Clear Vision musings

keep my commandments. John 14:15

Hereby we do know that we love him, if we keep his commandments. 1 John 2:3

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievious. 1 John 5:3

The commands of God are important in the life of the Child of God. The desire to keep his commands shows us that we love Him. They are not a burden to us, but a delight.

Keeping the commands of God will never add any merit for us in any way. If we have broken one jot of His commands, and we all have - much more than that, we are guilty and are deserving of His wrath. There is nothing we can ever do to gain favor with God.

Only the blood of Christ, applied in our lives can pay the debt owed for our sin. It is only through Christ’s righteousness that we stand before God as righteous. All our good works are but filthy rags.

Yet, as Paul says, since we’ve been saved by grace shall we continue in sin? Certainly not! Because we have been forgiven much, we love much. And if we love we keep His commands. By this we know that we love him.

SDG,
Lisa

This is a cross-post, but fits both blogs - so here it is:

I just found out christianaudio.com has a 4 day sale listed on their website. 40% off through this weekend. They have some good stuff and some stuff I wouldn’t recommend, but no doubt you can find something good to listen to there. Perhaps a book you’ve been meaning to read, but never have time to sit down long enough. Audio books are great for situations like this. I also find that some hard to wade through books are easier to understand when someone else is reading them to me.

Perhaps the Confessions of Augustine or the Hiding Place, the Attributes of God by Tozer or Pilgrims Progress, Desiring God or Robinson Crusoe, the Sovereignty of God or the Universe Next Door, True Spirituality or Aesop’s Fables. There’s several good choices for you to consider.

And, I may have mentioned this before, but in the Christian History section there is a whole series by John Piper that are excellent. They begin with the letters DG. Oh, and these ones are FREE!

SDG,
Lisa

You cannot see God’s glory when your eyes are seeking your own.

SDG,
Lisa

Is faith spelled R-I-S-K? Is it a jump into the dark? Not biblical faith! Rather faith is seeing the Light, and following it. Faith is Clear Vision, seeing beyond the limitations of your fallen human sight, to the Light of God’s Word. "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word." Faith is hearing the truth of Scripture and the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart, "That is true," and you completely believing and obeying Him.

Doubt is trusting your own eyes that have been darkened, rather than the sight of the One who sees all. Presumption is believing any foolish thing out there, that you thought you heard somewhere, jumping into the dark. Faith is believing and obeying His Word.

"I once was blind, but now I see" - yet still have SO much for my eyes to be opened to —
Praise God for eternity for my eyes to be opened to His Truth.

SDG,
Lisa

What does Paul mean when he says in verse 20, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us?” Is this a blank check for anything we want? What is the context?

In this chapter Paul is praying, kneeling in prayer, in humility before God asking for certain things for the Ephesian church. Can we claim this prayer for ourselves? Yes, I think so. It is a prayer that expresses God’s will for all His own.

These things Paul prays for are: that you be strengthened in your inner being by His Spirit, that Christ would dwell in your hearts by faith, that you be rooted and grounded in love, that you know the love of Christ, that you be filled with all fulness of God.

May we desire that God do exceeding abundantly above in our lives in all these things asked.

SDG,
Lisa

“Human wisdom delights to trim and arrange the doctrines of the cross into a system more artificial and more congenial with the depraved tastes of fallen nature.”

Excerpt from CH Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, July 14 a.m.

I read from an actual book, but you can find them online here or as part of MacSword (M&E module) and E-Sword (M&E module) for use on your computer.

SDG,
Lisa

“We must not make natural infirmity an excuse for sin, but we must fly to the cross and pray the Lord to crucify our tempers, and renew us in gentleness and meekness after His own image.”

Excerpt from CH Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, July 13 a.m.

I read from an actual book, but you can find them online here or as part of MacSword (M&E module) and E-Sword (M&E module) for use on your computer.

SDG,
Lisa

“See the value which God sets upon real holiness, since the Three Persons in theTrinity are represented as co-working to produce a Church without “spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.”

Excerpt from CH Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, July 12 a.m.

I read from an actual book, but you can find them online here or as part of MacSword (M&E module) and E-Sword (M&E module) for use on your computer.

SDG,
Lisa

“May your convictions be deep your love real, your desires earnest. May your whole life be so settled and established, that all the blasts of hell, and all the storms of earth shall never be able to remove you. But notice how this blessed of being “stablished in the faith” is gained. The apostle’s words point us to suffering as the means employed - ….”

Excerpt from CH Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, July 11 a.m.

“Family religion is necessary for the nation, for the family itself, and for the church of God. … Would that parents would awaken to a sense of the importance of this matter.”

Excerpt from CH Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, July 11 p.m.

I read from an actual book, but you can find them online here or as part of MacSword (M&E module) and E-Sword (M&E module) for use on your computer.

SDG,
Lisa

“If, then, we are thus citizens of heaven, let our walk and actions be consistent with our high dignity.”

Excerpt from CH Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, July 10 a.m.

I read from an actual book, but you can find them online here or as part of MacSword (M&E module) and E-Sword (M&E module) for use on your computer.

SDG,
Lisa