Unfinished Business

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

John 21:15-19

Easter is the annual apex of Christian joy. Gathered with the largest crowds we’ll see this year, we shout, “He is risen!” and “He is risen indeed!” We sing praise before celebrating with feasting and fun for the little ones and then …

We go back to work. Back to the same old routine. Back to our unfinished business.

The story of Peter isn’t that different. Easter came. Jesus rose. Peter rejoiced. And when all the excitement died down, Peter went back to work. Back to his unfinished business.

Peter was a fisherman, but his unfinished business wasn’t fishing. He cast his net racked by guilt. In the hour of trial, when the Lord’s life was on the line, Peter denied knowing Jesus thrice.

Peter wasn’t expecting the Lord to come to his workplace that day. Jesus came anyway. He called to Peter from the shore, and Peter swam to him. Then, on the shore, Jesus and Peter talked about this unfinished business. 

It’s tempting to think Peter was right: that the unfinished business was the shame of his denial, that the Lord had to remove that by giving Peter the opportunity to thrice proclaim his love. But the truth is that guilt was removed by the cross. Those things that weighed Peter down came not from the reality of his standing before his Lord, but from his misperception thereof.

The unfinished business the Lord had in mind wasn’t finished on the shore that day. The true unfinished business was the feeding of the lambs, which symbolized Peter’s role in building up the church, caring for the body of believers, and spreading the good news of God’s grace.

Our unfinished business is much the same. Easter behind us, we must realize that the guilt of our sin is gone and that the Lord has work for us to do. It’s the same work he had for Peter: build up the Lord’s church, care for the body of believers, and spread the good news of God’s grace. 

The Seed of Life

It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.

1 Corinthians 15:44-45

Have you ever thought about what Adam looked like? Envision him.

Now think about the last baby you met. Did he or she look like the parents?

Probably so, at least in a broad sense. Boil it down and we all look the same - nose in the center of the face, two eyes above, a mouth below, legs at our waist and arms at our shoulders. We all act alike too. We eat, we sleep, we sin, we hate, we love.

The reality is universally observable: Produced life is remarkably similar to the producer(s). Fish produce fish, birds produce birds, and humans produce humans. There’s no mistaking one for the other.

So we understand how we are born in a natural sense, but how are people born in a spiritual sense?

Jesus says, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” (John 3:5-6) 

This Spirit that gives birth to our spirit is the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Therefore, just as we are like our parents (and by derivation Adam) in a physical sense, we are like Jesus Christ in a spiritual sense. Our spiritual lives reflect his character as defined in Galatians 5: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And more than that, just as our natural bodies are mortal like Adam’s, our spiritual bodies are immortal like Christ’s!

“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22)

You are alive in a natural sense, but are you born again of the Spirit of Jesus Christ? And has this second birth into immortality changed the way you live your mortal life?

Leaning on the Learning Tree

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 8:5-8

When I was in school, I didn’t read the same book twice. I learned addition and moved on to multiplication. I learned spelling and moved on to grammar. One thing built upon another, and all was forever absorbed into my sponge-like mind. Though I’ve gone decades without seeing my teachers or reading their books, I can still multiply (even without my smartphone) and i donut right lik thes. 

I wish my battle with sin could be like my education. But it’s not.

The Bible teaches me what is right and good. I understand and agree. I want to live like that. Yet somehow I still sin. I do what I know is wrong even though I want to do what is right. As the Bible says, “Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.” (Romans 7:21-23)

If I then cannot be free of sin by gaining knowledge or setting my will to the purpose, how can I be set free?

The answer lies in relationship with God (very different from knowledge of God). Through regular time reading the Bible, reflecting upon the Scriptures, praying, worshipping, and sharing in the fellowship of Christian community, we can be trained to recognize the voice of the Spirit and obey that voice as the governor of our mind. Without this regular contact, our knowledge of God will bend to our selfish will and sin will govern our lives.

As Jesus puts it, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

The Woes of Middle Management

For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the LORD while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die!

