Ward's Words | BY WARD PIMLEY

Sharing the Lord's Message of Grace

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Author: Ward Pimley

  • Controlling the Unguarded Tongue

    And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. (James 3:6 NLT)

    “It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” (Matthew 15:11 ESV)

    Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29 BSB)

    What you say can preserve life or destroy it; so you must accept the consequences of your words. (Proverbs 18:21 GNT)

    Missed a blog post? Find prior posts at LoveAndGrace and tweets at Twitter.

    HERE’S A QUIZ.

    How many of us have heard the nursery rhyme that ends with these words: “but names can never hurt me”?

    Most of us.

    Now, how many of us believed it?

    I never did. Anyone else?

    57.Playground-taunts

    Years gone by, when a playmate’s taunt got to me, I got defensive. Then some adult (usually my dad) would recite that little rhyme, with the admonition not to let the little stuff get to me.

    Well, it did … and it wasn’t little stuff, either.

    Instinctively, I sensed with my little-boy brain what the grown-up me has come to know:Behind whatever the “mean” words were was a mean feeling. It came from the other person’s heart and merely shaking it off  was not enough for me.

    Jesus spoke about the heart to His disciples when the Pharisees complained that they were not ritually washing themselves before eating. Our LORD looked sadly at the speaker, then searched the faces of each of the synagogue leaders gathered before Him.

    “It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person,” our LORD declared, enunciating each word for effect, “but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” (Matthew 15:11 ESV)

    +++

    WORDS NOT ONLY CAN HURT, they can set into motion a whole set of actions and reactions that quickly spin out of control, often to the speaker’s surprise.57.Ritual-handwashing

    Here’s an example:

    “That’s not what I said!”

    “Yes, it is. I was right here. I heard it.”

    “Well, I didn’t mean it that way.”

    “Maybe you didn’t, but that’s what you said. How was I supposed to know what you meant?”

    Or these examples:

    “Did you hear that …”

    “You know what really galls me?”

    “You’re about one inch from getting a piece of my mind.”

    “You’re such a brave woman. I could never wear that shade of green this time of year.”

    “You know what the matter with you is?”

    While many of the bromides thrown about are not intended to hurt, many are.

    Try this. Cue up FaceBook and scroll through the offerings. Don’t comment on anything, just go through the list of what your “friends” are posting. Now look at some of the comments posted in response to the original posts and the responses to those comments.

    57.Girl-cryingDon’t count them, but just notice the number of times someone uses the occasion — maybe it’s the anonymity of cyberspace — to lance someone.

    +++

    NOW, LET’S GO BACK TO THE BIBLE.

    Let’s compare the types of words many of us hear every day … and maybe even we say … with how Almighty God wants us to talk.

    Try to hear our conversations against the backdrop of Jesus, who said that a person’s speech marks his or her character, because the words come from the person’s heart. They reflect what the speaker is feeling.  (Matthew 15:11)

    Or listen to the apostle Paul remind us to say only those things that will benefit someone else, not harm them. He said: “Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29 BSB)

    Or Solomon, the wise king of ancient Israel, writing that we’re responsible for what we say, both the good and the bad. He said: “What you say can preserve life or destroy it; so you must accept the consequences of your words.” (Proverbs 18:21 GNT)

    +++

    SO WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US?

    God left it to James to “tell it like it is.” James is such a good choice because he was the oldest of Jesus’ younger half-brothers. (Imagine growing up with God as your older brother! James never caught on to who Jesus was until He was resurrected from the dead.)

    James tells us that the “tongue is a flame of fire.” He said it is “a whole world of wickedness, corrupting the entire body.” (James 3:6 NLT)

    That’s pretty serious.

    57.Tongue-fireIf we go back to the Gospels and watch how Jesus handled his accusers, we see that He never, ever sunk to their level rhetorically. He modeled love, patience, and understanding. Yes, He had the advantage of being divine, but He also was fully human.

    Speaking just for myself, I find the standard set by Jesus very difficult to match. Even when I graciously hold my tongue, I am still frustrated because I often do not have a replacement sentence immediately available; you know, a sentence that would encourage my accuser or signal forgiveness and fellowship. Instead, I remain silent and pray that my silence will be a form of reaching out.

    +++

    IN THE END, OUR MASTER HAS GIVEN US the words to say … and a mission to fulfill.

    After His resurrection and immediately before His ascension into heaven, our LORD told His disciples (and, by extension, all of His followers down through the ages — including us), what that mission is. 

    He wants us to go to our neighborhoods, and our communities and states, and throughout our country and even to the ends of the earth with a message of hope and redemption.57. JESUS - Ascension 2

    He said our mission is to share the fruit of the Holy Spirit: words of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV)

    Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20 (CSB) directs us to spread the word, to tell everyone the world over about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, “teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.”

    Instead of using our tongues to spread lies or hatred or zingers or greed, the Christ wants us to use our tongues to speak for Him. In His final words on earth, He says it this way: (Acts 1:8 ESV), “You will be my witnesses.”

    +++

    PRAYER: O LORD, our God, hear our prayer. How often we grieve the Holy Spirit with our words. We use our words to reduce others, to put them down, to spread rumors about them, to malign them. Oftentimes, we don’t actually say the words out loud, but we say them to ourselves. That’s just as grievous to the Spirit. Guard our tongues, O LORD, and help us see how hurtful our words can be. Our LORD and Savior told us to use our words to tell others about Him and His love for us. We undermine that message with our sinful talk. In Jesus’ loving Name we pray. Amen

  • Confessing Our Sin to One Another

    Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16 NIV)

    If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 NIV)

    You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.” (Matthew 21:22 NLT)

    Missed a blog post? Find prior posts at LoveAndGrace and tweets at Twitter.

    CONFESS MY SIN TO SOMEONE ELSE!

    Well, that’s not going to happen.

    Those are the so-called famous last words of someone whose faith wasn’t strong enough 56. Prayer-Partners-menor developed enough to understand how much healing occurs when we unburden ourselves to one another (man to man or woman to woman).

    There is a reason God put those words in His Bible, and it wasn’t just to give us another entry on our Bible verse memory flash cards.

    What’s more remarkable is who God called on to give us those words. It was James, Jesus’ half-brother. James was the oldest of the pesky younger brothers who failed to understand during childhood and adolescence that their “perfect” older brother, the goodie two-shoes, was actually God, himself.

    Talk about having some sin to confess.

    How about, “Jesus, my Lord and Savior, please forgive me. I’m the one who told our father — actually, my father, I guess he wasn’t yours — that it was you who spilled the sawdust from his workbench into the cake Mom was baking for his birthday. Actually, it was me. I did it. I’m sorry.” Pause. “You knew? How?” Pause. “Oh, right, of course you did.”

    +++

    I REMEMBER HOW LIBERATING IT WAS TO CONFESS MY SIN TO A MORTAL.

    Severals years ago on a Sunday morning, I was given several opportunities to place my father on our small group’s prayer list. My mother had passed shortly before.

    I chose to skip each time the offer was extended, choosing instead to lift prayer for other members’ aging parents, marital and financial issues, and probably even their sick pets,
    56. Prayer_corporate-prayeras well.

    I simply wasn’t willing to “give” my father the healing power of corporate prayer. Now, I was not a Christian at the time — still a seeker — but still the irony of my father-less prayer circle should not have been lost on me.

    At lunch that day, I received a text message from one of my brothers telling me that Dad had been diagnosed with Stage 4 bone cancer.

