Acquiring Great Faith Hebrews 11:17-19
I’ve had people tell me, “I wish that I had great faith.” While most of us would like God to just drop that kind of confidenceinto our laps, it’s not the way He operates. Faith increases as a result of our obediencein little things. We all marvel at Abraham’s willingness to offer up Isaac at the Lord’s command. But have you ever stopped to consider all of his smaller steps of submission that prepared the way for this enormous test?
Throughout his lifetime, Abraham obeyed God. At the Lord’s command, he left his country (Gen 12:1-4), was circumcised (17:10, 26), conceived Isaac in his old age (21:1-3), and sent his son Ishmael away (21:9-14). By the time he was asked to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, he already knew that his God would always be faithful to His promises. His previous experiences had taught Him to trust the Lord.
In the same way, each small step of obedience solidifies our confidence in God. Then, when He challenges us with a more difficult assignment, a firm foundation of assurance enables us to trust andobey Him. Great acts of faith flow from our past interactions with the Lord. By neglecting His simple commands, we miss priceless opportunities to witness His faithfulness.
Having trouble trusting God for something big? Maybe it’s because you’ve ignored those “small” and “insignificant” promptings of the Holy Spirit. The Lord considers each of His commands important and promises to reward every act of obedience, regardless of size. Great faith begins with little steps.
He Gave Himself
“Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.” (Galatians 1:4)
There can never be a greater gift than this. Our Lord Jesus Christ not only has given us forgiveness and salvation and all spiritual blessings, He gave Himself! The pure, glorious Son of God gave Himself, substituting Himself in our place to suffer the righteous judgment of God on our sins.
Six times this wonderful affirmation is found in God’s Word. The first is in our text, assuring us that when He gave Himself, He paid the price to deliver us from this present evil world into the eternal world to come.
Then, in the next occurrence, this promise is made intensely personal. Christ “loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). The gift Christ gave is more than the world could ever give.
The supremely sacrificial nature of His gift is then emphasized. “Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). The sacrifice has brought us to Himself, for “Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it. . . . That he might present it to himself a glorious church” (Ephesians 5:25, 27).
The offering was sufficient to pay for the redemption of all sin, as He “gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Timothy 2:6). This ransom is not merely to redeem us from the penalty of sin at the judgment, however, but also from the power of sin in our lives, and this is the testimony of the final occurrence of this great declaration. Christ “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14). HMM
Breath and Spirit
“Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.” (Isaiah 42:5)
“God the LORD” (Elohim Jehovah) is here identified as the Creator and organizer of all the universe, the heavens, and the earth, and all things therein. In context, He is also identifying Himself as the One sending forth “my servant” to be given as “a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles” (Isaiah 42:1, 6), the coming Messiah of Israel.
He who does all these things also gives every person born both breath and spirit. The “breath” (Hebrew neshumah) is that “breath of life” that God breathed into Adam’s nostrils when He created him at the beginning. Even those who do not believe in God must depend on Him for their very breath, since “he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.” Therefore, He is “not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:25, 27-28).
He also gives each person a spirit (Hebrew ruach), a word used first of all in reference to the “Spirit of God” (Genesis 1:2). It is this attribute in particular that constitutes the created “image of God” in man (Genesis 1:27). The higher land animals all possess “the breath of life” along with man (Genesis 7:22), but only men and women are created in the image of God, each with an eternal spirit.
Man’s breath and spirit are closely related, and sometimes the words are used almost interchangeably. When the breath departs from a person’s body at death, the spirit also departs with it, but the latter “shall return unto God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). The breath also will be activated again on the coming resurrection day. HMM
I’ve had people tell me, “I wish that I had great faith.” While most of us would like God to just drop that kind of confidenceinto our laps, it’s not the way He operates. Faith increases as a result of our obediencein little things. We all marvel at Abraham’s willingness to offer up Isaac at the Lord’s command. But have you ever stopped to consider all of his smaller steps of submission that prepared the way for this enormous test?
Throughout his lifetime, Abraham obeyed God. At the Lord’s command, he left his country (Gen 12:1-4), was circumcised (17:10, 26), conceived Isaac in his old age (21:1-3), and sent his son Ishmael away (21:9-14). By the time he was asked to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, he already knew that his God would always be faithful to His promises. His previous experiences had taught Him to trust the Lord.
In the same way, each small step of obedience solidifies our confidence in God. Then, when He challenges us with a more difficult assignment, a firm foundation of assurance enables us to trust andobey Him. Great acts of faith flow from our past interactions with the Lord. By neglecting His simple commands, we miss priceless opportunities to witness His faithfulness.
