I Pray That You Be Envisioned By Light

VERSE OF THE DAY

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—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

I pray the the eyes of your heart be opened and envisioned flooded with the light so that you may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, widening your environment and knowledge

OCTOBER 6, 2017

Ephesians 1:18: Who Will Receive the Riches of Heaven?

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• Episode 1103

Interview with John Piper Modal

Founder & Teacher, desiringGod.org

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Audio Transcript

Here’s today’s question. “Hello, Pastor John, my name is Cristina, and I follow you from Italy. I appreciate how desiringGod.org makes wonderful resources available for free. I praise God for you all. I particularly appreciate your fairness and honesty in dealing with all kinds of questions as well as views on any biblical matter. Personally, I struggle with interpreting Ephesians 1:18: ‘[I pray that] the eyes of your hearts [may be] enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.’ Namely, is it about what God is going to inherit (us the saints), or is it about what we as poor, empty-handed people are going to inherit? Is this us inheriting him? What’s the inheritance and who inherits it?”

Well, Cristina, you’re not in a class by yourself because I, too, have struggled with Ephesians 1:18 because in English the wording is ambiguous, and frankly, it is ambiguous in the Greek as well — though not quite as ambiguous. Let’s get in front of us the first fifteen verses of Ephesians.

Context

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Paul just laid out the magnificent saving work of God from eternity to eternity. Then in Ephesians 1:16, he turns from theology to prayer. It’s a beautiful example of how we need both theology, verses 1–15, and then divine, supernatural, spiritual illumination in verses 16–23. This is a beautiful example of how to go about seeing and savoring the glories of God.

“The inheritance is from God and is in or among the saints. I don’t think Paul means God gets us as an inheritance.”

Here’s the key text she’s referring to. Let’s start at Ephesians 1:17: “[I pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know.” Then he mentions three things, and she’s asking about the second one.

1. “What is the hope to which he has called you.” Literally, “what is the hope of his calling.”

2. “What are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.”

3. “What is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.”

Cristina’s question is, What does this phrase “the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” mean? Does it mean that God inherits us, the saints, or does it mean that we, the saints, will have an inheritance from God? I think the correct interpretation is the second one — namely, the inheritance is given by God and is in or among the saints. We receive it into our midst and into our hearts. I don’t think Paul means that God gets us as an inheritance. There are at least four reasons why I think this.

Our Inheritance

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First, Paul is praying that the saints would have the eyes of their hearts enlightened to grasp the majesty and glory and riches and wonder of the things he’s been talking about. Just before the prayer, we read this: “In him you also . . . were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13–14).

That’s just before the prayer begins. So the closest reference to an inheritance is not God getting one, but giving one to us for his glory. I think it would be natural to think that’s what he’s praying about — that we would grasp that inheritance.

Immeasurable Riches

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The second reason for thinking it’s God giving an inheritance rather than getting one comes after the verse. If we look at what comes later as a possible help for filling a description of what the inheritance is, I think we find it in Ephesians 2:6–7. See if you agree.

“[He] raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” So, what he calls “the riches of the glory of his inheritance” in Ephesians 1:18, I think he describes in Ephesians 2:6–7 as the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us. In other words, the riches of the glory of the inheritance is what he gives us, not what he gets.

His Work

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Third, if we focus on the three specific realities that Paul wants us to see with the eyes of the heart and grasp in a profound way, it turns out he uses the very same wording when they come from God or go toward God.

“Paul is talking about the riches of the glory of the inheritance God has laid up for the saints.”

For example, he wants us to see the hope of his calling of the glory of his inheritance, and third, the greatness of his power. Now that’s a significant level of symmetry. I think it would be really strange if the modifier his had a different meaning in regard to the inheritance than it has in regard to the calling and the power.

It’s his calling in the sense that he gives it. It’s his power in the sense that he has it and gives it. And it’s his inheritance in the sense that he it gives to us.

Word Study

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Finally, if you do a word study and look up all the places where Paul uses the word inheritance or inherit or heir, you find that they never refer to God inheriting, God’s receiving an inheritance, or God’s being an heir.

So I conclude that Paul in Ephesians 1:18 is talking about the riches of the glory of the inheritance God has laid up for the saints. Now, of course, it’s not false that the church is God’s treasured possession and he will rejoice over us. Indeed, that spectacular experience may well be part of the inheritance he gives to us. But the focus of Ephesians 1:18 is what we will inherit, not what God will inherit.

John Piper (@JohnPiper) is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more than 50 books, including Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist and most recently Providence.

What Does Ephesians 1:18 Mean? ►

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Ephesians 1:18(NASB)

Verse Thoughts

All believers have been called by grace, out of darkness into His glorious light. We have been called by grace, to glory. We have been called, chosen, justified and glorified for we are saved by grace through faith in Christ and are become his chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. We are God’s very special possession – His glorious inheritance.

Sometimes familiarly with the glorious superlatives of our heavenly calling, and the eternal hope of glory that is set before us, causes our eyes to become dimmed and our hearts to become complacent. Sometimes the passing enticements of this world seek to blind our eyes to the riches of the glorious inheritance that we have in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It was Paul who rejoiced in the confident hope that we have in Christ Jesus and he longed that others too would come to a real understanding of the incomparable riches of His grace, which is expressed in his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus and so Paul prays that the eyes of our heart may be enlightened in order that we may know the hope to which God has called us – the riches of His glorious inheritance in US – His holy, called-out people.

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/ephesians-1-18

I wonder how many of you are remembering my exhortation at the beginning of this series that you read through the book of Ephesians once a week until we have finished these studies. I’m sure that some of you have been faithful in doing this. Now, the rest of you repent, and begin again, will you? You will find that your life will never be the same again if you keep reading through this text thoughtfully and understandingly every week.

We have now arrived at the last part of the first chapter of this letter. We have been watching the Apostle Paul in his great concern for these Christians in Ephesus and the surrounding cities in the province of Asia. And we have learned from him that growth in Christians requires two fundamental conditions. It requires, first, the careful instruction of the mind in the great facts of reality. This is what Paul has been doing in the opening verses of this chapter — setting forth the broad sweep of God’s truth, the undergirding reality of the Christian life, the great facts upon which our faith can rest. He is careful to see that this is done thoroughly.

But, as we saw last time together, that is not enough. Beside the careful instruction of the mind there must be the prayerful enlightenment of the heart. So Paul is not content to leave these people merely taught; he also prays that the eyes of their hearts be enlightened, that the truth which they have heard and understood with their minds will come alive and capture their hearts, that they will experience a kind of “divine heartburn” — like that of those two disciples whom Jesus met on the road to Emmaus and who said, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32 RSV).

I wonder if much of our teaching isn’t lost because we are not faithful in praying for each other that our minds be instructed and our hearts enlightened. It is so necessary that this truth not be held with the intellect only — a mere academic understanding of doctrine — but that it be gripping, vital, and compelling, and that we will see its full impact. This, of course, is the way God has designed us to operate: The teaching is to instruct the mind, the prayer is to awaken and enlighten the heart, and, thus, the will is enabled to act. And if people can’t act as Christians it is very likely that one of these elements is missing.

Here we are dealing with the great problem of motivation. The apostle understood these Christians. He was a veteran warrior of the cross. He had been a Christian for many years by the time he wrote this letter and he had undoubtedly gone through all the varying experiences that a Christian can be subjected to. He knew the lukewarmness which can set in, the lethargic, apathetic attitudes which can sometimes arise after a warm and hopeful beginning. And, here, he saw these Christians as dispirited, listless, turned off, and he understood their need.

Perhaps many of you are struggling with this very problem. No Christian escapes this entirely in his lifetime. There are times when we simply get cold and our spirits grow apathetic. The apostle understood that. He knew that these people had lost sight of certain truth. They still held it with their minds — they would have been able to pass an examination on the doctrine involved — but they had lost sight of it in their hearts. It was no longer living, flaming, warm, compelling, motivating. So the apostle turns to prayer, and his prayer reflects his understanding of their needs. He specifies three things: He is praying that the eyes of their hearts will be enlightened,

…that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe, (Ephesians 1:18b-19a RSV)

Hope, riches, and power. You notice that he doesn’t pray in general, as most of us tend to do. He doesn’t simply say, “Lord, bless the Ephesians this morning.” Most of us drop general, blanket prayer upon everybody and expect that to take care of the situation. But Paul knows these people better than that. He knows that they have lost their vision. That is part of their problem. They have sunk into an attitude of indifferent routine. It seems to them as though nothing is happening in their lives and they are going nowhere. They have lost their sense of hope. They know it as a doctrine, but they have lost the experience of it. So Paul prays that God will enlighten their hearts so that they may know the hope of God’s calling, the hope to which he has called them.

You and I know the need for hope. This word, of course, is one part of the great triad found very frequently in the Scriptures — faith, hope and love — the essentials to living a full-orbed Christian experience. You find these linked together often in the pages of the New Testament. Hope always concerns the future. These people obviously had lost their sense that anything happening now affected the future. And this happens to many of us. We are all waiting for the coming of the Lord, but it doesn’t really turn us on very much. We know it as doctrine, but it isn’t very exciting. These people had come to that place. The hope of a believer is described for us very plainly in Romans 8, Verses 18-25, which we should read so that we will understand what hope he wanted to find awakened within their hearts:

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18 RSV)

That is the hope — a glory which is coming, a glory toward which we are moving day by day. That glory is waiting for us, Paul says. It is a glory which touches the whole world:

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. (Romans 8:19-21 RSV)

That phrase, “the bondage to decay,” is a very accurate description of what scientists call the Second Law of Thermodynamics, the law of entropy, the law which states that everything in the universe is running down, that it was wound up once but that now everything is declining, deteriorating. Paul includes not only the natural world, with its constant decay, but the human body as well. He says,

We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly [and sometimes outwardly] as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:22-25 RSV)

That was the hope which these believers entertained in their minds. They knew it academically. They knew that there was coming a day when their bodies would be redeemed, that God was working out that transformation, and that a whole new day was ahead. The central factor of this hope is the certainty of a new humanity. And you will notice that this hope is not just a faint possibility. It isn’t an uncertain dream lying in the distant future. It is an absolutely guaranteed certainty, toward which we are now moving, that we will one day live in a whole new creation and will be men and women endowed with a spirit which can mount up with wings as the eagle, a soul that can run and not be weary, a body which can walk and not faint, equal to the demands of the spirit.

We know how true it is, in the words of our Lord, that the spirit is often willing, but the flesh is weak. About the best we can manage to say is that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is ready for the weekend! We need rest; we look forward to relaxation. But there is coming a day, says God, when we shall be in a new body, and it will be equal to all the demands of the spirit, so that we never get weary or tired. We’re looking forward to that day.

“Well,” you say, “that’s fine. I understand that. But how does that help me now? Now, I’m bored, I’m caught up in a meaningless routine. Day by day goes by, and life is not very exciting. How does that distant hope help me now?” The answer is that the Scriptures do not teach that all of this hope is going to be attained in one blinding flash at the end. I think that many Christians today misunderstand it in this way.

Perhaps these Ephesians did too, and this was their difficulty. What the Scriptures actually teach about this hope had never dawned upon them. And that is that this is not going to happen all at one moment in the resurrection which occurs at the end of life, or at the end of the age, but it is something which is happening right now. It is true that the body is ultimately redeemed at that future time, but the new creation is taking place right now. Read the way Paul describes it in these most helpful words in Second Corinthians 4:

So we do not lose heart [we don’t get discouraged]. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed every day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us [right now!] an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison… (2 Corinthians 4:16-17 RSV)

That is what is happening now! I never read the phrase “this slight momentary affliction” without thinking of what Paul says a little farther on in that same letter when he describes his own experience: He had been beaten with rods three times and had received thirty-nine lashes five times, he had been shipwrecked three times and a night and a day had been adrift at sea, he had even been stoned once (not on LSD or something like that — rocks had been thrown at him) and left for dead, he was in danger constantly on the sea and on the land, in danger from false brethren, spent many a sleepless night and many a day without food or drink. All this he catches up in one phrase: “this slight momentary affliction.” And he says that this is working for us, it is preparing us. It is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.

That is what Paul is praying that these Christians will capture — the sense that God is at work in their daily circumstance, and that this is happening now, that, in the midst of the old creation, the new one is gradually taking shape. You can’t see it, although perhaps as you look back you can see some of the results of it in your spirit and in your soul. But these very trials and pressures and problems and afflictions are preparing us for that future time.

That means that the flat tire you had on your car yesterday and which upset you so — just as you were in a hurry to go someplace you came out and found it there — is working for you. It is preparing you for this day. It is teaching you something about how to be patient, how to handle your pressures. It is giving you a chance to exercise some of the power of Christ which is available to you. That spot of shoe polish you got on your best dress, the weariness you feel at the end of the day, the arthritic pains in your shoulder, the spat you had with your best friend — all this, you see, is working together for your good. That is the point. That is what Paul wants these Ephesians to see. They are not lost in a meaningless routine of events, drifting through with some degree of numbness day after day. No, it is all working together. It is preparing them for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. Learn to look at life that way! That is the hope of our calling.

There is no circumstance we go through which cannot, in the hands of God, be turned to our advantage. Granted, we often allow ourselves an immediate failure at that point, but that failure is not the end of the story. We can go back and say, “Lord, I see now that I didn’t need to give way to the flesh, to its despair or its reaction of anger or impatience. Thank you for showing me that. When the situation arises again I’ll be readier to rest upon your sustaining grace. I’ll be more experienced in how to turn the problem over immediately to your strengthening hand upon which I can lean.” When you begin to see that, then every moment, every event, is tinged with the flame of glory, with the touch of heaven upon it.

Paul knew also of their sense of impoverishment. He knew that these Christians tended to grow dull and flabby in their experience. They had begun with a vast comprehension of the greatness of God and the glory of life, and they had been set free from the habits which had held them in bondage and had limited their experience. But now, without realizing it, they were gradually drifting into a narrowness of experience. They were becoming limited and provincial. A sort of living rigor mortis was setting in. They were becoming established. (That means inflexible and rigid!) This condition afflicts many Christians.

I was in Portland, Oregon, yesterday. Some friends were telling me about a large evangelical church there, orthodox to the core, the people exposed to a great deal of Bible teaching. But the outstanding characteristic of that church is an increasing inflexibility and narrowness. Those who attend there are finding the walls of their lives moving in. They are limited in what they can or cannot do. There is a tendency to retire and to back away from life and not to get involved in the real issues. And they are gradually falling into a rut which is extremely unappealing and unattractive to others around, but they seem to be only dimly aware of it. This can happen to any of us. But Paul is aware of this condition among these Ephesian Christians, and so he prays that they may know

…what are the riches of his [God’s] glorious inheritance in the saints. (Ephesians 1:18c RSV)

Notice how he puts that. He is not asking that they understand that God is their inheritance. It is true that God is our resource. He is our strength; we draw upon him. We belong to him, and he to us. And that is the great resource of the Christian life. But what Paul is emphasizing here is that we belong to God. We are his property. He has an inheritance in us. It is his delight to use us. And if we make ourselves available to be used, then enrichment and fulfillment beyond our wildest dreams await us. But if we are afraid to let God use us, we will narrow down into this living rut of experience, and we will find that the Christian life is gradually turning drab and dreary and dull and gray.

So what is needed is an understanding of the adventure which awaits anyone who makes himself available to God. This is Paul’s appeal in Romans 12: “I beseech you, brethren, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice unto God,” (Romans 12:1). Give him your life — day by day, not just in one crisis moment of dedication but in every situation. Say “Lord, do you want to use me in this situation? Okay, here I am. I’m available. I see this need right in front of me. Help me, Lord, not to pass by on the other side. Give me the grace to be available now. Lord, have you given me gifts? Is there equipment in my spirit that you want to use? Well, here it is, Lord; I’m available for you to use to meet this need.” And then move out, venture out, plunge in, risk a little bit! As you do, you will discover that this brings enrichment of life, that your life gradually becomes delightful in its adventure, broad in its understanding, rich in its varied experience.

Yesterday I attended a conference at a beautiful estate on the Columbia River. It was a glorious autumn day. After the morning meetings I wanted a little chance to be alone so I took a walk. I was walking along a rather well-defined, wide path, when I saw a little trail wandering off to the side. I wondered where it went. It looked as if it headed down toward the river. I thought perhaps it might open up a vista of the Columbia River Gorge. It was a steep path, and I knew that when I came back up the going might be a little tough, but I decided to try it. I hadn’t gone two hundred yards before I broke into a clearing where I had a tremendous, glorious view of the whole river, the gorge, the autumn colors, the cliffs, the mountains beyond. It was well worth taking that path! I was thinking of this verse as I walked back up that path, thinking of how Paul prays that we might understand the riches of God’s glorious inheritance in the saints — the thrill of being used of God. It struck me that I had just experienced a living parable of that. I had to take the chance that the path went somewhere. It didn’t appear to be much of a path, it could have dwindled into nothing — so I had to risk something. But it was well worth the risk, because it enriched my life with the beauty of that scene.

And God is speaking in that way to you. Many of you are just waiting for God to tell you to do something. But the New Testament never instructs you to do that. Its message is: “God is with you; therefore reach out, risk something, venture, move out, plunge in, try something new that you’ve never done before and trust God to see you through it.” The result will be fantastic enrichment of life. I wish we could take the time to have dozens of you in this congregation come up to the platform and share with us, as I know would be quite possible, how true this is, how you have found that as you ventured out for God it has opened up your life and enriched it beyond your wildest dreams.

There in Portland I ran into some folks who knew Dick and Pam Ewing. Many of you remember them from when they were at PBC while Dick was an intern. When they first came to us, Dick and Pam were such a quiet, retiring couple that you hardly ever even noticed they were around. We have to confess, as a staff, that some of us wondered if Dick would succeed as an intern because he was so quiet. But these folks gave me a report on what is going on in Portland. Dick and his wife moved up there near the campus of Lewis and Clark College, with no regular financial support at all — no group backing them. They went alone onto this campus. No other Christian organization is working there — just this couple. They met some students and invited them over to their home. They began to teach one or two of them the Scriptures and shared with them the truth that they had learned. They began to open up their lives to these students and helped them to see the richness of God. These first few brought others, and now there is a group of forty or fifty college students meeting with them every day. Dick is still a quiet person. He is very shy and retiring, and he doesn’t teach with a lot of power and persuasiveness. But the richness of his own life is an evident testimony to the truth of what he is saying, and he is becoming a tremendous force for God on that campus. And his own life, as he shares in his letters to us, is so enriched, so much greater than he ever dreamed it could be.

