“Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty; God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.” R. Heber
The scene repeats each Christmas Eve. Clad for the climate, aunts, uncles, and cousins pile onto the flatbed for the annual family hayride. We’ve hardly left Uncle George’s driveway when someone starts to sing, and for the next several hours, the streets are filled with strains of Christmas joy.
One evening, as our family’s rousing rendition of “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” drew to a close and we rounded the corner of Oak and Elm, my almost-three year old offered the next selection. “‘Holwy, Holwy, Holwy.’ I want to sing ‘Holwy, Holwy, Holwy,’” she sweetly suggested. She knew no better. “Holy, Holy, Holy” had been my song of choice during her many diaper changes, and since we were singing about Jesus, surely that song should be sung.
Not wanting to crush her Christmas spirit, Cousin Gary’s tenor set the tone, and the entire clan belted out all four verses.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity.
“Holy, Holy, Holy” calls us to consider the cause of Christ’s coming—to look beyond the what to the why. In perfect power, God created a sinless world. In perfect purity, He pushed our sinful selves away. But in perfect love, He came here so we could draw near. God’s holiness makes Christmas mandatory if we are ever to see His majesty. “Perfect in power, in love, and purity.”
Something huge had to happen for us to be with Him, and our “merciful and mighty” God made it happen. The Father sent the Spirit to set the Son in the womb of a virgin. “God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.” Our holy God has always been. Our holy God will never end. And because His bundle of holy grace arrived on Christmas, we can worship Him forever. “Who wert and art and evermore shall be.”
As our family finished the final refrain, my little girl was beaming.
And so was our holy God.
As you ready your heart to celebrate this Christmas season, consider the carols we sing and savor. Amid familiar titles and tunes, discover new depths of delight and be reminded of your reason for rejoicing.
“Early in the morning—and late into the evening—our song shall rise to Thee.”
Monday, November 29, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The All-Access Pass
“In Jesus and through faith in Jesus we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” Ephesians 3:12
If proponents of the world’s major religions described how their faith makes them feel, only followers of Christ could use the words “free” and “confident.” Muslims live in fear of an impersonal, unloving Allah who assures Paradise only to martyrs and ascribes obedience to the Five Pillars of the Faith as the best chance of entry for the masses. By discipline and devotion to a chosen icon of Brahman—the ultimate spiritual reality, Hindus seek to free their souls from the body’s bad karma through an almost endless repetition of reincarnations. Buddhism has no God who reaches out or to whom one is responsible. Only adherence to the Four-Noble Truths and the Eight-fold Path offer hope of eventual freedom from our illusion of meaningless existence into Nirvana. Scientologists strive to eliminate their bad by being hooked to electronic cleansing machines (after handing over large amounts of cash.) And the Jehovah Witness at the door answered my question about her certainty of the kingdom with a wistful, “I hope so.”
We don’t have to wish. We don’t have to wonder. We know. We’re sure. We’re saved. “In Jesus and through faith in Jesus we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” No knocking knees. No hesitant steps. We may run, unhindered and unbound, into His ever-outstretched arms because the ticket we wave to get in is not our own goodness but His grace. It’s Jesus. “In Jesus and through faith in Jesus we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”
God holds out no hope that we will ever be holy enough to deserve a slot in eternity, and He’s not in the business of balancing our good and our bad. When Adam chomped down, our chance was blown, and no extreme effort or endless cycles can repair the rift. God’s Law isn’t a patterned ritual designed to get us right; it’s a reality check of Who He is and who we are not.
On our own, we are shackled and shaking, but in Jesus, we are free and sure. If you’re His, you’re holy – coated head to toe in the goodness and rightness of Jesus - always. Don’t be confused. God doesn’t say, “You can come to me for salvation because of grace, but, after you’re Mine, you can only come when you’ve been good.” For salvation and for all else, every day of our lives, we can come because of Jesus. “In Jesus and through faith in Jesus we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”
Run like you ran the first time – counting on grace, charmed by love.
Come freely.
Come confidently.
Come on.