Having trouble trusting God for something big? Maybe it’s because you’ve ignored those “small” and “insignificant” promptings of the Holy Spirit. The Lord considers each of His commands important and promises to reward every act of obedience, regardless of size. Great faith begins with little steps.
He Gave Himself
“Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.” (Galatians 1:4)
There can never be a greater gift than this. Our Lord Jesus Christ not only has given us forgiveness and salvation and all spiritual blessings, He gave Himself! The pure, glorious Son of God gave Himself, substituting Himself in our place to suffer the righteous judgment of God on our sins.
Six times this wonderful affirmation is found in God’s Word. The first is in our text, assuring us that when He gave Himself, He paid the price to deliver us from this present evil world into the eternal world to come.
Then, in the next occurrence, this promise is made intensely personal. Christ “loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). The gift Christ gave is more than the world could ever give.
The supremely sacrificial nature of His gift is then emphasized. “Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). The sacrifice has brought us to Himself, for “Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it. . . . That he might present it to himself a glorious church” (Ephesians 5:25, 27).
The offering was sufficient to pay for the redemption of all sin, as He “gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Timothy 2:6). This ransom is not merely to redeem us from the penalty of sin at the judgment, however, but also from the power of sin in our lives, and this is the testimony of the final occurrence of this great declaration. Christ “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14). HMM
Breath and Spirit
“Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein.” (Isaiah 42:5)
“God the LORD” (Elohim Jehovah) is here identified as the Creator and organizer of all the universe, the heavens, and the earth, and all things therein. In context, He is also identifying Himself as the One sending forth “my servant” to be given as “a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles” (Isaiah 42:1, 6), the coming Messiah of Israel.
He who does all these things also gives every person born both breath and spirit. The “breath” (Hebrew neshumah) is that “breath of life” that God breathed into Adam’s nostrils when He created him at the beginning. Even those who do not believe in God must depend on Him for their very breath, since “he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.” Therefore, He is “not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:25, 27-28).
He also gives each person a spirit (Hebrew ruach), a word used first of all in reference to the “Spirit of God” (Genesis 1:2). It is this attribute in particular that constitutes the created “image of God” in man (Genesis 1:27). The higher land animals all possess “the breath of life” along with man (Genesis 7:22), but only men and women are created in the image of God, each with an eternal spirit.
Man’s breath and spirit are closely related, and sometimes the words are used almost interchangeably. When the breath departs from a person’s body at death, the spirit also departs with it, but the latter “shall return unto God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). The breath also will be activated again on the coming resurrection day. HMM
The Mind of Christ
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5)
Although salvation is free, it is not cheap since it required the Creator Himself to become man and submit to an agonizing death on the cross. This was the mind of Christ!
And, by the same token, although our salvation is not conditioned on any meritorious acts of our own, the standard by which we must measure our lives is nothing less than the perfect life of Jesus Christ. In the first place, our words and deeds are to be compared to His: “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). Our standard of holiness is to be His life of holiness. “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation [meaning ‘behavior’]” (1 Peter 1:15).
If we truly follow His steps, they may well lead to suffering and persecution, but “he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:6), and this involves a willingness to be “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20). The Christian life is preeminently to be characterized by unselfish love, but again the standard of that love is nothing less than the love of Christ Himself. “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34).
To love as He loved, to walk where He walked, to be holy as He is holy, to follow His example in word and deed requires that we think as He thought, that the very attitude of our soul be like His. In position we do “have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16), but in practice we still come far short. May God help us to cast down “imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God,” and bring “into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). HMM
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5)
Although salvation is free, it is not cheap since it required the Creator Himself to become man and submit to an agonizing death on the cross. This was the mind of Christ!
And, by the same token, although our salvation is not conditioned on any meritorious acts of our own, the standard by which we must measure our lives is nothing less than the perfect life of Jesus Christ. In the first place, our words and deeds are to be compared to His: “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). Our standard of holiness is to be His life of holiness. “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation [meaning ‘behavior’]” (1 Peter 1:15).
If we truly follow His steps, they may well lead to suffering and persecution, but “he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:6), and this involves a willingness to be “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20). The Christian life is preeminently to be characterized by unselfish love, but again the standard of that love is nothing less than the love of Christ Himself. “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34).
