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For October 30, 2022
In John 8:36 (NLT), Jesus tells us, “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free!” The Born Again experience frees us from sin’s dominion. In this condition, the Lord can teach us how to subdue our carnal thoughts, intents, and desires so that we cause no harm to others and us,

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV)

Because God’s holiness mandates ours, we join Him in the process of our spiritual and moral character development through sanctification, which is both active and passive.

It is passive as God uses His Holy Spirit to complete His good work within us. (Philippians 1:6) He shapes us into Christ’s moral and spiritual image by revealing to us things pertaining to Jesus Christ and solid Christian living while imparting God’s holiness within our hearts, as this author observes,

There is no holiness in any human heart until the Holy Spirit produces it. Implanted in regeneration and developed in sanctification … He renovates the soul, purifies it, and prepares it for heaven.¹

Another author frames the Spirit’s work this way,

The Spirit also sustains relations to us, and performs offices which none but a person can sustain or perform. He is our teacher, sanctifier, comforter, and guide. He governs every believer who is led by the Spirit, and the whole church. He calls, as he called Barnabas and Saul, to the work of the ministry, or to some special field of labor. Pastors or bishops are made overseers by the Holy Ghost.²

The Holy Spirit also illuminates the Bible to us so that we can understand God’s plan for us individually. He serves as God’s “seal” to guarantee our eternal salvation, and He helps us to pray when our words cannot express our burdens to God adequately. In addition, He supplies us with the spiritual gifts, abilities, comfort, and strength we need to complete our Christian pilgrimage successfully.

Our sanctification becomes active when we surrender to the Lord daily by forming and performing the ascetic habits of Bible study, prayer, regular corporate worship, fellowship with other believers, financial giving (tithes and offerings), and Christian service that enhance our spiritual and moral vitality.

Over time, we learn to practice characteristics that resemble His holiness consistently, while casting off those problematic traits and habits that resemble this evil world.

We will never become perfect in this life. But as we grow spiritually, we can learn how to replace our desires for the visible, temporal, and earthly with a yearning for the godly, unseen, and eternal as the Scriptures admonish us,

While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (Corinthians 4:8-10, 16-18)

Also,

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:12-17 (NLT)

Now spiritually alive, we commit to being His abundant living, spiritually transformed, and graciously redeemed sons and daughters, who are “more than conquerors” and can “do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens us.” (Romans 8:37, Philippians 4:13)

Just as Jesus surrendered to the will of His Father, we too can yield to God’s will by putting on His holy image, as this author further explains,

Sanctification… is a precious reality, involving holiness of heart, which leads to holiness of life. It has its origin in regeneration, for regeneration is the beginning of holiness in the soul… Now, while regeneration implants the germ of holiness in the heart, sanctification is the unfolding of that germ. This being the case, it follows that regeneration and sanctification are essentially the same in nature, and may be regarded as two parts of the moral process by which depraved man is restored to the image of God.³

The will of God is our sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3), which allows us to grow “in favor with God and humanity” as did our Lord according to Luke 2:52.

It is possible to acquire God’s wonderful character in our process of moral and spiritual growth. Won’t you give your heart and life to Jesus Christ today, so that you can grow to become like Him, and thus please God fully?

What a Wonderful Savior!

For September 25, 2022
Faith is a mystery that is essential to a redeeming fellowship with God. Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV) tells us that faith is the “substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” while Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) teaches,

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him

The Lord wants us to have an unwavering confidence that He will never leave or forsake us and that He will always intervene for us in ways that will promote our best interest,

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

The Father of the Faith, Abraham waited twenty-five years before God fulfilled His promise that Sarah will have a son, Isaac. He depended on the unseen and unrealized, and God rewarded him in due time, as Romans 4:18-22 (NIV) tells us,

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Jesus challenges us to be fully persuaded about trusting Him although no person living today was present during His life, ministry, death, and resurrection two-thousand years ago.

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29 (NIV)

Faith in the unseen is difficult to grasp for a capricious post-modern world. Yet, our Lord wants us to trust Him without wavering,

But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. James 1:6-8 (NIV)

Living, a vibrant faith in God is possible when we are confident that He will do exactly what He promised to do. We can abide in the steadfast promises so that we can experience His eternal peace and fulfillment fully.

God is holy, and we are sin-tainted. His response to sin is judgment (wrath). Thus, we are “children of wrath,” who are racing towards a fiery Hell where the worms never die, and the fire burns forever. Yet our God, rich in mercy, intervened by washing away our sins, making us righteous, and restoring our lost fellowship.