If proponents of the world’s major religions described how their faith makes them feel, only followers of Christ could use the words “free” and “confident.” Muslims live in fear of an impersonal, unloving Allah who assures Paradise only to martyrs and ascribes obedience to the Five Pillars of the Faith as the best chance of entry for the masses. By discipline and devotion to a chosen icon of Brahman—the ultimate spiritual reality, Hindus seek to free their souls from the body’s bad karma through an almost endless repetition of reincarnations. Buddhism has no God who reaches out or to whom one is responsible. Only adherence to the Four-Noble Truths and the Eight-fold Path offer hope of eventual freedom from our illusion of meaningless existence into Nirvana. Scientologists strive to eliminate their bad by being hooked to electronic cleansing machines (after handing over large amounts of cash.) And the Jehovah Witness at the door answered my question about her certainty of the kingdom with a wistful, “I hope so.”
We don’t have to wish. We don’t have to wonder. We know. We’re sure. We’re saved. “In Jesus and through faith in Jesus we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” No knocking knees. No hesitant steps. We may run, unhindered and unbound, into His ever-outstretched arms because the ticket we wave to get in is not our own goodness but His grace. It’s Jesus. “In Jesus and through faith in Jesus we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”
God holds out no hope that we will ever be holy enough to deserve a slot in eternity, and He’s not in the business of balancing our good and our bad. When Adam chomped down, our chance was blown, and no extreme effort or endless cycles can repair the rift. God’s Law isn’t a patterned ritual designed to get us right; it’s a reality check of Who He is and who we are not.
On our own, we are shackled and shaking, but in Jesus, we are free and sure. If you’re His, you’re holy – coated head to toe in the goodness and rightness of Jesus - always. Don’t be confused. God doesn’t say, “You can come to me for salvation because of grace, but, after you’re Mine, you can only come when you’ve been good.” For salvation and for all else, every day of our lives, we can come because of Jesus. “In Jesus and through faith in Jesus we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”
Run like you ran the first time – counting on grace, charmed by love.
Come freely.
Come confidently.
Come on.
God's Construction Zone
“In Christ you too are being built together to become a building in which God lives by His Spirit.” Ephesians 2:21
Time-lapse photography is fascinating. In just a few seconds, buds turn to blossoms, small clouds become raging storms, and hazy cities transform into twinkling skylines. But buildings are the best. It only takes moments for an empty lot to be engulfed by a towering skyscraper. The film rolls so quickly that we hardly see the construction process, only the finished product, but were we to freeze each frame, the many small steps of the one big project could be spotted. Gesturing cranes, tons of materials, and endless lunch hours would come into sharp focus. The work might seem tedious and the progress halting. Many days could pass without much visible result, and we may wonder what was being done. But as the whistle blew each evening, tasks would have been accomplished—a floor wired, a wall strengthened, or carpet laid—and slowly, steadily, surely, the whole building would rise.
“In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord…with Jesus Christ himself as the chief cornerstone”(Eph. 2:21&20). Each unending day as the earth spins its way around the sun, God the Builder is building. The cornerstone of His construction is Christ, our sacrifice and our Savior. By His grace we’ve been drawn into His plan, placed on site, and fitted for use by the Master Carpenter.
God’s holy building has no subcontractors; He does the work Himself—in us, through us, and with us. “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain” (Ps. 127:1). Without Him, all structures, no matter how strong they may seem, will eventually crumble. Without His presence, our lives lie in rubble. Only He can pick us up, mismatched and messed-up bricks that we are, and build something beautiful. He cements us together by His Spirit, creating a common bond that unifies us as one though we come from different cultures, have different habits, and hold different abilities. “In him you too are being built together to become a building in which God lives by his Spirit.”
The escalating floors of God’s building are phases of time—decades, centuries, millennia, in which He is busy connecting and constructing. The rooms are our individual realms of influence—personal compartments of ministry and mission that we each fulfill by involvement in community, family, and our local church. Every square foot of life is divine, with no difference between the “spiritual” and the “secular.” All lines on the blueprint are under His Lordship, for He is the Maker and we are the material. Often, the progress may seem slow, but God is always at work in this world building His children into His church. One heavenly day, we might get to watch this process in fast-forward, but if God pushed the button now, we wouldn’t be complete.
Life is a Hard Hat Area, but the One holding the plans is in total control.
Be His brick, and let Him build you into something beautiful.
