Daily in the Word: a ministry of Lancaster Baptist Church
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“And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”
1 Corinthians 9:20–22
In the days of William Booth, few churches had interest in reaching the outcasts of society who lived in poverty or on the streets. After the Salvation Army was founded and began to see many saved and lives transformed, Booth became a well-known figure in both England and America. At one point he was invited to meet with Queen Victoria. As they talked she asked him what the secret of his success was. Booth replied, “Your Majesty, some men have a passion for money. Some people have a passion for things. I have a passion for people.”
Every one of us gets the same amount of time each day. Though we do not know how long we will live, we do know that we have today. The question is how we will use the gift of time that we have been given. Will we spend the most precious resource that we have on the temporal or on the eternal? The Apostle Paul reminds us that we have a choice in our lives. “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble” (1 Corinthians 3:12). Works that are burned up at the Judgment Seat will not produce rewards. Only if we spend our time and resources on what matters to God will we hear Him say, “Well done.”
We have one life to invest in eternal things—make sure what you do counts for God.
“And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”
1 Corinthians 4:6–7
If everything we have comes from God, and it does, why are so many people ungrateful? While there are many reasons, I believe one of the biggest problems that leads to ingratitude is a spirit of discontentment. The reality is that we are blessed beyond the wildest dreams of most of the people who have lived throughout history. The conveniences of life, the advances in medical care, and the daily luxuries that we take for granted are incredible blessings. Rather than struggling to find food for survival, most of us are watching what we eat and looking for a better diet plan to lose a little weight.
Yet the temptation is to always want more. Paul wrote this warning to Timothy: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content” (1 Timothy 6:6–9). When we are grateful for what we have rather than constantly looking for bigger and newer things, we are saying that we trust God to know and do what is best for us. On the other hand, if we are caught up in the spirit of discontentment, we are saying that we know better than God.
Ingratitude is one of the worst sins because it reveals contempt for God’s blessings on our lives.
“Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.
For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;”
2 Corinthians 9:11–13
Charles Spurgeon said, “Maturity in grace makes us willing to part with worldly goods; the green apple needs a sharp twist to separate it from the bough; but the ripe fruit parts readily from the wood. Maturity in grace makes it easier to part with life itself; the unripe pear is scarcely beaten down with much labor, while its mellow companion drops readily into the hand without the slightest shake. Rest assured that love to the things of this life, and cleaving to this present state, are sure indications of immaturity in the divine life.”
A lack of giving is an unmistakable sign of a lack of gratitude. Generous giving is not measured by the amount given, but by the heart and by the circumstances in which it was given. Since everything we have is a gift from God, we have no basis for selfishly clinging to our possessions. Jesus said to the disciples when He sent them out, “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8).
The reality is that we have been richly blessed by God. There are many today who teach that God wants us to be rich and happy. However, the Bible teaches that God wants us to be generous and holy. We can never repay the debt we owe to Him, and we cannot purchase our standing with Him. But a grateful heart should willingly give out of appreciation for all it has received.
Words of thanksgiving are right and appropriate, but generous gifts of thanksgiving demonstrate a grateful heart.
“Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”
2 Corinthians 9:13–15
At the conclusion of his teaching to the Corinthians about grace and giving, Paul pauses to reflect on the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. His conclusion—there are no words that adequately express the wonder and value of this gift. It is indescribable. The modern expression, “I’m at a loss for words” sums up Paul’s conclusion. Such an infinite act of love is beyond our capacity to understand, let alone describe.
Most of us can look back and remember one special present we received at Christmas time. It may have been a game or toy we had been looking at in the store for months on end. It may have been a gift from your parents or grandparents. Whatever it was, you will never forget the joy you experienced when you unwrapped an unspeakable gift. But as we grow up, the things we loved as children are often left behind. We move on, and the gift that once was amazing is no longer appreciated and treasured as it was previously.
It is a tragedy when this happens to Christians in regards to the greatest gift of all. After years of being a Christian, we risk taking the most wonderful gift for granted and losing the joy of our salvation. The antidote to prevent this loss is gratitude. The simple act of expressing thanks for what was freely given to us protects us against ingratitude because it reminds us first that salvation was a gift, not because of anything we have done or can do, and second, that it is a gift beyond description.
Giving thanks to God regularly for the gift of salvation helps keep our love for Him fresh and new.
“For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 3:9–11
The first proposal to build a canal across Panama to shorten the distance ships had to travel from the Atlantic to the Pacific was made in the 1500s, but the first serious effort did not begin until 1881. A French team began the effort but the dangerous mountainous terrain and the even more deadly jungle diseases, particularly malaria, proved too much. After spending nearly $300,000,000 the project was abandoned. In 1904 a United States construction team took over the project, and ten years later one of the greatest engineering feats in history was complete. Rather than allowing the obstacles to deter them, they kept building until the job was done.
While each of us has different talents and abilities, we are all building on the same foundation—Jesus Christ. He is the basis of everything that we have, everything we are, and everything we do. One of the great challenges that Christians face in our day is a careless and aimless drift through life. Too many have been content with the firm foundation and neglected their responsibility to build something eternal with their time, treasure, and talents.
The year before us has great potential and opportunity, but that will only be realized if we are faithful to build on what has already been done rather than deciding to be content and rest on our laurels. Longfellow wrote, “The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward through the night.”
Nothing of lasting value will ever be accomplished by those who do not faithfully build on their foundation.
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
John 14:1–3
The seventeenth century English preacher Jeremy Taylor wrote a book called Holy Dying in which he recounted the story of an ancient king of Assyria named Ninus. “Ninus, the Assyrian, had an ocean of gold, and other riches more than the sand in the Caspian Sea. He never saw the stars; and perhaps he never desired it. But he was most valiant to eat and drink. This man is dead. Behold his sepulchre, and now hear where Ninus is: ‘Sometimes I was Ninus, and drew the breath of living man. But now I am nothing, but clay. I have nothing but what I did eat, and what I served to myself in lust. I that wore a mitre am now a little heap of dust.’”
Apart from God man has no hope for the future. As Paul put it, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (1 Corinthians 15:19). People look for security and hope in fame and wealth and achievement but those are fleeting at best. There simply is no security in temporal things because they can vanish at any moment.
God offers us something better—a future that is certain and cannot be taken away. Jesus said, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Matthew 6:20). When we remember God’s promises for our future, nothing can shake our confidence.
This life is not the end—there is a certain eternal future in Heaven for all who believe in Jesus Christ as Saviour.
