Tag: grace

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Galatians

How to lose our joy (and blessing)

Galatians

You can really see how perplexed Paul is with the Galatians in this passage (actually going all the way to verse 20).

When he had first come to the Galatians, he had had some sort of physical problem, and yet, though it caused no small inconvenience to them, they still received him with great joy.

Why? Because of the gospel that he had preached which set them free from sin and brought them new life. Having heard the message and received it, they were filled with God’s inexpressible joy and a deep sense of his blessing.

So filled with this joy were the Galatians that it overflowed in their love and concern for Paul such that they were willing to do anything for him. Paul said,

I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. (Galatians 4:15)

But having been infected with the teaching of the Judaizers, everything had changed. All their joy was gone, and now they looked at Paul with suspicion.

They wondered if he had really told them the truth of the gospel. They wondered if he had perhaps left something out that could actually keep them from salvation.

So Paul asks them,

What has happened to all your joy… Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? (Galatians 4:15-16)

The word “joy” there is translated “blessedness” in the ESV and “blessing” in the NASB. But however you translate it, the Galatians had lost a precious gift God had imparted to them upon their believing in Christ. How?

By returning to religion. By making their salvation a matter of their own works and their own efforts and causing the cross of Christ to lose its value to them. (Galatians 2:21)

The same thing can happen to us. When we make our Christian lives all about “keeping the rules” of religion, we lose our joy and our blessing. Instead, we start straining to earn God’s favor.

And in the process, one of two things inevitably happens.

Either we become proud because we are “succeeding” in our efforts (as if someone could actually earn God’s favor by their works).

Or we become utterly depressed and despairing because we realize it’s impossible to keep the rules perfectly.

Either way, we lose the blessing and joy of God in our lives.

But when we realize that our salvation is by grace alone, it does two things. It keeps us humble and it keeps us grateful.

We are humble because we realize that we did nothing to deserve God’s favor in our lives. We see that all we deserved was God’s condemnation but how he has showered us with his grace and mercy anyway.

More, we become filled with joy and gratitude at this grace and mercy we have received. As a result, the blessedness that comes from Christ flows not only in our lives but through our lives touching the people around us.

What kind of life are you living? One of pride? One of defeat and despair? Or one of blessing and joy?

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Galatians

Fighting for the gospel

Galatians

In this passage, we see Paul fighting for the truth of the gospel.

First he went to Jerusalem to make sure he was on the same page as the rest of the apostles concerning salvation by grace apart from law.

And in the midst of that, the Judaizers started insisting that Titus (the same Titus Paul wrote to later in the book of the same name) had to be circumcised in order to be truly considered a Christian.

But Paul said,

We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you. (Galatians 2:5)

The other apostles, fully on Paul’s side on this matter, then gave their blessing for him to go out to the Gentiles with this gospel of grace. (Galatians 2:7-9)

But later, Paul had to confront Peter himself on this matter.

Apparently, Peter, because of his experience with Cornelius earlier (Acts 10-11) had fully embraced the Gentiles and had gone to the extent of actually eating with them and most probably eating their food, even though it went against both Jewish custom and law.

When people from Jerusalem came, however, they were apparently looking side-eyed at Peter for what he was doing, and so he started separating himself from the Gentiles.

As a result, the other Jews with Peter started to follow his example, threatening to split the church all over again over a false gospel.

And so once again, Paul went to the mat, fighting for the gospel, essentially saying, “What in the world are you doing Peter?

All this time, you’ve been acting as a Gentile, eating their food and hanging out with them, this though you are a Jew. And why?

Because you know that we are not saved by keeping the law but through faith in Christ.

You know perfectly well that nobody can be saved by keeping the law because nobody can possibly keep it perfectly. So why are you doing this?” (Galatians 2:14-16)

Why was Paul so passionate about this? Why did he fight for the gospel so desperately? Because it was this same gospel that had saved him.

It was not some gospel that he or anyone else had simply made up (Galatians 1:11).

It was a gospel that had stopped him in his tracks from a life headed toward death and gave him life.

But this was not a gospel that had come to him because of his own goodness or worth. It was not a gospel that had come to him because he had kept the law perfectly and because he had earned his salvation. He had murdered people, persecuting the church of God.

Rather, God had called Paul solely by His grace from before Paul was even born. And it was by His grace that God was pleased to reveal his Son to Paul. More he called Paul to spread that same gospel of grace to the Gentiles (Galatians 1:11-16).

And so when people attacked this gospel that had saved him, Paul fought for it.

So should we. We have been given life through this gospel. God set us apart for himself before we were born and he called us. Not because of our own goodness. Not because of our own worthiness. But because of his grace.

And now he calls us to spread his gospel of grace to those around us. So when this gospel of grace is attacked, we need to defend it.

How passionate are you about the gospel? Do you realize just how much you have been given? Do you understand the grace that God has showered down upon you?

Then let us fight for the gospel and defend it against those who would attack it. Not because they are our enemies. But because they and all those around us need the truth of the same gospel that has saved us.

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2 Corinthians

The problem of self-sufficiency

self-sufficency

I was raised by my parents to be pretty self-sufficient.

I remember one thing my dad told me after I had grown up and left the house was that the one thing he was happy about concerning my brother, my sister, and myself was that we never came back asking for money.

Self-sufficiency, in terms of independence from our parents, is a good thing. We all need to grow up and strike out on our own.

But self-sufficiency in terms of our relationship with God is never a good thing. There will never will be a time when we can truly claim independence from God. We will always need him.

We will always need his power and strength in our lives if we are to make it in this life. In our relationships. In our work. And definitely in ministry.

The problem with self-sufficiency is that it keeps God’s power from truly becoming complete in us.

Put another way, we will never have full access to the power of God in our lives as long as we are trying to be self-sufficient.

That’s what Paul learned and that’s what Paul tried to teach the Corinthians.

Paul had received an awesome spiritual experience, having seen heaven itself. And it would have been so easy for Paul to think, “I’ve made it. I don’t really need God anymore. I am so spiritual that I can live this life on my own strength now.”

And so God gave Paul a “thorn in the flesh” to keep him humble and reliant on God.

What that thorn in the flesh was is not clear.

But whatever it was, a physical ailment (many people think it was an eye problem), or a spiritual problem, or whatever it may have been, though Paul pleaded three times for God to take it away, God refused, saying,

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

In other words, “I don’t need to take this problem from you in order for you to live. My grace is enough for that. And my power is made perfect in your weakness.”

Why?

Because in our weakness we are forced to rely on God’s power and not our own. God’s power will never be made perfect in our lives as long as we are relying on ourselves.

And so Paul said,

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.

For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9b-10)

Why did Paul boast of his weaknesses?

Because it forced him to rely on God more, and in relying on God more, he knew more of the power of God in his life. And I have to believe that in the process, he was forced to draw closer to God as well.

How about you? Are you trying to make it on your own? To live by your own power and strength?

By doing so, you’re missing out on two things: the fullness of God’s power in your life and a closer relationship with him.

I don’t know about you, but I want both of those things in my life.

So let us not boast of our own self-sufficiency. Rather, let us live each day leaning on God’s power and strength.

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2 Corinthians

Abounding in grace

2 Corinthians

I wonder how many people reading the title of this post, “Abounding in grace,” immediately thought in terms of us receiving grace from God.

Certainly, that is a part of what I’m writing about today, but it’s only half.

Paul wrote,

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

I really like this verse. It first talks about how God is able to shower his grace upon us so that we’ll have all that we need.

But what is the purpose of his showering his grace upon us? His purpose is that we will abound in every good work, showering the grace we have received on others.

Paul quotes Psalm 112 where it says,

He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever. (2 Corinthians 9:9)

Somehow, whenever I’ve read this passage, I’ve always associated it with Christ. I think I was confusing it with Ephesians 4:8 somehow.

But actually, the psalmist was talking about the righteous man and how generous he is.

He never fears the future because he trusts in the Lord, and that allows him to be as generous as he is, helping those in need and abounding in good works to those around him.

And that’s what Paul goes on to say in verses 10-11.

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9:10-11)

In short, we can be confident that God will not only supply our needs, but will also increase what we have to the point that we can minister to others, being generous on every occasion.

The question is, “Do we trust God in that way?” I have to admit that I’m still learning to do so.

I want to be like that righteous man in Psalm 112, filled with the grace that God pours into my life, but not holding it in.

I want to be overflowing with the grace of God, touching those around me and blessing them, so that people may see it and glorify God.

How about you? Are you abounding in grace?

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2 Corinthians

Excelling in acts of grace

2 Corinthians

In this verse, Paul encourages the Corinthians,

But just as you excel in everything–in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us–see that you also excel in this grace of giving. (2 Corinthians 8:7)

The Corinthians were well known for their abundance of spiritual gifts as well as for their zeal and love.

But Paul says here, “Don’t just excel in faith, speech, knowledge, zeal, and love. Excel in giving as well.”

Many Christians want to excel in faith, in speaking out for Christ, in their knowledge of God, in zeal, and in love. But how often do we desire to excel as givers.

Precious few, I would guess. But that’s what God desires for us. That we would be givers, and touch the lives of the people around us.

I think that’s primarily what Paul is talking about here, and it’s how the NIV translates it. But as I look at the ESV, it puts this verse this way:

But as you excel in everything–in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you–see that you excel in this act of grace also.

I want to focus on that last phrase: “This act of grace.”

Again, this is specifically talking about the grace of giving, namely to the hurting Jews in Jerusalem.

But it strikes me that God wants us to excel in all acts of grace:

In the act of speaking words of grace to those around us.

In the act of showing kindness to others.

In the act of showing forgiveness to others.

In the act of showing mercy to those who are hurting.

We are to be people of grace. Why? Because God is a God of grace, and we as his children are to imitate him.

How about you? Are you a person of grace? Are you a person that excels in acts of grace to those around you?

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2 Corinthians

Why we need never be ashamed

2 Corinthians

I touched on this yesterday, but I want to look at it much more deeply today.

We saw yesterday that when Moses received the ten commandments, his face initially glowed with the glory of the Lord.

At first, because the people were frightened by this glowing, he covered his face with a veil. But then, he kept it on much longer than he needed to. Why?

Probably because he was ashamed that the glory was fading from his face. And probably because he realized that his own sinfulness caused that glory to fade.

And therein, as we have seen the last couple of days, lies the problem with the law. While it tells us what God is like and what we are meant to be, it cannot change us. We remain sinful in God’s sight and condemned by the law.

But Paul tells us that doesn’t have to be us anymore. Rather, when we come to Christ, we find a new glory that far surpasses the glory that shone from Moses’ face.

Why? Because the law is no longer simply written on tablets of stone or on sheets of paper for that matter.

Rather, when we become Christians, the Spirit writes his laws upon our hearts and transforms us day by day into Christ’s likeness. Each day, we are being transformed from one degree of glory to another.

