Ignatius knew the Bible before it was a bible. His letters read like a Sunday School lesson!

The more I study the letter of Ignatius to the church in Ephesus, the more I see the teachings of the apostles and the teachings of Christ. In this next excerpt, we see the teachings of both Christ and John,

Wherefore none of the devices of the devil shall be hidden from you, if, like Paul, ye perfectly possess that faith and love towards Christ which are the beginning and the end of life. The beginning of life is faith, and the end is love. And these two being inseparably connected together, do perfect the man of God; while all other things which are requisite to a holy life follow after them. No man making a profession of faith ought to sin, nor one possessed of love to hate his brother. For He that said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God,” said also, “and thy neighbour as thyself.” Those that profess themselves to be Christ’s are known not only by what they say, but by what they practice. “For the tree is known by its fruit.”

What can we learn from this excerpt?

• Traps and devices seen in the light of Jesus Christ are not hidden, “so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” 2 Corinthians 2:11
• The New Testament word for perfect (Matthew 5:48) is teleios, which means “having reached it’s end,” “full grown,” “mature,” and, “complete.” It’s not that we must first have these in order to possess faith and love towards Christ, but that we receive faith and love, and then learn by going through the necessary stages to become mature or “perfect” in both, “And these two being inseparably connected together, do perfect the man of God.”
• Our walk with Christ begins with faith: Faith in His love and His promise that He did what He said He did and will do for us what He said He would do. Our walk ends with the surety of His love as we walk into eternity with Him.
• Our faith in God and His love for us is why we follow Him. All other aspects of our lives fall under these inseparable truths. Because of our faith in His love for us, we walk in His ways with Him all the way. Along the way, He teaches us how to live holy, righteous, and godly lives, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,“ Titus 2:11-12
• When we come to Christ, our desires change; we now want to please God. Learning how to avoid sin is Holiness 101 in Christ’s School of Divinity, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” 1 John 2:1
• “No man making a profession of faith ought to sin, nor one possessed of love to hate his brother” comes straight from John the Apostle’s teaching, “By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother” 1 John 3:10. Remember, we may not “feel loving” toward someone, but we are to still demonstrate love to them, which holds true for demonstrating respect and forgiveness whether we “feel” those things or not. Many times, the feeling comes with or after the action!
• Ignatius applied the teaching of Christ about loving God and loving others (Matthew 22:36-40) with another of Christ’s teachings, “The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil” (Matthew 12:33-37). It is important for us to remember that, “Those that profess themselves to be Christ’s are known not only by what they say, but by what they practice.”

As Ignatius headed for the arena and certain death, he took the time to remind his brothers and sisters in Christ of that which was most important to him. We would do well to make them important to us, as well.

Abba, reading Ignatius is like listening to him teach in Sunday School. He certainly took the words of the apostles about the life and teachings of Christ and the apostolic letters and “accurately handled them” (2 Timothy 2:15). May we learn to do the same and to teach others the way of righteousness through faith and love. Amen.

Prayer changes things. It also changes us and helps us to see our surroundings differently.

As Ignatius continued to encourage the church of Ephesus, he gave a great reason to go to church, which is to connect, give thanks together, to praise together, and to pray together.

Take heed, then, often to come together to give thanks to God, and show forth His praise. For when ye come frequently together in the same place, the powers of Satan are destroyed, and his “fiery darts” urging to sin fall back ineffectual. For your concord and harmonious faith prove his destruction, and the torment of his assistants. Nothing is better than that peace which is according to Christ, by which all war, both of aërial and terrestrial spirits [spirits of heavenly and earthly things*], is brought to an end. “For we wrestle not against blood and flesh, but against principalities and powers, and against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.” [Ephesians 6:12]

What can we learn from this passage?

1. He exhorts the people to come together often;
2. The purpose of their gathering is to give thanks to God and to show forth His praise;
3. What happens when we frequently meet together to give thanks and praise?
   • The powers of Satan are destroyed in our lives as we align ourselves with the Risen Savior,
   • His “fiery darts” that urge us to fall back into sin are rendered ineffectual,
   • Our unified and harmonious faith prove that he really has no power over us,
   • Our victory in Christ torments his assistants,
   • And the peace we have in Christ ends the war in our hearts, and eventually all war.
4. Paul’s verse from his letter to the Ephesians, one with which they would have been very familiar, Ephesians 6:12, puts everything into perspective. We wrestle through prayer.

When we begin to see the moral and spiritual forces, attitudes, concepts and perceptions that are behind our circumstances, we will realize that the physical world is symptomatic of the spiritual world. The things that happen in the physical world are the tip of the iceberg when compared to the spiritual world. We fight against our upbringing, our culture, our tendencies, our temperaments, and our own fleshly desires before that fight ever shows up in the physical world. Being able to discern the powers that war against the godly and seduce the unknowing give us compassion for those who struggle to “fight the good fight of faith,” and for those who are caught in traps laid for them by the evil one. Our prayers mean more than ever when we acknowledge our need for connection to the Father and to each other. We need the bracing up of each other in prayer; we need the armor that goes with prayer; we need the focus and attitude that comes through prayer; we need the love and loyalty that abound because of the vested interest we have in each other through prayer, and we need the saturation we receive from the Father of His love, joy and peace that flow from Him to us in prayer.

As God brings people to mind, lift them up to Him in prayer. Let’s see how often we an remember to do it!

Abba, I ask that You would call my attention to prayer with every person I think about today. Even if I think of the same person several times today, may I lift that person up each time in prayer to You. “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17) is actually something that we can achieve through practice and having the right heart attitude. Help us to learn that right heart attitude, Lord, and to practice, practice, practice. Amen.

*ANF01. The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus

We have a treasure in the writings of Ignatius, who proved his discipleship of the Lord Jesus Christ through his life and martyrdom.

Continuing in Ignatius’ letter to the Ephesians, we find a wonderful description of the relationship between the Father and the Son,

But our Physician is the only true God, the unbegotten and unapproachable, the Lord of all, the Father and Begetter of the only-begotten Son. We have also as a Physician the Lord our God, Jesus the Christ, the only-begotten Son and Word, before time began, but who afterwards became also man, of Mary the virgin. For “the Word was made flesh.” Being incorporeal, He was in the body; being impassible, He was in a passible body; being immortal, He was in a mortal body; being life, He became subject to corruption, that He might free our souls from death and corruption, and heal them, and might restore them to health, when they were diseased with ungodliness and wicked lusts.