Deuteronomy 31:27

Moses chose some harsh words for his farewell address to the Israelites he had been leading for over forty years. Perhaps justifiably so. The Israelites hadn’t stopped complaining since they left Egypt. They were idolaters who built a golden calf to worship while Moses was off receiving the stone tablets of God’s covenant law (Exodus 32). They were rebels constantly attacking Moses’s leadership, even taking up the cause of Korah after God miraculously opened the mouth of the earth to swallow him and his fellow rebels alive (Numbers 16). 

Yes, Moses had his reasons to rebuke the Israelites, but let’s dig deeper into the context, shall we? 

You see, Moses was only middle management. God was in charge, and Moses had just come from the tent of meeting where he and Joshua had been summoned to hear the will of the boss. God, speaking in a pillar of cloud, expressed the same sentiment toward the Israelites that Moses parrotted and then commissioned Joshua as their new leader, for God was about to bring the Israelites into the promised land. By God’s will, Moses would never experience it. He would only view the promised land from a nearby mountain just before his death. Why? Moses was being punished for his own rebellion against God (Numbers 20).

On that day, Moses was both the recipient and proclaimer of God’s righteous judgment. He climbed Mount Nebo and died, never to be heard from again … 

Until the transfiguration! There, again atop a mountain, Moses beheld one whose face shone like the sun, whose clothes were white as light (Matthew 17). Moses never entered the promised land, but he talked with the promised one, the perfect lamb of God, the Messiah who through his death and resurrection would free us all from God’s righteous judgment.

First Words

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Galatians 3:26-27

Do you remember the first words you spoke as a baby? Probably not, but odds are your parents do. According to a recent survey, 87% of you began speaking with some variation of “dada” or “mama.” The third most common word was some variation of “Hiya!” 

First words are important. They establish relationship. They greet and welcome. They set the course for what is to follow.

And so it continues into adulthood. “Good morning, mom!” “Welcome home, honey!” “Glad to see you, brother!” “How can I help you, sir?” “What do you want?!!!” “Where have you been?!!!” “Excuse me, in what aisle can I find the aspirin?” 

Every time you see someone, you exchange first words, for better or for worse, and the course of your interaction is set. When we pray to our God, it is no different.

My first prayer each day always begins with these words: “Heavenly Father, Sovereign Lord, Holy Spirit ... Thank you for this new day of your creation. Your grace and your mercy are fresh every morning.”

I love these words. They identify my God as triune: my father, my lord, and my guiding spirit. When I give thanks, my heart opens to receive what God has prepared for me on this new day. In recalling his grace and his mercy, I am freed from my past sins and clothed again with the light of Christ. As a shower cleans the body, so these words clean my soul. 

What are your first words for God when you wake up in the morning?

The Lord Bless You

Read Numbers 6:22-26

The Lord blesses us, constantly!

God, the Father, gives us everything we need for our earthly life: clothes, food, shelter, family, a congregation, among many other things. He also blesses us with talents and abilities so that we can be productive, honor Him, and carry on His work.

Jesus, the Father’s only Son, is gracious to us. He voluntarily gave up His life to defeat death so that we might live with Him forever in paradise. Jesus’ face shines on us every day!

The Holy Spirit, sent by the Father and the Son, gives us peace. The Spirit grants us faith so that we can believe in Jesus and realize God’s grace. We will have troubles, but knowing that we have ultimate peace in heaven can help us have peace here on earth.

We are blessed. We are not worthy of God’s love, yet He loves us. We have smart phones, the internet, enjoyable food, automobiles, vacations and so much more. He loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for our sin, so that we have eternal life.

That is the greatest blessing of all!

QUESTIONS:

1. How has God blessed you this year? This month? This week? Today?

2. Given that God richly blesses you daily, what will your response be? What can you do to bring honor and glory to God?

PRAYER:

I pray that God continues to bless His children, both temporally and spiritually. May we realize His blessings and constantly thank Him for them.

Mark Locher

Praise the Name of the Lord

Read: Psalm 113:1-3

God So Loved the World. Advent is a time of joy and excited anticipation. As believers, we know how special this time is.

