The Reason

Tuesday, September 20, 2011, 7:05 a.m. – The song, “The Debt We Owe,” was playing in my mind when I awoke this morning. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Romans 12:

Living Sacrifices
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Love
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

My Understanding: Paul began this section of his letter to the Romans with the word “Therefore.” I have heard that when a sentence begins with this word that we should look to see what it is there for. In other words, he is beginning his statement here by saying, “As a result,” or “For that reason,” so we need to see for what reason or as a result of what that we should do such and such. And, then he tells us the reason that we are to have in view here, i.e. in view of God’s mercy, which he had been writing about so far in his letter.

The Reason

He began this letter to the Romans by explaining to them his calling of God as an apostle (sent out one), set apart for the gospel of God. Through Christ Jesus and for his name’s sake, Paul was set apart for the ministry of calling people to obedience that comes from faith. Then, he went on to tell how we, in our flesh natures, are all under God’s wrath, yet he explained how men are without excuse because God had placed within each person the knowledge of God. Next he discussed the subject of religious hypocrisy from those who judged others’ sins while they were doing the same things, and in this discourse he explained how God’s kindness (his grace) leads us to repentance and that the unrepentant will face God’s eternal judgment. So, he was, in essence, saying that obedience to Christ and repentance are necessary components of faith that leads to eternal life with God.

He continued by explaining that outward works and religious activities, rites and/or rituals performed in the flesh will not inherit us salvation. We are not truly saved if we are Christians only outwardly in the things we do. Our religious rites and rituals have no merit if they are done only outwardly. We are Christians if we are so inwardly, in our hearts, through a spiritual transformation of our hearts via the Holy Spirit in cutting away or in crucifying our flesh natures and burying them. So, no matter how religious we may seem to others or how many good works we may perform, they do not result in eternal salvation if they are outward only and do not reflect a heart transformation of the Spirit of God within us that cuts away our flesh. Going to church meetings or performing certain religious functions does not make us better than those who don’t do the things we do, for we are all sinners by nature and it is only by the grace of God that we are saved, not of ourselves.

Then, he explained what it means to truly be in Christ Jesus and to have genuine faith resulting from God’s grace to us. When we come to genuine faith in Christ Jesus, we identify ourselves with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection by dying to our sins and sin nature, by allowing Christ Jesus, via his Spirit working within us, to crucify our flesh, to have our sins buried with Christ and then to be raised with him to live new lives in Christ Jesus, free from the penalty of sin and free from the control of sin over our lives. Our old self is thus crucified with Christ so that the body of sin (our flesh natures) might be done away with, so that we should no longer be slaves to sin. Amen! If we have died with Christ, then we are free from the control of sin and are free to fall under the control of the Spirit. We are now slaves to righteousness, leading us to holiness and to eternal life with God. When we were slaves to sin, we were free from the control of righteousness.

Because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross in dying for our sins, in burying them with him, and in being resurrected by the power and working of God the Father to raise him from the dead, so that he conquered death, hell, Satan and sin for us, we no longer have to be controlled by sin. We no longer have to struggle with sin and give in to it. Thanks be to God, Jesus Christ rescued us from these bodies of death so that we can live victoriously over sin. If we continue to live according to our sinful natures, we will die, but if, by the Spirit of God, we put to death the misdeeds of the body, we will live. Amen! Salvation means turning from our sin and crucifying our sin natures by the Spirit of God and being raised in Christ to walk new lives, free from the control of sin and free to be slaves of righteousness and to walk in faith and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no way around this. This teaching is all through the New Testament. We are not saved because we prayed a prayer at an altar, as sincere as we might have been, nor are we saved because we were baptized or because we follow a set of religious rules. We are saved by grace through faith that proves itself through repentance (turning from sin) and obedience to God.

Therefore

Therefore, because of all that Jesus Christ did and taught us concerning our salvation, we are being urged here to live lives pleasing to God, because Jesus did not go through all of that so that we would continue in our sins. We are being urged here, in light of what Jesus Christ did for us in providing the way so we could be free from sin, to offer ourselves fully to God as living sacrifices - the cost of being his disciples in giving up our sins and our fleshly desires and our wants, and in submitting ourselves completely to God for what he wants for our lives. This is what he considers worship, not just singing songs in a “worship service,” though that could be worship, too, but true worship of God begins in our hearts at the altar with us forsaking our sins and with us committing our lives to obedience to our Lord Jesus, no matter the cost. We are to no longer be conformed to the world’s pattern of how we should think and behave (something to earnestly seek God about how this is being lived out in our lives), but we should daily be transformed in our thinking so that the way we think and act is in conformity to God’s will for our lives – his good, perfect and pleasing will.

