Where Do I Stand

Job 23:10-11

But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed His steps; I have kept to His way without turning aside.

I read this verse and I had to pause for some self-examination. Surely God knows everything! It’s a given that He knows the way I take. And I pondered, “Will I come forth as gold when I am tested? Will I persevere under trial? Just how close do my feet follow in His steps? Have I consistently, faithfully kept my steps from turning aside?” The final question … when I asked the question … is could I have answered or responded confidently like Job? Then I thought, maybe I should just read the entire Chapter 23. So when I did, the answers to my questions seemed further away. My inquiry took me on a journey that I will share with you; and I apologize for the length, but perhaps, it will resonate with you at the conclusion. I do encourage you to read Job 23 in order to understand what Job was feeling and questioning in the midst of his own predicament and suffering.

Understandably, there are some theological points to challenge us in this passage and the entire book. As Job continues to complain about the personal suffering he is enduring … the unfairness and injustice of it … it appears that Job begins to consider the possibility that his complaint to God could be a form of rebellion (sin) in itself. Why? Because Job is in essence asserting that God has been unjust or unrighteous with him in this situation. God has inflicted or allowed the infliction of severe pain, unrelenting distress, and great physical anguish. Job believes the “punishment” is unexpected … unbearable … and undeserved. Yet, Job also knows that neither injustice nor unrighteousness could come from the heart or nature of a loving God. To accuse God of doing wrong is … well … wrong itself. Like all of us, Job wants desperately to understand what God is doing … why He allows righteous people to be afflicted … why He permits bad things to happen to good people. Indeed, this is an ongoing theological question that has been difficult to resolve with our limited human perspective or reasoning.

Many of us might assert that we live righteous lives … Christian lives … and perhaps even contend that our “goodness” should inoculate us from hardship in life. Yet, the experience of Job demonstrates that the absence of suffering will not necessarily be the case. So, if we should become bitter at God over the afflictions and hardships we encounter or experience during the course of life, what does that “response” convey about our own attitudes toward God? Like Job, our concept and knowledge of God is incomplete. We only know in part. (Cf. 1 Corinthians 13:9) His ways are higher than our ways … and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. (Cf. Isaiah 55:9) And frankly, our knowledge of ourselves can be inaccurate as well. As the Prophet Jeremiah observed, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” (Cf. Jeremiah 17:9-10) And yet, David reflects that God, in His great mercy, does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. (Cf. Psalm 103:10) Both points are valid and add to the theological tension we must consider….

I am drawn to Psalm 139, where David meditates on the intimate knowledge that God possesses of each of us. It is difficult to even comprehend how God knows each one of us individually; personally; deeply; and yet, still loves us so passionately. Though knowing the holiness and righteousness of God … knowing that he and each person falls short of His perfection … David still trusted and embraced the love of God when he prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Cf. Psalm 139:23-24) I think this is what Job was doing as He desperately attempted to figure out the “reason” for the cascades of misfortune that had befallen him. Job had followed the rules. He had lived blamelessly. Job contended that he has done nothing wrong … or at least nothing that should have deserved the loss of everything – short of his life itself. But then, I was reminded of the story about the rich young ruler:

Matthew 19:16-22 (NKJV)

¹⁶Now behold, one came and said to Jesus, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” ¹⁷So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” ¹⁸He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ¹⁹‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” ²⁰The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” ²¹Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect (complete), go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” ²²But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

The young ruler claimed a righteousness like that of Job. He had kept all the commandments! Yet, Jesus exposed a deeper issue … a heart issue … that the young man had not considered. Jesus revealed that in his heart, the young man was not “spiritually” where God wanted him to be. The young ruler trusted in himself and his own outward goodness … not realizing that his spirit was focused inward and filled with pride. Perhaps he mistakenly supposed that his riches sustained his life rather than the God who created him. Indeed, more “refining” was needed if the man wanted to have intimate relationship with God. And as Job observed in his discourse, “God is unique, and who can make Him change? And whatever His soul desires, that He does. For He performs what is appointed for me, and many such things are with Him. Therefore I am terrified at His presence; when I consider this, I am afraid of Him.” (Cf. Job 23:13-15) Job knew that he was missing something … that He lacked full knowledge of what God desired. Job had maintained his integrity before God, and I don’t believe that Job was self-deceived about his own righteousness … though his so-called friends had tried to convince him as much. Yet, it appears there was something more God desired of Job or wanted to accomplish in Job. And it eluded Job until God later confronted him and revealed Himself. I encourage you to read Job Chapters 38-42. Here is an excerpt to give see where I’m headed with this study:

Job 40:1-8 (NIV)

¹The Lord said to Job:

²“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer Him!” ³Then Job answered the Lord: ⁴“I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. ⁵I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more.” ⁶Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm: ⁷“Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. ⁸“Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?

