Romans 5:1-2 English Standard Version

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Access here indicates availability. Grace is defined as unmerited favor which is what we have because of where we stand. We rejoice in hope of glory.

Now I believe that even if I do not understand everything that favor has to offer. I can believe that even if I do not know where I stand. I can rejoice in hope of a glory I do not see.

We are emotional people and emotions can be irrational. We feel emotions even before we understand what emotions are, how we obtained them, or what to do with them. We try to learn how to deal with them in our attempts to control them, or we don’t.

That takes experience and mistakes are made but we learn from mistakes. 

Once we become born again we become Kingdom children and this access we now have leaves us in a state of being with no experience in this new life. We can express empathy for those who have just come to Christ.

Empathy is an emotion related to viewing the condition of others because we ourselves have been there. Their new creation in Christ is a different experience. Empathy turns into sympathy. Their path has different experiences because of the people in their lives that were not in mine.

My emotions tell me what was lacking in my own experience that might be helpful to a new Christian. We do not know them in Christ like God does. Only God knows best how to grow them according to His will for them. We can only relate to what happened to us.

That might help but it might not. Hope in glory has everything to do with showing Christ in us in the way God worked in us. It might not help them, and then again it might.

That is up to God.

Just a Closer Walk with Thee by Patsy Cline

I am weak but Thou art strong

Jesus keep me from all wrong

I’ll be satisfied as long

As I walk, let me walk close to Thee

Just a closer walk with Thee

Grant it, Jesus, is my plea

Daily walking close to Thee

Let it be, dear Lord, let it be

I do not often begin a post with song lyrics but this song resonated in my memory ever since I ended my last post. Song lyrics are emotional. They are meant to touch us with common emotions that move us. Some might want to consider this a worship song but I want to know if the lyrics are biblical? Do they help us understand how to get closer to Christ and if it is all up to Him or is there something we can do beyond our feelings?

Galatians 5:6 English Standard Version (ESV) For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

The NIV expresses it in this way. “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” The KJV says faith works.

Another way to look at this is that flesh has nothing to do with getting closer to Christ. Lyrics to secular songs and worship songs only touch our emotional side. We are emotional but we are also spiritual. Our spiritual nature is always with Christ in the closest possible way.

Emotional pleas can only touch our flesh and our flesh does need to be encouraged to care. For faith to work through love then the abiding love of Christ in us should move us, not our emotions.