Romans 12:1 (NASB) "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God,which is your spiritual service of worship."
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Thursday, May 21, 2015
The Lifestyle of Worship to our Great God - Romans 12:1
Romans 12:1 (NASB) "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God,which is your spiritual service of worship."
Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
The Life Practical Ramifications of God's Greatness for the Christian life
Romans 12:1-2 "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice,acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
Introduction:
Over the past couple of weeks we have been exploring the central Biblical theme of "The Greatness of God". In our process of discovery we have been utilizing Romans 11:33-36 as our chief text. Romans 11:33-36 not only is a doxology or explosion of praise unto God for His greatness in salvation but also summmarizes the first 11 chapters of Romans which detail God's greatness and power in the Gospel. In the first post of this theme (http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2015/04/why-we-need-gods-greatness.html ), we saw four reasons why the church and Christians need the Greatness of God as a central focus:
1. Evangelism's motive is the greatness of God
2. Worship is based upon the greatness of God
3. Service to God centers on God's greatness
4. Everyday life needs God's greatness
Yesterday we finished up a four part series featuring the Ambassador of God's Greatness - the Holy Spirit. If it were not for the Holy Spirit, God's greatness would not be accessible to the Christian. God is so Great and Awesome that apart from the Holy Spirit's work, His greatness is observed and known about in the heavens and in the conscience by way of general revelation. (Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:18-20; Romans 2:15). Such revelation of God's greatness renders all human beings without excuse and liable to judgment. What is needed is saving revelation, which is specifically revealed in the Bible and most fully through Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Titus 2:11-15; Hebrews 1:1-2)
Hence has been our discoveries thus far in our study of this great theme of God's greatness. Today begins taking what we have gleaned from Romans 11:33-36 and exploring what life looks like practically when lived out such truths.
We could deem our previous studies as focusing more upon what I call "worship application", meaning seeing God and relating to Him vertically. If we are ever to live for God effectively, we must see how awesome He is in His full-orbed revelation through the Son. Unless I am in awe of God, I'll never delight in God. Worship application gives us the proper perspective - albeit a vertical and eternal one - for considering life application. To reverse this order is like trying to convey excitement over the Grand Canyon from a postcard. The postcard's point means nothing unless one has been swallowed up by the grandeur of its immensity. Much moreso with God! If we do not proceed in this order from the vertical (God to me), we will never be effective in our life application (me to others).
When we consider Romans 11:33-12:21, we discover the following life-application ramifications for God's greatness in the Christian life:
1. God's greatness in its worship application. Romans 11:33-36
2. Serving with God's Greatness. Romans 12:1-13
3. Living life focused on God's greatness. Romans 12:14-21
God's greatness is as practical as it is worshipful. In reality, our doxology (how we worship) leads to how we live for God. May others who see us serving and living for God conclude that we have been those who have been captured by His Greatness. By the Holy Spirit's working, would it be that others would be converted by grace through faith and experience this wonderful reality for themselves.
1. Evangelism's motive is the greatness of God
2. Worship is based upon the greatness of God
3. Service to God centers on God's greatness
4. Everyday life needs God's greatness
Yesterday we finished up a four part series featuring the Ambassador of God's Greatness - the Holy Spirit. If it were not for the Holy Spirit, God's greatness would not be accessible to the Christian. God is so Great and Awesome that apart from the Holy Spirit's work, His greatness is observed and known about in the heavens and in the conscience by way of general revelation. (Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:18-20; Romans 2:15). Such revelation of God's greatness renders all human beings without excuse and liable to judgment. What is needed is saving revelation, which is specifically revealed in the Bible and most fully through Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Titus 2:11-15; Hebrews 1:1-2)
Hence has been our discoveries thus far in our study of this great theme of God's greatness. Today begins taking what we have gleaned from Romans 11:33-36 and exploring what life looks like practically when lived out such truths.
We could deem our previous studies as focusing more upon what I call "worship application", meaning seeing God and relating to Him vertically. If we are ever to live for God effectively, we must see how awesome He is in His full-orbed revelation through the Son. Unless I am in awe of God, I'll never delight in God. Worship application gives us the proper perspective - albeit a vertical and eternal one - for considering life application. To reverse this order is like trying to convey excitement over the Grand Canyon from a postcard. The postcard's point means nothing unless one has been swallowed up by the grandeur of its immensity. Much moreso with God! If we do not proceed in this order from the vertical (God to me), we will never be effective in our life application (me to others).
When we consider Romans 11:33-12:21, we discover the following life-application ramifications for God's greatness in the Christian life:
1. God's greatness in its worship application. Romans 11:33-36
2. Serving with God's Greatness. Romans 12:1-13
3. Living life focused on God's greatness. Romans 12:14-21
God's greatness is as practical as it is worshipful. In reality, our doxology (how we worship) leads to how we live for God. May others who see us serving and living for God conclude that we have been those who have been captured by His Greatness. By the Holy Spirit's working, would it be that others would be converted by grace through faith and experience this wonderful reality for themselves.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
P4 The Ambassador of God's Greatness - The Holy Spirit
Isaiah 40:13-14 "Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord,Or as His counselor has informed Him? 14 With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge And informed Him of the way of understanding?"