“And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”
Acts 20:22–24
Some time ago my wife and I went to Los Angeles for a friend’s birthday party. As we drove along the freeway, we passed a Denny’s Restaurant where I used to go and study for exams when I was in Bible college. There were a lot of memories tied up in that place. Back then I dreamed about starting out in a ministry. That was decades ago, and these days my thoughts are more on finishing the course in a way that honors and glorifies God to the end.
One of the most striking and sobering realizations of the Bible is how many servants of God had major failures in the latter part of their lives. The devil is a patient enemy. He is willing to set traps that will not develop for years, and spring them at just the right moment. Because of our proud natures, it is easy for us to fall for the lie that we have reached a point where we no longer need to be cautious regarding attacks from the enemy.
The Apostle Paul warned us: “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). There is never a time when we will be exempt from temptation. We never “arrive,” and thus we need to be constantly on guard. It is a tragedy to serve God for many years and then fall toward the end of our lives.
Work each day to ensure that you will be able to finish your course with joy.
“Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)”
Philippians 3:17–19
The concept of mentoring is a hot topic in the corporate and political worlds, and it is an important one for believers as well. The original Mentor appears in Homer’s ancient story of the Trojan War. When Odysseus is forced to leave his family behind to go and fight in the battle to bring Helen home, he is concerned about the future of his young son Telemachus. So he enlists a wise and trusted friend named Mentor to oversee the instruction of his heir and teach him the things that he would need to know to be a wise ruler.
It is critically important that the people we choose to follow and model our lives after are walking in the right path, because we will become like those we admire and choose as our examples. Most of us have a parent, a teacher, a pastor, or an older friend to whom we look for wisdom and example in dealing with life. This is not just important for children, but for all of us throughout life because of the powerful influence our role models and mentors have on us.
The most vital factor in deciding who our examples will be is not whether the person is successful in the world’s eyes, but whether they are successful in God’s eyes. Paul wrote, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Finding people who are faithful in walking with God to follow is a critical part of our spiritual growth.
Because of the powerful influence of role models on our lives, we must choose them with care.
“Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king’s work, offered willingly, And gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron.”
1 Chronicles 29:6–7
The building of the first temple in Jerusalem was one of the most amazing construction projects of the ancient world. Tons of gold and silver and thousands of precious stones were used to build a building that would house the Ark of the Covenant and be the symbol of God’s presence among His people. Billions of dollars in today’s money went into this project which took seven years to complete. The key to financing this massive project was that the people were willing to give and be involved to make the vision become reality.
Over the years at Lancaster Baptist Church, we have been involved in a lot of building projects. Every one of them has been made possible by the generous and willing hearts of God’s people to give. God’s plan is not to drag money out of people at gunpoint, but to touch their hearts in such a way that they are glad for the opportunities to be involved. Paul wrote, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).
When we are not willing to give cheerfully, it is an indication that money and possessions have assumed a place in our hearts that is meant for God alone. We may not make statues of animals and bow down before them, but there is a lot of idol worship in our day, and it hinders God’s work.
In light of what we have received from God, we should freely and generously give to His work.
“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 15:55–58
Though David was greatly blessed by God, his life was far from easy. He spent his youth in obscurity, dishonored by his own family. When he came to prominence after killing Goliath, Saul soon began to view David as a threat to his throne and tried to kill him. David was forced to spend years running for his life. At one point he even went to Israel’s bitter enemies the Philistines and pretended to be crazy to keep himself from being killed.
Yet throughout his painful experiences, David continued to trust in God. It was the belief that he would eventually see God’s promises fulfilled that allowed David to endure through difficult days. David wrote, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13). If David hadn’t believed, he would have given up.
When we do not truly believe that there is a hope for the future, we find it easy to be turned aside from doing what is right. The key to being steadfast in our work for God is understanding that while we may not see immediate results from doing right, God is still at work, and that He never fails to keep His promises. The voice of discouragement that whispers in our ear that there is no hope is a lie from the enemy. “In due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9).
The belief that what we are doing for God is not in vain allows us to endure hardships and trials.
“But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”
1 Corinthians 4:3–5
Robert Wood Johnson II, the chairman of Johnson & Johnson had been a brigadier general during the Second World War, and he expected everything in his company to be held to a high standard. He was known for making surprise inspections of various company facilities and being hard on those who were caught off guard. The story is told that a plant manager once received a warning that Johnson was coming. In haste he ordered his workers to straighten up everything they could. Several large items that had no place to be stored were placed on the roof so they would at least be out of sight...and then General Johnson arrived in his personal helicopter!
There is nothing that we do, say, or think which is hidden from the eyes of God. While we may be able to conceal sin from others—even those closest to us, for a time—nothing escapes God’s attention. He is omniscient, and everything is open to His sight. Yet despite this truth, people continue to act as if they can somehow deceive God into overlooking sin. In part, this may be because they don’t really want to give up what they know is wrong. Our attempts to conceal our sin only lead to great disaster. Solomon wrote, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).
Rather than trying to cover our sins we should quickly confess and forsake them.
“Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.”
1 Corinthians 3:8–10
On one of his radio broadcasts, where he often features encouraging stories, newsman Charles Osgood talked about two ladies living in a nursing home. Each of them had suffered a stroke. As a result, Margaret had little use of her left arm, and Ruth had little use of her right arm. Each of them had been a gifted pianist, and they missed the beauty of the music they used to play. Then a worker at the home came up with a brilliant suggestion. The two ladies sat down at a piano together, each played part of the song with her good arm. They not only made beautiful music, but became dear friends.
God has not designed us to be independent agents floating alone on solo missions. Though there are a few exceptions, the general rule is that we are meant to be joining together—in families and in churches—to accomplish the work that God has for us. It is far easier to do that work when each person involved contributes according to his or her strengths and abilities. We don’t have to do it all ourselves. God’s plan is for each of us to play the roles He has given to us. When we do not—wishing instead for some other task or insisting on doing it all ourselves—the body suffers. Paul wrote, “If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?” (1 Corinthians 12:17).
Contentment with what God has given us to contribute is vital to working together within the body of Christ.
“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
2 Corinthians 5:19–21
The holiness of God demands a penalty for sin, and the Bible tells us, “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). We have no hope of escaping Hell apart from the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. A divine transaction occurs changing the eternal destiny of everyone who believes the message of salvation by grace through faith; our sins are placed on Christ’s record and His righteousness is placed on ours. When God looks at us, He does not see our sin because that is no longer on us.