Time-lapse photography is fascinating. In just a few seconds, buds turn to blossoms, small clouds become raging storms, and hazy cities transform into twinkling skylines. But buildings are the best. It only takes moments for an empty lot to be engulfed by a towering skyscraper. The film rolls so quickly that we hardly see the construction process, only the finished product, but were we to freeze each frame, the many small steps of the one big project could be spotted. Gesturing cranes, tons of materials, and endless lunch hours would come into sharp focus. The work might seem tedious and the progress halting. Many days could pass without much visible result, and we may wonder what was being done. But as the whistle blew each evening, tasks would have been accomplished—a floor wired, a wall strengthened, or carpet laid—and slowly, steadily, surely, the whole building would rise.
“In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord…with Jesus Christ himself as the chief cornerstone”(Eph. 2:21&20). Each unending day as the earth spins its way around the sun, God the Builder is building. The cornerstone of His construction is Christ, our sacrifice and our Savior. By His grace we’ve been drawn into His plan, placed on site, and fitted for use by the Master Carpenter.
God’s holy building has no subcontractors; He does the work Himself—in us, through us, and with us. “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain” (Ps. 127:1). Without Him, all structures, no matter how strong they may seem, will eventually crumble. Without His presence, our lives lie in rubble. Only He can pick us up, mismatched and messed-up bricks that we are, and build something beautiful. He cements us together by His Spirit, creating a common bond that unifies us as one though we come from different cultures, have different habits, and hold different abilities. “In him you too are being built together to become a building in which God lives by his Spirit.”
The escalating floors of God’s building are phases of time—decades, centuries, millennia, in which He is busy connecting and constructing. The rooms are our individual realms of influence—personal compartments of ministry and mission that we each fulfill by involvement in community, family, and our local church. Every square foot of life is divine, with no difference between the “spiritual” and the “secular.” All lines on the blueprint are under His Lordship, for He is the Maker and we are the material. Often, the progress may seem slow, but God is always at work in this world building His children into His church. One heavenly day, we might get to watch this process in fast-forward, but if God pushed the button now, we wouldn’t be complete.
Life is a Hard Hat Area, but the One holding the plans is in total control.
Be His brick, and let Him build you into something beautiful.
Formed For Function
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
Two types of silver live at my house. Both types are beautiful—the work of fine craftsmen. Both are inscribed with scrolls and swirls. Both are crafted with dainty details. Both are masterpieces, valuable and treasured.
On the top shelf of the china cabinet, high above the crystal stemware and gold-rimmed place settings, sit the silver trays, proudly waiting to be wanted at a formal dinner or fancy reception. The other type, several pieces of flatware gathered from this great-aunt or that good grandma, finds a home among the everyday utensils. Many mornings these silver spoons are snatched from the drawer or dishwasher (I know, such horror!) and are used as cereal shovels by my sweet, sleepy daughters. Though the opposite would seem to be true, the trays who do nothing but display beauty at a buffet or brunch are often in need of a polish. In their idleness, they become tarnished—covered with an unsightly layer of corrosion which conceals their luster and shine. On the other hand, or literally, in the other hand, are the silver spoons, whose constant use and abuse keep them polished and pretty.
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” By God’s grace, you are a masterpiece, the crowning achievement of a Divine Craftsman. You are the prize of God’s passion, adorned and inscribed with the goodness of Christ. God’s children are trophies of His grace and ornaments of His mercy, but we reflect Him best by getting dirty, not by collecting dust.
Good works don’t get us to God, but once He makes us His, we should get busy doing good. Our works are the result of our relationship with Him, our response to His fantastic goodness. We are formed for function, “created in Christ Jesus to do good works,” and God’s got a bunch of stuff ready for us to do, “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We are to be useful not idle. Instruments and not just ornaments.
God didn’t save you to sit on a shelf. Get down and dirty in the drawer of everyday, and you will discover that in the mundane of life, you are God’s polished masterpiece, shining His glory and showing His grace.
Two types of silver live at my house. Both types are beautiful—the work of fine craftsmen. Both are inscribed with scrolls and swirls. Both are crafted with dainty details. Both are masterpieces, valuable and treasured.
