March 1
Whew!
Jesus showed us what it is like to walk with the Father in heaven. He has assured us that when we walk with him in a living relationship and trust He is the Way we seek.
Matthew 5
17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Many people read the Sermon on the Mount[1] and get discouraged. That is precisely what it should do to those who are secure in their own goodness. The Sermon on the Mount was meant to show us the real requirement of God which is to have a pure heart out of which do flow the issues of life. After reading the Sermon on the Mount we should be ready for some help in the matter of living. We should be ready to fall on our faces and declare we are not only unworthy but unable to please God without help. That is when life and real freedom begins!
It is when we begin to grasp the high call of the commandments of God that Jesus words, “I have come to… fulfill them,” have real meaning. This great sermon was intended to expose the darkness in the hearts of the Pharisees. After all, they worked harder at perfection than anyone. The point was to them as it is to everyone. Nothing we can do will really make us as perfect as we demand of ourselves and others.
So, how can we expect to please God by our efforts at perfection? We cannot please ourselves. This bit of revelation should open us up to grace. That means we begin to see that we need a lot of help in living our lives. We are going to need a lot of help when we face our maker and the angel of death
Every person who has tried to keep their thoughts clean, motives pure and actions without fault should really take honest stock of the end of their efforts. Such an honest appraisal should bring us to a state of understanding:
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 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. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 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. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful nature] a slave to the law of sin. Romans 7:14-25
Jesus showed us what it is like to walk with our Father.. He has assured us that when we walk with him in a living relationship and trust He is the Way we seek. That is a practical promise for the present and in any situation we will face, including the great journey into the unknown called death.
March 2
Broken Pots Seep
No matter what the conditions of our lives we are well served and will serve the Lord well if we keep a broken spirit.
Ephesians 4
1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
It is interesting that Paul declares himself as a “prisoner for the Lord.” He could have just as well insisted that his rights were being violated. The truth is that Paul got himself clapped into irons precisely because he believed it would serve the Lord’s purpose. Because he was a Roman citizen he demanded hearing before a Roman court. Many believe, it was Paul’s hope to go to Rome and settle the matter of the persecution of Christians Once and for all. The conclusion was that he ended up losing his life under Nero. Throughout the whole ordeal Paul never wavered. He was not man’s prisoner but a prisoner of the Lord and for the Lord.
As Paul speaks here from the degrading condition of house incarceration he tells the church to be “completely humble and gentle; patient, bearing with one another in love.” In short, he is saying this is the way I am in my moment of degradation and the way we should all be. No matter what the conditions of our lives we are well served and will serve the Lord well if we keep a broken spirit.
The very fact that we even know Paul existed after his infamous execution is proof that God has his grip on our lives for good and ill. Our futures are already written as a victory when we maintain the Spirit of Christ throughout all of our trials.
March 3
Help!
When we get to the end of learning through the Sermon on the Mount just what perfection is we are ready for a rescuer. Jesus promises that when we step off of the plank He will be there as a path through the air, a life raft in the water and a passage to dry land.
Matthew 5
43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
I have heard a lot of sermons on this perfection “commandment.” In fact, I have preached a few myself. Frankly, upon reflection what I have heard and preached do not make sense to me today as I revisit them. So let me offer my present insight.
I believe Jesus smiled when he said we must be perfect as Our Father in Heaven is perfect. Why? This is irony, pure and simple. No one can be as perfect as God. No one can even justify the convoluted teachings that try to convince us in some way we can stop all of the wrong doing and the wrong thinking in our lives. Therefore, it is hopeless, isn’t it?
The fact is that this is the leaping off place for the believer. It is the place where we should get the message that we cannot even begin to approach the kind of goodness that our consciences and that God requires of us. Therefore, we need to get through the gate into the house of God’s approval by a ticket other than one we have printed on our own press. We are approved quite simply by confessing our trust that Christ has made up for our sins of action, thought and omission. We are approved by saying to the gatekeeper, “We are friends of Jesus who has already paid for us.”
In the old days we are told Pirates made their worst “walk the plank” and drown. Usually, they could not swim themselves out of their predicament. Likewise, the Sermon on the Mount is God’s plank we are required to walk. When we get to the end of learning through The Sermon on the Mount just what perfection is we are ready for a rescuer. Jesus promises that when we step off of the plank He will be there as a path through the air, a life raft in the water and a passage to dry land. When did he promise that, you say? When he said, “I am the way, the Truth and the Life.” (John 14:6)
March 4
Mercy Is, Mercy Do
Dissension is hatred in action. Mercy is love in action.
Proverbs 10
12 Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.