There is no fading of our glory. Rather, it is an ever increasing glory.

As a result, Paul can tell us,

Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.

We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. (2 Corinthians 3:12-13)

We don’t have to worry that the glory that God has bestowed on us will fade. Rather we can know with confidence that he will continue to work in us until we are conformed to the likeness of his Son, shining in radiance.

Because of this, Paul says we have freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17).

Freedom from guilt for failing to keep the law.

Freedom from punishment.

Freedom from trying to keep a law by our own efforts.

This was something that even Moses never had. He was bound under law, and as a result, he experienced guilt and shame despite all the sacrifices (Hebrews 10:2-4).

He experienced the pains of judgment in that he could not enter the promised land because of his sin. And so he covered his face as the glory of the law faded away.

But we don’t have to do that. Let us take off the veil and show the world who we are. People saved by grace. People who though we are not perfect, are nevertheless being transformed day by day in the likeness of Christ.

And let us live each day remembering what God has told us,

“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone (Jesus), and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” (1 Peter 2:6)

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2 Corinthians

When others misunderstand and accuse us

2 Corinthians

As you read this letter, you start to see that Paul and the Corinthians had been having a really tough time in their relationship.

Apparently, some of the Corinthians had taken some of the things he had said in his earlier letter badly, and were now accusing him of being unreliable at best, and duplicitous and manipulative at worst.

One thing they had brought up was that he had said earlier that he would come to visit him, and at the last minute he canceled on them.

As a result, Paul ended up having to defend himself as to why he canceled the trip. The main reason appeared to be people who were opposing his leadership.

Many scholars believe that there was a “painful” visit between Paul’s writings of 1 and 2 Corinthians.

During that visit, people opposed him to his face and he had had to confront them concerning their sin, causing a massive rift between him and the Corinthian church.

Paul apparently knew that if he came back right away, it would probably lead to another blowup, as things had not been resolved yet, and so he sent another letter admonishing them, in hopes that they would repent.

In the end, the majority of them did (2 Corinthians 7:6-13).

But there were still those in the church who accused him of being either unreliable or two-faced and deceitful (2 Corinthians 1:17, 7:2).

How do we deal with people like that? People who refuse to understand us and accuse us of things that are totally untrue?

I think we see some answers in Paul’s response.

Paul writes,

Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God.

We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace. (2 Corinthians 1:12)

The most important thing that we can do is to keep a clear conscience before God. That when we are with these people, to deal with them with holiness and sincerity.

It’s a little unclear whether the word in verse 12 should be “holiness” or “integrity.” (The Greek translations for these two words are different by two letters, and some of the Greek manuscripts use one word and some the other).

But either way, our actions should be holy or pure. And they should be filled with integrity, not duplicity. And we are to be sincere.

No matter what others may accuse us of or how they treat us, we are to always live this way, and deal with them in this way.

On the other hand, we are not to deal with them with worldly wisdom. What is worldly wisdom?

James tells us, saying,

But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.

Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. (James 3:14-15)

Rather, we are to respond to them with the wisdom that flows from the grace of God. What is this wisdom like?

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. (James 3:17)

Paul showed that kind of wisdom. As a result, many of the Corinthians came to truly understand him.

To those who didn’t, he reassured them that there were no hidden meanings or agendas in his writings. And he expressed the hope that they too would come to understand that some day. (2 Corinthians 1:13-14)

But until that day, he would continue to live as he always had, with holiness, integrity, sincerity, and grace.

How about you? When others misunderstand you and accuse you, how do you respond?

Let us respond as Paul did, and live in holiness, with integrity, sincerity, and grace towards them.

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1 Corinthians

A grace that is not without effect

1 Corinthians

How do you see yourself?

It’s very striking to see how Paul saw himself. After Saul met Christ, he changed his name to “Paul” which means “little.”

Here he had been this Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee, a man full of himself, proud of who he was and where he had come from.

But when he met Christ, he was humbled. He saw that instead of serving God, he had been persecuting him. He saw that instead of being a righteous man in the eyes of God, he was a murderer.

He calls himself in this passage a man who was “abnormally born.”

The idea was a baby who had miscarried or was stillborn.

Because of his past, he called himself the least of the apostles and said he wasn’t even worthy to be numbered among them.

You may feel the same way about yourself. Like a nothing. Like a person who would have been better off never being born.

But Paul goes on to say,

But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. (1 Corinthians 15:10)

What is Paul saying?

I think he’s saying, number one, that despite his past, God had accepted him as he was.

And second, God’s grace was changing him and would continue to change him throughout the rest of his life.

And that’s what we need to remember. No matter your past, no matter who you are right now at this very moment, God accepts you as you are. Dirt, blemishes, and all, he has accepted you.

But by his grace, he won’t leave you where you are, he will clean you up and make you all that he created you to be.

So how do we respond? With gratitude and humility. Paul writes,

I worked harder than all of [the other apostles] –yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)

Because of his gratitude toward God, it drove him to serve God with all his heart.

But even then, there was no pride in all that he accomplished for God. Rather, he realized the fact that God used him at all was a sign of God’s grace.

God could have accomplished all his purposes without Paul. And yet God chose to use him, broken and stained vessel as he was, for His glory.

How about you? How do you see yourself? Can you say as Paul did,

But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. (1 Corinthians 15:10)

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Romans

The One who establishes us

Romans

And so we finish off Romans.

I think it’s been one of the more fun books that I have blogged through. And as we do, we finish up where we started. With a reminder that salvation is ultimately the work of God.

Paul writes,

Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God. (Romans 16:25-26)

Here we see the wonder of the gospel. That years before Jesus came, God gave glimpses of what was to come through the prophets.

It was something that was unclear for hundreds of years but found its clarity in Jesus Christ. And now this gospel is clear for all to see that,

all nations might believe and obey him. (Romans 16:26b)

But it’s not a gospel based on our works. Rather, it’s based on the grace of God. He is the one who establishes us in our faith, and in our salvation.

Before time began, he chose us, predestining us to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.

Through Jesus, he paid the price for our sin. And through the Spirit, he sanctifies us day by day so that we might become more like Jesus until the day we see him in glory.

That’s the wonder of salvation. Not that we deserved it. Not that we earned it.

But that through his grace, God’s love was poured out on us that we might believe and be transformed into his likeness.

So as Paul said,

To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen. (Romans 16:27)

Indeed, amen and amen.

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Romans

The problem and wonder of election (part 3)

Romans

In the last blog, we talked about how God basically tells people, “I have determined to judge you. Now prove me wrong. Prove that you’re not worthy of destruction.”

And he waits patiently for their response.

We see this kind of thinking in Ezekiel as well. God told Ezekiel,

As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.

Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 33:11)

And again,

And if I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right… he will surely live; he will not die. None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him. (Ezekiel 33:14-16)

The problem again though, is that no one does turn. They just go from bad to worse.

We see this with Pharaoh. God first brought warning and then judgment to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh didn’t soften his heart. He didn’t repent. He deliberately hardened his heart.

You see this in Exodus 7:13 and 7:22, 8:15, 8:19, 8:32, and 9:7.

Then in chapter 9 verse 12, you see for the first time, the words “the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh.”

It was at that point, after countless hardenings by Pharaoh himself that the Lord said,

I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. (Exodus 9:16; Romans 9:17)

But after that declaration and one more brief softening in which Pharaoh said he’d let the Israelites go, we see in 9:34 that once again, Pharaoh himself hardened his own heart.

And from that time on, you see it is the Lord himself who hardens the heart of Pharaoh.

God, in effect said, “That’s what you want to do? You want to harden your heart against me? Fine, I’ll help you along with that process.”

Could God have done more to change Pharaoh’s mind? Could he have shown mercy to the point that Pharaoh changed?

Probably. But to say that God was under any obligation to do so would be completely off.

The only thing that God was obligated to do was to punish Pharaoh for his sins. And that’s what he did.

The wonder of grace is this: That we were exactly like Pharaoh.

We continually hardened our hearts toward God and yet he did not choose to leave us to our own depravity. And he most certainly did not give us what we deserved.

Rather, he kept showing us mercy and grace to the point that we “broke” and responded in faith and love towards him.

So stories like Pharaoh’s are not meant to make us look down in judgment upon the people who were judged and condemned. Rather, as Paul said,

God did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory. (Romans 9:23)

In other words, we are to look at these people and their stories and marvel that though we were just like them, yet God chose to save us.

That though we were not his people, God called us his own and made us his children. That though we were not his beloved, yet he chose to shower his love upon us. (Romans 9:24-27)

That’s the wonder of grace.

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Romans

The jurisdiction of grace

Romans

I said yesterday that Paul is not consistent in using of his metaphor of marriage in this passage.

We saw how he used the metaphor to show that death causes the law to lose its power over a person. Specifically, in his illustration, the husband’s death caused the law to lose its power over his wife.

Paul then says we died and so the law lost its power over us. But instead of tying us to the husband that died, he ties us to the wife who continued living.

Why would he do that?

Let’s put it this way. When the husband died who did the law’s loss of authority affect? The husband? No. It affected the wife who was still living.

Prior to her husband’s death, she was under the jurisdiction of the law of marriage, and she was bound by that law to her husband.

But when her husband died, she was no longer under the jurisdiction of the law of marriage. She became a non-entity to the law because it no longer applied to her.

In short, when her husband died, she died too…but in a different way. She died to the law’s power over her, and was free to marry another person.

How does this apply to us?

Before we came to Christ, we were under the jurisdiction of God’s law. What did that law say? It said, “You must do everything God has commanded or you will die.”

But there was a problem. None of us could keep the commandments perfectly, and so all of us were condemned to die.

So God sent his Son into the world, and Christ did what none of us could do. He kept the law perfectly. He did everything the law required.

Then having kept the law perfectly, he paid the price for all our violations of the law. He paid it in full by dying on the cross and taking the punishment we deserved.

Now God accepts us not because we keep the law, but because we put our faith in Christ and his work on the cross. That’s the jurisdiction of grace in which we stand.

But because we stand in the jurisdiction of grace, we no longer stand under the jurisdiction of law. We are a non-entity to the law. In effect, we died to it.

So we no longer live our lives focused on trying to keep its commandments. Rather, now we are married to Christ, led by his Spirit day by day.

The result of this joining to Christ? We give birth to the fruits of righteousness leading to eternal life, something we could not do under the law.

The question is, do we understand all this?

So many Christians, though they live under the jurisdiction of grace, live as though they live under the jurisdiction of law.

They still think they have to keep the law perfectly in order to be accepted by God. They live in fear of God, because they still feel liable to punishment if they break his laws.

But we are no longer under the law’s jurisdiction. We are now married One who loves us and accepts us right here, right now.

So let’s not live our lives in fear. Let us not worry about whether we measure up to God’s standards.