Perhaps there is a deeper “refining” process that transcends our attempts and abilities to “keep” the moral commandments of God. And that might be the point we should note. As hard as we might endeavor to be obedient to the commands of God in our flesh, we still lack what is more desired by God – the transformation of our hearts through faith, hope, and love. Through faith we discover and embrace the love of God; and through love, obedience is accomplished. But faith in our works … in our own accomplishments … is quite misguided. And I believe this is what “righteous” Job learned through his experience. As Isaiah would later declare: “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” (Cf. Isaiah 64:6) And Paul later affirmed, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Cf. Romans 3:23) So, while I think we should all keep a healthy perspective of ourselves, I sense we need to consider that the afflictions and injustices that we encounter in life might not always be associated with sin or God’s righteous judgment of our sin. Maybe God permits what humans might view as “injustice” to accomplish the greater purposes of faith, hope, and love!

John 9:1-3 (NKJV)

¹ Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. ²And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” ³Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

One might consider that God was “unjust” to allow this man to be born blind. Now, think about all the birth “defects” that have occurred among the human population. Is God unloving or unjust to allow these things to occur to the innocent? Yet, these “permitted” situations provide a great context for faith, hope, and love to be accomplished within us. Would we learn compassion for one another if our bodies were perfect and never ill? Would we learn to love one another in the absence of physical deformities or infirmities? If Job had never suffered in the manner he did, would he have sought to know God as deeply as he ultimately did? Think about the final outcome of this blind man’s life. His physical blindness was reversed and healed; but the greater result was that the work of God was revealed! As Jesus declared, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.” (Cf. John 6:29) Think about the final outcome of Job’s life. God blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning…. (Cf. Job 42:12) Oh, there is an “outcome” that God desires for each of us … something deeper … more personal … more intimate! There is a desire for us to believe Him! There is a desire for us to be holy, just as He is holy! (Cf. 1 Peter 1:15-16) There is a calling for us to be conformed to image of His Son! (Cf. Romans 8:29) What God desires in us requires FAITH!

I think the Book of Job provides us with great insight into the complexity of faith and its vital role for fellowship with God. It supports the theological foundation of what Paul would later posit: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Cf. Ephesians 2:8-9) As a possible contemporary of Job, Abraham embodied the power of faith to accomplish what God desires in his people. Regarding the faith of Abraham, Paul wrote: “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness.” (Cf. Romans 4:2-3) Likewise, Paul notes in Romans 4:5-8 how David understood the imputed righteousness of God: “But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, ⁶just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: ⁷“Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. ⁸Blessed is the one to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.” Here Paul is quoting from Psalm 32:1-2.

So, why is this important? Because the truth of the Gospel is found through faith! As Paul declared, “ I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. ¹⁷For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Cf. Habakkuk 2:4) This truth has been revealed in Job … in Abraham … in David … and in those mentioned in the Hall of Faith (Cf. Hebrews 11). If you will take time to read their stories, you will discover what those who “lived by faith” also had to endure all types of suffering in their lives! And you will observe what their faith produced during and through times of incredible testing and trials. You will see, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Cf. Hebrews 11:39-40) That something better was Jesus Christ – His Son! This is what Paul brings to our attention:

Romans 4:18-25 (NIV)

¹⁸Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” (Cf. Genesis 15:5)¹⁹Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. ²⁰Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, ²¹being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised. ²²This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” ²³The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, ²⁴but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. ²⁵He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

When we think about the possible injustices that God has allowed in our world … in the lives of His people … there is one great injustice that He ordained that stands out in my mind. For God made Jesus, who know no sin, to be sin for us – so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Was it unfair of God … to sacrifice Himself for the world? Was it unjust of Him … to determine that the justice we deserve would be borne by His only begotten Son?

Hebrews 5:5-10 (NIV)

⁵In the same way, Christ did not take on Himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to Him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” (Quote is from Psalm 2:7) ⁶And He says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (Quote is from Psalm 110:4) ⁷During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. ⁸Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered ⁹and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him ¹⁰and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Isaiah 53

¹Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? ²He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him; nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. ³He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces He was despised, and we held Him in low esteem. ⁴Surely, He took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted.
⁵But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed. ⁶We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. ⁷He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. ⁸From confinement and judgment He was taken away. Yet who of His generation protested? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people He was punished. ⁹He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, though He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. ¹⁰Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and though the Lord makes His life an offering for sin, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in His hand. ¹¹After He has suffered, He will see the fruit of His suffering and be satisfied; by His knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities. ¹²Therefore I will give Him a portion among the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Let these passages sink deep into your spirit for a moment. Let them unearth every thought you might have about any personal unfairness or injustice you have experienced. Whatever you are going through … whatever you are experiencing … whatever hardship or affliction or suffering or despair of life … I want to encourage you to seek God in fervent prayer today. In His body, Jesus experienced every form of human suffering. He knows firsthand the intensity of your physical or emotional pain! He knows what you are enduring! He knows where you are! Oh, His light may reveal the presence of sin within your heart for you to confess; but I believe there may be something far greater that He desires to do in your life. Allowing suffering may just be the “refining” work that He is doing for your faith – your precious faith that is of greater worth than gold! There may be a special work that God has chosen to reveal in you … so that others will receive the fruit of your suffering. You may be closer to the image of Jesus than you realize! Perhaps this is why Paul declared, “I want to know Christ – yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death. (Cf. Philippians 3:10) For God is producing a faith in you and me that understands righteousness is imputed and not earned … that salvation is received because of who He is and not because of what we have done. Yes, He is filling you and me with a faith to know His grace is sufficient … with a faith that can be harnessed to move mountains … to do the impossible! You and I may not see the final outcome of what God is doing in and through our lives, but I am certain that we should trust Him and His great love for us as we travel along this journey of faith….

