Living in Christ

10/02/12 Since we have such a sinful nature and everything we do is tainted then you may begin to think that it is hopeless. But I can assure you it is not. No sooner than Paul had written about the sinful nature than he penned Rom.8:2, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Paul knew well that the law of sin warred against his mind and brought him into captivity (Rom.7:23). He knew that in his own strength and will-power he was helpless (Rom.8:18). But there was another law that had set him free. This law was none other than the very Spirit of life. Paul knew that it wasn’t what was in him, but something on the outside that was put on his inside. If he was ever going to be fruitful for the glory of God, it would have to come from One greater than himself. The Spirit of Jesus would live His life through the person of Paul. This is what Paul meant when he wrote to the Philippians, “For me to live [really live] is Christ.” (Phil.1:21) This is what he meant when he wrote to the Galatians, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Gal.2:20) This abundant life that Jesus promised (John 10:10) would not come from our resolve to do better or by our self-determination. It comes to the extent that we surrender to Christ. I must die daily in order to live! I must die to my efforts and my ways, and whatever else is mine. I must begin to see myself as a part of Christ’s body. I am his hands and His feet and His mouth and so on. When a skilled craftsman builds something that is a work of beauty, no one praises his hands, they praise him. When the Lord does His work through us, He is glorified and we are blessed. If we truly want our Lord to be glorified we must allow Him to will and work in us according to His good pleasure (Phil.2:13). Are you willing to go before the Lord and allow Him to examine your motives and attitudes? Is the Lord really working through you or are you simply trying to do the best you can? Remember your best, apart from Christ, is like the filthy rags that Joshua had on. Can you honestly say, “For me to live is Christ!” Prayer: Father, You do in me and through me as You wish. I surrender my all to You. In Jesus name, amen.

Difficult people

10/01/12 The greatest challenge we face in life is people. People can be difficult to deal with. Even the best of friends can have disagreements that may never be resolved on this side of heaven. The apostle Paul and his encouraging friend Barnabas could not agree on what to do with John Mark. As a result they had to go separate ways (Acts 15:36-40). (Paul did resolve the issue with Mark later is his ministry 2 Tim.4:11.) King David’s long time friend and worship companion, Ahithophel, betrayed him and even sought to kill him (Psa.55:12-14). While I could give more examples of difficult people there is one particular person that causes me the most difficulty and that is the one I want to deal with. And while I’m at it, this person is the most difficult one that you deal with as well. That person is the one you see in the mirror each day. The one who gives me the most grief is me! The reason that I cause others as well as myself difficulty and grief is because of my sinful nature. There is within each of us a sinful nature that the Bible usually refers to as the ‘flesh.’ We inherited it from our ancestor, Adam. Every one that has been born has inherited this hideous sinful nature that is contrary to God and everything that He represents. Most of those who will read this know that sin is wrong, it is breaking God’s law (1 John 3:4) and sin is omitting what we should be doing (James 4:17). But sin runs far deeper that most of us realize. There is not a part of our being that is not tainted by sin. When I am at my very best sin is still a part of what I am doing. The Bible says it this way, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find” (Rom. 7:18). Paul knew sin was so strong in his life that he was unable to even to do one single ‘good’ act without it being tainted by sin. Remember Joshua the high priest clothed in those filthy garments (Zech.3). Those garments represented his attempts to do ‘good’ things apart from God. His ‘good’ works were so tainted by his sin that the devil could accuse him and be truthful. When you and I attempt to live apart from Christ we will not accomplish anything that is pleasing to our Lord (John 15:5). When we begin to see our wretchedness from God’s perspective we will flee to the cross and allow the blood of our precious Savior to cleanse us and make us fit for the Master’s use. How long has it been since you were convicted of a particular sin? What did you do about it? Prayer: Lord Jesus, if not for you I would be lost in my sins and bound for a hell that I deserve. Thank you for saving me and cleansing me. Work in me and through to do accrdong to your good pleasure. In Your name, amen

