Friday, December 30, 2011

"One Sacrifice! No More Sacrifice!"

(Thanks to my dear friend and brother Hugh for inspiration on this one).

"This man (the Lord Jesus Christ) offered one sacrifice for sins forever..."

And because He did...

"There remaineth no more sacrifice for sins" (Hebrews 10:12; 26).

"It is finished!" declared the Lord Jesus of His atoning work on the cross of Calvary (John 19:30). Having died so completely and efficaciously for our sins, and having fully borne the wrath of God for our sakes, "One sacrifice!" and "No more sacrifice!" are the exultant cries of the born again believer. The Son who so pleased His Heavenly Father in life also perfectly satisfied Him in death, the death that redeems all who come to God through the person, work and merits of the risen Lord Jesus.

Few truths of the New Testament more establish our feet on the path of righteousness. Indeed, believers do not live for salvation, but from salvation. Redemption in Christ so justifies us that God "will not impute sin" to us (Romans 4:6). He deals with us as loving Father rather than punitive judge, chastening us in love, but never passing sentence and retribution on those deemed as forever acquitted through Christ. "God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you... He hath made us accepted in the Beloved" (Ephesians 4:32; 1:6).

The increasing knowledge of "so great salvation" stokes the hearth of the believer's heart whereupon burns the very love of the Lord Jesus Himself (Romans 5:5). Rather than serving God from merely sense of servile fear, the remembrance of "One sacrifice!" and "There remaineth no more sacrifice for sins!" causes genuine and holy devotion to flame up within the very depths of our being, thus resulting in "the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His Name" (Hebrews 13:15). Thereby we trust and obey God with the one motivation that satisfies both Him and ourselves, namely, the remembrance of His love and our desire to respond in kind (I Corinthians 13).

Believers live self sacrificial lives as the fruit of the Holy Spirit's working in us. "To do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" (Hebrews 13:16). We also present our bodies as "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God" (Romans 12:1). Never, however, do view the need for any sacrifice for sin other than our Lord's "one sacrifice for sins forever." The work is done. The sacrifice was made. The gift is given. And the saving grace of the Lord Jesus is the sole basis of our eternal redemption, and the assurance that in this moment we may "come boldly to the throne of grace" - so long as we come by way of "One sacrifice!" and "There remaineth no more sacrifice!"

"Now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself."
(Hebrews 9:26).

Thursday, December 29, 2011

"The Book" Part 3


Reading the Bible with the proper attitude of humble faith implies the confession of our native weakness and need for change.

"My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken Thou me according to Thy Word" (Psalm 119:25).

We open the Scriptures to discover God, both in the essence of His person and the expression of His ways. Thereby we discover ourselves also, and the truth is initially disturbing (and often disturbing along the way as well). Originally created in God's image, humanity bears remnants of such an honored place and position in creation. However, the pages of the Bible quickly reveal our lost estate, even to the degree that our Creator rued the day He made us. "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart" (Genesis 6:5-6).

Left to ourselves, the human race is a disgrace with no hope but grace. The Bible plainly states the extent of our failure to be and do what we were made to be and do. Thankfully, it also plainly states God's loving purpose to redeem and renew us. Born again believers have begun the holy process of being conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus, as effected and empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Our roll involves trusting and submitting ourselves to God in the confession of our need for ongoing change. Consistent reading of Scripture is a primary aspect of this human response to Divine redemption. The Book changes the heart by first revealing our Heavenly Father's working on our behalf, and then the necessity of our devotion to being changed.

Little wonder that the Word of God refers to itself as a sword, a "sharp, two edged sword" (Ephesians 6:17; Revelation 1:16). Such weapons change things, leaving nothing the same that encounters its honed edge. The Book is a blade, a blessed blade that severs the diseased and poisoned flesh which would destroy us if left intact. By definition, we open it's pages in order to be changed, an ongoing process both blessed and painful. Let us expect this dual experience of the dual-edged sword, the sword of Scripture that does not and cannot leave us the same when we submit ourselves to its redeeming work of grace.

"Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."
(II Corinthians 3:18)

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

"The Book" Part 2


I have heard the words countless times over the years from people on our mailing list, "Uh, Glen, I don't read the Orange Moon devotionals every day, but..."

Usually the subscriber has somewhat of an apologetic tone in his or her voice or note. This need not be the case, and let me say that I really do not expect people to daily read the five or six messages we send out each week. For those of you who do, and I know there are some, I find it to a humbling blessing for which I thank you. However, I do not imagine or anticipate that everyone who receives the devotions will read each one on the day it arrives in your email box (if ever). I rather pray that God will direct and prepare you to read the particular messages that may benefit your heart and mind with illumination, encouragement and challenge.

On the other hand, there are words that born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ should determine to read every day. We should daily read the Bible. I suggest this not in a legalistic or burdensome manner, but rather in light of the amazing gift that the Scriptures are to our hearts. The Holy Spirit who inspired the Word of God beckons us to its sacred pages in order to grace us with glories that can reach us in no other way. The living Word, the Lord Jesus, awaits us in the written Word, the Bible. Our Heavenly Father would lovingly reveal to us His beloved Son, as well as communicate to us the truth that if we have believed, we are now His beloved children as well. The Scriptures offer these bestowals of grace, along with countless other rays of light whereby our hearts and lives increasingly glimmer and gleam with the heart-fulfilling glory of God.