In this passage we learn:

1. God is our Physician;
2. He is unbegotten (has always been), and we cannot approach Him in our physical form;
3. He is Lord of all and the Father of Jesus Christ, who is our Physician, as well;
4. Jesus is the only-begotten Son and Word, before time began (John 17:24);
5. Jesus was incorporeal, impassible, immortal, and life, yet became corporeal, passible, mortal and subject to corruption so that…
6. He could free our souls from death and corruption; He healed us and restored us to health;
7. We needed healing because we were diseased with ungodliness and wicked lusts.

Ignatius, being a disciple of St. John the Apostle, learned this teaching from John, who learned it from Jesus. We can trust this teaching on the relationship shared between God the Father and God the Son.

Abba, it is comforting to read insights from someone who lived so close to Jesus’ time and was a disciple of John. Thank You for having Ignatius write it down for us. As we study these apostolic fathers, ones who learned from the apostles themselves, may we open our hearts to their teaching and grasp the wisdom of their lessons. Amen.

Ignatius calls for us to live lives that “sing to God.” What was he talking about?

We began yesterday a study of Ignatius, the disciple of St. John the Apostle. As Ignatius was on his way to his execution, he wrote seven letters to congregations. Today, we will look into his letter to the Ephesians.

Ignatius began his letter in true Pauline fashion according to letter-writing of that day. He spoke of enduring and unchangeable glory, passion, happiness, love and grace found in Jesus Christ. Then, he made this statement,

For, on hearing that I came bound from Syria for the common name and hope, trusting through your prayers to be permitted to fight with beasts at Rome, that so by martyrdom [suffering] I may indeed become the disciple of Him who gave Himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God, Ephesians 5:2 [you hastened to see me ]. earlychristianwritings.com

We learn from this statement that:

1. He was bound from Antioch in Syria where he was pastor (bishop);
2. The “common name and hope” is Jesus Christ;
3. The “beasts at Rome” were lions in the arena to which Caesar Trajan sentenced him (Christianity.com);
4. Ignatius believed that suffering helped him become (as in achieving the fullness of) a disciple of Christ, and martyrdom was the ultimate fulfillment of discipleship. Peter said something similar in his letter, “For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:20-21).
5. We find that a delegation hastened to see him on his trip, who encouraged him greatly.

Ignatius then speaks of the pastor’s priestly role in the church and worthy of honor and respect as God’s appointed leaders of the churches. He uses an interesting analogy, one of which I am partial:

14 For your famous presbytery, worthy of God, is fitted as exactly to the bishop, as the strings are to the harp.
15 Therefore in your concord [agreement] and agreeing charity [love], Jesus Christ is sung; and every single person among you makes up the chorus:
16 That so being all consonant [agreeing together] in love, and taking up the song of God, ye may in a perfect unity with one voice, sing to the Father by Jesus Christ; to the end that he may both hear you, and perceive by your works, that ye are indeed the members of his son.

Ignatius’ imagery of us taking up the song of God being linked with our agreeing together in love takes our worship to a whole, new level. It implies that to be in a service together with disharmony going on negates our “song of God,” thus hindering our worship of the Savior. May we learn to set our petty differences aside and join in the song to the Father by uniting our hearts–if not our preferences–together as one song to the Lord.

Abba, my prayer is that we may, indeed, focus on loving each other in fellowship and friendship. Remembering that we are all Your children and we are all on a journey with You to become like Jesus helps us have grace for others and for ourselves. The type of suffering that Ignatius experienced is not something that most of us have had to endure. We pray to be able to live in peace with everyone, so far as it depends on us (Romans 12:18), but teach us to “bless those who persecute us; bless and do not curse them” (Romans 12:14). In the words of Ignatius, that we “may become indeed the disciple of him who gave himself to God,” that is, Jesus Christ. Amen.

More from his letter to the Ephesians tomorrow…

The apostle John had disciples?! What were their names? What were they known for? Read on…

As we begin our look at early church fathers, we will start with the disciples of St. John the Apostle, who were Ignatius, the bishop (pastor) of Antioch (in Syria) and Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna. Ignatius was martyred around 110 AD by Caesar Trajan*. On his way to his execution, Ignatius was allowed to visit Christians, and he wrote a series of letters as he went. These letters have survived to this day. In them Ignatius refutes the heresies of Gnosticism and Docetism. The basis of these heresies was the pagan belief in dualism: spirit is good, flesh is evil. Ignatius stressed that Jesus, as God, came to earth as a man in order to die in our place; had He not come in the flesh, He could not have died.

Another theme in his letters was the organization and authority of the early church and the difference between bishops and elders. He continued the teachings of the apostles and Paul (also considered an apostle), who taught that the bishop was the leader of his church with the elders in assistance.

 In the letter to the church at Smyrna (where Polycarp was bishop), he wrote, “Follow, all of you, the bishop, as Jesus Christ followed the Father. Wherever the bishop appears, there let the people be, even as wheresoever Christ Jesus is, there is the catholic [universal] church. It is not lawful apart from the bishop either to baptize or to hold a love-feast [the Lord’s Supper].”**

Ignatius was the first known Christian martyr beyond the apostles, the first to use the word, catholic, which simply meant the universal church of all believers at that time, and the first to mention the virgin birth. He firmly believed in the deity of Christ and His resurrection. His letters are available in English at Ignatius of Antioch.

We will look at his letter to Ephesus tomorrow. For today, let us praise God for men of such faith. We praise God for the women of faith, as well, and we will look at a few of them along the way.

Abba, we praise You for raising up early disciples like Ignatius. His life is remembered because of his letters, but we know that he was much more than the sum of his letters. May we grow in faith as we study what it was that was so important to Ignatius for him to write it down on the way to his execution. Make us strong and valiant, O Lord, to be able to face wickedness as Ignatius did. We know his reward was great: “To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (the letter to the church in Ephesus, Revelation 2:7). Blessed be Your name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

*GotQuestions.org

**GotQuestions.org 2

Studying the “great cloud of witnesses”* that have gone on before us can help us live godly lives today.

Reading outside our comfort zones can stretch and grow us. We take what we read and apply it to Scripture, doing what the Berean Jews did with Paul’s teachings, “The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. ¹¹ Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. ¹² Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men” (Acts 10-12). Had these Jews not listened outside their comfort zones, they would not have received Paul’s message. Instead, may Jews came to believe as well as many Greek men and women.

In doing some research I came across this teaching on habitus. It sounds a lot like Christian discipleship, but more pointed:

The habitus of theology is the God-given disposition or temperament for receiving, confessing, and living in accord with divine teaching. It includes several things: Reverence for God and His will (cf. the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer); teachableness before Holy Scripture; gratitude to God for the wisdom of the saints, especially when our own judgment becomes too idiosyncratic; and a sense that growth in understanding comes about more by prayer and repentance than by philosophical acumen because the end of theology is fellowship with God “who dwells in unapproachable light” (1 Timothy 6:16). From Mere Orthodoxy

When I read this teaching, I realized that my knowledge of the church Fathers is woefully lacking, so I will be looking into some. I am hoping to learn how people in the past followed Christ, and in so doing, learn how to better follow Christ today. I invite you to come with me.

Abba, even with the early church fathers, we must be careful to read with Scripture in mind. May You give us faithful guides as we study their history and learn from them. Exciting times, Lord! Amen.

*Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [from the “hall of faith” given in the previous chapter], let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,“

We can face the Father with confidence because He loves us so!

We ended yesterday’s post on 1 John 4:19, 

“We love each other as a result of His loving us first.” “And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face Him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this world”* (1 John 4:17).

What can we learn from this verse?

1. God loved us first and has commanded us to love each other.
2. Living in God means to walk each day knowing that God loves us and is an integral part of our lives.
3. Our love becomes more like His everyday–when we work on it in cooperation with His Spirit in us.
4. We do not need to be afraid on the day of judgment because the Father loves us and we have moved from death to life (John 5:24).
5. We can face the Father with confidence (1 John 3:19).
6. We are like Christ here in this world (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Let’s celebrate today in the love of God as we worship together in our respective places and churches.

Abba, Your love binds us together with cords that cannot be broken. May we look for that love in others, protect that love in our relationships, and share that love in our world. May You be praised! Amen.

In a nutshell: God is love; Jesus is God; Jesus is love incarnate; we are the recipients of His love; we are to share His love with the world.

Yesterday, we covered doing whatever the Lord says to do. Today, we will cover why. God loves us. He always has and always will. He has never stopped loving us. Even sin doesn’t keep Him from loving us. In fact, “He demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). What we often fail to see is that Christ’s Coming was a Rescue Mission. It wasn’t to stop the anger of God from falling on us sinners, but to save us from the consequences of our own actions, which destroy us and always lead to death. Jesus could physically heal everyone who comes to Him, but instead, He heals us spiritually by joining us as new creations. He wants to move us beyond this life of the consequences of sin and death to a new life with Him–beginning right NOW! We actually live two places at once: Here on planet Earth and in His kingdom at His throne with Him,

⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:4-7

Notice why God did what He did through Christ: He is rich in mercy and has great love for us, therefore, He has poured out His grace on us and has raised us up with Him. We are seated with Him in the heavenly places with Christ Jesus!

My favorite verse is John 17:24 from Jesus’ Priestly prayer. In this verse, Jesus states what His ultimate goal is for everyone who will believe in Him, “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” This verse is RICH with theology!

1. Jesus calls God His Father,
2. He puts forth His desire to the Father, and is assured of its coming to pass because He knows the Father intimately (John 17:25-26).
3. He wants us to be with Him in glory,
4. That glory has belonged to Christ since before the foundation of the world.

The apostle John says it best in 1 John 4;19, “We love each other as a result of His loving us first.” “And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face Him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this world”* (1 John 4:17).

Abba, thank You for loving us. You have expressed that love through Jesus Christ. All we can say is, “Thank You,” and then live in Your love**. You are love incarnate, Lord Jesus. Help us to learn to be like You and share Your love with the world. Amen.

*We will discuss this verse tomorrow.

**Living in God’s love calls for obedience to His Spirit. Only He knows what is truly best for us; He wants to help us navigate this world with the least amount of damage and with His will being accomplished through us with Him.

Whatever, whatever You say
Whatever, I will obey
Whatever, lord have Your way
‘Cause You are my God whatever*

Being people after God’s own heart has a much higher requirement than coasting through life. It takes determination and tenacity. We do need to take time to rest and to play, but the tendency is to take them too far. Jesus knew this about us and here’s what He had to say,

¹⁰ “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. Luke 16:10 ESV

Here it is in the New Living Translation,

¹⁰ “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. Luke 16:10 NLT

We must choose to be faithful in the little things so that we are trained to do the big things when they come along. Here’s how it works:

1. We give ourselves to the Lord for the day;
2. We ask Him to show us needs to meet, tasks to do, and people to minister to;
3. We look for opportunities to meet, do and minister to;
4. As the opportunities arise, we ask the Lord to guide and equip us.

Brother Lawrence** would tell us that the smaller the task, the dirtier, nastier, and contemptible the job, the more glory God gets from our service. Why? Because we really don’t want to do them, either! But, they need to be done, so we do them with a happy heart and joyful spirit knowing that the Lord is receiving much glory because of our obedience. These are the words we are hoping to hear:

“Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” Matthew 25:21

When we put it all on the altar, our desires, wishes, and feelings, we are truly choosing to serve only one Master, the Lord Jesus. Let’s do it daily and work to keep them there.

Abba, You know how childish and selfish we can be. Help us learn to do the right thing at the right time with the right spirit. “Selective service” is not part of our calling. We need to be ready to do Whatever***. Amen.

*Refrain to “Whatever” by Steven Curtis Chapman

**Brother Lawrence-Lawrence is known for his devotion and ability to bring God into every aspect of his life. His classic Christian work, Practice of the Presence of God, details how to gain that constant and comforting connection to God. Readers have treasured this short and easy book for centuries because of Lawrence’s honest advice and his obvious passion for spiritual matters. He rejoiced in everyday tasks, prayed constantly, and was known around the monastery for his kindness and willingness to help others.

***Lyrics to “Whatever”
I made a list wrote down from A to Z
All the ways I thought that you could best use me
Told all my strengths and my abilities
I formed a plan it seemed to make good sense
I laid it out for you so sure you’d be convinced
I made my case presented my defense
But then I read the letter that you sent me
It said that all you really want from me is just

Whatever whatever you say
Whatever I will obey
Whatever lord have your way
‘Cause you are my god whatever

So strike a match set fire to the list
Of all my good intentions all my preconceived ideas
I want to do your will no matter what it is
Give me faith to follow where you lead me
Oh lord give me the courage and the strength to do (refrain)

I am not my own
I am yours and yours alone
You have bought me with your blood
Lord to you and you alone do I belong
And so whatever

It’s not so much about what Jesus can offer us, but what He has done for us. He’s proven His love; it’s time for us to prove ours.

We have asked several questions concerning what it means to be a person after God‘s own heart. What we will look at now is what is required of us. David was a man who was desperate for God. His soul ached to know God. he was able to look beyond this world to God‘s world and he wanted to be part of that world. The question is, are we willing to do the same?