Redemption and restoration

09/29/12 Zechariah 3 is a story about redemption and restoration. Joshua the high priest is standing before the Lord clad in filthy clothing. And Satan is standing beside him to oppose him. It is a grim picture to be sure. God had moved upon the heart of a pagan king to release the people from bondage and sent them back to rebuild the temple. The captivity had, after seventy years in a foreign and cruel land, ended. But there was still a major problem. The high priest was unfit to lead the people in worship. What good would it do to have a temple if there was no one to lead them into the presence of the Lord? Joshua’s filthy clothing represents his iniquity as well as those he was to represent. Iniquity is one of the major words in the Old Testament that describes sin. One of my Hebrew dictionaries explains iniquity this way: “This word indicates sin that is particularly evil, since it strongly conveys the idea of twisting or perverting deliberately. The noun carries along with it the idea of guilt from conscious wrongdoing (Gen. 44:16; Jer. 2:22). The punishment that goes with this deliberate act as a consequence is indicated by the word also (Gen. 4:13; Isa. 53:11).” Joshua is standing before the Lord and what Satan is vomiting out about God’s high priest is true! Joshua is compared to a piece of firewood (3:2) that is plucked from the fire. At first glance it seems as though all is hopeless. But the Lord speaks for Joshua. He sends Satan backing, removes Joshua’s iniquity, clothes him in priestly garments, and tells him that if he will walk with the Lord, God would bless him and the people he was to lead. But an even greater promise was given in 3:8. God promised to send One who would one day remove all iniquity in one day! This promised ‘BRANCH’ is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ. Have you ever felt like all was hopeless? Imagine being like a stick in the fire that is dried up, dead, and about to be destroyed. When all seems hopeless there is the BLESSED HOPE. You may be covered in the filth of your sins but our Lord will remove then in one day if you will come to Him. He will cloth you in garments of His righteousness and put you to work in His vineyard as one of His branches. (John 15:5). He Himself will lead you into the presence of God! What a Savior! Prayer: Father, words cannot express my heart. You have done a work in my heart and I rejoice and give you all the praise and glory. In Jesus name, amen.

Motivation

09/28/12 My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work (John 4:34). Ministry to our Lord should be enjoyable and a blessing. If you are in the service of the Lord Jesus and you don’t feel as if you are being blessed something is wrong. The Lord Himself said that doing His Father’s will was like was like partaking of food; it brought strength and nourishment to Him. If you aren’t experiencing joy in the ministry one area that is usually suspect is your motivation. If your motivation is anything other than love for God and His glory then as far as God is concerned you aren’t serving. When Paul was describing the ministry he said the love of Christ compelled him (2 Cor.5:14). The word ‘compel’ means to be shut up or be closed in so that you can only move in one direction. (See Phil.1:23 for an another example of this word.) Paul had one direction or purpose in his heart and that was his love for the Lord and the Lord’s love for him. Paul was surrounded and controlled by the love that Christ had displayed for him on the cross and that brought him great joy. 1 John 4:19 says, “We love Him because He first loved us.” This is why Paul could continue ministering to people who wanted to harm him. He knew that the Lord loved him even while he was in active rebellion against the very One who died for the sins he was committing. (Rom.5:6-8) God sends people into your life that are difficult to love. Sometimes they are more like enemies (Matt.5:44). And certainly they don’t deserve to be loved. But that is exactly the point. Paul didn’t deserve Christ’s love either but he received it. And since Christ has poured His love into Paul, Paul wanted to love others the way His Lord loved him. When we love the way Jesus loves that is a supernatural act as God works in you and through you. This love brings glory to God because God loves others through you. And you are filled with joy and strength! Do you really love the Lord? Could you list people right now that you love that don’t love you? Prayer: Father, I pray this morning for myself. I need your Holy Spirit to fill me so that I can love with the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. Increase my love! In Jesus name, amen.

