The Bible is Incredible

Well, duh. Of course the Bible is incredible! Anyone who has ever been to any sort of Bible study/Sunday school/sermon can tell you that.

But I'm still going to write about it.

Since I've been reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan (as mentioned in my last post), I've been filled with wonder at just how amazing God is. And, by extension, His Word.

One of the things that's really been standing out to me lately is how many tiny things are so important in the greetings of Paul's epistles. Let me show you what I mean.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 1:1

Alright, what do you see here? For so long, I've just seen Paul introducing himself. "Hi, I'm Paul. I'm a Christian. This letter is for you."

But there is so much more!

Paul introduces himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. Think about that for just a minute. If you're a believer, who is responsible for that? Let me answer that for you: it's God. If it weren't for the fact that He loves me so much and desires to spend eternity with me, I wouldn't be saved.

And I thought it was just a greeting.

Paul, an apostle-not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.
Galatians 1:1

In Galatians, Paul's main message is that the churches of Galatia are being too legalistic. His purpose is to remind them that they are saved by grace, not by works. And he starts with that reminder in the first verse.

Paul is an apostle, not because of anything that he or any other human did, but because of God. His identity and salvation have nothing whatsoever to do with himself or other people. They are found fully in God.

Let's do another one!

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God...
Romans 1:1

Want to take a stab at this one?

Romans was the first book to start bringing before me the importance of even the introduction of the author. Paul was called to be an apostle and servant, set apart for God's use. He is no longer his own, but belongs fully to God because of the ransom paid for his life.

That's a lot more words than Paul uses, but I think it's what he's saying. Translate that into your life. Are you a complete servant of the One who called you? Are you set apart for His purpose and not your own? That's really convicting to me.

Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker.
Philemon 1

This greeting centers more around who we are in relation to each other as Christians. First, we are family. God has adopted us into His eternal and perfect family, so we are all brothers and sisters.

Second, we are workers with one another. We were "created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). No matter what our age, race, or position in life, we all have the same purpose and goal: to live for God.



That's only four verses and doesn't even touch on the final greetings, but it still blows me away when I really think about what they say.

Please, please do not just take what I said and move on. Read your Bible carefully and consistently for yourself. You don't have to finish the whole thing in a year or even read a full chapter at a time. But really examine and meditate on what you read. This is just what God's been showing me through my reading (which I've only really turned into a habit this past school year). Go and see what He wants to show you through yours.

-Kira

Splendid

A couple weeks ago, I got to see the movie/documentary Is Genesis History? To be honest, I went into it not really expecting to learn a whole lot - or at least to just add to the list of facts stored away in the back of my mind that prove events in the Bible.

And I did learn a few more facts - really cool ones. But the thing that most affected me about that movie was the majesty of God.

We've all heard it since we first started going to Sunday School: "Look, God made those trees outside and all the mountains and oceans and rivers. Isn't our God incredible?" And then of course, we must nod and agree like good little Christian children because if we don't, we will never get to snack time.

Of course God is wonderful - we've always been taught that and we've seen it for ourselves on the occasional hike on a particularly beautiful mountain or the sparkle of a starry sky in the middle of the country.

But you know what? I take that for granted a lot. More often than not, I'm that kid at church, agreeing that God is great and would you please pass the goldfish?

That's the wrong attitude. We can't just dismiss how splendid our Creator is - though none of us would ever admit to doing so.

It's become one of those cliche things that everyone talks about, but almost no one believes with real conviction. But we should. When we look at the world around us, we should hardly be able to speak for joy at the beauty and detail of creation.

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. -Romans 1:20

Now, this verse is talking about how the unrighteous and those who don't follow after God have no excuse for their immorality, but it applies just as much to Christians. We can see the work of God in the things He has made and there is no excuse for our complacency.

Let's all take every chance we get to admire the glory of God. He has given us a piece of Himself in our ability to appreciate beauty, so let's put it to use. It's not inconvenient. It's not hard. Let's revel in God's creation and give Him praise.

-Kira