I think that the Bible readings used for reading and meditation over the last few days have been very good.
Today’s verses are no exception, Paul’s letter to the Philippians 2:1-11 (NIV) contains some great verses:
“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!Â
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
In today’s study Selwyn looks at the order of words in the verse John 1:14, ‘ … full of grace and truth.‘Â One area I like, is this bit: “If Scripture had (just) said ‘God is truth’ then people would regard Christianity as a philosophy. But the Christian faith is not first and foremost a thought, a philosophy, but an act – an act of love invading history to redeem lost men and women. It is grace in action.” An important point is that our view of Jesus is not based on just one verse in the Bible. There are many other verses besides John 1:14, which indicate that without God’s grace we would never be able to determine or understand any spiritual truth.
Any philosophical idea or ‘school of ideas’ can never provide an answer to the most basic of questions, ‘what is the meaning of life?’ Unless it is God centred – unless it is grace centred -Â human philosophy provides little in the way of guidelines to base your life upon.Â
God’s grace enables us to follow Jesus – enables us to be with Him on the last day – when everyone will bend their knee to the one, true God.
Love is first
I think that the Bible readings used for reading and meditation over the last few days have been very good.
Today’s verses are no exception, Paul’s letter to the Philippians 2:1-11 (NIV) contains some great verses:
“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!Â
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
In today’s study Selwyn looks at the order of words in the verse John 1:14, ‘ … full of grace and truth.‘Â One area I like, is this bit: “If Scripture had (just) said ‘God is truth’ then people would regard Christianity as a philosophy. But the Christian faith is not first and foremost a thought, a philosophy, but an act – an act of love invading history to redeem lost men and women. It is grace in action.” An important point is that our view of Jesus is not based on just one verse in the Bible. There are many other verses besides John 1:14, which indicate that without God’s grace we would never be able to determine or understand any spiritual truth.
Any philosophical idea or ‘school of ideas’ can never provide an answer to the most basic of questions, ‘what is the meaning of life?’ Unless it is God centred – unless it is grace centred -Â human philosophy provides little in the way of guidelines to base your life upon.Â
God’s grace enables us to follow Jesus – enables us to be with Him on the last day – when everyone will bend their knee to the one, true God.