Visible Faith

so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ (Philippians 1:13 NKJV).

It is an interesting thought to ponder that when the entire palace guard and “all the rest” – whoever that included – looked at Paul in prison, they all came to one conclusion – he was not a prisoner of Rome; he was a prisoner of Christ.  That alone speaks volumes of Paul’s walk with Jesus.  His complete and total surrender to the situation in which he found himself and the consistency of his ability to let God be supreme in his life, no matter what that meant, spoke to anyone who was watching.  And the message of his life was one of humility, grace, mercy, resolve, and more than anything else, consistency to what he believed.  And when we are consistent with what we believe, that is considered faith.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen, according to God’s definition found in Hebrews 11:1.  When you think about the scenario of Paul’s predicament in this Philippian prison – he finds himself without the freedom to leave, without the freedom to do whatever he would determine for his day, without the freedom to even choose what he eats or when he can go to the bathroom, and yet everyone around him sees a man who is completely free – in a way they’ve never witnessed before.  It is a freedom that comes from the innermost part of this man’s soul.  They watch him manifest joy in the midst of sorrow, hope in the most hopeless of situations, and peace when there should be turmoil.  That is a kind of freedom that can only come when someone is completely and totally convinced that they are connected to something outside of their current circumstance and world.  Paul’s joy was in his submission to a God he could not see, his hope was in a pardon he could not purchase himself, and his peace came from the certainty that whatever happened to him in the realm he could see would further and advance a Kingdom he could not see.

It is called eternal perspective and when we embrace our chains in Christ – that is, when we come to realization that our life belongs to a Savior we cannot see, but One in whom we have more certainty than we ever had in anyone we could see – then, we have the kind of faith that is evident to those around us.

I am convicted by the truth that my faith is oftentimes so shallow that it borders on faithless.  My circumstances many times will control my behavior and betray the lack of my focus on eternity.  This is a good reminder that every time I freak out over what is happening to me, I am sending the wrong message to those around me.  If I am truly dead and it is Christ who lives in me, then I should not care a whit about what happens to me in this life because dead men don’t care.

Today I will evaluate my emotional reaction to the things that happen.  When necessary, I will course correct my heart towards the path of faith and eternal perspective when I find myself clearly in chains to this world and not to Christ. 

Righteousness Is In Who, Not What

filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:11 NKJV).

The fruit of righteousness comes through Jesus.  We cannot manufacture it or produce it without Him.  That’s why He told the disciples, us included:

"Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 NLT)

The interesting aspect of the thought in John 15 is that apart from Jesus we can do nothing.  It is interesting because when I was apart from Jesus for 31 years of my life, I did a lot of things.  So the point He’s making is that none of them were righteous – not even the things that I thought were good, like sponsoring a child through Compassion International, going to church every weekend faithfully for seven years, taking up the cause for those who were afraid to speak up in certain settings, and all the other things I did, apart from Christ, that made me feel good about who I was.  In God’s economy, none of that was righteous.  So, what Jesus means in His statement is clearly connected to the “fruit of righteousness” that Paul is talking about.  Apart from Christ, there is nothing righteous because righteous by dictionary definition means “justified” or in right standing with God.  Apart from Christ, we are not in right standing with God no matter what we do, but in Christ, we are in right standing with God no matter what we do.  Being “filled with the fruit of righteousness,” as Paul states, has nothing to do, in fact, with anything we do.  It has everything to do with being full of the Person of Jesus, who is the righteousness of God. 

As believers, we often times get off track in our desire to please God.  We confuse the equation of bringing God glory and pleasure with somehow doing great things for Him, when He has gone out of His way in Scripture to say clearly and plainly that His pleasure is not in what we do on earth, but in what we do with Jesus.  That’s why in the parable of the workers in the field the ones who came in at the end of the day reaped the same reward for their labor as the ones who were there all day.  They were being compensated because of Whom they worked for – not for the work done.

As someone who is a critical thinker and tends to be in the camp of the older brother in the story of the prodigal son, I have a hard time with this.  It is difficult to think that everything I do in my own strength to try and please God and bring Him glory counts for nothing.  It takes faith to stand back and embrace the truth that the fruit of righteousness can only become apparent in my life to the degree that I allow the life of Christ to live and the life of Margaret to die.

Today, I will ask God for the faith to set my heart on this reality – only when I manifest the fruit of the Spirit, which is:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, am I bringing glory and pleasure to God, regardless of what I am doing.

Discernment Driven by Love

so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ  (Philippians 1:10 NKJV)

In order for us to have a discernment that allows us to choose between better and best, one that helps us make choices that keep us pure and blameless for Jesus, we need to have the love Paul described in the previous verse that is informed by knowledge and insight.  Paul is telling the Philippians that a love that continues to grow in its ability to embrace the truth is a necessary ingredient in our ability to discern in a way that has eternal value.

