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

Want to make religious leaders mad? Re-interpret their rules. That’s what Jesus did.

Jesus did and said things that made the Pharisees and teachers of the law really mad, mad enough to kill Him. Before we look at three of them, let’s lay some foundation work:

¹⁷ “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. ¹⁸ I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. ¹⁹ So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 5:17-29

Verse 17- Jesus wanted to make it clear that He was not teaching anything aberrant or heretical, but was correctly interpreting them the way they were meant. Jesus was the ONLY ONE qualified to do it because He IS the Word, “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son” (John 1:14). The law pointed to the One Sacrifice who would fulfill the law and complete it. That would be Jesus.

Verse 18- Notice that Jesus put a qualifier on His statement about the law. That qualifier is, “until its purpose is achieved.” Jesus was going to achieve its purpose through the cross and subsequent resurrection. That purpose is to make possible the reunion of man to God through the Person of Jesus Christ.

Verse 19- Jesus’ statement about ignoring the least of the commandments was not referring to the law itself, but His interpretation of it, which made the Pharisees and teachers of the law reject Him. Also, Jesus put obedience on everyone’s level. We are to obey His law of love (John 13:34-35 and Romans 13:10) by loving others and teaching them to do the same, like your spouse, your children, your friends, etc. It particularly applied to His disciples.

Based upon His qualification as the Son of God and the Word of God, Jesus had the right to interpret any of the laws according to what they were originally meant to be or to His fulfillment of them. Tomorrow, we begin our look at several of them. For today, let’s praise Him for caring enough about us to come and “set the record straight.”

Jesus, we praise You for taking what was bent and making it straight. Your interpretation of the law is summed up in loving You and loving others (Matthew 22:37-40). May we keep Your “golden rule,” “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12). With Your Spirit directing us, we learn to love as You loved. We love You, Lord. Amen.

We must give up our sinful lifestyle in order to experience unity with Christ. It’s important.

One of the passages we looked at yesterday bears closer scrutiny. There are several key words and phrases that reveal the Father’s deep, deep love for us.

³ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. ⁴ Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. ⁵ God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:3-5

Paul begins his epistle (letter) to the Ephesians with this explanation of the over-arching Plan of God for mankind. Verse 3 is pure praise to God with one special note: He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Why? Because we are united with Christ. We are not dominated by Christ, nor are we absorbed into Christ; we are one with Him in spirit by our own response to His offer to “adopt us” and through our cooperation. Paul also describes it like a marriage:

¹⁶ Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” ¹⁷ But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:16-17

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Ephesians 5:25-26

²³ I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. John 17:23

This unity is what God had planned from the beginning. We will look at that part tomorrow.

Abba, You had this kind of unity in mind from the beginning. You’re awesome! Thank You for making it so that everyone can know You intimately, O Lord. The plan was Yours, Abba; it was completed by Your Son, Jesus, and is currently implemented by the Holy Spirit. We praise You, Father, we praise You, Son, we praise You, Spirit, Three in One. Amen.

Why get baptized? Baptism is definitely an unusual ceremony. Yet, people all over the world do it. Why?

New Christians are excited, thankful, and ready to serve. It’s the perfect time to baptize them–What?! Nothing was ever mentioned in the Sinner’s Prayer* about being baptized! Why do that? One of the things that is talked about when talking to someone about following Jesus is baptism. Let’s look at its history.

Baptism is a ritual cleansing that requires immersion in water. For 1,500 years, the Israelites were required to bathe in a ritual bath called, mikveh, before entering the temple area. When pilgrims would come to Jerusalem, they would be dirty from travel on dusty roads. This from TimesofIsrael.com,

“Even after bathing in the clear waters of the Shiloah Pool at David’s City, they were not yet ready to sacrifice in the Temple: They would still have to purify their minds and souls in a ritual bath called a mikveh. And that is why, of the 700 ritual baths uncovered so far throughout Israel, 200 are found in Jerusalem and, of these, fully 50 of them are located near the Temple Mount.

John the Baptist used a popular mikveh in the Jordan River to baptize people. What he was doing was highly irregular. The people were supposed to go to the temple and offer sacrifices to be forgiven of sin. To be baptized in the Jordan River to show repentance for sin circumvented the entire way of religious life for the Israelites. Yet, Jesus was baptized, and in His ministry, His disciples baptized those who repented of their sin and chose to follow Jesus, “Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— ² although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples” (John 4:1-2).

This ritual bathing takes on a whole new meaning when we get to Acts and then the letters of Paul. We will look at those passages tomorrow. For now, let’s ponder the significance of taking part in an ancient ritual of intent. Why get baptized? Because the Israelites did from Moses to David to Jesus. Why get baptized? Because Jesus offered it as part of His ministry. Why get baptized? Because we pledge to turn our backs on our sinful ways, plunge into the ceremonial pool, and turn to Jesus for life. This life-changing experience is also a visible expression of being sealed with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Abba, I remember when I was baptized. As a six-year-old, I couldn’t grasp the total significance of the moment, but through the years, I have looked back on that time to remind myself of my commitment to Christ and to You. It is a fixed point in my relationship with You, and one that began an intentional walk with You. I pray that all who have been baptized see their baptism as an official confirmation of their walk with You. Amen.

*Taken from the Billy Graham Association website:

“Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I want to turn from my sins, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe He died for my sins and that You raised Him to life. I want Him to come into my heart and to take control of my life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow Him as my Lord from this day forward. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

Music has a way of saying things in a memorable way. Mary’s song and Zechariah’s song had a lot to say!

On this Christmas Eve, let’s look at Mary’s song in Matthew 1:46-55 and see just what was so important that it was said in song.

⁴⁶ And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷ And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
Mary is filled with rejoicing over the salvation that is coming to all mankind through her.

⁴⁸ For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
This prophecy holds true to this day.

⁴⁹ For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
Even as Mary sings of the Father, she sings of the Son, as well.

⁵⁰ And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
“From generation to generation” is another way of saying that His mercy is never-ending to those who fear Him.

⁵¹ He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
This statement will be especially applicable as Jesus saves all mankind through death rather than just saving Israel through military might.

⁵² He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
Jesus was the Savior of all people, not just the rich and powerful. In fact, they had the most trouble accepting Him. Good examples of this would be King Herod and the shepherds.

⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled (Matthew 5:6). The rich trust in their riches to their detriment.

⁵⁴ He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
Salvation would come to Israel through Jesus Christ–to all mankind!

⁵⁵ As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever.”
The birth of Jesus would be the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3).

Luke didn’t write his Gospel until probably 50 years after Christ’s death and resurrection. He could have gotten his information from Mary herself. Here it was 50 years later her song is still remembered! Known as The Magnificat, it is still sung today in churches all over the world.

Abba, thank You for giving Mary such an inspiring song for us to sing. We rejoice with her for all You have done for us through Jesus. Thank You for choosing Mary to bring Him to the world. I look forward to meeting her someday. Amen.

Jesus healed many people by touching them, but a unique healing happened 700+ years before Jesus came to earth!

