LookingtoJesus

September 5

Bible Reading: Philippians 3

Philippians 3:3, “…who worship by the Spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.”

This verse sets before us the nature of true worship as opposed to its inferior counterpart—the legalistic religiosity promulgated by the false teachers (Philippians 3:1-2).  True worship is by the Spirit.  The term “worship leader” is sometimes used to describe the person who leads the singing during the song services at church, but it is the Spirit of God who is the true and ultimate worship leader.  It is only by the Spirit—and not by the flesh (i.e., man’s religious doings)—that anyone can endeavor to worship God in an acceptable manner.

Worship is acknowledging God for who He is and what He does in what we say and what we do.  We were all created to worship our Creator, but sin has gotten in the way (Colossians 1:21).  Rebel sinners have no heart for worshiping God.  So, as A. W. Tozer once noted, Christ came to make worshippers out of rebels: “Why did Christ come?  Why was he conceived?  Why was he born?  Why was he crucified?  Why did he rise again?  Why is he now at the right hand of the Father?  The answer to all these questions is, “in order that he might make worshipers out of rebels; in order that he might restore us again to the place of worship we knew when we were first created.”

In order for worship to be acceptable to God, it must meet His requirements.  “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.  God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24).  Worship must be “in spirit and truth.”  A person must first be “born of the Spirit” (John 3:6) if they are to worship in spirit (John 3:6).  They must be saved and given a new heart with a desire and capacity for it (John 6:63).  Only the “Fount of every blessing” can work to “tune (a) heart to sing (His) grace.”

The Spirit of God leads and empowers the believer in the worship of Christ.  Such is the purpose of His ministry: “When the Spirit of truth comes…He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:13-14).  It is the ministry of the Spirit to glorify the Son.  He opens spiritual eyes to behold the glory of the Lord Jesus (Ephesians 1:18-19; 3:14-19).  In His helping ministry He is ever always pointing a finger toward the Lord Jesus, bidding our hearts to gaze upon Him.  It is as the hymn puts it, “Spirit of God, my teacher be, showing the things of Christ to me.”

The activities of worship would be impossible apart from the instructing and empowering ministry of the Spirit.  Prayer is of no avail if not “by the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18; Jude 20).  Indeed, the Spirit “helps us in our weakness for we do not know what to pray for as we ought” (Romans 8:26).  We cannot understand the Scriptures apart from the Spirit’s illumination (1 Corinthians 2:12).  It is the Spirit of God who alone can apply the Word of God to our hearts that we might lovingly obey and serve.  The fellowship we enjoy as believers is a “participation in the Spirit” (Philippians 2:1).  That same Spirit-dependence applies to every other aspect of worship.

Worship of God is the result when the believer is filled with the Spirit of God: “But be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:18-20; Colossians 3:16-17).  The believer is Spirit-led to worship 24/7 in every aspect of his life, not just once a week in a “worship service” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

There is a tendency for us to approach the matter of worship from an “outside-in” perspective.  We sometimes over-emphasize environmental factors—music, aesthetics, a charismatic preacher, etc.–with respect to their contribution to worship (1 Corinthians 2:3-4).  But the believer is in fact indwelt by a preeminently qualified worship leader who leads and empowers us in the worship of God and who is not limited in His ministry to a certain place or time.  The Holy Spirit is the ultimate worship leader.

“The Holy Spirit is the divine initiator at work in the depths of the human heart.  He transforms a person’s life so as to promote worship.” – John MacArthur

More about Jesus let me learn,
More of His holy will discern;
Spirit of God my teacher be,
Showing the things of Christ to me.

September 4

Bible Reading: Philippians 2 

Philippians 2:9-11, “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” 

The campaign for the upcoming presidential election is under way. Roll out the political ads, yard signs, debates, and endless appeals for funds. As divided as our country now is, be prepared for lots of name calling and finger pointing. In preparing for the election, do your research. Then vote for those God-fearing folks who possess humility, integrity, compassion and wisdom. Our country surely needs some of that, if it’s not too late to reverse the tide of all the ills which have befallen us. There’s never been a time in America like that in which we now live—unprecedented lawlessness, corruption and injustice! Illegal drugs and suspicious folks pour across our southern border. Our economy is a house of cards, with some even now warning of big troubles which lie ahead. Ongoing or pending wars add to the uncertainty. There is even the threat of possible nuclear conflict. Our country is in big trouble! 

