Have This Mind.

Philippians 2

Do nothing from selfishness of empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. - Vs 3-4

Maybe it's an ego problem, but I keep wanting to read Paul's letters as if they were written to me alone. Like he was my best friend writing to encourage me while I was away at camp. So I tend to read them from a self-centered perspective and forget the fact that he was writing to a group of people who were probably hearing his letter read out loud to them as they met together for fellowship. If I read chapter two with that group context in mind, it changes the message for me. It reminds me of Paul's obsession with living out the power of the gospel in the context of community.

In verse 2 he tells them to make his joy complete by "being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose." Listen to that same verse from the New Living Translation: "Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart and purpose." Paul's joy was focused on the believers in Philippi having a unity of heart and purpose motivated by a genuine love for one another. Paul wasn't interested in raising up individual believers with their own personal agendas and spiritual growth plans. He wanted to see a local body of believers who were living out their faith in loving community. It is as if Paul was saying, "You want to make me happy? Then get along!" It's the same thing I say to my kids whenever they ask me what I want for Christmas or my birthday. I always say the same thing. "I just want me kids to love one another." They always roll their eyes and say, "Come on Dad, be serious. What do you really want?" But what they don't understand is that is exactly what I want. Their love for one another is my greatest desire. Paul felt the same way. And he knew what was the greatest roadblock to this kind of community. He names it in verses 3-4.

Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.

Selfishness. Self-centeredness. Individualism. Pride. Wanting things your own way. Having your own personal agenda and demanding that everyone else follow it. Thinking of yourself as more important than anyone else around you. Paul knew all it would take is one person with this kind of attitude to destroy any sense of community in the body of believers at Philippi. There was no room for selfishness or self-centeredness. No one had the right to consider himself or herself better or more important than anyone else. In fact, they weren't to consider themselves at all. Instead, they were to have an attitude of humility. Some say that humility is thinking less of yourself. No, humility is not thinking of yourself at all. It is not a belittling of yourself or lowering your estimation of your own self worth. To do those things you would have to spend precious time thinking about yourself. Paul seems to be saying, stop thinking about yourself so much and start thinking about others. The truth is, we think way too much about ourselves and of ourselves. It's a "the-world-revolves-around-me" mentality that is a cancer that will destroy and sense of community, whether in a family, a small group, a Bible study, or a local body of believers.

So Paul says, "have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus." In other words, he is saying they should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had. And so should we. An attitude of humility, selflessness, sacrifice, servanthood, and love that puts self so far in the background that it is willing to see self die in order to put the needs of others first.

Paul goes on to say, "work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Vs 12-13). Paul is talking to the "beloved" – the body. He seems to be addressing the group, not the individual. God is at work among them. He wants them to individually and corporately to be extra careful to put into action God’s saving work in their lives. Why? So that they will be "blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach" (Vs 15). Their unity and love will make them stand out like bright shining lights in the midst of a "crooked and perverse generation."

Isn't that what our world is dying to see? Our lives shining like a bright light in the darkness? But they won't see it if we are all living for ourselves, selfishly focusing on our own individual needs and concerns. When we live like that, we are no different than the world. God has called us to imitate His Son. To live lives of humility and self-sacrifice. To love others more than we love ourselves. To be willing to give rather than get. To serve rather than be served. To die to self and live for the sake of others. To be willing to be "poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service" of one another's faith (Vs 17). What a difference that kind of attitude would make in our churches, our homes, and in our community.

Father, you have called us to live in a way that is so foreign to our natural inclinations. My flesh doesn't want to die. I want to be the center of my own little world. But You are calling me to die daily. I know I don't have the power to do that in and of myself, but with the help of Your Holy Spirit, I can put that selfish, self-centered part of me to death and live for the sake of others. Show me how to do that even today. Amen

The Concept Of Community.

Philippians 1

Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. - Vs 27

I don't think I ever really noticed how many of Paul's admonitions in his letters were not for the individual believers, but for the body – the community of believers. Somehow, in Western Christianity, we have turned all of this into a solo-sport. It is all about my walk, my relationship with Christ, my quiet time, my sanctification. And while there is not doubt that there is an individualized aspect to spiritual growth, God intended it to take place in the context of community. I cannot and should not to grow alone or in isolation. I should not attempt to live my life in Christ alone.

In fact, my disconnectedness and individualism can actually harm or prevent the kind of community God intended and Paul encourages. Listen to what Paul says. "Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." This is a team endeavor. It is our living out our lives together, in community, that truly reveals the power of the gospel among us and the to the world around us. The fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5 are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, fruitfulness, gentleness, and self control. Every one of these is meant to be lived out in community. How else will we know if we have them? I can't exhibit love if there is no one to love. I can't show kindness without having someone to receive it. I can't practice self-control if there is no one to put it to the test. All of these fruits are for the benefit of others, not me.

Paul is concerned about their mutual or shared conduct. It is the body of Christ for which he is concerned. He wants them to stand firm in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel. He knows that our ability to love one another in the power of the Spirit is what will attract a lost and dying world to the gospel. It is the unity we exhibit, in spite of all our differences and flaws, that marks us as Children of God. "Spirit formation is a very public, corporate exercise. Unlike diet or and exercise program, God's program for getting us into spiritual shape requires our working out alongside others" (Darrell Bock, New Testament Community and Spiritual Formation). Community. It's an over-used, misunderstood word today. I live in a "community," but I barely know my neighbors. I can join a "community" group, (small group) and never really get to know the other members beyond a shallow, surface lever. I can become part of a "community" of believers and live out my life in isolation and hiddenness, refusing to open up, reach out, join in, lift up, and grow up together. Instead, we tend to cover up, and attempt to live out our faith refusing to let anyone really get to know the real us. But that's NOT biblical community. What Paul describes is so much more and so much more fulfilling. It is doing life together with other believers – sharing, caring, failing, falling, loving, lifting, rejoicing, crying, and growing more like Christ together.

Father, may I really learn to love true, blblical community. Forgive me for my stubborn isolation and independence. For wanting to live my Christian life on my own and for me alone. Thank You for the body – Your body. May I learn to love it and see myself as an integral part of it. Amen

Steady and Srong to the End.

2 Thessalonians 3

May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ. - Vs 5

Once again, we get a glimpse into Paul's heart through his prayers. This verse could be viewed as little more than a blessing, but based on what we know of Paul's prayer life, there can be little doubt that he not only expressed this desire to the Thessalonians in words, he lifted it up to God in the form of an ongoing request on their behalf.

What was he asking? That God would continue to open their eyes to His unmerited, unlimited, unfailing love for them, so that it could become the motivating force in their lives – the impetus behind all that they did. This is the love of God that "has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was give to us" (Romans 5:5). It is "the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" from which nothing "will be able to separate us" – including our own actions (Romans 8:39). It is "His great love with which He has loved us" (Ephesians 2:4). Paul is asking God to keep their hearts focused on, centered around, and motivated by God's love for them. Think about it. God loves you! The all-powerful, all-knowing, creator and sustainer of the universe loves you. And He loves me! Ann Lamott wrote, "The secret is that God loves us exactly the way we are and that He loves us too much to let us stay like this, and I'm just trying to trust that."

Julian of Norwich hits a nerve when she writes, "Some of us believe that God is almighty and can do everything; and that he is all-wise and may do everything; but that he is all-love and will do everything – there we draw back. As I see it, this ignorance is the greatest of all hindrances to God's lovers."