1 Peter 1:3-9 (NIV)

³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, ⁵who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

We are not able to choose the method or circumstances by which God determines to cultivate and refine our faith in Him. But we know that His will is for faith to be formed and to grow within us so that it may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed! Without faith, it is impossible to please God. (Cf. Hebrews 11:6) Our faith must be genuine … it must be sincere. So, I believe God will work (as His sovereignty determines) to bring each of us to an authentic faith … as we look to Jesus, the author and finisher of faith. (Cf. Hebrews 12:2) For Jesus will distribute (just as He determines), the gifts of faith for the benefit and common good of all. (Cf. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11) Because it is faith that will advance His Kingdom, it is through faith that we are equipped for works of service, so that the Body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Cf. Ephesians 4:12-13)

So, I have come to believe that the Book of Job ultimately teaches us the purposes of faith … its role in hope … and its fulfillment in love. As Paul would later explain: “¹²For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. ¹³And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:12-13) If you have read this far, I appreciate your hanging with me on this side excursion into the topic of suffering. I hope it has presented some ideas for you to ponder … or better still … encouraged you to dig deeper into the Word to discover more for yourself. (Cf. Acts 17:11) Regardless, if you are experiencing deep anguish in body or soul, I pray you will know in your inmost being that God is there with you. He is the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. (Cf. 2 Corinthians 1:3) May you and I, along with Job, in faith proclaim: “I know that my Redeemer lives and that in the end He will stand on the earth. And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God – whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Cf. Job 19:25-27)

So Now You Know!

Have a Blessed Day!

Be Strong and Courageous

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

I thought this verse tied in well with our previous one. Note the intensity – “Have I not commanded you?” The implication here is that the Lord commands us to be strong and courageous. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline! (Cf. 2 Timothy 1:7) Therefore, do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. The Father is always with us … wherever we are. You can never really leave His presence anyway. Where would you go trying to do so? He observes everyone on earth; His eyes examine them. (Cf. Psalm 11:4) And we have the sure promise of Jesus who said, “ And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Cf. Matthew 28:20b)

I have noticed in Scripture that whenever an angel spoke to a human, some of the first words spoken are “do not be afraid.” And when Jesus came to the disciples in the boat, walking on the water, they were terrified. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” (Cf. Matthew 14:26-27) I am reminded how the Apostle John wrote for us: “There is no fear in love; but perfect (complete) love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” (Cf. 1 John 4:18) When you love God … you trust God. And when you trust God … you do not fear Him in the sense of being afraid or tormented; rather, you fear Him in the sense of awe, reverence, adoration, and sincere love.

God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. (Cf. Deuteronomy 31:6, 8; Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5) So based on His promise, I pray we will trust Him at His Word. I pray we will understand that the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid. I pray we will embrace Him … move where He is moving … work where He is working … with confidence! What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. (Cf. 1 Corinthians 2:12) Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? (Cf. 1 Corinthians 6:19) And look at what the Spirit of God does within us and through us:

1 Corinthians 12:1-14; 27-31 (NIV)

12 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. ²You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. ³Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. ⁴There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. ⁷Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of languages, and to still another the interpretation of languages. ¹¹All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He distributes them to each one, just as He determines. ¹²Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³For we were all baptized with one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

²⁷Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in other languages? Do all interpret? ³¹Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet, I will show you the most excellent way….

When we come together as the Body of Christ … when we operate in the gifts, the services, and the workings of the Holy Spirit as He distributes and determines for each of us individually … I am not sure what there would be for us to fear at all. Though the enemy and the powers of darkness will come against us, Jesus said He would build His Church and the gates of hell (Hades) would not prevail against it. (Cf. Matthew 16:18) If God be for us, who can stand against us? (Cf. Romans 8:31) Indeed, what do we have to fear? His victory has already been won! Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (Cf. John 16:33) Yes, it is through the Spirit of God that we have power to be light in the world … to be His witnesses … to live worthy of Him in all godliness. For if we walk by the Spirit, we will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Yes, if we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. And let us not become conceited (with our spiritual gifts) therein provoking one another and envying one another. (Cf. Galatians 5:16, 25-26)

So Now You Know!

Have a Blessed Day!

The Spirit God Gave Us

2 Timothy 1:7

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

This verse has come up a couple of times during my prayer times this week. So the subject of spiritual empowerment appears to be something that I, perhaps we, need to think about more deeply….

That we are spiritual creatures is evident from Scripture. King Solomon wrote: Remember your Creator before the silver cord is removed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the well. ⁷Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. (Cf. Ecclesiastes 12:6-7) The Prophet Daniel wrote: “I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. (Cf. Daniel 7:15) And Paul affirmed the nature of our beings when he wrote: “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (Cf. 1 Corinthians 6:20) And, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:23)

So, there is an aspect of our existence that is spiritual. The spirit we have been given by God is the “life force” of our bodies and our souls; and therefore, determines and guides the course of our lives. Since we are created in the image of God (Cf. Genesis 1:27), our beings reflect His Being. Our spirits operate or function in the same manner as the Spirit of God; and this will manifest through our physical lives. Perhaps, this is why both John and Paul spent a great deal of time teaching about the Holy Spirit and His work in and through our lives. Paul, in particular, addressed the infilling of the Holy Spirit and His administration of spiritual gifts to equip and build up the Body of Christ … the Church. You can read a portion of His teaching on the subject in 1 Corinthians 12.

