Category: Bible Studies

Independence Day

Focal Passage: Romans 8:1-2

Our nation will gather this weekend in various ways to celebrate the signing of that document on July 4, 1776. Enjoy the fireworks as they light up the sky. Let your flag wave. Hear the patriotic songs echo through the streets. Freedom is a beautiful gift, bought and paid for by the incredible sacrifice of so many men and women through the years.

Let’s enjoy the day and honor that sacrifice. Let’s also pray that our nation’s leaders uphold in every way the freedoms promised to all of us in the Declaration of Independence and those guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution.

President Thomas Jefferson, about a year before his death in 1826, responded to a letter from Henry Lee IV, an early American historian and the son of Revolutionary War hero “Lighthorse Harry” Lee. In a desire to better understand their motivations for seeking freedom from England, Lee asked Jefferson to explain why he felt compelled to write the Declaration of Independence.

Jefferson wrote back and explained. “This was the object of the Declaration of Independence. Not to find out new principles, or new arguments, never before thought of…but to place before mankind the common sense of the subject…” Jefferson said the document was simply to explain to the world why they chose to separate from English rule.

Read the opening two paragraphs of that cherished document through that lens as if Jefferson himself were reading it to you.

“When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

As one who loves history, the Declaration of Independence is a hallowed document for me. While I don’t do it every July 4, I have often read the Declaration in private reflection and gratitude for being blessed to live within the freedoms it holds dear. I believe it contains great words of promise still unfulfilled in some ways. America is still, and I suspect always will be, a work in progress.

Despite our failure at times to live up to the ideals expressed in the Declaration, I cherish those God-given, inalienable rights it holds true…rights that cannot be sold nor surrendered; rights that cannot be transferred or taken away. They belong to each of us fundamentally by the very nature of our citizenship and our existence as God’s creation.
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

As a citizen of the United States, I reflected on the Declaration this week based on Lee’s question to better understand why the document was written. As a citizen of God’s kingdom, I think we must explore a much deeper and important question. What is the nature of true freedom? Is there a spiritual declaration of independence that promises life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to those who live under the blanket of God’s love?

Paul, in his letter to the Romans, talked to them about his personal struggle with sin. He said his inability to obey the commands and laws of God, drove him farther from God, separated him. Sin became as death to Paul.

When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being, I delight in God’s law, but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin…in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (Romans 7:21-22, 25)

Paul declares that all of us fall under the tyranny of sin. He didn’t leave us there. Paul goes on to write what one might consider our spiritual Declaration of Independence.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)

It’s a declaration of independence Paul echoes to the church in Galatia.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery (to sin). (Galatians 5:1)

By taking our sins to the cross, Christ has set free from sin all those who put their trust in him. As a child of God, I am free from the penalty of sin because Jesus already paid the price. I am free of the tyranny of sin and claim my independence from sin’s rule, its condemnation and its hold on me. I declare my freedom through Christ to live without fear of judgment and free to walk in righteousness in relationship with God. For each Christian, these verses are the foundation for a new, liberated life in Christ.

So, I can declare that winter day in 1962 when I gave my heart of Jesus as my Spiritual Independence Day. Your day of independence may be different, but it is just as real.

As ones now living in the freedom God provides, these truths then become self-evident. That we, by virtue of being his sons and daughters through Christ, are endowed or gifted by our Creator with certain inalienable rights; rights that cannot be sold, surrendered, transferred or taken away. Among these rights are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Life

Listen to the words of Jesus…

I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” (John 11:25-26)

God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his son, whoever has the son has life. (I John 5:11-12)

Jesus’ death and resurrection conquered sin and death and provides the gift of life eternal, liberated from the finality of death. However, that’s just the starting point. It offers so much more.

I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

This is a promise that life is not just eternal. It is, in the present, full of meaning and purpose. Because of Christ, we live in the abundance of God’s love and grace. Because this life is a gift from God through our belief in Christ, one that we don’t have to earn through perfect obedience or good works, we can live with confidence and hope. Eternal life is promised and assured because we belong to him.

That relationship we have with Jesus means that life in Christ is not just about surviving or punching a ticket to heaven. It is a life filled with purpose, joy, peace and an abiding richness for today. It is a life marked by our ability to experience life as God intended it to be, in service to others and overflowing with his grace.

I find that life-changing.

Liberty

To the Jews who had believed in him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching you are really my disciples. Then, you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. (John 8:31-32)

When these same people struggled to understand the freedom Jesus offered, he told them.

I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave has no place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So, if the son sets you free, you are free indeed. (John 8:34-36)

When you get right down to it, that last verse is the Christian’s cornerstone of hope. Jesus has the authority and power to break sin’s hold on us. Because of this, when we trust him, he welcomes us into his family as sons and daughters with permanent belonging. It is not just freedom from guilt or punishment, it is a new identity, one that is not only empowering in the present, but secure and eternal for life to come.

I find that liberating.

Pursuit of Happiness

Let’s deepen the definition of happiness to joy…that abiding sense of gladness, well-being and contentment that is grounded in God’s character, his promises and his presence. Paul draws upon this to remind us that this kind of happiness or joy is not determined by circumstances, but through the power of God’s spirit.

I have learned the secret of being content (joyful) in any and every situation. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:11-13)

Even in the face of what seems insurmountable, we find joy in Christ because of the strength he gives to endure and overcome.

Let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. (Psalm 5:11)

Joy comes in relationship to God, anchored in knowing him, trusting his love and experiencing his protection and grace. The Psalmist said that all who take refuge in God rejoice or exult. Exult is not a word we use often, but we should in this context. It means a triumphant joy, to be exceedingly glad. It expresses emotional elation and spiritual celebration of all God has done for us.

Jesus knew this kind of joy because of his connection to his father. He longed for his followers to feel the same. When we remain connected to Christ as he was connected to God, listening to his word, being obedient to his teachings, our joy grows. It transcends the circumstances. In Christ we find a joy that is full and complete. A joy that is resilient in the face of difficulty.

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:11)

I find that makes me happy.

It’s good to celebrate our national independence and remember to hold dear the rights and responsibilities such freedom requires. It is equally important to celebrate our spiritual Independence Day and to hold dear the life, liberty and happiness it promises and to bear the deeper responsibility it requires to live worthy of the freedom it provides.

Thinking Points

When you read the opening words of the Declaration of Independence, what thoughts or emotions stir in you about the freedoms we enjoy today? What can we do to ensure that those freedoms remain for future generations?

Paul writes that “it is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” What does spiritual freedom mean to you personally, and how have you experienced it in your own life?

How do you see the “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness” promised by God through Christ differently from the freedoms promised by our nation?

Reflect upon your own Spiritual Independence Day,” that moment when you gave your heart to Christ. How has that decision changed you and how has it shaped your life since?

The Begin Againers

Focal Passage: Joel 2:12-13

Of all the jobs on the farm, I hated to hoe more than any other. Those endless, quarter-mile rows of cotton stretched forever into the horizon, especially in the July heat. The mindless hours of swiping that blade through that red West Texas dirt sure made going to college more appealing.

“Chopping cotton” was the first job most of us farm kids were compelled to do. We were too young to drive the tractor, but Dad could always shorten the hoe handle to fit our short stature. I learned how to sharpen the edge of my hoe with a file long before I mastered long division.

My Dad and older brother flanked each side of me the day I hoed my first row of cotton. I was not amused. I reached the age where I had to trade play for hard work…at least some of the time. My attitude reflected my half-hearted effort. Chopping just beneath the sandy surface to slice the stem of the weeds, took less effort than digging them out by the roots. So, that’s what I did…for hours.

Dad tried to get me to do it right. He showed me. He scolded me. He finally just took care of his business and left me alone.

About 10 days later, Dad took me to the same field and told me to tell him what I saw. Clearly, every third row, the rows I hoed, were fresh with regrown weeds while the other two were still pristine. The weeds I sliced seemed to grow back faster and stronger, nature’s way of thumbing its nose at me.

Dad pulled my hoe out of the bed of the pick-up truck, handed it to me, and said simply, “Begin again.”

