Divine Wisdom for Daily Living by Joanne Colvin

Lately, I have been driving behind drivers who don’t seem to know where they’re going or where they are. You know what I mean—they slow down when there’s no reason to go slower. Then the turn signal goes on but is turned off again, or the turn is started and then corrected. With all the new construction around my home, I’m sure visitors aren’t sure which roads will lead to the highway in the direction they want to go. It’s only a minor distraction for me, but for them, it may lead to a long, unwanted, confusing trip. I’ve even had some challenges remembering which highway exits were closed and how to use the new ones to get to my destinations without having to backtrack. But now I know how to navigate the new exits. We’re in better shape, emotionally and intellectually, when we arrive at our destinations without getting lost or distracted by new construction. And we’re in better spiritual condition when we know and follow the true gospel without getting confused or distracted by a new philosophy. Fortunately, unlike roads, the gospel does not change since its author, God, doesn’t change; its source, execution, and application by God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are immutable. This is crucial to our spiritual condition, as is the fact that all other “gospels” are false and are to be strenuously rejected. If Christ has transformed us, we are to put our hope only in the true, biblical gospel and not only repudiate but argue against all variations, new philosophies, and distractions—for the gospel’s sake.

Distorting the Gospel

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:6-9) “It was a remarkably short time between Paul’s first proclamation to the Galatians and their present disarray…The Galatians are questioning the very gospel itself, and Paul is a model of forthright frankness when central gospel issues are at stake…Visiting preachers…tried to persuade the Galatians that they should require circumcision and obedience to the whole law as a means of justification before God. The gospel is unchanging. Thus, Paul pronounces a curse of final judgment on those who proclaim or receive a different gospel. Even if he himself, or an angel from heaven, were to preach such a gospel, the Galatians should reject it. (1) “Those who would establish any other way to heaven than what the gospel of Christ reveals, will find themselves wretchedly mistaken…The apostle solemnly denounces, as accursed, every one who attempts to lay so false a foundation. All other gospels than that of the grace of Christ, whether more flattering to self-righteous pride, or more favorable to worldly lusts, are devices of Satan. And while we declare that to reject the moral law as a rule of life, tends to dishonor Christ, and destroy true religion, we must also declare, that all dependence for justification on good works, whether real or supposed, is as fatal to those who persist in it. While we are zealous for good works, let us be careful not to put them in the place of Christ’s righteousness, and not to advance any thing which may betray others into so dreadful a delusion.” (2)

The Essence of the Gospel

“We deny that any person can believe the biblical Gospel and at the same time reject the apostolic teaching of justification by faith alone in Christ alone. We also deny that there is more than one true Gospel. The person and work of Christ is at the heart of the gospel…the good news also includes the benefits to us that are derived from what Jesus accomplished—and not only the benefits but how those benefits are appropriated. That is, the gospel is also the message of how we are linked to Christ and how He then effects our salvation, how He is our Savior…It is through His person and by His work that we are able to be justified in the sight of God. The idea that we are justified by faith and not by our works of the law is integral to the gospel…To be justified by faith alone means that we are justified by placing our trust in Christ alone…When Paul addresses the Judaizing heresy in his letter to the Galatians, he writes that we are not to embrace any gospel other than the one that is set forth in the New Testament.” (3) “For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:11-12) All false “gospels” are to be strenuously rejected. Believers put their hope only in the true, biblical gospel and not only repudiate but argue we argue against all deviations, new ideas, and complications for the gospel’s sake.

Paul’s Instructions to Timothy and All Believers

“As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.” (1 Timothy 1:3-7) “At least one of Timothy’s purposes in Ephesus was to deal with false teaching that was troubling the church…The concern here is not so much the identity of the false teachers but their effect, which was in direct contrast to the goal of apostolic instruction. The results of false teaching were ‘speculations’ and ‘vain discussion’ while the result of true teaching is ‘love’ coming from ‘a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.’ The focus of false teaching led to ‘swerving’ and wandering while the focus of true teaching was a steadfast ‘aim.’ And regarding the law, the advocates of false teaching were ‘without understanding’ while the advocates of true teaching had correct knowledge…Whereas false teaching results in meaningless speculation, proper apostolic teaching results in practical good behavior rooted in love. And that love must come from internal, Spirit-worked changes that have produced a pure heart (rather than one filled with sinful desires), a good conscience (rather than one laden with guilt), and a sincere faith (rather than pretense and hypocrisy). “(4)

Human Inventions

“All the inventions of men are so many corruptions of the gospel; and they who make sport of the Scriptures, as ungodly people are accustomed to do, so as to turn Christianity into an act of display, darken the gospel. [This] manner of teaching therefore, is entirely opposed to the word of God, and to that purity of doctrine in which Paul enjoins the Ephesians to continue…[Paul] applies the term ‘fables’, in my opinion, not only to contrived falsehoods, but to trifles or fooleries which have no solidity; for it is possible that something which is not false may yet be fabulous…he has removed all doubt; for disputes about genealogies are enumerated by him amongst fables, not because everything that can be said about them is fictitious, but because it is useless and unprofitable…He judges doctrine by the fruit; for everything that does not edify ought to be rejected, although it has no other fault; and everything that is of no avail but for raising contentions, ought to be doubly condemned…Let us, therefore, remember, that all doctrines must be tried by this rule, that those which contribute to edification may be approved, and that those which give ground for unprofitable disputes may be rejected as unworthy of the Church of God—[These are] All curious inquiries, all speculations which serve only to annoy and distress the mind, or in which there is nothing but a fair show and display, and which do not promote the salvation of those who hear them…[since] the word of God must be profitable. (2 Timothy 3:16.)” (5) If we stick to the Scriptures and their doctrine, we will be safe from these curious speculations that distract; we will wander less from the true gospel. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

Related Scripture: Genesis 8:21; Exodus 29:25; Leviticus 1:17 Song of Solomon 1:3; Acts 9:15; 13:2; 23:1; Romans 6:17; 1 Corinthians 11:23; 15: 3; 2 Corinthians 11:4, 14; Ephesians 5:2; Galatians 1:11; 2 Timothy 4:4; Titus 1:13-15; Hebrews 13:15–16.

Notes:

1. English Standard Version Study Bible Notes, Galatians 1:6-9, (digital edition), Crossway, 2008.

2. Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible, Galatians 1:6-9, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/mhn/galatians-1.html

3. Sproul, R. C., What Is the Gospel?, Chapter 6, Reformation Trust Publishing, 2020.

4. ESV Study Bible Notes, 1 Tim. 1:3-7, Ibid.

5. Calvin, John, John Calvin’s Commentary on the Bible, 1 Timothy 1:3-5, Bible Learning Society, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/cal/1-timothy-1.html

June 27, 2024

Monday started with a deluge of much-needed rain here. I had planned to take GG (my dog) swimming. Over the weekend, when I mentioned my plans, my elderly neighbors and I remembered our mothers telling us that we had to wait one hour after eating before diving in. But some fact-checking resulted in the truth—that eating a reasonably sized meal won’t cause stomach cramps. However, overeating leads to lethargy, and it’s probably not a good idea to swim when we’re sleepy (duh). Other common medical myths include cracking the knuckles in your hand causes arthritis; holding a sneeze inside is dangerous, and going to sleep with a wet head will cause you to get a cold. False, false, false—every one of them. Determining the truth of any statement is a reasonable response in all areas of life, not just in politics. There are significant myths circulating in our world today and, unfortunately, in the Christian body. Many of them are not only wrong and false but very dangerous. So, fact-checking against biblical doctrine is essential. “The Christian church has been influenced by quite a few false movements over the years…some of the most dangerous false movements of our time [are]: Word-Faith [Prosperity Gospel], Church-Growth [Seeker-sensitive], Signs & Wonders [The Third Wave], New Apostolic Reformation [new apostles and prophets], Emergent Church [radical sensitivity to the culture], and Spiritual Formations Infiltration [new doctrinal meanings]. (1) This list doesn’t include the “He Gets Us” movement [an “affirmation Christ”], American Christian Nationalism, or Christian De-Conversion [rejection of traditional Christianity and its doctrines by “unconverting ”]. This last one, Christian “Deconversion” or “Deconstruction,” is particularly influential for our youth, as one leader in the movement was a celebrated, effective youth pastor for many years. Because Deconversion is so dangerous and in opposition to the gospel, I have decided to focus on it in today’s devotion. 

