Category: Faith

For August 15, 2021
It is amazing how people live as though they believe the sum total of our entire human existence is confined to the fleeting time we have on earth, as if what we experience now is all the life we will ever know. Once you’re gone, that’s it. No afterlife; no cognition or awareness after death. No Heaven; no Hell, and most of all—no eternal, holy, and righteous God to reckon with.

Our pride and moral rebellion has produced the current climate of spiritual ambiguity reflected in the ever-increasing political and financial uncertainty, social unrest, rampant crime, racial polarization, and terrorism within the US and abroad. Too many people today are emboldened to rid society of its moral decency and civility and reap destruction, just as Hosea 4:6 (NKJV) warned, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

Yet, Jesus tells how such characteristics are indicative of our Enemy’s function as He contrasts them with His own unique and divine purpose,

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. John 10:10 (NLT)

We have chosen to concern ourselves with loving the world and things that do not last and spend very little time loving those Christ-centered things that are eternal. For instance, far too many of us find it far more important to miss regular worship services and chase personal, recreational, professional or financial goals.

Also, we often can’t find a way to support our church financially through tithes and offerings, but we have little trouble overextending ourselves with the purchase a new sports car, truck, or boat. Similarly, we seek opportunities to splurge on ourselves instead of helping others in need—when we have both the means and the opportunity to do so.

In addition, raising our children to be spiritually ambivalent for some is far more practical than teaching them about God, the Bible; how to distinguish right from wrong, or how to live morally responsible with character, self-respect, and dignity.

We all need to know that lying, cheating, and stealing are an affront to the Lord, and that sin is not only contrary to His perfect righteousness. It’s something we will account for. Four hundred years before the birth of Christ, the Old Testament Prophet Malachi makes this observation,

Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name. “They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.” Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. (Malachi 3:16-18 NKJV)

There is a day of reckoning we will face whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. We may try to discredit our God-given purpose, but God has not. His purpose is that we contrast the prevalent, sinful lifestyles of those who celebrate pretense and reward dishonesty.

As we Christians allow His Holy Spirit to work through us, we can share a compelling Christian witness with those we encounter in our personal and social lives, and be His distinctive “salt and light” (Matthew 5:13-16) to preserve and enlighten this decadent, sin-darkened world.

Through Christ, we can embrace His perspective and realize how we are the unique and significant parts of His wonderful master plan. We were created to occupy our glorious, heavenly home, where “the wicked shall cease from troubling, and the weary shall be at rest.” (Job 3:17) The hopes and desires of all Believers everywhere are found in this central expectation—to occupy Heaven with Christ and God forever. Amen!

There we have perfect understanding of the work and ways of God. We no longer “know in part” but will know Him as we are known by Him, and we will “see Him as He is” in His full majestic splendor. (1 Corinthians 13:9, 1 John 3:2)

Jesus is preparing a place where holiness, glory, peace, harmony, love, rest, and unspeakable joy abound beyond our most vivid imagination. Our eternal home is where we will bask in God’s full, unfiltered presence without sin, pain, or disease,

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. 1 Corinthians 15:54 (AKJV)

It is a place where He will “wipe away all tears from our eyes” as we are blessed and satisfied beyond anything we have seen or heard here on earth. (Revelation 21:4) We are truly blessed forever,

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on…They will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them. Revelation (14:13 NIV)

No earthly experience can compare to a split-second in our eternal home,

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT)

This earth is not our home. We are pilgrims passing through it briefly. God gave us a yearning spiritual dimension that craves to be with Him.  The “whole earth groans” as we anxiously await His glorious return. Then we, along with those who have died in the Lord, will be reunited. (Romans 8:22, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Until then, our comfort is in knowing we will see Him again, coming in the clouds with great power and glory. (Mark 13:26)  But our Christian faith is more than a “pie-in-the-sky” religion filled with future promises. Ours is a faith that produces a life of abundance that starts from the time we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, and it continues throughout eternity.

Having our sins forgiven and peace with God makes our faith more precious than anything on earth. Yet, as we continue this Christian journey, the Lord provides us with considerably more treasures in this life, and in the next.

Those who refuse to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in this life meet Him as Eternal Judge in the next,

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. Revelation 20:11-12 (NKJV)

Soon and very soon, Jesus will return to bring order out of the sin-filled, Satan-driven madness we are experiencing today. On that day a distinction will be made between the righteous and the wicked; those who love the Lord and those who do not. On that glorious day, we will know and experience Him as our long-awaited, treasured, eternal reward. Won’t you give Him your life before it’s everlasting too late?

What a Wonderful Savior!

