Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Deuteronomy, Chapters 24-27 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
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Highlight Reference Passage #1 : Deuteronomy 26: 16-19 … 16 The LORD your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. 17 You have declared this day that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws—that you will listen to him. 18 And the LORD has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. 19 He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.
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Highlight Reference Passage #2 : Deuteronomy 27: 9-10 … 9 Then Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, “Be silent, Israel, and listen! You have now become the people of the LORD your God. 10 Obey the LORD your God and follow his commands and decrees that I give you today.”
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My Journal for Today: In the chapters I was led to read/study for my chronological read in Deuteronomy today (i.e., Chapters 24-27), Moses was reviewing the law for the people and laying out God’s protective guidelines (i.e., His rules and regulations for their living when they crossed into the promised-land). And the bottom-line charge to this sin-purged generation of Israelites was “obey and live as God’s mercy will provide; … disobey and die in ignominy.” And this is born out by the review declarations by Moses in the two highlighted study passages above.
Do you realize that if you, as have I, accepted Jesus Christ as your Messiah and Lord, you have crossed over the Jordan, leaving behind the old life of sin; and being cleansed by the sacrificial blood of the Lamb of God, you can walk into the promised-land, pure and clean, to become a light of God’s love as you take the land of eternal promise which our Lord has for us in Heaven. It’s the Apostle Paul’s promise in 2nd Cor. 5: 17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Okay, let’s say you’ve crossed over your own, personal Jordan River, declaring in your own mind of faith that Christ is the Lord of your life, … that He died on the cross to save you, and allow you to move into His promised-land of eternal life. So, therefore, as a promised-land disciple of Christ you believe and aspire to what Christ said of His followers (in Luke 9: 23: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” And, … you also know the truth of Christ’s proclaimed way to tell the real-deal Christian from the pseudo-christian, when he used the fruit-tree word picture, declaring, in Matt. 7: 20: ”20 Therefore by their fruits [i.e., of false witnesses] you will know them.”
So, knowing what Moses declared to God’s family of believers about disobedience and obedience to His word; and also knowing what Jesus has said about His family of disciples, what fruit do we have in our lives to show that we are obedient disciples of the One Who, by His blood shed on the cross, has allowed us to cross over the Jordan river, leaving behind the wilderness of sin behind and claiming the life He has for us in His promised-land?
I will leave that question for you to ponder as you walk, prayerfully WITH Christ in this life, shining your fruit-bearing light to lead the way so that others can walk out of the darkness, cross over the Jordan river of faith, and walk themselves into the Promised-Land, showing clearly, by our fruit, that we are part of the family of God.
My Prayer Today: … Oh, my dear Lord, I pray that others see Your light shining in me and there is obvious fruit on my tree of life for others to see and sample, leading them to You by the way I live. Amen
Showing posts with label fruitfulness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fruitfulness. Show all posts
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
July 28, 2011 … Fruitfulness
Blogger's Note: Since we are traveling to Europe and likely will not be able to post my devotional journal tomorrow, I decided to do it and post it here on 7/27 so that I can remain accountable to my discipline in this very important devotional part of my life. ... wrb
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Passage of the Day: 2nd Peter 1: 8 (see bold text below) … 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities [see verses 5 – 7] in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
My Journal for Today: The Apostle Peter, in today’s verse and passage, is clearly trying to help converted believers to live a full and spiritually productive, i.e., FRUITFUL, life in Christ. And doing all I can to live up to this exhortation, I know, as do you, if you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, that living the fully surrendered Christian life is a most challenging proposition.
In reading Matt. 7: 15 – 20, Jesus taught that we can recognize the true from the false prophets or believers by the way they live their lives. As He said in verse 20, “… by their fruit you will recognize them.” And what are the fruit which we see blossoming to maturity on the tree of life in a true Christian? Well, we’ve already looked at Paul’s list of fruit (see Gal. 5: 22, 23) and Peter’s in today’s passage. And if you’ve associated with real-for-sure Christians, you may have seen these fruit manifest in those who boldly witness openly and often to non-believers. You may have seen Christians reaching out in mercy and love … even to the very unlovable or maybe even their enemies. And you may have seen these real-deal Christians giving much of their time, talents, and treasures to or through the local church without making a show of their giving.