I was just reading the letter sent out monthly from Taiwan by Lillian Dickson. What an amazing story her life is! She responds to every need that comes her way — nobody mentions a need but that she doesn’t do something about it. The result is that she has friends all over the world, and she has a ministry which is so rich and filled with exciting incidents that there is never a dull day, never a boring moment. Now, that awaits anyone — if you will let God have his inheritance in your life, if you will present your body to him and say, “Lord, here I am, available to you.” There is one final element in Paul’s request here — that you may know

…what is the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe, (Ephesians 1:19a RSV)

The apostle knows that these Ephesian Christians, like Christians everywhere, are oftentimes immobilized by the grip of fear. He knows their insecurity. He knows that they are afraid of their neighbors, afraid of failure, afraid of persecution and ridicule. There is a deep sense of inadequacy and of impotence in their lives. They don’t think they can do anything. They know how entrenched the forces of evil around them are and it seems hopeless to try to challenge any of the social situations of the day. They know what tremendous, relentless pressures the world can bring to bear upon those who seek to relieve some of these situations, and they are afraid.

The answer to fear is power. The minute you feel a sense of adequate power, you lose fear, because power overcomes fear. Love overcomes fear. These forces are mighty, powerful forces. And so Paul prays that Christians will get their eyes open, in a practical way, to the power available to them — “that you may know … what is the immeasurable greatness of his power in us [not up in heaven somewhere — in us] who believe.” I am often distressed by the fact that so many Christians seem to give up. They feel that their struggles are just too much, that they just can’t make it. It is because they have lost sight of the One who is giving them power. Paul develops this at some length here because it is so important to us. He wants us to see that this power was first demonstrated in the resurrection of Jesus:

…according to the working of his great might which he accomplished in Christ when he raised him from the dead and made him sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, (Ephesians 1:19b-20 RSV)

It is resurrection power. That means that it is different; it is not like any other power. It isn’t the power of a strong personality, nor of an educated mind. It isn’t the power of a good family background, nor of money, nor numbers, nor leadership ability. It is the power that raised Christ from the dead, that is able to bring life out of death. What does that mean in practical terms? Well, it means, as I have often said, that it works best in a cemetery. If you are living in a cemetery, if everything is dead and dull and lifeless around you, try resurrection power. That is what it is for. It means that this power takes no notice at all of obstacles, just as Jesus rose from the dead, paying no attention to the stone, to the decrees of Caesar, to the fulminations of the Jewish priests, nor to the guard in front of the tomb. Resurrection power doesn’t pay any attention to obstacles. It just surges on ahead, leaves the problems up to God, and goes on. It means that resurrection power requires no outside support. It doesn’t rely upon someone else, nor upon something else. It doesn’t need a vote of confidence. It doesn’t require any kind of undergirding expressions of support from anybody. It can operate alone, completely alone, if necessary. And it means that it makes no noise or display. It doesn’t try to arrest attention by some publicity stunt. It just works quietly and, without any noise, effects its transformation, brings life out of death. And further, you will notice that the apostle declares that it is supreme in the universe:

…far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come; (Ephesians 1:21 RSV)

It is far above, greater than any other force, stronger than anything which can be launched against you. So believe these words! This is what the apostle is praying for — that you will really grasp this thought, understand that this is exactly what God means.

Some years ago a young man came to me with anguish in his eyes, obviously in agony. He told me of how he had been struggling to overcome a terrible passion, terrible feelings of lust which affected him all the time. These would sometimes grow so strong that he would fall back into habits which he knew were wrong and were horribly destructive of him and his loved ones, but he would give way nevertheless and he just couldn’t resist. We sat down and talked about power, about the power of a resurrected Lord, and what he has made available to us. I remember turning to this passage and reading him these words. At the time it didn’t seem to affect him much, but I said to him, “You know, God’s power is made perfect in weakness. Your problem is that you are trying to feel strong. You want to feel powerful. But God says, ‘No, resurrection power is the kind that works best when you feel weak.’ So if you feel weak, thank God. And the next time you find yourself threatened with being mastered by these surging lusts, run to Christ in helplessness. Commit yourself to him again. Say ‘Lord, I can’t handle this myself. I can’t control myself. If you don’t help me, I’m sunk!’ And simply cast yourself upon him.” He said, “All right, I’ll try.”

A couple of weeks later, I saw him again. His face was wreathed with smiles when he came to me. He said, “You know, it works, it really works! I was reading again through that passage which you read to me, and I was struck by two words. It says that Christ is seated at God’s right hand in the heavenly places [i.e., in the seat of power in the universe], far above, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion. And those two words, ‘far above’, really opened my eyes. Why, of course,” he said, “if God is at work in me, and if he has that kind of power, then nobody else’s power even approaches his. No demonic force, no lustful urge, can be greater than the power of Jesus Christ. When I saw that fact, I was able simply to rest in the Lord, and it has been working. God has set me free!”

You notice that Paul stresses the fact that the name of Jesus is greater than any name that is named. When you name a name you are representing the resource upon which you intend to act. A policeman acts in the name of the law. The President of the United States acts in the name of the people. A salesman acts in the name of the company. And there are men and women today trying to act in the name of Satan. But here is a name which is above every name. Of any name that can be named the name of Jesus is greater, not only in time but in eternity as well, not only in this age but in the age to come. Never will there be a greater name than the name of Jesus. What encouragement that gives! The last thing that Paul tells us of this power is that it is all made visible in the church:

…and he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness [the manifestation, the visible expression] of him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:22-23 RSV)

The only place this kind of power is ever going to be manifest is in you and me, in the midst of our pressures and problems — power to be patient (that takes power, doesn’t it?), power to love, when someone is irritating the socks off of you, but you must love him nevertheless (that takes power!), power to be joyful in the midst of distressing circumstances, power to be thankful, etc. That is what Paul talking about — power to live as God intended men to live.

This conference in Oregon yesterday consisted of a lot of new Christians, many of them teenagers, and some older couples who had been Christians for several years. There were some non-Christians present, agnostics. A young Jewish athlete was there. There was a crowd of about a hundred twenty-five people. I was teaching the New Covenant, the new arrangement for life made in Jesus Christ, and was stressing the fact that this is God’s provision to set us free from our inner hangups, to relieve us from guilt and fear and hostility and anxiety, to relieve all our inner tensions so that we are at peace within and can operate out of a sense of oneness and wholeness in God’s presence. I explained how this is so obviously available in Jesus Christ, and how it works, and I confirmed it with certain experiences.

At the end of one of the messages a man came up to me and rather abruptly said, “You know, we’re going to have to find some way to shut you up!” I wondered what he was getting at. He said, “If you keep on talking this way, men like me are going to be out of work.” I asked, “What do you do?” He said, “I’m a psychiatrist! But seriously, I want you to know that what you are saying, I have recently discovered, is the secret that can make psychiatry work.” We went on to converse, and I found that, not too long ago, he had become a Christian. And now he was enjoying the discovery of a secret he had puzzled over and wondered at before — why some of the psychiatric techniques he had been taught would work and others wouldn’t. Now he understood that a new power is available, and that, in that power, these psychiatric approaches can be made to work consistently, and so he had begun to correct his psychiatry by the Scriptures. So this is what God is telling us. He has come to give us hope, and riches, and power — power to be what he wants us to be, power to be what we, too, want to be.

Prayer

Our Heavenly Father, we ask that this mighty prayer of this great apostle will become true of us — that the eyes of our hearts will be enlightened, that these words will not be merely empty words, not mere phrases that we repeat because they are in the New Testament, but that they will come alive in our experience and we too will discover how encouraging it is that our failures are working for us “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,” that even in the times when we are distressed and we don’t handle the situation rightly, if we will turn back to you then that situation will work out to our advantage. Lord, we thank you for this encouragement that if we will venture even a little bit, our lives are going to be enriched thereby. And we are grateful that above all, and undergirding everything else, is this amazing power that is within us, that is quietly able to bring life out of death, hope out of hopelessness, joy out of sorrow, and beauty out of ashes. Lord, we ask that we will understand this and live by it and act on it, so that the world around will begin to see it in us. We ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Hope, Riches, and Power

SERIES: RICHES IN CHRIST

OCTOBER 08, 1972

AUTHOR: RAY C. STEDMAN

Message transcript and recording © 1972 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. For permission to use this content, please review RayStedman.org/permissions. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved.

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What does Ephesians 1:18 mean?

Paul’s prayer moves from wisdom and revelation in 1:17 to add enlightenment and knowledge in this verse. The emphasis in this context is on understanding what God has already done and provided. This is not referring to new insights or predictions of future events. These believers already knew the facts of salvation and the believer’s future hope with God. However, Paul wants them to better understand the importance of these blessings. This is key to maintaining passion for good works, instead of becoming spiritually joyless (Revelation 2:1–4).

Both salvation and eternity with the Lord are tremendous gifts. Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9) and came at the cost of Jesus’ death on the cross. Eternity with the Lord is a future gift that each believer can anticipate in this life, yet will not experience until after this life. This future hope is a tremendous motivation for holy living, sharing one’s faith, and for life eternal.

Context Summary

Ephesians 1:15–23 celebrates the value of our salvation in Christ. Paul’s prayers for the believers of Ephesus not only include praise for their success, but an appeal for their growth. This passage heavily involves the supremacy of Christ. As believers, we are not only followers of Jesus, but also recipients of His blessings and power. Paul seeks to remind the Ephesian church that a complete understanding of Christ leads to a greater love and a stronger faith.

Chapter Summary

The first chapter of Ephesians contains two main passages. The first describes the blessings Christians have been given as a result of our salvation through Christ. Paul explains these through praises directed to God the Father. The second section both commends the Ephesians for their reputation, and prays that Christ would bring them into an even fuller and more aware faith

It Is By God’s Grace You Are Saved

VERSE OF THE DAY

Ephesians 2:8-9 (Good News Translation)

For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God’s gift, so that no one can boast about it.

It’s no mistake that you are in faith for it is by God’s Grace that you are saved through faith. It is not by your own doings not your own efforts, but of the father’s own given gift so that no one can be boastful about all for it is all by gods gift.

What does Ephesians chapter 2 mean?

Chapter 2 emphasizes the theme of salvation by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. First, Paul describes the process of salvation as the result of God’s grace through faith (Ephesians 2:1–10). Human effort, and human goodness, are completely ineffective in our salvation. Second, Paul transitions to a focus on unity in Christ (Ephesians 2:11–22). This includes tearing down the previous divide between Jews and Gentiles who are now one spiritual family.

The first section (Ephesians 2:1–10) begins by noting believers “were dead” in their sins (Ephesians 2:1) in which they had previously walked, following the way of Satan (Ephesians 2:2). This is true of all believers before coming to faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:3). Yet God’s mercy (Ephesians 2:4) has made us alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:5). This is Paul’s first mention of being saved by grace. The contrast between death and life offers a stark contrast between the unsaved and saved.

Ephesians 2:6 continues with a focus on believers being raised up with Christ, mentioning grace a second time (Ephesians 2:7). Ephesians 2:8–9 are some of the most well-known words in the Bible, emphasizing salvation by grace through faith. It is not the result of works, so no one has reason to brag. Verse 10 ends this section by noting that we are God’s workmanship or “artwork” and have been created to do good works. In fact, God prepared in advance for believers to accomplish these tasks.

The second section (Ephesians 2:11–22) transitions to unity in the body of Christ. Writing to Gentiles, Paul notes that they were once called “the uncircumcision” (Ephesians 2:11). They were separated from Christ, without hope and without God (Ephesians 2:12). Yet through Christ they have been “brought near” (Ephesians 2:13). The dividing wall has been taken down (Ephesians 2:14), with the law of commandments abolished to make one new family (Ephesians 2:15), creating reconciliation and ending hostility (Ephesians 2:16).

Jesus came to reach people of all kinds and in all places (Ephesians 2:17). Through Him we “have access in one Spirit to the Father” (Ephesians 2:18), emphasizing the triune nature of God. Gentile believers are no longer “strangers and aliens” but are united with Jewish believers in Christ (Ephesians 2:19). This united family, the church, is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus as the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). Everything grows from Him and for Him (Ephesians 2:21–22).

Book Summary

Ephesians follows a theme common in Paul’s writings: connecting theory with practice. In this book, however, he goes into greater depth before making the transition. As a letter meant to be read by more than just the believers at Ephesus, this is an important look at how Christian belief should translate into Christian action. The first three chapters lay out spiritual ideas, the last three chapters show how these truths should be applied in the life of a mature believer. Paul focuses heavily on love, the unity of the Christian church, and the incredible value of our salvation through Christ.

Chapter Context

The first three chapters of Ephesians focus on doctrinal issues; the last three show how those principles should be applied in real life. Chapter 2 makes a pair of related points about our status as saved believers. First, salvation is entirely dependent on the grace of God, not human efforts. Second, this means all Christians are part of the same family, Jew and Gentile alike. This bridges chapter 1’s explanation of God’s awesome glory to chapter 3’s discussion of God bringing His long-awaited plan into action

What does Ephesians 2:8 mean? [⇑ See verse text ⇑]

Paul returns again to his theme of grace in this classic verse. Salvation’s source is grace; the means of salvation is faith. We believe by faith to be saved (Romans 10:9), but would never choose to believe apart from the grace of God operating in our lives. That salvation would never be available, other than as a result of the grace of God. Both parts are important in the discussion of salvation.

Immediately following this declaration, Paul repeats and clarifies it. Paul does not want anyone to think salvation is based on something they had done, or could ever do. No action is good enough to provide our own salvation. No good deeds can undo the sins we have committed. Salvation is a gift. Further, it is a gift only God can provide. No matter how much we desire to give salvation to another person, we cannot. Only God can offer the gift of eternal life. Instead, we are called to proclaim the gospel, live it, share it, pray for the salvation of others, and help people grow in the grace of God. The Lord must be the one to provide salvation and does so as He chooses.

Context Summary

Ephesians 2:1–10 clearly explains the relationship between our lack of obedience, the grace of God, and our salvation. Those who are saved by Christ do not deserve this salvation. It is only by mercy, and by grace, that God chooses to forgive. In this section, Paul will repeat the claim that human effort has no impact on salvation whatsoever. No Christian can brag about their ”goodness,” since we are saved entirely by the grace of God, not by our own good deeds.

Chapter Summary

Paul repeatedly emphasizes that salvation is accomplished on the basis of grace, through faith. Good works, human effort, and our best intentions will never be enough to earn salvation. Every person is marked with sin, both deliberate and accidental, and for this reason we deserve to be separated from God. Only through His mercy and grace can we be saved, leaving no room for bragging. This also means that all who are saved, Jew and Gentile alike, are part of the same spiritual family. There is no cause for hostility between believers; we are all unworthy, and all saved by the same kindness of God

What Does Ephesians 2:8 Mean? ►

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

Ephesians 2:8(NASB)

Verse Thoughts

God has given humanity an amazing gift, and that gift is salvation – the salvation of the spirit, the salvation of the soul, and the salvation of the body, which was procured through the shedding of Christ’s blood in payment for the sins of the whole world – “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

Salvation is a gift of grace that is available to every man, and it comes from the God of all grace. Salvation is a free gift from God. Salvation is an unmerited gift and salvation is an eternal gift from the Lord of the universe to fallen man, and it flows from the exceeding riches of His amazing grace, which is found in Jesus Christ, His dearly beloved Son.

This gift of salvation streams to mankind from the Father-heart of a loving God – Who knew that the sinful race of fallen humanity faced a lost eternity without the great and costly gift of His only begotten Son. The sacrificial death of the eternal Son could alone pay the price for the sins of the world and redeem a lost creation.

But God is Spirit, and for the Son of God to shed His blood as the full and final payment for sin, He had to become the Son of Man and be born into the very race that is dead in trespasses and sin and at enmity with God. YES! God has given humanity an incredible gift, and that gift is salvation – but it only comes as a gift of grace – through faith in His only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

1 second of 15 seconds

Salvation was conceived before the world was founded. Salvation has nothing whatsoever to do with man’s worth and it has nothing to do with man’s worthiness. It does not rest on my merit or your good deeds and it has nothing to do with anything you or I have done or could do to please God.

However, our salvation has everything to do with what Christ has done for us, and is based on His worth and His worthiness. Salvation is rooted in His merit and His excellence. Our salvation depends entirely on Christ’s worthiness, and the work that He carried out on Calvary’s Cross, when He offered up His sinless life to pay the price for our sin, freeing us from the guilt of sin and the penalty of sin – and breaking the suffocating power of sin in our lives.

And all that humanity has to do to receive this eternal gift of salvation is to believe in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father. All we have to do is to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour… to have faith in Him… to believe on His name. God has given humanity the amazing gift of salvation which is given freely, to whosoever will trust in His redeeming work on Calvary – because God is gracious and God is good.

God’s gift of salvation is given by GRACE – for it is by grace that we are saved, through faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Him and His finished work on the Cross is ALL that is needed, and whosoever will, may access this free gift of salvation by grace. For by grace ANYONE can be saved. For by grace we are saved… through faith, and that not of ourselves: it is the gift of God.

Salvation is not a work of the flesh, nor is it given because of human merit, lest any man should boast. Salvation is not gained by keeping any Law or engaging in any religious ritual. Salvation is the amazing gift of God’s grace, and does not have anything to do with us. All that is required of you and me is to believe – “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”

Those of us who believe this by faith are justified, saved, redeemed, declared righteous, positioned in Christ, clothed in His righteousness, in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit, and have been given a whole host of other supernatural and eternal benefits, simply by believing on the finished work of Christ at Calvary, for He died for our sin according to the Scriptures, was buried and rose again according to the Scriptures. Do YOU believe this?

Let us come humbly before the throne of grace, knowing that we are not justified because of our works or worthiness or merit or religiosity or anything else – but because Christ is worthy. Praise His Name.

My Prayer

Thank You dear Father, for Your free gift of salvation. I am not worthy to receive such a gift, but I thank You in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, my Saviour in Whom I trust. It is in His name I pray, AMEN.

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/ephesians-2-8

Is ‘Faith’ the ‘Gift of God’? Reading Ephesians 2:8-10 with the Ancients

13/09/2017 | Matthew Olliffe

Editors’ note:

Most modern interpreters believe the ‘gift of God’ is ‘salvation by grace through faith’. Ancient exegetes said that it was the faith itself.

