by Walt Henrichsen | Feb 19, 2018 | Articles, Mentors Corner
“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” 2Timothy 2:4 The picture is a soldier trying to fight while being engulfed in a net. He may be engaged in the affairs of life, but he keeps himself from becoming entangled in them. This is the warrior’s code. Paul was a tentmaker, and from this we learn that the issue is not vocation. Rather, it deals with focus, purpose, values, hope, and motivation; making a good product in you labor differs from seeking significance from your labor. That this is a vexing issue in men’s lives can be seen by strangers asking, “What do you do for a living?” rather than “What are you doing with your life?” The world insists on evaluating your worth by success in your vocation, while God insists that your worth is derived from His imputing to you a value you would not otherwise have. The Bible does not call for celibacy or other forms of asceticism. You cannot dictate to God what serving Christ looks like. Endeavoring to do so is an indication that you are entangled. This is a decision that God must make, and although the decision is subjective in nature, each believer must determine for himself what God thinks being free from “entanglement” means for his life. For more articles by Walt...
by John Hartshorn | Feb 5, 2018 | Articles, Mentors Corner
As you may be aware, the Apostle John, both in His gospel and his letters, has a good deal to say on the subject of abiding. Depending on your translation of choice, he notes it 40 times in his gospel, 11 times in the 15th chapter alone. He then references it 27 more time in his epistles. It is not commonly used in our modern vernacular, so it bears defining. In the Complete Word Study Dictionary NT it says ” In John’s writings, to remain in or with someone, i.e. to be and remain (emphasis added) united with him, one in heart, mind, and will”. To aid our understanding, John uses the illustration of the vine and its branches in the early portion of chapter 15 of his gospel. Note with me some of the essential elements of the illustration found in the first six verses: In v.1 He says He is “the true vine” and “My Father is the vine dresser” (which would be the term used for a farmer, husbandman, or vine dresser). In v.2 He says of the branches (those professing Christ), every branch that does not bear fruit He (the Father) “takes away”, and the branch that bears fruit He “prunes” that it may bear more fruit. In v.4 we see the two way relationship of the vine and branches. The branch cannot bear fruit of itself, it has to “be and remain” (as the definition noted) in the vine, and thus we cannot bear fruit unless we abide in Him, and Him in us. In the well known v.5, repeating the points already noted...
Recent Comments