How We Must Fight for Holiness

 

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)

There is a practical holiness without which we will not see the Lord. Many live as if this were not so.

There are professing Christians who live such unholy lives that they will hear Jesus’s dreadful words, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23). Paul says to professing believers, “If you live according to the flesh you will die” (Romans 8:13).

So, there is a holiness without which no one will see the Lord. And learning to fight for holiness by faith in future grace is supremely important.

There is another way to pursue holiness that backfires and leads to death. Paul warns us against serving God any other way than by faith in his enabling grace. God is not “served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25). Any effort to serve God that does not, in that very act, depend on him as the reward of our hearts and the power of our service, will dishonor him as a needy pagan god.

Peter describes the alternative to such self-reliant service of God, “Whoever serves, [let him do so] as one who serves by the strength that God supplies — in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:11). And Paul says, “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me” (Romans 15:18; see also 1 Corinthians 15:10).

Moment by moment, grace arrives to enable us to do “every good work” that God appoints for us. “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).

The fight for good works is a fight to believe the promises of future grace.

CONTENTMENT IS GREAT GAIN!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JUNE 22, 2021.

SUBJECT : CONTENTMENT IS GREAT GAIN!

Memory verse: "Now godliness with contentment is great gain." (First Timothy 6 vs 6.)

READ: Philippians 4 vs 10 - 14:

4:10: But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity.

4:11: Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content;

4:12: I know how to be abased. And I know to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

4:13: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

4:14: Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress.

INTIMATION:

To be content is to be satisfied, quietly happy with oneself. And it is in satisfaction that thanksgiving evolves. True contentment—satisfaction—lies in our perspective, our priorities, and our source of power. For instance, the apostle Paul was able to be content (get along happily) in any circumstances he faced because of his perspective of life, his priorities in life, and the source of his power. He knew how to be content whether he had plenty or whether he was in need. The secret was drawing on Christ’s power for strength. 

Paul was content because he could see life from God’s point of view. He focused on what he was supposed to do, not what he felt he should have. Paul had his priorities right, and he was grateful for everything God had given him. Paul had detached himself from the nonessentials so that he could concentrate on the eternal. 

Discontentment comes when your attention shifts from what you have to what you don't have. When this happens you begin to forget what God has done for you, and is wrapped up in what God hasn't done for you. For instance, in the wilderness the Israelites murmured, and were dissatisfied with what God has done for them. At the instance of this they forgot to give thanks to God for all He has done for them, and is still doing for them: “...So the children of Israel also wept again and said: "who will give us meet to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!" (Numbers 11 vs 4 - 6.)

The people of Israel didn't seem to notice what God was doing for them—setting them free, making them a new nation, giving them a new land, because they were so wrapped in what God wasn't doing for them. They could think of nothing except the delicious Egyptian food they have left behind. Somehow they forgot that the brutal whip of the Egyptian slavery was the cost of eating that food.

Before we judge the Israelites too harshly, it is helpful to think of what occupies our attention most of the time. Are we grateful for what God has given us or are we always thinking about what we would like to have? We should not allow our unfulfilled desires to cause us to forget God's gift of life, food, health, work, friends etc.

Like our first parents—Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden where they lived, Satan approached Eve and questioned her contentment. How could she be happy when she was not allowed to eat from one of the fruit trees? Satan helped her shift her focus from all that God had done and given to the one thing He had withheld. And she was willing to accept Satan’s viewpoint without checking with God.

Like Eve, how often is our attention drawn from the much that is ours to the little that isn’t? We get that “I’ve got to have it” feeling. Eve was typical of us all, and we consistently show we are her descendants by repeating her mistakes. Our desires, like Eve’s, can be quite easily manipulated. They are not the best basis for actions. We need to keep God in our decision-making process always. His Word, the Bible, is our guidebook in decision-making.

Most people want to feel good and avoid discomfort or pain. We may not get all that we want. By trusting in Christ, our attitudes and appetites can change from wanting to accepting His provision and power to live for Him. The power we receive in union with Christ is sufficient to do His Will and to face the challenges that arise from our commitment to doing it. This engenders contentment, and the attitude of being thankful to Him for whatever you have that He has provided. 

Do you have great needs, or are you discontented because you don’t have what you want? Learn to rely on God’s promise and Christ’s power to help you be content. If you always want more, ask God to remove that desire and teach you contentment in every circumstance. He will supply all your needs, but in a way that He knows is best for you. 