Jesus spoke to this very question when he told the crowds that they would have to “hate” their own family, and even their own lives in order to follow Him,

Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

The Greek word for “hate” in this verse is miseo, which means, elevating one value over another. I don’t believe that Jesus was speaking of the emotion, but rather the action of choosing Him over everyone else and everything else. For most people, it is merely a matter of intent, but for many, it is a very real choice that has to be made. Doing what the Spirit tells us to do can be very difficult, especially when what He says goes countercultural. Even when we have it in writing (our Bibles), we still tend to ignore the obvious because it could be very painful. There comes a point in everyone’s life when we must decide whose will we are going to follow: His or ours. Jesus gave this promise to His disciples,

Matthew 19:28-29 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

And then this promise to us,

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.

My prayer is that each of us would choose to run after God‘s own heart, elevating Him over all else. It’s a choice we will make throughout all our days.

Abba, we study the Scriptures to know You, and when we catch a glimpse of You, we begin to understand the scope of life and all that You have for us. When we fix our eyes on You, it’s easy to run after Your own heart because we know how much You love us and have planned for us. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

Proverbs 1:7 “Fear of the Lord is the foundation [beginning] of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Yesterday, we began to answer the question, “What are we looking for in God?” We looked for the answer in Psalm 86:11,

¹¹ Teach me your way, O Lord,
    that I may walk in your truth;
    unite my heart to fear your name.

1. God’s way (yesterday)
2. God’s truth (yesterday)
3. Fearing His name- The best way to describe the fear of the Lord is by understanding what God can do and will do concerning those who reject Him and thus choose destruction. Those who choose Him and thus reject destruction have “a healthy respect” for Him. Jesus said,

²⁸ “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell [Gehenna*]. ²⁹ What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. ³⁰ And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. ³¹ So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

So, who are we not supposed to fear? Jesus was referring to “those who threaten you” mentioned in verse 24. Notice where Jesus goes next. He speaks of God’s creation and of sparrows, and how important even sparrows are to Him. Then He mentions that every hair on our heads are numbered (interesting note: Even bald people have hair follicles; they are just very fair, even clear, and short. They are numbered, too). It is then that Jesus makes a remarkable statement that we are more valuable than many sparrows. Who is it we ARE supposed to fear? God, not because of what He wants to do, but because of what He will have to do for those who want no part of Him.

It comes down to trust. The sparrows depend upon the Father to feed them, “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” (Matthew 6:26). Those who trust in the Father have nothing to fear. Why? Because He will strike down anyone who doesn’t? Not at all! He loves everyone, saint and sinner. But those who reject God have no relationship with the Son and the Father through the Spirit, and there’s no inheritance as a sibling of Christ. To choose “not Christ” is to choose everything but Christ. There is naught for God to do but to honor their choice and allow them to go to Gehenna*. Because we know that not everyone gets to see Jesus for who He really is in this life, my hope is that, somehow, during the twilight moments between life and death, Jesus reveals Himself to each person and they are given the opportunity to choose Him. We simply do not know how it all works; we do know we can trust Jesus to do whatever it takes to show His love to everyone. However, He doesn’t force people to choose Him.

Now we know why God wants us to be His friends. He loves us and wants the best for us. We can trust God because of who Jesus showed us He is.

Abba, thank You for revealing Yourself to us. We trust You in what we know of You today; tomorrow, we will trust You even more, and so on. Keep revealing Yourself to us so that we can learn to be like You. It’s important for those around us for them to see Jesus in us. Amen.

*Gehenna was the trash heap outside Jerusalem’s walls. Jesus referenced it as a place of eternal waste “where the worm never dies and the fire is never quenched” (Mark 9:48). It was the worst word picture available that everyone would understand.

Is God dependable? Yes!!! He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He gives us His Spirit as His promise.

So far, we have covered the questions, “What is God looking for in a person?” and “What is God looking for in a friend?” The next question we need to ask is, “What are we looking for in God?” I believe the answer to this question can be found in Psalm 86:11,

¹¹ Teach me your way, O Lord,
    that I may walk in your truth;
    unite my heart to fear your name.

1. God’s way– Believing that God knows the best way to live is vital to the Christian life. He created us, therefore, He should know what is best for us. But, does God love us enough to share that way with us? I believe Jesus answered that question in Luke 11:13, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
2. God’s truth– His truth is revealed to us in the Person of Jesus Christ. Want to know God’s truth? Look at Jesus. We want truth; we want a God we can believe in. Jesus is that God. Let’s go over some facts about why we can believe Jesus:
   • He loves us – John 13:34-35 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.
   • He calls us friends – John 15:15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.
   • He has removed the barrier between us and the Father – Ephesians 2:13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.
   • He has separated our sins from us as far as the east is from the west – Psalm 103:12 and Romans 8:1-2 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
   • He wants a personal, ongoing relationship with us – Revelation 3:20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.“
   • He wants His Spirit to live in us and to be with us always – John 14:16-17 “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. ¹⁷ He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth.“
   • He will come back for us to be with Him forever – John 14:13 “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.“
3. Fearing His name- We will talk about this one tomorrow.

Abba, we can depend on You. Jesus has done the deed and sealed the deal; those who believe in Him pass over from death to life (John 5:24). We feel safe with You because You are gentle and humble at heart (Matthew 11:29), and merciful and gracious (Hebrews 4:16). Thank You for loving us!!! Amen.

God loves us, wants to be a friend to us, and is looking for people who want to be like Him*.

As we continue our study of how to be a person after God’s own heart, we had answered the question, “What is God looking for in a person?” The answer was that God is looking for people who will be in relationship with Him, not only as their Lord and Savior, but as friends, people who will love Him and believe that He has their best interests at heart. The next question we ask is, “What is God looking for in a friend?” For the answer to that question, we turn to 1 Corinthians 13,

⁴ Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant ⁵ or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ⁶ it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ⁸ Love never ends.

God is looking for those who want to be like Him, who desire to display His character traits. God is love (1 John 4:8), so He is looking for people who want to be loving because He is loving**. According to this verse,

• God is patient, so He is looking for people who want to show patience;
• God is kind, so He is looking for people who want to choose kindness;
• God does not envy or boast and is not arrogant or rude, so He is looking for people who don’t want to act in these ways;
• God does not insist on His own way, so He is looking for people who don’t want to insist on their own way;
• God is not irritable or resentful, or rejoice at wrongdoing, so He is looking for people who don’t want to be irritable or resentful, or rejoice at wrongdoing;
• God rejoices with the truth, so He is looking for people who want to rejoice with the truth;
• God bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, so He is looking for people who want to bear, believe, hope and endure all things.
• God never fails, so He is looking for people who will want to learn to always trust in Him.

How could we ever even get close to “being like God?” We cannot–on our own. We were always designed to have God as our Partner in life. It is He who will guard us, guide us, and mature us (more on that tomorrow).