When we look through the Gospels, we find many healings of Jesus by Him touching them:

• The man with leprosy in Matthew 8:3
• Peter’s mother-in-law in Matthew 8:14
• The woman with an issue of blood in Matthew 9:20-21
• The raising of Jairus’ daughter in Matthew 9:25

And we’ve only covered two chapters in Matthew! Because Jesus was on His throne before time began, He is responsible for any and all healings throughout history, but in Isaiah 6, we find Him healing Isaiah in a unique way,

6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
    the whole earth is full of his glory.”
⁴ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
⁵ “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

This cleansing was similar to the atonement rituals the priests followed (Leviticus 8:23-24), and also a representation of Jesus’ blood on the altar (Ephesians 1:4).

When Jesus touches us by way of His Spirit, we become clean, just like Isaiah. And, because of His continuous presence in our lives, we live in a perpetual state of righteousness. There may be times when we turn away from the Lord; we lose our fellowship with Him, and we feel unrighteous, unholy, and unclean. Instead of having to go through all the ceremonial protocol of the law, we now turn to Jesus in repentance and go back to living righteously with Him, the One who directs our paths.

Abba, thank You for making a way for us to enjoy You without fear or dread. Your presence inspires us rather than terrifying us. We want everyone to know You as we do, through Jesus Christ. Without His righteousness, who can stand before You? No one! May we be Your ambassadors to the world, Abba. Amen.

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18 Ever taken one of these falls before?

As we move deeper into Romans 12, St. Paul starts calling out the rich and privileged,

¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

St. Paul begins with a call to harmony. We are unified in Christ, and are called to live in harmony with each other. People of that day lived in a caste system where the elite ruled and the slave served. There were levels between the two, yet all came together in Christ. St. Paul tells them not to be proud; on the contrary, they are told to be willing to associate with those who are under them socially. His last comment says it all: Don’t be conceited (think too highly of yourself).

The Lord Jesus said,

 ⁴² Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ⁴³ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42-45 (also in Matthew 20:25-28)

Here is Luke’s version:

²⁴ A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. ²⁵ Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. ²⁶ But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. ²⁷ For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

St. Paul is telling the Romans that in order to be like Jesus, they will have to not only associate with those of lesser status, but even serve them! What a switch!!! The kingdom of God is not like the kingdoms of this earth. He who is first will be last, and visa versa (Matthew 19:30).

We don’t have a caste system in America, but we do have “pecking orders.” When these pecking orders are found in churches, the words of Paul are being ignored and Jesus’s words will be all the more true. Let us strive to live in harmony with all of our brothers and sisters in Christ by enjoying each other’s company and treating everyone with respect. How do we do that? Two ways are:

1. By understanding that sharing our “superior” (and probably unasked for) opinions does not win respect or benefit others. Rather than foster harmony, unhelpful words (such as “Well, I would have….”) may create even more barriers in a relationship.
2. By using what we do know and can do in ways that will humbly benefit and serve others–as secretly and quietly as possible.

Abba, may we see each other as fellow image bearers and as temples of the Holy Spirit. To know that You indwell each of us raises us all to the status of sonship and co-heirs of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:16-17). Teach us to live in harmony with each other, loving each other and respecting each other as dearly loved children. Amen.

“If we claim we have not sinned, we make God out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.” 1 John 1:10

I was reading Ephesians 2:1-3 the other day and I had three questions come to mind. Let’s look at the passage first,

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

According to Paul, we all have a sin problem. We are disobedient, and worldly. We are by nature deserving of the consequences of our actions. Jesus said, “ I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24). So, according to Jesus, we DO have a sin problem. But wait, there’s more. In the very next verse, we find that, “because of his great love for us…” God does NOT want us to suffer the consequences of our actions, nor die in our sins. He has provided all that we need for redemption (more about that in a minute).

Now, for the questions:

1. Do you think we have a sin problem, that we do things that hurt ourselves and/or others?
2. What do you think is the best way to overcome our sin problem?
3. What do you think about Jesus’s solution of repentance and coming under His leadership?

In the first question, we note that sin is selfish choices that hurt us and/or others. Turning away from the right path and taking a wrong path always leads to destruction. Jesus says, “Follow Me.”* Only He knows the right path.

In the second question, we come to the realization that we cannot do anything about our own sin. Sin is described as sickness, blindness, lostness, and death. Dead people cannot help themselves. Neither can a blind person make himself see, a sick person make himself well, or a lost person find his way back (it’s the very definition of being lost). We need a Savior. Hence, the third question.

In the third question, we find our solution in Jesus Christ. He said,

“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” John 7:37-38

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” John 8:11

We have been offered forgiveness–more than that, expungement–of our sins by Jesus. All we have to do is take His word for it and then start living according to His commands with His leadership. Remember, His yoke is easy and His burden is light. It’s so much better than our own way, which leads to inevitable destruction.

Let’s follow Jesus and allow Him to lead us. That’s what repentance is all about: Following Him.

Abba, I trust You over my own voice. My way of thinking has gotten me into a lot of trouble through the years. Only when I turned to You have I found my way out–because of You! Following You, Jesus, is not safe, nor is it easy, but it IS rewarding, and it makes the pleasures and treasures of this life pale in comparison to walking with You. You lead, we will follow. Amen.

*Selected verses

What do Eden, the temple, and humanity have in common? Keep reading!

The past two posts, we have been looking at the architecture of Eden, Noah’s Ark, the Ark of the Covenant, the Exodus Tabernacle, and Solomon’s temple and and how they all have the same three components or levels.

• In the beginning, the earth consisted of dry ground, then Eden, and a Garden within Eden.
• Noah’s Ark consisted of three levels inside.
• The Ark of the Covenant consisted of the rectangular box with an overlay of gold (the box contained items that reminded the Israelites of God’s provision for them), and the cover, or lid, with two cherubim on top between which the manifest presence of God dwelled.
• The Exodus Tabernacle consisted of the outer courtyard, the inner courtyard, and the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant stayed.
• Solomon’s Temple consisted of three levels plus an outer court, the holy place, and the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant stayed.

In the third level or component is where the presence of the Lord dwelt. God physically manifested Himself in the Garden; He was represented by Noah’s family in Noah’s Ark; He was “enthroned” on the Mercy Seat on the cover of the Ark of the Covenant, which resided in the Exodus Tabernacle and Solomon’s Temple.

How can we take this pattern of three’s and use it to describe how God interacts with us? One way is through the concept of mankind having three parts: Body, Soul and Spirit. We get this idea from Paul in his conclusion of the first letter to the Thessalonians,

²³ May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Let’s “flesh out” each of these:

• Our bodies house our souls and are one with our souls, hardwired until death. Paul called it a “tent,” “For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.” It is why God has “fashioned us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” 2 Corinthians 5:4-5).
• Our soul is who we are, our essence. We have free will and can choose right from wrong. Those who follow Christ have accepted the Trinity’s invitation to join them in their fellowship. I describe it as being asked to sit at their table of fellowship. The Greek term for “soul” is, “psuché,” which means, (a) the vital breath, breath of life, (b) the human soul, (c) the soul as the seat of affections and will, (d) the self, (e) a human person, an individual.
• Our spirit, which is where God lives and meets with us. It could be described as our “Garden of Eden.” At any time, we can pause and praise the Father privately and personally. We are living temples, ¹⁵ Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? ¹⁷ But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. ¹⁹ Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? 1 Corinthians 6:15, 17, 19

God Himself keeps us totally and completely. He is able–and willing– to keep us blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus, “To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy” (Jude 24); and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:27).