Rather, let us focus on enjoying the love that is already ours in Jesus, and let’s live our lives in response to that love.

That’s a life under grace.

How about you?

Are you living under the jurisdiction of grace?

Or are you still living as if you are under the jurisdiction of law?

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Romans

What grace is all about

cross

I have memorized many Bible verses in my lifetime. But one of the first passages I memorized was this one.

And though I haven’t really tried to recite it in some time, I’m pretty sure I can still get it word for word (although maybe not the punctuation).

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man, someone might possibly dare to die.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)

A few punctuation mistakes, and a missed capitalization, but other than that, pretty good if I do so say so myself. 🙂

So many things struck me about that passage way back when and still do now.

It wasn’t as though God did for us something that we could do ourselves.

We could not save ourselves. We were drowning in our sin, with no escape, no life preserver, no boat in sight. We were powerless.

In spite of all that, we weren’t even searching for help, no less searching for God.

Yet though our backs were set firmly against him, God sent Jesus to die for our sins that reconciliation between us might be made possible.

Very rarely will a person die for a “morally correct person,” such as a Pharisee. One who keeps the rules and looks down on anyone who doesn’t.

Some people, though, might die for a “good guy.” A person that is kind and caring.

But we were neither “morally correct” nor “good guys.”

We had rebelled against God, turning our backs on him, and living our own way. And by doing things our own way, we hurt God, we hurt others, and we even hurt ourselves.

Yet God didn’t simply turn his back on us and say (literally), “To hell with you.”

Instead, he came down as a man and died in our place.

That’s what grace is all about. That though we deserved nothing good from God, indeed, though all we deserved was punishment, nevertheless, he loved us and reached out in love to save us.

And it’s the grace that God grants to us who believe in him.

We who are guilty. We who are unworthy of his love. We who have been utterly stained by sin. We who were wretches before him.

It truly is, as the song says, amazing grace.

Amazing grace,
How sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me,

I once was lost,
But now I’m found.
Was blind but now I see.

Categories
Romans

The grace in which we stand

Romans

It would be so easy to just zoom past these passages, having read them so often. But I can’t help but linger here and think about all Paul is saying here.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2)

Peace with God.

I think of my own household. Sometimes my wife and I will have a disagreement, and the tension is utterly palpable.

But then we resolve things and there’s peace. No uncomfortable silences. No sudden need to “get some air.”

Instead, a relaxed smile. Laughter. Just enjoying each other’s company.

And because of Jesus, we can enjoy that same kind of relationship with God.

No stepping on eggshells. No wondering what God is really thinking about me. But relaxing in his presence knowing I’m accepted and loved.

Standing in grace.

I was standing in judgment. The judge, gavel in hand, was about to pass sentence.

And then Jesus came, sweeping me out the door, and now I stand somewhere else. In grace.

Grace in terms of forgiveness for every sin I’ve ever committed.

Grace in terms of being in the King’s favor. That though I deserve nothing from him, he looks upon me with a smile, and delights in showering me with good gifts.

So whenever I fail, whenever I fear, whenever I’m in need, all I need to do is look at where I am at. In grace.

Not in judgment. In grace.

And because of that, there is joy. There is hope.

All because of what Jesus did on the cross for me. He gave me access into this grace I now stand.

And not only to me, but to all who put their trust in him.

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Romans

Salvation: gift or obligation?

Romans

In this passage, Paul takes on a very important issue. Is salvation from our sins and eternal life with God a gift from Him, or an obligation on his part to give us what we deserve?

Paul is very clear here. He says,

Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.

However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. (Romans 4:4-5)

Paul couldn’t be clearer.

When a person works under contract, the boss doesn’t at the end of the month walk up to him and say, “Here’s your paycheck. Aren’t I so generous?”

And if he tried, the employee would probably be spluttering with indignation.

“What do you mean you’re generous? You’re giving me what we agreed to. I did the work you required of me. Now you have to pay me.”

But with God, that’s not the case at all. We are not forgiven of our sins and given eternal life because we keep the law. We are not made God’s children because we kept the laws God set up.

On the contrary,

Law brings wrath. (Romans 4:15)

In other words, no matter how hard we try, we fail.

We can say, “Okay, I failed this time, but from now on I’ll keep the law perfectly,” but in the end, we’ll find that we can’t keep our end of the bargain.

No matter how hard we try, we keep breaking the law and incurring its wrath.

It’s what the Israelites learned throughout the Old Testament.

And finally, God had to say (although this was his plan all along), “This Old Covenant based on law is not working because you can’t keep your end of it. So I will make up a new Covenant, not based on what you do, but on what I alone do.”

We see this in Jeremiah 31:31-34,

“The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.

It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD.

“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD.

“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD.

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

In short, “I will no longer require you to change yourselves. I myself will change you from the inside out so that you can do what is right.

You won’t need priests to mediate between you and me. You yourself will have a relationship with me for I will completely forgive your sins, and those sins will no longer be a barrier between you and me.”

On what basis would this new covenant be based? Jesus told his disciples during his last supper with them before his death.

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:26-28; Luke 22:19-20)

So then, salvation from our sins and a relationship with God are based not on what we do.

Based on what we do, we deserve wrath. Rather, salvation is a gift based on what Jesus did on the cross.

It was a gift that was first given to Abraham, long before the law was given. And now it is given to both Jew and Gentile who come to God on the same basis as Abraham did. By faith.

So Paul says in verse 16,

Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring–not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. (Romans 4:16)

More on this next time.

Categories
Romans

Completely throwing out the law?

shaving

I suppose the logical question to all that Paul is saying is, “If the law can’t make us acceptable before God, can’t we just toss it? I mean, it’s worthless if it can’t do that, right?”

But Paul answers here,

Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. (Romans 3:31)

What does he mean, “We uphold the law?”

Basically, it means that we recognize that it has its proper role in our coming to salvation. It was our “tutor” as Paul would later write in Galatians.

What did it teach us? It taught us about God’s holiness. More, it showed us our unholiness.

Paul writes in verse 20,

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (Romans 3:20)

By being made conscious of our sin, we recognize our need for a Savior.

If we never see our sin, if we think we’re good enough to be accepted by God, none of us will ever think we need a Savior. And we’ll never understand why Jesus had to die for us.

But while the law can show us our unrighteousness, it in itself cannot make us righteous.

Let’s put it this way: A mirror can show a man the beard on his face, but it has no power to shave it off. Only a razor can do that.

In the same way, the law is the mirror that shows us our sin, but it has no power to take it away.

God’s grace, however, is the razor by which our sins can be forgiven. We are therefore, “shaved” by grace. (Sorry, terrible joke).

But let’s take this a step further. Just because a mirror can’t shave my face, does this mean I don’t need it? Of course not. I still need the mirror to see where I need to be shaved.

In the same way, the law shows me as a Christian where I’m still imperfect and need to be made whole.

And as I look at it, God by his Spirit starts to lead me, and say, “You know where it says here to love your wife? Here’s what you can do to show love to her today.”

Or, “Do you see this area where it says to forgive? Here’s a person that you haven’t forgiven. I know it hurts when you think of this person. But let me minister to that hurt. Let me heal you so that you can forgive.”

So then, the law is no longer a matter of me trying to keep a bunch of rules by my own efforts. Rather, it’s a way of opening my eyes to what God wants to do in my life.

And as I look at the mirror, I don’t look at it alone, I see the loving face of my Father looking at it with me, with his razor of grace in hand.

It can be a scary thing to see that razor in the hands of another, but if we have the faith to say, “Yes, God,” by his grace, he will shave off those areas of our lives that are hurting us and the people around us.

How about you? When you look into the mirror, do you see only yourself and your flaws?

Or do you see the loving face of your Father, working in you to heal you and make you whole?

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Romans

No room for boasting

Romans

One of the big conclusions that Paul comes down to in this passage is found in verses 27-30.

Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith.

For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too?

Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. (Romans 3:27-30)

In short, when it comes to grace, there is no room for boasting.

God does not accept us because we keep the law perfectly. Nor does he accept us because of our racial background, as the Jews thought.

He accepts us solely because we have put our faith in Christ’s work on the cross.

I think because people don’t understand this, two problems often creep up among Christians.

One is the Christian who says, “How can God accept me when I mess up so much?”

Their problem is that deep down, they still think they have to earn God’s acceptance, and because of that, they feel inadequate. They feel undeserving of God’s love.

But that’s the whole point. Grace is all about the undeserving receiving God’s love and acceptance.

Nobody can stand before God and say, “God, you’re so lucky to have me as your child. Look at how good I am. Look at all the things I can do for your kingdom.”

Instead, all of us stand before God, spiritually poor and needy, with nothing in our hands to offer him. As the old hymn puts it,

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;

Naked, come to thee for dress;
Helpless, look to thee for grace.

The other problem is the Christian who, because they think they’re good, look down on others who are “not so good.”

They become like the Pharisees, judging all those around them, without seeing their own failures and need for grace.

And instead of extending grace to those who need it, they instead bash them further down.

How about you? Do you truly understand God’s grace in your life? Or are you depressed because you think God can’t accept you?

Worse, are you judging others you consider lesser than you and withholding God’s grace from them?

Here’s a good test for you. When you hear the words “amazing grace,” do they touch your soul? Or are they just words to you?

May “Amazing Grace,” not just be a song, but words that penetrate your very soul.

For when they do, you will never be the same, in how you see yourself, and how you see others.

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Romans

To be accepted by God

Sitting at the cross

Our deepest need, whether felt or not, is to be accepted. And not just by anyone. But to be accepted by God.

When we are accepted by God, and we understand this in our souls, our life changes. We find contentment, joy, and peace. We find life.

But how can we be accepted by God? One thing Paul makes clear: it won’t come from following the law. In verse 23, he writes,

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

The word for sin in Greek is a very interesting one. It’s an archery term that means “to miss the mark.”

But it’s not just a picture of missing the bullseye. It’s a picture of completely missing the target.

In other words, we’re not even close to perfection. We fall far short of God’s holiness.

Let’s put it this way. Imagine you sin three times a day. That’s not too bad right?

But multiply that by 365 days in a year. Then multiply that by your age. Suddenly, depending on your age, you’re talking about the tens of thousands.

God can literally read off a list against you that would take hours to complete. And that’s if you’re relatively “good.”

Because of this, we all stand condemned. None of us can stand before God and say, “I’m good enough to be accepted by you. I’ve kept all your laws perfectly.”

The good news? In verse 21, Paul tells us,

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. (Romans 3:21)

How do we get this righteousness? Paul tells us in verses 22-25.

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.

There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. (Romans 3:22-25)

What is Paul saying? We have a lot of what I call Christianese here.

First he talks about redemption. What is redemption?

Redemption is the buying of someone’s freedom out of slavery. All of us were in slavery to sin and the kingdom of Satan. But Jesus bought us out from all that. That’s redemption.

