Tag: Redemption

Where Can I Go?

Psalm 139:7

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

The question is provocative…. The question is poignant…. Yet, the question is rhetorical….  The answer should be self-evident….

I love the depths of thought that King David poses in Psalm 139. Let’s read a portion:

1 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How amazing are your thoughts concerning me, God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.

What beautiful words depicting the eternal presence, knowledge, and sovereignty of our Creator … our Father in Heaven! Indeed, too often, we are not mindful of the unceasing presence of God in and over our lives. So, David, a man who pursued after the heart of God, captures what I believe should be the contemplative mindset of our beings – to continually acknowledge and be surrendered to the presence of God. Afterall, where can you or I go to be away from His Spirit or His Presence? But, perhaps, the more pertinent question might be: If we could separate ourselves from the Presence of God, why would we even want to do so?   

I am reminded of a similar question Peter asked when Jesus declared: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51) Let’s review the narrative recorded for us:

John 6:59-69 (NKJV)

59 These things Jesus said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. 60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a difficult saying; who can understand it?” 61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples grumbled about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” 66 From that time many of His disciples departed and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”

Only by the Holy Spirit, active through the Word of God, will our hearts ever be drawn to Jesus and to the redemption, salvation, and eternal life promised to us through Him.  Yes, we must be born-again of the Spirit … not of perishable seed but imperishable; through the living and enduring Word of God. (1 Peter 1:23) Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” Is this question any different than the one that David had asked?

A Final Thought:

Put the Bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times. (Exodus 25:30)

 Have a Blessed Day!

RESCUE…

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.” ~ Psalm 91:14-15

What does it mean to be rescued? What thoughts does this word conjure up in your mind? As I think about the condition of my heart before I encountered Jesus, I needed to be set free from its prison of darkness … from the dangers of its thoughts and inclinations … and from the spiritual forces of evil ever present to exert their dominion over my soul. Without question, I was a captive who desperately needed to be set free … to be rescued from my fallen state.

I like these definitions of rescue offered in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

a: to take (someone, such as a prisoner) forcibly from custody

b: to recover (something, such as a prize) by force

c: to deliver (a place under siege) by armed force

Notice that in each of these definitions, rescue is accomplished by “force”. In each instance, I think about the force God used to rescue us; and yet, there was no physical force exerted at all! Rather, in His lovingkindness and tender mercies, God drew us unto Himself through Jesus – His Beloved Son.  How I can relate to King David in this blessed experience:

Psalm 18: 16-19 (NIV)

He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my great help! He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.

Today, I am reminded of this declaration: “For 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.” (Romans 1:16) And this truth: “For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14) Indeed, the freedom we have come to experience in Christ Jesus is due to an invisible force that cannot be withstood – the Holy Spirit revealing the power of His everlasting mercies and His unfailing covenant of love!

John 1:1-5 (NIV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

1 John 4:9-10 (NIV)

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 reader, if you have been rescued, if you have been delivered, if you have been set free from the dominion of darkness through the spiritual power of the Word of God and through the blood of Jesus for your sin, then give joyful thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the Kingdom of Light! Yes, all praise, honor, and glory is due to the God of our Redemption … to God our Deliverer … and to our Lord Jesus Christ!

But if you have not yet experienced this grace of God in your life, I urge you to seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. (Isaiah 55:6) Indeed, if you will seek the Lord God, you will find him – if you seek Him with all your heart and will all your soul. (Deuteronomy 4:29) Yes, humble yourself because “in their pride the unrighteous do not seek God; in all their thoughts there is no room for God. (Psalm 10:4) And understand this: “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)

Oh, dear friend, if you will forsake your unrighteous thoughts and ways … if you will repent and turn to the Lord, He will have mercy on you and will freely pardon your sins.  (Isaiah 55:7) Yes, come to Jesus and believe in Him, and you will be rescued from a life without hope….

Have a Blessed Day!

Come…

Come…

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ~ Matthew 11:28

Come. It means to move toward someone or something – to approach with a specific purpose or destination in mind. It is an invitation to advance, rise, or improve your current state or position. It is a word that draws us to move closer to someone or something of greater desire. Indeed, when we heard Jesus bid us to come to Him, it was an open invitation to approach Him; to abandon our worries and struggles; to find rest in Him from the weariness that the burdens of life often bring us.

