Grace Is ...

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.

It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions,

and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” Titus 2:11-12

I used to think that Grace and Mercy were opposites.  Mercy is being spared what we deserve.  Grace is being given what we don’t deserve.  However, it is mercy (being spared what we deserve) and justice (getting what we deserve) which are opposite¹  Grace is over and above both justice and mercy—being given what we could never merit, the very things we have by our sin disqualified ourselves from ever deserving. 

In Greek history prior to the New Testament, grace originally meant to be “charmed or delighted.”² It referred to “that property in a thing which causes it to give joy to the hearers or beholders of it”³  “The word then took on a subjective sense with the thought of ‘kindly,’ or ‘courteous,’ i.e. ‘a generous disposition.’  It is a virtual equivalent for the idea of the willing of good to someone. From this there developed the concrete connotation suggesting a ‘favor’ or ‘boon.’  A favor is the expression of good will.  As exhibiting an attitude of the will and the feelings it is to be taken as a token of kindness.  As grace implies not only a giver but also a receiver so it came to denote the gratitude felt by the recipient for the favor bestowed and the thanks by which the gratitude is expressed.”⁴

Apostle Paul championed the word grace to help give it the definition of God offering us a gift which should elicit joy, help us understand the great kindness of God, see His unmerited favor toward us, and receive with humble gratitude the indescribable gift of salvation, righteousness, and the forgiveness of sin which we do not deserve and could never merit. This gift is “given out of the bounty and free heartedness of the giver” to those who are His bitter enemies—deserving of His wrath—offered freely without any expectation of return.⁵   

In Ephesians 2:8-9, we see this gift of God, called grace, which saves us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”  We see saving grace again in Romans 5:21, “so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Also in Ephesians 1:7-8, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding” and 2:4-5, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

“So in Jesus, God acted to reveal a righteousness that has no relationship to the law.”  This “righteousness that comes from God and through faith in Jesus is given to all who believe.”⁶ God’s righteousness is His perfect gift to us in desperate need of right standing before God.  The law shows us the standard of God’s holiness and the requirement for salvation.  Since we all sin and fall short of the glory of God, we need a righteousness we could never earn through the law.  This is where grace comes in.  God steps in as our hero to save the day.  He offers this gift with a joy in His heart out of a love so deep—a gift we could never deserve, at a price we could never pay—so that we might know His awesome goodness, kindness, and benevolence toward us who deserve His wrath.  He has called us into His family (1 John 3:1), invited us to participate in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4), given us His great and precious promises, given us His holy power for living—the Holy Spirit or Spirit of Grace (Heb 10:29), and given us spiritual gifts to encourage the body of Christ.  “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.”  1 Peter 4:10

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”  Hebrews 4:16

“Paul is very careful to make plain that good works naturally issue from and are required by grace.”⁷   Grace leads us to live holy lives before the Lord.  Even though we are not under the law to attain our righteousness, we endeavor to keep the law out of gratitude and thankfulness for the great gift of righteousness God has given and favored us with when we believed in Him for our salvation.

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”   Titus 2:11-14

“For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.”  Jude 1:4

“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”  Hebrews 12:15

So Paul encourages us to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”  2 Timothy 2:1

“The Biblical concept of grace is much greater than is suggested in the common definition of ‘unmerited favor.’  ‘Grace’ is a word that expresses a radical view of life and of relationship with God. 

“Grace teaches that God’s attitude toward us is one of acceptance and love; knowing God’s heart, we can “approach the throne of grace with confidence” (Heb 4:16) with every sin and need. 

“Grace is a dramatic statement about the human condition.  Each person is helpless, trapped in sin and incapable of pleasing God or winning his favor.

“Grace is a proclamation.  It is the triumphant announcement that God in Christ has acted and has come to the aid of all who will trust in him for their eternal salvation.

“Grace is a way of life.  Relying totally on Jesus to work within us, we experience God’s own up unlimited power, vitalizing us and enabling us to live truly good lives.”⁸

“God’s grace is multiplied to believers by the Holy Spirit, imparting forgiveness, acceptance and power to do God’s will.”⁹

Oh Benevolent Father, bestower of love, righteousness, mercy, and grace, grant us reliance upon You and strengthening in You by Your incredible grace.  Help us to attain to all the measure of the fullness of Christ and walk in your grace, in thoughts, in character, in actions, and in relationship with You and one another that we might know the joy of Your salvation, see the wonder of Your great gift to us, and live holy lives in gratitude for all You have done and are doing in our lives through Your grace. Amen!