Hatred is hidden. It is visible only in its effects. You may have seen those old movie clips of Adolf Hitler in his Eagle’ Nest retreat lounging casually with his friends and their families. Perhaps you saw his gentlemanly conduct with the ladies or his fatherly images with the children or scratching the head of his beloved dog Blondie. These pictures mask a man who put the world at war, murdered millions of political prisoners, the intellectually challenged, Christians and Jews. Hitler’s dissension against people was the effect. Hatred was the cause.
Proverbs tells us that the root of dissension is hatred to God. Such discord will drive division, criticism, gossip, slander, open discord, whispering campaigns, and schemes to supplant. Any social discourse that is not redemptive, kind, gentle, measured with mercy and promotes openness is dissension. (Galatians 5:19-26) Therefore, it has a root of hidden hatred which must not be tolerated in our personal lives. When God reveals dissension in our hearts we need to fall on our knees, repent and ask for the grace to express our concerns in love and to pray for those who offend. Dissension is hatred in action. Mercy is love in action.
March 5
Form is Foam
The Christian will desire to hone words of life in the forge of the Holy Spirit and on the anvil of God’s instruction through personal experiences.
Proverbs 10
13 Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment.
14 Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.
There is a high spiritual risk for someone who is in a teaching, talking, preaching and public profession. That risk is that they develop the pattern of talking too much with and inversely decreasing storehouse of knowledge and wisdom. It is, therefore, very important to take time to listen, study, reflect, meditate and reason things through for those who are public “talkers.” It is likewise important that all people tap into that source for all wisdom, God himself, through prayer and prayerful listening, study, reflection, meditation and inquiry. Style does not a wise person make but it can veil a vast area of ignorance for a short time.
Abraham Lincoln once said of politics that “you can fool some of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.” The Christian should never want to fool anyone. The Christian will desire to hone words of life in the forge of the Holy Spirit and on the anvil of God’s instruction through personal experiences. The believer should desire above all things to possess wisdom because true wisdom is one of the characteristics of Godliness. When we are wise we have life giving answers on our lips.
When we replace wisdom and knowledge with style and form we end up with personal and social disaster. Ruinous results come from experimentation with ideas and faulty assumptions. Wisdom, on the other hand, is a compass at all times and especially in times of trial.
James 3
1Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
March 6
Neutral Stuff
Wealth or poverty does not determine whether or not we are righteous.
Proverbs 10
15 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.
16 The wages of the righteous bring them life, but the income of the wicked brings them punishment.
Nothing is sadder than seeing someone who is not prepared suddenly get instant wealth. Studies have been done on those who win at the lottery in a big way and a good percentage of those people come to tragic circumstances. The same is true with many sports figures, actors and other immature inheritors of instant wealth. It takes character to handle wealth.
These quotes from Proverbs do not denigrate wealth. One can be wealthy and not see their wealth as a “fortified city.” One may be righteous and rich. Likewise, the text says poverty is the ruin of the poor. One may be poor and be righteous.
These two concepts of wealth and poverty are next to each other in Proverbs for a good reason. One is to be righteous whether they are rich or poor. One is not to desire poverty unless they believe they are called to live a Spartan life. However, if there is uninvited poverty in one’s life it need not be the ruin of a life. It becomes a ruin because of an attitude taken toward it. Likewise, one may be wealthy and maintain a righteous attitude toward it. Ones wealth may be a way of blessing others, of serving God’s purposes and people. Wealth is a gift of God given as a trust.
Wealth or poverty does not determine whether or not we are righteous. And if we are righteous, we can be assured that the wages of righteousness brings us life as wickedness brings us death.
Wealth and poverty are neutral. We determine the power of either. We can use either for good or ill.
March 7
Passing the Gift
God does not see the largesse of our gifts. He sees the use of our gift.
Ephesians 4
7But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8This is why it says: "When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men."
Grace has been given to each by Christ. That is a revolutionary concept. It is not a matter of earning grace. It is not a matter of achieving because of self discipline. Grace has been given to each as he has determined us to receive of it.
Here is where we walk in thanksgiving for the portion of grace we are given. When we do that we can be assured he will give us more. If we don’t walk in thanksgiving for the grace we have, however large or small, we probably won’t grow in grace.
Our text is a prelude to a discussion of God’s gifts to humans. God’s grace translates into gifts. In all cases, we are to use what we have and live a life worthy of the part we have. God does not see the largesse of our gifts. He sees the use of our gift.
What is more beautiful than some of those who have limited intelligences but have the magnanimity of spirit that any of us would envy? Those who walk among us with the joy of life show how to use the gifts of God. Those who just serve without asking, “How can my gift be used,” or “Which one of my talents does God want of me” hit the mark set for them by the Father.
March 8
Being the Gift
The gifts of God, it seems, become so much a part of our personhood that they define our functions not only among those of the church but among all mankind.
