One of the people discussed quite a bit recently has been the golfer Tiger Woods. 85 days ago he was known for his golfing ability and his dominance on the course. However, due to a minor car accident, the personal life of Tiger has been brought to the forefront.
As I read a portion of his apology, I was struck by one powerful statement: “As Elin pointed out to me, my real apology to her will not come in the form of words; it will come from my behavior over time.”(1)
Taking some time to reflect on what he said, this is exactly what Jesus had in mind. Let me give you one example. Take a few moments, grab a Bible and read John 8:1-11. What I want you to focus on is what Jesus tells this woman in verse 11. Let me share it with you from the NIV: “Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:11b).
What did Jesus mean? He simply meant that to be truly sorry, to ask for forgiveness and even receive it is not enough. There must be a change of behavior to prove that the apology is sincere. Another word would be “repentance”; word that is simple to define and yet is not as easy to apply. Repentance simply means “to go in the other direction.”
Temptation and sin lead us down the path away from God and His standard and desire for our lives. To repent is to change directions, to head in the direction of pursuing righteousness and holy living. Repentance is not words, but a change of behavior.
In each of our lives, there is sin that we must deal with. If you find yourself sinning, apologizing, and then doing it again, it is safe to say that you did not repent. You may have been sorry for what you did, but until there is a change of behavior, a changing of direction in your life and behavior, there has been no true repentance.
So what about you? Jesus is telling you today, “Go now and leave your life of sin.” Maybe you view your sin as not as bad as what someone else has done. However, as God looks at our sin, it is all equal. So, take the time to take an honest look at yourself and determine if there is something you need to “repent” of. Oh, and by the way, don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk!
(1-Read more: http://www.golf.com/golf/tours_news/article/0,28136,1966764-1,00.html#ixzz0g2dSZOec)
Friday, February 19, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The Love of God
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” – 1 John 4:7,11.
LOVE. One of the most widely used words in the English language. And because of that, we have lost touch with what it really means. We say we “love” to travel, we “love” pizza, we “love” summer, or our car. We even say we “love our neighbor – but most of us don’t do much more than just say it. No wonder we don’t have a very good idea of what the Bible means when it says: “God is love.”Please don’t make the mistake of thinking that because God is love that everything is going to be sweet and wonderful and no one will be punished for his sins. God’s holiness demands that all sin be punished, but God’s love provides the plan and way of redemption for sinful man. God’s love is the cross of Jesus, by which man can have forgiveness and cleansing. It was the love of God that sent Jesus Christ to the cross!
Never question God’s great love, for it is as unchangeable a part of God as His holiness. No matter how terrible you sins, God loves you. Were it not for the love of God, none of us would ever have a chance in the future life. But God is love and His love for us is everlasting.
Remember that God’s love for you is not dependent on how you look, how you think, how you act, or how perfect you are. His love is absolutely nonnegotiable and nonreturnable.
No matter what you do, no matter how far you fall, no matter how ugly you become, God has a relentless, undying, unfathomable, unquenchable love from which you cannot be separated. Ever!
Our response to this love is to share it with the world. We must first possess a passion for God that burns deeper and hotter than anything else in our lives. As that fire burns for God, then the natural result is compassion for people.
The more you understand and experience the love of God in your life, the more it will overflow out of your life into the lives of others. To be able to love others the way He wants us to, demands that we first understand His love for us. Simply put: we can’t demonstrate and share something we don’t know much about. So, learn more about the love of God and it will have an impact on your life and the lives of those around you.
LOVE. One of the most widely used words in the English language. And because of that, we have lost touch with what it really means. We say we “love” to travel, we “love” pizza, we “love” summer, or our car. We even say we “love our neighbor – but most of us don’t do much more than just say it. No wonder we don’t have a very good idea of what the Bible means when it says: “God is love.”Please don’t make the mistake of thinking that because God is love that everything is going to be sweet and wonderful and no one will be punished for his sins. God’s holiness demands that all sin be punished, but God’s love provides the plan and way of redemption for sinful man. God’s love is the cross of Jesus, by which man can have forgiveness and cleansing. It was the love of God that sent Jesus Christ to the cross!
Never question God’s great love, for it is as unchangeable a part of God as His holiness. No matter how terrible you sins, God loves you. Were it not for the love of God, none of us would ever have a chance in the future life. But God is love and His love for us is everlasting.
Remember that God’s love for you is not dependent on how you look, how you think, how you act, or how perfect you are. His love is absolutely nonnegotiable and nonreturnable.
No matter what you do, no matter how far you fall, no matter how ugly you become, God has a relentless, undying, unfathomable, unquenchable love from which you cannot be separated. Ever!
Our response to this love is to share it with the world. We must first possess a passion for God that burns deeper and hotter than anything else in our lives. As that fire burns for God, then the natural result is compassion for people.
The more you understand and experience the love of God in your life, the more it will overflow out of your life into the lives of others. To be able to love others the way He wants us to, demands that we first understand His love for us. Simply put: we can’t demonstrate and share something we don’t know much about. So, learn more about the love of God and it will have an impact on your life and the lives of those around you.
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