Each year, Sovereign Grace Ministries holds a conference for singles in Louisville, KY. With passionate worship, solid truth, and many resources to spur you on to application of truth, it is worth every penny! The theme of this conference is Humble Orthodoxy--humbly representing the truth of God's Word and the Gospel. See these videos (the latest--just added!) to whet your appetite for the 2008 conference on May 24 - 27, 2008 in Louisville, KY.
2008 Na Promo Video Why New Attitude?
"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand..."
~I Corinthians 15:1 (ESV)
Hearing What You've Heard
Paul's words as laid out in I Corinthians 15 at basic level communicate, "I remind you of something you've already heard" and even "something you have already believed." Why preach so passionately something already known among this body of believers? Because they, as much as we all do, needed desperately to hear the Gospel again--to be refreshed by the power of the Gospel's transforming grace.
Possible Spiritual Death
We need it, lest we die--the Gospel that is. God has provided all that we need for life and Godliness through the Gospel. In other words, we have no access to the Father or the riches of His mercy (but through the glorious Gospel blood of Christ. He, as our Substitute, has paid the way to the throne of God, and lest we draw near to the throne each day by reminding ourselves of the Gospel we have believed and heard, we cannot keep a clear mind as to the very purpose of our days on earth, and drifting is possible.
Even the Strongest Need It
From weak to the Christian full of faith, we all need to hear the Gospel again every day. Strong saints have met the end of their walk for the Lord when they lost their intimacy with Christ, and all intimacy with Christ begins at the foot of the cross. Nothing else will do, not even other Biblical doctrines, for all guidance from all other Biblical doctrine is pulled into place because of their tie to the cross.
Not to Be Taken Lightly
Our relationship with Christ, our Savior, and the health of it is not to be taken lightly. Are we slowly drifting? Do we think we're not and yet half-hearted interest in God's holy Word or lack of passion in prayer could easily be observed in our times with the Lord? Let this be a gracious yet sobering warning of God's kindness: Our spirits are prone to wander and prone to sin and death lest we immerse ourselves in the Gospel each day.
"Father, what precious life we have been given! Enlarge our hearts to Your Gospel, we pray. May we never minimize it. Reveal lack of passion and heal us, Lord; heal us. May no passion of ours exceed that of the Gospel, and may the Gospel define our passions. Amen."
Challenge and Application Questions
"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed."
~2 Peter 3:10 (ESV)The deathbed picture is one of the most sobering pictures for all humankind. We all will face it, and all must come to terms with it. One person accurately said, "...one-hundred percent of us die." This is true, and it is simple. But what will our picture be?
Christ reveals to us in Matthew 24 that no one knows the day or hour in which Christ will return, for the Son does not even know--only the Father (v. 36, 42, & 50). He is coming at an hour we will not expect (v. 44). Yet more sobering, He will come like a "thief in the night" (I Thes. 5:2, 2 Peter 3:10, Rev. 16:15.
Given that we all face death, how is this to affect our lives? Perhaps you are thinking by now that this is a rather gloomy read. But actually the Lord shows us gloom in order to reveal to us grace:
Therefore, rather than a mere obligation of fear (though there should be fear of the Lord always), there is the wonderful hope of grace to change and live in light of eternity--that Day when we will all give account (Romans 14:12) and those who believe Him will see His face.
"Father, thank You for revealing Your Son to us. Thank you for the hope of the cross of Christ! You have shown us the depth of our sin, yet what a mystery that you would show of the depth of Your love displayed on Calvary! Who are we that You are mindful of us! O, the mystery of your great love! May we live in light of that day and use the freedom You have purchased for us to ascribe all glory due Your name. Amen."
Next in this series: The Deathbed Picture: What Will Burn?
"For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life."
~Romans 5:10 (ESV)
"Your grace has found me just as I am."
~Delirious?, Majesty
The Lord's grace is amazing: Saving sinners just as they are, yet not allowing them to stay as they are. What freedom there is in the commands of the Lord! What a worse mess we would be had it not been for the Lord's grace that, rather than restricting us from how we can live, shows us how to live in freedom.
The transition was one directly from to life, from darkness to light, through The Way, Jesus. This is what is meant by the Lord saving us as we were--as His enemies changed to be clothed in Christ's own righteousness.
It is critical to understand the meaning of being accepted as we are. The Father is often noted as granting us "unconditional acceptance." Biblical truth, however, is that the Father accepts us only by the of His Son. Only clothed in the righteousnesses of Christ are we accepted into His kingdom. This terminology of unconditional acceptance should be carefully translated to refer to the Lord bringing a sinner directly from to life, not being accepted without Christ, and not as an excuse to remain stagnant in the growth process.
