Passing the Baton

“Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.” Colossians 3:20-21

The most critical part of a relay race is the exchange, the passing of the baton from one runner to another. Cultivating and maintaining the right atmosphere for exchanging biblical faith and virtues is a constant challenge. Here are some helps:

Don’t force your faith. No one can hand a baton off to a clenched fist. The Christian faith is not coercive. We share what the Bible says, provide a proper example, and then trust God to personalize His truth to our children.

Be real. Let your children see your weaknesses, your failures, your scars. Do not hide behind a veil of pride. Christians make mistakes - including you. Admission of wrong, confession and repentance on your behalf give your children an authentic portrait of Christianity - our sin and God’s lovingkindness.

Bend a little. Strict, inflexible rules tend to produce rebellious kids. Do not abuse your position of authority. Set guidelines that give your children room to maneuver without compromising your convictions.

Wait on God. Your children may not actually embrace your faith until adulthood. Keep praying and sharing your faith even when your nest is empty.

“Spare the rod and spoil the child - that is true. But...keep an apple to give him when he has done well.” -Martin Luther

Raise the Children Right

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:1-4

A Mennonite farmer explained his simple philosophy for influencing his world to an inquisitive television crew: “I concentrate on raising my children right. If I teach them correctly, I will have touched many lives for generations to come.”

Parents who have learned from their folks teach their own offspring. The Christian life is handed down in its most intact form in the home. Teaching our children about God begins with running our own race strongly. Children can spot hypocrites in a flash. It is foolhardy to think of influencing our children for Christ’s sake when we fail to live for Christ.

You set the pace in your personal walk with Jesus. Spend time with Him in prayer and Bible study. Gain the substance of a meaningful faith your children can see. In addition, focus on controlling your reactions to your children’s behavior, something you cannot always govern. Excessive screaming, overreaction to problems, and other inappropriate responses diminish your effectiveness as a parent. You can raise your children right and impact future generations by first watching yourself closely. It will not work any other way.

“A child is a person who is going to carry on what you have started.” -Abraham Lincoln

The Joy in Marriage

“Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” Ephesians 5:22-31

A major contributor to the failure of marriages, even Christian marriages, is the extension of a self-centered lifestyle. Through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, we become accustomed to meeting our needs, fulfilling our career goals, satisfying our desires. Marriage does not automatically change our individualistic bent. We expect our mates to continue meeting our demands and are disappointed when they cannot deliver.

We can be freed from such expectations when we realize that only God can meet all our needs. Frustration is inevitable if we expect our mates to satisfy our every longing. Husbands and wives are finite creatures with limited emotional, spiritual, and physical resources. But God is infinite, able to touch our lives at every point.

When husband and wife both seek supremacy, everyone loses. When they build up each other, everyone wins. Each works and prays for the welfare of the other, creating a rich spiritual soil for a beautiful relationship. Look to God first to meet your deepest needs. Secure in Him, launch out to encourage your spouse. You will sow the seeds of marital bliss.

“Love is patient...bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:4, 7

The Key to Harmony in the Home

“And be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.” Ephesians 5:21

Harmony blends separate segments of music (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) into a pleasant sounding arrangement, each part complimenting the other. God constructed the home in a similar fashion. Each member has a distinctive, God-given function that enhances the family unit.

Dad and mom, son and daughter, husband and wife, are called by God to submit to the rule of the Holy Spirit. Only God’s Spirit can eliminate the divisiveness and discord accompanying a self-guided lifestyle. When each family member is obedient Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit is evident. Members seek God’s will above their own.

Submission to one another is likewise essential. The mother voluntarily submits to the husband who is committed to sacrificially serve her needs. Children listen to parents who understand their individual temperaments and abilities and discipline accordingly.

Is there harmony or strife in your home? Come together, pray, ask the Holy Spirit to take charge, and then concentrate on fulfilling your unique spiritual role. There will be a new song in your house.