Introduction

For [it is] by grace you have been saved through faith, and this [is] not from yourselves, [it is] the gift of God, [it is] not from works, so that no-one may boast. For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that in them we might walk. (Eph 2:8-10, my translation)

Reformed Evangelicals love this passage … J.C. Ryle was converted simply by hearing it read in church.

Ephesians 2:8-10 is well-known as Paul’s doctrine of salvation in miniature. Reformed Evangelicals love this passage, using it to explain what sits at the heart of the gospel—the relationship between grace, faith, and works in salvation. J.C. Ryle was converted simply by hearing it read in church. It’s a key passage in the popular Just For Starters: Seven Basic Bible Studies. Many of us have put together the puzzle of ‘grace’, ‘faith’ and ‘works’ from Ephesians 2:8-10. The paradigm ‘Not Saved By Works But For Works’ is a vital component of the excellent ‘Christianity Explained’ course, and rests on this passage. Indeed, the current de-emphasis on this in some circles blunts the cutting edge of the gospel.

I grew up Roman Catholic, wondering how I could be good enough for God. Then at university an MTS worker did Just For Starters with me. We opened the Bible, and in that hut at Kensington, I got God’s grace. I realised that my acceptance before God at the judgement is not based on my goodness or moral effort, but on God’s goodness and Jesus’ moral effort. I discovered that I’m saved, not by good works, but for good works. God even gave me the faith that joins me up to Jesus. God predestined the good works that he has now given me to do.

This little passage became the reason to find a Protestant church, go to beach mission, and arrogantly share the gospel of free grace. Even now, I continually return to this beautiful simplicity, because I’ve never graduated beyond my debt to grace, no matter what I think I’ve achieved. As Theodoret said, ‘I own myself wretched—aye, thrice wretched. I am guilty of many errors. Through faith alone I look for finding some mercy in the day of the Lord’s appearing.’[1]

A Disconcerting Surprise

However, I came to discover with surprise and disappointment that many didn’t understand these verses ‘my’ way. Reading commentaries and learning Greek revealed that—in technical language—the demonstrative translated ‘this’ (v8) is neuter, but the noun for ‘faith’ is ‘feminine’. For my naive view to stand, they should agree—but they don’t. My Greek textbook declared, ‘On a grammatical level, then, it is doubtful that either “faith” or “grace” is the antecedent of [touto].’[2] Was this the death knell to my beloved understanding of Ephesians 2:8-10?

Be Alert Watch For Your Great Enemy The Devil Is On The Prowl

VERSE OF THE DAY

1 Peter 5:8-9 (New Living Translation)

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Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

Pay attention and keep alert in awareness for the devil he prowls around watching for his prey to rip up and devour. Stand strong and be aware stand against him remaining strong in your faith Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are in a different situation but similar situations.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

—1 Peter 5:8-9

Related Topics: Faith, Devil, Focus, Satan, Self-control, All Topics…

Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

Satan is no play or pretend thing. He and his power are real and intended to harm. But rather than spending our time worrying about him, let’s resist him when we are tempted and focus on Jesus. He’s the one who won the big showdown at Calvary, triumphing over Satan. He took Satan’s greatest tool and disarmed it. Now we can resist and Satan will flee.

My Prayer…

Thank you, Almighty God, for sending Jesus to break Satan’s stranglehold over us. Through the Savior’s death you have assured me that mine won’t be the end of our relationship, but the beginning of life with you. Today, however, I ask that you help me especially resist Satan’s power over my life in the following ways… Through power and in the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today’s Verse are written by Phil Ware. You can email questions or comments to phil@verseoftheday.com.

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Remain on Alert, Resist Your Enemy (1 Pet 5:8-9)

By Chris Mueller | June 5, 2011

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Remain on Alert, Resist the Enemy

Resisting and be resolved in spiritual battle–1 Peter 5:8-9

I once was involved in a drug bust. Out on a ride along with a police officer friend, that night we caught up with the undercover drug van filled with five undercover cops, who were the city’s main anti-drug task force in a dirty plumber’s van. They asked my friend to participate in their upcoming take down, and because they needed two extra men, they asked me, when given the signal, to block the north side of the back alley, in order to cut off all potential escape routes of the drug dealers, who were holed up in this seedy-looking house.

My friend taught me how to unlock the shotgun, if I needed it–then taught me how to turn on the lights. And at the signal, I drove the car out of the parking lot, made a U-turn, drove into the alley and blocked it with the car. I was a little slow, but no one escaped. This team of pros rounded up all the dealers, caught them with a bunch of weed, and the raid was a great success. These guys were large distributers, but not the ones who were bringing it in.

Very quickly, listening to the conversations, you could tell that the anti-drug officers were after bigger fish, the guys behind the dealers, the ones who were higher up on the food chain. The officers spent the rest of the evening working these guys over, to see if they could get a lead on the bigger drug dealers, because they were the ones driving it, motivating it and pushing it.

And Christian, this is the mentality you must have when facing persecution and suffering. Never forget, there is someone driving it, pushing it, like a drug war–getting his underlings, whether Roman leaders or soldiers, or politicians, to do their dirty business. There is an enemy leader higher up who is driving evil. Peter wants his readers to remember they’re in a war, the enemy is real, and that this enemy is behind much of the evil that is attacking them so that they will remain alert and resist Him.

Open your Bibles to 1 Peter 5:8 to 9 and follow along in your outline. God reminds us in these verses that you are a soldier, you are on duty, you must remain alert, and you must resist an evil enemy. Look at what Peter says in verses 8 to 9. “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.”

What do these two verses mean? God tells you never to forget you are in a war—He describes your enemy, how you can resist him, remembering he is motivating your persecution and using this fallen world to attack God’s people, who are your fellow soldiers everywhere on this sinful planet.

There is a lot of confusion about spiritual warfare with believers. Some teachers make you think that Satan is as powerful as God, instead of a fallen angel who is currently in rebellion against His all-powerful, sovereign Creator. Others teach if you follow a formula, say certain prayers, order the enemy in a certain way that Satan must obey you. But Peter instructs us in a totally different manner.

In verses 1 to 5, Peter just commanded the elders, future leaders and the entire congregation of each of the churches to saturate themselves with humility toward one another. Then Peter commands every believer to humble themselves or be humbled under the mighty hand of God, and not to give into the pride of worry, but to cast all our anxieties on the God who cares for us in verses 6 to 7. Only with the foundation of humility firmly laid does Peter build upon it with the battle plan against the enemy.

Every passage in the New Testament training Christians on spiritual warfare is saturated in humility. The Holy Spirit is trying to make it very clear that it is not your power but God’s, not your formulas but God’s Word, not your strength but God’s strength, not your wisdom but God’s will that wins the battle. For the Christian, all spiritual battle must begin with a humble heart. For the solid church, all spiritual warfare must begin with humble biblical dependence.

But what are you supposed to do? Verses 8 and 9 contain three key commands for Christians–circle them . . . two in verse 8, be sober and be on the alert, and one in verse 9, resist him

1 Be sober

2 Be alert

3 Resist

With these commands, Peter tells us what the battle is like.

#1 Staying alert, knowing you are in a real war

Look at verse 8, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.” Not long ago, I was walking down a very dangerous path in a tough neighborhood, and I was on high alert. I knew that danger was lurking around the corner, and I needed to be aware of my surroundings, seeing things accurately and paying attention.

Have any of you been in a place like that? Have any of you ever been on a road like that–can I see your hands? Do you realize every single hand should have come up in this room? You are in that dangerous place right now! You live on a fallen planet, saturated with sin. It’s an evil place called earth. Here is where you face a vicious enemy who wants to destroy you, and would love to hurt you in the most painful way possible.

You’ve seen what terrorists do to people–that is nothing compared to what your enemy wants to do to you who love Christ. You live on that planet right now–this is not your home, you are on your way to your home. But right now you’re on enemy turf, in a dangerous alley, with a wicked enemy who wants to kill you.

So Peter begins with two commands–the first is to be sober. You all as a church and each of you as a Christian be of sober spirit. If Peter were speaking of something physical, then sober would be about exercising self-control and not getting drunk. But Peter is talking about spiritual soberness, character soberness, and that means to not allow yourself to forget you’re in a war. You’re living on enemy turf–this planet is not safe, and you live among the children of the devil.

Do not allow your mind to buy into this type of thinking. I deserve to be comfortable, to be blessed and without pain. I don’t deserve trials, suffering, attacks or persecution. I am a nice guy, no one is against me. Life should be good. No, Peter commands you to be sober, to be self-controlled in your thinking, to be biblical in your mindset, to not be drunk with materialism, comfort, what you deserve, or constant pleasure.

Peter has already made being sober a major focus of his letter to these churches. Do you remember 1 Peter 1:13? “Prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” And 1 Peter 4:7, “The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.”

Soberness means you embrace the reality that Disneyland is a fantasy, it is artificial, it is an escape–it is not this world. To be sober means you never forget you are a soldier, you are on duty and this is war. Like 1 Thessalonians 5:6, “So then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.”

So Peter adds a second command in verse 8 for the church and every individual Christian, “Be on the alert.” Be watchful, be wide awake, keep your eyes open, don’t fall asleep, don’t get drowsy, don’t get lulled into thinking there is no danger. It means to get up, arise, be mindful, gear up and keep watch. I don’t care where you live–you’re not in a safe neighborhood. You are walking through a minefield and you need to pay attention.

Be on the alert, like Paul said to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:31, “be on the alert.” And how Paul wrapped up his warfare instruction in his letter to the Ephesians in 6:18, “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.” The entire New Testament calls believers to remain alert–to be watchful.

Are you an alert believer? Are you the kind of Christian who prays during every conversation, asks the Lord for wisdom with every new situation, asks the Lord for strength in daily duties and watches all that goes on around him and the world with a biblical lens, seeking to discern what God is doing? That’s alert. Or do you only think of such things on Sunday, and rarely think about the Lord throughout the week? Are you alert or asleep? What kind of guard are you–the guard who watches over the family picnic, or the guard who is on watch over his fellow soldiers in Afghanistan? There is a difference.

Christians need to be on the alert for the obvious and subtle schemes of the enemy. The enemy is actively trying to get you, and get us to disregard God’s Word, doubt His love, gossip, slander, hate, not forgive, buy into some weird theology, not pursue His priorities, ignore God’s means of grace and so much more. So be sober, and remain alert–why? Because this is war. Part of the reason you don’t remain sober and alert is you aren’t . . .

#2 Understanding your enemy

The remainder of verse 8 is a description of your enemy. It’s a portrayal of the enemy so you know who you are dealing with. Peter wants you to know he is no common opponent–read verse 8. “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

Look carefully at what Peter says–with each word and phrase, Peter is painting a frightening picture of a terribly evil enemy who desires to utterly destroy you. “Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

First What is the enemy’s name?

Peter describes Satan as your adversary, which properly means an opponent in a lawsuit as well as any kind of enemy who is seriously and aggressively hostile. Satan is the adversary of God, the holy angels, Israel–and he is the vicious relentless enemy of all God’s people. But just to make certain you don’t think you’re too insignificant for his demons to mess with you, Peter adds a scary term in verse 8–he calls Satan your adversary. Satan is the personal enemy of Faith Bible Church, and Satan and his minions are also your personal enemy, each one of you in this room.

Peter adds another noun to describe our enemy–Peter calls him the devil. This term refers to the enemy being a slanderer and accuser who opposes all believers before God, just like Revelation 12:10 says, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.” As our adversary, Satan functions like a hateful, hostile, aggressive, accusing lawyer for the opposition. There seems to be a lot of similarity between Satan and lawyers—hmmmm.

Satan is a malicious enemy who slanders and attacks in any way he can. Three times Jesus calls him the ruler of this world, which shows the formidable platform from which he launches his assaults. He uses this world and the people of this world as his primary instruments to attack believers. And those being persecuted during the time of 1 Peter and you today need to remember who is driving those attacks.

Second Where did the enemy come from?

God did not create Satan–that is technically correct. God created a sinless, powerful and beautiful angel, possibly the head angel, who faced a test just like sinless Adam and Eve. And like them, this head angel chose evil–pride welled up within him, and he sinned. In doing so, he became Satan, the evil one.

It tells us in Isaiah 14:12 to 14, “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations! 13 But you said in your heart, [underline the five “I wills”] ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”

But how did it happen? Ezekiel tells us in chapter 28:12ff. Speaking to one who is behind the evil actions of the King of Tyre, Ezekiel the prophet says, “Thus says the Lord God, ‘You had the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: … 14 you were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you. 16 By the abundance of your trade [he wants to sell his rebellion] you were internally filled with violence, and you sinned; therefore I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.’”

Who did the enemy sell his rebellion to first? First to the holy angels and second to Adam/Eve and the human race in Genesis 3. And both races bought in–at least a third of the angels did. Revelation 12 describes how Satan hates God, Israel, the Church and Christians, but verses 3 to 4 describe what percentage of angels joined Satan in rebellion and became demons, the army of the enemy. “Behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.”

Thirty-three percent of the holy angels chose to sin, became fallen angels or demons, beings who live forever, cannot die and therefore cannot be saved. Because they don’t die, perfect God could not die in their place, pay the wages of sin, which is death, on their behalf. If they can’t die, then a perfect Savior can’t die in their place. (This is why God put an angel to guard the tree of life, so that people could die and be redeemed.) So once angels fell, they remain eternally fallen and bound for hell.

Third What is Satan doing to the churches Peter writes?

See verse 8, “Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion.” The enemy has two overall strategies–now there are many more approaches that fall under each of these, but Peter highlights two major approaches . . . sneaky or strong, subtle or direct. Peter says the devil prowls–that’s sneaky and subtle. Also the devil is a roaring lion–that’s strength, direct. Peter is making it clear there are times the enemy is very difficult to spot–he is prowling. And other times the enemy is very obvious to spot–he is a roaring lion.

Prowling means to walk around. God is describing the restless energy of the devil in his search for victims. The enemy is looking for an opportunity. Typically lions attack the sick, weak or young. They go after the stragglers, the independents and isolated. Your enemy prowls about in stealth, hoping you will forget he even exists, so you will stop being alert to his presence and stop being aware he is stalking your every step, waiting for a strategic moment to catch you off-guard, relaxed and unaware, like those YouTube videos of the African watering holes when crocs attack.

Like a prowler breaking into a home, Satan wants to work in the shadows. The enemy is often subtle, and does not want to call attention to himself–he loves being ignored by Christians and written off by liberals as some childhood fairy tale. And the enemy hates having the flashlight of God’s Word exposing who he really is, and what he is really up to.

Yet in verse 8, Satan is also a roaring lion, meaning he is powerful and ravenously hungry, intent on capturing his prey. Roaring is describing his fierce and determined activity. Roaring is also how lions communicate to other lions in the pride. The enemy communicates to his troops. Satan will use his army of demons, this fallen world and his army of lost people, the children of the devil, to accomplish his goal of destroying you.

Now don’t miss this–the enemy, like a lion, will use whatever approach he thinks will best result in a kill. He doesn’t care if he gets you with the subtle temptation of pride and worry Peter just described in verses 6 to 7, the prowling lion–or if he gets you with direct persecution where you are jailed, tortured and killed, the roaring lion. It doesn’t matter to him, as long as he gets the kill.

But be aware, this context would lead me to believe that the enemy is most sneaky and subtle when you are comfortable and have little need, like living in California. And it would seem the enemy is most direct and obvious when there is open persecution of Christians, allowing the enemy to spread fear, threaten and paralyze–a roar. Understand, a lion roars for many reasons, mainly to communicate, but also to frighten its intended victim, even paralyze or momentarily immobilize its prey. The roar of a lion can be heard more than five miles away, and zookeepers will tell you that close proximity to a lions roar can cause you to pass out.

To the Christians under persecution to whom Peter writes, they faced both subtle and direct attacks. They were battling with pride because of the constant worry of potential persecution which Peter just addressed in verses 6 and 7–the prowling lion. And they battled with direct outward persecution of arrest, jail, torture and death–the roaring lion. Yet with either approach, they were battling their enemy.

But remember, they were not battling against Satan personally. Satan is not sovereign–he is not all-knowing, all-powerful and not omnipresent. So if they are battling, they are battling his army of demons and his world of lost people. Who are Satan’s people? Anyone who is not saved. What is Satan’s turf? You’re on it right now–this world, southern California. So Satan is mainly sneaky when things are comfortable, and he is mainly bold when things are hostile against Christians. But what is his goal?

Fourth What is the enemy’s goal with churches and Christians?

Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Satan wants to kill you–he is not primarily interested in making your life hard, or causing you to struggle, or discourage you. Those are all okay, but that is not what he is really looking to do. What he wants is to kill you, eat you alive, and rip you to shreds. Causing you to suffer is good, but killing you is better.

Satan wants you dead–he wants you off this planet where you make a difference for Christ. And if he can’t kill you, then he wants to ruin you as a Christian. Peter says your enemy is seeking someone to devour. That literally means to eat up, to gulp down, emphasizing the final objective of the evil one is not to wound but to destroy. He does not want to harass you or injure you—his true desire is to kill you physically or destroy your faith spiritually. And he will use this world and his demons to ruin you or his human agents to intimidate and kill you. And if Satan is not allowed to take your life from you, then he will take everything else he can in order to destroy you, crush you, ruin you and mar your witness.

You remember Job 1:9 to 12, “Satan answered the Lord, ‘Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.11 But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.’ 12 Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.’ So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.” And you know what happened.

I am certain Peter never forgot the words of Christ prior to the cross, when Jesus said to Peter in Luke 22:31, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat.” Satan wants to get you, test you, run you through the ringer. And remember, Jesus already told us what is on Satan’s heart. John 8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

The enemy is a murderer–he wants to kill you, to destroy you. And he will tell you any lie just so he can ruin you. Believers will play with him and mess around with his stuff, but Satan never plays with you or messes around–he wants you dead. So how do I fight such an enemy?

#3 Knowing how to fight your enemy

Christ gave the apostles his authority and power to deal with the enemy, but what about the rest of us now who are not apostles? Peter gives us his answer in verse 9, “But resist him, firm in your faith.” Contrary to what some teach, Scripture nowhere commands believers to attack the devil or demons with prayers or formulas, or to bind the devil. Those who engage in the useless effort to speak to Satan, who is not omnipresent anyway, or to command him or dismiss him or other demons, are confused and wrong about their powers as Christians.

Since believers are not apostles of Christ, they do not have authority over demons. In fact, according to Revelation 12, only Christ Himself, by dispatching a powerful and holy angel, can bind Satan. Plus, Jude warns us that only false teachers are those who attempt to command demons. Jude 8 and 9, “In the same way these men . . . reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. 9 But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil . . . did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’” Even Michael the great angel does not rebuke the enemy.