Certainly days occur when we find ourselves providentially hindered from reading the Bible. And certainly we can all look back on days when we could have opened the sacred Book, but did not. We cannot change the past, so we look to this day and to the future. As a matter of beneficent grace and necessary truth, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit call us to the Word of God for the purpose of personal fellowship and greater understanding. We will be changed thereby, changed always for the better as we make our approach in faith, humility, and the confidence that our Lord's good will awaits us in every word of His Good Book. Yes, a reading of the Bible, as Providence allows and directs, must form our intentions for this and every day.

"Give us this day our daily bread... I am the bread of life."
(Matthew 6:11; John 6:35)

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

"The Book"

"Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart" (Jeremiah 15:16).

What might be our reaction if all literature and printed material ceased to exist except for the Bible?

Disappointment would not be an improper response. God Himself determined and allows the voluminous library of humanity to exist. Thereby illumination, inspiration, information, encouragement, entertainment, comfort and strength grace our minds (along with the many expressions of darkness that come through books). We cannot conceive the history of humanity without its literature, or to fathom our own lives apart from the impact of the printed word.

On the other hand, born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ would in fact have cause for much joy if one book, the Book, became our only source for reading material. We would doubtless approach Scripture with an attitude of greater appreciation, gratitude, and perhaps keener attention to detail since all reading application would flow to and from one literary river. It is hard to imagine that we would be the worse in such a scenario although, again, we would not argue that the existence of many books rather than just one has a place in the Divine purposes.

Perhaps most to the point, there is a sense in which there is only one book. Indeed, Scripture occupies such a vital and eternity-consequential place in our lives that we must give it a place no other literature can occupy. There are books, and then there is the Book. While other volumes may shed light upon our lives, the Bible is light. We open the sacred Volume in the awed knowledge that the Divinely breathed and inspired Word of God graces its pages from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:20. We do so in confidence of a perfection that no other literature possesses, and we recognize that the Bible is God in print just as the Lord Jesus was (and is) the Word of God in person. Furthermore, we understand that Scripture will illuminate, encourage and challenge our hearts, always resulting in change for the better or worse (depending on our response).

There are books, and then there is the Book. We give thanks for the former, and rightly so. But we fall to our knees and faces for the latter, realizing that the holy source of the Word of God is the love of God. Yes, we open the pages of Scripture to discover the very heart and mind of its Author. Of no other literature can this be said, and if we were left with the Bible alone, we would not and could not be the poorer.

"I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and praise Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and for Thy truth: for Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy name."
(Psalm 138:2)

Friday, December 23, 2011

"Glimpses of Goodness"


If we have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall one day arrive in Heaven to discover that in our best earthly moment of realizing His goodness, we barely caught a glimpse of the glory.

"Oh how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men!" (Psalm 33:19).

Even eternity won't be long enough to exhaust the love of God expressed unto, upon and within His trusting sons and daughters in Christ. The Apostle Paul taught that our Lord's love "passeth knowledge." He furthermore declared that the knowledge of such goodness was the basis for being "filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). Forevermore we will discover that some new experience of our Lord's wonder is no end in and of itself, but rather prelude to further illumination and revelation of "the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Ephesians 3:8).

Although limited in comparison with heavenly glories to come, this life nevertheless offers ongoing opportunity to "taste and see that the Lord is good!" (Psalm 34:8). We should expect to partake, not because of our meriting a place at God's table, but rather because like Mephibosheth of old, our place at God's table of bounty rests upon the merits of another: "Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?" (II Samuel 9:6-8).


As the acronym proclaims, grace provides God's Riches At Christ's Expense. In both time and eternity, we shall know that our feasting upon infinite goodness graces us because and only because "for Christ's sake" the kindness of God comes to us in ongoing favor, provision and fulfillment. There will be no end to our reception and experience of such goodness. And in this day, there must be no failure to expect that before we close our eyes in sleep, they will have seen some new glimpse of glory, revealing that...

"The Lord is good, and His tender mercies are over all His works."
(Psalm 145:9)

Thursday, December 22, 2011

"Encouraged By Encouraging"


(A repeat from 2010)

Sometimes when we feel the need for encouragement, God sends it by His Word, His Spirit, His church, and other means whereby He strengthens and refreshes us.

Sometimes, however, He doesn't. Sometimes no cool breeze or cup of cold water seems forthcoming. In such times, we can be sure that a different form of encouragement lies at hand.

"For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you... Knowing that He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes" (II Corinthians 4:11-12; 15).

The greatest encouragement we receive is that which we dispense to others. The strengthening that passes through us rather than merely to us lifts us up because "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us" (Romans 5:5). Our Lord ever moves within us to look upward and away from ourselves, leading us to experience the comfort and encouragement of the truth that "it is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).

When we feel cast down without reprieve, the Holy Spirit would direct our attention to the needs of some other hurting soul. We may only have opportunity to pray a prayer, but what an opportunity that is. Or we may find words and ways to reveal the living water of the Lord Jesus in direct ministry. Whatever the case, as our focus departs from ourselves unto the glory of God and others, our need for encouragement will either be reduced, or it will be supplied in the "more blessed" way of Christ's loving self sacrifice being ministered in and by us.

We thank God for those times in which He personally comforts our hearts. We also thank Him when we are encouraged by encouraging. Both ways are the fruit of the Lord Jesus, who lived His earthly lifetime in His Father's care, and in the glory of devotion to others...

