4:1-4 It warms God's heart when we are kind. Our kindness however, is not something we should boast about. We should not be arrogant about being "good" people because being and doing good should be our default. Doing good shouldn't be a deed, it should simply be our natural way of life. We should be good people because it feels right, because it is right, and not just to earn something.
4:5-6 We should always remember that we do not and cannot purchase the eternal life of our spirit. This verse speaks of David learning the same lesson as Abraham above: our life is created, given and sustained by God. Without Him, no matter what we did or how we acted, we could not purchase eternal life in the spirit.
This does not mean that we should not be and do our best. It does not mean that we automatically inherit our spiritual home. It simply means that our spiritual home is only possible because has made it possible. Our good deeds do not construct heaven, they just lead us there.
God is able to discern the complex-reasoning behind our actions. He is understanding, empathetic and informed: He forgives us when we make cruel or silly mistakes because He takes into consideration our shortcomings and the expression our vulnerability and freedom induce.
Therefore: He is the only one who can accurately, appropriately and properly judge. He can determine when a person who seems bad, is forgivable and also when a person who seems good is not.
Being a good person should be our default, our natural inclination. Yet, even the purest, most selfless goodness cannot create. Our creator has build and sustained a place for goodness to land and find a home in.
Try not to confuse this verse by thinking that faith only (faith without works) can lead you to living spiritually with God. James 2:14-26 teaches us that faith without works is useless faith. You cannot have faith and simultaneously contradict everything that faith has established. No, what these verses teach us is that even if we were the Nicest-King-Of-The-World, our actions cannot create a spiritual heaven. God has created heaven. We cannot take credit for building our own room there because we did not actually build it, our kindness just led us there.
4:7-8 We are blessed that God covers us both in mercy and love because we are not always our best. We all have selfish moments or make mistakes or have some kind of shortcoming and it truly is blessing that God works us through those with compassion. We don't always do the work even though we should and it's mighty kind of Him to listen to us when we realize we're ready to do better, more often.
God doesn't sit in a throne exerting his authority. We blessed to receive His forgiveness because we when do wrong, we hurt Him. When are unkind or unfair to one of His children, He feels the pain. He doesn't forgive us for breaking a rule, He forgives us for breaking His heart. (And as emotional beings, we can certainly relate to how particularly difficult that forgiveness can be to give). Imagine it billion-fold for Him... He absorbs and feels all of the emotions His children feel. Humans constantly break His heart... but when work to be more kind, He doesn't hold us to the pain we've previously caused. He is generous; He is generosity.
4:9-12 God does not want us to get tangled up in rules and traditions to the point where the clarity of faith becomes convoluted. Abraham was a good human with a compassionate spirit and those two qualities identified his faith as bold and true. Regardless of whether Abraham was circumcised or not, God knew and understood Him as a good human and a compassionate spirit. Do not get caught up in customs because if an evil human with a selfish spirit was circumcised (a follower of meaningless rules), that person would not be known and understood by God as good.
This translates to many customs humans conform to. No matter what holiday you follow or how many times you go to church (or any religious institution) if you aren't a good person, you're wasting your time and ruining everyone else's.
There is nothing wrong with celebrating; gatherings are happy occasions and can be symbolic of our faith... but remember that our faith is the actual core of our beliefs and the rest is just costume. Example: A fancy costume on an inanimate mannequin vs. a butt naked actual human. One is alive (alert and focused in faith) and one is not alive at all and never has been. Let your faith, your actions (metaphorically) cloak you rather than ornamenting yourself superficially.
This translates to many customs humans conform to. No matter what holiday you follow or how many times you go to church (or any religious institution) if you aren't a good person, you're wasting your time and ruining everyone else's.
There is nothing wrong with celebrating; gatherings are happy occasions and can be symbolic of our faith... but remember that our faith is the actual core of our beliefs and the rest is just costume. Example: A fancy costume on an inanimate mannequin vs. a butt naked actual human. One is alive (alert and focused in faith) and one is not alive at all and never has been. Let your faith, your actions (metaphorically) cloak you rather than ornamenting yourself superficially.
4:13 Abraham's faith enabled him as capable of being the root of so many people. God knew He could entrust Abraham and his decedents with life and opportunity because sprinkled throughout would be people of great,true faith. God accomplishes much in the world through the open doors of our faith; therefore it's imperative that we have it.