Do you really understand and feel loved by God? Regardless of how you measure up? You see, most of us believe His love is conditional, based somehow on our performance. He falls in and out of love with us to the degree that we fail to obey or live up to His standards. That is anything but biblical. It is a lie of the enemy that goes all the way back to Eden. If we could ever grasp the reality of God's love for us, it would change the way we love Him and others. We would want to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as much as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37). We would want to love one another to the same degree and in the same manner we ourselves have been loved and are being loved by God – selflessly, sacrificially, non-judgmentally, completely, constantly – just out of gratitude for the way in which we have been loved (John 13:34-35).

The more we focus on and understand the love of God for us – and realize He has placed the same capacity to love within our hearts in the form of the Holy Spirit, the more love will flow from our own hearts towards others – including the unlovely people in our lives. But Paul expressed one more desire: That God would also direct our hearts into the steadfastness of Christ. Paul is speaking about endurance – the "grace to bear up under" – no matter what the cost. The steadfastness or endurance Paul wants God to focus our hearts on is the kind Jesus had. It's a "bravery of perseverance" in faith and in all good words even when everything seems to be against us. It's an endurance in the midst of tribulation (Romans 5:3-4), in the midst of suffering (2 Corinthians 1:6), in the midst of reproach (Romans 15:4-5), in the midst of persecution and distress (2 Corinthians 12:12), and in the midst of affliction (2 Corinthians 6:4). Jesus persevered. He didn't quit. He finished what he began. And so should we. So we should be motivated by the love of God and marked by the steadfastness of Christ. both are our models for life on this earth as God's children. They are the two things we need so that "we do not grow weary of doing good" (2 Thessalonians 3:13).

Father, direct my heart into Your love, so that I may understand it more and more, and be motivated by it more and more. So that I will love like I am loved. Show me the steadfastness of Christ. Let it be my example. He endured the cross. He despised the shame. All so that I might have eternal life. He did the will of His Father, against all odds. He was able to say, "it is finished." May I be able to do the same thing one day. Amen

The Process and the Presence.

2 Thessalonians 2

God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. - Vs 13-14

Paul reveals another one of his constant prayers for the church – his gratitude to God for His having chosen them for salvation. It is God who rescued them from the guilt, power, and punishment of sin and provided them with a new heart, a new inheritance, and a future free from sin and its affects. The salvation they received is the same one we have received. It is a gift from God – undeserved and unearned. And it becomes our possession through the work of the Holy Spirit through sanctification.

Paul gives a glimpse into this process called sanctification. It begins at the point at which God chooses us. He chose us even while we were still in our sins (Romans 5:8). but because of what Christ has done on the cross, God sees us as righteous. When He looks at us, He sees us covered and cleansed by the blood of Jesus. We are positionally holy. But we still have a sin nature and live in a world filled with sinful people. The enemy is out to destroy us and to tempt us to live according to our old nature and not in keeping with the new nature we have in Christ. So God begins this process of internal transformation – called sanctification – through which the Holy spirit makes our external behavior and internal motivation (heart) take on the character of who we are in Christ. We become increasingly more like Christ in our character and conduct – living out our new identity as sons and daughters of God. This sanctification process is a life-long one and it is what the Holy Spirit is doing inside each of us as believers. But Paul says we have a role to play as well. It involves our "faith in the truth." This is our active consent to the truth about Jesus and His redemptive work as revealed in the Scriptures. In other words, we must believe that what the Bible says about who we are in Christ and about what He is doing in our lives through the Spirit. Our salvation is through the sanctification process and accompanied by an active, vibrant faith that believes in and obeys God's Word concerning our new life in Christ.

Paul says it was for this He called us…that we might gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that Paul doesn't say that God chose us for salvation and then stop there. He clearly states that it is a salvation that is marked by the process of sanctification and the presence of faith. That is God's plan. His salvation is NOT just a ticket to heaven, a get-out-of-jail-free card that keeps us out of hell and guarantees us a place in heaven. No, God expects our salvation to be accompanied by change, here and now. He has called us so that He might progressively change us into the likeness of His Son – NOW! That's why He gave us His Spirit. That's why He gave us His Word. That's why he left us and didn't take us to with Him at the moment He called us. We are being transformed into the same image (Christ's) from one degree of His glory to another (1 Corinthians 3:18). We are works in process. We are being conformed into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). And one day we will be like Him (Philippians 3:20-21).

Father, thank Youfor choosing me. I am blown away by the fact that You chose me in spite of me. I didn't deserve it. Yet You sent Your Son to die for me. You had Your Spirit open my eyes so that I could understand the value of the gift being offered to me. And based on my minimal faith exhibited in my acceptance of that gift, you placed me in Your family and called me Your son! Now You are transforming me into the very likeness of Your Son Jesus Christ. You have given me His nature and are now allowing it to become who I am in everyday life. Thank You. Amen

Living Worthy Of Our Calling.

2 Thessalonians 1

To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power; so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." - Vs 11-12

f you ever want to know how you should pray for the body of Christ and for other believers, just take note of the prayers of Paul. His prayers for the believers under his care are a window into his heart and an indication of his clear understanding of what it is we need to survive and thrive in this world. Here he does not ask God to remove the "persecutions and afflictions" (Vs 4) the Thessalonians were enduring. In fact, he tells them their relief will come "when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire" (Vs 7). No, Paul doesn't try to pray their pain and suffering away – he prays that God will "fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power (Vs 11).

Paul prays that God will count them worthy of their calling. This has nothing to do with earning their way into heaven, but it has everything to do with the effort they put into living lives that reflect their calling. Paul is praying that they may live and act as ones who have been called by God. In fact, Paul commends them for doing so when he says that their perseverance and faith in the midst of suffering and persecution is a clear indication of God's righteous judgment. The very fact that God rewards His children with the strength to endure is proof positive of their calling and His righteousness. They are living worthy of His calling of them because He has given them the strength to do so.

Paul goes on to describe what a life lived worthy of its calling will look like. It will "fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power" (Vs 11). Paul seems to be saying that every desire or determination prompted by goodness (a fruit of the Spirit) and every faith-inspired work will not be left unfulfilled or unfinished. He is praying that God will accomplish this by His power – the power of His grace working in them. He is praying for their continuing and increasing sanctification.

So why does Paul pray in this way? So that the name of the Lord Jesus might be glorified through their lives. Jesus' work in their hearts reflects glory on Him. When we live worthy of our calling, the name of Jesus is glorified because it is proof that He is who He said He was and accomplished what He said He would do. Our lives can and should bring glory to Jesus. They should be exhibitions of His life-changing, grace-filled power to redeem, renew, and reclaim that which was lost. Paul is praying that we, as believers, should see our every resolve, motivated by the goodness within us, be completely fulfilled or come to fruition. He prays that every deed that is done in faith be completed. Because those two things are worthy of our calling as children of God. They glorify the name of Jesus on this earth and we see His name glorified in our own lives! We see His power exhibited in our daily lives and we grow even stronger in faith and righteousness.

Father, may my life more increasingly reflect the worthiness of Your having called me. May my desires, motivated by goodness, be fulfilled. May my deeds, motivated by faith, be accomplished. So that Your Son might be glorified in my life on this earth. Amen

Faith. Hope. Love.

1 Thessalonians 5

Those three words are our antidote for surviving in the midst of a sin-filled culture where the darkness of moral depravity surrounds us. We are sons of light and sons of the day, yet the world we live in loves the darkness. Jesus Himself was "the Light of men" (John 1:4) and He came to shine in the midst of the darkness, but "the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:5). Jesus would later tell His disciples, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life" (John 8:12). Jesus also warned His disciples that, "for a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light; so that the darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light" (John 12:35-36).

