The Cross - Where Your Victory was Won, Part 2

“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

At the moment we become (by faith in Christ’s death) the children of God, something happens to us. We begin to desire things we have never even considered before, and we sense a compulsion to share this new life with anyone and everyone.

We are motivated by the realization and the understanding of what the grace of God really means. The emptiness we once felt deeply has given way to a sense of peace and acceptance. Oh, there are people who still won’t accept or love us, but the pain of their rejection is absorbed by the joy of experiencing total acceptance by God our Father.

You see, it’s true that every living man or woman has a God-shaped vacuum on the inside, and nothing but God Himself can fill that aching void. We are drawn to God. If you have never placed your trust in Christ for the forgiveness of your sin, you’ll never experience the filling of that God-shaped vacuum in your life.

With Christ as your life, you will find abundant motivation for serving Him with your whole heart and with all your energy. Why? Well, don’t you just love to do things for someone you really admire or look up to or love? Who should we wish to please and serve more than our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ?

He is Risen!

The Cross - Where Your Victory was Won

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”  1 John 5:4-5

Jesus Christ’s crucifixion was not the end - it was the beginning of God’s great redemptive plan, which He offers by grace to all humanity. Your salvation could never be a reality apart from Christ’s death. That event was a necessary part of the plan of salvation. His death was the sacrificial, substitutionary, all-sufficient payment for sin.

We sing songs such as “There is Power in the Blood” and “Victory in Jesus,” but how often do believers find themselves confessing that they are living in anything but power and victory? How does Christ’s cross translate into power for daily living?

The truth is that, as a believer, you and I take part in Christ’s victorious death and resurrection because in the eyes of God, when He died - we died; when He arose - we arose. His death is our death to the power of sin and the flesh, and His resurrection is our resurrection to new life, a new way of thinking and new desires.

That’s the issue as viewed from God’s perspective. In turn, we are by faith to accept this truth - even though it may be beyond our ability to comprehend its magnitude. This truth shines light into our souls as we “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

Living the Crucified Life, Part 2

“For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” Galatians 2:19-21

“Christ for me! Yes, it’s Christ for me.
He’s my Savior, my Lord and King.
I’m so happy, I shout and sing.
Christ for me! Yes, it’s Christ for me.
Every day as I go my way, it is Christ
for me!”

Because of Christ’s sacrificial death on Calvary, you and I can confidently voice the words to that chorus, which for years served as the theme song of the Youth for Christ organization. In light of our current theme of study, we might want to change one word in that chorus. Instead of “Christ for me,” we should be more inclined to say it is “Christ IN me.”

Certainly, Christ is for me. Paul teaches, “...If God is for us, who is against us?” (Romans 8:31) But far more than Christ being for us, what a source of confidence in assurance to know that Christ is IN us. “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

That knowledge, combined with the experience and awareness of “Christ in me,” produces a perfect trust in God so that we can say with the Apostle Paul, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

Living the Crucified Life

“Nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified. But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”  Galatians 2:16-20

Living the “crucified life” is a life of complete surrender, depicted rather well in the thoughts of George MacDonald:

“I said: Let me walk in the field.
God said: Nay, walk in the town.
I said: There are no flowers there.
He said: No flowers, but a crown.

I said: But the sky is black, there is nothing but noise and din.
But He wept as He sent me back, ‘There is more,’ He said.
‘There is sin.’

I said: But the air is thick, and fogs are veiling the sun.
He answered: Yet souls are sick, and souls in the dark undone.

I said: I shall miss the light, and friends will miss me, they say.
He answered me: Choose tonight, if I am to miss you, or they.

I pleaded for time to be given;
He said: Is it hard to decide?
It will not seem hard in heaven to have followed the steps of your Guide.

I cast one look at the fields,
Then set my face to the town;
He said: My child, do you yield? Will you leave the flowers for the crown?

Then into His hand went mine,
and into my heart came He;
And I walk a light Divine,
the path I had feared to see.”

The Believer's Journey to the Cross

“Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 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?”  Romans 6:8-16

John Bunyan’s classic The Pilgrim’s Progress depicts the power of the cross:

“...Up this way therefore did burdened Christian run, but not without great difficulty, because of the Load on his back. He ran thus till he came at a place somewhat ascending, and upon that place stood a Cross, and a little below, in the bottom, a Sepulchre...As Christian came up with the Cross, his Burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble, and so continued to do, till it came to the mouth of the Sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more.

Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said with a merry heart, ‘He hath given me Rest by his Sorrow, and Life by his Death.’ Then Christian gave three leaps for Joy, and went on singing:
Thus far did I come laden with my sin;
Nor could ought ease the grief that I was in,
Till I came hither: What a place is this!
Must here be the beginning of my bliss?
Must here the Burden fall from off my back?
Must here the strings that bound it to me crack?
Blest Cross! blest Sepulchre! blest rather be,
The MAN that there was put to Shame for me!”

Destined for the Cross

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.”  Romans 6:1-6

In order to enjoy the liberty and freedom gained by Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross, we too must make our journey to the cross and put to death the deeds of the flesh (“the old self”).

Of this, Oswald Chambers says:
“No one enters in the experience of entire sanctification without going through a ‘white funeral’ - the burial of the old life. If there has never been this crisis of death, sanctification is nothing more than a vision.

There must be a ‘white funeral’: a death that has only one resurrection - a resurrection into the life of Jesus Christ. Nothing can upset such a life, it is one with God of one purpose, to be a witness to Him.”

The message of the cross - and the supernatural power which Christ’s death released - continue to be the foundation of our Christian faith. But if we are to benefit, we must know and understand and appropriate its truth.

“Dying with Jesus, by death reckoned mine;
Living with Jesus a new life divine;
Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine,
Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.” -Daniel W. Whittle

How We View the Cross

“For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.’ Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”  
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
                       
“At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!”
                                                     - Isaac Watts

What a declaration. What a statement of confident faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ. Have you come to the place where those words mirror the joyful cry of your heart?

Much of our Christian life (the depth of our walk with Christ, the strength of our faith, the impact of our witness, the genuineness of our example, the holiness of our lifestyle, etc.) will be determined by how we view the cross. Many who have only a surface understanding of the events of the crucifixion lack a foundational element to their Christian faith.

A monumental event took place at the cross. The Lamb of God was sacrificed for the sin of the world. From His wounded side flowed forgiveness and reconciliation between sinful men and Holy God. The chasm which separated men from God was spanned forever by the cross.

Do you know the reality of the cross in your life today? Has the cross enlightened you? Rolled away the burden of your heart? Given you sight and understanding? Look to the cross and receive all that Christ died to give you.

Where Will You Spend Eternity? Part 2

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”  Matthew 7:21-23

“Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”  Revelation 20:14-15

Though many refuse God’s offer of grace, they mistakenly, blindly go their way, trying to convince themselves that “you only live once” or “what will be will be” or “heaven is just for people who can’t handle living here and now.”

How often have you heard someone say in their defense of refusing to accept the gospel story, “How can a loving God throw innocent people into hell?” That is a supposed to put God in a bad light and make Him responsible for all those who perish in hell.

The truth is that just the opposite is true - every person on the face of the earth has the choice of where they will spend eternity. You may choose either God’s provision of heaven or Satan’s companionship in the place of torment. I don’t know about you, but that’s like offering a child the choice between a bowl of ice cream and a visit to Grandma’s or a week of cruel and relentless punishment.

The options God offers us are as extreme from one another as anything you could possibly imagine. Do you realize the wonder of God’s plan? Here it is: God leaves the choice up to us! We have the power to choose our eternal destiny! And choosing to refuse what God has graciously extended to every member of the human race. It’s your move.

Choose wisely!

Where Will You Spend Eternity?

“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’”  Matthew 25:31-34

“For I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”  Matthew 25:42-46

Where will you spend eternity? Do you have more than a feeble hope that you will spend it in heaven with God the Father? Are you fearful, not quite sure, but hoping?

From Scripture, we know there are only two options of where we may spend eternity. Although they may make light of it, even the unbelieving are aware, curious, and uneasy about what comes after physical death.

For those who place their trust and faith in Christ’s substitutionary death for their sins and His victorious resurrection in which He conquered the power of death, the fear of death is replaced with a calm expectancy of spending “forever” in the presence of God the Father Who is all love, joy, and peace.

Those with an assurance that heaven is their final home rejoice with the words of Mrs. Frank Breck who penned this much-loved hymn:

Face to face with Christ, my Savior,
Face to face, what will it be?
When with rapture I behold Him,
Jesus Christ, Who died for me.

