LookingtoJesus

September 19

Bible Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5

1 Thessalonians 5:21, “But test everything, hold fast what is good.”

Naïve miners during the gold rush days occasionally stumbled upon what they believed to be the mother lode, only to discover later that what they had found was just iron pyrite (fool’s gold). Though fool’s gold looks something like the real thing, it is relatively worthless.  There is even a story of a 1500’s ship captain who erroneously and embarrassingly transported a shipment of fool’s gold back to England.

It is quite possible to be deceived in spiritual matters.  “Satan, who deceives the whole world” is a well-trained master of deception (Revelation 12:9; 2 Corinthians 11:3).  He who first deceived Eve—and brought sin and error into the world—is at work to this day.  On the one hand, we are encouraged to “not quench the Spirit” and to not “despise prophecies” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-20).  The Spirit of Truth has something to say to us and we need to listen (John 15:26; Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).  But, on the other hand, we need to be careful to ascertain that what we are hearing has indeed come from Him (2 Corinthians 11:4).  We can only do that when we are careful to “test everything” and only “hold fast to what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

This particular verse of Scripture meets with ready application in the postmodern environment in which we live.  Most people (and many professing believers) deny the existence of an “absolute truth” (John 18:38).  The “culture-bound” modern church is far too gullible in this respect.  Exasperating the problem is the church’s tendency, in its unwillingness to “endure sound doctrine,” to “accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Timothy 4:3).  The tragic result is that many are “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Ephesians 4:14).  Much that is espoused to be “Christian” in our day is in reality like fool’s gold.  It may look like the real thing but is in reality far from it. 

This tragic nature of this present state of affairs is all too apparent.  In recent years, the church has experienced a radical de-emphasis in the importance of sound doctrine, though sound doctrine is exactly what we need.  Paul’s instructions to Timothy chapter 3 speak to how a believer is to live in the last days, during the promised “times of difficulty” (2 Timothy 3:1).  It is in that context that we are reminded of the authority and value of God’s inspired word: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God, may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  When it comes to walking on God’s path of righteousness, and the deceptions and temptations that we all face, God’s word is able to show us the path (teaching), reprove us when we wander (reproof), put us back on the path (correction), and keep us on it (training). 

The term translated “test” in this passage was a term used of the testing of metals.  It is here in the present tense implying the need for constant vigilance regarding the need to examine the things we are exposed to.  You can distinguish fool’s gold from the real thing by examining its shine, hardness, and the residue it leaves behind. We can identify error for what it is when measured against the standard of God’s inspired Word (2 Timothy 3:16).  The “Jews (in Berea) were more noble minded than those in Thessalonica” because “they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11).  Theirs is a good example for us to follow.

In this respect, it is not enough to merely go to church on Sundays to hear what the pastor has to say.  Every true believer in Christ has the Spirit of God as a teacher (1 John 2:27).  The Spirit of God will never speak contrary to the Word of God (John 4:24; Ephesians 5:18-20 vs. Colossians 3:16-17).  It is incumbent on the Spirit-indwelt believer to be a good student of the Word, maintaining a “but what does the Bible say?” way of thinking about things (2 Timothy 2:15).  In this manner the believer is delivered from the embarrassing prospect of latching on to some error (i.e., fool’s gold) as a substitute for the real thing and being “led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).

“He who has the Holy Spirit in his heart and the Scriptures in his hands has all he needs.” – Alexander Maclaren

Holy Bible, book divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine;
Mine to tell me whence I came,
Mine to teach me what I am:
Mine to chide me when I rove;
Mine to show a Savior’s love;
Mine thou art to guide and guard;
Mine to punish or reward

September 18         

Bible Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4

1 Thessalonians 4:13, “That you may not grieve as others who do not have no hope.”

Year ago, I was leading a men’s Bible study, when someone made an unexpected comment. He said he didn’t understand why Christians grieve the loss of a believing loved one, since they know where the person has gone. The comment was shallow and naïve, yet it led us to a healthy and corrective discussion. Grieving is the natural response to the loss of a loved one. However, it’s important to distinguish between grieving with hope and grieving with no hope.

Today’s Bible reading speaks of the rapture.  Christ is coming again to rapture His church!  “The dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).  Herein lies our hope, and we are to encourage one another in this great truth (1 Thessalonians 4:18)!

Yet the fact we have such a hope does not mean we do not grieve. It only means we grieve in a different way. Since that long ago Bible study, I’ve conducted more funeral services than I can recall. For both believers and unbelievers. There were services for younger folks who had died unexpectedly along with older adults who had died after a long fight with some disease. I’ve witnessed the deep sorrow and many tears of those saying goodbye to the person they loved. From the moment of Laura’s cancer diagnosis until today, God has been gracious, yet that doesn’t mean there has been no sorrow. These past years, working as a hospice chaplain, I’ve witnessed much, much sorrow. I’ve led several GriefShare groups. Everyone who has come to those has lost someone–a wife, a husband, a child, a grandchild. They came because their hearts were broken over being separated from someone they loved. Indeed, there is much suffering in this world!