To love as He loved, to walk where He walked, to be holy as He is holy, to follow His example in word and deed requires that we think as He thought, that the very attitude of our soul be like His. In position we do “have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16), but in practice we still come far short. May God help us to cast down “imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God,” and bring “into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). HMM
Our Refuge
�God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.� (Psalm 46:1-2)
�The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble� (Psalm 9:9). What a comfort it is, in these days of turmoil and opposition, to know that our Lord is �a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat� (Isaiah 25:4).
Our refuge is strong and secure. The psalmist testifies: �I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust� (Psalm 91:2). Then God answers: �Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee� (Psalm 91:9-10 and see also vv. 10-13).
Not only does our refuge provide safety and protection, but no other refuge will do. After identifying our refuge by the words �Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste [or be �alarmed�]� (Isaiah 28:16), God warns that those who refuse His true refuge will receive instead His �judgment,� for He �shall sweep away the refuge of lies� (Isaiah 28:17).
The apostle Peter, fresh from his personal encounters with his risen Lord, confronted the Jewish leaders with their serious error of rejection. �This is the stone which was set at nought of you� (Acts 4:11). In his charge, however, he included the precious truth: �Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved� (v. 12). Our refuge, our sure foundation, is none other than our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom we have �fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us� (Hebrews 6:18). JDM
�God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.� (Psalm 46:1-2)
�The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble� (Psalm 9:9). What a comfort it is, in these days of turmoil and opposition, to know that our Lord is �a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat� (Isaiah 25:4).
Our refuge is strong and secure. The psalmist testifies: �I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust� (Psalm 91:2). Then God answers: �Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee� (Psalm 91:9-10 and see also vv. 10-13).
Not only does our refuge provide safety and protection, but no other refuge will do. After identifying our refuge by the words �Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste [or be �alarmed�]� (Isaiah 28:16), God warns that those who refuse His true refuge will receive instead His �judgment,� for He �shall sweep away the refuge of lies� (Isaiah 28:17).
The apostle Peter, fresh from his personal encounters with his risen Lord, confronted the Jewish leaders with their serious error of rejection. �This is the stone which was set at nought of you� (Acts 4:11). In his charge, however, he included the precious truth: �Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved� (v. 12). Our refuge, our sure foundation, is none other than our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom we have �fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us� (Hebrews 6:18). JDM
Life and Immortality
“But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” (2 Timothy 1:10)
Most of us have read or heard the passage in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 that directly challenges death and hell with the fact of the resurrected Christ and the promise of our own resurrection when He returns. There is no “sting” left in death and there is no law that overrides our salvation because our Lord Jesus has gained the victory.
Long ago, the great man Job faced his detractors with the confidence that “in my flesh shall I see God” (Job 19:26). The prophet Hosea, in the middle of difficult life demands and during a time of awful apostasy, heard the Lord promise those who were faithful, “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction” (Hosea 13:14).
The good news of the implementation of God’s eternal plan brought “life and immortality to light.” All during the millennia of the Old Testament, fulfillment of God’s actions were hinted at, through the sacrifices of the altar, and promised oftentimes in the utterances of the prophets. But when the Messiah became incarnate, “we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father” (John 1:14).
The apostle John, whose gospel and letters consummate in the great Revelation disclosure, could say, “The life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us” (1 John 1:2). He who is life (John 11:25) promised, “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). HMM III
“But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” (2 Timothy 1:10)
Most of us have read or heard the passage in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 that directly challenges death and hell with the fact of the resurrected Christ and the promise of our own resurrection when He returns. There is no “sting” left in death and there is no law that overrides our salvation because our Lord Jesus has gained the victory.
Long ago, the great man Job faced his detractors with the confidence that “in my flesh shall I see God” (Job 19:26). The prophet Hosea, in the middle of difficult life demands and during a time of awful apostasy, heard the Lord promise those who were faithful, “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction” (Hosea 13:14).
The good news of the implementation of God’s eternal plan brought “life and immortality to light.” All during the millennia of the Old Testament, fulfillment of God’s actions were hinted at, through the sacrifices of the altar, and promised oftentimes in the utterances of the prophets. But when the Messiah became incarnate, “we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father” (John 1:14).
The apostle John, whose gospel and letters consummate in the great Revelation disclosure, could say, “The life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us” (1 John 1:2). He who is life (John 11:25) promised, “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). HMM III
God's Perfect Way
“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.” (2 Samuel 22:31)
This is the 30th verse (out of 50) in David’s great “song of deliverance,” evidently considered by God to be of sufficient importance to have it included twice (2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18) in His written Word. Its testimony is greatly needed.
