09 March 2025

The Mutual Trust Between God & the Believer (TMF:2570)

Friday, March 14, 2025

Peace to Live By: The Mutual Trust Between God & the Believer (TMF:2570) - Daniel Litton
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The good-old life experience with what the truth actually is and how it applies, and with experience in how God operates, with his faithfulness, grows our faith in our relationship with him. It would seem that as we grow closer and closer to God, that a mutual trust develops on each side. There is a trust wherein we understand God will provide for us and lead us in the right direction. And there is a trust God has in us wherein he knows, and believes that we will make good choices, and go in right directions. The idea that we are helpless individuals that always need God to point the way seems to be of lower consciousness, and doesn’t seem to be the experience the more mature that we get. So, in a way, the greater the maturity in character the more power that is bestowed on us, and perhaps the more freedom to choose the way ourselves. Hence, God becomes more open because he trusts us. (This is how we are with other people, right?).

The Believer's Holiness & Blamelessness, Part 2 (TMF:2569)

Thursday, March 13, 2025

Peace to Live By: The Believer's Holiness & Blamelessness, Part 2 (TMF:2569) - Daniel Litton
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Being “above reproach” is a reputation that is garnered from practicing the truth—the truth found in Jesus. Remember, this is why Paul said an elder, or overseer, “must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:6, ESV). This confirms the philosophical basis for the onward progression of what we are discussing. And it’s simply not outward actions we are focusing on. The change in one’s character occurs in the development of our consciousness, or levels of consciousness, which occurs when the way the mind thinks is changed and re-geared by understanding of the truth (and that often occurs through life-experience). The good-old life experience with what the truth actually is and how it applies, and with experience in how God operates, with his faithfulness, grows our faith in our relationship with him.

The Believer's Holiness & Blamelessness, Part 1 (TMF:2568)

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Peace to Live By: The Believer's Holiness & Blamelessness, Part 1 (TMF:2568) - Daniel Litton
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To double-down, for really there is no way around this, as the verse itself is a double-down in a way, Paul tells us the end result of what our relationships with Christ are supposed to be. He says of the church, “he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him” (Colossians 1:22, ESV). It would be easy, and perhaps convenient to assume the verse is talking about the future. You know, it could be said in the future Christ will present us “holy and blameless and above reproach before him.” That would mean that it wouldn’t matter much what we do now in our lives. But it appears better to assume, and most seem to agree, that the verse is talking about the life process by which this occurs. Holiness comes over one’s life, as one become more like Jesus. Blamelessness comes over one’s life, as one becomes more and more aligned with Jesus.

The Old Life vs. The New Life, Part 3 (TMF:2567)

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Peace to Live By: The Old Life vs. The New Life, Part 3 (TMF:2567) - Daniel Litton
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That would also mean there should be a contrast now in the lives of Christians. There should be a difference—and unfortunately, this difference is often seen to be lacking in a lot of people who make the claim of faith. This is noticed to be especially true among evangelical churches. Evangelical Christianity’s blurring of the line with the world has also translated itself oftentimes into a blur in people’s characters, people’s behaviors. This disparity has led some to seek other avenues, other modes of practice, fellowship, whatever you want to call it, but let’s not get too off track here. The point is that there should be a clear difference between what was in the past before knowledge of Christ, and what is now in relationship with Christ. (And for those who came to know Christ as a young child, it’s understandable if there wasn’t much a former life. Let’s acknowledge that and not forget those individuals). Remember, though, in Paul’s time, the church was new. Christianity was new.

The Old Life vs. The New Life, Part 2 (TMF:2566)

Monday, March 10, 2025

Peace to Live By: The Old Life vs. The New Life, Part 2 (TMF:2566) - Daniel Litton
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This brings to mind what Paul told the Corinthians, remember, in chapter 6, and this ties in well to our theme here of “eternal punishment”? He said, “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). So, these where the characteristics Christians have before knew Jesus. That would also mean there should be a contrast now in the lives of Christians. There should be a difference—and unfortunately, this difference is often seen to be lacking in a lot of people who make the claim of faith. This is noticed to be especially true among Evangelical churches.