Paul reminds us that we are sons of Light. So we are to be alert, awake, sober, and diligent – living our lives in the light as sons of Light. And how do we do that? Faith, love, and hope. Paul says that we are to equip ourselves with a breastplate made up of faith and love. Those two qualities are like iron and ore that when heated in the furnace of life produces an alloy of incredible strength and durability. You cannot have one without the other. Love that is not based on and mixed with a faith in the grace-filled love of God is merely human sentimentality that will prove insufficient when put to the test. Faith that is not accompanied by and expressed in love for God and others is nothing more than a mental assent to the reality of God, but without any real expression in our lives. Paul warned that " if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:2). My faith must be expressed in love. My love must be grounded in faith.

But if I want to truly survive as a son of Light in a dark world, I must have hope. But not just any hope. It must be the hope of salvation – that what God began at my conversion, He will complete. Paul says, "for God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (Vs 9). Salvation is out destiny. It isn't a past event, but a future reality. Yes, I was saved, but I am being saved every day. And I will one day be saved when God calls me home or His Son returns. My hope is in the certainty of my future salvation – when I will obtain or gain possession of my salvation in its final form. Hope is what protects my mind from despair, disappointment, thoughts of defeat, or the temptation to give up. That is why Paul refers to it as a helmet. It is what surrounds my mind and protects it from the blows of the enemy that attempt to destroy and incapacitate us.

Faith, love, and hope. They are essential for life in this world. They are the qualities of the sons of Light. They prepare us for the battle in which we find ourselves. Paul describes them as military armor. We wear them because we know we are at war and cannot survive without them. They protect us and preserve us. So we should never leave home without them.

Father, may my life be increasingly more characterized by faith, love and hope. All centered and based on the cross of Christ – the greatest expression of all three. Amen

Progressive, Aggressive Sanctification.

1 Thessalonians 4

…that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. – Vs 1

The NET Bible translates the last part of this verse as "that you do so more and more." Paul uses this phrase twice in this chapter. Here in association with the manner in which they walk or live their faith out on a daily basis. They are to excel still more -- they are to live lives that please God and to do so more and more. The commands of Christ and their obeying of them are to be increasingly more a part of their lives. Why? Because God's will - His desire or purpose for their lives - is holiness that is becoming increasingly deeper, greater, more pervasive, and influential over their day-to-day lives.

And Paul is speaking to us as well. He gives us practical, everyday examples of what this progressive, aggressive sanctification or growth in holiness should look like. He says it should impact the morality of our lives, especially sexual morality. As we increase in holiness, our desire to live sexually immoral lives should decrease. My holiness should impact how I use my body, including my eyes, hands, and mind. Because God did not call me to lives a life of impurity, but holiness.

Paul says that as we excel still more we will love more. Both our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as those who are outside the family of God – our lost neighbors, friends, coworkers, and all those with whom we share this planet. Paul gets really practical when he says, "we urge you … to aspire to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and tow work with your hands" (Vs 11). It seems according to 2 Thessalonians 3:11-12, that there were some who were not doing this. Paul says this kind of practical, progressive holiness will show those outside of Christ what it means to live a decent, quiet, godly life. One that is characterized by diligence, faithfulness, and responsibility. As we increase in holiness we don't become "other worldly" but instead we show what kind of life mankind was meant to live prior to the introduction of sinn and the effects of the fall.

Excel still more! Do so more and more. So how are we doing? Is our holiness increasing? Paul is not saying we need to get more holiness. Because in Christ, we have been made holy. We were set apart by God as holy at salvation. But we are to increasingly live out who we already are in our daily lives. It is to become increasingly more apparent that we are indeed holy by the way we act, react, think, talk, walk, live, and relate to others. Not in our own strength, but through the Word of God and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. I can live an increasingly more holy life because I am a holy person possessing the presence and power of God. Holiness is in my new DNA. It is my nature. It is who I am!

Father, I want to excel still more in my holiness. I want to live out of who I am – according to my new identity in Christ – not my old sinful nature. I am not just a "new and improved" me, but a whole new creation in Christ with a brand new nature – the nature of Christ Himself living in me. My heart is new because Christ is there. I live under new management with a new power available to me I didn't have before. I live by faith in the Son of God. According to His power, not mine. Living His life, not mine. Help me to live a life of personal integrity, grace, and courage – more and more everyday of my life.  Amen

Faith In Action.

1 Thessalonians 3

We were comforted about you through your faith; for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord. – Vs 7-8

Paul is obsessed about the condition of their faith. In fact, he mentions it five different times in this chapter. He says he Timothy "to strengthen and encourage" them in their faith. He was anxious to "find out about" their faith, because he feared that Satan might have tempted them to fall away. He rejoiced over the "good news" of their faith and love brought to him by Timothy. Even in his trials and sufferings Paul found comfort through the news of the ongoing faith. They had stood firm. But Paul continued to pray "night and day" that he could see them again and "complete what is lacking" in their faith. Their faith was more than simply a belief in Jesus and His death, burial and resurrection. It was a living, active faith that continued to express itself in the face of persecution, trials, the attacks of the enemy, and sufferings of all kinds. Faith is dynamic, not static. Their faith was being tested and Paul acknowledges that it had deficiencies. It was not complete or finished. It never is this side of heaven. Paul even expresses his desire that their faith "increase" in verse 12. In verse 10, he says that their faith was lacking, but then he says, "may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all people." The increase refers to their faith. Paul is asking that the Lord Himself cause this to happen so that their faith would grow and be accompanied by a tangible love for one another.

Our faith should be increasing daily. And one of the ways God causes this to happen is through the "heat" of everyday life. People, circumstances, and situations all test our faith. Paul knew that their faith, if weak, would let them down and cause them to give in to the temptation to respond in their flesh instead of faith. They could be tempted to get angry, give up, grow weary, take matters into their own hands, doubt God, and start believing the enemy. But Paul says that they stood firm (Vs 8). They didn't cave in. They grew up in their faith. They grew stronger. Faith tested results in a stronger faith, because it proves the reliability and trustworthiness of God.

It is less a revealing to God of the quality of our faith than it is a revelation to us of the dependability and power of our God. It is the object of our faith that gets proven, not the quality or quantity of our faith. But as we learn to trust Him (faith in action), our faith grows. So let's thank Him for the opportunities masquerading as trials that will show us just how great a God we serve!

Father, thank You for increasing my faith daily by bringing into my life situations, circumstances, and people that test just how much I am leaning on You, how much I trust You, and how dependent I am in Your strength versus mine. Thank You that You regularly prove your faithfulness to me. You have never given me a reason to doubt You.  Amen

Where's Your Joy and Glory?

1 Thessalonians 2

For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy. – Vs 19-20

Over in 2 Corinthians 10:17, Paul said, "But, let him who boasts boast in the Lord." In 2 Corinthians 11:30 he said, If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness." In 1 Corinthians 1:31, he said, Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." But now, as he writes to the Thessalonians believers, he talks about receiving a "crown of boasting." Sounds like a disconnect, doesn't it? Paul seems to be saying that he is going to be able to boast about the people he has led to the Lord at His second coming. He refers to the Thessalonians believers as his crown of boasting or exultation. In the NET Bible study notes it says, "Paul uses boasting or exultation to describe the Christian’s delight in being commended for faithful service by the Lord at his return." Paul specifically refers to the role he has been able to play in their coming to faith in Christ. Being able to stand before the Lord and see those whom Paul has helped introduce to Christ was what was bringing him joy and giving him hope right now! He had his eyes on the future and decided any hardship or suffering he had to go through in order to take the gospel to the Gentiles was well worth it because one day he was going to get to stand before the Lord and see all those who came to Christ because of his faithful service.

