Holiness, Godliness, Usefulness
09/25/2014, by John Kincaid
Lesson 370: No Expectations
Every other relationship in our lives (spouse, friends, co-workers, even enemies) will be transformed if we apply God’s grace in the same way.
When others offend us, our reflex is to punish them. Some use the silent treatment; some use anger or shame.
The point is: the human heart’s reflex is to make our relationships depend on the behavior of others.
No one wants to be in a relationship that might explode any moment, always uncertain.
A marriage is a covenant relationship. If a marriage reflects Christ’s love for the church, it will honor the covenant.
We still have expectations of others, but we never want to imply that our love for them depends on whether they are currently meeting our expectations.
Eph.5:25-30 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.
About This Series
The goal of this series is to become more useful in serving the Lord Jesus Christ, as an instrument in the Redeemer's hand. The theme verses for the series are Ephesians 4:22-24, Philemon 11, 2 Timothy 2:21
- to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
- and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
- Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.
- Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
