The Bedrock of Your Assurance

 

God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit. (2 Thessalonians 2:13)

The Bible speaks of our election — God’s choosing us — in Christ before the foundation of the earth (Ephesians 1:4) before we had done anything good or evil (Romans 9:11). Therefore, our election is unconditional in the strictest sense. Neither our faith nor our obedience is the basis of it. It is free and utterly undeserved.

On the other hand, dozens of passages in the Bible speak of our final salvation (as opposed to our election in eternity past) as conditional upon a changed heart and life. So, the question arises, How can I have the assurance that I will persevere in the faith and holiness necessary for inheriting eternal life?

The answer is that assurance is rooted in our election. Second Peter 1:10 says, “Be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.” Divine election is the foundation of God’s commitment to save me, and therefore that he will undertake to work in me by sanctifying grace what his electing grace has begun.

This is the meaning of the new covenant. Everyone who believes in Jesus is a secure beneficiary of the new covenant, because Jesus said in Luke 22:20, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” That is, by my blood I secure the new covenant for all who are mine.

In the new covenant God does not merely command obedience; he gives it. “The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live” (Deuteronomy 30:6). “I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes” (Ezekiel 36:27; cf. 11:20). Those are new covenant promises.

Election is God’s eternal commitment to do this for his people. So, election guarantees that those whom God justifies by faith he will most assuredly glorify (Romans 8:30). This means that he will unfailingly work in us all the conditions laid down for glorification.

Election is the final ground of assurance because, since it is God’s commitment to save, it is also God’s commitment to enable all that is necessary for salvation.

GODLY GREATNESS IS THROUGH SERVICE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY MAY, 24, 2023.

SUBJECT: GODLY GREATNESS IS THROUGH SERVICE! 

Memory verse: "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Matthew 23 vs 11.)

READ: Matthew 20 vs 25 - 28: 

20:25: But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.

20:26: Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.

20:27: And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—

20:28: just as the Son of Man did not came to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

INTIMATION: 

Godly greatness is achieved through service. Greatness is the state, condition, or quality of being great; as, greatness of size, greatness of mind, power, etc. Great is ascribed to a person who has achieved distinction and honor in some field. To serve is to meet the needs of, and subject one’s will to that of another. Therefore, godly greatness is achieved through distinctive and honorable commitment to serving God and His creation. To serve God is to subject to the will of God. When we give our lives in service to God, we discover the real purpose of living; you live an exceedingly fruitful life and achieve greatness in God’s assessment. Real discipleship implies real commitment—pledging our whole existence to His service or will. 

All the disciples wanted to be the greatest (Matthew 18 vs 1), but Jesus taught them that the greatest person in God’s kingdom is the servant of all. Authority is given, not for self-importance, ambition, or respect, but for useful service to God and His creation. Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 23 vs 11, "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant." Jesus challenged society’s norm. To Him greatness comes from serving—giving yourself to serve God and others. Service keeps us aware of others' needs, and it stops us from focusing only on ourselves. Jesus, the greatest man, came as a servant. Evaluate yourself to find out what kind of greatness you seek.

God requires our all in serving Him. In Matthew 16 vs 24 - 25, Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let Him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” In service to God, if we try to save our physical life from death, pain, or discomfort, we may risk losing our true eternal life. If we protect ourselves from the pains, and discomfort of this world, usually inherent in service to God, we begin to die spiritually and emotionally. Our lives turn inward, we become selfish, and we lose our intended purpose.

Service is a cure for selfishness. In Philippians 2 vs 3 the Bible says, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself." Considering others' interests as more important than our own links us with Christ, who was a true example of selflessness. We are to lay aside selfishness and treat others with respect and common courtesy. 

We are called to serve even at great cost to us. In Luke 1 vs 26 - 38, God visited Mary through an angel and asked her to serve Him. She was told that she will conceive in her womb and bring forth a Son. Mary wondered how possible this can be, since she knew no man and was only betrothed to Joseph. The angel assured her that the Holy Spirit will come upon her, and the power of the Highest will overshadow her. It is logical for her to have doubted because such has never happened in history, and she ought to have refused because of the enormous negative societal implications of conceiving and bearing a child outside marriage. 