Let’s review: God loves us, wants to be a friend to us, and is looking for people who want to be like Him*.

Abba, we accept these truths and pledge ourselves to You, believing that You will make these character qualities become manifest in our lives. By and with Your Spirit, I know we can. Keep working with us, Lord, and as You do, we move closer and closer to being like You. Amen.

*Ephesians 5:1-2 “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. ² Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.“

**2 Chronicles 16:9 “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.“

A friend is someone with whom we can share our heart. Who do you think gave you that desire?

We began a study yesterday about what it means to be a person after God’s own heart. Our first question is, “What is God looking for in a person?” Because we know that obedience is important (for our own sakes), and Scripture reminds us of the blessings of obedience and the built-in consequences of disobedience, we may perceive that in Adam, God was looking for a person who was obedient–but, is that all? There was so much more to their relationship than just obedience,

⁸ And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:8-9

There are two things that we can deduce from this passage. One is that walking with the Lord God in the cool of the day was routine because the Lord God was looking for Adam who had hid. The second thing is that the Lord God and Adam had an ongoing relationship. They were accustomed to meeting together daily. Their friendship brings us to possibly the greatest verse in the whole Bible because it defines God’s heart,

¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

Jesus is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus told His disciples, “the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God” (John 16:27). In fact, “when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me” (John 12:45). Therefore, if Jesus calls us “friends,” then we can know that God calls us “friends,” too. What is God looking for in a friend? We will discuss that question tomorrow (hint: it’s in 1 Corinthians 13).

Abba, You wanting to be friends with us is a game-changer. Friendship with You is now the filter through which we can view every verse in the Bible. It causes us to “pause and think differently” (the actual definition of repentance) about why Jesus came, His life, His death, His resurrection, and His Returning. We never need to “hide” from You. You “walk with us” at all times. May we ponder today the fact that You call us Your friends. Amen.

Do we need to be afraid that God knows us inside and out and that our thoughts are laid open to Him plain as day? No! He loves us!

King David was a man after God’s own heart. We see his passion in Psalm 42:1, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.” Where did the phrase, “a man after God’s own heart,” originate? As we begin a look into what it takes to be people “after God’s own heart,” we turn to 1 Samuel 13:14,

¹⁴ But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

Let’s review the story. King Saul had been recently crowned king of Israel. His son, Jonathan, had attacked a Philistine outpost and stirred up the Philistines. they assembled to fight Israel with a much larger army and lots of chariots. The new Israel army was falling apart in fright; many were abandoning the army and were “hiding in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns” (1 Samuel 13:6). Saul waited for the prophet Samuel to come, but got antsy and offered up the burnt offering himself, which was a big no-no. When Samuel arrived, he rebuked Saul telling him that he had acted foolishly and that his kingdom would not endure.

David was a shepherd. It was out on the hillsides that he learned to commune with God. Because of his strong relationship with the Lord, David was brave and took on a lion, a bear, and eventually, Goliath. In 1 Samuel 16, Samuel was following the Lord’s guidance and came upon the house of Jesse; God turned down all six sons that were present in the house. We pick up the story there,

⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him [as king]. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

In case there was any doubt about the accuracy of the story, Paul recounts it in his sermon at Antioch of Pisidia in Acts 13:22,“But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.'”

How about us? Are we willing to do everything that God wants us to do? Are we that devoted to Him? When we think of all the things He has done for us, we know that we can trust Him with our lives. David’s life didn’t always reflect his heart; he made some costly decisions along the way. We probably will, too. But, that doesn’t stop God’s love for us. He will walk through the consequences with us and, somehow, bring good out of them.*

Abba, help us to desire to be a people after Your own heart. May it be said of us, “They will do everything God wants them to.” You know our hearts–and, yet, You love us still! Thank You for loving us!!! Amen.

*David and Bathsheba had two sons. They named the first one Solomon and then Nathan. In their lineages was Jesus! 1 Chronicles 3:5, Matthew 1:6, and Luke 3:31.

What’s the difference between living FOR Christ and living WITH Christ? Let’s see…

What does it mean to live for Christ? Paul told us in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.” But, it’s not like going to the Captain’s tent and receiving orders, then going away and carrying out those orders on our own. It’s more like the Captain telling us to walk with Him and be a participant in what He is doing. Let’s take a page out of Jesus’ life and how He interacted with the Father,

¹⁷ Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.”
¹⁹ So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. ²⁰ For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. John 5:17, 19-20

Jesus was completely reliant on the Father and the Spirit for everything. Their communication was constant and complete. We might say, “Well, He’s God in the flesh; of course He can do that!” Yet, Jesus said that we are to be the same way,

⁵ “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain [abide] in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

It still sounds impossible, doesn’t it? It helps if we consider ourselves in training. We are being trained in righteousness through godly living. God is intent on making us holy, “And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth” (John 17:19). Understanding that we are always in His presence, and His presence in us is what gives us joy, peace, and conviction of sin in our lives along with the promise and steps to victory over it. As He reveals things about ourselves to us, we have an opportunity to repent, turning away from those things that bind us, deceive us, or trap us in “chasing the dragon*” and turning to Christ for life, love, and the next right step.

Are you ready for that close of a relationship with Jesus? Were you aware that we can even HAVE that close of a relationship with Him? He desires it; let’s take Him up on it!

Abba, the sheer fact that You live in us is evidence that You want a personal, ongoing relationship with us. If you can “barely tolerate us”, then I don’t believe that You would have gone to the trouble to make it so You could live in us. You went through the Incarnation, the Cross, the Grave, the Resurrection, the Ascension, and Pentecost in order to dwell in us! Thank You, Jesus, for loving us so much!!! Amen.

*”Chasing the Dragon” is a term used by drug addicts who, having had a wonderful first experience, chase after that high, which they can rarely reproduce. The only way to get it is to increase the dosage, which can lead to an overdose. Cravings for power, sex, gambling, thrills, and other “vices” follow the same pattern; they always lead to the craving for more.

When it comes to our salvation, there’s no better proof than our sanctification. Transformed lives tell it all.

The reason Baptists believe in the “security of the believer” is because we believe that once we choose to follow Christ, surrendering our lives to Him, He begins working in us making us more and more like Christ each day. Consider Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Granted, Paul was talking to the church at Philippi, thus making the main thrust of the verse about the church through history until Christ returns. At the same time, there is room for the interpretation that God is working in each of us and will bring our lives to completion when we are called home to heaven. Ephesians 5:27 and Jude 24 tell us that Christ will present us to Himself in this complete form,

²⁷ so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:27

We are members of Christ’s church, therefore, we are included in this description.