Yet on a positive note, this political season is a good time to remind ourselves of some important spiritual truths. We believers in Christ are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20). Like those men and women of faith before us, our hearts look to “a better country, that is, a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:16). Indeed, in that, we are a part of a “kingdom that cannot be shaken” (Hebrews 12:28). Kings and Kingdoms will all pass away, but in Jesus Christ we’ve an eternal King who will reign forevermore. 

God is sovereign over the affairs of this world. As the hymn says, “Though the wrong, seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.” He “works all things according to the counsel of his will (Ephesians 1:11). Those earthly leaders who pridefully dismiss God’s relevance, gleefully wielding power, forget they are mere pawns on their Creator’s chessboard. “He who sits in the heavens laughs” (Psalm 2:4). It is God who captains this ship of history and there is no one and nothing which will deter, or deviate, it from arriving at its foreordained destiny. 

And where is this ship headed? You know, earthly leaders are sometimes good and sometimes bad, yet none are perfect. They’ve come and gone over the course of history, here for a short while, none of them deserving of worship—though some have demanded it. There’s only One who is worthy of that and that’s the Lord Jesus Himself. 

There will come a day when every knee will bow to Him and every tongue will confess Him to be Lord! In every realm of existence, they will—in heaven, on earth, and under the earth—or as some have said the “celestial, terrestrial, and infernal.” It’ll matter not whether you be rich or poor or man or woman or young or old. It won’t matter if you are a president, or a CEO, or the wealthiest person on earth. There’ll be no election to decide the matter. It won’t matter if you are a Republican, a Democrat, or an Independent, or even to which nation you’ve belonged. In fact, it’ll matter not your tribe, or language, or people, or nation. There will come a day when you and every other person who has ever lived on this planet will bow the knee to Jesus Christ and confess Him to be Lord! 

He is worthy! He is worthy because He created all things, including you. All things have been created by Him, through Him, and for Him (Colossians 1:16). He is worthy because of who He is—perfect in all His ways (Isaiah 9:6-7; Hebrews 7:26)! All wise, all loving, and all powerful! So great was His love for us, He left His Father’s throne above, and emptied Himself of all except love, to die upon a cross for our sins—that we would be saved (Philippians 2:5-8; 2 Corinthians 8:9; 1 Timothy 1:15)! 

One day, the long war against God will come to an end. The Lord Jesus has already triumphed through His death and resurrection (Colossians 2:15). And there will come a glorious day when He will return and “judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:31). On that day, all will be brought into complete submission to Him. You wonder where things are headed in this world? That is where! 

Now, what does this mean to you? If you have not yet trusted in Jesus, then you’ve some soul searching to do. You will bow the knee to Jesus Christ one day. The question is, will you do that in adoration and gratitude as one of His own, or will you be compelled to bend a knee, as a vanquished foe (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10)? Isaiah 45:22-23 speaks to this: “Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God and there is no other. I have sworn to Myself, the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back. That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.” 

For those of us who know Jesus, it’s good to remind ourselves of these things. The One who once super humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross, will be super exalted above all. There will come a day when you’ll be in a perfect place where righteousness dwells and you’ll worship a perfect leader, even the Lord Jesus who loved you and delivered Himself up for you! That will be glorious for you and for me! And that’s where our hope lies! 

The day is fast approaching when every tongue will acknowledge Jesus as Lord above all! Every person has a question to answer: Will they acknowledge Jesus as Lord with adoration and gratitude, as one of His own, or be compelled to do so as a vanquished foe.

He is Lord He is Lord
He is risen from the dead
And He is Lord
Ev’ry knee shall bow
Ev’ry tongue confess
That Jesus Christ is Lord

September 1

Bible Reading: Philippians 1

Philippians 1:12-18, “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.  And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.  Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.  Yes, and I will rejoice.”

I came across this helpful quote from Chuck Swindoll years ago: “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.”

Chuck Swindoll

We have little or no control of our circumstances or of what others say or do, but we can control our attitude.  And a healthy attitude can radically affect our spiritual and emotional well-being and dictate, to some extent, our usefulness to God.  Recall that hope is an attitude, a way of thinking.  A way of thinking that is well-founded on the God of hope, borne in us by the Spirit, and instructed and encouraged to us by the Word of God.  Hope is essential if we are to maintain our focus and persevere through challenging circumstances.  In fact, hope’s value and beauty are made manifest not so much in our easy times, but when times are tough.