Footnotes

¹ Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. "Faith and Grace." Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. 1744. Print.

² McDonald, H. D. "Grace." The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. Vol. 2. Grand Rapids: Regency Reference Library, 1976. 799. Print.
³ Wuest, Kenneth Samuel. "Ephesians and Colossians In the Greek New Testament." Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English Reader. Vol. 1. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1973. 21. Print.
⁴ McDonald, 799.
⁵ Wuest, 23.
⁶ Richards, Larry. "Grace." Expository Dictionary of Bible Words. Grand Rapids, MI: Regency Reference Library, 1985. 318. Print.
⁷ Wuest, 23.
⁸ Richards, 320.
⁹ Stamps, 1744.

References

All Scriptures not otherwise specified are quoted from Life in the Spirit Study Bible (NIV). Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Print.

The Purpose of the Law

“So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.” – Gal 3:24

“‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets;

I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.’” – Mat 5:17

Ever wonder about the law?  What is the purpose of the law?  Is the believer supposed to still obey the moral commands of the law?  What is the relationship of the New Covenant to the law?  What are we to do with the law? Let’s look at the law and its purpose and relationship to today’s believer in Christ. 

Paul shows us the purpose of the law this way,

“Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law.” Rom 7:7

“… through the law we become conscious of sin.” Rom 3:20

So the purpose of the law was not to make a way for us to attain salvation from God by our works, but to show us how sinful we really are—just how woefully short of God’s sinless perfection we come—and the huge need we have for Jesus’ sacrifice to make us holy and righteous.  The law is to show us God’s holiness and a standard for living.  “…the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good”  (Rom 7:12). “So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ…” Gal 3:24.  We cannot earn salvation through following the law.

Is the believer supposed to still obey the moral commands of the law?  Paul asks a similar question in Romans 3:31, “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith [faith in Christ]?  Not at all Rather, we uphold the law.”  Let’s look at the relationship of the New Covenant to the law.

Consider the story of the Greatest Commandment. 

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Mt 22:34-40

Jesus is showing us we must still fulfill the law, but we do it out of love for Him, not out of a compulsion to earn salvation.  Paul confirms this in the letter to the Galatians:

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.  The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Gal 5:13-14

Consider the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:17-20,

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.  Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus goes on to raise the standard even higher.  He says not only should we not commit murder, but it is wrong to hate another.  And not only can we not commit adultery, but it is wrong to look lustfully on another.  He has raised the bar from the realm of our actions to the realm of our thoughts and motives.  In this way the New Covenant is more stringent than the law.  So the New Covenant embraces, fulfills, and surpasses the law.  It does not abolish it.  God is after our hearts, not just our actions. 

Finally let’s look at the law and its relationship to today’s believer in Christ. 

For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.  What then?  Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?  By no means! ... You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.  Rom 6:14-15, 18

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, Titus 2:11-12

And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit…Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.  For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.  Rom 8:3-4, 12-14

So the New Covenant gives us what we could never earn through the law—the righteousness of God.  However, it also gives us a higher standard than the law to live out.  Jesus is asking us to fulfill the law out of a love relationship with Him and through the Holy Spirit He has given us.  We are to be under Christ’s Law (1 Cor 9:21) and fulfill the Law of Christ (Gal 6:2).  “If you love me, you will obey what I command.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth…” (Jn 15:14-17).  The New Covenant is a better covenant because it gives us a greater power to conquer sin and a better motive to carry out acts of righteousness (law).  It gives us the Holy Spirit as a source of power to overcome sin, and it gives us love as a motive to help us obey the law and the prophets. 

O Gracious Father, thank you for setting us free from our sin in Christ’s sacrifice.  And thank you for sending your Holy Spirit that we might have power over sin and power to become Christ-like in actions, thoughts, and character—to love and fulfill the law. Help us to follow you with hearts of love.   Amen!

References

All Scriptures not otherwise specified are quoted from Life in the Spirit Study Bible (NIV). Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Print.

Peace in the Midst of Trouble



“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.