God’s In Charge 

I often say and hear other Christians say that we’re glad that God’s in charge of life events, not us, given our propensity for sin, wrong thinking, and frequently unreasonable emotional opinions. Why should it be any different, if not even more crucial, in Christian theology? Many of us go through spiritual crises at various times in our lives. However, if we have truly been reborn as those who belong to Christ—adopted in God’s family and made new creations—he will bring us back to the truth through the indwelling Holy Spirit. When God converts a person to Christianity, He doesn’t just change our religion—He awakens our dead souls, spirits, hearts, and minds to live lives found only in dependence upon Christ and forever. The gospel isn’t a truck that backs up to unload cargo. It is also not the cargo that gets used up and has to be refilled in order to work. When people try to undo what God has done, it often leads to dangerous consequences. People don’t save themselves, in the biblical sense, by adopting beliefs and then changing them, implying that the gospel served its purpose and is “finished .“Only God can save a person through the gospel of Jesus Christ, and what God does, he never undoes. God does not change his mind or reverse his works, which are always perfect and timely. God also doesn’t cancel our salvation—and thankfully, we can’t cancel the gospel. So deconversion is a complete myth.

An Influential Good Example

I appreciate my pastor’s reminder about Frances Schaeffer’s crisis of faith. He was a minister, theologian, author, and adult convert to Christianity. He started his faith walk by questioning whether Christianity was “real because of ‘the lack of love that characterized the movement — and himself.’ [Christians] had treated people with whom they disagreed unkindly. They had expended more energy attacking fellow Christians than advancing the kingdom against secularism and unbelief. They were zealous for theological precision, but not for obeying Jesus’s command to ‘love one another as I have loved you’ (John 15:12)…If so many zealous Christians were lacking the reality central to Christianity, is Christianity itself real? Thus, Schaeffer was plunged into darkness. In the spring of 1951, he decided to put into question the basics of the Christian faith and the sincerity of his beliefs. For over two months, he paced and thought. He had to know that Christianity was real, that…the gospel was true. As he put it, ‘Finally the sun came out. I saw that my earlier decision to step from agnosticism to Bible-believing Christianity was right.’ He experienced a spiritual renewal. He enjoyed God. He began to write poetry again. He was a free man. He was convinced of not only the truth of the gospel but its power. From then on, he tirelessly stressed the need to join love with truth.” (2) God allows and uses our proclivity toward popular trends to test our faith, which strengthens, not cancel it. What he cancels is a hopeless future through Christ. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4) 

Dangerous Worldly Philosophies

The Bible is clear about the consequences of adopting worldly philosophies. “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority…you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” (Colossians 2:8-10, 13-15) “The false teacher(s) in Colossae pose a very real threat to the church…[Paul’s] remarks are focused on the particular factional teaching being disseminated at Colossae…The fundamental problem with this philosophy is that it is not in accord with Jesus Christ and the gospel proclaimed by him and the apostle Paul. The Colossians have everything they need in Jesus Christ. Since they are forgiven of their sins by virtue of the cross of Christ and are already living a new life in him, they should not turn to anything or anyone else to ‘complete’ their spiritual well-being…in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily’…In this remarkable statement, Paul affirms that believers share in Christ’s power and authority over every rule and authority by virtue of their union with him.” (3) And we, like they, have and trust Christ’s ultimate, superior authority in its fullness.

The History of “Deconstruction”

“In the 1960s, a French philosopher named Jacques Derrida began to advocate for a postmodern philosophy of language and its relationship to our conceptions of meaning that he called ‘deconstruction’…For Derrida, there is no meaning outside the text of a philosopher’s written work—no absolute truth that the writer is shedding light on for the reader. There’s only the writer’s construct of meaning, of truth…[and] there is no absolute truth inside the philosopher’s text either… The motive behind Derrida’s strategy of [deconstruction] stems from his alarm over illegitimate appeals to authority and exercises of power…Over the decades since Derrida introduced his philosophy of deconstruction, the term has worked its way into the common vernacular where it now has come to generally mean ‘the critical dismantling of tradition and traditional modes of thought’…a kind of shorthand term that, in addition to critically questioning traditional ways of thinking, also implies a refusal to recognize as authorities those who see themselves (or are perceived to see themselves) as ones who ‘claim to speak from a privileged perspective’ about what truth is. In the Christian world, this translates to critically questioning traditional modes of Christian belief, and often refusing to recognize as authorities those perceived as occupying privileged Christian institutional positions who ‘supposedly speak for God.” (4) 

But God…Doesn’t Cancel Believers

People cannot save themselves by adopting beliefs; only God can save a person, and what God does, he never undoes—God does not change his mind or reverse his works. “The foundation for spiritual growth is recognizing that it is God who began a good work in you and will bring it to completion…His faithfulness ensures that he will be with believers until Jesus returns (the day of Jesus Christ) They can have confidence that the God who has saved them will never let them go, and that they will inherit their eternal reward.” (5) “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6) “To declare one’s spiritual autonomy, one’s unshackling from Christianity’s ‘constraints’ and old-fashioned ideas about sin and morality, is simply to nod, along with Oprah and her vast tribe of suburban moms. To disown a God of limitations, boundaries, and wrath—in favor of a God who only wants to fund your ‘best life’ dreams and promote John Lennon–style ‘love” and good vibes’—to join the ranks of frat boys obsessed with Joe Rogan, ‘name it and claim it’s prosperity preachers, and the vast majority of bestselling authors in ‘religion, spirituality, and faith’ of the last 20 years. So before you file divorce papers from the Christianity of your youth, know that doing so is in no way countercultural. Like marital divorce, it’s thoroughly acceptable and common. I want to suggest that the far more radical—and truly countercultural choice isn’t to abandon Christian faith because it is maddening, difficult, and out of step with the contemporary… [trends]. The radical choice is to keep the faith.” (6) Christ and his apostles knew how dangerous the world’s philosophies were and are. John wrote, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15-17) We get the gospel right by investigating every new trend or idea—indeed, every sermon, comment, and commentary—fact-checking continually against Scripture’s truth about the gospel. “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5) “De-conversion” isn’t any more true than “Becoming a Christian will solve all your problems;” or “We can share the gospel without words.” Let’s all do some internal fact-checking and stick to the gospel as it is written in Scripture by God and his apostles.

Related Scripture: John 12:31; Romans 6:3–11; 7:1-25; 1 Corinthians 2:6–8; Ephesians 6:12-16; James 4:4-7; 1 John 5:19-21.

Notes:

1. “False Movements/Teachings Within the Church,” Truth Ministry, https://www.4truthministry.org/false-movements/.

2. “The Faith Crisis of Francis Schaeffer,” Desiring God Ministries, https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-faith-crisis-of-francis-schaeffer

3. English Standard Version Study Bible Notes, Colossians 2:8-10, (digital edition), Crossway, 2008.

4. Desiring God Ministries, “What Does Deconstruction Even Mean?”, https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-does-deconstruction-even-mean.

5. ESV Study Bible Notes, Philippians 1:6, Ibid.

6. McCracken, Brett, “Deconversion Is Not as Countercultural as You Think,” The Gospel Coalition, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/deconversion-not-countercultural/

June 13, 2024

Do you stream or watch reality competitions? I’m thinking of sports, athletic competitions, survival, baking, or cooking shows. For some inexplicable reason, I like cooking competitions. Maybe it’s because I learn about exotic foods or food trends. (It’s not because I cook.) My favorite programs are the ones in which professional chefs have to create restaurant-quality dishes in a limited amount of time with a limited number of assigned ingredients. And of those, the most interesting to me are those where the chef has to make one ingredient the “star” of the dish. That ingredient has to be most prominent in the finished entree. Some chefs make the mistake of highlighting other ingredients while others add too many and the dish becomes confusing. Where am I going with this? As believers, adopted by God and made beloved Christ-centered creatures, we are called to make the gospel the “star” of our lives—in our speech, conduct, desires, choices, and relationships. In other words, the gospel is to be the most important thing about us, that others will see, experience, and desire for themselves. But, to do that, we must remember that we are made new by the gospel, live by it, and share the gospel blessing with others. God makes the gospel known externally through preaching and teaching and internally through the work of the Holy Spirit for repentance. At conversion, we are completely reconciled to God, enjoying our unity with Christ through God’s grace and mercy alone. The most important takeaway from this year’s devotions must be that we remember and live the gospel despite all the distractions and “other ingredients” in this life. We know this, but do we remember?

