So after some discussion of questions and answers (one of my favorite topics) we are left with one big question: Are we willing to live with our needs showing?
Does Christ’s sufficiency heal the wound, fill up the hole, answer all the questions, remove all doubt, cease every sin, relieve the pressure, or solve every problem? When we give our “testimony,” is the struggle, the disappointment, the depression, the hurt or the temptation always over?
If you’re going to get to know a Christian, are you going to get to know the best of them, the worst of them, somewhere in-between, or both? The correct (biblical) answer should be “both.” Not our best, or our worst, or some wishy-washy in-between, but a bold statement of our worst right up next to the best of who we are in Christ Jesus.
Did Paul write: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I was the worst” or “of whom I am the worst”? If you said “am” you are right, but I bet most people would think “was” would be the most likely choice based on all those testimonies of the awful people Christians “used to be.”
Though it may be biblical (to see yourself as a present tense chief-of-sinners), this interpretation is not common practice. It is simply not common to show your need, but the strongest message of the Spirit of God in our lives is only possible when we do.
You can’t get it much clearer than this: “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body” (2 Corinthians 4:10-11).
[We are anxious to start an interactive Bible study with you, and would like to get a general idea of when the best time of the week would be for you to commit an hour to this via Internet or phone. If you would be kind enough to reply to this email with your time zone and two times during the week you would be willing to put in for this it would help us determine a most advantageous time to meet.]
John Fischer The Catch 
My time zone is pacific.. I could be available for an interactive study, on Thursday or Friday morning or Saturday morning.. 9ish. Sounds compelling
Dear John,
The series you just finished? on questions and all the ramifications of that have been faith provoking. Yes it provoked my faith to become stronger because I didn’t need the answers, I needed God!! This ironically gives us all the answers we need but doesn’t answer our questions.
My life is one big long wait, to partner with God, until He shows me what He is preparing me for. In the meantime it is my job to be obediently ready, living a Christ like life. Jesus’ parable of the Ten Virgins with their lamps, some with extra oil others with just enough made me realize that the ‘extra oil’ is faith, hope, perseverance, courage, humility and love. The fact that the people in this parable were virgins made me realize that we need to be prepared to live a Christ like life long before the threat of death makes a senior citizen take notice to do that.
Waiting makes one ask a lot of questions. All are rooted in my want to know. If I die to self and wait seeking God, I have all I need to know.
John, I thought this last series was brilliant and thought provoking. I have archived these devotions and will refer to them often. Have a sieve for a brain. As I wait for my destiny here on earth and in heaven this will give me the answer……Jesus! Now that raises a whole lot of questions. The joy is in seeking God….the answer.
Thank you,
Peter
BEAUTIFUL. THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
My time zone is Central. I haven’t gotten involved with too many Bible studies in the past because I prefer listening over commenting or discussing. I’ve done an online Lenton study and I just loved it and I miss it. So I vote internet! Saturday mornings work the best for me.
John, just this morning I followed a Facebook friend’s quotation to your blog site and read through your posts on questions. I love what you have written. It is hard to find fellow Christians who are okay with questions that do not have “right” answers. You are onto something really important. I’d love to be part of a study. I live in EST, and my schedule is fairly open between the hours of 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
I am retired–and quite open. I am in Central time–and many of my mornings don’t work. I wonder if anyone would be interested in an evening study. But let me know, and I will try to work it out. Perhaps Saturday mornings would be OK. How many weeks will the study last–and how long will the sessions be.
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