Our quest should be to honor God and center our desires on Him, and He will add to you all other things that is your need (Matthew 6 vs 33). 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of contentment and trust in You, that I may live for You; to obey and serve You all the days of my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

ENGENDERS AN ATTITUDE OF THANKSGIVING

We can trust that God will always meet our needs. Whatever we need on earth He will always supply, even if it is the courage to face death as Paul did. Whatever we need in heaven He will supply. We must remember, however, the difference between our wants and our needs. Christ does not grant us superhuman ability to accomplish anything we want or can imagine without regard to His interests. We are created for His purpose, and He provides all our needs to accomplish His purpose.

The Satisfaction That Defeats Sin

 

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)

What we need to see here is that the essence of faith is being satisfied with all that God is for us in Christ.

Defining faith this way emphasizes two things. One is the God-centeredness of faith. It is not merely the promises of God that satisfy us. It is all that God himself is for us in Jesus. Faith embraces God in Christ as our treasure — not just God’s promised gifts.

Faith banks its hope not just on the real estate of the age to come, but on the fact that God will be there (Revelation 21:3). “I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’”

And even now what faith embraces most earnestly is not just the reality of sins forgiven (as precious as that is), but the presence of the living Christ in our hearts and the fullness of God himself. In Ephesians 3:17–19 Paul prays “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith . . . that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

The other thing emphasized in defining faith as being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus is the term “satisfaction.” Faith is the quenching of the soul’s thirst at the fountain of God. In John 6:35 we see that “believing” means “coming” to Jesus to eat and drink the “bread of life” and the “living water” (John 4:10, 14), which are nothing other than Jesus himself.

Here is the secret of the power of faith to break the enslaving force of sinful attractions. If the heart is satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus, the power of sin to lure us away from the wisdom of Christ is broken.

Grace Is Pardon — and Power!

 

By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)

Grace is not simply leniency when we have sinned. Grace is the enabling gift and power of God not to sin. Grace is power, not just pardon.

This is plain, for example, in 1 Corinthians 15:10. Paul describes grace as the enabling power of his work. It is not simply the pardon of his sins; it is the power to press on in obedience. “I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”

Therefore, the effort we make to obey God is not an effort done in our own strength, but “by the strength that God supplies — in order that in everything God may be glorified” (1 Peter 4:11). It is the obedience of faith. Faith in God’s ever-arriving gracious power to enable us to do what we should.

Paul confirms this in 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12 by calling each of our acts of goodness a “work of faith,” and by saying that the glory this brings to Jesus is “according to the grace of our God” because it happens “by his power.” Listen for all those phrases:

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The obedience that gives God pleasure is produced by the power of God’s grace through faith. The same dynamic is at work at every stage of the Christian life. The power of God’s grace that saves through faith (Ephesians 2:8) is the same power of God’s grace that sanctifies through faith.

BUILD YOURSELF UP IN THE WORD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY JUNE 20, 2021.

SUBJECT : BUILD YOURSELF UP IN THE WORD!

Memory verse: "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified." (Acts 20 vs 32).

READ: Psalm 119 vs 105; John 14 vs 23; 15 vs 7: 

Psalm 119:105: Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

John 14:23: Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

15:7: If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

INTIMATION:

The Word of God is not simply a collection of words from God, or a vehicle for communicating ideas. It is living, life changing, and dynamic as it works in us. The Word is tantamount to a lamp and a light to us in this life, and enables us to walk through this dark world of evil. As you believe and act upon the Word, you will manifest the riches of the glory of God’s inheritance in the believers, and the exceeding greatness of His power toward those who believe. Never only believe, act upon the Word.

Our memory verse states the farewell address of the apostle Paul when he was leaving the church at Ephesus. He may never see them again and he commends them to the Father. He turns them over into the hands of love. And he said, "I not only do this, but I commend you to the word of His grace." These Paul’s epistles are the words of His grace, and so the whole New Testament makes up the book of the words of the Father's grace.

If Paul is to be here with us he would say, "I want you to study it. I want you to prove yourself capable of doing the Word." There will be ability in the Word as you study it to put you over and make you a conqueror. To merely know the Word has no real value in it unless it becomes a part of your life in practicing it.

The psalmist found the Word to be a light to his path that will enable him navigate through life safely and conquer all challenges of life. As you begin to live the Word, then the Word becomes a part of your very being, enters into your blood, into your very system. The strength and ability of God becomes a part of you. 

I wonder how many of us have imagined the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit living in you. Definitely there will be no impossibilities with you! As you say it, you have it. This is the inheritance of the believer whom the Word of the Lord abides in. As His Word abides in you, and you abide in Him, you will be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that will make you walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; and strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power working in you.

The apostle Paul beautifully put it in First Corinthians 2 vs 12 as this; "Now we have received, not the spirit of this world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God." These things that were given to us were in the finished work of Christ. We have access to all the riches of His grace unveiled in that finished work of Christ. 