"The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give His life a ransom for many."
(Matthew 20:28)
"Walk, even as He walked."
(I John 2:6)

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

"Still"


Somewhere a born again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ lies on a bed of stillness and intermittent consciousness (if any at all), seemingly having lost all significance and place in a world he (or she) can no longer experience. He seems merely to languish, awaiting only the deliverance of death unless an unlikely miracle occurs which delivers him from a life lost.


Or does he? I would contend that we cannot be sure that such a sad reality is the only possibility of the scenario we propose. Let us remember that every believer, whether vibrantly active or quietly stilled, possesses within the depths of his being the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9). On that bed of languishing, therefore, lies a temple of the almighty God. The body may not move. The eyes may not open. The voice may not speak. However, we do not know what holy movements may be transpiring in that place beyond our abilities to see and know. Specifically, I wonder if perhaps a communion with God takes place that the stilled one could or would never experience during previous times of what we would call an active life. "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).


Let us recall the Apostle Paul's discovery that God's strength is "made perfect in weakness" (II Corinthians 12:9). Our Lord's ways, His perfect ways, are not our ways. His presence most envelops us when He seems farthest away - "God is... a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1). Thus, we might expect that the appearance of a lost life might belie the reality of a a life, Christ's risen life, revealed in a body that seems more like a tomb. If so, you and I may in this day be the beneficiaries of intercessions arising from those whose beds of languishing are actually altars of loving supplication on our behalf.


Again, we cannot know that this is the case. But I strongly suspect that the God so dynamically and invasively involved in our lives does not waste the opportunity presented to Him by the stilled body of a believer. He may work therein to commune with His loved ones in ways that we cannot know, eliciting prayers for those of us tempted by notions of self importance to believe that God is limited to the usage only of our active bodies. Indeed, we may one day discover that our outward activities were the fruits of inward activities vibrantly experienced by those with stilled bodies, but soaring spirits.


"Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still."
(Psalm 4:4)
"The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him."
(Habbakuk 2:20)

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

"A Son Is Given"


"My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).

Just as "by Christ Jesus" was God's provision for the beginning of salvation and relationship with Him, so is our blessed Savior the supply for all our needs. "Unto us a Son is given" foretold the prophet (Isaiah 9:6). The Word of God and the Spirit of God bear witness that the Son has been given, and that He is the abundant provision for this moment for all who will believe the promise of an all-sufficient Christ. "God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work" (II Corinthians 9:8).

Such sufficiency involves every aspect of our existence. From the spiritual, to the mental, to the emotional, to the relational, and to the physical, Christ is God's answer, God's fulfillment, God's solution, God's peace, and God's all encompassing supply. Again, "all your need... by Christ Jesus." This we must believe, although we will never completely understand exactly how the Lord Jesus fills every void in our lives. It is not necessary that we fathom such mystery. It is only necessary that we accept the clear truth of God's Word that when our Heavenly Father sees human need, He administers His Son as the supply through the working of the Holy Spirit upon us and within us.

Christmas proclaims a gift far greater than we can presently comprehend. That which appeared as merely a baby was actually the salvation and provision for every moment of our eternal existence. Indeed, the Lord Jesus is the more than adequate supply for this moment, whatever the nature of our need. We can trust Him to be whatever we need Him to be right now. The Word of God promises that a Son has been given for today, and whatever this time may bring. Let us believe, and with our hearts and tongues join the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures and our trusting brethren who unite in sublime harmony to sing the anthem of the ages, and of now... "by Christ Jesus."

"God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-7).


Monday, December 19, 2011

"The Way of Weakness"


To save those who wrongly believe in a strength and independence that does not actually exist, the almighty God entered the world in the garb of weakness.

"Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger" (Luke 2:12).

In Eden, Adam and Eve embraced the lie that "ye shall be as gods" (Genesis 3:5). Woven into the flesh of humanity thereafter is the delusion that we possess both the right and the capacity to make our own way in life. From conception, we exalt our own will and ability as the guiding lights whereby we seek to navigate the course of our own existence. Apart from Christ, the end result is futility and frustration because even the most seemingly successful among us still face the grave that "gods" seemingly should never have to experience. "If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:23).

In Bethlehem, the Lord Jesus Christ entered the world to embrace the will and power of His Father. "Not My will, but Thine be done... I can of Mine own self do nothing... the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works" (Luke 22:42; John 5:30; 14:10). Our Divine Savior condescended to become the most human of men. He was born as a helpless and needy infant. He lived most of His life in obscurity, to the degree that His own brethren did not know who He was (John 7:5). He led His disciples as a servant. He coerced no one to believe His words and teachings. He was crucified through weakness" (II Corinthians 13:4). He was resurrected without pomp and circumstance. And His Gospel goes forth most effectively not in the limelight, but along the everyday paths of common people living their lives in a manner that quietly points others to the Savior - "This is the way; walk ye in it" (Isaiah 30:21).

Only God would have devised and purposed this way of saving humanity from its delusion of independence and strength by enrobing Himself in our actual garb of weakness. We can only imagine the sacrifice of such an act of love that led to a manger and all the meekness and humility that would follow. As our Lord walks in us, we can expect a similar path whereupon countless opportunities to trust and submit rather than exalt ourselves will lie before us. Thereby we discover true strength - "Be strong in the power of His might" - and true peace of heart found only in the humbling of our hearts - "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" (Ephesians 6:10; Matthew 11:29). This was our Lord's way, and it is now our way - the way of a seeming weakness that is actually the very power of God.