What We Know

“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5a)” The apostle calls the Gospel “our Gospel,” not because he and his fellow ministers were the authors of it; for in this respect it is solely of God, being the produce of his wisdom and grace, and by the revelation of Jesus Christ, hence he calls it the Gospel of God in 1 Thessalonians 2:2 nor because they were the subject of it, for they preached not themselves, but a crucified Christ, and him only, though it was a stumbling-block to some, and foolishness to others…it came to them not in word only; it did come in word, it could not come without words, there is no interpreting of Scripture, no preaching of the Gospel, nor hearing of it without words, without articulate sounds [and]…The apostle was a powerful preacher, and his ministry was confirmed by signs and wonders and mighty deeds; but from neither of these could he conclude the election of these people: but the preaching of the Gospel was accompanied with the powerful efficacy of the grace of God, working by it upon them; so that it became the power of God unto salvation to them; it came to them in the demonstration of the Spirit of God, and of power, quickening them who were dead in trespasses, and sin, enlightening their dark understandings, unstopping their deaf ears, softening their hard hearts, and delivering them from the slavery of sin and Satan; from whence it clearly appeared that they were the chosen of God, and precious: and in the Holy Ghost; the Gospel was not only preached under the influence, and by the assistance of the Holy Spirit, and attended with his extraordinary gifts for the confirmation of it…but it came by the power of the Holy Spirit to their souls, working and implanting his graces in them.” (1) “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1-4) “This gracious act on God’s part results in [our] ‘belief in the truth’ and works itself out in [our] lives. According to Paul, the elect will not continue to live in a godless fashion after they are converted.” (2) God adopts us and makes us beloved Christ-centered creatures through the preaching of the gospel and work of the Holy Spirit, eternally forgiven and reconciled to Him. But do we remember that we are made new by the gospel? Do we live by and share the gospel blessing with others? Do we participate in Christ’s joy to see God’s family grow?

God Preserves the Gospel in Us

” But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14) “When we hear of the apostasy of many, it is a great comfort and joy, that there is a remnant according to the election of grace, which does and shall persevere; especially we should rejoice, if we have reason to hope that we are of that number. The preservation of the saints is because God loved them with an everlasting love, from the beginning of the world. The end and the means must not be separated. Faith and holiness must be joined together as well as holiness and happiness. The outward call of God is by the gospel; and this is rendered effectual by the inward working of the Spirit. The belief of the truth brings the sinner to rely on Christ, and so to love and obey him; it is sealed by the Holy Spirit upon his heart…Let us then stand fast in the doctrines taught by the apostles, and reject all additions, and vain traditions.” (3) The “inward” call of God is “sometimes referred to as “irresistible grace”…[it] is irresistible in the sense that God sovereignly brings about its desired result…This sovereign work of grace is resistible in the sense that we can and do resist it in our fallen nature, but irresistible in the sense that God’s grace prevails over our natural resistance to it…Effectual calling refers to a call of God…[refers to] the secret work of quickening or regeneration accomplished in the souls of the elect by the immediate supernatural operation of the Holy Spirit. It effects or works the inward change of the disposition, inclination, and desire of the soul…Everyone who is effectually called is now disposed to God and responds in faith. We see, then, that faith itself is a gift from God, having been given in the effectual call of the Holy Spirit. The preaching of the gospel represents the outward call of God. This call is heard audibly by both the elect and the nonelect. Human beings have the ability to resist and refuse the outward call. He will not respond to the outward call in faith unless or until the outward call is accompanied by the effectual inward call of the Holy Spirit…by which we are brought to spiritual life.” (4)

New Creations, New Life

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them.” (2 Corinthians (5:17-19) “This radically altered view of people is a revolution the New Order brings about, this New Order which is both God’s doing and characteristic of God Himself. He is the one who in His love for others was reconciling the world to Himself, and who has ordained the proclamation of this reconciliation through us His messengers…the old order has gone and the new order has come, i.e. there is a partial realization of the hope of new heavens and new earth. In this context, the new is specifically seen in the changed outlook on people, and the change from self-interest to life-for-others.” (5) “Because Christ is the “last Adam,” the one in whom humanity is re-created and who inaugurates the new age of messianic blessing, the believer’s spiritual union with Christ is nothing less than participation in the “new creation” (Gal. 6:15).” (6) God adopts us and makes us beloved Christ-centered creatures through the preaching of the gospel and work of the Holy Spirit, eternally forgiven and reconciled to Him. We do well to remember that we are made new by the gospel, without anything added to it (such as our works). Do we live by and share the gospel blessing with others joyfully as God’s family grows? God combines all the “ingredients” of the gospel—redemption, atonement, reconciliation, adoption, sanctification—to be the shining, winning “star” of our Christian lives. “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6-7)

Related Scripture: Psalm 32:2; Isaiah 43:18-19; 45:3; 65:17; Ezekiel 37:23; Zechariah 4:6; Romans 4:8; 6:4; 8:35-39; 1 Corinthians 2:4; Ephesians 1:4-6; 2:10; Colossians 2:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 5:5–11; 1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 1:10; Revelation 20:12-15.

Notes

1. Gill, John, John Gill’s Exposition on the Whole Bible, 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/geb/1-thessalonians-1.html

2. The Reformation Study Bible, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, Reformation Trust Publishing (Ligonier Ministries), Sanford, Fl., 2015.

3. Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible, —2 Thessalonians 2:13-15, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/mhn/2-thessalonians-2.html

4. Reformation Study Bible, “Effectual Calling” Article, Ibid.

5. Zondervan Bible Commentary, F. F. Bruce General Editor, 2 Corinthians 5:17-19, One-Volume Illustrated Digital Edition.

6. Reformation Study Bible Notes, 2 Corinthians 5:17-19, Ibid.

May 30, 2024

How many of us regularly examine or evaluate our lives? Perhaps you journal, as I do, which is one way to assess our choices and actions, to know if they reflect our beliefs. But we should all take a hard look at how we move through both the minute and significant decisions in our daily lives. “In his classic work on moral decision-making, Rushworth Kidder provides a framework for making decisions in situations which seemingly present two ethically ‘right’ choices. Using a plethora of anecdotes, Kidder explains what he proposes as the four paradigms of ethical dilemmas: Truth vs. Loyalty, Individual vs. Community, Short-Term vs. Long-Term, and Justice vs. Mercy…In arguing that everyone is faced with ethical dilemmas at some point in their lives, and most people are on a daily basis…despite the lack of quantitative research, Kidder’s book is still valuable for anyone seeking to resolve difficult decisions through self-reflection. If there is truth to Socrates’ claim that the unexamined life is not worth living, then Kidder’s book serves as a wonderful resource for living a more worthwhile life.” (1) Interesting, but we have a much more reliable book to guide us through our ethical dilemmas—the Bible. And we don’t have to choose between truth and loyalty since Christ’s wisdom includes both simultaneously. Furthermore, in Christ, we are individuals and a global community, meeting not only God’s short-term and long-term goals, but his ultimate purposes. As far as justice and mercy are concerned, “O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed.” (Psalms 10:17-18a) In Christ, we can distinguish what is best from what is good and know what is wrong, absolutely—not relatively. God’s Word and the Holy Spirit, who applies it through Christ’s gospel salvation, transforms our minds to biblically resolve our conflicts and temptations. The New Testament describes how Jesus and the Holy Spirit transformed an Ethiopian eunuch, Jews, foreigners, Samaritans, and Gentiles, either directly or indirectly, through gospel salvation. As those also transformed, the best way for us to manage our lives is to refine our perspectives of life and people through the gospel lens, lovingly sharing its transformative power with others.