I’m not saying we are perfect yet, but if Christ lives with our spirit, then that place is consecrated and holy. If we allow His Spirit to align our souls and bodies with our spirits–where Christ lives–then, we will look more and more like Christ each day. This is the Plan.

Let’s work our salvation from the inside out so that others can see Jesus in us.

Abba, thank You for living in us through Your Spirit. May we focus on You and allow You to fashion us into the image of Christ so that people can see Jesus in us. Amen.

Short, sweet, and to the point; My view of the Christian life:

The basis for the explanation of my relationship with the Lord is found in 2 Corinthians 3:18,

¹⁸ And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate and reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

1. That Jesus would transform us into His image and then reach others through us.

2. That we would be one with Him in order for Him to reach others through us.

3. That we would be willing to make any changes necessary to be one with Him in order for Him to reach others through us.

May He call us all “higher up and further in,” that the world may know Him through us.

Abba, You call us to the cruciform life*. We as Your followers have answered that call because, like Peter, we say, “to whom would we go? You have the words of life**.” May we give ourselves to You every day so that You can form, conform, and transform us into Your likeness. We want to be like You, Jesus. Please make it so. Amen.

*The cruciform life: Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23

**Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:58

The high that Jesus offers is so much greater than any high we can reach any other way.

On May 22nd, we began looking at what I think all graduates need to know. The first one was, “What we do with our bodies matters (yesterday’s post).” The second is:

What we put in our bodies matters.

As we discussed yesterday, our bodies have been intricately designed by God. In some ways, they are very resilient, but in other ways, we can mess them up badly. Some people use mind-altering drugs to escape reality, to try to enhance their reality, or to change it in some way. All of these attempts are contrary to what God has intended for us, which is to be in the present with Him. The apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians, who were coming out of a hedonistic culture that used mind-altering drugs in their pagan ceremonies during which they would do things that hurt their bodies, their relationships, and their psyche:

¹⁸ Don’t be drunk with wine [or use any mind-altering drug], because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, ¹⁹ singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. ²⁰ And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:18-20

Notice what Paul recommended instead of alcohol: Praise and worship of God and Jesus through the Spirit. If you are coming out of a life of substance abuse, the best weapon you can have is prayer and praise. Grab a friend and a good couple of praise songs and pray to the Lord and praise Him together. Here is another promise from our Lord:

²⁰ For where two or three gather together as my followers (in My name), I am there among them.” Matthew 18:20

How does that happen and what does it look like? When we praise Him together, God inhabits the praise of His people (Psalm 22:3 KJV). The Spirit who is joined with the spirits of those present together in Him focuses us upward to our heavenly Father. The presence of Christ can sometimes literally be felt! We sense His love and His peace, and our lives are filled with joy. Our hearts open up to one another; conviction is experienced along with forgiveness. Many times, people receive special instructions to go and talk to someone or do something for someone. The craving to escape is replaced with the joy of His Presence and Participation in our lives. I believe that the extraordinary experience of the new disciples of Christ immediately following Pentecost was what kept them meeting together each day in the temple courts and in their homes:

⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:46-47

Remember that to enjoy the Lord’s presence, we must be in the present with our minds set on Him.

Abba, You offer so much more than any drug or drink. May we experience Your presence and participation in our lives when we praise You and worship Your holy name. Of course, the best way to offer You worship is with our lives. Fill us, Lord, so that we can fill the world with Your love. Amen.

Songs bypass our intellect and get in our long-term memory. It’s why we remember songs all our lives (and sing them in elevators).

Tuesday, I will be the entertainment at a Senior Adult function for a fellow minister. As I put together my song list, I am pondering what I would like to tell them that would encourage them in their walk with Jesus. One of the songs on the list is an original called, “The Wedding Feast of the Lamb,” and uses the Parable of the Wedding Banquet from Matthew 22:1-14 and Revelation 19:7. Here are the words to the song:

Invitations went out to the guests of the King,
but the guests turned Him down using everything
from wives to yokes to fields they’d bought in order not to go.

So the Master said, “Go out and claim
all the poor, the crippled, blind and lame
and bring them in from the country lanes;
I want them to know:

They’re invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb,
where the Host is Father God, the Great I Am.
The Church, His spotless Bride
will be forever by His side;
They’re invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”

The church too long has stepped aside
and allowed the world to evangelize
those for whom Christ Jesus died there on that old rugged cross.

It is time for us to set our sights
on the city of eternal light
and tell the world that Jesus died and rose again to call:

“You’re invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb,
where the Host is Father God, the Great I Am.
The Church, His spotless Bride
will be forever by His side;
You’re invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”

This world we see is not our home,
this life we live is not our own;
We belong to Him who sits upon
His royal throne on high.

He is coming back to right the wrong
to receive His Bride and take His throne;
Come and join us now and sing the song of “Worthy is the Lamb!”

We’re invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb,
where the Host is Father God, the Great I Am.
The Church, His spotless Bride
will be forever by His side;
We’re invited to the wedding feast–
You’re invited to the wedding feast–
Come and join us now at the wedding feast of the Lamb.

I will look for an audio recording of it. There should be one around here somewhere…For now, enjoy the assurance we have that we have a seat reserved at the table of the Lord.

Abba, thank You that I am part of Your Bride and that I have a reserved seat at Your table. I look forward to the day when all of Your children will be gathered around Your table in Your house. “It’s a big, big house with lots and lots of room…” And to that we say, “Amen.”

Learning to love as Christ loves is difficult; it’s not natural–it’s supernatural! We need the Holy Spirit of God in us!

¹⁵ All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. ¹⁶ We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 1 John 4:15-16

As I looked over the list I had made concerning how we are to treat each other in a time of change, there were a few points that still need to be made and some bear repeating. Here they are:

1. We are bound together by God’s love. If we lose our unity in fellowship, we lose the mission Christ has set before us. We are to “shine like stars in the sky among our generation” (Philippians 2:15). The greatest way to do this is to love one another Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).
2. We look at our immediate needs, but we must invest in future generations. Moses prayed, “Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory. And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!” 90:16-17).
3. God is to be honored above all–above all personal opinions, interests, and decisions–with unity, building up of the body, in order to build up our resources for living celebrative, consecrated lives for all to see.
4. A verse I read every day is Colossians 4:6, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” The key words are “always” and “full.” “Always” as in never any other way, and “full” meaning filled with the Spirit. I love the “seasoned with salt” part. Salt is used as seasoning, medicine, and several other uses. For us, we are to season our conversation with grace.
5. The last point gives us hope in that Christians have been disagreeing with each other since–whenever people started meeting together. In Philippi, there were two ladies who were in disagreement with each other. Paul called them out, “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. ³ Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life” (Philippians 4:2-3). I trust that they took Paul’s plea to heart and implemented the next two verses, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”

This list concludes my attempt to establish a baseline for interaction in our churches, our homes, and our families. If we treat each other as cherished children of God, then we will be fine. May God bless us as we strive to be lights for Him.

Abba, You do not show favoritism*; You love us all equally. May we treat each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, loved and cherished by You. If we love one another as You have loved us, then the world will know what true love is and be drawn to it. Help us to shine our lights to each other even as we shine them in the world around us. Amen.

