Take Up Your Cross…

Luke 9:23-24 (NIV)

Then Jesus said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”

Our Verse of the Day challenges us to evaluate our response to Jesus! Jesus taught a key principle of discipleship; namely, whoever wants to be His disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Him.  Notice the spiritual application for us is a daily action item – “take up your cross daily.”  In essence, Jesus is telling us that self-denial … no longer living for ourselves but for Him … is the conviction and transformation that should occur within us. This is what it truly means to believe and abide in Jesus! We are called each day to put our sinful nature to death (Cf. Colossians 3:5); bring every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ (Cf. 2 Corinthians 10:5); and to serve Jesus by following wherever He goes. (Cf. John 12:26)

As we have studied over the past several days, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Cf. Romans 3:23) It is the redemption accomplished through the death and resurrection of Jesus that requires a response from every human being. That response is repentance! That response is faith in His blood atonement! That response is a love for God demonstrated through obedience:

1 John 2:4-6 (NIV)

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.

1 John 5:1-3 (NIV)

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves His Son as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

So let us pray and resolve this morning to deny ourselves and to be obedient to the life of Jesus within us.  Let us take to heart these words that Paul penned: “For if we have been united with Jesus in a death like His, we will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like His. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” (Cf. Romans 6:5-7) “For those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Cf. Galatians 5:24) This is what is means to deny ourselves and to pick up our own cross each day and to follow Jesus! Let us encourage each other to do so as we see the Day approaching…. Amen.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. ~ Matthew 10:37-39

Dying To Sin…

1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)

“He Himself bore our sins” in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by His wounds you have been healed.”

In our Verse of the Day, Peter reminds us of the reason that Jesus died a physical death upon the cross.  Jesus bore the punishment for our sins!  He received in His body our penalty … the payment due for our sins … which is death. (Cf. Romans 6:23) His gracious, merciful act atoned for us. His high priestly sacrifice satisfied the righteousness of Father God … our Holy Creator. 

But closer examination of this verse also reveals the purpose for which Jesus died as well. Peter draws our attention to the application of our response to the unmerited mercy and forgiveness of Jesus; namely, “that we might die to sin and live for righteousness.” In disarming the power of sin through His sacrificial atonement (Cf. Colossians 2:15), Jesus sets us free from the law of sin and death. (Cf. Romans 8:2) So, I believe this verse affirms what Paul asserted when he wrote: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Cf. Galatians 2:20)

Romans 6:1-7; 11-14 (NIV)

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like His. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to Him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

I realize that my biblical text selections for commentaries have become repetitive the past few days, but I am convinced this is what the Holy Spirit wants us to embrace: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (Cf. Leviticus 44-45; 19:2; 20:7; 20:26; 22:32; 1 Peter 1:16) Indeed, it is Jesus alone who makes us holy through His blood atonement. He has separated us from the world and sanctified us to serve God the Father! Oh, how I pray the power of the blood of Jesus would so penetrate our consciousness that we would wholly consecrate ourselves to Him; that we would deny ourselves and pick up our cross daily and follow Him! (Cf. Luke 9:23)

My friends, it is my prayer that we will spend some time before the Lord Jesus today and thank Him for all He has done for us! Yes, praise Him for the forgiveness and salvation He purchased for us! Worship Him for sending His Holy Spirit to indwell us … to comfort us and guide us into all truth! Indeed, a very costly ransom was paid for our sins and transgressions. Through Jesus, we have been renewed, returned, and restored to fellowship with God! Through Jesus our relationship with the Father has been healed! Therefore, we should not deliberately keep on sinning and dishonor the purpose of the cross … that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

For if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin but a fearful prospect of judgment and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy “on the testimony of two or three witnesses.” How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by those who have spurned the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant by which they were sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace? ~ Hebrews 10:26-29

When We Were Powerless…

Romans 5:6-8 (NIV)

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Our Verse of the Day has been cited and used in commentaries numerous times.  Still, this passage from Romans 5 is just as powerful today as it was when the Apostle Paul penned it for the Church!

As I read it again, Verse 6 has captured my attention: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” As King David observed: “The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside. They have together become corrupt; there is none who does good … No, not one!” (Cf. Psalm 14:2-3; Psalm 53:2-3; Romans 3:11-12) Indeed, we are powerless. We are helpless and without hope.  But God….

Ephesians 2:1-10 (ESV)

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the sinful nature and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Our power … our strength … our redemption and deliverance come only by the mercy of God! Yes, the riches of His mercy can be received only through His Son … Jesus! He died for the ungodly … He died for us! He alone atoned for our sin to present us righteous and holy before God. He secured our eternal redemption! (Cf. Hebrews 9:12) Hallelujah! Praise His Name!