And the very fact that we were saved when we were His enemies is the very motivation to not remain stagnant. This is because when the amazing truth of the Gospel is truly, truly affecting a person, they cannot help but to run hard after Him. No longer are we to dwell in the state we were in when God saved us. Rather, we are to contemplate it and be amazed daily at this glorious mystery.
"For Your has washed away my sin,
Jesus, thank You
The Father's wrath completely satisfied,
Jesus, thank You
Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table,
Jesus, thank You"
-Sovereign Grace Music, Jesus, Thank You
"Father, what words are adequate to thank You? None! We were once Your enemies, yet one Day we will feast with You--You!--at Your table! Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Hasten the Day when we shall see Your face. And may many more come to know this love that are still in darkness as we once were. Thank You for Your grace, Father, amen."
"...so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."
~Ephesians 2:7 (ESV)How in the world can God be so good to the undeserving? I once was His enemy and now am rescued from the wrath that I truly deserve. And on top of the Lord's presence and His Spirit given to us, He reigns blessings upon our heads that we do not deserve. He unexpectedly places blessing in our lives and brings good even from the mistakes we've made.
The Lord is leaning forward, eager to bless us! How amazing He is!
What a priceless gift,
Undeserved life,
Have I been given,
Through Christ crucified
You brought me out of death,
You called me into light,
I was under Your wrath,
Now through the cross I'm reconciled
-Jeremy Riddle, Sweetly Broken
Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
And when the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be Your name!
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
Blessed be Your glorious name!
You give and take away,
You give and take away,
My heart will choose to say,
Lord, blessed be Your name!
-Matt Redman, Blessed be Your Name
"Father, how can I thank you enough? How can I keep from singing Your praise? IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU, FOR ONLY YOU ARE WORTHY OF WORSHIP--AND PASSIONATE WORSHIP AT THAT!!! All of this is for You, for Your glory alone. Conform our ways, oh Lord. May we bring You more than a song--lives of worship to You for the cross, for all that YOU HAVE DONE. Amen."
"For there is one God, and there is one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus."
~I Timothy 2:5 (ESV)Wonder and be amazed!
The great God we fled has pursued us!
The distance we strayed has been distanced forever
It is no more
It is the Father for Whom no distance is too great
It is His love that stretched His saving arm
His love is forever more
Wonder and be astounded!
The great separation has been broken!
The distance between God and man has been distanced forever
It is no more
It is Jesus Who has bridged it
It is His blood that makes the bridge available
His blood is forever more
Wonder and fall on Your face!
The Spirit of God resides within us!
The distance between God and man is distanced forever
It is no more
Closest as can be He dwells within the saved heart
It is Christ's exaltation that makes the Spirit available
And His reign is forever more
"Thank You, Father for sending Your Son! Thank You, Jesus, for submitting to Your Father's will at every singles step! Thank You for giving Your life! Thank You for sending Your Spirit to dwell within us and lead us to all truth as we are confirmed to Your perfect image. Conform us, O Lord. Amen."
"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."
~Galatians 5:13 (ESV)
Last time we looked at the privilege of Biblical fellowship and church relationships. We are looking again at church relationships but this time narrowing it down a little bit to the way that guys and girls relate to one another.
An Oft-Repeated QuestionA question often asked among Christian singles is, "How am I to relate to the opposite sex?" This is a good question that has been replied to with a plethora of answers--many of them right, and many of them misleading or unBiblical. However, our goal is not to see what our convictions are based on who are because we're all different people, but rather to realize that the Lord's standard for all His creation is His perfect character, evidenced by the following words from Scripture:
"You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
(Matthew 5:48)
"...He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him...."
(Ephesians 1:4)
"since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'"
(I Peter 1:16)
Scripture takes our eyes off of our selves and our needs, and focuses them on God and His perfect character, which is our standard. So instead of focusing on our convictions based on ourselves and our differences, we are to focus on our convictions based on God's Word and realize that Scripture holds us all to the same standard--His perfect character. Nowhere in Scripture do we find a verse that says, "Be and strive for at least this amount of Godliness" or "cultivate holiness to a certain degree," but rather (though perfection is not attainable in this lifetime) we have a perfect standard toward which we ever strive.
What really MattersIt is impossible to cram all of the useful points there are on this topic into a little blog post. However, there is one central theme that matters in singles relationships that cannot be absent if a Biblical perspective and Biblical convictions are to remain, and it goes right back to last time's post (Click here if you'd like to read it). It's Biblical fellowship. The one thing that bonds Christians together in agápē love is the salvation of Christ. He has filled us as Christians with His own Holy Spirit. Only because of this are we able to love one another.
So what is it that matters? It is relating to one another on the basis of Salvation. Are you relating with other singles on the basis of Christ? Are your friendships centered on talking with one another about the One Thing that matters, Christ? If we dismiss this as the center of all of our relationships, we will never find joy in our relationships because joy is found only in Christ. But when our entire lives are centered on Christ, our relationships and what we talk about with one another will resultantly be affected. It will be all that matters to us and as a result of that will even make sociality and humour more enjoyable (though not the goal, this is another evident endless blessing from the Lord).