In his sermon on Philemon, Dr. H. A. Ironside said, “I think I see Jesus as He brings the needy, penitent sinner into the presence of God, and says, ‘My Father, he has wronged Thee, he owes Thee much, but all has been charged to My account. Let him go free.’ How could the Father turn aside the prayer of His Son after that death of shame and sorrow on Calvary’s cross, when He took our blame upon Himself and suffered in our stead?”
A Christian who is not grateful for his salvation is a Christian who has lost sight of the wonderful grace of God that replaced our sin and its damnation with salvation and eternal hope. Every day we should not only give thanks for our salvation, but we should also live to bring honor and glory to God and to share the gospel with others.
Knowing that God has graciously laid all our sins on Jesus should motivate us to holy living.
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 3:17–18
God gives us so many blessings and meets our needs on a daily basis. Because we live in a fallen world that is under the curse, we have pains, troubles, and struggles. We still have a sin nature, and we face attacks from the devil that attempt to defeat us. Sometimes in the middle of the battle, we struggle to remember that the ultimate victory has already been won. Every Christian has a certain and glorious future when God’s plan for us is complete, and we enter the unending joy of His presence.
Charles Spurgeon said, “The Lord graciously gives us even now all things necessary for this life and godliness; but his choicest blessings are held in reserve for time to come. Grace given to us from day to day is our spending money for traveling expenses on the road home; but it is not our estate. Providential supplies are rations on the march, but not the ultimate feast of love. We may miss these wayside meals, but we are bound for The Supper of The Lamb.”
Our task is to keep our focus where it should be. When Peter left the boat to walk on the water toward Jesus he did not begin to sink until his focus shifted to the winds and the waves. If we look to Jesus and remember that all of His promises are faithful and true, the hope that we have for the future will sustain us through the struggles of the day. His grace never fails, and the best is truly yet to come.
When we are discouraged by the present, we should lift up our eyes and rejoice in our glorious future.
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
2 Corinthians 6:14–16
Throughout history God has been in the division business. During creation He divided the light from the dark, the water from the sky, and the dry land from the sea. During the plagues He divided between the Egyptians and the Israelites. Again and again in Scripture we see the principle that God wants there to be a difference between His people and the world. Yet, in our day many are trying to blur the lines between the two. These efforts only produce disaster, because like trying to join oil and water, they are trying to put together two things that are very different by their natures.
When Jesus cast the many demons out of the maniac of Gadera, the demons made a revealing statement as they, “Cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not” (Mark 5:7). The expression, “What have I to do with thee” literally means “we have nothing in common.” It is always a mistake to try to get as close as we can to the world. It reveals something troubling about the state of our hearts. John wrote, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).
Since as children of God we have nothing in common with the world, we should not try to blur the differences.
“Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”
2 Corinthians 5:9–11
Since the early 1960s, NASA has been at the forefront of space exploration. From the moon missions, to the space station and the exploration craft sent to planets like Mars, they have been on the cutting edge of scientific progress. Of course that mission has come with risks. A number of astronauts have been killed on space missions. The seriousness of their work is enshrined in their mission statement, part of which reads: “To always be aware that suddenly and unexpectedly, we may find ourselves in a role where our performance has ultimate consequences.”
Every day we, as children of God, are in a role where our performance has ultimate consequences far more serious than physical life and death. Every person we meet has an eternal future that will be spent in either Heaven or Hell. Every person we meet is being influenced by our life and interaction with them. They will be given a favorable impression of Christians or a bad one. They will determine whether they are interested in our message by what they see in our lives.
Yet, we often go carelessly through the day without a thought of the vital and eternal implications of our testimony. When we lose sight of the mission God has given us to take the gospel to the lost, we miss so many opportunities to reach them. We have an obligation to Him, and to them, to take our lives seriously.
If we live with eternity in view, we will spend our lives on the things that matter most.
“And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,”
Luke 24:4–6
The central truth of Christianity, the one that separates our faith from all of the other religions of the world, is that the same Jesus who died on the cross for our sins arose from the grave after three days. Without the resurrection, our faith is empty and meaningless. Paul made this point crystal clear: “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (1 Corinthians 15:17–19). When we celebrate Easter, we are celebrating our hope of salvation.
T. DeWitt Talmage said, “Eight hundred years after Edward I was buried, they brought up his body and they found that he still lay with a crown on his head. More than eighteen hundred years have passed, and I look into the grave of my dead King, and I see not only a crown, but ‘on his head are many crowns.’ And what is more, He is rising. Yea, He has risen! Ye who came to the grave weeping, go away rejoicing. Let your dirges now change to anthems. He lives! Take off the blackness from the gates of the morning. He lives! Let earth and heaven keep jubilee. He lives! I know that my Redeemer lives.” The story of the resurrection is not a fable concocted by the disciples, it is an actual, historical fact, and it is on this truth that our faith rests.
Rejoice today in the wonderful news—Jesus is no longer in the grave!
“And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”
Isaiah 6:3–5
It was shortly after the death of King Uzziah that Isaiah saw his vision of God on His throne in Heaven. It was a remarkable glimpse of the glory and majesty of God, and it prepared the prophet for a lifetime of powerful ministry. There are many lessons that can be drawn from this story, but one of the most significant is the change that seeing God made in Isaiah’s focus. In the previous chapter, we find him pronouncing judgment on the people. “Woe unto them” occurs again and again. Yet after seeing God, Isaiah said, “Woe is me.”
It is easy for us to become proud of our spiritual accomplishments and look down on others who we perceive have not reached the same level of a walk with God. In many cases, it is only our pride at work, and in some cases we may actually be a more mature Christian. Even then, however, if we are proud of ourselves and look down on others, we are not nearly as close to God as we think.
Paul wrote, “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12). When we compare ourselves to others, we may find comfort, but when we hold up the perfect standard of God’s holiness, we realize our desperate need for His cleansing power.
Seeing God as He truly is makes it easy for us to remain humble as we fall before His throne.
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”
1 Corinthians 1:18–20
An often overlooked reason that many churches are declining and even closing in our day is that the focus of their message has changed. There are a lot of things that are good and meaningful but not crucial, and if they become the center of our attention, the most important things will inevitably suffer as a result. The church of Jesus Christ is called to preach the gospel. Only the message of the cross has the power to transform lives. We cannot change individual lives or our society by focusing on any other project or by preaching any other message. It is tragic for a church or a Christian to give up what matters eternally for something that is temporal.
Evangelist D. L. Moody told of a seventy-year old man who stood to give a testimony at one of his meetings. The man said that his father had died when he was very young, and he had only one memory of him. On a cold winter night as they sat in their home, the father took a little piece of wood and carved a cross out of it and gave it to his son. Moody said, “With the tears in his eyes he held up that cross telling how God in His infinite love sent His Son down here to redeem us, how He had died on the cross for us. The story of the cross followed him through life.”