Yes, these and other “fruit” of God’s Spirit are evident on the tree of life exhibited by true Christians. You will also see lives which go from the “bad fruit” mentioned by Jesus in Matt. 7, being transformed into the “good fruit,” living on the tree of a converted believer. Before I came to Christ, much “bad fruit” (which is described by Paul in Gal. 5: 19 – 21) grew openly on my tree of life; but when I came to surrender my life to God’s Spirit, God planted His fruit in and on me; and now God’s fruit grows for His glory and prayerfully for others to see Christ in me [see Matt. 5: 16 or Eph. 2: 10].
Does this mean that the fruit of the flesh is not still in my being? No, … such fruits could blossom in me IF I surrendered to my selfish sin-nature. But as long as I cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in my life by Godly choices [in faith], those Godly fruit will grow and become ever more apparent to any or all who see my tree of life growing in their midst. Prayerfully all of us who live the life of a Christian will remain in submission to God’s Spirit to allow Him to ripen and develop God’s fruit in our lives. To that end we live for Christ; and we know that we are saved by and for Him – i.e., more assurance of our salvation.
My Prayer Today: To live, dear Lord, is to live for You. Amen
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Passage of the Day: 2nd Peter 1: 8 (see bold text below) … 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities [see verses 5 – 7] in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
My Journal for Today: The Apostle Peter, in today’s verse and passage, is clearly trying to help converted believers to live a full and spiritually productive, i.e., FRUITFUL, life in Christ. And doing all I can to live up to this exhortation, I know, as do you, if you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, that living the fully surrendered Christian life is a most challenging proposition.
In reading Matt. 7: 15 – 20, Jesus taught that we can recognize the true from the false prophets or believers by the way they live their lives. As He said in verse 20, “… by their fruit you will recognize them.” And what are the fruit which we see blossoming to maturity on the tree of life in a true Christian? Well, we’ve already looked at Paul’s list of fruit (see Gal. 5: 22, 23) and Peter’s in today’s passage. And if you’ve associated with real-for-sure Christians, you may have seen these fruit manifest in those who boldly witness openly and often to non-believers. You may have seen Christians reaching out in mercy and love … even to the very unlovable or maybe even their enemies. And you may have seen these real-deal Christians giving much of their time, talents, and treasures to or through the local church without making a show of their giving.
Yes, these and other “fruit” of God’s Spirit are evident on the tree of life exhibited by true Christians. You will also see lives which go from the “bad fruit” mentioned by Jesus in Matt. 7, being transformed into the “good fruit,” living on the tree of a converted believer. Before I came to Christ, much “bad fruit” (which is described by Paul in Gal. 5: 19 – 21) grew openly on my tree of life; but when I came to surrender my life to God’s Spirit, God planted His fruit in and on me; and now God’s fruit grows for His glory and prayerfully for others to see Christ in me [see Matt. 5: 16 or Eph. 2: 10].
Does this mean that the fruit of the flesh is not still in my being? No, … such fruits could blossom in me IF I surrendered to my selfish sin-nature. But as long as I cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in my life by Godly choices [in faith], those Godly fruit will grow and become ever more apparent to any or all who see my tree of life growing in their midst. Prayerfully all of us who live the life of a Christian will remain in submission to God’s Spirit to allow Him to ripen and develop God’s fruit in our lives. To that end we live for Christ; and we know that we are saved by and for Him – i.e., more assurance of our salvation.
My Prayer Today: To live, dear Lord, is to live for You. Amen
Thursday, July 21, 2011
July 21, 2011 … Reminders of Assurance
Passage of the Day: 2nd Peter 1: 1 – 12 [focus on verse 12 in bold] … 1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, …To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.
My Journal for Today: Actually, as I continue to study the assurance of salvation this month with the help of John MacArthur, our focus verse for the day is the final one in the passage above. However, it’s impossible to interpret Peter’s reference to “these things” [underlined above] without having the context of the beginning verses of this epistle. Therefore, I’ve provided verses 1 – 12 to help the reader see this context. Peter really believed that his readers understood the concepts about which he was writing in this passage. I pray that all who read along here do as well.
According to John MacArthur, in his devotional from Strength for Today for this date, the Apostle Peter is writing to believers in his 2nd epistle to help remind them of several key truths which help Christians be more readily assured of their (our) salvation. Certainly at the outset of this letter, Peter reminds believers that God has granted us His saving grace through faith (see verses 1 and 2), which ultimately results in the knowledge of Christ in the Christian’s life (see verse 2), which, in turn, produces His peace and the enabling strength/resources we need to live our lives in this challenging world (see verse 3).