Paul was a man full of faith and hope in Jesus, writing to the Philippians from jail.  His hopeful attitude was essential to his positive response.  This was not the first imprisonment of the Apostle Paul.  In fact, back when Paul first brought the gospel to Philippi, a riot ensued, and he and Silas were locked up in a prison.  Remember that?  And what happened on that occasion?  Paul and Silas were “praying and singing praise to God” (Acts 16:25).  And the prisoners were listening to them.  And God caused a great earthquake.  And the jailer, terrified because he himself would be executed if he were to lose his prisoners—was ready to take his own life.  But Paul shared the gospel with him, and he and his whole family were saved!  Now our text says that Paul’s later imprisonment worked out for the “greater progress of the gospel,” but what was true in this later case was also true in the first.

So, Paul was locked up in jail again.  The man who had thrice journeyed afar, bearing the gospel message, was imprisoned.  But hope, well-founded on the God of Hope–the God with whom nothing is impossible, is not constrained or deterred by challenging circumstances. How did Paul’s circumstances work for the “greater progress of the gospel?”  Because of his imprisonment, Paul was able to reach people with the gospel he would have otherwise not been able to reach (Philippians 1:13; 4:22).  Because of his imprisonment, and specifically because of his godly and courageous response to it, others had “far more courage to speak the word without fear” (Philippians 1:14).  Though some were taking advantage of his situation, envious as they were of Paul, and were preaching out of selfish ambition, Paul nonetheless rejoiced in that the gospel was being preached (Philippians 1:18).  In addition, Paul’s imprisonment provided an opportunity for the Philippian believers to express their loving concern for Paul (Philippians 4:18).  These positives would have been impossible if Paul would have spent his time bemoaning his circumstances, or if he had allowed his troubles to dictate his attitude.  Hope made the difference!

Optimism is defined as an “inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome.”  According to this definition, Paul was an optimist, and for good reason.  It was his walk with Jesus that made him so.  It was because his hope was set on God, and he well knew what God could do.  What about you?  How’s your attitude? 

“A man full of hope will be full of action”—Thomas Brooks

Lead, kindly Light, amid the gloom of evening.
Lord, lead me on! Lord, lead me on!
On through the night! On to your radiance!
Lead, kindly Light!
Lead, kindly Light, kindly Light!

August 31

Bible Reading: Ephesians 6

Ephesians 6:18, “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.”

“Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war.”  There is a war going on, and I’m not speaking here of the war in Ukraine.  In this war there can be no spectators, as every person is involved, whether they realize it or not.  In his warfare against God and the souls of men, the devil never stops working.  His goal?  To doom the sinner with respect to his destiny and to defeat the saint with respect to his walk and witness.

We are familiar with this passage in Ephesians chapter six, having to do with putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17).  The passage reminds us we are engaged in a battle–not against flesh and blood– ”but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”  In adorning ourselves with God’s armor, we are exhorted “to be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might” and to “stand firm” (3X).  We need to remind ourselves of this reality.  In this war, you’ll not read of casualty counts in the headlines.  You won’t hear any air raid sirens.  You’ll not see this enemy lurking about in your community.  But he’s there, prowling “around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).  Read the headlines through the lense of the reality of his ongoing destructive work, for he is well able to wreak havoc in lives, marriages, families, churches, communities, and even in an entire country. The important passage concludes with an admonition to pray for one another. 

In his commentary on this text, Albert Barnes wrote of this, “It would be well for the soldier who goes forth to battle to pray–to pray for victory; or to pray that he may be prepared for death, should he fall. But soldiers do not often feel the necessity of this. To the Christian soldier, however, it is indispensable. Prayer crowns all lawful efforts with success, and gives a victory when nothing else would. No matter how complete the armor; no matter how skilled we may be in the science of war; no matter how courageous we may be, we may be certain that without prayer we shall be defeated. God alone can give the victory; and when the Christian soldier goes forth armed completely for the spiritual conflict, if he looks to God by prayer, he may be sure of a triumph. This prayer is not to be intermitted. It is to be always. In every temptation and spiritual conflict we are to pray.”

Albert Barnes

Note that the exhortation here to pray for one another is in the context of the spiritual battle we are engaged in.  Note also the use of warfare terminology, “keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18).  That’s the way a soldier fights.  He’s alert to the enemy and he refuses to leave his post.  Note also the repeated use of the word “all”–praying at all times… with all prayer…with all perseverance…for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18).  We believers do pray for one another–we have our prayer lists and prayer meetings and prayer chains–but I’m not sure we always pray with these spiritual warfare considerations in mind.  That brother or sister we are praying for is a fellow soldier engaged like us in a raging war against a real enemy who is seeking to do us all harm.  There’s a sense of urgency here in this text.  Anyone would be a fool to go into battle lacking the appropriate weapons, but are we using this weapon to the degree and extent that we should?