But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

“You will have trouble…” Jesus promises us.  It’s not one of those promises we jump up and claim and hold dear to our hearts but there it is.  You will have trouble.  Not you might or you may sometime or it could possibly happen but definitely, at some point, you will have trouble.  Maybe you have fallen out of sorts with a loved one and are hurt beyond what you thought you could bear.  Maybe the pressure at work is overwhelming and you find yourself dreading Sunday because it’s the last day before Monday.  Maybe you have no work and don’t know how things are going to work out.  Maybe the bills are bigger than the paycheck, the hunger more than the food, the need greater than the supply.  Maybe you just feel empty inside, just going through the motions.  You are so busy but nothing seems to get done.  Maybe you live day to day but nothing really seems to change and you feel unfulfilled.   You find yourself wishing for some significance in life and asking “is this really it…really…I mean this is what life is about?”  The bad news: I don’t have the answer to your problem.  The good news: I know what you need in the middle of your problem—God’s peace!

Jesus tells us in John 16:33 that in this world we will have trouble.  The Greek here portrays “a situation so difficult that it causes on to feel stressed, squeezed, pressured or crushed.” ¹  Maybe you find yourself there right now—crushed, stressed and pressured.  There’s still hope, in the same verse, Jesus tells us that in Him we may have peace.  He actually tells us “In this world you will go through some distressing times, but take heart and be courageous.”²  Jesus goes on to tell us He has, is, and always will overcome the world.  He has provided “a continuous and abiding victory.”³ 

He tells us, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (Jn 14:27).  He gives us His peace and commands us not to let our hearts be troubled or afraid.  His peace and fear cannot dwell in the same heart.  You have one or you have the other.  The verse just before this ties in an interesting connection.  The Father will send the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit will teach us all things and remind us of everything Jesus has said to us.  Notice the connection between the Holy Spirit and the peace mentioned in the preceding verse.

Romans 14:17 informs us the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  The Kingdom of God is tied to peace in the Holy Spirit.  God actually desires to grow His peace in us.  Peace is one of the fruits of the Spirit.  If you crucify your sinful nature with its passions and desires, then the Holy Spirit will grow His peace in your heart (Gal 5:22-25).  One of the ways to know His Kingdom is alive in you is to monitor your heart’s reaction to trouble in your life.  Do you have peace or pestilence, plague, and pandemic?  Are you worried and fearful or does the peace of God reign in you?  Are you anxious or restful?

So how do we gain God’s peace in the middle of our circumstances? Philippians 4:4-9 helps us out here. 

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

This passage of Scripture tells us to rejoice always—not for our circumstances but in our circumstances.  It gives us seven ways to overcome our anxiety, fear and worry.

1. Remember the Lord is near (v5).  In our troubles we should remember God promises to be with us (Heb 13:5) and when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us (James 4:8).

2. Prayer and petition to request what you need from God (v6).  God delights in answering the legitimate needs of His children (Mt 7:7-11).  The Greek here illustrates a “close, up-front, intimate contact…a passionate, earnest, heartfelt sincere prayer…adamant in requesting and demanding assistance to meet tangible needs, such as food, shelter, money, and so forth…a full expectation to receive what was firmly requested.”⁴

3. Thanksgiving  (v6) – think of who He is and what He’s done in the world and in your life to this point and thank Him for it.  The Greek here pictures “an outpouring of grace and of wonderful feelings that freely flow from the heart in response to someone or something…an earnest outpouring of thanks.”⁵

4. Think about the right things (v8).  Make a conscious effort not to focus on your worry, fears, and anxiety.   Focus your thoughts on the noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy things all around you.  Choose not to be the negative naysayer, persistent pessimist, continual complainer, or wearying worrywart.  Be the buoyant benefactor, overjoyed optimist, eternal encourager, or truthful trustee.

5. Focus on things above (v8).  The injunction to “think on such things” leads us to consider God who is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy.  Mull over your pretentiousness and forgetfulness that God is in control and He is good.  Set your mind on Him (Col 3:2-3).