*³⁴ Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism ³⁵ but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. Acts 10:34-35

Jesus’s half-brother, James, was the pastor of the church in Jerusalem. Here is what he taught:

¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. ²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

The key to being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry is given in verse 21, “humbly accept the word planted in you.” What word? There was no New Testament at that time. The Old Testament? Maybe. James quotes from it in 4:6. More than likely, he is referring to what they have witnessed and talked about, and what James has taught them. Most of their teaching was oral anyway because writings were so scarce. More on that tomorrow.

The gospels of Mark and Matthew may have been written by the time of James’ letter before his death around AD 62, but no one knows for sure. What we do have is some documented information about how James died. He certainly was “slow to anger!”

This article is from Christian History For Everyman by Paul Palao. Here is his disclosure:

I’m retelling the story in my own words, not quoting him. Eusebius gives three versions of the death of James: one from Clement of Alexandria, one from Hegesippus, and one from Josephus (yes, Josephus’ Antiquities was being quoted way back then!). This is Hegesippus’ version, which Eusebius judges the most accurate.

After a while, James’ influence became so strong that even some of the rulers believed, which horrified the scribes and Pharisees. They became afraid that soon the people would be flocking to Jesus as the Christ.
Somehow, perhaps because of his strict observance of the Law, the Pharisees thought they could get James to discourage the people from believing. They asked him to stand at the pinnacle of the temple on Passover and speak.
Apparently, James agreed.
They brought him to the top of the temple, and they shouted to him from below:
“Oh, righteous one, in whom we are able to place great confidence; the people are led astray after Jesus, the crucified one. So declare to us, what is this way, Jesus?”
Obviously, this wasn’t a very wise thing for them to do. James was ready to take full advantage of such a wonderful opportunity as this!
His words are memorable:
Why do you ask me about Jesus, the Son of Man? He sits in heaven at the right hand of the great Power, and he will soon come on the clouds of heaven!
The Pharisees were horrified, but the people were not. The began shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
The Pharisees, realizing the awful mistake they’d made, began crying out, “Oh! Oh! The righteous one is also in error!”

You can probably guess that this had little effect on the crowd. So the next obvious thing to do was to push him down from the temple, letting the people know exactly what happens to those who dare to believe in Jesus.
They climbed the temple as the people shouted, reached the top, and threw James from the pinnacle of the temple.
It didn’t kill him.
He rose to his knees and began to pray for them. “I beg of you, Lord God our Father, forgive them! They do not know what they are doing.”
This would not do! The Pharisees on the ground began to stone him as he prayed, while those from the roof rushed down to join the execution.
One of the priests, however, a son of the Rechabites mentioned by Jeremiah the prophet (ch. 35), shouted, “Stop! What are you doing! The righteous one is praying for you.”
It was too late. A fuller (i.e., launderer) took out one of the clubs that he used to beat clothes and smashed James on the head, killing him with one blow.

I highly recommend going to the website Christian History For Everyman and reading the entire article.

Abba, there is so much information out there from historical records and early church documents that I did not know was available! Thank You for making them available in English in the last several decades. May I take the time to learn all I can and pass it on to faithful brothers and sisters. Amen.

The Virgin Birth is an integral part of Christmas. Jesus left heaven to come to earth as a human baby. It’s important!

³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Luke 1:35

There are two things we need to know about the birth of Jesus:

1. He was God in the flesh. “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel [God with us]” (Isaiah 7:14). His divinity is what gave Him His connection with the Father through the Spirit.
2. He was fully human. Even though God is His Father, He had 23 pairs of chromosomes, a fully functioning body, feelings, aches and pains, fatigue, etc. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

David Young said, “The only Jesus worth knowing is the Son of God who lived a perfect life, died an atoning death, was raised as Lord over creation, offers to save those who trust Him, and will return with a new creation in final judgment. This is the Jesus of orthodox, biblical, and historic Christianity.” (From “A Grand Illusion” page 75).

Jesus was not a man who achieved godhood, nor was He a Spirit Being who inhabited a human form. He was integrally woven into humanity for our sake. Because He is human, He became the substitutionary sacrifice for the penalty of sin, which was death. Because He is God, He was able to rise from the dead, therefore beating death, and invites everyone to join Him in His victory.

David Young continues, “Jesus is God incarnate, that He died on the cross to atone us of our sins, that He was literally raised from the dead as King of kings, and that He is going to return to judge humanity and establish a new creation.” Ibid pg. 76). On the truth of this statement we can stake our eternity.

Abba, so much went into Your coming to earth as Jesus that there is no way we can contain it all. In fact, we will never know the whole story until we stand on the other side of the tapestry of life. May we continually stand in awe of Your mighty works, Your amazing love, and Your never-ending pursuit of us sinners. Amen.

His Coming is why we say,
Merry Christmas!

No one can run so far that God will not come looking for us, finding us, freeing us, healing us, and then carrying us home with Him.

⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home.” Luke 15:4-6

As we continue our study of love, today we look at the steadfast love of the Lord,

² Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
    test my heart and my mind.
³ For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
    and I walk in your faithfulness. Psalm 26:2-3

“Steadfast,” “faithful” and “unfailing” are all synonyms. In fact, let’s read this passage from the NIV,

² Test me, Lord, and try me,
    examine my heart and my mind;
³ for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love
    and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.

David wasn’t afraid to have God examine his heart. Why not? I believe it is because he knew that God already knew what was in his heart–and loved him anyway! It’s a great truth for us to know. David was determined to do things God’s way, all the while trusting in the Lord to give him the desire and the power to see it through no matter how many times it took. Here is what James had to say on the matter of steadfastness,

¹² Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

Paul said something similar,

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

And Peter did, too,

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness [perseverance], and steadfastness [perseverance] with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. ⁸ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8

Peter would not have asked us to do something that was impossible. Granted, it is impossible to do it on our own and in our own power. We were never designed like that; we were designed to partner with the Holy Spirit in everything. It is in His strength and by His guidance that we “increase in these qualities.”

We can walk steadfastly because God walks with us steadfastly. He knows our hearts and guides us accordingly. We can trust Him. Let’s ask Him everything; there’s nothing too small or insignificant. If we get into the habit of checking with the Lord for small things, we will automatically check with Him for big things. And, we have this promise, ““One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much“ (Luke 16:10). One more verse:

¹³ if we are faithless,
    he remains faithful,
    for he cannot disown himself [deny His own nature].
2 Timothy 2:13

Abba, we love You all the more because of Your faithfulness to us. Even when we don’t earn it or deserve it, “Faithful” is who You are. In fact, Your name is “Faithful and True” (Revelation 19:11). In our quest to be like You, may we be more determined than ever to be faithful to Your call on our lives. Amen.

Salvation; who needs it. Come to find out, we ALL do!

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” Hebrews 4:7

From yesterday:

When Peter made his great statement in Acts 4:12, he gave us a unique definition of salvation from God’s perspective,

¹² Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

There are several questions that arise from this verse.

1. Must a person be saved?
2. From what is he lost?
3. Is he not capable of saving himself?
4. Why Jesus’ name?
5. What makes His name special?
6. Everyone?
7. What is required?
8. What shall we gain/avoid?

We found that the answer to question #1 is, Yes, we all need to be saved–but, from what or whom? That is the question we will answer today.