Then, Paul continued by giving us even further instructions as to how, in all practicality, this is lived out in our daily lives. We should not be conceited in thinking we are better than others, but we should think of ourselves realistically as sinners saved by God’s grace, not because of anything we have done. We should not see ourselves as superior to other members within the body of Christ nor to see ourselves as less, but we are to realize that we just have different parts and we don’t all function in the same way, yet we are all still part of the same body and should have equal care and concern for one another. We should use our gifts within the body of Christ for the edification (teaching, instruction, uplifting, improvement, enlightenment, and encouragement) of others, which means that we should be given opportunity within the body of Christ to use our gifts and to not reject other parts of the body by telling them we don’t have need of them and for them to go someplace else.

Paul concluded this section of his letter on the subject of love, which is what this is all about. He said that our love must be sincere (not faked; honest; genuine; authentic). How is our love to be sincere? We should hate the things God hates and we should love the things God loves, i.e. we should hate evil, though never hate the sinner, and we should cling to what is good. I will not reiterate all that he said in vv. 9-21, but it is a good list of ways that we can show sincere love for one another, including loving our enemies (perceived or real).

The bottom line in all of this is that because of what Jesus Christ did for us at Calvary in paying the price for our sins (the debt we owe), we can be set free, not only from the ultimate penalty of sin (death and eternity in hell), but we can be free from the power of sin over our lives on a day-to-day basis to where it no longer should be our master but we should be now slaves of righteousness. It is imperative to understand that we cannot have this freedom from sin if we have not brought ourselves to the cross of Christ and allowed the Spirit of God to perform spiritual surgery within our hearts in crucifying our sin natures and in setting us free to walk in obedience to Christ via the power of the Holy Spirit within us. In other words, repentance and obedience to Christ are not only essential components of our salvation, but they are essential ingredients to experience this kind of freedom in Christ over the power of sin over our lives so that we can be slaves of righteousness and no longer slaves of sin.

The Debt We Owe / An Original Work / July 2, 2011

I adore You, Lord, my Master.
I worship and praise You, King.
You are such an awesome God who
Loves us so much, grace You bring.
You died to save us from our sin
So that we could be set free.
I adore You, Lord, my Master.
I worship and praise You, King.

Lord, You are our Great Redeemer.
You paid the debt that we owe,
So that we might be forgiven,
And our God we’d come to know;
Be transformed to be like Jesus,
Who conquered, in death, our foe.
Lord, You are our Great Redeemer.
You paid the debt that we owe.

Jesus our Messiah, Savior,
Lord and Master, King of kings,
You provided our redemption,
So we’d live in victory.
From our sin and self You ransomed
Us for all eternity.
Jesus our Messiah, Savior,
Lord and Master, King of kings.

Song Lyrics @ Public Domain

Audio, song lyrics and sheet music:
https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs/home/songs/the-debt-we-owe

Song on video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUr2TZzgpJE

Unceasing Anguish of Heart

Monday, September 19, 2011, 8:10 a.m. – The song, “The Ransom,” was playing in my mind when I awoke this morning. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Romans 9-10:11 (quoting 9:1-8; 10:1-11):

God’s Sovereign Choice
1 I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

6 It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 8 In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring…

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

5 Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: “The man who does these things will live by them.” 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

My Understanding: As I began to prayerfully read this passage of scripture, I immediately identified with Paul, with his heart for his people, and the anguish of heart he was feeling for them. So, when I began to take notes on this passage of scripture, it came out as a paraphrase of what Paul said only as applied to my life and my world in 2011:

I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart for the salvation of my family members and the people of my own nation. We have been so blessed by God with freedom to practice our faith openly and publicly. As well, we have been blessed by God with an overabundance of Bibles of many translations, Bible literature and resource materials, the preaching and teaching of the word, church structures where the gospel, or at least a semblance of the gospel, is preached; blessed with Christian radio and TV programs, gospel music, et al. Our nation, over the years, has probably sent out millions of missionaries to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to foreign lands. We have a rich Christian heritage. Yet, not all have believed in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and of those who have believed, not all are walking in faith and obedience to our Lord, forsaking the world and its passions and desires.

