"For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe." (1 Timoth 4: 10)
God is a Savior, and is living.
The way that some Christians live, however, it seems as though God is not alive, nor is He a Savior.
Yet we find both savior and life when we see Jesus:
"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1: 21)
and
"31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1:31-33)
He is also life manifested for us:
"27And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20: 27-28)
and
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
then
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
and of course
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14: 6)
We need help from a living God, not from man. We need His saving, not our own efforts.
For the longest time, I read the Bible as an exercise in religious discipline. Not seeking answers but training myself in the way to go. I was not taking in what I was reading. I just wanted to feel better.
Ever learning, but not coming closer to the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3: 7), that is the result of going through the motions of turning pages, when the pages of the Bible are all about turning us to be more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:1 8)
God is a Savior, and is living.
The way that some Christians live, however, it seems as though God is not alive, nor is He a Savior.
Yet we find both savior and life when we see Jesus:
"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1: 21)
and
"31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1:31-33)
He is also life manifested for us:
"27And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20: 27-28)
and
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
then
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
and of course
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14: 6)
We need help from a living God, not from man. We need His saving, not our own efforts.
For the longest time, I read the Bible as an exercise in religious discipline. Not seeking answers but training myself in the way to go. I was not taking in what I was reading. I just wanted to feel better.
Ever learning, but not coming closer to the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3: 7), that is the result of going through the motions of turning pages, when the pages of the Bible are all about turning us to be more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:1 8)
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