I spent the rest of that day, miserable in a field, fixing my mistake. Lesson learned.

That distant life lesson resurfaced this week after years buried in the background of my mind. A passage in the Old Testament book of Joel reminded me that when God points out our sins, he also calls us to return to him, to begin again living within the framework of his will. To be what singer/songwriter Scott Mulvahill calls in one of his songs a “begin againer.”

Look at the message God shares through the prophet Joel in his call for repentance and starting over in restored relationship with the father.

Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart—with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God for his is gracious and compassionate, abounding in love… (Joel 2:12-13)

You see, my Dad, rather than get angry, let my mistake run its course. Despite his instruction, he gave me my free-will choice to stubbornly do things my way. When that didn’t work well, he pointed out how my half-hearted effort didn’t achieve the desired results. He wanted me to understand that doing things the right way may be harder, but it is always better. Then, with a pat on the back, he just told me to begin again. Start over. Return to the field and do it right.

Does that not sound like how God deals with his own children? We grip the handle of our free-will choices and dig just beneath the surface of obedience, with an insincere effort. Then, just a few days later the sin, the weeds, return.

God walks us out to that weed-infested life and shows us the difference in doing things his way or doing them our way. With a pat on the back, he hands us the hoe and says get after it. “Do it again, please, but this time, do it my way.” God is a God of second and third chances… and thankfully so many more. In our rebellion, even now, he calls us to return to him. To be a begin againer.

Look again at this beautiful passage.

Return to me. Three words of incredible and incomprehensible hope that speak directly to those moments when we feel it’s too late. Those days when we feel we’ve strayed too far from the Lord to find our way back. Unintended mistakes. Deliberate rebellion. Spiritual apathy. God says, even now despite all you’ve done or failed to do, you can return. It’s never too late. Begin again.

The call to return must be answered with all your heart, God says. With fasting, weeping and mourning. Beginning again isn’t just a surface level change. God desires our complete and utter surrender. Not religious gestures or rituals. Not going through the motions. Just a sincere turning away from our stubborn desires to do life our way. He wants us to return to him with all that is within us. Our thoughts. Our affections. Our desires. Our souls. Our hearts. Our strength.

Fasting, weeping and mourning capture our deepest expressions of repentance. These acts and emotions are not expressions of sorrow over being called out or regret for the consequences we face, but sincere grief over the sin itself. In these things we recognize deeply our failure for what it is and how far it has taken us from God’s way and will.

Then Joel takes it a step further. Rend your heart, not your clothes. The ancient Hebrew would tear his clothes as a symbol of repentance or being repentant. God wants to make sure we understand that the transformation must be real. Don’t just look or sound repentant on the outside while stubbornly holding on to our old self on the inside. Perfection is not required. Humility is. Be transformed and renewed. Begin again.

God’s call to return to him or to begin living again for him rests in the very character of God. Our sincere regret opens the possibility of restoration. God’s grace confirms it. He welcomes us back, not because we earned it, but because of his goodness. His patience. His mercy. His grace. His never ending and all-encompassing love. It is who he is.

After his moral failure with Bathsheba and his scheme to claim her as his own, David, the psalmist, painted a vivid picture of how to begin again. Listen to the pleading in his words.

Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a right spirit in me. Cast me not away from your presence and take not your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of my salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:10-12)

Here’s what I find interesting in his passage as I think about my need at times to begin again.

David does not ask God to fix his heart—he asks Him to create a new one. The Hebrew word for “create” (bara) is the same used in Genesis 1:1 when God creates, well, everything. It suggests that David knows he needs a fresh start—something only God can accomplish. It is a cry for transformation, not just forgiveness. Let me say that again because it’s important. It is a cry for transformation, not just forgiveness.

It’s not just that we made a mistake when we sinned. We must recognize our hearts as fundamentally broken. David doesn’t minimize his sin. He’s asking for a radical inner change. He’s asking to begin again with the right spirit within him…steadfast, faithful, true…in touch with God’s spirit within. It is an urgent desire to draw near to the God he abandoned for a time. It’s David’s desire to begin again, living in the nurturing presence of his father in heaven.

Just recognizing my mistake in that field years ago, did not relieve me of the consequences. I got to hoe it all again, but I wasn’t by myself. Dad walked three rows over. Hoeing weeds that were mine to hoe.

What a marvelous picture of God’s sacrifice and abiding presence! When we sincerely begin again, we will never walk alone. For anyone needing to begin again, to start living for Christ again tomorrow, you need to know that God’s mercy is stronger than our failure. His presence is the reassurance of his sacrificial and everlasting presence.

That passage in Joel calls us to return to God. In its context, though, the call to return comes after a long period of rebellion. Our seasons of rebellion may seem just as long. Wouldn’t it be great, however, if we returned to God each morning. Start the day with a clean slate…a pure heart and a right spirit…a chance to set aside yesterday’s failure for a fresh start within the will of father in heaven?

God’s ready to walk with us every day, hoe in hand, helping us do it right.

The every day begin againers.

Thinking Points

In what areas of your life have you been giving a half-hearted effort? How might God be calling you to dig deeper?

 

How does the image of my father walking alongside me while I fix my mistakes help you understand God’s presence when you face the consequences of your own sin?

 

Why is transformation more important to God than just seeking forgiveness? What must we do to move past regret and really change the way we live?

 

What would it look like for you to “return to God” every morning as an “every day begin againer?”

The Mind of Christ

Focal Passage: I Corinthians 2:10-16

I read the passage several times in recent years, I’m sure. The notes in the margin of my Bible tell me so. I am always amazed at how God opens my eyes to his inspired word, often opening a new line of thought. There is, it seems, always something new to learn and discern.

In a conversation with my sister this week, we talked about the state of our country and the world today. Troubled by the hateful and divisive rhetoric and the internal and external conflict that pits person against person, group against group and nation against nation, we both wondered at what seemed to be the lack of wisdom, compassion and understanding. I remember thinking, “What kind of mind makes these kinds of decisions?”

Two days later, I sat down to read a passage in I Corinthians which oddly enough speaks to mindset of those called as God’s people. I had to think about the state of my own mind and whether my mind was where it needed to be.

Listen to what Paul tells the Corinthian church. Don’t just read it. Read as if Paul sent the letter to you.

“…The spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the spirit does not accept the things that come from the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” (I Corinthians 2:10-16a)

Then Paul adds this one phrase in this passage that I have missed time and time again.

“But we have the mind of Christ.” (I Corinthians 2:16b)

As I try to make sense of how I should think amid today’s disturbed world, this phrase was a 2” x 4” across my nose. It certainly got my attention.

We have the mind of Christ.

Before we get too deep into what that means, let’s briefly explore the context of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church. The church in Corinth experienced wave after wave of division and conflict. Arguments over theology or ministry pitted one faction against the other, each thinking they were wiser than the other. Corinthian culture drew upon the influence of Greek philosophy and human wisdom.

Early Christian apologist Aristides, an Athenian philosopher who converted to Christianity in the 2nd century, said of Corinth, “On every street in Corinth one meets a so-called wise man, who has his own solutions to the world’s problems.” (That sounds eerily familiar to our culture today.)

This cultural pattern invaded the church like a virus and spread. Paul spent the early part of his letter addressing the difference between worldly wisdom and God’s wisdom.

Paul tells the church that a person without God’s spirit cannot accept or understand the things that flow from the spirit of God. It is foolish sounding to him because the things of God are spiritually discerned…revealed to believers by his indwelling spirit. That’s a critical point because it is the basis for understanding “the mind of Christ.” It is the basis for grasping the importance of relying on God’s spirit for understanding and wisdom.

If believers, as spiritual beings, are to “make judgments about all things,” it is the mind of Christ we must use to help us discern the truth and determine what we should say and how we should live.

I’ve shared a lot in the past writings about my journey in understanding what it means to be made in the image of God. Equally, this one phrase about having “the mind of Christ” opened a new avenue of study into understanding who we are in Christ. How he shares his mind with us through his spirit. How his mind should set us apart from the culture around us. It is his invitation for us to discover rich spiritual truths and explore a deeper relationship with God.