Introduction:
The Christian life begins with a visitation The Ambassador of the Trinity, Who is the Ambassador of God’s greatness. When I speak of this One and only “Ambassador of God’s Greatness”, I am speaking of the Holy Spirit. In previous posts we have looked at the greatness of God, and how the need for the greatness of God could not be any more than in today’s church and Christian life. We also saw in our last post on this theme how the church’s mission, and really the Christian’s mission is none other than promoting the greatness of God in a world that rejects God for lesser things. Romans 11:33-36 spells out more clearly than any other scripture the greatness of our God.
Today’s post aims to conclude our series by showing how the Holy Spirit, the Ambassador of God’s greatness, brings down to people this great truth – namely that God is great, and greatly to be praised. So as we shall see, our main point of application will be that: the Ambassador of God’s greatness brings to you and me the greatness of God. We saw already how the Holy Spirit brings to us the desire to worship God. We considered two days ago the details about this Mighty Ambassador and how the Holy Spirit brings to us the meaning of scripture. Today we conclude our study by noting how this Mighty Ambassador brings the Majesty of Jesus to us.
The Holy Spirit brings to you the majesty of
Christ
Paul wraps up his doxology in Romans 11:36 with these
amazing words: “For
from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” Paul is concluding this first portion of
Romans 1-11, which begins by stating itself to be “the Gospel about Jesus
Christ”. Romans 1:1-4 states – “Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an
apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2
which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3
concerning His Son, who was born of a
descendant of
David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared the Son of
God with power by
the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of
holiness, Jesus
Christ our Lord.” Thus the majesty of Christ
is at the center of the Gospel, since the Gospel is the Gospel about the Son.
We saw earlier how Jesus
told His disciples in John 16:13-15 that the Holy Spirit would be the One to
bring to them further illumination regarding the majesty of Jesus Christ.
Unless the Holy Spirit brings Jesus closer to us, we won’t see any reason to
rejoice in Him nor glorify Him. John 7:37-39 explains - 37 On the last and
most important day of the festival,
Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to
Me and drink! 38 The
one who believes in Me, as the Scripture
has said, will have streams of
living water flow from deep within him.” 39 He
said this about the Spirit. Those who
believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit, for the Spirit had not yet been received because Jesus had
not yet been glorified.” Even following our salvation, the Holy Spirit’s
ministry is not only about bringing Jesus to us but also revealing Him in us. (Colossians
1:27)
Closing thoughts:
As we close out today’s
post and this series, I want the reader to consider the fact that the Holy Spirit, the
Ambassador of God’s greatness, brings to you and me the greatness of God. We
saw how He does this first of all by bring to us a desire to worship God. In salvation
this desire is initiated by the new birth in saving faith which the Holy Spirit
works forth in the hearts of sinners. This same desire to worship God continues
on in the Christian’s life through both the Spirit’s work and the believer’s
obedient response. We then saw how the Holy Spirit brings to us God’s greatness
by delivering to us the meaning of scripture. The Bible is His word, and the
meaning thereof can only be accessed by the same Spirit Who illuminates and
makes it plain to our understanding and application. Then we saw the third way
in which the Ambassador of God’s greatness brings to us God’s greatness is by
delivering the majesty of Christ. The Spirit’s main task is to point the way to
Jesus Christ and to show Him for Who He is and what He is, namely as God in
human flesh, the Prophet, Priest and Soon coming King worthy of worship and our
True Friend. Thanks be to God for the Holy Spirit, the Ambassador of God’s
greatness!Monday, May 18, 2015
P3 The Ambassador of God's Greatness - The Holy Spirit
Isaiah 40:13-14 "Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord,Or as His counselor has informed Him? 14 With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge And informed Him of the way of understanding?"
Introduction:
When I was growing up at home there was a period of time where we had the opportunity to become acquainted with what I would call “an ambassador of goodness”, otherwise known as “The Schwan’s ice cream man”. Whenever Friday would come, my sister and I knew that in addition to finishing up school, we would get to sometimes see that yellow and white truck back into our drive way. My dad would go out to greet this diplomat of the tastiest frozen desserts this side of eternity (I don’t think I exaggerate). Back then as a boy I had no trouble eating as much ice cream as I could stomach. My dad quickly developed the habit of eating ice cream for his lunch, all thanks to the goods delivered by the Schwan’s ice cream man. While we received these bi-weekly visits from the “Schwan’s” home deliver truck, I soon began to notice the commercials on T.V and then it dawned on me: “hey, that guy is delivering to us what is on the commercial”. As a young boy, all of this was an amazing experience. We thought we had it good with the ice cream from the store. However, when the Schwan’s man came into our lives with his frozen treasures of ice cream, why would anyone want to turn back?