²⁴ Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, Jude 24

I love the “with great joy” part. So, the pressure is off! We can now follow Jesus without feeling like we must perform in order to stay in His good graces. He loves us and desires our company. He wants to create new moments with us and to include us in His work, the work of calling others to Himself, ministering to the needs of others, and bringing praise and glory to the Father.

Jesus is joyful about us. Let’s be joyful about Him.

Lord Jesus, thank You for so great a salvation! You have separated our sins from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). You have crowned us with Your glory and Your honor (Psalm 8:5). And, You will present us to Yourself (and the heavenly Father) whole and complete in You, blameless and holy. WOW! That’s something to rejoice about! Amen.

Our ability to choose is what makes us gods, be it good or evil.*

In the beginning, God created man in His own image,

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” ²⁷ So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26-27

But, what does that mean? The difference in humans and all other life forms on earth is our ability to choose between right and wrong. Essentially, we prefer to decide what is good and what is evil. The problem is that God has already established what is good and what is evil. We were meant to work together with Him to mature and learn to distinguish between the two. Take Eve for an example. She might have gone to God and asked Him for clarification rather than take the word of a serpent over His. Take Adam as an example. He might have protected Eve, banished the serpent, and reported him to God. Instead, they chose to make their own judgment, and when they realized what they had done, they hid, blamed each other, the serpent, and even God rather than confessing and repenting of their wrong choices. Sound familiar? Haven’t we all done some form of this scenario at some time in our lives? We all have a natural desire to choose for ourselves rather than consulting God.

What is the answer? How do we discern what is best versus what we want? At some point in our lives, the Spirit makes us aware of the choice we must make between His will and our will. What we choose determines how our lives will go from then on. We can:

1. Choose to go our own way, making our own choices of what is right and what is wrong, even knowing that our way will eventually have destructive consequences, or…
2. Choose to believe God, trust Jesus, receive the Spirit, and make His way our way, which leads to life with Him now and eternal life with Him later (it’s actually all eternal life since we’re with Him).

Jesus said it several ways:

1. I am the Narrow Gate (Matthew 7:13-14),
2. I am the Door (John 10:1-3),
3. I am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25-27),
4. And then the classic, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Once we get it, it’s easy to see–still hard to do, though, because we are so used to doing things according to our limited perspective and according to how we feel. It’s a lifelong process with Him teaching, reproving, correcting, and training us in righteousness so that we may be thoroughly equipped for every good work He invites us to do with Him (2 Timothy 3:16-17 adapted).

Abba, please train us in righteousness. We want to be like You, to please You, and to be with You always. When we turn away from You, we cannot sense You; help us to keep our eyes fixed on You, Jesus. You are our Savior and our God. We love You; thank You for loving us first! Amen.

*Psalm 82:6-7 ⁶ I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you;
⁷ nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.”
John 10:34-36 ³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? ³⁵ If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— ³⁶ do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

An EPIC Story:

In God’s creation, He established a scaffold of natural and spiritual laws on which everything hangs. The natural laws are obvious (thermodynamics, gravity, etc); the spiritual ones are not as obvious to us. God made His spiritual law and its consequence concerning disobedience plain to Adam (Genesis 2:16-17), and Adam made it plain to Eve. The consequence of their disobedience was concrete: Death.

Satan knew these spiritual laws and their consequences and worked them to his benefit. He sought to control mankind through our own natural desires and through a stronghold of fear: fear of death, fear of poverty, fear of infertility, and many other fears including an unnatural fear of God convincing us that God can’t love us anymore and is against us. But God, through Christ, restored mankind to the original relationship–an even better one through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit*! The price that was paid was what it took to reverse the consequences of our sin (disobedience). It was not paid to Satan, but to the natural and spiritual laws that God had set in place**. Using His own laws, He came and did for us what we could not do for ourselves. At the same time, He does not force everyone to follow Him, but He freely offers restoration to those who choose it.

God’s design had everything to do with His love for us and honoring the free will He gave us when He created us in His image. EPIC!!!

*¹⁹ Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, ²⁰ for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

**⁹ For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. ¹⁰ And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. 1 Timothy 1:9-10

We are free to represent Christ to the world. That means we need to look like Christ–how do we do that?!

Our passage is 2 Corinthians 5:14-20,

¹⁴ …Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. ¹⁵ He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
¹⁶ So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! ¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
¹⁸ And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. ¹⁹ For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. ²⁰ So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

Notice that:

1. We have died in Christ and now live through Him;
2. We are not to live for ourselves any longer, but for Him;
3. We don’t think of others by their current lifestyles, but how they can be in Christ. We now see them as Christ sees them;
4. God has reconciled the world to Himself through Christ. Our Good News is that all they have to do is turn to Christ for help–help with their chains, their deceptions, their obsessions, and the evil desires that tend to draw us into sin. The personal relationship that Jesus extends to them is HOW He helps them. It’s a daily thing for the rest of their lives.
5. We have been enlisted to plead with them, “Come back to God!”

We are not meant to do it alone. He wants to do it with us. God is all about connecting first to us, and then to the world around us. In this way, the Gospel will go out to the ends of the earth! Listen to what Jesus said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. ⁴⁷ It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.” (Luke 24:46-47). We proclaim the message in His name by being IN HIM. Sometimes, we get to speak our message; sometimes, we only get to show people what we believe. There are even times when our sheer presence convicts of (reveals) sin in people’s lives, and they react violently to us. That’s okay; Christ is still working in their lives. We count it a privilege to suffer for His name.

Being free in Christ is the best and highest way for us to live. Let’s walk closely to our Savior and in step with the Spirit each day, every day.

Abba, we are free to sin, but we no longer want to because it leads us back into bondage and even destroys us and makes the people around us suffer. Instead, we are free to love You, each other, and even ourselves! Keep teaching us to love, Abba. It’s who You are and it’s who we want to be. Amen.

They say that the best advertisement is a happy customer. Christians are that–and more!

Our last view into freedom in Christ (not all of them by a long shot) is: We are free to represent Christ to the world! It’s a high honor and a great responsibility. A person can’t share what he doesn’t know, right? In this case, it’s not “what” but “who.” The best way to share Christ is to show Christ. When our lives begin to change to look like Him, then the world will notice. Many won’t like the change; that’s okay. We’ll pray that their attitude will change in time. But, there will be some who respond to the Spirit when He says, “See that person? Don’t you want what they have?” Now is the time to tell them about how we came to believe, and how Christ has changed our lives for good.

Let’s review our freedom in Christ:

1. Our chains of bondage to sin have been broken!
2. We have been given access to the throne of God!
3. We can talk to God anytime!
4. We are free to choose right!
5. We can serve others with no expectations!
6. We can now live life without worry!
7. We are free to pursue righteousness and godliness!
8. Today: We are free to represent Christ to the world!