Yet, God’s word did not fail just because people did not believe or because they do not practice what they say they believe. For not all who have been raised in homes where there was a strong Christian influence, or who attended a Christian church from infanthood, or were baptized in the church, or who had the gospel so readily available to them all their natural lives are Christian. Just because you were born in the USA, which has had a previous reputation of being a Christian nation, and just because you went to a Christian church or school or you work for a Christian-based company or you tithe to the church or work in some type of Christian ministry, or your parents or grandparents were Christians, that does not make you a Christian. Being a Christian is not a religion you practice or just a set of rules to live by. Being a Christian is not just about living a moral life and doing good deeds of kindness towards others. No, being a Christian means you have repented of your sins and you have made a conscious decision of heart and mind to follow Jesus Christ in obedience and to make him the Lord and Savior of your life.

My heart’s desire and prayer to God for my family members and the people of my nation, as well as the people of the world, is that they would be saved. Many people are zealous for God but their zeal is not based on knowledge – not based on right knowledge about God’s way of salvation. Many do good things, thinking they are doing them for God and thus God should be pleased with them. Yet, they do not know the righteousness that comes from God through faith in Jesus Christ, and instead, they seek to establish their own righteousness in not submitting themselves to God’s righteousness for their lives.

I believe this lack of knowledge about God’s way of salvation can apply to both the believer and the non-believer, but who, at least intellectually or religiously have a belief that there is a supreme power, and they do feel as though their actions are for God and are thus pleasing to him, as Paul believed when he was persecuting and killing Christians, though perhaps not to that extreme, I hope. Yet, God is not interested in our own self-efforts to try to please him and/or to serve him with our own good works.

When we have fully comprehended God’s righteous requirements for salvation, and we submit ourselves to those requirements, we shift from those who work for God from our own self-will as to what we want to do for God to becoming living sacrifices to God on his altar, holy and pleasing to him, no longer conformed to the pattern of this world, but daily being transformed in the renewing of our minds so that we prove by our lives what is God’s good, pleasing and perfect will for us.

In other words, what God requires of us and what is pleasing to him is when we turn from our sins and we turn to walk in humble obedience to our Lord Jesus, and we find out what pleases the Lord, what he desires of us, and we submit and surrender our wills to his will for our lives in complete surrender, and we obey him.

This passage of scripture states that if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and we believe in our hearts that God has raised him from the dead, we will be saved. That sounds rather simplistic until we understand what this really means. First of all, we must open our mouths and we must openly and out loud confess that Jesus Christ is our Lord, yet our confession is not to just say the words “Jesus is Lord,” but it means what comes out of our mouths should be a confession to everyone whether or not Jesus is really the master of our lives, though this does not mean we will never fail in what we say. I believe this is also a confession as to the deity of Jesus Christ, i.e. that he is The Lord God. This also means that we will tell others about Jesus Christ, too, and that we will share with them the importance of how Jesus can be the Lord (master) of their hearts and lives, as well as to tell them how they can have Jesus as their Lord and master.

The other part of this verse says that we must also believe in heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. Again, on the surface this appears rather simplistic, yet when we understand its full implications we realize there is a whole lot more to this statement. If we confess that Jesus is Lord, i.e. the Lord God and we know that he was crucified on a cross, so we know he died, to believe in hearts that he was risen means that we believe he not only is alive and thus we serve a living God, not a dead one, but it means that we believe that he conquered hell, Satan, death and sin when he rose triumphantly from the grave, so he is our risen Lord, he is alive, and he conquered all that stands against us so that we can go free, not only from the ultimate penalty of sin, i.e. eternal punishment in hell, but that he set us free so that we can live in victory over sin and it no longer is our master because Christ Jesus and his righteousness now rules our hearts and lives.

The Ransom / An Original Work / September 8, 2011

Jesus paid the ransom, so we’d be forgiven;
Purified from our sin, so we’d be set free.
Crucified on a tree; took on him our sin.
Buried our sin with Him; rose in victory.
Jesus calls us to Him; asks that we flee from sin;
Obey His commandments; live eternally.

God our Father loves us, which is why He gave us
His Son to die for us on a cruel tree.
God created us to walk in fellowship
With Him, daily trusting in His righteousness.
He has a plan for us to abide in His grace;
Be transformed in our hearts; live for him always.