"The weakness of God is stronger than men."
(I Corinthians 1:25)

Sunday, December 18, 2011

"The Present of the Present" Part 2

" I see, Daddy. The present is a present."

In our current existence, we need tears as well as smiles, sorrows along with joys, and challenges no less than pleasures.

"Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I have kept Thy Word" (Psalm 119:167).

Thankfully, a day approaches for born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ wherein "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes" (Revelation 21:4). But this is not that day. Apart from Divinely determined, allowed and measured hardships, we would not at present be able to consistently trust and obey our Lord. Our flesh is far too prone to trust that the things of the world provide life, meaning and fulfillment. Pain, sorrow and loss reveal the deception of such deadly delusion, as in the valleys of life God lovingly reveals aspects of Himself no summit could ever provide. "Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, o Lord!" (Psalm 130:1).

Thus, the heartaching and heartbreaking moments of our current existence must be viewed as the gifts of God no less than the happy times our Heavenly Father loves to bestow upon us. Thankfully, He is not a sentimentalist who deviates from our best interests in order to placate our flesh. God always determines and allows that which most promotes our growth in the grace of the Lord Jesus, and our capacity to minister the same unto others. Of his challenges, the Apostle Paul declared to the Corinthians, "But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel" (Philippians 1:12). The same is true in our lives, and we must choose to embrace Paul's attitude of confidence that God's good purposes grace our sorrows no less than our joys.

This is hard truth. But it is truth, as even a cursory reading of both Old Testament and New reveals. As with the Psalmist, apart from afflictions, we will go astray. By them we keep the Word of God - if we understand and respond in faith to the truth the present moment, in all its forms and expressions, comes to us a a present, a gift from the God loving enough, wise enough and powerful enough to fit all things together for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Long ago, a child, my own dear child, served to illuminate this path that shines brightly in our times of light, and in our times of darkness...

"In Thy light shall we see light... the light shineth in darkness."
(Psalm 36:9; John 1:5)

Saturday, December 17, 2011

"His Delight... Our Delight" Addendum


A dear friend commented on yesterday's essay, making the cogent point that it is very easy to live as who we were before Christ, as opposed to who we now are in Christ. The following is a portion of my response.

"As mentioned today, who is Christ? This is question No. 1, and 99.9% of the issue. The little bit that remains, however, is also important. Who are we in Christ? Are we nothing more than sinners saved by grace, as many bumper stickers claim? Or are we saints, spiritually changed and enabled by grace, but still possessing fleshly members subject to the temptations of the world and the devil? How we consistently answer that question has great impact on how we walk out the truth. Knowing that we "live in the Spirit" (regardless of appearance that may indicate otherwise) goes far in enabling us to more consistently "walk in the Spirit" (Romans 8:9; Galatians 5:25).


I always liken this to the ugly duckling who had become a swan. He didn't act accordingly until He saw his reflection in the mirrored surface of the lake and realized the change that had taken place in him. This precisely reflects Paul's teaching in II Corinthians 3:18:


"Beholding as in a glass (Greek: "mirror") the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."


The more we see and affirm who Christ is, as well as who we are as spiritually united to Him, the more we will live as swans rather than ducklings. This is why I raised the issue of our true delight in this week's series. Christians must believe that deep within our hearts, our truest yearning is to love God, do His will, and be a blessing to others. This does not disregard the lust of our flesh, of course, but it does direct our focus to who we most deeply are. Thereby we find a greater enabling to overcome the lusts of the flesh through the power of the Holy Spirit. And thereby we live far more as who we are, rather than as who we were."


I frequently illustrate this truth from my personal experience with tailgaters. Throughout my lifetime, these folks have been a temptation to irritation at the very least, to road rage (!) at the very worst ("Hmm, I wonder how much it would cost to have a .50 caliber gun mounted on the trunk of my car?"). The Word of God and the Spirit of God, of course, counter such notions with the commands to "walk, even as He walked," to "love your enemies," to "bless them that curse you," and numerous other admonitions that call me to respond to tailgaters very differently than my natural inclinations so strongly suggest (I John 2:6; Matthew 5:44).


The problem in such times is that I don't usually "feel" the love of Christ for tailgaters, nor do my thoughts immediately flow in the direction of blessing rather than cursing. Often it seems that nothing exists within me but the aforementioned irritation, anger, and itchy trigger finger. But is this true? Am I nothing more than flesh? Is the Spirit of Christ in me dormant? Is the Holy Spirit not working in me "both to will and to do of His good pleasure?" (Philippians 2:13). These are not merely rhetorical questions. These are rather the crux of the matter as it relates to how I will relate to the person behind me following too closely. Will I believe the Word of God in the face of all contradictory evidence, including the emotional, mental and physical sensibility that seems to be all that exists within me?


Many years ago, I realized and applied the Biblical truth that the delight of my spirit, as united to the Spirit of Christ, is to love that tailgater whose face looms so close in my rearview mirror (Romans 7:22). Feelings, thoughts, and trigger finger notwithstanding, the person I am most deeply am in Christ is perpetually subject to the infusion of His delight in our Heavenly Father's will. Solely as a gift of the most magnanimous grace, He freely grants to me the blessing of being a "partaker of the Divine nature" (II Peter 1:4). The character and inclination of Christ resides in my redeemed "new man, created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24). His delight is my delight, including the desire to bestow grace rather than wrath upon the tailgater.