Such prayer expresses dependence on, and trust in, God.  We pray, realizing that we desperately need Him and the protection and strength He can afford.  As that great hymn puts it, “Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing, Were not the right man on our side, The man of God’s own choosing.  Dost ask who that may be?  Christ Jesus, it is He–Lord Sabaoth His name, From age to age the same, and He must win the battle!”  Lord, make us to be prayer warriors who are alert and engaged, bringing before Your throne our challenges and the challenges of those around us, that we might be strong in You in this needy day.

“Satan laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.” – Samuel Chadwick

So when I fight, I’ll fight on my knees
With my hands lifted high
Oh God, the battle belongs to You
And every fear I lay at Your feet
I’ll sing through the night
Oh God, the battle belongs to You

August 30

Bible Reading: Ephesians 5

Ephesians 5:1-2, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

For better or for worse, children imitate adults. We know this.  From their youngest years, their small eyes and ears see and hear what we say and do.  They readily soak it all in, and it doesn’t take long until they replicate what they’ve witnessed. In today’s world, children grow up exposed to countless other examples, be they good or bad, through the media and social media.  There are even influencers who work to inspire or guide the action and behavior of others.  Unfortunately, our society is guilty of oftentimes putting forth the wrong kind of heroes before our young people.  People lacking the kind of morality or values worth emulating.  We have need of a legitimate hero!

When it comes to imitation, there is but One perfect example that will never fail us, and that is God Himself.  Be shocked by the exhortation in Ephesians 5:1— “Therefore be imitators of God!”  Imitators of God!  How is such a thing possible?  Such a virtuous path is availed to us only because God has worked to change our spiritual genetics.  We were “sons of disobedience,” being led by the devil himself to carry out the desires of the body (Ephesians 2:1-3).  But God mercifully intervened and caused us to be born again. 

Love comes from God, and it flows freely by the Spirit in the hearts and through the lives of His beloved children.  Such love is the mark of the Christian, even as 1 John 4:7-8 explains, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”  Like Father, like son is the expected spiritual reality for those who are born again.  It is so because of the indwelling Spirit whose fruit is love (Galatians 5:22).

The walk of Christ and His willing sacrifice have set the parameters in defining what God’s kind of love looks like.  Even as 1 John 3:16-17 reminds us, “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”  The example of Jesus is one of putting the needs of others ahead of one’s own, even if it requires great sacrifice. 

Set against the sin-rooted backdrop of man’s depravity and its associated selfish ways, the life of Jesus shines in the glorious beauty of its radical selflessness.  His was a perfect life.  Never demanding.  Always loving.  Always serving.  Its glorious divergence cries out to us from the majesty of His inner virtues.  He’s marked out for all a narrow path of self-sacrifice which beckons to those weary of the broad path’s selfish and hurtful ways.  The cross represents to the believer not only the basis of salvation, it also sets before us the manner of life to which we are called, according to the example of Christ in His self-sacrificing way of thinking and living.  Jesus is the best example to us in every virtuous way, and especially when it comes to loving one another.  We do well to follow in His steps!

I came across this quote recently by Sheri Eckert.  It reminds us that to follow in Jesus’ steps is to take the path less traveled.  But in doing so, we’ve a tremendous opportunity to point other’s in Jesus’ direction.  She said…

“Be that one. That one who forgives when the deep offense has been committed. That one who loves when no one else does. That one who gives kindness to those who are mean. Be that one who looks past the insult, instead of seeing the pain that motivated it. That one who shines light upon those who sit in utter darkness. Because the impact of being that one runs far and wide. It brings healing to the wounded, joy to the sad, and hope to those in despair. Be that one.”

Sheri Eckert

Set against the sin-rooted backdrop of man’s depravity and its associated selfish ways, the life of Jesus shines in the glorious beauty of its radical selflessness.

Oh! to be like Thee, full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wand’ring sinner to find.

August 29

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4

Ephesians 4:21, “The truth is in Jesus.”

In the most unjust trial of history, when God in the person of Jesus was subjected to accusations of evil, Jesus made this bold statement, “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into this world–to bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37), to which Pilate mockingly responded, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). 