One good reason for hope is in Jesus we have One who cares. The “Man of Sorrows” is well aware of our pain and everything we face. Isaiah 53 describes him to be “despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3a). Jesus wept at a funeral. He sorrowed with those who were grieving, though knowing full well He would soon raise Lazarus from the dead. He shared their sorrow. But on the cross, He’d do even more than that, as Isaiah 53:4 puts it, “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” There is death, grief, and sorrow in this world because of sin. All that troubles this world can be ultimately traced back to that root cause. In dying for sin, Jesus experienced immeasurable grief and sorrow (Matthew 26:38, 27:46) in order to reverse the curse of sin. Through the blur of our tear-filled eyes, we look to the cross to the One who died for our sins! He is our comfort and reason to hope!

Jesus is coming again!! The One who “died and rose again” (1 Thessalonians 4:14), is coming for us! There’s no place on this planet to which we can escape the sorrow associated with suffering and loss, but Jesus has promised to come to take us home. Home, to a place where “he will wipe the tears from (our) eyes!” Home, where “death shall be no more!” Home, to that perfect, sinless place in the presence of God where there’ll be no more mourning, crying, or pain (Revelation 21:3-4)! We still grieve now, in suffering loss, but our sorrow is mixed with the confident expectation of a coming heavenly reunion in the presence of Jesus!

It’s okay to cry for now, but the Day is coming when there’ll no longer be any reason to!

Man of sorrows what a name
for the Son of God, who came
ruined sinners to reclaim:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
When he comes, our glorious King,
all his ransomed home to bring,
then anew this song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

September 15

Bible Reading: 1 Thessalonians 3

1 Thessalonians 3:1-5, “Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions.  For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.  For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know.  For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.”

In the midst of WW2’s darkest days, Winston Churchill’s emphatic exhortation to “never give in, never, never, never,” both encouraged a nation and worked to change the course of history.  We believers are likewise engaged in a fierce conflict.  The tempter is always at work to defeat and discourage.  We need to maintain that “never give in” kind of mindset!

Paul, who had been separated from the church in Thessalonica, sent Timothy to check on their spiritual condition and report back to him (1 Thessalonians 3:1-5). He was aware of their “afflictions” (1 Thessalonians 3:2).  He was fearful that the devil might have used them to undermine their faith.  The term translated “afflictions” in verse 3 means “to crush, press together, squash, hem in, compress.”  It was used of the process through which oil was extracted from olives or juice from grapes.  William Barclay wrote of the usage of the term, “In ordinary Greek always describes actual physical pressure on a man…In the early years of Christianity the man who chose to become a Christian chose to face trouble.  There might well come to him abandonment by his own family, hostility from his heathen neighbors, and persecution from the official powers.  It is always a costly thing to be a real Christian, for there can be no Christianity without its cross.”  The believer in Christ should not be surprised by suffering (1 Thessalonians 3:3; 2 Timothy 3:12; Philippians 1:29).  And though Paul had warned them of this (“we are destined for this”; 1 Thessalonians 3:3), he was still concerned that somehow the tempter might use their sufferings to discourage them.

The tempter (i.e., “the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world;” Revelation 12:9) is always at work. Here and in Matthew 4:3, he is referred to as “the tempter.” He who was the tempter of our Lord is also the tempter of His people. He has many devices at his disposal. In his book, “Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices,” Thomas Brooks wrote, “From the power, malice and skill of Satan, doth proceed all the soul-killing plots, devices, stratagems, and machinations, that be in the world…. A man may as well tell the stars, and number the sands of the sea, as reckon up all the Devices of Satan.” He tempted and deceived Eve (1 Timothy 1:13; 2 Corinthians 11:3) and has been tempting ever since.

A much-utilized weapon in his evil arsenal is afflictions.  The seed that fell upon the rocky places was likened to the response of one who “hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away” (Matthew 13:21).  Paul was concerned for the Thessalonians—that the tempter might likewise use their sufferings to upset their faith (2 Timothy 2:18).

The phrase “your faith” appears four times in this chapter (1 Thessalonians 3:2, 3:5, 3:6, 3:10).  The word faith translates the commonly used Greek term, “pistis”.  Vine’s defines the term as a “conviction respecting God and His Word and the believer’s relationship to Him.”  The definition goes on to discuss the main elements of faith in God, which include: 1) “a firm conviction, producing a full acknowledgement of God’s revelation or truth”; 2) “a personal surrender to Him”; and 3) “a conduct inspired by such surrender.”  The term represents more than merely believing the facts about Jesus.  It involves personal trust—the kind of trust that supersedes and overcomes obstacles.  This aspect of faith is deemed virtuous in each of the examples cited in the so-called “Heroes of Faith” chapter of the Bible, Hebrews chapter 11.  The men and women cited were those who trusted the unseen God in the context of observable and substantial obstacles.  The believers in Thessalonica were met with a similar challenge—to continue to trust God, though it was their faith itself that had given rise to their afflictions.

