Jesus is my Hope. In Him, I have hope.

[YeshuaRedeemed]

First: What an amazing God. I want to kiss His feet in worship. I wish He was with me. I feel safe when I think about Him. I love Him, and hate myself. Please pray.

 

[Good-Ole-Rebel]

First: What an amazing God. I want to kiss His feet in worship. I wish He was with me. I feel safe when I think about Him. I love Him, and hate myself. Please pray.

As a Christian He is with you. Sometimes we love Him, but sometimes...not so much. We can certainly hate ourselves due to our perception of what we think we should be to God, of how we think God views us. We see our inability to measure up and believe our view is God's view.

I've always thought this was an important part of the Christian life...to know the mind of God towards us when we fail. When we are not what we should be. How does He view us then?

I like to compare God's testimony of Abraham and Sarah later in (Romans) and (Hebrews) with the historical record given in (Genesis)

Concerning Abraham: (Rom. 4:18-21) "Who against hope believed in hope....And being not weak in faith...He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able to perform." Quite a glowing account.

But how was it when it was being played out on this earth? Abraham doubted God later and offered up his servant Eliezer to fulfill God's promise. (Gen. 15:2-3) And then he listened to Sarah's plot to have a child by her maid Hagar. (Gen. 16:2) Then when God came and renewed His promises to Abraham concerning a son, Abraham laughed and asked God to just take Ishmael who was born of Hagar the maid. (Gen. 17:17-18)

Concerning Sarah: (Heb. 11:11) "Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised."

But how was it when it was being played out on earth? Sarah laughed at God also at the idea of such a promise in her old age. (Gen. 18:10-12)

Does this not tell us of God's mind toward us when we don't measure up? In (Heb. 11) and (Rom. 4) all He sees is the faith that was there. He doesn't even mention the failings.

Love is something that grows over time. We can't turn it on like a light switch. I think our love toward God is the same. I know I am supposed to love God, but I don't always. Does that surprise God? Not hardly. But that doesn't change Him. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us...." (1 John 4:10)

I say this why? Because to hate oneself is not consistent in knowing God's love. Shall we hate Abraham and Sarah whom God loved. Do we dare hate any of God's people who He loves? That includes ourselves also.

And how historically this is played out before us. Peter was bold in his claim, as he always was, in his faithfulness to Christ. (Matt. 26:33) But when Christ was crucified where was he? (Matt. 26:69-25) Denying Christ.

But John, though not so bold, recognized that he was loved by Christ. (John 13:23, 19:26, 21:7, 21:20) And where was he when Christ was crucified. At the foot of the cross. (John 19:25-26)

I don't deny Peter's love for Christ. But it didn't get him through it. John, knowing Jesus loved him, created in him that which kept him near to Christ even at the Cross.

Good-Ole-Rebel

 

[YeshuaRedeemed]

As a Christian He is with you. Sometimes we love Him, but sometimes...not so much. We can certainly hate ourselves due to our perception of what we think we should be to God, of how we think God views us. We see our inability to measure up and believe our view is God's view.

I've always thought this was an important part of the Christian life...to know the mind of God towards us when we fail. When we are not what we should be. How does He view us then?

I like to compare God's testimony of Abraham and Sarah later in (Romans) and (Hebrews) with the historical record given in (Genesis)

Concerning Abraham: (Rom. 4:18-21) "Who against hope believed in hope....And being not weak in faith...He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able to perform." Quite a glowing account.

But how was it when it was being played out on this earth? Abraham doubted God later and offered up his servant Eliezer to fulfill God's promise. (Gen. 15:2-3) And then he listened to Sarah's plot to have a child by her maid Hagar. (Gen. 16:2) Then when God came and renewed His promises to Abraham concerning a son, Abraham laughed and asked God to just take Ishmael who was born of Hagar the maid. (Gen. 17:17-18)

Concerning Sarah: (Heb. 11:11) "Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised."

But how was it when it was being played out on earth? Sarah laughed at God also at the idea of such a promise in her old age. (Gen. 18:10-12)

Does this not tell us of God's mind toward us when we don't measure up? In (Heb. 11) and (Rom. 4) all He sees is the faith that was there. He doesn't even mention the failings.

Love is something that grows over time. We can't turn it on like a light switch. I think our love toward God is the same. I know I am supposed to love God, but I don't always. Does that surprise God? Not hardly. But that doesn't change Him. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us...." (1 John 4:10)

I say this why? Because to hate oneself is not consistent in knowing God's love. Shall we hate Abraham and Sarah whom God loved. Do we dare hate any of God's people who He loves? That includes ourselves also.

And how historically this is played out before us. Peter was bold in his claim, as he always was, in his faithfulness to Christ. (Matt. 26:33) But when Christ was crucified where was he? (Matt. 26:69-25) Denying Christ.

But John, though not so bold, recognized that he was loved by Christ. (John 13:23, 19:26, 21:7, 21:20) And where was he when Christ was crucified. At the foot of the cross. (John 19:25-26)

I don't deny Peter's love for Christ. But it didn't get him through it. John, knowing Jesus loved him, created in him that which kept him near to Christ even at the Cross.

Good-Ole-Rebel

That is beautiful. I really want to make Jesus happy, and feel blessed to be in a relationship with Him.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Please don't hate yourself. God knows you better than you know yourself and He will always love you, so there's no reason to hate yourself. Love yourself and forgive yourself.