How did he buy us? Through his blood on the cross.

Paul says that God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement.

Atonement simply means a covering. That through Christ’s death on the cross, he covers over our sin and forgives it, drawing us to himself.

Perhaps a better translation of atonement would be another 50-cent word, “propitiation.”

The idea is that God poured his wrath for our sins on Jesus, and now that wrath toward us is appeased.

However you translate it, the point is clear. It is through Christ’s work on the cross we are accepted, not by our works.

And through his death we have now been justified. That simply means that with our sins paid for, God no longer looks upon us as sinners.

You can look at it this way. “God sees me just as if I’d never sinned.”

So now, we are accepted by grace.

Grace is simply the receiving of something that we don’t deserve. We deserved wrath because we turned our backs on God. But instead, God accepts us as his sons and daughters.

All we have to do is have faith, putting our trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins.

Have you done so?

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Romans

Pride and insolence

Romans

In this passage, we see two problems concerning the grace of God.

The first problem is pride. It’s an attitude of, “I don’t need God’s grace. I’m good enough. The people around me on the other hand…”

Paul addresses this attitude in verses 1-3, saying,

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.

So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? (Romans 2:1-3)

Here you see the judgmental attitude some people have. They look around at the people around them and judge them as “sinners.”

But at the same time, they are blind to their own sin. They are so proud, thinking, “Other people may be messed up, but I’m not.”

Yet Paul asks them, “What right do you have to judge others when you do the same things?”

We condemn others for being stubborn and thick-headed, for example, but we can’t see our own pride that causes us to be just as stubborn and thick-headed when relating to them.

Or we look at murderers in the news and are horrified. We demand punishment for them.

But in our hearts we cut people off for the hurts they’ve caused us. In our hearts, we murder them, and they are dead to us.

And so Paul says, “You have no room to judge others. You have no room to look down on others as ‘sinners’ when you do the same things as they do. You need God’s grace just as much as they do. And without it, you’re lost.”

Paul then addresses another problem. Those who presume upon God’s grace, and say, “Well, since God will forgive me anyway, I’ll just live as I want and ‘repent’ later.”

But Paul tells such people,

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? (Romans 2:4)

I like the wording of the ESV here.

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:4, ESV)

In other words, God’s grace is not given to us in order for us to indulge in sin. God’s grace is given to us in order that we might repent and turn away from our sin.

Yet so many people presume on the grace of God, living as they please, hurting both God and the people around them.

So Paul says to both types of people,

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.

God “will give to each person according to what he has done.”

To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

For God does not show favoritism. (Romans 2:5-11)

In short, no one’s going to get away with anything. If we in our pride, think we are above God’s grace because we are so much better than others, we will be judged, and shown to be just as bad as those we judge.

If in our insolence we abuse the grace of God, we also will be punished.

How about you? Do you think you’re above the grace of God? Or do you think that God’s grace is something to be despised?

Such attitudes will lead to judgment.

So let us come humbly before God, admitting our need, and marveling at the love and grace he gives us.

There is no room for pride or insolence in the kingdom of God.

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Romans

Loved and called by God

Romans

And so we hit Romans, perhaps the most important book in the New Testament, because it so clearly sets out what the gospel is.

It was written by Paul to the church in Rome before he had had the chance to visit there.

And unlike many of his other letters, he is not addressing any church-specific problems or issues. Instead, all his focus is on the gospel God had set him apart from birth to preach.

In his greeting, Paul talks about how God had called him to be an apostle and set him apart to specifically reach out to the Gentiles.

It would be easy to take this almost as boasting. “God chose me! God loves me!”

But then Paul wrote,

And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints. (Romans 1:6-7)

You also.

I love those words.

You also.

Paul told the Romans, “You also are called to belong to Jesus Christ. It’s not just us Jews. It’s not just us ‘special people.’

You too are special. You also are loved by God. You also are called to be his saints.”

Sometimes, we wonder how God could possibly love us. We’re nothing special. Why would God even bother with us?

And yet God looked down upon us, even before time began, and said, “I choose you. I love you.”

He saw all our faults, all our sins, all our weaknesses, and despite all that, said, “I set you apart for myself.”

And that’s actually what “saint” means. It means “people set apart for God.”

A lot of us look at the word, “saints,” and we think, “Me? A saint? I’m no saint?”

We think that because we picture saints as people with this halo over our heads who live perfect lives.

But you are a saint not because you are intrinsically better or purer than anyone else, but because God has loved you and chosen you.

That’s grace: the imparting of God’s love to you though you did nothing to earn it. Though you are no better than anyone else. And because God has bestowed his love upon us by grace, we have peace with God.

We don’t have to worry about whether God accepts us or not. We’d only have to worry about that if we had to earn God’s acceptance. But we don’t.

Before the creation of the world, he already chose you and accepted you. And if we could only understand that, how different would our lives be?

No longer striving, no longer fearful. But resting in the love, grace, and mercy of God.

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Acts

No matter the cost

Acts

It’s a little tricky trying to interpret this passage. Were the prophesies concerning Paul going to Jerusalem meant merely to warn him of what was ahead of him? Or were they meant to turn him from the course he was headed?

My guess is the former. From the very day he was converted, he was told that he would have to suffer for the name of Jesus in taking the gospel to both Jew and Gentile. (Acts 9:15-16)

It was perhaps because of this, that when the people pleaded that he not go back to Jerusalem, Paul said,

Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 21:13)

In other words, he was determined to follow Christ no matter the cost, and nothing and no one would ever dissuade him from doing so.

How about you? God never promised that life would be smooth if we followed him. He never promised that everyone would love us for doing so. In fact, he promised the exact opposite. (John 16:33 and 2 Timothy 3:12 among others).

It’s one thing to know God has said this, however. It’s another to face it head on. Will you?

May God give us the grace and courage to face such situations when they do come.

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Acts

Grace alone

Paul and Barnabas

This was probably the biggest theological debate the early church faced, and it was a critical one.

Paul and Barnabas had been taking the gospel to the Gentiles, but not everyone was happy about the gospel they were preaching. Paul and Barnabas were telling the Gentiles (and Jews),

Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38-39)

But not all the Jewish believers, particularly those who belonged to the party of the Pharisees, could fully accept this.

Yes, they believed in the forgiveness of sins through Christ, but they added an additional requirement, that Gentiles be circumcised as Jews and follow all the requirements of the law.

I like how the ESV puts the situation.

Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them. (Acts 15:2)

I can bet there was no small dissension between these men.

And so a great council was held in Jerusalem to discuss the question.

First, Paul and Barnabas talked about all that God had done among the Gentiles. Then the Pharisees stood up and basically said, “That’s all well and good, but they still have to be circumcised and follow all the Jewish laws.”

That set off a round of heated discussion.

I can only imagine the conflict going on in Peter’s heart.

On one hand, he had been born and raised a Jew, following as best as he could the law of Moses. It was still probably hard for him to accept completely God’s message of grace to the Gentiles, and he probably sympathized with these Pharisees.

But it was he who had opened this can of worms in the first place by taking the gospel to Cornelius.

And through these discussions, he probably went through the same war in his mind that he had when God first told him in a vision to kill and eat from the unclean animals and to not call, “unclean” what God had made clean.

But ultimately, it was those words, and the lesson that God shows no distinction between Jew and Gentile (Acts 10:34-35) that swayed Peter.

Finally, he spoke out.

God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.

Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?

No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are. (Acts 15:8-11)

That quieted everyone, and lent more impact to Paul and Barnabas’ words when they reiterated their experiences with Gentiles.

Finally, James confirmed everything they had been talking about by quoting from scripture. With that, all objections died.

What can we get from this? Simply this: it is by the grace of God alone that we are saved.

We’re not saved by Christ’s work and our work. We are not saved, as the Mormons would put it, “by grace after we’ve done all we can do.”

Nor are we saved by grace plus all we can do.

We are accepted by God because of Christ’s work alone.

Like Peter, though, we often struggle with this idea. And because of it, we find ourselves struggling with God’s acceptance of us because we’re not “good enough.”

Or worse, we start looking down on others because they’re not “good enough.”

The truth is that none of us are worthy of salvation.

That is in fact the whole point of grace. That though none of us are worthy, through the blood Christ shed on the cross, we are made right with God.

We don’t have to worry about making ourselves worthy before God. We are already acceptable in his eyes.

Do you believe that? Do you really believe God accepts you?

Never forget the words of Paul who said,

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

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Acts

Through many hardships

Acts

One thing you could say about Paul and Barnabas’ missionary journey: it certainly wasn’t boring.

As well as having much success, they also went through many trials, even to the point of Paul getting stoned and left for dead. It would have been easy to get discouraged and give up.

But not only did they not get discouraged, they returned to the places where they had been persecuted.

Why return? To strengthen the believers there and to encourage them to remain true to the faith. What did they say to encourage them?

We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22)

I don’t know about you, but I’d rather hear about the blessings of God.

But Paul knew that these new converts would go through some tough times. If the people in those cities persecuted Paul, they were sure to do so to these new converts. And so Paul didn’t sugarcoat his words. They would go through hardship.

What was the good news then? They wouldn’t have to go through the hardships alone. God himself would be with them, just as he had been with Paul and Barnabas through their hardships.

And so just as Paul and Barnabas had been committed to the grace of God when they had been sent out from Antioch for this journey, they now committed these new converts to the Lord.

They knew that God’s grace would carry these believers through whatever hardships they might go through. (Acts 14:23)

In the same way, no matter what trials or hardships you may go through, God will always be with you, and his grace will ultimately bring you through to the other side.

The same God that was with Paul and Barnabas is with you now. So whatever you’re going through, don’t give up. And don’t get discouraged.

As the old hymn goes,

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
‘Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

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Acts

A gift

Acts

One of the things that people have a hard time understanding about Christianity is that all that we have is a gift from God. All that we have, and our very lives are gifts from God.

And of course, salvation is the greatest gift of all, as God saves us from our sin and comes to dwell within us through the Holy Spirit.

When we truly understand the grace that we have received from God, it changes our whole view of life as we start to understand his love for us and how much we truly are blessed no matter our circumstances.

In this story, Simon the Sorcerer never grasped this. Before Phillip came, he had everything he could have wanted, power and fame.

His powers, if real, were most certainly not from God, but because of them, he boasted that he was someone great and people believed him.

Then came Phillip, an ordinary man except for one thing. He was filled with the Spirit of God.

And apparently the signs and wonders he performed far outstripped anything that Simon could do. As a result, the people turned from Simon, listened to Phillip, and eventually turned to the Lord.

It’s hard to say whether Simon’s conversion was genuine or not. It’s possible that it was, but his later actions seem to indicate otherwise.

Whether it was genuine or not, it’s clear that he did not truly understand the concept of grace. That it is a gift received and cannot be paid for or earned.