No, the New Testament calls believers to a different approach when dealing with demons. Even in the earliest New Testament letter, the apostle James commands a similar approach to 1 Peter–James 4:7, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” So how do we resist the devil? I believe God gives us three keys.

First Respect–to defeat the enemy, we must first respect him

Peter has been telling us to respect the enemy by calling him your adversary. The devil prowls about seeking to eat you. Don’t fear him or revere him, but respect his power and his hate. Respect him like the reformers did, like Martin Luther did in all his writings and songs, like A Mighty Fortress. Listen to this:

For still our ancient foe, doth seek to work us woe;

His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,

On earth is not his equal.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,

We will not fear, for God hath willed, His truth to triumph through us:

The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;

His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,

One little word shall fell him.

Respect the enemy like an electrician respects the power of electricity, or like a smokejumper respects the power of a forest fire–the power to maim or kill. Now in verse 9 Peter gives us two more keys to fight the enemy.

Second Resist “But resist him.”

Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest says, “Resist means to withstand, to be firm against someone else’s onset or onslaught, it does not mean to strive against that one.” He writes, “The Christian would do well to remember he cannot fight the devil. The devil was originally the most powerful and wise angel God created. He still retains much of that power and wisdom as a glance at history will easily show. While the Christian cannot take the offensive against Satan, yet he can stand his ground in the face of his attacks. Cowardice never wins against Satan, only courage.”

So far verses 8 to 9 have taught you to be wide awake and levelheaded, realize just how powerful and hateful your enemy is. Now in verse 9 God tells you to resist his attacks. Christian and church, you are to offer strong resistance–you must never cower before the enemy. That will invite certain defeat.

The verb “resist” demands you act. It is a verb made up of two words put together–against and to stand. So resist is a military metaphor commanding you to hold your ground–no retreat. Yes, we are to flee youthful lusts, run from those internal strong desires, but never from the devil. How do we resist? The same way Jesus did in Matthew 4. The same way Jesus did when he battled the devil in the wilderness. Three times Jesus was tempted by the devil, and three times Jesus answered with the exact verse dealing with the temptation. And each verse, get this, was from the book of Deuteronomy. Matthew 4:3 and 4, “And the tempter came and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’4 But Jesus answered and said, [three times/each time] ‘It is written’.”

In Ephesians 6, we are to be dependent upon the strength of God, we are to put on His divine resources/his armor, and we are to stand firm–and that includes using (verse 17) “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” And the Word of God here is not the written word of God, but the word RAMA, meaning the spoken word of God. It is the correct passage spoken, relied upon, at the right moment.

Listen Christian, you are not going to resist, nor win against the devil unless you know the passages of the Word of God that speak to the attacks and temptations you face. When you are tempted to steal, and you want to quote a verse, “Jesus wept,” is not going to cut it. When you are tempted to doubt his care, quoting, “Judas hung himself,” is not going to help. With great frustration and sorrow as a pastor, people will tell me their struggles, and I ask, “What verses have you memorized about that specific issue?” and more times than not they don’t know even one. No wonder you are defeated.

To resist the enemy, you must know the Word of God, not know about it, not swipe the air with your Bible like a sword, not go to a church that teaches the Bible. You must know the Bible and the passages that speak to the specific attack in order to resist. That along with dependent prayer and the assistance of your fellow soldiers in the church, God’s army, can make victory possible against the enemy’s army. So respect, resist and God reinforces this approach with one final key.

Third Resolved—“But resist him, firm in your faith.”

Firm means to be resolved or steadfast–be solid, like a rock. Against the enemy, you as a Christian and all of you as a church are to be unyielding like a house-size boulder. Don’t bend, don’t give an inch, don’t falter, don’t compromise, don’t move–be firm. The word “firm” is used to describe solid food versus baby food. It actually means to be rigid, obstinate, tight, hard, stiff or strong. We are to be soft toward each other with love and grace, but we are to be hard and rigid when it comes to our enemy. As you all line up in battle and the enemy charges, you are to hold your ground, be resolved, even when it appears you are going to be killed. Be resolved.

But be firm in what? Be resolved in your faith. The word faith is used in the New Testament subjectively, describing your confidence in God and dependence upon Him. But it is also equally used to describe the objective truth we Christians stand upon, the Word of God that we depend upon–the body of faith, the truth. Every good commentary I have confirms the faith Peter is describing here is the objective faith, the Gospel truth, the Word of God, sound doctrine.

God says resist Satan by taking your stand on the truth of the Word of God. Like Christ, answer every attack with the appropriate passage. Like the sword of the Spirit “which is” the spoken Word of God, you’re to quote the correct passage addressing the attack against you and be unmovable–I stand here on the truth. You say . . .

“No, I will not give into my feelings of fear because 1 Peter 5:7 says, ‘My God cares for me.’”

“No, I will not isolate myself because God tells me to “go into the world and make disciples” in Matthew 28:19-20.

No, I will not be critical because God tells me to “honor all people” in 1 Peter 2:17.

No, I will not complain because God tells me to “do all things without grumbling and disputing” in Philippians 2:14.

No, I will not remain angry, because God commands me not to “let the sun go down on my anger,” because if I do I give the enemy an opening to do me harm, as Paul said in Ephesians 4:27, “do not give the devil an opportunity.”

But don’t be afraid–even through our strength is insufficient to successfully fend off the enemy, God’s strength is totally sufficient. In fact our God’s power is so great, even a little of His power is enough to defeat the enemy. John the apostle reminded the church of Philadelphia, who were battling what John calls the synagogue of Satan, that even a little power is enough in Revelation 3:8, “I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.”

When we rely on His power, we can resist and stand firm, like Ephesians 6:10 says, “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” Literally be strengthened in the Lord, depend on him. You say, “Chris, this is scary–I feel so alone and vulnerable.” You are not, you should not be–which is why Peter wraps up verse 9 with a charge for each of us and all of us to be . . .

#4 Embracing your fellow soldiers

Knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. Never forget, that spiritual warfare is not a solo sport. It’s not a one-on-one tennis match, but a baseball contest between teams. It’s not a mono y mono wrestling match, but a football rivalry. It’s not a solo sniper hidden in the brush against an enemy squad–it is an army together on the field of battle facing another army.

All the verbs in Ephesians 6 on spiritual warfare are plural, and all the commands to us in 1 Peter 5:8 to 9 are plural. Spiritual warfare is a battle we fight together against a common enemy. Satan has an army of demons and people, and God has an army of angels and people, and guess who has already won the war? (Jesus Christ)

Peter reminds us at the end of verse 9 that we are all in this battle together as God’s children. These temptations, attacks, persecutions, arrests, trials, even deaths are not unique to you, “knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.” One of the great lies believers buy into is to think nothing this painful has happened to anyone else. Yet one of the truths God labors to tell you is that this trial is not unique to you. These same fiery trials are happening to other believers who are in this world right now, and those who have lived in the past. We are all in this battle together—this is normal. You are not alone. Stick together and encourage each other. Stand firm as a body, as believers, as soldiers in Christ’s army. Depend on Christ and depend on each other. Lock arms and give no ground, and take your stand upon the Word of God together so that no matter what happens, you will be victorious. So what does Peter tell you to do?

1 Never forget you are in a battle against a hateful enemy

Don’t get comfortable, stay on duty and keep your eyes open.

2 Remain alert for different types of attacks

Your enemy is both sneaky like an angel of light, and also direct, coming straight at you like a roaring lion.

3 Learn the Word of God concerning the battles you face

If you leave here today and do not find, then memorize the verses that address your current struggles, you are a fool. To not learn the Word addressing the current battles you are in is the same as being a soldier who goes out to face his enemy but has no ammunition, no helmet and no vest–you’re a sitting duck.

4 Tie into God’s army, His Church

You were not meant to live on this hostile planet, on enemy turf against an evil army set on destroying you, alone, or merely with your select friends or family. You were meant to be connected to, relationally tied into and serving in a healthy local church–get tied in.

5 Depend on God’s resources and not your own

You can’t face the enemy in your own strength. Some of you have no strength at all to resist Satan. The reason is you are not Satan’s enemy–you are his child. Until you turn from your sin in repentance and turn to Christ in faith, trusting Christ alone to forgive you and make you new, transforming you from a child of Satan to a child of God, you will never please God now, nor make it to heaven later. You must turn to Christ today, trust in His sacrifice on the cross for your sins, surrender all that you are for all that He is. Let’s pray.

Posted in 1 Peter and tagged persecution, spiritual warfare

About Chris Mueller

Chris is the teaching pastor at Faith Bible Church – Murrieta.

View all posts by Chris Mueller →

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2021

◄ What Does 1 Peter 5:8 Mean? ►

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8(NASB)

Verse Thoughts

We journey through our Christian life from grace to glory.. from justification to glorification – from the cross to the crown and as we travel through life there are many lessons that we all must learn and the Holy Spirit is our teacher. The Word of God provides all the instructions that we need for life and godliness for our faith rests on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself being the chief Cornerstone.

On our journey through life we are called to be humble and hopeful and to show a loving concern for all of our brothers and sisters in Christ – but we are also called to be on our guard.. and to be watchful in this increasingly godless society. We are called to be sober, serious-minded and to remain spiritually alert to the wiles of the evil one.. because our adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Satan can dress himself up in many guises and disguises. He slithers into the lives of believers as the evil serpent, seducing those that are unprepared for his malicious advances.. and causing many to follow after worldly pursuits or fall into moral corruption. He sometimes disguises himself as an angel of light.. using doctrines of demons and a multiplicity of false gospel messages to cause many to fall into spiritual adultery.

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/1-peter-5-8

1 Peter 5:8

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/1-Peter/5

What does 1 Peter 5:8 mean? [⇑ See verse text ⇑]

Peter continues a list of instructions to Christians as he prepares to end his letter.

How should believers live, believing in a real devil: a spiritual enemy with an agenda to bring harm to Christians? Peter’s answer to that question begins this verse: Be sober-minded. Be alert. It’s the third time in this letter Peter has urged his readers to be clear minded (1 Peter 1:13; 1 Peter 4:7). It matters that we are paying attention, with serious minds, to what’s going on in our lives and in the world around us.

Peter writes that there is danger beyond the physical persecution some of his readers were facing. There is a deep agenda, far beyond that of the powerful men who might inflict that persecution. The devil, not the men or women who might harm us, is the real enemy of a Christian believer.

Our enemy the devil desires to devour us, to cause real and lasting harm. The Greek word here is katapiein, literally meaning to “swallow,” or to “drown.” Peter has made it clear that our place in eternity with our Father is secure. The devil cannot take that from us, but he does seek to damage our faith. He wants fear to shake our submission to the Father, and lies to distort our understanding of God’s goodness. Since he cannot touch the believer’s soul, Satan seeks to leave us as weak and ineffective servants of our King.

In the next verse, Peter will describe how to fight that enemy. Notice, also, what he doesn’t tell Christians to do. He doesn’t say to live in fear. Nor does he say to live as if the reality of the devil is unimportant. We are not instructed to ignore the devil, nor to cower in the shadows.

Context Summary

1 Peter 5:1–11 gives specific instructions to elders about how to lead the flock of God willingly, eagerly, and by their own example. All of us must live in humility toward each other and toward God, who opposes the proud. In humility, we cast our anxieties on the Father who cares for us. In alertness, we are to remain clear-minded, looking out for our enemy the devil who seeks to destroy us. We resist him by focusing on staying firm in our faith and trusting God to keep His promises.

Chapter Context

Peter concludes his letter to the scattered Christians in Asia Minor with specific instructions. Primarily, these are targeted at those in the role of elder, about how to lead. He also provides counsel for all believers on living in humility toward each other and toward God. In humility, we wait and trust God to exalt us in His time. In humility, we cast our cares on Him. But we’re also called to remain alert, watching out for the devil and resisting him by focusing on staying firm in our faith. After this brief life of suffering, our God will bring our suffering to an end and make us strong forever.

What Does 1 Peter 5:9 Mean? ►

But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

1 Peter 5:9(NASB)

Verse Thoughts

The devil is a terrible adversary who prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, discredit, discourage, and disengage from their Christian calling. Satan and his fallen accomplices, are striving all day long and throughout the night to shipwreck the faith of believers – and he takes no holiday from his ignoble pursuits.

Although he is neither omniscient nor omnipotent, the devil continues on, unabated, with his nefarious plan to discredit our Christian testimony and bring dishonour to the name of the Lord – and so we are exhorted to resist him and to withstand his evil approaches.

We are never told to rebuke the devil, as so many seem to imagine. Even the archangel Michael said to Satan: “The Lord rebuke you.” However, we can certainly resist his evil advances, for we have been given the spiritual tools to do so. We have been given all we need for life and godliness and we have the spiritual armour of God that is necessary to withstand his evil wiles and stand fast in this evil day.

It is when we are clothed in Christ and covered in His righteousness that we are enabled to resist Satan and stand firm in the Christian faith. However, the believer that is not grounded in the Word of God or who is tossed about by every wind of doctrine, is unstable in all his ways and will not have the godly wisdom necessary to withstand the devil’s fury and resist his ungodly approaches.

Our hope is in Christ alone Who is our righteousness, our peace, our hope, and our endurance. The devil cannot accuse us when we are abiding in Christ and covered in the armour of God – for Christ is our salvation and we have the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. In Christ, we have the answer to every accusation of the enemy and the remedy for each of his ungodly temptations, but we are to put on the whole armour of God so that we may be able to stand firm against the devil’s strategies.

There may be times when we are being tempted and tried… times when we think that we are unique and that the assaults of the enemy are focused on us alone – but we must never forget that every born-again child of God knows the same experience of suffering – and like them, there is no temptation that will overtake us that is not common to everyman. BUT God is faithful and He will not allow any of us to be tempted beyond what we are able to bear, but He will provide the way of escape so that we will be able to endure it.

As we continue on the journey of life in the strength of Christ, may we resist the devil and stand firm in the faith, knowing that our brethren in other parts of the world are passing through the same sort of difficult experiences – and that both they and us have been promised God’s sufficient grace in every situation.

My Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me to resist the devil and stand firm in the faith, through Christ Who is my life. I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who are going through the same types of trials and difficulties that I am facing and I thank You that You have given each one of us the sufficient strength to resist the devil in this evil day. May we all be enabled to stand fast on

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/1-peter-5-9

The Old Life Passes A New One Blossoms

VERSE OF THE DAY.1 Peter 1:24-25 (New Living Translation).Share Audio.As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass;