The “what” is pretty simple. The answer is “sin.” What is sin? It is disobedience. Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden by disobeying God’s command to not eat of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Have you ever wondered why God would make such a command? To test them? I don’t think so. I believe that the tree was meant for later. They were still very young spiritually when they sinned, and then sin became a drug, which led to addiction for us all. Let’s read about it:

³ At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved [addicted] by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. Titus 3:3

We must admit that we are ruled by our passions. How we feel dictates what we say and do, and even think! Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Jesus picks up where we got off-track in the Garden. He gives us the desire and the power to do His will, which is to allow the Spirit to guide us rather than being guided by how we feel. I call it “the higher desire.” Robin calls it, “the want-to to want to.”

There is also someone to whom we are enslaved. That would be Satan,

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh [feelings] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. Ephesians 2:1-3

Jesus came to break the hold that Satan had on us, which is death and the fear of it,

¹⁴ Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— ¹⁵ and free those who all their lives were held in slavery [addiction] by their fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15

One of my favorite passages is 2 Corinthians 5:14-15. It motivates me to live for Christ,

¹⁴ For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one [Jesus Christ] died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Jesus conquered death for us and freed us from the fear of it. He comes to live in us and gives us the desire and the power to follow Him and His leadership in our lives. Why wouldn’t we “no longer live for ourselves” and live for Him?

Abba, I am SOOOOOO grateful You rescued me! Thank You for dying for me and then rising from the dead so that I do not have to fear death anymore. You are AWESOME. Amen.

Christians don’t have to be pacifists. But, our war is more on the spiritual side than the physical side.

³ For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. ⁴ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

We are nearing the end of our study of the Baptist Faith & Message. Today, we look at:

XVI. Peace and War

It is the duty of Christians to seek peace with all men on principles of righteousness. In accordance with the spirit and teachings of Christ they should do all in their power to put an end to war.
The true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of our Lord. The supreme need of the world is the acceptance of His teachings in all the affairs of men and nations, and the practical application of His law of love. Christian people throughout the world should pray for the reign of the Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 2:4; Matthew 5:9,38-48; 6:33; 26:52; Luke 22:36,38; Romans 12:18-19; 13:1-7; 14:19; Hebrews 12:14; James 4:1-2.

The key to this article is the phrase, “The true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of our Lord.” Nothing was mentioned about Christians being soldiers, nor was anything mentioned about self-defense or physical protection of families. This article was purposely written with a broad brush so that each person can work out the specifics between him and the Lord. We must not judge another’s servant based upon our own conscience and conviction (1 Corinthians 10:29, Romans 14:4).

In case you were wondering, many soldiers in the Roman army were Christians, and they used their influence to bring many other soldiers to Christ. For interesting reading, go to earlychurchhistory.org.

I look forward to the day when every soldier beats his sword into a plowshare and his spear into a pruning hook (Isaiah 2:4).

Abba, may that Day come in Your time. I know You are filling the earth with Your Church. One day, she will be complete and You will come back to establish Your kingdom fully here on earth. I look forward to that Day. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

The human body and a rocket that takes astronauts to the space station have something in common: Master Design.

26 An honest answer [truth] is like a kiss on the lips.

Both the human body and the rocket are incredibly designed and built. How weird would it be for the astronaut to say, ” This rocket built itself,” and then ride it to the space station? Case in point is the index finger. The other day, I had you hold out your pointer finger and move it left and right. Let’s do it again, only this time fold it up close to your hand; now, stretch it out and make it go up and down. These motions involve muscles, tendons, ligaments, blood flow, skin, and lots of nerves. From, “A Pocket Guide to the Human Body,” pages 81-84.

Seven muscles are required to control the index finger. The lumbrical muscle, unlike most muscles that attach to bone, connects a tendon near the front of the index finger to a phenomenally complex shroud of delicate tendons and related tissues. This muscle serves two main functions: extending and retracting the finger in coordination with the other muscles.

As the lumbrical muscle contracts, it reduces the tension on the long flexor tendon, while the lumbrical muscle simultaneously pulls on a ligament at the side of the finger, extending the finger (figure 2). Several other muscles and tendons help control the positions of the finger bones. Consider the two long extensor muscle-tendon units. They split into three separate tendons over the first bone of the finger (Figure 3). The side tendons then shift above or below the second joint of the finger, depending on the degree to which the finger must be curled (or “flexed”).

Yet these tendons cannot straighten the finger by themselves. They need the simultaneous action of four other muscles, two in the palm of your hand, and two located in the forearm. Without all these muscles working together, the finger bones would quickly become malpositioned and nonfunctional. A wonderfully integrated relationship between muscles is required to bring about this desired motion.

Other finger motions require a different symphony of muscle movements. For instance, try shifting your finger sideways and forward, as though you are typing the letter y. The muscles interact in very different ways than when you type u, but the motion can be just as smooth. The number of potential finger positions is virtually unlimited. If each of the seven muscles is capable of assuming one hundred different positions (and this is a conservative estimate), then the possible combinations would be about 100 trillion. Yet our index finger can attain all of these positions with ease [probably while I was typing this post!].

I think I am making a very “pointed” case for Irreducible Complexity. I have a new respect for surgeons who can reconnect severed fingers and make them work again. From now on, I will not take for granted the ability to play the guitar, saxophone, or piano. Our bodies praise the Creator even if we do not. Let’s make sure that we give credit where credit is due: To our heavenly Father!

Abba, the stars are majestic, but pointing to the stars brings that majesty down to earth, right where we live! May we see You in every part of our body, in the structures around us, in our world, and in our universe. Jesus, all things were created in You and through You, both in heaven and on earth, and in You all things hold together (Colossians 1:16-17). We praise You, for we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). Amen.

The concept of God living in us is mind-blowing. How could He do such a thing? WHY would He do such a thing?

8 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; 4 through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

God loves His children. He created us to love Him. But, in order for us to freely love Him, He gave us free will. Mankind was led astray, but God pursued us. He even came to earth as a human in order to win us back. More than that, He has made a way for Him to fellowship with us permanently!

One of my favorite verses is Colossians 1:27, which says,

²⁷ To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

There are four parts to this verse. Let’s look at them.

1. The Gentiles were now included in the family of God. This was big news–a joy to the Gentiles, but a bitter pill for many Israelis. The leadership had spent centuries keeping themselves apart from the Gentile nations even though their original mission was to proselytize them (Deuteronomy 4:5-8). God was getting back to His original plan.
2. This mystery was hidden from everyone except a few (the prophets). Why? For the same reason that Jesus kept it from His disciples and the rest of Israel. He had a mission to complete and He couldn’t do it if they knew His motive. Jesus demonstrated God’s (His) love for us by dying on the cross–and then rising again. It is through His resurrection that we have new life!
3. Christ in us–this is the clincher. The concept of God living in us, forgiving us, guiding us, and equipping us is mind-blowing!
4. The hope of glory–We walk with Jesus until the day we die. On that day, our hope of eternal life with Him is realized. Hear it from Jesus, “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world” (John 17:24). This promise is ours, and to all who trust Jesus with their lives.

Since I am not a Jew, this verse is very good news for me. Tomorrow, we will look at the next two verses. They, too, are very special to me.

Abba, thank You for such a wonderful verse that reveals our part in Your glorious mystery, the mystery of salvation for everyone. May we share it gladly every chance we get. Amen.

The biggest hurdle for many in believing in God is the problem of human suffering–at the hands of other humans.

21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. 22 In doing this, you will heap burning coals [of conviction] on his head, and the LORD will reward you.

