"so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son"
Genesis 3 speaks of the Garden of Eden. There the Serpent tempted Adam and Eve to choose their own will over that of God’s will. Following Adam and Eve’s choice to follow their own will, God also had a choice whether to live among the sin of man or separate His direct presence from mankind.
The theme of the Bible is to re-unite man in the direct presence of God the Father who is in heaven.
How might the God of Holiness, who maintains an environment of righteousness, welcome mankind into his presence?
- God the Father provided His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to teach us the Word of God and as a sacrifice to wipe clean our history of sin, 1 John 1:8-9.
- What good is being forgiven if we are just going to sin again? Along with the gift of forgiveness is the gift of grace. Grace involves growing in righteousness. This can result in self-centeredness having less of a hold upon us. While our mind can learn elements of grace, it requires asking God in prayer to transform such wisdom into our hearts. The mind yields knowing it. The heart can yield living it. The difference can be between pretending to be spiritually mature and actually growing in Jesus Christ.
- In being in God’s grace, the student that is beginning this learning process can be loved by The Teacher as much as the student ready to graduate.
In the parable in Matthew 20:1-16 (NIV) refers to the Kingdom of Heaven being the Owner of a vineyard originally hiring workers the majority of their lives. (Scripture uses this term “day.”) Later, the Owner (Jesus Christ) hired other workers at the same wage for a lesser time of service. The meaning of wages with the Scripture is “Salvation” or “the ability to go to heaven.” Then some of whom should have been the more mature Christians who were hired earlier displayed jealously for the grace Jesus Christ had displayed. The parable ended with:
14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
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Rejoice for the grace Christ has given to soften our neighbor's heart!
- Grace is a gift so no one can boast, Ephesians 2:8-9.
Our responsibility in preparation for heaven requires our willingness to receive whatever degree of lessons God has for us. What greater importance of prayer is there than to ask for the things God wants our heart to learn?
Chapter 4: “whoever believes in him” within John 3:16