One of the most common excuses given by men for rejecting the God of the Bible is their opinion that His ways are unfair. Even Christians are prone to complain at the way God deals with them. But the fact that we may not understand God’s ways hardly gives us the right to pass judgment on them. He often reminds us in His Word that His way is perfect and His Word has been tried and proved, again and again. “For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth” (Psalm 33:4). “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul” (Psalm 19:7).
We need to settle it in our hearts that, whether we understand them or not, God’s ways are always perfect. What He does is right, and whatever He says must be true by definition. His ways are always in the context of eternity, but we leap to judgment in terms of present inconvenience.
His perfect way is seen most fully in Christ, and His truth is heard most clearly in Christ, for “I am the way,” He said, and I am “the truth” (John 14:6). Yet, Christ’s way was through the cross, and His truth was opposed by the father of lies (John 8:44). God’s way for us may also lead us into suffering and great opposition, but His way is always perfect, and His Word is tried and true. If we trust Him through it all, He will be our buckler as He was for David. “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him” (Proverbs 30:5). HMM
“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.” (2 Samuel 22:31)
This is the 30th verse (out of 50) in David’s great “song of deliverance,” evidently considered by God to be of sufficient importance to have it included twice (2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18) in His written Word. Its testimony is greatly needed.
One of the most common excuses given by men for rejecting the God of the Bible is their opinion that His ways are unfair. Even Christians are prone to complain at the way God deals with them. But the fact that we may not understand God’s ways hardly gives us the right to pass judgment on them. He often reminds us in His Word that His way is perfect and His Word has been tried and proved, again and again. “For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth” (Psalm 33:4). “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul” (Psalm 19:7).
We need to settle it in our hearts that, whether we understand them or not, God’s ways are always perfect. What He does is right, and whatever He says must be true by definition. His ways are always in the context of eternity, but we leap to judgment in terms of present inconvenience.
His perfect way is seen most fully in Christ, and His truth is heard most clearly in Christ, for “I am the way,” He said, and I am “the truth” (John 14:6). Yet, Christ’s way was through the cross, and His truth was opposed by the father of lies (John 8:44). God’s way for us may also lead us into suffering and great opposition, but His way is always perfect, and His Word is tried and true. If we trust Him through it all, He will be our buckler as He was for David. “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him” (Proverbs 30:5). HMM
Rejoice with Tremblingby John Piper A Meditation on Psalms 2:11-12
Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
"Serve the Lord with fear . . .
This command does not cancel out Psalm 100:2: "Serve the Lord with gladness." Serving the Lord with fear and serving the Lord with gladness do not contradict each other. The next phrase will make that plain ("rejoice with trembling"). There is real fear and real joy. The reason there is real fear is that there is real danger. Our God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29). Yes, the elect are safe in Christ. But examine yourself, Paul says, "to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-unless, of course, you fail the test?" (2 Cor. 13:5). "Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10:12). Confidence in Christ is not careless. Our security is rooted in God's daily keeping, not our past decisions. "[He] is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory" (Jude 1:24). Part of how he keeps us is by awakening the vigilance to rest daily in Christ and not in ourselves.
. . . and rejoice with trembling.
Fear does not rob us of our joy for two reasons. One is that it drives us to Christ where there is safety. The other is that even when we get there the part of fear that Christ relieves is the hope-destroying part. But he leaves another part-the part we want to feel forever. There is an awe or wonder or trembling in the presence of grandeur that we want to feel as long as we are sure it will not destroy us. This trembling does not compete with joy; it is part of joy. People go to terrifying movies because they know the monster cannot get into the theater. They want to be scared as long as they are safe. For some reason it feels good. This is an echo of the truth that they were made for God. There is something profoundly satisfying about being "frightened" when we cannot be hurt. It is the best when the trembling comes from the grandeur of holiness.
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way . . .
God is jealous for his Son. "You shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God" (Exodus 34:14). His anger is kindled when the affection designed for him is given to another. Of course there is a Judas kiss. That is not what he has in mind here. The kiss here is the kiss of adoration and submission-perhaps a kiss on the feet as we bow before him. There is no playing games with God. If we love another more, we will perish. He will be our highest treasure, or he will be our enemy. The safest place in the universe is at the feet of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. If we choose to turn from him for another treasure, his wrath will be against us.
. . . for his wrath is quickly kindled.