The Christian life begins with a visitation The Ambassador of the Trinity, Who is the Ambassador of God’s greatness. When I speak of this One and only “Ambassador of God’s Greatness”, I am speaking of the Holy Spirit. In previous messages we have looked at the greatness of God, and how the need for the greatness of God could not be any more than in today’s church and Christian life. We also saw in our last message on this theme how the church’s mission, and really the Christian’s mission is none other than promoting the greatness of God in a world that rejects God for lesser things. Romans 11:33-36 spells out more clearly than any other scripture the greatness of our God.
Today’s post aims to continue showing how the Holy Spirit, the Ambassador of God’s greatness, brings down to people this great truth – namely that God is great, and greatly to be praised. So as we shall see, our main point of application will be that: the Ambassador of God’s greatness brings to you and me the greatness of God. We saw already how the Holy Spirit brings to us the desire to worship God. We considered yesterday in greater detail this Mighty Ambassador Himself. Today we want to consider how the Holy Spirit brings to us the meaning of scripture.
The Holy Spirit provides the meaning of scripture. Romans 11:33-36
The Bible elsewhere tells us that the Spirit is the primary author of every word of the Bible along with 40 other human authors spanning some 1500 years. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21) Who else can we go to in understanding the Bible than the Holy Spirit. He has gifted teachers and preachers to communicate the scriptures and He also gives Christians the ability to discern, appreciate and apply the words of the Bible.
The Holy Spirit provides the meaning of scripture. Romans 11:33-36
Sinful man must have the Spirit’s work of convincing Him
that Jesus is worthy of worship. The problem is that sinful man has no desire
to worship this great God. However Jesus tells us what the Spirit does in
overcoming this obstacle in John 16:13-15 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He
will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative,
but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to
come. 14“He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15“All things that the
Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.” The Holy Spirit’s task in
regenerating lost sinners in saving faith is to remove the heart of rebellion
against God and replace it with a heart that desires God. Romans 8:5-6 tells us – “For those who are according to the flesh set
their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the
Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is
death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.”
The preacher may come to you with polished words and the
song leader may be angelic in their voice and musical ability. Yet, lest the
preacher’s message be accompanied by the Holy Spirit’s conviction and lest the
song service be charged with Holy Spirit anointing, all will fall on deaf ears.
He brings the desire to worship God. But what else does He bring?
Romans 11:33-36 is a
doxology that not only quotes scripture but is also summarizing scripture (in
this case Romans 1:1-11:32). When the Schwan’s man began to bring ice cream
regularly to our home growing up, there were numerous flavors and different
kinds. It did not take long until my dad knew what kind of flavors were in the
truck and the different kinds of treats made available. The Schwan’s delivery
person not only brought the goods, he had the responsibility of explaining the
goods. In returning back to Romans 11:33-36, there is no doubt that the passage
is not only among the greatest verses in the Bible, but also the most profound.
As
we already noted, Paul quotes from Isaiah 40:13 which in its wider
context
points to the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is
admittedly
a closed book to the minds of unbelievers. 1 Corinthians 2:9
states
– “but just as it is
written, “Things which eye has not seen
and ear has
not heard, And which have
not entered the heart of man, All that
God has
prepared for those who love Him.” Human
reason alone is incapable of
appreciating the meaning of scripture.
Unbelievers may read a verse like
John 3:16 and tell you what it says,
however unless the Holy Spirit is
working in their hearts and shedding
light on the passage, the appreciation
of the meaning will remain hidden. This
is why 1 Corinthians 2:14
tells us–
“But a natural man does not accept the
things of the
Spirit of God, for they
are foolishness to him; and he cannot
understand them,
because they are
spiritually appraised.” The Holy Spirit is
the one who brings
home to the
heart of the sinner the joy of the
Gospel.
The Holy Spirit is the One who bridges the gap between
the words of scripture and their meaning. Unless you and I have grasped the
meaning and significance of the scriptures, we won’t know how to apply them.
The Holy Spirit connects our minds to the meaning of the words on the pages of
sacred scripture. 1 Corinthians 2:10-13 explains – “For to us God
revealed them through the Spirit; for
the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?
Even so the thoughts of God no one
knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit
of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things
freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words
taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.”
It is vital to remember
to pray for the Spirit to give us not only the sense of scripture but the
desire to study it. Psalm 119:9-11 contains the Psalmist’s expressed desire to
study God’s word and a request for such a desire. The Holy Spirit is the One
Who brings to us the things freely given to us by God. (1 Corinthians 2:12) So
much more could be said on this point, but we must hasten. Again, the
Ambassador of God’s greatness, the Holy Spirit, brings to you and me God’s
greatness by way of bringing the ability to worship God and making plain the
meaning of scripture. We once more ask: what else does this Great Ambassador
bring?
More tomorrow....
Sunday, May 17, 2015
P2 The Ambassador of God's Greatness - Who is The Holy Spirit?
Isaiah 40:13-14 "Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord,Or as His counselor has informed Him? 14 With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge And informed Him of the way of understanding?"
