through Scripture when so far we're only about 11 chapters into Genesis (Plus a bit of Job too!). I love digging deep into Scripture like we did with 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon in the spring. But catching an overview of the whole Bible is a pretty neat thing too! I love how I'm already seeing how there's a beautiful thread woven through God's Word!

Last week I told you about The Jesus Storybook Bible. This week in class, I read the chapter called "The Terrible Lie" aloud. It's the story of Adam and Eve and the trouble they got into. We studied it this week in our homework and it's probably a story you've heard a million times. But take seven minutes and watch this: The Terrible Lie. 

Don't you just love how even in the very beginning, it all points to JESUS?

In Genesis 3:9, after Adam and Eve had tasted the forbidden fruit, God asks his children, “Where are you?” Angie Smith points us to the idea that God wasn’t asking them to identify their physical location, but to identify the condition of their hearts. I want to propose another theory.

God’s first question, “Where are you?” is so much more than three little words. The entirety of  Scripture rests on God’s passionate pursuit of his children, even when they are entrenched in sin. He pursued Adam and Eve after that first bite of forbidden fruit and He pursues us in the middle of our mess. Before they had even heard of the concept of repentance, God pursued them. Before they knew their need for a Savior, God pursued them. Centuries before God would offer Jesus as the propitiation for the sins of mankind, God would pursue Adam and Eve in their sin. They didn’t have to be perfect. They didn’t have to clean up first. They were naked and afraid and God wanted to know, “Where are you?” It wasn’t that He didn’t know where they were. He wanted to show us that he wanted them back.

Another important point to note is the importance of confession in our relationship with God. God, being all-knowing, knew exactly where Adam and Eve had been and exactly what they had done. He wasn't asking them because he needed them to tell him. He asked them because they needed to confess their sin. In the same way that a mother asks her child, "What have you done?" when she sees chocolate cake all over his face, God asked his children, "What have you done?" when their sin was all over their faces. 1 John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." God doesn't need us to tell him anything he doesn't know - He knows it all! Confession of sin is necessary to restore our relationship with him. Sin gets in the way. Confession clears it up. We confess our sins to Him so that we can walk in right relationship with Him. You see? God really wanted them back!

God’s passionate pursuit of his children is a beautiful theme that we will see run throughout Scripture. He chases us even when we have no intention of being caught. He chases us when we are enjoying our sin. He chases us when we don’t even know of our need for a Savior. He chases us when we have turned our hearts toward idols. He passionately pursues us, even to the point of coming to earth as a man, as God in the flesh, to live and die as a ransom for us all. Oh, how he loves us. How he pursues us! How he longs for us to turn to him!

Adam and Eve didn’t have that chance because God had not yet put into place a system of sacrifice as payment for sin. But soon we will see that everything is being set into motion to pave the way for Jesus to offer himself as the ultimate sacrifice. It all points to HIM.

This week we'll continue our study through the Patriarchs, Abraham's clan, Joseph and more! It's gonna be great! Thanks so much for studying with us!

If you'd like to purchase the video we watched over session 2 by Angie Smith, you can do that here. Or you can just continue to read the blog and do the homework in the book. If you don't have a book, we have plenty available for pick-up in the church office. Books are a suggested donation of $15. 

Seamless Session One

Turn to Obadiah.

How many of you became paralyzed with fear just now? When your Bible Study teacher or pastor tells you to turn to a book and you have no idea where that book is, you might think, "Where is Obadiah?" "Will I look stupid if I turn to the table of contents?" "I’ll just act like I know where it is." "I’ll just watch her and see where she turns!" The Bible can feel like an intimidating book sometimes, especially if you’re new to reading it! This is a place where you can ask questions and find answers. Don't be afraid to admit you don't know something!

            Now turn to Hebrews 4:12 – really this time! 

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

            

In the past God spoke to humans through dreams, angels and miracles. He does still use those methods today, but our primary contact with God is through the love letter he wrote for us, His Word, The Bible.