The word quickly may not be the best here. The word can mean quickly in the sense of suddenly. Repeatedly in the Bible God is said to be "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Exodus 34:6). Not "quick to anger" but "slow to anger". Therefore I am inclined to think Psalm 2:12 means "His wrath can break out suddenly." In other words don't trifle with him in his patience because suddenly it may run out and you be overtaken in wrath. If you go on kissing his creation and not his Son, suddenly you will find the fangs of a serpent in your lip. Don't presume upon the patience of God.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
The only safe place from the wrath of God is in God. Everywhere outside of his care is dangerous. He is the only hiding place from his own wrath. If you see him as frightening and try to run away and hide, you will not find a place to hide. There is none. Outside of God's care there is only wrath. But there is a refuge from the wrath of God, namely, God. The safest place from the wrath of God-the only safe place-is God. Come to God. Take refuge in God. Hide in the shadow of his wings. This is where we live and serve with joyful trembling. It is terrible and it is wonderful. It is like the eye of a hurricane-terror all around, and totally beautiful and calm. Here there is sweet fellowship. Here is quiet, loving communion. Here we speak to him as to a friend. Here he ministers to our deepest needs. I invite you to come.
Life’s Great Liberator
Luke 4:16-21
From some people’s countenance, we judge them to be happy. Smiles, makeup, and stylish clothing can create an appearance of inner peace. Internally, though, many are in bondage.
In today’s passage, Jesus clarifies His purpose: He has come to set free those in captivity. Christ was referring to several types of bonds that can imprison our souls.
First, Jesus breaks the chains of sin. All people have broken God’s law and consequently live apart from Him (Rom. 3:23). But Christ’s death and resurrection free us when we accept His gift of forgiveness and place our trust in Him. Then we can have a relationship with the Lord.
Secondly, He liberates us from persistent sins like jealousy, bitterness, and gluttony. His Spirit resides within each believer and provides the power to overcome wrong choices that seemed to “own” us. He enables us to do what He desires--by bringing immediate healing or by giving guidance and strength in the ongoing battle.
The Creator of mankind made us with a void in our hearts for Jesus to fill. Everything we put there--whether it seems like a good thing at the time or an obvious bad choice--will ultimately leave us empty. And we will remain in bondage until God frees us and then provides the only true satisfaction.
Are you one of those people who appear happy and seem to have life figured out, and yet inside feel uneasy and empty? Jesus Christ is the only One who can redeem you, forgive your sins, and fill the vacant place in your soul. Allow Him to liberate you today.
The Believer's Journey to the Cross
John 12:23-27
We all know that Jesus walked the road to Calvary, but did you know that believers also journey to the cross? We've all been positionally crucified with Christ, but those who hunger for Him participate in a deeper experience of this reality. Jesus lovingly takes their hand and leads them to the cross. Even though this is the last place anyone wants to go, it's the only way to partake of God's best for our lives.
The trip to the cross is not one you take with family and friends. It's a lonely journey with just you and Jesus. He strips away everyone and everything you've depended on so that you'll learn to rely only on Him. While we're at the cross, He uncovers layer after layer of self-deception until we begin to see ourselves as He does. Soon our self-centeredness, inadequacy, and failures are laid bare.
The cross is a place of brokenness, but it's necessary because there's no other way we'll ever bear fruit. If we hang onto our lives and refuse to take this journey, we'll be like a grain of wheat that is never planted and never grows. But those who willingly die to themselves will produce an abundance of spiritual fruit. The only way Christ can live His life through us is if we've allowed ourselves to be crucified.
God doesn't want you to be content with just your salvation. There's so much more He desires to give you and accomplish through you. Are you willing to take the road to the cross with Him? Yes, it's painful, but the rewards in this life and in eternity far outweigh any suffering you will experience.
What Does It Mean to Be Saved
Psalms 25:12
What makes a person acceptable to God? The path to redemption begins not with the decision to live a better life or to stop doing something wrong, but with the realization that we cannot correct our sinful nature. To find favor with the Lord, we must grasp that it's impossible to make ourselves righteous; instead, we need to depend on the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. When we trust in Christ as our Savior, God the Father applies the benefit of Jesus' atoning sacrifice to our sin debt, thereby making us "saved," or acceptable in His eyes.
Your good works and righteous acts are of absolutely no value in the mind of God. Compared to others' actions, your generosity and good works might seem like enough to bring favor with the Lord, but Jesus said, "Not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Eph. 2:9). When you stand before God, the only way you can be forgiven of your sins is through Jesus Christ and His sacrificial, substitutionary atoning death at Calvary. Jesus came to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
Jesus' public crucifixion was a demonstration of God's hatred for sin and immense love for mankind. He who was blameless bore the penalty for all in order that wicked, corrupt people could be made righteous.