Ephesians 4
11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Gifts, talents, abilities! All come from our creator whether they are in our genes or not. Sometimes people have gift that seem to defy genes so we cannot put too much stock in the mechanics of heritage. What is important about our giftings is why they exist. They are there as gifts of God and for the purpose of service.
In the church, Paul says, Christ has given different people to serve different functions. Therefore, gifts are not just talents. They are also people in whom talents are manifest. Thus a talent for caring and nurture will express itself in a pastor. A talent for learning, teaching and clarifying will express themselves in a teacher.
The gifts of God, it seems, become so much a part of our personhood that they define our functions not only among those of the church but among all mankind. They are not dependent upon what institution we are a part of but what part we play in human society.
The purpose of gifts is not merely to enjoy them but to use them in service. Then they multiply their blessing to us and to others. In fact, they will enlarge and mature until they become a part of our character.
March 9
Devolution
It is a law of nature and thermodynamics that if left alone all things will degenerate not evolve.
Ephesians 4
17So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19Having lost all sensitivity; they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
Self-centeredness is a sure way to lose our sensitivity. In fact, the defining aspect of our most hardened criminals is the loss of empathy for others or what we all consider the highest aspects of our humanity. It is the drift back to the lowest common denominator of our beings.
Many people tend to think we are evolving to higher creature-hood. They even believe we are somehow being carried along by cultural development. What they seem to forget is that there is no evolution to virtue or to character. Those are products of decision, commitment, discipline and, above all, flow from a relationship with the Life of God.
It is a law of nature and thermodynamics that if left alone all things will degenerate and not evolve. Likewise, our lives will not improve or maintain their best without attention being paid to their care. Muscles will atrophy if not exercised. The same is true for our brains, our souls and our character. In time, if we listen only to our own counsel, we will become perverse and more animal-like than creatures reflecting the divine image. It is a fearsome and tragic thing to allow ourselves to be separated from the life of God especially when we can have it so freely in Christ.
March 10
Solid Core
Without the knowledge of God we are cut off from wisdom and will always lack a valid core of solid beliefs.
Proverbs 10
17 He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.
The discipline of which Proverbs speaks is a discipline that flows from knowledge of God and His ways. That knowledge begins with the scriptures and ends in a relationship to God through Jesus Christ. It is the way to life. It is founded upon certainties in the moral and social realm that are as solid as the laws of nature. Without the knowledge of God we are cut off from wisdom and will always lack a valid core of solid beliefs.
Furthermore, this discipline implies that response is needed to follow the way to life. It requires that we not only make disciplined judgments but that those judgments are subject to the correction of other believers and the Lord.
If a leader, a parent, or an adult ignores correction themselves they are potentially dangerous witnesses to the truth. They will lead others off the path of a living faith.
March 11
Incomparable Words
Nothing compares to the word God speaks which sustains the creation and is uttered forth from the hidden chamber of His fullness.
Hebrews 1
1In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.
It is certain that all creation is subject to change. Though there are some things which appear as constants they are only the laws and principles which help us to predict the sun will rise and the planets will orbit. However, there is a greater constant. It is the eternal God and His Christ. Through the Son the universe was created. He is its creator, savior and sustainer. He holds all things together by his “powerful word.” This is why we can really count on the sun rising and the planets orbiting in our universe or any that will be discovered in the cosmos.
We may try to identify the invisible forces but none compares with the power of God’s created word which spoke creation into existence. Nothing compares to the word of God which invites us into fellowship with him where we will “abide in Him.” Nothing compares to the word God speaks which sustains the creation and is uttered forth from the hidden chamber of His fullness.
March 12
Guarded Speech
The wise and godly will speak the truth in love and to spread as much of a good report that they may.
Proverbs 10
18 He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.
Another way of saying this and probably a better translation is that “he who has lying lips is concealing his hatred.” Or, inasmuch as contempt is a form of hatred it could be understood as, “he who has lying lips secretly holds others in contempt.” Hatred takes many forms and even though it is a strong word any form of contempt is hatred. After all, is it not the opposite of love?
Furthermore, the text reminds us that it is reprehensible to spread slander which is a form of lying, also. The wise and godly will speak the truth in love and to spread as much of a good report that they may.
If we must speak of a wrong or evil device perpetuated by another person the godly will follow these rules:
1. Have the facts straight by checking out the information received.
2. They will speak of another’s sin where there is danger or threat of danger to another party or parties.
3. They will tell only those who have a need to know.
4. They will pray for redemptive results at all times.
This is the way the Christ in us will change us as we grow in Him.
March 13
Jesus Talk
The young and the seasoned believer will always do well to make speech like prayer. It is sacred and holy. It has the power of life and death.
Proverbs 10
19 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.
