Beyond the motive of Jesus for an easier life

Revelation and beholding Jesus the radiant majestic Son of the living God takes us beyond just living for the sole motive of having an 'easier life' The latter is bound up in self-absorption or perhaps fear. Living for the will of God may sound nauseatingly virtuous to a secular person or a fleshly engrossed Christian but it is actually the natural consequence of true affection for Christ. Love and obedience cannot be separated. Increasing love of God leads to increasing obedience and so on. The Judaistic believers in Hebrews were being tempted to see Jesus as an angel or equal to an angel. It would have made life easier to have believed these rumours and to remain within the framework of Judaism - repectability assured. However life in Christ will not necesarily be easy. A wrong assumption at Gospel uptake can lead to a life where this is the governing expectation and raison d'etre. Jesus my problem solver and bringer of comfort and security? Living out of revelation of Jesus as the Son of the living God will ruin us for this basis for living. The whole of Hebrews chapter 1 is a commentary on the fact that Jesus IS the Son of God and in His radiance and divinity is superior to all the angelic and created realm. Accordingly dangerous living becomes way more attractive, indeed a reflex, in light of such a great salvation and God than 'easy street' Do you have a majestic and glorious King in view, a Gospel that continues to make you want to 'reckon yourself dead to sin' (Romans) and to live a dangerous life of adventure for God that will echo in eternity?!
Any comments...?

Deeper Discipleship the Jesus way

http://sc.fhview.com/sc_customplayer/seriesitems/1/118278

Who do we say that Jesus is?
What is our actual revelation not our projected one?

3 legs of discipleship:
* truth that sets free
* love experienced from the Father that compels
* fruitfulness and favour from abideing in Christ

Do we have ears to hear what God is wanting to speak into our heart? Are we open and receptive?

Words of Grace (Acts 20) build us up and project us into our inheritance. Do we have the good soil of the Parable of the Sower or is the seed stolen?

We can be a child of God but not a disciple....may it not be so for you or I in the future...

Spiritual warfare in Ireland is different from Africa or India...listen and come out from under the spell of satan's 'slow death' approach...

Just a few points from the above sermon.

JS