Introduction:
When I was growing up at home there was a period of time where we had the opportunity to become acquainted with what I would call “an ambassador of goodness”, otherwise known as “The Schwan’s ice cream man”. Whenever Friday would come, my sister and I knew that in addition to finishing up school, we would get to sometimes see that yellow and white truck back into our drive way. My dad would go out to greet this diplomat of the tastiest frozen desserts this side of eternity (I don’t think I exaggerate). Back then as a boy I had no trouble eating as much ice cream as I could stomach. My dad quickly developed the habit of eating ice cream for his lunch, all thanks to the goods delivered by the Schwan’s ice cream man. While we received these bi-weekly visits from the “Schwan’s” home deliver truck, I soon began to notice the commercials on T.V and then it dawned on me: “hey, that guy is delivering to us what is on the commercial”. As a young boy, all of this was an amazing experience. We thought we had it good with the ice cream from the store. However, when the Schwan’s man came into our lives with his frozen treasures of ice cream, why would anyone want to turn back?
The Christian life begins with a visitation The Ambassador of the Trinity, Who is the Ambassador of God’s greatness. When I speak of this One and only “Ambassador of God’s Greatness”, I am speaking of the Holy Spirit. In previous messages we have looked at the greatness of God, and how the need for the greatness of God could not be any more than in today’s church and Christian life. We also saw in our last message on this theme how the church’s mission, and really the Christian’s mission is none other than promoting the greatness of God in a world that rejects God for lesser things. Romans 11:33-36 spells out more clearly than any other scripture the greatness of our God.
Today’s post aims to continue showing how the Holy Spirit, the Ambassador of God’s greatness, brings down to people this great truth – namely that God is great, and greatly to be praised. So as we shall see, our main point of application will be that: the Ambassador of God’s greatness brings to you and me the greatness of God. We saw already how the Holy Spirit brings to us the desire to worship God. Today we want to briefly consider in greater detail this Mighty Ambassador Himself.
Who is the Holy Spirit
Just like the Schwan’s ice cream man who brought to my
family and me the “goodness of ice cream”, the Person of the Holy Spirit as the
Ambassador of God’s greatness brings to us the greatness of God. To give us
some friendly reminders from scripture regarding the Holy Spirit: First, The
Holy Spirit is not a force, nor a “it”, but a “He”, a Person Who acts as “God
coming to us”. (John 14:16-17; 15:26-27; 16:12-13) Secondly, the Holy Spirit is
a sharer in the Divine nature with the Father and Son and thus is God. (Psalm
139:7; Matt 28:19; Acts 5:4-5; 2 Corinthians 3:17) Thirdly, the Holy Spirit
brings forth the life and energy of the Father’s purposes that are structured
by the Son. (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 104; Romans 8) With those quick reminders, we
can note that all of creation sees God’s greatness from afar in the sky above
(Psalm 19:1-3). Humanity in particular knows about God within the conscience
(Romans 2:15). However, The Holy Spirit brings God to us because He Himself is
God. He gives the sinner a heart to worship God because He is gloriously God
Himself.
More tomorrow
Saturday, May 16, 2015
P1 The Ambassador of God's Greatness - the Holy Spirit
Isaiah 40:13-14 "Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord,Or as His counselor has informed Him? 14 With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge And informed Him of the way of understanding?"
Introduction:
When
I was growing up at home there was a period of time where we had the
opportunity to become acquainted with what I would call “an ambassador of
goodness”, otherwise known as “The Schwan’s ice cream man”. Whenever Friday
would come, my sister and I knew that in addition to finishing up school, we
would get to sometimes see that yellow and white truck back into our drive way.
My dad would go out to greet this diplomat of the tastiest frozen desserts this
side of eternity (I don’t think I exaggerate). Back then as a boy I had no
trouble eating as much ice cream as I could stomach. My dad quickly developed
the habit of eating ice cream for his lunch, all thanks to the goods delivered
by the Schwan’s ice cream man. While we received these bi-weekly visits from
the “Schwan’s” home deliver truck, I soon began to notice the commercials on
T.V and then it dawned on me: “hey, that guy is delivering to us what is on the
commercial”. As a young boy, all of this was an amazing experience. We thought
we had it good with the ice cream from the store. However, when the Schwan’s
man came into our lives with his frozen treasures of ice cream, why would
anyone want to turn back?
The
Christian life begins with a visitation The Ambassador of the Trinity, Who is the
Ambassador of God’s greatness. When I speak of this One and only “Ambassador of
God’s Greatness”, I am speaking of the Holy Spirit. In past posts we
have looked at the greatness of God, and how the need for the greatness of God
could not be any more than in today’s church and Christian life. We have also explored how the church’s mission, and really the
Christian’s mission is none other than promoting the greatness of God in a
world that rejects God for lesser things. Romans 11:33-36 spells out more
clearly than any other scripture the greatness of our God.
Today’s
post aims to show how the Holy Spirit, the Ambassador of God’s greatness,
brings down to people this great truth – namely that God is great, and greatly
to be praised. So as we shall see, our main point of application will be that: the
Ambassador of God’s greatness brings to you and me the greatness of God. So
how does the Holy Spirit do this?
The Holy Spirit provides the ability to worship.