On the top shelf of the china cabinet, high above the crystal stemware and gold-rimmed place settings, sit the silver trays, proudly waiting to be wanted at a formal dinner or fancy reception. The other type, several pieces of flatware gathered from this great-aunt or that good grandma, finds a home among the everyday utensils. Many mornings these silver spoons are snatched from the drawer or dishwasher (I know, such horror!) and are used as cereal shovels by my sweet, sleepy daughters. Though the opposite would seem to be true, the trays who do nothing but display beauty at a buffet or brunch are often in need of a polish. In their idleness, they become tarnished—covered with an unsightly layer of corrosion which conceals their luster and shine. On the other hand, or literally, in the other hand, are the silver spoons, whose constant use and abuse keep them polished and pretty.
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” By God’s grace, you are a masterpiece, the crowning achievement of a Divine Craftsman. You are the prize of God’s passion, adorned and inscribed with the goodness of Christ. God’s children are trophies of His grace and ornaments of His mercy, but we reflect Him best by getting dirty, not by collecting dust.
Good works don’t get us to God, but once He makes us His, we should get busy doing good. Our works are the result of our relationship with Him, our response to His fantastic goodness. We are formed for function, “created in Christ Jesus to do good works,” and God’s got a bunch of stuff ready for us to do, “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We are to be useful not idle. Instruments and not just ornaments.
God didn’t save you to sit on a shelf. Get down and dirty in the drawer of everyday, and you will discover that in the mundane of life, you are God’s polished masterpiece, shining His glory and showing His grace.
The Gift of Grace
“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God—not by works, so that no man can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
It’s Friday. It’s payday. Across the country, by cash, check, and direct deposit, workers are getting what they deserve. These payments are not gifts but wages—earned and expected compensation for labor and effort. From an early age, we learn that hard work has its rewards. A clean room means ice cream. Extra study garners good grades. A job well-done brings a bonus. Blood, sweat, and tears hold great value and have accomplished grand feats. Hard work built this nation, and hard work keeps it going.
But when it comes to salvation, our work is a waste of time. The gap between us and God is so big and so bad that no amount of good on our part, no matter how hard or heartfelt, warrants what we need – rescue from a hopeless eternity.
But, oh, how men try! They give. They pray. They show up. They turn down. They strive to do what’s right and hope they get points for effort when they fail. But there are no celestial scales waiting to weigh our good and our bad. There is no heavenly scorekeeper adding the positives and subtracting the negatives (and giving bonus points for attending revival services or not daydreaming during Sunday sermons.) Our efforts to get to God by our good are useless and inadequate—futile efforts to win God’s favor. The only thing we’re due is death, but God chooses to give us life. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”(Romans 6:23).
Salvation is too great to be earned. It must be given—by grace. “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God—not by works, so that no man can boast.” Undeserved. Unmerited. Unlikely—except for a God who loved. And who gave. Even the faith to embrace such grace is a gift. We can claim no part as our own.
Good works don’t get you saved. Good works don’t keep you saved. It’s all grace. It’s only grace. It’s nothing but grace.
It was Friday. It was payday. And Jesus paid it all.
Amazing grace – How sweet the gift.
It’s Friday. It’s payday. Across the country, by cash, check, and direct deposit, workers are getting what they deserve. These payments are not gifts but wages—earned and expected compensation for labor and effort. From an early age, we learn that hard work has its rewards. A clean room means ice cream. Extra study garners good grades. A job well-done brings a bonus. Blood, sweat, and tears hold great value and have accomplished grand feats. Hard work built this nation, and hard work keeps it going.
But when it comes to salvation, our work is a waste of time. The gap between us and God is so big and so bad that no amount of good on our part, no matter how hard or heartfelt, warrants what we need – rescue from a hopeless eternity.
But, oh, how men try! They give. They pray. They show up. They turn down. They strive to do what’s right and hope they get points for effort when they fail. But there are no celestial scales waiting to weigh our good and our bad. There is no heavenly scorekeeper adding the positives and subtracting the negatives (and giving bonus points for attending revival services or not daydreaming during Sunday sermons.) Our efforts to get to God by our good are useless and inadequate—futile efforts to win God’s favor. The only thing we’re due is death, but God chooses to give us life. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”(Romans 6:23).