What about me? What drives me to teach the Word of God day after day? What motivates me to tell others about Jesus and potentially face rejection or even ridicule? Is it the hope I have in that future day? Is it the joy I feel in knowing that I am playing a small part in their spiritual new birth and growth? Even in the face of Satanic opposition, Paul wanted to see the Thessalonians again, so that he could be a part of their lives. He was willing to suffer so that they could grow in their faith. It brought him joy. In fact, Paul tells them, "you are our glory and joy." They make him proud, like a father watching his child walk across the stage at graduation. They bring him joy, like the joy of a parent at their child's wedding day. For Paul, playing a role in the spiritual lives of others was everything. It was why he existed. It was what he lived for. It was his purpose for life. And when he was in the middle of doing it, he was in his sweet spot.

Shouldn't that be true of you and me? Isn't that why we are here? Yet we spend so much time finding our glory and joy in other things. But God has given us the same job as He had given Paul. Paul puts it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:18: "And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him." That is our job. That is our commission as believers. To bring others back into favor with God. To help them restore the relationship that has been lost because of sin. We do that by introducing them to Christ. And when we do, like Paul, we will discover it to be our greatest joy and delight. And nothing will motivate us more than thinking about standing before Jesus some day and seeing the faces of those who have come to know Christ through our efforts standing there with us! Now that's motivation.

Father, forgive me for letting other things, the things of this earth, to become my joy and glory. They are worthless and valueless. They will not even be around when I stand before Your Son. But people will be. They are the only thing that lasts. So help me see that doing my part in the ministry of reconciliation is the reason for my existence. It is why I am here. May I daily discover the joy of helping others come to Christ and grow in Him. Amen

Where's Your Hope?

1 Thessalonians 1

For they themselves report … how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God. – Vs 9

What's the report on me? What would people who know me have to say about me if they were asked about my faith in Christ? I'm talking about the people I work with, live with, rub shoulders with in everyday life. Would they be able to report that there has been a change? Would they testify that they had seen a marked change in my behavior, my words, my lifestyle?

As Paul begins his letter to the believers in Thessalonica, he commends them for their faith. He tells them that he is constantly praying for them and thinking about their "work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ" (Vs 3). He says they became "imitators of us and of the Lord" (Vs 6) and "an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia" (Vs 7). These people had undergone a dramatic change. These were converts from pagan religions. They were Gentiles who had walked away from their faith in false gods and turned to the one true God. They exchanged lifeless gods for a living God. And it had made a dramatic change in the way they lived their lives.

So what are the dead idols in my life? They tend to be those things I worship or find worth in that can't deliver what I want from them. Things like success, money, material things, recognition, popularity, and entertainment. All the things this world offers up on an everyday basis. All I have to do to find the idols in my life is see where I spend my money and my time. They are the things in my life that I wake up worrying about or that I find myself thinking about. They occupy my time and invade my thoughts. I fear losing them or dream of attaining them. I desire them and pursue them. I expect of them what only God can deliver.

And that is what makes them false gods. They can't deliver. They're not real, so they can't bring real satisfaction. They are lousy replacements for the one true God. So the Thessalonians "turned to God." They literally turned around and changed their direction from pursuing false gods to God Himself. And the people around them could see it. So what if we began to turn from all those things we still worship in our lives? What if we began to turn to God and away from our obsession with material things? What if we looked to Him for our satisfaction and sense of identity instead of in our career, the size of our home, the make and model of our automobile, or the size of our bank account? What if we began to find time in the Word more entertaining and satisfying than the mindless trash on TV? What if we began to turn from all those things that we hold so near and dear and can't seem to live without and began to understand that our hope is in Jesus and Him alone?

I think the world would sit up and take notice. They would report that there has been a change in us. They would see it in our actions and in our affections. We would truly be imitators of the Lord (Vs 6) making it our highest priority to pursue the things of His kingdom first and making the attainment of His righteousness more important than anything else in our lives (Matthew 6:33). And that kind of living is hard to ignore. So let's do it. Let's turn from the lifeless, little gods of this world and turn to the living, true God and make Him our sole object of adoration and attention. When we're down, let's turn to Him instead of some temporary form of entertainment. When we're feeling unloved or under appreciated, instead of trying to boost our self-esteem with another purchase, let's remember that we are loved by the God of the universe. When we're worried about our finances, let's turn to God before we turn to the bank or some other lending source. They may help with your fiscal situation, but only God can help with your spiritual one.

They themselves report…. What will they report about us?

Father, I want the report about me to be a good one. I want those around me to see You in me. I want them to report that I daily turn from the gods of this world to the one true God. That I am not looking for the false gods of money, materialism, popularity, and prosperity to satisfy my needs and desires. Instead I am turning away from those things and turning to You. I want You to be my greatest desire and the object of my time and attention. Amen

The Law of Christ.

Galatians 6

Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the Law of Christ. – Vs 2

We are an individualized society. Every man for himself. Pull yourself by your own bootstraps. Maintain your independence. And this attitude has infiltrated the church. Even when it comes to our spiritual walk, we take an individualized approach. It's all about MY walk with Christ. We ask each other, "So, how's YOUR quiet time." You can hear it the kinds of phrases we use, such as, "I have a PERSONAL relationship with Jesus." If Christianity was a sport, spirituality would be a singles event. Now, there's a certain degree of truth to all of this. We DO have a personal relationship with Christ. But God never intended for us to live out our faith in isolation. He placed in the context of community. He created the family and the body of Christ. He left us in this world. We are surrounded by people and He expects us to grow alongside them and with them. The testing ground of our spiritual maturity is community.

Paul seems to share this view, when he tells us to "bear one another's burdens." Paul paints a picture of someone who is weighed down by an oppressive load. The Greek word means "a heaviness, weight, or burden." This individual is staggering under the weight of a load that they don't have the strength to carry. This isn't talking about a physical burden, but it could be an emotional one, or financial, relational, or spiritual. The inference seems to be that we all have some load that we are carrying that is too much for us. No one is immune. And the answer is not to suffer in silence, to go it alone. No, Paul says we are to step into one another's lives and help. But that also means we have to let someone else help us. We have to let them assist us. And most of us find that hard to do.

Paul tells each of us bear the burdens of the one next to us. We are to literally "take up with the hands, take up in order to carry or bear, put upon one's self, or bear what is burdensome." We are to step into their lives and give them a helping hand with whatever it is that they are struggling. That means we have to be close enough to the other person to see their problem. We have to be sensitive so that we can be alert to their need. If we are self-absorbed and self-consumed, we will never notice the needs all around us. But if we will look up and take our eyes off our own little world. we will see that their are brothers and sisters staggering around with all kinds of loads and who, if not helped, will fall under its weight. Listen to what Paul says in Romans:

Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. – Romans 1:1-2

There it is again. We are to bear the weaknesses of those without strength. Instead of always pleasing ourselves, we are to please others. The New Living Translation says it this way, "We should please others. If we do what helps them, we will build them up in the Lord." We are to accommodate ourselves to their needs, and not our own. Paul gives further insight into the mindset in his letter to the Thessalonians:

Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. – 1 Thessalonians 5:14

Fulfill the law of Christ

Paul says when we bear one another's burdens we are fulfilling the law of Christ. We are doing what He commanded us to do. In John 13:34, Jesus said, A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." We are to love as Christ loved. Bearing one another's burdens is one of the greatest examples of the love of Christ lived out on this earth. It is not normal or natural for us to do this. We'd rather get than give. But Jesus says to give to, share with, care for, encourage, and love one another. That takes community. Seeing the burdens of others takes proximity. But it also requires sensitivity. You can't bear if you don't care. You'll walk right past those in need if you don't care about their hurts, sorrows, and sufferings. This will take time. It will require sacrifice. It may get messy. You may find yourself tired from the effort of helping someone else carry their burden. But you'll also find yourself blessed. And you'll discover that as you're helping someone else carry their load, your own load has become a little bit lighter. Why? Because there is someone walking behind you with their hands holding up the burden on your own back. That's the way the body of Christ is supposed to work.