6. Quote Scripture (v8-9).  When we need something to fill up our thoughts and have difficulty pondering on God, Scripture we have memorized can be a great comfort to us.  Psalm 23 assures us that even though we are not good followers all the time, God is the Good Shepherd and He will care for our needs—rest, sustenance, restoration of the soul, comfort, strength in Him, His presence always with us, His guidance, peace in the presence of enemies, goodness, love and mercy.  Endeavor to memorize some of the Scriptures on peace in this article.  Let Psalm 85:8 jog your memory, “I will listen to what God the Lord will say; he promises peace to his people” 

7. Get an eternal perspective (v9).  Remember God is with you and He is so much bigger than your current disconcerting circumstance.  Remember this won’t last forever.  Determine to run the race with perseverance and diligence and trust in His abundant goodness (1 Cor 9:24-27, Heb 12:1-3,  Phil 3:12-14).  Isaiah 26:3 reminds us, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”

In the midst of your trouble, control your thoughts and “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful” (Col 3:15).  The Greek here gives us the portrait of the peace of God being our umpire or referee over our emotions.  When worry, fear, and anxiety threaten our thoughts, “we can stop it from happening by making the choice to let God’s peace rise up from deep inside like an umpire or referee to moderate our emotions.  As we do, we will be kept under the control of that divine peace as it rules in our hearts.”⁶  Philippians 4:7 gives us the same portrayal in the Greek, “And the peace of God—a peace so wonderful that it cannot be compared to any other type of peace; a peace that stands in a category by itself and rises far above and goes beyond anything the human mind could ever think, reason, imagine, or produce by itself—will stand at the entrance of your heart and mind, working like a guard to control, monitor and screen everything that tries to access your mind, heart and emotions.”⁷

2 Thess 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

O Lord of Peace, come to us now and fill us with the peace that passes understanding in the midst of our circumstances.  Help us to seek you with all our hearts, at all times, especially in times of trouble.  Help us to trust in Your goodness, kindness, and love for us.  Fill us with Yourself!  Amen!

Footnotes

¹ Renner, Rick. "Jesus Has Overcome Everything" Sparkling Gems from the Greek: 365 Greek Word Studies for Every Day of the Year to Sharpen Your Understanding of God's Word. Tulsa, OK: Teach All Nations, 2003. 792. Print.

² Renner 792.

³ Renner 792.

⁴ Renner, "Five Important Steps To Move From Fear to Faith, From Turmoil to Peace, And From Defeat to Victory" 709-711.

⁵ Renner 710-711.

⁶ Renner, "Let God’s Peace serve as an Umpire for Your Mind and Emotions!" 2.

⁷ Renner, "Peace That Passes Understanding" 322.

References

All Scriptures not specified are quoted from Life in the Spirit Study Bible (NIV). Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Print.



God Wants Us to Repent

“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.” Rev 3:19

Here is a little discussed secret of Christianity – what to do when you sin.  When you sin, the best thing you can do is admit your failure to God (He already knows about it) and turn away from your sin.  This is what it means to repent.  This is a principle tenet of staying close to God and remaining on His road for our lives. 

The two Greek words in the New Testament translated “repent” are metanoeō and metamellomai.  Together they create a great picture of what it means to repent.  Metanoeō means “to think differently or afterwards, reconsider.”¹  Metamellomai means “to care afterwards, regret,² feel remorse.³”  Metanoeō “connotes a change of mind” while metamellomai “connotes a change of soul.”⁴  So we have in repentance a change of mind and a change of heart and emotion about our sin.  The basic idea is to turn about⁵, that is, to turn away from your sin and set a new direction.  So repentance involves our agreeing with God about our sin and turning away from our sin with a change of heart and mind.  The picture is one of abandonment, a leaving behind, setting a new course and moving away from the old thoughts and emotions that lead us to sin in the first place.

One of the best times to make a good decision is right after you have made a bad one—  after you sin.  Unfortunately, this is often a time when we are tempted to turn farther away from God, after all He is perfect and holy and we have just failed to keep His standard.  So what’s the answer?  It’s simple, but it’s not natural—turn to Him and repent.  Start following Him again.  The fastest way to get back on the right road with God after we sin, after we have failed Him, is to go to Him, agree with Him about your sin being wrong, confess it to Him, and ask Him for strength to start down the right road with Him again. 

Often when we fail, we want to somehow make ourselves better before we go back to God and ask Him for forgiveness.  This is equivalent to attempting to get more lost so we can get found.  When we get lost our goal is not to get more lost—it is to get found.  Our goal is to get back on the right road, not keep travelling further on the wrong road hoping it will turn into the right one.  There is only one road to our destination.  If we get off on a side road, we must turn around and go back to the right road.  But let’s be honest don’t we try, sometimes, to clean ourselves up before we return to God?  We try to be good in our own power for a while thinking this will make it “OK” for us to bring our failure, our sin, before Him.  This is our pride.  This is our sinful nature.  This is travelling further down the wrong road.  Listen, nothing will make it “OK” for you to bring your sin before God except the sacrifice He made for you on the cross.  He has already made provision for you to come to Him with your sin and confess it to Him.  He already knows about your sin.  You cannot hide anything from Him. 

