Orange Moon Monday, April 7, 2025 Conviction, With Humility

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe

"Conviction, With Humility"          

    

    As born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ seek to attain unity of belief and thought - "be ye all of one mind" - we also recognize that perfection in our quest will not be attained in this present lifetime.  We must "endeavor to seek the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" because such mutual devotion and understanding does not come naturally (I Peter 3:8; Ephesians 4:3). 

    A wise Christian was once asked about his preacher.  "Do you agree with Pastor George on everything?"  The believer smiled and responded, "I don't even agree with myself on everything!"

   Of all our imperfections as human beings, understanding truth finds it place at or near the top of our list of challenges.  Through the Word of God, the Spirit of God, the people of God, the creation of God, and the providence of God, we can know some of God's truth.  We can know more.  But we can never know all.  Of course, believers can understand Scripture well enough to know and walk with God in consistent, growing, and informed devotion.  We can walk with each other accordingly.  However, as we seek unity of thought and belief with one another, our quest must be guided by both conviction and humility.

   "With all thy getting, get understanding" (Proverbs 4:7).

    This "getting" involves both our individual and corporate quest for knowledge and understanding.  By himself, the believer cannot begin to adequately attain to knowing God and His truth.  We desperately need each other in order to "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3:18).  The Apostle Paul prayed that we "may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ" (Ephesians 3:18-19).  No Lone Rangers exist in the body of Christ.  We either progress with one another, or we digress without each other.  This presents a great challenge since, like the astute Christian mentioned above, we may be self aware enough to realize conflict within ourselves regarding our beliefs.  God's truth comprises a vast reality, an infinite measure of light that finite beings will never fully absorb or comprehend.  "His understanding is infinite" (Psalm 147:5).  An accompanying vast measure of humility must therefore grace our hearts as we seek truth personally and "with all saints."  Presently, we will not always agree in mind.  We can nevertheless affirm each other in heart.  We must "forbear one another in love" because it is not enough to be correct in argument (Ephesians 4:2).  Our attitude must coincide, recognizing that our Heavenly Father holds us accountable for both what we communicate and how we conduct ourselves.  "Speaking the truth in love" (Ephesian 4:15).

     Let us seek God in His Word and form our convictions thereby (as aided by the Holy Spirit and the gifts of truth-finding mentioned above).  Having reached our doctrinal conclusions, let us embrace and seek to live by them - with a caveat.  Namely, we nothing yet as we ought to know (I Corinthians 8:2).  We gaze unto a summit of Truth that ever ascends beyond our keenest view and vision.  The simplest truth of the Bible bears an eternal complexity that will ever find us amazed and astonished by new glories, or by expansions of truth long known, but still abounding with the promise of greater insight and understanding.  Some.  More.  But never all.  Remembering together that an infinite God calls us unto Himself in the light of infinite truth will go far in illuminating our minds, while humbling our hearts.

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!  It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, that went down to the skirts of his garments, as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life forevermore."

(Psalm 133:1-3)

"O send out Thy light and Thy truth, let them lead me; let them bring me unto Thy holy hill, and to Thy tabernacles."

(Psalm 43:3)

Weekly Memory Verse

    I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."

 (I Timothy 2:1-2).

  

7442

 

Orange Moon Saturday, April 5, 2025 "From Grace, For Grace"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe

"From Grace, For Grace"          

    

    "What think ye of Christ?  Whose Son is He?" (Matthew 22:42).

    Life and eternity hinge on the answer of our hearts to this question.

      First, we believe to receive salvation and the beginning of relationship with God: "these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name" (John 20:31).

    Having trusted the Lord Jesu as Savior, we then believe to experience His life subsequent to having received salvation: "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God" (I John 5:13).

    Note the seeming redundancy in the Apostle John's declaration.  Those who already "believe on the name of the Son of God" are called to "believe on the name of the Son of God."  This speaks to faith in its origin and its ongoing.  It is one thing to trust the Lord Jesus as God's Son for the beginning of relationship with Him - the new birth by grace through faith.  It is another to trust the Savior regarding the the life to which we are called as believers - "walk by faith" (II Corinthians 5:7).  Ask every believer, "Is Christ the Son of God as your Savior?"  All will respond affirmatively.  One cannot be a believer otherwise.  However, "Is Christ the Son of God regarding this particular matter, circumstance, condition, or situation?"  Believers do not always answer as affirmatively regarding the everyday challenges of life.