Missing the Mark - Distractions from Biblical RelationshipsAnd what better way to care for one another. Truly caring friends truly care for one another's souls and one another's walk with the Savior. If this is absent, we're missing the point. When you relate to or meet someone, are they your brother or sister in the Savior first or a potential spouse? Do you think of them as your companion in growing in the Lord first or your desired companion? Are they a blessing from the Lord to grow in grace along-side first or someone to satisfy your selfishness? When we fail to relate to one another as brothers and sisters first, we become far too easily distracted and are settling for so much less than the Lord has for us. There is so much more than to idolize a relationship and/or marriage--there is sweet love of the Savior to be built, cultivated, and enjoyed among God's church. And it is so much more enjoyable than getting what we want for the sake of getting what we want. For now, I may leave further expansion on these distractions to a future post.
Free, Sweet Grace Available!This is a growing process, and grace is available! How the Lord has worked on this in my own self. My fellowship used to be stagnant and relating to the opposite sex was such a pressure because the wrong questions were constantly about my mind such as, "could she be the one?" But through much teaching for which I am greatly thankful, the Lord has transformed my thinking to enjoy the freedom of Biblical fellowship with all my brothers and sisters in the Lord. And indeed this is what the Lord wills for us, rather than being paralysed by the wrong questions that are likely the fruits of anxiousness, selfishness, fear of man. The Lord wants us to enjoy and bear fruit in our relationships with all the saints, not just the one(s) you like or are interested in. God Himself shows no partiality (See Roman 2:11), and so neither should we since we are being conformed to His image. Want to see what really matters in relationships? Fall in love with Jesus Christ! Let Him alone saturate your life and relationships with others! Enjoy the freedom He has saved you to (Galatians 5:1,13) in your relationships!
"Father, thank You for saving us to blessed freedom in Your Son--freedom to be holy and enjoy You! O, may our relationships with one another be saturated with You and not ourselves! Help us to place aside our desires and passionately seek You first!! Amen!"
Covenant Life One Ministry Relationships Series"But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.'"
~Luke 10:41-42 (ESV)
The Privilege of Biblical FellowshipWhat a joy it is to serve and partake in Biblical fellowship--the drawing of one anothers' attention to the Creator and what He has done! When the Lord does His amazing work of regenerating one's heart from destruction to His child, a switch of center takes place. No longer are our relationships and conversations to be centered on ourselves and what we want or need, but on God, His attributes and character, Who He is, what He's done, and what He want to work in what He has created.
The Challenge to Biblical FellowshipMark Dever said it well:
"The call to evangelism is the call to turn our lives outwards--from focusing on ourselves and our needs to focusing on God, and the great truth about Him, and Who He is and about what He wants to do in His creation."
-New Attitude 2001
Though he is talking about evangelism in this context, this is very relevant to all of life and throughout our relationships in the church. I bring up a quote centered on evangelism intentionally, because if we are regularly, enthusiastically, and intentionally engaging in Biblical fellowship, it should effect the outward pursuit (meaning outside the community of believers) of evangelism.
The Shoot-the-breeze TemptationJoshua Harris mentioned that it is easy for hours to go by without talking about the One Thing that matters. This is true, and it provoked me to increase even more in being intentional with conversation. It is easy to gather and "shoot the breeze," meaning to talk about whatever comes to our minds at the moment, have feeling-oriented or feeling-led conversations, or never move past the surface topics like how our day went. It is not wrong to talk about how our day or week went, but if we never move on from that to deeper Biblical conversation on a regular basis, this is where the Lord would change us in His faithful reminding grace. And it is an exciting change that requires death to selfishness and turning our lives outward.
The One Thing NeededSo what is the One Thing that matters? Let's learn from Jesus' teaching in Luke 10:38-42:
"Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.' But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.'"
As Jesus taught here, the One Thing needed is Himself! Yes! Are we falling more and more in love with Jesus? If so, we cannot resist Biblical fellowship. Let us be careful, in living the cross-centered life, to center our interaction with other believers around this One Thing.
The Domino EffectSo what about sociality? What about humour? Well, what I have found is that the social times and humour are inevitably more enjoyable when our relationships are centered around Biblical fellowship! It is quite a wonderful thing to enjoy social time together and humour as the effect of our relationships being built and centered upon the One Thing that matters--the One Who has saved our souls. In fact, it is because Jesus has saved our souls that we are even able to enjoy fellowship, sociality, and humour. It is the primary effect of what Christ has done that we can with confidence enjoy Biblical fellowship and the "side effect" (if you will) of a relationship with Christ that we can shamelessly enjoy social times and good humour together.
