2020-07-28
Romeine 4:23-24 ABA
Dink aan fondse wat van een rekening na ‘n ander oorgedra word. Banke doen dit elke dag. Verbeel jouself jy is haweloos en kan nie jou skuld betaal nie. Dan, in ‘n wonderbaarlike daad van genade, neem iemand al jou skuld oor en dra terselftertyd ‘n massiewe bedrag geld na jou rekening oor sodat jy nooit weer hoef te werk nie. Dis wat by die kruis gebeur het toe God al jou sondes na Christus se rekening oorgedra het; en al sy regverdigheid na jou rekening oorgedra het. Verbysterend, is dit nie? Sal jy sê: ‘Ek kan nie toelaat dat U al hierdie skuld alleen afbetaal nie, dus sal ek werk om te bewys dat ek u genade waardig is’? Dis wat ons doen wanneer ons ons goeie werke by Christus se voltooide werk ‘aanlas.’ Paulus skryf: ‘God het Hom wat nie sonde geken het nie, sonde gemaak ter wille van ons sodat ons, op grond van ons eenheid met Christus, deur God vrygespreek kan word’ (2 Korintiërs 5:21 NLV). ‘Maar ek voel so skuldig wanneer ek sondig.’ Jy is veronderstel om skuldig te voel! Toe Christus egter jou sonde weggeneem het, het Hy ook jou skuld weggeneem. Wat voel jy dus? Innerlike konflik! Jou nuwe gees sê vir jou dat jy nie aan sonde kan toegee nie; dis nie meer wie jy is nie! Hoekom het God dit op hierdie manier gedoen? Omdat enige geregtigheid wat ons op ons eie houtjie kon verdien, ver tekort skiet van wat Hy vereis. Verbly jouself – vandag sien God jou as geklee in die geregtigheid van Christus, daarom sal jy altyd deur Hom aanvaar en liefgehê word.
Sielskos: Hand 22-23; Luk 9:57-62; Ps 78:1-8; Spr 16:23-24
2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV
Ever felt like you had to earn God’s love and approval? That you had to be good enough, or even perfect, to be called His child? The truth is, however many mistakes we’ve made, or are going to make in the future, we’re seen as righteous by God. Jesus never sinned, but because He took all our sin and shame when He died on the cross, we now have the opportunity to experience God and eternal life. The Bible says: ‘God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.’ God sees us through the lens of Jesus, who is truly righteous. When He sees us, He sees righteousness. How amazing is that? That doesn’t mean that we should stop trying to become more like Jesus, or stop confessing our sin to Him. We still need to ask for His forgiveness and help in becoming more like Him. The closer we get to God, the further we’ll want to run from a life of sin. It also doesn’t mean that we’ll never experience the feeling of guilt. Guilt helps us to realise that we’ve done something which we need to take to God. We can never be perfect. We’ll never escape sin while we’re here on earth. And God knew that we’d never be able to make ourselves righteous, that’s why He did it this way. The Bible says: ‘”He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed”‘ (1 Peter 2:24 NIV). God sees us clothed in the righteousness of Christ, therefore we’re always loved and accepted by Him.