¹⁴ …Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. ¹⁵ He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
¹⁶ So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! ¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
¹⁸ And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. ¹⁹ For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. ²⁰ So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 2 Corinthians 5:14-20 NLT

There is so much here that we are going to take a closer look at this passage tomorrow. For today, let’s focus on being Christ to others so that we shine “like stars in the universe” (Philippians 2:15 adapted).

Abba, we know that our lights shine brightest in dark places. May we not be afraid to take our light wherever You lead. In fact, that old Falls Creek song says it best,

Wherever He leads I’ll go,
Wherever He leads I’ll go,
I’ll follow my Christ who loves me so,
Wherever He leads I’ll go.

And, as we go, may we represent Christ so that others may choose Him, too. Amen.

I just had a wonderful experience. I would like to share it with you…

Before I do, let’s review what we have learned so far about being free in Christ:

1. Our chains of bondage to sin have been broken!
2. We have been given access to the throne of God!
3. We can talk to God anytime!
4. We are free to choose right!
5. We can serve others with no expectations!
6. We can now live life without worry!
7. We are free to pursue righteousness and godliness!

Today, we discover that We are free to participate in the divine nature! Our text is 2 Peter 1:3-4,

³ By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence [goodness]. ⁴ And because of his glory and excellence [goodness], he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

Now, for my experience: #2 says that we have been given access to the throne of God because we are seated with Him in heavenly places even while living here on earth (see 3-30-24). The idea of being two places at once is confusing, so I determined last night during a concert that I would focus on being at the throne of God even while I was playing percussion with Robin at a Singing Churchwomen concert in Skiatook, OK. Using the concept of turning in my mind to Him in prayer, I saw with my mind’s eye “my concept” of the throne of God and the vast area in front of it. Remembering that Jesus is seated next to Him and we (all Christians) are seated next to Him (somehow), I did my best to envision that the nearly 400 of us who were participating in the concert were in the area in front of the throne. All of heaven paid rapt attention while we sang and played, “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,” and joined in with us as we sang and played, “Behold Our God.”

I observed several things about the experience:

1. It surprised me that everyone seemed to know the words to the songs we were singing;
2. I was dismayed that I couldn’t keep the “vision” going throughout the entire concert;
3. The joy was overwhelming at times. I’m sure some of it was because I was “with the Father” in Spirit, but most of it was coming from the throne itself. The entire room seemed filled with it!
4. We who were worshiping in the physical were joining those who are already around the throne. There was no separation between the living and those who have passed over into the eternal! This point was particularly poignant because one of our ladies had lost a son to cancer just last week.

Here is the thought process behind the experience:

• I turned in my mind to myself, where I was, what I was doing, and what I desired to do;
• I then turned in my mind to the Lord in prayer and asked Him for help;
• I then turned in my mind to the throne room of God (my attempt to envision it, anyway) as we played. It was amazing!

Experiencing the divine nature of God doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s a matter of turning in our minds to God and His ways. He desires greatly an intimate and continuous relationship with us. WE are the ones who pop in and out of our awareness of His presence. Practicing the presence of God is one of the disciplines of the Christian life as we work on it everyday. We get to experience Him in the process! When we turn to Him in prayer, thanksgiving, or praise, let’s envision in our minds actually being in His presence at His throne. We really are already there!

Abba, I desire to continue practicing envisioning myself in Your presence. I look forward to your Spirit teaching me how to make this more and more possible in my daily life. I pray that all of Your children will desire to learn do so, too, so we all may enjoy the love, joy and peace that flow from You. Amen.

Want to be like Jesus? He wants you to be like Him, and will help you grow to be like Him if you let Him.

The freedom we have in Christ allows us to share in God’s “divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires” (2 Peter 1:4). We can “say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:12). In fact, we are free to pursue righteousness and godliness, “But you, man of God, flee from all this [the love of money], and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness” 1 Timothy 6:11).

Let’s review what we have learned about being free in Christ:

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. John 8:31, 34

1. Our chains of bondage to sin have been broken!
2. We have been given access to the throne of God!
3. We can talk to God anytime!
4. We are free to choose right!
5. We can serve others with no expectations!
6. We can now live life without worry!
7. Today: We are free to pursue righteousness and godliness!

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). Have you tasted of “the fruit of righteousness that comes from Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:11) and wanted more? Then, start asking Him to lead you, and as He guides you, follow Him with all you have and with all you are. The more we invest in eternal things, the more the Spirit rejoices within us and gives us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). One caveat here: Our desires must be godly desires. He will not fulfill any desire that will hurt us or others. We must remember that sin destroys us and those around us. But, when we pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness, we can’t help but win, and everyone around us wins with us!

Abba, You have created us in Your image. We would like to get back to that image. When we walk with the Spirit and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness, we become more and more like You with every step we take. Grow us, Lord, and grow in us that which makes us like You. Amen.

Worry is a preoccupation of how things will turn out. We can trust Jesus for the outcome!

The next declaration of freedom in Christ is: We can now live life without worry! Earlier declarations are:

1. Our chains of bondage to sin have been broken!
2. We have been given access to the throne of God!
3. We can talk to God anytime!
4. We are free to choose right!
5. We can serve others with no expectations!

There is a caveat to today’s declaration: Responsibility, yes; worry, no. We are always to be aware that we are accountable for our actions (and inactions). The concept of worry is basically a trust issue. If we trust God to save us from a situation, or carry us through the situation, or take us home to be with Him, then we have nothing to worry about. We might say, “What about my family? my stuff? my reputation? my life?” Each of these questions is wrapped up in the idea that God either doesn’t know what He’s doing or cannot do what He has promised, which is to take care of us all the way to His place. Consider what Jesus said about worry:

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money [or anything else].
²⁵ “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? ²⁷ Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
²⁸ “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, ²⁹ yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. ³⁰ And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
³¹ “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ³² These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. ³³ Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
³⁴ “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Worry is when we picture the future without God’s presence, participation, provision, power, and peace. The longer we walk with the Lord, the more we learn to trust Him with today, and then tomorrow, and so on.

Abba, You are trustworthy. You promise to meet all our needs according to Your riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). You promise that upon death, You will take us home to be with You (John 14:3). You want us to be with You and see You in Your glory (John 17:24). You have promised us Your mercy and grace in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). You will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). We trust You, Lord, all the way to Your place. Amen.

Our greatest thrill comes from serving the Lord Jesus. Why? Because He serves right along with us!

Being free in Christ has a surprising benefit: We can serve others with no expectations!