Salvation is too great to be earned. It must be given—by grace. “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God—not by works, so that no man can boast.” Undeserved. Unmerited. Unlikely—except for a God who loved. And who gave. Even the faith to embrace such grace is a gift. We can claim no part as our own.
Good works don’t get you saved. Good works don’t keep you saved. It’s all grace. It’s only grace. It’s nothing but grace.
It was Friday. It was payday. And Jesus paid it all.
Amazing grace – How sweet the gift.
Dead or Alive
“Because of his great love for us, God…made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions.” Ephesians 2:4-5
Perhaps you recall the scene from The Princess Bride. The justice-driven Inigo Montoya is in for a surprise when he brings the limp body of the Man-in-Black to Miracle Max.
“It just so happens,” Max tells Montoya, “that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there's usually only one thing you can do.”
“What's that?” Montoya inquires.
“Go through his clothes and look for loose change.”
Twenty years later that line still has me laughing, and the subsequent scenes of health and happiness still have me smiling. But such is the stuff of make-believe. In real life, death has no degrees. Physically and spiritually, only two options exist – DEAD or ALIVE.
Physically, we start out alive, and then we die. Spiritually, we start out dead—not mostly dead, not nearly dead, all dead—and we stay that way unless someone brings us to life. Thankfully, graciously, mercifully, God has done just that. “When you were dead in your sins, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins…nailing them to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14).
Jesus died so we could live. When we were hopeless and helpless, unable to move and unwilling to come, God reached into our grave and raised us by His grace.
The notice on the cross—the one with your picture on it—was easy to read:
Wanted - Dead then Alive.
Perhaps you recall the scene from The Princess Bride. The justice-driven Inigo Montoya is in for a surprise when he brings the limp body of the Man-in-Black to Miracle Max.
“It just so happens,” Max tells Montoya, “that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there's usually only one thing you can do.”
“What's that?” Montoya inquires.
“Go through his clothes and look for loose change.”
Twenty years later that line still has me laughing, and the subsequent scenes of health and happiness still have me smiling. But such is the stuff of make-believe. In real life, death has no degrees. Physically and spiritually, only two options exist – DEAD or ALIVE.
Physically, we start out alive, and then we die. Spiritually, we start out dead—not mostly dead, not nearly dead, all dead—and we stay that way unless someone brings us to life. Thankfully, graciously, mercifully, God has done just that. “When you were dead in your sins, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins…nailing them to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14).
Jesus died so we could live. When we were hopeless and helpless, unable to move and unwilling to come, God reached into our grave and raised us by His grace.
The notice on the cross—the one with your picture on it—was easy to read:
Wanted - Dead then Alive.
The Best Request
“I keep asking that…the glorious Father may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.” Ephesians 1:17
Do you ever run out of things to pray about for those you care about, or do you feel your petitions are often repetitive and redundant—requests for the same things, the same way, over and over again? Perhaps our problem isn’t how we pray but what we pray. Honest scrutiny reveals that our intercessions major on health and happiness, and though God never tires of a sincere “Help ‘em & Heal ‘em,” He is thrilled when we pray for others about their holiness. Why? Because holiness is God’s goal for His children. He made us His, and now He is making us like Him.
Pause and consider. If health is God’s goal for His own, something is sorely amiss for cancer wards, doctors’ offices, and funeral homes are filled with those who call on His name. If happiness is His goal, He is failing miserably for many Christians suffer and struggle. Broken hearts and shattered dreams reek with disappointment and loss, and tears are more abundant than cheer. But if God’s goal is holiness—our transformation into His character—then poor health and hard times can both be trusted to His process and His plan.
Knowing God well helps us handle both the good and bad, so when Paul lists his prayer requests for his friends close to the start of Ephesians, he begins with the most important. More than health, wealth, or happiness, Paul prays that they will know God more. His petition is a continued plea for intimacy and understanding. “I keep asking that…the glorious Father may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” The more we know God, the more we love Him. The more we know God, the more we trust Him. The more know God, the more we praise Him. Knowing God better makes us better and helps us understand life better.