And so when Simon saw the people receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit when Peter and John laid hands on them, he wanted the ability to bestow the Spirit on others and offered to pay Peter and John for it.

But Peter said,

May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.

Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin. (Acts 8:20-23)

What happens when we fail to understand the grace of God?

We think of ourselves too highly.

We think that somehow we deserve the things that God has given us. And when we don’t have the same things that others have, we become jealous and bitter.

Simon was certainly that way. Before Phillip came, he was a somebody. But now with Phillip, Peter, and John there, he was a nobody. And he wanted to be a somebody again.

He was bitter at his loss of stature and jealous of what Phillip, Peter, and John had. And that’s why he tried to buy the gift of God. Not for God’s glory, but for his own.

But while some of us may think of ourselves too highly, others of us have the reverse problem.

We think of ourselves too lowly.

We think that we are so bad, even God cannot save us. Or we think we are so unworthy, that God would never think to give us any good gifts.

If Simon was an actual believer, it’s possible that he swung from one end of the pendulum to the other. That after Peter’s harsh rebuke, he felt his unworthiness to the point where he felt he couldn’t even approach God to ask for forgiveness. Instead, he asked Peter to pray for him.

But the writer of Hebrews tells us,

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16)

None of us deserves God’s grace. So let us not take pride in what we have received nor be jealous of what God has graciously given others.

On the other hand, let us also remember that God delights in giving good gifts to those who are his children, though none of us are worthy to receive anything from him.

That’s what grace is all about.

Categories
Acts

Unity, power, and grace

Acts

What is the church supposed to look like? I think we get a picture of it here.

Unity.

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. (Acts 4:32)

How many churches can say this of themselves? One in heart and mind. One to the point that they didn’t even see their possessions as their own.

All they had belonged to the Lord, and whenever they saw need among their brothers and sisters, they shared what they had to the point that there were no needy persons among them.

But nowadays, many people in the church don’t think that way. When they hear about tithing, they get offended, and say, “It’s my money. All this about tithing is Old Testament law. It has no relevance to me.”

I’d agree that tithing is Old Testament law, and that we are not bound to it.

But to say that it’s your money is not true. God ultimately is the one who made you able to earn your money, giving you your gifts and your talents. So anything you earn off of those gifts and talents ultimately belong to him.

The early church recognized this, and because of it, they were generous with what God had given them, and as a result, there was much…

Grace.

As it says in verse 33,

Much grace was upon them all. (Acts 4:33b)

God, of course, shows much grace to us directly, forgiving our sins, and showering his blessings on us every day.

What we need to remember, however, is that God desires us to be agents of his grace. He wants us to share the grace we have received with others.

But when we are self-centered, holding on to the things God has freely given us, the pipeline of grace gets clogged.

On the other hand, if we get our eyes off ourselves and on to others, grace flows freely within the church.

Power.

With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 4:33a)

Power included miracles as well as the Spirit-infused power of their witness turning them from ordinary, uneducated fishermen into people that turned the world upside-down.

The same Spirit that did that back then can do it today. We need to be praying for that. Not only for the miracles of healings, but for the miracles of changed lives as the Spirit speaks through those who bring us the Word.

A pastor’s words are nothing if they are not infused by the Spirit of God. So let’s pray for our pastors that they would be filled with God’s Spirit, and that he would speak his words through them.

But let’s also pray that God would speak through us as well as we touch the lives of those around us. After all, we are God’s priests to the world too.

Unity, grace, and power. May Christ’s church be filled with these things like it was 2000 years ago.

Categories
John John 18 Luke Luke 22 Mark Mark 14 Matthew Matthew 26

Power and authority, mercy and grace

The gospels

In this passage, there are three things I see in Jesus.

1. His power and authority. Though surrounded by his enemies, he was in total command of the situation. Standing to face his enemies, he asked them, “Who are you looking for?”

And when they said, “Jesus of Nazareth,” he answered, “I am he.” (John 18:4-5)

At this, his enemies immediately fell to the ground at his use of the divine name. (Exodus 3:13-14; John 8:58)

What fear must have struck their hearts at that moment? Jesus then asked again, “Who are you looking for?” (John 18:6-7)

Completely shaken and with a lot less confidence in their voices, they answered, “Jesus of Nazareth,” and probably braced themselves to be knocked down again.

But instead, Jesus simply said,

I told you that I am he… If you are looking for me, then let these men go. (John 18:8)

And though they went up to arrest him, I don’t think there was any doubt in their minds who was truly in control of the situation.

2. His mercy. Jesus’ disciples, however, perhaps thought to take advantage of their enemies’ uncertainty, and one of them cried out,

Lord, should we strike with our swords? (Luke 22:49)

Not waiting for an answer, Peter dashed up and chopped the ear off of one of the men that had come to arrest Jesus.

(Either he had very good aim going for the ear and hitting it, or he was trying to slice the guy in two, and missed. I kind of think it was the latter).

But Jesus rebuked his followers, and told them,

Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? (Matthew 26:53)

There’s an old song that says Jesus could have called 10,000 angels to destroy the world and set himself free.

Actually, the songwriter miscalculated. 12 legions would be more like 48,000 to 72,000 men. (Then again, maybe the songwriter just thought ten thousand sounded better).

Whatever the case, the point is Jesus could have destroyed them all. But he showed mercy to them. He spared their lives, and in fact, ultimately gave up his life for theirs.

3. His grace. While mercy is not giving a person the punishment he deserves, grace is the giving of something the person does not deserve.

And Malchus, the high priest’s servant, found Jesus’ grace as Jesus took Malchus’ severed ear and restored it. (Luke 22:51)

It was the last healing that Jesus ever performed here on earth. Physically, anyway.

For it was through the cross that Jesus brought spiritual healing. And by his grace, our sins are forgiven, and we can find eternal life. And he gives it to anyone who will believe.

Power and authority. Mercy and grace. Are there any better descriptions of our Lord?

Categories
Luke Luke 10

Going beyond the head knowledge

Luke

As I look at this passage, there is one more thing that strikes me.

This is a story about three people that knew God’s word very well. One, of course, was real (the expert in the law), and two were fictional (the priest and the Levite).

Is it any coincidence that Jesus used two people in his story that had the same problem as the expert in the law?

Because though all three knew the law well, though all three could probably rattle off answers to any question about the Bible Jesus gave them, it never went beyond head knowledge for any of them. It never went to their heart as to what it all really meant.

How else do you explain the priest and the Levite in the story passing by the hurt man?

They didn’t truly understand what it meant to love God with all their heart, and to love their neighbor. Rather, they made excuses for their failings, namely, their lack of love.

The expert of the law was the same way. When confronted with the law, and seeing his own failings in the matter, he didn’t repent and cry out, “Jesus, what do I do? I can’t meet the standards God has set up!”

Instead, he tried to justify himself for his lack of love and turn what Jesus meant to be an issue of the heart into an intellectual debate, asking, “Well, what does ‘neighbor,’ mean?”

So when Jesus explained the meaning, and even had the man answer his own question, he brought it back to his heart. “Go and do likewise.”

What did the man do after that? We don’t know.

I’ve mentioned this before, but I think the gospel writers often wrote this way to challenge us. What are we going to do with what Jesus said?

It is not enough to have head knowledge. It is not enough to be able to quote the Bible backwards and forwards. You need to live it. It needs to sink into your heart and change you.

Here’s another question. Did the Samaritan in the story see the actions (or lack thereof) of the priest and the Levite?

This person who only had a distorted view of who God really was, who mixed his religion with false ones, what did he think of the priest and the Levite? Particularly when he acted more godly than they did?

And when people see us, and compare us to themselves, what do they see? Do they ask concerning us, “How can they be so loving? How can they be so merciful? I want to be like them.”

Or do they say, “Is that what a Christian is? I’m better than they are.”

Let us not be merely people filled with head knowledge. Rather let us let it sink into our hearts and live it.

Let us not simply live lives of going to church on Sunday and doing religious things. Rather let us live lives of mercy and grace that others may see Christ in us and desire him too.

Categories
Luke Luke 8

From blessed to blessing

Luke

This is a passage that’s very short, but teaches a very important lesson.

We see Jesus here going out from town to town, preaching the gospel. And along with his disciples, we see three women, Mary Magdalene, the wife of a member of Herod’s household named Joanna, and another woman named Susanna.

We don’t know much about these women. What we do know is that they had all been touched by Jesus.

Mary Magdalene had had 7 demons cast out of her, and Joanna and Susanna either had had demons cast out or been healed of their diseases (or perhaps both). In short, they had all been blessed by Jesus.

Out of their gratitude, they began to follow Jesus, but not only did they follow, they supported his ministry financially.

What can we get from this?

We’ve all been blessed in some way by Jesus. Most importantly, he has blessed us by saving us from our sin by dying on the cross.

But for some of us, he has also rescued our marriages, he has restored our families, he has delivered us from alcohol or drugs, or he has healed our pasts.

But while it’s nice to be blessed, are you also a blessing? Are you always receiving as a Christian, or are you also giving?

Some Christians think, “Why should I tithe? It’s not New Testament teaching.”

That may be true, but we are called as Christians to be givers, even if we’re not told how much to give (2 Corinthians 8:7).

Why? Because God doesn’t simply want us to be a container of his grace. He wants us to be a channel of his grace. He wants his grace to flow through us to touch the lives of others.

Part of that is giving money to support your church, but it goes far beyond that. It means investing your very life in the lives of others.

How about you? Are you simply a container of God’s grace? Or are you a channel of his grace as well?

Categories
Luke Luke 7

Where’s your love?

Luke

As I read Luke 7:36-50, I suppose the question I ask myself is, “How much do I really love Jesus?”

We see in this passage two people.

One was a woman who lived a sinful life. What she did, we don’t know, but considering that everyone seemed to know about her, it would seem to have been a public sin, perhaps adultery and/or prostitution. All this is mere speculation, however.

On the other hand, we have a Pharisee. A person who was publicly “righteous.” He said the right things. He did the right things. He was a person, in short, who had it all together.

This man, Simon, invited Jesus to his house for a meal, and while they were there, this sinner comes in and starts weeping.

Her tears fall on Jesus’ feet as he’s reclining at the table, and she starts wiping her tears with her hair, and then pours some expensive perfume on his feet.

Simon’s reaction was immediate. Contempt. Contempt for the woman. And contempt for Jesus. He thought to himself,

If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner. (Luke 7:39)

But Jesus looks at him and tells him a story of two people who owed a great deal of money, one more than the other, but who were forgiven their debts. Then he asked,

Now which of them will love him more? (Luke 7:42)

Simon, perhaps wondering where all this was going and if this was a trick question, replied,

I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven. (Luke 7:43)

Not the most confident sounding of answers, but nevertheless correct.