Romans 11:33 states – “Oh, the depth
of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His
judgments and unfathomable His ways!” Paul’s statement here is what is called a
“doxology’ or explosion of worship and praise to God. It is clear that
everything he has written up to this point and Romans has generated this building
burst of praise that he could no longer contain. The first part of this passage
tells us the most extraordinary and exciting aspect of God’s greatness, in that
He has untold richness, wisdom and knowledge within Himself that He wishes to
reveal to us. However, the second part of the passage presents to us a major
barrier that exists between this incredibly great God and his creatures, namely
that human beings, angels and all of creation could never have access to this
greatness. Human beings especially are in dire straits since as Romans 3:23
plainly states: “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” So then
why would Paul state such a wonderful truth and then seemingly rip the rug out
from underneath our feet?
Thankfully, the rug is still intact and we
discover in the next two verses how we as sinful human beings are given access
to this great God in salvation.
Romans 11:34-35 sets up the
solution
to this predicament by
these words: “For who has known
the mind of the Lord, or who became His
counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again?”
You may notice in many of your Bibles how the print changes slightly to
indicate when a New Testament author is quoting from the Old Testament. The
question is raised: “who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has become His
counselor?” In other words: who can gain access to God’s greatness? Paul is
giving us the clue regarding Who brings God’s greatness to us by alluding to an
Old Testament passage, Isaiah 40:13, which says: “Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, Or as His counselor
has informed Him?” The Spirit is the One who delivers to us the ability and
desire to worship our great God.
More tomorrow....
Friday, May 15, 2015
The richness of fruitfulness - persevering in our salvation
John 15:1-3 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
Introduction:
A couple of weeks ago we considered the fruitful Christian life and the richness that is found in God's preservation of our salvation. In that particular post, http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2015/04/richness-of-fruitfulness-in-christian.html the underlying assumption was that God desires the Christian to be fruitful, and guarantees such fruitfulness by virtue of His preservation of the believer in their salvation. If it were possible to lose one's salvation, there could be room for the nagging question regarding whether or not bearing fruit for God is worth it. God's guarantee of salvation was explored in that last post by the following three thoughts taken from John 14 & 15:
1. God preserves you to be a home for His presence.
2. God preserves you by the Helper - the Holy Spirit.
3. God preserves you to bear fruit to the end.
It could be said that in that last post, we viewed the truth of God's preservation of salvation from His vantage point. In today's post, we want to consider this same truth from the believer's vantage point of being a recipient of all that Christ is and has done. Jesus saves all who believe on Him not only for the sake to saving them from something (God's wrath their sin) but also unto something - fruitfulness. Thus we want to consider briefly once again from John 15 the richness of fruitfulness in the believer's perseverance in salvation.
Notice John 15:8 "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples." God desires Christians to bear much fruit. He has guaranteed to both persevere with them in their salvation and that they will persevere to the end. Such perseverence is for the sake of bearing fruit. God never commands us to do anything without gracious provisions. The richness of fruitfulness from the believer's vantage point is seen in what has been given by God for persevering in salvation. What enables us to be fruitful as we strive to persevere in His preserving grace? Notice the four provisions mentioned by Jesus in John 15:7-11...
1. You have the Word to feed fruitfulness. John 15:7
Jeremiah 15:16 states - "Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts." How else can spiritual fruit be nourished lest we are feeding on the Word. Jeremiah's ministry was both the longest and hardest field of ministry recorded in the Old Testament. Despite his difficult assignment, he found refuge and strength in God's words. He bore fruit. Proverbs 4:4 states - "Then he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments and live." Jesus is identifying what must abide if we want to have the desire to persevere and bear fruit - namely His words. His words enable us to fight sin (Psalm 119:11) and equip us to discern (Hebrews 4:12).
2. You have prayer to ask for fruitfulness. John 15:7-8
If taking time to be in our Bibles is necessary for persevering in fruitfulness, so is prayer. The ability to see God's will in prayer is proportionate to how well and how much we apply His word to our lives. Praying in the will of God is how we see fruit and results. Confidence in prayer is given as a fruit of the prayer warrior seeking God at His throne of mercy (Hebrews 4:14-16). The reader can note that in the Hebrews passage, the ministry of God's word is intertwined with the ministry of prayer. Jude 1:20-23 commands us to build ourselves up in the most holy faith by praying in the Spirit. Prayer is a must if we expect to be fruitful people for God.
3. You have God's love to encourage fruitfulness. John 15:9
God has given us His word, prayer and His love to encourage fruitfulness. Abiding in love means staying in love. Love in this context must not be viewed as a some type of sappy sentimentalism that evaporates at the first sign of difficulty or dissapointment. This kind of love is the love of God delivered by Him to our hearts. The Spirit is the one Who works forth love and joy in the Christian. (John 7:37-38; Romans 5:5) We as Christians are dry river beds that channel God's love and grace. It is His love that enables us to persevere in fruitfulness.
4. You have joy to enjoy fruitfulness. John 15:10-11
In addition to giving us His, word, prayer and love; God has given us joy to persevere in fruitfulness. Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23) Moreover, Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Fruitfulness has as its goal the enjoyment of harvest. Why do we labor and plant the seeds of God's word and water them in prayer with the love God? So that we can enjoy the fruit of God's labor. No wonder the Father desires us to be fruitful. He has guaranteed that we will richly bear fruit for Him by giving us all we need to persevere in our salvation by means of His word, prayer, His love and joy.