1.     God’s Word is LIVING. He can speak to us through His word one way when we are 21 and a completely different way when we’re 51. Every time we open His Word, we can read something for the hundredth time and it will be as fresh as if we’d just read it for the first time. It is this way because God is a living God!

2.     God’s Word is ACTIVE. God’s Word is not something you passively hear and then ignore. It actively works in our lives, changes us, and sends us into action for God.

3.     God’s Word penetrates the SOUL and SPIRIT.  It goes deep into places in us that we didn’t even know existed. It penetrates our hearts in a way nothing else can.

4.     God’s Word judges the THOUGHTS and ACTIONS of the heart. We may think we have a secret, but God knows all. And His Word reveals those secret places to us.

His Word is LIFE! This study is going to guide us on a journey to see the thread that holds all of Scripture together. Have you ever read the Jesus Storybook Bible? It’s a fantastic, EASY, read that shows how Jesus makes an appearance in ALL of Scripture. It shows how every story points to him! I love to read it to my kids, but I love to hear it for myself! I encourage you to find a copy for your family.

            I want to tell you a little bit about how this Bible Study Group came to be. God has been working in my heart over the last year especially, giving me a desire to teach his word more and more.  He’s shown me that many of our preachers and teachers today are failing at preaching His Word. As I led a group of ladies through a study of 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus (you can find those studies here on the blog!), I saw over and over that Paul warned us about false teachers. False teachers don’t often come declaring blatantly evil messages. Rather, they sneak in and twist the truth just enough to make us confused. It was a big problem in Paul’s day and it’s a big problem today!

Turn to 2 Timothy 4:2. Paul tells Timothy, 

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke and exhort with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

So let me tell you what this Bible study is NOT going to be:

1.                    Entertainment. I hate to disappoint you, but I’m not here to entertain you. I’m going to take Paul’s advice and preach the Word!

2.                    Sharing. We are going to have some great discussion. But if all we do is read the Seamless book and talk about our feelings, we have MISSED the point. When we do share, it will be about God’s Word.

3.                    Recruiting. I’m not going to try to get you to change from your church to my church. I love my church, but I’m not trying to recruit you. I want to encourage you to go to a Bible believing church with a pastor who preaches the Word. If you have a church like that already, I want to encourage you to keep going! If you don’t have a church right now, we’d love to have you here.

4.                    Counseling. We do want to discuss, but this isn’t the place for you to air your dirty laundry. If you need to speak with a counselor, I’m happy to point you in the right direction. We are here to discuss God’s Word.

So as God was laying all of this on my heart, a group of ladies from the Shiner/Gonzales area began to meet together to pray about beginning a Community Bible Study in Gonzales. I’ve heard so many ladies tell me that they long to see a unified BODY of believers in Gonzales- believers from churches all over our surrounding area that could come together to worship and study God’s Word together.  We’re focusing hard on starting a group in the fall, complete with a structured children’s program and solid Biblical teaching. I had several ladies ask me to teach something this summer, so I put the word out and I’ve been BLOWN AWAY by the response. The women of Gonzales are obviously hungry for God’s Word and hungry for fellowship with other believing women. (If you'd like to be involved in a leadership capacity with the group that is praying about starting a Bible Study group this fall, please see me privately!) 

This is an OPEN group with an open invitation to anyone who wants to come and learn more about the Bible. Please invite your friends! If you'd like to purchase a book from the church, they are $15 and can be picked up in the church office or from me. Please don't let cost stand in the way of you participating. We'd be happy to help you with the cost if you need help.

Each week we'll be watching a short 15 minute video by Angie Smith to accompany our study. If you'd like to download the video for today's session, click here and select Session One to see what we watched in class. Each downloaded video is $2.99. You can absolutely participate fully in this study without watching the video, but I want you to have the option of watching it if you'd like.

These questions were discussed in Bible Study this morning from page 10 and 11 of your study book:

What drew you to this study?

How did Angie’s experience of feeling lost or stupid trying to study the Bible resonate with you? What have been your own challenges in studying the Bible?

What do you hope to gain as you study and participate with this group in the coming weeks?

How as a group can you help one another avoid discouragement and feeling overwhelmed and stay accountable to stick it out for the whole study?

