God becomes like clothing to me (Job 30:18, Matthew 16:24-28)

From blind guides, heart conditions to seeing the reality of God (Matthew 15-16)

Last week I was learning about sin, its character and universality, and how Knowledge of SIN cultivates a conscience and heart for God. This week I see how Peter makes his great confession (Matthew 16:15-16) and learns about self-denial, salvation seeing the kingdom of God (Matthew 16:24-28). A new insight for me is we enjoy the reality of being someone who "will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." Over the years I've been able to witness many changed lives, most definitely my own life. This is the good news that we can "die to self" and "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Col 3:3

1 Peter 3:18)  Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

 Peter 4:1-6) Suffering in flesh, as a way of thinking like Christ. Live in the Spirit.

• Arm yourself with the same way of thinking.
• Get mentally prepared. How will I spend my time?
• Resist sin. Militant attitudes toward sin. Make time to battle sin or sin will steal quality time from your life.
• Sin can ruin years of hard work

Job 30 is an honest man's poetic assessment of what the end of life looks like. What will my last moments on earth feel like? An overwhelming presence of God wrapped up in him?

When I saw Job 30:18, I immediately thought about how God’s inspired word uses clothing symbolically to show how spiritual transformation takes place in the life of born again believers

Job 29:14, he assesses himself, "Everything I did was honest. Righteousness covered me like a robe, and I wore justice like a turban."

Yet now he is bound by God "like the neck of my garment.", thrown into the mud, and reduced to dust and ashes. Job 30:18-19

Approaching death, he assesses and remembers himself "I cry out to you, God...I know you will bring me down to death...days of suffering confront me"

Job "made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman" - Job 31:1

 - Heb 12:4

Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.” Hebrews 12:3-6

Eyes that see, ears that hear and heart that understands

• On that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of the deep darkness the eyes of the blind will see. - Isaiah 29:18
• Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. - Isaiah 35:5
• I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These things I will do for them, and I will not forsake them. - Isaiah 42:16
• Each will be like a shelter from the wind, a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in a dry land, like the shadow of a great rock in an arid land. Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. Isaiah 32:203