4:14-15 Faith is the inhibitor of the life of humanity, rather than law. If God imposed a set of strict laws on us, we would constantly fail. So instead, 1) God have us guidelines to follow and 2) He is absorbent of the development of our faith (which gives us room to learn and grow). Through our faith, He learns who we are (and why) and knowing us so well creates compassion and mercy within Him. If cold, strict law were our god, there would be no compassion, no life, no room for growth or mistake. We would just constantly fail because we are by nature imperfect.
4:16 God has enabled our "wiggle-room" through our faith: the opportunity to learn and subsequently grow. Meaning that even those who fall short (all of us) have a chance to be and do better.
4:17-18 In Genesis 17:5, God blesses Abraham with a massive family (from which we come). He enabled life, health and opportunity for the line of his descendants to continue through time. God wanted to establish a relationship through faith with humanity and Abraham's faith was so strong and clear, God recognized him as the perfect candidate to bring about generations upon generations of people to whom God would proffer the same type of relationship.
4:19-20 Abraham felt blessed to receive the promise of a family. He did not ask for anything for himself, even though he and his wife quite required health and youth at that point in their lives. He was selfless in feeling blessed that people after him, through him, would have the opportunity to know and receive life from God.
His faith was strong; Abraham knew deeply and permanently that he had God and that was all he wanted, all he needed to be happy and alive, compassionate and joyful.
4:21-22 Abraham and his wife, Sarah, we much beyond child-bearing age. Even though what God offered them seemed impossible to the laws of nature they had always known, they trusted God to deliver on His promise. They trusted that He was capable of altering nature because He IS nature, He has created nature. Nature is wielded by Him.
4:23-24 God's gift to Abraham was also a gift to us: the gift of life but more, the gift of having His love.
4:25 For Abraham received the gift, but it God continued gifting beyond Abraham's life here. He has sent us His hope and love and opportunity to inspire both, and receive both in the world. He has given us divine-instruction and also forgiveness, understanding and compassion.
Jesus would be born through Abraham's lineage: a blessing for Abraham but also a blessing for all of humanity.
4:14-15 Faith is the inhibitor of the life of humanity, rather than law. If God imposed a set of strict laws on us, we would constantly fail. So instead, 1) God have us guidelines to follow and 2) He is absorbent of the development of our faith (which gives us room to learn and grow). Through our faith, He learns who we are (and why) and knowing us so well creates compassion and mercy within Him. If cold, strict law were our god, there would be no compassion, no life, no room for growth or mistake. We would just constantly fail because we are by nature imperfect.
4:16 God has enabled our "wiggle-room" through our faith: the opportunity to learn and subsequently grow. Meaning that even those who fall short (all of us) have a chance to be and do better.
4:17-18 In Genesis 17:5, God blesses Abraham with a massive family (from which we come). He enabled life, health and opportunity for the line of his descendants to continue through time. God wanted to establish a relationship through faith with humanity and Abraham's faith was so strong and clear, God recognized him as the perfect candidate to bring about generations upon generations of people to whom God would proffer the same type of relationship.
4:19-20 Abraham felt blessed to receive the promise of a family. He did not ask for anything for himself, even though he and his wife quite required health and youth at that point in their lives. He was selfless in feeling blessed that people after him, through him, would have the opportunity to know and receive life from God.
His faith was strong; Abraham knew deeply and permanently that he had God and that was all he wanted, all he needed to be happy and alive, compassionate and joyful.
4:21-22 Abraham and his wife, Sarah, we much beyond child-bearing age. Even though what God offered them seemed impossible to the laws of nature they had always known, they trusted God to deliver on His promise. They trusted that He was capable of altering nature because He IS nature, He has created nature. Nature is wielded by Him.
4:23-24 God's gift to Abraham was also a gift to us: the gift of life but more, the gift of having His love.
4:25 For Abraham received the gift, but it God continued gifting beyond Abraham's life here. He has sent us His hope and love and opportunity to inspire both, and receive both in the world. He has given us divine-instruction and also forgiveness, understanding and compassion.
Jesus would be born through Abraham's lineage: a blessing for Abraham but also a blessing for all of humanity.