Discernment alone will have no value whatsoever if it is not driven by love.  Discernment without love, in fact, becomes quite critical.  By dictionary definition to discern is the ability to make out, pick out, detect, recognize, notice, observe, see, spot; identify, determine, and distinguish.  Nothing in that definition has anything to do with the wisdom necessary to do the right thing with what we discern.  That’s why Paul connects the need for an informed love to drive the engine of discernment. 

Jesus was the perfect picture of discernment driven by love.  No matter who approached Him, He knew exactly what was behind the questions asked, regardless of what they presented to Him on the surface.  His discernment detected the insincerity of the Pharisees and so He refused to play into their narrow-minded plans to entrap Him.  On the surface it may have seemed callous; but underlying the discernment was a love informed by the knowledge that if they were to ever stand a chance of escaping the snare of the enemy, He would have to patiently endure their questions without become entangled in their web.  Perhaps that’s why Paul wrote to young Timothy:

²⁴ And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, ²⁵ in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, ²⁶ and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will (2 Timothy 2:24-26 NKJV).

Jesus was always giving every person who approached a chance and opportunity to come to God, regardless of what their presenting motivation may have been.  In order to do this, it was necessary that His discernment be drenched in love, even if that looked hard or difficult at times on the outside.

While Christ’s discernment defied the Pharisees, it also embraced the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, and the woman who washed His feet with her tears – all to the horror of the on-looking and self-righteous people who did not possess a love that knew these women’s deepest hurts and divine longings.

Discernment driven by an informed love is the key to making decisions that keep us pure and blameless as we await Christ’s return.  In light of this truth, I realize that my lack is not in the area of discernment, but rather love. 

Today I will begin a routine of asking God every day to grant me an informed love that drives my discernment so that when I choose what to do with what I discern, it will produce a decision that keeps me blameless and pure.

Love Informed By Truth

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (Philippians 1:9 NKJV).

It is quite revealing that Paul did not stop the above sentence after the words “more and more.” He didn’t say that he was praying simply for our love to increase, but rather that it would increase in knowledge and deep insight.  He added this qualifying statement because it is important.  Love without knowledge and insight can be extremely dangerous – on both the part of the lover and the loved.  It is where the idea comes from that love is blind.  And blindness in anything causes us to stumble and even fall at times.

Scripture describes Biblical love perfectly in 1 Corinthians 13:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NKJV).

That’s a tall order.  When a spouse is abusing their partner, do we persevere?  When a parent grabs an infant out of the crib and shakes the baby until it is brain damaged or dead, do we be patient and kind?  When a son or daughter goes off the deep end and is drinking to excess and neglecting his or her family, do we trust and hope that things will get better?

Can you begin to see how devastating love without knowledge and insight can become?  While love perseveres, it also protects.  While love is patient, the Scripture that tells us we are to confront sin also informs it to not sit idly by.  While love is kind, it also takes into consideration the path of righteousness we are told to walk and does not compromise.  While love trusts and hopes, it also prays and helps, not leaving a situation to its own demise.

There are quite a few people who believe that because God is love, He would never allow anyone to go to Hell.  Their love is uneducated, ignorant, and certainly does not abound in knowledge.  God sends no one to hell, but He will not violate our human right to choose sin over Him and it is in that choice that every man and woman determines his or her own destiny.  If we choose not to accept the atonement for sin found in Christ alone, then we die in our sin and sin cannot enter Heaven.  That does not make God unloving, it makes Him just and fair.  His love provided a way of escape, but if we do not understand the Apostle Paul’s call for our love to be informed by knowledge and insight, then we can easily stumble in the dark over this truth.

Today, I will spend time in the presence of Wisdom Himself, Jesus, and seek to have my love increased in the knowledge and insight of God’s truth.

The Affection of Christ

For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:8 NKJV).

Since the word “affection” jumped off the page at me, I decided to look it up in Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary.  The definition was quite revealing:

1. The state of being affected;

2. Passion;

3. A bent of mind towards a particular object, holding a middle place between disposition, which is natural, and passion, which is excited by the presence of its exciting object. Affection is a permanent bent of the mind, formed by the presence of an object, or by some act of another person, and existing without the presence of its object.

4. In a more particular sense, a settle good will, love or zealous attachment;

5. Desire; inclination; propensity;

6. An attribute, quality or property, which is inseparable from its object.

The distilled results of these definitions give us the following understanding of what Paul is saying – He has a heart that is excited and zealous for the Philippian believers and that is inseparable from who they are.  What is even more amazing is to think that Paul compares how he feels about these believers to how the Lord feels about us. 

The “affection of Jesus Christ” towards us is a bent of mind that is permanent, exists whether we are together or apart, and is excited by our very presence.  Now, that is not at all how most of us would think Jesus would feel towards us.  Even on a good day, we often consider him a bit aloof – loving and approving, but somewhat distant.  We can often let the holiness of God and the all too, ever present, reality of our sinfulness keep our relationship with God in a sterile place that has nothing to do with feelings and affection.  We can view His love as generic and central to who He is, rather than in this way of personal and up close affection and connected to who we are.  And we certainly don’t think of His feelings towards us as being zealous, passionate, and influenced by us. 

