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Yes! There Is Good News!

Bill Rollins has been publishing each week a column in the local Elk Horn, Iowa paper for the past several years.
Note the original publication date on each blog post

Yes! There is Good News!              10.21.17

1/5/2021

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I just re-read the previous article and paused to consider the fact that Abraham was called a “friend of God.” You believe in an Almighty God, creator of the entire universe. What would it be like to know that God calls you His friend? Indeed, what would it take to be called God’s friend?

We saw in that article that Abraham was obedient to God. We also saw that obedience is linked to faith. “Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness.” (Gen. 15:6 & Rom. 4:3) There are four concepts (faith, obedience, friendship with God and righteousness) that are brought together in the book of James 2:21- 24: “Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did (obedience) when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions  were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness,’ and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.”

So just what is faith? Is it merely a belief that God exists? Earlier in this same chapter of James (verse 19) we read, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder.” That in itself is a telling statement! We must go beyond that if we are to be a friend of God.

Some time ago, a friend and brother in Christ, said that a good working definition of faith is having a trust in God so as to know that His every intention for you is always good. I believe this gets to the heart of a true faith. When we know and understand that God’s intentions for us are always good then we will have no problem in doing what God wants us to do. We will be obedient and so emulate our father Abraham.

There is another aspect to consider when we look at the word obedience, and that is love. The easiest way to connect the two concepts of obedience and love is to see what our Savior had to say about them. In the gospel of John 14:15 Jesus said, “If you love me you will obey what I command.” In verse 21, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.” And in verse 23, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.”

How can we say we love and trust God and then not do His will, not obey Him. This kind of obedience is a good thing, for it pleased our Father and is the conduit for His love upon us. And that is “Good News!”
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    Author

    Bill Rollins resides in Elk Horn, IA, with his wife, Sally, and has pastored the Church of God of Omaha, NE for more than 35 years.

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  • Home
    • Spring Feast 2022
    • FOT 2018 >
      • Feast Schedule
      • Feast messages
  • Essays
    • Psalms of Ascent >
      • Psalm 120
      • Psalm 121
      • Psalm 122
      • Psalm 123
      • Psalm 124
      • Psalm 125
      • Psalm 126
      • Psalm 127
      • Psalm 128
      • Psalm 129
      • Psalm 130
    • Yes, There Is Good News!
    • Timely Comments - Blog
    • Christian Walk
    • Holy Days >
      • Passover >
        • children's lessons
      • Days of Unleavened Bread >
        • children's lessons
      • Pentecost >
        • children's lessons
      • Trumpets >
        • children's lessons
      • Atonement >
        • children's lessons
      • Feast of Tabernacles >
        • children's lessons
      • Eighth Day >
        • children's lessons
    • Holidays
  • Current Sabbath School
    • Sabbath School 2023
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    • Hebron - 2014 >
      • April 2014 - Michael Deering's visit >
        • Photos from Michael
      • May 2014 - Tom Benzen's visit >
        • Gardening photos
      • July 2014 - Apples >
        • More Apple Photos
      • August 2014 - New orphans
      • September 2014 - Education >
        • September photos
      • October 2014 - Cyclone
      • December 2014
    • Hebron - 2015 >
      • January 2015
      • March 2015
      • April 2015 - Passover
      • October 2015 >
        • Ice Cream photos
    • Hebron - 2016 >
      • January 2016 photos
      • Passover 2016 >
        • Passover photos
      • Pentecost photos 2016
      • July 2016 - Evening Prayers
      • Apples - July 2016
      • Aug 2016
    • Hebron Building Project >
      • photos of building project
    • Hebron 2017 >
      • Pentecost 2017 photos
      • July 2017 lunch photos
      • Nursing/regular students
      • Lunchtime - Oct 2017
      • Feast of Tabernacles photos
      • October Thank You
      • Nursing Students
      • December photos
    • Hebron 2018 >
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      • Baby boy!!
      • Feast of Tabernacles 2018 >
        • Feast photos
    • Hebron 2021 >
      • Photos January 2021
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  • Career Direct