There are no doubt many these days who’d share Pilate’s sentiment.  In the public discourse of these divisive times, many people claim to adhere and speak the truth, only to be met by the contradictory claims of others.  Having no agreement where truth is found, we now live in a day where anyone’s idea of truth is deemed to be truth, even if makes no sense.  Having no sure basis upon which to judge truth, public sentiment and/or the latest media narrative steps in to fill the void.

On the one hand, this should not surprise us, for we live in a time in which mankind is actively working to suppress the truth (Romans 1:18).  On the other hand, we must be careful to exercise diligence in our pursuit of the truth, lest we ourselves become comfortable and acclimated to the kind of skeptical thinking once voiced by Pilate.  Pilate mocked the concept of truth in the presence of the One who embodied it.

Put simply, truth is that which accords with reality.  God is the ultimate reality, since He is the creator of all things.  The pursuit of truth must start with Him.  He is absolute truth and all truth, including His revelation to us through His Word, begins and ends with Him.  The Truth is who God is and what He does.  He is absolutely dependable, bearing no falseness of any kind.  His plans, principles and promises are completely reliable, accurate, real, and factual.

When Jesus Christ became flesh and dwelt among man, His disciples beheld His glory as One who was full of “grace and truth.”  He came to bear witness to the truth and embodied the truth. As He boldly proclaimed, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).  The pursuit of truth is a pursuit of Christ.  He also acknowledged God’s Word to be truth (John 17:17).  We should therefore go to God’s word for Truth, reminding ourselves it is Scriptures which bear witness of Him (John 5:39).  He was born into the world to bear witness to the truth and were it not for His intervention, we’d be hopelessly doomed to blindly follow the damning deceptions of the unmerciful father of lies. 

The good news for those weary of today’s contradictory voices is that the truth is not dead.  It’s alive and well! It cries out to those who choose to listen.  The God who is truth “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4; John 8:32).  He likewise desires His children to walk in the truth (3 John 1:4).  In possessing Jesus, who is the truth, the child of God is blessed beyond measure. 

To align ourselves with truth is to align ourselves with Jesus.  To speak the truth is to speak His language.  To walk in truth is to walk according to His example.  It is as Thomas Watson has noted, “Oh! I beseech you, labor to be like God. He is a God of truth. He can as well part with his Deity—as his verity. Be like God, be true in your words, be true in your profession. God’s children are children that will not lie. When God sees ‘truth in the inward parts,’ and ‘lips in which there is no deceit,’ he sees his own image—which draws his heart towards us.”

The good news for those weary of today’s contradictory voices is that the truth is not dead.  The truth is alive and well and bound up in a person, Jesus Christ! To know Him is to know the truth!

I’d sing the characters He bears,
And all the forms of love He wears,
Exalted on His throne.
In loftiest songs of sweetest praise,
I would to everlasting days
Make all His glories known,
Make all His glories known.

August 28

Bible Reading: Ephesians 3

Ephesians 3:20-21, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Say a prayer. Think a thought. God is able to do more.  Far more.  Far more abundantly more. He has worked that way in the past.  He works that way in the present.  And He will continue to do so. These two verses of praise speak to the truth that God is always exceeding our imagination and expectations in the way He does things!  This passage is precious to me.  I finished my ministry at Lewis and Clark Bible Church after 27 and ½ years with a sermon series from this text and then shared those messages with our brethren in Uganda.

Arthur T. Pierson once said that there is a sevenfold measure of the power of God is Paul’s benediction:

First, God’s able to do first what we ask.

Second, He is able to do all that we ask.

Third, He is able to do what we think.

Fourth, He is able to do all that we think.

Fifth, He is able to do above all that we ask or think.

Sixth, He is able to do abundantly above all that we ask or think.

And seventh, He is able to do exceeding, abundant above all that we could ask or think.

Kenneth Wuest has explained the meaning of this great phrase (far more abundantly) this way: “it is a superlative of superlatives in force. It speaks of the ability of God to do something, that ability having more than enough potential power, this power exhaustless, and then some on top of that. Thus, Paul says that God is able to do super-abundantly above and beyond what we ask or think, and then some on top of that.”

Kenneth Wuest

These two verses serve as a fitting conclusion to all that precedes in this epistle.  The main point of verses 20-21—that God is able to do far more abundantly—is interwoven through all that we read about there.  Salvation is by grace.  Inasmuch as it is by grace, and according to the work of God, all the glory goes to Him.