Most anyone who has played basketball knows what a “goal hog” is. It is someone who plays to make all the goals. Whenever they get the ball, they shoot. It is as if they are addicted to maintaining control of the floor. Often they shoot much and hit occasionally. Such players are usually liabilities to a team and end up being more vulnerable to losing the ball than making a score. It is the same with words. The more we talk with out the discipline of thoughtfulness the more likely we are to sin with our mouths. The old WWII adage was “loose lips sink ships.”
The young and the seasoned believer will always do well to make speech like prayer. It is sacred and holy. It has the power of life and death. And, like prayer it can set heaven and earth into motion.
March 14
Silver Tongues
We should never underestimate the effect of the speech of those who are rightly connected with God.
Proverbs 10
20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.
21 The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.
This is a strangely phrased proverb to Western ears. Of course, the heart of the wicked is of little value. Why is that coupled with a proverb regarding speech. Once again, speech flows from the heart. Speech is a precious and powerful tool. In fact, anthropologists say speech is the reason humans have thrived to build cultures and progress from their primitive beginnings. It is the way we express our spirituality and inner convictions which form our belief. Speech has everything to do with the vision of transcendence.
Jesus said this of speech:
43 "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers. 45 Good people bring good things out of the good stored up in their heart, and evil people bring evil things out of the evil stored up in their heart. For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. (Luke 643-45)
We should never underestimate the effect of the speech of those who are rightly connected with God. (The righteous.) Their speech is choice silver. It is like coinage. It is a gift of precious value. These words encourage us to spread abroad the encouragement that comes from our faith. Words that flow from a godly heart make a difference that changes things for others. Our lips may nourish and have the power of saving the life of those whose faith is lacking. Our words may be their salvation and the return from the valley of despair.
March 15
Seed to Sow
God blesses us with wealth that we may be a blessing to others.
Proverbs 10
22 The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.
The first ministers of the western organized church were often men who took a vow of poverty. It was their way of identifying with the many poor who live in extremely squalid conditions. It was a means of putting an emphasis upon serving Christ and bearing his shame.
Unfortunately, the influence of the doctrines of poverty seeped into the thinking of many Christians. Certainly, it was in the way people approached ministry. Wealth was an anathema. It was considered a curse. To add to this we can see many people who have been destroyed by wealth because they cannot handle it and the temptations and removal from normalcy it brings.
Our text puts the doctrine of poverty in context. It says that God’s blessing brings wealth and when he brings it he does not send a curse with it. God blesses us with wealth that we may be a blessing to others. We need not consider it an evil or even wrong because it is his blessing. We need merely to do with wealth what we would do with poverty- find ways to glorify him.
2 Corinthians 9
10Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
March 16
Sorrow for Sin
Let grief do its perfect work in your heart when you see evil.
Proverbs 10
23 A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom.
Most of us have an emotional reaction to evil. Usually we identify it as anger. Then, anger leads us condemn those who commit evil until finally, after their repeated performance according to type, we begin to take delight in catching them in their evil devices. This is not good. Our reaction is a form of pleasure in evil. Instead of grieving, we can’t stop talking about how bad “some people” are. Instead of praying, we secretly delight in new “gotchas.”
Proverbs 10:23 suggests an alternative to delight in evil conduct. It is grief in evil conduct. Let us allow grief do its perfect work in our hearts when we see evil. Let it drive us to prayer for evil perpetuators until our hearts are as broken as Christ’s was. Let it cause us to determine to resist and fight evil wherever we see it. Let this grief drive us to tell the good news, to delight in those that demonstrate honesty, integrity, courage, compassion and goodness. Thus by fueling and encouraging “light” we are promoting the wisdom of God.
March 17
The Righteous Win
…God has given us the common revelation that life is good for the righteous.
Proverbs 10
24 What the wicked dreads will overtake him; what the righteous desire will be granted.
25 When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.
Live long enough and we learn that evil does not pay. Sooner or later in numerous ways evil doing catches up with people if their behavior is not amended. This is a fact we need to keep in mind when we ourselves try to do things as we believe God intends. The wheels of justice may grind slowly but mercies undergird the faithful who can believe what the scriptures teach:
1. We will realize our righteous desires and see the vindication of them.
2. The soul longing for righteousness will stand and survive the day of trouble to know the joys of the Lord.
If we do not believe in such a prudential foundation behind life there would be no reason for the hope and expectation in the human breast. But hope does exist and not because it is false. It exists because God has given us the common revelation that life is good for the righteous.
March 18
Honest Commendations
It is sure that if we cover, or fudge the truth or believe a lie regarding another we will suffer the backlash.
Proverbs 10
26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to those who send him.
One of the most common things people may do is give a reference for another person. Sooner or later some one will call you for a reference or you may be asked for a form recommendation. What will you say? Will you overstate, inflate or cover up for the person you are referencing? This text humorously tells us what it is to give a reference for an undeserving person. It says, as I read it, that you will not escape the bitter consequences. It will somehow cost you to send a slacker to do a job for yourself or for another.