Anyway, this verse has stirred my thoughts regarding the work of the Holy Spirit within my own life. And I love the focus it brings upon the power we have been GIVEN. The Holy Spirit does NOT make us timid; rather, He GIVES us courage. He GIVES us confidence. He GIVES us boldness and tenacity. We do not have to remain in weakness or uncertainty of faith at all. Peter shared, “His divine power has granted to us ALL things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3) Paul indicated that the weapons of our warfare (to battle sin and evil) are NOT of the flesh (that is, not within our physical natures) but have divine power to destroy strongholds. (Cf. 2 Corinthians 10:4) So divine power is what the Holy Spirit has given us in order to live as Jesus did. (Cf. 1 John 2:6)

Notice the Holy Spirit GIVES us love. Indeed, He fills us with the everlasting love of God. So it follows that we have been given divine power to love as we have been loved by God … to fulfill His command to love others with the same love we ourselves have experienced in Christ Jesus. In addition, the Holy Spirit GIVES us divine power to exercise self-discipline or self-control. To me this means we have power over our bodies … power over our emotions … power over our tongues … power over temptation. And I believe this power is closely connected to the command to love. For how can we sincerely love others if we disrespect, dishonor, violate or abuse them through the uncontrolled impulses of our sinful nature. If our hearts are not changed by the Spirit of God, the inclinations of our sinful nature will be unabated…. Thus, His indwelling Spirit gives us power to have a renewed mind and to exercise self-control in order to love one another.

Indeed … power, love, and self-discipline … are a tri-fold manifestation of the Holy Spirit within your life and mine. And the key point here is that God GAVE us His Spirit for this unified purpose. God did not give us power over others to dominate them; rather, He gave us power to love and serve one another … to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice. (Cf. Romans 12:1) He did not give us power to do as we please; rather, He gives us the power needed to exert self-control and to exhibit holiness. We should not be timid or afraid to utilize the power He gave us. On the contrary, His power should give us confidence, courage, and boldness to become all that God desires for us to be as beings created in His image. It is clear that Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. (Cf. Luke 4:1, Luke 10:21) And His disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. (Cf. Acts 2:4, Acts 4:8, Acts 4:31, Acts 9:17, Acts 13:52) It follows that we, too, are to be filled with the Holy Spirit….

Jesus spoke about the “gift” of the Holy Spirit … and that He would be sent to us. Jesus spoke about the work and role of the Holy Spirit … as an Advocate for us … as the Spirit of Truth.

John 14:15-20 (NIV)

¹⁵“If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate (comforter) to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be (is) in you. ¹⁸I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

John 14:25-27 (NIV)

²⁵“All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 15:26-27 (NIV)

²⁶“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of Truth who goes out from the Father—He will testify about me. ²⁷And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

John 16:7-15 (NIV)

⁷But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. ⁸When He comes, He will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹about sin, because people do not believe in me; ¹⁰about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; ¹¹and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. ¹²“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. ¹³But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴He will glorify me because it is from me that He will receive what He will make known to you. ¹⁵All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what He will make known to you.”

Acts 1:4-8 (NIV)

⁴And being assembled together with them, Jesus commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; ⁵for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” ⁶Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. ⁸But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

When we examine what Jesus taught about the Holy Spirit, we learn He is the Spirit of Truth, and He will guide us into all the truth. His purpose is to “help” us, and He will be with us forever. We will “know” Him because He will indwell us. His role is to “teach us all things” and to “remind us of everything” Jesus said. The Holy Spirit will testify of Jesus and convict the world of who He is. He will speak only what He hears … and share it with us. We shall receive divine power through Him. And this power shall enable us to be witnesses! Indeed, everything we do and everything we speak should be a testimony of the grace of God given to us through faith in Jesus Christ. So remember that every work … every gift of the Holy Spirit is for the exaltation of Jesus and the edification of His Body … the Church. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. Amen.

So Now You Know!

Have a Blessed Day!

Not For You To Know

Isaiah 55:8-9

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Sometimes life just doesn’t make sense. Indeed, life is more mysterious than understood. But that’s okay! Really! We do not have to understand everything. In fact, it is probably best that we do not understand everything…. Now I’m not saying that ignorance is bliss; but I am saying that sometimes the unknown is best … a safe harbor for us. The unexpected can actually be a source of great joy … especially when we connect the dots and see the picture God has actually drawn out. Not “knowing” puts us in the position of exercising our faith … it requires us to trust God. And faith is the desired outcome of every context we encounter in life. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for; the conviction of things not seen. (Cf. Hebrews 11:1) And without faith, it is impossible to please Him; for whoever would draw near to God must believe the He exists and the He rewards those who seek Him. (Cf. Hebrews 11:6)

So why this commentary on the matter of faith? Well, I think it has an intimate connection with our verse. What we think and understand is based on our limited, finite human knowledge. The thoughts of God are higher than our thoughts. How God operates is not determined by how we believe He should operate. I think of Job – when God questioned him:

Job 42:1-6 (NKJV)

¹Then Job answered the Lord and said: ²“I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. ³You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ⁴Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ ⁵“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. ⁶Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

We simply do not know the beginning to the end. King Solomon observed:

Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 (NIV)

⁹What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? ¹⁰I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. ¹¹He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. ¹²I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, ¹³and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God. ¹⁴I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. ¹⁵That which is has already been, and what is to be has already been; and God requires an account of what is past.

