What We Were Made For

 What We Were Made For

Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. (1 Peter 3:18)

The greatest good of the good news — the gospel — is the enjoyment of fellowship with God himself. This is made explicit here in 1 Peter 3:18 in the phrase “that he might bring us to God.” That’s why Jesus died.

All the other gifts of the gospel exist to make this one possible. 

We are forgiven so that our guilt does not keep us away from God. 

We are justified so that our condemnation does not keep us away from God. 

God is propitiated so that his wrath doesn’t stand between us and God as our Father.

We are given eternal life now, with new bodies in the resurrection, so that we have the capacities for being with God forever and enjoying God to the fullest. 

Test your heart. Why do you want forgiveness? Why do you want to be justified? Why do you want the wrath of God to be propitiated? Why do you want eternal life? Is the decisive answer, “Because I want to enjoy God now and forever”?

The gospel-love that God gives is ultimately the gift of himself. This is what we were made for. This is what we lost because of our sin. This is what Christ came to restore. 

“In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

Everyday in the Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY AUGUST 14, 2025.

SUBJECT: OUR MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION.

Memory verse: "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation." (Second Corinthians 5 vs 18).

READ: Second Corinthians 5 vs 17 - 21:

5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation, Old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new.

5:18: Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,

5:19: that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

5:20: Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

5:21: For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

INTIMATION:

With regard to the relationship between God and man, reconciliation is primarily what God Himself accomplishes, exercising His grace towards sinful man on the ground of the death of Christ in propitiatory sacrifice under the judgement due to sin. Humans in their sinful condition and alienation from God are invited to be reconciled to Him, that is to say, to change their attitude, and accept the provision God has made, whereby their sins can be remitted and they themselves be justified in His sight in Christ.

God is present, and at work in Christ reconciling the whole world to Himself, canceling out their trespasses, not counting them no more against them. For the believers in Christ, God has reconciled us to Himself by the mediation of Jesus Christ. All three members of the Trinity are involved in salvation. The Father loved us so much that He sent His Son to bridge the gap between us (John 3 vs 16). The Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit to fill our life with love and to enable us to live by His power (Acts 1 vs 8). 

In like manner, God has appointed those who believed and accepted Christ and what He wrought for us in redemption as His representatives (ambassadors of Christ), and has commissioned us to do the same thing He is doing—reconciling the world to Himself; beseeching humans to be reconciled to God on the ground of what God has wrought in Christ. He has also, given us the word (message) of reconciliation, to preach to the world as Christ's personal representatives in the world.

What then do we preach? And what are we to preach regarding reconciliation to God? In most of the preaching, we have reckoned unto humans their trespasses. We have kept them "trespass-minded." We have kept them conscious of their weaknesses and failings, constantly preaching sin, and judgement to them. That is not wrong in itself, but God has not given us such ministry. He has instead given us the ministry of reconciliation; to preach “eternal life” in Christ.

It is proper to remind us of where we are coming from, but it is much more proper to recount to us what God has wrought for us in Christ Jesus, and where we, as believers in Christ and His work in redemption, are heading to. For believers in Christ, the remission of sin is a reality, God has blotted out our past records, and made them nonexistent. Where we are coming from has seized to exist in God's memory, haven given us His righteousness in Christ (vs 21). It was for this reason He commissioned us as Christ's ambassadors with the message of reconciliation. We have that word, and we have the message, It is therefore, ours to give to the world. 

As Christ's representatives, a new commandment has been given to us in John 13 vs 34 - 35: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

That is the pivot on which the life of the "New Creation" man revolves. God, by His Nature, is love, and He showcased His love nature when He gave to the world His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as a propitiation for our sins (John 3 vs 16). He came and paid the debt we owed and ought to have paid for our sins. and He legally set us free from the debt. When we were set free, He blotted out the records of our past, and made them nonexistent. He recreated us to be now in conformity to His love nature that was lacking before now, hence His pouring out His love out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given to us as our helper (Romans 5 vs 5). 

It is after the impartation of His 'Love Nature' in the new creation, that He gave us the new commandment. Out of love for one another, we are to joyfully and freely let others know about Jesus, and the immeasurable worth of what He wrought for us in redemption, that they may come to partake of it.