We will, for all eternity, enjoy our Creator and we will feast together at His table! May our gatherings now (ooh! I'm so excited!!) be anticipation and a glimpse of what we will do together for all eternity--fix our gaze permanently on Him!
"Father, how excited I am that You have called us into a life for You--the one kind of life that matters! Thank You for revealing Your Son to us by Your Holy Spirit and bringing light to our once darkened eyes that were blackened by our own sin. Now that we are new creations, increase our desire for more of You and having You be the center of our very being and entire lives! Thank You, Jesus!!! Amen."
The Puritans are spiritual giants in Christian history because of their model relationship with the Lord. Read through the "Valley of Vision" collection of Puritan prayers and you will know instantly that these writings reflect lives saturated in the grace of God and enjoyment His presence! Sovereign Grace Ministries released this past Summer a CD project, Valley of Vision, with a wonderful set of songs inspired by and based on many of these prayers. Enjoy the trailer below!
You can view other video interviews, hear song samples, and read about the CD here, or you can buy it from the Sovereign Grace Store here. Now you can listen to Sovereign Grace's Music on the brand-new Sovereign Grace Radio! Just click Sovereign Grace Radio at the top right of any page at the Sovereign Grace Ministries website.
Do you have the CD or have other thoughts about it or the Puritans? Use the comments section to give your thoughts!
"'Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.'"
~Luke 6:26 (ESV)
What is laid out here for us is a conformity to this world--the world recognizing a person as a worldly person and not observed as a Christian. What is evil here is a lack of distinction from the world around us and its ways. It is a woe to us if we are spoken well of by the world due to being of and like the world. It is a woe to us if our lives do not display the fruit of regeneration in Christ.
In days of old, as yet today, false "prophets prophes[ied] falsely" and "priests rule[d] at their discretion" and "people love[d] to have it so" (Jeremiah 5:31).
So are we not the same when our lives please the culture--when compromise blends us in with the world? Do we not then blaspheme the name of Christ? For to be friends with God (saved) is to be enemy of the world (no longer pursuing the things of the flesh and the lies of the world's ways). As such we are to, with rejoicing in the freedom of salvation, live to glorify His name! Let us cast off all that is worthless--media that glorifies sin even to the slightest, fear of man and living for man's approval, and "every weight, and sin that clings so closely." For many eyes are upon us. Let not the eyes of the world be the ones that speak well of us, but the "cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1).
So may we not give our time and energies to celebrating that which Christ died for, but admiring and exalting His name. All earthly glory will fade, and if we pursue pleasure in the world, it is but a chasing of the wind (Ecclesiastes 2:11). For if we are found sleeping, what will we do when the end comes (Jeremiah 5:31)?
"Father, thank you for revealing to us what is of worth and for warning us against our own proneness to sin and to be conformed to this world. We would not see but that You had chosen to show us. By Your Spirit we now have light to see and discern what is pleasing to You. Father, give us an eternal perspective that causes us to cast off sin and that which is worthless and vain to feed our souls to purity of soul in You. Amen."
"'Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.'"
~Luke 6:25b (ESV)
At first or lasting impression of this verse might be to think it is a sin to laugh or perhaps a sin to be "overly happy." I've had thoughts like this. But once again, the Greek will serve us well!
Let's look at some Greek definitions:
Woe to you who...
Those who laugh in earthly satisfaction shall soon be sorrowed. We see one clear example of this later in chapter twelve where Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool. This character told his soul in effect, "Soul you have ample goods laid up for many years. Relax! Partake in the fruits of your labors and place your dependence in them. Eat, drink, be merry." God said to him, "Fool!" because his faith and dependence were cast on the which is perishable and has no eternal value. Becuase of this, his very soul was demanded of him that very day.
But Jesus' warning is to us as well: "So is the one lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:21). Rich toward God? I thought that was an interesting word to use: toward. Back to the Greek (note the asterisks (*)):
We are to be rich concerning God, rich by God, rich among God. This is what is missing in the rich fool. Earthly goods are to be used and worked for but our master must be God and our satisfaction in Him alone. We are to store up our riches among the eternal. "No one can serve two masters.... You cannot serve both God and money" (Matt 6:24).
So let us not give laughs of satisfaction because we have goods laid up on earth; they will not last the fire of Judgement Day. They won't! This is not my idea, it is God's promise that everyone's work will be tested and revealed by fire (I Corinthians 3:13).
"God, thank you for Your merciful warnings to the proud and sinful like me. May we not be left weeping now or when our days are through. Rather, let us rejoice today that we have You! That we have all that we need. That we have all that we need in You. Amen."
"'Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.'"
~Luke 6:25a (ESV)
John Piper often talks of how humans are far too easily satisfied. A young kid would enthusiastically take satisfaction in making mud pies because he can't imagine what is meant by holiday at the beach.