Father, give me a burden to help others carry their burden. Make me a load-bearer, a burden lifter. Help me get my eyes off my own little problems, and begin to see the needs of those around me. May we become a people of grace, who extend the love of God to all those around us as we step into their lives and help them bear the burdens of life. May we love in just the same way that we have been loved. Amen

The Spirit-Filled Life.

Galatians 5

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. – Vs 25

The Spirit-filled life. We talk a lot about it, but how much do any of us ever really experience it? Sure, I believe in the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit as much as the next guy, but when Paul says things like, "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry the desire of the flesh" (Vs 16), I have to ask myself the question, "Am I really experiencing that on a daily and regular basis?" Am I seeing the fruit of the Spirit listed in verses 22-23 manifest itself in my life on an ever-increasing basis? Am I being "led by the Spirit" (Vs 18)?

These are all legitimate questions that each of us as Christians need to ask ourselves. Because the role of the Spirit in our lives is critical to our ongoing sanctification or growth in holiness. Having Christ formed in me is impossible without the Holy Spirit. So Paul tells us to "walk by the Spirit" and to "live by the Spirit." In verse 16 Paul uses a Greek word that literally means to live your life or conduct your life. The Message paraphrases verse 16 this way: "Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit." We are to "take each step of the Christian life in dependence on the Spirit to have victory over the flesh and its works" (Ryrie Study Bible notes). So when Paul says, "walk by the Spirit," he seems to be talking about our conduct or actions being motivated and directed by the indwelling Spirit of God.

In verse 25, Paul uses a different Greek word when he says, "live by the Spirit." It has to do with life and less with conduct. Paul seems to be saying that we have our new life in Christ because of the Spirit, so we should conduct or live out that life in the power of the Spirit and not our human flesh. It all goes back to the issue of salvation by faith and sanctification by faith. I can't save myself and I can't perfect myself. Both are a work of the Holy Spirit. So all those fruits Paul mentions are only available through, by, and from the Holy Spirit. As I live or conduct my life in dependence upon Him, I will see His fruit produced in my life. In verse 18 Paul says we are to be "led by the Spirit." The picture is of an owner leading its livestock in order to get it to go where he wants it to go. It means "to lead by laying hold of, and this way to bring to the point of destination." The Holy Spirit is literally taking me by the hand and guiding and encouraging me to reach the final destination He has for me: Christ-likeness.

If you look at the list in verses 22-23, they are all other-oriented. This fruit is not for me, but for others. The presence of the Holy Spirit in my life and my submission to Him will reveal itself in the way I live with and treat others. In verse 14, Paul reminds his readers of the fact that the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." And as we live out our lives in the power and under the direction of the Holy Spirit, we will show our neighbors love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, fruitfulness, gentleness and self-control. They will not only see these things in our lives, but experience and enjoy them in their own lives.

We wouldn't be here if it weren't for the Holy Spirit. And we won't ever reach our final destination (Christ-likeness) without the Holy Spirit. No amount of human effort or energy will accomplish what only He can do in us. So let's let Him live out of us, not just in us. Let's rely on His power, not ours. Let's follow His leadership, not our own. Let's follow His path to our final destination instead of our own.

Father, Thank You for placing Your Holy Spirit within me. Forgive me for not allowing Him to lead me. I tend to lean on my own strength to make it through life and handle the challenges that come my way. I know where you want me to go in terms of spiritual maturity. But I try to get their own my own strength and according to my own directions. But it never works. Help me to lean on Your Holy Spirit and follow His plan, not mine. Only You can make me increasingly more like Your Son, and that is my desire. I want the fruit of the Holy Spirit's presence in my life to become evident in my life, so that I might love those around me as Christ did. Amen

Deified DNA.

Galatians 4

My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you. – Vs 19

I've always found this interesting. Here is Paul, a hard-nosed, type-A personality, the preeminent apostle of the church of God, a guy who had been stoned and left for dead, flogged, shipwrecked, and persecuted, comparing himself to a mother about to give birth. Not exactly something you'd expect from a guy like Paul. But what is he saying? What's his point?

Paul is obsessed with the spiritual development of the believers in Galatia. He wants to see Christ formed in them. That is, he is passionate about seeing them develop and live outChrist’s nature or character in their daily lives. That is what spiritual formation is all about. It isn't about more Bible knowledge. Sure, we need to study God's Word, but for the purpose of discovering more about Him and His Son Jesus Christ. We are to learn more about Him so that we can become like Him. spiritual formation isn't about activity, no matter how spiritual that activity may appear. It's about Christ being formed or fashioned in you, like a baby being formed in the womb of its mother. His character is growing within you, maturing and becoming increasingly more distinct day after day.

Spiritual formation was an ongoing theme for Paul. Take a look at just a few of the passages that reflect his commitment to spiritual growth and increasing in our Christ-likeness.

And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more. – 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)

For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. – Romans 8:29

…until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ. – Ephesians 4:13 (NIV)

Paul's heart was to see heart transformation take place in the lives of those to whom he ministered day in and day out. He wanted them to embrace the reality that they were new creatures. They had new identities. They were children of God. Heirs of God according to Galatians 4:7. He wanted them live out of the reality of who they really were in Christ – a people who had been changed, not being changed. We have Christ's nature within us. Now it is being formed or fashioned so that it grows into full maturity. We are not sinners trying to become saints. We are saints who happen to sin. We have a new DNA, a new nature. And Paul wants to see that new nature become increasingly more apparent in our lives. We won't be completely like Christ in this life. But we should be making progress as the Christ-nature within us grows and matures. Then one day, we are told, we will be like Him. We will be glorified and completely sanctified, with a nature just like His.

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. – 1 John 3:2

The day is coming when we will have resurrected bodies, just like His. We will be completely pure, just like He is. We will be sinless, just like He is. And we will be completely and entirely righteous, just as He is. But until that day, Christ's nature is growing inside us and being revealed with us. Do you see it? Better yet, do those around you see it?

Father, Thank You for giving me a new nature. I have Christ living within me. I am not the old Ken I used to be. I'm not even a new and improved version of the old me. I am a new creation! I have a new nature, the nature of Christ. And You are maturing that nature within me. May His nature become increasingly more evident in my life, especially to those around. Let them see Christ in me, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). Amen

A Work Of The Spirit.

Galatians 3

Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? – Vs 3

You may feel like I have a one-track mind, but I can't help but notice that Paul is driving home this works-righteousness issue again. He is hammering home to the Galatians that they can't allow what they began by faith to turn into some experiment in the power of human effort. It seems that these people were buying into the idea that if they could somehow keep the Law, along with their faith in Christ, they would be pleasing to God. They had bought into the lie that they could make themselves righteous just by keeping a set of rules. So Paul literally screams at them "Are you so foolish?" Have you lost your mind? What are you thinking? I like the way this verse reads in the New Living Translation: Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?"

They had started in the Spirit, but were trying to finish what God had begun in their own self-effort. But don't we do the same thing? We place our faith in Christ. We acknowledge that we can't save ourselves. We recognize that salvation is through faith alone in Christ alone. We add nothing to the equation. But then we somehow think that's where the grace ends and our effort begins. He saves us, but we have to sanctify ourselves. We have to discover the right set of rules to keep in order to become truly righteous. And there are always plenty of people ready and willing to tell us what the rules are. In Paul's day, it was the Judaizers. In our day, it's well-intentioned individuals who have failed to understand that our spiritual growth is a work of God, not man. So they come up with their own list of rules and regulations to keep. They decide what the actions and activities of a godly person look like and then lay those expectations on all those they meet. They even attempt to model this kind of life. They are busy for God. They work out their faith with fear and trembling. They have quiet times, pray a lot, serve even more, memorize scripture, go to Bible studies, and try to eliminate anything of a worldly nature from their lives. But in spite of all this, many of them lack joy and peace. They smile a lot and praise God in all things, but behind their mask of super spirituality is a person who feels they can't do enough to please God. So they work harder and do more. Why? Because they have been led to believe that spirituality is all about doing. It is behavior-based. And because they are stuck on this treadmill of human achievement, they invite others to join them, because they don't want to be alone.

