"A great door for effective work has opened to me." I Corinthians 16:9
In our passage today the Apostle Paul sent word to the Corinthian church that he would be remaining in Ephesus for awhile. Paul said in I Corinthians 16:8-9. "But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me." In spite of obstacles and enemies in Ephesus Paul believed God had opened up a door of ministry for him there, and he did not wish to miss that opportunity for ministry and service for his Lord. Paul knew that if God opened up a door of service, He would also give victory.
God opens ups doors of opportunity for us also. We must daily pray for the Lord's guidance in our lives. We must not run ahead of the Lord, and we must not seek to open doors of opportunity by force or our own efforts. Our own self-efforts will always fail. We must seek God's leading and timing. When it becomes clear, however, that the Lord is leading us in a particular direction we must follow the Lord and pursue that open door of service. We must follow the Lord's guidance with trust and confidence. We must also trust that the Lord will make our service for Him victorious and productive in spite of unavoidable obstacles along the way.
In our service for the Lord Paul says to us in I Corinthians 16:13-14, "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love." We must be very careful to be on guard against apathy. We must maintain our passion and excitement for the work of the Lord. We must also be on guard against the devil's philosophies and lifestyles which are all around us in the secular world. Sometimes the world's philosophies can sound so logical and inviting, if we are not on guard in our spiritual lives. As children of God we must filter and evaluate everything according to God's Holy Word. In our service for the Lord we must "stand firm in the faith." We need to do all that we can to grow in our love relationship with the Lord. The Lord must become number One in our lives, and He must dominate every area of our lives.
In our service for the Lord we must also be men and women of courage and strength. It is often difficult to live as children of God in this world. True courage and strength comes only from a deep personal relationship with our Lord. True courage and strength develops from relying on the Lord's strength and not on our own devices. Only when we are finding our strength in the Lord can we become effective servants in His kingdom.
Finally, I Corinthians 16:14 instructs us that in our service to the God we must "do everything in love." Service for God without love for God and others is worthless. I Corinthians 13:2b-3 says, "if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."
May we not shrink from God's open doors of opportunity for service. May we serve the Lord and others in love, and may our ministries and lives be squarely based on the Word of God. May it be our passion to use every "door for effective work" for the Lord's glory!
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Thursday, January 26, 2017
I Corinthians 9:24-27
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it a slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." I Corinthians 9:24-27
In our race of life we must be passionate about our desire to live for the glory of the Lord. In our race of life we must be passionate about living holy lives for the Lord. As children of God we are no longer subject to the consequences of hell for our sins. Jesus has paid the punishment of our sins on the cross. The Lord has also lived a perfect life for us that we could not live. We are now in a positional state of holiness before God. It must also be our passion, however, to demonstrate practical holiness and to reflect the Lord Jesus in all areas of our lives. Romans 6:13 tells us that we must not offer our bodies as "instruments of wickedness." We must instead offer ourselves to the Lord as "instruments of righteousness" and holiness.
Before we became children of God we had no choice but to sin. We were not capable of refraining from sin in our lives. As children of God we once again have the capability to choose not to sin. We have the capability to choose to be "instruments of righteousness" and holiness for the Lord. We often still fail and sin, but we now have the desire and power and capability to choose to obey the Lord. This desire and power comes from the Holy Spirit now living in us.
As redeemed children of God we are now free from the penalty and power of sin, but sin is still present in our lives. Our minds and hearts desire to obey God, but the sin still remaining in us wishes to take dominance. So as children of God we are in a spiritual warfare or battle against sin until the day we die or until Jesus returns.
We must not think that practical holiness and victory over sin will come instantly or easily. I Timothy 4:7 says that in our spiritual warfare against sin we must train ourselves to be godly. In the days of the ancient Olympics the runners who competed in the races would undergo "strict training" (I Corinthians 9:25). This is true of our daily struggle and victory over sin also. Psalm 119:11 reminds us that one way we train ourselves to be godly and holy is by hiding God's Word in our heart. We must have a disciplined approach to hearing, reading, studying, and memorizing God's Word.
