Knowing the following truths is essential for our spiritual advancement.
1. Our utter inability and failure to consistently live according to God's perfect design and will.
2. God's perfect love, acceptance, and embrace of us because of Christ, regardless of our failures to do the above.
To see the importance of pursuing God, we must understand the following:
1. The ²negative impact on us and others of not pursuing God.while also fully understanding
2. God's perfect and total acceptance and embrace of us (if we are in Christ), regardless of our failures, circumstances, or indifference.
The first does not cancel out the second.
The first is about understanding our design as creatures in our Creator's image and the significance of not living according to His design. It is understanding
*why we are here
*what our purpose is and
*respecting (fearing) God's commitment to conform us to His purpose and design - for our greatest good and His highest glory
*the consequences if we refuse to conform.
The second
Is the good news of God's perfect acceptance and embrace of us and His perfect commitment of unrelenting love toward us
The second
Is the good news of God's perfect acceptance and embrace of us and His perfect commitment of unrelenting love toward us
- because of Christ's efforts and performance to perfectly honor God
- regardless of our failure to conform to His designs and our lack of honoring Him i.e. God's acceptance of us is not based on our efforts but Christ's.
These 2 realities of God's perfect standard and perfect acceptance are always in tension (and appear to be at odds). Yet knowing both are absolutely and equally vital to truly knowing and fully experiencing God and all ³the good He desires for us as bearers of His image.
These 2 realities of God's perfect standard and perfect acceptance are always in tension (and appear to be at odds). Yet knowing both are absolutely and equally vital to truly knowing and fully experiencing God and all ³the good He desires for us as bearers of His image.
We must constantly and deliberately seek to keep both of these in view and in balance.
If we are struggling with guilt and shame over our failures and shortcomings, we must contemplate God's infinite love and perfect acceptance of us in Christ and that He uses even our failures to bring about His ultimate purpose and perfect design for us.
If we are indifferent to faithfully pursuing God, we must contemplate God's relentless commitment to conforming us to His image (design) for our highest good and His greatest glory. We must remind ourselves of the positive results of our conformity and the negative consequences if we don't conform i.e. we reap what we sow, both good and bad.
Both are vital in our pursuit of God and equally true as if the other were not true.
For a further discussion on the consequences of not conforming to God's design click here
For a further discussion on being perfectly freed from our internal and external struggles click here.
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If we are struggling with guilt and shame over our failures and shortcomings, we must contemplate God's infinite love and perfect acceptance of us in Christ and that He uses even our failures to bring about His ultimate purpose and perfect design for us.
If we are indifferent to faithfully pursuing God, we must contemplate God's relentless commitment to conforming us to His image (design) for our highest good and His greatest glory. We must remind ourselves of the positive results of our conformity and the negative consequences if we don't conform i.e. we reap what we sow, both good and bad.
Both are vital in our pursuit of God and equally true as if the other were not true.
For a further discussion on the consequences of not conforming to God's design click here
For a further discussion on being perfectly freed from our internal and external struggles click here.
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²this is because God designed us to be in alignment with him, with who He is and what He desires (wills). If and when we are not, we are not all we are meant (designed) to be i.e. we do not bring God his rightfully due honor or function to the maximum of our potential but break down or short circuit.
³good but not necessarily easy.