What are some steps you will take this week to devote yourself to the work of this study?

What is one thing you want your group to know about you?

Big Words in Titus 3

We wrapped up our study of Titus last week and I was amazed (again!) at what God did. First of all, we didn't have room around our 4 tables for all the women that came. God is moving in the hearts of women in our church and in our town and I am amazed to see what He is doing! I'm seeing women seeking Him more and studying His Word more and attending church more and getting more and more excited about their walk with the Lord!  I hope that describes you, dear reader of my blog. If not, ask Him to give you MORE of what He has for you and He surely will do it! Matthew 7:7 says, "Ask and it will be given to you! Seek and you will find!" So go ahead, ask Him for more.

I want to wrap up our study by throwing some big words at you. We're gonna talk about salvation, justification, adoption and sanctification. Read Titus 3:3-7.

Paul starts in these verses by pointing out what the natural man looks like. Have you ever heard anyone declare that we're all "basically good"? NOPE. We're all basically awful sinners. Let's face it, even one little bitty sin will separate us from God for eternity. And most of us have a few more than one, right? Paul says in Titus 3:3, "We were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another." Does that sound like people are "basically good" to you?

So where's the good news? Here it comes in Titus 3:4-6. "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, HE SAVED US, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior..." Our salvation came because God our Savior appeared (think the Christmas story!) It wasn't because of anything we did, but only because of his mercy. Salvation.

Now this was "so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:7) What does it mean to be justified by his grace? It means that when we die (and we will ALL die) and we stand before the Father (and we'll ALL do that too), Jesus will say, "That one? I paid for her sin. She's mine." Justified.

And not only are we justified, but we become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Heirs. That makes me think of the royal family in England. Right now, the whole country is awaiting the birth of Prince William's heir. It's a thrilling position, full of royalty and privilege. And that's the position we hold with our Father God. We are heirs. Adopted.

The last big word is the trickiest. Sanctification. Merriam Webster makes it simple.

Sanctify: to make something holy.

Read Titus 3:8-10. It's a list of dos and don'ts for the believer. Do good works. Don't fight with each other. This process of sanctification is one that lasts from the moment we believe the good news of Jesus Christ until the moment we come face to face with Him in heaven. As we turn our backs on the things that displease the Father and we begin to do the good works He has for us, He makes us more holy, more like Him. Sanctification.

"And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful...Grace be with you all." (Titus 3:14-15) Salvation. Justification. Adoption. Sanctification. Aren't you glad you're HIS?

And God Provided a Ham

I LOVE to save money at the grocery store. Because we have so many mouths to feed and because we choose to be a one-income family, I look for every opportunity to save as much as I can. I coupon, I meal-plan, I budget, I scrimp and save, but one of our biggest monthly expenses is still groceries. I go for a "big load" of groceries once every two weeks and then I usually go back once or twice during that two week period for a refill of the necessities. You want my best advice for saving money at the grocery store? Stay out of the grocery store! The more often I go, the more money I spend. So my best advice is to cut down on the number of trips you make. That advice is yours absolutely free. You're welcome. 

Well, given my passion for saving money on groceries, you can imagine my shock the other day when my cashier gave me my total and it was nearly double what I normally spend. I had planned. I had used coupons. I hadn't bought anything unusual. I swallowed hard and swiped my card. By the time I pulled my Suburban into the driveway, I was near tears. I had spent all but a few dollars of my usual two-week budget, and that includes eating out money too. (We don't eat out much, but I like to have a few extra dollars for it in times of complete dinnertime chaos.) Time to go confess to the husband. He was (as usual) totally cool about it. "God will provide, Amber. He always does. Don't worry about it." But totally irrational me responded with, "But the hamburger meat was $17!" And of course, he says, "Babe, God will provide the meat."

Once I had calmed down and he had dried my tears, I told him, "We better make sure we write that tithe check on Sunday. I know he'll provide if we do that. If we don't, we're gonna be hurting by the end of the month." How did I know that? Well, it's one of His precious promises! Read on...

"Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." Malachi 3:10 

That's a challenge from the Lord himself! "Test me in this," He says. 

Well before we ever even had a chance to test him, an unexpected and very generous check came in the mail for some work that Chris had done. I love it when that happens! I felt like God was showing us that he was going to provide for all of our needs, no matter what. This weekend, we had an opportunity to give generously. So much of us wanted to hold onto our money because we knew we were going to need it. But both of us could see that there was someone who needed this money more than we did. So we gave it away. 

So we gave and we trusted and we waited. (I can almost hear the music playing behind this scene. So far it's been kind of sad and dreary, but now it's building in anticipation. Can you hear it???)

Yesterday, I got a text from an old friend. "This is random and last minute, but I'm headed to your area to drop off some meat. We butchered 2 pigs and have 800 pounds of meat. If you can meet me, I will load you up!"

What?!? God provided meat? Actual MEAT! Yesterday, I loaded my freezer full of breakfast sausage, ground sausage, ribs, pork chops and two giant hams. God literally poured down a blessing until there was no more need. Such a precious promise and we got to see it FULFILLED. Thank you, Lord.

Here's What Happens When You Turn 40

I created an online survey back in 2012, asking my Facebook friends from all over the country to give me honest answers about how they view the women's ministries at their churches and what they would like to see happen in their relationships with other women. I had 66 responses. I wasn't one bit surprised by their answers. The results of this survey just confirmed what I already suspected about women and as I've studied Paul's writings, I get the feeling that Paul knew what our problems were too. Ecclesiastes 1:9 tells us that there is nothing new under the sun, so we can be sure that the problems we have today are very similar to the struggles of women in the first century church.

This week we studied Titus 2, which is a famous chapter in the women's ministry world because of it's references to older women and younger women. Titus 2 also addresses older men (they should be dignified, self controlled, sound in the faith, etc), younger men (they should show integrity, seriousness and self-control as well), and even slaves (they should be subject to their masters in everything). At the end of the chapter, Paul offers some ideas on how to live out the life he is calling us to live in the preceding verses. He doesn't just leave us hanging with a to-do list. He tells us how to do it as well!

The number one thing that my (totally unofficial, amateur) survey showed me is that young women are crazy busy. Over and over, women cited "scheduling conflicts" and "conflicts with other plans" as reasons why they don't participate in women's ministry events and activities. One woman put it this way: "Really not interested in anything more right now. A full days work, home, and personal needs to be met are enough to fill my day."

I get it! Women are NOT looking for more activities to fill their calendars - we have enough junk cluttering our days as it is! So here's Paul's answer.

3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Paul tells Timothy that he needs to teach the older women first, so that they can teach the younger women. (Now, just who is an older woman here? Well in Paul's day, the age of 40 was customarily the dividing line between older and younger. That's obviously not a set-in-stone rule, just a custom of the day. Sheesh, I remember when 40 seemed old! Now, not so much!) The idea Paul is presenting here is that we are each responsible for teaching the women who are younger than we are. Paul isn't talking about teaching a formal Bible study in a church with a book and corresponding DVD. He's not talking about taking over a Sunday School class. Paul is talking about every day discipleship. God has placed women in your life and he's placed them there for a reason! As we go about our business, we are to live in such a way that we teach the women who are younger than we are how to walk with the Lord and live right lives. But the older women can't do that unless they are living right first - reverent, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine. The older can't teach the younger to follow the Lord unless they are following the Lord first.

So what does Paul say the younger women need to know? First, they need to love their husbands and children. The word used here for love is "phileo", which is the brotherly kind of love. This is the kind of love that comes across as actually liking someone. You may not ever admit to anyone that you struggle with liking your kids or your husband, but we all have our moments! When the dishes are piling up and the bills need to be paid and the washing machine breaks down and the kids are fighting with each other, young women need to remember to like their kids and husbands! 