A sinless Jesus Christ shed pristine blood to satisfy God’s righteousness and remediate our sin problem forever. By our faith in Christ, we can experience His perfect plan for our salvation,

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17 (NJKV)

To receive the Lord’s blessed reward, we must have a tenacious faith and courage to trust God, even when we cannot see the outcome. We can be fully persuaded today, knowing that Christ completed God’s will for our redemption, and He will provide positive outcomes for His precious children. Won’t you trust Lord today and experience His perfect will that can transform your life?

What a Wonderful Savior!

For September 18, 2022
A typical human responses to conflict is to fight, flight, or avoid (suppress). However, Jesus Christ instituted a higher standard that we as Christians are to follow,

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:10-12 (NKJV)

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior lived a life that fulfilled God’s Law and introduced faith principles that both separate and distinguish His Followers from the world. They also answer these five essential questions,

1. 1. How unshakable is my faith in Jesus Christ?
   2. How important is my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and my love for God?
   3. Since I have accepted Christ as my Savior, have I made Him my life’s priority?
   4. Am I willing to surrender all my worldly pursuits and possessions to Him?
   5. Am I willing to obey God’s Word (the Bible), and use it as the standard governing my life?

Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek when challenged and not to resist evil. We also go the extra mile, extend ourselves to those in need, love our enemies, and forgive “seventy times seven” even if the offending person does not ask for forgiveness. (cf., Matthew 5:38-48; 6:14-15, 18:21-22) Instead of retaliation, we trust the Lord for justice, since vengeance is His, and He will repay. (Romans 12:19)

Jesus Christ is our supreme role model for expressing these remarkable characteristics our broken world deems as “abnormal.” As the “Body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27), we function at various levels of similitude because of our vastly different levels of spiritual growth. We do not have His innate moral and spiritual perfection, for if we were perfect, we’d have no need for Him as our Savior.

The Book of Acts offers a snapshot of the Christian Church’s formation through the evangelistic work of the Apostles and other First Century Christians. Even the most casual reader must acknowledge the global spiritual, moral, social, and historical impact they made under the Lord’s authority,

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)

Acts begins with the Lord instructing His Followers to wait in Jerusalem until they receive the promise of the Holy Spirit. Then, it tells how, on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended on them while they were in the upper room, praying in one accord, and waiting for God’s manifestation to appear.

All at once, they proclaimed the message of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life under the Holy Spirit’s power with great boldness, conviction, and courage. Almost overnight, the Gospel or “Good News” of Jesus Christ spread from Jerusalem to every remote corner of the world.

Miraculous signs and wonders followed these Spirit-powered men and women as they shared how they encountered the living Christ individually. His tomb was empty; He was no longer dead, but alive and seated at the right hand of God. Their message “turned the world upside down.” (Acts 17:6)

They encountered severe backlash, as they became a threat to established faith groups and the Roman government. When challenged today, we often become combatant and organize a protest campaign, but not so with these First Century Followers of Christ. As the world ridiculed, criticized, persecuted, imprisoned, condemned, and martyred them, the Christian movement or The Way continued to grow exponentially and flourish spiritually. (cf., Acts 9:2; 22:4)

People noticed how Jesus Christ was with them and that He gave them an unnatural response to hostility (my emphasis),

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)

Further,

So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. (Acts 5:41)

They didn’t evade pressure, run from conflict, hide from their persecutors, or conform to the secular societal demands their enemies had imposed on them. They understood that our battle is not against physical foes, it’s against sinister spiritual ones. (cf., John 18:36, 1 Corinthians 10:3-6, Ephesians 6:10-18) Therefore, they welcomed trials and rejoiced through them, knowing that although we are in the world, we are not of it. As our Master suffered, we too must suffer, just as He forewarned,

If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. John 15:18-20 (NKJV)

They resolved to endure all things for their Savior. Standing firm in their convictions, they continued their normal, day-to-day activities by preaching, teaching, and living out their faith in Christ. Each day they grew more resolute for Christ, fully persuaded that whatever the outcome—good or bad—He was with them, and He was preparing a glorious Heavenly home for them as well. His shed blood and physical resurrection, along with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, made their eternal destiny certain.

This is the core of our compelling Christian witness: Jesus Christ has given us the victory over sin and death,

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33 (NKJV)

Also,

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 (NKJV)

While we tarry in this sin-broken world, we will not triumph over all the conflicts we face. Yet, our Lord will never to leave or forsake us, even in difficult and uncertain times, and whatever trial we face, He will not let us suffer more than we can bear. Instead, He makes the way of escape so we can endure it. (cf., Deuteronomy 31:8, Psalm 23:4, 1 Corinthians 10:12-13)

The Spirit of our living, reigning Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Who subjected Himself to every human affliction and overcame, abides within us, and He gives us the ability to rejoice or glory, Greek kauchaomai (Strong-G2744)⁴, in our tribulations.

Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) Won’t you give Him your heart today so that you can experience His victory over sin and death?

What a Wonderful Savior!