We must also take time to meditate on God's Word. We must think about God's Word and strive to apply its truths to our individual life's situations and to every area of our lives. We must strive to bring even our bodies and our physical appetites under the dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 9:27 tells us that we must make our bodies "slaves" for God and not slaves of our passions, desires, and weaknesses.
In our attempt at disciplined application of God's Word to our lives we will fail many times. In spite of this the Lord wants us to keep persevering in our struggles against sin no matter how many times we fail. In spite of sin and failure I Corinthians 9:25 says that the Lord wants us to run our race of life "in such a way as to get the prize." Our eternal lives are already secure in Christ. We must run life's race, however, in a way that it demonstrates that we are truly children of God. May this be our passion and desire!
In our race of life we must be passionate about our desire to live for the glory of the Lord. In our race of life we must be passionate about living holy lives for the Lord. As children of God we are no longer subject to the consequences of hell for our sins. Jesus has paid the punishment of our sins on the cross. The Lord has also lived a perfect life for us that we could not live. We are now in a positional state of holiness before God. It must also be our passion, however, to demonstrate practical holiness and to reflect the Lord Jesus in all areas of our lives. Romans 6:13 tells us that we must not offer our bodies as "instruments of wickedness." We must instead offer ourselves to the Lord as "instruments of righteousness" and holiness.
Before we became children of God we had no choice but to sin. We were not capable of refraining from sin in our lives. As children of God we once again have the capability to choose not to sin. We have the capability to choose to be "instruments of righteousness" and holiness for the Lord. We often still fail and sin, but we now have the desire and power and capability to choose to obey the Lord. This desire and power comes from the Holy Spirit now living in us.
As redeemed children of God we are now free from the penalty and power of sin, but sin is still present in our lives. Our minds and hearts desire to obey God, but the sin still remaining in us wishes to take dominance. So as children of God we are in a spiritual warfare or battle against sin until the day we die or until Jesus returns.
We must not think that practical holiness and victory over sin will come instantly or easily. I Timothy 4:7 says that in our spiritual warfare against sin we must train ourselves to be godly. In the days of the ancient Olympics the runners who competed in the races would undergo "strict training" (I Corinthians 9:25). This is true of our daily struggle and victory over sin also. Psalm 119:11 reminds us that one way we train ourselves to be godly and holy is by hiding God's Word in our heart. We must have a disciplined approach to hearing, reading, studying, and memorizing God's Word.
We must also take time to meditate on God's Word. We must think about God's Word and strive to apply its truths to our individual life's situations and to every area of our lives. We must strive to bring even our bodies and our physical appetites under the dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 9:27 tells us that we must make our bodies "slaves" for God and not slaves of our passions, desires, and weaknesses.
In our attempt at disciplined application of God's Word to our lives we will fail many times. In spite of this the Lord wants us to keep persevering in our struggles against sin no matter how many times we fail. In spite of sin and failure I Corinthians 9:25 says that the Lord wants us to run our race of life "in such a way as to get the prize." Our eternal lives are already secure in Christ. We must run life's race, however, in a way that it demonstrates that we are truly children of God. May this be our passion and desire!
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Psalm 32
Praise God for His awesome gift of salvation! Psalm 32:1-2 says, Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit there is no deceit." Blessed means happy or joyful. Joyful is the individual whose sins have been forgiven by the Lord!
Experiencing the joy of God's forgiveness, however, depends on us first acknowledging and confessing our sins. We need to run to the Lord in sorrowful repentance, and then we need to allow His Holy Spirit to shape our lives into something beautiful for God. When we stubbornly refuse to acknowledge our sins, however, we will suffer consequences. David was a child of God, but for a time in his life he stubbornly refused to acknowledge a serious sin in his life. Hence, David suffered spiritually, psychologically, and even physically. David prayed to God in Psalm 32:3-4, "When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer." We as children of God must be careful that we do not persist in deliberate sin and stubbornly refuse to acknowledge sin in our lives.
When we acknowledge our sins, the Lord receives us with open arms of forgiveness. David prayed in Psalm 32:5, "Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,'- and you forgave the guilt of my sin." When we acknowledge our sins the Lord forgives our sins. He also promises to be with us every step of our lives! The Lord directs our steps during both the pleasant and difficult circumstances of life.