    I was crushed. It wasn’t so much my sadness for my difficult dad’s physical trauma — it was the weight of my own failure to extend the blessings of  God’s healing grace, not only to my father for his illness, but also to me, for my hardness of heart.

    That afternoon, I picked three close friends from the prayer circle and “confessed” in an e-mail my sin and my father’s need.

    Immediately, the Holy Spirit went to work. Among other things, He led me to contact Dad’s local church across the country and inform them of his condition. Without his being able to tell them, there was no other way anyone would know, at least for awhile.

    One person I shared this story with said, “Thank God you called his church.”

    “Yes,” I replied. “Thank God.”

    +++

    AS THE NEXT FEW YEARS PASSED, I became a Christian, confessing my sins and telling the Father I believe His Son is the Christ and that I need Him to reign in my heart. Please send me the Holy Spirit. Thank you very much!

    I also became more comfortable with the notion of confessing sin to another man. I also learned why the confession-acknowledgement ritual could not be man-woman because their mutual interest would interfere with the information that would need to be shared.

    The verse in James to confess your sin “to each other” and subsequently pray “for each 56. God-Knows-Our-Sinother” implies a mutuality here, wherein each person confesses sin to the other. Unless one man’s (or woman’s) heart is unduly burdened and needs immediate relief, this is not a one-way deal. This is a  sharing among believers.

    The larger point is that (a) God knows of our sin even before we confess it, (b) our confession of sin to God grants us forgiveness from the eternal consequences of sin, but it is only in (c) where we are granted forgiveness from among our peers that the real healing takes place.

    Let us not forget that God is not our peer and that sin confessed to God, while necessary and liberating, still remains secret in the eyes of our friends and family.

    +++

    ONCE I CONFESSED MY SIN, the Holy Spirit was able to use the opening in my heart to inspire me to appropriate action to help my dad, to relieve his suffering, even though he lived across the continent from me. Absent my confession of sin, I have no reason to believe I would have thought on my own of seeking help for him. The confession softened me.

    Of course, the example drawn here in which confession was given is different from 56. God-Collects-Your-Tearsmany of the examples we tend to face in that I was not confessing to the one against whom I had sinned. Still, the principle of emptying oneself in submission to Divine authority is the same.

    Once we learn the confession part of forgiveness and the healing power of joint prayer, we can see how much easier it is to grant forgiveness.

    The practice of confession to one another requires humility, especially because there’s no guarantee the other person will grant forgiveness. Still, confession must be given.

    More recently, I’ve taken to heart the maxim that the partner who is stronger-in-faith should confess first. That can be taxing over time but probably is a worthwhile practice. God is calling on the stronger partner to act according to his greater faith.

    +++

    GOD IS SO FAITHFUL.

    Yes, He requires us to act according to biblical principles that seem easy when Jesus did them but difficult for us to emulate, but He doesn’t leave us helpless.

    He gives us grace as our reward.

    David was not only a warrior and ancient Israel’s greatest king but also a musician and psalmist. After a battle won for Israel by God’s intervention, David wrote these words, but they may comfort us in so many circumstances today:

    “Those who sow in tears will reap with sounds of joy.” (Psalms 126:5 NIV)

    +++

    PRAYER: Dear LORD, You are so merciful in giving us a way out of our sin. Not only have You shown us Your grace by offering us forgiveness when we repent, but You’ve shown us that by confessing our sin to fellow believers, we can experience further healing. LORD, protect us from the arrogance of pride that prevents us from taking advantage of this gift. Thank You, LORD, for Your grace and mercy. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

     

  • Keeping Faith Against Pushback

    Missed a blog post? Find prior posts at LoveAndGrace and tweets at Twitter.

    And the king [King Josiah] stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. (2 Chronicles 34:31 ESV)

    Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. (Galatians 6:9 NASB)

    But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31 NLT)

    YOU SAY YOU’VE GOT PROBLEMS.

    Well, me, too, but let’s take a look at the mess King Josiah faced.

    Haven’t heard of him? Let’s change that.

    Six hundred years before Christ was born, Josiah became king of Judah (the southern 55.KingJosiah-BoyKingportion of Israel) at the age of 8. The Bible says he “did what was right  in the eyes of the Lord,” which means he purified the land of totems to pagan gods and cleaned up the Lord’s Temple.

    About 10 years into his reign, the priests came across a book of writings from Moses. This book was given to the Israelites in the desert after God freed them from slavery in Egypt. In it, Moses told the Israelites of God’s rich blessings if they worshipped Him and remained faithful.

    If they worshipped other gods, however, then God’s wrath would be upon them.

    Remember this: the priests found this book of God’s instruction shoved in a dusty back room of the Temple, covered, no doubt, with dust and cobwebs.

    Josiah knew his kingdom had been disobedient and that JUDGMENT was on the way.

    A prophetess confirmed for Josiah that not only was God angry with the Israelites, but there was nothing Josiah could do to prevent judgment. God’s actual words: “My anger will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched” (v. 25).

    Ouch!

    But God in His mercy gave them a break: Because Josiah was faithful, humble, and showed remorse for his people, there would be peace in his time. Judgment would come following Josiah’s death.

    +++

    FACING THESE LONG ODDS, WHAT DID JOSIAH DO?

    What would you do?

    I know what I would do. I would cave.

    I would figure no matter what I did or said to serve the Lord, no matter how helpful or encouraging I was, no matter how loving, forgiving, and worshipful I tried to be, it would make no difference. No one would benefit. Nothing useful from me. No souls saved. No fruit born.

    Zip.

    Friends, there’s a reason we’re writing about Josiah and not about me — and here it is.

    55.KingJosiah-ReadsScrollThe Bible tells us, the king marched over to the Temple and called the elders of his country to join him, and he stood in his place. His place. This was not a pew in the back of the room, where he could hide in the shadows, slipping in when the service was half over only to leave early.

    This was a prominent spot, from which he could command the people’s attention.

    From that spot, Josiah “made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.” (2 Chronicles 34:31 ESV)

    With firm determination, knowing the odds were stacked against him, he did all he could do — he declared his love and devotion to the God of heaven and earth and ordered his subjects to join him in obeying God’s commands.

    We’re told the people obeyed their king “as long as he lived” but reverted back to their old ways once the new king took over.

    The result? God’s judgment was swift, and the populace was taken into captivity.

    +++

    SOMETIMES THE ROAD IS SO PITTED AND TORN, the headwinds so strong, even the bravest among us turn back.

    44. Cross_on_BibleSome 650 years after King Josiah made his stand, the apostle Paul faced a similar test. Paul dealt with crippling divisions in the church, where believers split up, siding with different evangelists. Paul would have none of it.

    He had the right answer for the argument about which evangelist — Apollos or Peter or Paul, or anyone else, for that matter — was the most influential.

    Paul said, “None of us.”

    None of us?

    “None of us,” he said. “All of us are called by the Holy Spirit to preach the Word of God, and God uses us each one of us according to the speaking and writing and service gifts he’s given us. We’re not the ones changing people’s hearts and claiming them for the Lord. We don’t accomplish anything on our own. “

    Then who does?

    “It’s the Holy Spirit of God,” Paul said. “It’s the Holy Spirit, not man, who works in people’s hearts and changes them.” (1 Corinthians 3:3-9, paraphrase mine).

    +++

    THERE WILL ALWAYS BE PUSHBACK.