“And He went down with them...and He continued in subjection to them...” Luke 2:51

Walking in the Spirit

“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.” Ephesians 5:15-21
                   
The apostle Paul rebuked the Galatians in his epistle for their misguided reliance on self-effort and lack of dependence on the Holy Spirit. Amazed at their inconsistency, he wrote: “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3)

The Christian life that is begun by the Spirit’s conviction of sin and regeneration is continued by His constant influence and instruction. The command to “be filled with the Spirit” is literally rendered, “be ye always being filled with the Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit Who resides within us is the sole repository of spiritual life. He imparts the very life of Christ, making us partakers of Christ’s divine nature. We cannot duplicate the Christian life; we can only receive it. Studying God’s Word, praying, or any scriptural exercises are but opportunities to yield to the power of the Holy Spirit.

Are you, like the Galatians, trying to please God through self-effort by doing this thing or not doing that thing? It will never work. Confess your dependence on His ministry, and He will work in all things. Only then will the Christian life function as He designed.

“...‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.” Zechariah 4:6

Walking in the Light

“For you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, ‘Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’” Ephesians 5:8-14

It is amazing to me to go to different countries in the world and notice the darkness in which people live. Countries that have had a Christian background, where once Christ was preached, and churches flourished - now in spiritual darkness and its people bound in spiritual poverty.

Disciples of Christ, however, “walk as children of Light” (Eph. 5:8). Christ, the “Light of life” (John 8:12), indwells them, revealing His character and ways. Rightly related to God, Christians are “sons of Light” (John 12:36) who can know and understand what He requires. We do not have to grope for God. The Holy Spirit teaches us what is right and just in God’s eyes, illumines our paths, and helps us to obey at every turn.

Believers are rescued from spiritual death and blindness. They are set free from darkness, from stumbling, from error, from spiritual ignorance, and given the truth. Thank God for lighting up your life. Ask Him to shine through you so others may be released from their chains of spiritual darkness.

“I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.” John 12:46

Submit Without Fear

“Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:20-21

Why does the notion of surrender to Christ frighten us? While we had little difficulty understanding our desperate strait regarding salvation, we are often reluctant to accept Christ’s complete control of our lives. Our hesitance is frequently due to a misunderstanding of His character.

God does not deal with us as our sins deserve. His forgiveness and salvation bring us into an eternal, inseparable relationship with Him. He is our gracious, kind, compassionate, gentle, loving Father. We are His beloved children who He purchased through the ultimate sacrifice - Jesus’ death at Golgotha.

Why shouldn’t we give ourselves completely to such a Person? Why shouldn’t we cheerfully comply with His every wish, gleeful that we belong to the benevolent Master? We also withhold certain areas of our lives - finances, relationships, habits - because we misunderstand His plan for us. What He requires should not alarm us but thrill us.

He seeks to conform us to Christ’s image, to make us more Christlike in every way. You can joyfully surrender to Christ for He is good and great, and His plan for you is beyond your wildest dreams. Yield to Him now and continue with a submissive spirit each day. A surrendered life is a victorious one.

“The best measure of spiritual life is not ecstasies but obedience.” -Oswald Chambers

Unconditional Surrender

“Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” Romans 6:11-18

Plea bargaining is a common procedure in the American courtroom. It is a device that allows defendants to negotiate both the gravity of the offense and the accompanying sentence. While such a tactic is permissible in the halls of justice, it is strictly prohibited and completely ineffective in our dealings with God. We always come to God on His non-negotiable terms.

There is only one way to be saved - by personal faith in Jesus Christ Who bore the guilt and penalty of our sins at Calvary. That is why Jesus said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). Once we know Christ, we not only have a Savior but a risen, ascended, and sovereign Lord Who asks for complete submission of body, mind, soul, and spirit.

It is futile to argue, dispute, or rebel. Rationalization and disobedience only lead to frustration and disappointment. Christ uses the man and woman who are fully surrendered to His Lordship, who acknowledge His ownership and rule of heaven and earth.