A young unmarried girl who became pregnant risked disaster. Unless the father of the child agreed to marry her, she would probably remain unmarried for life. If her own family rejected her, and she cannot fend for herself as a single parent, she could be forced out into begging or prostitution in order to earn her living. And Mary with her story about being made pregnant by the Holy Spirit, risked being considered crazy as well. Still Mary said, despite the possible risks, "Let it be done to me according to your word." When Mary said that she didn't know about the tremendous opportunity she would have. She only knew that God was asking her to serve Him, and she willingly obeyed. She never bothered about the bottom line before offering her life to God. 

God has a place for all to serve. He knows us more than we know ourselves, and we are called to serve God in specific ways. Therefore, avoid excuses when God calls you to serve. He that called you knows about you and will equip you for any tasks He gives you. Although God promises us the tools and strength we need, we often make excuses. But reminding God of our limitations only implies that He does not know all about us or that He has made a mistake in evaluating our character. Spend the time to make excuses on doing what God wants. 

Jesus, the greatest man ever, came to be a servant to the spiritual needs of humanity. As He made tremendous sacrifices to pay our debt, so we should work to serve the needs of others to achieve real greatness—godly greatness!

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to serve You and others diligently and acceptably with the talents, abilities, and resources You bestowed on me, that I may lead a purposeful and fulfilled life, and achieve godly greatness, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Is Christ Worth It?

 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26–27)

Jesus is unashamed and unafraid of telling us up front the “worst” — the painful cost of being a Christian: hating family (verse 26), carrying a cross (verse 27), renouncing possessions (verse 33). There is no small print in the covenant of grace. It is all big, and bold. No cheap grace! Very costly! Come, and be my disciple.

But Satan hides his worst and shows only his best. All that really matters in the deal with Satan is in small print on the back page.

On the front page in big, bold letters are the words, “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4), and “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:9). But on the back page in small print — so small you can only read it with the magnifying glass of the Bible — it says, “And after the fleeting pleasures, you will suffer with me forever in hell.”

Why is Jesus willing to show us his “worst” as well as his best, while Satan will only show us his best? Matthew Henry answers, “Satan shows the best, but hides the worst, because his best will not [counterbalance] his worst; but Christ’s will abundantly.”

The call of Jesus is not just a call to suffering and self-denial; it is first a call to a banquet. This is the point of the parable in Luke 14:16–24. Jesus also promises a glorious resurrection where all the losses of this life will be repaid (Luke 14:14). He also tells us that he will help us endure the hardships (Luke 22:32). He also tells us our Father will give us the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). He promises that even if we are killed for the kingdom, “not a hair of your head will perish” (Luke 21:18).

Which means that when we sit down to calculate the cost of following Jesus — when we weigh the “worst” and the “best” — he is worth it. Abundantly worth it (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17). 

Not so with Satan. Stolen bread is sweet, but afterward the mouth is full of gravel (Proverbs 20:17).

YOUR HEARTBEAT FOR GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY MAY 23, 2023.

SUBJECT : YOUR HEARTBEAT FOR GOD!

Memory verse: "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God." (Psalm 42 vs  1.)

READ: Exodus 33 vs 8 - 11:

33:8: So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. 

33:9: And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.

33:10: All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each one in his tent door.

33:11: So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. 

And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.

INTIMATION:

A wise person once said, "When God measures you, He puts the tape around your heart, not your head." So what is your heartbeat for God? Our memory verse indicates the heartbeat of David to God; His heart relationship with God that God gave testimony of him and said, "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will." ( Acts 13 vs 22.)  In the passage we read today, Moses had such heart relationship with God that he enjoyed the presence of God most times. Consequently, God spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. 

Throughout our lives, we look for those rare individuals with whom we feel relaxed and comfortable and can share our heart and our secrets and know they will not betray us, who will always be there for us, and in whom we can have confidence; individuals we can respect and who in turn admire us and want us to be successful.

God wants to be in that type of role with us, but He is even better than any earthly companion. For God is a perfect companion: the One who knows the road we are traveling on and all of the problems that lay ahead; the One who can give us dependable advice; the One who wants to share our life with us and will not put us down when we stumble; the One who will never desert us if we fail or do not live up to His standards. He accepts us just as we are, wants to be with us forever, is able to help us be all that we can be, and can enable us either to avoid or overcome every obstacle or problem in our lives.