When David finally acknowledged his sin he once again experienced the Lord's blessings on his life. David prayed in Psalm 32:6-7, "Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."
We must acknowledge our sins, and we must also seek the Lord. Then we will experience the Lord's favor and blessing on our lives. A God who is willing to forgive our sins is also a God whom we can trust. He is a God to whom we can devote our entire lives. When "the mighty waters" of chaotic and difficult circumstances arise in our lives we can trust in the Lord's protection and provision for us. He is our "hiding place" and protection. The Christian goes from victory to victory in his or her life. A Christian in thankfulness can then sing "songs of deliverance."
Experiencing God's victories in our lives is dependent on following God's will for our lives. God said to David in Psalm 32:8 and says to us today. "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." God instructs us through His Holy Word, and we must immerse ourselves in His Holy Word every day. God also directs us through the circumstances that He allows in our lives. God is slowly shaping us into the people He wants us to become. He is slowly instructing and teaching us in the way He wants us to go.
We must be submissive and not rebellious to the Lord's leading in our lives, however. We must be careful that we are not "like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding, but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you." (Psalm 32:9) Only in total submission to God's will do we experience the Lord's blessing and joy. Psalm 32:10 says, "Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him." Let us daily examine our lives for any unconfessed sins. Let us confess those sins, and turn to the Lord in repentance. Let us submit to God's will for our lives and experience His protection, blessing, joy, and "unfailing love."
Experiencing the joy of God's forgiveness, however, depends on us first acknowledging and confessing our sins. We need to run to the Lord in sorrowful repentance, and then we need to allow His Holy Spirit to shape our lives into something beautiful for God. When we stubbornly refuse to acknowledge our sins, however, we will suffer consequences. David was a child of God, but for a time in his life he stubbornly refused to acknowledge a serious sin in his life. Hence, David suffered spiritually, psychologically, and even physically. David prayed to God in Psalm 32:3-4, "When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer." We as children of God must be careful that we do not persist in deliberate sin and stubbornly refuse to acknowledge sin in our lives.
When we acknowledge our sins, the Lord receives us with open arms of forgiveness. David prayed in Psalm 32:5, "Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,'- and you forgave the guilt of my sin." When we acknowledge our sins the Lord forgives our sins. He also promises to be with us every step of our lives! The Lord directs our steps during both the pleasant and difficult circumstances of life.
When David finally acknowledged his sin he once again experienced the Lord's blessings on his life. David prayed in Psalm 32:6-7, "Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."
We must acknowledge our sins, and we must also seek the Lord. Then we will experience the Lord's favor and blessing on our lives. A God who is willing to forgive our sins is also a God whom we can trust. He is a God to whom we can devote our entire lives. When "the mighty waters" of chaotic and difficult circumstances arise in our lives we can trust in the Lord's protection and provision for us. He is our "hiding place" and protection. The Christian goes from victory to victory in his or her life. A Christian in thankfulness can then sing "songs of deliverance."
Experiencing God's victories in our lives is dependent on following God's will for our lives. God said to David in Psalm 32:8 and says to us today. "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." God instructs us through His Holy Word, and we must immerse ourselves in His Holy Word every day. God also directs us through the circumstances that He allows in our lives. God is slowly shaping us into the people He wants us to become. He is slowly instructing and teaching us in the way He wants us to go.
We must be submissive and not rebellious to the Lord's leading in our lives, however. We must be careful that we are not "like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding, but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you." (Psalm 32:9) Only in total submission to God's will do we experience the Lord's blessing and joy. Psalm 32:10 says, "Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him." Let us daily examine our lives for any unconfessed sins. Let us confess those sins, and turn to the Lord in repentance. Let us submit to God's will for our lives and experience His protection, blessing, joy, and "unfailing love."