Jesus then sticks in the knife, saying, “You know Simon, it’s only common courtesy that a host would give a visitor water to wash his feet, to greet him with a kiss, and to pour oil over his head. But you did none of these things.

“This woman, on the other hand, washed my feet with her tears, and hasn’t stopped kissing my feet since she’s been here. Moreover, she poured this expensive perfume on me.”

Simply put, “Where’s the love Simon? This woman loves me. By her actions, she’s shown the depth of her gratitude for the forgiveness of God in her life. Because she realizes just how much she has been forgiven, her love is deep.

“But you, you have so little awareness of just how much you’ve been forgiven, that your love is practically non-existent. In fact, you take me for granted, and even look on me with contempt.”

He then turned to the woman and said,

Your sins are forgiven. (Luke 7:48)

And while those around buzzed that he would say something like that, he told her,

Your faith has saved you; go in peace. (Luke 7:50)

How about you? How deep is your love? Are you like Simon? Are you so unaware of how bad your sin is, are you so unaware of how much you have been forgiven that you take Jesus for granted?

When we fail to understand God’s forgiveness in our lives, it results in two things. A self-righteous attitude that leads to contempt of others who are “lower” than us. And a love for God that is so shallow as to be non-existent.

But when we truly understand God’s forgiveness, it naturally results in a heart of thanksgiving and love towards God, and a heart of grace and mercy towards others.

What kind of heart do you have?

Categories
Matthew Matthew 11

Learning from Jesus

Matthew

I’ve got to admit, after graduating from university, I never had a real desire to go back to school and get my master’s degree or anything like that.

Looking back on it now, if I had to do it over again, I might do it.

But going to school can be tough. Homework, exams, and of course, tons of reading.

Yet, Jesus does call us as Christians to go to school. No, I’m not talking about going to seminary or Bible college, although God may very well call you to go there. But Jesus is calling us to enter his school.

He said,

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. (Luke 11:29)

This was actually something that many rabbis said when calling students to study under them.

What do we learn in Jesus’ school? We learn who the Father is. Jesus said,

No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. (Matthew 11:27)

So many people want to know who God is, but don’t know how. How, after all, can you get to know an invisible God. It’s impossible…unless he is revealed to us.

And that’s what Jesus does. He teaches us what the Father is like. More than that, when we look at the life of Jesus, we see what the Father is like. As Jesus said,

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. (John 14:9)

When we see the character of Jesus, we see the Father’s character. When we hear the words of Jesus, we hear the Father’s words as well.

We also learn from Jesus how God intended us to live. And how God intends us to live goes far beyond obeying a list of dos and don’ts.

That’s what the Pharisees had. They lived by their lists of dos and don’ts. But so many people in trying to follow them, got weighed down by them.

Instead of finding God’s love and grace, they found condemnation. Instead of finding freedom, they found themselves bound up by all these rules that they couldn’t possibly keep.

But Jesus tells us,

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

Jesus isn’t about rules and regulations. He’s about drawing near to God. He’s about loving those around us.

And when we are weak, he strengthens us. When we lack wisdom, he gives it to us. When we fall, he picks us up. When we are discouraged, he helps us to keep on keeping on.

Because of this, his teaching is not burdensome. It sets us free.

What is the requirement for entering his school? A humble heart. A teachable heart. Things that the religious folks of Jesus’ day didn’t have, but Jesus’ disciples did.

That’s why Jesus said,

I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. (Matthew 11:25-26)

How about you? Are you ready to join Jesus’ school? Are you ready to learn from Jesus?

Categories
Luke Luke 6

What is in your heart

Luke

One thing that I notice about Jesus is that while he will repeat illustrations, he’ll apply it to different situations.

In Matthew, we see him apply the idea of a good tree bearing good fruit and a bad tree bearing bad fruit to false prophets. And his point is to test the fruit (both the lives and the teaching) of those you listen to.

But in Luke, he uses this illustration to challenge us to test our own hearts. The context of it in Luke is the judging of others, condemning those around us, and forgiveness.

And having talked about that, he then says,

No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.

People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.

For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:43-45)

What is Jesus saying here? He’s asking us, what kind of trees are we? What is in our hearts? Is it judgmentalism? Is it condemnation? Or is it forgiveness and grace?

How can we tell what is in our hearts? By the fruit of our words. Because Jesus tells us that from the overflow of our hearts, our mouths speak.

If our hearts are full of condemnation and judgmentalism, that is what will come pouring out of our mouths.

But if our hearts are full of God’s forgiveness and grace, that’s what will come pouring out of our mouths.

A key point to note here is that Jesus associates a judgmental and condemning heart to a bad tree. But he associates a gracious and forgiving heart to a good tree.

So the question we need to ask ourselves is, “What is coming out of our mouths?”

Are we constantly criticizing and judging other people? Or are our words full of grace? Because the fruit of our words show just what kind of trees we are.

What kind of tree are you?

Categories
Luke Luke 6 Matthew Matthew 5

Sermon on the Mount: But it’s not fair

The gospels

There is something in all of us, I think, that screams for fairness. And if something happens that we feel isn’t fair, we scream against it. But is that the best response?

These few verses go against every instinct we have.

Jesus said,

You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’

But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. (Matthew 5:38-39)

Verse 38 comes from the Mosaic law, and it was basically instructions to judges on how people were to be punished for wrongdoing.

The point here is not revenge, but telling the judges to match the punishment with the crime, and not go beyond. If someone cost another an eye or a tooth, for example, you were not to kill the offender for that action.

It should be pointed out, however, that this was never literally carried out. You didn’t actually take out another person’s eye or tooth if they cost you yours. Instead, there was usually some compensation that was paid.

The idea was justice, or put another way, fairness.

But Jesus here says, “Don’t be so concerned about fairness. Instead, be a light, even to those who abuse you.”

The first example he gives is a very interesting one. He says, “If someone strike you on your right cheek, turn the other cheek.”

Now, I’m a lefty (and proud of it). So it would be no problem for me to nail someone on their right cheek.

But for most people, they are right-handed. And the only way for them to lay any kind of forcible blow on the right cheek of another is to slap them with the back of their hand.

In other words, Jesus isn’t talking about someone bullying you; he’s talking about someone insulting you.

In Jewish culture, it was considered a graver insult to slap someone with the back of your hand, than with the palm of your hand.

So Jesus was saying, “If someone insults you, let them. Don’t feel like you have to insult them back.”

Is it fair to just take this abuse? No. But Jesus tells us, “Don’t worry about fairness. Show grace.”

He then says if someone wants to sue you and take your shirt, give them your cloak as well.

In Israel, everyone had many changes of shirts, but generally only had one cloak.

Most people slept in their cloak to keep them warm at night, and Moses’ law said that if you took that cloak as a pledge for a loan, you should give it back to that person before he goes to bed at night. (Deuteronomy 24:12-13)

But again, Jesus says that if someone sues you to take your shirt, don’t worry about fairness. Give them your cloak as well.

Romans could force any Jew to carry a burden one mile because the Jews were under their rule. The Jews balked at that, as would we if we were forced to do something we don’t want to.

But Jesus said, “If that happens, don’t just go the one mile, go one extra. Do more than you’re forced to.”

And finally, Jesus says to lend freely to those around you, not worrying about whether they will return what they borrowed from you.

You might ask, “Are you saying that I should just let people walk all over me?”

No. But if we are only worried about “fairness,” we’re fighting a losing battle because we live in an unfair world.

Life isn’t always fair. We can’t always control that. What can we control?

Our attitude. How we react when life, when people are unfair. We can scream. We can fight.

Or we can show grace. We can show mercy. And if you think about it, that’s what Jesus did for us.

It wasn’t fair that he went to the cross. He never did anything wrong. But he showed grace and mercy to us, and because of it, we can know forgiveness and eternal life.

If Jesus did that for us, shouldn’t we do that for others?

Categories
Matthew Matthew 5

Sermon on the Mount: Not for the “spiritual”

Poor in spirit
www.LumoProject.com

We’re skipping back to Matthew 5 at this point, and we’ll be combining the two sermons on the Mount and the Plain, as they have very similar themes.

Jesus’ words here are slightly different from those we read in Luke. Instead of saying, “Blessed are the poor,” he says “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”

While in the former, he seems to be talking to those who were monetarily poor, in this passage, he seems to be saying something different.

There’s no doubt that some Pharisees, teachers of the law, and other religious folk in the crowd were listening to Jesus speak that day.

And when others looked at them, they thought that these people must be the specially favored of God. They were so spiritual. They knew the Bible so well. They lived such righteous lives.

And probably as people looked at themselves, they felt spiritually inferior.

Jesus’ 12 disciples must have especially felt that way. They had no religious training that could compare with the religious elite. They were just fishermen. One was a despised tax collector.

They were a short-tempered, proud, bickering group. A group that Jesus often chided for a lack of faith.

And yet, Jesus said to them, “Yes you are spiritually poor. But the kingdom of God is for people just like you.”

On the other hand, many of the people they considered spiritually rich would find themselves locked out of God’s kingdom when they came to heaven’s gate. Why?

Because the truth is, we are all spiritually poor. None of us have anything we can bring before God that allows us to say, “See, you have to let me in.”

More than spiritually poor, we are spiritually bankrupt.

The Bible says,

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

In fact, all our righteous works are but filthy rags to God. (Isaiah 64:6)

Because of this, we all need Jesus. All of us need his forgiveness and grace, from the Pharisee to the tax collector, from the pastor to the prostitute. And without it, none of us will enter his kingdom.

Do you feel spiritually poor? Know that there is hope for you.

Even if you don’t have a seminary degree, even if you’re just an ordinary person with no special qualifications, and even if you have totally messed up your life, the kingdom of God is for you.

Why? Because whether you’re a pastor, an office worker, or a prostitute, we are all the same. Sinners in need of grace.

The kingdom of God is not for the “spiritual.” It’s for the sinner.

Do you feel you’re not good enough for the kingdom of God? Cheer up. None of us are.

But if you will humble yourself before God, ask his forgiveness for your sins, and if you will receive Jesus as Lord of your life, he promises you eternal life.

And no matter who you are, there are no second-class citizens in his kingdom.

Categories
Psalms

Rejoicing in God’s favor

Psalms

Psalm 124 was written by David, but it’s not clear what the context of the psalm was.

In all probability, it was written after a great victory in battle when the odds seemed against them. It’s the type of psalm that could’ve been written after David’s victory over Goliath (although I doubt this was the case).

At any rate, we see David rejoicing at the favor of God in his life.

He shouts out in joy, “If God had not been with us, if he had not been on our side, we would’ve been wiped out. But because he is with us, he broke the trap they set for us and we escaped.” (Psalm 124:1–7)

Then he concludes by singing,

Our help is in the name of the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth. (8)

I (fortunately) have never experienced a personal attack on my life, but I am grateful that God saved me from the spiritual trap Satan set for me. That while I was powerless to save myself, Christ died for me. (Romans 5:6–8)

Why did he do so? Because he loved me. Because he was on my side. I don’t know why he would choose to help me, but he did.