So, if He already knows about your sin, and has already made provision for your sin to be forgiven, what should stop you from rushing to Him and getting forgiven right away?  Nothing should.  Not your bad feelings about what you have done.  Not your uncleanliness because you have sinned.  Nothing should keep you from Him when you sin.  The best thing you can do is go to Him, confess your sin, ask for His forgiveness and strength to move on. 

“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?”  Romans 2:4 

Don’t spend hours, days, weeks, or even months travelling on the wrong road trying to get to the right one.  Turn around.  Repent.  Remember God’s kindness and patience. Humble yourself before God and He will exalt you.  When we repent, turn away from, our sin He forgives us and gives us His strength to start again. 

“Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’— and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” Ps 32:5

“He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”  Prov 28:13

“Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Ps 103:2-5

“…‘they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,’ declares the Lord. ‘For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.’” Jer 31:34

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”  1 John 1:8-10

Oh Good and Patient God, help us in our times of failure to turn and run to you and not away from you.  Help us to go immediately to You our only real source of help.  Help us to change our minds and our hearts.  Help us get turned around and traveling on the right road again.  Help us to stay close to You.  Help us to repent.  Amen!

Footnotes

¹ Strong’s and Thayer’s definitions from: Meyers, Rick. Vers. 9.0.3. Franklin, TN, 2010. Computer software.  <http://www.e-sword.net/>.

² Meyers.

³ Douglas, J. D., ed. "Repentance." The New Bible Dictionary. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1962. 1017-018. Print.

⁴ Tenney, Merrill C. "Repentance." The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub. House, 1967. 711-12. Print.

⁵Tenney, Merrill C., ed. "Repentance." The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. Vol. 5. Grand Rapids: Regency Reference Library, 1976. 62-64. Print.

References

All Scriptures not specified are quoted from Life in the Spirit Study Bible (NIV). Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Print.

God Wants Us to Live in Him

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him,

he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5

It is Jesus’ last night on earth, the eve of the crucifixion.  He has one last night with the disciples.  His disciple making days are down to one.  What does He do?  What are His parting words and actions?  What final thoughts will He give to His disciples?   He has the Passover meal with his disciples. But then what’s this?  An absurdity, the Messiah, creator of all that is, gets up takes off what should be His kingly robes, girds Himself with a towel, pours water into the basin and kneels down to wash their feet.  This disturbs Peter greatly as he knows this is the Messiah (Mt 16:16).  Jesus tells Peter “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”  Dumbfounded, Peter submits.  I imagine the disciples are all feeling a little sheepish.  None of them had seriously considered the task, preferring instead to skip the awkward job rather than to identify with the lowliest slave of the household.  Then another absurdity, Jesus tells them one of them will betray Him.  Now they are concerned and begin to ask Him who it is.  He dips the bread into the dish and gives it to Judas predicting His betrayer.  Judas leaves immediately (John 13:30).  Then He tells them where His is going they cannot come. Now they are reeling.  Peter asks where Jesus is going.  Then yet another absurdity, He tells the disciples they will all fall away and He tells the bold leader, Peter, that he will disown Him three times before the sunrise.  Peter tells Jesus that he would never disown Him and all the other disciples say the same (Mt 26:35, Mk 14:31).  I can imagine fear starting to set in.  He tells them “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me” (Jn 14:1).  He begins to speak with them about the Holy Spirit which He will ask the Father to send.  Then they get up from the table and begin the descent first from the upper room, then down the street and across the city, then down the Kidron Valley.  It is here that they may have walked through the vineyard.  Great leafy vines probably brushed up against them from time to time.  Jesus seizes the opportunity to show them the kind of life He wants us all to live.  This is the essential truth he chooses to impart to the disciples on His last night with them.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” John 15:1-7

Remain in me, abide in me.  What does this mean?  The Greek word is menō, which means “to stay” and is translated “abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry.”¹  I was really struggling to understand exactly what this means “remain in me,” until I looked at how this ordinary word is used in other places in the Bible:

“Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.”  Luke 1:56. 

“Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town.”  Luke 9:4.

“nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent.” John 5:38. 