But Paul reminds us, "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Vs 26). I don't have to earn sonship, I already have it. I don't have to do anything to merit God's favor, it's already mine. He LOVES me! Yet how easily we buy into the lie that God is somehow displeased with us and demanding more from us.

This distortion has kept us tied down, guilt-ridden, weary, lonely and isolated from each other. We've seen God as disgusted by our failures and have been left trying to somehow earn our way back into His favor. Most of us sadly came to believe that while we are justified through faith by grace, somehow we must mature and heal by some other means. We have become the "buck up" people. And though it hasn't worked, we didn't know another way. So, we've just learned to try harder. But the day of self-righteous, religious performing for cheap applause truly is coming to an end. It has brought us nothing but enhanced skils in hiding, proving, striving, posturing and bluffing. Many of us, all over the world, have grown desperately tired of it. - Two Roads, Two Rooms, Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol, and John Lynch

Have you lost your senses? Have you bought into the lie that more is required of you before God will love you? Do you think that God has left it up to you to become what He expects you to be? Is your spiritual maturity your responsibility? If so, then Paul's message is for you. You are trying to "become perfect by human effort." And the result of all that effort will always be disappointment and defeat. Because true spiritual transformation is a work of the Spirit, not the flesh. Only He can change us. And until we recognize that reality and begin to live in it, we will never enjoy the peace of knowing "that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6).

Father, keep reminding me that Your grace is enough. Forgive me for the times I begin to believe that it is all up to me. It shows up in all my busyness and self-effort. I somehow think that I have to do more. I have to work harder. And I fail to rest in the fact that you are perfecting me in spite of me. I know I have a part to play. I can't just sit back and do nothing. I know I need to read Your Word. I know prayer needs to become a more significant part of my life. But I also know that anything I do, apart from the power of Your Holy Spirit, will accomplish nothing. Bring me to my senses. Help me remember that You love me and that You are making me into the likeness of Your Son. Amen

The Grace To Change.

Galatians 2

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly. – Vs 21

I love the way this verse is translated in the New Living Translation: "I am not one of those who treats the grace of God as meaningless. For if we could be saved by keeping the law, then there was no need for Christ to die." The Message paraphrases it this way: I am not going to go back on that. Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily."

The grace of God versus the works of men. It is amazing how often this theme has come up already in our readings in the New Testament. It was a problem then, and it is a problem today. Somehow we want to take the grace of God and replace it with some form of human effort or achievement. In Paul's day it was the Judaizers (converted Jews) who wanted to force the Gentiles to be circumcised and keep all of the requirements of the Law before they could be considered saved. They were adding to the Gospel message. They were attaching a list of rules and requirement that must be met before someone could truly be saved. And Paul would have nothing to do with it. In fact, he calls Peter a hypocrite and condemned him to his face for siding with the Judaizers over this issue.

Paul makes it very clear:

Nevertheless, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified. – Vs 16

We cannot be justified or declared righteous before God based on any amount of good deeds or rule keeping we attempt to do. We cannot earn favor with God by working harder or doing more. We can't make Him love us more or make Him love us less. He simply loves us because of our relationship with His Son Jesus Christ. Yet how often do we try to earn favor with God by trying to do more for Him? By attempting to change our behavior? By working a little bit harder on our sin? We really have convinced ourselves that the following formula works:

Less bad behavior + More good behavior = Holiness

So we go through behavior modification, working on our sin and hoping to gain some kind of brownie points with God. But all that is just another form of works-righteousness. It is exactly what Paul was condemning in this chapter. Paul says that we have died to any form of law-keeping. "For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God" – Vs 19. Jesus' death on the cross paid the penalty for sin that the Law demanded. So Paul could stop trying to keep the Law as a means of winning God's acceptance. He was accepted by God because of Jesus. Case closed. Paul summarized his thoughts in verse 20:

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Listen to what the New Living Translation says: So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." I live my life on this earth, not having to trust in my own self-effort or on what I can do, but on what Jesus Christ has already done. And knowing that He loved me and gave His life for me. Sure, I still need to change. I need to grow. I need to cease from my sinful behavior. But I do it out of love for God and in recognition of His grace. I want my life to reflect who I have become in Christ: A child of God. So I choose to say no to sin. I choose to accept God's ongoing grace that gives me the power to change. I understand that I can no nothing on my own, but I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).

Father, Thank You for Your grace. Thank You that I do not have to change myself to gain favor with You. I don't have to change before You will love me. You chose to love me when I was still a sinner and now You continue to love me even when I am a saint who chooses to sin. You keep extending grace to me day after day, giving me the desire to change and providing the power for that change to take place. Forgive me when I fall back into my old habit of trying to change myself in my own strength. When I do it is as if I make what Jesus did on the cross as of no value. Help me to remember everyday of my life that I am who I am because of Christ and I will become who You want me to be because of Christ. And not because of me.  Amen

It's A Process.

Galatians 1

He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy. And they were glorifying God because of me. – Vs 23-24

Transformation. Isn't that what the gospel is all about? Being radically changed from the inside out. In two sentences Paul summarizes the change that took place in his life. He went from the persecuted to being the persecuted. He went from destroyer to disciple. This one time Pharisee on the ladder to success, was now a new man with a new heart. Yes, his change was more radical than many of ours. And it was more immediate. Or was it? Paul says it was well over three years. During this time he grew in the faith and was prepared by God for the task for which he was called. And all the while he was going through the transformation of his life and character, heart and soul, mind and spirit. The life of Paul is a perfect example of the verse in Romans 12:2.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

This passage was written by none other than Paul himself. And he spoke from experience. He had been and was still being transformed as he daily renewed his mind. As we read in 2 Peter, Paul was daily growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. That is how transformation takes place. Sure, Paul had been saved on the road to Damascus, but God was not done with him. That was just the beginning of a transformational process that would continue until the day God took Paul home to be with him. Transformation is a daily, ongoing process by which we are changed, step by step into the likeness of God's Son.

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. – 2 Corinthians 3:18

Paul was being transformed. Are you? Am I? And are people glorifying God because of us? Paul's transformation was more than just a story about life change. It was visible, undeniable, and in many ways, unbelievable to those who were witnessing it. Paul was a changed man. Not just on the outside, but on the inside. He had a new heart, a new nature, and they revealed themselves in a new passion: spreading the good news of Jesus Christ to the Gentile world. How is your transformation showing up in daily life? Can others see the change taking place in you? Is it radical? Is it impacting the way you talk, act, think, and live? When we allow God to continue His transformational work in our lives, transforming us into the image of His Son, with ever-increasing amounts of glory, others will sit up and take notice – and glorify God. They'll have to admit that the change is not man-made, but God-produced, and give Him the glory He deserves. I like the way The Message paraphrases Romans 12:2:

Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Fix your attention on God and you'll be changed from the inside out.

Father, Thank You for continuing Your transformational work in my life. Sometimes it seems painfully slow. Other times it seems as if nothing is happening at all. But You are faithful and You continue to work inside me to make me into the man You want me to be. The same power that saved me is slowly sanctifying me, making me more like Your Son every day. Help me keep my attention fixed on You, so that I might be changed from the inside out.  Amen

Grow In Grace.