Won’t you trust in Jesus? Be your Lord and Master?
He wants to forgive you; give you victory
Over sin and yourself; Jesus set you free.
Daily walking with Him, live victoriously.
Invite Him in your heart. He’ll give you a new start.
Your old life behind you, a new creature be.

Song lyrics and sheet music at:
https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs2/home/songs/the-ransom

Song on video at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8itooCN1I3k
http://www.godcares.tv/video/1175/The-Ransom

Jesus, Rescue Me

Jesus, Rescue Me / An Original Work / September 18, 2011

Based off of Romans 7:7-8:39

Jesus, rescue me today.
Listen while I bow and pray.
I need Your help to obey You;
Live for You always.
Meet me in my hour of need, Lord,
As I pray to You.
Help me walk in fellowship, Lord,
Living in Your truth.
Jesus, how I long for You to
Change my heart anew.

Father, God, my heart’s desire
Is to live for You this hour
In Your Holy Spirit’s power
Living in me now.
Teach me to walk in Your love, Lord,
Guiding me each day.
Help me to show love and kindness
To the lost, I pray.
Father, teach me to love others
As You love always.

Holy Spirit come in pow’r.
Revive our hearts in this hour.
Change our hearts to be like You, Lord;
Live for You each day.
Help us to forsake our sins, Lord,
As we humbly pray.
Teach us how to live for You, Lord,
Obey You always.
Holy Spirit come in power,
Revive us today.

Song Lyrics @ Public Domain

Audio, song lyrics and sheet music:
https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs2/home/songs/jesus-rescue-me

Song on video

The Benefit You Reap

Sunday, September 18, 2011, 7:31 a.m. – The song, “God’s Great Commands,” was playing in my mind when I awoke this morning. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Romans 6 for my quiet time with the Lord this morning:

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Slaves to Righteousness
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

19 I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

My Understanding: Paul began this discourse on the subject of being dead to sin but alive to Christ by asking the question, “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” The answer was obvious: “By no means!” Yet, there was a good reason for him asking this question, because many people then and today, as well, get the idea that being under grace allows them the freedom to sin without consequence and without guilt. May that never be!

Paul continues by reasoning with his listeners: “We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” Amen! Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins not just to set us free from the ultimate penalty of sin, i.e. eternal punishment in hell and eternal separation from God, but he died on the cross so that we could be free from the control and power of sin over our lives on a day-to-day basis. He did not suffer so much for us so that we would continue in our sin and so that we would take his grace for granted.

Paul continued to reason with his listeners on this subject by reminding them that when they were baptized into Christ Jesus that they were baptized into his death. They were buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead, they too may live a new life. He continued by saying that our old self was crucified with Christ so that the body of sin might be done away with so that we are no longer slaves to sin, because if we have died with Christ to our sin, then we are freed from sin.

I believe the baptism he is referring to here is not physical baptism but is the baptism done by the Spirit of God in our hearts when we put our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, about which our physical baptism symbolizes. The scriptures, in several places, parallel physical baptism with physical circumcision. They are both physical and outward and they both stand as outward symbols of an inward faith. Abraham was considered righteous before God because of his faith before he was circumcised (see Rom. 4). In Christ we were circumcised in putting away our sinful natures, but not by a circumcision done by human hands but by Christ Jesus (see Col. 2:12). In this same passage it states that we were buried with him in baptism (of the Spirit) and we were raised with Christ.

Physical baptism symbolizes what has already taken place in the heart in that it depicts Christ’s death, burial and resurrection and our subsequent death to sin, our sins being buried with Christ, and us being raised with Christ to new lives (see I Peter 3:21). In the gospels, John said that he baptized with water for repentance but that Jesus was coming after him and he would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. There are many varied interpretations of these words, but what I believe John was saying is that his baptism was a physical baptism with water in preparation for Christ, but that Christ’s baptism is a spiritual baptism in that involves this circumcision of the heart, i.e. the cutting away or the putting away of our sinful natures.

We learn in I Corinthians 12:13 that we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, so this is a spiritual baptism by the Spirit of God and this is a baptism into the family of God, i.e. this is speaking, again, of this circumcision of the heart in the putting away of the flesh nature, and it is speaking of being resurrected to new life in Christ. Galatians 3:27 continues this idea when it states that we are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of us who were baptized into Christ (a spiritual baptism of the Spirit of God) have clothed ourselves with (we have put on) Christ, and this takes place at our regeneration when we repent of our sins and we turn to our Lord Jesus in humility and in faith and obedience.