We should note how the life and ministry of the God-inspired-writer of this epistle embodies the truth that is spoken of here.  God is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.  The Apostle Paul had formerly been a persecutor, blasphemer, and violent aggressor, hell bent on destroying the church.  He was engaged in that evil work when Jesus met him on the road to Damascus.  Neither he nor his companions could have imagined what God had purposed to do in his life.  But Jesus saved him!  Recall how hard it was for Ananias and the church in Damascus to accept the reality of the truth that God had indeed saved such a man as Paul.  Not only did God save Paul, but He also called him to be the Apostle to the Gentiles.  He was sent out and on three missionary journeys and he traveled thousands of miles, witnessing to countless numbers of people and planting dozens of churches.  Undeterred by constant threats and severe trials, he finished his course and kept the faith.  God revealed His truth to Paul, and he wrote all those epistles—words that have worked to instruct and encourage millions of souls, including you.  That murderous hater of the church was transformed to be the best friend and missionary the church has had, save the Lord Himself.  That work of God in his life was according to the far-more-abundantly ability of God to save and transform!

God’s work in your life is according to this dynamic.  God has purposed to fill you up to the “fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:19).  What does that entail?  Have you heard that song “I Can Only Imagine” by MercyMe?  We can only imagine what it will be like in glory!  God is at work to radically transform you from who you were—as a child of wrath, dead in your trespasses and sins—to who He is making you to be; conformed to the image of His Son.  There will come a day when Jesus will “transform (your) lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” (Philippians 3:21).  It is a far-more-abundantly work that He is well able to do!  That’s how God works, always exceeding our expectations and beyond what we could even imagine!  Think a thought.  Say a prayer.  God is able to do more.  Far more abundantly more!

“Far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams” — Ephesians 3:20, The Message Bible

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

August 25

Bible Reading: Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2:1-3, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship…”

You’ve probably seen the TV show “Fixer Upper.”  The storyline is the work of the main characters taking an old run-down house, and then fix it up, much to the delight of its new owners.  But when it comes to fixing things and renovation, there is no one is better at that than God Himself.  We are all fixer uppers.  But by grace, God is well-able to take us as we are and save us and transform us and make us to be someone beautiful in Christ.

Because of sin, we all need fixing up.  Ephesians 2:1-3 speaks to the dreadful condition of any lost person.  Spiritually speaking, the situation could not be more dire.  The lost sinner is spiritually dead, deceived by the devil, depraved in his doings, and doomed as a child of wrath.  Being dead, there’s nothing that such a person can do to rectify or change his condition.  He is like Lazarus in the tomb, and unless Christ Himself calls him forth, there is no hope.

How thankful, then, we should be for the grace and mercy of God!  Two words, “but God,” make all the difference in the spiritual trajectory of a person.  Grace = unmerited favor.  Those two words speak to the two dynamics of God’s intervention.  As Ephesians 2:1-3 make clear, the lost person is undeserving in every respect.  God’s grace meets us at that point or our demerit.  On the other hand, by God’s grace, we receive favor.  The undeserved blessings of God are lavished upon us!  It is in the full appreciation of both of these dynamics that we better understand something of the riches of God’s grace!

That brings us to another important word here in our chapter.  We find that in verse 10.  The term “workmanship” comes from the Greek “poiema,” from which we get our English term “poem.”  It was a term that was used in that day of a work of art.  F. F. Bruce has translated the phrase this way, “His work of art, His masterpiece.”

The term has reference, of course, to the individual believer in Christ.  Every believer is, by way of God’s grace, visited on him or her in salvation, a masterpiece.  But Paul here is speaking in the broader sense.  We are His masterpiece.  We, the church, are God’s work of art. 

This term “poiema” is only used twice in the NT.  The other usage is in Romans 1:20 where it speaks of how God has revealed His eternal power and divine nature to man “through what has been made.”  That phrase translates the same Greek word.  God’s creation is His work of art.  His masterpiece.  The church is too, and you, as a part of the church, are that as well!

God’s masterpiece, the church, is on display.  It bears testimony throughout the ages to the surpassing riches of God’s grace.  It testifies to the rulers and authorities in heavenly places regarding the manifold wisdom of God.

In the fixer upper show, they take an old house and spend some money and some effort and make it into something beautiful.  God does the same, only better, with lost humans.  By His grace, through the saving work of Christ, he takes those who were dead and makes them alive.  He takes those who were children of wrath and makes them to be children of God.  He takes those being defeated and consumed by the ugliness of sin in this world, and He makes them into a work of art, displaying to all the riches of His mercy, grace, and wisdom. 