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.’” John 8:31 

“Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.” John11:6 

“Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.” John 14:10 

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”  John 14:16-17

So to remain or abide in is to stay (live) with, dwell in, hold to, live in, to be with, and/or to live with.  God is calling us to live IN Him.  He wants us to be “maintaining the habit of constant intimate communion with Christ in order to draw strength from Him.”²  Think about what you do with those who live with you.  You talk to them, regularly.  You listen to them, frequently.  You trust them.  You obey them.  You praise them.  You cry with them.  You laugh with them.  You are in their presence.  God wants us to be like that with Him. Consider the branch without the vine.  It cannot do anything but die.  So are we my friends.  God is showing us that without Him our lives are dead.  He is the provider, we are the reliant.  In Him is the life.  We must stay in relationship to Him.  It is only in close communion with Him, a continual conversation of the soul with God, that our branch stays alive and bears much fruit, fruit that will last [remain, abide – Jn 15:16].  Brother Lawrence puts it well,

“that we might accustom ourselves to a continual conversation with Him, with freedom and in simplicity. That we need only to recognize GOD intimately present with us, to address ourselves to Him every moment, that we may beg His assistance for knowing His will in things doubtful, and for rightly performing those which we plainly see He requires of us, offering them to Him before we do them, and giving Him thanks when we have done.

That in this conversation with GOD, we are also employed in praising, adoring, and loving him incessantly, for His infinite goodness and perfection.”³

God wants us to live in Him, to find our life with Him, to find our joy in Him.  He wants us to talk with Him, listen for Him and be with Him.  He wants us to commune with Him throughout the day.  Let’s not let God be the best friend we rarely talk with.  We need to include Him in our decision making process.  Let us forget Him not.  Let us keep Him primary in our thoughts and communication.  It is only then that we may remain in His love (v 9 & 10) and that His joy may be in you and may be complete (v 11).  Remember it is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” Col 1:27.  Paul wrote that “…Christ lives in me” Gal 2:20.  Jesus said of the Holy Spirit “…you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you”  Jn 14:17.  Jesus was imparting to the disciples a vital truth.  I am leaving yet you can remain in me.  My Spirit will dwell [remain, abide] in you and your joy will be complete.  It’s interesting that even in Jesus’ farewell, He welcomes all of us with an invitation to come and remain in Him.

Oh God, our great friend and comforter, help us learn to rely on, live in, remain in, and stay in You.  Help us learn to enter into your rest.  Help us to learn to be utterly dependent on You as the branch is on the vine.  Prune us where we need pruning.  Help us to remember Your Presence in us and to put Your word in us that it may remain in us and our prayers may be effective.  Help us to bear much good fruit, fruit that will last for your Kingdom.  Let us be Your friend as you have been ours. Amen!

Footnotes

¹ Strong, James. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance: [with Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries]. Gordonsville, TN: Dugan, 1980. Print.

² Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. "Remain in me [note]." Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. 1635. Print.

³Meyer, Rick. E-Sword Step Reader. “The Practice of the Presence of God.” Computer software. E-Sword. Vers. 9.0.3. Web. <http://www.e-sword.net>.

References

All Scriptures not specified are quoted from the NIV. New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003.

There is a Battle in the Believer

“For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. 

They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” – Galatians 5:17

There are two natures within every believer.  There is a sinful nature we received at the moment of conception (Rom 5:12, 17, 19).  Because of this sinful nature, mankind has a tendency toward evil and sin (Ps 14:1-3; Jer17:9; Mk 7:21-22; Eph 2:1-3).  At salvation we are given a spiritual nature and God sends the Holy Spirit to live in you (Jn 3:3, 5-6; Rom 8:9; 2 Cor 1:22).  So now in the believer there are two opposing forces: the sinful nature (also called the flesh) and the Spirit.  Galatians 5:17 sums up the situation well,

“For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.  They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” 

Paul writes of this battle in Romans 7:21-23,

“So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.”

So how do these to natures win over each other?  Scripture seems to indicate that there is a battle taking place in the believer’s mind for which nature will win.  Let’s look at some scriptures to back this up. 

“Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.  Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.  You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.  But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.”  – Rom 8:5-10

So how are we to battle the sinful nature?  It is by the Spirit.  We must decide what to set our mind upon.  If we choose to set our mind on the sinful desires our body and soul will follow and soon sin will manifest itself.  If we choose to set our mind on what the Spirit desires then our body and soul will follow and the fruit of the Spirit will result.  Note the difference in Galatians 5:19 & 22: one is “works of the flesh” (KJV) or “acts of the sinful nature” (NIV), the other is the fruit of the Spirit.  “The flesh produces the works; the Spirit produces the fruit.  The one requires self-effort; the other no effort of the flesh. The one is the product of the factory [works]; the other is of the garden [abiding].  The one is dead; the other is alive.  The one is flesh; the other of the Spirit.”¹  Our job is to decide to follow the Spirit.  His job is to produce the fruit. 

“So I say live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Gal 5:16 

“Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” Rom 8:12-14

 “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.” Rom 6:11-12

 “…I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires which war against your soul” 1 Peter 2:11

 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds;  and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”  Eph 4:22-24

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Rom 12:2a

So here we are with our minds right in the middle of these two opposing forces, the sinful nature and the Holy Spirit.  What are we to do?  We must, by the Spirit, put to dead the misdeeds of the flesh (Rom 8:13).  We must crucify the sinful nature and desires as Gal 5:24-25 tells us, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”  I believe that what we focus on consumes us.  Garbage in; garbage out.  If we continually fill our minds with Scripture and good thoughts (Phil 4:8), then choosing to follow the Spirit becomes easier and easier.  It is like exercising a muscle, what first was hard and excruciating, with practice, becomes easy.  Let us get into the habit of following where the Spirit leads and mortifying our flesh.  The more we do it the easier it gets.  However, the converse is true as well.  If we neglect to exercise, we can become unfit and exercise becomes harder.  The same is true in our walk with God.  The more often we choose to follow the Spirit the more spiritually fit we become and the easier it is to make the proper choice the next time the sinful nature and its desires and passions clamor for attention.  Get out the sword of the Spirit and slay the ugly beast!   Paul puts this whole idea very well in Gal 6:7-9,

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  Let us not become wary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Rick Renner translates one of our key verses like this, “Make the path of the Spirit the place where you habitually live and walk.  Become so comfortable on this spiritual path that you learn to leisurely and peacefully stroll along in that realm.  Living your life in this Spirit realm is the best way to guarantee that your will not allow the yearnings of your flesh to creep out and fulfill themselves.”²

Footnotes

¹ Duffield, Guy P., and N. M. Van Cleave. Foundations of Pentecostal Theology. Los Angeles: L.I.F.E. Bible College, 1983. 294. Print.

² Renner, Rick. "How Would You Like To ‘Take a Stroll’ In the Spirit Today." Sparkling Gems from the Greek: 365 Greek Word Studies for Every Day of the Year to Sharpen Your Understanding of God's Word. Tulsa, OK: Teach All Nations, 2003. 490. Print.

References

All Scriptures not specified are quoted from the NIV. New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003.

God is Trustworthy

“…for He who promised is faithful...” – Hebrews 11:23

When hard times hit our lives, we find out a lot about ourselves and what we really believe and how deeply we believe it.  And yet in the middle of it all, in the middle of our wavering and our questioning, God is still good, still faithful, still trustworthy.  But just what does it mean to be trustworthy?  Dictionary.com defines trustworthy as “deserving of trust or confidence; dependable; reliable.” ¹  Webster’s New World Dictionary defines trust as “firm belief or confidence in the honesty, integrity, reliability, justice, etc. of another person or thing; faith; reliance; confident expectation, anticipation, or hope.” ²  So if we amalgamate these definitions, we come up with a firm belief, a reliance upon, a confidence, an expectation, an anticipation, and a hope upon the honesty, integrity, reliability, and justice of another (in our case God)….in short, to have faith in Him.  And what better to have firm belief, reliance, confidence, expectation, and anticipation in than in God?  NOTHING! 

Yet at times we have our doubts.  Does God really care?  Is He really there?  Is He really good?  Yes, He does care; He is there; and He is good.  Often these doubts come to us when life is not going quite as we expected it would.  Now we can still take inventory even if we are not in difficult times.  This will help us be more secure should those difficult times come and they will come.  However, God will use them to shape our character, but wouldn’t it be better if we could shape our character even during the good times?  Take a few moments and honestly ask these questions and be candid with yourself (or your spouse) about the answers.  Do I see God as my provider or do I look to my job as my stream of provision?  Do I see God as my safety and comfort or do I find more rest and relaxation on the couch or at the gym or on a hike?  Do I find more peace in my bank account or in the presence of God?  Do I find more identity in God or in what I do for a living?  What about others, do I see them as vessels God is working in and on or do I draw conclusions based on what they do?  (Hint: next time you meet someone new watch to see if you ask what they do for a living or what the living God is doing in them.)  How do I respond to godly correction?  Do I react and make excuse or do I step back and look for the truth in what is being shared?  Why all the questions—simply to make the point that we need to understand the trustworthiness of God.  When we don’t understand His trustworthiness then we tend to find provision in our job, security in our home, peace in our bank account, rest on the couch, discipline, well we pretty much just run from that…