The tempter works to discourage faith.  “War the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience” Paul urged Timothy (1 Timothy 1:18-19).  There is a battle going on.  There is a need to “stand firm”—to keep on trusting, obeying, and serving.  The tempter would have us to doubt God, abandon HIs Word, leave our post, and give up in the fight.  It’s one thing to believe and another thing to continue to believe amidst challenging circumstances.  Paul himself had that kind of faith (2 Timothy 4:7).  Timothy returned to Paul and Paul and was reassured and comforted by his report (1 Thessalonians 3:6-7).  The Thessalonians had suffered affliction.  They were tempted by the tempter to abandon their Savior.  But their faith held (1 Timothy 1:19).  Paul’s labor had not been in vain (1 Thessalonians 3:5). 

“Never give in, never, never, never!” – Winston Churchill

Never give up, never give up,
Never give up to thy sorrows,
Jesus will bid them depart;
Trust in the Lord,
Trust in the Lord,
Sing when your trials are greatest,
Trust in the Lord and take heart.

September 14

Bible Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2

1 Thessalonians 2:13, “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”

The word of God is powerful to save and transform, but it can only work in that way in the lives of those who have a God-given heart for truth.  The believers in Thessalonica had such a heart and Paul thanked God for that.

The word translated “work” in this verse is the Greek “energeo” from which our English word “energy” is derived.  It means “to be active, operative” and speaks to the ability of a thing to accomplish something.  “Energy” is something we are aware of, though we tend sometimes to take it for granted.  Electrical energy heats and powers our homes.  If the electrical energy is disrupted, we notice it immediately. An electrical lamp serves to light up a room, but only if it’s plugged into a receptacle.  It needs to receive electricity from the supply to work.

What’s true in the physical realm holds true in the spiritual.  We can ultimately trace the “energeo” spoken of in this verse back to God. The omnipotence of the God who spoke creation into existence is fully invested in HIs powerful-to-save-and-transform Word.  The Bible is no ordinary book.  The believers in Thessalonica “accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).  “All Scripture is breathed out by God” and therefore possesses divine ability to accomplish that which He purposes to do (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Isaiah 55:11). 

The believers in Thessalonica were saved through inner working of the Word of God.  Paul visited their city and “reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead” (Acts 17:3).  The gospel came to them “not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction” (1 Thessalonians 1:5).  God’s word is powerful to save (Romans 1:16).  The Apostle Peter traced the miracle of new birth in Christ to its influence— “You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:23).  No power or entity on earth can do that which the Word can do.  The “living and active” Word alone possesses God’s ability to impart life to sin-dead souls (Ephesians 2:1, 5; Hebrews 4:12).

In their reception of the truth, these believers “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9).  In the pagan worship of dead idols, they had been held captive in a futile manner of life (1 Peter 1:18).  Through the working of the Word, they were set free to worship God.

God’s powerful-to-save-and-transform Word is at work in the believer to enable him to serve and cause him to grow.  It is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-19).  We can “grow up into salvation” only through the influence of the Word of God (1 Peter 2:2).

Paul was thankful for the receptiveness of the Thessalonians to the Word.  The term translated “accepted” in this verse means “to receive by deliberate and ready reception of what is offered” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary).  Theirs was a “deliberate and ready reception” of the Word of God.  We might say “they purposed to put out the welcome mat” to the Word.  Receptivity is the key when it comes experiencing the working of the Word in our lives.  An electrical appliance cannot work if it is not plugged in.  We should not expect to experience the inner-working power of God’s Word if our hearts are not eager and ready to receive it.  The Apostle Peter likened the necessary response to the Word to that of a newborn baby with respect to its mother’s milk.  Newborns possess an instinctive desire for it.  The healthy newborn can’t go long without it and will loudly voice his or her displeasure if it is withheld.  Mother’s milk possesses all the necessary ingredients to cause a baby to grow.  The Word does the same for the believer.  There is power in the Word to save and transform, but it is availed to us only if we are plugged in—receptivity is the key. 

The Bible is powerful to save and transform, but it’ll do you no good if you’re not plugged into it.

Holy Bible, book divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine;
Mine to tell me whence I came,
Mine to teach me what I am:

September 13

Bible Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, “We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

In many respects, the church in Thessalonica was a model church.  In his epistle, Paul cited no cause for rebuke or condemnation, instead there is much commendation.  These introductory verses mark the beginning of a long series of reasons for which Paul gave thanks regarding them (1 Thessalonians 1:3-10).  In a sermon on this passage John MacArthur summarized these as follows, noting that they were: they were saved (1 Thessalonians 1:5), submitted (1:6), willing to suffer (1:6), soul-winning (1:8), and second-coming oriented (1:10).