      Regarding our walk with God believers, is the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God regarding the blessings of the present?  If so, let us believe and  gratefully acknowledge our appreciation to our Father who "with Christ also freely gives us all things" (Romans 8:32).  Is Christ the Son of God regarding challenges of difficulty, pain, or perplexity as our "very present help in trouble?" (Psalm 46:1).  If so, let us believe and trust Him in our trial.  Is He the Son of God regarding the everyday and mundane matters of our existence?   If so, let us believe and open the eyes of our hearts to see His presence and involvement in all things and in every moment.   "I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20).The Son of God we trust as Savior no less serves as the Son of God regarding every aspect of our life and being.  "To live is Christ" (Philippians 1:21).

    The Apostle John referenced this ongoing bestowal of Christ's presence and pertinence in our hearts and lives:

    "And of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace" (John 1:16).

   "Grace for grace?"  This references the truth we consider, namely, that once we receive God's freely given favor in Christ through the new birth, we become qualified, led, and enabled to receive His grace for all other matters.  We may or may not do so, but the grace ever awaits our believing on the name of the Son of God.  We live from grace,  for grace.  Believers… believe.  Yes, may we who believe on the name of the Son of God as our Savior be found consistently and increasingly believing on name of the Son of God as our Lord and life.

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand."

(Romans 5:1-2)

Weekly Memory Verse

    I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."

 (I Timothy 2:1-2).

  

7441

 

Orange Moon Friday, April 4, 2025 Grace - the Favor Of Our Father"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe

"Grace - the Favor Of Our Father"          

    

    When a born again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ wanders from walking faithfully with God, the issue always involves God's grace.  The matter involves both doctrine and practice.

   "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel, which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ" (Galatians 1:6-7).

    "Let us have grace, that we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear" (Hebrews 12:28).

    The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that spiritually births us also nurtures and matures us, and will one day perfect us in His direct presence.  Our spiritual enemies know this, and from the moment of our new birth seek to divert us from following the Apostle Paul's mandate: "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him" (Colossians 2:6).  How did we receive our Savior and His salvation?  By grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).  How do we "serve God acceptably?  "Let us have grace."  The devil knows this and ever seeks to distract us to "another gospel" that is no gospel at all.  We had better know the truth of grace as well if we are to access the power of God to live in a manner that glorifies and pleases Him.  Paul stated the truth plainly regarding his calling, "I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power" (Ephesians 3:7).

   The word "grace" means favor, which the New Testament reveals to be a free and undeserved gift of God's disposition toward the believer granted through the Lord Jesus, and including all the benefits of His acceptance and presence in our lives.  Paul affirmed such a marvel in his prayer for the Ephesians, "that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:7).  We live from this abundance of God's heart and hand as our Heavenly Father views us as "in Christ" and "accepted in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:3-6).  His working in our lives always proceeds primarily from the Lord Jesus' working on our behalf, which does not preclude our privileged response of faith and submission.  We play a role in the relationship, working our that which God works in (Philippians 2:12-13).  However, we work from the grace of our Father's disposition and dispensation, realizing and affirming that we do not act in order to live, but rather live in order to act (Romans 10:4-10).

   The living God dwells in the believer through the presence of the Holy Spirit.  In the moment of our new birth, His entrance into our spirits bequeathed all the grace we will ever require in both this life and eternity (II Peter 1:3).  To live accordingly requires our awareness and accessing by faith of such favor and its abundant provision.  Again, our spiritual enemies are well aware of this dynamic means of life that has bludgeoned them so often and so severely throughout the history of the church.  Expect, therefore, their attempts to distract and deceive regarding grace, tellingly referred to by Paul as a "bewitching" (Galatians 3:1).  Expect even more God's working to reveal and magnify His grace in the Lord Jesus, as affirmed by His Word and applied by His Spirit.  Yes, our Savior made possible the favor of our Father toward us, with all it's provisions and benefits.  May nothing distract or deceive us from this, "His unspeakable gift" (II Corinthians 9:15).

"And of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."

(John 1:16-17)

Weekly Memory Verse

    I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."

 (I Timothy 2:1-2).

  

7440