Notice some of them; Satan was conquered, defeated by Jesus before He arose from the dead, and that defeat of Satan is set to our credit so you can safely say and joyously too, "I conquered Satan in Christ." As Jesus was Master of the devil, so I am in His Name. I was raised together with Christ. I have in me His resurrection ability, His resurrection life. I am a Master. 

And that great, mighty Holy Spirit who has come to make His home in my body is guiding me into all the reality of the wealth that has been given to me in Christ. He is making me know what the resurrection means to me: that if I were raised together with Christ, I am Master of the forces that operated in slaying Jesus; that I am now taking Jesus' place in this earth walk. I have a legal right to the use of His name that has all authority. I have a legal right to the ability of the Holy Spirit and I know it is God who is at work within me, willing and working His own good pleasure. I am not left to my own resources.

How ashamed we ought to be that we have ever talked about our weakness and our lack when the ability of God, the measureless ability of God is ours.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are so gracious, and loving that You have given me all that pertains to life and godliness. May my knowledge of You continually increase until I am perfected in Christ, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY JUNE 19, 2021.

SUBJECT : THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD!

Memory verse: "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (First Corinthians 2 vs 14).

READ: First Corinthians 2 vs 10 - 12: 

2:10: But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

2:11: For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

2:12: Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

INTIMATION: 

The knowledge of the "deep things of God" refers to God's un-fathomable nature and His wonderful plan; Jesus' death and resurrection and the promise of salvation, which is revealed only to those who believe that what God says is true. Those who believe in Christ's death and resurrection and put their faith in Him will know all they need to know to be saved. The knowledge, however, can't be grasped by even the wisest people unless they accept God's message. All who reject God's message are foolish, no matter how wise the world thinks they are. As Christians, who have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, these things are spiritually revealed to us.

The apostle Paul, who had the full revelation of this fact, in his letter to the church in Corinth, stated that the knowledge of the deep things of God are revealed to us through the Spirit of God indwelling the believers. Man in his wisdom cannot discern these things, no matter how wise they are. He clearly stated that these revelations come from the divine wisdom imparted in the believer by the Spirit of God:

"However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." (First Corinthians 2 vs 6 - 8.)

The principalities, the powers, the rulers of the darkness of this age, who are under the headship of Satan—the ruler of this world, never in their wisdom knew Christ's mission. Jesus was misunderstood and rejected by those whom the world considered wise and great. He was put to death by the rulers in Palestine; the high priest, King Herod, Pilate, and the Pharisees and Sadducees. They were dominated by their sense knowledge, and they thought that killing Him will achieve their aim of dominating the world. They had no part in the spiritual wisdom and revelation given to believers in the knowledge of Him. 

It’s in the knowledge that the believers identity in Christ is revealed.  The knowledge is exceedingly amazing. The major problem of people is not understanding that fact. Most Christians are in their infancy in the knowledge of the Truth. Even many of our leaders have never passed beyond that. They are still dominated by the senses. They are big men in the senses. Very little is known by many believers of the "spiritual wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him."

We have been blessed with every spiritual blessings that was purchased in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Non-Christians cannot understand spiritual truths, and they cannot grasp the concept that God’s Spirit lives in believers. The person who rejects Christ cannot understand truths from God’s Spirit, just like a tone-deaf person cannot appreciate fine music. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You so much for the divine wisdom and revelation of the knowledge of You imparted in us by Your indwelling Spirit. Let our eyes of understanding be opened to know our inheritance in Christ’s redemptive work for us, and be partakers of the rich spiritual blessings, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Offense of Fearing Man

 

Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.” (1 Samuel 15:24)

Why did Saul obey the people instead of God? Because he feared the people instead of God. He feared the human consequences of obedience more than he feared the divine consequences of disobedience. He feared the displeasure of the people more than the displeasure of God. And that is a great insult to God.

In fact, Isaiah says it is a kind of pride to be afraid of what man can do while we disregard the promises of God. He quotes God with this piercing question: “I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass, and have forgotten the Lord, your Maker?” (Isaiah 51:12–13).

Fear of man may not feel like pride, but that’s what God says it is, “Who do you think you are to fear man and forget me your Maker!”

The point is this: If you fear man, you have begun to deny the holiness, the worth of God and his Son, Jesus. God is infinitely stronger than man. He is infinitely wiser and infinitely more full of reward and joy.

To turn from him out of fear of what man can do is to discount all that God promises to be for those who fear him. It is a great insult. And in such an insult God can take no pleasure.

On the other hand, when we hear God’s promises and trust him with courage, fearing the reproach brought upon God by our unbelief, then he is greatly honored. And in that he has much pleasure.