There really is no way to fully know all that God does or why He allows (permits) what happens in our lives. Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. (Cf. Proverbs 19:21) And we can rest assured that His purpose is for our good … even when we cannot see it. He is conforming us to the image of His Son. (Cf. Romans 8:28-29) We can be certain that He is perfecting our faith. (Cf. Hebrews 12:2) Indeed, there is no question that God will be glorified through all that He does. (Cf. John 11:4) So, let’s keep it all in perspective and submit ourselves to the Lord. (Cf. Isaiah 40:28)

So Now You Know!

Have a Blessed Day!

In My Distress

Psalm 120:1

I call on the Lord in my distress, and He answers me.

Always a timely word! Whenever you or I feel stressed … hard pressed … distressed … anxious … or even fearful with what is happening in your life, God has affirmed in His Word that He wants us to call upon Him. God in our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble (Cf. Psalm 46:1) So whatever we are going through, we should give it to the Father. Talk with Him. Share with Him. This verse assures us that He will listen. As Peter affirmed, “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” (Cf. 1 Peter 5:7) Here Peter quotes Psalm 55:22 which reads, “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.”

If you feel defeated for some reason … if you feel like giving up or giving in to your circumstances or situation … pause for a moment. Breathe. Breathe deeply. Now I encourage you to read how Asaph reset His mindset when feeling overwhelmed with the world and culture that surrounded him. Read Psalm 73 this morning. It will not take long, but it will impact your day. I believe it will bring you some fresh perspective. I am particularly fond of its conclusion:

Psalm 73:23-28 (ESV)

²¹When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, ²²I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a brute beast toward You. ²³Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. ²⁴You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. ²⁵Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. ²⁶My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. ²⁷For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. ²⁸But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.

Oh, how I pray that we would understand how much God loves us! He is the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort! (Cf. 2 Corinthians 1:3) Even now, He is running toward you … to embrace you and show you His lovingkindness. (Cf. Luke 15:20) Just be still and embrace Him. Rest in Him. He is the God of peace. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. (Cf. Philippians 4:7) In John 16:33, Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Yes, Jesus is all you need, and His grace is sufficient for you. (Cf. 2 Corinthians 12:9) So, call upon Him. He will listen to you. And when you are finished, be still and listen to Him. I believe you will be amazed at His answer….

So Now You Know!

Have a Blessed Day!

Love In Action

1 John 3:18

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

I want to continue to focus on the theme of love. Since we know that “God Is Love” (Cf. 1 John 4:8, 16), I believe we should never leave this topic in our unending pursuit of the knowledge of God. When we study love, we study the nature of God … the character of God … the passion of God … the grace of God … the Spirit of God … and the Son of God – who is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His Being. (Cf. Hebrews 1:3) Indeed, it is love itself that we pursue when we seek God and all that He is….

And so, as we examine our verse, we see that love must move from an abstract to reality … it must move from a thought to an action. The concept of love is a noun … but the demonstration of love is a verb. Love is something you DO! As the Apostle John exhorted in 1 John 3:16-18, “¹⁶This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” So, love must be genuine. It must be authentic. It cannot be mere lip service … and be real!

Paul, likewise stated, “Love must be sincere.” (Cf. Romans 12:9) And Paul will go on to explain how sincere love manifests itself:

Romans 12:10-21 (NIV)

¹⁰Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹²Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. ¹⁴Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people willing to do menial work. Do not be conceited. ¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. (Cf. Deuteronomy 32:35) ²⁰On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” (Cf. Proverbs 25:21-22) ²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

The Apostle James had a similar passion and theme when he wrote:

James 2:14-17 (NIV)

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

The Apostle Peter addressed the same issues in his epistle:

1 Peter 3:8-14 (NIV)

⁸Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. ⁹Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. ¹⁰For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. ¹¹They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. ¹²For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (Peter quotes Psalm 34:12-16) ¹³Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? ¹⁴But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.

1 Peter 4:7-11 (NIV)

⁷The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. ⁸Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ⁹Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. ¹¹If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

My point is that the apostles emphasized the issue of love in action. And I surmise it was because they observed the greatest demonstration of love in action when they walked and talked with our Lord Jesus. They were eye witnesses of His compassion and came to understand the personal, sacrificial nature of love in its highest form. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Cf. Romans 5:8) And to me, it is in this context that we must consider what Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (Cf. John 13:34-35)

So I pray that as we begin our day … and each new day … that we will commit ourselves to love one another. I pray that we will be sincere and sacrificial. I pray that the love we have and share with others … for others … will be a true reflection of what lies within our hearts. For then, we will have followed His command and fulfilled the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Cf. James 2:8) Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands.” (Cf. John 14:15) So, let us keep His command to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (Cf. Matthew 22:37) through the authentic demonstration of love for one another. Amen

So Now You Know!