1 Thessalonians 1:3 cites three particular commendable virtues—faith, love, and hope.  This triad of virtues is both praiseworthy and complimentary.  These are similarly related to each other in other passages in Scripture (1 Corinthians 13:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:8; Galatians 5:5-6; Colossians 1:4-5; Hebrews 6:10-12, 10:22-24; 1 Peter 1:21-22; Romans 5:2-5).  All three virtues have to do with fundamental aspects of the believer’s relationship to God and respectively emphasize aspects having to do with the past (faith), present (love) and future (hope).

“Work of faith.”  Though some tend to an erroneous intellect-alone way of understanding of faith, the Greek term has a broader sense of meaning.  According to Vine’s Expository dictionary of New Testament Words, it means: “primarily, firm persuasion, a conviction based on hearing.”  Vines goes on to explain that the word, as it is used of faith in God, includes three elements: 1) A firm conviction, producing a full acknowledgement of God’s revelation or truth; 2) A personal surrender to Him; and 3) A conduct inspired by such surrender.  It is the last aspect of the definition that has direct bearing on Paul’s commendation.  Salvation is not by good works (Ephesians 2:8-9), but it inevitably leads to them (Ephesians 2:10).  A faith unaccompanied by works is “useless” (James 2:20).  Martin Luther once wrote of faith, saying: “Faith is something very powerful, active, restless, effective, which at once renews a person and again regenerates him, and leads him altogether in a new manner and character of life, so that it is impossible not to do good without ceasing.”  The Thessalonians had that kind of faith.

“Labor of love.”  According to Vine’s the term translated “labor” means “toil resulting in weariness, laborious toil, trouble.”  “Love” translates the Greek term “agape.”  The love referred to here is that love intrinsic to God Himself, who is love (1 John 4:16).  It involves more than mere sentiment or emotion; it is that kind of love defined for us by Christ in His sacrifice on the cross (1 John 3:16).  There is labor involved in love.  The transformation of a selfish sinner into a selfless saint is ultimately a work of the Spirit, but submission to His leading along the way is not without effort.  1 Corinthians 13:4-7 speaks of love in Christ-like terms.  Loves is a verb—it “does” and “doesn’t do” certain things.  It “does not insist on its own way” and sacrificially prefers the needs of others to one’s own (1 Corinthians 13:5; Philippians 2:3-4).  The believers in Thessalonica had this kind of love for one another.  They’d been taught by God to love (1 Thessalonians 4:9) and labored in it according to Christ’s example. 

“Steadfastness of hope.”  Biblical hope is the confident expectation regarding some future result.  We’ve been born again to a living hope (1 Peter 1:3) that anticipates the glory of heaven (Romans 8:23-24).  There can be no steadfastness (i.e., endurance) apart from hope, “but if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (Romans 8:25).  The Thessalonians possessed a Spirit-imparted hope that revealed itself in their steadfastness amidst trials (1 Thessalonians 1:6).

Chuck Swindoll commented on this, “The Thessalonians’ unseen attitudes of faith, love, and hope were like hidden roots that produced the fruit of good works, loving labor, and patient endurance.  How lush and fragrant these qualities were in Paul’s memory now that he was so many miles away…In his heart he carried with him a bouquet of encouragement, gathered from his brief encounter with the Thessalonian believers.” 

Chuck Swindoll

Real faith works.  True love labors.  Genuine hope perseveres.  Paul thanked God for the Thessalonians that they possessed them all. 

The visible evidence of the fruit of faith, hope, and love point to the authenticity of one’s relationship to God.

May the love of Jesus fill me
as the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing:
this is victory.

September 12

Bible Reading: Colossians 4

Colossians 4:3-6, “At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.  Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.  Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

Missionary C. T. Studd once said, “Let us not glide through this world and then slip quietly into heaven, without having blown the trumpet loud and long for our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.”  Witnessing to others regarding Jesus is not something we are merely obliged to do; it is something we are privileged to do as Christ’s ambassadors.  This passage delineates several “keys” to maintaining an effective witness before the lost.

The Apostle Paul was the greatest missionary the church has ever known.  He possessed a “dauntless desire” to make the gospel known.  His motivation was such that no amount or degree of threats, persecution, or suffering could work to deter him.  He was in prison because of his preaching of the gospel (Colossians 4:3), And, writing this letter from his prison cell, his concern was not so much for himself, but his witness.  The gospel message is a message worth suffering for (2 Timothy 1:8, 2:8-9; Romans 1:16; 1 Timothy 1:11; 2 Corinthians 4:7; Ephesians 3:8).  Love for Jesus and compassion for the lost motivate us to share it (2 Timothy 2:8; 2 Corinthians 5:14; 2 Timothy 2:10; Romans 10:1). 