John Newton had a godly mother, but she died when he was only seven years old.  His father was a ship captain, so was away from John for most of John’s youth.  When he was old enough, John got a job on a ship, but John was incorrigible and was in constant trouble with both his overseers and shipmates.  He was a foul-mouthed, troublemaking, and obnoxious sort of fellow.  John ultimately worked his way up so that he became a slave-ship captain.  The conditions on those ships were horrific.  The below decks were only three feet tall.  Hundreds of slaves were squeezed into that small space, chained in place for the long voyage to America.  Many died.  Women were raped.  Dead slaves were tossed overboard.  It was a hellish environment.  And John was the captain.

One day, a storm threatened to sink the ship on which John was sailing. God got John’s attention. He prayed and somehow the ship managed to barely make its way back to England. It would be sometime afterwards until John Newton was genuinely saved, but he then went on to become a beloved pastor and a big supporter of the abolitionist movement in England. He served as a pastor for some forty years and wrote over 200 hymns, besides the one he’s most famous for, Amazing Grace.

At 82, John Newton said, “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner — and that Christ is a great Savior!” His tombstone reads: “John Newton, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy!” John Newton was a fixer upper. In sin, he was anything but attractive, but in Christ, God made him beautiful!

“All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife, but He made something beautiful of my life” – Gloria Gaither

Amazing grace (how sweet the sound)
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.

August 24

Bible Reading: Ephesians 1

Ephesians 1:15-19a, “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe.”

Some years ago, a Californian couple was walking a trail on their property — a trail that they had walked many times—when they noticed the side of a can poking up from the ground.  The couple opened the can and were astonished to find it packed with gold coins.  That can and others contained 1427 gold coins, worth an estimated $10 million!  But before you go walking the trails of your property looking for gold, note here in this passage how incredibly blessed you already are.

God has lavished His grace upon the believer in Christ (Ephesians 1:7-8).  In spite of this, it is quite possible for any of us to lose track of the spiritual blessings and resources availed to us.  We might even grow despondent in our struggles, not realizing the riches we possess in Christ.

Paul’s prayer in this chapter is that we might be given a “Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened” that we might know certain things (Ephesians 1:17-19). Three things are spoken of: 1) “the hope to which he has called you;” 2) “the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints;” and 3) “the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe” (Ephesians 1:18-19). Each has to do with our relationship with Jesus (i.e., the hope we have in Him, the riches we possess in Him, and the power availed to us through Him).

No matter how you might “feel” about such things, the truth is that you even now possess, in Christ, immeasurable resources.  In Him, you possess an unassailable hope.  No matter what happens in this life, nothing can work to separate you from the love of God which is in Christ.  God will finish the work He started in you and will bring you safely home to heaven when that time comes.  You even now possess, in Christ, a glorious inheritance.  Unimaginable blessings—“imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:4)–are reserved for you in heaven.  Though you might feel sometimes weak and inadequate, the omnipotence of Christ is availed toward you.  His grace is more than sufficient!

These unseen realities are apprehended not with our physical sight, but through the “eyes of (our) hearts” (Ephesians 1:17).  It is a work of the Spirit of God to open our eyes to the glory of Christ and all we possess in our relationship with Him.  To the extent that we are walking by the Spirit and allowing the Word of Christ to dwell in us (Colossians 3:16), we will walk in awareness of how incredibly blessed we are!

Helen Keller was only two years old when an illness struck her blind and deaf. Unable to communicate with the outside world her life was filled with unimaginable loneliness and despair. Miss Anne Sullivan was brought to assist her and worked patiently to break through the darkness. One day she and “Teacher”—as Helen always called her—went to the outdoor pump. Miss Sullivan started to draw water and put Helen’s hand under the spout. As the cool water gushed over one hand, she spelled into the other hand the word “w-a-t-e-r” first slowly, then rapidly. Suddenly, the signals had meaning in Helen’s mind. She knew that “water” meant the wonderful cool substance flowing over her hand. Quickly, she stopped and touched the earth and demanded its letter name and by nightfall she had learned thirty words. Helen later wrote of the experiences of that day: “As we continued to the house every object which I touched quivered with life. That was because I saw everything with a strange, new sight that had come to me. It would have been difficult to find a happier child than I was as I lay in my crib…and for the first time longed for a new day to come.”

Whether you realize it or not, you owe any spiritual understanding you now possess to the person of the Holy Spirit. Were it not for Him in His illuminating work, you and I would be blind and deaf to spiritual truth.  It is the Spirit who bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, and it is the Spirit who unveils to us the full measure of God’s blessings to us as His children. You are a child of the King! And knowing that influences the way you live out your Christian life in this world. And so, Paul prayed here in Ephesians chapter 1 that we might know how blessed we are in Christ. And so, we should pray too.