Have a Blessed Day!

The Plans I Have For You

Jeremiah 29:11-13

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

This is a very familiar verse for most of us! It is often quoted, and many of us have memorized … even memorialized these prophetic words. No doubt that any one of us want to have a positive outlook on life … a hopeful future … and a purpose directed by God. These things are central to our human experience and longing. But Jeremiah looks deeper into what hope and purpose entail. There are actions on our part that are fundamental to the realization of those plans God has promised to bring about in our lives. In Verses 12 and 13, he states, “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

I think we need to look closer at those words in the context:

You will call on Me
You will come and pray to Me AND I will listen to you
You will seek Me
You will find Me WHEN you seek Me with all your heart

I sense there are people who want to know God’s will for their lives. They want to know HIS plans for their lives … the future HE envisions … the prosperity and protection HE promises. Yet they do not pray … they do not sit still and listen … they do not seek God with their whole heart. They have their own ideas for happiness … their own conceptions of prosperity … and they simply want God to bless what they want to do … based on their own plans for their lives. This is not what the Word of God teaches us; and I urge anyone caught in this inner struggle and take a step back and examine themselves and their motivations…. We need to consider what the Prophet Isaiah wrote:

Isaiah 55:6-9 (NKJV)

⁶Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. ⁷Let the man of iniquity forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. ⁸“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. ⁹“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

This is why we need to come to God … to pray to Him … to listen to Him … to seek Him with our whole hearts … in order to know what HE has planned and ordained for our lives IN HIM. A few days ago, I mentioned this verse: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” ¹⁰But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. (Cf. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10) Here, Paul quoted Isaiah 64:4 which reads: “For since the beginning of the world people have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him.” Since the beginning people have not understood what God has planned and purposed for us; yet Paul indicates that God HAS revealed these things to us through His Spirit. Indeed, God has made known the riches of His wisdom. But you and I cannot find out the plans God has for us … the future and hope He has ordained for us … if we do not have an intimate relationship with Him. As Hebrews 11:6 asserts, “But without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Do you want to know the plans that God has for you? His desire to give you abundant life? (Cf. John 10:10) Eternal life? (Cf. John 3:15-16) Then you need to call upon God. You need to go to Him and pray. You need to listen. You need to seek Him with your whole heart. For we read in Jeremiah 29:14 where God has said, “I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive. Do you see what the verse is telling us? “I will bring you back from your captivity.” Captivity? Yes, we have held ourselves hostage … imprisoned ourselves with our own thoughts and our own plans … our own visions of the future and not the plans God has designed and purposed for us. He allowed us to be held captive there … in those thoughts … so that we could see and experience the futility … the servitude … the enslavement … of man-made dreams! But God has something better … something greater … something more fulfilling and satisfying for our souls … if we would but seek an intimate relationship with Him who is our Creator … our Savior … our Lord.

Here are some exhortations that come to mind:

Psalm 33:10-11 (NKJV)

The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. ¹¹The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.

Psalm 146:3-4 (NIV)

³Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. ⁴When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶in all your ways acknowledge (submit to) Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 14:22 (NIV)

²²Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.

Proverbs 14:22 (NKJV)

²¹There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.

Proverbs 23:17-18 (NIV)

¹⁷Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. ¹⁸There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 23:17-18 (NIV)

“Woe to the rebellious children,” says the Lord, “Who take counsel, but not of Me, and who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin….

Matthew 6:24 (NIV)

²⁴“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Matthew 16:24-25 (NKJV)

^24 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ²⁵For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Matthew 22:37-39 (NKJV)

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

James 4:3-5 (NKJV)

³You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. ⁴Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?

So what is the application? God knows the plans that HE has for you! His thoughts toward you are thoughts of peace … not of harm. His thoughts are for you … not against you. The future He offers is the hope of eternal life … given to us through Christ Jesus our Lord. God is asking us to come to Him for answers … to call upon Him and pray to Him. God is asking us to seek Him with all of our heart … to trust Him in all things and not lean upon our understanding. Our understanding is limited. We only know in part. (Cf. 1 Corinthians 13:12) But what we do know is more than sufficient! For we know the love of God … His great love (Cf. Ephesians 2:4) … His lavish love … that we might be called His children. (Cf. 1 John 3:1). Yes, we can trust God for our future because we can trust God for His love. Amen.

So Now You Know!

Have a Blessed Day!

Unfailing Love

Psalm 33:4-5 (NIV)

For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His unfailing love.

I simply love these meditations of King David as he contemplates the character of God … His nature … as He has revealed it and manifested it in the life of David. David reflects on the same thoughts that I believe most of us would have … who find great delight in knowing God and pursuing Him with all of our heart:

For the word of the Lord is right and true

The most fundamental spiritual discipline we can exercise is to read the Word of God … and to trust that His Word is right and true. This is essential to the formation of faith because faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Jesus Christ. (Cf. Romans 10:17) No one has ever seen God, but the One and Only Son, who is Himself God, and in intimate relationship with the Father, He has made the Father known. (Cf. John 1:18)

John 6:45-47 (NIV)

⁴⁵It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ (Cf. Isaiah 54:13) Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to me. ⁴⁶No one has seen the Father except the One who is from God; only He has seen the Father. ⁴⁷Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.

