“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the One who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered….” Heb.5:7-8
We wear arm bracelets saying “Do as God Does.” Eph.5:1. We aspire to be as Jesus is, but are we willing to do as He did. Read the scripture again: “…Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered.” Now if the Son of God learned obedience from what He suffered, how can we think we can learn obedience any other way? We attend athletic training camps so we can be a better football player or basketball player, etc, and we come with the expectation that it will cost us in terms of blood, sweat and tears. We willingly submit to the discipline of our coaches, and we learn obedience from the suffering required in the process of becoming a better athlete.
God has something more in mind than athletics as His grace prosecutes His purpose in our lives. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:26 concerning the last supper with His disciples; “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”
He was talking about the Cross. When Jesus had the last supper with His disciples, He foreshadowed His death ; His broken body the bread, His shed blood the wine. in “bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered…So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.” (Heb.2:10-11)
Like Jesus, we “can consider it pure joy…whenever [we] face trials of many kinds because [we] know that testing produces patience.” (James 1:2-3)
I can say with full strength of heart, for all my recent trials, daunting as they may be, I would not trade anything for the sweetness of Jesus and His fellowship through it all. Patience is doing its perfect work. I hold out the hope to all my brethren that we will not kick against the pricks, but “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, that [we] press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phi.: 13-14)
Questions to Think About
We wear arm bracelets saying “Do as God Does.” Eph.5:1. We aspire to be as Jesus is, but are we willing to do as He did. Read the scripture again: “…Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered.” Now if the Son of God learned obedience from what He suffered, how can we think we can learn obedience any other way? We attend athletic training camps so we can be a better football player or basketball player, etc, and we come with the expectation that it will cost us in terms of blood, sweat and tears. We willingly submit to the discipline of our coaches, and we learn obedience from the suffering required in the process of becoming a better athlete.
God has something more in mind than athletics as His grace prosecutes His purpose in our lives. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:26 concerning the last supper with His disciples; “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”
He was talking about the Cross. When Jesus had the last supper with His disciples, He foreshadowed His death ; His broken body the bread, His shed blood the wine. in “bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered…So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.” (Heb.2:10-11)
Like Jesus, we “can consider it pure joy…whenever [we] face trials of many kinds because [we] know that testing produces patience.” (James 1:2-3)
I can say with full strength of heart, for all my recent trials, daunting as they may be, I would not trade anything for the sweetness of Jesus and His fellowship through it all. Patience is doing its perfect work. I hold out the hope to all my brethren that we will not kick against the pricks, but “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, that [we] press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phi.: 13-14)
Questions to Think About
- How is communion a reminder of what we are called to in Gal.2:20 ?
- What goal in your life have you been willing to pay the price of blood, sweat and tears? Was it worth it?
Posted in Learning Obedience