As uncomfortable as this term “affection of Jesus Christ” might make us on the one hand, there is a very real humbling of the heart that takes place when the truth of this principle actually permeates our minds and informs our souls.   Christ is our fiancé whose heart, like any other human fiancé’s heart, jumps when He sees His bride.  How awkward and awesome; how uncomfortable and comforting, how sobering and exciting.  How weird that one little term out of an entire book can breathe fresh life into our understanding of the relationship we are so privileged to enjoy with God.

I will spend today contemplating the fact that God is excited about me, passionate, zealous, and permanently affected by just being in my presence.  I knew that was true for me about Him, but never even considered that was true for Him about me.

The Power of Grace

just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace (Philippians 1:7 NKJV).

God’s grace is not affected by our outward circumstances.  Quite the contrary, it is God’s grace that affects our outward circumstances.  Paul is in prison, bound in chains, facing a possible death sentence, but he remains full of hope and joy as he pens his epistle to the Philippian believers.  Since grace plays such a vital part in the role of our salvation and destiny, it would be good for us to look a little more closely at what this grace is – not just as we think we understand it, but as God actually describes it.

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

Many people use grace interchangeably with mercy.  When they are confronted by their sin, they often offer the explanation of “Well, thank God I’m under grace and not the law.”  This sentiment is prevalent, but it is also erroneous.  Paul explains to young Titus in the verse above that God’s grace does not cover our sin but actually empowers us to say no to sin.  So, if they were truly “under grace,” they would be walking in righteousness, not unrighteousness.  It is God’s mercy that provides the forgiveness for sin.  It is His grace that helps us say no to sin in the first place.

Having made this distinction, it is also interesting to note the following verse:

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV).

As the writer of Hebrews instructs us on what to do when we face temptation, he tells us to come boldly to God’s throne room.  And what exactly do we find in that throne room?  Just two things – mercy and grace.  Because those are the only two things that God has given us to deal with sin.  We need grace to say no to sin and mercy when we fail to access the grace in the first place.

With this backdrop, it now makes perfect sense why the Apostle Paul would bring the subject of grace up to the Philippians as he is getting ready to set out the rest of his message.  Throughout this tiny epistle, Paul challenges not just the Philippian believers in the first century, but every believer in every century forward with his example and explanation of how to find joy in the midst of the most horrendous conditions.  We escape the chains of our outward circumstances by accessing grace – it has always been God’s saving force – whether it is saving us from eternal damnation or just the prison of our own mind:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-10 NKJV).

Today I will partake of God’s grace to live in the freedom that allows me to find joy in any and every circumstance.  I will not allow my outward situation to determine my inward condition of heart.

Confident Surrender

being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; (Philippians 1:6 NKJV)

Noah Webster 1828 dictionary defines confident as: “Having full belief; trusting; relying; fully assured; positive; trusting; without suspicion; bold; having an excess of assurance.”

When we combine that definition with the above verse, and the thing in which we are to have that kind of confidence, the power of Paul’s statement becomes staggering.  We are to have full trust, without any hint of suspicion that it is not true, in an excess of assurance that what God started in us at the moment we first believed, He will complete – that is bring to fullness – until we see Jesus face to face.  That means that every single day we spend on this earth after the fact – after giving our whole heart to Christ – is one in which we are being molded, shaped, tried, tested, and redesigned into the plan God has for us that was in place before the foundation of the world. 

This truth ought to bring comfort and peace to our hearts as we walk through difficult times and internal battles.  Paul is assuring us that regardless of how much it feels like we are losing the battle, the reality is; we are simply in a war that has already been won.  And with every skirmish, every struggle, every disappointment and perceived failure, we are gaining ground.  We are coming to the realization that in our own strength, we will always lose, but in the strength of God, we are more than conquerors.  And one day, we step back and realize that the true battle was not against the devil, evil, or any outside person.  The real victory was gaining the knowledge given to us in this very verse – that it is Christ who will make us fit for the Kingdom, not any good thing we might think we have to offer Him of ourselves.  That through Christ I can do all things but apart from Him I have nothing to offer.  The quicker we get to that point, the faster we can throw up the white flag of surrender and become real warriors in the Lord’s army.  We become true seasoned saints who understand the power we embrace when we let go of our need to control our world and “do” great things for God.  Instead, we allow Him to use us in whatever way He finds profitable, even if it means serving Him in the most mundane and ordinary ways. 

Today, I will choose to submit my will to Christ in all things so that He will receive the glory for whatever happens to me today – whether I perceive that I have won or lost – because it is the obedience He looks for – not the outcome of the battle.  That reality brings a whole new meaning to the verse, “For me to live is Christ; to die is gain.”  Whether I walk forward in the life of Christ or die to self today, it is all for His sake and purpose.

Success Even in Failure

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; (Philippians 1:6 NKJV)

Noah Webster 1828 dictionary defines confident as: “Having full belief; trusting; relying; fully assured; positive; trusting; without suspicion; bold; having an excess of assurance.”