Peter then goes on in his letter to explore several key virtues, which, when realized, provide the Christian with even more assurance of their (our) salvation. Therefore, we will explore these virtues in the next few days with John MacArthur’s help to, as MacArthur puts it, “… grow in our assurance.”
Personally, after having gone through the book of 1st John this month, this confidence from Peter’s epistle, will be icing on an already fruit-filled cake of assurance; but I will pray that any who might read and/or meditate along with me here will be bolstered in your confidence that you are saved – OR – you will learn that you need a Savior … and that He is Jesus!
My Prayer Today: Help me, O Lord, to know You as my Lord and Savior – always! Amen
2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.
My Journal for Today: Actually, as I continue to study the assurance of salvation this month with the help of John MacArthur, our focus verse for the day is the final one in the passage above. However, it’s impossible to interpret Peter’s reference to “these things” [underlined above] without having the context of the beginning verses of this epistle. Therefore, I’ve provided verses 1 – 12 to help the reader see this context. Peter really believed that his readers understood the concepts about which he was writing in this passage. I pray that all who read along here do as well.
According to John MacArthur, in his devotional from Strength for Today for this date, the Apostle Peter is writing to believers in his 2nd epistle to help remind them of several key truths which help Christians be more readily assured of their (our) salvation. Certainly at the outset of this letter, Peter reminds believers that God has granted us His saving grace through faith (see verses 1 and 2), which ultimately results in the knowledge of Christ in the Christian’s life (see verse 2), which, in turn, produces His peace and the enabling strength/resources we need to live our lives in this challenging world (see verse 3).
Peter then goes on in his letter to explore several key virtues, which, when realized, provide the Christian with even more assurance of their (our) salvation. Therefore, we will explore these virtues in the next few days with John MacArthur’s help to, as MacArthur puts it, “… grow in our assurance.”
Personally, after having gone through the book of 1st John this month, this confidence from Peter’s epistle, will be icing on an already fruit-filled cake of assurance; but I will pray that any who might read and/or meditate along with me here will be bolstered in your confidence that you are saved – OR – you will learn that you need a Savior … and that He is Jesus!
My Prayer Today: Help me, O Lord, to know You as my Lord and Savior – always! Amen
Monday, January 31, 2011
January 31, 2011 … What Matters Most?
Passage of the Day: Ephesians 4: 1 – 6 – As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
My Journal for Today: So, here on the last day of January, let’s take a moment to review our beginning for this year, with John MacArthur as my devotional guide from his book, Strength for Today; from which we’ve dissected Paul’s admonition for Christian saints to walk worthy of our calling in Christ in Ephesians 4: 1 – 6. And as we’ve seen, this walk toward Christlikeness begins with humility and meekness by knowing our sinfulness (i.e., acknowledging our sin nature) and recognizing God’s greatness. I often say that this is letting God be God because WE ARE NOT!
Humility, which is always our choice, is the forerunner for meekness (or gentleness), which we’ve seen is power (or Godliness) under control. And developing these Christlilke attitudes (see Phil. 2: 5 -linked) allow us to be the witnesses for Christ we can be in/for Him (see Acts 1: 8) …
SCRIPTURE: Acts 1: 8 [Peter] [Jesus speaking] … … “But you [disciples] will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Now, further in our Eph. 4 passage, we see that meekness matures as a fruit of the Spirit (see Gal. 5: 22, 23); and as it develops in the Christian, it provides for the power of patience, where Christ’s disciple gains self-control, by surrendering to God’s power (i.e., from obediently following His will), given the circumstances of life; and then, patience produces forebearing love, the selfless and Christlike “agape” love, that gives birth to the unity of the Body of Christ.
Collectively, Christians, walking a worthy walk in Christ, will have ONE Lord, ONE hope, ONE baptism, in ONE Spirit, ONE faith, ONE Body, and all in ONE Heavenly Father, Who is most certainly worthy of our walk with Him in Christ … truly one unified people who have a powerful, effective testimony/witness of God’s love in the world [see John 13: 34-35].