Yesterday, we had confirmed that God is not One of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), but is the God of peace, and thus does not bring punishment upon mankind through natural disasters. Today in part two, we delve into the question of why He allows human suffering at the hands of other humans. But, before we do, let’s establish some parameters for our discussion:

1. We will not sit in the Judge’s seat. It is not our place to “judge the Judge.” He is not on trial. He is God and we are not; let’s remember our place.
2. We see from a very limited perspective, so we must be open to other perspectives, provided they line up with Jesus.
3. Jesus saves us sometimes from the fire, sometimes in the fire, and always through the fire. (See Proverbs 18 6-18-21).
4. With God, it’s always about relationship, not deeds, not long life, not accomplishments, not wealth, etc. It’s all about connecting with us.

With these things in mind, here we go.

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image and likeness. Genesis 1:26a

We are made in God’s image. This includes the ability to choose. With great privilege comes great responsibility. Mankind chose poorly, but God was prepared. He knew we would and does not hold our poor choices against us (see Romans 3:25, 11:32, Hebrews 2:14-15, 4:14-16). Even so, our poor decisions affect others; they have to deal with the consequences of other people’s bad choices. We do, too. It’s been going on like this since Adam and Eve. In order for mankind to have Choice, God gave us complete Choice. Therefore, when people make poor decisions concerning the enslavement of other people, the hurting or taking advantage of other people, those people must deal with the consequences of those poor choices.

It is at this point that we remember that it’s all about relationship, so God comes alongside those sufferers and asks them to trust Him. He also comes alongside those who have made the poor choices and asks them the same thing. Jesus will walk both groups out of their consequences and into His kingdom of light IF they will listen to Him. Is it fair? What’s “fair?” Would you be willing to go through what you’ve been through to know Jesus on an intimate level? Paul said it this way,

¹⁰ I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, ¹¹ so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! Philippians 3:10-11

The resurrection from the dead is what we will talk about tomorrow. For today, here are some questions to answer:

1. Do you love Jesus?
2. What was the main reason you “got saved?” To gain heaven? To miss hell? or to know Christ?
3. Are you allowing Jesus to walk with you through your current circumstances?

Abba, when it comes down to it, we must choose You because You are You. Just the privilege to know You personally is enough! But, to be exalted to sonship–that’s incomprehensible! Keep opening our minds, Lord Jesus. Amen.

We think of “ransom” as being money given in exchange for someone who has been kidnapped. Not so in Jesus’ time.

¹⁸ The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,
    and the unfaithful for the upright (OT thinking).
or,
The wicked are ransomed and become the righteous,
and the unfaithful become the upright (NT thinking).

I learned something yesterday. I learned that to ransom something in biblical days meant that a person assumed the debt of another person. In Jesus’ case, He then forgave it. Let’s read Matthew 20:25-28,

²⁵ Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ²⁶ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The forgiveness part comes in Matthew 26:28,

²⁸ This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus ransomed us and then forgave us. It sounds like He did it only for specific people, but Paul clarified who was ransomed in 1 Timothy 2:5-6,

⁵ For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.

He also used the term, “redemption,” which has a similar meaning. It means, “to buy back.” Paul says in Titus 2:14,

Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

In a sense, we were “recalled” from wickedness. Now, we are being purified as Jesus’ people. Pretty cool, huh?

Jubilee was a happy time for Israel. It happened every 50 years. During this time, all lands went back to the original families. It was like everyone returning to “GO” in monopoly and turning in all your houses and hotels. When Jesus declared that Jubilee had come (He did this when He read Isaiah 61:1-3a and then applied it to Himself in Luke 4:18-21), He was declaring that He was about to redeem mankind from wickedness. He would pay the ransom and assume our debt–and then forgive it. WOW! Consider this:

Christ ‘gave his life as a ransom.’ But to whom?
Not to God, for God is not the slave-holder.
Not to Satan, for God owes Satan nothing.
Not to the Law, for mercy trumps Law (James 2:13).
Jesus ransoms us from death, paying with his life.
But Christ owed death nothing either, and so conquers it.*

Abba, the more I read about what You have done for us, the more I fall in love with You. You wanted us back! Not only that, You pursue those who are Yours (which is everyone) with an everlasting love and a never-ending mercy. Truly, Your Church will fill the whole earth eventually. This is, indeed, good news! Amen.

*Bradley Jersak, A More Christlike God, page 245

Having to be right all the time is a sign of immaturity. Respecting someone else’s opinion is a sign of maturity.

18:17 In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines.

As we look at the Concrete Operational Stage of Development (ages 7-11), we find that Jean Piaget was pretty accurate in his conclusions.

While children are still very concrete and literal in their thinking at this point in development, they become much more adept at using logic. The egocentrism of the previous stage begins to disappear as kids become better at thinking about how other people might view a situation.
While thinking becomes much more logical during the concrete operational state, it can also be very rigid. Kids at this point in development tend to struggle with abstract and hypothetical concepts.
During this stage, children also become less egocentric and begin to think about how other people might think and feel. Kids in the concrete operational stage also begin to understand that their thoughts are unique to them and that not everyone else necessarily shares their thoughts, feelings, and opinions.

This maturity is also seen on a spiritual level. Respecting someone else’s opinion, even when we don’t agree, is something that takes maturity. Sometimes, we color our lines a little too darkly on matters that are not as clear as we would like for them to be. Maturity says, “Let’s hold loosely to anything other than what we know beyond a shadow of a doubt.” What do we know beyond a shadow of a doubt?

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

³ For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. ⁶ After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, ⁸ and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

¹⁴ Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— ¹⁵ and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15

Everything else is subject to perspective. I love what the apostle Paul wrote concerning God’s wondrous plan:

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
    How unsearchable his judgments,
    and his paths beyond tracing out!
³⁴ “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
    Or who has been his counselor?”
³⁵ “Who has ever given to God,
    that God should repay them?”
³⁶ For from him and through him and for him are all things.
    To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Abba, I praise You for so great a salvation, one that is far above my understanding. At the same time, it’s so simple: You love me, You rescued me, and now You live in me. May I have plenty of opportunities to share my story. Amen.

Knowing God is not as difficult as it may seem. He is God and He wants to know us. Doesn’t that make it easier?

3 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures [God provides all three for us!].

in 1 Corinthians 2:9-13:

⁹ However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen,
    what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”—
    the things God has prepared for those who love him—
¹⁰ these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.

This quote is from Isaiah, who lived 700 years before Christ. He got a glimpse of the coming Christ, but we get to experience Him first-hand because of the Spirit of God who lives within us. The Spirit provides the wisdom, understanding and knowledge it takes for us to build godly temples for the Lord.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³ This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.

How can we discern the Spirit’s voice? Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;” we discern when the Spirit is speaking to us versus our own thoughts or when the evil one is whispering to us. It is critical that we know the types of things the Spirit will say to us and what the Spirit won’t say because the devil “is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).

There are two things that are very clear:

1. God will never speak to you in negative generalities, such as, “You are a loser.” “You’ll never be good enough.” “Oh, you messed up! Shame on you!” These are lies from the evil one.
2. God speaks to us in specifics and encouragement, such as, “Let me help you in this area.” “You are mine and I love you.” “This is what I want you to join Me in doing next…”

We will look more closely at hearing His voice tomorrow. For today, focus on what our heavenly Father WILL say to us.