“In this day, the cause of godlessness and unbelief does not suffer from timidity; it is bold and brazen in its manners and message.  A fainthearted Christian message will never compete in such an atmosphere.  The day calls for heroics in the heart.  We cannot be cowed or intimidated into silence, or a soft-pedaling of truth; we must set forth our message simply and strongly.  This boldness is born of undeviating faith in our message, of unquestionable conviction as to the nature of our calling and inviolate loyalty to the Captain of our salvation, the Master of our service.”

Pastor Lee Toms

This kind of bold and effective witnessing is born also out of devotional dependence (Colossians 4:3-4).  The Apostle Paul recognized his dependence on God in his witnessing efforts and asked others to pray for him (1 Thessalonians 5:25; 2 Thessalonians 3:1; Ephesians 6:19).  Not only do we need to pray for ourselves and fellow believers in our witnessing efforts, but we also need to pray for the lost (Romans 10:1; 1 Timothy 2:1, 4).  J. Hudson Taylor once spoke to the matter this way: “J. Hudson Taylor, “Brother, if you would enter that Province, you must go forward on your knees.”

There is a need for a discernible difference in our lives if we are to maintain an effective witness regarding Christ (Colossians 4:5, “walk in wisdom towards outsiders”).  Your walk goes before your talk, your life before your lips, and your practice before your profession.  St. Francis of Assisi put it this way, “Preach the gospel always, if necessary, use words.”  Here the particular difference has to do with walking in “wisdom toward outsiders” (Colossians 4:5).  Other Scriptures emphasize other distinguishing characteristics of our walk: love (John 13:35); holiness (Philippians 2:15); hope (1 Peter 3:15).  A good question to ask is: “If you were to be accused of being a Christian, would there be any evidence with which to convict you?”

An effective witness involves deliberate decision-making.  We are to be “making the best use of the time” (Colossians 4:5).  When we consider…our own experience in having been saved by grace; the glory of our Savior and His gospel; the reality of hell and the lost estate of those who don’t know Him; the brevity of our stay here upon earth; the soon return of Christ; and the reward or loss we will experience at His judgment seat…it makes perfect sense to order our lives accordingly–giving undistracted time and attention to our walk and witness.  As C. T. Studd once wrote, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

In sharing the gospel, it is important not just that we share, but how we share (“Let your speech always be gracious”, Colossians 4:6; i.e., “a deferential defense”).  People are not won to Christ via threats or argumentative speech, but by the convicting work of the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).  Our part is to share truth, God’s part is to save souls (1 Corinthians 3:5-7).  It is important that our speech should “always be gracious” (Ephesians 4:29; 1 Peter 3:15).  It is only to the extent that we are Spirit-led and Word-filled that our tongues can be tamed and trained by God.  God will give us the words to speak, according to the particular need of the moment, if we avail our tongues to Him (Exodus 4:10-12; Luke 12:11-12).

If you were to be accused of being a Christian, would there be any evidence with which to convict you?

Almighty Father give us a vision of a dying world that needs Your love and care
We see the need, the yearning for a Savior,
In Jesus’ name, grant this our prayer
To be God’s people in this place, live His goodness, share His grace
Proclaim God’s mercy through His Son
be His love, to every one

September 11

Bible Reading: Colossians 3

Colossians 3:16-17, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

It was anything but a typical worship service. From a human perspective, there was little which would incline, or motivate, a person to praise or thank God. The Sanctuary was plain to the point of austere, and even harsh. There were no song leaders, musical instruments, or song books to sing from. There were only two worshippers, and both were adorned, not with their Sunday best, but with cuts and bruises. Yet there they were, in the inner prison of a Philippian jail, their feet fastened in stocks, “praying and singing hymns to God.” It was the first and last worship service held in that place, as a great earthquake suddenly brought an end to the service and to the prison itself. We read in the account “the prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25). No kidding! Those prisoners had never seen anything like that before!

Worship is acknowledging God for who He is and what He does in what we say and what we do.  Acceptable worship is worship which is in Spirit and truth (John 4:24).  As Jesus made clear, God is seeking true worshipers who will worship Him that way (John 4:23).  He has saved you unto that glorious purpose, having worked through Jesus to cleanse you of your sins and make a true worshiper out of you (Titus 3:3-7; 1 Peter 2:9).

For our worship to be acceptable to God, it must be on His terms.  What are His terms?  “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24).  That means it is only those who are born again by the Spirit who can worship in an acceptable manner.  But in addition, our worship is acceptable to God only if we are being led by the Spirit in worship (Ephesians 5:18; Philippians 3:3).  Paul and Silas may have been locked up in a jail cell, yet filled with the Spirit, their hearts were perfectly free to pray and sing praises to God.  When a person is filled up with the Spirit and the Word, the worship of God is the result.  That precious kind of Spirit-borne worship is possible wherever, whenever, and in whatever circumstances we face.  Indeed, we are exhorted to worship God at all times and in all we do (1 Corinthians 10:31)!