A second thought came to mind: “What kind of love would compel Jesus to die for the ungodly?” As I thought about this a moment, I remembered what Jesus told His disciples: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Cf. John 13:34-35) And it convicted me with the question: “Can I love others who are ungodly and sinners – just as Jesus loved and died for me?” Maybe it was this question that inspired Paul to write: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship … your true and proper worship.” (Cf. Romans 12:1)

Matthew 5:43-48 (NLT)

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Luke 6:27-36 (NLT)

“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you. “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return. Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most-High, for He is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

There is no ambiguity here.  Love is not earned.  Love is not based on merit. Love is. Love acts. It is the mind-set of God … for He is love. It is the state of being in which we are called to live as His children. This is the heart of God! This is the heart of Jesus! Jesus said, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one that this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. And you are my friends if you do what I command. (Cf. John 15:12-14) I pray we will love like Jesus loved … willingly and sacrificially. Amen.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in Him and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so, we know and rely on the love God has for us. ~ 1 John 4:10-16

Happy Resurrection Day!

Hebrews 1:3 (NIV)

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Happy Resurrection Day! Our Verse of the Day is one of my favorites; and I love the opening of this inspired book and its profound theological content! Let’s look deeper look at Jesus … the Resurrection.  His is the image of God the Father:

Hebrews 1:1-4 (NIV)

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but 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. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So, He became as much superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is superior to theirs.

If we continued into Verses 5-9, we would understand that the name Jesus inherited is SON. God sent His Son … His ONLY begotten son … into the world to speak to us and to show us the Father. And the Gospel of John affirms this truth:

John 14:1-11 (NIV)

Thomas said to Jesus, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus 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’?

John 3:17-18 (NIV)

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Jesus, the Son of God, was sent to provide purification for sins, so that the world might be saved through Him. This is the only means of salvation: To believe in Jesus and the atoning power of His blood – which was shed on the cross! Those who put their faith in Him will not be condemned. (Cf. Romans 8:1) But those who do not believe in Him remain under the condemnation of their sin. Yes, this is how God the Father views sin! His holiness condemns it! “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Cf. Romans 6:23) Note the contrast: Forgiveness versus death. The outcome is predicated upon our faith … and the transformation that faith causes in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit when we are born of God. Yes, this is hard to explain to the unbeliever, but Scripture demonstrates it is true nonetheless. As Paul observed:

1 Corinthians 2:12-14 (NIV)

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. This 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. The 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.

To believe in Jesus is to believe the Father who sent Him. Indeed, this is the work of God … to produce faith within us. (Cf. John 6:29) When we resist Jesus … we are resisting the work of God to bring us to Himself … to purify us from sin … and reconcile us to fellowship with Him.

John 6:35-40 (NIV)

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me. And this is the will of Him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those He has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

We can only see Jesus through the eyes of faith! And when we see Jesus … we see the Father. It is a straightforward message; yet those who physically saw Jesus in the early 1st Century still did not believe His Word … His Testimony. This is hard to fathom, but Jesus gives us some insight on why this was the case: “All that the Father gives Me will come Me.” Jesus will expound on this matter further:

John 6:44-47 (NIV)

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ (Citing Isaiah 54:13) Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the One who is from God; only He has seen the Father. Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 

I pray we will hold these things in remembrance this Resurrection Day … the day when the New Covenant was forged through the blood of the Son of God and confirmed by His resurrection on the third day as He foretold and fulfilled. My friends, let us keep our hearts fixed on this Day … each and every day! For Jesus IS the resurrection and the life!

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” ~ John 11:23-27

Reconciled and Saved Through Christ

Romans 5:10 (NIV)

For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!

Our Verse of the Day poses a rhetorical question, and its theological implication is quite powerful for us to consider as we reflect on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. I want us to see the full picture in its surrounding context:

Romans 5:6-11 (NIV)

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

2 Timothy 1:9-10 (NIV)

He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. 

Let us keep in mind that the life of Jesus and His sacrificial atonement for our sin were ordained before the beginning of time … before the creation of the world. (Cf. Revelation 13:8) God the Father determined a right time in history to send His Son into the world. Yes, when the set time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem those under the Law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. (Cf. Galatians 4:4-5) Indeed, it is clear that God ordained the sacrifice of His Son to be the final atonement … the eternal propitiation for the sin of the world. This is our boast and reason for rejoicing!