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Psalm 27
Psalm 27 was a prayer of David in a time of crisis. It was a confident assertion that the Lord would help him against his enemies. It was also a confident prayer to God for help. King David was secure in the Lord. We also can be confident in the Lord. When we face difficult or seemingly insurmountable problems we can run to the Lord. We can say with David of old, "The Lord is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)
The Lord is our light or our sense of well-being. He is the One that guides, directs, and protects. The Lord is our source of all the blessings in our lives. We need not fear anything or anyone, because the Lord is our stronghold. Even when chaos and all kinds of fearful events seem to be breaking out all around us, we can be confident in the Lord.
The Lord must not only be our soul's confidence, but He must also be our soul's desire. David said in Psalm 27:4. "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple." It should be our consuming passion to grow in our love relationship with the Lord and to grow in our sense of the Lord's presence in our lives. It should be our consuming passion that we grow in our perception of the Lord's beauty. It should be our passion to meditate on His Word and to spend time in prayer. It should be our passion to then enter the world carrying the fragrance of Jesus, because we have spent time lingering in the Lord's presence.
Psalm 27:5 reminds us that if we are lingering in the Lord's presence we will then experience His peace and safety "in the day of trouble." In those days of trouble the Lord will hide us in His protection and will set us "high upon a rock." That rock is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself! We as His children will go from victory to victory, and we will be filled with His praises!
The Lord is our light and soul's confidence. He must further be our soul's desire. The Lord is also our soul's prayer. We must always seek the face of our Lord in prayer, because He alone is our helper. We can not face one day without Him. The Lord has promised to always be with us. Even if all others would reject us, the Lord will never reject His own. His arms are always open wide to His children. We are eternally secure in the Lord!
There is much turmoil in this world. There is much we could fear, but a child of God need not fear. God's children can experience the Lord's peace. We experience this peace by asking the Lord to teach us His ways and by walking in the Lord's paths. Only those who know and seek to obey the Lord can experience His answers to prayer and His victories and peace in their loves.
We also experience the Lord's peace by trusting the Lord and resting our lives in Him. We experience the Lord's peace by taking our eyes off our problems and the condition in which we find the world and by directing our eyes on the Lord. We experience the Lord's peace by knowing that the Lord is in control and by waiting on the Lord.
Psalm 27:14 reads, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Waiting on the Lord involves not running ahead of the Lord. It involves not forcing doors open before the Lord's perfect timing. It involves seeking the Lord's direction, guidance, and help. Waiting on the Lord is a sure confidence that the Lord has every detail of our lives planned, so we need not panic in times of crisis or trial. Waiting on the Lord means we are resting in the Lord for working out the details of our lives. Waiting on the Lord means we are concentrating on our love relationship with the Lord and not on our problems. Waiting on the Lord is being quiet long enough to hear His voice in His Holy Word and in our hearts. Because Psalm 27:1 assures us that the Lord is our "light" and "salvation," we need to fear nothing. He is our peace and strength. Wait on the Lord!
The Lord is our light or our sense of well-being. He is the One that guides, directs, and protects. The Lord is our source of all the blessings in our lives. We need not fear anything or anyone, because the Lord is our stronghold. Even when chaos and all kinds of fearful events seem to be breaking out all around us, we can be confident in the Lord.
The Lord must not only be our soul's confidence, but He must also be our soul's desire. David said in Psalm 27:4. "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple." It should be our consuming passion to grow in our love relationship with the Lord and to grow in our sense of the Lord's presence in our lives. It should be our consuming passion that we grow in our perception of the Lord's beauty. It should be our passion to meditate on His Word and to spend time in prayer. It should be our passion to then enter the world carrying the fragrance of Jesus, because we have spent time lingering in the Lord's presence.
Psalm 27:5 reminds us that if we are lingering in the Lord's presence we will then experience His peace and safety "in the day of trouble." In those days of trouble the Lord will hide us in His protection and will set us "high upon a rock." That rock is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself! We as His children will go from victory to victory, and we will be filled with His praises!
The Lord is our light and soul's confidence. He must further be our soul's desire. The Lord is also our soul's prayer. We must always seek the face of our Lord in prayer, because He alone is our helper. We can not face one day without Him. The Lord has promised to always be with us. Even if all others would reject us, the Lord will never reject His own. His arms are always open wide to His children. We are eternally secure in the Lord!