If we abandon the cross and the gospel, we have nothing powerful to say to the world.
“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:16–18
The world we live in struggles every day with the effects of sin. As a result, every person has to deal with trouble. No one leads a charmed existence and avoids difficulty throughout his entire life. Job’s friend Eliphaz said, “Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7). The difference is not whether we have trouble, but in how we view our troubles. Some people adopt the “why me?” approach and feel sorry for themselves when things go wrong. That is the path to frustration and disillusionment.
Some of us have been through great difficulties, but very few would want to compare our suffering to that endured by the Apostle Paul. He was beaten repeatedly, thrown in jail more than once, stoned, and shipwrecked. People devoted their lives to following him around trying to kill him. Looking back on his life, Paul described this as “light affliction.”
The reason Paul was able to make that assessment was because he was more interested in things that really matter. Of course he did not enjoy the pain or the suffering he endured, but he kept it in perspective by remembering what was yet to come. On the days when we have things the hardest—when the diagnosis is critical, when the job ends, when the child disappoints—we have eternal hope in the promises of God. If we look to Him we will not fall into despair.
When you focus on the eternal, the sufferings and troubles of the present shrink.
“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
1 Corinthians 3:13–15
God calls His children to be open and honest—and He tests the work that we do for Him to determine our motives and purposes in what we do. According to folk history, the word sincere comes from a Latin word meaning “without wax.” The story goes that merchants selling pottery would sometimes fill in cracks with wax and then paint the entire vessel. No one knew the difference until they were using the vessel and the wax melted—either in the sun or in the oven.
In actuality, the Greek word for sincere is a compound word, putting together the words for sun and judgment. It indicates to us that he who is sincere has no fear of being judged in the light. Bible commentator Adam Clarke described it this way: “A thing which may be examined in the clearest and strongest light, without the possibility of detecting a single flaw or imperfection. A metaphor, taken from the usual practice of traders and dealers in ancient times, in the view and choice of their wares, that bring them forth into the light and hold up the cloth against the sun, to see if they can espy any default in them.”
Others may be impressed with outward show, but one day we will stand before the God who sees behind the mask we show to the world. He will measure our lives to determine if we are genuine, or if we have been filled with wax.
Knowing that God will evaluate our works in His perfect light, we should be sure our motives for serving Him are right.
“I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.”
1 Corinthians 4:14–17
Paul told the believers at Corinth to follow him. This statement was not made in pride but as a declaration of the importance of modeling our lives after those who are doing what they should. Later in this same letter Paul wrote, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). To ensure they would be able to continue in the work, Paul sent Timothy to them as an example of right living.
The very word “Christian” was given to the followers of Jesus because they lived as He did. We should be able to be identified by our conduct that we are genuine believers. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Hang this question up in your homes—what would Jesus do? And then think of another—how would Jesus do it? For what Jesus would do and how He would do it may always stand as the best guide to us.”
We have the record of the life of Christ in the Bible as a pattern and example, but it is also important for us to have other godly Christians who we can follow as they follow Him. It is a huge blessing and encouragement to me to have godly older men who have labored in God’s work throughout their lives as an example that I can follow. All of us need that as we seek to be more like Jesus.
Don’t just follow good role models in the Christian life—be one yourself.
“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 1:10–12
In 1776 the members of the Continental Congress came together to sign the Declaration of Independence, committing the fledgling United States to war with England. Many people had grave doubts about the future of their cause. The only hope for success was that the disparate colonies with their divergent interests and needs work together. As Benjamin Franklin put it when he prepared to affix his name to the Declaration, “We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.” Those words were not dramatic license. The penalty for failure was severe, and the only way to avoid that was to join forces.
As Christians, we face a powerful enemy who is committed to our destruction. Satan is looking for a weak spot in your defenses that will allow him to strike. If you resist today, he will be back tomorrow. The reality of this opposition highlights the importance of God’s people encouraging each other to resist the enemy and win the victory.
Satan knows that if he can separate a Christian from the fellowship and teaching of his church, it will be much easier to defeat him. Lions rarely hunt prey that is in the middle of a herd, even of mostly defenseless animals. Instead they focus on the stragglers—those who have strayed or fallen behind from the group. Those are the easy targets.
The encouragement, prayers, and support of other believers is a vital resource to your spiritual victory.
“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 2:2–5
The return of Adoniram Judson to Boston in 1845, after more than thirty years on the mission field in Burma, created a sensation. Great crowds wanted to hear the pioneer missionary who had suffered so much recount the stories of his adventures and hardships. Yet Judson spoke on the topic “Jesus, the Sacrifice for Man” and preached salvation while saying nothing at all about Burma. After the message someone expressed disappointment at not hearing exciting stories from far away. Judson responded, “I am glad to have it to say, that a man coming from the antipodes had nothing better to tell than the wondrous story of Jesus’ dying love. My business is to preach the gospel of Christ; and when I can speak at all, I dare not trifle with my commission.”
There are many important and wonderful truths that we learn from the pages of Scripture, but no doctrine or message compares to the simple declaration of the Apostle Paul: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15). We have the only hope of a world that is lost and apart from God, and that is the one message we must not overlook. Satan is thrilled when he gets Christians sidetracked from telling the gospel story to the lost. There is nothing more important than the good news of a Saviour.
A Christian should never lose his love of telling others about salvation through Jesus Christ.
“So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 15:54–57
I came across a story that wonderfully illustrates one of the benefits of salvation. Two men were out duck hunting when they saw smoke in the distance. As the wind shifted direction, they could hear the burning of a raging wildfire, now headed directly toward them. Realizing that they would not be able to get away quickly enough, one of the two took matches from his pocket and lit a series of small fires where they were standing. Those little fires consumed the grass and bushes near them. When the larger fire approached, they covered their faces with dampened cloths and stood in the burned out area. With nothing there left for it to burn, the fire moved on without harming them.
Jesus has already experienced the worst terrors that death can hold. The writer of Hebrews said, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man” (Hebrews 2:9). Because Jesus has already paid the penalty for our sins in full, the death that is the payment every man and woman must make no longer looms over us as a threat. The only thing that death can do to us now is to take us directly into the presence of the Lord to begin our eternity of worship in His presence.
The child of God has nothing to fear from death because Jesus has transformed it into the gateway to Heaven for us.
