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--- jn_en_2019_04_09 [2019/04/09 07:27] – created potthast
+++ jn_en_2019_04_09 [2019/04/09 07:52] (current) – potthast
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 ====== Work out your Salvation ... ======
-Tuesday, April 9, 2019.
+Tuesday, April 9, 2019. Let us have a look into what the New Testament books call "salvation". God
+wants to reach people. He wants to reach each and every single person on the planet. It is about justice,
+about trust, about love, about purity. He rescues us by putting us into his community of trust,
+love and truth.
+Salvation in the biblical sence touches all parts of human life. It touches all we are, all we want, all
+we desire, all we do. It is a transformation - something like a new birth. It is not just following
+some rules. It is not just paying money, or assembling in a special building on Sunday mornings.
+Salvation is a transformation of our life. We become children of God, in a very concrete and amazing
+way day by day.
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-**  ... **
+** God's Work ... **
+Let us look into a text about this salvation. Paul writes to the church in Philippi. Let us read first,
+before we go into a discussion of the text:
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 </color> (from Phil 2, 12ff)
+It is very interesting to hear that we are called to "work out" our salvation. Paul writes about fear and
+trembling. What does he mean? Is it US who can do the salvation? Is it, finally, our work that will
+cause the salvation? In what way is our work needed for salvation? We get into very deep and old discussions
+here.
+But in the same sentence Paul says that it is God, who works in us. God causes our intention to live
+with him and he also causes us to do the right steps. It is like two sides of one coin: our own contribution,
+and God's work in us. We cannot spit it, it is not two distinct things. The holy spirit draws the human
+spirit. Without the holy spirit, we cannot do, we cannot even want to be with him. At the same time,
+we are still free beings, whom he wants to make choices!
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-**   ... **
+** Without Grumbling ... **
+Let us discuss the words about grumbling or disputing. Are we to accept all things without questioning
+them? What is Paul talking about? At a different passage Christians are called to be careful, to check
+everything, to investigate it and keep what is good and sound doctrine. Here, Christians are called to
+keep to the truth, and to do what is right, without grumbling and discussion.
+We are called to hold fast to the word of life. And this is a good command, since Christ is fantastic,
+and he is the word of God, the word of life. Jesus can be the corner stone of our personal life. He
+can be the stone on which we stand, in all the trouble, the lies, the ignorance and difficulties which
+are around us day by day. Faith is a strong power, which wants us to be changed. And it is possible,
+a lot is possible, when the power of the holy spirit helps us, today and tomorrow.
+I have one final thought about this "grumbling" for now. We are invited to discover true love! When
+our eyes are taken over by love, we discover the beauty which God has placed in each and every human.
+We start to find them beautiful, indeed. Our grumbling will fade away, since we are taken over by
+feelings of love and beauty, in the middle of reality.
 (Roland Potthast)
 [[http://www.jesusnetwork.eu/en/topics_collection_ix|... further texts]]