As ambassadors of Christ, reconciled to God, we have the privilege of encouraging others to be reconciled to God in accordance with the ministry given to us. As ambassadors of reconciliation, we have very important responsibility, that is, the message of entreating the world to be reconciled to God. We dare not take this responsibility lightly. 

The question then is, 'How well are you fulfilling your commission as Christ's ambassador?’ This calls for self-assessment in accordance with His “Great Commission” in Mark 16 vs 15: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” May you never miss your mark in this assignment, in Jesus’ name!

Prayer: Abba Father, let the zeal of “Your Great Commission” eat me up that I will be an ambassador of Christ worthy of my calling, and that I may obtain the crown of rejoicing, and righteousness, which the Lord will give to me at the day of His coming, in Jesus Name I have prayed. Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!

God Forgives and Is Still Just

 God Forgives and Is Still Just

Nathan the prophet comes to David after his adultery and murder and says, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.” (2 Samuel 12:13–14)

This is outrageous. Uriah is dead. Bathsheba is raped. The baby will die. And Nathan says, “The Lord has put away your sin.” 

Just like that? David committed adultery. He ordered murder. He lied. He “despised the word of the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:9). He scorned God. And the Lord simply “put away [his] sin”?!

What kind of a righteous Judge is God? You don’t just pass over rape and murder and lying. Righteous judges don’t do that. 

This was one of Paul’s greatest theological problems — very different from the ones people struggle with today: how can God forgive sin and still be righteous? Here is what Paul said in Romans 3:25–26:

God put [Christ] forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

In other words, the outrage that we feel when God seems to simply pass over David’s sin would be good outrage if God were simply sweeping David’s sin under the rug. He is not. 

God sees, from the time of David, down the centuries to the death of his Son, Jesus Christ, who would die in David’s place, so that David’s faith in God’s mercy and God’s future redeeming work unites David with Christ. And in God’s all-knowing mind, David’s sins are counted as Christ’s sins and Christ’s righteousness is counted as his righteousness, and God justly passes over David’s sin for Christ’s sake. 

The death of the Son of God is outrageous enough, and the glory of God that it upholds is great enough, that God is vindicated in passing over David’s adultery and murder and lying. And ours.

And so God maintains his perfect righteousness and justice while at the same time showing mercy to those who have faith in Jesus, no matter how many or how monstrous their sins. This is unspeakably good news.

Everyday in the Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 13, 2025.

SUBJECT: NO SCHEME OF MAN CAN STOP GOD’S WILL!

Memory verse: "Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded." (Second Chronicles 18 vs 33.)

READ: Second Chronicles 18 vs 12 - 17:

18:12: And the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Therefore please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement.

18:13: And Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, whatever my God says, that I will speak.

18:14: Then he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth gilead, or shall I refrain?” And he said, “Go and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand!”

18:15: So the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?”

18:16: Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, “These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.’”

18:17: And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

INTIMATION:

No plan of man can thwart God’s plan and purpose in your life as a child of God. Though man can scheme to stop the Will of God in your life, but rest assured that only the Will of God will prevail at last. God works His Will in all situations, with any persons, by any means, on any account, at anytime, and through any media. Therefore, child of God rest assured that God’s purpose in your life is as sure as day and night.

In the passage we read today, Ahab was Israel’s king who surrounded himself with prophets who gave him good news. Since these prophets were on the payroll of the government of Ahab, then we could expect them to make pronouncements that were favorable to the king because their livelihood is dependent on their pay. It is expected that the hirelings usually never speak against the wishes of those who sign their paychecks. 

For this reason, Jehoshaphat was skeptical of the pronouncements of the hired prophets of Ahab. He wanted a second opinion. He did not consider Ahab’s paid prophets to be prophets of God, for he asked for a true prophet of God. Micaiah, a true prophet of God is expected to speak that which is true, regardless of his source of support. And since Ahab was living in wickedness, the prophet of God in this case could speak only that which was contrary to the wicked wishes of Ahab.

Four hundred paid preachers (prophets) had preached a united message. The messenger that was sent to Micaiah wanted to intimidate him into conforming to the opinion of the four hundred prophets. Though Micaiah initially asked the king to go up against Ramoth gilead, but the truth was that the united army of Israel would be defeated in the battle and Ahab would be killed. Micaiah prophesied death for Ahab. Consequently, Ahab schemed to disguise himself to fool the enemy. 