their beauty is like a flower in the field. The flower stands out in beauty The grass withers and dies the flower fades and passes But the word of the Lord remains forever.” And that word is the Good News that was preached to you. That you you were taught and learned you live by the Glory of God.1 Peter 1:24-25 Brevity Of Life.May 22, 2018.1 Peter 1:24-25- For “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, 25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.”[a]This is the word that was preached to you.BREVITY=The word brief comes from the Latin brevis (short) that derives from the ancient Greek brahis (short). From the same root: briefing, briefly, brevity, briefcase, briefness. In modern Greek: a) brahis: short. b) brahitis: shortness, brevity shortness of time or duration.Life is not only short but it is also full of unexpected and uncertainties. God is truly our only guaranteed hope now and in eternity.Everyone of us must come to the reality that life is brief. Like a flower that blooms and then a short while later it withers.The older we get, the closer we are to our death date. Even if we lived to be over 100, what are those years compared to eternity? We are born, we grow up, we work, get an education, careers, etc., we retire and then die. This is life one earth.Preparation for life after earth starts NOW! Tomorrow is not guaranteed!Think about those roses and flowers you bought just last week for your loved ones on Mother’s Day. They last a few days, possibly a week and then they die. Life has the same expectancy.We live our lives here on earth for a few short years and then we die. What we have done with the time allotted to us between our birth and death date is what really matters. WAS GOD IN IT? Did you include Him?The Apostle James describes life as a vapor that appears for a little while and then it disappears. Think of a steam from a boiling pot that appears for a few seconds and then it disappears. This is what life here on earth is like.God, through the Prophet Isaiah speaks about the brevity of life in the same manner in which He spoke it through the Apostle Peter in this text.Let’s listen to God through the Prophet Isaiah 40:6-8 A voice says, “Cry out.”And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. 7 The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,but the word of our God endures forever.”.What are you doing with the short time that God has given you here on earth? How are you using your seconds, moments, hours, days and years here on earth?As the grass withers and is just for a little while, so is life.2 Peter 3:8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.The good news on today is the fact that regardless of the brevity of life, those who have put their trust and hope is God will live on forever with God in heaven.The most painful and grieved reality for humanity is the fact that human life is temporary and full of trouble, but God through Christ Jesus has provided an eternal home for us, where we could live forever. It is by grace through faith that we are saved and not of works should any man boast. (Eph. 2:8-9, NIV). Eternity with God the Father in heaven is a guaranteed home for God’s people when the temporary life on this side is over.People of God, in Christ Jesus you have a hope and a future.The Apostle Paul declares “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”.Jesus Himself declares in John 14:3-When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.Reminder: it is the Word of God that endures forever. Everything else is temporary!What are we doing with God’s Word? Are we daily applying it to our lives? Are we sharing it with others? What are we doing with the Word of God? Even when life on this side is over, the Word of God will remain standing.The Word of God is described this way in Hebrews 4:12- For the word of God is alive, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intents of the heart.Ponder these words on today and keep them at the forefront of your mind from this day forward. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.What you have read here on today is nothing new for this Word has been preached to you from the beginning.Brevity of life! Now that you know the truth about life, how will you change from the way you were living to the way you should be living now?The life we live now determines where we will live in eternity.Today is the day to “COME TO JESUS” for the saving of your soul.Life is indeed uncertain. None of us knows if we will be alive even tomorrow.Guess what? Everyday people die who thought they had many years more to live.Brevity! It is what life is here on earth. Let not your labor be in vain. Use wisely the time that God has given you to serve Him through your service to others and to glorify and magnify Him in the process of it all.If you have been taking life for granted and thinking that you will be here forever, I can only hope and pray that what you read here on today would have changed your mind, and caused.Brevity! Brief is our journey on earth. Here today and remembered tomorrow.Brevity! God’s description of man’s life on earth.God bless.Debra.Today’s Verse: 1 Peter 1:24-25.Sunday, October 28, 2018.All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.— 1 Peter 1:24-25.Thoughts on Today’s Verse…As the seasons change, the leaves fall, and the grass dies, we are reminded once again of how short our lives are. Despite the rapid advancements of technology, our deepest needs are addressed only by the eternal and proven will of God in Scripture. Whether you get your Scripture from the Bible on your mobile device or from an old family Bible, access it today. Don’t you need a dose of the eternal today?My Prayer…As I age, I am constantly reminded, O God, of my transitory stay on earth and your eternal reign in heaven. Give me a sense of my place before you as I seek your will in your Word. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.Daily Prayer Guide Strengthen Your Relationship with God Through Daily Prayer.A Prayer For Your Glory Forever [1 Peter 1:24-25].Posted by.Administrator May 25, 2019.Blessed be your name God. In a world where everything is temporary, you are forever. All the worldly things are like grass that withers and flowers that fall away. Let me keep the promises of your word at the front of my mind each and every day. I know that your love is consistent. Help me to show consistent love to those around me. Be with me and guide me, amen.Because “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever. – 1 Peter 1:24-25 [NKJV].What Does 1 Peter 1:25 Mean? ►.But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.1 Peter 1:25(KJV).Verse Thoughts.As the elderly apostle wrote this epistle to God’s elect people who had been chosen according to the foreknowledge of the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, it must have gladdened Peter’s heart to know that these saints had purified themselves – which was being manifested to the world through their deep love for one another.Peter rejoiced in God’s great mercy, knowing that all who trust in Christ for the salvation of their soul through faith in Him, are shielded by the power of God until the coming of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ – Who is ready to be revealed at the last time.He understood that the saints, to whom he was writing, had been chosen before the creation of the world and were born-again of imperishable Seed – which comes through the enduring, unchanging, and immutable Word of God.However, Peter also knew that the heart of every man is at enmity with God and all humanity is born dead in their trespasses and sins. He understood that in God’s sight, “All men are like grass, and all their magnificence and glory fades like the flowers of the field,” as recorded in the book of Isaiah.He had, no doubt, studied the prophet’s writings and recognised that the brevity of man’s life can be compared with the fleeting passing of grasses in the field, for he quoted the gloomy truth: “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory fades away like the flower which shrivels up,” for, day by day, we witness this fact in our everyday lives as we watch the grass withering away and flowers fading before our eyes.If this quote from the Old Testament had ended at this point, we would indeed be of all men… most miserable. But Peter completes Isaiah’s statement with a beautiful and enduring truth: “But the Word of our God stands fast forever!” Indeed, Peter goes on to explain that the Word of God, which was spoken through holy men of old, is the same Word of truth through which the gospel is preached today.The Word of the Lord is pure, perfect, and cannot be broken. God’s Word stands fast forever and ever, and God has placed His Word above His holy name. And from start to finish, the Word of the Lord details the way of salvation for lost sinners and is the means by which the gospel has been preached to centuries of believers. Scripture continues to be the vehicle by which we too have heard the truth of the glorious gospel of grace.From Genesis to the Revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are presented with God’s gracious, redemptive programme for fallen man, as recorded in the Bible – that Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture, that He was buried, and rose again according to the Word of Truth so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish and pass away – as the grass in the field, but would receive the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. The Word of Life also contains all we need to live a life that glorifies His name – for we have been given all we need for life and godliness.The Word of God is altogether true and His eternal order cannot be broken – let us, therefore, praise God that we who have been saved by grace through faith in Him, are the elect of God. But let us never forget that there are many who are dead in their sins who need to hear the truth of the glorious gospel of God.May we be emboldened in these last days to go into all the world and preach the unchangeable Word of Hope to those that are perishing. Let us hold fast to the Word of the Lord which endures forever and ever – for this is the Word by which the gospel is preached unto us.Source: https://dailyverse. knowing-jesus. com/1-peter-1-25.What does 1 Peter 1:24 mean? [⇑ See verse text ⇑].This verse must be taken together with verse 25. Peter quotes from Isaiah 40:6–8 to back up his statement in verse 23 that we are born again through the undying Word of God. Human life, though intense and beautiful in many ways, comes and goes in a season. Even the most productive, most privileged, most adventurous of mortal lives begin to fade just as they get underway.This is understood and grieved by people of every culture, every generation and every belief system. Human life is achingly temporary. Peter writes this letter, in part, to remind His readers that God has provided (by grace and through faith in Christ) a true home and a secure future on the other side of this temporary life. In Him, we have hope of a future without end.However, the specific point he is making here is about the word of the Lord, and it concludes in verse 25.Context Summary.1 Peter 1:13–25 describes how Christians—those God has caused to be born again—should live now. We must mentally engage in setting all of our hope in God’s future grace for us. We must choose to act as those who are God’s own people, rejecting the evil desires that drove our actions before we knew better. Our choices matter. Our God placed a high value on our lives, paying for them with the blood of Christ. Since God has made us able, we must now strive to earnestly give love to each other.Chapter Context.Peter, the apostle of Jesus, writes a letter to Christians facing persecution to comfort them with the truth of who they are in Christ—children of God with every reason to rejoice in their salvation and future glory in eternity. Next, he urges them to live like the holy ones of God they already are by obeying God now, loving each other earnestly, and placing all of their hope in the endless life to come

Come To me Walk Humbly With Me

VERSE OF THE DAY

Hebrews 4:12 (New Living Translation)

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For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

VERSE OF THE DAY

Hebrews 4:12 (The Message)

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God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one can resist God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what.

For the word of God speaks truth

You must watch what you’re mouth speaks for word pierce and cut like a knife cutting into the spirit and soul leaving scars exposing everything no matter what

What Does Hebrews 4:12 Mean? ►

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12(NASB)

Verse Thoughts

Jesus Christ is the Living Word of God, Who is traced to every page of the Written Word of God. All that He is, stands in stark contrast to all that we are. His penetrating eyes search out all the dross that is rooted in the fallen soul of man. His Word of Truth exposes everything in me that is not of Christ: my-self, my-hypocrisy, my-insincerity, and my-unbelief.

The Word of God is living, because He is the living God Who breathes life into us and in Whom are the WORDS of eternal life. The Word of God is active. It is dynamic and miraculous. It is vigorous and lively because the Spirit of the living God is the eternal Souce of power, that moved holy men of God to pass on His supernatural message to us – through the living Word of the living God.

The Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword. It is like the razor-sharp blade of a double-edged sword, with the ability to cut into the deepest recesses of all that is spiritual and divide it from that which is soulical. It can differentiate between words, actions, thoughts, and motives, that are looking to Jesus and words, actions, thoughts, and motives, that have placed self on the throne of their life.

So penetratingly piercing is the Word of God, that it has the ability to separate the soul of man from the born-again spirit, just as the butcher’s razor-sharp blade slices the joint of meat from the marrow-bone. The Spirit of the living God is able to judge the deepest thoughts and intentions of the heart of every man.

Every spoken Word from the lips of Christ are Life and Truth. All the written Words of Scripture give wholeness and health to those who believe. How vital to take His Word deep into our hearts. God’s purpose, for all who believe, is to conform us into the image and likeness of Christ, and the stark reality of Scripture is the contrast of God’s amazing grace towards us… with our own rebellion. It contrasts His faithfulness with our unbelief.

The Word of truth exposes our deceitfulness and our unworthiness. It can cut our evil hearts to the quick just as the penetrating look of the Lord Jesus brought His denying disciple into the depths of distress and repentance. Gazing deep into the powerful Word of God is a penetrating, soul-searching exercise, for it cuts away any foolish boasting in ourselves and exposes any prideful perceptions of our own worthiness!

The action of the Word of God on the spirit and soul of every believer is a life-long process that continues to cut away all that is of the old man and conform the new life we received at Salvation into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is an ongoing operation in the inner recesses of every believer, which will be fully and finally completed at the rapture/ resurrection of the Church, when we shed the last remnants of our old fallen self, through our transformation into the image and likeness of the lovely Lord JESUS.

Throughout this life, the Word of God in all its fullness, continues to lay bare the truth, in the inward parts of man, silencing forever our own weak protests and unjustifiable defences. The razor-sharpness of God’s Word can crush, to the uttermost, all that is of our old fallen flesh, and bring the believer’s old sin-nature to the end of itself.

It is in His gracious, loving-kindness that God brings each of us to face such depths, so that He can purge out the old Self and form in us the pure and holy nature of the Lord Jesus. The sharp, active, living, powerful, wonderful Word of God, is used by the Holy Spirit in each of our lives, to convict, convert, comfort, and conform us into Christ’s likeness, and to prepare us… during our lifetime, for the spiritual rest, eternal life, and future glory, that is laid-up for us in heaven.

The Word of God will continue in each of our lives to be living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, as we sojourn in a land that is not our home. The Word of God will never stop piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, on this earthly journey to our heavenly home. It will never cease splitting the good from the evil, the heavenly from the world, right from wrong, faith from fear – and that which is of Christ from that which is not – for the Word of God is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of every heart.

Let us, in humility of heart, and patient endurance, permit the testing work of the Holy Spirit to penetrate deeply into the depth of our being as He examines truth in the inward parts, and lays bare the hidden thoughts and intentions within. Let us embrace the everlasting truth that God’s Word is living and active, powerful and sharp… and allow Him to complete the good work He has started within. May we rejoice that God’s WORD is sharper than any two-edged sword and cuts deeply to the place where soul and spirit meet, the place where joints and marrow meet – for our eternal good and for His greater glory.

My Prayer

Thank You, Father, for the living, powerful Word of God. I pray that whatever it takes, Your Holy Spirit would continue to convict, convert, comfort, and conform me into the image of the lovely Lord Jesus, so that I become the person You want me to be. May I never hinder the work of Your Holy Spirit within, as He continues to divide my born-again spirit from my sin-sick soul. Root out all that is not of Christ and use me I pray, as a conduit through Whom You can flow, unhindered, into the lives of those around me. Thank You that You loved us so much that You purposed to change

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/hebrews-4-12

Abiding with Christ in Humility

We want intimacy with God, but our fear and pride keep us distant. Christ shows us how to abide with him in humility.

Read, watch, and listen to this message. Listen on Spotify here, Apple Podcasts here, and Google Podcasts here.

he phrase “abiding in Christ” can be confusing. While its meaning can go deep, the basic meaning is simple:

Abiding in Christ means staying connected to Christ and not leaving.

And Jesus is clear on how we can abide: In John 15:10 he says, “If you obey my commands, you will abide in my love” (NIV).

“Abiding in Christ” is the first of five spheres of discipleship, as I describe with my coauthor Jim Putman in The Revolutionary Disciple.

The five spheres are:

• Sphere 1: Abiding in Christ

• Sphere 2: The Church Sphere

• Sphere 3: The Home Sphere

• Sphere 4: The World Sphere

• Sphere 5: The Spiritual Realm

As we abide or remain in Christ, we don’t just want to stay and obey. We want more. As I’ve examined my life and listened to others in the church—I keep hearing: “I want more intimacy with God.”

So if we want this and God offers it, then why don’t we experience it?

This post seeks to answer that question and simply to say this:

Humility leads to intimacy with God.

Three key barriers keep us from this humility that leads to intimacy with God.

First Barrier: Fear

If you’re like me, I sometimes get afraid of what God’s going to say to me if I spend time alone with him. What will God ask us to do if we make space for him? We fear he’ll find the skeletons in our closet—the ones we know about and the ones we don’t know about.

But when this happens, we forget that he’s good.

The truth is we should not be afraid of what God will do if we draw near but what will happen if we don’t allow him into those vulnerable places to deal with our skeletons. We can’t keep the door closed on our secrets; they will come out one way or another.

Christ offers freedom from fear of intimacy.

Second Barrier: Feeling Stuck

As we seek intimacy with God, we can easily feel stuck.

Often if we take a step back and look at our discipleship journey, we can see how we started strong with obeying the call to follow Christ and understanding the Great Commission to make disciples of Christ.

We feel like we’re not making progress, so we stay put.

But Christ offers a way to get unstuck, which I unpack below.

Third Barrier: Pride

Pride operates below the surface of our fear and feeling stuck. This pride comes from a mixture of our confusion about authority, submission, and humility.

Forgetting Christ’s authority. We can easily read the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18–20 and skip straight to the “Therefore, go and make disciples” and miss the first line, where Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

We can easily forget Jesus is not just a teacher but also king of the universe!

My three-year-old daughter, Emma, loves stories, so she said before nap time recently, “Tell me a story about Jesus.” So I told Emma the story of Saul on the Damascus road, where Jesus spoke to Saul.

I finished the short version of that story, and she said, “Tell me the rest of the story.”

So I said Paul went throughout the whole world at the time and shared the gospel. I concluded by saying, “Students of Jesus popped up everywhere. Did you know Jesus was a teacher?”

She said, “No, he’s king.”

It was a good reminder that Jesus isn’t just a teacher. He’s also king of the universe.

Forgetting we’re called to submit to Christ in every area of life. A disciple is essentially a learner. This means a disciple by nature submits to a teacher and follows their instructions.

We must be humble in order to submit to another person.

And we’re not to submit just at baptism or in one area of life. We’re to submit to Christ and to his delegated authorities in every area of life. This encompasses what we call the five spheres of discipleship: abiding in Christ, in the church sphere, in the home sphere, in the world sphere—where we live, work, and play—and in the spiritual realm.

It’s like allowing someone full access to your computer’s hard drive or every room in your house—nothing hidden.

Forgetting that Christ’s authority and our submission requires our humility. I can say of all the sins I’ve struggled with in my life, pride has been the most insidious and sneakiest one. Pride has been a major issue in my life—one of my core weaknesses.

So as someone who’s struggled with this but is on the path of recovery, I can say that while God has shown me my sin, he’s also shown me the way out.

Over the last twenty years of my life, I’ve thought deeply about the wreckage that pride has caused in my life and in the lives of others, and I’m convinced of this:

What’s missing for many disciples today that keeps us from intimacy with God is true, Christlike humility before God.

We see this call to be humble through the examples of Jesus and Paul.

I believe one of the major keys to abiding humbly in Christ is found in Matthew 11, which is about the humility of Christ himself. Matthew 11 comes in between the call to follow Christ in Matthew 4 and the commission to make disciples of Christ in Matthew 28.

This passage uniquely reveals Jesus’ heart of humility, and it unlocks the key to what made him truly revolutionary.

The Example of Jesus

The book is called The Revolutionary Disciple. People on the right and left are talking about a revolution and rightly so, but Jesus’ humble way of life is the only way toward a lasting revolution.

So the book’s title is first talking about Jesus.

Then, we become revolutionaries because of him and our surrendering to him in every area of life.

Jesus, a disciple?

It’s strange to think about Jesus as a disciple, but he was one. We know this because Scripture says Jesus “learned obedience from what he suffered” (Heb. 5:8).

Jesus also says in John 15:15, “Everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

Jesus wasn’t just a disciple; he was a revolutionary—the revolutionary.

The paradox is this:

Jesus overturned the world through love and conversion, not through force and coercion.

Dallas Willard says in The Allure of Gentleness that Jesus was alluring to people not in spite of his gentleness but because of it. This is something I’m seeing more and more:

Gentleness changes the whole dynamics of a relationship.

Here’s the beautiful thing: Jesus invites us to learn this kind of humility and gentleness from him by walking with him through life. In Matthew 11:28–30, he says:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Let’s spend some time in this passage because it’s so rich.

Understanding Matthew 11:28–30

1. Jesus says, “Come to me,” which is an invitation simply to be with him.

This is a surprising offer from the king of the universe to be in relationship with him!

This “with” part of discipleship matters so much for us as we make disciples and disciple our children too.

Case in point, my daughter, Emma, has been singing a Scripture song called “Be Strong and Courageous” by Seeds Family Worship, which is based on Joshua 1:9: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Recently, we were at a neighborhood family movie night, and before the movie started, Emma saw a group of kids blowing bubbles. So she started walking toward them.

Then, she saw how wild the kids were acting with the bubbles. From about ten feet apart, we locked eyes about the issue, and I told her, “Be strong and courageous.” She then came back to me, held out her hand, and said, “Come with me.”

Christ offers us “come-with-me” discipleship.

Come-with-me discipleship means a relationship with Christ and the church.

Nothing kills relationships like pride.

In fact, I believe the burden Christ describes in this passage has to do with pride.

2. Jesus’ invitation to come is for all those who are burdened.

I’m convinced, as I’ve studied the immediate context of Matthew 11:28–30, that the burden is not just the burdens of life in general but the specific burden of unrepentance due to pride.

I believe this because he has just rebuked people for not believing in him after he performed miracles: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes” (Matt. 11:21). It’s in that context that he invites all who are weary and burdened to come to him.

Pride says, “I’m okay on my own. I don’t need help. I don’t need relationships.”

I’ve seen the burden people carry when they live in pride and do not turn to Christ in an abiding relationship with Christ and his church because I’ve been there. And my heart goes out to them.

Pride not only distances us from God, but it divides churches, splits up families, causes us to get fired from our job. And the worst: it isolates us, making us vulnerable to spiritual attack.

When Satan wants to lure us into self-destruction, he’s a one trick pony: he works us from the inside out by encouraging an overinflated ego in us through the idolatry of self with our seething yet subtle pride.

Pride says, “I don’t need anything. I’ve got it.”

But we all need help, guidance, and correction—that’s what makes us disciples.

Why do we struggle to grow in intimacy with Christ? Because we struggle at the deepest level with subtle forms of pride.

Discipleship includes both fellowship with the Son and the pruning of the Father.

We often want the teaching and training without the correcting and rebuking. Yet Jesus says, “My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:1–2).

We forget God’s good and his pruning leads to his producing fruit in our lives.

We cannot be close with God until we accept the pruning of God.

This comes only by humbly submitting ourselves to his way over ours in every area of life.

And while independence is a great character trait, rugged individualism destroys our intimacy with God.

But Jesus shows us the way of humility when he says, “Come to me … take my yoke upon you and learn from me.”

3. Jesus shows us humility of heart.

He says, “Learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart.”

Jesus was revolutionary because he was humble, but his humility was not how the world defines it. He maintained humility even with his great authority. And we can be revolutionary as we learn humility from him. That’s the core message of The Revolutionary Disciple.

How do we do this?

We unpack this in the book, but I want to emphasize in this post the importance of this first sphere. We must first be in a close, humble relationship with Christ himself.

We must learn not just the commands of Jesus but also the heart of Jesus.

Then, we can effectively walk humbly through the other spheres, and discipleship will not be burdensome—but a delight.

Paul’s Pride and God’s Prodding

I thought a lot about Acts 26:14 as I prepared for the sermon after which this post was adapted. It’s the words of Jesus to Paul on the Damascus road.