The word "full" here in the Greek is "ěmpiplēmi" or "ěmplēthō" ([1]) which means to fill in or up and to satisfy. One base Greek word implies "filling to the max." It is not talking about for food per se, but an overall filling of one's self that "makes no room" for anything else because one's satisfaction is in the here and now.
But Jesus mercifully warns us of this. If we fill ourselves with earthly treasures and think that the height of satisfaction, that is the height of ignorance for soon we shall realize, "If this is all there is to life, this is pathetic! I have no more dreams!" Soon the entertainment, fame, drugs, friends, possessions, relationships, immorality, money, or anything else we try to fill ourselves with other than Christ Himself--it will fail us and prove as an ugly deception. Worldliness and lust are ugly deceptions that do nothing but harden our hearts toward God, hinder the pursuit of God, and dull our sensitivity to the Lord's leading. Settle not for them! They lie to us! They do not deliver as advertised!
Our end is to hunger without satisfaction if we settle for less than God. The word "hunger" in the Greek, "pěinaō," means to famish--to crave and be hungered [2]. So what we think now to be our satisfaction other than God will leave us dying in starvation.
May we remind ourselves that Christ died to save us from this deceit! What a blessed relief! The Holy Spirit has opened our once darkened eyes to see what really matters and live life in the FREEDOM of the only satisfaction, Jesus Christ. Amen!
"'But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.'"
~Luke 6:24 (ESV)
Jesus provides us with four merciful "woes" or warnings in Luke chapter 6. And no, they're not dazzled "woahs" as in "Woah, dude!" No, these are merciful warnings as in "Woe to you" from the mouth of Christ Himself. As with all of Scripture, we will do well to heed them and grow in our love for Christ in doing so!
There are many things vying for our attention that claim to be the ultimate comfort, yet they are earthly. Anything other than God that we look to to function as God is a deception and an idol. Only God, the only comfort, can function as God, the only comfort!
The rich are warned with a merciful warning that those who look to what they have now on earth for their comfort, that indeed shall be the end of their comfort. If that is all there is to life, does life not seem meaningless? But there is so much more to it, the glory of God! Eternal satisfaction in Him that ever increases!
Shall we seek after riches on earth? Shall we store up meaningless things? Shall we create idols to "function as God" to satisfy ourselves? Then that shall be our consolation, our comfort, our reward. The fact is that we all do! Our heart is a "factory of idols," as C.J. Mahaney quotes in his excellent and life-changing (I kid you not) message series, The Idol Factory. This series revealed to me the Biblical name of my many sins and the nature of the deception of my heart. I know I can so quickly, if my eyes are not on my Savior, be deceived into thinking satisfaction can be achieved in something other that Christ.
O, may it never be that we live our lives for these things! Christ is the only One needed, Who matters, and Who satisfies with an everlasting satisfaction and an ever-increasing thirst for more of Himself.
Challenge and Application QuestionsO, Fountain of Grace,
Fountain of Mercy, truth, and life,
You are the perfect Prince of Peace
All of my days,
May I always strive for Your name praised,
You are the God over all
What else have I?
Whom is there in the Heavens but You?
You are my First Love
My only love
My only desire
How I need You now!
What love is this that You have shown!
What grace beyond sweetness to the soul!
Jesus, You are my heart's cry
Jesus, You are Who I am desperate for
I am settled when I know Your nearness
And unsettled when I fail to savor You
"With every breath, Lord, how I long
To sing and sing of Jesus Who died for me!"
Show me Your glory, Lord!
I want to go deeper!
Closer and closer to You
I cannot do without more of You
Without more and more of the Bread
That satisfies my hunger, yet increases it
That quenches my thirst yet proves it unquenchable
With all satisfaction, I adore Thee, My Lord!
To You I sing a song of glory
Glory to the One to Whom all glory is due
Glory to the Only One deserving of WORSHIP!
I ascribe all glory to You...
The Great Initiator of lost souls
The only qualified Savior
The God of Grace and mercy
The Creator with sovereign arm
The One to be feared with mighty arm of strength
The limitless God of love
The Bread of Life
The Living Water
The only One for me
The only Joy
The only satisfaction
Today is the nationally-recognized day, Valentines Day. But for the Christian couple, the covenant of marriage is not something for which the celebration is reserved for one day out of the year, but the celebration is to be lived!
Why is marriage so precious to God? Why is the confusion of it due to sin such a grieving thing to Him? Why are we, as Christians, to protect it and hold it precious as our Creator does? The apostle Paul wrote, "'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband" (Ephesians 5:31-33). The reason that marriage is so dear to the Lord's heart is because it is what He has designed as the mirror of the everlasting covenant He has made with all who have called on His name for salvation. And that is why the confusion of it and the breaking of it is so grieving to Him, because it is completely unlike Him! The covenant He has made with us as His children he will never and cannot break! It is eternally and completely sealed by the blood of His own Son, Jesus Christ!
