October 11
In I Thessalonians 4:7, Paul says, “God did not call us to be impure but to live holy lives.” This flies in the face of those who rationalize sin and assure ourselves that God understands who we are and as long as we do our best we will certainly be given entry through heaven’s portals.
This statement affirms that He has far loftier expectations for us. Paul expands upon this concept in Ephesians 1:4-6 where he says, “God chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus, in accordance with His pleasure and will to the praise of His glorious grace which He has freely given us…”
It is exciting to contemplate the magnitude of opportunity we have to transcend our human condition and tap into the heavenly state He makes available to us. We understand that He desires all men to appropriate the gift of holiness that Christ has supplied for us. We know He died to set all men free from sin. He has predestined us to dwell with Him, if we will but receive the gift.
Common sense dictates our choice, but some deny the veracity of the only viable decision that lies before us. II Corinthians 7:1 tells us that, “Since we have these promises…let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” This negates any rationale that would establish us in a worldly state when holiness is our Christ-given portion.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Only Christ
October 10
What’s the point of aspiring to goals that are virtually unattainable? A famous line in a movie was, “A man’s got to know his limitations.” That’s a point well taken. We have to be aware of our limitations or we will be forever yearning to have things that will never be ours, we will be forever aspiring to attain goals we can never reach.
If I am of ordinary appearance, I probably shouldn’t pack my bags and move to Hollywood and wait to be discovered for the movies. If I am of limited intellect, I probably shouldn’t aspire to invent some new thing that will revolutionize the way the world functions.
If I tend to be self-focused, I am not a candidate to serve the Red Cross or establish the next missionary outreach to some suffering pocket of humanity in a remote corner of the globe. But there is one lofty aspiration for which I should reach, for the Word of God tells me that I must.
In I Peter 1:15, 16, the impetuous apostle says, “Just as God who called you is holy, so be ye holy in all that you do, for it is written, ‘Be holy because I am holy.’” That’s a tall order for those of us who dwell in a tabernacle of flesh. That’s an unattainable goal for anyone to accomplish alone. Only Christ who is holy can impart holiness to us.
What’s the point of aspiring to goals that are virtually unattainable? A famous line in a movie was, “A man’s got to know his limitations.” That’s a point well taken. We have to be aware of our limitations or we will be forever yearning to have things that will never be ours, we will be forever aspiring to attain goals we can never reach.
If I am of ordinary appearance, I probably shouldn’t pack my bags and move to Hollywood and wait to be discovered for the movies. If I am of limited intellect, I probably shouldn’t aspire to invent some new thing that will revolutionize the way the world functions.
If I tend to be self-focused, I am not a candidate to serve the Red Cross or establish the next missionary outreach to some suffering pocket of humanity in a remote corner of the globe. But there is one lofty aspiration for which I should reach, for the Word of God tells me that I must.
In I Peter 1:15, 16, the impetuous apostle says, “Just as God who called you is holy, so be ye holy in all that you do, for it is written, ‘Be holy because I am holy.’” That’s a tall order for those of us who dwell in a tabernacle of flesh. That’s an unattainable goal for anyone to accomplish alone. Only Christ who is holy can impart holiness to us.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Vicariously Holy
October 9
What does the word ‘holy’ mean? What is ‘sanctification’? If your answers to either or both of those questions aren’t particularly edifying or satisfactory, be assured that you’re not alone. None of us can define these terms by anything we are. Perhaps we have a better chance of doing so by identifying what we aren’t.
First of all, we aren’t God. Most of us tend to associate the word ‘holy’ with Him. To be holy is to be worthy of being exalted and of receiving complete devotion and perfect praise. We know we don’t deserve to be venerated or considered to be divine, so we can eliminate any reference to ourselves from our definition of ‘holy.’
Second, of course we also know that a holy God doesn’t require sanctification. By virtue of who He is, He is already free from sin and imputed with sacredness to which we cannot add or detract. Neither can He grow in divine grace, for He is divine grace. But His word assures us that He will impute holiness to us! He will sanctify us!
In I Thessalonians 5:23, Paul writes, “May God Himself, the God of all peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” So we are vicariously made holy and sanctified because of Jesus so when HE comes, we shall be fit for our heavenly home.