Luke replays three synoptic versions of this story in the book of Acts (in Acts 9, 22, and 26), but Acts 26 contains a detail that is absent from the other versions.

For context, it says that Paul and his friends saw a great light from heaven, brighter than the sun, and after they fell to the ground, Jesus said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

Then, Jesus said:

“It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

A “goad” is a stick with a sharp end that was used to prod oxen and other animals to move one way or another—to guide them. To “kick against the goads” was to resist God’s prodding.

Jesus said essentially, “It’s hard for you, isn’t it? That’s painful.”

So to those of you struggling with pride in one or more areas of your life, let me extend that observation to you because I think it can shed light on the reality of our pride: It’s hard for you, isn’t it? I know it has been for me.

Our Pride and God’s Prodding

In which area of your life are you currently resisting God? Let me tell you the good news: God wants to give you rest and intimacy with him. But you must stop going your own way and surrender to God’s way.

Here’s a truth you can hang your hat on:

The pain of kicking against the goads is greater than the pain of growth.

And you can take these words from James 4:6–8 to the bank:

“‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

As you consider our message in The Revolutionary Disciple about Jesus’ legacy in our lives, let me remind you of the invitation he issues to all of us who are wearied by going our own way:

Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

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CHAD HARRINGTON

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JENNIFER BARNETT

The Necessity of ‘First Freedoms’ by Jennifer Barnett

Many Christians feel disengaged with God, and Jennifer Barnett’s First Freedoms can help them reengage to form a wholehearted prayer life. I wrote First Freedoms… Read more »

JENNIFER BARNETT

Abiding with Christ in Humility

We want intimacy with God, but our fear and pride keep us distant. Christ shows us how to abide with him in humility. Read, watch,… Read more »

CHAD

What does Hebrews 4:12 mean?

This is probably among the most-quoted verses in the Bible, and a highlight of the book of Hebrews.

To this point, chapter 4 has explained why Christians ought to put our best efforts into fulfilling God’s will. Israel failed to trust in God at the borders of Canaan (Numbers 13—14), which led to an entire generation wandering the desert, rather than finding their “rest” in the Promised Land (Hebrews 3:16–17). Just as God rested only when His creative work was done (Hebrews 4:3–4), so too we can only “rest” in our greatest possible heavenly rewards if we “hold fast” our faith to the end (Hebrews 3:6). This means completing the work God has given us to do (Hebrews 3:10-–11). This is not about salvation, which is guaranteed to all who trust in Christ (John 6:39–40). Rather, this is about the heavenly rewards we stand to gain—or lose—on the basis of our trust in and obedience to God (Revelation 2:26–27).

Given the context of this passage, loaded with Old Testament references, this is clearly about the written Scriptures. Specifically, that the ultimate measuring stick for our obedience to God is His Word. Hebrews 3:12 warns Christians to “take care” against having a heart of unbelief. The only way to properly diagnose this condition is with the Bible.

The imagery used here in Hebrews is popular, but easily misunderstood by a modern reader. The Greek word translated “sword” is machairan, often used generically for a “sword” or “dagger” in the New Testament. However, the same word is also used to describe the blade wielded by Peter in Gethsemane (John 18:10). To modern eyes, Peter’s weapon was less of a soldier’s sword and more of a large fisherman’s knife. In fact, a fisherman’s machairan was primarily meant for cutting flesh—unlike true military “swords” which were tougher but less razor-sharp.

Whether military “sword” or meat-cutter’s “knife,” this perspective makes the metaphor of this verse all the more vivid. The “sword” is said to separate the “joints and marrow,” probably a reference to tendons, ligaments, and other meaty parts. These are from the Greek words harmōn and myelōn. These tissues are hidden away, hard to reach, and seemingly indistinguishable. A sharp blade, such as a machairan, can uncover and separate these things.

In the same way, the Word of God can even separate spiritual things which seem completely intertwined, such as the soul and spirit. This is not meant to be literal, as the Bible often uses these terms interchangeably. Rather, this is a graphic explanation of how completely God’s Word can distinguish between the godly and ungodly. To man, the soul and spirit seem indistinguishable, but the Word of God can—metaphorically—even discern between these. This incredible “cutting” power of Scripture is therefore a tool to separate our very thoughts into good and evil.

The Bible provides everything we need to know the difference between truly selfless, spiritual deeds, and acts which are actually selfish and ungodly (Matthew 7:21–23). Jesus’ condemnation of the Pharisees describes how outwardly pious behavior itself is not always obedience (Matthew 23). It is possible to read the Word and yet fail to follow God’s will, due to rebellion (2 Peter 3:16) or pride (John 5:39–40).

The context of this verse is crucial. Verse 11 warned Christians to strive to obey God, lest we lose our heavenly rewards. Here in verse 12 we are reminded that the Word gives us all the power we need to learn the true will of God (Romans 12:2; Philippians 1:9). Verse 13 will point out that God’s judgment is impossible to escape: nobody is beyond His sight (2 Corinthians 5:10). Even so, only in Christ do we find a God who truly understands our failures (Hebrews 4:14–16).

Context Summary

Hebrews 4:1–13 reassures Christians that they have not missed their opportunity to enjoy the ”rest” promised by God. Chapter 3 warned about the dangers of losing faith and disobeying God. In this passage, the writer points out that psalmists like David, who came long after Moses, encouraged Israel to obtain God’s rest ”today.” Since God’s rest on the seventh day of creation came only after His work was done, and Israel only suffered loss when they failed to complete their assigned work, Christians should strive to complete the work given them by God, in order to obtain the greater heavenly rewards. The most potent tool we have in this effort is the razor-sharp Word of God.

Chapter Summary

In Hebrews chapter 4, the author refines the theme of chapter 3. An entire generation of Israel lost out on their inheritance of the Promised Land due to a lack of faith. Here, the author points out that the rest promised by God is still offered, through Christ. The razor-sharp truth of the Word of God will separate what is truly spiritual from what is faithless. We should make every effort to obtain our inheritance in Christ, which is something separate from our eternal salvation. We can also be confident, knowing Jesus can uniquely sympathize with our temptations and sufferings

The Message of ‘First Freedoms’ by Jennifer Barnett

Jennifer Barnett gives an overview of her new book and how both churches and individuals can benefit from First Freedoms.

Ican easily recall the very first day the message of First Freedoms was taught at my church. Men and women arrived, looking to know God more and gain tools for a stronger prayer life.

As we dove into the first chapters of the book, I saw a hopeful vulnerability as layers of performance, guilt, disappointment, and confusion disappeared, and for the first time many of the participants developed a hunger to abide with God.

This hunger led not only to deeper personal prayer lives, but it fortified community as many stepped into prayer times with one another. God even led some to serve in prayer ministry long-term as they sought to offer the renewal they had experienced to others. They had encountered God and desired to make that the standard in their daily lives with their friends, family, and community.

I’ve had the privilege of praying with thousands of people over the last twenty-five years. They were seeking God but had not been taught how to pray or draw near to him. They feared their lack of relationship with God was insurmountable and they were destined to be distant and disappointed.

The effects of that deficit had produced half-hearted disciples of Christ.

They knew much about him but did not truly know him.

But they wanted to know him, and they longed for that relationship that seemed to be out of reach. They had years of residue from lives at a distance from God, with strongholds built that ultimately kept them from communion. They simply did not know how to encounter him in prayer.

I wrote First Freedoms in response to this need for wholehearted disciples.

In this post I explain the aims of the book, give an overview of the three main sections of the book, and finally share how First Freedoms has impacted several pilot groups who studied it.

The Aims of First Freedoms

Many Christians have never learned profound truths such as how Christ came to bring freedom (Gal. 5) or that God searches and knows us (Ps. 139:1), not to bring condemnation but healing and right relationship.

I wrote this book in response to many leaders and friends who asked for a devotional Bible study that would:

Thoroughly examine the concepts of abiding, freedom, and inner healing while stressing these tools as foundational in one’s daily devotional life.
Supplement the ministry of Freedom Prayer teams globally by offering a devotional study that can support a growing culture of prayer and freedom in a church.
Advocate for the inclusion of Freedom Prayer teams and training in local churches to meet the fast-growing needs facing church leaderships in the areas of brokenness, sin, struggling, and wounding as well as the resulting mental health crisis and isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Offer key tools that are essential to basic disciple-making in the areas of prayer and communion with God so prayer takes it rightful place in the process of growing healthy followers of Jesus.

First Freedoms Overview

The book consists of three sequential parts that will support a healthy prayer life.

Part 1 introduces “Connection,” which explains how attaching to God as Father is foundational for further growth.
Part 2 offers a “Core” lens and tools to allow God to search and know truly one’s heart and remove anything that would block wholehearted relationship.
Part 3 dives into the “Culmination” of a healthy abiding prayer life with goals in the mature Christian walk; it also explores complex themes that can hinder even seasoned followers of Christ.

Part 1: The Connection

First Freedoms intentionally begins with how we can connect with God.

From the beginning of our Christian journey, we are instructed to pray. Many followers of Jesus learn that prayer is a conversation in intimate relationship with God, but they are ill-equipped on how to start that conversation.

Just as we give important people in our lives our time and attention in close proximity, we are to do the same with God. I have met many mature Christians who confess their prayer life is lacking, and it mainly consists of throwing requests into the atmosphere without experiencing the nearness of God—without even knowing if God hears or cares about their requests.

Part 1 addresses this problem of Christians not knowing God in close relationship. I address communing with God and how to prepare our spiritual eyes and ears for listening to God from a wholehearted posture.

The next chapter presents roadblocks that can hinder our understanding of God as our Father.

Then I outline steps to building a relationship with the Father in personal prayer times.

After this, I examine how our response to God in prayer is often at a significant distance. Finally, I present a lifestyle of abiding in prayer and the fruitfulness that follows in being attached to the Vine.

These Connection pieces are vital and foundational for a healthy follower of Jesus. Learning them can prevent hearing the sobering warning of Jesus: “I never knew you. Away from me” (Matt. 7:23).

Attachment is necessary but often neglected.

When attachment receives the time it deserves, the resulting fruit is not only a deeper connection with God, but a “home base” to return to while dealing with the issues of daily life.

Part 2: The Core

Part 2 focuses on tools to identify the issues that can block a person from the fullness of a relationship with God. These helpful tools allow God full access to all areas of the heart where strongholds are most often found.

Based on Luke 15, Part 2 explores wounding, ungodly beliefs, entanglements, and sin as the key areas of struggle in the Christian journey. We can use this lens to identify the issue and learn of his heart and plan for restoration. Often our personal hinderances and strongholds are felt but hard to identify.

Having this lens with the resulting biblical tools for freedom is transformational.

This Core comes from the core tools of Freedom Prayer, which finds its basis in years of fruitful ministry, as individuals from all over the world have been freed from spiritual hinderances.

It is again foundational to the healthy Christian life, especially as these tools allow an individual to obey the psalmist’s cry to “search me . . . and know [me]” (Ps. 139:23). God designed tools for freedom as a response to that prayer.

For years these tools have transformed individuals, families, churches, and cities as the people of God step into real communion with unbound hearts. I present these tools in prayer that promote freedom and transformation when applied in close connection to God.

Some of these tools include forgiving others, renouncing ungodly beliefs, truly confessing, repenting of sin, and breaking ties with unholy bonds. These tools are the responses to the issues presented in the Luke 15 lens.

Both the lens and tools are framed in a metaphor of tending a landscape of owned property, much like tending one’s heart before God. Weeds, vines, and trash all threaten to choke out abundant life.

Each issue is framed in this language with resulting consequences and outlets to experience not only freedom but tools to continue to walk in that freedom. I also show how to use prayer as a weapon in seasons of spiritual warfare in addition to safeguards and biblical anchors in the battle.

Part 3: The Culmination

Part 3 is the culmination of the first two parts of the book. It addresses areas that can affect even the most mature believer. I wrote Part 3 because leaders requested help in areas that can cause stumbling in an otherwise steady Christian walk.

Christians not only need biblical truths to navigate these areas but steps in prayer to remove any lasting residue or distortions from these areas of struggle.

I discuss laying aside burdens and casting crowns at Jesus’ feet. When we carry things we shouldn’t, even good things, a seasoned believer can become heavy with weights they were never meant to carry. Identity can get slightly off-center when one’s accolades and calling define worth.

I also speak on the nearness and goodness of God in the midst of tragedy.

Suffering produces fruit that cannot be harvested elsewhere, but prayer is vital to keeping truth in the most trying of circumstances.

Finally, I explain how holding holy authority and displaying God’s glory are natural outcomes and goals of being deeply rooted in all three sections of First Freedoms.

Connection and navigating freedom from issues discussed in the Core should produce disciples who are not just doing spiritual maintenance, but who are thriving with a heart purposed on God. Freedom is necessary but not the end goal. The glory of God is preeminent in a life that is Spirit-led.

How Churches and Leaders Can Use First Freedoms

I designed First Freedoms to be explored in both an individual and group context. This means working through each chapter in a personal devotional time, while simultaneously exploring the material in a group setting.

This can be done in a Sunday school class, a Bible study, or a small group. There is great benefit to “owning” the material and practicing the steps in personal prayer but even greater benefit to walking these truths with a transparent, connected community.

Applying First Freedoms in a church setting has a proven impact.

It is an invitation to connecting with God and sharpening tools for freedom in prayer. It offers practical steps to grow a personal prayer life, while also diving deeply into these themes for seasoned believers. The book takes the head knowledge of God and partners it with biblical instructions that urge a “tending” of the heart.

When used in a church, First Freedoms equipped individuals with a desire to pray more and to pray effectively. They received steps that bolstered their own devotional time.

In churches where Freedom Prayer ministry already existed, First Freedoms participants were more likely to sign up for a prayer time. They learned in a safe context the gift of seeking God together with transparent hearts that produced true community.

Being known by God and one another is a longing of the human heart, which is easily found in the context of First Freedoms.

Finally, First Freedoms propelled many participants into greater discipleship in their homes and personal relationships.

The tools are easily adapted for use with children and small groups, with many participants reporting success in their families and community gatherings in regard to praying and bearing well with one another. They had tools for freedom that were accessible.

For churches with existing Freedom Prayer ministries, the book continued the conversation and allowed newcomers to experience these concepts. The culture of the church continued to grow in these necessary areas of prayer, which is a hallmark for healthy disciples of Christ.

Connect to God and One Another

The church finds itself currently as a house for the walking wounded, many who have been spiritual orphans for quite some time. The physical isolation mandated in the last few years only uprooted a longstanding emotional and spiritual isolation from true fellowship with God and other followers of Jesus.

By offering both “Personal Communion” and “Community Connection” sections of response, First Freedoms offers solutions to this problem of isolation. Connection to God and one another is foundational to gospel community and Christian maturity, and First Freedoms aims to provide a grid for both.

Outcomes of First Freedoms

Many of my conversations with church leaders begin with their honest need for help in the areas of discipling a culture into prayer and a toolset to responding to the roadblocks that hinder spiritual growth.

First Freedoms, both in content and format, can assist with these areas of need both on an individual level and in community, providing a natural solution for the problem of isolation from God and one another.

It deposits a lens not only to see one’s individual blocks from abiding with God, but that lens translates to understanding other people.

First Freedoms provides tools to tending one’s heart before God, which then leads to tending well to the hearts of others.

Prayer becomes first and foundational as the vitalizing piece in personal discipleship that positively affects all other areas of ministry and relationship. The church desperately needs practical tools to invite this shift from followers of Jesus who just know about him to those who have been transformed by him and walk in abiding freedom.

First Freedoms provides the roadmap to help grow healthy disciples.

Closing Thoughts

My heart is to see believers walk in spiritual freedom and reach the full potential of their relationship with God. As believers do this, the church becomes a place where prayer is central, and the community is free. Free people free other people. When the people of God are near to God, others will be drawn close too. First Freedoms is a great tool to help achieve these necessary goals for a healthy church. Encourage your church leaders to pick up this book and begin your church’s journey of experiencing wholehearted prayer lives.