    55.Holy-Spirit-Descends-BibleEvery time a door opens, and the Lord gives us an opportunity to enter in to give God glory, there will be a competing wind, trying to blow us back. The enemy hates God’s rule and is dedicated to gumming up the works.

    We might never have the influence that King Josiah or the apostle Paul had, we might not have our names in the Bible as they did, and no pastor may ever cite to our lives as one might to theirs for a biblical lesson to ponder.

    But God didn’t call us to that role. Paul noted that it was by “the grace [of] God” that he became an apostle for the Lord, but even so, he was just beginning the pathway. “I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it,” he said. (1 Corinthians 3:10 NIV)

    We’re all builders on that foundation laid down by others before us, just as long as we heed Paul’s words to build only on the foundation laid by Jesus Christ. (v. 10-11)

    Every time Christ’s people try to make a difference in the world, they will face pushback from the enemy.

    Oh, it is so easy to quit.

    +++

    USUALLY, THE PUSHBACK MAKES SENSE:

    “It’s raining pretty hard. Maybe now’s not a good time.” “Oh, my, look at all the traffic. Probably should wait.” “I’m feeling tired this week, and my back’s been acting up. I should rest.” “I’m not sure I want to commit right now to something regular. Let the young folks (retired folks, folks without children, folks with children, married folks, single folks, employed folks, folks on vacation) step up this time.”

    (Those excuses, reworked slightly, were said recently by someone I know well.)

    We may not want to, but too often, too easily, we say:

    • “Why bother? It’s not worth it.”
    • “This is not how I want to do it.”
    • The odds are long, the payoff uncertain. I don’t see what difference I can make.”
    • I don’t like the deal, Lord. Better not count on me.”

    We’re not likely to cite Cain, but we all know his comment to God about Abel. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9 NIV)

    Short answer from God … to me and you: “Yes, you are.”

    +++

    GOD WON’T LET US DOWN. He knows the obstacles in our way. So, He’s given us some words to cheer us up and keep us in the game.

    The Holy Spirit inspired them, Solomon wrote them, and we can live by them:

    In spite of many daydreams, pointless actions, and empty words, you should still fear God.  (Ecclesiastes 5:7 GW)

    +++

    PRAYER: Heavenly Father, sometimes we are so ashamed of our faithlessness, our weakness, our willingness to quit. The Lord Jesus said the road would be tough and only a few people would find their way and persevere. O LORD, help us be mindful of the Kingdom’s work and how you left the job in our hands, with the Holy Spirit’s counsel and power. The Lord Jesus urged us to abide in Him. He promised us He would abide in us. Without Him, Heavenly Father, we can do nothing. With Him, we can do more than we could ever ask or imagine. May we rely on the LORD with all our heart and understanding, knowing that as we acknowledge You, You will make our paths straight. In Jesus’ loving name we offer this prayer. Amen

  • The Joy of Christian Living

    Missed a blog post? Find prior posts at LoveAndGrace and tweets at Twitter.

    And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:16 NIV)

    “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. (Genesis 3:4 NIV)

    “The thief [Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that [you] may have life and have it to the full. “ (John 10:10 NIV)

    You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44 CSB)

    SHE: I’LL BET MY WEEKEND WILL BE MORE FUN THAN YOURS!

    HE: Why’s that?

    SHE: John’s in town.

    HE: John?54. coffee-shop-mug

    SHE: Yeah, Dodo. John. He’s like this really cool guy I knew at State. He’s divorced and all, so he’s, like, free, you know?

    HE: Okay. And?

    SHE: And? Like, we’ll party with some friends, go to a club, you know; then he’ll  spend the night at my house. Way more fun than what you’ll do.

    (SHE nudges him and winks)

    HE: I don’t know about that.

    SHE: Why, what’ll you do? Hang out with some boring Christian friends and spend the whole time in church?

    HE: Oh, I see. I don’t think you understand. Can we talk?

    SHE: Sure, but it’ll cost you.

    HE: How much?

    (SHE points to a coffee shop)

    SHE: I want a mocha latte.

    (THEY enter coffee shop)

    (HE orders a latte for her and dark roast for himself)

    (THEY find a quiet corner)

    SHE: So, tell me, what’s the mystery?

    HE: No mystery.

    (HE sips coffee and puts cup down)

    HE: I know you think your weekend will be more fun than mine. I’ve got to admit, it sounds really attractive.

    SHE: Told ya.

    +++

    HE: IN FACT, BECAUSE OF MY SINFUL NATURE, I could imagine spending a weekend like that, too. Not with John, of course, but maybe with his sister. Does he have a sister? Never mind. Oh, sure, I can think of all sorts of pleasures — self-serving, self-gratifying — that sound like fun. Fun until you do them.

    SHE: What do you mean, fun until you do them?54. Broken-Heart-Hand

    HE: Some of that fun you’re talking about will lead to misery. Okay, there could be an excess of alcohol. That’ll impair your judgment. Or, there could be some hard drugs. Illegal for starters; addictive, if continued. Then, there’s the sex. Sounds great, right!

    (SHE smirks)

    HE: How many unwanted pregnancies do you think will get started this weekend? How many diseases will get passed around? Not only that, but how many hearts will be broken when hookups end? Any abortions down the road?

    SHE: I don’t think you get it.

    HE: I get it. I do. You might not get caught — this time — but is your life on track to fulfillment? I mean, you’re, what, 34, 35? Never married. No husband, no kids. Living in a condo listening to the same tunes you rocked to in college. Nothing to show for it.

    SHE: You’re a downer.

    (HE chuckles)

    HE: That church thing you mentioned. Yeah, I’m going to church Sunday, but it’s not the boring gig you think it is. I’m joyful. I’m praising the living God who created me, who loves me so much He sent His Son to die for me, to pay the price for my sins. Not just things I do or even say, but the things I think about or imagine.

    +++

    SHE: GET OUTTA HERE! WHAT EVIL STUFF DO YOU THINK ABOUT, DUDE?

    HE: Pretty much the same things you think about. Maybe even some of the things you’re hoping will happen this weekend. You see, we’re pretty much the same. Here’s the difference: I took stock of my life three years ago, and I just realized things were not adding up right, you know? I mean, I have these talents, or gifts — everyone does — but I wasn’t using them for anything useful.

    SHE: Yeah, I remember you saying something about that.54. Man.Asking.Questions

    HE: Do you remember my searching around for something better to hold onto than parties, booze, and girls?

    SHE: Yeah, you were a real pain then, asking us all of those questions about why we’re here on earth, and whether there’s any plan for us, and where we’re headed. You seemed to have found an answer — for you, of course — but that Jesus thing just isn’t for everybody.

    (HE opens the Holy Bible app on his smart phone)

    HE: Yes, it is. He’s for real, and He’s for everybody. Sooner or later, each of us has to answer the one question He asked his disciples. “But what about you?” He asked. “Who do you say I am?” It’s in Matthew, Chapter 16, Verse 15. I’m quoting from the NIV translation.

    (SHE scowls)

    SHE: And?

    (HE flicks through the Bible app)

    HE: Well, one of the disciples, it was Peter, said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” That’s in the next verse, in Matthew. That was from the English Standard Version.

    SHE: All those versions. You’re a regular smarty pants, aren’t you?

    (HE ignores her taunt)

    HE: You see, each one of us — you and me, and your friend John, for that matter — will have to answer that question some day.

    (SHE sips coffee nervously)

    HE: So, who do you say He is?