1. God preserves you to be a home for His presence.
2. God preserves you by the Helper - the Holy Spirit.
3. God preserves you to bear fruit to the end.
It could be said that in that last post, we viewed the truth of God's preservation of salvation from His vantage point. In today's post, we want to consider this same truth from the believer's vantage point of being a recipient of all that Christ is and has done. Jesus saves all who believe on Him not only for the sake to saving them from something (God's wrath their sin) but also unto something - fruitfulness. Thus we want to consider briefly once again from John 15 the richness of fruitfulness in the believer's perseverance in salvation.
Notice John 15:8 "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples." God desires Christians to bear much fruit. He has guaranteed to both persevere with them in their salvation and that they will persevere to the end. Such perseverence is for the sake of bearing fruit. God never commands us to do anything without gracious provisions. The richness of fruitfulness from the believer's vantage point is seen in what has been given by God for persevering in salvation. What enables us to be fruitful as we strive to persevere in His preserving grace? Notice the four provisions mentioned by Jesus in John 15:7-11...
1. You have the Word to feed fruitfulness. John 15:7
Jeremiah 15:16 states - "Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts." How else can spiritual fruit be nourished lest we are feeding on the Word. Jeremiah's ministry was both the longest and hardest field of ministry recorded in the Old Testament. Despite his difficult assignment, he found refuge and strength in God's words. He bore fruit. Proverbs 4:4 states - "Then he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments and live." Jesus is identifying what must abide if we want to have the desire to persevere and bear fruit - namely His words. His words enable us to fight sin (Psalm 119:11) and equip us to discern (Hebrews 4:12).
2. You have prayer to ask for fruitfulness. John 15:7-8
If taking time to be in our Bibles is necessary for persevering in fruitfulness, so is prayer. The ability to see God's will in prayer is proportionate to how well and how much we apply His word to our lives. Praying in the will of God is how we see fruit and results. Confidence in prayer is given as a fruit of the prayer warrior seeking God at His throne of mercy (Hebrews 4:14-16). The reader can note that in the Hebrews passage, the ministry of God's word is intertwined with the ministry of prayer. Jude 1:20-23 commands us to build ourselves up in the most holy faith by praying in the Spirit. Prayer is a must if we expect to be fruitful people for God.
3. You have God's love to encourage fruitfulness. John 15:9
God has given us His word, prayer and His love to encourage fruitfulness. Abiding in love means staying in love. Love in this context must not be viewed as a some type of sappy sentimentalism that evaporates at the first sign of difficulty or dissapointment. This kind of love is the love of God delivered by Him to our hearts. The Spirit is the one Who works forth love and joy in the Christian. (John 7:37-38; Romans 5:5) We as Christians are dry river beds that channel God's love and grace. It is His love that enables us to persevere in fruitfulness.
4. You have joy to enjoy fruitfulness. John 15:10-11
In addition to giving us His, word, prayer and love; God has given us joy to persevere in fruitfulness. Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23) Moreover, Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Fruitfulness has as its goal the enjoyment of harvest. Why do we labor and plant the seeds of God's word and water them in prayer with the love God? So that we can enjoy the fruit of God's labor. No wonder the Father desires us to be fruitful. He has guaranteed that we will richly bear fruit for Him by giving us all we need to persevere in our salvation by means of His word, prayer, His love and joy.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Happy Ascension Thursday! Two reasons to rejoice over Jesus' Ascension
Luke 24:50-53 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple praising God.
Introduction:
Today all over the world, many Christians celebrate on the Christian calendar what is called "Ascension day" or "Ascension Thursday". Today's post aims to explain why the ascension of Jesus Christ is cause for rejoicing. In the opening passage above, we see the disciples' response to seeing the blessed Lord ascend into heaven: "And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy."
The Ascension of Jesus Christ has as its background understanding a very Jewish and Biblical framework concerning its meaning. That is to say, Jesus' ascension into heaven was not just some neat trick He did for His disciples before leaving them. Rather, when compared to passages such as Psalm 47 and 68, Jesus was demonstrating His glory as the resurrected and glorified God in human flesh. In both of those Old Testament passages, when Yahweh is depicted as "rising up" or "ascending", the Biblical author expresses joy. Why is there such cause for joy? The anchoring point for today's post will be: Focusing upon the ascended Jesus increases your joy in Jesus.
So why should you and I rejoice in the ascended Jesus? First note...He presides upon His throne!