So, here in our Verse of the Day, we find Paul expounding on the implications of the crucifixion beyond the atonement we have received from God: “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!” How much more does not pose a question; rather, it is the conclusive exclamation of the blessing that follows salvation and His act of reconciliation! Indeed, there is no greater cost to be imagined … there is no greater gift to be received! His resurrection completes our salvation!

The cross of Christ reveals how deeply God abhors sin … any and all sin … and, perhaps, especially the hidden sin that we attempt to conceal from others under the guise of hypocrisy. Since we have been crucified with Christ, we are being called to holiness and to rid ourselves of religious and spiritual hypocrisy! We are to remove it from our inner beings our spiritual houses. Just as Moses commanded the people when he instituted the Passover: So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. (Cf. Exodus 12:14-15) Remove the leaven! And what is the leaven we should remove in preparation?

Luke 12:1-5 (NKJV)

He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore, whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. “And I say to you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

Why is this important? What is the application for us as believers … His Church?

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 (NKJV)

Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore, clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

My friends, we simply cannot tolerate hypocrisy within ourselves! We cannot allow the insidious leaven of sin to permeate or to destroy the temples of our bodies! As Paul asserted: “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (Cf. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) In this season … this right time … God is calling believers to get rid of the leaven in our houses! He is calling us to holiness! He is calling us to return to the cross of Christ! The Father wants us to identify again with the cross and proclaim: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Cf. Galatians 2:20) Indeed, Jesus died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again. (Cf. 2 Corinthians 5:15)

I pray God has been stirring each of us during these Holy Days of remembrance! Yes, today, let us return the cross and remember the holy price paid for our redemption! Yes, let us gaze at the wonderous cross on which the Prince of Glory died! Let us stop to reflect; to repent; to reconsider our ways; and to return to our first love! God our Savior, who loves us beyond our ability to conceive, wants us to give Him our full attention; our undivided devotion; our uncompromised faith and adoration! Yes, let us remove all hypocrisy and be sincere. As Jesus affirmed: “The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in the Spirit and Truth.” (Cf. John 4:23-24)

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. ~ Titus 3:4-8

Crucified With Christ…

Galatians 2:20 (NIV)

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Our Verse of the Day comes to challenge us on this Good Friday! Whenever I read this passage, the weight of its message always challenges my heart. Too often, I believe, our thoughts are consumed with ourselves … our own plans and desires … and sometimes we lose focus on the purposes of God for our lives. Paul makes a very profound, experiential statement of faith; yet I wonder if we truly understand its significance for our own walk of faith.  We have talked about the purpose of the crucifixion and the blood atonement for our sin that Jesus suffered for us, but do we see and identify with the death of sin that took place the cross in our personal lives?

Paul gives us is a powerful thought to embrace for ourselves. We are to personally identify with the crucifixion as though we ourselves (along with Christ Jesus) were nailed to that cross and put to death our own sin. As Paul wrote: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” (Cf. Colossians 3:5) And, “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” (Cf. Romans 8:13) Putting our sinful natures to death IS our personal identification with the cross of Christ!  Moreover, our identity remains forever in Christ Jesus!

Romans 6:3-5 (NIV)

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like His.

My friends, not only do we need to identify with the death to sin (buried in baptism), we need to see our resurrection to new life IN Christ. Just as we identify with His death, we can identify with His resurrection. We have been raised to new life in Him. And as we abide in Him and He is us, it is no longer we ourselves who live but Christ in us.  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here!” (Cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17) That new person is one who surrenders to live as Jesus did. (Cf. 1 John 2:6) Yes, the will of God is for our sanctification (Cf. John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:23); that is, we should be separate or set apart for service unto God.

Romans 8:29 reminds us that God predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son. If we want to be like Jesus, we have to be crucified with Him. We have to put to death our sinful nature on the cross. It requires the sacrifice of our own wills. It demands self-discipline and sanctification out of reverence for God. The Apostles have communicated what Jesus clearly taught them. And so, perhaps it would be best to see how Jesus challenged His disciples.  It still applies to us today:

Luke 9:18-25 (NIV)

And it happened, as Jesus was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” So, they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his crossdaily, and follow Me.For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?

This is the life of faith in Jesus that we are called to attain! And Paul has provided a practical perspective for me to apply to my life; namely, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” If I would but proclaim this one truth to my heart each morning when I awake, I would truly experience the sanctification God has made possible for my life. If I am dead to sin … if I no longer live but Christ lives in me (through His Holy Spirit) … then the desires of the flesh … my personal agendas … will all be nailed to the cross with Christ. I will no longer live for myself, but I will live in Christ and for Him. I cannot change who I was before I encountered Christ. I cannot undo the offenses, transgressions, and sins committed. I can only receive His gracious forgiveness … His merciful atonement for my rebellious spirit. Indeed, all those who belong to Christ Jesus have no other option.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

So, I say walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ~ Galatians 5:16-25

I Want To Know What Love Is

1 John 3:16 (NIV)

This 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.