Accordingly, in times of temptation, an opportunity for faith presents itself. The contrary feelings and thoughts of my flesh give opportunity to believe in the Lord Jesus, that is, to believe that He is so present and active within me that I really do desire to love, forgive and pray for the tailgater rather than being swallowed up by anger and resentment. I reckon myself to "be alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:11). In essence, I believe the Word of God rather than the tempting influence of the world, the devil and the flesh.


This has led to the conviction that God allows tailgaters to come my way for the purpose of granting to me an altar of prayer for them (indeed, who else needs prayer more than tailgaters??!!). I cannot tell you the times of joy I have experienced when walking this path of faith in the knowledge of how present and dynamic is the Lord Jesus in our trusting spirits. I still quite often feel the feelings and sense the contrary thoughts and even physical sensations. But more and more, the conviction grows that even in traffic, our Savior is indeed a great and glorious Savior.


This is not a method or gimmick. It is rather Truth, truth that applies to every challenge in our lives. It is also opportunity to know the Lord Jesus in very personal and vibrant terms as we choose to believe that His grace impacts us far more dynamically than we often consider. Not only has He forgiven us. Not only has He promised us Heaven. Not only has He made God a Father to us, and birthed us into "the whole family in Heaven and earth" (Ephesians 3:15). As blessed as these gifts are, we must press on further, much further. Indeed, our Lord has changed the very essence of who we most deeply are. He has made His delight our delight. In the current consideration, He has made me a lover of tailgaters, not because of any attainment or dedication on my part, but because salvation in Christ brought "newness of life" to my heart (Romans 6:4). My calling, our calling, is to believe in "so great salvation," and then to be amazed as we witness our Lord working in us and walking in us to produce the same quality of life He lived. Or as the Apostle Paul humbly, but confidently declared...


"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)



Friday, December 16, 2011

"His Delight... Our Delight" Conclusion

From the moment of our new birth, our spiritual enemies seek to hinder awareness and application of the incredible work of grace accomplished in our innermost being by the indwelling Holy Spirit. In that holy place, we are not at all who we were before we believed, nor will we ever again become "the servant of sin" dominated by the world, the devil and the flesh. "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).

The New Testament confirms this truth in the Apostle Paul's indictment of the "carnal" Corinthians (I Corinthians 3:3). Mired in division, tolerance of immorality, disrespect of the Lord's supper, and childlike emphasis on gifts rather than the Giver, Paul nonetheless affirmed the miracle of grace accomplished in their born again hearts.

"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).

Carnal - but nevertheless "washed... sanctified... justified." The fleshly walk of the Corinthians did not change or affect the truth of who and what they most deeply were in Christ. Their walk, or lack thereof, gravely affected their shared lives and ministries, and would lead to God's loving chastening if not changed. Nevertheless, our brethren of old were who they were, as spiritually united to the Spirit of the Lord Jesus. They were "new creatures." They were "temples of God." And as born again believers, their inward delight was to glorify God and do His will. Sadly, however, their ignorance and unbelief led to a walk after the flesh which kept them from experiencing and expressing the wonder of who Christ was in them, and who they were in Christ.

As a free gift of grace, the Holy Spirit works in believers "both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). Such blessing results in genuine desire for godliness in our innermost being. "I delight in the law of God after the inward man" (Romans 7:22). If, however, we do not know and believe such truth to be true, we will fail to realize our delight, and we will fail to walk accordingly. "But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind" (Romans 7:23). Our spiritual enemies are well aware of this, and seek to discourage our confidence in the work God perpetually performs in our spirits, the work of God's delight being our delight. We must therefore arise to discover the New Testament's affirmation of our truest yearning and desire. We must believe in the face of all contrary evidence, emotion and notion that "with the mind, I myself serve the law of God." And we must expect countless challenges that are in fact opportunities to affirm with Paul, "I delight in the law of God after the inward man." Yes, in the wonder of our Savior's great salvation, purchased by so great a sacrifice, His delight is now our delight.

"Ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you."
(Romans 8:9)

Thursday, December 15, 2011

"His Delight... Our Delight" Part 4

In a generation steeped in narcissistic self emphasis, absorption and even exaltation, Christians must counter the darkness with the Bible's message of devotion to the glory and honor of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence" (Colossians 1:18).

"Christ only, Christ always" - this is the focus and devotion of the born again believer who seeks to direct attention to the Lord Jesus by both example of life, and word of testimony. Interestingly, however, the New Testament calls us to fulfill this determination not by a complete elimination or forgetting of ourselves, but rather by the correct understanding of who and what we are, as spiritually constituted in Christ. "Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:11).

Throughout the New Testament epistles, the writers call us to a proper perspective of both the spiritual and fleshly aspects of our God-created and redeemed humanity. We must know who we are both inwardly and outwardly if we are to successfully navigate the path of righteousness upon which our Heavenly Father calls us to walk in faith, obedience, and devotion to Him and others. The more we rightly know the Lord Jesus, the more we will rightly know ourselves. And the more we rightly know ourselves, the more we will be prepared for greater knowledge of our Savior.