2 Peter 3

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. – Vs 18

Keep on growing. Continue to increase. Make every effort to mature. That's the essence of what Peter says as he ends his letter. He has warned his readers about false teachers and their destructive heresies, about mockers who cast doubt on the Word of God, and about the need for believers to keep their eyes and hope focused on the return of the Lord. But he closes his letter with a charge, an admonition. That his readers will respond to all of this by continuing to grow or increase in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Grow in Grace

What does this mean? How do you "grow in grace?" First of all, we have to get our minds around the concept of grace. In the New Testament it refers to the free, unmerited favor of God; to the favor or kindness given to those who can never deserve it or earn it by anything they do or refrain from doing. As Chuck Swindoll aptly puts it, “Every time the thought of grace appears, there is the idea of its being undeserved. In no way is the recipient getting what he or she deserves. Favor is being extended simply out of the goodness of the heart of the giver.”

Grace is a gift. So how do we grow in it? I think what Peter is really saying is that we are to grow within the context of grace, remembering that even our spiritual growth is up to God and not us. We can no more make ourselves grow spiritually than we can save ourselves by our own effort. Both are made possible by grace. Sure, we can study the Bible and memorize Scripture. We can pray, meditate, fast, and practice all of the spiritual disciplines. We can serve God and share the Gospel with the lost. But if we do it thinking that we are somehow gaining favor with God or earning merits that put us in a better light with Him, we have failed to understand the grace of God. And the truth is, many of us as believers fail to grow in the context of grace. It is not the environment in which we spiritually mature. Think of it this way. It is like a plant that finds itself in an environment that is perfectly suited for growth – ample sunshine, gentle rain, fertile soil. The plant does not do anything to improve its environment, it simply grows in the midst of it. It takes full advantage of it. It grows because the context is perfectly suited for growth. So as believers, we need to constantly remind ourselves of the context within which we have been place. The context of grace. We must remind ourselves that God has placed us in His garden of grace, where self-effort, human achievement, hard work, and self-righteousness play no role and add no benefit. In fact, remember what Peter said at the beginning of his letter:

His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. – Vs 3

So we should grow, increase, mature – because His grace makes it possible. In fact, within His grace, growth is natural, normal and effortless. It is when we step outside of His grace, that it becomes painful and labored, leaving us stunted, immature, and fruitless.

Grow in the Knowledge of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

In the garden of God's grace, we are to increase in our knowledge of Jesus. As verse 3 states, it is through our knowledge or recognition of Jesus Christ as our Savior that we gain everything we need for life and godliness. And that doesn't change after salvation. It is still all through Him. We need to remember the context in which we live: Grace. And we need to remember the source of all we need: Christ. Our goal is to seek to know Him better and better. Not to know about Him, but to know Him, personally and intimately. To increase in our relationship with Him. As we increase in our knowledge of and intimacy with Jesus, we take on His characteristics. We begin to live like He lived, love like He loved, and serve like He served. And the qualities listed in chapter one, verses 5-7 begin to appear in our lives.

The tendency for us as Christians is to look at our immediate surroundings and question how we can possibly grow in a place like this, surrounded by sin. But what we fail to remember is that we are IN grace. We have been firmly planted in the fertile soil of God's garden of grace. We are being nourished by His grace, watered by the gentle favor of His grace, and warmed by the sunshine of His grace. So we can grow and increase in our knowledge of Jesus Christ, the One who made God's grace possible in the first place.

Father, may I remember each and every day that I am planted firmly in the garden of Your grace. My growth is no more up to me than was my salvation. Help me remember that. I still need to study, meditate, grow, share and serve, but I also need to remember that any growth that takes place in my life is due to the undeserved favor of God. Not because I somehow earned it. So even on my worst day, I can grow. Even when I am tired, I can grow. Because the sunshine of Your grace always shines on me. Thank You!  Amen

Grace-less and Truth-less.

2 Peter 2

These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. – Vs 17

In this chapter, Peter warns the people to beware of false teachers showing up in their midst. In the Greek, Peter's language carries the idea that they will sneak in unawares. These individuals would look and sound good, but they would really be teaching "destructive heresies." This isn't talking about off-the-wall doctrinal falsehood. It simply means they'll have viewpoints and opinions that, in the end, will destroy the body of Christ from within. They'll start out subtle, but it will end up with them denying the very One who died for them – Jesus Christ. Sounds pretty serious. But listen to what Peter says:

And many will follow their debauched lifestyles. Because of these false teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. – Vs 2

Many will follow them – mimicking their lifestyles, willingly accepting their brand of truth over "the way of truth" – God's revealed plan for salvation through Jesus Christ alone. They'll come teaching "false words" and motivated by greed. Think your average, over-the-top, prosperity-preaching, TV evangelist. Except the people Peter is talking about were a lot less obvious about it. They were going to show up looking like one of the saints, but sharing viewpoints and opinions that were grace-less and truth-less.

Look at how Peter describes them. "These are springs without water and mists driven by the storm" (Vs 17). I love the way the New Living Translation puts it:

These people are as useless as dried–up springs of water or as clouds blown away by the wind––promising much and delivering nothing.

It reminds me of the description of false teachers found in the book of Jude:

These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted. – Jude 1:12

Hidden reefs in your love feast (Vs 12) -    They are treacherous and can shipwreck your faith -    They were part of the fellowship -    Sharing in intimacy -    They were shepherds feeding themselves

Clouds without water (Vs 12)

-    They appear promising, but only disappoint

-    They fail to provide

-    They obscure the light

-    They fail to meet needs

Carried along by winds (Vs 12)

-    Blown by every wind of doctrine

-    No substance or stability

Autumn trees without fruit (Vs 12)

-    No spiritual fruit in their lives

-    Their words supply no life-giving refreshment

-    They fail to fulfill their purpose

Doubly dead, uprooted (Vs 12)

-    Absolutely dead and worthy of destruction

Wild waves of the sea (Vs 13)

-    Undisciplined and out of control

-    Destructive

-    Active, but non-productive

-    Revealing only their own shame

Wandering stars

-    You can’t chart a course by them

-    Unreliable

-    Their destiny is hopeless and dark

These kinds of people are to be avoided like the plague, but Peter warns that they are coming to a church near you soon! They may already be there. In fact, they're all around us. Speaking half-truths, offering tempting words that sound good, but lead to destruction. If fact, there's a prominent TV preacher who is filling the minds of millions of people with his "opinion" of the truth. See if you can spot the heresy.

• When one is born again by faith in Jesus, he is given a new spirit man that wasn't there before -- a spirit man that is divine in nature and God-like
• Never, ever, ever go to the Lord and say, 'If it be thy will'
• No Christian should ever be sick
• We Christians possess 'power in our mouths' to heal or kill just as witches possess it
• Job tapped into the negative side of the faith force by a negative confession
• Christ 'became one with the nature of Satan' and was 'born again' in hell
• Christ would have sinned without the Holy Spirit and would have remained in the grave 'if the Holy Ghost had changed His mind about raising Him from the dead'
• We are 'little gods' and even part of God with all the power of God
• We are 'little messiahs,' everything that Jesus ever was."

Do you see it? False words. Destructive heresies. Arrogant. Enticing. Promising. But totally wrong. And potentially destructive. So Peter warns his readers and he warns us to beware. But what's the best way to spot falsehood? Know the truth. Study it. Meditate on it. Apply it. Test it. Make the truth of God so real in your life that you can spot falsehood a mile away. Jesus put it this way:

If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of mine. and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." – John 8:31-32

Father, make me a student of Your truth. Help me continue in, to hold to, to obey the teachings of Your Son. That I might know the truth and have the freedom that only it can deliver. Never let me be enslaved to the false teaching that is so prevalent today. It sounds so right, but is so wrong. Because it is not of You. It's my desire to be a student of Your truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.  Amen

His Role / Our Role.