Jesus' Ascension means He Presides upon His throne
Knowing that Jesus Christ reigns upon His throne ought to cause any Christian to rejoice more in Him. Knowing that He presides spiritually over the affairs of history and more specifically over the church ought to bring peace to everyone who names Him as Savior, Lord and Treasure. The following scriptures will serve to bear this out:
1. Acts 2:34-36 "For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says:
‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet. 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”
‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet. 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”
2. Colossians 1:16-18 "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything."
3. Hebrews 8:1 "Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens."
4. Hebrews 9:24 "For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us."
5. 1 John 2:1 "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
You ought to read the verses above out loud to see what effect they have on you. Frankly, when I have read them in that manner, the Spirit of God has ministered peace to my soul. Why? They speak of the fact of the ascended Christ on His throne. To know He is in charge, in control and holding all things together causes me to have a much bigger view of Him. He is my King, who reigns over me. He is my High Priest who represents me. He is my Prophet who speaks to me through the scriptures. He is not only transcendent or more powerful than anything, He is immanent or nearer to me than I can imagine. He retains His humanity to represent me in Heaven and by the Holy Spirit He in His Deity can be everywhere you and I are.
So again, Focusing upon the ascended Jesus increases your joy in Jesus. He presides on His throne and now notice the second joyful implication of Jesus' ascension....
Jesus ascension means the Promised Holy Spirit has come.
Once Jesus ascended into heaven in Acts 1, the next big event that would occur ten days later would be Pentecost. The Holy Spirit's full manifestation on that day birthed forth the church and fulfilled the promises Jesus had made to His disciples. Jesus never breaks His promises! Notice how often Jesus promised the Holy Spirit once He ascended into Heaven:
1. John 14:16-17 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you."
2. John 15:26-27 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, 27 and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
3. John 16:8-10 "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me"
5. 1 Corinthians 12:4, 12-13 (4) "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit." (12) "For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."
Now when you read those verses out loud, you will discover just how trustworthy our ascended Lord truly is. We have cause to rejoice in the ascended Jesus! He presides upon His throne and He has sent the Holy Spirit Whom He promised. Remember: Focusing upon the ascended Jesus increases your joy in Jesus.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
A Journey to the cross (through a mother's eyes) - Have you been to the cross?
Acts 1:14 "These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers."
Introduction:
Today's post concludes our study of Mary's journey to the cross. We have discovered that her journey began as a glorious series of revelations to her about Jesus' identity and mission. Shortly after His birth, the reality of the cross itself is interwoven into the cobblestones of the road to the cross. God's glory and the cross go hand-in-hand. In yesterday's post we witnessed Mary's arrival at the foot of the cross, where she heard the voice of God in the flesh speaking to her and teh Apostle John. Today we discover that the journey to the cross for Mary was not yet done. What was in one sense the end of a journey was in reality the beginning of a new life for Mary. As the Bible often does, the significance of meaning and purpose is not found in one's self-exaltation but insignificance in light of God's revealed purposes. Today we will conclude this series by noting how Mary evidenced having been to the cross and thus ask the question: have you been to the cross?
A journey to the cross results in following the risen Christ
When we consider the words of today's opening verse in Acts 1:14, we witness the 120, including Mary, "devoting themselves to prayer" in the upper room. Why is that? Jesus had given his disciples final instructions in Acts 1:8 prior to His ascension - "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even tothe remotest part of the earth.” The command of the Risen Savior had been given to the Apostles and repeated to His followers. Mary is mentioned one final time in Acts 1:14 to reveal how willing a person is to follow the Risen Christ after having been to the cross. In all reality, I imagine Mary never forgot the final time she saw Jesus on the cross. Undoubtedly she may had been among those 500 or so witnesses who saw a glimpse of Him in one of his twelve recorded post-resurrection appearances, otherwise she would not present in the upper room awaiting the arrival of the Holy Spirit.
Have you journeyed to the cross
As we begin to draw this series to a close, we bring the final life applications to you the reader. Like Mary, have you made a journey to the cross? The journey, like hers, has a glorious beginning. Jesus Himself states that no one can see the Kingdom of God lest He be born again. (John 3:3-6) To be born again means being called and transformed on the inside by the Holy Spirit and trusting in Jesus as Savior, Lord and Treasure. (Ephesians 2:8-9; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23). The glorious beginning of the journey to the cross is accompanied by the revelation of the cross itself. Only the Holy Spirit can show you the meaning of the cross through the scriptures, just as He did so with Mary. All of this of course takes place in the instant the Gospel is brought to you and you respond in saving faith.
Like Mary, this all occurs when you hear the voice of God Himself call to you at the foot of the cross. Whoever you were before is no more. Only at the cross can we have dialogue with God. These first three thoughts: a glorious beginning, the glory of the cross being revealed to you and you being brought to the foot of the cross all occur in a miraculous instant. But now the final thought of following after the risen Christ, just as Mary did so in Acts 1:14, entails going from saving faith until faith is made sight in Heavenly glory. Throughout the rest of the Christian life, the believer is ever following the risen Christ, never forgetting the cross from whence they came and yet looking to the day when they will see the Risen Christ. My question to you is: have you been to the cross? God will not meet you except at that place. As we close, I leave you with Romans 6:8-13
"Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God."