The challenge is that our spiritual enemies are not beyond using even God's truth to distract us from seeking the preeminence of Christ. Our fleshly weakness regarding self-emphasis can easily set us up for deception even though we are rightly seeking the understanding of ourselves frequently addressed by the New Testament. Of this we must be constantly wary, remembering that our Heavenly Father is determined to exalt and emphasize the only One worthy of glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17).

The Apostle Paul taught that the "new man" of our innermost spiritual selves is "created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24). He is not created "as" these qualities of the Lord Jesus, but rather "in" them. Thus, the new person we most deeply are in Christ recognizes our righteousness to be solely the product of being united to our Savior, who "is made unto us righteousness" (I Corinthians 1:30). In our inward man, united to the Spirit of Christ, we also dwell in the "true holiness" of complete devotion to the exaltation of the Lord Jesus. Recognizing this determination to be the Holy Spirit-wrought yearning of our redeemed selfhood in Christ enables us to think about ourselves without exalting or overemphasizing ourselves.

Much of a godly life is lived with a mind toward God and others. In times of temptation and challenge, however, we ,must often consider both who the Lord Jesus is, and who we are in Him. Most importantly, we affirm that grace has made His delight for obedience to the Father our delight as well. We may not feel it, our thoughts may seem to counter, and our past experience has surely not always indicated the God-formed inner grace of "I delight in the law of God after the inward man" (Romans 7:22). We must believe nevertheless because too much was sacrificed in order to provide so much sacred within the mysterious spiritual depths of our Christ-inhabited hearts. As we do, we shall discover more and more that His delight is now our delight, and we shall more and more think, speak, act and relate accordingly.

"Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord."
(Ephesians 5:8)

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

"His Delight... Our Delight" Part 3



Every born again believer experiences the discomfiting reality of being truly committed to the good of God's will, while having conflicting thoughts, emotions and physical sensations present with us.
This was the Apostle Paul's experience. "When I would do good, evil is present with me" (Romans 7:21). This godly man, arguably the most important Christian who ever lived, did not achieve in his earthly lifetime the eradication of the law of sin in his earthly members and faculties. Paul did, however, come to the understanding that we must receive and embrace. He realized that we must expect contrary impulses and sensibilities to be present within us, even in times of our most ardent faithfulness to God. These thoughts, feelings and sensations are not in and of themselves sin, but they can lead to sin if we submit to them through unbelief and failure to "through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body" (Romans 8:13). As mentioned in previous considerations, godliness in our present lives does not involve the elimination of the law of sin in our flesh, but rather the overcoming of it by "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:2).
Knowing who the Lord Jesus is, and who we are as spiritually united to Him provides the dynamic means whereby we walk in the Spirit. We must believe in His powerful working within us "both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). And we must believe that such grace constitutes delight for the will of God as our truest yearning and desire. Indeed, it is not enough to simply believe the truth about Christ if we are to overcome temptation. We must also believe the Bible's clear declarations about our selves in Christ. We must believe that in our innermost Christ-inhabited being, His delight is our delight, notwithstanding contrary feeling, thought, or physical sensation. Throughout the pages of the New Testament epistles, this dual theme of properly understanding both ourselves and the Lord Jesus shines forth as necessary truth we must believe.
"Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:9-11).
Could not such a dual emphasis on the Lord Jesus and ourselves lead to an inordinate self emphasis, and even exaltation? The answer is yes, it certainly can. Our spiritual enemies are not above using even God's truth as a means to mislead and deceive us. We will address this matter in tomorrow's consideration of Christ's delight for His Father's will, and our delight for the same, imparted to us by our Lord's presence in the very heart of who we most deeply are.
"I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
(Galatians 2:20)

"His Delight... Our Delight" Part 3


Every born again believer experiences the discomfiting reality of being truly committed to the good of God's will, while having conflicting thoughts, emotions and physical sensations present with us.

This was the Apostle Paul's experience. "When I would do good, evil is present with me" (Romans 7:21). This godly man, arguably the most important Christian who ever lived, did not achieve in his earthly lifetime the eradication of the law of sin in his earthly members and faculties. Paul did, however, come to the understanding that we must receive and embrace. He realized that we must expect contrary impulses and sensibilities to be present within us, even in times of our most ardent faithfulness to God. These thoughts, feelings and sensations are not in and of themselves sin, but they can lead to sin if we submit to them through unbelief and failure to "through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body" (Romans 8:13). As mentioned in previous considerations, godliness in our present lives does not involve the elimination of the law of sin in our flesh, but rather the overcoming of it by "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:2).

Knowing who the Lord Jesus is, and who we are as spiritually united to Him provides the dynamic means whereby we walk in the Spirit. We must believe in His powerful working within us "both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). And we must believe that such grace constitutes delight for the will of God as our truest yearning and desire. Indeed, it is not enough to simply believe the truth about Christ if we are to overcome temptation. We must also believe the Bible's clear declarations about our selves in Christ. We must believe that in our innermost Christ-inhabited being, His delight is our delight, notwithstanding contrary feeling, thought, or physical sensation. Throughout the pages of the New Testament epistles, this dual theme of properly understanding both ourselves and the Lord Jesus shines forth as necessary truth we must believe.

"Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:9-11).