Ministers

09/27/12 All of God’s people are to be ministers. We are to be used of God to meet the needs of others. God works in us and through us to accomplish His will and work. Philippians 2:13 says, “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Ministry is not something you do for God but what God does in you and through you and for you. Ministry that glorifies the Lord must be done in His strength. Let me share an Old Testament example. The people had returned to the land and though the rebuilding of the temple had begun it hadn’t been worked on in about 16 years. Those called upon by God to rebuild it were not only caught up with their own desires but the obstacles to finish it were like mountains that were unmovable. The circumstances were dark and seemingly hopeless. God speaks to the heart of the prophet Zechariah in a vision to call the people back to what God had already commanded them to do. In chapter 4 of Zechariah God showed the prophet a vision of a lampstand that had oil supplied from two olive trees. The lampstand indicated God’s light and presence. And with His presence comes the power to remove the mountains of obstacles. God told the prophet Zechariah that the temple would be built not by might nor by power but by God’s Spirit. Not even mountains would stand in the way of the One who made them. His work would be accomplished and God would be gloried and His people would be the better for it. The ministry that God called the people to do in Zechariah’s day could not have be done unless God did it through them. Nothing has changed. Every minster who wants to meet the needs of the ones God has called him to, knows he can’t do it without the Lord working in him and through him. It may be possible to do the work of the ministry and still not minister. When true Spirit-empowered ministry takes place hearts are changed and our Lord is glorified. All else is only an appearance of ministry. Is God working in you? How do you know? What evidence can you point to? Do you have a mountain that needs moving? Prayer: Father, the work that you have called me to is impossible without you. I surrender myself to you. Do whatever you need to do in me so that you glory will be seen through me. In Jesus name, amen.

Slave

09/26/12 Slave. The word is not something that is usually on anyone’s list of what they would like to be. Yet all of us are slaves. Romans 6:16 says, “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” According to this verse whatever you submit your lives to will result in either death or being right with God which is true life. I see no need to tell you of the effects of sin because you know them by experience, but I do want to tell you about being a slave to Jesus. Though He is my Master, He is kind, loving, benevolent and merciful. He knows all about me yet He stills loves me. He made me and has great and marvelous plans for my future. He loves me so much, He not only paid for my sins on the cross, but He created good works for me before I was even born. His Spirit indwells within to empower me to carry out the works he planned so that I can serve Him acceptably and fruitfully. For these reasons and many more I am glad to be called His slave and honored that He allows me to serve Him. This truth motivates me to serve Him with all I have, regardless of whether others notice it or not. When I acknowledge that I am at His disposal for His good pleasure and his good pleasure is to bless me, I want to give Him my all and my best. And serving Him is not burdensome because it is an act of love on His part and mine. I serve Him because I enjoy pleasing the Desire of my heart. Being a slave to His great love keeps my eyes on him and off of others. A slave of the Lord Jesus Christ – what a blessing and what freedom! Are you obedient to your Lord? Does it bring you joy to hear from Him? Are you a ready and willing servant? Prayer: Father, in the name of Jesus, I come before you. If you will speak to my heart as I read Your word I will joyfully do as you say. I want to be your faithful servant. Amen.

More Like Jesus (part 6)

09/25/12 (part 6) God has not only predestined His people but He has also called us. This calling is by means of the gospel. Listen to what Paul said about this calling: But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thess. 2:13-14). We are called to be with Jesus Christ and walk with Him in fellowship (1Cor.1:9). God calls people to Himself as His people share the gospel. The call is answered by repentance and faith. And the ultimate purpose of this call is, in the words of Paul, “for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” How exactly the Spirit of God witness to our spirit is somewhat of a mystery. But one thing is certain – communication must take place. You must hear from God and respond in a manner that is acceptable to God. The only thing that is acceptable is faith. (Heb.11:6) This will involve conviction of sin, repentance, believing what God has said and a willingness to act on what you hear. Those who have heard the call have met with the thrice holy God and have understood that their only hope is in the blessed hope – the Lord Jesus. The called have understood that they deserved death for breaking God’s law. Yet God in His mercy forgave them of their sin because Jesus paid the price of death for them. God then justifies (a court term meaning to declare not guilty) them and pours His love into their hearts by giving them His Spirit. And from God’s point of view we have already obtained that glory that Paul spoke of. So here is at least one point of application: My dear reader, no matter the trial or the intensity of the suffering, you can find rest in this wonderful truth. God is doing in you whatever is necessary whether you like it or not, to conform into the likeness of the One who died for you. When our glorious Lord returns He will conform our lowly bodies to be like His (Phil.3:20). PTL what a Savior! When was the last time you heard from God? How long has it been since you were convicted of sin? Can you right now bow and worship God even if you are experiencing trials? Does the truth being conformed to be like Christ intensify your worship? Prayer: Father in heaven, You are more glorious than I can even imagine. I want to live out this glorious truth in my life so others can see Jesus in me. Grant me opportunities to share the gospel with others. In Jesus name, amen.