Good

3John:11

Anyone who does what is good is from God.

Being good is not something that you formulate within yourself. It is not something that you decipher out of nothingness. Not something you figure out in due course of your life. Not something that you strive to do.

Jer:17:9

The hearts is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.

The inherant nature of man is wickedness. And no good comes out of him. So any good that you think you do is according to God's standards like filthy rags, because it is marred by your filth. It cannot and will not please God.

Only God is good. And only He is the source of all goodness. So unless God wills, noan can be good. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. My will, my determination, my inherant nature will not make me good. Only God's transforming Spirit will make me good.

Apart from Him I have no goodness

Image credit: gemini

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Husband and wife

Unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. 1 Pet:3:4 Though this is told to the wives; it is a very good admonition for all of us. To have a gentle and quiet spirit, is an incomparable unfading inner beauty. The real beauty is not your outwardly appearance. Real beauty is your inner spirit - to be gentle and quiet. Not to be quarrelsome. Not to be picking fights. But to be a peacmaker. especially in your family. V:1. Wives, in the same way, be submissive to your husbands. In which same way? The example is of Jesus. 2:23. When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate, when He suffered He made no threats. In this same way, wives be submissive to your husbands, no matter how well or bad they treat you. V:7. Husbands in the same way, be considerate, as you live with your wives. In which same way? The example is again of Jesus. 3:7. Treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life. Like Jesus did to us. ...

Everything we need

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. 2 Pet:1:3 Everything we need for our life in this present world; all our material needs; all our basic needs. And also for godliness; that is to grow in the knowledge of God; to build up in a relationship with God. Everything that you can think of. Everything you can ask for. Everything that you need. Has been given. It is yours for the taking. He will provide. For His name is Jehovah Jireh. Only we have to take it. Only we have to believe it and receive it. Why has He given us this? Is it because of our goodness? Is it because God foresaw our good deeds and therefore He gave it? Not at all. Wretched, poor, blind, naked as we are. He just gave it to us. Essentially for His glory and because He is good. He is good so much so that He reveals Himself to us who do not deserve to know Him. Even when we squander every opportunity. Even ...

Why don't they react?

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called, so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Pet:3:9 This is the highlight of true Christianity. Those who have known Christ in person. They beat them, they torture them, ridicule them, put them in prison, for doing good, for starting schools and colleges and hospitals, for bringing them to peace with their Creator God, leading to joy. They persecute them for no valid reason. Yet, you do not see retaliation. You do not see revolt. You do not see any bloodshed or pay back. There is absolute silence while facing persecution. Why? Why do they not react? Why do they keep quiet? Why they do not even defend themselves? Because they have a big Brother who showed them how to do. When persecuted and tortured for no good reason of His, He exuberated that love and peace and joy from His Father, from a world that they look forward unto. They know they are loved. They know these are small in ...

One Man, once for all

For Christ died for sins, once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. 1 Pet:3:18 How is one man dying, beneficial for all? Because He is rich in life and righteousness. Unendingly righteous that all unrighteous would be pardoned. He who knew no sin, became sin for us. The Son of God became the wrath of God, so that the wrath of God would be made sons of God. This exchange, this imputation is too good to be true. It is valid for you only if you receive. It has already been done for you, but if you wouldn't receive it is not relevant for you. Dear one, if you are in that borderline, now is the day. Put your trust in Jesus and be saved. Image credit: https://winningwalk.org/read/articles/at-the-foot-of-the-cross

Humble yourselves in God's hands - a prose

Humble yourselves therefore under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. 1 Pet:5:6 What is there to be proud of What is there to boast When you face with much suffering What is there to retaliate Just keep quiet and humble yourself Under the mighty hands of God He shall lift you up in due time God is on your side, dear one. And if God is on your side, Who can be against you. Who can stand against the Mighty Holy One? If you face undue humiliation If you face undeserved ridicule If you suffer injustice Humble yourselves under the Mighty Hands Of God, and He shall lift you up in due time. For God is on your side. Reacting or retaliating Trying to gain things by might - no, not that Instead humble yourselves in God's hands For that is all you can do and all you need to do. He shall raise you up in due time. Image courtesy: chatgpt

Sufferring

1Pet:4:19 So then those who suffer because it is God's will for them, should by their good actions trust themselves completely to their Creator, who always keeps His promise. Suffering is always a difficult pill to swallow. Whether it is by your own bad deeds or if you do not deserve it. But for a Christian, suffering comes along - for no reason or as a consequence of sins. There is a four fold reason for suffering in the life of a child of God. 1. We are in the enemy's territory. And the enemy who will fight tooth and nail against our head Jesus Christ, will fight against us as well, trying to render us powerless. But be of good cheer. He who overcame all these is with you till the end of days. 2. Suffering is to be considered as a consequence of man's sinfulness, rather than a particular sin. Our fallenness and our wretchedness. Yes, now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. But in this world you will have much troubles, the same Jesus pr...

Authority

Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men. 1 Pet:2:13 Slaves submit yourselves to your masters with all respect not only to those who are good and considerate but also to those who are harsh. 1 Pet:2:18 Submitting to your good and considerate bosses is easy. It is a natural response. It doesn't require an advise or an admonition. However if he/she is a hard taskmaster, you are still asked to submit. Naturally you would submit, but with a grieving, complaining heart, dissatisfied. Yet here the apprisal is to do this submission for the Lord's sake. Thankfully, genuinely. With contentment. Inorder to be contented, you should enlist the things that you are thankful for. Make a list to praise God for the very things that you are frustrated about. And you will see the Lord's hand written all over it. These sufferings are momentary. He will do all things for good. He will carry it on to completion. He is Sovereign. But our attit...

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