If you are a Christian, you cannot plea bargain with your Savior and Lord. You are called to yield to His loving reign at every point, in every way, every day. Are you unconditionally surrendered to Jesus Christ? Freely submit and expect to be freely used by Him.

“If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land.” Isaiah 1:19

Choose Today, Choose to Obey

“‘Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’

The people answered and said, ‘Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; for the Lord our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did these great signs in our sight and preserved us through all the way in which we went and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed. The Lord drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. We also will serve the Lord, for He is our God.’

Then Joshua said to the people, ‘You will not be able to serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done good to you.’ The people said to Joshua, ‘No, but we will serve the Lord.’” Joshua 24:14-21

There is no way to lose by obeying God. Likewise, there is no way to win in disobeying Him. When God tells you to do something, it is wise to do it based on who is doing the talking. Joshua never forgot the day the nation of Israel crossed the Jordan River. They were walking in obedience to God. Until he died, he held the memory of that moment deep within his heart, and it became a guidepost for future generations.

Obedience always brings freedom. It frees us to worship and praise God without the entanglement of guilt or frustration. It frees us to grow spiritually while teaching us to view life from God’s perspective and not our own.

Perhaps you have a difficult decision to make - one that could change your life forever. Everything within you says to trust God and obey Him. The one thing you can count on is the same thing that fed the faith and courage of Joshua. God never fails, and He will never leave you.

Tell the Lord that you will follow Him in obedience today. Ask Him to make His will very clear to you. He may choose to speak through a friend, a passage of Scripture, or directly to your heart. When you answer His call in obedience, He always responds with a blessing.

“Anything that falls out of the line of obedience is a waste of time and strength.” -S.D. Gordon

Courage to Obey

“Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, ‘Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.’” Joshua 1:1-7

Have you ever been so overcome with fear that you abandoned God’s plan and settled for a lesser and, humanly speaking, safer solution? Israel did. The first time they approached the Promised Land, all they saw was the enemy in waiting.

God had given the land to them, but their faith waned at the sight of the people living within the city walls. Their focus blurred at the thoughts of battle, and their strength failed because they looked at their circumstances more than God’s ability. Fear scored a mighty victory at Kadesh-barnea. However, forty years later life was different for Israel. The people had come to a place of obedient trust in God. Yet little had changed in Canaan - the enemies were just as strong, the walls just as fortified, and the land just as vast.

The change was within the hearts of God’s people. They were no longer controlled by fear and disbelief. Instead, the new generation of Israelites were controlled by faith in God. They had been trained by wilderness trials and strengthened by delays. The courage to obey God had taken hold, and Canaan was no match for God’s people. When we trust God entirely, obedience is always the natural progression.

“It is not the part of faith to question, but to obey.” - A.B. Simpson

Lessons Learned From a Rebel

“The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.’ But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. The Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up.” Jonah 1:1-4

“And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.” Jonah 1:17

“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.’ So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk.” Jonah 3:1-3

God instructed Jonah to go east to Nineveh. Instead, he headed west to Tarshish and into the pathway of rebellion. He knew if he preached God’s message, the Ninevites would turn from their wickedness and follow God. These were Israel’s dire enemies, and Jonah could not bear the thought of their repentance. So he refused and in his rebellion found he was the one separated from God.

Disobedience does not cancel God’s commands. Our lack of obedience does not alter His plan. There is no such thing as “getting off the hook” with God.

We can’t escape the presence of God. Even in the belly of a giant fish, God was there to convict Jonah of his sin.

Resistance to God’s will brings suffering to others. Rebellion has a ripple effect and erodes relationships with God and others. It steals our joy, divides our minds, and causes guilt.

Many times we are given a second chance. Jonah was, but that is not always the case. God wants us to respond to His will by faith and obedience. God always accomplishes His will. Nothing we do or say alters His plan. There is only one way to answer the call of God and that is with, “Yes, Lord.” Anything else results in disobedience.

