Things Above Thought
TAT # 90 Sin
Sin has been describe in many ways, for example:
Sin is
“rebellion against God”
“rebellion against God’s laws”
“rebellion against God’s authority”
“adding to God’s Word”
“going beyond what is written in God’s Word”
“missing the mark”
“falling short of God’s mark”
“turning way from God”
“choosing to please self rather than God”
and
“Sin is choosing the temporal over the eternal.”
Things Above Thought
TAT #59
Suffering #3
Fact #30 Trials can come into my life that are for God’s purposes (Job 1:7).
What are the other times that God wants me to suffer?
God constructed the laws of cause & effect and actions & results. One such law is that disobedience to God (sin) can bring suffering. Therefore certain pain can be a result of sin. This pain can be used to recognize our sin and repent. It can also be considered to be from God and therefore good. It’s just like our visit to the ole Doc: “ Doc, when I do this it hurts! Well if it hurts when you do that then don’t do that.”
For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. (1 Peter 3:17)
Things Above Thoughts
TAT #36
Darkness or Light
to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God (Act 26:18)
I love Paul’s call. He was sent to the Gentiles to free them from the darkness of Satan’s rulership so that they may turn to God. But how was he to do that? He was to “open their eyes.” Today we have a rampant problem with this and it is an ancient one:
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; (Isaiah 5:20)
Peter had this problem: after the Lord told him about His coming suffering, death, and resurrection, Peter rebuked Him because he held the “light” of a worldly view of suffering and death. So the Lord said to him:
But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” (Matthew 16:23)
Where is your mind today? Is it on the “light” of human interest or on the “darkness” of God’s interest?
Let us set our minds on things above and live in God’s wonderful true Light.
Things Above Thought
TAT #33
Victory
Christ was victorious over all of Satan’s attempts to rule Christ’s life.
Are you being victorious over Satan’s attempts to rule your life?
Things Above Thought
TAT #24
Endurance & Victory
For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity. (Proverbs 24:16)
The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked. (Proverbs 24:16 NLT)