And he’s on your side too. So as we read this psalm, let us never forget the grace that the Lord has poured out so richly upon us all.

Categories
Psalms

The God who saves us and fills us

Psalms

It’s hard to tell in what situation Psalm 65 was written. It’s possible it was written after a time of famine or drought as a result of God’s judgment, followed by a time of repentance and blessing.

The psalmist starts with praise to God for his mercies. He sings,

Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion;
to you our vows will be fulfilled.

You who answer prayer,
to you all people will come.

When we were overwhelmed by sins,
you forgave our transgressions.

Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!

We are filled with the good things of your house,
of your holy temple. (Psalm 65:1–4)

Here the psalmist looks back on their sin and God’s judgment. I love verse 3. “When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.”

We were overwhelmed and overpowered by our sins. There was no escape for us from the judgment to come. But “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Now he draws us near to himself and he brings blessing in our lives. We no longer live in fear of him. Rather we look upon him in love for his mercy and grace.

And the psalmist looks forward to the day when all will come before God in heaven and rejoice over his great mercy (verse 1).

He then says,

You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,
God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas (5).

The rest of the psalm looks at God’s power in creation and his sustenance of it through the water he pours down to bless the earth.

But as I read this, I see something else.

I see the most awesome of deeds that our Savior did for us. His death on the cross for our sins. And because he has done so, he truly has become our hope in this dying world.

Now, just as he pours out water from the heavens to bless the earth, he pours out the living water of his Holy Spirit upon us and fills us with Himself each and every day.

Through his Spirit, he brings forth abundant fruit through us as he pours out his grace upon us and all those whom we touch.

Lord, I thank you for your grace that you poured upon me to save me from my sins. That when I was powerless to save myself, you saved me.

Lord, fill me with your Spirit. Let your Spirit overflow in my life that I might bear your fruit and touch those around me.

Thank you for the joy that you pour into my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Categories
Psalms

How God reveals himself

Psalms

Psalm 19 is another one of my favorite psalms and it powerfully shows how God reveals himself to us.

First, David shows us how God reveals himself through creation. He sang,

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. (Psalm 19:1–4)

I think this passage is primarily what Paul was thinking of when he wrote,

What may be known about God is plain to [all], because God has made it plain to them.

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (Romans 1:19–20)

Sometimes people ask, “What will happen to those who have never heard about God? Will God judge them too, when they’ve never even heard the name of Christ?”

The answer to this is, yes they will be judged, but not on the basis of never hearing about Christ.

They’ll be judged on the basis that when they looked at creation, they knew in their hearts that it couldn’t have been an accident, nor could it have been created by the idols made by their own hands. And yet they rejected that knowledge.

When people reject the knowledge that God gives them, he is under no obligation to give them any more.

If he chooses to do so, it’s purely a matter of grace, not of some right to knowledge that we have.

(Actually, any knowledge of himself that God gives to us is purely a matter of grace, anyway).

I will say, however, that if a person, say in Africa, who has never heard the gospel looks up at the sky and says, “I didn’t make this world. No one I know could have made this. It’s impossible that the things I created with my own hands have made this. Whoever you are that made all this, please show yourself to me,” that God will respond one way or another.

Why? Because it is his desire that all be saved. (1 Timothy 2:4)

If you have any doubts about that, just look at the story of Cornelius in Acts 10.

He knew nothing of his need for Christ. Yet because he acted on the knowledge that he did have, God reached down to him and gave him the knowledge of Jesus that he needed for salvation.

God reveals himself to us through creation, but he also reveals himself through his Word. And just as with creation, people need to choose to believe his word or reject it.

We can either say that it’s perfect and trustworthy, or that it’s not. (Psalm 19:7)

We can either say it’s right, or that it’s not. (Psalm 19:8)

We can believe it gives joy and light to our lives, or that it doesn’t. (Psalm 19:8)

David, of course, chose to believe the former. Many others do not. But how we view God’s Word shapes our view of God for the good or bad. And if we reject his Word, then we come out with a distorted view of who God really is.

But when we see God for who he is, we love him, and want to please him as David did. And so David closes this psalm with a prayer, saying,

Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.

Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:12–14)

Categories
Nehemiah

God’s grace in the midst of our unfaithfulness

Nehemiah

In this passage, we see the people coming before God to confess their sins. And in this prayer, we see two things: the unfaithfulness of the Jews and God’s grace.

The prayer starts with how God created everything, and then chose one man Abram to start a nation. It then talks about how the Jews were enslaved in Egypt, but how by God’s grace he delivered them and led them through the desert.

But despite all the miracles he performed, the people wanted to go back to Egypt and return to their lives as slaves. And instead of worshiping God as he is, they made an idol and called that God.

Yet God showed grace even then, providing them food and water in the desert and continuing to lead them.

He then brought them into Canaan, a land of milk and honey, but there they turned their backs on God once more, killing his prophets and serving their own gods.

As a result, God handed them to their enemies, but when they cried out to God in their distress, once again in his grace he saved them. But the time came when finally he sent them into exile. And so the people prayed,

But see, we are slaves today, slaves in the land you gave our ancestors so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces.

Because of our sins, its abundant harvest goes to the kings you have placed over us. They rule over our bodies and our cattle as they please. We are in great distress. (Nehemiah 9:36–37)

Now they came before God with repentant hearts, seeking to renew their covenant with him.

It’s amazing to me that God would show so much grace to them. If I had been God, I would’ve given up on them. But he never did. Even now, he has not given up on these people he has called.

And I think that it’s a good thing. Because I’m just as bad in my own way as the Israelites. I stumble in my sin, and I fall. Like the Israelites, so often I harden my heart and do what I know is wrong.

Yet though I am unfaithful, God remains faithful. And he never gives up on me. For that, I am truly grateful.

Categories
Zechariah

That we may see

Zechariah

In this passage, we see a glimpse of Israel’s future.

Sometimes people think that God has abandoned Israel, and that God’s promises to them have all been transferred to the church. But that’s not true. As Paul said concerning Israel,

As far as election is concerned, they (the Jews) are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. (Romans 11:28–29)

And so in this passage we see how the blinders will be taken off their eyes that they might see again.

It starts with God’s protection over the Jews in the final days when the nations come against Israel to destroy it. But God says that when that happens, the nations will be the ones hurt and sent reeling. (Zechariah 12:2–3)

That will begin the taking off of the blinders, as all Israel will realize that it is God who is protecting them. The day will come when they will say,

The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord Almighty is their God. (Zechariah 12:5)

And as they continue to see God’s salvation in their lives, they will make another realization. The Messiah that they have been longing for has already come. That two thousand years ago, they crucified him.

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication.

They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. (Zechariah 12:10)

At that time, Israel will repent and recognize Jesus as the Messiah, and all Israel shall be saved. (Romans 11:26)

As I look at this, I marvel at the grace of God. Though Israel will not be looking for him, or at least will be looking for him in all the wrong directions, nevertheless they will find him.

Not because they deserve it, nor because they are better than anyone else, but because of God’s love and mercy.

It’s the same with us. He pours out his Spirit of grace and mercy on us that we may see and repent. And when we see Jesus as our Messiah, our Savior, then we like the Jews will find salvation.

As the old song goes,

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost,
But now I’m found.
Was blind, but now I see.

Categories
2 Kings Jeremiah

Grace

Grace

And with one fell swoop, we finish two books, which happen to end with the same story.

We started 2 Kings way back in June of 2012. Now many major and minor prophets later, we finally come to a close here with an epilogue which talks about the end of Jehoiachin’s life.

As you may remember he was the second to last king of Judah, but he only lasted three months on the throne before being taken into exile by King Nebuchadnezzar.

I personally find it a curious story to place here. Why did God see fit to put this story in his Word?

One thing we don’t see is why Jehoiachin was suddenly treated with such favor. The Bible is silent on this point.

Jewish tradition holds, however, that Jehoiachin, upon being imprisoned in Babylon, ultimately repented, and as a result, God caused him to find favor in the eyes of the Babylonian king Evil-Merodach (Nebuchadnezzar’s son).

Whatever happened, I do believe God put this passage here as a picture of his grace. And it reminds me in many ways of what God has done for us.

Jehoiachin had done nothing for Evil-Merodach that he might set him free.

But Evil-Merodach not only set him free, he spoke kindly to him, gave him new clothes, let him feast at his table, and gave him a seat of honor.

That’s exactly what God did for us.

Though we had done nothing for God that he might save us, yet by his grace and mercy, he did so.

He forgave us our sins, setting us free from the chains of sin and death. Not only that, he speaks kindly to us, clothing us with Christ, and one day we’ll feast at his table, crowned with glory and honor.

That’s grace.

Do NOT take this seriously because this is not good Biblical interpretation, but I found it very interesting that the day Jehoiachin was officially pardoned was the 25th day of the 12th month. (He was probably actually set free 2 days later as stated in 2 Kings.)

Who knows? Maybe God knew about the change in the calendar and that Jesus’ birth would be celebrated on December 25th. Perhaps he wanted Jehoiachin’s pardon to be a picture of our own.

Merry Christmas Jehoiachin!

Then again, maybe not. 🙂

All kidding aside, the thing to remember is that all that we are, and all that we have is by God’s grace, and his grace alone.

Categories
Ezekiel

Though we have fallen

Ezekiel

In chapters 35 and 36, we once again see God condemning the nations around Judah for celebrating Jerusalem’s fall.

He first directs his judgment against Edom for harboring hostility, jealousy, and anger against the people of Judah and for trying to take advantage of the Israelites’ plight.

But then he tells the people of Israel that all the nations around them that were celebrating in their fall would be judged while Israel itself would be restored.

But as we have seen before, this would not be because the people were deserving of restoration. Rather, it was solely because of God’s grace toward them.

It wasn’t because of who they were that God restored them, but because of who God is.

His name was blasphemed by the nations because he had allowed Jerusalem to fall.

But in restoring Israel, he would show the nations the kind of God he was.

A powerful God. An awesome God.

A God who does exactly what he says he will.

And a God who can not only punish but restore.

A God not only of wrath, but of forgiveness.

Through Israel, God said, all would come to know that he alone is the Lord.

How would God do this? He would do this by doing what no other god can: change the human heart. He said,

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. (Ezekiel 36:25–27)

God does the same with us.

Though we’ve turned our backs on God and gone our own way, he saves us, not because of who we are but because of who he is. Not because of what we’ve done, but because of what he’s done.

Paul wrote,

He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:5–7)

What can we get from this?

None of us are too far gone to be saved. Though we have fallen, God can still save us.

He doesn’t save us because we are good people. Truly good people would never have to be saved in the first place.