So, going back to this passage in Romans 6, I believe that the baptism he is speaking of here is a spiritual baptism of the heart in regeneration, that this is the baptism of the Spirit of which John spoke when he stated that the one coming after him would baptize us with the Spirit and with fire, and that our physical baptism with water is a symbol of what has already taken place by the Spirit of God in our hearts. And, I believe what takes place in this baptism of the Spirit is that we identify ourselves with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection by dying to our sins, by having our sins buried with Christ, and by being raised with Christ to new lives free from the power (mastery) of sin and free to walk in fellowship and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ.

On the basis of what Jesus Christ did for us in dying on the cross for our sins and in being resurrected to life, thus conquering Satan, hell, death and sin, so that death no longer has mastery over our Lord and the life he lives he lives to God, in the same way, Paul says, we should count ourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. We should not let sin have dominion, power and rule in our hearts and lives any longer so that we obey its evil desires. We should offer our bodies to God as instruments of righteousness and as slaves of righteousness. Sin should no longer have power and rule over us, i.e. it should not master our lives but Christ Jesus should be our only Lord and master, because we are under grace.

Again, Paul asks the question: “Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?” And, his answer to his own question was obvious again: “By no means!” Oh, how I wish we would get this! I had a man tell me one day that he did not have to repent of his sin and he did not have to obey Christ. All he had to do was “believe.” Wow! Someone sure fed him a lie! The sad part of it all is that this lie has permeated much of today’s church in the USA and people are believing the lie over the truth because it allows them to continue in sin free from guilt, because added to that lie is another lie which tells them that God will not judge them and that he is pleased with them no matter what they do. Wow! These people need to read their Bibles. Nearly every passage of scripture in the New Testament talks about the need for repentance (turning from our sin) and walking in obedience to Christ.

Then, Paul appeals to his listeners (or readers) on the basis of past history. He reminds them that at one time they used to offer their bodies in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness. Added to that, he tells them and us that when we are slaves to sin, we are free from the control of righteousness. We need to get this, as well. We cannot have our cake and eat it, too. In other words, we can’t be under the control of sin and be under the control of righteousness, too. It is one or the other, yet so many who say they believe in Jesus Christ try to blend the two together, thinking that, since they are under grace, that it gives them the freedom to sin guilt free. Wow! We need to get this!

I identify with his words here. I can remember all too well trying to live a Christian life while I was still under the mastery of sin, and it didn’t work! I offered my body as an instrument of impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness. And, when I did that, I was no longer under the control of righteousness. So, when I read these words – “What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?” – It was not too difficult for me to answer that question. What “benefit” did I reap? – Only more guilt, shame, pain, suffering, despair, loneliness, emptiness, heartache and sadness of heart. I was miserable, and I hurt greatly those I love. This is the “benefit” we reap when we offer our bodies as instruments to slavery to sin, instead of offering them to God as instruments of righteousness.

The good news, though, is, as Paul said, “Thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.” Wow! That is such a wonderful feeling to know that, though once a slave of sin, you have become a slave of righteousness to obey the Lord Jesus Christ and his teachings. There is nothing more wonderful on the face of this earth than to be in perfect (as perfect as can be attained while we are still in these bodies) fellowship with the Lord Jesus, walking in obedience to him, and living in harmony with his will and desire for our lives. So, the benefit we now reap as slaves to God and to his righteousness is that it leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. There is no better place to be than to be in the center of God’s will and at peace with God and living for him as slaves of righteousness and no longer as slaves of sin. Wow! It is awesome! I would never go back!!

Paul concludes this passage of scripture with this statement: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God’s Great Commands / An Original Work / July 10, 2011

Based off of Matthew 22:34-40

Loving God and loving others
Are the Lord God’s great commands.
On these rest all of the others;
Live by them and you’ll not fail.
Be a witness, share the gospel,
Be a light in this dark world.
Share the love of Jesus always
To a world who has not heard.

Serving others; be like Jesus;
Wash their feet and pray with them.
Be a healer; mend their hurts and
Show them how to turn from sin.
Be a living example of
How to live for Jesus Christ,
Walking with Him in His footsteps,
Leading others to new life.

Give to God and give to others
Of yourselves in ev’ry way.
Obey your Lord, do His bidding;
Bow your knees and humbly pray.
Pray for others to know Jesus.
Tell how they can be set free
Of their sins and live for Jesus;
Walk with Him eternally.