    +++

    (SHE DOESN’T ANSWER. CONTINUES SIPPING COFFEE)

    HE: Let me guess, the Great Cosmic Killjoy. The Big Meanie. SuperCop. Something like that, right? Someone who’ll steal your vibe, knock the fun right out of your weekend, and the next thing you’ll be doing is dishing out slop in a soup kitchen to a homeless vagrant with fleas in his hair. And to top it off, you’ll sport a Happy Face with a big grin and sparkling eyes.

    SHE: Something like that.

    HE: You know, the Bible says something about that.

    (HE consults his Bible app)

    HE: It’s in 1 Corinthians 1:18. One translation, the New Century Version,  quotes it this way: “The teaching about the cross is foolishness to those who are being lost, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

    (HE looks directly at her)

    54. Jesus-Said-I-AmHE: What that means is that without the Holy Spirit in your heart, everything Jesus had to say sounds like gibberish, but once you accept  the truth of who He is, everything falls into place.

    SHE: Okay, I’ll bite. Tell me more.

    HE: CS Lewis put it like this in his book Mere Christianity. Let’s see if I can remember this right: “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance; the only thing it cannot be is moderately important.”

    (HE pauses)

    HE: Put another way, Jesus told us He’s God. He could be lying or He could be delusional. In either case, we could ignore Him. But if Jesus is Who He says He is, then He is God. Then, we had better look at what He tells us. He says He came into this world to give us life and to give us a life that’s robust and full of grace.

    (SHE frowns)

    HE: See, the Bible tells us that God loves us so much that He didn’t even spare the life of His own Son, giving Him to death to pay for our transgressions. So, with that being said, how will He not also give us all good things?

    SHE: You mean, like that church thing?

    HE: No, I don’t mean going to church. I mean worshipping the living God! I mean giving praise and thanks and blessing to the One who makes all of this worthwhile.

    +++

    SHE: I FEEL SICK.

    HE: What’s the matter?

    SHE: Suddenly, this weekend with John doesn’t sound like so much fun, after all.

    HE: Okay, so what are you going to do about it?

    SHE: I don’t know. Probably still go through with it. I mean, our plans are made already, you know? It’s way more easier to go through with the plans than to change them, right?

    54. Woman-Walking-AwayHE: Easier, right.

    (SHE drains her coffee)

    HE: Maybe not smarter.

    (SHE looks at him. Discards her cup. Returns to table)

    SHE: Are you done with your coffee?

    (HE looks at her sadly)

    HE: Yeah, I’m done.

    (HE stands up and discards his cup, pouring out the remaining coffee)

    (THEY leave silently after a quick hug)

    HE: Would you like me to pray for you?

    (SHE shrugs)

    SHE: Okay

    HE: Jesus loves you. Satan doesn’t.

    (SHE nods)

    (THEY depart in opposite directions)

    +++

    PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Creator of the the universe and all of life. Help us see the benevolence of Your grace and mercy. Help us see Your love as You reach out to us. Help us see the gift of Jesus Christ, who bore our punishment. Help us live our lives in gratitude for Your saving grace. In Jesus we pray. Amen

     

  • Galatians 6: “Doing Good to All”

    “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians 6:7 NIV)

    “And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up.” (Galatians 6:9 TLB)

    This meditation is Part 6 of a 6-part series on Galatians. Part 1, “No Other Gospel,” is available here. Part 2, “Crucified With Christ,” is here. Part 3, “Law and Promise,” is here. Part 4, “Born of the Free Woman,” is here. Part 5, “Freedom in Christ,” is here.

    Missed a blog post? Find prior posts at LoveAndGrace and tweets at Twitter.

    PICTURE A MAN ON HIS KNEES, HANDS FOLDED, ELBOWS RESTING ON HIS BIBLE.

    53. man-power-of-prayerPicture a woman clutching a photograph or child’s drawing, her hands resting in her lap as she sits in a quiet room, her eyes shut tight, her lips moving slightly as she mouths words of petition.

    Both are bringing adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, and petition (ACTS) to the Lord in prayer.

    Both are opening their hearts — and their souls — to the Creator of the universe, the One who purposed their lives before the world began, asking, begging, praying that the Great Healer will intervene in the lives of a loved one.

    There is nothing more powerful than the prayer of a righteous man or woman (James 5:16) in petitioning the Throne to heal the body or save the soul of another person.

    +++

    THERE IS NO PRAYER MORE MEANINGFUL than the penitent’s open confession of sin and repentance, mixed with thanksgiving and praise, for the Savior’s sacrifice to reclaim our lives for God’s purpose.

    When Jesus prayed to the Father before He was arrested, He prayed for us, for those who53. woman_prayer_sunrise
    would believe in Him without having seen Him in bodily form.

    “I have given these people the glory that you gave me,” Jesus prayed, “so that they [us] can be one, just as you and I are one.” (John 17:22 NCV)

    Yet, Paul, in a powerful teaching to close his letter to the Galatians, reminds us not to “become tired” or “lose heart” or “grow weary” or “become discouraged” or “get discouraged” (as translated in the NCV, NASB, ESV, AMP, and TLB versions) in our prayers. That is because we are not promised immediate and full responses to our prayers.

    The reason is because the Lord wants to build character and perseverance in our lives. It is through character development that God develops His disciples who will then make disciples who make disciples. (Romans 5:4)

    Yes, He has the power to snap His divine fingers and heal everything and everyone, but He will not do that. He could, if He chose, give us the clarity of vision we so desperately desire, yet He prefers to help us build faith in  Him and trust in His provision. (Hebrews 11:1)

    Man’s sinful behavior ruptured the good universe the Lord created, and what we have now is a mild glimpse of the divine, a distortion of the perfect. 

    Fortunately for us, God, in His mercy, has given us an escape from the eternal consequences of our sin, through the shed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the Cross.

    +++

    JESUS, IN HIS EARTHLY MINISTRY, taught us that we may petition the Father in His name, and the Father will hear us. Jesus also taught us that we must be persistent in our prayers.

    In Luke 11, the Lord tells of a man who asks a friend to give him some bread to feed a guest who has just arrived from a journey.

    53. Jesus-teaching-apostles-friends“Open the door, friend, and help me,” the first man says. “I have a friend who has journeyed and he just arrived at my house, but I have nothing to offer him.”

    “Don’t bother me,” the homeowner responds. “The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.” (Luke 11:7 NIV)

    Jesus says that the first man’s persistence eventually pays off, and the homeowner, reluctantly, gets out of his warm bed, finds some bread, opens the door, and gives it to the first man.

    +++

    THE LESSON THAT JESUS DRAWS is that if sinful man can grumble and  still give good gifts to others, then how much more will a loving and gracious Heavenly Father give to those who ask?

    In John 16, Jesus tells us that we can ask anything of the Father in His name, and the Father will grant it.

    Those prayers that the Father will answer are the ones that meet His plan for our lives. Paul tells us in Philippians 2:13 (ESV) that the Father “is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”

    The psalmist said nearly the same thing in Psalms 37:4 (ESV)— “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”53. Man_Woman_praying

    That is, God builds the desire in your heart to please Him, then when you desire to please the Lord, ask Him, and He will help you do that.

    As our imaginary man and woman are giving their hearts to the Lord in prayer, the Father is working in their hearts — hearts that believe in His Son — giving them the desire to obey Him.

    Then, as they — and we — pray, the Lord will strengthen us to do those very things.