For September 4, 2022
When someone acknowledges that they have accepted Christ as their personal Savior, their moral and spiritual dimensions improve drastically as they become new creatures in Christ. No longer bound by sin, we live a life free to choose God’s best for us without the influence of sin and self to distract us,

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” John 8:34-36 (NLT)

When we put our faith in Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, we become Born Again. His Holy Spirit enlivens us; just as if He turns on the “no longer dead” switch inside us. We come to know His deep, lasting peace, joy and fulfillment. And when God looks at us, He does not see our sin. He sees Jesus’ righteousness.

Our spiritual transformation is unlike anything we could ever know or experience in this life. For the first time, we can know and love Him as our merciful Redeemer. We are His offspring, and like newborn babes, we yearn for more of His presence and intimacy. Christ in us becomes our hope of glory and power over sin,

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Romans 6:1-7 (NIV)

There are people who claim to know Jesus, and yet they have no desire to know Him. They are the professors whose god is the self. Their life’s mission is to get all they can with little or no consideration for God or the welfare of others.

On the other hand, possessors need the Lord Jesus Christ, and they invite Him to live and reign in their hearts. They earnestly seek Him as He satisfies their every desire and meets their needs.

We can be forever grateful to the Lord Jesus Christ for the everlasting life we have received and will soon experience. To secure this eternal and amazing gift of God’s grace and love, He performed a wonderful sacrifice on Calvary’s Cross on our behalf we were unwilling and incapable of performing for ourselves. Since He rose from the dead, we know for certain that we too will triumph over death,

And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died… But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:17-20, 57 (NLT)

Proverbs 4:18 (NIV) reads: “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” As we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, we become His resplendent witnesses who glorify the Lord while blessing others and ourselves in the process. Won’t you try Jesus and let Him give you the victory over sin and death today?

What a Wonderful Savior!

For August 28, 2022
It is amazing how fallible, finite human beings can live as though they will never have to face the consequences of their actions. We did not create the heavens and the earth. God did, and He continues to guard what is His with all power and authority.

Thus, those who believe they can engage in human trafficking, abuse innocent children, terrorize the weak, or intimidate or bully the defenseless—with impunity—are deceiving themselves. For God is taking notice, as the Ancient King Solomon warns (my emphasis),

Don’t rob the poor just because you can, or exploit the needy in court. For the LORD is their defender. He will ruin anyone who ruins them. Proverbs 22:22-23 (NLT)

Our Lord Jesus Christ also poses a severe warning to anyone who afflicts His precious “Little Ones,”

But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting… Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father. Matthew 18:6-7, 10 (NLT)

Because of human depravity, sin flourishes in our world as human hearts and minds will choose to sin without concern for the safety and well being of our neighbor, just as Psalm 37:32 (NLT) teaches,

The wicked wait in ambush for the godly, looking for an excuse to kill them.

Such was the Old Testament Cain’s demeanor, whose feelings of guilt and shame prompted him to set an ambush to murder Abel, his brother, after God rebuked him for his flawed conduct. God chastened Cain for not offering his “sacrificial best” to the Lord. Instead, he presented an “insulting tip” to God with what was of minimal value, which is never an equitable or proper response to the goodness and bounty that God bestows to us.

Yet, God is still loving and patient—even in our sin. Cain disrespected God, and instead of chiding Cain for his substandard conduct, God challenges him to acknowledge his sin, repent, and get his mind and heart right,

“Why are you so angry?” the LORD asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” Genesis 4:6-7 (NLT)

As God saw Cain’s true motives and despicable behavior back then, He sees our motives and behavior today. We cannot hide from His observation as the Psalmist attests,

I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. Psalm 139:7-12 (NLT)

Moreover, God has chosen us—individually and specifically—to accomplish His mission and purpose for the world and ourselves. There’s no other person on this earth quite like us. The Bible tells us we are fearfully and wonderfully made in His image. (cf., Genesis 1:27, Psalm 139:14) Thus, we should never feel that we are mistakes or afterthoughts to God.

He created us as male and female to be unique individuals who fulfill His perfect, eternal design for all humanity. He made us, with all our complexities, to bring Him honor, and not the Enemy. Our bodies are His extensions of love and goodness and should never be the Enemy’s weapons for destruction and death. As His crowning achievements of creation and grace, we live out His perfect plan He imparted to us before we were born,

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. John 15:16 (NKJV)

…According to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. I Timothy 1:8b-9 (NKJV)

Through Christ, we can know God’s perfect plan for redemption as we surrender to Him and make Him, who died for our sins and rose for our justification, our personal Lord and Savior.

Breaking News! God is not dead, and He is watching us …right now! Soon He will return for a reckoning of our righteousness and wickedness. Won’t you surrender your heart to Him so that He can use you for His glory today?

What a Wonderful Savior!