Mary carried Jesus in her womb. What a glorious miracle when she said “Yes” to God’s plan. We, too, can share in that miracle when we say “Yes” to God and carry Jesus in our hearts. While Mary is the only one who gave physical birth to Christ, we are called to offer new life to others by sharing Christ with them, so they may be reborn in Him.

The Old Testament instructs us to “Praise the Lord” 172 times. But without the birth of Christ in the New Testament, would our praise look and sound the same today? There is no doubt of God’s power and might throughout history, but without Christmas, there is no Savior, no crucifixion for the forgiveness of sins and no guarantee of life everlasting. It is Jesus' birth that makes us shout to the heavens, "Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore" (v. 2).

QUESTIONS:

1. Do you carry Christ with you on a daily basis?

2. How to you share Him with others?

PRAYER:

Thank You, God, for giving us Your Son. In return, we praise Your name and strive to say “Yes” to You each day.

Jennifer Jerrome

Awesome Deeds

Read: Psalm 66:1-4

I’m picturing a new mother or father at the first sight of their newborn baby. The awe and wonder of new life is quite profound at that moment. It shows on their faces. It’s the face of Mary and Joseph, repeated each time new parents lay their eyes on their child.

Other amazing deeds of God are no less profound, so let’s not miss them. The word “Selah” at the end of this passage in Psalm 66 tells us to “pause and praise, to think about carefully.” According to these verses, God’s awesome deeds and power are worthy of our praise and deep thought. This week alone we have seen many of His workings:

•The promise of the coming of John the Baptist as the forerunner of the Messiah

•The fulfillment of this promise at the pregnancy of Elizabeth

•The promise of the coming Messiah who will bring salvation and peace

•The restoration of joy at His salvation and offer of forgiveness

Yes, our God is an awesome God indeed! Let’s keep our sights expectantly on what He is about today. He is every bit as involved in stunning deeds now as He was in Bible times. Selah!

QUESTIONS:

1. How can we be more aware of what “awesome deeds” God is doing in and around us?

2. How might we continue to be awed by what God is doing rather than becoming complacent about His activity in the world?

PRAYER:

Wondrous God, overwhelm me with truth in Your Word and with deeds in Your world that I might sing praises to Your name! Amen.

Mary Lou Garves

#GivingTuesday

READ: Psalm 77:10-15

Today is Giving Tuesday, a unique phenomenon to the decade in which we live whereby we wrap up the first week of holiday shopping with a day of giving to our favorite non-profits. Since its inception in 2012, Giving Tuesday has grown exponentially, many years almost doubling the estimated total donations year-over-year. 

The numbers don’t lie: Giving is contagious.

In today’s scripture reading, the psalmist reflects on the many things God has given him. I’ve caught the fever, so let me do likewise. 

God has given me mercy by forgiving my sins through the atoning death of Jesus Christ. He has given me new life by raising Christ from the dead. He has given me companionship, wisdom, and guidance through the gift of the Holy Spirit. He has provided for my material needs, surrounded me with the family of believers, and begun restoring all that is broken within me.

Because of his great love for us all, God offers you these same gifts.

How then should we respond?

Let us today give forgiveness to those who have wronged us. Let us tell them about Christ that they may experience new life. Let us love one another, making time for each other, imparting our wisdom to each other, and guiding each other through the difficulties of life. Let us provide for the material needs of our fellow man, accept strangers as family, and lovingly spur one another on toward righteous living. 

Let us freely give as God has given to us.

Why, God? Why?

 

READ: Ezekiel 20:8-13, 30-36

As a young man, I had great difficulty reconciling the God who sacrificed his only son for the sins of the world with the God who judged his chosen people through exile, slavery, rape, and execution. I much preferred the former and oft asked of the latter, “Why, God? Why?”

Why did you hand the people you created over to such cruelty and suffering? Would you do the same to me or to the people I love?

I thought he would, and perhaps justifiably so. 1 Peter 3:12 says, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 

I have done evil by breaking God’s commandments, as have my loved ones, as had God’s chosen people. In fact, Romans 3:12 says, “All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

Do we then deserve to be spared from the evil of others if we ourselves do not do good?