Lovingly, Jesus gently calls us to Himself. And His invitation is not without reward. The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who come to Him. (Cf. Matthew 19:14, Mark 10:14) Jesus said, “Come to me in order to have true life.” (Cf. John 5:40) Yes, 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.” (Cf. John 6:35) And He invites us all saying, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (Cf. John 7:38) Indeed, Jesus says everyone who comes to Him, hears His words, and puts them into practice, is wise to do so! (Cf. Luke 6:47)

And yet, for all the desire anyone might have for these precious promises and great rewards, the ability to come to Jesus is requisite upon the sovereign will of God. Consider these emphatic words that Jesus taught:

John 6:35-48 (NIV)

35 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. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me. 39 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. 40 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.”

41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about Him because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?” 43 “Stop murmuring among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 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. 46 No one has seen the Father except the One who is from God; only He has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life….

It is clear from the text that our capacity or ability to come to saving faith in Jesus has been enabled and empowered by the Father. As Paul affirmed, “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. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Further, this empowerment comes through the Holy Spirit – who teaches us and guides us into all truth – the very Word of God. (John 17:17) It is through the Word of God that a person “hears” the Father and learns from Him. (Cf. Romans 10:13-15) As Jesus, the living Word of God declared, “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.” (John 14:6-7)

Dear reader, have you yet to come to Jesus? Is the Father still working to draw you through His Word and His Holy Spirit? Do not delay! I assure you the Father is not willing that anyone should perish! (2 Peter 3:9) Yes, I want to encourage you to consider these words of Paul written to Timothy:

2 Timothy 3:14-17 (NIV)

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Have a Blessed Day!

Chosen…

Chosen…

For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession. ~ Deuteronomy 7:6

What does it mean to be “chosen”? The Oxford Dictionary defines the verb this way: “Having been selected as the best or most appropriate.” Notice that the word indicates past tense. Chosen is an action that has already taken place. The Collins Dictionary states the adjective means: “Picked out by preference.” Further, Vocabulary.com defines the noun as “One who is the object of choice; who is given preference.” I especially like the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition: “One who is the object of choice or divine favor – an elect person; one who selected or marked for favor or special privilege.”

From the beginning, Scripture informs us of this theological concept of divine election:

Genesis 6:7-8 (NIV)

So, the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” But Noah found favor (grace) in the eyes of the Lord.

Genesis 18:18-19 (NIV)

Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.  For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what He has promised him.

Throughout the Old and New Testaments, we see that God chose certain individuals to accomplish His purposes for His creation. And because God is omniscient, knowing the end from the beginning, His elect were ordained before the creation of the world. As Paul affirmed: “For He (God) chose us in Him (Christ Jesus) 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. (Ephesians 1:4-6)

In this biblical context, I ask again, “Do we as believers truly understand the implications and significance of being chosen by God?” Is not the thought of being chosen by God for redemption and eternal salvation one of miraculous wonder? As I mediated on this reality this morning, I became overwhelmed in my heart. To understand that we are “chosen” by the Creator brought a deep, reverential fear to my soul. While I felt immense gratitude and praised the Lord for His unmerited kindness and grace; I realized the gravity of responsibility that election brings with it….

When I was a child and played outdoors with my neighborhood friends, we would gather to play a game of baseball, basketball, or football. The best players would be team leaders, and they would choose other players for their teams. I would be anxious because I was not usually selected first, second, or even third round. Still, I would be chosen for a team. I can remember how desperately I wanted to make a big play, score points, or otherwise prove my ability to contribute to our success … to demonstrate worthiness for my selection … to be the winner at the end of the game.

This morning, I was confronted with the same conviction during my prayer time. The God of the Universe had chosen me to be on His team … to bring and use the talents that He sovereignly gifted me for this life, and to contribute those talents in such a way as to do His will on earth as it is done in heaven. Indeed, “For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (Romans 8:29) Needless to say, I was filled with tears of regret and remorse. Father God often wanted to put me in the game, but too often I was content to sit on the bench.  Lord Jesus, I pray you would forgive me this wrong….

1 Peter 1:1-2 (NIV)

To God’s elect … who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

1 Peter 2:9-10 (NIV)

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

My friends, I pray that we will reflect deeper on our election. We were chosen for an ordained purpose – to commit our lives to His service and to fulfill our individual roles in the Kingdom of God. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10) Therefore, let us be even more diligent to make our calling and election sure. (2 Peter 1:10) Yes, we have graciously been chosen for eternal redemption; and our Father has ordained that we should serve Him with our whole being. Amen.

1 John 4:9-11 (NKJV)

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atonement for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Have a Blessed Day!

Consider…

Consider…

But be sure to fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you. ~ 1 Samuel 12:24

The Word of the Lord came to Ezekiel: “Son of man, how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest?” (Ezekiel 15:1) It is an interesting question to consider given that the nation of Israel was viewed as the vineyard of the Lord Almighty, and the people of Judah His delighted vines. (Cf. Isaiah 5:7) So, is there anything different about the composition of the wood in a vine than that of a tree?