No matter what you've done, you can be cleansed of the stain left by sin. Confess any known transgressions and turn from them; then Jesus will forgive you and write your name in the Lamb's Book of Life (1 John 1:9; Rev. 21:27). By trusting in Him, you are assured of eternity in His presence.
A True Mark of Conversion - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
"Serve the Lord with fear . . .
This command does not cancel out Psalm 100:2: "Serve the Lord with gladness." Serving the Lord with fear and serving the Lord with gladness do not contradict each other. The next phrase will make that plain ("rejoice with trembling"). There is real fear and real joy. The reason there is real fear is that there is real danger. Our God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29). Yes, the elect are safe in Christ. But examine yourself, Paul says, "to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-unless, of course, you fail the test?" (2 Cor. 13:5). "Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10:12). Confidence in Christ is not careless. Our security is rooted in God's daily keeping, not our past decisions. "[He] is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory" (Jude 1:24). Part of how he keeps us is by awakening the vigilance to rest daily in Christ and not in ourselves.
. . . and rejoice with trembling.
Fear does not rob us of our joy for two reasons. One is that it drives us to Christ where there is safety. The other is that even when we get there the part of fear that Christ relieves is the hope-destroying part. But he leaves another part-the part we want to feel forever. There is an awe or wonder or trembling in the presence of grandeur that we want to feel as long as we are sure it will not destroy us. This trembling does not compete with joy; it is part of joy. People go to terrifying movies because they know the monster cannot get into the theater. They want to be scared as long as they are safe. For some reason it feels good. This is an echo of the truth that they were made for God. There is something profoundly satisfying about being "frightened" when we cannot be hurt. It is the best when the trembling comes from the grandeur of holiness.
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way . . .
God is jealous for his Son. "You shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God" (Exodus 34:14). His anger is kindled when the affection designed for him is given to another. Of course there is a Judas kiss. That is not what he has in mind here. The kiss here is the kiss of adoration and submission-perhaps a kiss on the feet as we bow before him. There is no playing games with God. If we love another more, we will perish. He will be our highest treasure, or he will be our enemy. The safest place in the universe is at the feet of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. If we choose to turn from him for another treasure, his wrath will be against us.
. . . for his wrath is quickly kindled.
The word quickly may not be the best here. The word can mean quickly in the sense of suddenly. Repeatedly in the Bible God is said to be "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Exodus 34:6). Not "quick to anger" but "slow to anger". Therefore I am inclined to think Psalm 2:12 means "His wrath can break out suddenly." In other words don't trifle with him in his patience because suddenly it may run out and you be overtaken in wrath. If you go on kissing his creation and not his Son, suddenly you will find the fangs of a serpent in your lip. Don't presume upon the patience of God.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
The only safe place from the wrath of God is in God. Everywhere outside of his care is dangerous. He is the only hiding place from his own wrath. If you see him as frightening and try to run away and hide, you will not find a place to hide. There is none. Outside of God's care there is only wrath. But there is a refuge from the wrath of God, namely, God. The safest place from the wrath of God-the only safe place-is God. Come to God. Take refuge in God. Hide in the shadow of his wings. This is where we live and serve with joyful trembling. It is terrible and it is wonderful. It is like the eye of a hurricane-terror all around, and totally beautiful and calm. Here there is sweet fellowship. Here is quiet, loving communion. Here we speak to him as to a friend. Here he ministers to our deepest needs. I invite you to come.
Life’s Great Liberator
Luke 4:16-21
From some people’s countenance, we judge them to be happy. Smiles, makeup, and stylish clothing can create an appearance of inner peace. Internally, though, many are in bondage.
In today’s passage, Jesus clarifies His purpose: He has come to set free those in captivity. Christ was referring to several types of bonds that can imprison our souls.
First, Jesus breaks the chains of sin. All people have broken God’s law and consequently live apart from Him (Rom. 3:23). But Christ’s death and resurrection free us when we accept His gift of forgiveness and place our trust in Him. Then we can have a relationship with the Lord.
Secondly, He liberates us from persistent sins like jealousy, bitterness, and gluttony. His Spirit resides within each believer and provides the power to overcome wrong choices that seemed to “own” us. He enables us to do what He desires--by bringing immediate healing or by giving guidance and strength in the ongoing battle.
The Creator of mankind made us with a void in our hearts for Jesus to fill. Everything we put there--whether it seems like a good thing at the time or an obvious bad choice--will ultimately leave us empty. And we will remain in bondage until God frees us and then provides the only true satisfaction.