    Since this is a process, designed to prepare our hearts for eternity, the Father has little interest in instantaneously acceding to our requests. God is no Genie-in-a-Bottle. He is not Santa Claus. He is the Great Shaper. He has “begun a good work in [us] until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6 NIV), meaning when Jesus returns.

    +++

    WHAT AN INTERESTING MESSAGE Jesus was telling us. One one hand, He says we can pray to the Father in His name and be heard, yet we shouldn’t expect a complete answer right away. We need to be brought along, to be trained to obey as He obeyed, to be 47.Open_Biblefaithful and trust in the  Father.

    He wants to teach us the lesson of Hebrews 11:1 (NASB), that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” We should pray with full confidence that we will receive — “you must have faith and not doubt.” (James 1:6 CEV)

    There’s a final point to be made.

    We need to keep going back to our imaginary man and woman of faith, deep in prayer, bringing their hopes and dreams, sorrows and pains, and faithfulness to Almighty God.

    Paul reminds us in Galatians 6:7 there is an accounting for our lives. Not only should we not give up in “doing good,” he says, but we should also realize that we will “reap” (“harvest”) what we “sow” (“plant”). That is, the rewards that are ours in eternity will bea direct result of how we live our lives now.

    Those who are faithful in their pursuit of God’s will should not give up or become discouraged if all of their prayers are not answered immediately, but they should remain faithful in continuing their prayers.

    So much of God’s Word, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, shows that God most of all wants us to trust Him, to pursue Him, and to count on Him for our blessings and the wellbeing of ourselves and others.

    We cannot fool Him, for He will judge us fairly. That’s in His nature. Paul also tells us in Romans 2:16 (NLT): “And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.”

    It’s all in His hands.

    Praise God!

    +++

    PRAYER: O Heavenly and most gracious Father, we ask You to search our hearts and find what angers You and then help us to turn from those sins and be reconciled to You. Please forgive us. Train us to turn to You in all our circumstances, from seeking forgiveness, to asking for help, for giving praise and for giving thanks. Help us to keep being faithful until You return or call us home, not doubting in Your goodness. Reclaim us, O Lord, and makes us Your sons and daughters and heirs. In Christ Jesus we pray. Amen

  • Galatians 5: “Fruit of the Spirit”

    “Live your life as your spiritual nature directs you. Then you will never follow through on what your corrupt nature wants. … They are opposed to each other. (Galatians 5:16-17 GW)

    “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV)

    “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25 ESV)

    This meditation is Part 5 of a 6-part series on Galatians. Part 1, “No Other Gospel,” is available here. Part 2, “Crucified With Christ,” is here. Part 3, “Law and Promise,” is here. Part 4, “Born of the Free Woman,” is here.

    Missed a blog post? Find prior posts at LoveAndGrace and tweets at Twitter.

    I AM FREE!

    WOW! YES, I AM!

    Free to be me, free to laugh, free to dance, free to say whatever I want. No  chains to bind 45. Children_Ignoring_Parentsme, no tasks to complete, no master to please.

    I am my own man (or woman) …

    … and who are you to say any differently?

    How does “my thing” (whatever it might be) in any way harm you, keep you from being you, doing your own thing, get in your way.

    I’m not hurting anyone. So. Leave. Me. Alone!

    +++

    WOW, INDEED.

    Does that litany strike home? It does for me.

    I can remember those youthful collegiate and graduate school days spent pouring over books, writing term papers, making new friends, dreaming big dreams, and just thoroughly enjoying being a young adult.

    Except that I wasn’t really free at all, not by a long shot.

    52.SinI was a slave to my sinful nature, but I was unaware of it. I had no clue. I imagine that put me in some pretty stellar company. There are a lot of people who have no clue how beholden they are to the pull of their sinful nature. Sadly, many of them are Christians … or, at least, church-goers … let’s call them “church-ers.”

    Because of God’s grace, that would change. The voice of Jesus Christ would penetrate the surrounding fog: “The thief [Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] came that they [men and women] may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10 NASB, emph. mine)

    +++

    THE APOSTLE PAUL writes to us in Galatians, Chapter 5, to live our lives not according to the will of the flesh, but of the Spirit of God. He reminds us that those two spirits — that of God and that of the flesh — exist in tension within us. They compete against one another. 

    One spirit leads us into darkness, lies, and slavery, while the other frees us from bondage and leads us into the light — the only place where we truly can be free.52. Sinful-nature-at-war-with-God

    It’s easy to tell the two spirits apart, Paul reminds us; in fact, He tells us “the acts of the flesh are obvious” (Galatians 5:19 NIV): among them are sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, and so many others.

    Then, he warns us that “those who live like this,” that is, those men and women who are unrepentant in their hearts, who have not come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, who persist in living in the bondage of their sin, those people, he says, “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:21 NIV).

    +++

    WE DON’T HAVE TO LIVE like that.

    Jesus told us in His earthly ministry that He had a better message: “Come to Me, all of you  who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 CSB)

    He told us if we listen to His words and build our lives on solid ground, His grace and mercy would help us withstand the storms of life, and, yes, those storms surely would come. (Matthew 7:24-25)

    “Then you will know the truth,” Jesus said, “and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32 BSB)

    LOS FRUTOS DEL ESPIRITU

    Amor, Gozo, Paz, Paciencia, Benignidad, Bondad,

    Fidelidad,  Mansedumbre, Dominio Propio.

    Contra tales no hay ley. — Gálatas 5:22-23

    Those who, in Paul’s words, “belong to Christ Jesus,” are set free from the bondage of sin. “They have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24 ESV)

    Of course, remaining sinful beings, we will continue to commit sins, but we no longer will live in sin or be attached to or enslaved by sin (1 John 3:6 ESV).

    And what are the signs of that Spirit, the Spirit of God’s holy grace? Paul says: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV)

    52. fruit-of-the-spirit

    Against that Spirit, he says, “there is no law,” that is, the Old Testament law does not apply, but the new covenant, the covenant of God’s grace DOES apply.

    Paul’s parting shot in this chapter are words we need to claim for our own and write them in our hearts, much like the ancient Israelites were instructed by God through Moses to obey the law (Deuteronomy 6:6).

    Our obedience to God hasn’t changed through the millennia; only the covenant has changed because God has replaced obedience to the law with obedience out of love to His grace.

    Paul says: “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25 ESV)

    +++

    PRAYER: O LORD, our majestic Savior and King, we humbly come to You, unworthy of prayer except as You grant us through the life blood of Your Son, Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Place within our hearts a love for the Lord, a desire to be holy, a willingness to serve. Let us focus each moment on the spiritual gifts that You require of us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, because against such virtues, O LORD, there is no law. In His Name be all the glory and honor. Amen.

     

  • Galatians 4: “Born of the Free Woman”

    “So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.” (Galatians 4:7 NIV)

    “There is a Scripture that tells us what to do: ‘Expel the slave mother with her son, for the slave son will not inherit with the free son.’ Isn’t that conclusive? We are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.” (Galatians 4:31 MSG)

    This meditation is Part 4 of a 6-part series on Galatians. Part 1, “No Other Gospel,” is available here. Part 2, “Crucified With Christ,” is here. Part 3, “Law and Promise,” is here.

    Missed a blog post? Find prior posts at LoveAndGrace and tweets at Twitter.

    THERE WAS A FAMILY THAT HAD A YOUNG SON AND ALSO OWNED A  SLAVE.

