Meditate on it

A mountain of ideas and principles in this chapter, a fire-hose of thought. Big Bad? Predestination   The word "will" is thelēma, "a desire which proceeds from one’s heart or emotions. "...Election and God’s fore ordination of us unto adoption are not due to any desert in us or anything outside God Himself, but are acts of His own pure goodness, originating wholly in the freedom of His own thoughts and loving counsel."-Wuest Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,  "...even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him." Ephesians 1:4 God rules the world to save it.-Vincent's Word Studies "In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire po

"Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true."  1 Corinthians 1:5-6 In what specific ways has God enriched New Life?  Eloquent words? knowledge? Big concern: "This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true." 1Co 1:10  I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.  Be of one mind. United in thought and purpose. Roadblocks. "No religious truth, then, is held rightly “as a spiritual man” should hold it, which is held as a mere external dogma positively accepted. It is held only then in a way worthy of our personal responsibility when it is held with active personal apprehension, as that which is an indelible and irrefutable part of our own deliberate conviction,

I'm still on my "Bible in a Year" plan although I'm falling behind. I like the push of a plan, but my goal is contemplation, understanding, transformation, not speed. This time through King David's narrative, I've been intrigued with the brutal nature of his culture. I'm impressed by his just, even-handedness in dealing with other nations, but also by his equally quick retribution. He spares Saul because he respect the government of God. His best friend is one of Saul's sons and after Saul and Jonathan's death, he honors the relationship through his care of Methiposheth. He marries repeatedly, a custom of the culture but not of God.  This gives me pause when considering all of the sexual expressions of our current society--sex outside of marriage, cohabitation without marriage, homosexuality, bisexuality, remarriage, the list goes on. My quick thought is to leave judgement to God and get on with more productive ways of serving and loving. I