An Ethiopian Transformed

“Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea. Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over and join this chariot.’ So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ And he said, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: ‘Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter’ and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him.’ And the eunuch said to Philip, ‘About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.” (Acts 8:26-35) “This word ‘eunuch’ refers to either an emasculated official in the royal court (as was sometimes done to forestall temptation and corruption) or to a high official of government. Emasculation meant exclusion from Israel’s worshiping community (Deut. 23:1). Despite his political power and the great distance he had traveled, therefore, this dignitary would probably have been excluded from the temple in Jerusalem both as a Gentile and because of his physical defect.” (2) But Isaiah also writes, “Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, ‘The Lord will surely separate me from his people’; and let not the eunuch say, ‘Behold, I am a dry tree.’ For thus says the Lord: ‘To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.’” (Isaiah 56:3-5) “[This] restoration will bring into the everlasting temple those who could not be brought in under the old covenant.” (3)

The Great Commission Realized

After our incarnated Lord Jesus saved many, he gave his disciples an overarching command. “‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you’…’Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.'” (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15) “The Great Commission is the command to teach those we have evangelized. Christ commanded us to teach them ‘to obey everything’ (or all things), which means that for all Christians a lifetime of learning must follow conversion and membership in Christ’s church. This command is particularly important in our extremely superficial age…Instead of striving to teach all Christ commanded, many are trying to eliminate as much of his teaching as possible, concentrating instead on things that are easily comprehended and unobjectionable…grace without judgment, love without justice, salvation without obedience, and triumph without suffering. The motivation of some of these reductionists may be good: They want to win as many people to Christ as possible. But the method is the world’s, and the results will be the world’s results. Robust disciples are not made by watered-down teaching…faithfulness to the Great Commission must involve at least the following: A high view of Scripture; the sovereignty of God, especially in salvation [and] the depravity of man…that men and women are in rebellion against God…So great is this depravity that a person cannot even come to Christ unless God first renews his soul and so draws him; and salvation by grace alone… [It also teaches us that we have] work to do. Although God does the work of saving individuals, drawing them to Christ, he does not abandon them at that point. Rather, he directs and empowers them to do meaningful work for him. Most of Christ’s teachings about discipleship fall into this area, as does Ephesians 2:10, which says, ‘For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do’…Like Jesus himself, Christians are to stand for justice and do all in their power to comfort the sick, rescue the outcast, defend the oppressed, and save the innocent.” (4) We are called to continually redefine our worldly perspectives on life and people through the gospel lens. As we do, we are to lovingly share the gospel’s transformative power with others—all others—without prejudice. But, we can only do this through the power of the Holy Spirit.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) “The kingdom of God faces outward and is on the move! As followers of Jesus, we should want to be set in motion to spread the gospel. We are to tell people that the living God has a table of welcome and He wants them to join Him. How is the kingdom of God oriented in you? Do you think of where you don’t want to go, or do you think about where you want to go?…The story of the Bible is the Lord meeting people where they are and refusing to leave them there—our living God meets us where we are…He invites you to come to His table as you are. He knows that transformation happens in proximity to Him. Jesus came to proclaim that the welcome to the table was open…His second coming will come with judgment, but we are here now to let the world know that they are invited to come to the table of the kingdom…as they are. God hates sin because it breaks you…He doesn’t hate you because you sin. Sin knocks us off-center…Jesus has dealt with your sin—now He offers us a table of welcome. He makes the crooked places straight.” (5) God keeps us on the straight path when we yield to Christ. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake…You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:1-3, 5)

Related Scripture: Genesis 12:3; Deuteronomy 23:1; 1 Kings 18:12; 2 Kings 2:16; Psalm 23:6; Matthew 8:11; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:48-49; Acts 1:5, 22; 4:33; 8:1, 14; 13:47; 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5.

Notes:

1. Butler, Alex, Captain, USAF—A review of “How Good People Make Tough Choices: Resolving the Dilemmas of Ethical Living,” Rushworth M. Kidder, New York, NY: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1995

2. The Reformation Study Bible, Acts 8:25-40, Reformation Trust Publishing (Ligonier Ministries), Sanford, Fl., 2015.

3. Reformation Study Bible Notes, Isaiah 56:3-5, Ibid.

4. Boice, James, Boice Expositional Commentary Series, Matthew 28:19-20, Baker Books, Software version, 1998.

5. McLelland, Kristi, The Gospel on the Ground Bible Study Book with Video Access, Video Sessions 1 & 2, Lifeway, 2022

May 16, 2024

Are your favorite movies or TV series among these:Braveheart, Snowpiercer, Fight Club, The Last Samurai, The Patriot, Star Wars, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Buller’s Day Off, The Hunger Games, Fahrenheit 451, Les Miserables, or Rebel Without a Cause? Do you know what they all have in common? They are all about rebels. Why do we like movies about rebels? Could it be that there is a rebel inside each one of us? Oh, yes, in some way or another, even the most diligent rule-follower is a rebel. Some of us rebel against general or specific rules. Others rebel against nonsensical government requirements or legislation. And some of us were outright rebels against God, like so many unbelievers today, before Christ captured our hearts. Now, we are thankful that God has open arms for the rebel to come to Him, to be His child, through the gospel, for forgiveness and a new life in Christ. If our hearts are united to his, we will reach out to those in rebellion with gospel love, truth, kindness, and long-suffering patience through prayer, fellowship, and biblical instruction. Many Scripture passages describe God’s love and long-suffering devotion to those who are set against him. I have chosen a few to meditate on, starting with Paul’s quotation of Isaiah in the Book of Romans. “Isaiah is so bold as to say, ‘I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me’…I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ to a nation that was not called by my name. I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices; a people who provoke me to my face continually.” (Romans 10:20; Isaiah 65:1-3a)

The Light of God

I especially appreciate Paul’s reference to Isaiah’s God-given prophecy about the Lord opening his arms to those not seeking him. I was certainly one of those when Christ brought my heart, soul, and mind into his light through the gospel. I frequently encourage my believing brothers and sisters to pray, witness, and trust in the Lord, who offers his light in Christ to everyone in one way or another to their loved ones. “The true light, which gives light to everyone…was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:9-13) “What was the greatest moment in the history of the world? The traditional answer would be either the discovery of fire or the invention of the wheel…The only answer that a Christian can give would be the coming into human history of the Lord God Almighty in the person of Jesus Christ. Beside that event all other events fade into insignificance by comparison. This moment alone is preeminent…The gospel of God’s grace through the Lord Jesus Christ arrived, and in the space of just two generations the country began to be transformed. Values changed, and this was true even though the light of Christ had begun to shine in only a small percentage of the vast population.” (1) God had open arms for the Jewish and Gentile rebels to come to Him, to be His children, through the gospel—the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. “There are [many] verses in the Old Testament [especially in the prophetic books] that speak of [God’s love for] the nation of Israel as God’s child or of the Jews as God’s children…Jeremiah says, ‘I thought how I would set you among my sons…I thought you would call me, My Father, and would not turn from following me. Surely, as a faithless wife leaves her husband, so have you been faithless to me’ (Jer. 3:19–20 RSV). God used his prophets to reach out to the nation of Israel, and now uses us, his children, to reach out to individual rebels with gospel love.

God’s Rich Mercy in Christ

“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.” (Ephesians 2:4-9) “The goodness of God in converting and saving sinners heretofore, encourages others…to hope in his grace and mercy…All is the free gift of God…It was his purpose, to which he prepared us, by blessing us with the knowledge of his will, and his Holy Spirit producing such a change in us, that we should glorify God by our good conversation, and perseverance in holiness.” (2) “Paul utters the greatest short phrase in the history of human speech: ‘But God!’ God’s mercy on his helpless enemies flows from his own loving heart, not from anything they have done to deserve it. Verse 7 of [Ephesians] ch. 2 answers the question of why God lavished such love upon his people: so that they will marvel for all of eternity over the incredible kindness and love of God. It will take all of eternity to fathom God’s love, and those who are saved will never plumb the depths of it.” (3)

“We should prize duty more highly than to be distracted by every trivial occasion. Indeed, a Christian values every service of God so much that though some may be in the eyes of the world and of natural reason a slight and empty business, beggarly elements, or foolishness, yet since God calls for it, the authority of the command so overawes his heart that he is willing to spend himself and to be spent in discharging it. It is an expression of Luther’s that ordinary works, done in faith and from faith, are more precious than heaven and earth.” (4) The Apostle Paul encouraged the Ephesians elders, saying, “I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God…And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” (Acts 20:24, 32) Paul’s new life was spent in “The ministry of the Gospel…to testify the Gospel of the grace of God; to profess and preach it, to bear a constant and public testimony to it at death, as in life, and faithfully to declare it, and assert it to the last…the grace of the Spirit in regeneration and sanctification; in working faith in the hearts of men; in being a comforter to them, a witnesser of their adoption, the earnest of their inheritance, and the sealer of them unto the day of redemption…[the gospel that] attributes regeneration and conversion to the abundant mercy, the free favour of God…by the word of truth, they are born again of incorruptible seed by it; the Spirit of God, as a spirit of sanctification, is received through it, and faith comes by hearing it…and this being the nature and use of the Gospel, made it so precious and valuable to the apostle, and made him so intent upon testifying it, and fulfilling the ministry of it, and to prefer it to life and everything in this world; and it cannot but be highly valued and greatly desired by all those who have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” (5) How highly do we value God’s desire that all may receive the gospel invitation? Is our heart linked to God’s heart to want this more than anything?

Related Scripture: Deuteronomy 7:7-8; Job 34:34; Isaiah 2:2-3; 10:20; 11:10; 49:6-7; 52:6; 56:3-8; Jeremiah 33:16; Zechariah 10:6; John 5:24; Acts 13:48; Romans 3:21-27; 9:11;12, 25-26, 30; 15:12; 1 Corinthians 1:24;2:6; 2 Corinthians 10:17; Ephesians 2:9; Colossians 2:13-14; Titus 3:5; James 2:5; 1 Peter 1:3.

