Tag: John Stott

Both/And

Re:Verse reading–Romans 2:1-29 (day five) 

4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?  Many people have inaccurate pictures or views of God.   1) God is a “wise and loving patriarchal figure” (grandfather in the sky) filled with wisdom and knowledge, but not actively engaged in the lives of His children. He won’t challenge or confront sin, idleness, or apathy.   He’s too loving to do that sort of thing. 2) He’s a “genie in a bottle” ready to answer and fulfill all our requests and petitions at a moments notice.

Each of God’s character traits (Love, Kindness, Sovereignty, Righteousness, Holiness, etc.) exist for the purpose of His Glory AND our good. They both go together. To separate them is poor theology at best, and manipulative theology at worst. John Stott says, “For God’s kindness leads us towards repentance. That is its goal. It is intended to give us space in which to repent, not to give us an excuse for sinning.”

We must seek to find and understand both God’s Glory and our good as we worship, follow, serve, and grow.

Learn from Our Prayers

Re: Verse reading–Ephesians 3 (day five)

I have sensed the Lord pressing me to journal more in this particular season of my life.  It’s not a skill I am good at, or fond of doing.  But it is SO helpful to me to see how the Lord is working and has worked.   It can also be a subtle reminder that God is speaking and I need to listen and hear as much as possible.

This week I will begin to journal my prayers too.  Reading Paul’s prayers in Ephesians (3:14-21) has been so rich.   Paul’s insights, passion, and priorities are remarkable.  I was also challenged by John Stott’s words this week: “One of the best ways to discover a Christian’s chief anxieties and ambitions is to study the content of his prayer and the intensity with which he prays them.”