Abba, thank You for being such a loving Father. Many people do not have a good role model of what a loving father is, but I do. Thank You for my dad and his shining example of a loving father. May You reveal to everyone how much You love them and desire a personal, ongoing relationship with them. Help us to hear You clearly, O Lord. Amen.

Perversion- Aberration, corruption, twisted from its original purpose. Satan does this all the time–and we believe him!

1Do not envy the wicked, do not desire their company; ² for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble.

In order to give us free will, God gave us complete free will. We make all our own decisions–not to say that God is not in overall control of our lives and therefore the universe. He is the One who choses to whom we belong, where we are born and in what time period. Still, throughout the day and every day of our lives, we make decisions. Although we were never intended to make these decisions on our own, but rather with God, Satan deceived Eve and successfully tempted Adam to believe him and rebel against the Father. In doing so, sin darkened our eyes and we could no longer see the Father clearly, if at all. We were enslaved by our own desires and learned to pervert everything, especially our emotions. Let’s look at some of this perversion:

Humility and goodness—>Entitlement, pride, vanity
Kindness—>Impatience
Compassion and gentleness—>Anger, rage
Self-control, love and pure thoughts—>Lust
Faithfulness and forgiveness—>Hate, spite
Temperance—>Gluttony
Submission—>Rebellion

The good news is that the Father loves us and had “bound us all over to disobedience so that He could have mercy on us all” (Romans 11:32). His Spirit is now permanently embedded in us so that we never walk alone again! Having seen His light and responding to it, we now peer intently into the face of Christ and are renewed, transformed, and conformed into His image in ever-increasing glory.

The only hiccup in the process is our free will; we still must choose godliness and righteousness over what we have all known, perversion. Any one of these perversions mentioned above tempts us to turn away from the face of Christ and back to darkness, but we were designed to be like Him, so we choose to ignore any different voice that temps us to not trust God. Besides, we’ve been to the dark side and we don’t want to go back!

Here are some encouragements that we know the Father is saying to us:

• “Choose to believe what I am saying in your heart is true.”
• “Trust Me when I say that your sins are forgiven.”
• “Turn to Me and I will receive you with much rejoicing and great pleasure!”
• If you want to know my peace, turn everything over to Me: every decision, feeling, answer, perception, thought, word and deed, and allow me via my Spirit to lead you.”

It is this daily communion with us that our Father craves. Do we? The point of salvation is to be joined with the Fellowship of the Trinity:

“He who has the Father has the Son” (1 John 2:23 adapted).
“He who has the Son has life” (1 John 5:12).
“The Spirit gives life” (John 6:63).
“God has given us eternal life [in the new age], and this life is in his Son” (1 John 5:11).

Abba, writing the truths on this page was easy; living them is hard. If I could see You with my eyes and feel You with my hands–but I see You with my mind and feel You with my heart, which is actually better for me because my faith in You is tested every day. But I KNOW You called me to be Yours, and I rest in that knowledge. My foundation is on the Rock of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! Amen.

The purpose of Jesus’ coming was so we could be close friends with God. Sounds crazy, huh?

¹³ My son, eat honey, for it is good,
    and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
¹⁴ Know that wisdom is such to your soul;
    if you find it, there will be a future,
    and your hope will not be cut off.

In Romans 5:12-21, Paul takes the idea of Jesus as our Representative and fills it out,

¹² Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— ¹⁷ For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man [Adam], much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

We see how Paul connects Adam with Jesus, both as representatives of humankind. He goes on to explain,

¹⁸ Therefore, as one trespass [eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil] led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness [dying for us on the cross] leads to justification and life for all men. ¹⁹ For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. ²⁰ Now the law came in to increase the trespass [make it obvious], but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, ²¹ so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might [now] reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

There is a key verse with which we will deal more significantly later, but I want to mention right now, because it sums up what God was doing with Adam and Jesus,

³² For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
Romans 11:32

The deed is done! As the psalmist said in Psalm 22:31, “He has done it.” Death has been defeated, sin has been taken away, and life is offered to all who will receive it. Salvation doesn’t get any plainer–and sweeter–than that!

One might think that because our sins are forgiven that we can continue in sin with impunity. Not So! Why would we want to? Sin destroys us! It’s the very thing that we realize when coming to Christ. We will deal with this subject tomorrow. Today, we rejoice in our plain and sweet salvation!

Abba, thank you for such a simple, but profound, salvation. You have done all the work! All we have to do is believe and entrust our lives to you. It floors me that you want a relationship with us; the God of the universe wants us as his friend! WOW!!! You are interested in being in our lives. May I run every decision by you, Abba. Amen.

Jesus’ heart was never to condemn, but to show mercy. One of His favorite quotes was, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13, 12:7).

11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.

As we continue in Matthew 23, there are actually a couple of verses in 22 that need mentioning. they are Matthew 22:23 and 41,

²³ That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him…

⁴¹ While the Pharisees were gathered together…

The Sadducees and Pharisees made up the ruling class of priests, of which were the scribes and teachers of the law. They were all there that day in the temple area (26:55) when Jesus gave His stern reprimand to them. Jesus gave this reason right up front,

¹³ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.

It’s one thing to personally choose not to trust Jesus, but it’s quite another to deliberately fight against other people coming to Him. It looks like Jesus was angry and was lashing out, but we cannot impose human character upon God,

⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. ⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts… Isaiah 55:8-9

For one thing, after this rebuke, we know that Jesus included them in His lament for Jerusalem and in His prayer of forgiveness on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:32). How do I know this to be true? It’s in verse 7 of Isaiah 55,

⁷ Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

Jesus lists many abuses and false teachings in verses 13-36, but He still seeks their repentance, and forgives their sin of killing Him even as He forgave our sin–two millennia before we were born! Jesus’ heart showed through that day as He lamented over Jerusalem in verses 37-39. We can hear the heartbreak in Jesus’ voice as He said, “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing.” Jesus didn’t cause His own death, nor did He cause the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Yet, they both happened just like Scripture and Jesus said they would.

What is evident in this chapter is the heart of Jesus. He came to reveal the Father to us and to establish a new way of looking at things–more than that, He came to establish a kingdom and to fill it with followers! Our primary job is to follow Jesus and love the Father/Son/Spirit with all our heart, soul, mind, and with all our strength. Our secondary job is to love our neighbor by modeling Christ and introducing our neighbors to Jesus as they become interested in the fellowship we have with the Trinity.

Tomorrow, we will discuss what modeling Christ looks like.

Abba, thank You for Your forgiveness. Your mercy and grace are as high as the heavens above. You have separated me from my sin as far as the east is from the west. What You have done for me You have done for everyone. May I share this great news with those whom You point out to me. Amen.    

The English language is confusing. We have so many idioms (figures of speech). Our Bibles reflect this truth.

3 By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

The mind and the heart cannot be separated. In fact, the heart is the amplifier of the mind; it distills our thoughts and focuses our feelings; it gives flight to our intentions and reveals our greatest desires. It is because of this fusion between the heart and mind that 1 John 5:1 is true:

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.

Belief leads to faith which leads to trust. We choose to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, our Christ, and that He is God incarnate. Because we believe, we trust what He says and leads us to do. This process is called faith. By faith, we follow Christ. This faith was borne out of our believing Jesus and then trusting Jesus enough to obey Him. Let’s read verse 2:

² By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.

