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Saturday, January 29, 2011

Chapter 4 - You Can Learn to Put the Past in Its Place

In this week's chapter, we read that categorization of the events of our past can help us view them in a way that better enables us to apply Scripture to our lives.

Category ("Bucket") 1: An event occurred; you were innocent and responded well to the situation.

Category ("Bucket") 2: An event occurred; you were innocent but responded poorly to the situation.

Category ("Bucket") 3: An event occurred; you were guilty but responded well to the situation.

Category ("Bucket") 4: An event occurred; you were guilty and responded poorly to the situation.

There are likely various events in our lives where we can identify with each one of these categories. Think through your past and begin to identify events that you could place into each of these. As we progress through our study, we will unpack each of these "buckets" in order to further understand how we can use this categorization to put our past in its place, and respond to the events of our past in light of God's word.



Saturday, January 22, 2011

Chapter 3 - Your Past Can Be One of Your Best Friends

Our past, when viewed from God's perspective in Scripture, can be something upon which we can draw in time of need. The cumulative events of our lives are not necessarily something to be discarded because we consider them painful, shameful, or difficult to reckon with.

A biblical view of the past takes into account the fact that God is sovereign, that he foreordains whatsoever comes to pass, and that--because of our union with Christ--he works all things together for good, according to his perfect plan.

Do you regularly think back to how God has saved you in Christ?

Can you recall specific things that God has delivered you from?

As Christians, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we are to grow into the likeness of Christ our Savior and Lord; however, we are still human--we falter and fail. But consider this:

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
(1 John 4:9-10 ESV)

The eternally-firm foundation of Christ is the place from which we begin to see our past as a resource that God uses to enable us to walk in a manner pleasing to him.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Chapter 2 - Your Past Can Be One of Your Worst Enemies

Unaddressed issues in our past can have detrimental and devastating effects on us, and on others in our lives. How should we approach these issues from a biblical perspective? Do we hesitate to bring our concerns to God? Do we recoil at the thought of questioning the Lord of Heaven and Earth? Let's take a look at how this might play out:

"God, how long are you going to let this situation go on? Have you forgotten that I am here in the midst of all this mess? Are you deliberately avoiding me?"
"Do I have to work this thing out on my own? It's tearing me up inside--and others are kicking me now that I am down!"
"God remember me and help me--restore me before all this kills me--those around me will laugh it up the further down I go!"

Does that seem a bit brash and irreverent?

If you answered in the affirmative, consider that the 'conversation' above is a (very loose) paraphrase of a text written by "a man after God's own heart." Here is the original:

How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
(Psalm 13:1-4 ESV)

But note how David ends his lament. After having poured out his heart to God, he then acknowledges his complete and utter reliance upon the unshakable foundation of God's love and salvation, and praises God for his generosity and abundant provision.

But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
(Psalm 13:5-6 ESV)

It is appropriate to bring our concerns and troubles to God. But we must also not forget that our God is faithful, and although we often cannot see his plan, we can trust that he will work all things for our good and his glory. Because of Christ, we can boldly approach the throne of grace and find help in time of trouble.

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
(Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV)

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Chapter 1 - Can You Hear the Wheels Spinning?


Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
(Hebrews 1:1-2 ESV)

God is the God of History.  He did not choose to bring about all of His purposes at once, but instead chose to unfold His eternal plan throughout time.  Consider what a tremendous blessing (understatement) we as Christians have today in the completed revelation of God!  By God's grace, we can see the fullness of God's plan of redemption in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus!  


The past matters to God. Many of us can look back upon our past and see how God in His providence brought us to Himself.  While we often hope and pray that God will immediately intervene in a given situation, whether illness, personal struggle or relational difficulties, He more frequently works over periods of time in our lives, and in such a way that we can look back with astonishment at how His sovereign plan has unfolded for our good and for His glory.



Does our past matter?  If so, how should we view our past in way that honors God and enables us to grow as Christians?  

How we approach these and other questions will have a profound impact on not only our own lives, but the lives of those around us.  As Christians our aim should be to glorify God and make Christ known, and the handling of our own lives (which necessarily includes our past) can have a tremendous impact on these ends, for ill or good.



Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
(1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV)