Saturday, July 31, 2010

"We Shall Live"


"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2:14-15).
"Whosoever liveth and believeth on Me shall never die" (John 11:26).



Regardless of how much the unbeliever seeks to push the reality of death out of his conscious awareness, he remains a slave throughout his lifetime to his mortality and the Holy Spirit's witness of "judgment to come" (Acts 24:25).



Conversely, the born again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is delivered from this slavery. We may still at times have nervous thoughts about the largely unknown quantity and experience of physical death. However, the bondage of fear and its countless expressions do not dominate us as the Holy Spirit bears witness to our immortality and joy to come. In the truest sense, the believer will never die because the person we most deeply are has already passed through death and resurrection. "Ye are dead (literally, "have died"), and your life is hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3). We are even said to presently "sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6). Any "death" we will experience, therefore, involves merely the putting aside of a mortal frame that becomes an ever-increasing burden as the years pass.



In the twinkling moment of our passing from this present world, we will be more "alive" than we've ever been. In "the valley of the shadow of death," our Lord will greet us and meet us in a way heretofore not experienced. In that holy place, "Thou art with me" will be the overwhelming awareness and sensibility (Psalm 23:4). Indeed, when a fellow believer's earthly life ends, we are far more accurate if we say "he lived!" rather than "he died." Again, the Lord unequivocally declared that we "shall never die." Any temptation to fear death, therefore, is exactly that. It is a temptation. Because in the context of the only definition of death that matters, God's definition, we will not die when our earthly breath ceases and our hearts stops beating. We shall live.



"Our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."
(II Timothy 1:10)

Thursday, July 29, 2010

"Already True"

Faith does not make things true. It rather ushers us into the apprehension and access of truths that are already true.


Before we existed, the Lord Jesus Christ had died for our sins, risen again, and ascended to Heaven as Savior and Lord. When we believed in Him, we entered into the reality that had been awaiting our awakening for nearly 2,000 years.


In similar manner, our ongoing discovery of the dynamic presence of our Lord does not originate the truth of who we are in Him. Instead, we are made aware of the spiritual environment of being in Christ, and of Christ being in us. This understanding and affirmation leads to countless fruits of the Holy Spirit being produced in our thoughts, attitudes, words, and deeds. Certainly these expressions are fresh and new, and would not have existed had we not believed the Word of God. Again, however, the tree that produced these fruits was planted in our hearts when we believed, and our faith in its existence within us is a primary nurturing that results in the harvest of godliness.


"His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue" (II Peter 1:3).


Note the past tense of the Apostle Peter's declaration. The source and supply of "life and godliness" was given to us at a time previous to this moment, namely, when we believed in the Lord Jesus and received the Holy Spirit. Therefore, everything we will ever need for the issues of character and its outward expression already exists in us in the person of the indwelling Spirit of Christ. Faith simply opens our eyes to the truth, encouraging our hearts and motivating us to submit ourselves to the presently existing reality that is then expressed in "glory and virtue."


Walking with God involves as much affirmation as asking. If His Word declares truths to already be true, we do well to agree with our Lord regardless of appearance, emotion, or outward evidence. Perhaps we might ask to be made aware of already possessed "things that pertain to life and godliness," even as the Apostle Paul prayed for the Ephesians believers...


"Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, case not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places."
(Ephesians 1:15-20)

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Grace and Obedience Conclusion

"His commandments are not grievous" (I John 5:3)


God's will would be grievous (burdensome) if He had not sent His Spirit to dwell within us when we believed, and if this indwelling had not birthed us as a "new creature" who "delights in the law of God" (II Corinthians 5:17; Romans 7:22).


God's will can also be burdensome if we do not know that such blessed truth is in fact true. The desires of our flesh often tell us that what we want are those things contrary to God's will. Such desires are real in us, but they must must recognized for what they are. They are the desires of the flesh, as opposed to the delight for the glory and will of God that resides in our innermost being. "I delight in the law of God after the inward man, but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind... so then with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin" (Romans 7:22; 25).


It is vital that we understand and affirm the delight for godliness that exists within our Christ-inhabited spiritual selfhood. Grace has given such holy inclination to us as a free gift. It also perpetuates the delight by the Holy Spirit who"worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). Because this desire is deep within us, we may not always feel or perceive it in the way we feel and perceive the desires of our flesh. Of these contrary yearnings, the Apostle Paul wrote, "I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind" (Romans 7:23). Conversely, we do not always "see" our delight for godliness. "We walk by faith, not by sight," and our love for God's will often has to be affirmed when the only evidence for it is the authority of the "It is written" of Scripture (II Corinthians 5:7).


I genuinely love writing these devotionals, and 259 mornings a year, I consciously and emotionally look forward to the experience. On that one morning of just about every year when such anticipation is absent, however, I must remember and affirm no less my delight for this aspect of God's will in my life. My feelings and the thoughts coursing through my brain are not the issue. The issue is truth and reality. If the Bible declares that God is working in me both to will and to do of His good pleasure, and if it is the delight of my innermost being to do His will, I must walk by faith and not by sight. This is true of every aspect of God's will in our lives, and to the degree we believe the Word of God concerning our Christ-wrought desire to obey will be the degree to which we consistently experience its power.


The grace of the Lord Jesus has freely constituted and instituted literal delight for obedience in us. The word "obedience" should therefore make us smile and rejoice no less than the word "grace." We honor and proclaim our Lord's redeeming work on our behalf when we affirm with the Psalmist, "I delight to do Thy will, o God" (Psalm 40:8). This is not a boast about ourselves. It is praise unto the God who made such grace possible at the highest cost to Himself. And it is Truth, the truth which liberates us to walk in the Spirit even as we live in the Spirit.


"Now are ye light in the Lord. Walk as children of light."
(Ephesians 5:8)

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Grace and Obedience Part 6

"His commandments are not grievous" (I John 5:3)


If we do not feel delight for obedience to God, and if the thoughts of our brain often seem to be contrary to His will, is it hypocritical to affirm that we "delight in the law of God after the inward man?" Are we merely trying to convince ourselves of something that is not actually true, and thus deceiving ourselves?


Perhaps the best answer is to raise other questions. Is God, as the Apostle Paul unconditionally declared, working "in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure?" (Philippians 2:13). Does the Holy Spirit who indwells believers merely sit on the throne of our hearts? Or is He so dynamically active that "the power that worketh in us" is "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think?" (Ephesians 3:20). The Biblical answer is that He is that active, and we must bow unto our Lord and His truth regardless of any evidence to the contrary.


Certainly we would all acknowledge much conflicting emotion, thought, appearance, and at times, behavior and actions. Our natural bodies, while belonging to God, are nevertheless composed of earthly substance (originally, of the very dust of the ground). We are therefore subject to the fleshly and devilish stimulations of the world, and will feel their pull in various ways throughout our earthly lives. Paul referred to a "law of sin in our members," and while the controlling power of this law is nullified when we believe in Christ, it is not obliterated (I Corinthians 15:56). Therefore, if we do not know the truth of how profoundly changed we are in our spirits inhabited by the Holy Spirit, or if we choose to disbelieve, we will not consistently experience the truth of Whose we are, and who we are. "Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8).


The Holy Spirit is not sitting in believers. He is walking (II Corinthians 6:16). He is working (Colossians 1:29). He is generating desire in our innermost being to the degree of literal delight (Romans 7:22). As an expression of faith, therefore, we must believe, speak, and act upon the truth that the joy of our hearts is the glory and will of God. Certainly we have not always acted accordingly since we believed. We have not always thought, spoken, or felt delight. We have not walked as children of light even though we are children of light. However, nothing changes the fact of the Holy Spirit's presence within us, or of His working in us to will of God's good pleasure. It is therefore not hypocrisy to affirm delight for His will. It is faith, faith in the written Word of God, and in the living Word revealed in us by the dynamic Spirit of God.


Grace received and applied is the source of all obedience in the life of born again believers. "By the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (I Corinthians 15:10). Delight for the will of God is the spiritual constitution and atmosphere of the believer's Christ-inhabited heart. This is truth. This is reality. This is the fact of Whose we are, and who we are. To the degree we believe and submit ourselves in confidence to the One who has made such Truth true will be the degree to which we experience and express the grace of being a "new man, created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24).


"Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear."
(Hebrews 12:28)

Monday, July 26, 2010

Grace and Obedience Part 5

"His commandments are not grievous" (I John 5:3)

Concerning the delight for God's glory and will that resides in the innermost depths of every born again believer, a practical illustration may be helpful.

Suppose a person has grievously hurt us at some point in our lives. They have apologized and even sought to make amends, but the wounds of their wrong seem to remain. The temptation to bitterness often presents itself in our thoughts and emotions, and physical sensations may even accompany the challenge. As Paul testified in Romans 7, we "see another law in our members, warring against the law of my mind," and the desire in us seems far more directed toward resentment than grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice" (Ephesians 4:31).

The Bible commands that we reject and overcome such bitterness, but again, we feel strong inclination toward resentment. In such times, where is the delight for obedience that results from God working in us "both to will and to do of His good pleasure?" (Philippians 2:13). The answer is that it is where it always is, that is, in the heart of our being referred to by Paul as "yourselves," "I myself," "the new man created in righteousness and true holiness," and the "inward man." It resides in the spiritual essence of our personhood, where the Spirit of God is united with us in "the hope of glory, which is Christ in you" (Colossians 1:27). Nothing changes this God-wrought and empowered delight for obedience that is no less the gift of grace than forgiveness and eternal life.

Our calling, therefore, is to believe the truth God's delight for our obedience - and our own delight. Regardless of inclination toward bitterness (which we honestly acknowledge as present in our flesh), we affirm that the desire of our Christ-inhabited selfhood is to love, forgive, and bless. Even more, it is our literal delight to do so. We choose to walk after the Spirit by believing the truth about the Lord Jesus, and about ourselves as united to Him. Perhaps we might pray, "Heavenly Father, thank You for the indwelling presence of the Spirit of Christ, and for the "new creature" I am in Him. I strongly feel temptation in my flesh to continue in resentment, but I choose to believe that this is not the desire of who I most deeply am. Thank You that You are working in me both to will and to do of Your good pleasure, and I thereby choose to believe that regardless of contrary thought, emotion, or physical sensation, my delight is to love and bless the person who wronged me."

By this faith in the Lord Jesus and in the work He has wrought in us, we "through the Spirit mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body," in this case, the inclination toward resentment (Romans 8:13). Our belief in Truth aligns us with the power of Truth and of the Holy Spirit, and we find ourselves acting in a manner that cannot possibly originate in human ability. We rather "labor, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily" (Colossians 1:29). God's delight for obedience is recognized as our delight for obedience, again, as wrought in us by the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus and presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

There is no gimmickry or mere method in this walk of faith. We rather personally relate to God by trusting His Word that the Lord Jesus is who He is, and we are who we are. As a good friend often says, we believe the truth of Whose we are, and who we are. The New Testament epistles consistently and often affirm both realities, and we will not consistently overcome the lust of the flesh if we do not acknowledge the delight of both God and ourselves for obedience. Indeed, if we believe that carnal desires are the essence of who we are, excuses for sin and powerlessness to overcome sin will inevitably result. The Christ-ignited and enflamed candle of our spirits will be hid under a bushel, and we will dishonor rather than glorify our blessed Lord (Proverbs 20:27).

A significant portion of Paul's writings contain autobiographical expression of his understanding and walk with God. In this testimony, we see focus on the person and work of Christ as Paul sought to give his Lord the "preeminence in all things" (Colossians 1:18). We also see Paul frequently affirming the truth that he himself lived through the presence, wisdom, and power of Christ. "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). The Apostle believed God's truth about the Lord Jesus - and about himself as united to the Lord Jesus. We must do the same. God has given to us the Spirit of His Son. His indwelling presence has changed the innermost depths of who we are. Therein is "delight in the law of God" whether we feel it or not, whether we think it or not, and whether or not our actions reveal it. Our autobiography must coincide with Paul's. We must believe and affirm the Truth. To the degree we do so, we will experience the fact of delight that resides in our redeemed spirits, and which will come forth more consistently in thought, attitude, word, and deed.

"The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
(Romans 8:2-4)

Friday, July 23, 2010

Grace and Obedience Part 4

"His commandments are not grievous" (I John 5:3).

If there is not only desire, but delight for the glory and will of God in our innermost person and being, why do we often not feel or think accordingly?

The Apostle Paul answers the question for us by addressing the temptation to walk by our human senses and understanding rather than by faith in the Word of God.

"I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members" (Romans 7:22-23).

Paul affirms the Christ-originated and empowered love for obedience that dwelled in his spiritual selfhood. "With the mind, I myself serve the law of God" (Romans 7:25). However, he also confesses how much the law of sin occupies his perceptions. "I see another law in my members." The verb tense of "I see" in the passage above could be rendered "I am seeing." Paul therefore acknowledges that despite his strong confidence in delight for the will of God in his "inward man," he is also keenly aware of the conflicting desires in his flesh. He cannot ignore the reality, nor does he expect that it will be eradicated in this present lifetime. This is confirmed by Paul's question as Romans 7 closes, "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24). The verb tense of this question implies a future deliverance, as in, "Who at some point in the future will finally deliver me from the law of sin in my members?"

No less than the Apostle Paul confessed to the conflict that raged in his thoughts, sensibilities, and physical sensations. He did not expect the challenge to end at any point in his earthly lifetime. Paul rather understood and devoted himself to overcoming the law of sin in his earthly members and faculties through the Spirit of Christ. A primary weapon for this battle was the recognition that despite what Paul experienced in his human perceptions - "I am seeing another law" - the truth of his innermost being was that he delighted in the law of God - "I myself serve the law of God." Paul accounted as true that which he could not always see, feel, and perceive by his normal means of apprehension. "We walk by faith, not by sight" (II Corinthians 5:7).

The delight for godliness that inhabits us will often be known only by the affirmation of the Word of God, and our faith in it. We will not feel it emotionally or physically, and the thoughts coursing through our brains may contradict the truth of our delight for the glory and will of God. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit is working in us "both to will and to do of His good pleasure." The "new man" that we most deeply are is "created in righteousness and true holiness." And we are commanded to affirm ourselves as "alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Philippians 2:13; Ephesians 4:24; Romans 6:11).

Will we believe the truth about ourselves? The New Testament continually calls us to faith not only in who the Lord Jesus is, but who we are as birthed, inhabited, empowered, and spiritually constituted by His living presence within our spirits.

"Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:11).

Our Biblical understanding is incomplete if we ignore or disbelieve the truth that just as our Lord delights in the will of His Father, so do we in the innermost depths of our personhood. Again, Paul declared, "I delight in the law of God after the inward man." We must declare it with him, not as an affirmation of our own honor, credit, or effort, but as grateful acknowledgement of the work of grace accomplished in us by the Lord Jesus. Our Savior has reconstituted our innermost being through death and resurrection, making obedience to God our delight no less than it is His own. We must believe with Paul that such Truth is in fact true, acknowledging the conflicting desires of our flesh, but still confidently affirming that "I myself serve the law of God." Yes, obedience is our delight no less than the countless other graces of our blessed Lord Jesus. He has given this to us as a free gift, and by faith we must avail ourselves of "so great salvation."

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (I Corinthians 6:9-11).

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Grace and Obedience Part 3

(Friends: a bit longer than usual, but an important subject, I think. Thanks for your patience. Glen)

"The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would" (Galatians 5:17).

"I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members... so then with the mind, I myself serve the law of God. But with the flesh, the law of sin" (Romans 7:22-23).

The conflict between spirit and flesh in every believer demands that we think in a different manner than that to which we are normally accustomed.

"To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Romans 8:6).
The Apostle Paul affirms delight and service to the law of God in his "inward man," or "myself." Conversely, in his flesh (the human and earthly faculties and members inherited from Adam), Paul confesses that he still serves the law of sin. By definition, this means that when Paul walked after the Spirit, he obeyed God. When he walked after the flesh, he disobeyed God. This is the truth for every believer. Thus, the challenge of obedience involves our learning to walk in the Spirit (which requires that we learn to think spiritually, or as Paul commanded, to be "spiritually minded").

The consideration begins with the truth that believers always "live" in the Spirit in the sense of our spiritual being and selfhood. "Ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you" (Romans 8:9). However, we do not always "walk" in the Spirit regarding thought, attitude, word, and deed. "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).

To live or be in the Spirit speaks of our being, person, and selfhood. As a free gift of grace, God has changed the innermost core of our identity by birthing a "new man, created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24). It is this "inward man," this "self," united with Christ, who delights in the glory and will of God. Nothing changes the fact of this "new creature" and his spiritual substance and existence in the life of Christ. Therefore, as Paul affirmed, believers are always in the Spirit regarding our being and selfhood.

Concerning our flesh, however, God has chosen to allow a "law of sin" to remain in these earthly faculties and members. This aspect of our being, left to itself, will always think, feel, speak, act, and relate in a manner contrary to the will of God. Our bodies are a part of the earth, and while not inherently sinful, they are inhabited by the aforementioned "law of sin" that governs all earthly activity independent of God's will and direction. "The whole world lieth in wickedness" (I John 5:19). Thus, if our bodies control us, we will walk after the flesh and sin. This is why Paul commanded that we "through the Spirit mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body" (Romans 8:13).

Obedience to God is the fruit of the Holy Spirit who indwells our spirits, and who enables us to put to death the deeds of the body as controlled by the law of sin. Our responsibility is to believe the truth, and in the context of such faith, to submit ourselves to our Heavenly Father as those who are "alive unto God" (Romans 6:11). We must believe that we "delight in the law of God after the inward man," and that "it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). Indeed, we must believe in the grace of obedience no less than we believe in the grace of forgiveness and assurance of eternal life. As a free gift, God implanted the Spirit of the Lord Jesus in our innermost being, including His delight for the glory and will of His Father. This indwelling is so profound that it birthed a new person who also delights in the glory and will of God. Again, Paul not only declared desire for the will of God in the "inward man," but delight.

Do we believe this about ourselves? Can we affirm with Paul that "I delight in the law of God after the inward man?" We can, and we must! At the highest cost to Himself, God made possible the birthing of sons and daughters who bear His nature, character, and disposition toward righteousness. "I delight in the law of God" exulted Paul. We must rejoice with him that if we were boiled down to our essence, that which remained would be a spiritual being united with Christ, and delighting no less than does He in the will of God. Our Lord receives all the credit and glory. His indwelling presence is the source, reason, and power of such delight. And we will forevermore praise and honor Him and Him alone for such a gift. Nevertheless, we must affirm in no uncertain terms, as did Paul, "I delight..."

As we do, the power of God will unite with our belief in the truth, causing us to walk in the Spirit even as we live in the Spirit. We will more consistently obey God because we are thinking and believing in accordance with His Word. Paul alluded to this in his letter to the Galatians: "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25). In essence, the Apostle is commanding that we be in practice who and what we are in being and selfhood. The ugly duckling never acted as a swan until he realized that we was, in fact, a swan. Nor will we act as those who delight in the will of God until we realize and believe that we do. Believers are "the temple of God." We are His "habitation." We are "branches" of the True Vine. We are "sons" united to the Spirit of the Son. And whether we feel it, think it, or act like it, the delight of Christ for the will of God is our delight also in the depths of our being where we truly live. Let us believe, and we shall see in both heart and practice that thoughts of grace and thoughts of obedience are thoughts of the same wondrous gift of grace in the Lord Jesus.

"Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
(II Corinthians 5:17)

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Grace and Obedience Part 2

"His commandments are not grievous" (I John 5:3)


Under the covenant of the law of Moses, obedience to God was the forerunner of life. "Ye shall therefore keep My statutes, and My judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them" (Genesis 18:5).


Under the covenant of grace and truth in the Lord Jesus Christ, obedience to God is the fruit of life. "It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).


The law spoke to Israel from without, demanding the application of fleshly determination and energy to fulfill the will of God. Grace and truth births the Holy Spirit within the heart of believers, calling us to believe that we are "alive unto God," and that the joy of our innermost being is to obey God (Romans 6:11). "I delight in the law of God after the inner man" (Romans 7:22). The commands of the Old Testament were heavy burdens under which Israel continually fell because she had no heart for the doing of them (Deuteronomy 5:29). Conversely, the commands of the New Testament are declared by the Lord Jesus to be an easy burden and light yoke, based upon the truth that they are directed not simply to ourselves, but to ourselves as united with the Spirit of God. "I also labor, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily" (Matthew 11:30; Colossians 1:29).


Do we consistently think in these plainly stated Biblical terms? We must, because "to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Romans 8:6). Our spiritual enemies are well aware of this necessity to rightly perceive God, ourselves, and the dynamic wonder of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). Accordingly, they fight incessantly to hinder our understanding of the spiritual mechanism of grace and truth. On one hand, the world, the devil, and the flesh prod us to human-centered attempts to obedience based on discipline, determination, and devotion to method rather than the might of God. On the other hand, when such efforts fail, as they always will, our enemies then seek to delude us into a de-emphasis of obedience. "It's all grace and it's all about faith" they whisper or scream, tempting us to forget that obeying God is no less emphasized in the New Testament than in the Old. The Apostle Peter wrote that "sanctification of the Spirit" is "unto obedience," and the Apostle John plainly commanded, "These things write I unto you, that ye sin not" (I John 2:1).


Rather than obey in order to live, born again believers live in order to obey. "To live is Christ... I can do all things through Christ which strengthenth me" (Philippians 1:21; 4:13). We humbly acknowledge that we are completely without strength for obedience apart from our Lord - "Without Me, ye can do nothing" (John 15:5). However, we also boldly affirm that we are not apart from our Lord! - "Christ liveth in me" (Galatians 2:20). We choose to believe that the very life of God Himself dwells within us by His Spirit, and that regardless of past experience, present sensation, and fear of the future, we are powerfully enabled for the obedience of this moment and this day.


We cannot change yesterday. Tomorrow is not guaranteed or presently accessible. Today is the issue, and more literally, this moment. Is the Spirit of Christ present right now to motivate and enable obedience to God? Is He working in me to do so? Is it the delight of my innermost being, inhabited by the Holy Spirit, to do the will of God regardless of what my flesh may feel or think? These are the questions that must be answered in the context of grace and truth as revealed in the Lord Jesus. We must live, that is, we must walk in the truth of the Life that inhabits our spirits. As we do so, genuine, heart-felt, and most importantly, God-originated and empowered obedience will flow from us as "the rivers of living water" promised by the Lord Jesus to all who "believe on Me" (John 7:38).


"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him."
(I John 4:9)

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

"Grace and Obedience" Part 1

"His commandments are not grievous" (I John 5:3).

Recently I mentioned the different responses many believers have to the words "grace" and "obedience." Mention of the former often elicits relief, thanksgiving, and a sense of restful peace in the heart. Conversely, the latter may seem heavy, burdensome, and stressful as we remember failures of the past and trepidation concerning the present and the future.

Surely our Heavenly Father would not have us to think or feel this way about obeying His will. Regarding disobedience of the past, God's views the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ as far more than adequate to provide forgiveness, cleansing, and the potential to walk with Him in this present moment (and in all future present moments) with a clean conscience and the gracious favor of being "accepted in the Beloved" (Hebrews 10:22; Ephesians 1:6). As we agree with Him concerning the power of our Savior's death for our sins and His ongoing heavenly intercession for us, the obedience of this present moment is not hindered or overlooked by the failures of the past. Certainly we may have to deal with consequences of yesterday's disobedience, but our Heavenly Father is able to weave even our misstitched threads into the fabric of His purposes in our lives. Indeed, the only moment of obedience to God that exists for us is this moment. Recognition of such gracious truth fosters peace and a powerful sense of the Holy Spirit's present enabling.

We are also much tempted to ignore or overlook "the power that worketh in us" (Ephesians 3:20). The Apostle Paul declared the presence and dynamic working of God in us to be "exceeding, abundantly above all that we ask or think." Do we believe this, both in the overall sense, and in the context of this present moment? Is the Spirit of Christ that present, that dynamic, that enabling, and that motivating? Is He, as Paul plainly stated, "working is us both to will and to do of His good pleasure?" (Philippians 2:13). Does the Lord Jesus not only dwell within us by His Spirit, but does He also walk in us? (II Corinthians 6:16). The concept of obedience to God becomes a different matter altogether when we learn and embrace the reality that the Christ who lived a perfect lifetime of obedience dwells within us in both dynamic presence and activity. "I also labor, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily" (Colossians 1:29).

If the thought or mention of obedience to God does not fill our heart with a song, and adorn our face with a smile, we can be sure that our need is for greater understanding of the grace that not only provides forgiveness and assurance of eternal life. Grace provides the living Christ to dwell and walk in us by His Spirit, and to enable us to "live through Him" in consistent faith and obedience. Regardless of what happened yesterday, or this morning, or five minutes ago, this is truth and reality for every believer. The thought and mention of obedience should elicit thought and joyful affirmation of the Lord Jesus and His obedient heart dwelling within us by the presence and agency of the Holy Spirit. We can "do all things through Christ," all things that glorify God and fulfill His will (Philippians 4:13). Yes, grace and obedience walk hand and hand in the loving purposes of God in our lives, and the thought of both should fill our hearts with rest and peace.

"Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."
(Matthew 11:28-30)

"I delight to do Thy will, O my God: yea, Thy law is within my heart."
(Psalm 40:8)

"Grace and Obedience" Part 1

"His commandments are not grievous" (I John 5:3).
Recently I mentioned the different responses many believers have to the words "grace" and "obedience." Mention of the former often elicits relief, thanksgiving, and a sense of restful peace in the heart. Conversely, the latter may seem heavy, burdensome, and stressful as we remember failures of the past and trepidation concerning the present and the future.
Surely our Heavenly Father would not have us to think or feel this way about obeying His will. Regarding disobedience of the past, God's views the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ as far more than adequate to provide forgiveness, cleansing, and the potential to walk with Him in this present moment (and in all future present moments) with a clean conscience and the gracious favor of being "accepted in the Beloved" (Hebrews 10:22; Ephesians 1:6). As we agree with Him concerning the power of our Savior's death for our sins and His ongoing heavenly intercession for us, the obedience of this present moment is not hindered or overlooked by the failures of the past. Certainly we may have to deal with consequences of yesterday's disobedience, but our Heavenly Father is able to weave even our misstitched threads into the fabric of His purposes in our lives. Indeed, the only moment of obedience to God that exists for us is this moment. Recognition of such gracious truth fosters peace and a powerful sense of the Holy Spirit's present enabling.
We are also much tempted to ignore or overlook "the power that worketh in us" (Ephesians 3:20). The Apostle Paul declared the presence and dynamic working of God in us to be "exceeding, abundantly above all that we ask or think." Do we believe this, both in the overall sense, and in the context of this present moment? Is the Spirit of Christ that present, that dynamic, that enabling, and that motivating? Is He, as Paul plainly stated, "working is us both to will and to do of His good pleasure?" (Philippians 2:13). Does the Lord Jesus not only dwell within us by His Spirit, but does He also walk in us? (II Corinthians 6:16). The concept of obedience to God becomes a different matter altogether when we learn and embrace the reality that the Christ who lived a perfect lifetime of obedience dwells within us in both dynamic presence and activity. "I also labor, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily" (Colossians 1:29).
If the thought or mention of obedience to God does not fill our heart with a song, and adorn our face with a smile, we can be sure that our need is for greater understanding of the grace that not only provides forgiveness and assurance of eternal life. Grace provides the living Christ to dwell and walk in us by His Spirit, and to enable us to "live through Him" in consistent faith and obedience. Regardless of what happened yesterday, or this morning, or five minutes ago, this is truth and reality for every believer. The thought and mention of obedience should elicit thought and joyful affirmation of the Lord Jesus and His obedient heart dwelling within us by the presence and agency of the Holy Spirit. We can "do all things through Christ," all things that glorify God and fulfill His will (Philippians 4:13). Yes, grace and obedience walk hand and hand in the loving purposes of God in our lives, and the thought of both should fill our hearts with rest and peace.
"Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."
(Matthew 11:28-30)
"I delight to do Thy will, O my God: yea, Thy law is within my heart."
(Psalm 40:8)

Monday, July 19, 2010

Different Battlefields, Different Weapons

Because we live and minister from the victory of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, born again believers can "fight the good fight of faith" with completely different weapons than those wielded by those who oppose us (I Timothy 6:12).

"Overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21).

Satan, the world, and the flesh continually seek to draw us onto battlefields of their choice whereupon weapons also of their choosing are wielded by both forces. Animosity, vitriol, bitterness, and rage bloody the ground of such venues, and God Himself ensures that we lose all fights fought with such carnal swords. Conviction must be united with compassion if we are to be "good soldiers of Jesus Christ," and our Lord resists us no less than do our enemies when our attitude and actions fail to express the character of the Lord Jesus (II Timothy 2:3).

We are to be honest, forthright, and courageous in our declaration of Truth. Coupled with humility, integrity, and the loving desire to benefit our enemies rather than win debates, such conviction leads us to the battlefield of God's choosing. The glory and revelation of the Lord Jesus grace this venue where the rage and bitterness of our enemies are countered by kind, respectful, and unselfish words and actions that "overcome evil with good." There is no weapon that can prevail against this love of Christ revealed in all who remember the epic battle of the ages at Calvary. On that field, the world, the devil, and the flesh amassed against the Savior every carnal weapon of hatred, anger, fear, and rejection of God and His truth. Conversely, the Lord Jesus fought with love, humility, and submission to the will of His Father and the need of man. An empty tomb and an occupied heavenly throne bear witness to the Victor of that greatest of all wars. As we fight from His victory, and with the same weapons, the same result will ensue and the Lord Jesus will be revealed in a manner that draws people, including even some of our enemies, to repentance, faith, and the grace of God.

"And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."
(II Timothy 2:24-26)

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled."
(II Corinthians 10:3-6)

Saturday, July 17, 2010

"Sweet Is Thy Voice"

"Let me hear thy voice, for sweet is thy voice... He shall hear my voice" (Song of Solomon 2:14; Psalm 55:17).

There are voices we love to hear, voices whose simple utterance warm our hearts with happiness, comfort, assurance, communion, and love.

There are voices God loves to hear, voices whose simple utterance warm His heart with the joy of His Son as the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ graces the prayers of sons and daughters adopted into His heavenly family. Such voices are yours and mine, if we have believed. "God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba Father" (Galatians 4:6).

This is a hard truth to understand and assimilate into our consciousness. We cannot physically see God's response to our words. Even more, we may have a sense that we have too often brought displeasure to Him by our failures, and have too frequently neglected the praying that many believers perceive as their greatest spiritual weakness. "Perhaps my voice was sweet to Him long ago," we may sadly mourn. "But not anymore."


Knowing the gracious heart of our Heavenly Father, as revealed in Scripture, it may well be that some of the utterances most precious to Him are those offered from souls most aware of their unworthiness to voice even a word toward Heaven. "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit" (Psalm 34:18). "He delighteth in mercy" declared the prophet, and if we could physically see the response of God to our prayers in times of both faithfulness and waywardness, great joy would likely be witnessed in both (Micah 7:18).

"I will arise and go unto my father, and will say unto him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired servants. "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck and kissed him" (Luke 15:18-20).


We often rightly consider the blessed effects of prayer in our own hearts. Less often, however, do we consider the blessed effects of prayer in God's heart. We do well to do so because His heart has known much pain, sorrow, and grief from the human race. If our voice brings sweetness to such a heart, then may our voices be heard at the throne of grace! Who can understand such a thing, that creatures such as ourselves possess the capacity to bless One so beyond who and what we are? It is beyond understanding, but it is not beyond faith, and it is not beyond the love of Christ directed to us, and dwelling in us (Romans 5:5). Indeed, those voices sweet to us sound forth from hearts whom we love. It is no different with God.


"The prayer of the upright is His delight."
(Proverbs 15:8)

Thursday, July 15, 2010

"There Is a Savior" Part 2

(This is not a test. But it may feel like it. :) ).

Identify to whom the following Biblical salutation was directed (I have omitted the location from the text).

"Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, unto the church of God which is at ----, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; that in every thing ye are enriched by Him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord."



Surely this strong affirmation of those "sanctified in Christ Jesus," who are "enriched by Him," and who will be "confirmed" and "blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" must have been directed to a faithful and thriving community of believers unto whom Paul penned an epistle of glowing commendation. Indeed, the salutation above is arguably the most affirmative of a group of Christians in the entire New Testament. To whom did the Apostle write?



The answer is the Corinthians. The salutation opens Paul's first letter to this, the most wayward fellowship of believers mentioned in the New Testament. They were divisive and partisan. They were indicted by the Apostle as "carnal." They were tolerant of sexual immorality in their midst. They used the secular legal system of the Roman government to settle issues that should have been church matters. They were both legalistic and licentious concerning issues of food. They questioned Paul's very apostleship. They committed idolatry. They disrespected the Lord's supper, turning it into a narcisstic feast of self-centeredness rather than holding the ordinance in the most solemn respect as the remembrance of the death of Christ. They exalted the gifts of God rather than the Giver, forgetting that the love of God revealed unto, within, and through us is the greatest of all spiritual graces. And they actually questioned the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The first letter to Corinth is an indictment of a largely wayward church that distrusted and disobeyed God in numerous and important expressions of carnality (I Corinthians 1:10-11; 3:1; 5:1-2; 6:1; 8:1-13; 9:1-3; 10:7-31; 11:20-34; 12-14; 15:1-58).



Again, however, the epistle begins with perhaps the strongest affirmation of any community of believers in the New Testament. More importantly, Paul's salutation immediately centralizes the Lord Jesus as the heart and soul of such affirmation. In a brief paragraph, the Savior's name is mentioned seven times, and is identified as the sanctifier, benefactor, confirmer, and ultimate finisher of the Corinthians' relationship with God. They will be confirmed unto the end by the Lord Jesus, and held blameless through His person and work.



The first epistle to the Corinthians provides vivid confirmation that the message of the Gospel, whether to unbelieving sinners or wayward saints, must begin with the proclamation of the Lord Jesus. Who is He? What has He done on our behalf? What is He doing and what will He be doing for us and within us forevermore? The preaching and teaching of the Gospel begins with the answers to these questions or it does not legitimately begin at all.



Perhaps you are seeking to lead an unbelieving loved one or acquaintance to faith in the Lord Jesus. Maybe you know a believer who has stumbled along the path of righteousness and lies bloody and wounded in a ditch of unbelief and disobedience. Or perhaps you yourself require cleansing, restoration, and reinvigoration of living fellowship with God. Whatever the case, the message of the Gospel first directs all attention to the crucified, risen, and ascended Christ of the Gospel. He is the issue, and the discovery or remembrance of His person and work is the illumination that leads human hearts to redemption in whatever form is required. Unbelief and disobedience are not overlooked, of course. Paul strongly and pointedly challenged the Corinthians for their waywardness, and called for active measures to overcome it. Again, however, the Apostle sets the stage for correction by beginning with the Christ who is the Author of our faith, and he affirms the grace-given fact of his wayward brethren's relationship and standing with God.



Before sinners or saints ever existed, there was a Savior. This is truth and reality. Our ministry and message must always follow this Divine sequence of the Gospel. True change is never forthcoming if we begin our evangelistic or edification efforts with the indictment of humanity's need. The proclamation of God's supply in Christ must form the preamble of all spiritual communication. The Apostle Paul faithfully followed the Divine sequence in his letter to a most wayward community of believers in the first century. May we follow his example in our own generation of waywardness and need.



(The reference below is the first Christian sermon, spoken by the Apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost. Note the sequence of Christ first, and then the indictment of man).



"Hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that He should be holden of it."
(Acts 2:22-24)

"There Is a Savior" Part 2

(This is not a test. But it may feel like it. :) ).

Identify to whom the following Biblical salutation was directed (I have omitted the location from the text).

"Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, unto the church of God which is at ----, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; that in every thing ye are enriched by Him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord."


Surely this strong affirmation of those "sanctified in Christ Jesus," who are "enriched by Him," and who will be "confirmed" and "blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" must have been directed to a faithful and thriving community of believers unto whom Paul penned an epistle of glowing commendation. Indeed, the salutation above is arguably the most affirmative of a group of Christians in the entire New Testament. To whom did the Apostle write?


The answer is the Corinthians. The salutation opens Paul's first letter to this, the most wayward fellowship of believers mentioned in the New Testament. They were divisive and partisan. They were indicted by the Apostle as "carnal." They were tolerant of sexual immorality in their midst. They used the secular legal system of the Roman government to settle issues that should have been church matters. They were both legalistic and licentious concerning issues of food. They questioned Paul's very apostleship. They committed idolatry. They disrespected the Lord's supper, turning it into a narcisstic feast of self-centeredness rather than holding the ordinance in the most solemn respect as the remembrance of the death of Christ. They exalted the gifts of God rather than the Giver, forgetting that the love of God revealed unto, within, and through us is the greatest of all spiritual graces. And they actually questioned the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The first letter to Corinth is an indictment of a largely wayward church that distrusted and disobeyed God in numerous and important expressions of carnality (I Corinthians 1:10-11; 3:1; 5:1-2; 6:1; 8:1-13; 9:1-3; 10:7-31; 11:20-34; 12-14; 15:1-58).


Again, however, the epistle begins with perhaps the strongest affirmation of any community of believers in the New Testament. More importantly, Paul's salutation immediately centralizes the Lord Jesus as the heart and soul of such affirmation. In a brief paragraph, the Savior's name is mentioned seven times, and is identified as the sanctifier, benefactor, confirmer, and ultimate finisher of the Corinthians' relationship with God. They will be confirmed unto the end by the Lord Jesus, and held blameless through His person and work.


The first epistle to the Corinthians provides vivid confirmation that the message of the Gospel, whether to unbelieving sinners or wayward saints, must begin with the proclamation of the Lord Jesus. Who is He? What has He done on our behalf? What is He doing and what will He be doing for us and within us forevermore? The preaching and teaching of the Gospel begins with the answers to these questions or it does not legitimately begin at all.


Perhaps you are seeking to lead an unbelieving loved one or acquaintance to faith in the Lord Jesus. Maybe you know a believer who has stumbled along the path of righteousness and lies bloody and wounded in a ditch of unbelief and disobedience. Or perhaps you yourself require cleansing, restoration, and reinvigoration of living fellowship with God. Whatever the case, the message of the Gospel first directs all attention to the crucified, risen, and ascended Christ of the Gospel. He is the issue, and the discovery or remembrance of His person and work is the illumination that leads human hearts to redemption in whatever form is required. Unbelief and disobedience are not overlooked, of course. Paul strongly and pointedly challenged the Corinthians for their waywardness, and called for active measures to overcome it. Again, however, the Apostle sets the stage for correction by beginning with the Christ who is the Author of our faith, and he affirms the grace-given fact of his wayward brethren's relationship and standing with God.


Before sinners or saints ever existed, there was a Savior. This is truth and reality. Our ministry and message must always follow this Divine sequence of the Gospel. True change is never forthcoming if we begin our evangelistic or edification efforts with the indictment of humanity's need. The proclamation of God's supply in Christ must form the preamble of all spiritual communication. The Apostle Paul faithfully followed the Divine sequence in his letter to a most wayward community of believers in the first century. May we follow his example in our own generation of waywardness and need.


(The reference below is the first Christian sermon, spoken by the Apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost. Note the sequence of Christ first, and then the indictment of man).


"Hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that He should be holden of it."
(Acts 2:22-24)

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

"There Is a Savior"

"Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Ephesians 3:8-11).

Our Heavenly Father's purpose in the Lord Jesus Christ is timeless. It has always existed in His heart and mind, and everything He will ever do flows from His determination to "gather together in one all things in Christ" (Ephesians 1:10).

Thus, before there were sinners, a salvation and Savior was purposed for all who would trust in "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8). This is the Divine order of the Gospel, namely, that we proclaim the supply of God before pointing out the need of man. All preaching, teaching, and communication of Truth must follow this sequence, including evangelization of unbelievers and edification of God's trusting children in Christ. We first declare who the Lord Jesus is, what He has done, is doing, and will forever do as the executor of God's eternal purpose. In this light, the truth of our need is revealed and defined. Just as importantly, hope precedes the sad reality of the human condition in it many forms of devilish and self destruction.

"There is a Savior. This is who He is. You are a sinner who can be saved from condemnation and mastery by this Savior." This is the Divine sequence of our message to the unbeliever. Or to the believer, "There is a Savior. This is who He is. You are a saint in need of greater knowledge of your Savior, and He is present with and within you to effect this growth into His spiritual and moral image." It matters not the person, or the condition of the person. We begin with the One declared by Scripture to be "The beginning," and who is "before all things" (Revelation 1:8; Colossians 1:17). Failure to follow the sequence is unbiblical, and inadvertently causes our message to be more humanistic than Divine.

"In Thy light shall we see light" (Psalm 36:9). Discovery of our Lord's perfect person and work reveals by contrast the imperfection of our own person and work. The light of His glory reveals the light of our utter need. Nothing else fully unveils the truth, and nothing else effects both the hope and conviction that leads the heart to the Lord Jesus. Surely we are to tell sinners they are sinners, and Biblically define their waywardness. Surely we are to tell wayward saints they are failing to honor their Lord, and Biblically define their unfaithfulness. However, before the indictments must come the promise of pardon, redemption, and the power of the Lord Jesus to save from sin. There is a Savior. This is who He is, this is what He has done, is doing, and will do forevermore. Our communication of Truth either begins here, or it does not authentically and effectually begin at all.

"Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith."
(Hebrews 12:2)
"Before they call, I will answer."
(Isaiah 65:24)

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

"In Truth and Love"

"The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; for the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever. Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love" (II John 1-3).


The Apostle John reveals the inseparable relationship between love and truth in the salutation of his second epistle.

In the eternal economy of God, there is no love without truth, and no truth without love. In the economy of man, however, the two are almost always foreign to each other. Reality is often overlooked or ignored when the sensibilities of that which we call "love" govern our thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. True love, the love of God, is often missing in those who correctly determine that Truth does in fact exist, and that we must seek to know and respond to it in all things. Only in the Father and the Son, as revealed by the Holy Spirit, does truth and love perfectly unite in such a manner that reality is not compromised as selfless devotion and affection for others is expressed.

"Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Romans 3:24-26).

Our Lord is totally committed to our walk "in truth and love." In His mind, one does not and cannot exist apart from vital relationship with the other. Few aspects of our Christian experience more call us to trust the Lord Jesus for the vital working of His Spirit to produce this dual expression of His presence in our lives. Our responsibility is to understand and accept the calling, and to keep both truth and love at the forefront of our response to God. Believers are to be lovers of truth, and unabashedly devoted to the light, doctrine, and reality of the Word of God. We are also to be lovers of God and man, seeking always the warmth of devotion to both that fragrances our words, attitudes, and deeds with the self sacrificial love of Christ. Truth and love are mutually inclusive. But only in the triune being of God do they perfectly unite to reveal the wonders of His glory. He is working in us to reveal such glory, and we must respond by keeping the union of truth and love at the forefront of our understanding of our Lord's dynamic presence in our lives.

"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."
(I John 3:18)

Monday, July 12, 2010

"This Is the Victory"

(Friends: this is a bit longer than usual, but if I could communicate one thing to every believer in the world, this might very likely be it. Thanks, Glen).

"This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not grievous, for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (I John 5:3-4).


The Apostle John's affirmation of triumph in Christ calls us to a completely different perspective than often characterizes our thinking.

First, John declares that it is the love of God whereby His will is maintained in our hearts, minds, and practice (the literal translation of "keep His commandments"). We might rather think it is our love for the Lord that causes such devotion, and certainly we are called to respond in love. However, any interest in us for the will of God flows not from ourselves, but from the indwelling presence of the Lord Jesus who declared unto His Father: "I delight to do Thy will, o God" (Psalm 40:7; Hebrews 10:7). He is always the source, motivation, and enabling of devotion to God, even as the Apostle Paul wrote, "It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). We respond to His working in freely determined faith and submission, and are actively engaged in "working out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). Nevertheless, we always know that all credit for our loving and performing God's will is His alone.

"His commandments are not grievous." In the original language of the New Testament, this means that God's will is not weighty or burdensome. Our thinking must reflect this Truth if we are to consistently experience it in our lives. Do we instead think of obedience as being difficult? Many believers do, and reveal that their understanding of the will of God is based on their flesh rather than John's "this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments." Past experience, present feeling, and prospects of the future direct attention to our flesh, telling us that obedience to God is either difficult or impossible. For our flesh, that is, for our human faculties and members, this is true. "The flesh profiteth nothing" (John 6:63). Obedience is utterly beyond our human capacities. If we are thinking Biblically, however, we realize that the source and power of obedience is "the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us" (Romans 5:5). The commands of Scripture must not be viewed as directed to merely ourselves, but to ourselves united with the motivating and enabling Spirit of the Lord Jesus. "I have overcome all things" He proclaimed, and by Him we must view ourselves as abundantly equipped to do the same. "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."

"Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world." Salvation births the living Christ in our spirits. He lives in us so that we may live by Him. The keeping of God's commandments must always be viewed in this dynamic context of "He lives, we live." "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him" (I John 4:9). Keeping this perspective leads to keeping our Lord's commandments, that is, we have great expectation of faith and obedience because our focus is not on ourselves, but on the Christ who "is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us" (Ephesians 3:20).

Paul declared that obedience to God was not only the desire of his innermost selfhood, but the very delight of it - "I delight in the law of God after the inward man... I myself serve the law of God" (Romans 7:22-25). This affirmation of joy in obedience to God resulted from Paul being united to the Christ who declared, "I delight to do Thy will, o God." Do we hold this perspective of ourselves? Do we believe that our delight is to glorify our Lord and do His will? If not, obedience will seem burdensome and weighty because we are not adequately believing the Truth of God's Word. Again, "this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." Believers are called to an abundantly confident expectation of obedience based on the fact of who dwells within us. The thought of obeying God should thrill us because we are supercharged through Christ to do so. Indeed, if the word "grace" fills our hearts with delight, but the word "obedience" seems heavy, we can be sure that we are not understanding grace or obedience as defined by the New Testament.

Regardless of past experience, born again believers in the Lord Jesus are called to believe that this moment - and all to come - are more likely to be characterized by faith and obedience than by sin. We know the latter is possible, recognizing that we still possess flesh inhabited by a "law of sin" (Romans 7:23). We nevertheless affirm that "ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you" (Romans 8:9). We also know that "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2). The New Testament's continual affirmation of "so great salvation" calls us to confident expectation of the indwelling love of God motivating and enabling reciprocal love for Him. Indeed, it is this confidence whereby we "wait for the hope of righteousness by faith" that firmly establishes our feet on the path of faith and obedience (Galatians 5:5). Any other perspective reflects the carnal mindedness Paul pronounced as "death" (Romans 8:6). "To be spiritually minded is life and peace" wrote the Apostle, calling us to affirm the Christ who is our life and our peace (Colossians 3:4; Ephesians 2:14). This is the victory, His victory, that overcomes the world and honors our Lord as we keep His commandments.

"Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places."
(Ephesians 1:15-20)

Friday, July 9, 2010

The Missing Part 2

Created to be "the habitation of God through the Spirit," but born in spiritual orphanage because of our original forefather's sin - "in Adam all die" - the history of the human race involves the chronicle of our deluded attempts to install something, anything, to repair the problem of the missing part (Ephesians 2:22; I Corinthians 15:22).


Only the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ can fill the void, however, and until He enters our being at the time of our new birth, we stumble and grope in darkness. We are not truly alive as God defines life until the Holy Spirit dwells within us. "To live is Christ" (Philippians 1:21). We are broken and in need of the repair - the installation of the missing part - that we can never ourselves accomplish. The missing part is God Himself. Only He can fill the void, and only He can install Himself to successfully complete the repair. As the Lord Jesus told His disciples, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you... "He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (John 16:7; 14:17).


The fact of God's abiding and dynamic presence within His trusting children is the most amazing aspect of His freely given salvation in Christ. Our hearts were made for Him, and when we believe, the reason for our existence begins to be fulfilled. I write "begins" because it is not enough for our Lord to simply inhabit us. He rather made us as conscious, thinking, feeling, and relating beings who must know "the hope of glory, which is Christ in you," and who must increasingly respond to the wondrous truth (Colossians 1:27). Indeed, everything in our lives changes when the Holy Spirit enters our spirits. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new" (II Corinthians 5:17). We must be made aware of the changes, however, and a lifetime and eternity will be required to discover the magnitude of the Christ-inhabited personality God redeemed us to be.


Believers are called to a humility that acknowledges our nothingness and emptiness apart from Christ. We are also called to the bold confidence that we are not apart from Christ. Thus, our nothingness is dissolved and our emptiness is filled! We arise from humble knees to walk on feet empowered by the literal and living presence of God Himself. "I will dwell in them and walk in them" (II Corinthians 6:16). We are no longer orphans. We are not alone. We live our lives with somebody, the Somebody who made us, who redeemed us, and who filled us with Himself. The missing part is not missing in the heart of those who believe. "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5).


To whatever degree we know this most amazing of all truths, we need to know it better. Believers can thrive in any circumstance and condition so long as we know that our Lord is with us, and even more, within us. "We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us" (Romans 8:37). Throughout the history of the church, the testimony has sounded and resounded. From mountaintop and valley, from palace and prison, from birthplace and deathbed, from pleasure and pain, from abundance and poverty, from any and every venue, the abiding presence of God has birthed peace where it seems they could not be. This moment in our lives offers the sublime possibility, and this is written to remind and hopefully enhance our awareness. The Lord Jesus is with us. He is within us. Wherever we are, whatever our circumstance, and however things may seem, our Savior is nearer than our next breath. He is the heart and reality of this hour in our lives. We are repaired, and if we will acknowledge the blessed truth, our lives will increasingly and vibrantly reveal that the missing part is no longer missing.


"Your life is hid with Christ in God."
(Colossians 3:3)

Thursday, July 8, 2010

The Missing Part

(Thanks to our dear friend Mark, referenced below, for inspiration on this one.)

"We fix what your husband repaired." A good friend recently told me about this advertisement of a plumbing company he once saw. Surely this is one of the most effective and hilarious marketing slogans of all time, and it also makes me grateful that in our house, the fix-it person is Frances (she can fix anything, no subsequent repairs necessary!).


The chronicle of human history involves countless attempts to fix what only God can repair. The matter of our heart is dire, and no possibility exists of any human mind discovering the true nature of the problem, or any human hand executing a solution. Our dilemma involves a missing part, as it were. We exist to be the "habitation of God through the Spirit" (Ephesians 2:22). We are born, however, without the indwelling Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. Until He enters by the Holy Spirit's revelation of grace in Christ and our response of faith, existence is hopelessly incomplete. God must do for us that which we cannot do for ourselves. He must forgive our sin and then fill our hearts with the only content that can repair our problem of a missing part, namely, a missing Christ.


The entrance of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus into our spirits begins the repair that will continue throughout our lifetime. Our Heavenly Father redeems us not only to make us His home, but also to increasingly reveal in and through us the fact of Christ's presence. "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25). Our mental, emotional, volitional, verbal, and relational capacities must be redeemed and restored from the spiritual orphanage that once governed us. Far more damage was done than we realize when we attempted to live independently of God, and our spiritual enemies continue their attempt to cloud the fact of His vibrant presence with and within us. Wise is the believer, therefore, who echoes the Psalmist's prayer - "cleanse Thou me from secret faults" - and who recognizes that we need the ongoing repair of the only true Repairman who exists. "As for our redeemer, the LORD of hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 47:4).


Like the plumber, God must fix not only our original problem, but also the repairs we have attempted by our own deluded efforts. He is more than able and willing to do so, but we must humble ourselves in order to experience "our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts" acting mightily on our behalf. Not only must we repent of our failings, but also of our efforts to correct them ourselves. These may be even more complex than the original problem, but God's wisdom and power are more than adequate to "fix what we have repaired."


"Trust in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding; in all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."
(Proverbs 3:5-6)