When we combine that definition with the above verse, and the thing in which we are to have that kind of confidence, the power of Paul’s statement becomes staggering.  We are to have full trust, without any hint of suspicion that it is not true, in an excess of assurance that what God started in us at the moment we first believed, He will complete – that is bring to fullness – until we see Jesus face to face.  That means that every single day we spend on this earth after the fact – after giving our whole heart to Christ – is one in which we are being molded, shaped, tried, tested, and redesigned into the plan God has for us that was in place before the foundation of the world. 

This truth ought to bring comfort and peace to our hearts as we walk through difficult times and internal battles.  Paul is assuring us that regardless of how much it feels like we are losing the battle, the reality is, we are simply in a war that has already been won.  And with every skirmish, every struggle, every disappointment and perceived failure, we are gaining ground.  We are coming to the realization that in our own strength, we will always lose, but in the strength of God, we are more than conquerors.  And one day, we step back and realize that the true battle was not against the devil, evil, or any outside person.  The real victory was gaining the knowledge given to us in this very verse – that it is Christ who will make us fit for the Kingdom, not any good thing we might think we have to offer Him of ourselves.  That through Christ I can do all things but apart from Him I have nothing to offer.  The quicker we get to that point, the faster we can throw up the white flag of surrender and become real warriors in the Lord’s army.  We become true seasoned saints who understand the power we embrace when we let go of our need to control our world and “do” great things for God.  Instead, we allow Him to use us in whatever way He finds profitable, even if it means serving Him in the most mundane and ordinary ways. 

Today, I will choose to submit my will to Christ in all things so that He will receive the glory for whatever happens to me today – whether I perceive that I have won or lost – because it is the obedience He looks for – not the outcome of the battle.  That reality brings a whole new meaning to the verse, “For me to live is Christ; to die is gain.”  Whether I walk forward in the life of Christ or die to self today, it is all for His sake and purpose.

The Impact of Prayer

always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy (Philippians 1:4 NKJV).

Paul was a man of great faith; a man of courage; a man of conviction; a man who accomplished more for God than probably all of the believers put together in his generation.  Yet, above all else, Paul was a man of prayer, which was the foundation for all the rest.  The works he started in his own physical ability to go into an area and preach the Gospel, were always watered fervently in the spiritual realm with prayer.  Paul knew that this was the necessary combination to accomplish the work of God’s Kingdom and that it was really not in his own abilities that he would see fruit from what he did.  That’s why he penned to the Corinthian believers:

So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor (1 Corinthians 3:7-8 NKJV).

Paul knew that any work he put his hand to do on behalf of Christ would require diligent, faithful, relentless prayer and he was committed to do just that, which is why he could always make requests on behalf of the Philippians with the joy of knowing that God would bring the increase.

Prayer is the essential in the life of the man or woman who offers their lives in full time service to God that often gets overlooked in the midst of the crazy pace of ministry life.  Yet, when you stop to think it through, it becomes extremely obvious that without the prayers of faith in the above equation, all we really do is a lot of busy work for God.  It is only when we water it with the power of prayer that we invoke God’s hand to give the increase.

Today, I will spend a time in prayer, making requests for the people that I know need the miraculous hand of God’s increase in their lives.

How Are You Remembered?

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you (Philippians 1:3 NKJV)

This is the earmark of a healthy relationship.  Every time the Apostle Paul thinks back on the Philippian believers, he thanks God for them.  Can I say that about my relationships?  When I think about people with whom I have had relationships, is thanksgiving what comes to mind?  Even more disturbing is the question, “When people think of me, are they thankful for the time they spent with me?” 

In the mix of every human transaction there will be good times as well as bad.  So why do some relationships bring fond and thankful memories when others bring anything but a heart of gratitude and actually muster up feelings of good riddance?  The answer to this question is found in the scriptural principle of sowing and reaping. Consider each relationship as a bank account into which we make deposits of love, understanding, consistent acts of giving, and liberal amounts of trust, and from which we also make withdrawals of hate, misunderstanding, selfish acts of taking, and on-going disloyalty. You cannot harvest goodness and thanksgiving out of an account into which you have only sown wickedness and discord.  When we live selfishly with others, we continue to make withdrawals from the account to the point that we fall into that category of a “good riddance” when they remember us.  Yet, if we spend our lives investing sacrificially into others, thinking of their needs and their interests, encouraging and building up, we will fill the account with goodness, trust, and love to the point of overflowing.  Then when they think of us, the thankfulness of Paul’s sentiments regarding the Philippians will be what floods their hearts and minds.

I cannot choose for others how they treat me, but I can certainly choose to pour myself out sacrificially for others so that when they remember me it will be with thoughts of gratitude.  Today I will look for ways in which I can serve and be a blessing to those who God has put in my life.

The Order of God

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:2 NKJV).

If God is one thing, it is that He is intentional.  He does not do anything by happenchance.  That’s why the order of how He states things is extremely critical and brings much clarity to what He is saying.  In His Word, God mentions many times the dynamic duo of grace and peace, and there is a reason that grace always comes before peace when He does.  The reality that God is expressing is that you can never find true peace until you have experienced grace because the peace our soul longs for stems from the loss of it in the Garden of Eden. 