It is we who are sinners, who have walked away from God that need to be saved.

So if you’re feeling far from God, lost in your sin, all you need to do is turn to him. Ask for his forgiveness. And he will hear.

Categories
Jeremiah

Great and unsearchable things

Jeremiah

I love verse 3 in this chapter.

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. (Jeremiah 33:3)

Honestly, I need to do a lot more seeking of God in my life. It seems like I say that a lot lately.

Somehow, however, I find myself getting wrapped up in my life, and not just the important things. (I’m wondering if I should say “important” rather than important).

I think of Jesus and his lifestyle. Every morning he spent time with his Father.

How much power and insight did he receive from those times? How much more power and insight would I have if I did the same.

I do spend time in the Word, but I do need to spend a lot more time in prayer, and in simply listening to him. And the thing is, God promises that if we seek him, we will find him, and he will speak.

Of course, we all need insight into our lives and for our future. But there is one great and unsearchable thing that I think we would all do well to remember: God’s grace.

And that’s what this chapter is about. It starts, though, with the judgment of God. That because of Israel’s sin, judgment was coming. Not exactly a great and unsearchable thing anyone wants to hear.

But then, he says,

Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security…

I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me.

Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth… (Jeremiah 33:6, 8–9)

While speaking to the Israelites, much of this applies to us.

Though we have been broken by sin, God brings spiritual health and healing to us. He cleanses us from our sins and forgives our rebellion against him.

He gives us abundant peace and security. And we will be a people for his renown, joy, and praise, and honor among the nations.

How much would our lives be different if we would reflect on these things each day. How grateful would we be to him? And having received God’s grace, how would it shape our attitudes towards others and our lives?

But there’s one more great and unsearchable thing to remember: The day is coming when Jesus will return.

In verses 14–16, Jeremiah writes,

‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.

“‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch (that is, Jesus) sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.

In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.’”

So often we focus on things that are temporary. But if we would reflect on the fact that Jesus is coming soon, do we really have time to waste on things that are temporary?

How much would our priorities change if we would remember that?

Categories
Jeremiah

The heart of a Father

Jeremiah

This passage has one of my all-time favorite verses in it. I like it because it really shows the heart of our Father.

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. (Jeremiah 31:3)

In this chapter, Jeremiah continues to talk about Israel’s future restoration, and you see God’s heart toward his people throughout it.

In verses 8–9, God promises to bring his people back. Some would be weeping perhaps in mourning for their past sins, while others would be weeping at the mercy God was showing his people in restoring them.

And God said that as they prayed,

I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my firstborn son. (9)

Time and again, you see this heart, that despite his children’s rebellion, God continued to love them with an everlasting love.

“I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:

‘You disciplined me like an unruly calf, and I have been disciplined. Restore me, and I will return, because you are the Lord my God. After I strayed, I repented; after I came to understand, I beat my breast. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’

Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him.

Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,” declares the Lord. (18–20)

Then God said to his people,

Return, O Virgin Israel, return to your towns.

How long will you wander, O unfaithful daughter? (21–22)

What can we get from all of this? The heart of the Father is such that he never stops loving us. And even if we walk away from him, he never stops waiting for our return.

There’s an old song that I love that expresses that sentiment so beautifully.

Almighty God.
The great I AM.
Immovable rock.
Omnipotent, powerful, awesome Lord.
Victorious warrior.
Commanding King of kings.
Mighty conqueror.

And the only time, the only time I ever saw him run

Was when he ran to me, took me in his arms,
Held my head to His chest,
Said “My son’s come home again!”

Lifted my face,
Wiped the tears from my eyes,
With forgiveness in His voice He said
“Son, do you know I still love You?”

He caught me by surprise,
When God ran…

Lord, I thank you that though I fall, though I fail, though I sometimes run from you, you’re always waiting for me to return. I thank you that your love for me never stops. That it’s an everlasting love.

Thank you that you not only wait for me to return, but you run to greet me when I come. I love you Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Categories
Ezekiel

The tender one

Ezekiel

So many times we get the image of God, especially the “God of the Old Testament,” as a hard-liner. Someone who is ready to blast us for every sin that we commit.

But here, God talks of a “tender one” to come. He said,

This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.

On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar.

Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches.

All the trees of the field will know that I the Lord bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall.

I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.

I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’ (Ezekiel 17:22–24)

This passage, I think, has a dual fulfillment.

The first fulfillment was through Zerubbabel, the grandson of Jehoiachin.

Zerubbabel (the tender sprig) came along with Joshua the high priest to lead the first of the exiles back to Jerusalem, and became governor of the people.

There by the grace of God, Israel, the dry tree, started its restoration as a nation, while Babylon, the green tree, had been brought low by the Medes and Persians.

But its second fulfillment comes through Christ. It reminds me of the passage in Isaiah 53, where it says,

[Jesus] grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. (Isaiah 53:2)

Jesus may have come from humble origins, being born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth, but after being put on a cross,

God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9–11)

And now, we can find rest and shelter under his wings of grace.

Where our lives are dry and withered, he can bring life back to us, making us flourish once again.

You may think that God is angry with you and has given up on you because you’ve messed up your life.

But remember that he sent the Tender One that we may know his grace and love. And remember that through his cross, the life that we have wrecked can be restored.

Categories
Isaiah

A prayer

Isaiah

I’ve kind of gotten out of the habit of memorizing scripture and I want to get back into it. A couple of days ago, I worked on Isaiah 30:15. Today it’s this verse.

O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. (Isaiah 33:2)

Somehow, each phrase resonates with me.

O Lord, be gracious to us.

Lord, I need your grace each day. I fail so much. I sin. I let you down. Forgive me. Be gracious to me. And as I receive your grace this day, let me share that grace with those around me.

We long for you.

Lord, my soul thirsts for you. I desperately need more of you in my life. Lord let my heart seek you. Let it be undivided in its pursuit of you.

Be our strength every morning.

Lord, every morning as I wake, be my strength.

As I face the trials of the day, be my strength. As I meet with difficult people, be my strength. As I meet with difficult circumstances, be my strength. Stand with me this day.

Be our salvation in times of distress.

When I’m weighed down by anxiety, deliver me. When the Enemy comes against me, be my defender and my deliverer.

Lord I am weak. I can’t fight the Enemy on my own. So deliver me from evil. And let me overcome.

I ask all these things in Jesus’ name, amen.

Categories
2 Kings

The salvation that comes from God

2 Kings

As I read this passage, it reminds me of the salvation that we receive from God.

First, we learn that it needs to be proclaimed in order for people to receive it.

It’s amazing to me that this girl, who goes nameless in this story, would show such compassion for her master when she was stolen away from her own people to become a slave.

And yet, she cared so much for her master that she told his wife, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” (2 Kings 5:3)

Had she never said a word, he would have wasted away in his leprosy.

In the same way, many people are wasting away in their sin, and unless we tell them about the one who can save them, they will die in that sin.

Paul wrote,

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?

And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?

And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

And how can they preach unless they are sent?

As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:14–15)

The second thing about salvation is that it has to come God’s way, not our own.

When Naaman was told that he would have to bathe in the Jordan, his first reaction was revulsion.

“Why should I go to the Jordan? Why not the rivers in my own land? They’re much better than the Jordan!

“What kind of prophet is this anyway? I thought he would just wave his hand over me and I would be made clean. This guy wouldn’t even see me!” (11–12)

But Naaman had to learn that healing wouldn’t come by doing things his own way, but through God’s.

God required that he show humility, admitting that he couldn’t help himself.

And God required that he demonstrate faith, believing his word and then obeying it.

He requires the same from those who seek salvation today: that we would humble ourselves, admit we are sinners who need help, and then put our faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins.

Finally, salvation is not a gift we can buy.

I believe that it was for this reason that Elisha refused payment and that Elisha’s servant Gehazi was punished with leprosy for lying to Naaman and saying that Elisha had changed his mind.

God had wanted to make clear that this salvation Naaman had received was a free gift.

But Gehazi ruined that picture God was trying to show Naaman and the Arameans.

In the same way, salvation from sin is a free gift.

We cannot pay for it. We cannot earn it.

All we can do is humbly receive it.

As Ephesians 2:8–9 says,

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

Categories
Genesis

At what cost?

Genesis

Last night, I chatted with a student, and he talked about how he loves fishing.

His family lives in Mie Prefecture, but he lives in Osaka prefecture most of the week because of his job. He apparently goes back to visit his family every weekend… sort of.

Instead of spending time with his family, he usually goes out fishing.

He told me with a big smile on his face, “My wife always complains when I go out fishing and says I should spend more time with my daughters (8 and 10 years old respectively).”

As an English teacher, and especially meeting him for the first time, I couldn’t really say anything, but in my head, I was thinking, “You may enjoy fishing, but at what cost?”

He never sees his kids during the week nor his wife. And when he does come home, he never spends much time with them. The day will come when he finds that he has totally alienated his family… if that day hasn’t come already.

All of us make decisions in life. Sometimes we even make them thinking they’re for the best. But the question we need to constantly ask ourselves is, “At what cost am I doing these things?”

Lot’s daughters were desperate to preserve their family line. Their husbands had been killed when Sodom was destroyed. Their father had taken them away to the mountains, and they were basically living as hermits there, cut off from civilization.

And so they got their father drunk and slept with him. They preserved their family line, but at what cost? They degraded themselves and their father.

I wonder how Lot felt when he found out. He had made his own mistakes. At this point, he had nothing. There was no reason he couldn’t have gone back to Abraham. Abraham would’ve taken him in. But perhaps Lot was too ashamed at what had happened to him.

So he kept his pride and stayed away. But at what cost? What pride he had left was stripped away by his daughter’s actions.

But the amazing thing is that even from the depths that we find ourselves in because of the bad choices we make, God can still find a way to redeem the situation.

One of Lot’s daughters gave birth to a son named Moab.

Years later, from that family line came a woman called Ruth, who traveled with her mother-in-law Naomi to the land of Israel.

Ruth married a man named Boaz, and if you look far enough down that family line, you find the name of the ultimate Redeemer: Jesus.

Lot and his daughters made awful decisions. And yet God was still able to find a way to turn their situation into something that had worth.

He can do the same with us.

Maybe you married a non-Christian, and now you’re facing marital problems because of it.

Maybe you neglected your family, and now your wife is leaving you.

Maybe you walked away from God to pursue your career, and now your life feels empty, and you feel that God has abandoned you.

Whatever mess you’ve made of your life, God will not abandon you. He will not give up on you. And he can turn the most horrible situation into something beautiful.

All you need to do is turn to him. Admit that you’ve made bad decisions. Ask for forgiveness. Ask for his help. And God will be there for you.

It doesn’t mean that God will necessarily take away your problems. But he will see you through them.

As it says in James 4:10,

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.