Are you one of those people who appear happy and seem to have life figured out, and yet inside feel uneasy and empty? Jesus Christ is the only One who can redeem you, forgive your sins, and fill the vacant place in your soul. Allow Him to liberate you today.
The Believer's Journey to the Cross
John 12:23-27
We all know that Jesus walked the road to Calvary, but did you know that believers also journey to the cross? We've all been positionally crucified with Christ, but those who hunger for Him participate in a deeper experience of this reality. Jesus lovingly takes their hand and leads them to the cross. Even though this is the last place anyone wants to go, it's the only way to partake of God's best for our lives.
The trip to the cross is not one you take with family and friends. It's a lonely journey with just you and Jesus. He strips away everyone and everything you've depended on so that you'll learn to rely only on Him. While we're at the cross, He uncovers layer after layer of self-deception until we begin to see ourselves as He does. Soon our self-centeredness, inadequacy, and failures are laid bare.
The cross is a place of brokenness, but it's necessary because there's no other way we'll ever bear fruit. If we hang onto our lives and refuse to take this journey, we'll be like a grain of wheat that is never planted and never grows. But those who willingly die to themselves will produce an abundance of spiritual fruit. The only way Christ can live His life through us is if we've allowed ourselves to be crucified.
God doesn't want you to be content with just your salvation. There's so much more He desires to give you and accomplish through you. Are you willing to take the road to the cross with Him? Yes, it's painful, but the rewards in this life and in eternity far outweigh any suffering you will experience.
What Does It Mean to Be Saved
Psalms 25:12
What makes a person acceptable to God? The path to redemption begins not with the decision to live a better life or to stop doing something wrong, but with the realization that we cannot correct our sinful nature. To find favor with the Lord, we must grasp that it's impossible to make ourselves righteous; instead, we need to depend on the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. When we trust in Christ as our Savior, God the Father applies the benefit of Jesus' atoning sacrifice to our sin debt, thereby making us "saved," or acceptable in His eyes.
Your good works and righteous acts are of absolutely no value in the mind of God. Compared to others' actions, your generosity and good works might seem like enough to bring favor with the Lord, but Jesus said, "Not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Eph. 2:9). When you stand before God, the only way you can be forgiven of your sins is through Jesus Christ and His sacrificial, substitutionary atoning death at Calvary. Jesus came to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
Jesus' public crucifixion was a demonstration of God's hatred for sin and immense love for mankind. He who was blameless bore the penalty for all in order that wicked, corrupt people could be made righteous.
No matter what you've done, you can be cleansed of the stain left by sin. Confess any known transgressions and turn from them; then Jesus will forgive you and write your name in the Lamb's Book of Life (1 John 1:9; Rev. 21:27). By trusting in Him, you are assured of eternity in His presence.
A True Mark of Conversion - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. -James 2:25
Rahab had everything going against her-including her name, which was associated with an Egyptian deity. Rahab was an immoral woman, a prostitute. But she was the perfect candidate for the grace of God.
The gospel is for everyone, everywhere. There are no exceptions. No one is beyond the reach of God. During His earthly ministry, Jesus seemed to go out of His way to reach people like this. We see it in John 4 as He met the woman at the well while she drew water in the heat of the day because her village ostracized her. She had been married and divorced five times and was living with a man. Yet Jesus reached out to her, and she believed.
When spies from Israel came to check out the city of Jericho, Rahab hid them on her roof because she believed in the Lord their God. She told them, "For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below" (Joshua 2:11 NLT). The Bible says that "faith is dead without good works" (James 2:26 NLT). Rahab showed evidence of her faith by her actions.
Another indication that Rahab was a real believer was the fact that she cared about her family. She believed judgment was coming. She told the spies, "Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families" (Joshua 2:12-13 NLT).
A true mark of conversion is when you want to reach your family with the gospel. Have you reached your family? Does your family know that you believe?
Overcoming the Insurmountable - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
The people crossed the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. Then they camped at Gilgal, just east of Jericho. -Joshua 4:19
The day of reckoning had come for Jericho. The inhabitants of the city were very wicked people, and they deserved judgment. History tells us the Canaanites used their children as prostitutes for false gods and even sacrificed their children on pagan altars. They were into every kind of idolatry, perversion, and sin.
This evil had gone on for years and years, and God had patiently endured it, from the time of Abraham to Moses-a period of four hundred years. The people of Jericho had plenty of time to repent, because they knew the Israelites were coming. When the spies met Rahab, she said, "For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. No wonder our hearts have melted in fear!" (Joshua 2:10-11 NLT).