For August 8, 2021
Crucified with Christ may seem odd or masochistic, but it is not. It is the victorious, Spirit-filled life that allows God’s people to live free from the bondage of sin, guilt, shame, and unforgiveness through His blood,

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20 AKJV).

As members of His universal church, or the Body of Christ, we have experienced God’s love and forgiveness through Christ so that we can share it with others. In this way, we perform the “ministry of reconciliation” outlined in 2 Corinthians 5:18. God reconciled us to Himself through Christ and empowers us to reconcile with others. Here, the three-step process outlined in Matthew 18:15-17 can serve as our guide:

1. 1. Contact the offended person(s) for reconciliation.
   2. Use a mediator or mediators to help clarify the issue(s) to everyone’s understanding.
   3. Utilize appropriate local church leadership (i.e., pastors, deacons, elders, etc.), who are led by the Spirit to resolve the matter through the Word of God and prayer.¹

Performing the ministry of reconciliation while taking heed to forgive (and forget) our past blunders will help us participate in a lifelong process of spiritual wholeness. This process will allow us to express more of the Kingdom Characteristics our Lord Jesus Christ outlined in Matthew 5:3-16.

By our humility, or being poor in spirit, toward Jesus Christ, we possess the Kingdom. This is when our repentance (mourn) results in God’s eternal consolation through His forgiveness of our sin.

With restrained human capacities under control (meek) we inherit a world where God reigns forever and satisfies our yearnings as we hunger and thirst for righteousness.

We are a people who show pity or mercy because we are the benefactors of His mercy. Now more than ever, we need to celebrate mercy to contrast the vengeance that is so widely practiced. Mercy is the noble, Spirit-driven capacity to demonstrate grace and forgiveness towards our offender, who is guilty of wrongdoing.

The Spirit  gives us pure hearts, which enable us to be peacemakers so that others can identify us as the children of God who abide in Him and will share in His majesty and splendor very soon.

The Lord Himself brings us His comfort when the world reviles and persecutes us or criticizes and mistreats us because we belong to Him. Even in the worst of circumstances, we can rejoice and be exceedingly glad because the rewards are great that await us in the Kingdom of Heaven.

In addition, we are the “salt of the earth,” and “the light of the world” as the Spirit  radiates the Fruit of the Spirit from within us to season and preserve those around us as His moral, spiritual instruments of grace and love.

Fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control with love as the centerpiece. Here, we are affable, courteous, and gracious as our joy yields a Spirit-suppled delight from our deeply fulfilling relationship with the Spirit , in whom we have all we need for this life and the next.

We create and preserve peace with others as Jesus, the Prince of Peace works through us. We are gentle as we impart goodness into the lives of those we encounter around us. Others witness our faith by our reliable dealings with people, as we express meekness or humble submission to the Lord’s will in everything. With temperance, we show self-control when the old nature craves attention as we continue to persevere in all things through long-suffering.

Christ is our ultimate example of righteousness. Now, we have taken the charge to be His living examples as the Spirit empowers right living in us and through us. Psalm 139:14 tells us we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God, and it would benefit us greatly to see ourselves from His perspective as the unique and significant parts of His wonderful master plan.

We are not mistakes or afterthoughts because God created us to fulfill His perfect, eternal design. Each day features a new opportunity for the Lord to “reset” our lives and circumstances to accommodate His perfect will for us:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” (Lamentations 3:22-24 NLT)

Confident that our forgiving, omnipotent, loving and faithful God will provide His absolute best for us in every situation. Jesus taught that it will be our love that gives substance to our Christian witness and makes it an attractive alternative to a dying world, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35 NIV). We can emulate this perfect love by forgiving intentional and unintentional wrongdoings, showing mercy instead of judgment, and extending goodwill toward others in need.

Being crucified in Christ allows us to live rightly in the eyes of God and humanity. In God’s eyes, we are His children and can experience and express His glory. To humanity, we are the brilliant reflections of God’s practical and tangible love, which proves we belong to His Son, Jesus Christ.

We should never think it strange to be united in Christ. For only then can our loving, Eternal King transform us into receptacles of His grace and mercy to others around us daily. Won’t you live for Him completely today?

What a Wonderful Savior!

For August 1, 2021
Guilt and shame are powerful weapons the Enemy (Satan) Satan uses to manipulate our past memories to perpetuate our feelings of insecurity. As a result, many of us yet fall prey to the lie that we can never be forgiven and remark, “God won’t forgive me…You don’t know who I am or what I’ve done!”