So may today be a reflection to those who have joined in God's precious gift of marriage of the covenant life lived out every day. I can do nothing more useful right now than to let Paul take the microphone:
"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband."
(Ephesians 5:22-33)
So may Christians seek above all else in their marriages to reflect the covenant that God has made with us! Does this mean have the perfect marriage and never face rough learning experiences? No, that is one of the core elements of marriage--becoming more conformed to the likeness of God's Son as the presence of indwelling sin is continually revealed, conflicts are taken advantage of as opportunities to glorify the Lord and learn, and so much more! There is no perfect marriage, but the covenant of God is perfect, and that is to be the Christian standard.
What a joy! Why us? Why do sinners get to honor their spouse as a reflection of our very Creator? Wow! "Thank You, Lord, for showing sinners what is dear to Your heart and allowing us to live our lives for You."
What a comforting thought to behold! I have so much to do today--so many areas in which to grow! That's not unique either. Most everyone of us can say we are busy, eh?
In 2 Peter 1:3 it says that "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and Godliness" and it is provided "through the knowledge of Him who called us to his own glory and excellence." God has not and will never give us more than we can handle, meaning He will never demand of us what He does not enable! I have a quote on my door that says, "His commands are His enablings[1]." So true! God has commanded us to live for His glory and He has given us everything we nee to do so! We lack nothing.
So often we can doubt that we'll ever learn a lesson that we've been trying to learn. In those situations, we need to ask first the why questions (i.e. Why do I want to grow in this area in the first place and for whose glory?), and then realize that God's grace is sufficient! Let us not doubt that Christ's sacrifice on our behalf is sufficient to save and transform us! Because of Christ's sacrifice, God the Father now looks on we who are clothed in Christ's righteousness with favor. He shows favor only because of what Christ has done, and because of that, He delights to rain His blessings upon us and has provided all we need for this life that comes only as the effect of the work of Christ.
If, like me, you are so often aware of your own weakness, sin, and shortcomings, remember that surely God's power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)! His grace is sufficient! He will change any open heart. Amen!
Those who are hungry for the Lord's presence, the Lord's Word, the Lord's ways, the Lord--they shall be satisfied. The believer who counts that which is hungered for in Godliness as indispensable and as far greater than and more important even than food for the stomach recognizes their need and shall be satisfied. Indeed, the very definition of Godliness is one who genuinely hungers for God and delights in His Savior at all times and in all things. There are many other aspects of Godliness, but the desire and hunger cannot be absent. Godly hunger cannot be separated from Godliness. Godly hunger is inclusive in the word "Godliness" and without it the word "Godliness" becomes meaningless and void and a mere scrambling of letters.
So do not separate Godliness and Godly hunger, for until we die and on to eternity, we need more of God and will always hunger for Him. However, the intent of this verse, as when Jesus said, "whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again" (John 4:14) and "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst" (John 6:35), those who partake of Him will never go thirsty and will never go hungry. We will never go hungry when we long for Him and seek after Him by the means of grace He has given. "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you" (James 4:8). This is a promise straight from the mouth of God! We will be in an eternally satisfying state of hungering for more of the supremacy and presence of Christ, OUR SAVIOR.
So, neither separate Godliness from Godly hunger and so deceive yourself into thinking you can be Godly and not hunger, and do not separate satisfaction from Christ. Only in Him will the Godly longing of the redeemed be satisfied.
For what more can we ask? We have mercy for sin! Our sin, deserving of God's wrath, has been washed away by Christ's blood, His own blood!
How faithful God is to remind us of this! I seem to learn a lot of lessons at bus stops. I have previous stories where God has taught me at bus stops, and He reminded me again today. I got home from school on the bus today only to realize as I arrived at my car that my keys were missing. Not only that, it's my second set of keys lost within the last 1-2 months! I've kept track of them well for years, but now I stand outside my car with no keys. The Lord reminded me of what He's taught me about complaining and helped me to realize, "Haha, yes. The Lord is definitely teaching me patience and to be grateful for tests instead of complaining."
Yet, sin remains and I still complained at times. At one point while waiting in a restaurant for key-help to come, the Lord convicted me. "Do you realize that this adventure of losing your keys is such a privilege, that it is paradise to one in Hell? You are learning from Me. You are truly doing better than you deserve. Your sins have been paid by Me in full!"
Sins paid in full.
Strength to remain.
My little tests are gifts from God's merciful and provident hand! Wow! These things, from big trials to little tests, are granted us to strengthen and mature us in Him. There is no suffering going on here. They, as I Thessalonians 5:18 says that contentment in all circumstances is the Lords will for us, are part of God's plan to love us and see His name lifted high above all things. WHAT A LIFE THIS IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN!!
"Lord, thank you for never leaving us alone! Forgive my arrogant assumption that I deserve better when I deserve nothing but Your wrath in the first place. How great You are, Lord! Move me--move us--forth in growth and gratefulness for tests."