Notes:

1. Boice, James, Boice Expositional Commentary Series, John 1:9-13, Baker Books, Software version, 1998.

1. Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible, Ephesians 2:1-10, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/mhn/ephesians-2.html

1. English Standard Version Study Bible Notes, Ephesians 2:4-8, (digital edition), Crossway, 2008.

1. Burroughs, Jeremiah, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, Christian Contentment Described, Kindle Version, 2010.

1. Gill, John, John Gill’s Exposition on the Whole Bible, Acts 20:24, 32, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/eph-2.html

May 2, 2024

How often do you google information for medical, food, or general advice? I frequently search the internet when I want to know something more about someone else’s ailment or surgery. But other times, I want to know what to do or how to do something to change my habits. Recently, I looked up two things; the first was more information about what is involved in a heart valve repair since my friend just underwent that surgery. The other was tips for reducing my allergy symptoms (beyond taking OTC medicine) for my reaction to the oak pollen being blown around on windy days. On multiple websites, I was advised to wash my face and hands when I came inside, take a shower, change my clothing, and put Vaseline on my nose to “catch” the pollen before I inhaled it. Just knowing this didn’t help me, so I started to put some of it into practice when I came inside after walking GG. Searching for spiritual information out of intellectual curiosity is like looking up the details of heart surgery. The Bible has been given to us to know things about God, especially the gospel, and to put it into practice. The Bible teaches us that the gospel is revealed by the Holy Spirit inwardly and spiritually seals our salvation when we submit to Christ by His power. As believers, we should strive to make the best possible application of this knowledge to be passionate worshippers of Him. We have all we need to practice living the gospel, although our understanding may be limited, like that of Nicodemus.

What Jesus Taught Nicodemus

“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, “You must be born again.” The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.'” (John 3:1-8) “According to Jesus, the starting point in the Christian life is rebirth. Before his new birth a man is a child of wrath. He is alienated from God, as Nicodemus was, and he has no real understanding of spiritual things. God comes to him to plant saving faith within his heart, for we are told that even faith does not come from ourselves; it is the gift of God (Eph. 2:8). Then God brings the words of Scripture to our attention. Finally, the Holy Spirit takes the words of Scripture and plants them within the womb of our heart with the result that life is conceived. Hereafter the man can declare, ‘If any one is in Christ, he is a new creation.’” (1) The gospel is revealed in the Old and New Testaments, and the Holy Spirit applies Christ’s sacrificial, substitutionary atonement to save our otherwise condemned souls. Are we, like Nicodemus, questioning God about His work, or are we actively applying God’s internal work of the gospel—to be passionate worshippers of God who live through, in, and for Christ?

An Internal Work For God’s Glory

“But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.” (Romans 2:29) “[A believer is one] who has an internal work of grace upon his soul: who has not only an outward name, but an inward nature; not the law of God in the hand, but in the heart; not an external righteousness only, but internal holiness; and who is not a mere outward court worshipper, but a worshipper of God in Spirit and in truth…And circumcision is that of the heart; which God requires, and he himself promises to give…the Holy Ghost produces this spiritual work instrumentally, by the preaching of the Gospel.” (2) “The Holy Spirit writes God’s law on our hearts, giving love for God’s moral standards and power to obey them. The Holy Spirit, whose powerful, life-giving ministry is characteristic of the new covenant, does bring and alone can bring new life. Though He was active in the lives of God’s people under the old covenant, new covenant believers experience His ministry in far greater measure.” (3) As Paul concluded his letter to the Romans, he sought to impress upon them the eternality of the gospel. “Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.” (Romans 16:25-27) “The mystery of the Gospel is made manifest by the preaching of the apostles being witnessed to by the law and prophets in all its doctrines; particularly justification by Christ’s righteousness, remission of sins through his blood, and salvation by his sufferings and death…for this end, that many souls may be brought to submit to the righteousness of faith, to embrace the doctrine of faith, make a profession of it, be subject to the ordinances of it, live by faith on Christ, and also soberly, righteously and godly in this world.” (4) “The word “mystery” does not necessarily refer to something puzzling or difficult to grasp, but to something that was previously hidden and is now revealed…The prophetic writings are the OT Scriptures. The gospel is not only a mystery that has been revealed but also a prophecy that has been fulfilled…Paul now comes to the main point of the doxology. The God who has planned salvation history in this way is all wise, and he deserves glory forevermore. Romans could not end in a more fitting way, as God’s glory is to be the theme of Christians’ lives and the joy of their hearts.” (5) Is God’s glory the theme of our lives?

Sealed For God’s Praise

To the Ephesians, Paul wrote: “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14) “The Spirit is not only a fulfillment of God’s promise to indwell His people, but also a guarantee that He will bring them to their final inheritance. As a down payment or first installment on their full redemption, the Spirit is a foretaste of the glory of the age to come…The goal of the Spirit’s sealing work is that it be ‘unto the praise of His glory’…the overriding main point of all of vv. 3-14 is that the work of the Trinity in electing, redeeming, and sealing is to the glory of God…[and] God can receive glory for the work of redemption only if that work is all of God. If believers could contribute anything independently to their salvation, then Paul could say that they get a share of the glory, but instead, he says all the glory belongs to God.” (6) “The participle rendered ‘When you believed’ makes the time of sealing coincident with the time of believing. The seal of the New Covenant is spiritual and inward; the reality, of which the circumcision was the outward sign, wrought by the Spirit in the heart. The guarantee points back in authenticating, and forward promising completion, as a part payment made in advance.” (7) Do we appreciate and make the best possible application of God’s internal work of the gospel? Are we passionate worshippers of God who live through, in, and for Christ. Because “you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, [Christ] has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven.” (Colossians 1:21-23) It’s time to put our hope to work.

Related Scripture: Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 7:6; 10:16; 30:6; Psalms 16:5-6; 51; Jeremiah 4:4; 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2; 10:44-46; Romans 5:1-5; 11:29; 2 Corinthians 1:22, 5:5, 17; Galatians 3:14; 4:6; Ephesians 4:30; Philippians 3:3; 1 Thessalonians 2:4; Hebrews 8:8-12; 9:13-14; 1 Peter 3:4.

Notes:

1. Boice, James, Boice Expositional Commentary Series, John 3:3, Baker Books, Software version, 1998.

2. Gill, John, John Gill’s Exposition on the Whole Bible, passage, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/romans-2.html.

3. The Reformation Study Bible, 2 Corinthians 4:6, Reformation Trust Publishing (Ligonier Ministries), Sanford, Fl., 2015.