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
2 Corinthians 11:13–15
The most common image people have of Satan in our society is of a guy wearing a red suit who has horns, a forked tail and carries a pitchfork. In reality, if that was the way Satan actually appeared, it would be a lot easier for us to identify and resist him. Instead the devil comes to us in disguise, concealing his real intentions. Remember that in the Garden of Eden he told Eve that eating the fruit of the tree that God had forbidden would actually make her more like God. She should have known better, but he convinced her that disobedience would be a spiritually good thing.
Rather than blindly accepting whatever we are presented with at face value, we need to be on guard because Satan is actively trying to deceive us every day. John wrote, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). The absolute standard for truth—the one thing that is always reliable—is the Word of God. Rather than trusting our feelings or perceptions, we should use the Bible to judge what is placed before us.
The fact that something appears good at first glance is a poor basis for making decisions. As Shakespeare put it in Merchant of Venice, “All that glisters [glitters] is not gold.” Like a fisherman using a lure, the devil will attempt to get us to “bite” at things that may look attractive but are deadly. A wise Christian measures everything by the Bible.
Never forget that Satan is actively working to deceive you. Maintain discretion and stay on guard.
“Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 5:5–8
D. L. Moody was not saved until he was a teenager, and later in his life he recalled the dread of death that had filled his youth before his salvation. He said, “I well remember how, in my native village in New England, it was customary to toll the church bell as many strokes as the departed was years old. Anxiously I would count the strokes, and, if there were seventy or eighty, I would breathe a sigh of relief, thinking I had a long time yet to live. But when there were only a few years tolled, I was seized with horror that I, too, should be claimed by dreaded death. Death and judgment were a constant source of fear to me till I realized that neither shall have any hold on a child of God; for ‘there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.’”
Death is one of the most feared things in our world today. It used to be customary for churches to have a cemetery by their building, but very few newer churches include one. There are many reasons for this, including zoning ordinances. But in any case, people don’t want to be reminded of the reality of death. For the Christian, however, there is nothing to dread. Jesus removed the pain from death and took it away forever.
For a Christian, death is nothing to fear because it is simply our entryway into eternal joy in the presence of God.
“And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”
1 Kings 17:11–12
It is easy to think we could have strong faith if we had a little more—if there were money in the bank to cover unexpected bills, if the job were secure and not under threat, or if we could see how things would all work out. But in truth, that is not faith at all. Paul declared this clearly when he wrote, “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). The truth is that if we do not trust God when we only have a little, we would not trust Him if we had more.
The widow to whom Elijah was sent during the great famine lived in a heathen country where God was not worshiped. In fact, she lived in the land ruled by the family of the wicked queen Jezebel where Baal was considered the deity. Yet when the prophet from Israel came to her home, she was willing to not only give him water during the drought, but to share the very last of her food with Elijah as well. She was down to her last handful of flour—so little that she only needed two sticks to make a fire big enough to cook it, but she was willing to obey what God said. Because she trusted God when she only had a little, she and her son were saved from the famine. Faith considers the promises instead of the circumstances and acts in obedience.
Whatever you have right now is enough for you to trust God completely.
“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
1 Corinthians 9:24–27
The great pianist Vladimir Horowitz was known for his technical ability and willingness to take on the most difficult pieces and play them with flair. But his skill was the result of laborious and diligent hours of daily practice. Horowitz told an interviewer that if he skipped practice for a single day he could tell a difference. He went on to say that if he skipped three days, other pianists could detect a decline. Then he said that if he skipped a week, anyone who listened could tell something was off. Even though he had played for decades, he had to continue practicing to maintain his edge.
When Paul said “I keep under my body” he was not talking lightly. The Greek word used indicates beating something until it is bruised—today we would say to beat something black and blue. Our sinful nature does not just lie down and give up without a fight. Victorious Christian living requires sustained, diligent effort on a daily basis. The battle against the flesh is not a one-time skirmish. Instead, it is an ongoing battle we must fight throughout our lives. That is why Paul wrote, “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31). Paul recognized that even after years of service to God, he was still at risk of falling if he let down his guard.
As long as we live in this world we must be disciplined to obey God rather than our sinful nature.
“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 4:1–4
All of us have people we want to think well of us. Whether it is a parent, a spouse, a boss, a neighbor or a friend, we want these people to believe that we are worthwhile and successful in our lives. This is a normal tendency for people, but it can easily get us in trouble. The old expression “Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses” highlighted the dangers of trying to impress the neighbors with the latest houses, cars and clothes. Many people have placed themselves in great financial difficulty trying to win the approval and acceptance of others.
While it is not wrong to want others to think well of us as long as the means by which we try to gain approval are legitimate, there is ultimately only one whose opinion matters—and He is the One who sees through every effort we make to make ourselves look better than we really are. God not only knows everything we think and do, He knows why we do the things we do. He is the ultimate judge of the success or failure of our lives. Knowing that one day we will give an account to Him should motivate us to obedience. Jesus said, “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him” (John 8:29).
When we care most about what God thinks of us, we will devote our lives to the things which please Him.
“For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:8–10
The Christian life is not a self reliant life. It is a life that can only be lived successfully in the power of God and in our complete dependence on Him. The missionary Hudson Taylor said, “Many Christians estimate difficulties in the light of their own resources, and thus attempt little and often fail in the little they attempt. All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His power and presence with them.”
When God commissioned Gideon to deliver the children of Israel from the Midianite oppression, he sent out a call for those who wanted to join him. More than thirty thousand showed up, and God told him that was too many. (Keep in mind that the Midianite army numbered 150,000.) “And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me” (Judges 7:2). After two rounds of testing there were 300 left, and God used them to win the battle.
One of the things that makes it hard for us to fully rely on God is that doing so removes any chance for us to claim the credit for victory—and our pride resists that. But God will not share the glory for His work, and if we want to see His power, then we must rely on Him.
When we allow God to work through our weakness, we can do great things for Him.
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”
Romans 8:31–34
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is absolutely essential for our salvation. If Jesus only died then He could not be our Saviour. Paul wrote, “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). But Jesus did rise from the dead. This truth, however, is not only central to our salvation. The resurrection is also necessary for our daily Christian walk.
Each day we face challenges and spiritual battles. The devil is actively working to undermine our testimony and tempt us to sin. The world is filled with alluring alternatives to the obedience and submission God demands. We need more than we have within ourselves to live as victorious believers. The good news is that the living Jesus is not just a bystander or observer to our lives. The Bible tells us that He is actively working on our behalf, praying and advocating before the Father for us.