The hard facts are in life that not everyone deserves the break a good person would give him. Something else is needed. If you are a responsible person then you need to hold others equally responsible. It they will be responsible you should withdraw your support until they can rise to the possibility being offered them. It is sure that if we cover, or fudge the truth, or believe a lie regarding another we will suffer the backlash.
How much better it will be for that person and yourself to deal with the issue of personal responsibility now! In the circles of addiction treatment this is called intervention. It is sitting down with “slackers, sluggards, and sinners” and confronting them with the responsibility to live up to the trust you and others give them. If we just pass people problems off to others we will experience the bitterness and the tears of guilt of their failure.
March 19
The Target
To be like Jesus is the ultimate goal of life.
Ephesians 4
11It was he who gave some …12to prepare God's people for works of service… 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
As we may talk about God’s will for believers we can safely say that God’s purpose is the same for all of humanity. I am speaking, of course, of His ultimate purpose. And, according to scripture, that purpose is that all mankind reach a unity in the faith and knowledge of God growing into the fullness of Christ. To be like Jesus is the ultimate goal of life.
To be sure this summary of God’s purpose is still a mouthful. So let us break it down. Unity in the faith is not necessarily a doctrinal unity but a confidence in Christ, who He is and a personal knowledge of Him. God wants connection, intimacy, relationship with all people. This is his goal. It has been his goal since the beginning, throughout ancient times when he revealed himself in all cultures to the degree they were willing to hear. In the Bible we learn how he manifested his desire for a the families of the earth through the patriarch Abram, revealed his will in the law, clarified his commands through the prophets and finally manifested his love veiled in all efforts of revelation through Jesus Christ.
Jesus reveals that God not only wants sons and daughters of his people with whom He can share his Life but He made a way from us to get past the barriers we have: the barrier of fear; the barrier of condemnation; the barrier of the corrupted nature; the barrier of doubt; the barrier of darkness; the barrier of confusion; and the barrier of death. All that is wrong with us can be healed in Him. All that is askew in us can be restored to order and balance. All that terrorizes us can be overcome by confident trust. And, when all of this begins to become a part of our understanding it is because we are growing in the knowledge of the Son of God, who he was, and what he is to us eternally and without wavering.
March 20
Suspended in Grace
We are being carried from glory to glory and we rest in His wondrous love and power as we make the journey to the “great fullness.”
Ephesians 4
11It was he who gave some …12to prepare God's people for works of service… 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
I once had a professor who assigned a fairly challenging topic as the subject of a term paper. One of the students in the class asked the teacher how long the paper had to be. He replied, “Long enough to cover the subject.” Likewise, when we speak of progress we need to know where we are going. What is the goal of progress? When shall we stop progressing? When is enough enough?
Paul answers the question of when enough is enough for all of humanity. We progress until we “attain the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” That doesn’t mean until we think we look like Jesus, or act like Jesus or attain some version of Jesus’ perfection. It means we are meant to attain the fullness of Christ. That is a qualitative measure that no human can really say is accomplished. If we ever attain that measure we will probably be immediately translated perhaps the way Christ was transfigured and ascended from us into the Father’s glory. That moment will be determined by God but it is certain that in the meantime we will know what meets the Father’s approval when He says the great Amen!
The practical minded person may find such a description of progress a bit obscure. Well, the fact is that it has to be. We each may need practical steps and applications and they will be plenty enough during our maturity. However, there is no place when we can sit down in our development as Children of God and be self-satisfied. In fact, it is not a matter of trying and resting. It is a matter of resting entirely.
The believers know they are like water skippers somehow walking suspended on the waters and being swept along in the flow of a wonderful river wending its way to a glassy sea. We have the freedom to hop about and even to dry land. However, we have no power over the course of the river. We are being carried from glory to glory and when we rest in His wondrous love and power we make the journey to the “great fullness.” Let us do so with thanksgiving and trust.
March 21
Wonder of God
The awe of God helps you to put things in context, gives you peace and takes the stress out of your body.
Proverbs 10
27 The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.
28 The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.
Probably the single most important lesson we can teach others in life is that the fear (awe) of God is the beginning of wisdom. Without such a sense of our righteous creator, sustainer and judge we have little in this world to which to hold others accountable except for getting caught, shamed or perhaps ruined financially. Certainly none of these even count for the arrogant as we are constantly witnessing.
“Arrogant is” is not just arrogant do. “Arrogant is” is arrogant is. The person who lives as a law unto himself or who commits his life and fortune to someone who lives as a master of the universe or the ultimate genius is on a quick trip to sadness.