I have failed,
I cannot do it
That is why Christ had to do it for me,
Live the perfect life impossible for all humanity to live
You have won,
I have nothing left to fear but You, O God
You keep me in Your grace always,
I face no condemnation for my sin
So all the more as I realize the wonders of Your love,
The wonders of Jesus crucified,
The less I fear the accusations of the enemy of my soul,
Who loves to remind me of my sin,
To try to deceive me into thinking condemnation remains,
That Your sacrifice is not sufficient to save from all sin
The enemy is defeated,
I know that my Savior lives!
Forever You'll keep me in Your grace,
My Father
Though I have failed,
Though I have questioned You so often,
Though I yet put Your face from my view at times,
Blessed mercy, how can it be?
You have forgiven and redeemed the poorly invested time,
I am still with You because You are with me,
And forever I am with You until I die
I cannot be without You!
I cannot walk in prudence and wisdom apart from You!
Father, hear my cry for help,
Come to the rescue of these needful bones
I cannot live without You,
Thank You for Your everlasting grace
That Your promise remains unbroken forever,
That You will never leave or forsake me
It's not about me, but all about YOU, JESUS!!!
We earn nothing before you, and cannot!
You freely show Your mysterious mercy to us,
And that is why we carry on
Thank You Jesus!
Lead me on, O Lord,
Though I often lose my way,
Though Your radiant face I often put from my view,
Though my sin be great,
Forgive me, Lord, and Lead me in Your own righteousness
Righteousness has been purchased for me!
WHAT can I say?
Mercy has been extended to me,
WHAT can I say?
Grace enthrals me,
WHAT can I say?
Salvation has been made available to me,
WHAT can I say?
Goodness and mercy follow me all of my days,
WHAT can I say?
Repentance has been made possible by Your Spirit,
Your sanctification is now my road, by grace,
Blessings overwhelm me,
Peace has been provided for me in all circumstances,
Site has been installed in these blind eyes,
Graciousness strikes me dumbfounded,
Wrath has been poured out on another,
My debt has been paid,
All I owed has been lifted from me
God has initiated,
WHAT can I say?
Why hear the Gospel over and over and over again? Why restate truth we already claim to know? If you are a genuine Christian, you know and believe that Christ died for you sins, and if asked if Christ is your Savior, you would say yes, right? Is that sufficient that you are aware of and believe the Gospel? Isn't it time to move on to other things now that your soul is secured in Heaven?
No.
Paul spent his entire life with the Gospel at the center of his theology. Until his dying breath, he preached the Gospel. Observe these words of Paul from Scripture in his last letters. This was at the same time that he announced to the young pastor, Timothy, that his race was about to conclude: "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come." (2 Timothy 4:6) So what is his urging to Timothy? What cry would he have echo in Timothy's ears after he departs from this earth?
"Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you." (2 Timothy 1:13-14) "Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal." (2 Timothy 2:8-9a)
Paul would have nothing ring in the ears of Timothy and all Christians who would observe his life than the cross of Christ. If you study his letters of the New Testament (Romans through 2 Timothy), you cannot help but notice that the Gospel is repeated over and over throughout them all and the center of his entire theology. He said in his first letter to the Corinthian church, "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (I Corinthians 2:2). His more-than-passionate cross-centeredness overflows from a grateful heart and a never-dying but ever-present re-reminder of what Christ has done to save sinners.
If the apostle Paul needed to hear the Gospel every day, throughout the day, how much more do we! Let his words RESOUND throughout everything you think and do. Do not become familiar with the cross of Christ! I close with his quote by C.J. Mahaney:
"Keeping the Main Thing [the Gospel] the main thing is a daily necessity. Every day. NO DAYS OFF ALLOWED!"
"Father, thank You for sending Your precious Son to save undeserving sinners like us! As we daily survey the wondrous cross of Christ, we pray that You would deepen our gratefulness and joy in what You have fully accomplished on our behalf in the finished work of Christ on the cross. May we never become familiar with this mystery till our dying breath! Thank you for drawing us closer to Yourself even when we stray. Make Yourself our delight, we pray. Amen."
Why does the Lord grant suffering to His children? Why do Christians still face the same troubles and even more troubles than non-Christians? James talks about counting it all joy when we face trials of various kinds. How is this possible?
Greeting Your Trials?Would it seem strange to you that God wills for us to greet trials as our best friend? So much changes when we realize how much the Lord works in us through our various trials and sufferings. In fact, if you observe your own life, would you not say that the times you've grown in the Lord most come as the result of hardship and testing of your faith? Trials reveal some very useful things of which we can take hold to our benefit:
Trials are not times when things are out of God's control. Neither are they times that God is pouring out His wrath on us. God's sovereignty is displayed in the Gospel--His plan could not be stopped to give His life for the forgiveness of man. There the wrath of God was all spent on God's Son, Jesus. So that removes any argument that trials are the punishment that Jesus removed with His own blood (though that is not to say that God does not discipline disobedience. God is not limited in the ways that He can work). God's sovereignty is displayed in His providence--His hand in everything, all the time, and nothing happening outside of His ordained plan for us. In other words, God grants trials to the believer as a growing experience! By His grace, we come out the other end a more sanctified being.