A journey to the cross results in following the risen Christ
When we consider the words of today's opening verse in Acts 1:14, we witness the 120, including Mary, "devoting themselves to prayer" in the upper room. Why is that? Jesus had given his disciples final instructions in Acts 1:8 prior to His ascension - "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even tothe remotest part of the earth.” The command of the Risen Savior had been given to the Apostles and repeated to His followers. Mary is mentioned one final time in Acts 1:14 to reveal how willing a person is to follow the Risen Christ after having been to the cross. In all reality, I imagine Mary never forgot the final time she saw Jesus on the cross. Undoubtedly she may had been among those 500 or so witnesses who saw a glimpse of Him in one of his twelve recorded post-resurrection appearances, otherwise she would not present in the upper room awaiting the arrival of the Holy Spirit.
Have you journeyed to the cross
As we begin to draw this series to a close, we bring the final life applications to you the reader. Like Mary, have you made a journey to the cross? The journey, like hers, has a glorious beginning. Jesus Himself states that no one can see the Kingdom of God lest He be born again. (John 3:3-6) To be born again means being called and transformed on the inside by the Holy Spirit and trusting in Jesus as Savior, Lord and Treasure. (Ephesians 2:8-9; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23). The glorious beginning of the journey to the cross is accompanied by the revelation of the cross itself. Only the Holy Spirit can show you the meaning of the cross through the scriptures, just as He did so with Mary. All of this of course takes place in the instant the Gospel is brought to you and you respond in saving faith.
Like Mary, this all occurs when you hear the voice of God Himself call to you at the foot of the cross. Whoever you were before is no more. Only at the cross can we have dialogue with God. These first three thoughts: a glorious beginning, the glory of the cross being revealed to you and you being brought to the foot of the cross all occur in a miraculous instant. But now the final thought of following after the risen Christ, just as Mary did so in Acts 1:14, entails going from saving faith until faith is made sight in Heavenly glory. Throughout the rest of the Christian life, the believer is ever following the risen Christ, never forgetting the cross from whence they came and yet looking to the day when they will see the Risen Christ. My question to you is: have you been to the cross? God will not meet you except at that place. As we close, I leave you with Romans 6:8-13
"Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God."
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
A Journey to the cross (through a mother's eyes) - Hearing God's voice at the foot of the cross
John 19:25 "Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene."
Introduction:
Today's post continues a series of studies on the place and role of Mary the mother of Jesus and how she personally made her journey to the cross. In scripture, Mary is neither exalted or ignored, but rather afforded a role in the account of Jesus' life that portrays her not as a redeemer, but one needing redemption. The cross is the only place we can make sense of all the details of scripture, with Mary being no different. As we now turn our attention once again to following Mary to the cross, we are reminded how the journey began with God's glory and how such glory is never separated from the revelation of the cross. Today we see Mary at the foot of the cross hearing God's voice.
The journey to the cross results in hearing God's voice at the foot of the cross
The Gospel accounts record seven sayings of Jesus uttered from His time on the cross. The first saying reveals to us the mission of Jesus in His crucifixion, namely: "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do". The second saying reveals the intent of Jesus on the cross - to save sinners, especially those who respond to the call of salvation, as evidenced in the criminal's confession of faith and Jesus' response: "Today you will be with me in paradise."
It is in the third saying where we get entry into the forsakeness of Jesus on the cross. Once Jesus gave his mother Mary over to John's care, He demonstrated that He, and He alone, had to bear the sins of the world, especially those who were to trust in Him both then and in the future. Following the giving over of Mary, Jesus then utters the fourth saying: "My God, My God why have you forsaken me!"
What was this moment like for Mary? The event of Jesus' giving her to John is recorded in striking detail in John 19:25-29 - "Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household." This final conversation that Jesus had with his earthly mother takes us back to the words of Simeon in Luke 2:34-35 "And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” Mary heard the voice of God incarnate speaking to her at the foot of the cross. After this particular event, scripture gives us one final appearance of Mary before she dissappears into history. Though her journey to the cross led her to the foot of the cross, the journey was not yet over! More tomorrow...
The journey to the cross results in hearing God's voice at the foot of the cross
The Gospel accounts record seven sayings of Jesus uttered from His time on the cross. The first saying reveals to us the mission of Jesus in His crucifixion, namely: "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do". The second saying reveals the intent of Jesus on the cross - to save sinners, especially those who respond to the call of salvation, as evidenced in the criminal's confession of faith and Jesus' response: "Today you will be with me in paradise."
It is in the third saying where we get entry into the forsakeness of Jesus on the cross. Once Jesus gave his mother Mary over to John's care, He demonstrated that He, and He alone, had to bear the sins of the world, especially those who were to trust in Him both then and in the future. Following the giving over of Mary, Jesus then utters the fourth saying: "My God, My God why have you forsaken me!"
What was this moment like for Mary? The event of Jesus' giving her to John is recorded in striking detail in John 19:25-29 - "Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household." This final conversation that Jesus had with his earthly mother takes us back to the words of Simeon in Luke 2:34-35 "And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” Mary heard the voice of God incarnate speaking to her at the foot of the cross. After this particular event, scripture gives us one final appearance of Mary before she dissappears into history. Though her journey to the cross led her to the foot of the cross, the journey was not yet over! More tomorrow...
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