    51. adam-eve-teaching-children-82611-galleryAt first, when the boy was young, the slave, who was an adult and trusted by the child’s father, watched over the boy and guided his steps. You might say, the slave “ruled over” the child.

    As time went on, however, their roles changed. The child grew to be a man, while the slave remained … well, a slave.

    As the child became a man, he was entitled to an inheritance from the father. Not so the slave, whose term of service never changed.

    Enter a benevolent outside force that scrambled the picture in a way the world had never seen before. This external force said it could do for the slave what the law was unable to do.

    This external force could graft the slave onto the family tree, giving him the same rights as the natural child; in fact, freeing him from his servitude, making him a co-equal son with the natural son, and granting him an equal inheritance from the father.

    +++

    THAT’S ONE WAY OF LOOKING at Paul’s letter to the Galatians. In what our Bibles call 51. Envelope-to-the-Galatians“Chapter 4,” (the chapter headings were not in the original text of the letter), the apostle explains the migration that God the Holy Spirit provides everyone of us who progresses from our natural state — that of “unbelief” — to a new, born-again, state, that of “belief.”

    In Paul’s terms, we are all slaves from birth by virtue of Adam’s and Eve’s rebellion against God, which ushered in our sinful state. To correct our behavior, God issued the Law, which started with the Ten Commandments. Paul tells us that the Law could not make us virtuous because we could never obey it entirely and consistently.

    It’s main function, Paul said, was to show us our inequities, our imperfections, our sins, so that we would realize our need for the saving power of God the Son.

    Once we accept the saving power of the Son, the Holy Spirit floods our hearts and takes up residence, creating within us a new person. Paul explains, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT)

    +++

    TO EXPLAIN HOW THIS SLAVE-SON-HEIR transition takes place, Paul took the Galatians (and us) back to the days of Abraham, the Jewish patriarch, and his wife, Sarah.

    51. abraham-and-sarah-bible-storyGod had promised Abraham and Sarah that He would provide them with a son and that through that son, Abraham’s descendants would populate many nations and would become as numerous as the stars in the sky.

    Speaking of Sarah, God said to Abraham, “I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” (Genesis 17:16 ESV)

    As time went on, Abraham and Sarah, by this time 90 to 100 years old, felt that God had not provided the son He had promised them, so they wanted to help Him out, without asking His consent. So Sarah “gave” Abraham her maidservant, Hagar, to bear a son for her.

    They named this son “Ismael.” Ismael was beloved by Abraham, but God said Ismael was not the child of God’s promise to Abraham. There would be a second son, this one born of Sarah. They would name him “Isaac,” and Isaac would be the son of God’s promise. The covenant would pass through Isaac, not Ismael.

    +++

    PAUL WALKS US THROUGH the story by recounting the tension that developed in Abraham’s house between the two son-bearing women—Hagar, the maidservant who provided a son (Ismael) for Sarah when Sarah remained barren, and Sarah, who later provided a son (Isaac) when the Lord opened her womb.

    The Bible tells us that when Isaac was weaned, Abraham threw a great feast for him, but Sarah pleaded with him to discard Hagar and her son, saying Ismael’s continued presence could jeopardize Isaac’s inheritance. (“That slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac,” Sarah told Abraham. Genesis 21:10 NIV)

    When Abraham asked God what he should do, God told Abraham to obey his wife, Sarah, reaffirming for Abraham that the covenant that God declared would pass through Isaac, not Ismael.

    +++

    THAT BRINGS US BACK to the beginning of our account where there are two sons — one son born of a slave woman into slavery and one son born of a free woman into the rights 51. Hagar & Ishmael Augo4of inheritance.

    Here’s where Paul wants us to take special note. As he continues his letter from the points made in Galatians 1-3, that it is God’s grace that provides us with salvation, not our good works, Paul reinforces this amazing truth: that the Lord transforms us, we who are born with sinful natures as slaves of sin, into sons of the Father and, as sons, then as heirs of his good fortune (Galatians 4:7).

    Paul tells us that the Law, expressed in the Old Testament, was meant “to lead us to Christ” (Galatians 3:24 NIV) so that He could save us through our faith and His grace (Ephesians 2:8 NIV).

    Once the we have been led to God the Son through God’s grace, we become sons of God the Father. Because we are sons, along with the Son, God the Father then sends God the Holy Spirit into our hearts.

    Through that transition, done entirely by God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are transformed from slavery into sonship and, as sons, “God has made [us] also an heir” (Galatians 4:7 NIV).

    51. Holy-Spirit-descendingIn effect, we who once were born of the slave woman now are children of the free woman and, thus, of God’s promise.

    Born into sin; reborn into salvation!

    All because of God’s grace.

    ===

    PRAYER: O LORD, our Heavenly Father, it is only by Your grace and mercy that we can enjoy life and have it abundantly, as Your Son assured us. We give You all the glory for the blessings You have given us. Help us understand, or at least appreciate, the transition You have provided for us from our birth into sin and slavery under the Law to sonship with the Eternal Son and, with Him, being heirs of the promise. We thank You, we praise You, we honor You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

     

  • Galatians 3: “Law and Promise”

    This meditation is Part 3 of a 6-part series on Galatians. Part 1, “No Other Gospel,” is available here. Part 2, “Crucified With Christ,” is available here.

    Missed a blog post? Find prior posts at LoveAndGrace and tweets at Twitter.

    “How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?” (Galatians 3:3 NLT)

    “So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.” (Galatians 3:24-25 NIV)

    I KNOW I CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS.

    I can’t believe what I just said; what I just did. That just isn’t me. I mean, I’m more even-50. Backslidingtempered than that. I don’t know what came over me. I’m tired, hungry even, certainly  stressed by work, family. You know, the usual things.

    I can do better than this. I just need to try harder.

    Becoming perfect by our individual human effort is the ultimate New Year’s resolution, and, besides, the idea of taking charge is so American, isn’t it? No way are we going to sit back and wish things were different! No, siree! We’re going to do something about it!

    Buck up … and try harder.

    Despite our best intentions, the outcome of our self-help promises are just as predictable as the rest of our resolutions. After a few tries, with diminishing enthusiasm, we give up.

    Maybe we’ll try later, give it another go over the summer or maybe just wait until the following year. We aren’t really quitting, we tell ourselves. We’re delaying our effort. The timing just wasn’t right.

    +++

    THE APOSTLE PAUL must have felt the same way with the church in Galatia.

    We can see his frustration when he saw those new Christians backsliding. One massive New Year’s resolution fail, but this time a slipping away from God’s saving grace.

    No, this is not a discussion of whether a person can lose his or her salvation, but  Man goes on concrete pier in the sunrisewhether once saved, a person can miss the closeness and love for the Father that comes from a growing and continuing relationship with Him.

    Jesus referenced this slipping away in Revelation 2:4 (MSG), when He told the church in Ephesus, “You walked away from your first love.”

    That is, a person can remain saved but not progress in his/her spiritual walk with the Lord by remaining in place at the very point where they started their walk, like a newborn who never outgrows diapers or starts crawling.

    Paul admonished the church in Corinth along those same lines, when he accused them of not growing in their faith. “I fed you with milk, not solid food,” Paul wrote, “for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready” (1 Corinthians 3:2 ESV).

    +++

    HOW COULD WE MISS the unmistakeable promise that our Lord and Savior has given us? The great gift of grace! We don’t have to do life on our own. When we accept the Holy Spirit into our hearts, God pours His grace into us and relieves us of the burden and responsibility.

