Yes, No, Not Now
Think about those times when you've really gotten the most out of your prayer. Where were you? Were you alone? Were you in a quiet place where you wouldn't be disturbed? Did you make time to pray where you could really petition God?
Think about those times when you've really gotten the most out of your prayer. Where were you? Were you alone? Were you in a quiet place where you wouldn't be disturbed? Did you make time to pray where you could really petition God?
The message here is that we must rid ourselves of all these harmful and hurtful practices, so we can then freely commit ourselves to what Christ teaches.
Paul starts out by saying: Forget about deciding what's right for each other. Here's what you need to be concerned about: that you don't get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is.
What if the rich young man really did go back home, sold all he had, and gave the money to the poor? What do you think all of his friends, relatives and neighbors would have said?
I think what he's saying, is that it's not the size of the gift that matters, but the love and joy behind the giving of the gift that is important to God.
According to Paul, the mission of the church can only be accomplished if the entire church body is working in unison. The mission will never be accomplished through the efforts of one mortal person.
God's sovereignty is never exercised in condemning people who ought to be saved, but rather it has resulted in the salvation of people who ought to be lost.
If Jesus is in our human form, He can be wherever we are. Through us, the Holy Spirit can respond to the needs of others.
I guess the same could be said about a Christian. If they really wanted to stop sinning, they would. All they have to do is stop. Trust me, it's not that easy. There is always the possibility of a relapse.
He's calling us to remember our past and those times we exercised our free will and did something that we knew wasn't right that ended badly. We knowingly took that first step and the slope immediately got slippery and down we went.