Let’s look again at I Corinthians 2:16.

For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Paul first quotes Isaiah 40:13, drawing on this Old Testament passage to emphasize God’s wisdom and mind are beyond human understanding. At the same time, it challenges us to contemplate God’s desire to teach us his will and way.

In Jesus, believers are given access to God’s wisdom, God’s mind, if you will, through the Holy Spirit. The spirit is a gift God gives us when we profess Jesus as Lord of all. Jesus told his disciples there would come a time when he was no longer with them physically. When he left God would send “the Counselor.”

…The Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name , will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26)

His spirit is not something we have to work to acquire, but we must learn to use the mind of Christ within us. To let it teach us and remind us of what Jesus said and did. To help us understand the mind of Christ by providing insight into scripture and how it applies to life. He gives us the vision to see the world differently. To see others, their hurts and their needs, through the eyes of Christ. He gives us the desire then to act upon what we see in service to others, extending grace to those around us while holding ourselves accountable to God’s truth.

Let me underscore that last part. Living with the mind of Christ means we hold ourselves accountable to his word and will. We cannot lay claim to the mind of Christ and treat others with contempt or to engage in the hateful rhetoric or acts we see around us. Such attitudes and actions are not compatible with the mind of Christ.

Paul contrasted our human inability to comprehend God’s mind on our own with the insight gained through the indwelling presence of the “mind of Christ.” Even on our best days, our understanding of the purpose and plans of God is limited. Isaiah alluded to this limitation. I think that’s why some scripture jumps out at us with deeper meaning, depending on the season or circumstance of our lives.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 45:8-9)

The unknown elements of life cause confusion. At times we question or doubt God. However, we are repeatedly assured of God’s love and that he always knows the path ahead of us. The good news is we have what Isaiah didn’t have. We have the mind of Christ and that is life-changing.

We are no longer restricted by the limited wisdom of man. Our identity as “new creations” through our faith and trust in Christ, allows us to embrace, experience and exemplify the mind of Christ exhibited during his ministry on earth.

Christ showed us how to live a life of love, sacrifice, wisdom and grace. It was on his mind and in his heart always…in every encounter with every soul. Writer Jamie Wilson said that experiencing the mind of Christ is transformative, “…not a mere change in perspective; it is a radical shift in how we approach life and our relationship to God and others.”

It was a theme Paul carried to the Philippian church, as well, when he encouraged them to be united in Christ, possessing compassion and tenderness toward others. He urged them to be like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. He said, “Let this mind (attitude) be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5)

It carries a responsibility as Christians to cultivate a mindset that looks like Jesus. That thinks, lives and acts in all things, in all ways and at all times with compassion and a servant’s heart just as Jesus did.

I can’t speak for you, so I’ll just share my thoughts. My life experiences, my fruitful and my failed efforts at living life, have taught me that my understanding of God’s will for my life is imperfect. My background, education and experiences offer beneficial insight, but true wisdom is a God thing. It is his alone. I have to be willing to let go of my ego and follow where he leads every day.

I find it hard to seek and understand the mind of Christ if I am not truly engaged with him. If my prayer life is stilted, if my Bible study is superficial, if my fellowship with other believers is inconsistent, I miss opportunities to grow in the mind of Christ. Connecting with God through his word and through worship and praise, helps align my thoughts with his thoughts. I find that’s when clarity comes.

Having the mind of Christ carries a responsibility of reflecting him to others, inviting them to share in his love. Jesus thrived on his relationship with the father. It ignited the passion he had for sharing his love with others. If I embrace the mind of Christ, it deepens my own relationship with the father. My passion for sharing Christ’s love is at its highest when I am most connected to the mind of Christ.

I suspect it’s no different for you.

Think of the change the world would experience if all who professed a faith in Christ lived as if they had the mind of Christ. Our approach to ministry, outreach, service, governance and life in general would be much different.

Make this our prayer:

Father, help us remember that we are called to reflect Christ’s heart and mind in all our relationships. Let the mind of Christ guide our decisions, our thoughts, our words and everything we do. Help us avoid adding to the world’s divisive rhetoric and even more destructive behaviors. Help us seek to heal wounds by trusting in your wisdom and living in the mind of Christ so that others may see and experience the transformative power of God’s love.

Amen.

Thinking Points

What does it mean to you personally to have “the mind of Christ?” How does it shape the way you view and interpret current events or the culture around you?

 

In what ways might you be relying on human wisdom rather than God’s spirit to inform and guide your decisions?

 

How might your interactions with others and your social and political outlook differ if you approached the compassion, humility and grace exemplified in the mind of Christ?

 

Are there habits or patterns in your spiritual life—inconsistent worship, Bible study, prayer or fellowship—that hinder your ability to experience the mind of Christ?

 

In what areas of life do you most need and desire God’s wisdom this week? How can you actively seek it through his spirit this week?

 

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What’s Next?

Focal Passages: Jeremiah 29:11-13 and Proverbs 3:1-6

Graduation from either high school or college is a beautiful moment of celebration—a capstone of years of study, late nights, tests and struggle.

I sat through 147 of them in my career and only two of them were mine. Every graduation I attended buzzed with excitement and emotion. Classmates hugged or slapped each other on the backs, relieved that that piece of paper they’d been working toward for so long had been signed, sealed and delivered.

I watched thousands of graduates cross the stage each year, thrilled to see the unadulterated joy in the faces of the students as they held the diploma high, searching the crowd for their proud parents. As I sat on that stage year after year, I also noticed as each graduate sat back down waiting to toss those mortar boards into the air, there was a moment when the smile faded, replaced by that 1,000-yard stare. I could almost read their minds as they pondered, “What’s next?”

Equally exciting and terrifying, that question is relevant and filled with more uncertainty that anyone cares to admit. Those of us who have made that journey through life know how our best laid plans often morph into something unexpected.

What’s next? What would you tell that graduate you know?

At a time like this, it is easy to look inward for guidance and understanding. What are my dreams? What do I enjoy doing? What do I want out of life? Where do I go from here?

Scripture, however, points us not inward, but upward. Solomon’s wise words in Proverbs 3:1-6 provide comfort in the uncertainty of ‘what’s next.” He also offers practical wisdom for how to step forward with confidence and faith. In Solomon’s words to his son, you hear God’s voice speaking to all of us.

“Do not forget my teaching. Keep my commands in your heart…” (Proverbs 3:1)

Solomon’s tone is tender, wise and equally urgent. Standing on the threshold of uncertainty, stay grounded in what you’ve been taught. Remember what is truth. It’s not an academic reminder. It’s spiritual.

Whether we grew up in our faith or came to it later in life, this word reminds us to cling to the commands of God and his word. The world constantly works to reshape our identity, telling us that our worth is in our grade point average, our income, our popularity or fame, or our most recent accomplishment. God says otherwise. Remember what you’ve been taught about his character and his love and the way he wants us to live.

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” (Proverbs 3:3)

Love and faithfulness are the very character of God. Make them a part of who you are, engrave them on your heart and in your soul. Let them be the compass that guides your decisions and your actions as you navigate the foggy terrain of life. Allowing your life to be driven by selfish ambition or fear leads nowhere. Instead, allow your love for God and others to shape our next steps, to inform your every choice and decision.

Then, we see the more familiar part of this passage.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Left to our own thoughts, success makes us feel invincible. Uncertainty makes us feel invisible. Our understanding, even of what is best for us, is limited, shaped by fleeting emotions, cultural noise and incomplete knowledge. When we can’t see around the bend, God sees the entire path. He knows where every road leads.

Because he knows the path we’re walking and he knows where he wants to so go, God offers a promise in this passage. Submit to him. That doesn’t mean your life becomes easy, without its share of difficulty and heartache. It means it will be “straight.” Your life aligned with God’s perfect will and desire for your life, always leading to his purpose and desired outcome. Always anchored in his love.

It is a thought echoed in Jeremiah 29:11.

“I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

We too often make this passage a motivational poster: God’s got this! Everything will be fine. Nothing bad will happen to me.

See the passage in its context, though. These words are spoke to exiles—people ripped from their homes, living in a far away land, wondering if God had forgotten them. They had every reason to ask, “What’s next?”—not out of excitement, but out of despair.