Face to face! O blissful moment!
Face to face, to see and know;
Face to face with my Redeemer,
Jesus Christ, Who loves me so.
                           
Face to face I shall behold Him,
Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory,
I shall see Him by and by!

Today, if you hear His voice, harden not your heart...

Walking in Love

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.”  Ephesians 5:1-7

Years ago, the American Cancer Society produced a public service announcement which aired on television stations across the nation. There was a little boy (4 or 5 years old) who copied everything his dad did. He walked around in his dad’s oversized shoes. He stood beside his dad at the bathroom lavatory and combed his hair. He tried his hand a skipping a stone across the surface of the water. Resting beneath a spreading shade tree, Dad reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Do you remember your feelings as the announcer questioningly asked, “Like father, like son?”

That TV announcement did much to make people consider the habit of smoking. But what about other areas of our daily lives? One of the ways we learn is to imitate others - a parent, a friend, a brother or sister. As you grow and mature in your walk with the Lord, who are you trying to imitate? Who is your role model? Do you find the one you want to imitate in the pages of Sports Illustrated or The Wall Street Journal? Is he or she on the stage of screen?

Think about this: I will become like...whatever I focus my attention on the most.

“...be imitators of God, as beloved children” (Eph. 5:1).

The Challenge of Christian Conversation, Part 2

“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”  Ephesians 4:29-32

“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.”  Psalm 141:3

If you have the capacity to speak or communicate, more than likely you have at some time said something which you later deeply regretted. We’ve all said things which we wish we had not, and the Psalmist expresses the best possible remedy to guard against such outbursts in the above verse.

Having trouble with your mouth? Using bad language (dirty or swearing, not poor grammar)? Talking about other people? Passing on tidbits of information? Gossiping? Saying too much? Like the Psalmist, you may want to ask the Lord to guard what goes past your lips.

The Psalmist asks, “How can a young man (or anyone, for that matter) keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your (God’s) word” (119:9). What does God’s Word have to say about our conversation?

James tells us to “be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger” and “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle (control) his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless” (James 1:19, 26).

Convicting, isn’t it? Guard your conversation.

The Challenge of Christian Conversation

“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”  Ephesians 4:29-32

One of the greatest checklists for how we use our language skills is found in Psalm 15:1-3: “O Lord, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart. He does not slander with his tongue...”

You can tell a lot about a person when you listen to them talk. Could this be what Jesus had in mind when He said, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart” (Luke 6:45)?

The Apostle Paul admonished us to “let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person” (Colossians 4:6).

Of course, the Proverbs are rich with entries aimed to show the distinction between the foolish and the wise. “He who guards his mouth and his tongue, guards his soul from troubles” (21:23).

Watch your conversation. Is it reflecting the light of Christ within? Listen to the words you speak; then see how they line up with the instruction from The Word.

Laying Aside the Old Self

“That, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.”  Ephesians 4:22-28

How many pastors and Christian counselors have heard a struggling individual confess, “I wish God would have totally changed me from the inside out and taken away any desire for sin when I got saved instead of having to learn to live and respond in a whole new way”? How easy it is for us to wish God would wave His “magic wand” over us, dispelling all our problems, changing our old ways of thinking, and making us all shiny and new.

Paul gives a progression which we move through - a progression which takes effort and time. He says we are to lay aside the old self - our old ways of thinking and doing, old habit patterns.

Then we are to be renewed in the spirit of our mind. Our mind is where we make our choices and exert our will. It has to change the way it functions.

Third, put on the new self - and this new self is created in God’s holy righteousness. Walking in holiness is a choice to live in accordance with who we really are in Christ.

“...in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self...and...be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness...”  Eph. 4:22-24

Walking in Holiness

“So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”  Ephesians 4:17-24

Do you know who you are in Christ? Read the following affirmations aloud; then look up and read the Scriptures which state the truth.

•    I am in Christ Jesus (Eph. 1:1).
•    I have been justified by faith (Rom. 5:1).
•    I have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin
     (Eph. 1:7).
•    Having been dead, I have been made alive (Eph. 2:1).
•    I am under no condemnation since I am in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1).
•    I have been set free from the law of sin and of death (Rom. 8:2).
•    I have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
      in Christ (Eph. 1:3).
•    He has made known to me the mystery of His will (Eph. 1:9).
•    I have obtained an inheritance (Eph. 1:11).
•    I am sealed in Christ with the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph. 1:13).
•    The eyes of my heart have been enlightened, and I know the hope
      of His calling (Eph. 1:18).
•    I know the surpassing greatness of His power to me (Eph. 1:19).
•    I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works
     (Eph. 2:10).
•    He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that I ask or
     think (Eph. 3:20).