Apparently the disguise worked, but that didn’t change the prophesy. A random Syrian arrow found a crack in his armor and killed him. God fulfills His Will despite the defenses people try to erect. God can use anything, even an error, to bring His Will to pass. This is good news for God’s followers because we can trust Him to work out His plans and keep His promises no matter how desperate our circumstances are.

Just like Balak, who wanted Balaam to curse the children of Israel (Numbers 23), and took him to several places to try to entice him to curse the Israelites. He thought a change of scenery might help change Balaam’s mind. But changing locations or schemes won’t change God’s Will. Even Satan, with his accusations against the children of God, is unable to persuade God to go against His character. 

God is completely and eternally good. God may allow some unfavorable circumstances in our lives, but He usually uses any situations or schemes of man to achieve His Will in our lives. Evil and injustice seem to have upper hand in the world. Christians often feel angry and discouraged as they see what goes on. Even when God allows Satan to go along with his plan, He knows eventual outcome will work for our good.

God’s Will for us is supreme and prevails over man’s schemes. And when we communicate with God, we don’t demand what we want, rather we discuss with Him what He wants for us. If we align our prayers to His Will, He will listen, and we can be certain that if He listens, He will give us a definite answer—an answer of peace. 

Prayers: Abba Father, Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. For all that is in the heaven and in the earth are Yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and You are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come from You and You reign over all; and in Your hand is power and might; and in Your hand it is to make great, and to give strength to all. I will forever put all my trust in You, in Jesus' Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

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. (2 Thessalonians 1:11) When Paul says that God fulfills our good resolves by his power through faith (he calls our acts “works of faith”), he means that we defeat sin and we do righteousness by faith, that is, by being satisfied with all that God promises to be for us in Christ in the next five minutes, five months, five decades, and into eternity. Here are three examples of how this might look in your life: If you set your heart to give sacrificially and generously, the power of God to fulfill this resolve will come to you as you trust his future grace in the promise, “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). And the promise, “Whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6). And the promise, “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). If you set your heart to renounce pornography, the power of God to fulfill this resolve will come to you as you trust his future grace in the promise, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). “It is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell” (Matthew 5:29). Much better. Wonderfully better. All-satisfyingly better. And if you set your heart to speak out for Christ when the opportunity comes, the power of God to fulfill this resolve will come to you as you trust his future grace in the promise, “Do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour” (Matthew 10:19). May God increase our daily faith in the precious promises of God — promises of his inexhaustible, blood-bought, Christ-exalting future grace.

 Three Examples of How Faith Fulfills Good Resolves

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. (2 Thessalonians 1:11)

When Paul says that God fulfills our good resolves by his power through faith (he calls our acts “works of faith”), he means that we defeat sin and we do righteousness by faith, that is, by being satisfied with all that God promises to be for us in Christ in the next five minutes, five months, five decades, and into eternity.

Here are three examples of how this might look in your life: 

If you set your heart to give sacrificially and generously, the power of God to fulfill this resolve will come to you as you trust his future grace in the promise, “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). And the promise, “Whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6). And the promise, “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).

If you set your heart to renounce pornography, the power of God to fulfill this resolve will come to you as you trust his future grace in the promise, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). “It is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell” (Matthew 5:29). Much better. Wonderfully better. All-satisfyingly better.

And if you set your heart to speak out for Christ when the opportunity comes, the power of God to fulfill this resolve will come to you as you trust his future grace in the promise, “Do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour” (Matthew 10:19).

May God increase our daily faith in the precious promises of God — promises of his inexhaustible, blood-bought, Christ-exalting future grace.

Everyday in the Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY AUGUST 12, 2025.

SUBJECT: VICTORY IN GOOD CONFESSION OF FAITH!

Memory verse: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to death." (Revelation 12 vs 11.)