    “Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest,” Jesus says (Matthew 11:28 MEV).

    Okay, so there’s a catch, right? Once we surrender our lives to God, we are “owned” by  someone else, required to live up to someone else’s agenda and match their standards. 

    50. Making_DecisionsYes, absolutely true! The Bible is very clear about that. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV, Paul states, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

    But, wait!

    According to the Bible, God’s revealed testimony, you always were owned by someone else.

    Listen to what Jesus says about that. Here He is in John 8:34 GW: “Jesus answered them, ‘I can guarantee this truth: Whoever lives a sinful life is a slave to sin.’”

    Here’s Paul again: “Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.” (Romans 6:16 NLT)

    So, either way, you’re owned, right? Either you’re owned by sin, which leads to death, or you’re owned by righteousness, which leads to life.

    You pick. Your choice. God’s gift of free will.

    +++

    SOMEWHERE, THERE’S THAT VOICE of doubt that whispers, “Maybe not everyone. This cops-and-robbers stuff might affect those people, but surely not me.”50. Open_Bible

    Yes, you and me. Paul tells us in Galatians 3:22a NIV that we’re all engulfed in this sin mess, everyone of us. “But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin.”

    Paul doesn’t leave us hanging. Instead, he goes on to tell us that God has provided an escape for us, if we would just trust Him. What is that escape? Well, verse 22 continues with the answer: “so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.”

    What was promised?

    The promise, as the following verses (23-25) explain, is that we are no longer prisoners under the law but justified (considered righteous) through Jesus Christ. “Now that faith has come,” Paul writes, “we are no longer under the supervision of the law.”

    The law was about works, doing the right things and trying to earn God’s favor by our actions. Replacing the law with grace, through Christ’s perfect life, death on the cross, and resurrection means we are recipients of God’s free gift of grace (Romans 3:24).

    That was the point Paul was trying to drive home to the struggling Galatians. God, through His mercy, has given you the kingdom through your faith in His Son. Why are you falling back on old habits of trying to merit salvation through your own efforts, when Scripture tells us you are destined to fail … every time?

    Better to accept God’s gift of grace through His Son. God reconciles us to Himself and grants us an eternity in His rest.

    As we reflect on that gift, we are moved to join Paul in his prayer of praise: “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV).

    Amazing.

    +++

    PRAYER: O Heavenly Father, Creator of the Universe, Who made us in Your image, we confess we have failed You in our willfulness, striving to earn salvation on our own merits despite the sinful natures of our hearts. Forgive us, O Lord, and change our hearts from hearts filled with anger and lust and pride and sloth and covetousness and treachery and guile, and give us hearts that love the Lord and want to serve only Him. In Jesus’ precious Name we lift this prayer. Amen

     

     

  • Galatians 2: “Crucified With Christ”

    This is Part 2 of a 6-part meditation on Galatians. Part 1, “No Other Gospel,” is available at Galatians 1.

    Missed a blog post? Find prior posts at LoveAndGrace and tweets at Twitter.

    “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20a ESV)

    “Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ … because by works of the law no one will be justified.” (Galatians 2:16 ESV)

    49.ChristCrucifiedForMeGRACE IS GOD’S FREE GIFT TO MANKIND.

    It is a gift that was not chiefly bought nor casually given. In fact, the apostle Paul says our very bodies are temples in which the Holy Spirit lives. “You are not your own,” he writes. “You were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20 BSB).

    What boggles the mind is this: Considering the stakes at hand — our eternal, everlasting, without-end destiny — you might think mankind would rush into the open arms of Jesus Christ, thanking Him profusely with tears and hugs for providing God’s grace through His sacrifice on the Cross for us.

    You would be wrong.

    Most people appear to be stuck on the words “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me,” and that’s where they stop. They don’t want any part of it, no shifting of controls from me to Him. It’s my life, and I’ll live it the way I want to. Stay back, Jesus.

    Unless I need Your help, then I’ll let You know.

    +++

    DOES THAT BOTHER YOU?

    It bothers me.

    Aren’t you totally bummed to realize that most of the smiling faces you’ll encounter today are not remotely interested in receiving the grace offered by their Savior, nor are they willing to let Him take the controls of their earthly lives, even though the payoff is eternal life instead of eternal punishment.

    Even the introductory clause of having been “crucified with Christ” is a meaningless  49.ChristDiedForMemess of words for most people, who have no idea what that means.

    Really, for most people who have ever lived, the Cross was just a tragic end a long time ago in a primitive culture for a man who might well have been a gifted teacher and, possibly, an extraordinary healer, but it was nothing more than that.

    Those who lived before the Cross ignored the law and the prophets.

    For those of us who believe, however, it is the most incredible act of love and self-sacrifice the world has ever witnessed — at least, that part of the world that’s paying attention.

    Paul, again, tells us that “God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NET). The apostle Peter called the crucifixion the shedding of “the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God” (1 Peter 1:19 NLT).

    But what is that to an unbelieving world?

    Paul, again, states it this way: “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV).

    +++

    SO, WE’VE SEEN THAT MOST PEOPLE do not want to cede control over their lives to the One who can give them life, and life abundantly (John 10:10), but what about that second part, about being “justified” by works or by faith? What’s up with that?

    “Justification” is just a big word that means a person has been made “righteous in the sight of God.”

    49.ImputationDiagramPaul says it this way: “not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness—a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness (Philippians 3:9 NET, emphasis mine).

    In other words, Jesus lived a sinless life, and God credits His righteousness to my account — blotting out my sin-stained life — the moment I accept His Son as my Lord and Savior.

    That transfer of Christ’s righteousness for my unrighteousness is my Ticket to Paradise!

    The really big deal with that is that the alternative way to earn God’s favor is for me to live a sinless life — and I lost that one a long time ago.

    “There is none righteous, no, not one,” Paul writes. “There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. … There is none who does good, no, not one” (Romans 3:10-12 NKJV).

    The prophet Isaiah was just as blunt, saying that in God’s eyes, “All of us [that includes you and me] have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6 NIV).

    +++

    Most of us probably figure we’re on the good side of the Bell Curve. We haven’t killed anyone, or cheated on our spouse, or stolen our neighbor’s car, so we’re good.

    Not so fast. Not in God’s eyes.

    See, God is perfect; we are sinful.

    James, the half-brother of Jesus (they shared a mother), tells us this: “If someone obeys all of God’s laws except one, that person is guilty of breaking all of them” (James 2:10 GW).

    49.FocusOnJesusAll of them. Murder. Rape. Adultery. Theft. Slander. Lying.

    Lest we think somehow God only keeps a record of what we do, no, He also keeps a record of what we say and what we think, as well.

    Try this from Jesus’ own lips: “But what comes out of the mouth [our words] comes from the heart, and this defiles a man” (Matthew 15:18 HCSB).

    And what about thoughts? “Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, ‘Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?’” (Matthew 9:4 NIV).

    How about this one from Jesus: “You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘You must not murder anyone. Anyone who murders another will be judged. But I tell you, if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be judged’” (Matthew 5:21-22a NCV, emphasis mine).

    +++

    THERE’S JUST NO WAY AROUND IT.

    What we do, God sees as “filthy rags”; what we say, God sees as “defiling” us; and what we think, God sees as “evil.”

    So, we are totally dependent for our salvation on Jesus Christ.

