Daily Reminder #15

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31

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Is Grace Cheap or Costly?

One thing that Christians disagree on is whether grace is cheap or costly. First, what does this mean.
What is cheap grace?

• Commonly viewed as the grace of the gospel
• No strings attached
• No repentance is necessary 

What is costly grace?

• The grace of the gospel
• The bible say that we bought at a price. (1 Cor. 6:20; 1 Cor. 7:22-23)
• We have to repent to become a Christian.

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:25-27

This is what Jesus says we must do to become a Christian. This is the cost of becoming Jesus' disciple. Hat is strong wording for "you must love your family a lot less than you love God." Here is how Mathew wrote down Jesus' statement:

"Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
Mathew 10:37-39

The two very condition for become a disciple are this:
1. Hate
2. Die
Hate is a strong way to say you must love yourself much less than you love Jesus and Take up your cross is a strong way to say that you must die to yourself.

"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, 'This person began to build and wasn't able to finish.' "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won't he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
Luke 14:28-33

The cross ought to be a living reminder of Jesus' suffering.
True disciple count the costs and consider Jesus worthy of their complete surrender
Count the cost before you call yourself Christs disciple.
1. Put Jesus above all other relationships
2. Bear your cross daily
3. Renounce your possessions  and repent of selfishness
To lose your life to Christ is to gain

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:7-11

Grace is not cheap. It's costly. Jesus paid for grace to be obtainable and if we understand what Grace really is, we will serve God. Not because we have to, but because we want to. Understand Grace means understanding that you can't repay God and because you can't repay God, you willing become his servant.

3rd B-Day

May 16 2010-May 16 2013

Today's my blogs 3rd birthday! I just want to thank all of my viewer for reading my posts and encouraging me to keep on going.

The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Psalm 34:10

Men in the Bible: Ananias

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet. Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God." When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, "Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?" "Yes," she said, "that is the price." Peter said to her, "How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also." At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
Acts 5:1-11

What can we learn from this story?

• The holiness that Christ looks for in his church

Christ was punishing Ananias, yes, but he also giving the rest of the church a warning. He was giving us a warning. And that warning is that we should not try to deceive our all-knowing God. 

• The reality of Satan's power

As Christian, life is constantly a battle.

Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit

Satan wants us to believe his lies. That how he starts. Once we believe his lies, the next step is fill up our heart. Then, there's no room for God. And when there's no room for God, God can't use you. This is what happened Ananias. First, keeping a little bit of money was just a thought, but it grew. Sin always grows, like a weed, it's always there. But as the gardener, it's our job to keep the weeds from taking over our heart.

• A divided service is impossible

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Mathew 6:24

Previous: Jabez

Sources:
Men of the Bible: Some Lesser-Known Characters