However, this outcome rests on the reality that each of us, as Christians, must first walk a fruit-filled walk of faith in Christ, Who desires that we die to self, take up our cross daily, and follow Him (see Luke 9: 23). And this will activate God’s grace from the chain of surrender described above. So, I can – and should - personalize this, as should you who read this, to say that the unity of the Body of Christ rests on my willingness to surrender in humility to my God, Who has saved me for my glorious walk down the aisle of life as the Bride of Christ. And when Christians walk together down that aisle, each carrying the candle of His Spirit burning within us, we become a glowing light which shines into the darkness of this world for all to see … for all to see Christ.
My Prayer Today: Lord, help me to walk worthy of You! Amen
My Journal for Today: So, here on the last day of January, let’s take a moment to review our beginning for this year, with John MacArthur as my devotional guide from his book, Strength for Today; from which we’ve dissected Paul’s admonition for Christian saints to walk worthy of our calling in Christ in Ephesians 4: 1 – 6. And as we’ve seen, this walk toward Christlikeness begins with humility and meekness by knowing our sinfulness (i.e., acknowledging our sin nature) and recognizing God’s greatness. I often say that this is letting God be God because WE ARE NOT!
Humility, which is always our choice, is the forerunner for meekness (or gentleness), which we’ve seen is power (or Godliness) under control. And developing these Christlilke attitudes (see Phil. 2: 5 -linked) allow us to be the witnesses for Christ we can be in/for Him (see Acts 1: 8) …
SCRIPTURE: Acts 1: 8 [Peter] [Jesus speaking] … … “But you [disciples] will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Now, further in our Eph. 4 passage, we see that meekness matures as a fruit of the Spirit (see Gal. 5: 22, 23); and as it develops in the Christian, it provides for the power of patience, where Christ’s disciple gains self-control, by surrendering to God’s power (i.e., from obediently following His will), given the circumstances of life; and then, patience produces forebearing love, the selfless and Christlike “agape” love, that gives birth to the unity of the Body of Christ.
Collectively, Christians, walking a worthy walk in Christ, will have ONE Lord, ONE hope, ONE baptism, in ONE Spirit, ONE faith, ONE Body, and all in ONE Heavenly Father, Who is most certainly worthy of our walk with Him in Christ … truly one unified people who have a powerful, effective testimony/witness of God’s love in the world [see John 13: 34-35].
However, this outcome rests on the reality that each of us, as Christians, must first walk a fruit-filled walk of faith in Christ, Who desires that we die to self, take up our cross daily, and follow Him (see Luke 9: 23). And this will activate God’s grace from the chain of surrender described above. So, I can – and should - personalize this, as should you who read this, to say that the unity of the Body of Christ rests on my willingness to surrender in humility to my God, Who has saved me for my glorious walk down the aisle of life as the Bride of Christ. And when Christians walk together down that aisle, each carrying the candle of His Spirit burning within us, we become a glowing light which shines into the darkness of this world for all to see … for all to see Christ.
My Prayer Today: Lord, help me to walk worthy of You! Amen
Thursday, January 27, 2011
January 27, 2011 … Seeking Righteous Attitudes
Passage of the Day: Ephesians 4: 1 – 3 – As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
My Journal for Today: Yes, I know, you’re probably asking, “How many times do we have to keep digging into Paul’s exhortation about living the life of a true Christian.” And here we are today, once again looking at a seminal truth that Christians must grasp which springs from this passage. The truth is that the Christian life is more about attitude than actions.
Note in Eph. 4: 1 - 3 that not one action command or exhortation is registered. If you look at the fruit of the Spirit, listed by Paul in Gal. 5: 22 - 23, you will see that they are all attitudes - “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” So, knowing that all Christians are grace-gifted with all of these Spirit-given fruit, we come to realize that God gives us a foundation of attitude and then we provide Him with the return of actions which reflect those attitudes. And our actions will always result from commitments which spring from the attitudes which precede them.
Right now, as I am, some of you may be thinking about Eph. 2: 8 – 10. I have that passage memorized in the NKJV, so I will type it in that version of Scripture here:
>>> SCRIPTURE: Eph. 2: 8-10 … 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
And relative to the point I made above about Christian attitudes preceding Christians action, you’ve probably already noted it in Paul’s statement of the truth about born-again Christians. We are saved first BY God’s grace THROUGH the believer’s faith UNTO God’s purpose/will for our lives – i.e., good works. It all starts with God’s grace; but our part begins with faith, a God imparted attitude fruit, which produces good works, the God-willed action fruit.