Paul also says that young women need to be urged to be self-controlled and pure. Self-control is HARD, and not something that usually comes naturally to anybody. Purity (keeping oneself from being polluted by the world) is to be taught to the younger women as well. Older women can also encourage the younger to be kind, as well as to submit to their husbands. But there's one other thing that Paul wants us to work on - He wants the older women to urge the younger women to be busy at home. This is precisely what I saw in my survey - young women struggle with keeping their schedules clear! Many young women aren't busy at home because they're never at home! Some spend their days at work (Paul is not against working outside the home) and then rush the kids through the drive thru and on to baseball practice. By the time they get home, it's past bedtime and the whole routine starts again early the next morning. Some stay-at-home moms fill their schedules so full with play groups and play dates and zumba and coffee with friends and committee meetings and appointments that they have little time to spend at home either. Neither situation is ideal. Young women need to be reminded of that.

Do you have a young woman in your life that needs you to speak words of encouragement to her? Do you have an older woman in your life that you could ask to hold you accountable and teach you a few things? We don't have to walk this road alone. In fact, we're not supposed to! God created us to live in community with each other and he wants us to share life together. The point is for us to look more like him each day, so it helps to have someone walking with us to show us ways we can improve as well as ways we are beginning to resemble Jesus. And if you read a little further into Titus 2, we see that it's His grace that teaches us to say NO to ungodliness. I'm glad I'm not alone in this, aren't you?

I challenge you to go get your Bible and read all of Titus 2. Ask God which relationships you can invest yourself in more. Ask him to show you a younger woman and an older woman that you can begin to develop a more intimate relationship with. He will do it! 

In Need of a Resting Place

We talked about some pretty heavy stuff at Bible study on Wednesday night. Who knew Paul's little letter to Titus would bring up such intense topics? The doctrine of election, the problem with legalism, the need for confrontation and rebuking. Yucky, Yuck, Yuck, Yuck. I reminded the ladies that the reason we talk about this stuff is because of Weak Women and Worms. We don't want that now, do we? So open up your Bible and check out Titus 1.

"Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth..."  Titus 1:1a

Paul starts with one of his famous run-on sentences. And this one little word tries to sneak past us, but we're too quick to let that happen, so we catch it and dig in. Did you see it? God's elect. Oh boy, here we go. An incredibly simple definition of the doctrine of election is this: By God's sovereign will, He chose who would be a part of the body of Christ. Now go get your Bible. Seriously, you need to read each of these verses because if you skip past this part, you're not going to get this! So go get it! (Or you can click here to look them up online.) Now read each one of these verses. Take your time and think about what each of them is saying.

1. Colossians 3:12

2. Romans 8:33

3. John 15:16

4. 2 Thessalonians 2:13

5. Acts 13:48

6. John 1:12-13

7. 2 Timothy 2:10

8. 1 Peter 2:9

9. Revelation 17:14

10. Ephesians 1:3-14

We had quite the debate about this doctrine of election business. Some of us said that we believe that God knows who will follow him and who will not but that he doesn't choose who will follow him and who will not.  Now, I was raised a good little Baptist girl and I've grown into a good little Baptist pastor's wife. I grew up believing that. But here's the problem I'm facing - the Bible doesn't say God knew. The Bible says God chose. Each of the verses above reference the fact that God chose us for salvation. We absolutely can't get around it. That's the word. He chose us. (I even checked the Greek! Yep, he chose.) So let's let go of the idea that God didn't choose us, that he only knew we would choose Him. Let that idea go. If we begin to entertain the idea that he chose some of us and not others, we might start to think that something incredibly unfair is happening here.

Read Romans 9:14-21. There is no injustice with God. Do you believe that? He's absolutely just. We may not understand his ways, but we can rest in the truth that he is absolutely just. Even if it doesn't make sense to us, he is always just.

John McArthur has a very helpful, simple perspective that he shares on his website. You can read that here: Is the Doctrine of Election Biblical? Here's what he has to say in a nutshell: 

"How these two sides of God's truth - His sovereignty in choosing us (Romans 9) and our responsibility to confess and believe (Romans 10) - reconcile is impossible for us to understand fully. But Scripture declares both perspectives of salvation to be true (John 1:12-13). It's our duty to acknowledge both and joyfully accept them by faith."