“...where can I flee from Your presence?” Psalm 139:7

The Secret of Submission

“Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” 1 Peter 5:1-10

The apostle Peter had a streak of rebellion that lay hidden until Jesus announced His impending death. Then it surfaced in prideful array (Matt. 16:23). Peter did not understand God’s plan nor did he respond to Christ’s words in faith. All he thought of was the ensuing political unrest facing the Jews. His entire life was apprehended by the thought of the Messiah sitting on the throne of David instead of personal fellowship he shared with Jesus.

Had the Lord not rebuked Peter’s actions, the other disciples may have begun nursing a rebellious attitude as well. But in obedience, Peter yielded himself to Christ, and thus begun a deeper journey into a loving relationship with his Lord. God’s way is not the way of rebellion, but the way of obedience. It is not the way of pride, but of humility. Years later and long after the death of Christ, Peter writes: “humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time” (1 Pet. 5:6).

The secret to submission is not fighting back in rebellion but in drawing close to Jesus. The way of the cross is not the way of rebellion, but of humble submission. Will you submit all that you are to Him today?

“Personal contact with Jesus alters everything.” -Oswald Chambers

The High Cost of Rebellion

Then Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the words of the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” 1 Samuel 15:1-3

So Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is east of Egypt. He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed. 1 Samuel 15:7-9

Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
He has also rejected you from being king.
1 Samuel 15:22-23

Partial obedience is not obedience. It is rebellion that turns aside to selfish desires while ignoring the wishes of those in authority over us. At first glance rebellion may appear insignificant, but don’t be fooled. The roots of rebellion grow quickly and run deep.

God directed Saul to destroy the Amalikites. However, when the dust on the battlefield settled, Saul and his army had spared the Amalekite king and the best of his flocks. With disobedience now standing between him and God, Saul tried in vain to explain his actions. He claimed he saved the best of the spoil as a sacrifice to God, but the true intent of Saul’s heart was selfish gain. This one act of rebellion cost him the throne. Years later, it cost Israel the lives of some of its strongest fighting men.

Ultimately all rebellion circumvents God’s control even though its aim is usually directed at human authority. It quenches our fellowship with God and derails His blessings. You may think your rebellion is justifiable, but God never blesses anything that contradicts His will. Rebellion is always at enmity with God.

Ask Him to surface any hidden rebellion within your heart. When we come to Him in repentance, He always responds in love and grace.

Whenever we pursue what God forbids, we are rebelling.

Don’t Open the Door

“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say. Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread. Look at the nation Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar? What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we?” 1 Corinthians 10:14-22

The believer is firmly if reluctantly engaged in spiritual warfare with Satan and his demons. Although you are no longer under the devil’s mastery, you are not immune to his plots and schemes. The battle is not one of possession, for you belong to Christ alone, but for control. It is not one of destiny, for your future with Christ in heaven is secure, but for daily victory.

What the adversary seeks is an opening he can build a spiritual stronghold from and influence your thoughts and actions for evil. You can be giving demonic forces unnecessary inroads into your life by participating in questionable activities - watching movies overloaded with sensuality or horror, reading materials laced with raucous references to a carnal lifestyle, listening to music with lyrics promoting lewdness and rebellion.

This is not an attempt to be legalistic. Anything that usurps Christ’s role as Lord in your life, competing for your devotion and time, can likewise be fodder for demonic activity. The important issue is to examine your life, asking God to reveal any area of thought or deed that could give Satan and his powers opportunity for a damaging influence.

“For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe...On earth is not his equal.” -Martin Luther

When Facing Temptation

“Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play.’ Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:6-13

At times, doesn’t it seem so easy to do wrong and so hard to do right? Temptation lures us and we rush to enjoy its enticing pleasure. Satan’s snares are attractively adorned and seem so appealing. Yet God says He will deliver us from evil, keep us from succumbing to temptation, and guard us from capitulating to our lusts.