I learned long ago that we cannot count on justice in the courts or the halls of societies. Many good people have been crushed by such and only vindicated with the backward view of historians. Each time the righteous suffer at the hands of human courts of opinions they can rest assured that God is their vindicator and will give the reward of faith in Him.
Our text gives us a general yardstick when it says the fear of the Lord adds length to life. Such awe causes less anxiety than worrying about the future, what others can do to you, or how you are going to survive the present crisis. The awe of God helps you to put things in context, gives you peace and takes the stress out of your body. Likewise, the wicked are hounded day after day with the fear of being found out. If their deaths are not immediate they will be shorter than the one they might have lived. This was true only in maxim and observation until medical science also confirmed that anger, fear, anxiety and paranoia, products of wicked living, are a hindrance to health.
Put things in context today. Worship our awesome God. Keep His awe in the forefront of your thinking.
March 22
The Story of God
Whenever believers stay close to the living Lord described as the Way they find hope, help, power, authority and refuge. They bring “leaven, light and salt” to even the societies of humankind wherever they are found…
Proverbs 10
29 The way of the LORD is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil.
History has been described as the story of man. Most people approach it as the story of man because of the way it has been taught them. However, the biblical believer knows that history is the story of God. Mankind may celebrate their cultures but the believer knows that human histories are a “tower of Babel.” They are too often written to exalt a race, or ideas, or communities, or to make men as gods.
When it is rightfully told history is God’s story. It is actually God’s story alluding always to Christ. It is God’s story inasmuch as it has a promised redemptive ending. It is God’s story inasmuch as it offers His friendship. It is God’s story because it tells of God’s way with humankind through history to give us the way of life
Whenever humankind tries to rewrite history which leaves out God’s story out of their development they bring down ruin upon their heads. This was true of the Pharaohs and the Kings of Israel. It has been true of the governments of mankind and the self-exalting “Christians” and churches of the ages.
The way to have any history with any purpose or meaning is to make it the way of the Lord. Whenever believers stay close to the living Lord described as the Way they find hope, help, power, authority and refuge. They bring “leaven, light and salt” to even the societies of humankind wherever they are found within those societies. Likewise when societies see themselves as founded, established and secured by God’s benevolent hand they find blessing, shelter and hope in Him. It is when they forsake these perspectives that they fall to ruin.
March 23
Surviving Together
God’s concept of salvation is not just for individuals. We are delivered from the curse of this world to the society of the Kingdom.
Ephesians 4
Maturing in Christ we will be: “speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
Let us understand these truths: 1.) We will succeed together or perish alone; 2.) We will perish together or perish alone; and 3.) We may survive and even be saved alone but it will be both a tragedy to us and to those who are lost to be alone.
The TV program called Survivors teaches us that the individual who lasts the longest survives. However, what is it to survive and be alone? Of what value is life without the companionship, help and community of others? An individual survivor has not really survived if he has no one with whom to share his journey, goods and destiny.
God’s concept of salvation is not just for individuals. We are delivered from the curse of this world to the society of the Kingdom. We are saved from individual destruction to the family of God. We are lifted from isolation to the community of faith. We are not going to find an eternal home in some corner of creation with all of our toys but in a multitude of joyful, interacting and loving crowd in the presence of God.
The scriptures speak to us of a people who arrive at the feet of Christ together having grown upon together in Him as a joined and connected people who not only will enjoy the benefits of his presence together but who will arrive in His presence having enabled one another along the way through love.
March 24
Rooted
Those who are In Christ will never be uprooted and they will never be disappointed or torn from His presence.
Proverbs 10
30 The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land.
The word “land” in the Bible was never just acreage. It was an established home. It was a metaphor for a sense of permanence and continuity. It was the dream on a hill that is set in the imagination of everyone who is reaching beyond horizons. Discussion of the land represents the rest at the end of a life of pilgrimage as it was for the people who had wandered in the wilderness. Ultimately, the land stands as the ravaged home plucked from the hand of wicked destroyers through the victory of creative love.
Jesus came and revealed that He was the quest defined by the land. He is our journey’s way to the land. He is the sure and true city of our quest. He is the life represented in the land. The Bible is His story and the land of one more of many metaphors that speak of God’s promises to his children.
When we read of the land let us take courage. Those who are In Christ will never be uprooted and they will never be disappointed or torn from His presence. It is not so, says scripture, with those who insist on clinging to securities gained by their own labors.
March 25
Considering the Source
A wise person will consider the source of purported wisdom.
Proverbs 10
31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.
The ancient world was fond of quoting time tested knowledge and life tested persons. It is not so in the modern age. An expert today is someone who has studied a lot or has achieved name recognition. (I understand that one is considered an expert if they have read 25 books on a subject.)There are experts everywhere from authors who have barely begun to live to old warriors who have also received public attention.