Spiritual heart relationship can best be explained through a human illustration. Some children grow up in families where their father is a strong disciplinarian. They obey because they do not want to suffer the wrath of their father. Although they may even respect the father and his accomplishments, they want nothing to do with him on a personal basis. It is not unusual for such children to dread the return of their father in the evening. As adults they spend as little time with him as possible. They have a physical relationship with obedience, but not the close heart relationship out of love. Fear and mistrust are barriers to their ever being close.

On the other hand, some have fathers who have definite standards and rules to obey, but the relationship is one of love and respect. They are excited when Dad walks through the door at night. They love the weekends because Dad can be with them and they do fun things together. Such children obey because they love and trust their father, not because they fear him or the consequences of disobedience. 

In our relationship with God we can respond and obey either out of love or out of fear.

When we realize God's desire to be our ‘Faithful Companion’ in our relationship, we find Him less an authority figure and more a desirable companion—a Loving Father—Who is no less in charge in our lives. We now realize He is on our side, wants the best for us, and how absolutely dependable He is. The inborn unhealthy fear of God that stems from our sin nature, and is often stirred up by the enemy of our souls, is weakened as we get a clearer picture of who He really is.

Unfortunately many people never really seek Him with all their hearts. They are content to learn as a child would, that is, learning and following rules in order to avoid big problems, but not as willing to spend any great period of time with the Lord in the free time they have. There is little delight in the relationship, only obedience out of necessity. Such persons have salvation from penalty of sin, but they will enter heaven "through the flames" (First Corinthians 3 vs 15). They have yet to cross that line of spiritual familial relationship into spiritual heart relationship.

First Corinthians 3 vs 15 states "If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." This means that good work will be rewarded; unfaithful or inferior work will be discounted. Though unfaithful workers will be saved, but like people escaping from a burning building, all their possessions (accomplishments) will be  lost. Those are the people Jesus Christ described as ‘the least in the kingdom of God.’

Prayer: Abba Father, I desire You as my companion. Build in my heart Your steadfast Spirit, that I may follow and obey You in every aspect of my life out of my love for You. My utmost heart desire is an intimate relationship with You. But by my strength I can do nothing. Help me to accomplish this, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

 

Jesus Knows His Sheep

 

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them.” (John 10:27)

Jesus knows those who are his. What is this knowledge?

John 10:3 is a close parallel to John 10:27. It says, “The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

So, when Jesus says, “I know them,” this means at least that he knows them by name; that is, he knows them individually and intimately. They are not anonymous, lost in the flock.

John 10:14–15 provides another insight: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.”

There is a real similarity between the way Jesus knows his Father in heaven and the way he knows his sheep. Jesus sees himself in the Father, and he sees himself in his disciples.

To some degree Jesus recognizes his own character in his disciples. He sees his own brand mark on the sheep. This endears them to him.

He is like a husband waiting for his wife at the airport, watching as each person disembarks from the plane. When she appears, he knows her, he recognizes her features, he sees in her eyes a happy reflection of his own love. He delights in her. She is the only one he embraces.

The apostle Paul puts it like this: “God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are his’” (2 Timothy 2:19).

It is hard to overemphasize what a tremendous privilege it is to be known personally, intimately, lovingly by the Son of God. It is a precious gift to all his sheep, and it contains within it profound, personal fellowship and affection and the promise of eternal life.

PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY MAY 22, 2023.

SUBJECT : PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT! 

Memory verse: "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit." (Jude 20.) 

READ: Romans 8 vs 26 -27; Ephesians 6 vs 18:

Romans 8:26: Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 

8:27: Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the Will of God.

Ephesians 6:18: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being and watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

INTIMATION:

Praying in the Holy Spirit means praying in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit. And it is a God ordained program for your spiritual build-up. God knows our weaknesses, and imperfections. For this reason He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to do that which is impossible with us. And for the same reason Christ promised us the Holy Spirit, who will dwell with and in us when He goes back to the Father to ensure we remain connected to Him; "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever. I will not live you orphans; I will come to you." (John 14 vs 16 & 18.)

As a believer, you are not left to your own resources to cope with problems. Even when you don't know the right words to pray, the Holy Spirit prays with and for you, and God answers. With God helping you pray, you don't need to be afraid to come before Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to intercede for you "according to the Will of God."