Song Lyrics @ Public Domain

Audio, song lyrics and sheet music at:
https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs/home/songs/god-s-great-commands

Song on video at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DWGg3-NvEE
http://www.godcares.tv/video/1188/Gods-Great-Commands

God's Kindness

Saturday, September 17, 2011, 12:55 a.m. – I woke up and could not get back to sleep. The song, “By Your Grace,” was playing in my mind. So, I got up to hear from the Lord. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Romans 1:18-3:31. Due to the length of the passage of scripture I read, I will summarize some and will quote some.

Man’s Sinful Condition

In Romans 1, Paul explains to us that what may be known about God is plain to mankind because God has made it plain to them through his creation. His eternal power and divine nature are clearly seen through all that he created, so that men are without excuse. Yet, the godless and wicked suppress the truth by their wickedness. Although they have the knowledge of God through what he has created, they do not glorify him as God nor do they give thanks to him. And, they exchange the glory of God in favor of the worship of idols, i.e. they exchange the truth of God for a lie, and they worship and serve created things rather than the creator. They know that those who practice evil and wickedness deserve death, yet they continue in their wickedness and even approve of others who practice the same.

Therefore, God gives them over to their sinful desires. He does not force his will upon man, but has created us with a free will to choose him or to reject him. Yet, our choice is not without consequence, for his wrath is being revealed from heaven against all who do such things and who reject God and his truth, yet who accept and follow the lie instead.

In Romans 3, beginning with v. 9, we learn that no one is righteous in and of himself, i.e. in his own flesh or of his own doing. We do not seek God on our own, for the Bible says that no one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him. We have all fallen away from what God intended us to be, i.e. we have all sinned, so not one person, in and of himself, is to take pride in himself over another, because we are all sinners and the only distinction to be made is in whether or not we have had a transformation of the heart via the Spirit of God so that we are now sinners saved by God’s grace, to where there is no boasting in the flesh.

Religious Hypocrisy

In Romans 2 we are also presented with this picture of us all being sinners and of none of us being righteous in our own merit. Paul addressed here the problem of judging others for their sins and yet doing the same things ourselves. We are to judge sin and we are to give right judgments concerning sin, and the Bible even teaches us that those who are in a right relationship with the Lord, and who have taken the log out of our own eyes first, are then free to help a brother or sister to take the speck out of his or her eye. We are also instructed that those who are in a right relationship with God, if we see a brother or sister caught in sin, should help restore that brother or sister to a right relationship with God, but to do this with humility and the fear of God, lest we also be tempted. So, this passage in Romans is not forbidding the judging of sin nor is it suggesting that we should ignore the sin in others. What this is addressing is hypocritical judging that condemns (not restores) others while we do the same things and/or approve of others who do the same.

Romans 3:21-31

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. 29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

God’s Solution

In Romans 2, at the end of the chapter, it states that a man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly (observing the law). It also states that circumcision (cutting away flesh) is not merely outward and physical. Then, it goes on to tell us that “a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code.” Paul was mainly talking to Jews in this passage from his letter to the Romans, and he was letting them know that they were not any better than the Gentiles and that just because they were given the law and that they observed the law (though not perfectly), it did not make them righteous before God. What matters to God is not the external rites and rituals of religious activity. What matters to God is the transformation of the inner man via the Holy Spirit of God via faith in Jesus Christ, because of God’s grace in providing salvation for us through Christ’s death and resurrection in putting our sins to death and in conquering them so that they no longer should have mastery over us.

Then, back to Romans 3, we learn that a righteousness from God, apart from observing the law, has been made known to us. This righteousness does not come through our own fleshly attempts to gain God’s approval through our observances of religious rites and rituals. This righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, and is by God’s grace. In chapter 2 Paul told his hearers that they showed contempt for God’s grace because they did not realize that God’s grace (kindness) leads them toward repentance. He told them it was because of their unrepentant hearts (uncircumcised hearts) that they were storing up wrath against themselves for the day of God’s wrath (judgment). And, Romans 3:31 lets us know that faith does not nullify the law. Rather, we uphold the law.