There is much turmoil in this world. There is much we could fear, but a child of God need not fear. God's children can experience the Lord's peace. We experience this peace by asking the Lord to teach us His ways and by walking in the Lord's paths. Only those who know and seek to obey the Lord can experience His answers to prayer and His victories and peace in their loves.
We also experience the Lord's peace by trusting the Lord and resting our lives in Him. We experience the Lord's peace by taking our eyes off our problems and the condition in which we find the world and by directing our eyes on the Lord. We experience the Lord's peace by knowing that the Lord is in control and by waiting on the Lord.
Psalm 27:14 reads, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Waiting on the Lord involves not running ahead of the Lord. It involves not forcing doors open before the Lord's perfect timing. It involves seeking the Lord's direction, guidance, and help. Waiting on the Lord is a sure confidence that the Lord has every detail of our lives planned, so we need not panic in times of crisis or trial. Waiting on the Lord means we are resting in the Lord for working out the details of our lives. Waiting on the Lord means we are concentrating on our love relationship with the Lord and not on our problems. Waiting on the Lord is being quiet long enough to hear His voice in His Holy Word and in our hearts. Because Psalm 27:1 assures us that the Lord is our "light" and "salvation," we need to fear nothing. He is our peace and strength. Wait on the Lord!
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Romans 12:1-12
"Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing, and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2
The Lord God is such a merciful God to us! He sent His own Son to die the horrid death on the cross for your and my sins! He also heaps undeserved and abundant blessings on us each day. He always protects us and is with us. In light of all this, our Scripture passage today in Romans 12:1 tells us, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship"
This means that the Lord needs to permeate every area of our lives. He must permeate our every action and our every thought! Our faith must be expressed in total obedience to the Lord. Our lives must be a "spiritual act of worship." Our lives must show that we have the new life of the Holy Spirit flowing though us. Our faith must not just be dead and empty ritual but must be based on a passionate love for the Lord. Our lives must be based on a zeal and passion to obey and do the Lord's will. All we do must involve our desire to love and serve the Lord with our heart, mind, and will! It involves more than our money, talents, and time but also the total giving of ourselves to the Lord. Jesus Christ gave His all for us on the cross. The only reasonable response on our part is the giving of our all to the Lord.
Romans 12:2 tells us that we must not "conform any longer to the pattern of this world." Rather me must be "be transformed" by the Holy Spirit. This can only be accomplished by a "renewing" of our mind. We must not follow the world's philosophies and ways of thinking. We need to think Biblically and must think the way the Lord wants us to think. We must pray to be transformed by the Holy Spirit in our thinking and our acting. We must pray and desire to become more like Jesus. We must pray to be transformed into a person who is pleasing to the Lord. Then you and I will truly "be able to test and approve what God's will is-His God pleasing and perfect will." Then we will be able to do what the Lord wants us to to do and not what our self-centered selves want to do in this life. His will is always good and "pleasing," because it glorifies the Lord. It also leads to our spiritual and moral growth. This is true even in difficult times when we do not understand the Lord's ways in our lives. No improvement can be made on the will of God. We must give our all to the Lord.
Our hearts and minds must be renewed and transformed by the Holy Spirit so that we are more and more in the center of His will. We must not be squeezed into the world's mold, but we must be shaped by God's will and thinking. We must prove in practice in our lives that His plan for us is good and moves us to spiritual maturity. We must prove in practice in our lives that we are totally committed to giving our all to the Lord. The Lord must be our master stylist! We must adjust our lives to His will and mind. Zeal for the things of the Lord must never be lacking in our lives. We must keep our spiritual fervor and excitement for the things of the Lord and for serving Him. We must be joyful in the certainty of His promises and patient with His will for our lives. We must also pray for the Lord's help in our lives. Our lives must be "living sacrifices" to the Lord. This is the reason for which we were created, and this is the only path to joy for time and eternity!
