And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end,
so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Hebrews 6:11-12 NASB
As this year draws to a close, and we face the dawning of a new year, I would like to encourage you to hold fast your commitment to Christ Jesus.
Many of you desire to know God in a deeper way, and I would encourage you, like Paul, to pursue Him with a renewed passion (Philippians 3:7-17). As the above passage in Hebrews states, it takes diligence, faith, and patience (perseverance). At times it can seem so easy to just give in, as the world seeks to gain our attention with all of it's attractions.
Hold fast your confidence firm until the end (Hebrews 10:23, 35-36). Serving Jesus is far better than anything that this world can offer us. Knowing Him intimately is the greatest reward that one can find. Don't lose it!
The scriptures tell us to not grow weary in well doing, for in the end we will reap the reward of eternal life (Galatians 6:8-9). This is eternity, face to face with our Savior.
So in the coming days and months, be diligent. It takes effort, commitment. But through faith we overcome and gain the victory (1 John 5:4).
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Monday, December 29, 2014
No More Sacrifice For Sins.
Many professed believers hold a very lax view on sin, and the need to repent of it. Some seem to think that it doesn't matter how they live, because it is all covered by the blood of Jesus.
We see something different in the Word of God however.
For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said "Vengeance is mine, I will repay", and again, "The Lord will judge His people." It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:26-31 NASB
Contrary to what we might believe, we cannot just go on sinning and presume upon God's grace. As this passage shows us, if we continue in a willful lifestyle of sin, we cannot expect the blood sacrifice of Jesus to atone for our sins.
The writer takes us back to the Old Covenant where those who sinned willfully against the law were put to death without mercy. This was because God, as a just and holy being could not tolerate sin, and even though in His mercy He provided a sacrificial system for sins committed in ignorance, yet His justice demanded retribution in the case of a willful sin. The only chance one had was to throw oneself on the mercy of God, such as David does in Psalm 51:1-19.
If the judgment of God was severe under the Old Covenant, how much more severe will it be under the New Covenant where we have the blood sacrifice of Christ, and the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives?
By our deliberate sin, we trample the blood that has sanctified us, and insult the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who convicts us of sin, and is responsible for drawing us to Christ!
That is why we are told "If you hear My voice, do not harden your hearts" (Hebrews 3:7-8, 15). Our only hope is to cast ourselves upon the mercy of God with repentant hearts.
We are told if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us (1 John 1:9). If we sin we have an advocate in Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1). This is not meant as blanket covering for a life of sin however. It is for those who are striving to live for Christ, but fall. Sin should be the exception, not the rule.
It is a dangerous thing to become careless with sin. If you are playing with it now, if you are allowing a known sin to exist in your life, repent now! Cast yourself upon the mercy of God through Jesus Christ, and be washed clean. If you don't, there is no longer a sacrifice for you.
We see something different in the Word of God however.
For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said "Vengeance is mine, I will repay", and again, "The Lord will judge His people." It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:26-31 NASB
Contrary to what we might believe, we cannot just go on sinning and presume upon God's grace. As this passage shows us, if we continue in a willful lifestyle of sin, we cannot expect the blood sacrifice of Jesus to atone for our sins.
The writer takes us back to the Old Covenant where those who sinned willfully against the law were put to death without mercy. This was because God, as a just and holy being could not tolerate sin, and even though in His mercy He provided a sacrificial system for sins committed in ignorance, yet His justice demanded retribution in the case of a willful sin. The only chance one had was to throw oneself on the mercy of God, such as David does in Psalm 51:1-19.
If the judgment of God was severe under the Old Covenant, how much more severe will it be under the New Covenant where we have the blood sacrifice of Christ, and the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives?
By our deliberate sin, we trample the blood that has sanctified us, and insult the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who convicts us of sin, and is responsible for drawing us to Christ!
That is why we are told "If you hear My voice, do not harden your hearts" (Hebrews 3:7-8, 15). Our only hope is to cast ourselves upon the mercy of God with repentant hearts.
We are told if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us (1 John 1:9). If we sin we have an advocate in Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1). This is not meant as blanket covering for a life of sin however. It is for those who are striving to live for Christ, but fall. Sin should be the exception, not the rule.
It is a dangerous thing to become careless with sin. If you are playing with it now, if you are allowing a known sin to exist in your life, repent now! Cast yourself upon the mercy of God through Jesus Christ, and be washed clean. If you don't, there is no longer a sacrifice for you.