God’s words through his prophet are meant to encourage and reassure them. “I know the plans…,” he says, not you. Not, you can figure them out on your own. “I know…” You see, when we don’t know what’s next, God knows. His plans for us are intimate, intentional and infinite, far greater in purpose and meaning than anything we could come up with on our own.
His plans will bring about spiritual and relational prosperity.

Despite the difficulty of the path, even if the journey is hard, God’s plan will never destroy us. Rather, they will always bring about hope and a future. It’s not vague reassurance. It is a divine guarantee.

Here’s the catch and one we don’t see if we don’t keep reading in Jeremiah.

“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:12-13)

The promises of Jeremiah 29:11 find fulfillment only when we chase after God in wholehearted pursuit. He isn’t calling us to sit back passively and wait for his direction. He’s inviting us to pray. To actively look for him and his path. To seek him passionately and persistently.  To connect with him. To follow him with all our heart.

Florence Nightingale grew up in a wealthy British family in Embley Park in Southampton. She was well-educated, fluent in multiple languages and expected to marry well and live a life of social refinement and leisure—hosting dinners, engaging in cultural events and managing the household estate.

When she turned 16, Florence wrote in her diary of a divine calling, sensing that God was leading her off the linear path she thought she was on to serve him as a nurse. At the time, pursuing a career in nursing was a scandalous choice for a woman of wealth. Elite English society and her family opposed her decision, deeming it beneath her station.

Her diary entry said, “God called me in the morning and asked me if I would do good for him alone without reputation.”

Shifting from a life of comfort to a life of purpose and sacrifice was central to her legacy. She became the founder of modern nursing and dedicated her life to reforming health care, improving hygiene and training nurses, all as an outgrowth of her Christian faith and conviction. She revolutionized nursing during the Crimean War by working tirelessly in harsh conditions taking care of wounded soldiers…a real-life Margaret Houlihan in a 19th century M*A*S*H unit.

If you had asked her at 15 years-of-age to tell you what’s next, she would have described a very different life than what she lived when she submitted to God’s plans to “prosper her, not to harm her and to give her hope and a future.” What a difference she made in the lives of so many when she let go of her plans and aligned her purpose to God’s will!

Graduation is the beginning. It is not the end. It is the start of a long, winding journey of growth challenge and purpose. That’s what those of us who have been there, done that, want our graduates to understand.

However, I don’t care if you are graduating high school, college or doing whatever it is you do decades after you got that diploma. Here’s the message for all of us when life leaves us asking, “What’s next?”

The joy we find in life…the meaning we find in life… is at its deepest when we’re doing what God calls us to do. When we remember his words and bind them in our hearts. When we set aside what we think we know and what we think we want. When we put our lives in his hands and submit to his will. When we seek him out in prayer and Bible study for his direction and guidance in life.

Our joy and our purpose come when we make him Lord of our lives.

May this be our prayer:

Thank you, God, for walking me through every season of life…from the classroom to the unknown. Help me trust you fully, even today, and lean not on my own understanding. I surrender my plans, my worries and my future into your hands. Lead me on the path you have prepared. When I stray from it, bring me back. Help me seek you with all my heart. I pray this in the strong name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

THINKING POINTS

Proverbs 3:3 says, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you.” What might it look like in your life right now to make love and faithfulness your guide in decisions about your future—especially when the world measures success differently?

Jeremiah 29:11 is a favorite verse for many, but verses 12-13 speak of seeking God with your whole heart. How are you actively seeking God’s direction in this season of your life? How could you pursue him more fully?

Is there a dream or opportunity in your heart that might require stepping away from what’s easy in order to pursue what’s godly?

Think back on what you’ve been taught about God’s character and promises. How can remembering those truths help you navigate the pressure and uncertainty of what’s next in life?

*****

Author’s Note: If you want to receive this blog via email, click www.drkirklewis.com. Find the “Subscribe” button and enter your email address. That’s all it takes. Your email will not be released to anyone else.

Overcoming Fear

Focal Passage: 2 Timothy 1:5-7

Holocaust survivor and author of The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom understood the power of fear more than most of us. She also understood the power of her God to take away fear. “Never be afraid,” she said, “to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

I thought about what she said this week as someone talked about the current state of affairs in our country and across the world. In his understated way my friend told me that the political and social turmoil left him “a little unsettled.”

Americans feel increasingly pessimistic and uncertain about the future, according to recent polls. Many people suffer from a growing sense of despair and concern about perceived changes in the quality of life and the future of their children or grandchildren.

A recent Gallup poll found 80 percent of Americans anticipate some level of economic difficulty in the near future, with expectations of higher taxes and deeper national deficits. That same poll showed optimism about the next generation’s prospects has declined significantly in recent years. Only 42 percent of Americans believe today’s young people will have a better life than their parents, an 18-point drop since 2019.

As troubling as that sounds, there is more depressing news. A recent Reuters poll reveals that 80% of Americans expressed “fear that the world is spiraling out of control.” In addition, 64 percent of Americans are pessimistic about the country’s moral and ethical standards.

While I understand the feeling and fight its grip on me at times, as an American and a Christian, I find this underlying fear disturbing. Fear cannot be a part of the Christian’s vocabulary, can it? How can we “trust an unknown future to a known God,” as ten Boom said? Thankfully, the Bible has an answer.

Paul found himself in a cold Roman dungeon, chained to a common criminal, isolated from his friends and staring death in the face. Believers in Christ were being persecuted. Preaching God’s word put Jesus followers in opposition to the Jewish faith and to Roman rule. If anyone had a right to fear it was those early Christians.

In his second letter to Timothy, a young pastor he left in ministry in Ephesus, Paul encouraged Timothy to set aside fear in favor of faith. To draw upon the power of God’s spirit in the face of life’s challenges.

I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” (2 Timothy 1:5-6)

It’s Paul’s next words I needed to hear this week.

“For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

Paul ordained Timothy to preach and teach Jesus. He wanted him to continue to build up the faithful believers in Ephesus to grow and mature in their own faith…despite the opposition he faced and the persecution Paul knew would come their way.

Perhaps a young Timothy let timidity grab hold, dousing his passion for God’s work. That’s why Paul urged him in verse 6 to fan the flame of his calling. To stoke the fire. To burn again and rekindle his desire to share Christ with others and encourage others to live up to their calling.

Fear and anxiety are not from God. Fear paralyzes. Fear manipulates. Fear destabilizes and prevents us from serving God, from living as Christ lived.

When circumstances grip us in fear and hopelessness, God’s spirit gives us power beyond human experience. When he knew the deep fear the disciples would feel when he was no longer with them, Jesus lets them know they would find power through God’s spirit.

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. You will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

The power to be his people, to stand for him, to share him with those we encounter comes from the presence of the Holy Spirit and his work within us. Divine strength flows to us from the spirit to overcome obstacles and face challenges to boldly proclaim the gospel and live intentionally for him. When filled with fear, we rest on the knowledge that God’s gift of his spirit is greater than our fears.

You find the empowerment in the spiritual gifts which God uses to equip his believers for service and ministry…powerful gifts to proclaim, encourage, and discern. Gifts that extend hospitality and administer his work.

The spirit also empowers us to grow in the fruits of the spirit, the outward demonstration of his work within us. He provides the power to develop kindness, hope, love, faithfulness, gentleness and goodness. In other words, to develop the character of Christ that we would be powerless to accomplish without his presence.

Through his spirit of power, God grants us these gifts to strengthen us to do the work.

Paul also said Gods fills us with a spirit of love that surpasses human understanding. This agape love is a sacrificial love that compels us to reach out to the lost, to forgive those who hurt us and to serve others openly and selflessly.

The Apostle John talks about this spirit of love in one of his letters.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in him. In this way, love is made complete…There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out fear…And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (I John 4:16-18, 21)

On an earlier occasion Jesus said something similar.

A new command I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you…By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, that you love one another. (John 13:34-35)

I like what Pastor Dean Courtier said about the power of love granted by the spirit. “When we truly grasp the depth and breadth of God’s love for us, we no longer cower in fear of judgment or condemnation. Instead, we are emboldened to approach God with confidence and to extend love and compassion to others without reservation.’