MacArthur in his Strength for Today, from which my observations have come during this study, teaches that “action-fruit,” such as PRAISE (see Heb. 13: 15) or GIVING (see Phil. 4: 17) are simply legalism unless they result from the maturing of His Spirit-implanted “attitude fruit” (again see, Gal. 5: 22 - 23). And we’ve simply got to recognize that this is truth. Many small-c “christians” miss the reality that righteous actions flow naturally – or should we say supernaturally – from righteous attitudes. Nominal “christians” are more into DOING christian-like things to demonstrate being “christian,” rather than LIVING in Christlikeness as God’s Spirit has given us the attitude fruit to be reshaped into the Savior’s image. And that is religion at the expense of relationship … a lifestyle of legalism rather one of worship.
As MacArthur points out, if we DO things based upon the dos and don’ts of legalism, we are attempting to generate external grace from ourselves rather than utilizing the internal grace available to the truly surrendered Christian. That is nothing short of “Phariseeism;” and we know how much Christ hated and railed against the Pharisees (read Matt: 23: 25 - 26), as He said, “Woe to you [the Pharisees]!” …and using the word picture of cleaning the outer cup without cleaning the inner cup, we see how much Jesus valued the inner man [i.e., attitudes] as opposed to the outer [i.e., actions].
>>> SCRIPTURE: Matt. 23: 25-26 ... "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.”
I don’t know about you; but when I see Jesus in heaven, I truly desire to hear Him say, “Well done!,” … not “Woe to you!” And so, I will continue to pray for and seek those attitudes that lead me to the righteous actions which result from His grace and fruit being born in me. Oh, how I desire to be a reflection of John 15 … a FRUITFUL Christian where my actions are a reflection of Christ’s very essence in me. And I can just hope that others who are reading this now have voiced a resounding, “Amen and amen!”
My Prayer Today: O Lord, I seek Your grace to express Your fruit in what I do. Amen
My Journal for Today: Yes, I know, you’re probably asking, “How many times do we have to keep digging into Paul’s exhortation about living the life of a true Christian.” And here we are today, once again looking at a seminal truth that Christians must grasp which springs from this passage. The truth is that the Christian life is more about attitude than actions.
Note in Eph. 4: 1 - 3 that not one action command or exhortation is registered. If you look at the fruit of the Spirit, listed by Paul in Gal. 5: 22 - 23, you will see that they are all attitudes - “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” So, knowing that all Christians are grace-gifted with all of these Spirit-given fruit, we come to realize that God gives us a foundation of attitude and then we provide Him with the return of actions which reflect those attitudes. And our actions will always result from commitments which spring from the attitudes which precede them.
Right now, as I am, some of you may be thinking about Eph. 2: 8 – 10. I have that passage memorized in the NKJV, so I will type it in that version of Scripture here:
>>> SCRIPTURE: Eph. 2: 8-10 … 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
And relative to the point I made above about Christian attitudes preceding Christians action, you’ve probably already noted it in Paul’s statement of the truth about born-again Christians. We are saved first BY God’s grace THROUGH the believer’s faith UNTO God’s purpose/will for our lives – i.e., good works. It all starts with God’s grace; but our part begins with faith, a God imparted attitude fruit, which produces good works, the God-willed action fruit.
MacArthur in his Strength for Today, from which my observations have come during this study, teaches that “action-fruit,” such as PRAISE (see Heb. 13: 15) or GIVING (see Phil. 4: 17) are simply legalism unless they result from the maturing of His Spirit-implanted “attitude fruit” (again see, Gal. 5: 22 - 23). And we’ve simply got to recognize that this is truth. Many small-c “christians” miss the reality that righteous actions flow naturally – or should we say supernaturally – from righteous attitudes. Nominal “christians” are more into DOING christian-like things to demonstrate being “christian,” rather than LIVING in Christlikeness as God’s Spirit has given us the attitude fruit to be reshaped into the Savior’s image. And that is religion at the expense of relationship … a lifestyle of legalism rather one of worship.
As MacArthur points out, if we DO things based upon the dos and don’ts of legalism, we are attempting to generate external grace from ourselves rather than utilizing the internal grace available to the truly surrendered Christian. That is nothing short of “Phariseeism;” and we know how much Christ hated and railed against the Pharisees (read Matt: 23: 25 - 26), as He said, “Woe to you [the Pharisees]!” …and using the word picture of cleaning the outer cup without cleaning the inner cup, we see how much Jesus valued the inner man [i.e., attitudes] as opposed to the outer [i.e., actions].