Our Verse of the Day captures a great truth that Jesus desires each of us to attain from our personal encounter with Him; namely, the truth of God’s unfathomable love for those He created in His image …  and all of His creation. Indeed, we find this truth repeated in the inspired writings of the New Testament authors. John wrote: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. (Cf. John 3:16) And Paul wrote: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Cf. Romans 5:8)

What the Apostle John affirms here is that the sacrificial death of Jesus is how we KNOW what love is! Jesus Christ defines the love of God in terms that we have yet to fully comprehend. Yet, Jesus assures us that this truth can be known and understood by us. Consider the following text:

John 17:20-26 (NIV) ~ Excerpt from the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus

“My prayer is not for them (the apostles) alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

My friends, we can know God and know His love because of Jesus Christ … His Son.  The veil covering the holy place in the temple was torn in two – opening our access and revealing our capacity to have fellowship with the God who created us in His image. Jesus attested that He was sent to reveal the Father and to make Him known. Because of Jesus, we can know God … His Being and His passionate love for us.  Paul understood this revelation; and his prayer for the Ephesian believers in Ephesians 3:14-21 encompassed a deep, heartfelt desire for them (and us) to KNOW “this love that surpasses knowledge.”

Indeed, God has spoken His love for us. God has revealed His love for us. God has shown and demonstrated His love for us. All the Father asks of us is to believe in His Son, Jesus, and to love one another as He has loved us! His will is not mysterious or unknown. His expectation of those created in His image is attainable. The reciprocation of His love can be achieved. The only question for us is whether we truly desire in our hearts to make it actual in our lives.  For love requires us to humble ourselves … to subdue own wills … to exalt God above all else. And Christ Jesus, who ascended into heaven to become our High Priest before the throne of God, has demonstrated what this submission entails.  Indeed, the Son, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage;rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! (Cf. Philippians 2:6-8)

When we humble ourselves and exert our own wills to be obedient … to pick up our cross daily … to die to sin … to believe God at His Word … to see God through His Son; I am persuaded that we will intimately experience His love that surpasses knowledge and be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  We will have the capacity to love others as we have been loved. Indeed, that is the purpose of God … to complete His love.  The Apostle John shared these insights with us:

1 John 4:7-17 (NIV)

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in Him and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 

All of these scriptures reveal the meaning and purpose of our Lord Jesus Christ being sent by the Father to this earth. God sent His Son to fulfill all of these truths because of His great love for us! I pray we will continue to reflect on these things as we recount His crucifixion and celebrate His resurrection!

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with Him, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then Jesus said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Then Jesus returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” He asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” When Jesus came back, He again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So, He left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. ~ Matthew 26:36-44

Jesus Died For All…

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NIV)

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.

Our Verse of the Day brings a great opportunity for deeper understanding of the purposes and implications of the resurrection of Christ Jesus. I have decided to reprint the entire chapter to afford the context because it is packed with theological applications for us to consider.  For me, there are lessons that impact not only my view of the world, but my understanding of finding my identity in Christ Jesus. Paul helps us discover who we are and what we are supposed to be doing with our lives as new creations who has been born of the Spirit to abide in Christ Jesus forever.  Yes, this portion of scripture captures a myriad of faith-building tenets; and I hope you will find faith-growing encouragement as you review these insights of Paul….

2 Corinthians 5 (New Living Translation)

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God Himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God Himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee He has given us His Holy Spirit.

So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So, whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please Him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ’s love compels us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

So, we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know Him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So, we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

I’m not quite sure how the theological thoughts and applications of the resurrection could be more succinctly presented.  What God has done for us through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, our Lord and Savior, is overwhelming to contemplate! His great mercy; His amazing grace; His abiding Spirit; His everlasting love are fulfilled and completed in Jesus! His last words while on the cross were: “It is finished!” And with that, Jesus bowed His head and gave up His spirit. (Cf. John 19:30) There is nothing else to be done except to receive His gift of reconciliation!

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

For this reason. I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. ~ Ephesians 3:14-21

The Riches of God’s Grace

Ephesians 1:7 (NIV)

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace … that He lavished on us.