Paul also talks about the Spirit granting us the power of self-discipline, what other translations call a “sound mind.” It is the power to think clearly, remain grounded in our faith and not be swept away by fear and panic. In this day of misinformation and the sensationalized nature of modern media, that’s not the easiest thing to do on your own.

A Christian nurse working in an overcrowded hospital through the horrors of Covid, talked about how she would pray each morning quoting 2 Timothy 1:7 to herself. So much was unknown early in the pandemic. The threat of infection and death loomed large. She reminded herself that she had not been given a spirit of fear.

She chose instead to show the spirit of power through her unwavering presence, the spirit of love through her care for her patients and a spirit of sound mind or self-discipline by following safety protocols to protect herself, her patients and her colleagues. The sense of peace she experienced after each prayer, she said, became “as contagious” as the virus, serving as an encouragement not only to herself, but to the patients, doctors and nurses in her unit.

Truthfully, there is much going on in this world that might engender fear in my heart. You may feel the same way. Rosa Parks, the civil rights icon, fought a tough battle against racism and discrimination. She said, “I have learned through the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear. Knowing what must be done does away with fear.”

Let’s, therefore, make up our minds. There is no room for fear in a Christian’s life even when the world seems to unstable. That’s when the world needs Jesus most. That’s when the world needs us most to be Jesus’ voice, hands and feet. That’s what must be done. That is the life to which we’ve been called. Let our purpose and God’s spirit of power, love and self-discipline within us drive away our fear.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with Thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Thinking Points

Paul reminded Timothy of his spiritual heritage through his grandmother and mother. What spiritual habits, values and attitudes have you inherited from others and how are you passing those on to future generations?

What gifts or callings in your life have grown dormant by fear, distraction or fatigue? What would it look like if you fanned the flames or rekindled your passion?

How would living in power, love and self-discipline change your response to the challenges and uncertainties in your life?

What would a spirit-empowered life look like in today’s cultural and political climate? Can the church respond to the fear in the world without becoming fearful itself?

*****

Author’s Note: If you want to receive this blog via email, click on this link or go to www.drkirklewis.com. Find the “Subscribe” button and enter your email address. That’s all it takes. Your email is not released to anyone else. 

 

Resurrection Power

Focal Passage: John 15:1-17

A few years ago, Robin and I took a quick trip with my niece Sarah to Philadelphia. We searched for Toynbee tiles (you’ll have to look it up), ate the perfect Philly cheesesteak and did the traditional historical pilgrimage to the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.

As I stood at the back of that smaller than imagined assembly hall where the Declaration of Independence was debated and signed, I wished I could have been a fly on the wall just to experience the moments that history failed to record.

To hear quiet conversations. To feel the tension and the emotions of the delegates. To sense what those men were feeling when they signed their names to that amazing document. “To be in the room where it happened,” as they sang in the Boardway musical Hamilton.

Some of God’s greatest lessons find me when I am a fly on the wall in any room or any place I find Jesus in scripture. I found myself in the upper room with Jesus and his disciples this week as I prepared for Easter weekend. A fly on the wall in one of the most critical conversations Jesus had with his closest followers.

Jesus spent his time in the upper room comforting his disciples for the anxiety they would feel after his death on the cross. He also spent time, though, giving them some insight into how they were to live in a post-resurrection world.

As I reflected on the resurrection of Jesus this past week, I read the words of Paul in Philippians 3:10.

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection…

That’s really where God began to prick my heart this week. What does it mean to live in the power of his resurrection?

Paul would have called this post-resurrection life a life empowered by the resurrection of Christ and marked by personal and spiritual transformation, holiness and hope. That’s a great starting point to see how Jesus encouraged his disciples and us to live in the power of his resurrection.

Jesus spent time in the upper room and on the way to Gethsemane prepping them for the post-resurrection life they were to live. After the meal was completed, Jesus continued to teach them as they walked to the garden. As you read John 15, be the fly. Listen and observe.

Read John 15:1-17

The time for parables had passed. Time would allow no more misunderstanding. So direct was his teaching that one of the disciples even said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see…”

Jesus spoke clearly of his death and told them of the turmoil, sadness and fear his death would bring to his followers. These disciples, who lived and breathed Jesus for the past three years began to feel the weight of his words. He offered comfort with promises of his return and the arrival of God’s spirit as a resource for them. A light at the end of this dark and tragic tunnel.

Look at what he tells them in John 15:4.

Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; It must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine. You are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Two quick things emerge from this passage. First, the Greek word remain means more than being physically present. Jesus knew that wasn’t going to happen, no matter how much he or they wanted it to. To remain conveys the idea of being connected, joined. To be dependent upon. It carries the thought of persevering or staying the course.

Watching Jesus die on the cross and seeing that stone rolled in front of the tomb expressed a finality that could easily paralyze their hearts and destroy their resolve. Knowing the outcome promised by his Father, Jesus knew there would be a post-resurrection life. The only way they would survive and not drift away would be to remain in him.

Jesus told them to stay connected. Abide with me. Persevere. The good news is that he promised a “Comforter,” the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit that not only sustains faith in troubled times but inspires it. Laying upon their hearts and ours today the desire to serve him in all things. To live like Christ.

Secondly, the power of his resurrection is more than just surviving through the difficult times, it is about bearing fruit.

Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (vs. 4)

The post-resurrection life they were called by Jesus to live required them to stay connected with him and to continue the work he started in them. To do good. To reflect Christ’s character. To grow in discipleship. To proclaim his salvation. To endure all things in faithfulness.

You see this concept reflected in a lot of Paul’s writings.

So that you may live a life worthy of the Lord…bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:10)

The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Jesus didn’t stop with his encouragement to stay connected and to bear fruit. He mentioned one other thing that represents the power his resurrection provides all believers.

As the father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love…My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends…Love each other. (John 15:9, 12-13, 17)

Living their call and their mission after the resurrection would be the greatest challenge the disciples would face. Jesus explained to them the hardships, the persecution and the death that would come to them when they answered the call. Nothing about living the life God called them to live would be easy.

Love for each other would be the encouragement they needed to stay the course through the days to come. Their ability to minister would rest on the love they shared with all who would believe in Christ. It would be this love that would be the mark of their faith.

Earlier in the upper room, Jesus took on the role of servant, washing his disciple’s feet and telling them to wash each other’s feet. Serve one another. That servant’s attitude stems from their love for each other. His command from the upper room is just as clear as his command on the way to the garden.

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, you must love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:34-35)

Jesus had one day to live and he chose to spend that time serving, teaching and loving on those he called to continue his ministry and mission. I find so much of what he shared with the disciples relevant in my life today.

If you had to boil down our responsibilities to God under the power of his resurrection, if you had to state the essence of the life we are called to live for a living Lord, it seems these instructions come together well.

God in Christ asks us to stay connected to him. To live in his presence and let his spirit live in and through us. We are to do good work that gives glory to God by producing fruit, bringing others to Christ and living a Godly life that reflects the character and nature of Jesus. Finally, we are to love one another so fiercely that the world will know without a doubt that we belong to him.

We will have opportunities ever day to live out that lifestyle. Opportunities around every corner.

Easter is first and foremost about the grace gift that God offers the world.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

If you’ve not made that step, if you have never put your faith and trust in Jesus, maybe now is the time to open yourself to the possibility of giving your heart to him. Seek his forgiveness. Make him Lord of your life.

Yet, Easter is also about living a living in the power of his resurrection. The call to live as his disciples and be his voice and his hands in your world.

If, like me, you’ve made that commitment of faith and trust already, maybe it’s time to ask yourself as I’ve asked myself this week, Am I allowing the power of Jesus’ resurrection to work in my life to its fullest sense? If not, what better season to start than Easter.

Thinking Points

Think about what it means to you personally to “remain” in Christ. How do you stay spiritually connected to him during difficult times?

In what ways are you currently bearing fruit in your life—spiritually, relationally or in service to others? In what area of your life could the Holy Spirit help you grow?