Because of mass media we believe today in the power of public attention, fame, recognition, and proclivity to bloviating as the test of authority. Yet, in many small villages and “outbacks” there are many people who may have more wisdom and insight than any of the experts commonly audited by the masses.
We will do ourselves a favor to recognize that people who live with integrity from day to day, demonstrate good character, produce good families and make good practical decisions are more worthy of emulating and heeding than most experts touted by general society. Those who live righteously have real authority while those who have no moral standing can only mislead. A wise person will consider the source of purported wisdom.
March 26
The Choice is Ours
… we choose either to deteriorate or to transcend.
Ephesians 4
17So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
20You, however, did not come to know Christ that way.21Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
We can choose to be a victim of our lower impulses or resist them. To follow them is a downward spiral that ends in tragedy. All one has to do is to read the biographies of “free spirits” to get an idea where any form of lust will take one. To transcend we must learn that our own thought processes are futile. Life is too precious to experiment when we can have answers for a good, fulfilling and positive life. We do not evolve to a fulfilling, productive, positive, beneficial life by mere existence. We get there when we decide we are not animals trapped by bestial desires and appetites. In other words, we choose either to deteriorate or to transcend.
Here the scriptures tell us to choose life. In particular, we are called to take on a higher understanding or the mind of God. That is as easy as breathing. It is a matter of receiving. It is not the grueling climb up “Trying Harder Mountain.” It is receiving the Spirit of Christ, asking Him to change our hearts, and giving ourselves over to Him as completely as we can. Then, He comes. He comes to enlighten, empower and change us. We inhale and He inspires. Yes, to the trusting person it is that simple. To the willful person it may take time but He will even arrange to break that hard core heart of ours. However easy or however difficult it is a happy thing to find ourselves enjoined with God.
When our lusts and desires go unabated they will drive us to achieve more: more things more stuff, more power, more sensual satisfaction, more recognition, more , more and more. In Christ, we are encouraged to put off the old nature and put on Christ. The miracle of change is now up to Him as we determine to let Him have His way with us.
***
Same Quote in Amplified Bible
Ephesians 4
17So this I say and solemnly testify in [the name of] the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the heathen (the Gentiles) do in their perverseness [in the folly, vanity, and emptiness of their souls and the futility] of their minds.
18Their moral understanding is darkened and their reasoning is beclouded. [They are] alienated (estranged, self-banished) from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the ignorance (the want of knowledge and perception, the willful blindness) that is [deep-seated in them, due to their hardness of heart [to the insensitiveness of their moral nature].
19In their spiritual apathy they have become callous and past feeling and reckless and have abandoned themselves [a prey] to unbridled sensuality, eager and greedy to indulge in every form of impurity [that their depraved desires may suggest and demand].
20But you did not so learn Christ!
21Assuming that you have really heard Him and been taught by Him, as [all] Truth is in Jesus [embodied and personified in Him],
22Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion;
23And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],
24And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.
March 27
True Measures
If they are to be truthful human measures need constant scrutiny, attention and correction.
Proverbs 11
1 The LORD abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight.
A trick of deception is to change the measures under the pretext you are offering the alleged product. Most of us have had the delight of discovering our favorite “something” has not increased in price only to discover that while the price is the same the product is slightly smaller or altered in quality. We also have watched havoc done to our language with euphemisms that speak the opposite of what they represent. We can point to cults that use words “salvation” to mean something totally different from the Christian concept. It is important for the contemporary believer to recognize that words means something and that measures change because corrupt people still use “dishonest scales.”
We live in an age when sophistication makes it necessary for us to become analysts, attorneys at the bar, or scrutinizers of everything. And, so we should. While God hates dishonest scales we also should abhor them. If they are to be truthful human measures need constant scrutiny, attention and correction. If God hates dishonesty it is because of what it does to create strife, injury and pain to his creatures. Furthermore, like Him, we should delight and support those who are honest and true in their assessments and adherence to true measure. Do not be ashamed to stand for the truth or to insist on accuracy in all human measures.
25Therefore, rejecting all falsity and being done now with it, let everyone express the truth with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one body and members one of another. (Ephesians 4:25 Amplified Bible)
March 28
The Silent Killer
Pride is the carbon monoxide of corruptive forces in our society and natures.
Proverbs 11
2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.
We often lose perspective that Pride will eventually destroy the prideful. The scriptural adage that pride goes before a fall is written into the thought of men and it is a silent killer. The prideful person does not seem to recognize their own pride until it bites.
Good and honest people often despair when they see pride in leaders who seem to escape their “comeuppance.” When the unfaithful are judged is not our affair. The clear and painful fact is that the lack of humility will get one into places they do not want to go. The price may not be a public humiliation but it exacts a toll in private ways: personal stress, destruction of relationships, unhappiness, despair, self-destructive behavior and tragic endings of life. Do not think that we escape the consequences the old urge to “be as gods” exacts. Pride is the carbon monoxide of corruptive forces in our society and natures.