                                      That’s who I am in Christ!

Saints Tossed To and Fro

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, ‘When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men.’ (Now this expression, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”  Ephesians 4:7-16

The Christian life is often referred to by the term walk or walking. In times past, believers would often meet one another with the greeting, “How goes the walk?” - meaning, of course, “Are your conversations, your conduct, your thoughts, and desires honoring to Christ? Are you walking well in your relationship to Him?”

Maybe in our day-to-day meetings and conversations, we would do well to verbally remind one another of the importance of “walking well.” Possibly we feel others would think us too bold if we ever inquired about the status of their spiritual well-being. We might be ostracized because of our “radical” Christian lifestyle. Don’t be fooled.

The body of Christ has been sprinkled with a liberal dose of exhorters by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. These dear individuals have the uncanny motivation to encourage and challenge others in their Christian walk. Wouldn’t it be nice to hear a concerned, friendly voice say, “How goes the walk, my friend?”

In light of who we are by the gift of God’s grace, let us walk in a manner worthy of our place.

A Worthy Walk, Part 2

“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”  Ephesians 4:1-6

Reflecting on the moral and ethical decline of our nation, some of Christianity’s leading voices have pinpointed what they believe to be a major contributor - the lack of absolutes. Too few believe their conduct falls under any authority other than their own personal desires.

Clearly contrasted are Paul’s words, pointing to the reality that there certainly is an absolute, and His name is “God the Father”! When an individual, a family, a community, a nation conducts itself as if there are no absolutes, they soon turn from their original step of self realization to self-destruction and collapse.

Are you living by the absolutes which are clearly laid out in Scripture? Much of our confusion evaporate under the heat of the searchlight of God’s Word. The false philosophies of the world simply melt before the scrutiny of the truth.

The pathway to discovering our identity in Christ is marked by Paul’s insightful teaching throughout the epistles. Read for yourself the liberating truths concerning who you really are in Christ. Then walk a worthy walk before others.

What can you count on these days? You can hear that on any street corner. Who has the answer?

A Worthy Walk

“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”  Ephesians 4:1-6

“In light of who we are, by the gift of God’s grace;
Let us walk in a manner, worthy of our place.”

That verse presents the heart of the teaching of Paul in the New Testament book of Ephesians. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 focus on giving instruction on how we, as Christians, ought to walk (our conduct or behavior). By a worthy walk, Paul is referring to a walk (or a life) that has weight to it, quality, character!

What is your life saying to those around who are watching you? What does your daily life say to your spouse? Your children? Your parents? Your roommate? Your closest friends? Your associates? Are they seeing a life which is consistent with the Sunday claims that come from your mouth? Are they seeing in you a true reflection of the person God has called and empowered you to be?

Paul gives a tremendous exhortation in the first three verses of Ephesians 4 to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.” Then he goes on to explain that manner of walk. How deeply do these qualities grace your life? Humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, diligence, peace?

The believer’s walk and talk are a dead giveaway of what is at the inner core of his or her being.

Getting God’s Viewpoint, Part 2

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you.”  2 Corinthians 4:8-12

            “Look to Jesus”   
    Are you looking at your sins and
        failures? Look to Jesus!
    Are you seeking to be saved by trying?
        Look to Jesus!
    One sight of Him is worth a thousand
        tears,
    One word from Him will banish all
        your fears,
    One smile from Him, oh, how it helps
        and cheers,
    Look away to Jesus.

    Are you looking at your grief and
       sorrow? Look to Jesus!
    Are you anxious for the coming
        morrow? Look to Jesus!
    One sight of Him will melt your clouds
        away,
    One word from Him will turn your
        night to day,
    One smile from Him illumine all your
        way,
    Look away to Jesus.

    Has the vision of the world defiled you?
        Look to Jesus!
    Has some smiling face of clay beguiled
        you? Look to Jesus!
    One look at Him, and earth no more can
        charm,
    One word from Him, and naught can
        e’er alarm,
    One smile from Him will Satan’s wiles
        disarm,
    Look away to Jesus.
                                                      -A.B. Simpson

Search the Scriptures daily to develop a godly viewpoint.