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Selfishness or Love.
I have seen many people debating the issue of eternal security. While some are indeed honest seekers of truth, many appear to have selfish motives at heart.
Sadly many individuals who claim to be Christians seem to be interested in how much sin the can be involved in, and yet remain saved. This only shows that these individuals are selfish at heart. They have had a "legal" experience with Christ, but not one that has changed the ruling preference of the heart.
The individual who loves Christ is not concerned with how much he or she can get away with and not lose their salvation, they are concerned with staying as far away as they can from anything that would grieve the heart of the Savior, and bring reproach to His name.
The issue with them is not self, but devotion to Christ. Love is not self seeking (1 Cor 13:5), but chooses the highest interest of Christ for His sake
What kind of salvation do you have? A legal one that concerns itself with your own interests, or are you poured out for Christ?
Sadly many individuals who claim to be Christians seem to be interested in how much sin the can be involved in, and yet remain saved. This only shows that these individuals are selfish at heart. They have had a "legal" experience with Christ, but not one that has changed the ruling preference of the heart.
The individual who loves Christ is not concerned with how much he or she can get away with and not lose their salvation, they are concerned with staying as far away as they can from anything that would grieve the heart of the Savior, and bring reproach to His name.
The issue with them is not self, but devotion to Christ. Love is not self seeking (1 Cor 13:5), but chooses the highest interest of Christ for His sake
What kind of salvation do you have? A legal one that concerns itself with your own interests, or are you poured out for Christ?
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Heavenly Minded.
There is a saying that one can be so heavenly minded, that they are of no earthly good. It seems that if someone gets passionate about Jesus, gets serious about living for Him, they are shut down by some professed believer who is a little uncomfortable with their zeal.
However, this is what God calls us to as followers of Christ,
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth.
For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:1-3 NASB
As followers of Christ, our life does not consist in the abundance of the earthly things we possess (Luke 12:15). Our life is not about all of our temporal, earthly pursuits (2 Tim 2:4). Jesus teaches us that even the necessities of life are not to become the end all of our existence here in this life (Matt 6:25-34).
Sadly, too many professed believers spend their lives in the hustle and bustle of this world. Days are filled with jobs, daycare, after school activities, and so on. There are too few hours in a day to juggle everything that we try to pursue. In the eyes of the world, this is wonderful, as we climb the ladder to success.
But at what cost? What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, only to lose his soul (Mark 8:36). While we chase the temporal things of this life our prayer life dwindles, our hunger for the word diminishes, and our love for the presence of Jesus Christ grows cold.
To be earthly minded causes us to be ineffective for the kingdom of God. While we pursue temporal things, the eternal things slip away. We wonder why our unsaved loved ones never get saved, but how can we expect them to when we are too wrapped up with ourselves to make an honest effort to reach them? Jesus teaches us to lay up treasure in heaven, not on this earth (Matt 6:19-21).
Consider the Apostle Paul. He claimed to do only one thing. That was to pursue Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:7-14). Out of that one thing however, flowed missionary trips, church planting, the writing of 2/3 of the new testament, and a multitude of other exploits that advanced the kingdom of God in a way that no other man has probably equaled in the history of the Church.
Paul was a dead man, crucified with Christ, yet Christ lived through Him (Gal 2:20). In other words, he had no personal plans of his own. His mind was not on the temporal things of this life, he was focused on Jesus, and doing those things that Christ called him to do.
Imagine what we could do if we had this same attitude. What if we would forget about material success, and only live for the kingdom of God. We would have to adjust our standard of living quite a bit, but in the eyes of eternity it would make a great difference. Imagine what would happen if we were empty of self and full of the Spirit? Think of the souls we could reach with the power and presence of God.
Set your mind on the things above! This is where your life is, if you truly belong to the kingdom of God.
However, this is what God calls us to as followers of Christ,
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth.
For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:1-3 NASB
As followers of Christ, our life does not consist in the abundance of the earthly things we possess (Luke 12:15). Our life is not about all of our temporal, earthly pursuits (2 Tim 2:4). Jesus teaches us that even the necessities of life are not to become the end all of our existence here in this life (Matt 6:25-34).
Sadly, too many professed believers spend their lives in the hustle and bustle of this world. Days are filled with jobs, daycare, after school activities, and so on. There are too few hours in a day to juggle everything that we try to pursue. In the eyes of the world, this is wonderful, as we climb the ladder to success.