What I believe this is telling us is that, although we cannot earn our salvation via good works or via observing a set of rules and regulations, because we are all sinners and we have all fallen away, faith itself does not nullify the law nor does it negate the need for repentance. Faith in Jesus Christ leads us to repentance, and lack of repentance leads to judgment. As well, faith in Jesus Christ upholds the law, of which Christ is the fulfillment and embodiment of the law. This is not speaking of all the Old Testament ceremonial laws and regulations, but this is speaking of what Jesus Christ said is the crux of the law, i.e. to love the Lord God with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves. And, since Jesus Christ, himself, is the fulfillment of the law, we obey him.

In Conclusion

So, in summary of what I believe is at the heart of these three chapters in Romans, these verses are teaching us that we are all sinners, that we have all fallen away from what God intended us to be, no one is righteous in his own merit, we cannot earn our salvation through religious observances, we are not to exercise hypocritical judging while we do the same things, and the only way to true righteousness is via faith in Jesus Christ because of what Jesus Christ did for us in dying on the cross for our sins.

We are not saved by outward religious performance, but we are saved by faith that results in the cutting away of our fleshly appetites and desires, i.e. via circumcision of the heart, via the Holy Spirit of God. True faith leads us to repentance and true faith upholds the law of love and obeys Jesus who is the fulfillment of the law, so true faith is synonymous with repentance and obedience to Jesus Christ.

God has given each of us a free will to accept him or to reject him, yet he lets us know the consequences of rejecting him – we will face his wrath. Involved in this rejecting of Christ is the ignoring of what is clearly seen about God from the creation, and it is the choosing to follow the ways of the world and the appetites of our flesh over repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. As well, rejecting God/Jesus has to do with believing the lies of Satan and man over the truths of God’s word, and it means worshiping (making our idols) the things of this world, including mankind, i.e. making the created things our gods instead of worshiping the God who created all things.

So, God is calling each and every one of us to accept his grace via true faith in Jesus Christ that leads us to repentance and that obeys Jesus Christ, i.e. a faith that upholds the law. He is calling each one of us to a heart transformation that moves us from forms of worship and from having merely a form of godliness, yet denying its power, to an inward faith of the Spirit of God which cleanses us from sin and sets us free from the power of sin over our lives, and frees us to obey Christ and to walk in fellowship with him. This true faith by God’s grace results in transformed hearts that love Jesus, that desire to obey him and to serve him, that welcome his guidance and direction, that have repented of their sins and turned to walk in faith, and that desire to live for the Lord Jesus day-by-day, obeying his words, being his witnesses, making him Lord of our hearts, and are longing for his soon return.

By Your Grace / An Original Work / June 27, 2011

Speak Your words to my heart,
Let Your grace and love impart.
Be to me all I need
To love and serve Christ my King;
To love and serve Christ my King.
Change my heart; be like You;
Let me love and serve in truth.
Guide my steps ev’ry day,
As I bow my knees and pray;
As I bow my knees and pray.

Love You, Lord. You love me.
You died so that I’d go free
From my sin; pure within;
By Your grace I’m saved from sin;
By Your grace I’m saved from sin.
Invite You in my heart;
Now I have a brand new start.
Repented of my sin,
So that I’d be cleansed within;
So that I’d be cleansed within.

Live for You ev’ry day,
List’ning to the words you say.
Make You Lord of my heart;
Be Your witness, grace impart;
Be Your witness, grace impart.
Obey Your ev’ry word;
Do the things I’ve seen and heard.
Your word, Lord, in me burns,
While I wait for Your return;
While I wait for Your return.

Song Lyrics @ Public Domain

Audio, song lyrics and sheet music:
https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs/home/songs/by-your-grace

Song on Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gCSwQSG2AI
http://www.godcares.tv/video/1149/By-Your-Grace

Servants of Jesus Christ

Friday, September 16, 2011, 8:42 a.m. – The song, “Speak, Lord,” was playing in my mind when I sat down to have my quiet time with the Lord this morning. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Romans 1:1-17:

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul’s Longing to Visit Rome
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.

16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

My Understanding: As I read this passage of scripture this morning, what stood out to me is how this passage described what it means to be a servant of the Lord, which we are all called to be, yet by choice, not by force. We are called to be slaves of righteousness and bondservants of our Lord Jesus Christ (see Romans 6). Jesus set this example to us by being willing to leave his home in heaven to come to earth, to take on the form of a servant, and then to die on the cross for our sins, so that we could go free of the penalty and control of sin over our lives. He set this example in all that he did when he walked the face of this earth, and in particular he did this when he knelt down and washed the feet of his disciples and then when he died on the cross for our sins. And, we are to follow his example of servanthood. Though we are sons of God and friends of Jesus, yet we are still his servants, by choice, as well. And, we are called to obedience to God/Christ Jesus.