What does the word ‘holy’ mean? What is ‘sanctification’? If your answers to either or both of those questions aren’t particularly edifying or satisfactory, be assured that you’re not alone. None of us can define these terms by anything we are. Perhaps we have a better chance of doing so by identifying what we aren’t.
First of all, we aren’t God. Most of us tend to associate the word ‘holy’ with Him. To be holy is to be worthy of being exalted and of receiving complete devotion and perfect praise. We know we don’t deserve to be venerated or considered to be divine, so we can eliminate any reference to ourselves from our definition of ‘holy.’
Second, of course we also know that a holy God doesn’t require sanctification. By virtue of who He is, He is already free from sin and imputed with sacredness to which we cannot add or detract. Neither can He grow in divine grace, for He is divine grace. But His word assures us that He will impute holiness to us! He will sanctify us!
In I Thessalonians 5:23, Paul writes, “May God Himself, the God of all peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” So we are vicariously made holy and sanctified because of Jesus so when HE comes, we shall be fit for our heavenly home.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
No Fear
October 8
God’s defense of His people covers all the bases. We tend to be fearful of some aspects of life’s challenges while remaining confident in spite of others, but the Bible tells us that we need never be concerned about anything.
Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing but in all things, by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God.” Paul further assured the believer in the following verse that doing so would invoke the “peace of God that passes understanding” into his life and “keep his heart and mind” secure in Christ.
With that kind of promise to lean on, we should ever be bold and resolute in not only our personal faith but also in our outreach to others. In Isaiah 50:9, the prophet says, “It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me. Who is he that will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment, moths will eat them up.” Those who come against the child of God will simply exhaust themselves in the battle!
The great One who has taken it upon Himself to take the part of believers who have placed their lives into Jesus’ loving hand has given His sure word on which the faithful may stand—we are helped; we will not be condemned in our personal experience or in our witness, for we, “wait in hope for the Lord; HE is our Help and our Shield,” Psalm 33:20. We have no fear in life’s challenges, for He keeps us.
God’s defense of His people covers all the bases. We tend to be fearful of some aspects of life’s challenges while remaining confident in spite of others, but the Bible tells us that we need never be concerned about anything.
Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing but in all things, by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God.” Paul further assured the believer in the following verse that doing so would invoke the “peace of God that passes understanding” into his life and “keep his heart and mind” secure in Christ.
With that kind of promise to lean on, we should ever be bold and resolute in not only our personal faith but also in our outreach to others. In Isaiah 50:9, the prophet says, “It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me. Who is he that will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment, moths will eat them up.” Those who come against the child of God will simply exhaust themselves in the battle!
The great One who has taken it upon Himself to take the part of believers who have placed their lives into Jesus’ loving hand has given His sure word on which the faithful may stand—we are helped; we will not be condemned in our personal experience or in our witness, for we, “wait in hope for the Lord; HE is our Help and our Shield,” Psalm 33:20. We have no fear in life’s challenges, for He keeps us.
Friday, October 7, 2011
OOPS!...
...the last line of paragraph 2 should read, "...the 'real deal.' Sorry. Poor editing. Will try to do better.
From Our Shoulder To His
October 7
Recognizing the constraints of our limitations is sobering to most people. We don’t like to think of ourselves as wanting in any capacity. We enjoy believing that we are in charge—even if deep inside we are cognizant of our self-delusion. The wealthy among us are quite content to spend of their abundance to secure for themselves the niceties of life.
They are willing to indulge as well those individuals whom they perceive to be potentially helpful to them in the attainment of whatever desirable goal they wish to achieve, such as political influence, social position, or personal pleasure. Yet, they, too, are aware that their money has the power to purchase only a façade. The ‘read deal’ comes another way.
The Word offers some insight into the true source of our blessings. Psalm 28:7, for example, says, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him.” Has He the capacity to reach down wherever we are to afford us help? According to Isaiah 59:1, He does. Here it says, “Surely the arm of the Lord is not shortened that He cannot save or His ear too dull to hear us when we call to Him.”
Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and our strength; He is our ever-present help in trouble.” How should we react when we consider the faithfulness of the One who has no limitations and who employs His amazing resources in our behalf when we simply call upon Him? Psalm 68:19 says, “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” When we feel hemmed in on every side, when we feel too weighted by a load of cares to lift our hands to the Source of our help, even then, our Lord is reaching down to help us up and to lift our burden from our shoulder to His.
Recognizing the constraints of our limitations is sobering to most people. We don’t like to think of ourselves as wanting in any capacity. We enjoy believing that we are in charge—even if deep inside we are cognizant of our self-delusion. The wealthy among us are quite content to spend of their abundance to secure for themselves the niceties of life.
They are willing to indulge as well those individuals whom they perceive to be potentially helpful to them in the attainment of whatever desirable goal they wish to achieve, such as political influence, social position, or personal pleasure. Yet, they, too, are aware that their money has the power to purchase only a façade. The ‘read deal’ comes another way.
The Word offers some insight into the true source of our blessings. Psalm 28:7, for example, says, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him.” Has He the capacity to reach down wherever we are to afford us help? According to Isaiah 59:1, He does. Here it says, “Surely the arm of the Lord is not shortened that He cannot save or His ear too dull to hear us when we call to Him.”
Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and our strength; He is our ever-present help in trouble.” How should we react when we consider the faithfulness of the One who has no limitations and who employs His amazing resources in our behalf when we simply call upon Him? Psalm 68:19 says, “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” When we feel hemmed in on every side, when we feel too weighted by a load of cares to lift our hands to the Source of our help, even then, our Lord is reaching down to help us up and to lift our burden from our shoulder to His.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
The Power to Accomplish
October 6
Some people appear to be completely without resources for survival on the most elemental level. We see documentaries that detail the constraints of their meager existence and we wonder how they manage to trudge from one dreary, empty day to another. We are stunned by the magnitude of their poverty.
And we don’t realize that we are surrounded by people in well-appointed homes, who are wearing fashionable, lovely clothing, and enjoying the finest quality foods every day who are equally devoid of the real sustenance of life. Their poverty may not be evident to the eye, but it is every bit as real and it is ultimately more devastating than financial destitution.
Our ability to help those trapped in either set of circumstances is limited. Yes, we may donate money to organizations that reach out to the poverty stricken of the world, but beyond that, our opportunities to assist them out of their dire straits are impeded by time and distance and borders and political red tape. We are considerably challenged as well regarding the ‘starving rich,’ the people living in plenty who are spiritually languishing but don’t even recognize their need.
Though we may be unable to make a difference, David affirms in Psalm 72:12, “God will deliver the needy who cry out to Him. He will help the afflicted.” We must pray that the needy—the financially impoverished and the spiritually bereft—recognize their need for Jesus, the full Supply for all they lack. The power of prayer can pull down the effects of a troubled economy or of spiritual blindness. We have the power to accomplish through faith in Jesus what we have no ability to do in the strength of our humanity.
Some people appear to be completely without resources for survival on the most elemental level. We see documentaries that detail the constraints of their meager existence and we wonder how they manage to trudge from one dreary, empty day to another. We are stunned by the magnitude of their poverty.
And we don’t realize that we are surrounded by people in well-appointed homes, who are wearing fashionable, lovely clothing, and enjoying the finest quality foods every day who are equally devoid of the real sustenance of life. Their poverty may not be evident to the eye, but it is every bit as real and it is ultimately more devastating than financial destitution.
Our ability to help those trapped in either set of circumstances is limited. Yes, we may donate money to organizations that reach out to the poverty stricken of the world, but beyond that, our opportunities to assist them out of their dire straits are impeded by time and distance and borders and political red tape. We are considerably challenged as well regarding the ‘starving rich,’ the people living in plenty who are spiritually languishing but don’t even recognize their need.
Though we may be unable to make a difference, David affirms in Psalm 72:12, “God will deliver the needy who cry out to Him. He will help the afflicted.” We must pray that the needy—the financially impoverished and the spiritually bereft—recognize their need for Jesus, the full Supply for all they lack. The power of prayer can pull down the effects of a troubled economy or of spiritual blindness. We have the power to accomplish through faith in Jesus what we have no ability to do in the strength of our humanity.
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