READ: First Timothy 6 vs 12 - 14:

6:12: Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

6:13: I urge you in the sight of God who gives life in all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate,

6:14: that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing,

INTIMATION:

In confessing the good confession of faith lies the victory of the believer. Your confession is your possession. It is obvious that the lack of faithful confessions by believers is a major problem for many. The good fight of faith lies in the confession the believer makes. This is the battle of believers as directed by the apostle Paul in the passage we read; "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." (vs 12.)

The good fight of faith is a battle that has been won a long time ago, in which you do nothing but acknowledge the defeat of your enemy and your own victory in Christ. The fight of faith is not a struggle on your part. It is a recognition and a confession on your part of victory that you and Christ won over the adversary in that great substitutionary battle that took place before He arose from the dead.

The apostle Paul was comparing Timothy's own confession of faith with that of Jesus before Pilate. Looking at the Master, Jesus, we can see that the secret of His victory lay in His continual confession. For instance, He held fast to His confession, even at the point of death: “Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a King then?” Jesus answered, You say rightly that I am a King. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (John 18 vs 36 - 37.)

Now as conquerors, our memory verse reminds us that we are overcomers, and our victory is hinged on the blood of the Lamb, and the words of our testimony. The critical blow to Satan came when the Lamb, Jesus Christ, shed His blood for our sins. The victory is won by sacrifice—Christ's death in our place to pay the penalty for our sins. The believer's victory is established once he holds on to the good confession of faith in Christ Jesus and His works in redemption for us.

We are in the realm of victory in Christ Jesus, as we have moved out of the realm of weakness, and you can say, "I am more than a conqueror, for I am complete in Him who is the head of all principality and power (Colossians 2 vs 10.) 

As a believer, you were identified in that. You were crucified with Him. You were buried with Him. You were raised with Him. We conquered the enemy with Him. Now with faith planted solidly upon this foundation, you face your enemy without fear. You dare to say "I am the righteousness of God in Christ." Just as Jesus dared to say, "I am the vine, and you are the branches"; "I am the light of the world"; you say, "I am what He says I am." More than even that you can say, "I can do what He says I can do." 

We are reminded of who we are in First John 4 vs 4, "You are of God, my little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." That settles it. You are of God, child of God, created in Christ Jesus. You are now a master because the Master is in you. You are becoming God-inside conscious. You are learning to let Him have His place in you.

You see, you are united with Him. He is the Vine and you are a branch. You grew out of Him. You were created in Him. Don't forget your perfect union with Him. Our oneness with Christ is the source of our ultimate strength. We are recreated in Him, and have a perfect union with Him:

"For if we have been untied together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin." (Romans 6 vs 5 - 6.)

As a believer and conqueror, you should be conscious of your legal right to what Jesus Christ wrought for you in redemption which is wrapped up in His wonderful Name (John 14 vs 13 - 14). The use of His Name is making a demand. That is demanding the forces of darkness to be broken over the lives of men. You are acting in the place of the Master now. The use of His Name unsheathes the sword of the spirit, the living Word, and in your lips that Living Word becomes a dominating force as it was in the lips of the Master.

Prayer: Abba Father, greater is Christ that is in me than the ruler of this world. I am one with Christ, and I can do all things through Him that strengthens me. Give me the grace and empowerment of good confession of faith, being conscious of who I am in Christ, to overcome my adversaries, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

My Soul Thirsts for God

 My Soul Thirsts for God

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? (Psalm 42:1–2)

What makes this so beautiful and so crucial for us is that he is not thirsting mainly for relief from his threatening circumstances. He is not thirsting mainly for escape from his enemies or for their destruction.

It’s not wrong to want relief, and to pray for it. It is sometimes right to pray for the defeat of enemies. But more important than any of that is God himself. 

When we think and feel with God in the Psalms, this is the main result: We come to love God, and we want to see God and be with God and be satisfied in admiring and exulting in God.

A likely translation of the end of verse 2 is, “When will I come and see the face of God?” The final answer to that question was given in John 14:9 and 2 Corinthians 4:4. Jesus said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” And Paul said that when we are converted to Christ we see “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

When we see the face of Christ, we see the face of God. And we see the glory of the face of Christ, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:4 and 6, when we hear the story of the gospel of his death and resurrection. He calls it “the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Or (verse 6): “the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

May the Lord increase your hunger and your thirst to see the face of God. And may he grant your desire, even today, through the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.