I believe there is only one thing that distinguishes the vine from the tree. What makes believers different from world is the kindness and grace of God Himself. There is nothing different in our own nature than any other woody plant. But God, who is rich in mercy, uprooted us from the world and made us alive with Christ. (Ephesians 2:1-5) He cultivated the soil of our hearts; planted the seed of His Word; and nurtured us into a productive, fruitful vine. Jesus affirmed this familiar metaphor when He declared: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.” (John 15:1) He said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Are you humbled by these words? Do you ever take time to consider what your life might have been had God not redeemed you from the forest of this world and planted you in His vineyard? What would you be without the life-giving sap of God flowing within you? Would you be able to bear any fruit if the Holy Spirit were not abiding in you? Take a moment to look back on who you once were. Consider what you would have been had the grace of God not encountered you and brought you to the true vine. “For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Corinthians 4:7)

My friend, let us remember the days of long ago; meditate on all the works of God, and consider what His mighty hand has done for those who believe. (Psalm 145:5) “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. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:8-10) Indeed, there is no place for pride to be rooted in our hearts; rather, let us consider with deep humility that our names have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. (Revelation 21:27) Amen.

Have a Blessed Day!

Mighty…

Mighty…

The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage….” ~ Deuteronomy 7:7-8

Mighty! It means possessing great or overwhelming power and strength. The Lord revealed Himself to Abraham as El Shaddai – God Almighty. (Genesis 17:1) Yes, He is the all-powerful One who reigns over all creation! And it is this attribute of our God that comes into focus as He draws unto Himself a people for His treasured possession and inheritance….

With a mighty hand and outstretched arm, God manifested His power to bring salvation for His people. Indeed, “When the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in Him and in Moses His servant.” (Exodus 14:31) As Moses attested: “Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do? (Deuteronomy 3:24)

King David, a man who sought the heart of God, would exclaim: “Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.” (Psalm 24:8) And, “My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.” (Psalm 62:7) Indeed, “Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.” (Psalm 89:8) Isaiah resounded: “I, the Lord, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. (Isaiah 60:16) Jeremiah reflected, “No one is like you, Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. (Jeremiah 10:6)

One of my favorite verses is Zephaniah 3:17 – which reads: “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Oh, how I pray all people would see that our God is mighty to save! (Isaiah 63:1) Indeed, Jesus is not only mighty to redeem us, but He is mighty to preserve His people in sanctification and holiness. As Paul expressed it: “He who began a good work in you will carry it one to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms…. (Ephesians 1:18-20) Oh, my friends, let us to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power! Amen.

Have a Blessed Day!

Presence…

Presence…

Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us; He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will restore us, that we may live in His Presence. Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” ~ Hosea 6:1-3

The Lord God has desired that human beings live in His Presence ever since He created us.  He walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the morning. But when they transgressed His commandment, separation occurred. Indeed, when the Lord confronted Cain for his murderous act, Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence. I will be a restless wanderer upon the earth…. (Genesis 4:13-14) Oh, how deep is the chasm when we do not confess and repent of our sin … for we separate ourselves from the Presence of the Lord.

I am reminded of Moses who contended with the stiff-necked and wayward children of Israel. As they began their journey to the Promised Land, Moses implored the Lord, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here! How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” (Exodus 33:15-16) Oh, friends of mine, do we not see that it is the Presence of the Lord that demonstrates His grace upon us and distinguishes us from those who are hidden from His presence?

In his great confession captured in Psalm 51, King David understood the magnitude of his iniquity and his desperate need to be cleansed and restored to fellowship with God. He affirms the sovereign holiness and righteous judgment of God. In deep, sincere repentance, David pleads: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your Presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. (Verses 10-11) Indeed, there is no light, life or redemption without the Presence of the Lord within us.

There is a quiet confidence to be found in the Presence of the Lord. Before Him, there is a heart of surrender and abandonment of any effort to ever leave His Presence. Oh, for the steadfast faith of David to inspire us this morning: “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your Presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalm 16:11) Yes, as Paul prayed: “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else…. May He strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the Presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones.” (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13)

Have a Blessed Day!