That seems easier said than done at first glance; but if we hold strong to this truth, we can defuse much of the tempter’s weaponry. We have been crucified with Christ; we can reckon ourselves dead to sin and obey God despite strong emotions to do otherwise. That is not just theology. It is supernatural truth that will bring victory over temptation. At the cross, your old man controlled by sin was crucified. When you received Christ, you became a new man, a new creation in Christ.

Although you still have the inclination to sin, you are not under its power. Its hold has been broke, and Christ is now Lord of your life. By faith, you can count yourself dead to sin and temptation and reckon on God’s power to keep you. Ignore feelings. Refute lies. Reject false reasoning. You are a new person in Christ, and you can act like it by daily yielding yourself to the Savior. Hang on to this truth. God will keep you.

“...but with the temptation [God] will provide the way of escape...” 1 Cor. 10:13

The Wonder of Salvation

“For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:19-27

Christians use the word salvation so often and so casually that they fail to grasp its radical power and meaning. Nothing compares to the wonder of salvation. It is the single most significant event in the life of a person.

When you were saved, you were delivered from the dominion of death and given eternal life. Before salvation, man and God are separated, severed by sin and destined for an eternity of lostness and alienation. But a man saved from sin is made alive with the life of God. Death is conquered and the gift of eternal life bequeathed.

When you were saved, you were delivered from the dominion of Satan to the dominion of God. The unsaved person is held captive by Satan. It can be a pleasant captivity on earth, enjoying the lot of material prosperity; but death reveals the mastery of Satan. Christ is the divine deliverer.

When you were saved, you were delivered from meaninglessness to meaning. Life has purpose. You do all for Christ’s glory and Christ brings His wisdom, counsel, and power to bear in your daily duties and decisions. Both good and evil work to make you like Jesus.

Ponder the greatness of your salvation, and you will seldom neglect the opportunity to share Christ.

“...by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” Hebrews 2:9

Looking at the Ministry

“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.” 1 Corinthians 9:16-18

Evangelism tends to be looked upon as a church-sponsored activity channeled through the appropriate departments. Certainly the church is responsible to lead and teach individuals to effectively share their faith. But instruction on this level is not usually enduring unless the catalyst is the inner transformation of the believer.

Paul was “under compulsion” to preach the gospel (1 Cor. 9:16). True, he was called as an apostle; but it is also true we are called as disciples of Christ. Our eagerness to share His life with others should be just as intense as that of the apostles. Is there a sense of compelling in your life to make Christ known to others? Do you have an inner drive to proclaim Christ through word and deed, motivated by devotion to Jesus Christ?

This is the biblical pattern for evangelism - people who love Jesus Christ and willingly share that love in relevant ways. It may not always be by quoting Scripture or handing out a tract, but by loving deeds (mowing a yard, babysitting a child, cooking a meal) that demonstrate God’s concern. If fear quenches the fire within, just take one small step to release God’s love to someone. God will show you the way.

“Preach the gospel. Use words when necessary.” -St. Augustine

The Limits of Our Liberty

“Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.” 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

The Mississippi River begins as a tiny trickle of fresh water in northern Minnesota and sweeps down through the American plains as one of the largest rivers on earth. Running 2,470 miles to the Gulf of Mexico, it surges with industry, supplies drinking water to many communities, and serves as the watershed for middle America. Its powerful currents are constrained by an elongated levee system that keeps the river within its banks, making it a productive channel of commerce. If the river had no banks, it would be useless.

The fruitful Christian is likewise one whose life knows certain restraints. Although we are freed from the enslaving power of sin and death, we live within certain God-given limits. Our limits are placed by God to deepen our spiritual life, not to suppress it. Biblical injunctions or circumstances that hem us in are placed there by God to cut deep channels for the life-giving flow of the Holy Spirit.