We cannot change our dysfunctional past; what we’ve done has been done, and what others have done to us, can’t be undone. We must let go of the caustic spiritual, emotional, and psychological baggage, and we need to accept and embrace our loving God along with the new identity He gives us in Jesus Christ by faith,

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love (1 John 4:16-18 NIV).

Unfortunately, many of us are yet imprisoned by our intense feelings of being beyond all hope and help because of our unfortunate past. Tragically, we can waste precious, non-recoverable time distancing ourselves from others; feeling distressed about not being forgiven, accepted, and embraced because of our past behavior.

Jesus’ perfect sacrifice covers our sin as the Lamb of God (John 1:29), who is fully capable to save “to the uttermost” all who come to God by Him, seeing He lives forever to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). However, forgiveness of sin alone leaves us deficient before our holy God. His righteousness must be satisfied also,

If God merely declared us to be forgiven from our sins, that would not solve our problems entirely, for it would only make us morally neutral before God. Such a movement is not enough to earn us favor with God. We must rather move from a point of moral neutrality to a point of having a positive righteousness before God, the righteousness of a life of perfect obedience to him.²

We have the ability to make two choices in this life. Either we can accept the Lord’s gift of forgiveness and receive its blessings, or we can reject it and become subject to God’s fierce wrath. Accepting the Lord’s gracious gift involves our repentance or to turn from our sin and turn to God by faith in Christ. Once we do, God forgives our sin and restores our fellowship with Him instantly,

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God (John 1:12-13 NIV).

Through the blood of Jesus Christ, we can approach God expecting His acceptance as He exchanges Jesus’ perfect life for our imperfect one. Now when He looks at us, He no longer sees vile sinners. He sees the “clean hands and the pure heart” of His Son, Jesus Christ the Righteous One. We are now suitable for His eternal fellowship.

Much like condemned criminals, we stand before the Righteous Judge, as guilty condemned, helpless, and hopeless because of our nature and our sins. Yet, His Son intercedes by assuming our sin, guilt, and penalty, and we receive His innocence, righteousness, and glory,

The death penalty that Christ endured holds good for the believer, through his identification with Christ in His death; having been crucified as to his unregenerate nature, and justified from sin, he walks in newness of life in Christ.³

Instead of sentencing us to death, the Judge releases us with a new destiny. Now, with no troubling past, we are all the more aware that we matter to God. This is accomplished because tells us that Jesus Christ possesses all power in Heaven and in earth; including all power in Heaven and earth to forgive our sins. The Greek word used for forgive is aphiemi (Strong-G863), which means to let go, send away, to cancel, or to pardon.⁴

In Christ, our sin nature is canceled, let go, sent away, pardoned, and forgotten forever. In fact, our sins no longer define us. Instead, God defines us by His great salvation,

Through his life, death, resurrection, and exaltation, come deliverance from the guilt and power of sin and the gift of new life through the indwelling Holy Spirit. So the believer is saved by Christ’s work on the cross (Acts 4:12); he is being saved now by the work of the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier (Philippians 2:12) and he looks forward to completed salvation in the life of the age to come (1 Thessalonians 5:9, 1 Peter 1:5).⁵

It is difficult for humans to forgive and forget, since we tend to demand retribution or keep mental and emotional records of wrongs when other people have offended us.

But this is not the case with God when we come to Christ. Although our fallen nature and sin offends Him far more than we could ever offend another person (we’ve disobeyed or ignored His perfect righteousness for us) yet, He keeps no record of our past. Neither does He impose a probation period until we “earn” His good graces—because the blood of Jesus washes all of our sins away. As Psalm 103:12 tells us, He has removed our sins as far as the east is separated from the west.

God looks beyond our past to extend His mercy to us—a people in need of restoration. Much like in the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32), our Father no longer sees us as “dead and lost.” He sees us as “alive and found.”

Prompted by His great love, God restores us to full access to His Kingdom without restriction. In 1 John 4:10, love is defined by how God loved us enough to send His Son to be the payment for our sin. The Lord also directs our steps and takes special delight in every detail of our lives.

Liberated from our sinful past, our guilt and shame no longer define or confine us. Because nothing can separate us from God, nor can anyone or anything make us guilty before God,

If God is for us, who can ever be against us?…Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself…Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love?…No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:31, 33-35, 37-39 NLT).

Guilt and shame should never bind us again. For in Christ, our past is forgiven and forgotten forever. It is ironic how God knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows those “secret” sins few people if any know about. Yet He is willing to love, accept, treasure, value, and forgive us forever. Won’t you give your life to the Lord today and experience the deep and lasting freedom only He can give us?

What a Wonderful Savior!