Today’s passage: Isaiah 51
Helpful thoughts:
- When we look back to Abraham, we shouldn’t be blown away by Abraham, we should be blown away by God.
- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Daniel, Paul, Peter, etc. are not the heroes of the Bible. God is the hero.
- The only reason anyone would long for the judgment of God is if someone else took the judgment they deserved in their place. A substitutionary sacrifice was needed. God set His justice for a light to the people in Jesus Christ.
- “Fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings.”(Verse 7)
- John 15:18-25
- Christians should not be despised for the way they hold their views on worldly matters.
- Christians will be despised for being like Jesus and sharing the good news of Jesus with others.
- When regenerate people get upset with unregenerate people for not acting like regenerate people, they are acting like unregenerate people.
- When regenerate people act like regenerate people, unregenerate people hear the gospel.
- Our sufferings and persecutions are temporary, those who reject Christ will ultimately be the ones enduring the wrath of God.
Questions to consider:
- If we only made it our goal to be like Abraham, even if we succeeded, what would we still need? Was Abraham welcomed into Heaven based on his own righteousness? (Romans 4:1-3)
- Why do we tend to fear people and their opinions/responses more than fearing God? Why do we tend to fear people more than we love them? How should a Heaven-bound child of God treat a Hell-bound, blind, deaf, dead-in-their-trespasses human being? Should we expect unsaved people to act like saved people or like unsaved people? When we ever grow frustrated with them or fear them, are we considering their well-being or our own?
- How could this mindset lead to repentance for the church, and for any of us individually? How should this impact our social-media use? Who might you know that you should go to and start rebuilding your reputation and relationship with in order to try to reach them for Christ?