When Adam and Eve took that first step away from the grace of God towards their own destination – when they sinned – they lost the connection that existed between them and God.  And since God is peace, they lost their peace.  From that moment forward, man would strive to regain what had been lost through many different ways – moral goodness, meditation, mantras, and a multitude of other means in which to reach up to the God of the Universe to find the inner peace in which our heart was designed to live.  Yet, there would never be “real” peace until Christ could course correct the Fall of mankind.  When you understand this backdrop, Christ’s words make perfect sense:

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27 NKJV).

Only when we have experienced the grace of God through which we are saved from the sin of self-dependence can we truly know the peace that Paul describes to the Philippians later on in this same book:

and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7 NKJV).

It is not just the order of grace and peace, however, that strikes us in this verse.  It is also the order of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Although the God-Head is co-equal in their importance, there is an order in their performance.  God the Father is the One from whom we became disconnected, Jesus is the One Who rectified the problem, and the Holy Spirit is the One Who keeps the connection solid and firm.

Today, I will ask God for the measure of grace I need to keep my heart and mind firmly planted in Christ’s finished work of reconnecting me.  I will ask the Holy Spirit to guide my every word, thought, and action to make sure that my connection is at full volume so that I can walk in the peace that does not allow my heart to be come troubled or afraid.

A Living Saint

Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons (Philippians 1:1 NKJV).

Right out of the starting gate, Paul gives us something to chew on that is foreign to our mindset.  We don’t often think of ourselves as “saints.”  We definitely can fathom the fact that we are sinners saved by grace and on most days have no problem identifying the fact that we still struggle with sin.  Yet, to think of ourselves as saints, is another whole dimension that causes us to pause and ask the question, “Am I really a saint?” because we have a completely different idea of what it means to be a saint than it seems to indicate here. Our concept is more in line with the Catholic one – where someone has lived a life so exemplary that they go down in the annals of history as exceptional in their moral fortitude, selflessness, and servanthood. 

The qualifications for sainthood are: the person must be dead for at least five years to even start the investigation, they had to have a complete life of servitude, miraculous ingredients, and a level of poverty, to name a few that already disqualify all of us (if you’re reading this you’re not dead).  Yet, Paul calls the believers in Philippi saints.  Obviously, God has a different meaning for the word and it has nothing to do with us, but with Him.  We are saints by virtue of the fact that we have been sanctified and set apart for holiness by the blood of Jesus Christ. 

Why is this important to consider?  It has everything to do with mindset.  We are told in Scripture to: Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth (Colossians 3:2).  There is a really good reason for that.  The Bible also tells us that as a man thinks, so is he (Proverbs 23:7).  If I begin my thought process with the fact that I am a sinner, I start from a place of defeat.  I will be inclined then to behave like a sinner.  However, if my thought process starts with, “I’m a saint.  I’ve been set apart for God’s holy purpose,” how different will my actions likely be?  While most might want to argue that this is a matter of semantics, I believe it is the recipe for staying the course with Christ. 

Today, I will spend a few minutes contemplating the reality of God’s Word and what Christ has done for me in making me a living saint for Him.

Are You Abiding or Sliding?

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him,“If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed (John 8:31 NKJV). 

So, let’s see if we have this straight – Jesus is telling those people who already believed Him that if they would abide in His word, THEN they would be His disciples.  Interesting because I thought the only prerequisite to being a disciple is to “accept Christ as your Lord and Savior.”  This definitely borders on that age old debate of are we saved by faith alone or faith plus works.  Well, I think Jesus is making the case here that it is both.  It is what James explains in that often quoted verse:  “Faith without works is dead.”  This does not mean that we must have works in order to be saved – which is the misconception on the one side of the argument, but it does mean that the faith alone by which we are saved in Ephesians 2:10 (the other side of the argument) will produce works in synch with His Word.

The middle ground of truth on the works vs. grace debate resides in that concept of abides.  This is an interesting concept that we should not step over too quickly.  Noah Websters’ 1828 dictionary defines abide to mean:

·      To rest, or dwell.

·      To continue permanently or in the same state; to be firm and immovable.

·      To remain, to continue.

·      To wait for; to be prepared for;

·      To endure or sustain.

·      To bear or endure patiently.

So, Jesus is telling those who believe in Him that if they rest, dwell, continue permanently, immovable, enduring patiently in His Word, THEN they will be His disciples.  By the way, last time I checked, those people in the category of those “who believe in Him” include you and me.  So the matter moves from a theological debate and becomes quite personal, leaving us with some extremely probing questions - Are we abiding in God’s Word?  And if we are, what should our life look like?  Does it?

When you consider how many people describe their religious affiliation as “Christian,” yet do not manifest even a trace of God’s principles and heartbeat found in His Word, you can begin to understand more fully the implications of what Christ is telling us in this admonition.  And you can appreciate the Apostle Paul’s warning to the Corinthians in Chapter 13:5 when he says,

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5 NIV).