Perhaps, then, we should question not the God who judges, but the God who shows mercy.

Did God not drown the world in the time of Noah? Burn to ashes the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah? Has he not reserved the present heavens and earth for destruction by fire? (2 Peter 2:4-6, 3:10-11)

Why, then, should Jesus come into the world that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life? (John 3:16)

Because we’re sorry? Because we repented? Because we’re going to try harder and do better?

No. The Lord says, “But for the sake of my name …” (Ezekiel 20:9)

The name (or reputation) of God. That’s why the Israelites were delivered from slavery in Egypt, that’s why they were returned from exile in Babylon, and that’s why Christ died for the sins of the world. Because God’s name is synonymous with love, mercy, and grace.

In Ephesians 2:4-5, Paul puts it like this: “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

Christ-Centered Suffering

READ: Colossians 1:24-29

Everyone suffers. We fail ourselves and suffer internally. Then come the attacks of the world. We work hard, but our bosses don’t appreciate us. Friends and family return our affection with negligence, betrayal, and animosity. Even God torments us with disease or the premature deaths of people we dearly love.

Yet, bound up by all this suffering, we’re expected to proclaim Christ to the world by embodying the fruits of his Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). How is this even possible?

If we are focused on ourselves, it’s not, but if we, like the apostle Paul, are focused on Christ it’s actually quite easy.

Paul writes his letter to the Colossians from a prison cell where he is awaiting execution. For him, this is a natural consequence of the purpose God gave him: to proclaim the Gospel. His life’s suffering is probably far greater than what you and I have endured, yet he rejoices because he’s focused not on himself, but on Christ, whose mission is being fulfilled in him.

I can be incredibly self-centered at times, which causes me to wallow in sufferings when they come and lose sight of the purpose God gave me, namely to proclaim his love and grace to the world through my words and actions. I pray that soon the words Paul spoke in Acts 20:24 will echo in my heart as well: “I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”

Thou Shalt Not Judge … Never, Ever, Ever!

READ: Matthew 7:1-5

1Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

Very popular, very acceptable. I’ll do what I want. You’ll do what you want. Neither of us will dare correct the other or insinuate that one (or both) of us is a sinner. 

2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

So if I ignore everyone else’s sin, then they’ll have to ignore my sin. Or else … the judgment of God! 

3Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

Huh? My brother is perfect the way he is. I do not judge him. And what is this plank of which you speak, Jesus?

4How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 

What speck? What plank? We’re perfect the way we are. Where are you going with this, Jesus?!

5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

And there’s the issue! We were never called to ignore sin in our own lives or each other’s lives. Quite to the contrary, the Scriptures read: “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received,” (Eph 4:1) and, “If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.” (Gal 6:1)

We are called to soberly evaluate our sin, repent, and gently restore our brothers and sisters in Christ. Are you doing this?

Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Holiness

READ: 1 Peter 1:13-16

BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.

The command seems so lofty. 

Me, holy? No one is righteous, not even one. I confess I am a sinner. I live by grace. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. I am unholy, sold as a slave to sin, but his grace abounds.

Now that sounds a little more like the Christians I know. 

But let us consider what the Bible says about this lofty holiness. 

The prophecy: “I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” (Ezekiel 36:27)

Christ’s promise: “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)

Prophecy and promise fulfilled: “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.” (Romans 8:9)

Result: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3)

Therefore, we are not a defeated people, powerless against our base and sinful desires, but we who have received the Holy Spirit are a redeemed and victorious people fully capable of fulfilling the command to be holy as God is holy.

Yes, we are saved by grace, but saved for a purpose: to replicate his holiness.

Who Is Your Master?

READ: John 8:31-39

America is the land of the free. We believe what we want; we say what we want; we do what we want. We are all independent, bound to no master! Or so we think.

2 Peter 2:19 says that all people are slaves to whatever has mastered them. The truth is easy to see in the life of a drug addict or a youth madly in love. Everything must be given to obtain that which has captured the fascination of the mind and the passion of the heart. We just can’t control ourselves. We have to have it.