But at what cost? What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, only to lose his soul (Mark 8:36). While we chase the temporal things of this life our prayer life dwindles, our hunger for the word diminishes, and our love for the presence of Jesus Christ grows cold.
To be earthly minded causes us to be ineffective for the kingdom of God. While we pursue temporal things, the eternal things slip away. We wonder why our unsaved loved ones never get saved, but how can we expect them to when we are too wrapped up with ourselves to make an honest effort to reach them? Jesus teaches us to lay up treasure in heaven, not on this earth (Matt 6:19-21).
Consider the Apostle Paul. He claimed to do only one thing. That was to pursue Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:7-14). Out of that one thing however, flowed missionary trips, church planting, the writing of 2/3 of the new testament, and a multitude of other exploits that advanced the kingdom of God in a way that no other man has probably equaled in the history of the Church.
Paul was a dead man, crucified with Christ, yet Christ lived through Him (Gal 2:20). In other words, he had no personal plans of his own. His mind was not on the temporal things of this life, he was focused on Jesus, and doing those things that Christ called him to do.
Imagine what we could do if we had this same attitude. What if we would forget about material success, and only live for the kingdom of God. We would have to adjust our standard of living quite a bit, but in the eyes of eternity it would make a great difference. Imagine what would happen if we were empty of self and full of the Spirit? Think of the souls we could reach with the power and presence of God.
Set your mind on the things above! This is where your life is, if you truly belong to the kingdom of God.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
The Importance of Prayer.
The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.
1 Peter 4:7 NASB
Prayer is one of those things that seem so easy, yet are so hard to actually put into practice. We tend to get so busy with our lives and the things around us, and neglect prayer.
To be sure, we offer up quick little prayers when faced with troubles, we may even allow time for "devotions" and prayer, but to really pray with earnestness, we know little of.
The above text calls us to be of sound judgment and sober spirit. We may not realize it, but we are in a spiritual war, facing foes that are of a spiritual nature, that cannot be defeated by human wisdom or means (2 Cor 10:3-4; Ephesians 6:12). We must not underestimate them, but realize that only through Christ can we overcome them. It is fatal to our souls to be so filled with the things of this life, that we fail to pray with the earnestness that is required of us.
Look at the example of Elijah. He was a man like us, but accomplished much through earnest prayer. We are encouraged by this, to pray earnestly and effectually as well (James 5:16-18).
The King James text calls it fervent prayer. This is an intense white hot effort. It is not speaking of quick prayers, lacking faith, while our minds wander to other things. This is focused prayer inspired and breathed through us by the Holy Spirit.
This is what is meant when we are called to pray in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:18; Jude 1:20). It takes work. We must be committed to the cause with all our being. We cannot be filled with the things of this life, or we will have no room for the things of the Spirit!
Yield up your lives to the control of the Holy Spirit, and let Him empower you to pray with the earnestness that gets the answer! Be of sound judgment and sober minds, because the end is near, the days are evil, and only the presence and power of God in our lives can make the difference!
1 Peter 4:7 NASB
Prayer is one of those things that seem so easy, yet are so hard to actually put into practice. We tend to get so busy with our lives and the things around us, and neglect prayer.
To be sure, we offer up quick little prayers when faced with troubles, we may even allow time for "devotions" and prayer, but to really pray with earnestness, we know little of.
The above text calls us to be of sound judgment and sober spirit. We may not realize it, but we are in a spiritual war, facing foes that are of a spiritual nature, that cannot be defeated by human wisdom or means (2 Cor 10:3-4; Ephesians 6:12). We must not underestimate them, but realize that only through Christ can we overcome them. It is fatal to our souls to be so filled with the things of this life, that we fail to pray with the earnestness that is required of us.
Look at the example of Elijah. He was a man like us, but accomplished much through earnest prayer. We are encouraged by this, to pray earnestly and effectually as well (James 5:16-18).
The King James text calls it fervent prayer. This is an intense white hot effort. It is not speaking of quick prayers, lacking faith, while our minds wander to other things. This is focused prayer inspired and breathed through us by the Holy Spirit.
This is what is meant when we are called to pray in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:18; Jude 1:20). It takes work. We must be committed to the cause with all our being. We cannot be filled with the things of this life, or we will have no room for the things of the Spirit!
Yield up your lives to the control of the Holy Spirit, and let Him empower you to pray with the earnestness that gets the answer! Be of sound judgment and sober minds, because the end is near, the days are evil, and only the presence and power of God in our lives can make the difference!
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