4. Gill, Ibid, Romans 16:25-26, www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/romans-16.html.

5. English Standard Version Study Bible Notes, Romans 16:25-27; 11:25, (digital edition), Crossway, 2008.

6. Reformation Study Bible Notes, Ephesians 1:13-14, Ibid.

7. Zondervan Bible Commentary, F. F. Bruce General Editor, Ephesians 1:13-14, One-Volume, Illustrated Digital Edition.

April 18, 2024

Have you planned anything significant lately? A party, a house rehab, or maybe a work project? Entering into a project or event without a plan is a sure way to fail. But after the plan comes the sourcing. When I served as the director of women’s ministry at church, our team developed a detailed plan based on our vision of the event. Then we entered into the sourcing—who was going to do what, or where someone would find what we needed—and who was that someone? Finally, the day came when the event took place, and all our plans and sourcing were put into action. Unlike us, God supernaturally plans his work and knows that he alone is the source of the power for delivery of his plan. Many of us have heard that God the Father planned our salvation—the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of his son. Christ was the source, the who, and the what when he lived a perfectly obedient life. He continued to carry out God’s plan when he submitted himself to sinful people—to be crucified as our righteous substitute on the cross. After he was resurrected and ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit applied God’s plan of salvation to us by giving us faith to respond to Christ’s invitation to receive his atoning work on the cross for our sins. God also has a master plan for our lives if we submit to him, which is sometimes called predestination. I shy away from that term—it seems to cause either confusion or animosity. But I like this quote from Redeeming God’s website: “Two of the key passages about predestination are Romans 8:29-30 and Ephesians 1:4-11. In both cases, Paul is pretty clear that predestination is about God bringing people to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29), and that election and predestination are most properly understood in connection with being made holy and blameless before God (Ephesians 1:4-5)…God chooses, elects, predestines, predetermines, decides, foreordains, commits Himself to make sure that every person who believes in Jesus for eternal life, will finally and ultimately be glorified into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.” (1) God’s plan for this Jewish girl was to be born into a family with an Orthodox Jewish mother and a Reform Jewish father. She was brought up in the Jewish faith and attended temple every Friday night after honoring the Sabbath traditions at home. However, her religion became meaningless to her. When she left home to attend college, her mother chose a small school with a significant Jewish population. She rebelled and followed Zen Buddhist practices for most of her college years. In her senior year, she stopped meditating as a Buddhist. She tried out the Bahai faith, followed by numerology and astrology, looking for self-fulfillment. Later, she attended Christian Science services and followed Mary Baker Eddy’s false interpretation of the Bible. Still unsatisfied, she studied the Kabbalistic form of Jewish mysticism. When that yielded nothing of practical value, she gave up on religion. In 1983, this Jewish woman attended an EST Seminar for personal transformation. But, about two weeks before, she heard the true, biblical gospel through evangelist Billy Graham via a televised broadcast of his crusade. For two consecutive nights, she viewed the crusade, including his gospel invitation, with a strong, confusing emotional reaction. Then, during the EST Seminar, instead of participating in the visualization exercise, she had an encounter with the Holy Spirit, leading her to receive Christ’s invitation to come to him for salvation. The Spirit completely emerged me in his grasp, as he led me to tell the entire audience that “I just received the Lord Jesus Christ,” much to my surprise! Then he led me to study the New Testament Gospels continually, with a deep love for God’s Word which continues to this day.

The Old Testament Promise

I have since learned that God has some very creative ways of bringing his Jewish people into the kingdom through his Holy Spirit—even with dreams or visions—supporting the Old Testament promise. Turning to the OT book of Joel, After describing the judgment coming in the “Day of the Lord,” Joel describes God’s mercy toward the remnant of his people, saying, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit” (Joel 2:28-29). “When Joel says that God will pour out his Spirit on all flesh, he means that God will draw near to men and women and make himself known and felt in a powerful way. There is a great difference between perceiving a lake at a distance and being immersed in the lake. So there is a great difference between experiencing God as a distant object of knowledge and being immersed in his presence…When God draws near to a person by his Spirit, he does so to reveal himself. He aims to be known as God, not as a psychic phenomenon or some indescribable fantasy. Therefore when he pours himself on us by his Spirit, he stirs up in us true images and conceptions of his beauty and power and mercy and truth and holiness and greatness, and he quickens our affections to respond properly to all that we see. It is unthinkable that a person could be, as it were, soaked by the presence of the infinite and holy God and not be moved deeply. If you are not often moved deeply by the self-revealing presence of the Judge of the world and the Lover of your soul, then pray for the fulfilling of Joel 2:28 in your experience, and set your gaze firmly on God’s beauty in Scripture.” (2) May we be more willing, as those who are saved in Christ, to be filled by the Holy Spirit to the fullest extent in our present circumstances and stage of life. 

Saturated with the Holy Spirit 

“Joel goes on to say that when God makes himself known and felt in people’s lives, this can manifest itself in three ways: they may dream dreams, see visions, and prophesy (Joel 2:28). What a person dreams about is a sign of what his mind is saturated with. What looms up in his mind’s eye while strolling alone signals whether he is soaked in God. And you can usually tell whether a person has been drenched with the Spirit by whether his mouth is given to declaring the excellencies of God. When God almighty pours himself into an individual, the inner life is changed; it is filled with God. And since the mouth is simply the pressure valve of the inner life, when the inner life is full of God, the mouth prophesies. We must not think of prophecy mainly as prediction…Prophecy, as it is used here I think, is primarily verbalizing the great things you have seen of God for the sake of ‘upbuilding and encouragement and consolation,’ as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:3. Joel…is looking to a day when men and women everywhere will be so filled with God that they catch visions of him in the daytime, dream about him at night, and speak of him continually with their mouths…Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets! Would that all the people at Bethlehem were prophets! So saturated and soaked with God, so filled with God in the inner life that we would constantly speak to each other of the excellencies of our Maker and Redeemer and Friend…it is not the Spirit of God that seals your lips and makes you think that praise and exhortation is a private affair. ‘Do not quench the Spirit, do not despise prophesying…’ (1 Thessalonians 5:19–21). God declares, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy…A friend of mine, Mark Noll [wrote]… something about [Jonathan] Edwards …which I want so much to be true of me, and which I pray will be true of all of you. He said, ‘Jonathan Edwards was a thoroughly God-besotted individual’” (3)

God communicated his plan of salvation, the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to people through whom the Holy Spirit will work. Let’s pray to be more willing, as those who are in Christ, to be saturated by the Holy Spirit to the fullest extent, so “that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:14-21)

Related Scripture: Isaiah 65:1; Ezekiel 33:11; Matthew 14:28–31; 1 Timothy 2:1-6; 1 Peter 3:18-22.

Notes:

1. Myers, Jeremy, “Redeeming God, What I Believe About Predestination,” https://redeeminggod.com/on-predestination/

2. Piper, John, Desiring God, “This is What Was Spoken by the Prophet Joel”— https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/this-is-what-was-spoken-by-the-prophet-joel)

3. Piper, Ibid.

April 4, 2024

I’ve had my dog for almost four years now and know him intimately. But I don’t know him as well as I thought. I had his DNA done because so many people ask me what kind of dog he is. I have an answer, although it’s not the one I expected. It turns out that among his 12 breeds, he is as much a companion dog as a terrier. This insight helps me to understand why, the older he gets, he acts more like a cuddly companion, although he hasn’t lost his terrier traits. We can be surprised when we think we know someone intimately and learn something new about them. This knowledge gives us new insight into their character or history. That’s what I want to happen with the gospel of Jesus Christ—to understand it more, to know it better, to live it out—for joy in Christ. I want to enjoy the filling of the Holy Spirit, who supplies us with rivers of living water for ourselves and extends the gospel invitation to others. We know the gospel from the New Testament record, but the gospel didn’t begin with Jesus’ incarnation. It was revealed in the Old Testament in many ways. Yet those in Jesus’s time and ours think that the gospel is either something brand new or, on the other hand, that we understand it completely. Perhaps this is why the apostle Mark writes: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”’” (Mark 1:1-3) Jesus’s gospel was foreshadowed in the Old Testament as the only way to have complete, satiating, eternal, satisfying drink, food, and blessing from God.

The Gospel Invitation Offered Long Ago

“By placing this citation of the OT here, Mark shows the organic progress of revelation under the divine Lord of history. If the OT is the gospel’s beginning and source, the gospel revealed through Jesus Christ is the final and inspired interpretation and completion of the OT message. The citation is a chain of texts concerning messengers that God sent before John the Baptist and Christ by way of preparation, with Isaiah mentioned specifically because most of the citation is drawn from his prediction. Words drawn from the other OT passages turn the citation into a promise by God the Father to His Son to send ‘my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way’; this Son is then identified as ‘the Lord’ whose way is being prepared.” (1) Isaiah wrote: “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’” [40:3-5] Sometimes, the Holy Spirit seems to assert himself suddenly, as He frequently does when bringing a sinner to faith in Chirst. At other times, his presence is a gentle yet discernible influence over us, and it may have been for OT believers. In either case, as believers, when we need his help, he will make it known. Christ seemed to suddenly show up to some who weren’t aware of his birth. “And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:1b) But, a few family members and neighbors had his physical presence with them from the time he was a baby, and perhaps had his influence subtly. If you haven’t been spending time with Christ’s Spirit, now may be the day to draw closer to him.