Colossians 3:16-17 is clearly parallel to Ephesians 5:18-20, with each passage speaking to a cause-and-effect relationship.  The effect is similar in both passages, yet the cause differs.  Note in Ephesians 5:18 the exhortation is to “be filled with the Spirit” whereas in Colossians 3:16 it is to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”  As we see in Colossians 3:6-17, when the word of Christ richly dwells within the believer, worship of God is the result.  It is an inside-out work of the Spirit.  Worship flows from the heart of the believer in that manner–from his heart, out his lips and into life–to the extent the Believer’s heart is led by the Spirit and through the Word.  Because of this, it is necessary we make use of every means that the word of Christ might richly indwell our hearts. As Charles Spurgeon once said of John Bunyan: “Prick him anywhere, and you will find that his blood is Bibline, the very essence of the Bible flows from him. He cannot speak without quoting a text, for his soul is full of the Word of God.”

Nice facilities, song-leaders and truth-filled songs to sing are a blessing from God.  But having the very best of those is still no substitute for the work the Spirit can do in our hearts in leading us to worship!  Peter and Silas worshiped God from a prison cell because they were filled with the Spirit and with the truth.  Dear friends, what was available to them is available to any of us!  Worship is more than something we do on Sundays at church. We can worship anywhere at any time under any circumstances.  Yet for that to happen, we must depend upon the Spirit and remain devoted to the Word!

Paul and Silas worshiped God in a jail cell, “and the prisoners were listening to them!”  These are difficult days in which we live.  And so many are struggling to find their way.  People are watching. Do they see you worshiping God?  If we are Spirit-led and richly indwelt by the truth, they will!  And God will be glorified in that!

When the word of Christ richly dwells within us, the worship of God is the result.

May the word of God dwell richly
in my heart from hour to hour,
so that all may see I triumph
only through His pow’r.

September 8

Bible Reading: Colossians 2

Colossians 2:8, “See to it that no one takes you captive.”

The sufficiency of Christ is amongst the most beautiful of Bible doctrines. Jesus is enough. He is enough in the salvation to the uttermost He has availed to us! He is enough in His person to satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts, both in our present and in the ages to come! Through Him everything pertaining to life and godliness has been provided (2 Peter 1:3). The Devil is constantly working to undermine these important truths. As he was through the false teachers in Colossae.

The believer in Christ is one who “has been filled in him” (Colossians 1:10).  The term translated “filled” in verse 10 means “to make full, to fill up” and was used of a ship that was fully provisioned and made ready for its voyage.  Christ has provided to him everything necessary with respect to salvation and life (Ephesians 1:3; 2 Peter 1:3).  False teachers had gained a foothold in the church in Colossae and were deceptively persuading people to believe otherwise.  Their message was “Christ is not enough.”  They erroneously supposed and taught that there were additional things necessary, by way of knowledge and practice, to possess true spirituality. That kind of “Christ and” way of thinking is a common problem.

In his book “The Screwtape Letters,” C. S. Lewis imagined this correspondence between the demon “Screwtape” and his apprentice “Wormwood: “My dear Wormwood, the real trouble about the state your patient is living in is that it is merely Christian.  They all have individual interests, of course, but the bond remains mere Christianity.  What we want, if men become Christians at all, is to keep them in the state of mind I call ‘Christianity And.’  You know—Christianity and the Crisis, Christianity and the New Psychology; Christianity and the New Order; Christianity and Faith Healing; Christianity and Psychic Research; Christianity and Vegetarianism; Christianity and Spelling Reform.  If they must be Christians let them at least be Christians with a difference.  Substitute for the faith itself some fashion with a Christian coloring.”

C. S. Lewis

The false teaching confronting the church in Colossae (i.e., “the Colossian heresy”) had various “Christ-is-not-enough” elements to it.  It included “philosophy” (Colossians 3:8).  The false teachers supposed themselves to be privy to some sort of elevated knowledge and were saying that if you want to be truly spiritual there is something else you need to KNOW. 

It also included legalism, with emphasis given to “questions of food and drink…a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath” (Colossians 2:16).  The false teachers were espousing the need to keep food laws and observe certain dates.  They were saying that if you want to be truly spiritual then there is something else you need to DO.  Legalism does not equate to obedience.  The believer is to lovingly obey Jesus (John 14:15), but the fleshly attempt to gain spirituality through the keeping of man-made rules is nothing more than empty legalism (Mark 7:8-9; Colossians 2:16, 23).

It had an element of mysticism and included the “worship of angels… (and) visions” (Colossians 2:18).  The false teachers were saying that if you want to be truly spiritual there is something else you need to EXPERIENCE. 