    Considering how we don’t measure up in God’s eyes, those words from Scripture that we quoted earlier now sound beautiful and reassuring. I have been crucified with Jesus Christ. Christ lives in me. We are justified not by our good works but through faith in the Christ.

    Paul said it clearly in Ephesians 2:8 NLT: “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.”

    Amen, brother.

    Now, that’s Grace!

    +++

    PRAYER: Holy Father, Lord God Almighty, we are so unworthy to approach the throne with our petitions except through the blood of Jesus Christ. Would You forgive us for our lack of faith? Would You soften the hearts of our family members, friends, and neighbors who do not know You or care to learn about You? Would You just grab us in Your loving arms and never let go, even when we act, talk, and think viciously evil, self-defiling filth? God be praised with all power, honor, and glory forever. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your amazing sacrifice for us. Thank You, eternally, Lord Jesus, for claiming us as Your own. Amen

  • Galatians 1: “No Other Gospel”

    This article is the first of six articles on the Book of Galatians, each one highlighting a central theme in each of the six chapters of Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia.

    Missed a blog post? Find prior posts at LoveAndGrace and tweets at Twitter.

    Really, there is no other Good News. But some people are confusing you; they want to change the Good News of Christ. (Galatians 1:7 NCV)

    Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:11-12 NLT)

    THE APOSTLE PAUL COULD HAVE WRITTEN GALATIANS TODAY.

    Two thousand years ago, he felt the strong need to admonish new Christians in the various churches throughout the area of Galatia — both in the agrarian northern region and in the urbane, commercialized southern region — that they must not change the central truth of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

    48.UnpardonableSinSadly, many so-called Christians today — operating under the rubric of “progressive Christianity” — are busy revising the Gospel to “update” it according to contemporary society’s “reason” and “experiences.” They base their doctoring on a perverted sense of God’s loving nature, while conveniently ignoring His role as humanity’s judge.

    Paul told the Galatians that no such doctoring of God’s eternal truth was needed and that the faithful should abstain immediately from believing anyone who would teach a variance of what Paul, himself, had taught on his missionary trips to the region.

    “I am astonished,” he wrote; “that you are so quickly deserting  him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ” (v. 6 ESV).

    +++

    PAUL CLEARLY STATED that this was not a matter of pastoral jealousy. The issue was the distortion of the central message of the man “who gave himself for our sins [that means, 36. JESUS is the TruthHe died for us] to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (v. 4 ESV).

    In Paul’s time, the central question facing the early church focused on the Jewish nature of Jesus and His disciples and whether converts from the Gentile world — considered pagans and outcasts throughout Jewish history — had to convert to Judaism and be subject to Mosaic law before becoming followers of Jesus.

    Today, the central question facing many of the churches is how to minister to a rapidly changing secular culture without becoming corrupted by its immorality or rendered useless for failing to acknowledge it.

    Many well-educated and well-read Christians have fallen into the trap of embracing the culture’s progressive mantra of “inclusivity” and “tolerance” by promoting a watered-down gospel filled with empty platitudes of God’s forgiving grace that — to be applicable to today’s reality — must also push aside as archaic God’s instructions for proper living.

    +++

    THE HOT-BUTTON ISSUES TODAY focus on the culture’s new-found support for homosexual marriage as well as more established assaults on biblical teaching concerning the sanctity of life — abortion, euthanasia, and government-run health care [scarcity of resources need to be apportioned by governing boards, which will determine the value of an individual life].

    The writings of pastors and theologians in support of the “progressive Christian” belief is filled with well-reasoned human arguments designed to fit God’s timeless laws into a space built on a holistic interpretation of Holy Writ devoid of biblical reference.

    No more “cherry-picking” of biblical admonitions against homosexual unions (especially Leviticus 18, 20, and Romans 1), for example. Instead, they are thrown aside as being part of an archaic legal system that, somehow over time, has morphed into an acceptance, with the acerbic addendum that failure to see the wisdom of such heresy labels the critic a “homophobe” or a “bigot.”

    Seriously.

    +++

    BACK TO PAUL.

    Still astonished at the backsliding he’s witnessing, he declares that the gospel he preached “is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, 48.GodsGracebut I received it through a revelation of Jesus  Christ” (vv. 11b-12 ESV).

    Anyone who teaches a gospel contrary to that spread by Jesus and His followers, Paul says, “let him be accursed” (v. 9 ESV).

    So, what do we do with the schism rendering our established churches, at best, impotent and, at worst, a laughing stock to the entire non-Christian world?

    Just as the Episcopal church split a dozen years ago over the role of avowed homosexuals in the priesthood, so now the United Methodist Church is facing the same debacle, with the venerated John Wesley being used to prop up both sides, regardless of what he might have taught.

    One side — now labeled “conservative,” not to indicate they are energized by God’s Word but that they are throwbacks to days long gone — points to clear biblical passages warning us about homosexual practices. Those passages include God’s destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah for their sexual sin.

    The other side, which fancies itself “progressive” — as if it has flung aside the shackles of God’s outdated commandments to become hip and modern — claims God simply could not have foreseen the “romantic love relationships” that today’s same-sex couples enjoy.

    +++

    SO, THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE, who exists outside space and time, could not have foreseen the wonderful discovery His rebellious creation, within a brief flicker of a human’s lifespan, wants to represent as God’s will, to include those homosexual acts that God calls “disgraceful” and “unnatural” and to say they are nothing more than an expression of true soul-mate love by people whom God made “that way.”

    Oh, please.

    Is that excuse — God made me this way, so it’s okay — any more believable than the “dog ate my homework”?

    Look, we all sin and are born with sinful natures. That’s what Genesis Chapter 3 is all about. The rest of the Bible is about how to undo Adam’s rebellion, a resolution that required God to step in, in the person of His Son, Jesus, to take the bullet for us to get the job done right.

    The question is not whether we were born with a predilection for a particular sin, it’s what do we do with that predilection — do we embrace it  and codify it into respectability, or do we fall to our knees and implore the One who made us to help us through this trial?

    The book of James, written by the half-brother of Jesus, exhorts us to “count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you meet trials of various kinds, for know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:2-3 ESV).

    Living with a sin pattern is not godly. Embracing a sin pattern in the name of 48.FamilyBibleStudy“inclusivity” and “tolerance” and “love” is not godly.

    What is a godly response?

    Recognizing as Paul told his disciple Timothy, that “[a]ll Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right” (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT).

    What is godly is to stay with God’s teaching in His Word, not with rewriting it to suit our “present wisdom.”

    Franklin Graham, the son of acclaimed evangelist Billy Graham, said it this way: “God’s Word is the truth and the standard we will be held accountable to, whether you like it or not, whether you agree with it or not, and whether it’s politically correct or not.”

    He also said, as Christians, we should love people enough to “tell them the truth and warn them about the dangers and consequences of sin.”

    The apostle Paul minced no words in his teaching of God’s truth in Galatians 1: “As I have already said, so now I say it again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!”

    +++

    PRAYER: O Lord, it saddens us, and it must sadden You even more so, to see so many friends and colleagues leaving the Truth of Your Word for a false gospel preached by the secular culture and embraced by religious leaders who are failing their flock. Lord, be merciful to those who mistakenly believe their interpretation of Scripture is true to You, but please weaken their influence and impede their efforts to redefine Your church. In response, Lord, we ask that You raise strong Christian voices that will speak boldly, and with authority, the Gospel’s eternal message, including both Your promises and Your commandments. We also ask for Your mercy on us. In the Name of Jesus we lift this prayer. Amen