The forces against us are spiritual, so we have to confront them from the spirit realm, as the flesh hasn't enough force to handle them; "...The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Mark 14 vs 38). The Holy Spirit helps us transcend the physical realm into the heavenly. Until you are able to engage the help of the Holy Spirit in prayer, you may never experience true breakthrough in your Christian life.

The apostle Paul says in Ephesians 6 vs 12, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Since these forces of opposition operate from the spirit realm, which most times are beyond our human comprehension, God has also given us a weapon that grants us access to the throne room of heaven, which they also do not understand; "For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God: for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries." (First Corinthians 14 vs 2.)

When you pray in the Spirit, no one, including the devil, knows what you are saying as you are speaking to God alone in mysteries. The Spirit takes you into heaven's frequency, enabling you to pray with precision the express Will of God; interceding on your behalf, He picks up what is in your heart, presents it to God, and in turn delivers the answer from God to you.

There is a limit to which your physical strength can take you in prayer. Though we recognize our limitations, we will not congratulate ourselves and rest at that. Instead, we will turn to God to seek pathways for effectiveness. Jesus said in Second Corinthians 12 vs 9; "....For My strength is made perfect in weakness." We receive the strength to overcome our weaknesses through our 'Helper'—the Holy Spirit. 

Praying in the spirit is a spirit-to-Spirit communication, and thus is our surest way of connecting heaven for earthly interventions. If the enemy is coming against you like a flood, you can't expect to resist him as a stream. But when you switch over to the spirit, the Holy Spirit helps you to raise a standard against the enemy (Isaiah 59 vs 19). What happens when you switch over to the Spirit is that you are releasing the rivers of living water that flows in you as a Spirit-filled believer. The Spirit of God knows the things of God, and when the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses, our victory is guaranteed. 

It is time to lean on the help of the Spirit, to kindle an unquenchable fire on your prayer altar. Call on Him to help you. "Spirit of God, Helper of the Church, help me! Put a new fire in my prayer altar. Help me to maintain a winning prayer life." Until you realize your helplessness without the Holy Spirit, you may die in struggles. But when you lean on the Spirit, you keep on leaping through life.

There are times when you pray and you know your prayer is not going beyond the ceiling. It is as if heaven is locked up and you can't get through. Switch over to the Spirit. Let Him clear the way and create a thoroughfare to heaven for you, so you can enjoy sweet communion with your Heavenly Father. The Holy Spirit not only boosts our access in communication, but also helps us overcome every prayer weakness in order to sustain the fire of God on our prayer altars.

Prayer: Abba Father, empower me in my prayer altar with the help of my Senior Partner—the Holy Spirit, who intercedes for me and praying aright according to Your will, that I may receive my petitions, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

God Works for You

 

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. (Psalm 121:1–3)

Do you need help? I do. Where do you look for help?

When the psalmist lifted up his eyes to the hills and asked, “From where does my help come?” he answered, “My help comes from the Lord” — not from the hills, but from the God who made the hills. “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

So, he reminded himself of two great truths: One is that God is a mighty Creator over all the problems of life; the other is that God never sleeps. “He who keeps you will not slumber.”

God is a tireless worker. He never wearies. Think of God as a worker in your life. Yes, it is amazing. We are prone to think of ourselves as workers in God’s life. But the Bible wants us first to be amazed that God is a worker in our lives: “From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who works for those who wait for him” (Isaiah 64:4).

God is working for us around the clock. He does not take days off and he does not sleep. In fact he is so eager to work for us that he goes around looking for more work to do for people who will trust him: “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).

God loves to show his tireless power and wisdom and goodness by working for people who trust him. The sending of his Son, Jesus, was the main way the Father showed this: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve” (Mark 10:45). Jesus works for his followers. He serves them. The gospel is not a “help wanted” sign. It is a “help available” sign.

This is what we must believe — really believe — in order to “rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16) and “[give] thanks always and for everything” (Ephesians 5:20) and have “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7), and “not be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4:6), and hate our lives “in this world” (John 12:25), and “love [our] neighbor as [ourselves]” (Matthew 22:39).

What a truth! What a reality! God is up all night and all day to work for those who wait for him.