In addition, the Colossian heresy had an element of asceticism, focusing on regulations such as “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (Colossians 2:22).  The error supposed that if you want to be “spiritual” there is something else you need to ENDURE.  These practices have “an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Colossians 2:23).

Paul’s exhortation, “See to it that no one takes you captive” (Colossians 2:8), was relevant to all of these “Christ-and” kind of errors.  There is a need to “see to it” (i.e., “take heed, look out, guard yourself”; Matthew 7:15; Acts 20:28; 2 Peter 3:17).  Paul likewise warned the Corinthians about mixing their beliefs with Christ. He wanted to present them as pure to Christ: “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2-3).  Christ is sufficient.  Through His “once for all” sacrifice He has provided a full and complete salvation (Colossians 2:13-14; Hebrews 7:25; 1 Peter 3:18).  There is nothing extra one needs to know, do, experience, or endure to be saved or to grow in Christ.  The chief concern for the one who has “received Christ Jesus” (“by grace through faith”) is to “so walk in him” (Colossians 2:6; Ephesians 2:8-9), pursuing “a sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).

“It is not Christ plus something else.  Jesus is enough.” – A. W. Tozer

All I once held dear, built my life upon
All this world reveres, and wars to own
All I once thought gain I have counted loss
Spent and worthless now, compared to this
Knowing You, Jesus
Knowing You
There is no greater thing
You’re my all, You’re the best
You’re my joy, my righteousness
And I love You, Lord

September 7

Bible Reading: Colossians 1

Colossians 1:13, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.”

In August 2010, a large cave-in in a mine in Chile entombed 33 miners 2300 feet underground.  The world anxiously waited for 17 days until it was determined that the miners were still alive.  Extensive rescue efforts began.  Meanwhile, the miners tried on their own to escape their plight.  But the authorities had not installed the mandated escape ladders. The duty shift supervisor gathered the men into a secure room and organized them and their meager resources to ensure their long-term survival.  The room was only 540 square feet in size and had but two benches.  Because of the high heat and humidity, the men were always sweating.  Having limited food supplies, the men lost an average of 18 lbs. They would venture into the tunnels to find ventilation.  Sanitation was a problem.  The workers suffered from health problems like silicosis, pneumonia, and eye and teeth issues as time went on.  Chilean government agencies, NASA, and many international corporations helped with the rescue efforts. They drilled a large hole that was big enough to winch down a rescue capsule. A rescue worker was sent down in the capsule to the workers.  Soon afterwards, the first miner made his way to the surface.  After 69 days underground, before a TV audience estimated at over 1 billion viewers, the 33 miners were brought safely to the surface.  After winching the last trapped miner to the surface, the rescue workers, all still underground, help up a sign for the TV cameras.  The sign read “Mission Accomplished Chile.”  On the surface, people cried, hugged, and cheered.  But compared to the divine deliverance of a believer in Christ, the remarkable rescue pales in importance and size.  Our verse speaks to both to the depths from which the believer has been delivered, and the height to which he has been brought.

The term translated “domain,” speaks of “the power of one whose commands must be submitted to.”  The unbeliever is a person bound in sin, in a dark domain, in which Satan terrorizes his captives (Ephesians 2:2; 1 John 5:19; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Acts 26:18; Ephesians 5:11, 6:12).  He is glad for the miserable and harsh enslavement of the lost, anticipating their damnation in “the outer darkness” (Matthew 8:12).  He hides the sole means of escape and directs lost souls in a broad way leading to a disastrous end (Matthew 6:13).  There is, from the “domain of darkness,” no human means of escape.

The term translated “delivered” means “to rescue from.”  Jesus, “the Deliverer” (Romans 11:26), represents the sole means of rescue for sin-captives.  He has done all that is necessary to accomplish this, as Hebrews 2:14-15 explains, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” Through his death on the cross Jesus has accomplished the greatest of all rescue operations.  Those rescuers of the Chilean miners were caring enough, wise enough, and resourceful enough to get the job done.  Likewise, God determined to intercede according to His love, power and wisdom (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 1:24).  God not only intervened—that would be reason enough to praise and thank Him—but He did so at great cost to Himself and though we, as sin rebels, were in no way deserving (Romans 5:8).

The believer is one who has been delivered from a domain to be transferred to a kingdom.  The Chilean miners were transferred from a dark and foreboding place to the light of the sun and the warm embrace of family members and friends.  The believer has been brought into a “kingdom,” “a sphere of God’s rule,” which is characterized by love (Colossians 1:13).  The “domain” was according to the nature and character of the devil.  He is the father of lies, the adversary, the destroyer—that is the character of his domain.  Christ is all loving, all wise, and all powerful—He reigns according to His benevolent nature.  His subjects are glad to love and serve Him (2 Corinthians 5:15).