Since we are all in Christ (which means that we have been invited to share in the fellowship of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, we love those whom God loves. And, our obedience attests to that fact.

³ For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

How we show our love for God is by keeping His commandments. And John knows because He heard Jesus say, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.

Forget about sin; it’s been forgiven. Desist in trying to please Jesus; you are already pleasing to Him. His yoke is easy and His burden is light! He wants us to begin right now to believe He has taken care of everything and simply wants us to quit looking at darkness and look to His light. He wants us to join Him in the fellowship of the Trinity. Once we begin this journey, we will never go back! We may stumble along the way, but Jesus will help us back up–usually through the hands of His followers–and get us back on track again.

The Christian life truly is simple:
Believe, trust, obey. Repeat.
That’s it.

Abba, thank You for removing my sin and separating it from me as far as the East is from the West (Psalm 103:12). Your sacrifice on the cross was sufficient to take my sin (and the consequences of that sin) to the grave. Thank You for taking great delight in Your son (me). You love me, care for me, and keep me in Your love. You include me in the fellowship of the Trinity; may You continue to open my mind to more wisdom, understanding and knowledge. Your grace is sufficient for everything! Amen.

To really know something, we need to study it. Plumbing the depths of our salvation blows my mind!

3 By wisdom a house is built [foundation], and through understanding it is established [framework], 4 through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures [study and experience].

I begin with Psalms 139:23-24 and 73:23-26, and then I move to verses on mastering the mind and the body. This next passage helps me to focus on the future; I hold loosely to the things of this world and tightly to the promises we have:

⁴ For we groan while we are in this tent, since we are weighed down, because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment. ⁶ Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth we are absent from the Lord— ⁷ for we live by faith, not by sight. ⁸ Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:4-8

When studying a new passage, it is wise to look at any footnotes that appear in whatever version we are using. This particular version, the New English Translation, includes several Greek definitions for us:

1. 2 Corinthians 5:4 sn See the note in 5:1 on the phrase the tent we live in: The expression the tent we live in refers to “our earthly house, our body.” Paul uses the metaphor of the physical body as a house or tent, the residence of the immaterial part of a person.
2. 2 Corinthians 5:4 tn Or “we are burdened.”
3. 2 Corinthians 5:5 tn Grk “for this very thing.”
4. 2 Corinthians 5:5 tn Or “first installment,” “pledge,” “deposit” (see the note on the phrase “down payment” in 1:22).
5. 2 Corinthians 5:6 tn Grk “we know that being at home in the body”; an idiom for being alive (L&N 23.91).
6. 2 Corinthians 5:7 tn Grk “we walk.”
7. 2 Corinthians 5:8 tn Or “be absent.”
8. 2 Corinthians 5:9 tn Grk “whether we are at home” [in the body]; an idiom for being alive (L&N 23.91).
9. 2 Corinthians 5:9 tn Grk “to be pleasing to him.”

So, to read it again with these definitions included would be:

⁴ For we groan while we are in this tent since we [our earthly house] are weighed down [burdened] because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose [this very thing] is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment [pledge, deposit, down payment]. ⁶ Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth [at home in the body] we are absent from the Lord— ⁷ for we live [walk] by faith, not by sight. ⁸ Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away [absent] from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹ So then whether we are alive [at home] or away, we make it our ambition to please him [be pleasing to him; I read it as us knowing what right living is pleasing to him and living that way, for He is always pleased with us and rejoices over us with singing!].

It sounds like the Amplified Version. Well, that’s really what it is! I looked up the AMP and this is how it phrased it:

⁴ For while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened [often weighed down, oppressed], not that we want to be unclothed [separated by death from the body], but to be clothed, so that what is mortal [the body] will be swallowed up by life [after the resurrection]. ⁵ Now He who has made us and prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the [Holy] Spirit as a pledge [a guarantee, a down payment on the fulfillment of His promise]. ⁶ So then, being always filled with good courage and confident hope, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— ⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises]— ⁸ we are [as I was saying] of good courage and confident hope, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. ⁹ Therefore, whether we are at home [on earth] or away from home [and with Him], it is our [constant] ambition to be pleasing to Him. Anything in italics has been added so that the English language makes sense, but we must remember that they are not part of the original text and have been “tainted,” so to speak, by human interpretation. The previous sentence is a prime example of just such.

Here’s the point of the passage concerning my Time with the Lord. I hold lightly to the things of his world and tightly to His promises. I gain strength and courage (it was mentioned twice) from passages like this one for times of trial and testing (in circumstances, not from the Lord). I use them when practicing patient endurance by focusing on what is to come. I remember that I am part of a great cloud of witnesses that have already gone on before me. In these things I have hope. The better I know these passages, the greater (clearer, stronger) my hope is.

This morning, as you prepare for church, may you focus on the Lord and what He has for us today (mercy and grace) and on what He has for us in the future (being with Him in glory).

Abba, thank You for all You have provided for us in written form. But, I don’t want to just know about You; I want to know YOU. Please reveal Yourself to me in whatever fashion You choose, whether it’s the Bible, music, Bryan my pastor, a friend–even an enemy! I know when I hear Your voice, so I will be listening for You. “Speak to my heart, Lord Jesus, speak that my soul may hear.” Amen.

Can Christ use us? Absolutely, but we must realize that it is Him working in us from the inside out.

1 Do not envy the wicked, do not desire their company; 2 for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble. Instead, 3 Allow wisdom to build her house in you, establishing its foundations through understanding, and filling its rooms with rare and beautiful treasures of the intimate and first-hand knowledge of God, His Love and His Plan. (paraphrased)

In the same way that Christ took people’s sin and transformed it into godly compassion for them, we can do the same if we are “hooked up” to the Spirit. When we are walking with Him and centered on Him, even the most heinous of crimes can be converted into compassion toward our aggressor. Thus, “Hit me again and my prayers for you will become even more fervent.”

So, again I ask, if we are like Christ, and He works in us and through us, can we be agents of change for sinners? Consider this: If someone attacks me and I am led by the Spirit to respond rather than react, then I take their sin and give it back as compassion. I am more like my heavenly Father right then than ever before. I become a sin-transmuter: I take their sin against me and transform it into compassion and give it back. My definition of “agape’ love,” God-love, is compassion. It’s what Jesus had on the masses (Matthew 9:36, 14:14, 20:34). Because I am being obedient to the Spirit, I don’t have to worry about retribution on my enemy. In fact, my hope is that my faith would lead him to faith in Christ. Neither do I have to worry about my family. The God who takes care of me is taking care of my family.

I realize that in America, we don’t get much of a chance to die for the sake of Jesus, but we ARE called to die daily to ourselves. It is in that daily death that we reach the capacity to give our lives when called upon (Luke 16:10). This way of daily living keeps us from experiencing Proverbs 24:10, “If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength [faith].” In fact, if we die daily to ourselves, we will have the mind of Christ, who was all about “rescuing those being led away to death, holding back those staggering toward slaughter” (Proverbs 24:11-adapted).

Here are two verses I am committing to memory:

¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11

²⁴ “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

Jesus put it this way, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

Let’s die to ourselves and live for Christ today, right now. It’s important–no, it’s VITAL!

Abba, I give You my life today. I count myself dead to sin and its influence on me. Help me to see things through Your eyes and from Your perspective. Give me everything I need to do Your will as You direct my path. I am Yours. Amen.