The Living, Flowing Gospel

In John 4:14, the apostle records Jesus words: “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” “The “‘living water’ [is] identified in [John] 7:37–39 as the Holy Spirit dwelling within believers. [who will] never be thirsty again…A person’s deepest spiritual longing to know God personally will, amazingly, be satisfied forever. The phrase ‘will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life’ is reminiscent of Isa. 12:3. [“With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”]…In [Isaiah] chapter 55 [the prophet] declares, ‘Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!’ (v. 1). Several times in the writings of Ezekiel and Zechariah, there is a picture of a river of life flowing out from God’s presence in Jerusalem… “David said, ‘As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God’ (Ps. 42:1)…Much of the Old Testament is filled with this pictorial religious language revealing the thirst of the soul, a thirst that can be satisfied only by God. Jesus was claiming to be the One who alone can satisfy human longing…[since] the things of this world—money, fame, power, activity…will satisfy for a time, [but] they will not do so permanently. I have often said that they are like a Chinese dinner. They will fill you up well, but two or three hours later you will be hungry again. Only Jesus Christ is able to satisfy you fully…In [John 4] verse 14 he says, ‘…the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’ No one has ever seen a well of water springing up. Only the water in a spring springs up. The water in a well just lies there. So Jesus is not talking about a well. The [Samaritan] woman had come to a well. [Yet] Jesus has invited her to a spring…[that] will never cease but will continue to bubble away forever…A well can be covered. A spring seeps through anything you may place over it. This is what the Lord Jesus Christ is saying. He is promising to place a spring within the life of anyone who will come to him. This spring will be eternal, free, joyous [because]…God…is determined to perfect the image of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, within you…until you come to the point where you will let him perfect that work in you he began when you first tasted of the Lord Jesus.” (2)

“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2:1) “Christ has grace without measure in Himself, but He doesn’t retain it for Himself. As the reservoir empties itself into the pipes, so has Christ emptied out His grace for His people. ‘Of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.’ He seems to have it only in order to dispense to us. He stands like the fountain, always flowing, but only running in order to supply the empty pitchers and the thirsty lips which draw nigh unto it. Like a tree, He bears sweet fruit, not to hang on boughs, but to be gathered by those who need. Grace, whether its work be to pardon, to cleanse, to preserve, to strengthen, to enlighten, to quicken, or to restore, is ever to be had from Him freely and without price; nor is there one form of the work of grace which He has not bestowed upon His people. As the blood of the body, though flowing from the heart, belongs equally to every member, so the influences of grace are the inheritance of every saint united to the Lamb…[So,] Let us make daily use of our riches, and ever repair to Him as to our own Lord in covenant, taking from Him the supply of all we need with as much boldness as men take money from their own purse.“ (3) Will you strive to know Jesus and his gospel more intimately, to live more fully, more joyfully, through his grace? “Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am’…the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” (Isaiah 58:9-11)

Related Scripture: Numbers 20:1-8; Psalm 23:2; Isaiah 40:9-11; 44:1-5; 49:10; 52:7; 55:1-3; Ezekiel 36:25-29; Revelation 21:4; 22:1.

Notes:

1. The Reformation Study Bible, Mark 1:2, Reformation Trust Publishing (Ligonier Ministries), Sanford, Fl., 2015.

2. Boice, James, Boice Expositional Commentary Series, John 4:14, Baker Books, Software version, 1998.

3. Spurgeon, Charles, Morning and Evening Devotions, March 15– Morning, Barbour Books, 2018.

March 21, 2024

The older I get, the more I appreciate gentleness, calmness, and restfulness. I used to do things quickly, solve problems immediately, and generally be fast in everything I started. I multi-tasked all the time and prayed earnestly but quickly. I considered my day productive if I attended to my priorities and accomplished at least a little toward completing them. Now, however, I value the time I have to pray and think about things, the gentleness of others, and staying calm no matter what occurs. I even train my dog with these values in mind. After years of trying to get him to stay calm when he is overreactive, I only recently realized that using his own calming behavior would work (“sit, wait”). I am basically more gospel-centered in all I do. David lived a gospel-centered life, and in the Old Testament, his psalms reflect his thinking. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:1-3) Is this not the gospel in Old Testament poetry form? Compare it to Jesus’s gospel invitation in Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Jesus invited His Jewish brothers and sisters to follow him for rest, teaching, gentleness, humility, and a burden-free life with God through His work, not theirs. He would be their Good Shepherd if they abandoned their legalistic, burden-oriented religion. We, who are followers of Christ, enjoy spiritual rest and refreshment increasingly as we learn from Jesus and reject the legalistic, law-oriented struggles of worldly influences.

The Gospel Yoke

“Jewish sources spoke of the yoke of the law and of wisdom. Though the law was God’s good gift to His people, the scribes’ oral traditions and the spiritual disability of sinful humanity turned the law into an unbearable burden. When the law was understood as a way of meriting salvation, it became a ‘yoke of slavery’ (Galatians 5:1). By contrast, the yoke of Jesus, while demanding, is ‘easy’ because it is from one who is ‘gentle and lowly in heart.’ He has fulfilled the law’s righteous demand perfectly for His people, and His Spirit empowers their grateful obedience. Therefore, He alone can provide true rest for the soul.” (1) “The invitation is for everyone. Jesus’ words are for people of all ages, all nationalities, and all temperaments…burdened by sin. The phrase’ weary and burdened’ does not refer to physical weaknesses or to what we might call the burdens of a difficult life, though it may include them. It chiefly refers to a sense of sin’s burden and the need of a Savior…Where discipleship is present, people are sensitive to sin and turn from it. They turn to Jesus, where relief from sin’s dreadful burden can be found…When Jesus called his disciples to ‘follow’ him, he was comparing Christianity to a path in which his followers were to walk, he going ahead of them. When he challenged his disciples to ‘learn from me,’ he was comparing Christianity to a school in which he was to be both the subject matter and the teacher. This is the school in which every true believer has matriculated and in which a lifelong course of study is prescribed. The Authorized Version of Matthew 11:29 translates the words ‘learn from me’ as ‘learn of me,’ thus making Jesus the subject matter of the Christian’s study rather than the teacher…Here the root idea is knowing Christ himself, in the sense of John 17:3, where Jesus prayed, ‘This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.'” (2)

Gospel Rest

“Heavy burdens describes the extrabiblical tradition of the rabbis that was a pillar of the Pharisaic branch of Judaism. It was intended as a means of making the OT relevant to new life situations, but its massive obligations had become burdensome and oppressive.” (3) “The invitation offers rest for tired people. In fact, it offers rest twice. There is a rest that is given: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (v. 28). That rest comes instantly when we first trust in Christ. Then there is a rest that is found: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (v. 29). That rest comes as we increasingly learn to follow Jesus in our daily lives. Turn from all inferior teachers to the one who alone can teach true godliness and whose teaching will save your soul.” (4) “The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.” (Mark 6:30-31)

The Gospel is Not Legalistic

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders.'” (Matthew 23:1-4) “The Pharisees had adopted a popular position that has endured for all time and continues to plague the Christian church. They insisted that a person could effectively save themselves by following laws or rules. This viewpoint contradicts what Jesus calls believers to and what the Spirit empowers us to do. The belief that someone could be a true Christian while that person’s whole lifestyle, value system, speech, and attitude are marked by a stubborn refusal to surrender to Christ as Lord is a notion that shouldn’t even need to be refuted… [Jesus] never once shied away from declaring His authority as sovereign Master. He proclaimed it to disciples, to enemies, and to casual inquirers alike — refusing to tone down the implications of His demand for unconditional surrender…When Jesus called people to follow Him, He was not seeking companions to be His sidekicks or admirers whom He could entertain with miracles. He was calling people to yield completely and unreservedly to His lordship.” (5) We, who are followers of Christ, enjoy spiritual rest and refreshment increasingly as we learn from him and reject the legalistic, law-oriented struggles of worldly influences.

The Gospel is Not Burdensome

“A gracious heart has contentment by getting strength from Jesus Christ; he is able to bear his burden by getting strength from someone else. Now this is a riddle, and it would be counted ridiculous in the schools of the philosophers, to say, If there is a burden on you, you must get strength form someone else. Indeed if you must have another come and stand under the burden, they could understand that; but that you should be strengthened by the strength of someone else, who is not near you as far as you can see, they would think ridiculous. But a Christian finds satisfaction in every circumstance by…bringing the strength of Jesus Christ into his own soul, he is thereby enabled to bear whatever God lays on him…if the burden is doubled, he can have his strength trebled—the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to his natural strength. Indeed, our afflictions may be heavy, and we cry out, Oh, we cannot bear them, we cannot bear such an affliction. Though you cannot tell how to bear it with your own strength, yet how can you tell what you will do with the strength of Jesus Christ?…the Scripture says that the Lord is our strength, God himself is our strength, and Christ is our strength…Christ’s strength is yours, made over to you, so that you may be able to bear whatever lies upon you, and therefore we find…Paul…praying for the saints: ‘That they might be strengthened with all might according unto his glorious power’, unto what? Unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness—‘strengthened with all might, according to the power of God’ [Colossians 1:9]…This is the glorious power of God that strengthens his servants to all long-suffering, and that with joyfulness.” (6) Jesus invites all people to consistently follow him for rest, teaching, gentleness, humility, and a burden-free life with God through His work, not ours.

