06 February 2022
Two-Minute Features | 13 February 2022 | 30 January 2022

God is On Our Side; He is for Us, Part 1 (TMF:1785)

Friday, February 11, 2022
Peace to Live By: God is On Our Side; He is for Us, Part 1 (TMF:1785) - Daniel Litton
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       One thing that I have seemed to notice over the years from church-goers is an underlying perception of God that he is not really on their side. There seems to be this pervasive belief that, “God is not for us. And he may be on our side at time, but more often than not he’s not on our side. And that’s because we’re sinful, and our ideas just aren’t God’s ideas. God knows best.” And truly, this is most unfortunate. It’s full of unbelief. It ignores the truth that God’s Spirit dwells within us, and oftentimes will direct our thoughts in God’s direction. It is expecting the worst to happen, not the best. It’s only looking at what is wrong with people, instead of what is right with them. The reality is, is that God is actually for us. We can feel in our hearts that God is not for us, that he really doesn’t care about us. We have to learn to reject feelings and thoughts that come to us like that since the Bible says, “God is for us.”

Seated with Jesus in Heaven, Part 2 (TMF:1784)

Thursday, February 10, 2022
Peace to Live By: Seated with Jesus in Heaven, Part 2 (TMF:1784) - Daniel Litton
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       We have already been seated with Jesus in heaven. And this only makes sense because we are in right relationship with God and there is nothing between God and us. All of our sins have been forgiven. This is something that I like to personally practice a two or three times a week. I will envision myself in the throne room of Heaven sitting in front of the throne of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is one way that I spend time with God. And for me, it really works. It feels right, and takes me out of this world for a brief moment of time. Verse 31: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” God is on our side. It’s something I like to say, and it’s something I have always tried to convey to my listeners.

Seated with Jesus in Heaven, Part 1 (TMF:1783)

Wednesday, February 09, 2022
Peace to Live By: Seated with Jesus in Heaven, Part 1 (TMF:1783) - Daniel Litton
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       The other part of our glorification that I would like to talk about is the concept that in fact we have already been glorified, so to speak. Paul told the Ephesians, “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:2-6, ESV). I suppose one could say that this passage is also talking about the future here, and Paul again is using the past tense, but it seems to me that Paul is saying that this is something that is current for us, something that has already happened. We have already been seated with Jesus in heaven. And this only makes sense because we are in right relationship with God and there is nothing between God and us. All of our sins have been forgiven.

Do We Choose God or Does He Choose Us? Part 3 (TMF:1782)

Tuesday, February 08, 2022
Peace to Live By: Do We Choose God or Does He Choose Us? Part 3 (TMF:1782) - Daniel Litton
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       God had to bring a word to us so that we would trust in him. Thus, God made the first move. Even if, say, an unbeliever walks into the library and get’s a Christian book, and then believes in God as a result of that book, that person still had to receive a word in order to believe. Without the message from God, the person could not have come into relationship with God. I think this better helps us understand how it is that God has actually chosen us. Finally, Paul informs us that the people God has justified, made right with him, he has also glorified. Our salvation is guaranteed for sure. Just as God raised the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, he is also going to raise us up after we die. We understand that this is going to happen at the Rapture of the Church, as Paul had already told the Corinthians in his first letter to them (see 1 Corinthians 15).

Do We Choose God or Does He Choose Us? Part 2 (TMF:1781)

Monday, February 07, 2022
Peace to Live By: Do We Choose God or Does He Choose Us? Part 2 (TMF:1781) - Daniel Litton
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       Let us hit the rewind button back to Romans chapter 5, and re-read verse 1. It says, “since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” When Paul says that God justifies us, remember, he counts our justification by the faith that we have placed in him. We choose to believe in God, we placed our faith in God, and then he justified us and gave us peace with him. Again, though, in reality we did not choose God, he choose us. By his Spirit he has drawn us to himself so that we have placed our faith in him. One way to look at it is that we have to receive a word from God in order to believe in him, right? That’s how God draws us to himself. That’s what people do who bring the message of God’s salvation--they bring a word. In other words, then (no pun intended), God had to bring a word to us so that we would trust in him.