Sing Hymns And PraisesTo God Our Father

VERSE OF THE DAY.Ephesians 5:19-20 (New Living Translation).Share Audio.singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.Singing of praises with psalms and hymns praises amongst yourselves desires of your heart fellowship felt amongst your heart and giving thanks for all that you have thanking God the Father in the name of The Lord Jesus Christ.Christian singing: Why and how? (Ephesians 5:19–20).Reading Time: 12 minutes.Lionel Windsor lectures in New Testament at Moore College, Sydney.Music is part of who we are as human beings. We all know that music stirs the soul and engages the heart. But music isn’t just something that happens to us. Music is something we do: human beings sing! Of course, not all of us are very good at keeping a tune (I’m certainly not). But most of us still sing—or at least we hum along under our breath to the tunes we hear others sing. Indeed, human beings often sing together. This has been true of societies down through the ages. Whether it’s folk tunes, anthems, or chants at sporting events, singing has brought people together, stirred hearts and souls, and enabled people to express together what they love and long for.In some ways, modern technology has changed how we in our Western society engage with music. We now have instant access to a huge range of music from around the world, recorded for our convenience so we can play it back at leisure and listen in private. As a result, we can each pick and choose and consume our music according to our individual tastes. This means that the phenomenon of singing together—using our voices to sing one song with others near to us—is becoming less common in our modern world. On one bus or on one street corner, you’re likely to find fifty people with ear pods listening to fifty different songs, rather than a group of people all singing the same song.This means that the age-old Christian practice of singing together is becoming a little strange and antiquated in our world. I play the piano, and I’ve been involved in church music for many years, serving as a musician and music leader in various contexts. One thing I’ve noticed is that when visitors who aren’t familiar with church come and join us, they can find the whole idea of people singing together a little bit foreign and uncomfortable. Yet despite its strangeness, we still do it. Why do we Christians resist the modern trend towards individualising music and keep singing together when we meet? Why does singing together matter to us so much?In these verses from Ephesians, the apostle Paul says some important things about Christian singing. What Paul says here helps us to see why Christians sing together. It also helps us to understand a little more about how we should sing together.Speak to one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, constantly giving thanks for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to our God and Father.Ephesians 5:19–20.Spirit-fulfilled singing.First let’s look at why Christians sing. Christian singing is a result of what Paul has just spoken about in the previous verse: “be fulfilled by the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). In Ephesians, being “fulfilled by the Spirit” is about becoming who we were made to be, for the sake of God and his purposes. God has a great plan for his world “to sum up all things in Christ” (Ephesians 1:10). We believers play a key part in this plan as Christ’s “body”, the church. Although the final fulfilment of God’s plan won’t happen until the last day when Christ returns, nevertheless, even now, through his Holy Spirit, God is bringing us towards fulfilment, enabling us to live for him and his purposes (Ephesians 3:18–19). As this happens, we have some work to do, building one another up and growing together as Christ’s body (Ephesians 4:13). Yet this is not ultimately our own work; it’s God’s work. God’s Spirit brings us to believe in Christ and strengthens us in Christ. And in these verses, we see that one important result of being fulfilled by the Spirit is that we sing!This tells us something very significant about Christian singing. Our singing, by itself, doesn’t cause God’s Spirit to work in us. Rather, it’s the opposite: the Spirit’s work in us through the gospel causes us to sing! This is, unfortunately, one of the fundamental and serious errors of Bethel Music, a large and influential music publisher in the USA. They see it as their task to create “worship songs that carry God’s presence” to worshippers, and worship events “to host His [i. e. God’s] presence”.[1] But our singing does not carry God’s presence—instead, Christ’s presence among us, by his Spirit, through faith in his word, “carries” us. God’s Spirit leads us to sing praises to the God who saved us. If we get it the wrong way around, our singing will end up replacing the role of God’s Holy Spirit. We will feel we need to work ourselves up into a certain emotional state through our singing, so that we can bring God’s presence down to earth. This is disastrous for our faith, because it makes our own emotional state, rather than the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the measure of God’s presence among us. In fact, the idea that our own activities can “carry” God and his presence is ultimately idolatrous: the true God carries us; we don’t carry him (see, for example, Isaiah 46:1–4)![2].Why, then, do we sing? We don’t sing to cause God to work in us. We sing because God is at work in us, by his Spirit, bringing us to trust and know the Lord Jesus Christ through the message of the gospel. Singing is the result of this work of God in our lives.The horizontal dimension.The first few words Paul uses to describe singing might sound a little strange at first glance. He doesn’t start by saying “sing to God”, but “speak to one another”. In other words, our singing is a form of speech to one another. This means singing has an important horizontal dimension. Singing involves building one another up through the use of words (see also Colossians 3:16).By using the word “speak”, Paul is here deliberately connecting the idea of Christian singing with all the things he has already said in Ephesians about Christian speech. Our Christian life together involves “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15) to one another. This means speaking the gospel of Jesus Christ (see Ephesians 1:13), speaking the implications of the gospel, and speaking in a gospel-shaped way within the network of loving relationships characterised by God’s love for us in Jesus. We’re to build one another up with the truth of the gospel, rather than get carried away by false teachings and “empty words”. We are to speak the truth rather than lies to one another (Ephesians 4:25). We are to speak words that point people to Jesus and build them up in him (Ephesians 4:29–30). Speaking to one another in this way is at the core of our lives together as Christians.So Paul describes singing as a form of speech to one another. This has important implications for how we understand and practice singing. Christian singing is not simply a private, individual experience. It’s not even a private, individual experience among others having their own private, individual experiences in the same room. It’s not just about building ourselves up as individuals; rather it’s about being built together as the body of Christ. That means our practice of singing should not involve shutting others off: for example, we should not spend our singing time at church closing ourselves off from others, only concentrating on our own individual experience. As we sing, we should be opening ourselves to one another, to build others up and to be in turn built up by others. Christian singing is not about each individual singing individual words to himself or herself. Rather, it’s about everybody singing the same, intelligible, gospel-focused words together, building one another up in God’s word.What are we to sing? Paul here mentions “psalms”, “hymns”, and “(spiritual) songs”. He’s not talking here about three different forms of song. All three terms are commonly used in the Old Testament to describe pretty much the same thing: Israel’s response of praise and worship to God. But the three different words help us to see that there are different aspects of the one activity of singing.The personal dimension.The word “psalm” helps us to focus on the musical aspect of singing (a “psalm” was originally a song accompanied by stringed instruments; it’s related to the phrase “making music”). That is, when it comes to singing, the musical aspect is important. Why? Well, there’s just something about music, isn’t there? Music has a power to affect us. It gets under our skin and stirs our souls. Music helps us to engage at a deep, emotional level with the truths of the gospel. It is particularly powerful when it’s used to help us to consciously engage our whole beings—our minds, wills, and affections—with the truth of the gospel. The emotional power of music is a wonderful gift from God!Now because music is so powerful, there are dangers associated with it. For example, music can be used to manipulate our emotions and bypass our minds and wills. This happens when the music itself, rather than the truth of the gospel, dominates the experience—when repetition or volume or other musical devices are used to overwhelm the experience, so that the words themselves become largely irrelevant. We need to resist this danger.Another danger associated with the deeply emotional power of music is that music can divide us. We all come to church with different past experiences and different emotional reactions to different kinds music. This is where we need to remember that singing is not just about ourselves, but about one another. As God’s people gathered together, we need to sing a variety of songs and song types, so that all of us, with our varied preferences and experiences, have a chance to engage our whole beings with the truths of the gospel. We need to keep bearing with each other and forgiving each other in this. It’s a profound act of love to sing a song that isn’t your style for the sake of a brother or sister who loves that style and will be built up by it.The vertical dimension.The word “hymns” helps us to see another very important dimension: the vertical dimension. A hymn is a song of praise to God: praising God for who he is and what he has done. That means theology really matters when it comes to singing. Singing is, in fact, one of the most powerful and effective ways to learn theology. Singing the truths about God and his actions helps to drive these truths deep into our hearts. That’s why Paul uses the phrase “spiritual songs”. The word “spiritual” isn’t referring to “spontaneous” songs, or to a certain kind of musical style. It means a song that comes about through the work of the Holy Spirit. It’s a song that points us to the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father—a song that speaks the truth about God and teaches us to learn and love that truth. This is a key way the Holy Spirit works in our lives (see Ephesians 1:17–18).This is why we must make sure that those involved in leading music and choosing songs in our churches have excellent theological training. Christian music is one of the most powerful and enduring ways to teach theology. Singing gets under our skin and into our souls. So the words really matter, at a detailed level. We repeat those words again and again and learn to love them. Have you found yourself singing or humming a song from church during the week, not knowing why it’s popped into your head? Or when you are struggling all you can call to mind are the words of a hymn? Music ministry, therefore, is profoundly theological. That means we need to look for music leaders who are theologically astute, and keep giving them all we can to help them grow in theological depth and insight.Paul says to sing “with your heart to the Lord”. Today, we often use the word “heart” to refer to our emotions. But in the Bible, the “heart” is much more than that: it’s a way of referring to our whole being—who we are inside. It encompasses our minds, our wills, our consciences, and our affections. When Paul talks about singing with our “heart”, he is saying that our singing is to come from who we are inside: the person God has made us in Christ. In his letter so far, Paul has already said some important things about what God does with the “hearts” of believers. Through the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, believers have had “the eyes of [our] hearts enlightened”—that is, we have come to know God’s great purposes and plans (Ephesians 1:18). And as the Holy Spirit works in us, bringing us to believe in that gospel word and grow in hope and love, Christ is present among us: he “dwell[s] in [our] hearts through faith” (Ephesians 3:17). As our hearts are renewed more and more, that should overflow in song to the God who saved us and loves us.Singing and grace.Finally, we should always remember that Christian singing flows from God’s grace. Straight after he talks about singing, Paul says we should be “constantly giving thanks for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to our God and Father”. Thanksgiving is about responding to God’s grace to us (see Ephesians 5:4). It’s about being thankful for his gift of salvation, and thankful for all the gifts that God has richly provided us with in this world. Singing is part of our whole life of thanksgiving. This is why we need to make sure our singing as Christians is not isolated from the rest of our lives. Singing praise to God is meant to lead us into whole lives of thanksgiving. If we sing praises to God and then straight afterwards grumble or complain, we’ve forgotten what we’ve sung and are denying the truths we sing.So what do these verses tell us about the why and how of Christian singing? Singing flows from being fulfilled by the Spirit. This helps us to see why we sing. It also helps us to see how we should sing. Singing has a horizonal dimension, as we speak to one another in song, building up and encouraging one another in God’s grace. It has a deeply personal dimension, as it engages our whole heart, including our emotions, responding to God’s grace. And it has a vertical, theological, dimension, as we sing about and to God himself, on the basis of his grace to us in Jesus Christ.For reflection.Christians sing together as a result of God’s work in our lives by his Holy Spirit. How does this encourage you as you gather in church to sing?Consider your own practice of Christian singing. Are you neglecting any of the dimensions that Paul describes here: the horizontal dimension, the personal dimension, the vertical dimension?Description.Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything — Ephesians 5:19-20.Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.What does Ephesians 5:19 mean?In verse 18 Paul taught believers to be controlled by the Spirit. How does this look? This verse offers three expressions.First, Paul mentions “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” This could include both reading passages of Scripture aloud, spoken poetry or the singing of music, whether in a small group or larger group of believers. Three types of songs are mentioned. Psalms refer to the Old Testament songs sung by Jews and shared among Christians. Hymns were likely more formal songs, meant to instruct, similar to the one quoted by Paul in verse 14. Spiritual songs may refer to more spontaneous, call and response music. These would be the equivalent to “contemporary” music, following cultural styles, yet focused on God-honoring lyrics. Paul notes all styles of music can be used to honor God as long as God is the focus.Singing is only occasionally mentioned in the New Testament, but does play an important role in the early church. Paul and Silas sang hymns in prison (Acts 16:25). Paul wrote about singing to the Roman believers (Romans 15:9) to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 14:15), and to the Colossians (Colossian 3:16). James commanded believers to sing praise to God (James 5:13). Revelation notes expressions of singing (14:3; 15:3–4). Finally, Paul adds “making melody to the Lord with your heart.”.Believers can both sing with the voice, and live with a “song” internally. God instills joy within those controlled by the Spirit.Context Summary.Ephesians 5:1–21 continues Paul’s invaluable instructions on how Christians should live out their faith. Rather than imitating the world, or being controlled by worldly things, Christians are to be filled with the Spirit. Specific flaws such as sexual immorality, crude speech, and wasting of time are discouraged. Instead, believers ought to submit to one another out of respect for Christ, providing a powerful witness to the world.Chapter Summary.Chapter 5 begins with an admonition to imitate Christ. In order to do so, Christians must avoid sexual immorality, vulgar language, foolishness, and other inappropriate attitudes. Paul warns that those who persist in these behaviors are not part of the kingdom of God. The passage then transitions to an explanation of mutual submission, including that between husbands and wives. Wives are to submit to their husbands, and respect them. Husbands are to love their wives in a Christ-like, sacrificial, and humble way.What does Ephesians 5:20 mean?In verse 18, Paul instructs believers to be controlled by the Spirit. He frames this in contrast with being controlled by alcohol, naming drunkenness as something Christians are to avoid. Verse 19 offers several expressions of being spiritually filled.This verse adds another expression, which is an attitude of universal thanksgiving. Being controlled by the Spirit includes gratitude. The Spirit-filled believer is a person who is regularly thankful for what God has done in his or her life.Notice who we are to thank as Spirit-filled believers: “God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We don’t simply thank ourselves or other people; we give thanks to God. Both the Father and the Son are recipients of our gratitude through the control of the Spirit. All three persons of the triune God are involved in the ongoing life of the obedient believer.Interestingly, Paul uses the exact phrase “Lord Jesus Christ” six times in this brief letter (Ephesians 1:2, 3, 17; 5:20; 6:23, 24), emphasizing Jesus as King, God, and Messiah. He both begins (Ephesians 1:2) and ends (Ephesians 6:24) this letter giving top priority to Jesus, as the One above all else.Context Summary.Ephesians 5:1–21 continues Paul’s invaluable instructions on how Christians should live out their faith. Rather than imitating the world, or being controlled by worldly things, Christians are to be filled with the Spirit. Specific flaws such as sexual immorality, crude speech, and wasting of time are discouraged. Instead, believers ought to submit to one another out of respect for Christ, providing a powerful witness to the world.Chapter Summary.Chapter 5 begins with an admonition to imitate Christ. In order to do so, Christians must avoid sexual immorality, vulgar language, foolishness, and other inappropriate attitudes. Paul warns that those who persist in these behaviors are not part of the kingdom of God. The passage then transitions to an explanation of mutual submission, including that between husbands and wives. Wives are to submit to their husbands, and respect them. Husbands are to love their wives in a Christ-like, sacrificial, and humble way

Share One Another’s Burdens

VERSE OF THE DAY

Galatians 6:2 (New Living Translation)

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Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

We all endure obstacles in our path of life some more than others burdens hinder us share each others burdens living the way of faithfulness to the law of Christ

Are We Supposed to Carry Each Other’s Burdens as Galatians 6:2 Says?

It’s clear by unpacking these words that Paul was addressing two different types of burdens. One we are to help one another with. One we are responsible for ourselves. Paul states that by bearing one another’s burdens we fulfill the law of Christ.

Danielle Bernock

In the Book of Galatians, Paul writes that Christian brothers and sisters are supposed to carry one another’s burdens.

He states that in doing so we fulfill the law of Christ. But then he goes on to say that everyone needs to carry their own burden as well.

This can be quite confusing. What is Paul saying here?

Are we supposed to carry each other’s burdens or not? What are the burdens he’s talking about? Where does the law of Christ fit in?

The Context of Galatians 6:2

To get a better understanding of what Paul is trying to communicate, let’s start by looking at the passage for context.

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden (Galatians 6:1-5, KJV, emphasis mine).

As you can see, it seems that Paul is contradicting himself. It’s interesting that he says burdens (plural), and burden (singular). This seems insignificant. But let’s look deeper.

‘Bear One Another’s Burdens’ in Detail

The original text was written in Greek, not English. So, we’ll look at both the original words, as well as their translations.

• Bear – Paul used the same word both times. The word in Greek is a verb that means to take up, bear, carry, to carry (take) away. It also means to endure, tolerate, or support.

This word has been translated as bear, carry, share, help carry, and assume.

• Burden(s) – Paul used two different words each time. This in and of itself separates Paul’s first instruction from the second.

In the Greek:

• Burdens – a weight, burden, trouble, heaviness. This type of burden has real substance with value, carries personal or eternal significance.

This word is found translated into the one word, burdens.

• Burden – a burden, the freight of a ship, cargo, load. This type of burden must be carried by the individual as something personal, not transferrable.

This word is translated into a variety of words: load, conduct, burden, responsibility, luggage, actions, shortcomings.

It’s clear by unpacking these words that Paul was addressing two different types of burdens.

• One we are to help one another with.

• One we are responsible for ourselves.

Still, this can be difficult to understand how to apply, so let Scripture interpret Scripture to find out what Paul meant.

The Meaning of ‘Bear One Another’s Burdens’

See how the bearing of burdens is carried out in these three different translations (emphasis mine).

Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived (Galatians 6:1-3, MSG).

Help carry each other’s burdens. In this way you will follow Christ’s teachings. So if any one of you thinks you’re important when you’re really not, you’re only fooling yourself (Galatians 6:2-3, GWT).

Carry one another’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the requirements of the law of Christ [that is, the law of Christian love]. For if anyone thinks he is something [special] when [in fact] he is nothing [special except in his own eyes], he deceives himself (Galatians 6:2-3, AMP).

The Law of Christ in Other’s Burdens

Paul states that by bearing one another’s burdens we fulfill the law of Christ. He refers to it in 1 Corinthians as an example in his life.

To the Jews I became like a Jew so that I could help save Jews. I myself am not ruled by the law, but to those who are ruled by the law I became like someone who is ruled by the law. I did this to help save those who are ruled by the law. To those who are without the law I became like someone who is without the law. I did this to help save those who are without the law. (But really, I am not without God’s law — I am ruled by the law of Christ.) To those who are weak, I became weak so that I could help save them. I have become all things to all people. I did this so that I could save people in any way possible. (1 Corinthians 9:20-22, ERV, emphasis mine).

What is this law and where is it written? It isn’t defined in Scripture as such but is understood to be the law of love.

Jesus the Christ revealed this law when asked what the most important command was.

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).

James speaks of the law of love, calling it royal.

Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (James 2:8).

Love One Another As Christ Loves Us

God is love and Paul admonishes us to imitate him as dear children.

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma (Ephesians 5:1-2).

Galatians 6:2 Meaning of Carry Each Other’s Burdens

Feb 9, 2020 by Editor in Chief

Galatians 6:2
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Explanation and Commentary of Galatians 6:2

There are many ways that we may be called upon to carry the burdens of a brother or sister in Christ, but it seems that in this context, Paul is referring to the burden of the sins of our fellow believers, particularly those in our local context of the church to which we belong.

The verse prior said to “gently restore” someone who has fallen into sin, “watching” ourselves in the process so that we won’t be tempted as well. It is a means of grace to the believer to be in community with other believers who are willing to lovingly confront them in their sin. The Spirit of Christ in my brother or sister is often more reliable and clear-headed than the Spirit of Christ in me, especially when I have created a blind spot by giving in to some temptation and perhaps rationalizing it to the point of callousness.

The command here to carry burdens for one another is about the willingness to speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15), and carry out this truth-speaking with great understanding.

Breaking Down the Key Parts of Galatians 6:2

#1 “Carry each other’s burdens,”

Starting with empathic concern for the pain and trial of a brother or sister, when we join Jesus’ Church, officially in membership in the local church, or unofficially in the universal brotherhood with all Christians in the family of God, we commit to a certain responsibility to one another. We love one another. We care for one another. And in this verse, we will consider that God wants to speak to our brother or sister through our confrontation of them in their sin and possibly through church discipline.

#2 “and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

If the law of Christ is to love one another as he has loved us (Jn 13:34), then this is a neglected, but necessary way to fulfill that law. Gentle restoration of a dear brother or sister in sin is a most loving action. It requires us to first die to our people-pleasing, and then to our self-righteousness. We take on responsibility to one another in this way, but not for one another. Ultimately, God is the one who is responsible for them. We are not tasked to change the heart of another, only to be used by God in his plan to change their hearts. If we get confused on that issue, we will take on God’s burden instead of our own. This is too heavy for anyone but God to bear, and we will only attempt it out of our own self-importance, a trap that will harm both the brother in sin and bearer of the burden.

Bible Study on Galatians 6:2

What does Galatians 6:2 mean?

Paul is giving instructions to the Galatian Christians about how to live with each other as Spirit-powered people in Christ. In the previous verse, he told them that when one is caught by sin, others should step in to help restore that person to walking by the Spirit again.

Now he tells them, and by extension all Christians, to help carry each other’s burdens. Notice what this means: Being in Christ does not mean we won’t have burdens to carry in this earthly life. We will. One of those burdens is the weightiness of our temptation to give into sin, and the heaviness of trying to get out of it. Paul wanted us to share that burden and not battle sin and temptation on our own.