John 14:8-10a (NIV)

⁸Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” ⁹Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?

Yes, we too, can know the Father because we can intimately know His Son. We have both The Law and The Prophets which reveal the testimony of God about Himself as well as His Son. And we have the Word of God made flesh … who came and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory … the glory of the One and Only Son – who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (Cf. John 1:14) As Jesus affirmed, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷If you really know me, you will knowmy Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.” (Cf. John 14:6-7)

He is faithful in all He does.

Like the knowledge of God’s love for us that we find in Scripture, another fundamental truth is His faithfulness! Indeed, God is faithful to those who love Him … even when we fail in our faithfulness toward Him. God responds to our love for Him … despite our weaknesses or failures. Jesus has said, “If you love me, keep my commands.” (John 14:15) “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” (John 14:21)

Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV)

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.

Deuteronomy 32:4 (NIV)

I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God!He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He.

Psalm 89:8 (NIV)

Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

1 Corinthians 1:9 (NIV)

God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 8:35-39 (NIV)

³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” (Cf. Psalm 44:22) ³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Lord loves righteousness and justice;

Though we know the character of God … His love and faithfulness towards us … the holiness, righteousness, and justice of His nature … there is an inner knowledge we receive from His Spirit to be conformed to His image. Paul wrote, “For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He (Jesus) might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.” (Cf. Romans 8:29-30) We know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commands. Whoever says, “I know Him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys His word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did. (Cf. 1 John 2:3-6)

Psalm 40:10 (NIV)

I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly.

Psalm 85:10 (NIV)

Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.

Psalm 89:14 (NIV)

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.

Proverbs 21:21 (NIV)

Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.

1 Timothy 6:10-12 (NIV)

¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.¹¹But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹²Fight the good fight of the faith.

2 Timothy 2:22 (NIV)

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

1 John 3:7-10 (NIV)

⁷Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous. ⁸The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. ⁹No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. ¹⁰This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.¹¹For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

Matthew 5:43-45 (NIV)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

It is clear that God expects us to consecrate our lives to Him … to sanctify ourselves through the truth of His Word (Cf. John 17:17) In this way, we become like Him in our own characters and spiritual natures. The bar has been set quite high for believers, and it is imperative that recognize what the Apostle John admonished above … that no one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. Indeed, there is a difference between asking for forgiveness and repentance. A believer will engage in repentance in order to do what is right and just….

The earth is full of His unfailing love.

Bless the Lord God because He has revealed His Being … His Truth to us through His Word and through His Son! Bless the Lord God because He is faithful in ALL that He does. Bless the Lord God because He is righteous and just in ALL He ways! Therefore, we can TRUST the Lord God will our being … yes, we can trust Him who created us to have relationship with Him. I love the following verses which speak to the unfailing love of God for us. And I pray these will speak to your heart as well:

Exodus 15:13 (NIV)

In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.

Psalm 13:5 (NIV)

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.

Psalm 26:2-3 (NIV)

Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.

Psalm 32:10 (NIV)

Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in Him.

Psalm 51:1 (NIV)

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

Psalm 107:8, 15, 21, 31 (NIV)

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind,

Psalm 143:8 (NIV)

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.

As you can see, King David was quite expressive about the unfailing love of God. The Father is trustworthy in all things. The Father is faithful in all things. The Father sent His One and Only Begotten Son to reveal and manifest Himself so that we might know Him who is true! As the Apostle John affirmed: “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true by being in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” (Cf. 1 John 5:19-20) And so, I pray that we will respond to this word today. I pray that we will seek sincere repentance in our attitudes and motives that do not conform to the image of Jesus. And I pray that we will always endeavor to walk in this understanding that we have been given. For God is spirit, and those who worship Him must do so in the Spirit and Truth. (Cf. John 4:24) Amen.

So Now You Know!

Have a Blessed Day!

Gifts Without Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

This is a passage that most of us are familiar with … and I think it is a timely word for us to pause and consider. 1 Corinthians 13, often called the Love Chapter, is Paul’s exhortation about the virtue and preeminence of love in all relationships. Paul asserts that everything we do within our relationships with others should be motivated and guided by love. But I think we should review 1 Corinthians 12, which precedes this discourse, because Paul addresses the spiritual gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit and their exercise and operation within the Church (Body of Christ). It is within this context that we need to understand how love itself us should govern how we interact with one another. I believe the point that Paul was trying to make here is that regardless of our spiritual giftings and talents; regardless of the offices or roles God has appointed some within the Church; regardless of the abilities and anointing people have received to minister to the Church … if these are not offered or fulfilled with love as the sole motivation … then we have missed the will of God for His diverse appointment of gifts, designed for the mutual edification and unity of purpose of His Church.

Now with this perspective in mind, look at the following verses:

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Do you see your spiritual gifts or talents … your offices or roles within the Church … your anointed abilities in light of these qualities of love? Are you patient and kind with others in the Church? Are you envious of others’ spiritual gifts? Perhaps, worse, are you boastful or filled with spiritual pride because of the spiritual gifts you were given by the Spirit as He has determined? Love is not self-seeking; rather, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” (Cf. Philippians 2:3) Love does not dishonor other people or present them in a negative light. Love does not provoke nor is it become easily angered. Love forgives and you have been forgiven in Christ Jesus. Yes, love always seeks the highest good so that we conduct ourselves with this overarching principle … to love as we ourselves have been loved by God (Cf. John 13:34; 15:12) and to glorify Him through every relationship brought into our lives.

