News: My grandmother is here until Thursday. It's always nice to see her. Today we are going to see our second cousins, who are coming to visit her (they are a lot older than us, but nice, and anyway, we go out to eat with them-to quote Lisa :-)).
Nugget: I'm still on the first verse of Romans 8 :-). "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not in the flesh, but in the Spirit."
At the first glance, "who walk not in the flesh, but in the Spirit" is an incredibly disappointing phrase (clause? phrase? clause? - aargh! Grammar! :-)). Instead of the unequivocal, triumphant no condemnation! we now have an exception - in fact, an enormous exception. After all, when I walk in the Spirit, I will not be condemned. It is when I walk (or perhaps "walked" would be better) in the flesh that I claim this promise - and it is just then when it is no longer valid! ...Or not: reading on, we discover that, for the purposes of this verse, anyway, "walking in the Spirit" is synonymous with being a Christian. Thank God - His provision is unchangingly sufficent!
2 comments:
By the way, I may show my grandma this blog, and so I didn't want to post this on the actual post, not knowing how she'd respond...
Please pray. She's not a Christian *yet* :-), not willing to even discuss it-she's basically a materialist (Life's here; have fun; die; it's over). Pray that she would realize that religion is important for *her* and not just "nice for us" but absolutely essential to her eternal well-being. Also pray for the rest of Dad's side of the family, few of whom are Christians, as Dad will be seeing them over this next weekend (he's driving my grandma up to Michigan, where she summers, and where most of his family lives). Most of them share Grammy's "devil-may-care" (literally!) attitude. Thanks so much! It means a lot to know you're praying too.
I will definitely be praying! I appreciate your efforts to witness to your grandmother; I also empathize, as many of our relatives are not saved. We are ambassadors for God; even when we fail, He works through our weakness that His strength may be shown all the more. And with God, all things are possible! :)
I am guessing that the Romans 8 passage in particular weighs down as you think of your grandmother's eternal existence. I have two encouragements:
a) The ability and desire you have to witness to your grandmother. "How will the call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?...So faith comes through hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." (Romans 10: 14, 17) I would encourage you here: first, you have had a strong upbringing in the faith. Second, you have a desire to tell your grandmother the gospel. And faith comes through hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. So keep telling your grandmother the gospel, and pray that God will change her heart. And have faith; your Father in heaven loves you and desires the best for you--He will not ignore your prayers!
b) God's grace, love, and mercy. "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience...But God, being rich in mercy, because with the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in out trespasses, made us alive with Christ--by grace you have been saved."(Ephesians 2:1-2, 4-5)
In this I would encourage you: God loved us even when we were dead in our sins. Disobeying Him, spurning Him--and yet He loved and saved us. I believe that He loves your grandmother just as much--I pray that the Spirit might work in her heart and bring her to repentance!
As with all things, though, it is God and God alone who can change anyone's heart. So
a) keep praying, God is our Redeemer!
b) read the Bible consistently(and I need to do this more as well), for He can encourage and strengthen us through His word.
c) take comfort in those around you--you are not alone; your friends, family, and family in Christ are with you.
Annnndddd...I had more(I think), but I forgot it...and I went on a rabbit trail(again), trying to get everything...ah, well. I hope this helps!
--Josiah C.
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