These people knew about the miracles God had done for Israel, yet they continued in their hardness of heart. Then came the Israelites, marching around their city day after day. The Canaanites easily could have said, "Judgment day is here! We repent! Come into our city-we want to serve your God!" Instead, they probably laughed at the Israelites. They probably dumped garbage on them. But when the last day came, Israel blew their ram's horns and gave their shouts, and the walls of Jericho collapsed.
Like the people of Israel, you can overcome the insurmountable. Just do what God tells you to do, and trust Him. There is no illness He can't heal. There is no need He can't meet. There is no problem He can't resolve. And there is no person He can't save. Just trust Him.
Where the Wrath and Love of God Meet Romans 3:23-26
In our culture, sin is no longer considered an issue. Although some people might admit to making mistakes or being wrong, few will actually say, "I have sinned." The Lord, however, takes sin very seriously. Until we learn to see transgression as He does, we will never understand what happened at Christ's crucifixion.
The cross was God's perfect answer to a terrible dilemma. Because the Lord is holy and just, He hates sin and must respond to it with punishment and wrath. Yet He also loves sinners and wants to be reconciled with them. The cross of Christ was the place where God's wrath and love collided.
The only way to rescue fallen mankind from eternal punishment was to devise a plan whereby the Lord could forgive sins without compromising His holiness. There was no way to overlook transgressions; His wrath had to be poured out--either on us or a substitute. But there was only one possible substitute: the perfect Son of God.
So Jesus came to earth as a man and suffered the Lord's wrath for us as He hung on the cross. Sin was punished, divine justice was satisfied, and now God could forgive mankind without compromising His character. His wrath was poured out on His Son so that His love and forgiveness could be lavished upon us.
Because of human limitations, we'll never grasp all that happened while Jesus hung on the cross. We can begin to comprehend only the physical suffering He endured, but in the spiritual realm, Christ bore so much more--the very wrath of God. This costly redemption plan proves God's great love.
Stall, and You'll Fall - By Greg Laurie -
In our culture, sin is no longer considered an issue. Although some people might admit to making mistakes or being wrong, few will actually say, "I have sinned." The Lord, however, takes sin very seriously. Until we learn to see transgression as He does, we will never understand what happened at Christ's crucifixion.
The cross was God's perfect answer to a terrible dilemma. Because the Lord is holy and just, He hates sin and must respond to it with punishment and wrath. Yet He also loves sinners and wants to be reconciled with them. The cross of Christ was the place where God's wrath and love collided.
The only way to rescue fallen mankind from eternal punishment was to devise a plan whereby the Lord could forgive sins without compromising His holiness. There was no way to overlook transgressions; His wrath had to be poured out--either on us or a substitute. But there was only one possible substitute: the perfect Son of God.
So Jesus came to earth as a man and suffered the Lord's wrath for us as He hung on the cross. Sin was punished, divine justice was satisfied, and now God could forgive mankind without compromising His character. His wrath was poured out on His Son so that His love and forgiveness could be lavished upon us.
Because of human limitations, we'll never grasp all that happened while Jesus hung on the cross. We can begin to comprehend only the physical suffering He endured, but in the spiritual realm, Christ bore so much more--the very wrath of God. This costly redemption plan proves God's great love.
Stall, and You'll Fall - By Greg Laurie -
As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. -1 Peter 2:2
Not long ago I tried stand-up paddleboarding. I think I caught seven waves, which is being generous. But here's what I discovered about paddleboarding: When the momentum of the wave stops, you slow down. That's when I always fall, and that's when I had to keep paddling.
What's true of stand-up paddleboarding is also true of the Christian life: stall, and you'll fall. The Christian life is one of constant growth, constant learning, and constant transformation. The problem is that some are willing to take Jesus as their Savior, but they are not necessarily willing to take Him as their Lord. They're willing to take on Christ as their friend but not necessarily as their God. As a result, they're stalled in a baby-like state.
Now, babies are cute when they're babies. But it would be sad if someone were still behaving like a baby when he's in his twenties. Spiritually, we all start out as babies. We start out with a hunger for the Word of God. There's no shame in that, because that very hunger for spiritual truth is an indicator of spiritual health. In fact, the Bible says, "As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby" (1 Peter 2:2 NKJV). A healthy person is a hungry person.
If you're hungry for God's Word, if you want to hear God's Word, that's good. It's something you should desire. The objective is to go from getting your food in bite-sized pieces to learning how to read the Word of God, process its truth, and learn how to think and live biblically.
Christian discipleship is all about growing up. It's about going to the next level. It's about really living the Christian life to its fullest, as it was meant to be lived.
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