I was surprised to find that a search for the word trustworthy in the King James Version provided no search results when the New American Standard had eleven and the New International Version had twenty-five, thirteen of which were in the New Testament.³

Naturally, I became curious as to why this was and found it comes down to the translation of the Greek word transliterated “Pistos.”  It turns out this word is also translated as “believe 2x, believer(s) 9x, believing 1x, faithful 44x, faithful one 1x, faithfully 1x, sure 1x, trustworthy 1x, who believe 1x.⁴  So, mostly, the word trustworthy is normally translated as “faithful.”  Now this was getting good because we know that God is faithful.  Faithfulness is one of the fruits of the Spirit (who is God).  I looked up the word for faithfulness in Galatians 5:22 and found it is derived from the same Greek root as Pistos.  Faithfulness (Greek Pistis) is the common word for faith and “conveys the idea of a person who is faithful, reliable, loyal, and steadfast.  It pictures a person who is devoted, trustworthy, dependable, dedicated, constant and unwavering.”⁵

Let’s look at a few of these passages with Pistos in them and think about inserting trustworthy, dependable, dedicated, and unwavering.

1 Thess 5:23-24 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The one who calls you is faithful [trustworthy, dependable, dedicated, and unwavering] and he will do it.

2 Tim 2:13 if we are faithless, he will remain faithful [trustworthy, dependable, dedicated, and unwavering], for he cannot disown himself

1 Cor 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  And God is faithful [trustworthy, dependable, dedicated, and unwavering]; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful [trustworthy, dependable, dedicated, and unwavering] and just and will forgive our sins an purify us from all unrighteousness

1 Peter 4:19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful [trustworthy, dependable, dedicated, and unwavering] Creator and continue to do good.

Notice that it is God working in us to accomplish His will.  No matter what He with be faithful, dependable, dedicated, and unwavering.  He we help us through resisting temptation.  He will perfectly dependably forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  Even in the middle of our suffering, we can trust His worthiness and continue to do good.  He will be our provision.  He will be our security. He will be our shelter.  He will be our dwelling place.  He will be our peace.  He will bring us rest.  He will discipline us when need be.  He will love us always.  Our job is to trust in His trustworthiness—to have faith in His faithfulness—to eagerly expect—to confidently rely upon—to await with anticipation—to hope with assurance—to believe with bold trust.

Heb 10:23 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful [trustworthy, dependable, dedicated, and unwavering].

Oh good and gracious Father, help us in our times of need and especially times of plenty, to look to you and remember you are trustworthy.  Help us to depend on you and not our jobs, homes, and things we possess for identity, safety, comfort, and provision.  Help us to understand your trustworthiness.  We choose to trust in your faithfulness—to put our confidence and expectation, our reliance and dependence on you.  Be our peace.  Be our dwelling place.  Be our identity.  Be our shelter.  Be our good shepherd.  Be our Father.  We rest in your trustworthiness.  We find peace in your faithfulness.  WE TRUST YOU.  Amen!

Footnotes

¹ "trustworthy." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 13 Jan. 2011. <Dictionary.com\ http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/trustworthy>.

² Neufeldt, Victoria, and David Bernard Guralnik. "Trust." Webster's New World Dictionary of American English. Cleveland: Webster's New World, 1988. 1436. Print.

³ http://www.biblestudytools.com/search/?q=trustworthy&c=nt&t=niv&ps=10&s=Bibles

⁴ http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/pistos.html

⁵ Renner, Rick. "Goodness and Faith." Sparkling Gems from the Greek: 365 Greek Word Studies for Every Day of the Year to Sharpen Your Understanding of God's Word. Tulsa, OK: Teach All Nations, 2003. 537. Print.

References

All Scriptures not specified are quoted from Life in the Spirit Study Bible (NIV). Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Print.