With Valentine’s Day approaching this week, we will probably think about the Love Chapter and its instructions regarding love. Many of us will probably recount the vows we made to our spouses at an altar – or maybe as prompted during romantic occasions or anniversary celebrations. But I encourage you to revisit 1 Corinthians 13 and to consider its application for other relationships … especially those within the Church. As Paul observed, if we do not have sincere love as the motivation and intent of our hearts, then no gifting or anointing … no talent or ability … no role or office … will hold any value in the eyes of God. Love is the reason and purpose behind any and all spiritual gifts because the Lord Jesus gave them for the benefit of the Church and for the glory of God the Father. As the Apostle John wrote, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (Cf. 1 John 4:8) So, without the “excellence” of love in operation, there is a deep flaw in how we approach our part … our role … in ministering to others with the Body of Christ as well as reaching those we have been commissioned to proclaim the Gospel.

So Now You Know!

Have a Blessed Day!

No Eye Has Seen

1 Corinthians 2:9

However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love Him—

I have always leaped for joy when I read this passage. My imagination affords a wide range of the possibilities for heaven. I think about the vivid descriptions of the Apostle John recorded in the Book of The Revelation … the emerald majesty of God’s throne … the illuminate Holy City of New Jerusalem … the foundations of precious gem stones and streets of gold as pure as transparent glass…. Heaven really is inconceivable even with the panoramic view we have been given.

But then I looked at the passage in its immediate context, and I thought there is more to what Paul is trying to convey here. I began to see this verse from a different perspective … one that I had not considered before. So I have reprinted the entire chapter for us to examine, because I think there is some broader truth to observe in this regard.

1 Corinthians 2 (NIV)

¹ And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. ²For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. ³I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. ⁴My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, ⁵so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. ⁶We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. ⁷No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. ⁸None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

⁹However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” (Cf. Isaiah 64:4) — the things God has prepared for those who love Him— ¹⁰these are the things God has revealed to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

¹¹For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹²What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. ¹⁴The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. ¹⁵The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, ¹⁶for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct Him?” (Cf. Isaiah 40:13) But we have the mind of Christ.

Contemplating this passage within the context has shifted my focus from the eternal to the present. The Lord Jesus shared that He was would go to prepare a place for us in heaven and return to take us to be with Him there. (Cf. John 14:2-3) And I believe John has given us a vivid description of that place. But to me, in the context, this passage appears to be addressing the mystery of the Gospel itself … the wisdom of God and His plan of salvation to be accomplished through His Son … Jesus, the Messiah. Indeed, no human mind could have conceived that God the Father, the Creator of the Universe, would in essence sacrifice Himself for His own creation as an act of atonement for the sin and corruption that had entered into it. For God sent His Son, Jesus, to be the Lamb of God … who was slain from the creation of the world. (Cf. Revelation 13:8) Indeed, our salvation is truly unimaginable; and yet, this is the eternal life that God has prepared for those who love Him. And this great salvation has been revealed to us by His Spirit. Yes, The Spirit has revealed even the deep things of God … so that we might know them!

We do not have to look beyond the Word of God … written by the Holy Spirit upon the minds and hearts of holy men of God (2 Peter 1:21) … to see and understand what God has revealed regarding His plan of salvation. Until the revelation of the Old Testament was fulfilled in Christ Jesus, no eye had truly seen … no ear had truly heard … no human mind had ever conceived the plan of salvation that God had prepared for those who love Him. As Hebrews 1:1-3 explains, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ²but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe. ³The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.” Wow! Just think about that a moment! How incredible is it – that the Creator of the universe would have the care or concern to afford His creation insight into the thoughts of His own mind … the love of His own heart … His deep desire to make Himself known to us! It was accomplished through the Messiah … the Son of God … Jesus! He brought complete reality to all that had been spoken … to all that had been revealed! The thoughts of God … the deep things of God … were revealed by His Spirit and witnessed in His Son.

And this is the message: God loves us … His children … so deeply that He died for us! God sacrificed of Himself as a testimony of His indescribable, inconceivable, inseparable love! Paul would describe His passionate love with these words: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Cf. Romans 8:38-39) Indeed, the Word of God is HIS testimony which He has given about His Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about His Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. (Cf. 1 John 5:9-11)

Luke 24:44 (NIV)

Jesus said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

1 Peter 1:10-12 (NIV)

¹⁰Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, ¹¹trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. ¹²It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

So, I hope this discussion has stirred your own thoughts about the Gospel … its hidden wisdom that has been revealed to those who love God through the Spirit. As the Apostle John affirmed for us: “¹²Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (Cf. 1 John 5:12-13) And so I share this word with you that the Gospel may be applied to your hearts in the present … and so that you will know for certain the eternal life that awaits you in that truly inconceivable place Jesus has gone to prepare for us! And the greatest news is that He will soon return … so that we might be with Him where He is!