Thought for July 6, 2023

1527: Martin Luther stricken at dinner, goes into a depression. To combat his depression he writes "A Mighty Fortress is Our God."

 1785: Congress resolves that the US currency will be the "dollar" with decimal coinage

1970: California passes the first "no fault" divorce law

Born: Frida Kahlo, Janet Leigh, George W Bush

Died: John Marshall, William Faulkner, Louis Armstrong. Jan Hus is burned at the stake for heresy-- a leader in church reform and forerunner of Martin Luther. 

Thought:

Reading Galatians 3 today. Looking at some truths Paul  was proclaiming to the churches in Galatia-

• 3:6--Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Abraham's right relationship with God came by believing God--and here, belief means accepting as true and acting on that belief. Makes me ask myself if I act on what I say I believe. Do my actions provide evidence that what I say I believe is really true? I say the Bible is true and without error--do I live like I really believe that? I say the Bible commands me to die to self and allow Christ to live in and through me--do I live like that is true? 
• 3:26--we are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ not only covered us with His righteousness before a holy God, by faith in Christ we were also born anew into the family of God and are now children. And the amazing thing--in this family the children are not male or female, slave nor free, Jew nor Greek--we are Christians. So there are no white Christians or black Christians, female Christians or male Christians, wealthy Christians and poor Christians---we are not a physical family, but a spiritual family. The love of Christ breaks down every difference save one--we are all sinners saved by grace.
• 3:29--Adopted children are heirs of the Father. [4:7] We are rich because our Father is rich and our elder brother died so we could be part of the family. Think about how rich you are--heir to all the love of God, all the grace of God, all the mercy of God, all the patience of God, all the comfort of God--all sufficient in every respect---abundant so that we can share it with others.

What does this mean for today--live like I believe the Bible is totally true--it is! Live like a son of God and a sibling of Jesus---can the world see the family resemblance, do I act like and talk like my family? How great an inheritance God has for His children? Exceeding, abundant above all I can ask or think. How must I live to be worthy of the name He has given--Christian, little Christ? I am unable to walk worthy in my strength, but Christ in me is my hope of glory. 

Blessings

Larry