There are some people I know who are wonderful prayer warriors. If I am facing a particular challenge, I rejoice that I have these people who I can ask to pray for me, and even without knowing all the details they will join me in prayer. But as comforting as that is, there is something far better—the risen Lord Jesus, who knows exactly what I need, is praying for me as well.
Rejoice today in the certain knowledge that the resurrected Saviour is in Heaven praying for you.
“Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
1 Corinthians 10:8–11
The story of the Israelites on their journey from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land is a repeated pattern of disobedience, judgment, and repentance. Sadly, it is not a pattern of learning from mistakes! Instead the people grumbled and complained about the same things over and over. They feared to follow God rather than acting in faith, and they were ungrateful for the many blessings that God showered on them. Time and again they sinned against the God who delivered and provided for them. Paul tells us that these stories are not just in the Bible as historical truth, but as examples for us to consider as we determine how we should live.
Someone said, “While it may be true that a wise man learns from his mistakes, it is a wiser man who learns from the mistakes of others.” The Bible is filled with commandments given to us by an all-wise, all-knowing God. The things that God tells us to do are not to cause us pain, and the things He tells us not to do are not to keep us from pleasure. God not only gives us His commands, but He provides examples to show us what happens when we do and do not follow them. Yet far too many Christians persist in believing that somehow they will be an exception to the rules—that they can sin and avoid the consequences—and then are surprised to find God has not changed.
If we obey God’s Word, we protect ourselves and our families from great heartache and suffering.
“Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.”
Philippians 4:14–17
The church at Philippi was born of hardship and persecution, but it became a strong church that played a vital role in the ministry of Paul. They were faithful to financially support his missionary work—often the only church to do so. In part, the letter that Paul wrote to the Philippian Christians was a thank you note for their generous gifts. Though we know that sometimes Paul pursued his occupation as a tent maker to help fund his mission work, most of his support came from the churches that he helped plant.
Giving is not just putting money into an offering plate. It is the planting of a seed. Paul wrote, “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6). It is true that there are sometimes temporal financial blessings when we give, but the greatest rewards that we reap through the seeds that we plant into God’s work are not found in this world. The real fruit that grows from those gifts will not be fully realized until we reach Heaven and see all that God has done through our investments in His work.
The Lord does not need our money. Everything already belongs to Him. The purpose of God’s plan for His work to be supported by His people is to teach us to focus on what matters most, and to allow us to benefit from the results of the harvest that comes from our giving.
Our willing and generous gifts to God’s work produce eternal fruit that is credited to our account.
“And it may be that I will abide, yea, and winter with you, that ye may bring me on my journey withersoever I go. For I will not see you now by the way, but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit. But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.”
1 Corinthians 16:6–9
G. Campbell Morgan grew up in the home of a Baptist preacher and delivered his first sermon at age thirteen. But because he had no formal religious instruction, when he first applied for ordination he was refused. The disappointed young man sent a one word telegram to his father: “Rejected.” His father responded: “Rejected on Earth, accepted in Heaven.” Morgan refused to be discouraged and continued his studies and preaching. He became one of the most noted Bible teachers and conference speakers of his generation and pastored large churches on both sides of the Atlantic. If he had allowed a temporary setback to stop him, the world would have lost a great influence for good.
Things often do not go well when we set out to serve God. The devil places obstacles in front of us to attempt to keep us from being effective in the work. He knows that if he can get us to be discouraged because of problems we are on our way to defeat. We see this in the life of Elijah. Following the great victory over the false prophets on Mt. Carmel, he ran for his life when Jezebel threatened to have him killed. He was so discouraged that he even asked God to kill him. Yet God strengthened the discouraged prophet and gave him Elisha as a companion to help and encourage him in the work. Adversity is often a sign that we are on the right track and keep going till we succeed.
If you allow adversity to stop you, you will never accomplish anything of lasting value in God’s work.
“Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
2 Corinthians 4:1–4
During World War II, America was concerned with the possibility of bombing raids and even invasions. Although this never happened, a civil defense system was set up to prepare people in advance. One of the things they practiced was a “black out” drill—designed to keep enemy airplanes from being able to identify targets by light from buildings nearby. Windows were covered with dark curtains or blankets, meant to be sure that whatever light was inside was completely hidden from the outside world.
The greatest gift that anyone can ever receive is salvation. The grace of God takes lost sinners and moves them from the family of Satan into His family without our doing anything to deserve or earn it. You would think that anyone who had received such a gift would tell everyone about it, but in far too many cases Christians accept the free gift of salvation and then never mention it to anyone. It’s like we are conducting spiritual black out drills, and it is a tragedy.
The Lord commands us to share the gospel and let our light shine before the world. In truth, the darker the world around us becomes, the more important it is for us to share with others the only hope for their future—salvation through Jesus Christ.
When we fail to share the gospel, we are hiding its glorious offer from those who need it most.
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.”
2 Corinthians 4:7–10
God has promised us many things as His children, but He has not promised us an easy life. Christians experience the same sickness, economic difficulty, and natural disasters that those around them do. Yet in those days of trouble, we have something the world does not—the presence of the Holy Spirit who lives within, providing us the strength to not just fight but win the battles that we face. In our own strength, we have no hope of victory. But in God’s power and reliance on His promises, we have full assurance that no matter how bad circumstances get, He is in control. This is a knowledge that we must maintain when times are difficult.
There is an old Peanuts comic where Lucy and Linus are staring out the window, watching it rain. Lucy says, “Boy, look at it rain... What if it floods the whole world?” Linus answers, “It will never do that ... In the ninth chapter of Genesis, God promised Noah that would never happen again, and the sign of the promise is the rainbow.” Lucy smiles and says, “You’ve taken a great load off my mind.” Linus responds, “Sound theology has a way of doing that!” God’s truth does not change according to our situation, we can always rely on everything that He has promised He will do. This is our hope when things are difficult. And though we may be troubled, perplexed, persecuted, and cast down, we will be victorious.
There is no comfort like resting in the presence and promises of God.
“Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:”
2 Corinthians 4:1–3
In New Testament times there was very little in the way of government protection for business transactions. Many people became wealthy by figuring out ways in which they could deceive customers. From passing off new goods as antiques by aging them, to selling wares in dimly lit spaces to hide their defects, businesspeople learned many deceptive skills to sell their wares. The old Latin phrase caveat emptor—let the buyer beware—meant that anyone doing business needed to be on guard. That phrase captures the spirit of their age...and in many ways of ours as well.