If you have not trusted in Jesus Christ, you need to be rescued!  Your sin demands punishment.  Left unresolved, the darkness, which is your present experience, will be nothing compared to the eternal darkness which awaits when you pass from this life (2 Thessalonians 1:9).  You are like the miners, in the depths of an inescapable tomb, from which Christ alone can save you (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9).  The Chilean miners were thankful and rejoicing when they were finally brought to the surface.  The believer in Christ has sufficient reason in his rescue from sin to forevermore abound in thanksgiving to God (Colossians 1:12, 2:7).  Give thanks to Him even now for the miracle of your deliverance!

“He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.  He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.” – Psalm 40:2-3a

Saved by His pow’r, by His pow’r divine,
Saved to new life, to new life sublime!
Life now is sweet and my joy is complete,
For I’m saved, saved, saved.

September 6

Bible Reading: Philippians 4

Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Kent Hughes called the current state of the mind of evangelicals “the great scandal of today’s church: Christians without Christian minds, Christians who do not think ‘Christianly’.”  Our thought life matters.  The Proverbs speak to this: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23; Proverbs 23:7).  Charles Reade put it this way: “Sow a thought, and you reap an act; Sow an act, and you reap a habit; Sow a habit, and you reap a character; Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.”

Right thinking leads to right living and vice versa.  Dwight Pentecost once said, “God’s standard for His children is that we should sit in judgment upon every thought that flickers through our minds.  If it cannot pass the test of ringing true and being of honest worth, righteous, incorruptible, and attractive, it is to be rejected and repudiated.  If you introduce one drop of contaminated water into a pitcher of cool water, the cool, refreshing, pure water will not purify that defilement, but the defilement will corrupt the pure; so, these thoughts will contaminate your mind.  Satan wants to turn your mind into a cesspool and have your mind occupied with that which ultimately must corrupt, defile, and spoil the whole body, distort the life, and produce sin.  The battle is not first in the field of action; it is in the field of thought.” 

Dwight Pentecost

In the battle for the mind, this verse sets forth the victorious objective (2 Corinthians 10:5). It has been called a “charter for Christian thought.”  The list of things we are to “think about” is divided into two groups with six “whatevers” and two “if anys.”  In His person and work, the Lord Jesus preeminently fulfills each of the virtues listed.  These contemplative-worthy virtues to think about are not only true of Him, but of the Spirit (Romans 8:5), the Word (Colossians 3:16), heaven (Colossians 3:2), and other things that bear Christ-like virtue by way of His influence (i.e., His church; His people). 

“Whatever is true.”  Something is true when it conforms to reality.  Jesus is “true.”  In this post-modern world many deny the existence of any absolute truth, but Jesus is “the truth” (John 14:6; Ephesians 4:21).  His Word is truth (John 17:17). 

“Whatever is honorable.”  The term refers to that which is worthy of respect.  No one is more honorable or worthy of respect than the person of Jesus Christ.  He is so both in His person (who He is) and His works. 

“Whatever is just.”  The term refers to that which conforms to God’s standards.  Jesus is the “Righteous One” (Acts 22:14).  His ways are “just and true” (Revelation 15:3). 

“Whatever is pure.”  The term refers to that which is morally pure and undefiled.  Jesus knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) and committed no sin (1 Peter 2:22).  He was offered to God as a “lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:19).  All moral purity is sourced in Him (1 Corinthians 6:11; 1 John 3:3). 

“Whatever is lovely.”  The term refers to that which is admirable or agreeable to behold or consider.  Jesus is preeminently so.  John the Apostle wrote of Him, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).  We should think often of Him—one day He will be “marveled at among all who have believed” (1 Thessalonians 1:10). 

“Whatever is commendable.”  The term refers to that which is well spoken of.  Not all speak well of Jesus now, but God has “bestowed on Him the name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9) and the day is coming when every tongue will confess Him to be Lord (Philippians 2:11). 

“If there is any excellence.”  The word excellence refers to that which is virtuous, as demonstrated in life.  The Apostle Peter used the term in reference to Christ, speaking of His “glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:4).  All such excellence is sourced in Him. 

“If there is anything worthy of praise.”  The phrase speaks of that which is worthy of commending.  Christ is altogether worthy of praise.  One day the raptured church will gather round His throne and declare with a “loud voice,” “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” (Revelation 5:12). 

“We need a sanctuary.  We need something to think upon that will clean up our minds.  Here are some questions to think about: How much time do you spend with the Word of God?  How much time do you spend contemplating Christ?”  As the song “Think About His Love” puts it, we should “Think about His love.  Think about His goodness.  Think about His grace that’s brought us trough.”

J. Vernon McGee

In the person and work of Jesus we always have access to good and healthy food for thought.

Think about His love, think about His goodness
Think about His grace that’s brought us through
For as high as the heavens above
So great is the measure of our father’s love