Our Verse of the Day is central to the Gospel message we have been called to declare: In Jesus we have redemption – through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace! And I believe we should look deeper at this verse … its declaration of redemption in Christ within the full context of the prologue of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians:

Ephesians 1:1-10 (NIV)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He (God) chose us in Him (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will— to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him (Christ) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, He (God) made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

By the grace of God the Father, we have been saved! This is not of ourselves … but through the lavish gift of grace given to us. And this grace is received through the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives. Yes, our redemption and salvation is the will of God; and we can know it without fear or doubt! Everything else given to us by God can be understood once this foundation of truth has been laid within our souls. As Paul instructed, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. (Cf. 1 Corinthians 2:12) But before the Spirit of God can give us this discernment, the testimony of God in Jesus Christ must be believed! As Paul addressed the believers in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NRSV)

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery (testimony) of God to you with superior speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were made not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

Why is this so important? Because there is a spirit of deception permeating, enveloping, and encircling the world right now. There is a veil of darkness that is blinding people to the truth concerning Christ Jesus. (Cf. 2 Corinthians 4:4) People are searching for answers and seeking truth; but there are world powers, spiritual forces of darkness, and false prophets who cloak the truth with a lie. The seeds of doubt are being sown and watered under the disruptions of wars and rumors of war; world economic instability and collapse; pestilence and famine; and the birth pangs of coming tribulation. (Cf. Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21) Indeed, the spirit of deception and doctrines of demons is spreading rapidly in these last days. Even now, as Jesus declared to the lukewarm Church at Laodicea: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Cf. Revelation 3:20)

My friends, we are in spiritual warfare for the Truth to be unfettered and released! For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Cf. Ephesians 6:12) And within this spiritual war going on … and we need to hold fast to this Truth: In Christ Jesus we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us. We need to remain steadfast and confident … to trust God at His Word. Yes, even now I am reminded of this scripture Jude 3-4: “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.”

It is my prayer that the message of the cross will be declared in this season. I pray for those who have wandered from the faith to repent and return to Jesus who willingly and joyfully shed His own blood for the forgiveness and atonement of our sins. And I pray in hope for those who have rejected the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ that God would grant them repentance … so that we, the Body of Christ, can lead them to a knowledge of the Truth. Yes, I pray they will come to their senses and escape the deceptive schemes of the devil (Satan), who has taken them captive to do his will. (Cf. 2 Timothy 2:25-26) Amen.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good. ~ Titus 2:11-14

Looking To Jesus…

Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our Verse of the Day come from the opening passage of Hebrews 12, and there are some thoughts I want to share from it:

Hebrews 12:1-7 (NIV)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as his son.” (Citing Proverbs 3:11-12) Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as His children.

Verse 1 begins with a reference to those people of faith who throughout the millennia of human existence manifested and exercised their faith in God.  Read Hebrews 11 for a powerful recounting of the ancient ones who were commended for their faith. The inspired writer asserts that these worshippers are notable witnesses of the one true God … the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! And we are encouraged to join them in the faith … to throw off any remaining doubt and to seek the righteousness and holiness of God for our lives.

Verse 2 shares how we can begin the walk in a steadfast and enduring faith. We need to look no further than Jesus.  He is the originator … the initiator … the author of faith! Likewise, He is the One who will complete … finish … perfect our faith in God! Indeed, it was for the joy of bringing us to salvation that Jesus willingly and lovingly endured the cross at Golgotha (Aramaic) or Calvary (Latin). How profound is that thought – Jesus faced His crucifixion with joy. It is incomprehensible on a human level!

Verse 3 encourages us to see the life of Jesus as motivation to persevere in our faith! He endured the cross with joy because through the lens of eternity He saw our redemption and reconciliation with the Father.  By comparison, the inspired writer noted that we have not resisted sin to the point of shedding our own blood. Too often we cave to temptation even though God will provide a way out so you can endure it. (Cf. 1 Corinthians 10:13)

Verses 4-7 address the discipline of God … the testing of our faith.  The inspired writer cites the wisdom of Solomon in this regard; and he admonishes us to endure hardship as discipline because it comes forth from God’s unfailing and everlasting love for His children!  For we in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, how have been called according to His purpose. Indeed, through suffering and hardship, the Father is conforming us to the image of His Son. (Cf. Romans 8:28-29) And remember: “Son though He was, Jesus learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him. (Cf. Hebrews 5:8-9) Yes, after His resurrection, Jesus ascended to the right hand of the throne of God where He is also interceding for us. (Cf. Romans 8:34)

I am reminded of an old hymn that I believe encourages us to look to Jesus for the hope and blessing of faith.  Written by Helen Lemmel, the chorus reads:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. ~ Hebrews 11:6