Let’s connect the dots.  If Christ is truly in you, is He not the Word incarnate?  So, if Christ dwells in your heart – BY FAITH, then by the very definition of that word in Hebrews 11:1 - would not the substance of that unseen individual be the evidence of a changed life – one that looks like Jesus?

Today, I need to examine my every action and thought to see if I am truly resting, dwelling, continuing permanently, immovable, and enduring patiently in God’s Word in a way that is evident to others. 

Gratitude Promotes Praise

So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God (Acts 3:8 NKJV).

Gratitude is a powerful partner of praise.  When we are grateful, there is an accompanying attitude of humility and indebtedness towards the source of our thanksgiving.  This is the picture we see so poignantly painted in this scene.  Consider for just one moment the change that has taken place.  This man got up the morning of this event in the same mindset that he awoke every day – one of resign to a future defined by circumstances.  He had no control over his situation.  Born lame from birth, his future was settled.  Not only would he never have the potential for a normal life, he would actually be labeled as someone who was a lesser human being.  The prevailing theory about his condition was that he had somehow sinned and his paralysis was his punishment.  This theory is clearly seen in the question the disciples asked Jesus about another healing they witness in John 9:

His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

John 9:2 NIV).

So we can assume that this man at the Gate Beautiful has spent his entire life under the stigma of the assumption that he is a sinner with sub-human potential, and certainly not worthy of any more than a possible donation of pity through a couple of pennies in his cup.  We can also bet that this beggar has been the brunt of some very unkind and ruthless remarks that have probably left him emotionally wounded and no doubt distrustful of the majority of mankind. 

Yet, in one moment of time, the entire course of his life changes.  He goes from unworthy sinner to the subject of God’s gracious healing.  He moves from his mat to the majesty of walking in full potential of everything life could and should be for a man.  And for the first time in his existence, he can enter the temple of the God who has restored him to wholeness. 

It is no wonder that the gratitude in this man’s heart emerges in the form of him leaping into the temple with praise on his lips for the God who was able to take him from bondage to freedom in one moment of trust. 

Are any bells ringing in your heart when you read of this man’s transformation?  It is a clear reminder to me of my own beggarly existence before I met Jesus.  I was crippled with sin, unworthy, an emotional wreck, and in grave need of a moment with Jesus.  And I can remember that moment like it was yesterday.  In the hopelessness of my circumstances, God held out His holy hand, locked arms with me and has never let go.  He pulled me up onto my feet and set me on a course that changed not just my life, but the lives of all who witnessed the power of God in and through me.

Today, I will express my heart of gratitude by praising God in a tangible way in the life of someone else.

Are You Seizing the Moment?

And all the people saw him walking and praising God (Acts 3:9 NKJV).

There is nothing more inspiring than to see a fresh work of God’s Spirit in the manifestation of a miracle and praise.  And the verse says that ALL the people saw him.  It is mind boggling to consider the ramifications of this one act of spontaneous faith by Peter and John.  And it happened because Peter and John seized the moment of opportunity that the Holy Spirit presented to them with the lame man.  And because the lame man seized the moment of opportunity when Peter and John presented Jesus to him, ALL the people are now given an opportunity to seize their own moments, and for those who do, they will continue the chain of opportunity.

This ripple effect is true in our life as well.  As we stay in tune with God’s Spirit, when He opens a door of opportunity, we will be less likely to miss the call of our eternal mission.  But we need to remember that what hangs in the balance of us being on the same page as Jesus is not necessarily the one act of faith that God is asking us to initiate, but the many lives that will be affected after the fact when others can see the clear manifestation of our faith.  What a beautiful demonstration of the verse we all love to quote when it comes to this topic: 

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV).

We hope that the Word of God is true and when we see tangible evidence of that hope as we step out in faith, it is like peering through a window into an invisible world and it brings an uncontrollable urge to praise God.

Today I will seize every moment that the Holy Spirit gives me to throw a stone of faith into the pond of someone else’s world so that I can set into motion a ripple effect resulting in praise to God. 

Does Your Faith Impact Others?

And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength (Acts 3:7 NKJV).

How amazing is this moment?  Think about where Peter was just a few Chapters earlier.  He didn’t even have enough faith to face up to a young servant girl in a courtyard.  Yet this same man who denied Christ, is now boldly putting out his hand to lift up the lame man and is expecting the miracle that is about to happen as if it has already happened.  This speaks volumes to validate the encounter that Peter had on the day of Pentecost where he was baptized by the Holy Spirit and began preaching and living a life that impacted the lives of everyone around him.  From the 3000 who found salvation through his first ever message to the ignition of faith in the heart of this man who had been lame from birth, Peter’s faith has been set on fire and is setting the faith of others ablaze as he steps out into the calling of Christ on his life.