>>> SCRIPTURE: Matt. 23: 25-26 ... "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.”
I don’t know about you; but when I see Jesus in heaven, I truly desire to hear Him say, “Well done!,” … not “Woe to you!” And so, I will continue to pray for and seek those attitudes that lead me to the righteous actions which result from His grace and fruit being born in me. Oh, how I desire to be a reflection of John 15 … a FRUITFUL Christian where my actions are a reflection of Christ’s very essence in me. And I can just hope that others who are reading this now have voiced a resounding, “Amen and amen!”
My Prayer Today: O Lord, I seek Your grace to express Your fruit in what I do. Amen
Thursday, November 25, 2010
2010 – November 25 – A Rough Road to the Kingdom
Special Blogger's Note: Your ElderBerry friend, Bill, here wanting to relate to any/all who come here - maybe today and maybe other days - to read or even meditate on what God leads me to write here in these daily devotional blogs. It's THANKSGIVING DAY; and I'm so very thankful to be reading through the entire Bible this year (still on track into the 11th month). And I'm thankful to have followers like you, who, knowing you're there, have helped to keep me accountable and motivated to <'KOKO>< , which means "to keep on keeping on in Christ!" Thanks to you, to God's willingness to give me a little more than a month more, and mostly to God's enabling grace, keeping me on track in this covenant to Him on January 1, 2010, I'm going to read/study through the entire Bible this year; and doing it will be all to God's glory. Thanks, some of you, for coming along with me. I'm so grateful for your presence. =====================
Study from God’s Word… Acts, Chapters 13 – 15 … Passage for Reflection: Acts 14: 21 - 22 … NIV Then they [Paul, revived after being stoned by offended Greek Jews on his first missionary journey to Asia-Minor, and Barnabas, traveling with Paul] … returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch (in northern Syria), 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.
My Journal for Today: Okay, today is Thanksgiving in this year as I read today’s chapters from Acts and, led by Dr. Smith’s devotional, highlighting a passage attributed to the teachings of both Paul and Barnabas, who were teaching Jewish and Gentile Christians on their first missionary journey to Asia Minor. And in this study, I come upon another of those perplexing doctrinal conundrums which cause us to pause to ask how much of good works, in the face of persecution or worldly, human trial, is necessary for a believer in Jesus, as The Christ, to enter the kingdom of God, which is our heaven-bound home as born-again Christians after we’ve lived out our lives here on this earth.
We know a lot as Christians; and we really learn the basics from the Bible about salvation by God’s grace, through faith, leading to good works and kingdom as we read and internalize Christ’s sermon on the mount and then Paul’s letters later to the Church. In passages like Ephesians 2: 8-10, we read that salvation only comes through receiving the free gift of God’s saving grace by faith in Christ’s death and resurrection for our sins; and then in verse 10 of that passage, we see that fully receiving this saving grace leads to the enabling/empowering and sanctifying grace of God which shapes Christians to be able to withstand the very “hardships” which Paul and Barnabas are teaching Christians about in today’s passage.
The question and the Christian conundrum though the age of the Church has always been what Dr. Smith wrote out in his devotional challenge for the day, writing, In light of Jesus’ teaching, how far do I have to go to enter the kingdom of God?” Well, let me comment on that briefly.
I KNOW that I will enter the kingdom of God upon my exit from life because first of all my commitment in faith to Christ as Savior AND LORD, is very real. I KNOW and have declared repeatedly to others that I was (and still remain) a sinner; but I’m a sinner who was saved by the blood shed by Christ on the cross; and furthermore I believe and KNOW the truth of His resurrection from the dead to show God’s power over death. And then finally, KNOWING the truth of God’s word in Romans 10: 9-13, where the process of salvation is clearly laid out, my life since I let Christ into my heart has been a process of confrontation with the world, Satan, and my own sinful flesh. But these hardships have happened with me experiencing the enabling grace given to me by God’s presence in my heart to become the “living sacrifice,” described by Paul in Romans 12: 1-2.
I believe; and I KNOW it’s true, as Paul/Barnabas taught to Christians (in the above verse) that one cannot expect to be in the kingdom of God unless the trials of life have shown the believer that he/she has the presence and power of God’s Spirit in them and working through them in order for us, as true, born-again believers, to exhibit the fruitfulness described in John 15 and Galatians 5: 22-23.
