God saves the sinners so wretched like me. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
Joined October 2009
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Jasmine retweeted
Hebrews 3:13 says, "Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." (ESV)
So why is biblical confrontation so difficult for us? First, we have misinterpreted confrontation as negative when it should be positive.
The word "exhort" means to encourage. Our message in confrontation should spur others on to good works, not discourage them: "Don't give up! There is hope and help for you! The good life is found within the boundaries of the Word of God! Believe in the Bible's promises!"
Then, there are two things we need to be aware of when we're confronted:
We defend our identity too much. When confronted, our reputation of being a "good person" is threatened. But the sacrifice of Jesus says that our worth is defined completely by him, and not us.
We love our sin too much. Jesus said, "For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed" (John 3:20). Maybe we need to be brutally honest and confess that, at times, our hearts treasure the confronted sin more than Christ.
Finally, there are three mistakes we make when confronting others:
We forget that there are two sinners in the room. The Apostle Paul declared that he was the foremost of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). But often when we confront, we forget that we struggle in similar ways and share an identity with the person whom we're confronting: a sinner, saved by grace.
The Bible is used as a club and not a mirror. The goal of confrontation is not punishment or intimidation, but revelation. We should want others to see their sin and the beauty of God's way, not feel crushed by what they've just heard.
We confuse our kingdom with God's kingdom. Chances are, the sin you're confronting has hurt you, and it's very hard to separate personal irritation with God's desire for restoration and forgiveness. Our role in confrontation is not to get the person to submit to our agenda, but to God's alone.
So the next time you're confronted, fire your identity lawyer and be honest about your sin. And when God calls you to confront someone, be gentle, humble, and an ambassador.
Biblical confrontation isn't something to be avoided, but to be cherished!
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”
1 John 2:15-17
There is nothing to see in this world, when compared with the loveliness and the glory of God.
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Jasmine retweeted
Walk where God dwelt with His people.
storyinglory.com: narrated, interactive tours of the Tabernacle, Solomon’s Temple & Ezekiel’s temple, the life of Jesus, Paul’s journeys and 2,000 years of church history.
Come explore ✨
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5b
What prison door would you unlock with this key of promise?
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Jasmine retweeted
I call on the Christian Church worldwide to give up their useless restrictive copyrights, in the name of the rapid spread of the Word of God.
The Word Without a Subscription
Yesterday I told @elonmusk it looks like we won't own anything, and that we'll have to rent or subscribe for everything.
Then @lsanger, who co-founded Wikipedia, put the whole King James Bible into audio files anyone can keep. He says it cost about $125 to make. Google's Gemini voice reads it chapter by chapter, and he dedicated the recordings to the public domain. Use them for anything. No credit needed.
That's the opposite of a monthly Bible app. No login. No paywall on Scripture.
I want my children to inherit the Word of God, not a subscription they lose when an app or business changes the rules.
When you are envious of what others have, you are actually saying:
God is not right that he has not given your portion. He is not wise and he is not loving. He is not enough. And you know what you need. You are above God. Thus you know better than God.
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Jasmine retweeted
The child of God loves to be well read in his own heart and unworthy ways.
Therefore he lays all the blame he can upon himself every way.
He knows he loseth nothing by this; for there is more mercy in Christ than there is sin in him.
Sibbes
Jasmine retweeted
Samuel Bolton (1645):
“If man was left to himself,
he would be a Judas to his Master,
a Cain to his Brother,
an Amnon to his Sister,
an Absalom to his Father,
and a Saul to himself.”
We must use our eyes with resolution, for they will not go upward to the Lord of themselves, but they incline to look downward, or inward, or anywhere but to the Lord.
Charles Spurgeon
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Free Kindle version of Spurgeon's Morning & Evening. Limited time only.
amazon.com.au/dp/B0BCXYZXPS
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Jasmine retweeted
Evangelion (which we call the gospel) is a Greek word that signifies good, merry, glad, and joyful things, that make a man’s heart glad, and make him sing, dance, and leap for joy.
Christ gives unto all that repent and believe...
...His life, wherewith He swallowed and devoured up death;
...His righteousness, wherewith He banished sin;
...His salvation, wherewith He overcame eternal damnation.
Can the wretched one that knows himself to be wrapped in sin, and in danger of death and hell, hear any more joyous a thing than such glad and comforting tidings of Christ?
He cannot but be glad and laugh from the bottom of his heart, if he believes that the tidings are true.
Tyndale
Jasmine retweeted
A condemned man sat in a prison cell while visitor after visitor told him how wretched he was.
Then one man sat beside him, explained who Jesus was, and asked, “Is that not good news for sinners like me and you?”
Watch the full conversation with Jeremy Walker on YouTube.
Jasmine retweeted
“The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep.” John 10:25–26
If you believe on Jesus, be on your face with thankfulness that you were chosen to be his sheep. For that is why you believe.
If you do not believe on Jesus, immerse yourself in his story until you see that he is true.
Jasmine retweeted
Flashback: “God, teach me how to serve you in sickness even better than I did in health. God, show me how to honor you in grief with even greater faithfulness than in joy. God, lead me to greater fruitfulness in lack than in abundance.”
challies.com/articles/thy-wi…
Jasmine retweeted
Maybe you've tried turning over a new leaf, and it didn't last. Real change doesn't start with effort. It starts with receiving something. Jesus Christ offers forgiveness, and with it comes a peace you can't manufacture and a new direction you couldn't find. Have you received it?
Jasmine retweeted
"As an ambassador for Christ, no longer is your life ruled by your wants, comforts, and feelings. You are now called to be part of what God is doing on earth." @PaulTripp
Read more: crossway.org/articles/a-devo…
Jasmine retweeted
When Joel Beeke was fourteen, his father laid his money on the bed and asked what was worth more than all of it. An open throne of grace.
Full interview on YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=7PawgmNf…
Jasmine retweeted
Freedom from caring what people think doesn't come from caring less. It comes from caring about something more.
"When Christ is the center, He delivers us from our preoccupation with how others view us. The more Christ means to us, the less other people's opinions mean." — Chuck Swindoll
Paul wrote from custody that his one hope was for Christ to be honored in his body, "whether by life or by death" (Philippians 1:20). A man with that as his ambition has very little bandwidth left for managing his reputation.
The opinions don't stop coming. They just stop landing.
ALT A blurred outdoor landscape with trees and fields in muted colors. The foreground features a quote by Chuck Swindoll: "When Christ is the center, He delivers us from our preoccupation with how others view us. The more Christ means to us, the less other people's opinions mean."