holiness Archives - Colin Dye

God?s story of salvation: the Heavenly Father?s unconditional grace

Colin Dye — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 10:51:43 +0000

Jesus? famous story about a lost son, in Luke 15:11-32, illustrates God?s story of salvation: the heavenly Father?s unconditional grace in saving undeserving sinners.

The Prodigal Son coming home

In the parable, the son?s repentance was not a pre-condition of his father?s gracious love, it was the means which enabled him to receive his father?s forgiveness.
The father was looking and waiting long before his son returned home; and, as soon as he saw his son, he rushed out to welcome him with passionate, generous joy – without a question about his motives or misdeeds. The son found repentance in the father?s arms of acceptance. The father?s unconditional acceptance melted the boy?s heart, and the unconditional acceptance that he received resulted in changed behaviour. This shows that changed behaviour is a consequence, not a cause, of forgiveness.
The parable is such a gripping celebration of ?divine grace at work in human salvation? that it prompts some people to ask why the heavenly Father does not forgive us in much the same way – without any need for the cross. They do not understand why divine forgiveness depends on Christ?s death, and so they wonder why God does not forgive us – like the father in the parable – without a costly sacrifice.
But people who think like this have not grasped either the seriousness of human sin or the holiness of God; they have not appreciated the scale of the confrontation between human rebellion and divine perfection. In fact, the Bible implies that human sin is an immovable object which is faced with the irresistible force of God?s holy wrath.

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The Secret Place

Colin Dye — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 11:53:52 +0000

God is calling you to the secret place, the place of holiness and intimacy with Him. There in His presence you will find the peace and security that no-one can ever take away from you.

God is calling you to the secret place, the place of holiness and intimacy with Him.

No matter what the external circumstances you find yourself in, God?s presence will be your protection and your sufficiency. Cultivate the secret place in your daily devotions and learn to carry the sense of His presence at all times. As you develop this relationship of trust and intimacy, God will shelter you like a shadow in the heat of the desert and you will discover your own secret place of quiet confidence in Him.

Key Thought

The secret place is the place where God manifests His presence and His glory. He invites you to share this place of fellowship and communion with Him. As you do so, the confidence of God?s protection will cover you and carry you through all circumstances of your life.

Prayer

Lord, I seek your face in the secret place and I put my trust in your power to protect me from every negative circumstance of life. Thank you that my security is in you.

Discipleship Steps

The promise of God?s protection is for those who cultivate a life of fellowship, trust and intimacy in the Lord?s presence. It can only happen when you develop a daily discipline of delighting in God?s presence. The secret place is different for everyone. It?s how God personally calls you to seek Him in every season of your life. Find out how God wants you to seek Him each day through prayer, worship, feeding on His Word and in the consecration of your life.

Read: Psalm 91:1-2

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How to keep pure

Colin Dye — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 08:58:05 +0000

With all the emotional ups and downs of life and the pressure we face in modern society, how then does one keep pure and walk in emotional and sexual freedom? There are a number of common sense things you can do that will help:

Firstly, you can help yourself by not reading many of today?s popular magazines that are a flimsy excuse for pornography. The current trend for mass market ?lifestyle? magazines is to have articles on sex from beginning to end ? the ?top ten tips for a better sex life? etc. Such features are an excuse to display many explicit pictures, along with no-holds barred write ups that go into great detail.

The cover of cosmopolitan-october-2011- The current trend for mass market ?lifestyle? magazines is to have articles on sex from beginning to end ? the ?top ten tips for a better sex life?

Secondly, you can help yourself by not watching movies that also are nothing more than glorified pornography and which underwrite and ?approve? of casual sexual relationships. If you do watch such movies or TV programs then all that will happen is your sex drive will be stimulated and you will begin to focus more on more about how you might go about satisfying those urges.
Thirdly, in Ephesians 4:22-23 Paul tells us that when we become new creatures in Christ we must ?put off? our old life and the lifestyle that accompanied it and follow Christ completely. Of course that means receiving wholeness and healing in Christ, but it also means we must be vigilant about our lifestyle generally, to ensure that we don?t slip into bad habits which are alien to our new life in Christ.
Fourthly, don?t try to fill emotional voids in your life with anything other than God. The topic of this book is sexuality, so I have focused on that area, but there are many other things that people use to try to ?heal? themselves emotionally, instead of allowing Jesus to do it. It could be money, power, success, ambition. Whatever we focus on, other than God, to bring fulfilment pushes God into second place. The thing that is driving us, whatever it may be, becomes an idol in our life and eventually will take us over completely. Jesus must be at the centre of your life as Lord and Saviour. If He?s not, then you are living in disobedience to God. Partial obedience is no obedience at all.
Many have made their relationship with another person their idol. It has become of paramount importance in their life, rather than God. As soon as we find someone who eases our loneliness and emptiness, we become addicted to it. Suddenly we ?can?t live without them? and we talk about them all day long. Yes, it can be a beautiful, pure, love relationship as God intended ? but very often it isn?t. It?s trying to have your needs met in the wrong way. If the relationship doesn?t work out, then you will end up being wounded.

Don't carry heavy luggage...

If you are a person who is living with guilt from the past, maybe because you?ve had a string of relationships, or have been trapped in some kind of sexual sin, I want to tell you that you don?t have to continue carrying that guilt. Jesus loves you, He died for you, and He has forgiveness for you if you will just come to Him and release the burden into His hands.
If, after praying, you still feel the pain and are troubled, then you may need to seek some assistance through counselling, but God will make you whole if you desire it. God will heal every wound if you let Him touch every area of your life.
We carry around a lot of baggage with us because we are often not prepared to trust God with every part of our lives. If we don?t trust Him totally, then we will be inclined to snatch certain areas of our life back from Him ? just in case we don?t like how He handles them. Jesus wants to heal you, but you have to give Him permission to do so. The blood of Jesus can cleanse you from any area of impurity, and set you free from any area you are struggling with. Find a quiet place today, and release to Him all those hurts of the past and the things you have done that you are ashamed of, and His mercy and grace will touch your life and bring healing.

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