Good…

Good…

As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up to Him and fell on His knees before Him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. (Mark 10:17-18)

As I read this story, I wondered why Jesus asked the man a question before He responded with any answer. I do not think our Lord Jesus made His response to the man to rebuke him; rather, I think Jesus was trying to determine if the man thought that He was God? Notice that the man had fallen to his knees before Jesus. Perhaps, it appeared to be a gesture of worship. So, it was a valid question … similar to when Jesus had asked His disciples: “Who do you say I am?” (Mark 8:29)

As we read further in the story, we see more detail of the interchange between this ruler and Jesus.  Observe how Jesus answered the question:

Mark 10:19-22 (NIV)

“You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” He said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

What a powerful statement! Jesus loved the man for his effort to please God through obedience; however, something was lacking. In what had the man ultimately placed his confidence? In his self-perceived goodness through keeping the relational commandments? Note the absence of the first four commandments to love, serve, and worship God? Yet, Jesus brings these into view when He explains what is lacking and urges: “Come, follow Me.” Indeed, the time had come for true worshipers to worship the Father in the Spirit and in Truth. (John 4:23)

It is clear that goodness has escaped us since the trespass of Adam. “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” (Genesis 6:5) Moses understood this spiritual issue. Indeed, in spite of our greatest intentions for goodness or our utmost desires for holiness, our sin nature still reflects this verdict: “There is no one who does good – not even one.” (Psalm 53:3) King David confirmed it…. And later, the Prophet Isaiah observed:

Isaiah 64:4-6 (NIV)

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him. You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

My friends, Jesus has told us what we must do to receive eternal life. We need to understand that our righteousness has not been received through the Law because none of us has been careful to obey all the commandments. (Cf. Deuteronomy 6:25) But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:21-24) A person is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law; and this is the Good News! 

Have a Blessed Day!

Redeemed…

Redeemed…

Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:17-19)

Is there anything better for believers than the knowledge they have been redeemed? Do we truly understand redemption – the redeeming love of God in Christ? We have been redeemed from the wages of sin and death! We have been redeemed from the power of sin and its empty life! We have been released from the shackles of guilt and the chains of darkness! Indeed, we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that we may proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Let us understand the significance of the redemption He accomplished! “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” (Cf. Deuteronomy 21:22-23)He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promised Holy Spirit.” (Galatians 3:13-14) Yes, we who trusted in Jesus, after we heard the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation; in Him, having believed, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory! (Ephesians 1:13-14)

Let us understand the necessity of the redemption He accomplished! In Jesus we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of God’s grace! (Ephesians 1:7) For God rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of His Beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:13-14) Indeed, we have been freely justified by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. So, let us not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom we have been sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30) Rather, let us praise the One who paid our debt and raised us from the dead!

My friends, do you understand what it means to be redeemed? If so, then by faith, wrap yourself in the white linen that is to be our everlasting garment and give Him all the glory! Yes! Let us worship Christ Jesus, who entered the Most Holy Place with His own blood, and obtained for us eternal redemption! (Hebrews 9:12)

Have a Blessed Day!

Grieve…

Grieve…

He said, “Surely they are my people, children who will be true to me”; and so, He became their Savior. In all their distress He too was distressed, and the angel of His presence saved them. In His love and mercy, He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. Yet, they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them. (Isaiah 63:8-10)

Our verse provides a woeful commentary on the unfaithfulness of God’s chosen people. Of His treasured possession, God said: “Surely they are my people, children who will be true to me.”  God had wrought His salvation as He parted the Red Sea before their eyes.  He redeemed them from the slavery and oppression of Egypt. He carried them and provided for them through the wilderness journey. Yet, all the while, they rebelled against their Savior and Redeemer; and in doing so … grieved His Holy Spirit! Even after Jesus was sent from heaven to seek and to save the lost sheep of Israel (Cf. Matthew 10:6; Matthew 15:24; Luke 19:10), He grieved over the unwillingness of His own to recognize the presence of God in their midst. (Cf. Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34)

To grieve is to suffer deep sorrow or feel great anguish or distress such as when a loved one dies. So, when we grieve someone, we afflict them with deep sadness, agony, heartache, and pain. This describes what Holy Spirit feels when a child of God transgresses the will of God or walks in willful rebellion.  Notice I said, a child of God … one who has been born of God.

John 1:10-13 (NKJV)

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

My friends, how unthinkable it is for the children of God, the Body of Christ, to grieve His Holy Spirit! We are children who should be true to Him! He redeemed us by the precious blood of our Lord Jesus … the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world! He has carried us in His unfailing love and mercy! Shall we continue to resist the will of our Savior – who called us to a holy life? O saints, “Do not quench the Spirit!” (1 Thessalonians 5:19) For we are commanded to love another just as Jesus loved us! (John 15:12) Indeed, it is in this context that Paul exhorts us: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the Day of Redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30) 

Have a Blessed Day!