The other four benefits so far are:

1. Our chains of bondage to sin have been broken!
2. We have been given access to the throne of God!
3. We can talk to God anytime!
4. We are free to choose right!

¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

⁷ Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people… Ephesians 6:7

²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24

When we understand that all we do for others is actually for the Lord, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40), we no longer have to worry about whether they knew who it was, that what we did achieved its intended purpose, or that it was appreciated. We live to hear Jesus say, “‘Well done, good and faithful servant!…Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:21). At the same time, our service is in collaboration with the Holy Spirit, so we can be fine with “not letting the right hand know what the left hand is doing” because we did it together with the Lord,

³ But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. ⁴ Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. Matthew 6:3-4

²⁹ That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me. Colossians 1:29

²⁰ Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20

Abba, may we keep our eyes on what is eternal rather than what is physical, knowing that what is physical is temporary, but what is eternal follows us into eternity (2 Corinthians 4:18). We can now serve with abandon knowing that we cannot outgive You, that death does not scare us, and that serving WITH You is our highest privilege and our greatest reward. May we listen for Your voice each day, look to see where You are working, and join You in Your work. Amen.

To consistently choose what is right does not come naturally to us. We need help, the help of the Spirit!

As we continue our study on what it means to be free in Christ, we look at our combined key verses,

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. John 8:31, 34

So far, we have discovered that,

1. Our chains of bondage to sin have been broken!
2. We have been given access to the throne of God!
3. We can talk to God anytime!

Today, we investigate the mechanics of our freedom in Christ: We are free to choose right.

¹⁹ I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life… Deuteronomy 30:19

⁹ Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Romans 12:9

²¹ but test everything; hold fast what is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21

² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2

How do we learn to consistently choose right when the lure, the deceit, and our ingrained subroutines are too strong for us? Without the Spirit in us and a good, healthy relationship going on with the Lord, we would be overwhelmed, “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord…” Romans 7:24, 25). This is our training. Among other things, God even uses our sin to train us in righteousness as He opens our eyes to what is good and pleasing and perfect. We learn just how destructive sin is, not only to ourselves, but also how it destroys our relationship to others. Learning to live righteous and godly lives by the power of the Spirit is what transforms us into His image. We are becoming holy! This process will be completed as we step across the barrier of death and Jesus presents us to Himself as His radiant bride, blameless, without fault, and holy (Ephesians 5:26-27).

Abba, You are making us to be like Jesus! We trust You to walk with us each day and we look forward to the day when we step across that threshold of death into the New Life where we are radiant, blameless, without fault or wrinkle, and holy before You, Lord Jesus. We know that it will give You great pleasure (Jude 24). May we be teachable children, Abba, choosing life and holding fast to what is good. Amen.

Can we talk to God anytime and anywhere? Absolutely! We’re already with Him!!!

Yesterday, we began looking at what makes for a victorious Christian life. We looked at some verses in John 8,

³¹ Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. ³² And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

³⁴ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. ³⁵ A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. ³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

What does it mean to be free in Christ?

1. Our chains of bondage to sin have been broken! (yesterday’s topic)

Today, we find that we have been given access to the throne of God!

¹⁶ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Romans 8:16-17

¹⁶ So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:16

²¹ And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, ²² let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:21-22

⁶ For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6

If Christ is sitting at the right hand of the Father (Ephesians 1:20), then we are seated with Him in the heavenly throne room. Don’t ask me how; it’s above my pay grade. All I know is that even though we live here in the flesh in this world, part of us is already in heaven with Him! That’s exciting!!! It frees us from fearing death, and causes us to look beyond this world for motivation and incentive for righteous living. Being seated with Christ brings a new dimension to 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

If only we could understand that when we connect with God through prayer, and that we are already at the throne of God, we would take praying a lot more seriously. The part of us that is with Christ is directly connected to our physical bodies. What we do here spiritually, we are also doing there, such as praying (speaking and listening), praising, and worship. There is nothing mundane about any of these! Developing an awareness of this connection is a big part of maturing in Christ.

Abba, through the finished work of Christ, You have given us freedom to enter Your presence. May we do it with singing and shouts of praise, with fervent prayer (speaking and listening) and deep-felt worship. You deserve nothing less! Amen.

“The Victorious Christian Life” … what in the world is that?!

One of my favorite set of verses is found in John 8,

³¹ Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. ³² And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

³⁴ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. ³⁵ A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. ³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

What does it mean to be free in Christ? The first victory is:

1. Our chains of bondage to sin have been broken!

“²² Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, ²³ for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.” (Acts 8:22-23)

¹⁴ So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. (Romans 7:14)

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. (Romans 8:1-2)

Jesus Christ now gives us the freedom to choose whether we want to stay in (or enter into) bondage to sin. We now recognize it for what it is and know that He has much greater things in store for us. We now have the Spirit who urges us to choose righteously, and we are rewarded greatly with the love, joy, and peace that emanate from Christ as we turn to face Him and bask in His presence. And, with each victory, we become a little more like Christ. This choosing, turning, and facing is called “The Victorious Christian Life.” Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to live the victorious Christian life today.

Abba, I pray for my readers that they will choose life today and every day. Having You working in our lives leading, exhorting, and empowering us gives us courage and victory in our everyday lives. I look forward to tomorrow’s devotional as we continue our look at the freedom we have in You, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Last night, my church observed the Passover Seder (meal) from which we get our Lord’s Supper. Steve Harris, a Messianic Jew, led the evening with explanations for each of the items in the meal and what they represent. His son then explained how they relate to Christ and His fulfillment of the Passover. I was struck by the fact that God went to great lengths to give us pictures of what was coming. Yet, many did not see it then and most don’t see it now.

The main reason for Christ’s Coming was to conquer death, as was manifested in the resurrection. Only the Giver of Life could do such a thing. Those who accept what He has done for us and receive it as their own come into a relationship with Him that is eternal. By choosing to believe that Jesus has conquered death, which is the consequence of sin, His light shines on us and we begin to see all of the many pictures that God has given us. We also see the things in our lives that hurt us and mar our image of Him.

We were created to be reflectors of His glory, “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18). The Spirit continues to reveal His glorious image to us as we seek to be like Him.

May we strive today to seek His face, to see His glorious image as the Spirit reveals Him to us through His Word (the Bible), other people (both Christian and non-Christian), circumstances, and prayer. This last one, prayer, is where we face Him and converse with Him. We climb up on the “altar” and offer ourselves to Him just as He offered Himself to us. This process is how we live victoriously in Christ each day.

Abba, You are our Example. May we come after You, deny ourselves daily, take up our cross and follow You (Luke 9:23). Thank You for showing us the Way. You ARE the Way. Amen.