Month: January 2014

Discipleship

“Completely”

Tim KingLeave a comment

”Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.””  1 Peter 1:13-16    New American Standard Bible (NASB)

When Peter wrote these words, the Holy Spirit put on Peter’s heart the need to encourage fellow believers in the early church to live holy lives, not as a means of salvation, but as a result of their salvation.  In a time of tremendous persecution Peter wanted to call people to live a life that was seemingly impossible.  The greatest encouragement in the passage above is the first word…therefore.  Peter is referencing the first dozen verses in his letter in which he reminds fellow believers of the AMAZING gift of salvation, the Living Hope, found in the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ on the cross and his resurrection.

half appleSometimes in our lives as believers we can forget the blessing and the cost of our salvation.  We sometimes forget that as a true disciple of the Lord we are called to fix our hope completely on the grace of God that will be ours when Christ is revealed.  The word “completely” in the original Greek is teleiós which means “perfectly, completely, without wavering, to the end”.  Our hope is to be fixed perfectly, completely, without wavering, until the day Christ returns.  It is to be fixed teleiós because of the mercy and grace of God.

Living a life for Christ is not based on our happiness or comfort, on wealth or health.  It is a life that is based on the gospel message and is reflects an attitude of the heart that is fixed completely on the living hope Christ Jesus.  If you are truly a child of the Most High God your hope completely each day and for eternity is found in Christ alone.  Find encouragement, confidence, and refuge in that truth and live a holy life for your Savior.

Discipleship

His humble servant…

Tim KingLeave a comment

In recent months the Lord has put it on my heart to express some thoughts and insights around servant leadership, discipleship, and evangelism.  While I am quite certain that my thoughts will at times ramble a bit, and my punctuation may miss the mark sometimes, you have to remember that that this is a blog and not a thesis!  I am confident that in time the Lord will put topics on my heart through His holy word as well as through the events that happen while living and serving Him.   It is my prayer that at the very least you might be encouraged or challenged in your own walk with the Lord as you seek to love and serve Him with all your heart, soul, and with all your might (Deuteronomy 6:5).

I am not usually very bold in taking a position or in “putting myself out there”, but as a believer I am called to be bold in my faith.  I am not ashamed to proclaim my faith before men.  Seriouscropped-rock-of-my-salvation.jpgly, how could I possibly be ashamed of the Lord who, by His grace, through faith in Him alone, has fully paid the ransom for my sin, granted me salvation, and blessed me with eternal life?   I pray that the Lord will give me the strength and courage to write in a manner that will shine the light of His truth and that will only bring glory and honor to Him, and Him alone.  Please know that I am not writing that I might be seen or heard,  rather I want to write that those who read will see the Lord at work and to share some of the incredible, and sometimes painful, trials and lessons that the Lord has sustained me though.

If you do not know the Jesus as your Lord and savior and you want to know more about who Jesus Christ is I would love to let you know about who he is…but know this for a fact…He loves you.  No matter what, He loves you.  John 3:16-17 says “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

His humble servant.

Tim