The Lord God is such a merciful God to us! He sent His own Son to die the horrid death on the cross for your and my sins! He also heaps undeserved and abundant blessings on us each day. He always protects us and is with us. In light of all this, our Scripture passage today in Romans 12:1 tells us, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship"
This means that the Lord needs to permeate every area of our lives. He must permeate our every action and our every thought! Our faith must be expressed in total obedience to the Lord. Our lives must be a "spiritual act of worship." Our lives must show that we have the new life of the Holy Spirit flowing though us. Our faith must not just be dead and empty ritual but must be based on a passionate love for the Lord. Our lives must be based on a zeal and passion to obey and do the Lord's will. All we do must involve our desire to love and serve the Lord with our heart, mind, and will! It involves more than our money, talents, and time but also the total giving of ourselves to the Lord. Jesus Christ gave His all for us on the cross. The only reasonable response on our part is the giving of our all to the Lord.
Romans 12:2 tells us that we must not "conform any longer to the pattern of this world." Rather me must be "be transformed" by the Holy Spirit. This can only be accomplished by a "renewing" of our mind. We must not follow the world's philosophies and ways of thinking. We need to think Biblically and must think the way the Lord wants us to think. We must pray to be transformed by the Holy Spirit in our thinking and our acting. We must pray and desire to become more like Jesus. We must pray to be transformed into a person who is pleasing to the Lord. Then you and I will truly "be able to test and approve what God's will is-His God pleasing and perfect will." Then we will be able to do what the Lord wants us to to do and not what our self-centered selves want to do in this life. His will is always good and "pleasing," because it glorifies the Lord. It also leads to our spiritual and moral growth. This is true even in difficult times when we do not understand the Lord's ways in our lives. No improvement can be made on the will of God. We must give our all to the Lord.
Our hearts and minds must be renewed and transformed by the Holy Spirit so that we are more and more in the center of His will. We must not be squeezed into the world's mold, but we must be shaped by God's will and thinking. We must prove in practice in our lives that His plan for us is good and moves us to spiritual maturity. We must prove in practice in our lives that we are totally committed to giving our all to the Lord. The Lord must be our master stylist! We must adjust our lives to His will and mind. Zeal for the things of the Lord must never be lacking in our lives. We must keep our spiritual fervor and excitement for the things of the Lord and for serving Him. We must be joyful in the certainty of His promises and patient with His will for our lives. We must also pray for the Lord's help in our lives. Our lives must be "living sacrifices" to the Lord. This is the reason for which we were created, and this is the only path to joy for time and eternity!
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Romans 8:30-39
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord," (Romans 8:37-39)
As children of God we have victory in Christ Jesus, our Lord! We need to fear nothing, for the Lord is on our side! Nothing can separate us from the love of God! What an awesome thought, and what an awesome promise! In light of all this there should be overflowing joy in our hearts!
What wonderful victories, blessings, and promises we have in Christ Jesus, our Lord! God choose us and called us from eternity to be His own. Romans 8:30b says, "those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified." We not only have the forgiveness of sins, but we have a secure eternal future in Christ. This eternal future is so secure in God's plan for us that Romans 8:30b speaks of this eternal future as if it has already taken place!
We are secure in Christ for time and for eternity. Romans 8:31b reminds us, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Sometimes we may feel as if everything is against us, but the Word of God teaches us that the great God of the universe is always for us and is always with us! Romans 8:32 says, "He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all-how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?" God proved His love for us by sending His only Son to die for our sins. Surely we can trust Him to provide us with everything we need for time and eternity. No one or nothing can ever oppose us as children of God and ultimately succeed. In the dangers, trials, and uncertainties of life we can rest in the Lord. We have the Lord God on our side, and we are victors in Him!
We have absolute security in Christ in all things, because He died for our sins and freed us from the guilt of our sins. Christ is also in heaven sitting at the right hand of the Heavenly Father in the position of power. Nothing can happen to us that is not in God's plan for our lives, so we need not fear. Finally, Christ is always interceding for His children. What a blessed promise!
In light of all this, Romans 8:35 says, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" The answer is that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ! No matter what hardship, trial, or trouble we may be experiencing in our lives at the moment, we are never separated from the love of Christ. In fact, trials in our lives are part of God's plan and purpose for our lives to mold us to become more like Jesus in our characters and attitudes. Romans 8:37 reassures us by saying, "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."