God calls us, however, to a different standard. The Christian should not scheme to find shortcuts or underhanded ways of doing business that result in a greater profit to the bottom line. Instead we are called as children of God to walk in His light. Every dealing that we have with others should be guided by the principles of Scripture rather than the ethics of the world around us. No one should be able to credibly accuse us of cheating them in a business transaction.
While we will never be perfect, we must strive to reflect the integrity of God in our dealings with the world. John wrote, “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). The closer to God we are, the more upright we will be in our daily lives.
Walking in the light means that our behavior will not hide the truth from those who desperately need to see it.
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
2 Corinthians 6:14–16
Since the very beginning of Creation, God has been drawing distinctions. He separated light from dark, the waters above the earth from the waters on the earth, and the sea from the dry land. In Egypt He separated the Israelites from the Egyptians, and the last and most serious plagues did not strike the land of Goshen where the Israelites lived. Under the law, the Israelites were forbidden from doing things that broke down distinctions—even to the point of being forbidden to make clothing of two kinds of fabric or plowing with a cow and a donkey yoked together.
The point of those rules was not that those things were evil in and of themselves, but to serve as a visual reminder of the distinction God demanded between His people and the world. This same principle carries over into our era. God’s people do not have anything in common with the people of the world. We have different families, different destinations, and different motivations. And while we should reach out to the lost in love and compassion and give them the gospel, the distinctions should remain. The modern notion that we become like the world to reach the world is a fallacious one, and rather than facilitating our witness, it undermines it. If we are just like the lost, what do we have to offer them?
Trying to straddle the line between God and the world pleases neither side and leads to utter ruin.
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:9–10
Grace is absolutely essential for our salvation—we have no hope without it. Yet grace goes far beyond the moment of our conversion. Grace is a daily necessity of the Christian life. We cannot live as God intends for us to live in our own strength and ability. Each day we need a new supply of grace, just as the children of Israel had to go out six mornings a week to gather manna in the wilderness. They could not save any for the next day except on Friday so that they would not work on the Sabbath. God could have given them a supply for months or even years, but instead He required them to rely on His provision day by day.
D. L. Moody said, “A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough for the next six months, or take sufficient air into his lungs at one time to sustain life for a week. We must draw upon God’s boundless store of grace from day to day as we need it.” The Lord wants us to remain dependent on Him rather than trust our own resources. This is the reason the model prayer Jesus gave us instructs us to ask for “our daily bread.” Could God immediately meet every need we will have for the rest of our lives? Of course. But if He were to do so, we would quickly forget His grace and goodness, as the Israelites did so many times.
No Christian who humbly seeks the grace of God will ever be turned away.
“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
1 Corinthians 1:17–19
Everyone who preaches or teaches the Word of God should learn all that he can, polish his natural talents and abilities, and do the very best job that he can to convey the message from Heaven people need to hear. Yet all of the talents, training, and effort are utterly insufficient to the task. Power does not come from the speaker, but from the message! And the heart of the message that we have both for the lost and dying world as well as those who are already part of God’s family is the cross of Jesus Christ.
The message of the cross is not a going to be widely accepted, because the message of the cross is an exclusive message. The cross says that there is only one way to God, and that not all faith systems are valid. Our society wants to equate everything, not elevating the truth over lies. But, God demands a choice. Either people will deem the gospel message of salvation foolish and reject it, or they will turn to the cross in faith and accept the salvation Jesus provides.
When God sent poisonous snakes among the Israelites as punishment for their constant complaining, He also instructed Moses to make a brass serpent and place it on a pole in the center of the camp. The brass snake had the power to heal all the Israelites, but only those who looked to it in faith were saved.
When we proclaim the cross, we are sharing the most powerful message God has given us with the world.
“For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”
2 Corinthians 5:13–15
People always have reasons and motives for the things they do. Some go to great lengths to seek victory in athletic competition. Some devote years of their lives to academic achievement. Some work ceaselessly to acquire wealth and power. Even people who are doing things wrong do so for a reason. One of America’s most prolific bank robbers, Willie Sutton, stole millions of dollars during the Great Depression. When asked why he robbed banks, Sutton supposedly said, “Because that’s where the money is!”
The thing that should drive every Christian is a realization of the incredible love Jesus showed to us—and our love for Him in return. John wrote, “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). The most important of all the commandments that God gave to us is that we love Him wholeheartedly. The world tries to pull our heart away from God and replace our love for Him with other pleasures.
When any Christian or any church loses the vibrant love for God, trouble will quickly follow. This is the warning that God issued to the church at Ephesus in Revelation. “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love” (Revelation 2:4). When we leave our love for God, our service for Him will be cold—a matter of going through the motions—rather than fervent. Behavior problems can usually be traced to a love problem, and the best way to fix them is to renew our love for God.
When the motive for our service is our love for Jesus Christ, nothing can deter us from doing what we should.
“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”
1 Corinthians 3:6–9
I heard a story about a hunter many years ago who organized an expedition to Africa, hoping to bring home a trophy elephant. After several days out in the bush, he found what he had been looking for and shot the elephant. The workers he had hired created a rig to drag the huge beast back to where it could be shipped home. As they labored through the jungle, they began to sing, “Look at our elephant.”
After a while, this began to irritate the hunter. He went to the leader of the crew and said, “That is my elephant. I organized this hunt. I paid all the expenses. I shot the elephant. I want them to start singing about my elephant—it is mine.” The leader looked at him and then said, “Then you carry it.” After a moment the hunter joined the song, “Look at our elephant.”
The work of God requires all of God’s people doing their part to be all that He means for them to be. Nobody’s role in the work is more important than anyone else’s. And in the final analysis, all that is accomplished is because of God, not because of us. That leaves no place for the pride that so often brings division between Christians and destroys teamwork. If we realize that our work is important, even if it is not noticed or praised, and that only God produces results, we will willingly play the role that God has given us and do our part.
If we each play our role in God’s work, the world will quickly notice the impact of unity in action.
“So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 15:54–57
Our society goes to great lengths to avoid dealing with the reality of death. We hate to acknowledge that life is going to come to an end, and many people simply live in denial, acting as though they will never die. Yet the undeniable reality is that unless the Lord returns, all of us will one day come to the end of our lives. For the Christian, the approach of death is nothing to fear. The resurrection of Jesus Christ gives us the assurance that our eternity with Him is guaranteed. There is nothing left to fear, for He defeated death forever. And in truth knowing that we will be present with the Lord immediately when this life ends means that death is not something to be feared.