Getting God’s Viewpoint

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you.”  2 Corinthians 4:8-12

Those who face great trial, disappointment, sickness, or failure are often driven to seek God for some sense of comfort in their circumstances. How many ask, “Why God? Why do You allow this to happen - to me?” If that kind of question has surfaced in your life recently, welcome to the human race. You are a normal person, responding to difficulty in a normal way.

What we desperately need to be careful of is our tendency, just under the surface, to harbor a little bit of resentment against God for “allowing” this to happen. If not dealt with, this resentment will begin to fester into anger against God and finally turn to unbelief. Through all of life’s disappointments, our spirit’s desire is to understand what God wants to accomplish in our life through this. We want to get God’s viewpoint!

The great mind of C.S. Lewis raised Christianity’s insights into this aspect of life as through personal trial and the trials of close friends, he penned these thoughts: “Disappointment - His appointment. Change one letter then I see that the thwarting of my purpose is His better choice for me.”

In the midst of today’s pressures or pain, ask yourself, “Do I have God’s viewpoint?”

The divine look is a long look - going beyond the tests and trials of today to a brighter tomorrow.

Standing on a Promise

“Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.”  Hebrews 10:35-36

“For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”  2 Peter 1:4

Promises! They strengthen our faith and trust, provide encouragement, and give us something to hold to when things look bleak.

God’s promises have become the themes of many a song or hymn in days past. Remember these?

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Thro’ eternal ages let His praises ring;
Glory in the highest,
I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Earthly friends may prove untrue,
Doubts and fears assail;
One still loves and cares for you,
One who will not fail.
Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails;
Heaven and earth my pass away,
But Jesus never fails.

Oh, how sweet the glorious message
simple faith may claim;
Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same.
Still He loves to save the sinful,
Heal the sick and lame;
Cheer the mourner, still the tempest;
Glory to His name!

God’s promises are true, and by His very nature, He cannot lie. Now, that’s some kind of promise!

Christ’s Message to You

“Now He said to them, ‘These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.’

And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising God.”  Luke 24:44-53

“While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy...praising God”
(vv. 51-53).

What would your response (or mine) have been if we had been there when Christ ascended into heaven, having fulfilled His earthly ministry? Loss, separation, grief, remorse, amazement, fear? Maybe the disciples experienced those feelings, too, but we are told that they “returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising God.”

Theirs was no “pity party” over losing the Master. The key to their joyful response to His departure is found in the preceding verses. Before leaving, Jesus took the time to explain that His mission was complete; He had accomplished what He came to do.

Furthermore, “He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” The disciples had a unique event take place in their lives as Jesus’ words of truth brought a supernatural enlightenment to their understanding.

Today, friend, you can know that same joy His disciples knew; you, too, (by God’s indwelling Spirit) can have your mind opened to understand the Scriptures.

Learn the joy of being taught biblical truth by the Holy Spirit of God.

Christ’s Message to the World

“Now He said to them, ‘These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.’”  Luke 24:44-49   

“Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures...”

“Many can bring the Scriptures to the mind, but the Lord alone can prepare the mind to receive the Scriptures. Our Lord Jesus differs from all other teachers; they reach the ear, but He instructs the heart; they deal with the outward letter, but He imparts an inward taste for the truth, by which we perceive its savour and spirit.

The most unlearned of men become ripe scholars in the school of grace when the Lord Jesus by His Holy Spirit unfolds the mysteries of the kingdom to them, and grants the divine anointing by which they are able to behold the invisible.

Happy are we if we have had our understanding cleared and strengthened by the Master!

Jesus’ College is the only one in which God’s truth can be really learned; other schools may teach us what is to be believed, but Christ’s alone can show us how to believe it.

Let us sit at the feet of Jesus, and by earnest prayer call in His blessed aid that our dull wits may grow brighter, and our feeble understandings may receive heavenly things.”
                                                                                        - C.H. Spurgeon

Wisdom derives from those lesson learned at the feet of the Savior.