It is interesting to think about the fact that when Peter got up that morning, he had no idea who he would run into during the course of his day.  Yet, because his mind and heart were synched with his eternal purpose, when he is approached by a man that has been sitting in the same spot, day after day, for who knows for how many years or how many times he had gone right by him previously, he now stops and seizes the moment to offer this man the opportunity to step into a new destiny.  We certainly don’t want to miss the fact of the man’s part in this drama either.  He could have scoffed at Peter and said, “Look, I’m just looking for a hand out – not a life change.”  But the fact was, this man was looking for more and it was the cry of his heart – the mustard seed of hope – that connected with Peter’s offer.  It was this tiny particle of faith that motivated him to put his hand in Peter’s and to make the attempt to stand – against all logic.   I mean think about it – the man had never stood in his entire life.  Why would he even attempt to do it now?  I have to believe it was something he saw in Peter’s eyes since the Bible records the fact that Peter “fixed his eyes” upon the man.  There was a conviction in Peter’s stare and an authority in his voice, that made this man believe beyond all logic that the impossible could happen. 

I am so convicted when I read about this story.   Am I even on the look out for someone who I might have encountered a million times before but is at the right time and place for a divine appointment.  What do people see in my eyes or hear in my voice when I encounter them in my day-to-day routine? 

This is a serious reminder that if I expect to impact the world around me I need to be more focused on the things that matter and less caught up in the things that don’t. 

Glorifying and Enjoying God

But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills (1 Corinthians 12:11 NKJV).

As He wills – so then it is God’s decision what gifts He is going to give you.  We get so caught up on looking at the list of gifts and deciding which ones we hope we have, wish we had, or – in some cases – pray we never have.  Yet, all the while, it really is not in our court to make that call.  God has already preordained who you are, what you will do, and what you will need to do it.  He knit you together in your mother’s womb with a specific plan in mind and based upon that plan, He then assigned spiritual gifts so that you could fulfill the purpose for which He created and designed you.

When we consider the matter of spiritual gifts from that mindset, it becomes overwhelmingly obvious that we need to pay serious attention to what we do have in order to figure out what we are supposed to be doing with our life.  If I have a healthy dose of evangelism, there is a more than good chance that I will be called by God to evangelize.  If I score high on mercy, then I better be looking at what vocations will require a high degree of mercy. 

We are taught in the Westminster catechism that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.  What better and more perfect way would we ever glorify God than by accomplishing the purpose for which He created us with the gifts and talents He gave us?  And the only way we are going to truly enjoy God is to walk in full unison and harmony with our Creator and Father in the course He uniquely designed for us. 

Today, I need to zero in on my spiritual gifts so that I can make sure I am walking completely and fully in them.   In that way, I will glorify God and enjoy my day.

The Fruit of Proper Balance

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7 ESV).

There is a definite theme when it comes to the life of believers that has to do with unity and what is best for the group, rather than the individual.  Yet, God’s Word does not deny the importance of each individual’s contribution and clearly paints a picture of how unique the Lord has created each and every one of us.

It is no wonder, when you note the balance God places on unity and individuality, that it would be safe to assume that when we see an imbalance towards either side, there is a disconnect from the heart of God.  When we become consumed with our individuality, we end up self-focused, self-absorbed, critical, and useless for ministry.  However, on the same slippery slope of extremes, when we get too concerned over the group and neglect the individuals who make up the group, we create the perfect storm for conformity and cults. 

To maintain a healthy balance, then, seems to be the goal of the spiritual gifts.  It is important to develop our unique and personal gifts, but it is equally important to make sure we are using them for the common good of the Body of Christ and not just for our own promotion or agenda.

In order for me to operate within the delicate balance of individuality within a group, I must have two very important pieces of the puzzle always in front of me – what gifts I bring to the table and what needs are among the group that my gifts will be able to service.

Today I need to review the list of my gifts and then be open for Jesus to point out where I need to use them.

What Does the Lordship of Christ Look Like?

Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3 NKJV).

This is an interesting statement in light of how many Americans claim to be Christians and yet, it is pretty obvious that this is not the case.  So, how do we rectify the discrepancy between this verse – which clearly says that you cannot say that Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit – and all those people who claim to be Christians, but live like Hell?

The gap between their proclamation and the reality of their life choices can be immediately closed when we take into consideration the age old problem of the multi-faceted understanding of what something means.  For instance, when we say we love our mother, we love ice cream, or we love football, we certainly don’t mean love in the same way or capacity.  When people say that they are a Christian, many of them believe that what makes them a Christian is because they go to a Christian church, they are not Buddhists or Muslims, and they totally look at Jesus Christ as the person they pay homage to when they are at church, or in their own private world. 

It does not take too deep of a study into Scripture to know that sitting in a church week after week is not what makes someone a Christian any more than sitting in a garage makes them a car.  In fact, their misunderstanding of what it means to have Jesus as Lord is clearly seen when Jesus tells them:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV).

It is makes perfect sense, then, that if this is the prerequisite to being on the same page with Jesus about what constitutes the meaning of “Lord,” to Him, it would require the indwelling of the Spirit of God to have the power to not just do the will of the Father, but to actually know the will of the Father.

Today, I am thankful for the indwelling Spirit of God, because He is my guarantee of being able to live a life for the glory of God.  I just need to pay close attention to what He says and do it.