If you are born-again you are incredibly blessed beyond measure.  It is by the Spirit that our spiritual eyes are open to how much!

More about Jesus let me learn,
More of His holy will discern;
Spirit of God, my teacher be,
Showing the things of Christ to me.

August 23

Bible Reading: Galatians 6

Galatians 6:14, “But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

What does the cross of Jesus Christ mean to you?  It is a question of supreme relevance and importance.  As Martyn Lloyd Jones once wrote, “My dear friends, there never can be a more important question than this; what does this cross do to you?”

Some don’t give too much thought to it, as Oswald Chambers, once said, “All heaven is interested in the cross of Christ, all hell is terribly afraid of it, while men are the only beings who more or less ignore its meaning.”  To some, it simply doesn’t appear to be all that important.  Years ago, this assessment was offered by someone regarding the preaching of the liberal church, “A God without wrath brought men without sin into a Kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross.”  The modern church likewise has worked to diminish and undermine the preeminence of the cross.  Many refrain from the mere mention of sin or Christ’s death or future judgment.  Self-help sermons are in vogue, the cross not so much.

The cross is a subject that elicits varying responses.  The Galatian believers apparently were confused about it.  Paul wrote to address that matter.  He himself had been much used by God in the building of the church.  He had proclaimed the message of the cross to them (Galatians 1:11, 3:1).  He had taught them to believe in Christ and that salvation was by faith in Him, but others—legalistic false teachers–had come bearing a different kind of teaching.  They were preaching another gospel (Galatians 1:6)  — that faith alone was not sufficient; that a person needed to be circumcised and do the works of the law to be saved.  Some of the Galatians were buying into what the false teachers were selling and were confused about the relevance of the cross to their lives.

Others are opposed to the cross.  That was the case of the false teachers (Galatians 6:12-13).  They were compelling people to be circumcised and to keep the law.  They were motivated by two things.  They had a desire to “boast in (their) flesh” (Galatians 6:13).  In their prideful self-righteousness, they sought superiority through the gaining of followers.  In addition, they did not want to “be persecuted for the cross of Christ” (Galatians 6:12).  The cross was, and continues to be, a litmus test for the identification of those who truly belong to God.  The cross represents different things to different people.  To the saved, it is “the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23).  To the unsaved, it is a “stumbling block” or “folly” (1 Corinthians 1:23).”  The Judaizers were of this second opinion.  It was a “stumbling block” to them.  They didn’t understand it.  They opposed its message.

Paul had a much different perspective on the cross.  His message in Galatians 6:14 is a bold statement.  There is tremendous truth here.  What was Paul saying?  What does it mean to boast in something?  The word Paul uses here appears some 37 times in the NT, usually in a negative sense.  It means “to boast or glory” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary).  Paul uses the term here with the sense of having great regard and high affection for.  We might say, “I take pride in.”  Paul is saying that He takes no pride in anything except the cross of Jesus Christ.  He takes no pride in himself.  He takes no pride in his gifts.  He takes no pride in his deeds or his accomplishments.  He takes no pride in his abilities.  The only thing that He is willing to take pride in is the cross of Jesus.  His life provides the best illustration of what he means.

Saul was a Pharisee.  Before he came to know Jesus, he was consumed with zealous observance of the law.  He was a perfect religious specimen with respect to his religious heritage and practice (Philippians 3:3-7).  If he so desires, Paul had much to boast about regarding his own achievements.  But in his salvation, he came to esteem such things “as rubbish” in view of the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:8).  Paul was saved and radically transformed by means of the “cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14).  He henceforth refused to boast about anything related to his own accomplishments—his position (he referred to himself as a servant; 1 Corinthians 4:1); his own accomplishments (1 Corinthians 15:10), abilities (1 Corinthians 3:5); and spiritual stature (1 Timothy 1:14).

This is quite a remarkable thing.  Paul was the greatest missionary the church has ever known.  He reached more lost souls for Christ than any other human being.  He authored more books of the Bible than anyone else.  His writings contain the deepest and most profound thoughts.  From a human perspective he had much reason to boast—but He says, “but far be it from me to boast, except in the cross” (Galatians 6:14).  God would have us to say the same.

“Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy cross, I cling!” – Augustus Toplady

When I survey the wondrous cross
on which the Prince of glory died,
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.