Living Like Abraham
Abraham knew what we forget: that we should demonstrate the goodness of God in every action we do. Whether it’s eating and drinking or whether it’s avoiding conflict between family members, we should act so that God’s goodness is demonstrated by our actions. (We call it, doing to the glory of God)
The Apostle Paul knew this and he wrote that he didn’t think about what was best for himself but what was best for others. Paul urges us to follow his example.
O.K. so we did this! All those long years of raising the children, consistently we did what was best for them, and put our selves second to their welfare. Now they are grown up, isn’t it time to please ourselves? How long do we go on doing this?
The awful thing is there is no end to it, and it doesn’t just apply to putting our children’s good before our own, but to our neighbors, members of our church and especially to the members of other faiths. We are to consider their good and choose what is good for them rather than what is good for us. We do this so that through us they may learn about the goodness of God.
Now there is an escape route that Christians frequently use: the argument that what is best for everyone is a system of firm rules and strong consequences. We unblushingly say that we ourselves have been subject to firm rules and strong consequences. We even imply that, that is why we are such righteous people. This way of escape says that doing good to our neighbor means setting rules and making consequences when our rules are not followed, even when the consequences are disastrous to their welfare.
Abraham didn’t use the escape routes; he applied his own rules to his own behavior and didn’t impose them on Lot, who certainly knew about them. The only consequence that Lot experienced was his own discovery that the best pasture land was not the best social environment. And even when he discovered that, Abram was there to help him and never told him that he had made his bed and must lie on it.
We who are Christians have not been subjected to strong rules and consequences, but to repeated forgiveness and to the unfailing help of God our Father. Jesus came to save us while we were still defying God. God says that he has held out his hands all day to a nation that was ignoring him. What we have received is grace, the good that we didn’t deserve. If we are to follow the example of God, and His Son Jesus we are to offer grace and forgiveness, support and help to every other person.
Where do we find the strength to go on living in this sacrificial way? From God himself who, as is shown by the next story about Abraham, is not just watching how we choose but is standing ready to support
And befriend us.
1 Corinthians 10. 31-33
Ephesians 5.1 & 2
The Apostle Paul knew this and he wrote that he didn’t think about what was best for himself but what was best for others. Paul urges us to follow his example.
O.K. so we did this! All those long years of raising the children, consistently we did what was best for them, and put our selves second to their welfare. Now they are grown up, isn’t it time to please ourselves? How long do we go on doing this?
The awful thing is there is no end to it, and it doesn’t just apply to putting our children’s good before our own, but to our neighbors, members of our church and especially to the members of other faiths. We are to consider their good and choose what is good for them rather than what is good for us. We do this so that through us they may learn about the goodness of God.
Now there is an escape route that Christians frequently use: the argument that what is best for everyone is a system of firm rules and strong consequences. We unblushingly say that we ourselves have been subject to firm rules and strong consequences. We even imply that, that is why we are such righteous people. This way of escape says that doing good to our neighbor means setting rules and making consequences when our rules are not followed, even when the consequences are disastrous to their welfare.
Abraham didn’t use the escape routes; he applied his own rules to his own behavior and didn’t impose them on Lot, who certainly knew about them. The only consequence that Lot experienced was his own discovery that the best pasture land was not the best social environment. And even when he discovered that, Abram was there to help him and never told him that he had made his bed and must lie on it.
We who are Christians have not been subjected to strong rules and consequences, but to repeated forgiveness and to the unfailing help of God our Father. Jesus came to save us while we were still defying God. God says that he has held out his hands all day to a nation that was ignoring him. What we have received is grace, the good that we didn’t deserve. If we are to follow the example of God, and His Son Jesus we are to offer grace and forgiveness, support and help to every other person.
Where do we find the strength to go on living in this sacrificial way? From God himself who, as is shown by the next story about Abraham, is not just watching how we choose but is standing ready to support
And befriend us.
1 Corinthians 10. 31-33
Ephesians 5.1 & 2
posted by Jessie Coates at 12:24 PM
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