Don't Wander Away From the Word

Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed (1 Corinthians 12:1 TNIV).

It is hard not to be confronted by the irony of this statement.  God, through the Apostle Paul, is making His heart known about something in which He feels we should be informed.  Yet, if there is one thing in the Body of Christ that is beyond question a topic of misinformation, it would be this subject of spiritual gifts.  We go from the extreme of they don’t exist at all today to the opposite end of the spectrum in some circles of Christianity that look a lot like a three-ring circus.  The disparity between the two ends of this chasm begs the question – how did we get so far apart on a topic upon which God unequivocally called us to educate ourselves and gave us very specific information in Scripture to do so.

Well, that is the problem – we have become “informed” by sources other than the Bible and when we have actually used the Bible as our source, we have read into it our own interpretations based upon our biases, fears, expectations, pride, and even personal agendas.  How sad that we have missed the very heart of what God intended to be a great blessing and catalyst of unity for the Body of Christ and ended up with some of the greatest divisions in Christ.

It is important when God calls us to be informed on a subject – whether it be spiritual gifts or any other aspect of our Christian experience – that we stick to what is written and not wander into the uncharted territory of someone else’s opinion.  While the Bible does say that there is safety in the multitude of counsel, God expects us to seek His counsel first.  Then we will have a barometer by which we can verify if the counsel we are getting lines up with what is written or strays into those murky waters of pet doctrines that lead to division.

I will make a personal commitment to always seek answers from the Lord alone first and then run it by trustworthy believers who hold the same convictions about truth that I do. 

Unity from Diversity

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them (1 Corinthians 12:4 TNIV).

It is very important to notice two things in this verse.  The first is that the gifts are different.  As we can see from the passages that follow, the gifts are diverse and useful in varying situations.  From the gift of discernment to that of helps and everything in between, by virtue of the gifts themselves, we are different.  God used the gifts as part of the fabric that makes us unique individuals who share one thing in common – God’s Spirit.  And it is God’s Spirit that makes us one.

The second important truth this verse holds is that it is the Spirit who distributes the gifts.  That means that whatever giftings you may have, they have nothing to do with you.  They were given by God’s Spirit to match God’s calling for God’s purpose.  So there is really no place for pride when exercising the gifts. 

Consider these three scriptures collectively and you will see how this tapestry comes together from God’s vantage point:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10 NIV).

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose (Philippians 2:12-13 NIV).

So, the bottom line on gifts is – they equip you to execute the Ephesians 2:10 good works that God prepared for you before the foundation of earth, which are part of God’s Jeremiah 29:11 plan for your life – all of which Jesus expects you to work out in fear and trembling because He is co-laboring with you in your Philippians 2:12 salvation.

When you consider all of the intricacies of how God orchestrates this providential tapestry, you have to realize that He is the ultimate Mastermind of all times.  And because His final goal is unity out of all this diversity, He gives us the crowning and final word on spiritual gifts -

Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel (1 Corinthians 14:12 NKJV).

All gifts – no matter what they might be – are for the building up of the church.  If they don’t accomplish that purpose, then they are simply the clanging gongs and noisy cymbals of 1 Corinthians 13.

Today, I need to use my spiritual gifts to build up others so that my life might rhyme in sweet harmony with Heaven.

A Call To Greatness

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called (Ephesians 4:1 NKJV).

The Bible says that many are called, but few are chosen.  As we consider Paul’s admonition to walk in a manner worthy of the call, it is important to realize that Paul also adds the qualifying statement, “to which you have been called.”  If he had left it at a manner worthy, it would be implied that the manner worthy would be the same for each believer and it would correlate to the model in which Jesus walked.  On the one hand, that’s true.  But on the other it is much more personal.  It is not just a call to holiness, but to greatness. 

Considering that we are knit together in our mother’s womb, that God has a specific Jeremiah 29:11 plan for each of us, and that there are Ephesian 2:10 good works we are to walk in that were created for us before the foundation of the world, then it seems that the Holy Spirit is helping us to see that the only way to attain true greatness in this life is to align ourselves in complete congruence with all of these things – how we were created, the plan for which we were created, and the exact works that make up that plan.

It is more than a little disconcerting to realize that I can just be a good Christian all my life – dotting my “i’s” and crossing my “t’s” and still miss the mark.  If I am not playing full out in pursuit of the destiny God specifically designed for me, then I am living a life of compromise that is not worthy of the calling to which I have been called.

This sobering truth is overwhelming when we consider the consequences of getting it wrong.  However, God never gives us something to do that He has also not given us the way to do it.  The key in this case lies in the Ephesians 2:10 good works.  When we seek the Lord daily, we will not miss the things He has for us to do that day and we will be empowered with the grace to do them.  Then, at the end of our days, we will look back and see the Jeremiah 29 plan unfolded in hindsight and realize that our daily steps of obedience led to a lifetime of worthy walking and a legacy of greatness.

Today, I will seek God for the eyes to see what He sees as important and not get caught up in the mundane and meaningless trap of the unworthy and non-essential details of my day.