The term used here by Paul is instructive. He describes these weights using the Greek term barē, which in New Testament use applies to something excessive or extreme in its weight (Revelation 2:24; Matthew 20:12). Later, Paul will use a different term, phortion, which is used for more-manageable burdens (Matthew 11:30; Acts 27:10).

We carry other burdens, as well, and sometimes we go through seasons where those burdens are too much for us to haul around. Such burdens might include relationship issues, financial problems, illness, indecision, or emotional difficulties. God’s Spirit certainly gives us the power to deal with these issues, but another way God intends to provide for those in Christ is by giving us the ability to help each other.

One way we can fail in this area is by refusing to allow anyone to see the burdens we are carrying. We can mistakenly think that being a Christian means we should be self-reliant in every way, all the time. In a few verses, Paul will write that we do need to carry the weight of our responsibilities in Christ. But Christians are also meant to help each other with the loads we carry when they become overwhelming.

How does helping to carry each other’s loads fulfill the law of Christ? Paul earlier quoted Jesus in saying that the entire law is fulfilled in one word: love (Galatians 5:14). Love is the law of Christ.

Context Summary

Galatians 6:1–10 focuses on how those in Christ should treat each other, through the power of God’s Spirit. We should restore those caught in sin with gentleness and humility, and we should help to carry each other’s burdens. Having said that, Christians should be honest with ourselves about what God is doing through us. We need to take responsibility for what He has asked us to carry. Because eternal life comes from planting God’s Spirit by faith in Christ, and not by works of the flesh, we must keep doing good. The harvest will show that we planted well.

Chapter Summary

Galatians 6 includes instructions for how people who are free in Christ and walking by God’s Spirit, should treat each other. Christians should restore those who are caught by sin, and we should bear each other’s burdens. Only those who plant the fruit of God’s Spirit, by faith in Christ, will harvest eternal life. Believers should not get tired of doing good for each other! The harvest is coming. Paul concludes the letter, writing in large letters that circumcision means nothing. Only becoming a new creation through faith in Christ matters

What Does Galatians 6:2 Mean? ►

Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2(NASB)

Verse Thoughts

Believers in Christ are fellow-members of His Body, which is the Church. All are children of God and all have been born of the Spirit. All have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son. All have received eternal life as a free gift of God’s grace, and all have been granted an inheritance that is kept for us in heaven.

Each member of Christ’s Body is accountable to the Lord for the way we live, but we also are responsible for the attitudes we adopt, and the actions we take towards our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We each have a responsibility to support and encourage fellow believers and are called to “bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfil the law of Christ.”

In the previous verse, the spiritual believer is instructed to help to restore a brother or sister who has fallen into sin – but to do it with gentleness and Christ-like consideration. Indeed, the spiritual one is warned against being adversely influenced by the carnal behaviours of others, or led astray by a misguided brother, lest they also are tempted into similar, ungodly ways, or fall into carnality themselves. Paul instructs those that are spiritual to restore those who are not walking by means of the Spirit – or who have been overtaken by worldly sin, the wiles of Satan, or fleshly carnality.

However, in this verse it is having a caring concern for a brother in Christ who has become heavily burdened or deeply distressed, with whom the spiritual Christian should be concerned. Every one of us has areas of life in which we are weighed down, discouraged, and deeply burdened, and the instruction to ‘come alongside and help one another’ is identified as fulfilling the law of Christ.

The Lord Jesus, Himself explained the distinguishing qualities of this ‘law of the spirit of life’ which is found in John 13:34 where we read: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.” Love for God and love for our brothers and sisters in Christ is the fulfilling of the law – but it can only be carried out by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit in the life of a spiritual believer i.e. a Christian, who is walking in spirit and truth.

There is much misunderstanding concerning the difference between spirituality and maturity in our Christian walk. Maturity is a life-long process, which takes place over time as we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, study His Word, and apply its principles in our life. The spiritual believer is one who abides in Christ, obeys His commands, honours His name, is growing in grace, and is becoming more Christ-like with every passing day. The more we die to our self-life, and live for Christ, the more we mature in our Christian walk, and the more Christ-like we become.

Spiritual maturity is not the same as spirituality. Spiritual maturity develops as we are conformed into the likeness of the Lord Jesus through the wise choices we make. Spirituality however, is not a process but a state. At any given point, we are spiritual OR we are not spiritual! At any given time in a believer’s life we are EITHER walking in the spirit and truth OR we are living in fleshly carnality. At any moment in time we are either honouring the Lord or dishonouring Him.

We are either spiritual or we are fleshly. We are either walking in spirit and truth or walking in the flesh. We are either living for God or living for Self. We are either in fellowship with our Heavenly Father or we are out of fellowship with Him – because the antithesis of spirituality is carnality. Jesus said, “Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters,” while Peter, who was prompted by the Holy Spirit to confess Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, became a fleshly tool in the hands of Satan immediately after his great spiritual revelation from God.

Christians do not progress towards spirituality in the same way that they progress towards spiritual maturity. Just as one is either saved or not saved at a given point in time, a believer is either spiritual or not spiritual at a given point and there is no middle ground. When we sin in our Christian walk, we are unspiritual and lose fellowship with our Heavenly Father – we are not fulfilling the ‘law of Christ’. However, as soon as sin is confessed, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and return us into fellowship with Himself, and spirituality is once again restored – and we thereby fulfil the law of Christ.

Let us seek to be those that are spiritual and to bear one another’s burdens in humility and gentleness. Let us die to self and live our life to the glory of God so that we may mature in the faith, grow in grace, live a spiritual, God-honouring life, and become a living testimony to the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

My Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the many lessons I am learning and the importance of becoming a spiritual Christian and fulfilling the law of Christ by abiding in Him and submitting to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. May I grow in grace and wisdom, humility and gentleness, so that in the power of the Holy Spirit I may be spiritually enabled to support the weak, help the afflicted, bear the burdens of my brothers and sisters in Christ, restore those that have been tempted into sin, and thus fulfil the Christ-like law of godly

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/galatians-6-2

My Highest Deepest Desires

VERSE OF THE DAY.Psalm 40:8 (New Living Translation).Share Audio.I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.”.I take honor in my god fearing fervent living will in you my Lord for your law is always and forever upon my heart for you know all as I was created by you you are my highest, deepest, desire.What Does Psalm 40:8 Mean? ►.I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.”.Psalm 40:8(NASB).Verse Thoughts.When David penned these words, they were in every respect a song of thankful worship to the Father that pointed to the coming Messiah, Who would be sent from heaven to become our sacrifice for sin. It spoke of the eternal Son of God Who humbled Himself to become a servant – Who did only those things that He heard from the Father. His life was a testimony that delighted to do the will of the Father, for God’s Law was treasured in His heart.As redeemed children we have been bought with a price and saved by grace through faith. We are ambassadors of Christ and servants of God who are called to be His witnesses to a world in need. But however glorious our salvation and privileged our service, our calling first and foremost is to worship at His feet, to delight to do His will, to treasure His Word in our hearts and to remain in the center of His will for the rest of our life.May our highest joy and greatest delight be to live in the centre of God’s will and to treasure His word in our heart.May our lives be a sweet-smelling savour of thankful worship and reverential praise, so that we may live and move and have our being in the centre of His will – so that we may become true witness to our Father in heaven, and a true reflection of Christ within – so that through us, God will be glorified in the world.My Prayer.Loving heavenly Father I delight to do Your will and meditate on Your word. Multiply my desire for You I pray, so that my life may be a testimony to Your love and grace, in Jesus name I pray, AMEN.Source: https://dailyverse. knowing-jesus. com/psalm-40-8.What does Psalm 40:8 mean?This is connected to the verses cited in Hebrews 10:5–7, which applied this passage to Jesus the Messiah. As do many New Testament citations, this uses the Septuagint translation, in Greek. Phrasings between that and the Old Testament Hebrew are often different. The Hebrews reference shows that God’s ultimate intent for our salvation involved a physical body, fulfilled in that of Jesus Christ (Psalm 40:6).David was thrilled to do God’s will, whom he knew personally as “my God.” He also held God’s Word in his heart. His devotion to God’s will and God’s Word pictures Jesus’ relationship to God and His Word. When the Devil tempted Jesus for forty days and forty nights in the wilderness, Jesus refused to abandon His worship of the Father by falling down to worship the Devil. The Devil took Jesus to an exceedingly high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. He promised to give Jesus all the kingdoms and their glory if Jesus would down and worship him (Matthew 4:8–9). But Jesus resolutely refused the offer. He rebuked the Devil and appealed to the biblical command: “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve” (Matthew 4:10). Jesus continued that pattern throughout His earthly ministry (John 4:34; 5:19; 17:4–6).Context Summary.Psalm 40:1–10 delivers a steady stream of thanksgiving, as David recounts the Lord’s deliverance of him from his enemies. He is grateful for giving him a new lease on life. He commits himself to doing the Lord’s will and to telling others about how the Lord delivered him from his enemies. Psalm 37:1–7 emphasizes the fact that the Lord delivers those who wait on Him and commit themselves to His will. Hebrews 10:5–9 quotes the Greek version of Psalm 40:6–8 and applies the passage to Jesus the Messiah.Chapter Summary.David waited on the Lord for quite some time to be delivered from his foes, and the Lord heard him. This remarkable deliverance would persuade many to trust in the Lord. David insists that no one can compare with the Lord. Verses 6–8 are messianic; Hebrews 10:5–9 applies them to Jesus. David shared this story with his fellow worshipers in the sanctuary. He was confident that the Lord would continue to show him His mercy, His steadfast love, and His faithfulness. David needed the Lord’s help because he was conscious of his many sins, and he knew his enemies wanted to kill him. He concludes this psalm by humble acknowledging that the Lord thought about him and was his help and deliverer. He asks the Lord to come quickly to his defense.MORNING MEDITATIONS: DELIGHTING TO DO GOD’S WILL – PSALM 40:8 Oct 31 2016 Devotionals “I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.” -Psalm 40:8 The Will of the Father What is the will of the Father? But to walk with Him, to obey, to be faithful to respond to Him each moment of each day. As we know Him more deeply, it’s in our growing delight in Him that our heart grows to delight in doing His will. How do we know the will of the one we love? We get to know them, we try new ways to serve them and so discover what they desire and what they do not. It is the same with God. And though we may not hear an audible voice, we can hear His voice in His words to us through the Bible. We can see His law written on our hearts through His Spirit at work within us, reminding us of His words, prompting us with His ways. And we can walk open handed before Him saying “Lord here is my day, each moment, let me respond to you as you lead today.” Is He prompting you to take your neighbor cookies? Then do it. To seek forgiveness from your husband, your children, your friend, your co-worker… then go. To ask that next question of the women at the register at the grocery story… tell me your story.. then speak. To take the next step in that conversation with a friend “Can I tell you how Jesus has changed my life”… open your mouth. To begin to write that book, pick up your pen and paper. To apply for that job, to quit, to spend less here, give more there. To open your home to those less fortunate, to add an extra plate at your dinner table, invite the single neighbor over. GO. Helen Keller once said; “I long to accomplish a great and noble task but my chief end is to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” Faithfulness When Only God Sees It is one thing to be faithful when your life is on display, your reputation at stake… though I hesitate to call that motivation faithfulness. Rather, more like fear driven faithfulness ever mixed with fear of man over fear of God. A conversation for another time. It is quite another thing to be faithful when all who will see you is God. But it is in these small moments where true delight to do His will begins. Is He saying put the phone down and engage with your son? Only He knows if you’ve walked obediently. Is He saying sacrifice that precious single hour of time you get by yourself to invite a friend over, engage with a new person? Every day we are given the privilege of responding to a Holy God and Father, learning and seeking His way above our own. And slowly, in those little moments of surrender each day, they somehow become grand moments. For walking with Him, delighting to do His will will lead us to places we both never wanted to go but could also never dream we would go. “A little thing is a little thing, but faithfulness in a little thing is a great thing.” -Helen Keller My Prayer “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much…” -Luke 16:10 So, today Lord, help me delight to do your will. Is it sharing the gospel with someone? Let me have courage. Is it putting down what I want to do to meet the needs of my husband, child, a friend? Let me be selfless. Is it choosing to lean into you and not my temper when things don’t go my way? Let me have patience. Is it being quick to confess when I have sinned? Let me be quick to keep short accounts with you and with others Lord. Is it choosing to rest, to open your word and meet with you when I’m overwhelmed by what needs to get done? Then let me find my life in you and not a completed checklist. Lord, I too often think your will, faithfulness, obedience to you is in the big things, and forget that it is obedience in the small things that enables me to be faithful in the big. I’m not sure what you will call me into or out of today but Lord teach me to be faithful in those moments to respond to you when you call and to experience a growing delight in doing Your will! Lindsey Dennis Lindsey Dennis Lindsey lives in Orlando, Florida where she currently works with a non-profit Christian organization investing her life in college students, helping them to know and walk with Jesus. She is married to Kevin, and the mother of 4 children, 2 who are now with Jesus and 2 who are in her arms today. She writes, teaches and speaks to others on what it looks like to walk with God in the midst of suffering, and how to trust Him with our lives.

Take Delight In The Lord

VERSE OF THE DAY

Psalm 37:4 (New Living Translation)

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Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.

Take Pride in the joy of the Lord and honor in your faith in honor in him and he shall give you the desires of your heart ❤️

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

What does it mean to delight yourself in the Lord (Psalm 37:4)?

ANSWER

Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Taking delight in the Lord means that our hearts truly find peace and fulfillment in Him. If we truly find satisfaction and worth in Christ, Scripture says He will give us the longings of our hearts. Does that mean, if we go to church every Sunday, God will give us a new Rolls Royce? No. The idea behind this verse and others like it is that, when we truly rejoice or “delight” in the eternal things of God, our desires will begin to parallel His and we will never go unfulfilled. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things [the necessities of life] will be given to you as well.”

Many delight in wealth, status, material possessions, and other temporary things of this world, but they are never satisfied. They never truly get what they want, hence the reason they are always wanting more. This is the lesson King Solomon learned in his pursuit of earthly treasure: “Everything is meaningless!” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). On the other hand, delighting in the Lord is true treasure indeed: “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6).

First John 2:15–17 says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” We will never be deeply fulfilled or “happy” with the things this world has to offer. If we place our joy and hope in God first, He will meet all of our needs. He will even grant our wants, as our hearts’ desires begin to match up with His will. If we truly place priority on the Lord, chances are our heart’s greatest desire will not be a brand-new Rolls Royce, but eternal treasures in Christ.

This world can never satisfy our deepest longings, but if we choose to delight in God’s way, He will always provide above and beyond our expectations. Jesus said, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Praying: Finding Our Way Through Duty to Delight by Packer & Nystrom

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Wait With Courage On The Lord

VERSE OF THE DAY

Psalm 27:14 (New Living Translation)

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Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Wait in peace and patience for the Lord. Be brave and have courage. Yea wait patiently for the Lord. In honor and respect of he who is to come

What Does Psalm 27:14 Mean? ►

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psalm 27:14(KJV)

Verse Thoughts

Patient endurance as we wait for the Lord to work in the difficult circumstances of life, encourages our faith in God to be strengthened. Conversely.. faith is often tested in those long and painful seasons of life when patient endurance is called upon – as we trustingly wait for the Lord to act.. and as we submissively wait on the Lord’s promises to be fulfilled, in prayer and praise and thanksgiving.

We need to confidently wait for the Lord to act on our behalf, knowing that His promises are ‘yes’ and ‘amen’ in Christ Jesus, and we need to faithfully wait on the Lord with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making music to the Lord – in our hearts with thanksgiving and praise.

When we are abiding in Christ our inner heart is empowered, and our courage is enlarged. When we are resting in His love our soul is strengthened by the Spirit of the Lord, for His strength is made perfect in our restful weakness.

When we take God at His Word and trust Him unquestioningly.. despite our inner fleshly nature and outer distressing circumstances, which scream at us to do something.. we will be enabled, from within, to wait on the LORD and be of good courage, for we have been promised that He shall strengthen our heart – WAIT, I say, on the LORD.

My Prayer

Heavenly Father, too often my old sin nature calls on me to take hold of the reins of my life instead of abiding in You and resting in Your promises. Help me to learn to wait on You and to be of good courage, knowing that You are in perfect control of my life – and that all I am called upon to do is to quietly wait FOR You to act on my behalf and to confidently wait ON You with prayer and worships and a heart of thanksgiving and praise, in Jesus name I pray, AMEN.

Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/psalm-27-14-b

What does Psalm 27:14 mean?

David concludes this psalm with an admonition to wait on the Lord. He gives the admonition at the beginning of the verse and repeats it at the end of the verse. Perhaps, David was addressing himself. The structure of this psalm begins with statements of confidence, followed by pleas for rescue, as if David was reminding himself of God’s protection. It’s also possible that in this part of the psalm, David is addressing his soldiers, or the assembly of Israel.

Regardless of the exact aim of this phrase, the admonition is good for everyone who wants to do the Lord’s will. God’s timetable may differ from ours. We tend to want an immediate answer to our prayers, but the Lord is never in a rush. He may not answer us immediately, but He has promised to answer, “in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Waiting on the Lord draws us close to Him and teaches us to be patient.

David also provides another admonition in this closing verse of Psalm 27. He counsels in favor of strength and bravery, grounded in one’s trust of God. Moses imparted this admonition to Joshua when he commissioned him to lead the people of Israel (Deuteronomy 31:7–8). Also, the Lord gave Joshua this advice (Deuteronomy 31:23; Joshua 1:6–7, 9), and Joshua gave it to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh (Joshua 1:12–18).

The Christian life is not easy. There are many adversaries, trials, and temptations. We need to be strong and courageous in the power of the Lord (John 16:33).

Context Summary

Psalm 27:7–14 reveals that David, while he commits his faith to God, is not immune from fear. In the prior section of this psalm, David stated his reasons to be confident in the Lord. Here, however, David seems to be pleading for those exact protections. Like anyone else, David experienced anxiety. Rather than succumbing to fear, however, David chose to trust God, remind himself of God’s protection, and come to the Lord in prayer. This is concluded with another expression of trust in God.

Chapter Summary

David lays out the reasons he should be confident in God’s protection. David then transitions, almost abruptly, into heartfelt pleas for God to rescue him from his enemies. The impression is that David is experiencing natural human anxiety and responding by reminding himself of God’s goodness. The psalm ends with the same assurance expressed when it began

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