 His entire life was one of suffering obedience and obedient suffering. He suffered throughout His life and He was obedient throughout His life, even in the face of the suffering He endured. Topics: Obedience
Source: The Gospel for Real Life, p. 36. |
| I can know if I truly fear God by determining if I have a genuine hatred of evil and an earnest desire to obey His commands. Topics: Obedience
Source: The Practice of Godliness, p. 52 |
| Obedience to the revealed will of God is often just as much a step of faith as claiming a promise from God Topics: Obedience
Source: The Pursuit of Holiness, p. 139. |
| The daily experience of Christ's love is linked to our obedience to Him. It is not that His love is conditioned on our obedience. That would be legalism. But our experience of His love is dependent upon our obedience. Topics: Obedience, Legalism
Source: The Pursuit of Holiness, p. 154. |
| We are responsible to obey the will of God, but that we are dependent upon the Holy Spirit for the enabling power to do it. Topics: Obedience
Source: Trusting God, 1988, p. 197. |
| For the believer all pain has meaning; all adversity is profitable. There is no question that adversity is difficult. It usually takes us by surprise and seems to strike where we are most vulnerable. To us it often appears completely senseless and irrational, but to God none of it is either senseless or irrational. He has a purpose in every pain He brings or allows in our lives. We can be sure that in some way He intends it for our profit and His glory. Topics: Pain, Adversity |
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| God never allows pain without a purpose in the lives of His children. He never allows Satan, nor circumstances, nor any ill-intending person to afflict us unless He uses that affliction for our good. God never wastes pain. He always causes it to work together for our ultimate good, the good of conforming us more to the likeness of His Son (see Romans 8:28-29). Topics: Pain, Affliction
Source: Transforming Grace, p. 139. |
| Patience is the ability to suffer a long time under the mistreatment of others without growing resentful or bitter. Topics: Patience
Source: The Practice of Godliness, p. 168. |
| The fruit of patience in all its aspects - long-suffering, forbearance, endurance, and perseverance - is a fruit that is most intimately associated with our devotion to God. All character traits of godliness grow out of and have their foundation in our devotion to God, but the fruit of patience must grow out of that relationship in a particular way. Topics: Patience
Source: The Practice of Godliness, p. 179. |
| Because peace is a fruit of the Spirit, we are dependent upon the Spirit's work in our lives to produce the desire and the means to pursue peace. But we are also responsible to use the means He has given us and to take all practical steps to attain both peace within and peace with others. Topics: Peace, Holy Spirit
Source: The Practice of Godliness, p. 166. |
| The Bible is full of God's promises to provide for us spiritually and materially, to never forsake us, to give us peace in times of difficult circumstances, to cause all circumstances to work together for our good, and finally to bring us safely home to glory. Not one of those promises is dependent upon our performance. They are all dependent on the grace of God given to us through Jesus Christ. Topics: Peace, Circumstances
Source: Transforming Grace, p. 71. |
| Prayer assumes the sovereignty of God. If God is not sovereign, we have no assurance that He is able to answer our prayers. Our prayers would become nothing more than wishes. But while God's sovereignty, along with his wisdom and love, is the foundation of our trust in Him, prayer is the expression of that trust. Topics: Prayer
Source: Trusting God, 1988, p. 107. |