Being in the midst of a trial can be like having violent storm clouds swirling around our heads; we can't see a thing but the pain! Yes, it can be difficult to see what God's purposes are in the midst of a trial. But do we trust God? Do we take hold of the peace of God that surpasses all understanding that God has a specific, sanctifying, and unerring purpose for this trial? Not to say that it isn't painful. Life includes pain. But the pain isn't the end (meaning the end purpose) of the trial; God's glory and our good is! Going through a series of draining trials this past year, the Lord finally revealed to me what I believe to be a summary of His purpose for the trials. He revealed to me unexpectedly in a still, small voice, "It's to prepare you for more." I was shown that there would be greater suffering than this, and so it was God's mercy to have prepared me for greater suffering through these past trials! Did He tell me that right away? No. It took over a year. During that time I asked and pleaded for relief (which apparently was not the right thing for which to ask), and at times in deep anguish! Oh how I did not understand and still do not fully see. But what He has taught me through it all I would not trade for anything! He has revealed His purpose, and I am thankful. None of my anxiousness or other sins ever helped. His hand was in it all, all the time.
In God's sovereignty, He draws us closer to Himself and to a deeper knowledge of our desperate need for Him. Through trials, He removes idols of our hearts that we would not let go of and replaces that desire with an even more passionate desire for more of His sweet presence. He takes a heart of stone and replaces it with a heart of flesh.
"And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God."My pastor said recently that God will answer prayers in one of two ways: He will either answer as you asked, or He will give you more of Himself. The point is that God would remove detestable doubt, pride, idols, and other sin from our lives that He (not the things we want too much) will be our God!
~Ezekiel 11:18-20
So though we may not understand all that the Lord is doing now, let us believe this passage:
"Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told." ~Habakkuk 1:5And remember the peace of God that I mentioned earlier? Here's how to take hold of it:
"[D]o not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 4:6-7
God bless, my friends!
-Franz
My God, my God, why would You die for us?
Holy God in love became
Perfect Man to bear my blame
On the cross He took my shame
By His death I live again
What more beautiful words? What more beautiful truth? The God of all creation has brought peace to our souls! He has rescued our souls with His own blood shed upon Calvary! Can we ever hear this enough?
No. We cannot hear the truth of the Gospel too much! We must hear it every day, every hour, every step, at all times! Can you breathe too much to the point where you no longer need oxygen? No. Yet how much more we need the Gospel! How much more than oxygen to our lungs we need the Gospel to our hearts over and over again!
Why would God choose us, filthy murderers in the ugliest of rebellious state? We deserve no kindness of His. Yet, He chose mysteriously to save us and not only that but to pour out His blessings on us. What is there to do other than to meditate on this truth every day in order to live the effects of it in passionate worship to our God until or dying breath?
As the Lord draws yet another year to a close, we remain because of His faithfulness. He doesn’t change, and His grace will never change! Hasn't He been good? Hasn't He been so faithful to us?
Looking back on a year is like looking over a plot of earth just traveled. There were plains, there were deserts, there were lagoons, and there were jagged mountains and bumpy roads. Wow! We're still here! By the grace of God alone, Christians remain and persevere through the rough times and rejoice and give thanks under all circumstances (I Thessalonians 5:18).
One of the attributes of God that He has used much to greatly build my trust in Him this year is His unchangingness. How I have gone on my own large set of emotional roller coasters in my life, yet He never changes! We, the changing ones, are to be conformed to Him, the never-changing One--the great I AM. As a simple illustration, the Lord is the always-remaining, perfect standard on Whom we are to evaluate our trials, times of change, and emotions, and all of life.
How encouraging His unchangingness is to draw us to trust in Him and to an objective life!
Every morning, we can wake up with our minds on His mercies which are new every morning, and His grace that is the same for eternity. What a blessed relief! We never have to fear awaking any morning with our salvation in doubt or jeapordy. We never have to ask, "Is God's grace still available? Are the requirements for saving faith still the same as they were yesterday?" God has been faithful and will remain faithful to refresh us as beings who easily forget His benefits with the glorious truth that no grace of God rests on our performance, but all grace, including saving grace, rests on the FINISHED work of Christ on the cross. Haha! Amen!
O, how it uplifts the spirit to reflect on God's unchanging grace and faithfulness to us before and to anticipate the revealing of it beyond time!
How have you been impacted this year by the concept of God's unchanging grace?