It is always sad to see the prideful fall. It will not only cause them pain and humiliation but it is a sorrow to the compassionate as well. If it is not a sorrow we run the risk of becoming prideful ourselves. We can keep a humble heart by simply praying as did David of old:
Psalm 26
1Judge me, O LORD, for I have walked in mine integrity. I have also trusted in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.
2Examine me, O LORD, and test me; try my reins and my heart. 3For Thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes, and I have walked in Thy truth. 4I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I consort with dissemblers.
5I have hated the congregation of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked. 6I will wash mine hands in innocence; so will I compass Thine altar, O LORD, 7that I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Thy wondrous works.
March 29
Hale Heartily
The Holy Spirit within us is always searching for someone who has a need and can use an inspiring word.
Ephesians 4
29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
This passage sounds like Proverbs. However, as we have said before, the Bible has a lot to say about the use of the tongue.
Wisdom and Christly love dictates that we use the gift of language for constructive purposes and not destructive. To quote the Bible, the power of life is in the tongue. If we tear down, we build up. If we critique, we offer a solution. If we identify a fault, it is for the purpose of telling the truth.
Wholesome speech is speech that is healthy. Wholesome speech is not platitudes. Platitudes are often unwholesome because they do not always apply. Wholesome speech is not romantic idealizing. Ideals are too often figments of imagination with no grounding in reality. Wholesome speech is that which leads to spiritual, mental and even physical health.
Our conversations and discussions of substance are wholesome when they benefit others by establishing them in truth, formulating a path in redemptive living, encouraging, strengthening and infusing hope. The Holy Spirit within us is always searching for someone who has a need and can use an inspiring word. Be a prophet today.
3But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 1 Cor 14
March 30
True to New Nature
We must always let go what is alien to the Spirit of Christ to have the fullness of what is true to His character.
Ephesians 4
30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Is there a chance that the Holy Spirit will leave the believer? Not a chance! Jesus said he would always be with us. No. When the Holy Spirit is grieved he does not leave. He just begins to gently tug at the cords of our hearts that have been pulled by us to shut out the light as one would close the drapes.
The Holy Spirit is always in the darkness with us but He increases the darkness to our senses until we begin to get the idea we have some opening up to do.
We have been sealed for redemptive purposes. We have no toleration for darkness created by closing ourselves off from God’s light. We find ourselves feeling a coldness that is in stark contrast with the joy we know when we are in God’s will. We become: frail or fractious; edgy or hyper sensitive; anxious and prone to unidentifiable anger; and moody or depressed. It is grief in us, the grieving of the Holy Spirit doing His perfect work to get us to open to the light.
Believer, don’t grieve the Holy Spirit. You have no tolerance for life without the ability to respond to His presence. We must always let go what is alien to the Spirit of Christ to have the fullness of what is true to His character.
31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32)
March 31
The Real Quick Fix
His righteousness is freely and instantly given us to stand in that blazing presence of our Father in heaven.
Proverbs 11
4 Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.
5 The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.
When the scriptures are hard on us we need not worry if we have already been grasped by grace. The scriptures only tell us about wealth in our text what we already know but won’t admit. Wealth cannot buy our deliverance from searing illumination of the presence of God or from death. What will deliver us is righteous. However, is it not our righteousness that will deliver us. It will be the garment of Christ’s righteousness we will put on by faith. His righteousness is freely and instantly given us to stand in that blazing presence of our Father in heaven. We need to receive it while we can. It is our way through the gate of the eternal city.
A Prayer
Our Father in Heaven, remind me when I find myself in thoughts, words and actions that cause me pains of conscience, a sense of loss of your approval, or sadness because of my failures and limitations that you have given me the garment of righteousness through Christ. Give me a heart to instantly repent, to put on the garment of Christ’s holiness and reconnect with fellowship with you. Give me courage and help to amend what I can with others, to employ myself in serving, and to live with the confidence of a child of God. Amen.
[1] Let’s keep it as simple as possible. The Sermon on the Mount is included in Matthew 5. It preaches a perfectionism we all would like to see. However, it indicates that the goal is unreachable in that it requires a perfection of thought life and purity of intention at all times…you know, like God? Jesus begins a rehearsal of some basic commandments with “You have heard it said to the people long ago…” Then he says in effect that the commandment was intended to convince people how impossible it is to be good in their own efforts. Look at the secular law today! The more humans try to address problems the deeper they dig the hole. So it is with the commands of God. We need a little humility. We need to be taught and guided in the art of life. We need to love and respect one another which cannot happen by legislation of human effort. The cure is a change of heart not more energized religion or law. ( Read Jeremiah 31:27-34)