But Paul’s prayer doesn’t end there. He follows up the desire for his friends to know more of who God is with the request that they know more of what God has done. “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called and the rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his holy people. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him”(Ephesians 1:18-19, NLT). Paul prays that we will grasp the reality of the “sure thing” we have in Jesus. He wants us to realize the richness of being a child of God. And he longs for us to know by experience God’s “incomparably great power” and to start living life in His strength.
Surely Paul wanted his friends to be healthy and happy (we all do), but mostly he wanted them to be holy. Never hesitate to request all three for those you love, but above all else, pray that they will know God better. That’s the best prayer you can pray.
Do you ever run out of things to pray about for those you care about, or do you feel your petitions are often repetitive and redundant—requests for the same things, the same way, over and over again? Perhaps our problem isn’t how we pray but what we pray. Honest scrutiny reveals that our intercessions major on health and happiness, and though God never tires of a sincere “Help ‘em & Heal ‘em,” He is thrilled when we pray for others about their holiness. Why? Because holiness is God’s goal for His children. He made us His, and now He is making us like Him.
Pause and consider. If health is God’s goal for His own, something is sorely amiss for cancer wards, doctors’ offices, and funeral homes are filled with those who call on His name. If happiness is His goal, He is failing miserably for many Christians suffer and struggle. Broken hearts and shattered dreams reek with disappointment and loss, and tears are more abundant than cheer. But if God’s goal is holiness—our transformation into His character—then poor health and hard times can both be trusted to His process and His plan.
Knowing God well helps us handle both the good and bad, so when Paul lists his prayer requests for his friends close to the start of Ephesians, he begins with the most important. More than health, wealth, or happiness, Paul prays that they will know God more. His petition is a continued plea for intimacy and understanding. “I keep asking that…the glorious Father may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” The more we know God, the more we love Him. The more we know God, the more we trust Him. The more know God, the more we praise Him. Knowing God better makes us better and helps us understand life better.
But Paul’s prayer doesn’t end there. He follows up the desire for his friends to know more of who God is with the request that they know more of what God has done. “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called and the rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his holy people. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him”(Ephesians 1:18-19, NLT). Paul prays that we will grasp the reality of the “sure thing” we have in Jesus. He wants us to realize the richness of being a child of God. And he longs for us to know by experience God’s “incomparably great power” and to start living life in His strength.
Surely Paul wanted his friends to be healthy and happy (we all do), but mostly he wanted them to be holy. Never hesitate to request all three for those you love, but above all else, pray that they will know God better. That’s the best prayer you can pray.
The Divine Deposit
“Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession.” Ephesians 1:13-14
Realtors call it “earnest money.” Car dealers call it a “down payment.” Law-away managers call it “deposit.” No matter the name, the hard-earned cash you hand over to secure a deal is a guarantee that you’ll be back bringing more. This practice has a divine precedent. “Having believed, you were marked in him [Christ] with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.”
Though deposits are usually defined as partial value, God wholly gives us Himself in His Spirit. His presence is a promise and a present, a sure sign that we are His and He is happy about it! “Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal.” In those days, a man’s unique seal authenticated his documents and contracts. Impression of the seal gave undoubted validity to the terms of a deal, marked an item as his possession, and confirmed his authority and approval of the transaction. God’s seal of His Spirit states and shows the same. As we allow His spirit to imprint our hearts, the results increasingly resemble Jesus.
God’s deposit is a gift - the gift of a Guide, Comforter, and Counselor, who reveals truth, prays God’s will when we don’t know what to say, helps us know God better, and whose power will one day raise us from the dead (John 16:7, Romans 8:26, 1 Corinthians 2:12, Romans 8:11).
So grand a deposit is a great guarantee that the One who bought us will be back to get us. We’re secure on earth because we’re sure of heaven. There’s much more on the way, but while we’re here, we can face and embrace each day because the One who wants us is with us.
When God bought you, He signed the deal by sending His Spirit.
And the line was dotted in blood.
Realtors call it “earnest money.” Car dealers call it a “down payment.” Law-away managers call it “deposit.” No matter the name, the hard-earned cash you hand over to secure a deal is a guarantee that you’ll be back bringing more. This practice has a divine precedent. “Having believed, you were marked in him [Christ] with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.”