We become conquerors through the trials of life by patiently enduring these trials and by being submissive to the Lord's will. We become "more than conquerors" by using these experiences to grow in our love and service for the Lord. Also God will always see us through these difficult times and bring us to ultimate victory. Victory is always assured for the Christian, if not in this life, then in eternity. Absolutely nothing will ever separate us from the love of God and the victory we have in the Lord Jesus Christ!
Romans 8:38-39 says, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Praise the name of the Lord for our victory in Him!
As children of God we have victory in Christ Jesus, our Lord! We need to fear nothing, for the Lord is on our side! Nothing can separate us from the love of God! What an awesome thought, and what an awesome promise! In light of all this there should be overflowing joy in our hearts!
What wonderful victories, blessings, and promises we have in Christ Jesus, our Lord! God choose us and called us from eternity to be His own. Romans 8:30b says, "those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified." We not only have the forgiveness of sins, but we have a secure eternal future in Christ. This eternal future is so secure in God's plan for us that Romans 8:30b speaks of this eternal future as if it has already taken place!
We are secure in Christ for time and for eternity. Romans 8:31b reminds us, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Sometimes we may feel as if everything is against us, but the Word of God teaches us that the great God of the universe is always for us and is always with us! Romans 8:32 says, "He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all-how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?" God proved His love for us by sending His only Son to die for our sins. Surely we can trust Him to provide us with everything we need for time and eternity. No one or nothing can ever oppose us as children of God and ultimately succeed. In the dangers, trials, and uncertainties of life we can rest in the Lord. We have the Lord God on our side, and we are victors in Him!
We have absolute security in Christ in all things, because He died for our sins and freed us from the guilt of our sins. Christ is also in heaven sitting at the right hand of the Heavenly Father in the position of power. Nothing can happen to us that is not in God's plan for our lives, so we need not fear. Finally, Christ is always interceding for His children. What a blessed promise!
In light of all this, Romans 8:35 says, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" The answer is that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ! No matter what hardship, trial, or trouble we may be experiencing in our lives at the moment, we are never separated from the love of Christ. In fact, trials in our lives are part of God's plan and purpose for our lives to mold us to become more like Jesus in our characters and attitudes. Romans 8:37 reassures us by saying, "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."
We become conquerors through the trials of life by patiently enduring these trials and by being submissive to the Lord's will. We become "more than conquerors" by using these experiences to grow in our love and service for the Lord. Also God will always see us through these difficult times and bring us to ultimate victory. Victory is always assured for the Christian, if not in this life, then in eternity. Absolutely nothing will ever separate us from the love of God and the victory we have in the Lord Jesus Christ!
Romans 8:38-39 says, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Praise the name of the Lord for our victory in Him!
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Romans 8:28-29
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers."
Romans 8:28-29
Romans 8:28 is a promise we can rest on and trust in when our world around us seems to be falling apart. It is a blessed promise, but it is also a promise with which we may at times struggle. We can believe and trust this promise, however, even when we are overwhelmed and puzzled by adverse circumstances all around us.
The writer of this devotional remembers first struggling with the promise of Romans 8:28 when her dad was suffering the excruciating pain of cancer and radiation. She wondered how "all things" could possibly be working for good in this case. What could possibly be "good" about cancer and severe pain? For that matter what could possibly be "good" about any pain or heartache or trial? Since that time long ago there have been other heartaches in this writer's life such as her own husband's neurological disease, decline, and death. She also fought breast cancer herself in the time period in which she was caring for her husband. How could God be working things for good in these situations?
But God's Holy Word tells us that God works "all things," not some things or even most things for our ultimate spiritual good; if we love Him. The key to understanding this verse is to realize that not all things are good in themselves. Sin has wrecked havoc with our world, and there are many experiences in this world that are not good or pleasant in themselves. God, however, works both the "good" and the "bad" events of our lives together for our ultimate good.