I’ll leave it to you, if you don’t know those passages I’ve referred to above, by heart, to look them up and meditate on them here at Thanksgiving; and if you are like me on this special day, you’ll be so thankful that you let God’s grace into your life so that you can be saved from your self and allowed and empowered to deal with the hardships of life. Be thankful today, my Christian friend, that you are in, and always will be in, the Kingdom of God.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, on this Thanksgiving Day, I’m so thankful that You, Lord, led me into Your Kingdom. Amen
Study from God’s Word… Acts, Chapters 13 – 15 … Passage for Reflection: Acts 14: 21 - 22 … NIV Then they [Paul, revived after being stoned by offended Greek Jews on his first missionary journey to Asia-Minor, and Barnabas, traveling with Paul] … returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch (in northern Syria), 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.
My Journal for Today: Okay, today is Thanksgiving in this year as I read today’s chapters from Acts and, led by Dr. Smith’s devotional, highlighting a passage attributed to the teachings of both Paul and Barnabas, who were teaching Jewish and Gentile Christians on their first missionary journey to Asia Minor. And in this study, I come upon another of those perplexing doctrinal conundrums which cause us to pause to ask how much of good works, in the face of persecution or worldly, human trial, is necessary for a believer in Jesus, as The Christ, to enter the kingdom of God, which is our heaven-bound home as born-again Christians after we’ve lived out our lives here on this earth.
We know a lot as Christians; and we really learn the basics from the Bible about salvation by God’s grace, through faith, leading to good works and kingdom as we read and internalize Christ’s sermon on the mount and then Paul’s letters later to the Church. In passages like Ephesians 2: 8-10, we read that salvation only comes through receiving the free gift of God’s saving grace by faith in Christ’s death and resurrection for our sins; and then in verse 10 of that passage, we see that fully receiving this saving grace leads to the enabling/empowering and sanctifying grace of God which shapes Christians to be able to withstand the very “hardships” which Paul and Barnabas are teaching Christians about in today’s passage.
The question and the Christian conundrum though the age of the Church has always been what Dr. Smith wrote out in his devotional challenge for the day, writing, In light of Jesus’ teaching, how far do I have to go to enter the kingdom of God?” Well, let me comment on that briefly.
I KNOW that I will enter the kingdom of God upon my exit from life because first of all my commitment in faith to Christ as Savior AND LORD, is very real. I KNOW and have declared repeatedly to others that I was (and still remain) a sinner; but I’m a sinner who was saved by the blood shed by Christ on the cross; and furthermore I believe and KNOW the truth of His resurrection from the dead to show God’s power over death. And then finally, KNOWING the truth of God’s word in Romans 10: 9-13, where the process of salvation is clearly laid out, my life since I let Christ into my heart has been a process of confrontation with the world, Satan, and my own sinful flesh. But these hardships have happened with me experiencing the enabling grace given to me by God’s presence in my heart to become the “living sacrifice,” described by Paul in Romans 12: 1-2.
I believe; and I KNOW it’s true, as Paul/Barnabas taught to Christians (in the above verse) that one cannot expect to be in the kingdom of God unless the trials of life have shown the believer that he/she has the presence and power of God’s Spirit in them and working through them in order for us, as true, born-again believers, to exhibit the fruitfulness described in John 15 and Galatians 5: 22-23.
I’ll leave it to you, if you don’t know those passages I’ve referred to above, by heart, to look them up and meditate on them here at Thanksgiving; and if you are like me on this special day, you’ll be so thankful that you let God’s grace into your life so that you can be saved from your self and allowed and empowered to deal with the hardships of life. Be thankful today, my Christian friend, that you are in, and always will be in, the Kingdom of God.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, on this Thanksgiving Day, I’m so thankful that You, Lord, led me into Your Kingdom. Amen
Saturday, July 17, 2010
2010 – July 17 – Blessings for the Barren
Study from God’s Word… Isaiah 51 – Isaiah 54: 1-3 … Passage for Reflection: Isaiah 54: 1 … NIV "Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband," says the LORD.
My Journal for Today: What a word picture in today’s highlight passage, spoken by God through the Prophet, Isaiah, speaking of the attitude of a barren woman, who is given the promise of being fertile again by God.