Though deposits are usually defined as partial value, God wholly gives us Himself in His Spirit. His presence is a promise and a present, a sure sign that we are His and He is happy about it! “Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal.” In those days, a man’s unique seal authenticated his documents and contracts. Impression of the seal gave undoubted validity to the terms of a deal, marked an item as his possession, and confirmed his authority and approval of the transaction. God’s seal of His Spirit states and shows the same. As we allow His spirit to imprint our hearts, the results increasingly resemble Jesus.
God’s deposit is a gift - the gift of a Guide, Comforter, and Counselor, who reveals truth, prays God’s will when we don’t know what to say, helps us know God better, and whose power will one day raise us from the dead (John 16:7, Romans 8:26, 1 Corinthians 2:12, Romans 8:11).
So grand a deposit is a great guarantee that the One who bought us will be back to get us. We’re secure on earth because we’re sure of heaven. There’s much more on the way, but while we’re here, we can face and embrace each day because the One who wants us is with us.
When God bought you, He signed the deal by sending His Spirit.
And the line was dotted in blood.
A Very Good Place To Start
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3
“Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start,” Maria the musical nun cheerfully encouraged the von Trapp brood in The Sound of Music. “When you read you begin with A-B-C. When you sing, you begin with Do-Re-Mi….” And when you praise, you begin with G-O-D. Starting anywhere else messes up the tune and mixes up the words.
As Paul begins his letter to friends in Ephesus and we begin our look at this book of Ephesians, praise immediately takes center stage. Paul almost seems in a hurry to get past the obligatory salutation and greetings to get to the praise, and who can blame him? How hard it should be to hold back applause for a God “who has blessed us…with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” The abundance of this bounty spills over in the following verses. God has chosen us to be holy and blameless (vs4). He has lovingly adopted us as His children (v5). He has ransomed us through the payment of Christ’s blood (v7). He has forgiven our sins, lavished us with grace, and let us in on His purpose for the world (v8-9). We don’t deserve these blessings. We didn’t earn these blessings. We aren’t worthy of these blessings. And yet He has heaped these blessings upon us “in order that we…might be for the praise of his glory”(v12).
We praise Him because He has blessed us, and He has blessed us so we can praise Him. Just as the Maria’s “Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do” begins and ends the same, so should our praise. The notes of our emotions will move up and down the scale of life’s circumstances, but our tone should stay the same. Our God deserves our praise. He has earned our praise. And He is worthy of our praise. Nothing else and no one else even comes close.
Begin each day, each project, each conversation, each appointment, and each activity with praise. Then end with the same. Spoken or silent, your tune of admiration will be heard by your Father, and you’ll never be off-key.
G-O-D. He really is a very good place to start.
“Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start,” Maria the musical nun cheerfully encouraged the von Trapp brood in The Sound of Music. “When you read you begin with A-B-C. When you sing, you begin with Do-Re-Mi….” And when you praise, you begin with G-O-D. Starting anywhere else messes up the tune and mixes up the words.
As Paul begins his letter to friends in Ephesus and we begin our look at this book of Ephesians, praise immediately takes center stage. Paul almost seems in a hurry to get past the obligatory salutation and greetings to get to the praise, and who can blame him? How hard it should be to hold back applause for a God “who has blessed us…with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” The abundance of this bounty spills over in the following verses. God has chosen us to be holy and blameless (vs4). He has lovingly adopted us as His children (v5). He has ransomed us through the payment of Christ’s blood (v7). He has forgiven our sins, lavished us with grace, and let us in on His purpose for the world (v8-9). We don’t deserve these blessings. We didn’t earn these blessings. We aren’t worthy of these blessings. And yet He has heaped these blessings upon us “in order that we…might be for the praise of his glory”(v12).
We praise Him because He has blessed us, and He has blessed us so we can praise Him. Just as the Maria’s “Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do” begins and ends the same, so should our praise. The notes of our emotions will move up and down the scale of life’s circumstances, but our tone should stay the same. Our God deserves our praise. He has earned our praise. And He is worthy of our praise. Nothing else and no one else even comes close.
Begin each day, each project, each conversation, each appointment, and each activity with praise. Then end with the same. Spoken or silent, your tune of admiration will be heard by your Father, and you’ll never be off-key.
G-O-D. He really is a very good place to start.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)