Charles Spurgeon said, “On the day of the believer’s death, dying is forever done with. The saints who are with God shall never die any more. Life is wrestling, struggling; but death is the end of conflict: it is rest—victory. Life is longing, sighing, crying, pining, desiring. Heaven is enjoying, possessing, delighting one’s self in God. This life is failure, disappointment, regret. Such emotions are all over when the day of death comes, for glory dawns upon us with its satisfaction and intense content. The day of our death will be the day of our cure. The day of our death is the beginning of our best days.”
For the Christian death is not a defeat, it is the day we experience the victory Jesus won for us.
“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 2:2–5
One of the major targets for attack in our lives by the enemy is our faith. Satan knows that if he can undermine our confidence in the promises and Word of God, we are on the path to defeat. John reminds us, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4). Knowing the importance of faith to victorious living, we must guard our faith, and that starts with its foundation.
Faith is not based on what we wish would happen. Faith is not blindly declaring that something is going to occur and then waiting on God to deliver whatever we ask. Faith is not based on our hopes for the future. Faith—genuine, godly faith—is based on the promises of God, the unfailing, unchanging, inspired Word of God. There is nothing else on which we can rely, for nothing else is perfect.
And faith is strengthened by being put into practice. The Christian life is meant to be a series of steps in which we take what we find written in the Word and apply it to our lives. It is not enough to simply know or hear or learn what the Bible says. We must put it into practice. James wrote, “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed” (James 1:25).
Never allow anything to shake your confidence in the Word of God and its faithful promises to us.
“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;”
Hebrews 2:1–3
One of the most important battles of the Revolutionary War was Washington’s victory at the Battle of Trenton. Commemorated in the famous painting “Washington Crossing the Delaware” the struggling American army launched a sudden attack on the British forces on the day after Christmas. The victory was a boost to the morale of the Americans who had suffered a string of defeats and a blow to the British sense of invincibility—but it was a victory that almost didn’t happen.
The British troops quartered for the winter in Trenton were under the command of a Colonel named Johann Rall. Despite repeated warnings from loyalists that Washington was preparing an attack, he did not build fortifications to protect the town or his soldiers. The night before the attack, Rall received a note warning of the attack, but he didn’t stop playing cards long enough to even read it. Rall was killed during the fighting the next day, and the note he refused to read was found in his pocket.
The Christian life is a life of warfare, and we need to be on guard for attacks of the enemy. If we let down our defenses and refuse to heed the warnings of Scripture, we are on the path to defeat. We need to be aware of what the devil is trying to do to destroy our lives. Paul wrote, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11).
God has given us many warnings in the Word of God, and to protect our lives we must heed them.
“For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.”
2 John 1:7–9
On September 24, 1988, Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson won the Olympic gold medal in the 100 meter dash and set a world record in the process. He stood proudly wearing the gold medal as his country’s flag was raised and the national anthem played. Three days later, after testing proved he had used steroids, Johnson was stripped of the medal. After failing yet another drug test five years later, Johnson was given a lifetime ban from racing.
There are things we can do as Christians that rob us of the spiritual rewards we would otherwise have received. We need to stay on guard throughout our lives so that we do not let down our defenses and stumble. The devil doesn’t take days off. He is constantly seeking to bring down believers and ruin their effectiveness in ministry.
Paul was acutely aware of this danger. He knew that his years of faithful service did not insulate him from the danger of falling. Several of his co-workers in the ministry quit rather than endure to the end. He wrote, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:27). The Christian life is not a sprint but a marathon, and we need to remain faithful all the way to the end.
Guard your heart and your mind so that you do not do something that causes you to lose your eternal rewards.
“And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”
Luke 2:27–32
When the aged Simeon, who had been promised that he would see the Messiah before he died, met Joseph and Mary in the Temple with Jesus, he immediately recognized the infant as the Saviour of the world. Imagine what it must have been like for him to gently cradle the little baby for whom he had waited so long in his arms. Simeon recognized the truth of the Christmas story—that Jesus came to offer hope of forgiveness and salvation, and he issued a heartfelt prayer of praise and worship.
While it is always right for us to be grateful and praise God, there is certainly no more meaningful time of year for us to remember and worship God than Christmas. This is the time when we remember most of all the amazing and enormous sacrifice that Christmas represents. The Bible reminds us, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Though many of the Jewish people in Jesus’ day rejected Him because He was not offering them political deliverance from Roman oppression, Simeon recognized that the point of Jesus coming was to bring salvation into the world. And even as we celebrate Christmas, we should focus on the real purpose for the birth of Christ.
When the aged Simeon, who had...
“And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Luke 2:33–35
I love the Christmas season and the special joy that it brings to those of us who know the Lord. It is a time when we celebrate with family and friends, exchange presents, sing songs, and spend time together. Yet even as we enjoy this wonderful time of year, we should never forget that the greatest gift of Christmas—the Son of God sent into the world to be our Saviour—came at a very high cost.
Man turned against God, violating the one instruction issued in the Garden of Eden. Even in the only perfect setting the world has known, Adam was unwilling to obey. As a result, death entered the world and is the only future of which all can be certain. Yet in mercy and grace, even before the Fall, God had already ordained a plan for our salvation, despite the fact that it would require the death of His sinless Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
It is only the amazing love of God for us that can explain why the high cost of Christmas was paid. And it is that love that should motivate us to follow the example of the Lord. In explaining his lifetime of devoted service to Jesus, Paul wrote, “For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead” (2 Corinthians 5:13–14).
The cost of Christmas should drive us to a lifetime of devoted love and service to Jesus Christ.
“Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.”
Luke 2:41–42
Joseph and Mary had the only perfect child in all of human history. Yet Jesus was not only God, but also man, and as such He laid aside the power and glory that were His right and subjected Himself to the physical limitations of human form. As part of that emptying of Himself, He became not just a man but a baby, who would need to grow and learn and develop. And in that growth, Jesus had wonderful parents to guide Him.
Despite the fact that many Jewish people in the time of Christ were only paying lip service to their faith, or had completely abandoned following the God of their fathers, Joseph and Mary continued to obey the law given to the Children of Israel through Moses. Part of their obedience was making the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the major feast days on the Jewish calendar. The Bible tells us that they did this every year. I’m sure there were competing obligations and important tasks that they could have chosen, but instead they continued to obey God’s command.
In doing so, they set a good example for Jesus to follow. In the same way, we need to be aware that all of us are role models for others. We usually think of this only in terms of people in positions of authority—pastors, teachers, or parents. But no matter our role, there are people who are watching our lives to see and copy our conduct. There is a great responsibility on our shoulders to make sure that we are leading people in the way that they should go. Paul wrote, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).
We need to live each day in such a way as to set a good and godly example for all those who are watching.