There’s probably nothing as disappointing to a woman in a marriage where there appears to be no natural way to have a child when she so desires to be fruitful. Being a man there’s no way I can empathize with such agony. But anyone can feel the pain of anticipation when something we long for is thwarted. And God through Isaiah had prophesied that Israel would become “barren” for a season of exile into Babylonian captivity. But then they would be delivered and there would come a Messiah who would be sacrificed as the Lamb of God; as the chapter of Isaiah 53 so vividly lays out that prophesy.
But then we read at the outset of Isaiah 54 [today’s passage] that Israel, the mother of all God’s people, would be fruitful again, that she would be restored to fertility and greatness again under the fruit-bearing reign of the Messiah, … that the Suffering Servant would become King of kings and Lord of lords. And as I have read through the passages in Isaiah these past few days, I couldn’t help but think of the parallel of where we, in this so-called “Christian nation,” have become like the barren mother, Israel, in the days Isaiah was prophesying for God prior to the Babylonian captivity.
Perhaps we, like Israel/Judah are going to need to experience a season of fruitless captivity where God’s constructive abandonment (but never forsaking his remnant) will take this rebellious and disobedient nation through a time of selective chastisement and correction. And if this were to be the case, I know, believing what God prophesied for His bride, who is now His Church, will parallel that of His promises for Israel in the days of Isaiah.
God may allow His disobedient Bride, the current Church, to go through a season of correction; but God’s promise to us, His remnant of believers and followers, is the same as it was for the barren bride in today’s word picture of prophesy. As the Lord’s Bride, He will return us to fruitfulness if we but stay in a faithful, waiting mode of His return. He will bring us once again to that fruitful place where we can/will worship our Bridegroom with no tears or trepidation in the New Jerusalem.
So, as things seem so barren around us now, we must be as the Bride described in Revelations 19: 7-9 [linked], waiting with anticipation and preparing our linens of righteousness, for the wedding feast of the Lamb of God which to come; … where we will worship at the feet of the Bridegroom forever.
My Prayer for Today: And the only thing I can say, Lord, in this moment is a resounding … HALLELUJAH of hopefulness !! Amen
My Journal for Today: What a word picture in today’s highlight passage, spoken by God through the Prophet, Isaiah, speaking of the attitude of a barren woman, who is given the promise of being fertile again by God.
There’s probably nothing as disappointing to a woman in a marriage where there appears to be no natural way to have a child when she so desires to be fruitful. Being a man there’s no way I can empathize with such agony. But anyone can feel the pain of anticipation when something we long for is thwarted. And God through Isaiah had prophesied that Israel would become “barren” for a season of exile into Babylonian captivity. But then they would be delivered and there would come a Messiah who would be sacrificed as the Lamb of God; as the chapter of Isaiah 53 so vividly lays out that prophesy.
But then we read at the outset of Isaiah 54 [today’s passage] that Israel, the mother of all God’s people, would be fruitful again, that she would be restored to fertility and greatness again under the fruit-bearing reign of the Messiah, … that the Suffering Servant would become King of kings and Lord of lords. And as I have read through the passages in Isaiah these past few days, I couldn’t help but think of the parallel of where we, in this so-called “Christian nation,” have become like the barren mother, Israel, in the days Isaiah was prophesying for God prior to the Babylonian captivity.
Perhaps we, like Israel/Judah are going to need to experience a season of fruitless captivity where God’s constructive abandonment (but never forsaking his remnant) will take this rebellious and disobedient nation through a time of selective chastisement and correction. And if this were to be the case, I know, believing what God prophesied for His bride, who is now His Church, will parallel that of His promises for Israel in the days of Isaiah.
God may allow His disobedient Bride, the current Church, to go through a season of correction; but God’s promise to us, His remnant of believers and followers, is the same as it was for the barren bride in today’s word picture of prophesy. As the Lord’s Bride, He will return us to fruitfulness if we but stay in a faithful, waiting mode of His return. He will bring us once again to that fruitful place where we can/will worship our Bridegroom with no tears or trepidation in the New Jerusalem.
So, as things seem so barren around us now, we must be as the Bride described in Revelations 19: 7-9 [linked], waiting with anticipation and preparing our linens of righteousness, for the wedding feast of the Lamb of God which to come; … where we will worship at the feet of the Bridegroom forever.
My Prayer for Today: And the only thing I can say, Lord, in this moment is a resounding … HALLELUJAH of hopefulness !! Amen
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