How does the command to love others “as I have loved you” challenge your relationships and daily interactions with others?

In the current season of your life, whatever that may be, what does living a post-resurrection life look like? Are there areas in which you need to grow or persevere more intentionally?

Transforming Grace

Author’s Note

“If you can’t think of anything to say, maybe it’s time to listen.”

This unattributed quote sums up what I felt a year ago as I was struggling to pull together another post for my Bible study blog The Searcher. At that time, I had been publishing my personal Bible study reflections for over a decade and, frankly, I felt like I was running out of things to say. I continued my personal Bible studies, but I quit writing about them. Instead, I chose to listen.

I like to think God gifted me with the ability to string a few cogent words together to communicate a thought or two, particularly as it relates to things I’m learning in scripture. I believe when we study his word, God, through his spirit, honors the time and teaches us things we need to know in whatever season of life we might be experiencing. I trusted that I would feel it when, or if, God wanted me to begin again sharing what he was teaching me.

One year has rolled around and it feels like it is time to start once more. So, for those who wondered why I quit writing, now you know. It was simply time for me to listen with fresh ears and an open heart.

Thanks for your patience.

Transforming Grace

Titus 2:11-14

As the days lead up to Easter, I’ve been reminded through my pastor’s sermon series of God’s wondrous grace offered to each of us through Jesus’ death and resurrection. The price of redemption for our sins has been paid in full. A gift freely given. Undeserved and unmerited.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, but it is the gift of God—not by works so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8)

This saving nature of grace, I clearly understand and value, but it’s really a gift that keeps on giving.

Paul penned a quick note to Titus, a young pastor he left behind in Crete to carry on the work Paul started. It would not be an easy assignment for Titus. Cretans enjoyed a nasty reputation in the ancient world. Epimenides, a philosopher from Crete who lived in the 6th century B.C., called his fellow Cretans “liars, evil brutes and gluttons.”

Paul spent time in his letter instructing Titus on general themes he needed to teach to the new believers under in care. Sound doctrine. Temperance. Self-Control. Love. Patience. Integrity. Then, he talked about grace. Look at what he said in Titus 2:11-14

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “no” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

That first sentence speaks to saving grace through Christ. Notice, though, that grace doesn’t just save, it teaches. We spend a lot of time singing about his amazing grace that forgives and saves, but we rarely think of grace beyond the cross.

Pastor and author John Piper said, “Grace is not simply leniency when we have sinned. Grace is the enabling gift of God not to sin. Grace is power, not just pardon.”

Look again at what Paul tells Titus. Grace teaches us to say “no” to ungodliness and sin. Such teaching goes beyond simple instruction. The Greek word for teach suggests the entire process of instruction, encouragement, correction and discipline. In essence, grace empowers us to live the abundant life Christ promised through its constant work in our lives. Helping us say no to impulses and desires that run counter to God’s will and yes to obedience to his will, to living in right relationship with God and others and imitating Christ in our attitudes and our actions.

Just as a personal trainer helps us adopt a healthier lifestyle, grace acts as our personal spiritual trainer leading us toward a life that pleases God. Grace doesn’t just save, it transforms.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then, you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

God’s grace purifies and cleanses us, setting us apart as God’s people who are eager to do good.

When his Christian mother died in 1733, six-year-old John Newton lived under the strict and forbidding thumb of his unbelieving, sea captain father whose discipline lacked nurturing and any outward show of love.

As a young man, Newton joined the British Navy. He sailed headlong into a life of depravity and rebellion that led to his deep involvement in the African slave trade. His life sullied by violence and blatant disregard for any moral compass. By his own admission, Newton’s actions were horrific, nothing short of cruel and inhumane.

Caught in a particularly dangerous storm in 1748, Newton found himself in a floundering ship with little hope of rescue, praying in desperation to the God his mother worshipped. That moment, according to Newton, marked the beginning of his transformation into a man of God.

Once safe on land, Newton gave his life to Christ. He immediately abandoned the slave trade to become an Anglican minister, preaching about God’s grace and advocating for the abolition of slavery.

In his autobiography, Newton acknowledged the change that took place in his life when he accepted Christ as savior. He said, “I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.”

Understanding the transforming nature of forgiveness and grace, Newton penned the words of one of the world’s most beloved hymns. Originally written as a poem with 13 verse, Amazing Grace tells the story of how God changed his life.

I have sung that song so many times in my life that I don’t always hear the words. Reading it as the poem written by a transformed soul adds to its meaning. One particular verse caught my attention.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come.
‘Tis grace that brought me safe this far
And grace will lead me home.

Newton may have penned that last line thinking about grace that provides his way to heaven, but I wonder if the relevant word here might be “lead.” Paul shares that once we receive God’s saving grace, it is the power of grace that leads (guides, teaches, encourages) us to live for Christ. He told the Philippian church,

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion. (Philippians 1:6)

The transforming grace of God leads us from that moment forward by reshaping our hearts, making us a new creation, by changing the way we think about life and our responsibility to God as we live it. Creating within us such purified and clean hearts that are eager to do good.

So, here’s the challenge you and I face this week. Let’s thank God not only for grace that pardons, but equally for grace that transforms and empowers us to live Christ-like lives, eager to do good just as he did.

Thinking Points

How does grace differ from mercy and justice?

Why do you think grace is more powerful than guilt for changing behavior?

What area(s) of life is grace currently transforming in you?

My Lord and My God

Background Passages: John 20:24-29; I Corinthians 15:14-15,17, 19

Nokolai Ivanovich Bukharin was once one of the most powerful men on earth. An ardent communist and a leader in the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, Bukharin became the editor of Pravada, the Soviet newspaper and a full member of the Soviet Politburo. 

Bukharin was sent to Kiev in 1930 to deliver a major address on atheism to a huge assembly of Communist Part officials. He spent much of his time attacking Christianity, arguing against its influence and hurling insults at those who embraced it’s beliefs. 

When he finished he asked if anyone had a question or comment. After a period of deafening silence a solitary man approached the platform and walked to the microphone. After scanning the crowd. He uttered three words in a strong voice he uttered the traditional greeting of the Russian Orthodox Church. “Christ is risen!”

To the astonishment and embarrassment of Bukharin, the entire assembly rose and shouted in a thundering chorus, “He is risen, indeed!”

Such is the power of Easter. “Christ is risen!”

Of the various accounts of Christ’s resurrection recorded in the gospels, I find myself drawn time and time again not to the reaction of Mary, or Peter and John, or even to the the two men on the Road to Emmaus. 

I find in Thomas the most honest response to the resurrection. 

If you remember, the followers of Jesus sought comfort from one another in the hours immediately after Jesus’ death and burial. They huddled together in fear of Roman or Jewish retribution. Even after the women reported that they had seen Jesus, the others were slow to grasp its truth. 

Then, Jesus appeared among them, revealing his nail scarred hands and feet, munching on a piece of bread, as physically present as he had been the last time they were with him in the Garden of Gethsemane. 

Though we are not told why, Thomas was not with them when Jesus first showed himself to the disciples. 

It would be within his character to believe the worst. I can see Thomas, the hood of his robe draped low across his face, walking without purpose or direction through the streets of Jerusalem. Hands thrust in his pockets, trying to make sense of the horror he had witnessed from a distance and the things he thought he understood. Where would he go now that everything for which he had hoped was lost?

As he wearily climbs the steps into the upper room where he left the disciples in despair, he hears excited voices and laughter. It was not what he was expecting. 

When he enters, John rushes to him, lifts him in a big bear hug, spinning him around, “He is risen! He is risen, Thomas! We’ve seen Jesus! We have seen the Lord!”

I think their excitement confounded Thomas. As they tried to explain what they had seen, none of it made sense. All of it filled him with doubt and anxiety. Finally, Thomas throws up his hands exasperated, confused, maybe even a little embarrassed and guilt-ridden. 

He said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

He stewed in that uncertain misery for seven long days, unable to join in the excitement of his friends. John tells us in his gospel…

A week later, the disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you!”

