Just as a parent begins a great work with a newborn child, the work is seldom done, as in so many ways, a parent provides and may not ever choose to be finished. Our heavenly Father chooses to begin a work in our life, and we must choose to let Him work in us to completion.

At the cross is where we find the blood of our Savior, the One who suffered in the pain of taking our sin with Him, then to be forsaken by the Father, clothed in our guilt. But His life paid the ransom for the death in sin we should suffer. A gift we were not owed.

It's a pleasant experience to be enticed by a sweet aroma, the savory cleanliness of a pure fragrance. These are descriptions for how we need to present ourselves to God - as a living sacrifice perfumed for presentation with the sanctity of Christ's Spirit as ours. We have the chance to make that choice.

The fervor of ambition or need comes with a desire so strong, we lay the image of fire on that where all else may be consumed except what we desire. Tested with fire, strengthened and proven by fire. It's an image of strength and power. That is our God! It should be in our relationship with Him!

God's providence enables us to reach higher for a hope and promise, but we must use the gifts we have to bring that hope through a knowledge of understanding we must choose to achieve. Are you up to the work?

A common reaction for us humans is the fear we have for the uncertainties of life and to know our weaknesses to what we may have to face at times. In our respect for spiritual fears, we have the choice to keep God on our side, to conquer our fear and have the ultimate win when our life and spirit are on the line.

The human in all of us is going to worry and get anxious about something. But you must also ask yourself about what you let this event affect in your life. What will it cause? What will I lose? When your spiritual life and faith takes on compromise, you must reevaluate priorities.

By implication, since there is no other, there can be only one. One faith, one baptism, one God and Father, and only one path to the Father by His Son, Jesus Christ. Despite the plurality of claims and beliefs, there can only be one, and that one comes with specific instruction.

These are the immortal words of the apostle John, giving first, the purpose of Jesus' life for all of us, and second, the purpose of writing these things down concerning the things of Jesus' life and His teachings. Are we listening? Are we studying? Do we acknowledge the sacrifice given for us to have these words?

The value of God's grace as a gift cannot be understood by mere mortals. The decision by mere mortals to refuse that gift is also hard to understand. But as we live in refusal to accept Christ as our Savior and His sacrifice made in our stead, that's exactly the gift we refuse.