In his commentary on Numbers, Iain Duguid writes, “Be alert to the compromises that the world presses in on you, and resist its insistence that you live at peace with its standards…Ask God to strengthen your faith and to help you combat your unbelief, so that you may live a fruitful life for him along the way and may enjoy his peace that passes earthly comprehension. Give thanks that your inheritance is won for you by Christ’s goodness and not your own, and rejoice in the reality and certainty of that rest.” (7) “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God…casting all your cares on Him, because He cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7) “Cast ‘all you cares’…for the present…for the future, for yourselves, for others, for the church, on God. These are burdensome, and often very sinful, when they arise from unbelief and distrust, when they torture and distract the mind, unfit us for duties, and hinder our delight in the service of God. The remedy is, to cast our care upon God, and leave every event to his wise and gracious disposal. Firm belief that the Divine will and counsels are right, calms the spirit of a man. Truly the godly too often forget this, and fret themselves to no purpose.” (8) “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5) You may say that I am calmer because I am retired; but I say, I am calmer because Christ has sanctified my mind, attitude, and heart by his gospel, unhindered from yielding to him, to take on new ventures and service.

Related Scripture: Genesis 27:39-40; Proverbs 9:1-5; Isaiah 10:24-27; Hosea 11:3-4; Jeremiah 6:16; Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 12:17-21; 23:1-4; Acts 15:10; Romans 8:1-4.

Notes:

1. The Reformation Study Bible, Matthew 11:28-3, Reformation Trust Publishing (Ligonier Ministries), Sanford, Fl., 2015.

2. Boice, James, Boice Expositional Commentary Series, Matthew 11:28-30, Baker Books, Software version, 1998.

3. English Standard Version Study Bible Notes, Matthew 23:4, (digital edition), Crossway, 2008.

4. Boice, Ibid.

5. MacArthur, John F., The Gospel According to Jesus, Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

6. Burroughs, Jeremiah, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, Fig Books, Kindle Version, 2010.

7. Duguid, Iain M., Numbers—God’s Presence in the Wilderness, Numbers 33-34, Crossway Books, 2006.

8. Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible, 1 Peter 5:5-9, http://www.studylight.org/commentaries/mhn/1-peter-5.html

March 7, 2024

Did you celebrate Valentine’s Day last week? Do you have Valentine’s Day keepsakes that are precious to you? If so, they are good markers or reminders of milestones in our relationships. Although I was never married, I was engaged on Valentine’s Day in 1994. I’ve forgotten many memories surrounding that relationship that ended before we were married, which was right. But that day stays with me as one of the most beautiful days in my life, as the pinnacle of my relationship with my fiancé. Another precious memory is the day I realized that Christ alone would give me the security and peace I longed for—Saturday, April 14, 1990. I have annual journals where I keep track of health issues and significant events in my life. I also have daily journals from 1999 that I’ve kept, either hand-written or computer-generated. Occasionally, I open one to see where I was spiritually since they are written to the Lord, not myself, with praises, thanksgiving, confessions, and supplications. God planned and executed the gospel as the culmination of his good, gracious, loving plan for sinful creatures in an immoral world from eternity past, continuously, into eternity future. We grow in our knowledge and conformity to the gospel if we are devoted followers of Jesus. Realizing that God is always at work helps us remember that the core expression of God’s love for us—the gospel. It’s his plan for the salvation and redemption of the world, which is underway and will reach its climax when Christ returns.

God’s Plan from Eternity Past

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.” (Hebrews 1:1-4) “The revelation under the Old Testament is divine, as well as that under the New; in this they both agree, in whatsoever else they differ: and this revelation was made at several times, at different seasons, and to different persons; and consisted of a variety of things relating to doctrine and worship, and concerning the Messiah, his person and office; of whom, at different times, there were gradual discoveries made, both before and after the giving of the law, from the beginning of the world, or the giving forth of the first promise, and in the times of the patriarchs, of: Moses, David, Isaiah, and other prophets.” (1) Since we know that the gospel is the culmination of God’s loving plan for sinful creatures in a sinful world, how can we not delight in remembering and sharing God’s plan for our salvation and redemption of the world?

The Gospel Plan Confirmed

“The promise of blessedness God has made to believers is from God’s eternal purpose, settled between the eternal Father, Son, and Spirit. These promises of God may safely be depended upon; for here we have two things which cannot change, the counsel and the oath of God, in which it is not possible for God to lie; it would be contrary to his nature as well as to his will…The consolations of God are strong enough to support his people under their heaviest trials. Here is a refuge for all sinners who flee to the mercy of God, through the redemption of Christ, according to the covenant of grace, laying aside all other confidences. We are in this world as a ship at sea, tossed up and down, and in danger of being cast away. We need an anchor to keep us sure and steady. Gospel hope is our anchor in the storms of this world. It is sure and steadfast, or it could not keep us so. The free grace of God, the merits and mediation of Christ, and the powerful influences of his Spirit, are the grounds of this hope, and so it is a steadfast hope.” (2) “For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself…so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf.” (Hebrews 6:13, 18-20)

Great Gospel Love

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) “God is the master of the understatement. Consequently, when he tells us that his love is great, he is telling us that it is so great that it goes beyond our own ideas of greatness or our own understanding. The Bible not only says that the love of God is great; it also says that it is infinite…God’s love is boundless and unfathomable…God not only tells us that his love is great and is infinite, he also tells us that his love is a giving love. This is the heart of John 3:16. How much does God love you? God loves you so much ‘that he gave his one and only Son’…The heart of the matter is that God loves in such a way that nothing you or I have done or will ever do will alter it…[Perhaps] You have believed in Christ, but the reality of that love has become distant for you and you have never fully realized that the love of Christ is to become the pattern of your love.” (3) But now is the time to rejoice in the gospel, God’s great plan for salvation.

Steady on in Gospel Grace

“Anchored in eternity means anchored in Jesus Christ…Some time ago I came across a little card upon which someone had printed John 3:16…The person looking at the card would read: ‘God (the greatest Lover) so loved (the greatest degree) the world (the greatest company), that he gave (the greatest act) his only begotten Son (the greatest gift), that whosoever (the greatest opportunity) believeth (the greatest simplicity) in him (the greatest attraction) should not perish (the greatest promise), but (the greatest difference) have (the greatest certainty) everlasting life (the greatest possession).’ And then over it all…was the title “Christ—the Greatest Gift.’ Jesus is the best God had to give. God so loved the world that he gave the very best…when God gave Jesus he gave himself. To give oneself is the greatest gift anyone can give…Jesus was a gift planned from before the foundation of the world. God had always intended to give Jesus…the Book of Revelation speaks of Jesus as ‘the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world’ (Rev. 13:8)…Consequently, before he even set the universe in motion, before he created us, he had determined to send Jesus Christ to die for the salvation of our race.” (4) The Lord planned and executed the gospel as the culmination of his gracious plan for sinful creatures in a sinful world.

“In Christ we have all the benefits of knowing God—chosen for salvation, being adopted as his children, forgiveness, insight, the gifts of the Spirit, power to do God’s will, the hope of living forever with Christ. Because we have an intimate relationship with Christ, we can enjoy these blessings now.” (5) Do you have journals or notes in your Bible reminding you of how God has brought you into a more intimate relationship with him? We have been blessed, are being blessed, and will be blessed even more in eternity through the gospel. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:3-6) “Should you not, besides reading the Bible, store your memories richly with the promises of God? You can recollect the sayings of great men; you treasure up the verses of renowned poets; ought you not to be profound in your knowledge of the words of God, so that you may be able to quote them readily when you would solve a difficulty, or overthrow a doubt? Since [Christ] is the source of all wisdom, and the fountain of all comfort, let it dwell in you richly, as ‘A well of water, springing up unto everlasting life.’ So shall you grow healthy, strong, and happy in the divine life.” (6)

Related Scripture: Leviticus 4:3; Psalm 2:6-9; Isaiah 2:2-3; John 7:29; 10:38; 12:47; Matthew 23:37; Romans 5:8; 8:32; Ephesians 2:4; 1 Peter 1:20; 1 John 3:1; 4:8-9, 14.

Notes:

1. Gill, John, John Gill’s Exposition on the Whole Bible, Introduction to Hebrews 1, www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/hebrews-1.html

2. Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible, Hebrews 6:11-20, www.studylight.org/commentaries/mhn/hebrews-1.html

3. Boice, James, Boice Expositional Commentary Series, John— John 3:16, Baker Books, Software version, 1998.

4. Boice, Ibid.

5. Wilson, Neil, Editor, The Handbook of Bible Application, Second Edition, Kindle Version, 2000

6. Spurgeon, Charles, Morning and Evening Devotions, February 21, Morning, Barbour Books, 2018.

February 22, 2024