It has been said that life is like a tapestry. When you look at the backside of a tapestry it does not look beautiful. There are knotted off ends and threads that seem to have no meaning or beauty. When one turns the tapestry over, however, one sees a beautiful picture or design. When we see life's trials and difficulties we see the backside of the tapestry of life. God, however, is bringing all the threads or events of our lives together, both good and bad, into a beautiful tapestry. The Lord already sees the top part of our tapestry of life. The Lord already sees the beautiful end results of what He is accomplishing in our lives. When we do not understand the reason for the difficult circumstances in our lives we must simply trust that the Lord is working out all things in our lives for His glory and to accomplish His plan. He is also working out all things for our ultimate spiritual good.
The ultimate spiritual good that the Lord God is seeking to accomplish in our lives is that we might, as Romans 8:29 says, become "conformed to the likeness of His Son." It is God's purpose and plan for us that we become more and more like the Lord Jesus. He desires that we become more like Jesus every day in our thoughts, attitudes, and actions.
In order for this to happen there must be a conforming process taking place in our lives. This conforming process often can only occur during times of trial and difficulty in our lives. Gelatin is only able to be conformed or shaped to the mold into which it is placed after it has been dissolved in hot water. So we too often have to go through the heat of trials and difficulties to become more conformed to the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.
God has the pattern for our lives all figured out. He knows and understands the beautiful tapestry that He is weaving for our lives. He knows the beginning from the end. We must trust the Lord to do His beautiful work in our lives even in times when life's events and circumstances seen very difficult and overwhelming!
Romans 8:28-29
Romans 8:28 is a promise we can rest on and trust in when our world around us seems to be falling apart. It is a blessed promise, but it is also a promise with which we may at times struggle. We can believe and trust this promise, however, even when we are overwhelmed and puzzled by adverse circumstances all around us.
The writer of this devotional remembers first struggling with the promise of Romans 8:28 when her dad was suffering the excruciating pain of cancer and radiation. She wondered how "all things" could possibly be working for good in this case. What could possibly be "good" about cancer and severe pain? For that matter what could possibly be "good" about any pain or heartache or trial? Since that time long ago there have been other heartaches in this writer's life such as her own husband's neurological disease, decline, and death. She also fought breast cancer herself in the time period in which she was caring for her husband. How could God be working things for good in these situations?
But God's Holy Word tells us that God works "all things," not some things or even most things for our ultimate spiritual good; if we love Him. The key to understanding this verse is to realize that not all things are good in themselves. Sin has wrecked havoc with our world, and there are many experiences in this world that are not good or pleasant in themselves. God, however, works both the "good" and the "bad" events of our lives together for our ultimate good.
It has been said that life is like a tapestry. When you look at the backside of a tapestry it does not look beautiful. There are knotted off ends and threads that seem to have no meaning or beauty. When one turns the tapestry over, however, one sees a beautiful picture or design. When we see life's trials and difficulties we see the backside of the tapestry of life. God, however, is bringing all the threads or events of our lives together, both good and bad, into a beautiful tapestry. The Lord already sees the top part of our tapestry of life. The Lord already sees the beautiful end results of what He is accomplishing in our lives. When we do not understand the reason for the difficult circumstances in our lives we must simply trust that the Lord is working out all things in our lives for His glory and to accomplish His plan. He is also working out all things for our ultimate spiritual good.
The ultimate spiritual good that the Lord God is seeking to accomplish in our lives is that we might, as Romans 8:29 says, become "conformed to the likeness of His Son." It is God's purpose and plan for us that we become more and more like the Lord Jesus. He desires that we become more like Jesus every day in our thoughts, attitudes, and actions.
In order for this to happen there must be a conforming process taking place in our lives. This conforming process often can only occur during times of trial and difficulty in our lives. Gelatin is only able to be conformed or shaped to the mold into which it is placed after it has been dissolved in hot water. So we too often have to go through the heat of trials and difficulties to become more conformed to the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.
God has the pattern for our lives all figured out. He knows and understands the beautiful tapestry that He is weaving for our lives. He knows the beginning from the end. We must trust the Lord to do His beautiful work in our lives even in times when life's events and circumstances seen very difficult and overwhelming!
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