For seven days, Thomas probably sat in the corner of the room, listening to the buzz of excitement, hearing the testimony of the two men from Emmaus who very nearly busted the door open in their desire to tell their story. 

The cloud that settled over Thomas grew darker every day until Jesus stood again in the middle of the room, greeting all those who saw him and rushed to his side. Can you put yourself in Thomas’ sandals now? Stunned to see the truth that others proclaimed and instantly filled with shame and regret for not believing them. 

As Jesus patiently greeted those who swarmed around him, his eyes searched the room for Thomas. Finding him, Jesus quietly excused himself, pushed through the throng and stood before his pessimistic disciple, stretching out his hands. 

Then, he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here. See my hands. Reach out your hand and put into my side. Stop doubting and believe. Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God.”

Despite his pessimism, despite his struggle to believe, Thomas offered the only response to Jesus that really matters. “My Lord and my God.” 

What a superb and perfectly simply declaration of faith. The resurrection matters. “He is risen” is more than a religious catchphrase, it is the cornerstone of all we believe. It is what made Paul lay it on the line with the Corinthian church.

If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then proved to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. (I Corinthians 15:14-15, 17,19)

So what made the difference for this tough and hard-nosed disciple? What precipitated this radical change from skeptic to believer?

Simply, he saw Jesus. 

Some consider Jesus response to Thomas’ declaration an admonition of some sort. “Tsk, tsk. You had to see to believe. Such little faith.”  

I don’t see it that way. Look at what he said.

Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed.”

Jesus rejoiced that for Thomas “seeing was believing.” I think he showed up that day in the upper room for that reason only. To show himself to Thomas. To bring him back into the fold because he wanted and needed Thomas to believe. 

Though we may not see Jesus in the flesh as did Thomas, we “see” him in his words recorded in the Bible as they come to life under the inspired presence of his spirit as it convicts us of our need for him. We “see” him in the faith and witness of others whose lives reflect his image. 

When we finally “see” him for who he is, our response ought to be the same response proclaimed boldly by Thomas, “My Lord and my God.”

That’s the blessing Jesus refers to at the end of the passage. Blessed, happy and content are those who don’t get the chance to see as Thomas saw and yet still put their faith and trust in him. 

I will be far from home on this Easter Sunday, sailing somewhere off the coast of southern Argentina, on a day on which my oldest granddaughter Lena will be baptized because several months ago she “saw” Jesus and made him her Lord and her God. 

Thanks to the technology of live streaming, Robin and I will get to rejoice with her in that special moment.

Her testimony of God’s saving grace in Christ Jesus is a blessing to her and to our entire family as we are reminded again that Easter celebrates a risen and living Lord.

“Blessed are those who have not seen (as you did Thomas), but still believed.”

Christ is risen!

Do Not Harden Your Heart

Background Passages: Mark 6:30-52 and Ephesians 1:15-19a

You’ll remember the story.

The disciples just returned to Bethsaida on the shore of the Sea of Galilee after a quick mission trip of their own where they taught and preached the gospel. As they began sharing how God had been at work in their efforts, the bustle of the crowd grew distracting.

Jesus suggested a quick boat ride to the far shore where they could spend a quieter time in reflection, rest and praise.

Their leaving the town did not go unnoticed, however. As their boats rowed across the water, the crowd followed, walking along the shoreline trying to catch up to the teacher and healer. By the time Jesus and his disciples reached the beach, a large crowd had already gathered, hoping to hear the words of the master teacher.

Jesus felt compassion toward them, according to scripture, and began to teach them “many things” about God and what it means to live as his people. As the late afternoon came, one of the disciples interrupted Jesus and suggested he call it a day.

I’m paraphrasing, but they said, “We’re in a remote place and it’s late. These folks are going to be hungry. We need to send them on their way so they can find something to eat.”

Jesus suggested that rather than send them away, the disciples should feed them. The idea struck them as impossible. The crowd was too large and their funds too small. Jesus asked them what they had which they could share. Andrew, bless his heart, found a young boy with a pouch holding five small loaves of bread and two small fish that his mother had prepared for his lunch that morning. “That’s it, Jesus.” He probably said. “That’s all we could find.”

Sometime later, the disciples stared for a long moment at the 12 baskets of loaves and fishes gathered after Jesus took the boy’s meager meal, blessed it and began giving food to the disciples to distribute to the crowd of 5,000 men and their families.

Can you imagine how stunning it must have been to see the unfolding of this miracle?

After taking care of the hungry, Jesus insisted that the disciples get in the boat to return to Bethsaida. They pushed off from shore, yammering in excitement about what they had just witnessed. After dismissing the crowd, telling them to return home, Jesus found a quiet place on the mountainside to rest and pray, giving thanks to God for the blessings that unfolded that day.

The winds picked up during the early morning hours and the moon glistened off the water below. In the distance, Jesus could see the disciples struggling to make headway against the wind and waves. Scripture tells us they were “straining at the oars.”

Mark picks up the story from there.

Shortly before dawn he (Jesus) went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified.

Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then, he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

I went a long way through scripture to get to that last line that I’ve overlooked every time I’ve read this story. “Their hearts were hardened.”

That’s a phrase I most often associate with Pharoah. Moses, on God’s behalf, appealed to Pharoah time and time again to let the people of Israel return to their homeland. Each time the Egyptian king refused, God sent a plague of blood or frogs (that would have done it for me), or gnats, or flies to prove his power and persuade the reluctant ruler.

Each time, however, scripture in Exodus tells us that Pharoah “hardened his heart.” Then, when God had given him every chance in the world to respond positively to him, God took his choice away. God, then “hardened the heart of Pharoah,” sealing his fate.

When we see that term in scripture, it usually means a stubborn refusal to obey God’s teaching or to acknowledge him as Lord. In the Old Testament, it suggests such self-centeredness that one simply turns his back repeatedly on God. Refusing to listen. Refusing to obey.

In the New Testament and even today, to harden one’s heart is to stubbornly and consistently reject Jesus as Savior and Lord, despite every effort the Holy Spirit makes to open one’s heart to the possibility of salvation through Christ. That’s true, the story I just shared suggests there is more to it than that.

In our passage in Mark, we see the disciples sitting in a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee with hardened hearts after Jesus demonstrated his power and authority over all things, not once, but twice in the space of 12 hours. His disciples. His followers. People who believe in him.

Once Jesus climbed into the boat, Mark tells us the disciples were “completely amazed.” Whatever Greek word is used in this instance, is evidently not easily translated into English. Different versions of the Bible capture the phrase as “completely overwhelmed,” “completely astounded,” “so baffled they were beside themselves,’ “completely confused,” or “utterly astounded.”

The reason for their profound astonishment was not that Jesus walked on water and calmed the sea. Look what Mark said, “…they had not understood about the loaves.”

Talk about a left turn. I didn’t see that coming. What did they not understand about the loaves?

The disciples were believers. They trusted Jesus as Lord, but they still had much to learn about who he was and what it means to live for him. Such a description sounds eerily familiar to my life…and I suspect to yours.

Though they had come a long way in their understanding, they often missed the point of what Jesus did and why he did it. Jesus did an incredible miracle by creating food for as many as 15,000-20,000 men, women and children from a measly sack lunch. John tells us that Jesus even took the time shortly after this incident to explain that the feeding of the 5,000 was an object lesson, pointing to him as the “bread of life.”

The disciples, however, got in the boat that night, marveling at the miracle, but not truly seeing the one who worked the miracle for who he really is. They missed the revelation of his deity…as God in flesh. It could have been such a turning point in their lives, yet they missed it.

That’s why they were then amazed when he did other God-like things such as walking on the water or calming the sea. Their hearts stubbornly refused to see what was standing right before their eyes, as the water lapped at his ankles. God, through Jesus, is capable of doing anything regardless of the lack of resources or the difficulty of the circumstance.

Their hearts were hardened.

And, there lies the lesson I needed to hear. The language about hardened hearts is usually reserved for God’s enemies, people to whom God is a stranger. Sometimes, those of us who know and trust Jesus as Lord, still have a hard time believing that God is God and that God is still at work.

Stubbornly refusing to believe what we see that reveals his “Godness,” his goodness and his presence in our lives. Hardening our hearts even when we see him doing God things.