So did God choose us or did we choose Him? The answer is simply, yes.

And if that's not enough to leave you scratching your head and searching your Bible, let's talk about the problem with legalism. In Titus 2:10, Paul throws "The Circumcision Party" under the bus for their legalistic views. A simple definition of legalism is this: Legalism is strict adherence to rules and regulations, to the exclusion of grace. Read Colossians 2:20-23 to find out what Paul had to say about legalism. (He wasn't a fan.) This group was made up of Jewish converts who had accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ but continued to hold onto their Jewish traditions. To the Jew, circumcision was a sign of covenant relationship with God. The idea that you could have a covenant relationship with God through Jesus and not through circumcision was appalling to the Jews. Paul had four words for Titus in regard to these false teachers:

"They must be silenced." Titus 1:11

So in what ways are you tied to legalistic beliefs today? Don't think about other people. Think about YOU. What rules or laws or traditions are you holding onto? How can we "hate the sin but love the sinner?" In which areas do you need to show more grace? Are there any areas that we need to remain legalistic about? Why? 

Do you ever feel like studying things like this leaves you with more questions than answers? That's ok. Paul calls it "working out our salvation" in Philippians 2:12. It's a good thing!

If you keep reading in Titus, you get to verse 13, where Paul tells Titus that he needs to rebuke these false teachers. This idea isn't new to you if you studied 1 and 2 Timothy with us. Paul tells his understudies over and over again to rebuke false teachers. It reminds me of Jesus' teaching in Matthew 18. We are supposed to confront sin in the body of Christ. OY. That's definitely not something most of us are comfortable doing, is it? 

So when is a rebuke necessary? According to Scripture, a rebuke is necessary when someone is in sin, or when a brother sins against you. But why can't we just sweep it under the rug? If we ignore it, maybe it will go away, right? Wrong. 

"Better is an open rebuke than hidden love." Proverbs 27:5

And check out these other reasons too: (Don't skip this!)

1. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

2. 2 Timothy 4:2

3. 1 Timothy 5:20

4.  Matthew 18:15-20

Why don't we practice rebuking and confronting each other? My guess is because it's incredibly awkward. Very few people enjoy confrontation. But Scripture requires it of us so that we will be complete, equipped for every good work, to bring restoration and so that we can learn from our mistakes. What would happen if we obeyed these commands? How would the church look if we practiced correcting and rebuking? I wonder if relationships would be restored and we would be complete. That's what God said would happen, right? So let me encourage you with this: The next time you have a beef with a sister in Christ, go to her immediately. The next time you see a brother in sin, go to him immediately. Don't go to your friend or your pastor or your mentor or your mom. Go to the brother or sister who needs the rebuke. See if God doesn't keep that precious promise of restoration and redemption!

God gave me a beautiful song this week after a conversation I had with a friend who seems to really be struggling with questions about the doctrine of election, legalism and confrontation, among other things. Sometimes it's hard and confusing and strange and exhausting to figure out what you believe. As I prayed for her, God brought this song to mind. The words were written in the late 1800s but they very much apply to our study of the hard things this week. Are you in need of a resting place? Check this out: My Faith Has Found a Resting Place.

It is ENOUGH that Jesus died for you. When he hung on the cross, he said IT IS FINISHED (John 19:30) If you're in a place where you feel lost or confused about all the details of your faith and belief system, my prayer for you is that as you work out your salvation, you would rest in the knowledge that it is enough that Jesus died for you. You need no other argument. You need no other plea. You don't need to know all the details. Jesus died for you and that is all you need.

I'd love to hear your thoughts...Comment here, message me on Facebook or chat with me in person.

My faith has found a resting place, not in device nor creed,

I trust the ever living One, His wounds for me shall plead.

Enough for me that Jesus saves, This ends my fear and doubt;

A sinful soul I come to Him, He'll never cast me out.

My heart is leaning on the Word, The living Word of God,

Salvation by my Savior's name, Salvation through His blood.

I need no other argument, I need no other plea,

It is enough that Jesus died, and that He died for me.