Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
Does the Lord practice with us as individuals what He likes to do in "calling those things which do not exist" as though they do exist? (cf. Rom. 4:17).
He did with Abraham, you remember, telling Him that He had already "made [him] a father of many nations" when it sounded wildly impossible.
If Abraham is "the father of us all" (Rom. 4:16), that would suggest that the Lord does speak of us not as what we are now but as what we will become, by His grace through faith (Eph. 2:8, 9). In Psalm 139 He tells us that when we were in the womb He saw what we would become as adults (vss. 15, 16). And the idea is not a negative one; He saw what noble men and women we would become through the faith of Jesus, highly honored in this life and in His coming kingdom. Our mistakes and failures will be buried in the depths of the sea, deeper than the Titanic.
God "saw" humbled, childless Abraham as the prestigious "father of many nations," the "father" yet to be; He sees you and me, not as we are today, but as occupying a high position in His kingdom. All to be by His grace, through the faith of Jesus which we have embraced as ours.
For us to believe this now is not to become arrogant, proud, or self-sufficient; such new covenant faith does not feed our self-esteem. But it does establish our true self-respect, "in Christ." We are "somebody," not for what we are by nature or by our own achievement, but for what we will be in new covenant faith in Christ.
The "true Light, which lights every man who comes into the world" (John 1:9), shines into the heart as a fulfillment of what Genesis 3:15 says--a God-given "enmity" against the "serpent." Our humanity has been redeemed but we do not realize it until we understand and believe the gospel. But in every human being the Holy Spirit has imparted a sense of right and wrong and a deeply buried desire for righteousness and truth. Satan wars against this God-given yearning; but to each of us is given the power of choice. We can let the Holy Spirit purify these roots deep in our souls. We can continually pray the never-denied prayer--"Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief" (Mark 9:24). Such faith "works by love" which constrains us to live "henceforth" not unto self, but to a life of obedience to the One who died our second death (Gal. 5:6; 2 Cor. 5:14, 15). "By grace, through faith."
Those deep-seated yearnings of your soul coincide with God's new covenant promises for you. Choose to believe His promises, and walk out into the sunshine.
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: November 19, 2006.Copyright © 2011 by Robert J. Wieland.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
------------------------------
Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to: dailybread@1888message.org
------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
Does the Lord practice with us as individuals what He likes to do in "calling those things which do not exist" as though they do exist? (cf. Rom. 4:17).
He did with Abraham, you remember, telling Him that He had already "made [him] a father of many nations" when it sounded wildly impossible.
If Abraham is "the father of us all" (Rom. 4:16), that would suggest that the Lord does speak of us not as what we are now but as what we will become, by His grace through faith (Eph. 2:8, 9). In Psalm 139 He tells us that when we were in the womb He saw what we would become as adults (vss. 15, 16). And the idea is not a negative one; He saw what noble men and women we would become through the faith of Jesus, highly honored in this life and in His coming kingdom. Our mistakes and failures will be buried in the depths of the sea, deeper than the Titanic.
God "saw" humbled, childless Abraham as the prestigious "father of many nations," the "father" yet to be; He sees you and me, not as we are today, but as occupying a high position in His kingdom. All to be by His grace, through the faith of Jesus which we have embraced as ours.
For us to believe this now is not to become arrogant, proud, or self-sufficient; such new covenant faith does not feed our self-esteem. But it does establish our true self-respect, "in Christ." We are "somebody," not for what we are by nature or by our own achievement, but for what we will be in new covenant faith in Christ.
The "true Light, which lights every man who comes into the world" (John 1:9), shines into the heart as a fulfillment of what Genesis 3:15 says--a God-given "enmity" against the "serpent." Our humanity has been redeemed but we do not realize it until we understand and believe the gospel. But in every human being the Holy Spirit has imparted a sense of right and wrong and a deeply buried desire for righteousness and truth. Satan wars against this God-given yearning; but to each of us is given the power of choice. We can let the Holy Spirit purify these roots deep in our souls. We can continually pray the never-denied prayer--"Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief" (Mark 9:24). Such faith "works by love" which constrains us to live "henceforth" not unto self, but to a life of obedience to the One who died our second death (Gal. 5:6; 2 Cor. 5:14, 15). "By grace, through faith."
Those deep-seated yearnings of your soul coincide with God's new covenant promises for you. Choose to believe His promises, and walk out into the sunshine.
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: November 19, 2006.Copyright © 2011 by Robert J. Wieland.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
------------------------------
Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to: dailybread@1888message.org
------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
