Romans 8:29-30
29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
God chose me in advance to be like His Son. He CALLED me to come to Him and gave me right standing with Him and gave me… HIS GLORY! WOW!
HIS GLORY… what a gift! What will I do with it? Will I ignore it and glorify myself or will I honor what he CALLED me to do and glorify HIM?!
I Corinthians 1:26-29
26Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him.
I am not strong, powerful or beautiful to the world, but I am CALLED by God. God CALLS those the world considers fools to remove glory to those who consider themselves wise alone.
The powerless glorify God.
The powerful glorify self.
No one can BOAST in the presence of God.
I am weak.
God using ME removes PRIDE and brings glory to HIMSELF!
God pronounced judgment through Amos to
They all had sinned repeatedly. They had all treated others wrongly and violently so. God vowed to destroy them and free their captives.
God doesn’t tolerate cruelty, slavery, violence and selfish anarchy.
Amos must have been CALLED to speak against this way because he was not like them. I imagine he was “foolishly” selfless: charitable, patient, giving and gentle.
Our world today is steeped in immorality, violence, selfishness, and greedy convenience-seeking.
We are warned not to be caught up in the life-style of the wicked, but instead to strive for knowing God’s way and giving grace to others.
II Peter 3: 17-18
17Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
I must focus on doing things GOD’S WAY rather than according to human reasoning and wisdom.