So what is your it? What has mastered you?

Wealth? Personal accomplishment? Love of spouse, child, or parent? Your reputation for holiness built upon the sins you hide? Escapism through alcohol, through television, through work that doesn’t even need to be done?

Are you a slave unto sin?

We all used to be. “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.” (Titus 3:3) 

Some of us still are. “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” (Romans 7:14-15)

And some of us aren’t anymore. “You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” (Romans 6:18)

Feel like you’re caught in between? Remember the words Jesus spoke in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”

“Therefore, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Dead or Alive: Who Can Tell?

READ: Romans 8:5-8

My grandfather is dead. Physically dead. Embalmed, buried, resting under a tombstone. If I dug him up, heaved him over my shoulder, and the two of us came to visit you, would you have a hard time telling who’s alive and who’s dead?

If you can see, smell, touch, or hear, then no. There’s a big difference between alive and dead!

Ephesians 2 says that we were dead in our sins, gratifying the cravings of our flesh, when God made us alive with Christ. Spiritually dead. Spiritually alive. Shouldn’t there be a big difference?

Yet how often we hear, “You’re a Christian? I’ve known you for years. I didn’t know you were a Christian!” “Yep, go to church every Sunday. Don’t feel the need to broadcast it, though. It’s more of a personal thing for me.”

We are physically alive. We don’t need to broadcast it. It’s not a personal thing. We’re alive. You see us and you know.

We who have been saved by God’s grace are spiritually alive in Christ. When people see us, they should know.

Yet often they don’t. Why is that? Because we still live much of our lives gratifying the cravings of our flesh, following our selfish desires and caring nothing for the desires of God. Sure, we believe in Christ and want salvation and blessings, but our minds are set on ourselves, not on what the Spirit desires. We don’t look different because we aren’t different. If the mind governed by the flesh is death, we’re just dead people being propped up by our church friends and made to look alive.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

Follow that will—the will of God, the desires of the Spirit—and you will appear very alive indeed!

Who Is Jesus?

READ: Matthew 16:13-18

Who is Jesus?

Some say he is a fictional character. Others, that he existed but very little written about him is true. Some think his sayings are true; he was a wise teacher, but not a miracle worker. Still others, that he was a prophet, a way to relationship with God—one of many valid paths.

I say he is who he says he is: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) And who Peter says he is: “the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matt 16:16)

Ever wonder how so many of Jesus’s followers could hear his words, see his miracles, and still get it wrong?

Ever wonder how so many people in your own life could see the Spirit’s work in you, hear your teaching about Jesus, receive the love you give them from the Father, and still not believe?

Maybe if I studied more apologetics, phrased things in a more culturally relevant way, we think to ourselves. Maybe if I loved better or tricked them into church with a bait-and-switch promise of free food, fun games, or great prizes!

And then we hear the words of Christ and realize that even we still have it wrong. As Jesus said to Peter, “This was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.” (Matt 16:17)

Have a friend or family member who doesn’t know who Jesus is? Pray for them. Your logic and love cannot save them; only God can save them.

Lost Treasure

READ: Isaiah 33:2-6

Few things were more devastating to the ancient Israelites than a swarm of locusts. Farmers who had invested months of labor and spent many evenings gazing upon their fields at what was certain to be an abundant harvest were in moments brought to tears as they watched their toil come to nothing, their families reduced to poverty and probable starvation. 

This is what will become of the treasures of the kingdoms of this world when the God of justice makes his power known.

Will you be among those suffering great loss on that day?

Seriously, consider it. 1 Corinthians 3 says that those who build on the foundation of Christ will have their work tested by fire. Build wisely, receive a reward; build foolishly, suffer great loss. Yes, all in Christ will pass into life, but some as ones escaping through the flames.

In Luke 12:15, Jesus warns us, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” He goes on to tell a parable about a rich man who stored up his wealth thinking he would have many years of leisure to enjoy it only for God to prematurely take his life, separating him forever from the fruit of his labors.