Don’t look at the commands of Scriptures in a confining context but as spiritual levees God can use to make your life productive. The commands of Scripture are not negotiable. Don’t fight them but accept them as God’s wise boundaries that keep you out of harm’s way and make you a conduit of blessing to others.

“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you...” Colossians 3:16

Marriage and Divorce

“But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife.” 1 Corinthians 7:8-11

In gospel of Mark, we find the Pharisees confronting Jesus over the issue of divorce. Even before He answered their question, He knew it was a trap. Roman rule gave full support of divorce as did the Jewish leaders.

While divorce was common, it was also controversial. No matter how Jesus answered, someone would be displeased. After a short exchange with temple officials, Christ went straight to the crux of the issue: “Because of your hardness of heart [Moses] wrote you this commandment [or allowed you to divorce]. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female....What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate” (Mark 10:5-9).

The issue was not a certificate of divorce; it was the heart of mankind. God never wants us to face the hurt and loneliness of divorce. His perfect plan is for us to experience unhindered purity in love for one another. But our self-centered passions often win out, and God’s design for marriage is altered.

Only Jesus can heal the wounds of divorce. Only God can restore the innocent love we once knew. Won’t you bring your brokenness to Him? He heals the broken-hearted.

“It is not love that sustains marriage, but marriage that sustains love.” -Larry Christenson

The News that Shook the World

“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee.” Luke 24:1-6

He has risen!

Blessed be the name of the LORD! Rejoice - because He has risen, you are forgiven, free, full of life, and have a future. Thank You, Jesus!

Undistracted Devotion

“But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away.

But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 7:29-35

What is the greatest competition to your devotion to Jesus Christ? Is it a job, a hobby, another person, or a personal desire? Paul writes that we are to “secure undistracted devotion to the Lord” (1 Cor. 7:35). This means Jesus Christ is to be at the heart of all we do and say. He is our very reason for life.

King David longed to build the first temple; but the Lord chose Solomon, David’s son, for the task. Disappointment did not distract David. Neither did David allow personal desires to damage his relationship with God. His entire life was caught up in undistracted devotion.

The Bible says: “Then David the king went in and sat before the Lord.” In awe and wonder David prayed: “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?” (2 Sam. 7:18). Undistracted devotion means literally to “sit beside God.”

When we talk of devotion to Jesus, we are not talking about a habit or something that makes us feel good on Sundays. We are talking about a growing, intimate love relationship that has one purpose - fellowship with a holy God. It is a way of life, and it is the only way for us to live.

“He is no fool who is willing to lose what he cannot hold in order to gain what he cannot lose.” -Jim Elliot

Marriage vs. Singleness

“But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 7:32-35

Some believe the most valued state is that of marriage. Others say the apostle Paul would have declared singleness to be superior. Both views are wrong. These viewpoints are primarily derived from cultural persuasion.

The most valued position in life is that which God has called you to fill. This may include marriage or it may include a life of singleness. In God’s eyes both are equal, highly valued, and have advantages.

For the married person, intimacy with one’s mate is of utmost importance. Together a couple’s devotion is first toward God and then to one another. On the other hand, singleness provides an opportunity to experience undistracted intimacy with Jesus Christ.

Sadly many people become obsessed with what looks right in the eyes of others and often abandon God’s best for their lives. Singles find themselves thinking their needs would be better met by a mate, while many married people view their mates and children as spiritual drains.

If you are married, rejoice in the intimacy God has provided - there is little to equal it. If you are single, ask God to give you a reassurance of His intimate love toward you. The time you spend as a single before God is a calling of endearment and deep abiding trust.

“Dare to trust Him; dare to follow Him!” -F.B. Meyer

The Importance of Sexual Purity

“Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. But this I say by way of concession, not of command. Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that. But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” 1 Corinthians 7:1-9

The writing of First Corinthians was a painful process for the apostle Paul. Never before had he been called by God to pen such a heavy handed letter. But then the problems in Corinth were nothing to wink at.