Could not such a dual emphasis on the Lord Jesus and ourselves lead to an inordinate self emphasis, and even exaltation? The answer is yes, it certainly can. Our spiritual enemies are not above using even God's truth as a means to mislead and deceive us. We will address this matter in tomorrow's consideration of Christ's delight for His Father's will, and our delight for the same, imparted to us by our Lord's presence in the very heart of who we most deeply are.

"I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
(Galatians 2:20)

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

"His Delight... Our Delight" Part 2

(A bit longer than usual, but an important consideration, I think. Thanks for your patience. Glen)

Flight - whether in bees, birds, airplanes or rockets - requires the temporary overcoming or transcending of the law of gravity by properly applied laws of aerodynamics. A similar principle applies to our present condition and experience regarding our walk of faithfulness with God.

"The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2).

In His perfect wisdom, God allowed the "law of sin and death" to remain in our earthly members when we believed (Romans 7:22). Our new birth in Christ did not glorify or translate us to Heaven, but rather left us upon the earth, albeit with a new heart and a new Spirit, the Holy Spirit, dwelling in the innermost temple of our being. "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" birthed a "new man, created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24). United to the Spirit of Christ, this spiritual essence constitutes the person we most deeply are, to the degree that the Apostle Paul refers to this "new creature" as "I myself" (II Corinthians 5:17; Romans 7:25). Nevertheless, the law of sin remains in our yet to be glorified earthly humanity inherited from Adam, and it must be overcome if we are to walk in consistent godliness.

In essence, we must be who we are, as opposed to who we were. Believers "live in the Spirit." We must accordingly "walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25). As Paul testified in the passage above, the Holy Spirit has liberated us to transcend the law of sin in our members, that is, to overcome temptation in the countless forms we face in our daily lives. However, just as a healthy bird or a powerful plane can remain on the ground, so can the believer fail to access "the power of His might" regarding the eagle flight of godliness promised by the Word of God (Ephesians 6:10; Isaiah 40:31). We can think, speak, act and relate as if God were not who He is, and as if we are not who we are in Him. Or, we can remain tragically and unnecessarily grounded.

How do we make sure this spiritual horror does not occur? The matter primarily involves knowledge and faith. First, we must know such blessed truth to be true. We must realize that in Christ, we are a superenergized vehicle or being of flight. As referenced in Part 1 of this consideration, the indwelling Holy Spirit imparts His delight as our delight in the depths of our spiritual selfhood. "I delight in the law of God after the inward man" (Romans 7:22). Throughout the New Testament, this gift of grace is affirmed, either directly or by implication. Paul even declared to Philemon that such truth is the very basis by which the Christian life is lived. "I thank my God, making mention of thee in my prayers... that the communication (shared participation) of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus" (Philemon 1:4; 6).

Upon this basis of Biblical knowledge, we then must respond in faith. We must believe. We must account that we are "alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:11). I liken this to building an altar within our hearts whereupon we sacrifice our natural understanding and inclination in order to install the truth of Scripture as our guiding light. Just as we believed both the truth about the Lord Jesus and the truth about our lost, condemned selves in order to be born again, we now believe the truth about the Lord Jesus and our redeemed, resurrected selves in order to "walk, even as He walked" (I John 2:6). Or, in context of our current consideration, we believe in order to fly! "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17).

A final - and solemn - point. We do God nor ourselves no favors by a false humility that focuses only on the weakness of our flesh, and the too many times we have unnecessarily allowed the law of sin to control us. Certainly we acknowledge the presence and possibility of sin in our earthly faculties. And we honestly and humbly confess our sins if they occur. However, even a cursory reading of the New Testament epistles plainly reveals our privilege and responsibility to affirm the truth of our Christ-constituted and empowered spiritual selves. Our blessed Savior was tortured to death and forsaken by God and man not only to forgive our sins and assure us of Heaven, but also to change the very heart of who we are. This He has done if we have received His free gift of salvation, and this we must consistently and increasingly believe in order to requite so great a sacrifice, made possible by so great a salvation and so great a Savior.

"He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."
(II Corinthians 5:21)

Monday, December 12, 2011

"His Delight... Our Delight"


Resident within born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are two sets of conflicting desires.

"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. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin" (Romans 7:22-25).

The Apostle Paul affirms the presence of "delight" for faithful obedience in his innermost being - "with the mind, I myself serve the law of God." The Holy Spirit produces this intense desire in believers by "working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). Conversely, Paul confessed that a "law of sin" remained in his flesh (our members and faculties inherited from Adam). This law, left to itself, will always stimulate inward and outward expressions of unbelief and disobedience. "The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other" (Galatians 5:17).

These conflicting motivations will remain with us throughout our earthly lifetime. No less than Paul declared, "When I would do good, evil is present with me" (Romans 7:21). Genuine spirituality in Christ at present therefore does not involve the elimination of the law of sin in us, but rather the overcoming of it. "If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live" (Romans 8:13). Thus, the Christian life demands that we recognize the conflict, and that notwithstanding the lusts of the flesh, our deepest yearning, indeed, our very "delight," is to do the will of God. Again, "I delight in the law of God after the inward man."

Application of this truth requires much faith and confidence in the Word of God. How easy it is, as Paul wrote, to "see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind." Recognizing our Christ-wrought desire to trust and obey God, however, requires the ongoing determination to believe our Lord in the face of contrary evidence, emotion, and the devil's ongoing efforts to hinder the truth of our deepest delight (Romans 8:2). Regardless of past experience, present appearance, and uncertain prospects of the future, born again believers must affirm the truth of God's faithful working in us "both to will and to do," along with Scripture's declaration of our delight in faithfulness.