I too once lived like this man, working hard to earn more and more money, saving and investing, only to see much of my wealth wiped out by a sudden reverse in the stock market. My efforts felt so futile then, but I learned the wisdom in Christ’s instruction: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” (Matthew 6:19-20)

The Good Life

READ: Philippians 3:17-21

What do you picture when I speak of the good life? Let’s weigh some common responses against the example of Paul and the words of Christ. 

Beautiful beach sunset? Paul writes from prison. Happy to be there because his captivity is advancing the gospel. (Phil 1:12-18)

Attractive spouse? Paul is single and content to be so. A married person divides attention, seeking to please both God and spouse. The unmarried person is completely focused on how he can please the Lord. (1 Cor 7:7, 32-35)

Great wealth? Christ says, “Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions,” (Luke 12:15) and, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:25)

Perfect health? Paul prayed for it. God said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:9)

Great accomplishments? “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” (Phil 3:8)

Your many labors behind you? “If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.” (Phil 1:22)

The love and praise of everyone you know? Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.” (Matt 5:11-12)

Our reward in heaven: Isn’t that really the good life? For what eye has seen, what ear has heard, what mind has conceived of the good things God has prepared for those who love him? (1 Cor 2:9)

Am I Going to Heaven or Not?

READ: Romans 3:21-31

Scripture often reveals truth in stark contrast to what we hear about Christianity. Such is the case today.

Ever hear that good people go to Heaven and bad people go to Hell? Big problem: There are no good people. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. All deserve to be punished, yet all are freely justified by Christ’s sacrificial atonement. Does that mean all are going to Heaven? No. Only those who accept this atonement Christ freely offers are saved; without it, any one of us would be going to Hell. No wonder Paul instructs us not to boast in our good works, but to boast only in the cross of Christ!

So, then, if it’s not what you do, but what you believe, is God’s grace a free pass to sin? Little problem: Definitions. Believe doesn’t mean profess as true; it means accept as true. And if we accept something as true, we act on it. So to believe in Christ is to obey his teaching - all of it! Hence the conclusion in James 2:14-26: Faith without works is dead.

But I thought the New Covenant of God’s grace replaced the Old Covenant of the Mosaic Law? Nope. As it turns out, we don’t nullify the law by faith, we uphold the law. By believing in Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit he gives, we live according to the moral law God gave Moses. When we fail, the sacrifice of Christ atones for us, but by the Spirit we are assured of God’s final victory: not only our freedom from the penalty of sin, but our freedom from the power and presence of sin as well.

Got excuses?

READ: Esther 4:12-17

Ever felt God calling you to do something? Ever responded with excuses?

If so, you’re like many heroes and heroines of the Bible. For example, Esther. 

Excuse #1 - God’s will is done whether I participate in it or not.

Somewhat true. In Esther’s case, God would save the Jews one way or the other, and Mordecai tells her so. However, as we read in Ephesians 2:10, “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” The call of God is the revelation of that work designed uniquely for you, and when you refuse it, the consequences can be both real and painful. For Esther, Mordecai predicted death. For you, it may be that the hungry go unfed, the lonely fall into depression, or your children grow up not knowing the Lord.

Excuse #2 - I do not have the skills to do what God calls me to do.

Moses was slow of speech and tongue; he felt inadequate to serve as God’s mouthpiece to Israel. The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Exodus 4:11-12)

Esther understood the power of God and turned to him in fasting and prayer. “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” (John 14:14)

Excuse #3 - What God calls me to do is against the rules.

Esther was forbidden from entering the king’s presence unsummoned at penalty of death. In today’s world, many nations forbid proselytizing. Many bosses demand you keep your religion to yourself. Many social circles shun those who profess Biblical truth. Yet as Peter and the other apostles exclaim in Acts 5:29, “We must obey God rather than human beings!”

Excuse #4 - What if I obey God and fail?

As Esther says, “If I perish, I perish.” On the cross, Jesus perished, and yet his attitude was this: “Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.” (Isaiah 50:7) His perishing was obedience; his obedience, love; his love, God’s glory and our salvation. Take up your cross and follow him.