Acts 22-23; Luke 9:57-62; Ps 78:1-8; Prov 16:23-24
2020-07-27
Spreuke 11:3 NLV
Nadat die profeet Samuel Israel vir veertig jaar lank gelei het, het hy nie ‘n afskeidspartytjie of ‘n goue horlosie gekry nie. Hy het iets baie beters in die vorm van hierdie aanprysing gekry: ‘…U het ons nooit op enige manier bedrieg of verdruk nie…’ (1 Samuel 12:4 NLV). Hy het hulle gelei, hulle opdragte gegee en hulle geseën, maar nie een keer het hy van hulle misbruik gemaak nie. Hoe verfrissend! Hoe merkwaardig – veral in vandag se wêreld van besigheid en politiek. Voor jy dus jou doelwitte stel, bepaal eers jou waardes. Waardes is soos skramrelings op die hoofweg; hulle keer dat jy nie van die pad af by die krans afry nie. Hulle bepaal hoe ver jy op twyfelagtige kwessies sal gaan. Die sleutel om ‘n lewe van betekenis en doel te lewe, is om te weet wat saak maak en waaraan jy waarde heg. Vir die meeste van ons is die probleem nie dat ons nie waardes het nie, die probleem is om hulle uit te lewe. Ons almal stel eerlikheid, integriteit en vergifnis hoog aan die prys, maar wanneer ons onder druk verkeer, lewe ons hulle regtig uit – veral ten koste van onsself? Om ‘n lewe van waardes uit te leef, kom met ‘n prys. Wat ons egter in ruil daarvoor kry is die vermoë om ons kop deur die dag hoog te hou en rustig in die nag te slaap. Amper net so belangrik is dat dit ons toelaat om te ontspan en onsself te wees. Die geestelike tol wat dit neem om te kul, te lieg en te steel is dreinerend. Dit kan jou letterlik moeg maak om die leuen van verlede week te onthou sodat jy jou nie vandag weerspreek nie. Wanneer jy ‘n lewe van integriteit leef, hoef jy nie oor sulke dinge bekommerd te wees nie!
Sielskos: Hand 20-21; Luk 9:46-56; Ps 46; Spr 16:20-22
Proverbs 11:3 NKJV
After leading the Nation of Israel for forty years, the prophet Samuel didn’t get a retirement party and a gold watch. He got something much better in the form of this commendation: “You have not cheated or oppressed us” (1 Samuel 12:4 NIV). He led them, instructed them, and blessed them, but not one time did he take advantage of them. How refreshing! How remarkable – particularly in today’s world of business and politics. C. S. Lewis said, “Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make a man a more clever devil.” So before you set your goals, determine your values. Values are like guardrails on the highway; they keep you from veering off the road and over the cliff’s edge. They determine how far you’ll go on questionable issues. Knowing what matters and what you truly value is the key to living a life of meaning and purpose. For most of us the problem isn’t having values, the problem is living them out. We all value honesty, integrity, and forgiveness, but when we’re pressed, do we really live them out – especially when it costs us? Pursuing a life of values comes with a price. But what we get in exchange is the ability to hold our head high during the day and sleep well at night. And perhaps just as important – it allows us to relax and be ourselves. The mental toll of cheating, lying, and stealing is draining. Trying to remember the lie you told someone last week, so that today’s lie will match up, can literally wear you out. When you live a life of integrity, you don’t have to worry about such things!
Soul food: Acts 20-21; Luke 9:46-56; Ps 46; Prov 16:20-22
Proverbs 11:3 NIV
After leading Israel for forty years, the prophet Samuel didn’t get a retirement party and a present. Instead he received praise from the people: ‘You have not cheated or oppressed us’ (1 Samuel 12:4 NIV). He led them, instructed them, and blessed them, but he didn’t take advantage of them. He was a man of integrity. He had values, and he stuck to them. We also need to make sure we have values. Knowing what matters and what we truly value is key to living a life of meaning and purpose. For most of us the problem isn’t having values, the problem is living them out. We all value honesty, integrity, and forgiveness, but do we really live them out – especially when it costs us? Pursuing a life of values and integrity comes with a price. It can be hard to go against culture, and live with integrity. But it does allow us to relax and be ourselves. Cheating, lying, and being different people in different situations is draining. It can exhaust us as we’re trying to remember how we’re supposed to act with each person we encounter, and what we’ve told to each person in the past. When we live a life of integrity, we don’t have to worry about these things. The Bible says: ‘The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.’ To have integrity means we are one person. We don’t change who we are based on who we’re with or where we are. We should be aiming to live a godly life, and develop a godly character, in all situations.
Acts 20-21; Luke 9:46-56; Ps 46; Prov 16:20-22