Here’s where the story gets so real to me. The disciples didn’t miss the miracle of the loaves. They were in the big middle of it.

They saw Jesus pray. They saw him take the food he had available and turn it into a feast. They handed out basket after basket and each time they returned to Jesus he handed them another basket until everyone was fed.

They saw the grateful faces of the hungry and heard their joy and laughter. They gathered up the leftovers, each loading a full meal to take with them on their journey.

I can be in the middle of God’s work and still miss seeing God in it simply because my heart is not paying attention. I marvel at the miracle and miss the miracle worker.

Paul wrote a letter to the Ephesian church that sounds like a perfect way to focus on keeping our hearts from being hardened to the exceptional grace and work of God in Christ.

“For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened (in other words, not hardened) in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. (Ephesians 1:15-19a)

It was Paul’s prayer for his friends in Ephesus and 2,000 years later, I’m making it my prayer for my life and for yours.

You Are What You Think

Background Passages: Psalm 1:1-4, Jeremiah 17:7-8, Philippians 4:8, and 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

The route we typically took to my parents’ house from Pasadena to Ropesville was honestly not the most scenic drive. While there is something to be said for the stark beauty of the endless highway and cotton fields, the trip that we took countless times was little more than the occasional mesa, a random Dairy Queen and a lot of flat, empty space.

I recall making that drive early in our marriage before children as we sat in silence while the country droned by. I felt Robin’s eyes on me long before she asked the question every husband dreads.

“What are you thinking?”

Every husband knows my response. “Nothing.” Also, as every husband knows, that’s exactly what I was thinking in that exact moment and in most moments of solitude. Absolutely nothing.

Comedian Mark Gungor would say, “I was in my Nothing Box.” (If you’ve never seen that YouTube video about how the brains of men and women work, it’s worth the view.)

The Bible talks a lot about our thought life. Though it’s slightly out of context, Solomon lets us know in Proverbs 23:7 that “As a man thinks, so he is.”

In other words, you are what you think. Whatever we choose to concentrate on, spend our time thinking about, will impact the way we choose to live.

Hear the instructive word of the Psalmist.

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. Not so the wicked. They are like chaff that the wind blows away. (Psalm 1:1-4)

As the opening hymn of the Psalm, the passage answers some amazingly deep questions about life. Who am I going to be? Who is God? Where can I find true contentment and happiness? What road should I take in life? What is my purpose?

It is a call to be blessed. To find contentment and joy, regardless of life’s circumstances. The passage puts us squarely in the middle of the fork in the road. The first path is walked by the wicked, the sinners and the mockers of all that is holy.

Jesus might have called it Broadway. He said in Matthew 7:13, “…For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.”

That first step down the path of the wicked and the way of the sinner always begin with a thought, an idea, a desire that pops in our head that entices and seduces us. We begin to think walking that path would be so much more fun, so much more profitable, so much more popular, that we can’t help but start the journey. As we think, so we are. It doesn’t take long for our thoughts to take hold in our hearts. Now, instead of just thinking about things we shouldn’t, we’re doing them.

Sadly, Paul and I have much in common on this point. I suspect most of us do.

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do…For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do–this I keep doing. (Romans 7:15,18-19)

We won’t find contentment on the broad road described by Jesus or the way of the wicked described by the Psalmist. Rather, we’ll end up feeling more and more like Paul. We don’t intend to walk that path, but the world makes it look easy and appealing.

Blessedness (joy and contentment) comes, according to Psalm 1, when we don’t follow in the footsteps of those who do evil or take the path sinners take or travel among the scoffers who know nothing of God and his grace or goodness. It is the road to destruction…to chaff. An existence in which we are blown in whatever direction the wind blows. Never truly grounded. Always acting on a whim.

The Psalmist said the one who is blessed will find a different road to travel. In that same passage in Matthew, Jesus tells us to use the narrow gate and the “narrow road that leads to life and only a few find it.” As Robert Frost said, “…the road less traveled.”

Blessedness flows to the one whose “delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.” Delight is a heart response to something or someone of beauty and value, in this case, God’s word and its truth. The word “delight” is used typically in scripture to describe the life in which God’s purpose and choice are in view.

It is joy, pleasure and satisfaction that comes when we abide in his word and will. Such delight comes only from delving deeply into scripture, finding its relevance for our lives and acting daily upon it.

The one who thinks only about the truths and promises of God found in his word is the one who walks in the path of the righteous and stands in the way of the faithful or sits in the company of those who trust in God’s word. You see, as a man thinks, so he is.

If we think of the things of God, those will be the attributes ingrained in us. It is an immutable truth repeated time and time again in scripture.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthy things. (Colossians 3:1-2)

Then, look at what Paul tells the Philippian church about the way we ought to think.

He begins the passage by exhorting his readers to “rejoice.” To find joy. To find contentment. To find a peace that “transcends all understanding…” Then, he tells them how.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4-8)

Paul expresses in such a beautiful and poetic way how our thoughts ought to be directed.

Jesus even alludes to it in his Beatitudes when he says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

Given that the heart was viewed in the Jewish culture as the center of thought and will, Jesus says those whose thoughts are pure, whose motives for every decision are aligned with God’s word and will—these are the souls who will see God at work in their lives. These are the folks who find God in every circumstance of life—good or bad.

You are what you think.

Paul shared one more thought in his second letter to the Corinthian church which feels applicable here.

Though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

Don’t you love that last phrase?

…take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ…

The Greek word used for “take captive” means “to control, to conquer, to bring into submission.” We bring into submission every thought so that it conforms to the teachings of Christ. We conquer our tendency to dwell on things we shouldn’t be thinking about. We control those wicked thoughts by not letting them take root in our heart and soul.

The good news is that the Psalmist tells us how to do this.

We take captive our thoughts ”by meditating on the law day and night.”

Our hearts desire must be to embed ourselves so deeply in God’s word and all that it teaches us that we have little time to think of anything else. To be so grounded in scripture, that every temptation is answered by the Spirit’s whispered reminder of what has been taught us through God’s word…just as Jesus refuted every temptation from Satan with a word from scripture.

It’s not enough to just hear scripture read to you in Sunday School or from the pulpit. We need to spend time during the week studying God’s word, especially when the pervasive garbage of the world tries so hard to infiltrate our every thought.

The Rev. Charles Spurgeon said, “A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.”

I’ll revert to the Proverbs, an ancient equivalent to the modern day “garbage in, garbage out.” Proverbs 15:14 says that “A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash.”

You are what you think.

I like the idea the Psalmist conveys when he says what it is like to be one who immerses himself in God’s word.

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.

Jeremiah shares a similar thought.

Bless is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

You must love this tree metaphor as much as I do.

Notice that the tree is planted by the stream. It didn’t grow up there on its own accord. It was planted. Planted means to cause to take root. The Hebrew word used here more closely translates as “transplanted.” To cause to take root after moving from one environment to another more suited for growth.

I love that idea in the context of this Psalm that talks about the way of the wicked opposed to the way of the righteous seen in the one who dwells in God’s word. That person is transplanted from the path of wicked, the sinner and the scoffer to live and grow next to the living water found in God’s word through Christ Jesus.

A tree’s roots run deep, searching always for the moisture and nutrients that fuel its growth. The deeper its roots go, the more sturdy and stable it becomes , more capable of withstanding any wind that blows. (In contrast, it takes very little wind to blow away the chaff.)

That’s how it is with one grounded deeply in scripture. She finds the spiritual water and nutrients to grow and mature in Christ. And, like the tree, that kind of growth takes time. We live in a time of instant gratification, but the Christian life is a process of growing and learning. Each minute we stop looking to the Bible for our strength is a lost moment in our spiritual lives.

Notice also that the tree yields fruit. Our time spend in studying God’s word will always point us to ministry and service. It is the understanding of what God requires of us that propels us to care for and serve others.

The message of this Psalm hit me squarely between the eyes this week.

You are what you think.

As we walk through each day, let’s meditate on God’s word…day and night. Think about the things of God. When we do, it’s so much easier to…

Be the tree.