Boil a Christian down to his or her essence, and you will find the Spirit of the Lord Jesus vitally united to the spirit of His trusting one, infusing and installing His delight in the Father's will as our delight. "He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit" (I Corinthians 6:17). This we must believe and consistently affirm in order to overcome the conflicting desires in our flesh. The grace of God birthed within us this "new man, created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24). Indeed, the Lord Jesus died not only to grant forgiveness of sins, but to change the very heart of who we most deeply are. This He did when we believed, and now He calls us to trust in the face of all conflicting evidence that His Word is true, and His working in us both to will and to do is dynamically actual in our "I myself." May we believe, and thus realize in practical expression the truth of His delight - and our delight.

"Ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh."
(Romans 8:9-12)

"His Delight... Our Delight"

Resident within born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are two sets of conflicting desires.
"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. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin" (Romans 7:22-25).


The Apostle Paul affirms the presence of "delight" for faithful obedience in his innermost being - "with the mind, I myself serve the law of God." The Holy Spirit produces this intense desire in believers by "working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). Conversely, Paul confessed that a "law of sin" remained in his flesh (our members and faculties inherited from Adam). This law, left to itself, will always stimulate inward and outward expressions of unbelief and disobedience. "The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other" (Galatians 5:17).

These conflicting motivations will remain with us throughout our earthly lifetime. No less than Paul declared, "When I would do good, evil is present with me" (Romans 7:21). Genuine spirituality in Christ at present therefore does not involve the elimination of the law of sin in us, but rather the overcoming of it. "If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live" (Romans 8:13). Thus, the Christian life demands that we recognize the conflict, and that notwithstanding the lusts of the flesh, our deepest yearning, indeed, our very "delight," is to do the will of God. Again, "I delight in the law of God after the inward man."

Application of this truth requires much faith and confidence in the Word of God. How easy it is, as Paul wrote, to "see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind." Recognizing our Christ-wrought desire to trust and obey God, however, requires the ongoing determination to believe our Lord in the face of contrary evidence, emotion, and the devil's ongoing efforts to hinder the truth of our deepest delight (Romans 8:2). Regardless of past experience, present appearance, and uncertain prospects of the future, born again believers must affirm the truth of God's faithful working in us "both to will and to do," along with Scripture's declaration of our delight in faithfulness.

Boil a Christian down to his or her essence, and you will find the Spirit of the Lord Jesus vitally united to the spirit of His trusting one, infusing and installing His delight in the Father's will as our delight. "He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit" (I Corinthians 6:17). This we must believe and consistently affirm in order to overcome the conflicting desires in our flesh. The grace of God birthed within us this "new man, created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24). Indeed, the Lord Jesus died not only to grant forgiveness of sins, but to change the very heart of who we most deeply are. This He did when we believed, and now He calls us to trust in the face of all conflicting evidence that His Word is true, and His working in us both to will and to do is dynamically actual in our "I myself." May we believe, and thus realize in practical expression the truth of His delight - and our delight.

"Ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh."
(Romans 8:9-12)

Friday, December 9, 2011

"Influence"


Throughout my childhood, I believed in the Lord Jesus Christ - but not in the sense of "believing" as the Bible commands.

My lightly held conviction involved an emotional and somewhat mental affinity for the person of Christ and the story of His life, death and resurrection. I rarely attended church as a child, and much of my spiritual awareness revolved around briefly heard sermons on television, movies that depicted the Savior (usually shown during the Christmas season), and bits and pieces from other sources, including an occasional reading of the Bible (mainly the red print of the Lord's words, which I felt must surely be more important than other portions of Scripture).

All this led to a "faith" that had little real influence in my life. Herein lies the issue of genuine Biblical trust, as opposed to the fool's gold of false and inadequate believing. True faith, as fostered in us by exposure to the living and written Word of God, brings life-changing influence in all who "know the grace of God in truth" (Colossians 1:6). Such consequence establishes the glory, supremacy and centrality of the Lord Jesus as the great issue of our existence. "He is thy life" (Deuteronomy 30:20). Our experience and outworking of this foundation is far from perfect, of course, and we often find ourselves seemingly asleep at the wheel regarding the great fact of life as known in Christ. However, the true believer finds that he can never venture far from the hub of his heart because the influence of the Holy Spirit results in contentment - or the lack thereof - always flowing from our response to the Savior in whom we now live, and who lives in us.

If we could quantify or measure genuine happiness, the most joyful person in the world at this moment would be the believer most enveloped in the wonder and significance of the Lord Jesus in all things. Situation, circumstance or condition would not be the issue. If we could likewise find the most miserable person in the world at this moment, it would again be a believer, a truly born again Christian who has forgotten or disbelieved the great and Christ-saturated fact of his life. Again, situation, circumstance or condition would not be the issue. "To live is Christ" declared the Apostle Paul (Philippians 1:21). The influence of the Lord Jesus cannot be escaped by those who genuinely trust Him, either in blessing or in chastening. This is the great and telltale mark of true grace as received by true faith. The Holy Spirit who indwells us is Christ-centered and Christ-motivated (John 15:26; 16:14). He will ensure that our lives forever ebb and flow to the degree we join Him in such determination.

"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)