Your Passing Opportunity

“Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ And Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him here.’ So they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.’ Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. And answering him, Jesus said, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ And the blind man said to Him, ‘Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.”  Mark 10:46-52

In the annual pageantry of The Atlanta Passion Play, one brief scene seems always to find its way into the hearts of the audience. There, overlooked by the multitude passing by, sits blind Bartimaeus begging alms. What a graphic illustration of helplessness and hopelessness - a dirty, rag-clad blind man - unwanted and unloved (probably really unknown). BUT he had ears and had heard of Jesus, of people being set free and healed of all sorts of diseases - even blindness! He must have thought: “If Jesus had healed other blind people, maybe He will heal me, too.”

Dependent upon others to guide him, Bartimaeus couldn’t very well seek Jesus out, so he began to call to Him as Jesus passed by. He probably would only have this one opportunity to contact Jesus, and with desperation, he cried out to be noticed, to be healed.

His plea was answered when Jesus stopped and asked him what he wanted. “To regain my sight!” was his instant reply. As thousands view this quick interaction in the Passion Play, how many are themselves crying out to Jesus, knowing that He has done for others and might do for them? Jesus is passing by, friend. Call out to Him today!

Opportunity missed can be a tragedy - or a Godsend.
Which shall it be?

After We Fail - What Then?

“Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins
And blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners will be converted to You.”  Psalm 51:7-13

What then? Repent - Pray - Confess - Ask - Believe.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). From his monumental sacred writings entitled The Treasury of David, Charles H. Spurgeon reflected on David’s Psalm 51.

“Create! Has sin so destroyed us that the Creator must be called in again? What ruin then doth evil work among mankind!

Create in me. I, in outward fabric, still exist; but I am empty. Come then, and let thy power be seen in a new creation within my old fallen self.

A clean heart. In the seventh verse he asked to be clean; now he seeks a heart suitable to that cleanliness; but he does not say, ‘make my old heart clean;’ he is too experienced in the hopelessness of the old nature. He would have the old man buried as a dead thing, and a new creation brought in to fill its place. None but God can create a new heart or a new earth.

The affections must be rectified first, or all our nature will go amiss. The heart is the rudder of the soul, and till the Lord take it in hand we steer in a false and foul way.

Renew a right spirit within me. It was there once, Lord, put it there again. The law on my heart has become like an inscription hard to read: write it new, gracious Maker. Remove the evil as I have entreated thee; but, O replace it with (thy) good!”

“Create in me...” - “Renew a steadfast spirit within me...”
- Prayers that can set a new course.

Why We Continue to Fail

“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 10:13

A basic definition of sin is “meeting our desires or needs in our own way with, no regard for God’s laws.” We sin when we meet our own needs based upon our standards, not God’s. We’ll never learn how to handle temptation until we face the issue of why we continue to fail the testing of our obedience.

One major reason we repeatedly fail to conquer temptation’s appeal is that there is an area of our life which we refuse to yield to the control of the Holy Spirit. Have I presented that problem area of my life to the Lord and wholeheartedly taken my hands off of it, saying, “God I’m out of control in this area of my life. I can’t control it. I genuinely yield this area of my life to you”?

Satan tries to divert our attention from yielding control to Christ by throwing up before us one of his scare tactics: “If you give this up to God, what will you have left? It will be lost forever, and you’ll never enjoy it again!” What Satan fears most of all is that when you yield control of any area of your life to Christ, you have the perfect will of God active in your life. That scares the enemy!

Following the Savior leads to life and victory over Satan, self, and sin! Our bent toward meeting our own needs in our own way puts us at cross-purposes with God.

Our Misunderstandings

“Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. For to this end also I wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.”  2 Corinthians 2:8-11

One of the key aspects of any military venture which absorbs the interest of the leadership is to know the enemy. The better the enemy is known, the higher the chance of a successful battle against him.

In our struggle and battle against Satan’s attempts to destroy our effectiveness for Christ, it is also imperative that we know our enemy. Learn his most common tactics; after all, he’s been operating for a long time, and there is a description of his operating procedure in any history book - certainly most biographies.

Look earnestly into your life, and you may recognize one or more of these misunderstandings deterring you from victory.

See if you can identify the fallacy in each of these statements:
1. Temptation itself is sin.           
2. We fall into temptation.
3. God is disappointed and displeased when we are tempted.
4. To be strongly tempted means we are a guilty as if we had actually committed sin.
5. Temptations follow no pattern; they just happen.
6. We overcome all temptation by separation from it.
7. If I am mature, I will no longer be harassed by temptation.

We are at a marked disadvantage when doing battle with one who has successfully tempted others.