A question had been raised concerning marriage and singleness. The real issue, however, was sexual purity. The Corinthians complained they had needs - needs that were once met by temple prostitutes and homosexual encounters. Now that they were Christians, they were burned with desires they found hard to control.

Somehow this story line has a familiar twenty-first century feel to it. There is never a time when impurity is acceptable before God. If you are married, your passion must be turned toward your mate. If you are single, God calls you to live a life of celibacy.

When we allow Satan to darken our view, purity is no longer the norm. Yet in God’s eyes it remains the most honored of all states. Before you yield to sexual temptation, consider the costs - broken marriages, shattered hopes, damaged lives, and greater still, altered fellowship with God.

If temptation is begging for your attention, turn away and run to Jesus. He understands your deepest needs and promises to provide for your every care.

“For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:20

Sex and the Saint

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, ‘The two shall become one flesh.’ But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Rationalization is a deadly deception. The Corinthians, like many of us, tried to justify their sin by claiming to belong to a cosmopolitan society brimming with opportunity and social growth. The problem in Corinth was two fold - ignorance and immorality. Their ignorance of Christ’s teaching led to a deep seated lasciviousness that was viewed as routine and expected. But God called the Corinthian believers to live a new life of holy devotion to Him.

Yet many rationalized their sin by claiming to have physical needs they could not control. They treated sexual desire as being an appetite to be satisfied instead of a gift from God. Paul admonished them to “not be mastered by anything” (1 Cor. 6:12). He knew the most entrapping of all sin was that of sexual temptation.

Because their lives were now seated in Christ, Paul called them God’s living temples. Most understood the need to keep the temple undefiled. However, they had never considered themselves as God’s personal dwelling place.

The testimony of our lives can either mock or glorify Christ. Once the Corinthians realized the depth of their sin, they repented and began living a life of true freedom in Jesus Christ. What is the condition of God’s temple in your life?

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit...?” 1 Corinthians 6:19

Partnership in Ministry

“Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.” Philippians 1:1-7

We have just finished March Madness. Anyone who follows basketball knows all about March Madness. You cannot turn to any sports page or watch any sports station without hearing of the heroics of the boys. Yet basketball, like any other athletic game, is a team sport; and every play and player counts. Each member contributes to the success of the team.

The body of Christ is similar. We are composed of various members, each responsible for the well-being of the whole. When we give of our money, time, or talents, we are building up the body of Christ. No one else can duplicate our efforts, and no one else can take our place.

The apostles could not have traveled far and wide without support of unsung local church members. Neither can any ministry today spread God’s truth apart from participation of the body of Christ. You are important to the advancement of Christ’s gospel. When you pray and give of your resources to those who handle God’s truth with integrity, you share in the marvelous results that occur.

“For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor...” Romans 15:26

The Centrality of the Cross

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach — if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.” Colossians 1:15-23

The focal point on the greatness of God and the truth of His Word is the Cross of Jesus Christ. It is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Wherever the apostles went, they preached Christ and Him crucified. The preaching of the Cross is the wisdom and power of God, and there can be no spirit-anointed ministry apart from the centrality of the Cross.

The preaching of the Cross involves the clear teaching of the Person of Jesus Christ, His perfect humanity and deity, and His incarnation and sinless life. It plainly tells us that Jesus loves us and that He demonstrated that love by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

At the Cross was the victory won over sin, death, the law, the flesh, the devil, and the world. At the Cross Jesus died our death, paid our penalty, and satisfied the just demands of Holy God. There is no Christianity without the Cross.

Do you boast in the Cross? Do you understand that it is the core of the Christian faith and that every jot and tittle of Scripture would be null and void without the shed blood of Calvary? The Cross is the basis for ever benefit of the Christian faith. Any preaching that ignores the Cross is a flawed and fraudulent gospel that cannot possibly reconcile Holy God and sinful man.

“But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ...” Galatians 6:14