2 Peter 1

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence… – Vs 5

…the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. – Vs 11

It seems that most of us as believers are always struggling with the part we play in this mysterious journey called sanctification. If we are in Christ, we basically understand that our salvation was God's thing. He did it all through Jesus Christ. We played no part in it. We couldn't earn our salvation or add anything to it to deserve it. It was a gift from God. But there's something strange that happens after Christ redeems us. We somehow think it's up to us alone to reform us. He bought us our ticket into heaven, now we have to make sure we are worthy to get on the train when it departs the station. So we begin earning our stripes. We go out of our way to make ourselves more holy. We seek after righteousness. We pursue moral excellence. We run the race to win. And we wear ourselves out in the process. Not that any of those things are wrong, in and of themselves. In fact, they are all biblical.

He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. – Proverbs 21:21

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. – 1 Timothy 6:11

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. – Hebrews 12:1

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. – Romans 12:11

I could go on and on. Even in this chapter of 2 Peter, we are told to supply, add to, or "furnish besides" a whole list of qualities to our faith. But have you ever wondered why we can work so hard at improving ourselves spiritually and still seem to lack any real fruit, experience any significant joy, feel any closer to God than when we began? I think Peter gives us some insights. He tells us that God has "granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness" (Vs 3). The New Living Translation puts it this way:

As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life.

Peter goes on and says that "He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature" (Vs 4). God has given us His Son and His Holy Spirit to save us and to sanctify or transform us. And they are both ours by an act of faith. We don't do anything to receive either one, except believe. And it is because we have received these promises of God that we should then begin to add to our faith the qualities listed in verses 5-7. But we don't manufacture them. We don't will them into existence. They are already ours at salvation. We have them available to us through the presence of the Holy Spirit. They reside within us. Peter says, "For if these qualities are yours…" (Vs 8). The New English Translation puts it this way: "For if these things are really yours…" In other words, Peter is saying, if you are a Christian, then these qualities are yours and they should be increasing. They are the byproduct of a vibrant relationship with Christ.

To lack these qualities is a sign that something is wrong. Peter says, "But concerning the one who lacks such things – he is blind. That is to say, he is nearsighted, since he has forgotten about the cleansing of his past sins" (Vs 9). No amount of pursuing, striving after, seeking, or attempting to manufacture this list in my life is going to work if I have become blind to the fact that I have been purified from my former sins. In other words, I have lost sight of the fact that it is because I have been saved and redeemed that I am able to experience these godly characteristics in my life. God has purified me and He will perfect me. He wants to mature me into the nature He has already given me. Lacking these qualities is a sign that I lack faith. I fail to trust God that He can accomplish His work in me. That's why Peter warns us to "be all the more diligent to make certain of His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble" (Vs 10). If these things are lacking in our lives, Peter seems to say that we may need to go back and examine whether we were ever saved in the first place. Because someone who is in Christ will naturally "practice these things." They are the natural outflow of a relationship with Christ and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

It's interesting that Peter goes on to say that God not only supplies everything I need for salvation and sanctification, He supplies my ultimate entrance into heaven (Vs 11). He uses the same word that he used in verse 5 - epichoregeo. God supplies it all. He gives us everything we need for life and godliness. But how easy it is to forget that and assume that it is somehow up to us. So we work. We strive. We serve. We pursue. And we wear ourselves in the process. Because we fail to understand that our holiness is up to Him, not us. It is a gift of His grace. Which is why Peter starts his letter by saying, "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord (Vs 2).

Father, keep me focused on You. Forgive me for often thinking that it is all up to me when it comes to my holiness. I work so hard to please You, serve You, and to grow in godliness. But I just find myself worn out. But You offer Your grace and peace. You grant me everything I need for life and godliness. Help me to understand that truth and live it out in my daily life.  Amen

An Attitude of Humility.

1 Peter 5

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. – Vs 6-7

Notice that it says, "humble yourselves." It is a choice we make. We are the ones who decide that we will take a lower place, or as the Greek word tapeinoo means, "to be ranked below others who are honored or rewarded." We willingly place ourselves under God's mighty hand. But what does that mean? It sounds so negative, as if God is waiting to backhand us if we don't do what He tells us to do. It gives the impression that God is some oppressive, heavy-handed deity who wants to keep us under His thumb just so He can keep us down. But that is NOT what it means at all. In fact, if you look at the phrase. "mighty hand" as used in this verse, it speaks of His power. Look at the definition of the Greek word cheir translated "hand" in verse 6:

Applied to God symbolizing his might, activity, power 2a) in creating the universe 2b) in upholding and preserving (God is present protecting and aiding one) 2c) in punishing 2d) in determining and controlling the destinies of men

So in humbling myself under God's mighty hand, I am submitting to His incredible, universe-creating power, and acknowledging that He is in control of all things and I am not. I don't do this out of fear, but out of the recognition that He loves me. He has chosen me. He sent His Son to die for me. God doesn't want to keep me down. No, instead He wants to lift me up! He wants to exalt me. The Greek word is hupsoo, and it means "to raise to the very summit of opulence and prosperity, to exalt, to raise to dignity, honor and happiness." That is what God wants to do with me! But first I must choose to humble myself under His hand. I must come to Him as one in need. I must admit that I am nothing compared to Him. I must submit to His authority in and over my life.

But this isn't all about giving up my position and power. It's also includes giving up my anxieties! As I give up control over my life I am released togive up all the cares and concerns of my life. You see, casting and humbling go hand in hand. They are not two separate commands, but one. The NET Bible makes this very clear:

Humbling oneself is not a negative act of self-denial per se, but a positive one of active dependence on God for help.

I humble myself because I know that God is the source for all my needs. In humbling myself, I am admitting my weakness and inability to take care of my problems on my own. I am turning to the one and only source for the solutions I need in life: God. Peter tells us to literally throw our anxieties on God. We are to give to Him all our worries, cares, and anxious concerns. Why? Peter says it clearly. "Because He cares for you." God, the all-powerful creator of the universe, CARES FOR YOU! He cares about you. You matter to Him. So much so, that He has plans to exalt you and just the right time. His goal is not keep you humbled, but to make you dependent. He wants you to come to Him, to see your need for Him, to trust Him, to depend on Him to meet all your needs. But it all begins with an attitude of humility. Swallowing your pride and admitting your weakness. That's hard for most of us. And the truth is, most of us don't do it until we have a life filled with anxiety. We wait until we get to a point where we don't know what to do, then we finally turn to God. Because nothing else is working. We have no more tricks up our sleeves. It is at that point that we finally humble ourselves and come to God. And guess what? He is always there with arms wide open! He doesn't judge us, lecture us, punish us, or shake His head in disgust at us. No, He wraps His arms around us and takes our cares and concerns and replaces them with His comfort and loving concern. And over time He "raises us to the very summit of opulence and prosperity, exalt us, raising us to places of dignity, honor and happiness." Now that's an exchange worth making!

Father, You are an amazing God! You love me more than I could ever know and You stand waiting to bless me in ways I could never imagine. All I need to do is come to you in humility, admitting my weakness and acknowledging my need for You. In exchange for all my cares, worries, and anxieties, You give Me unconditional love. You shower me with Your grace. And on top of that, You raise me up at just the right time and in just the right way. It's a win-win for me. But I still fail to come to You like I should. I tend to wait until I am desperate and distraught. Please forgive me of my stubbornness and pride. You have proven Yourself to me time and time again, but I still refuse to humble myself under Your mighty hand until I have been humiliated by the results of my own sinful behavior. But when I do come, You are always there, and You always love me. Thank You.  Amen