Anyone is welcome to participate. Just put a link to your Monday Manna blog entry in the MckLinky gadget below, and check out others' thoughts.
This Monday's verses are very familiar ones to many of us, with, I think, lots of "anecdote potential."
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,a]"> neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 NIVLooking forward to reading your thoughts on these verses. Mine are below.
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Sometimes, I can be incredibly arrogant. I look at this unsaved world (especially my Jewish friends and family) and wonder how they could possibly miss His message. They must be so dumb to look at these same passages of Scripture I read daily and not see Christ throughout the Old Testament. If only they were intelligent, like me!
And then I realize that I'm the stupid one.Because my salvation has absolutely, positively nothing to do with how smart I am, anything I have done, or even how much I do for Him.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9It is one of the most basic and fundamental beliefs that I hold. I did absolutely, positively nothing to earn God's favor, love, and protection. It's all Him. Any other thoughts on this are simply arrogance.
And this weekend, as I was pondering how to approach the verses I'd picked for Monday Manna, I realized that disbelief of Paul's thoughts here is also boasting.
For if we can do nothing to earn God's love, why should we believe we can do anything to lose it?If we believe we can turn God's affection from us, we must believe we earned it in the first place. And that is the ultimate in arrogance.
That I, a "pot," can bring glory to the Potter without His help. That I can BE anything besides a useless lump without Him.
So, I can look at these verses in Romans with new eyes. Not only are these things unable to separate me from His love, but they can't earn it for me either.
- death
- life
- angels
- demons
- the present
- the future
- any powers
- depth
- height
- or anything else in creation
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Thanks for reading! Looking forward to reading your thoughts as well. Just link up below, and read your friends' thoughts as well. Blessings!
Interesting perspective, and I'd never considered looking at the verse from the opposite angle this way. It does make perfect sense, though, and the logic works well.
ReplyDeleteOh Joanne, such good points!!! You made me realize I've had those thoughts too, "Why can't they see the truth?!?!? Are they blind?" Well, yes, they are blind! But I'm not "seeing" by my own ability.
ReplyDeleteI love what you said about the pot and the Potter.
Great post my friend!
Beth
Boy, am I glad that I can't mess it up for myself. Cool thought: "…neither height nor depth, nor Lynda nor Joanne, nor anything else in all creation…"
ReplyDeleteGreat, Joanne.
VERY nice, Joanne! I love how you've described this, and I realize now I do the exact same thing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for making me stop and think, Joanne. So cool that NOTHING can separate us from God's love!!
ReplyDeleteI'm still learning about Christ's love for me. I sometimes find it a difficult understanding because in my own flesh, I don't love perfectly. I forget that he is perfect and, therefore, perfectly loves. I continually am reminding myself about his love; thank you for reminding me too.
ReplyDeletepeace~elaine