Paul said that he was a servant of Jesus Christ and he was called to be an apostle. An apostle is a sent out one, a messenger, an ambassador, a herald, a delegate, a proclaimer, and a representative, et al. After Jesus was resurrected from the dead he told his disciples: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). Before Jesus was taken up to heaven he told his disciples: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). We, as his disciples, have been given the same commission, I believe, to go (as sent out ones) and to make disciples of Jesus Christ of all nations, to baptize, and to teach them to obey Christ.

Paul said that he was set apart for the gospel of Jesus Christ. We, as believers in Jesus Christ, have all been called to be sanctified (set apart for a sacred purpose) and to be made holy. I Peter 1:1 says: “To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout… who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood.” So, although we may not be called in the sense that Paul and the other apostles were called, still we are called to be set apart for Christ and his gospel, we are all to be servants of the Lord, and we are all to go (as sent out ones) and to make disciples of Christ, teaching them to obey Christ. We are to be lights to the world for the gospel and to not hide our lights.

Paul also said that he longed to see his fellow believers in Rome so that he might impart to them some spiritual gift, i.e. that “you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” We, as believers in Jesus, are also called to use our spiritual gifts for the edification (encouragement) of the body of Christ. So many times we get this idea of “encouragement” as giving people compliments, even though falsely, sometimes, to give them pats on the back, and to tell them that they are ok when they are not ok. Yet, this is not what our Lord had in mind, because he often spoke against this kind of false flattery and saying what tickles people’s ears and saying what pleases men but does not turn them from sin. Encouragement involves inspiring, cheering, reassuring, boosting, and yet also urging, nurturing, assisting, persuading, and spurring people on to good works and to true faith in Jesus Christ. Edification, as well, involves enlightening, informing, educating, instructing, teaching and helping others to improve their situations. And, this is the kind of encouragement Paul was speaking of and hoped that would take place mutually, one using his or her spiritual gifts to help strengthen others to walk faithfully in obedience to Christ.

Paul’s attitude about the gospel of Jesus Christ is that he was eager to preach the gospel and he was not ashamed of the gospel, because the gospel “is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” The gospel of Jesus Christ is that Jesus, God the Son, left heaven, he came to earth and took on the flesh of man, yet still maintaining his God-nature, i.e. he was fully God and yet fully man. He suffered and was tempted as we are tempted, yet without sin, and then he was crucified on the cross for our sins so that we could be set free from the penalty and control of sin over our lives. Jesus crucified our sin when he died on the cross and he buried our sin when he was buried, and then he rose from the grave, triumphing over hell, Satan, death and sin. We receive this salvation from sin that he provided on the cross and via his resurrection when we come to him in genuine believing faith via turning from our sin and turning to walk in faithful obedience to Christ. This is the true and Biblical meaning of the word “faith” and it is by God’s grace and through this kind of faith that we are saved. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ that Paul was eager to preach and of which he was not ashamed.

We need to have that same love for the gospel message, and for the same reason as Paul – because the gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. The Bible says that people cannot believe if they don’t hear the gospel message and they can’t hear unless people are sent and unless people proclaim the gospel. It goes on to say, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news.” We should be eager, as well, to tell people about Jesus Christ because the gospel is their cure for cancer, i.e. they are going to die and they are going to go to hell because of the cancer of sin in their lives if they do not trust Jesus Christ as Lord (master) and as Savior of their lives via repentance (turning from sin) and obedience to Jesus’ commands, which is what faith is all about.

We should be passionate about sharing the gospel message and we should not be ashamed to tell people of their need of Christ, of their need to repent and of their need to walk in obedience to Christ. It is not the gospel if it does not present people with their sinful condition (the disease) and if it does not give them the remedy (the antidote), i.e. they must repent (turn from sin) and they must make a conscious decision of the will to follow the Lord Jesus in obedience and surrender of their wills to his will for their lives. This is the power of the gospel to change lives and to bring salvation to a world dying in their sins. If the “gospel” message is such that it does not require repentance and obedience for salvation, then there is no power in that gospel for it leaves people in bondage to sin. So, in our passion for the gospel and our eagerness to tell people the gospel message, we need to make sure we are telling them the true gospel, i.e. the only one that offers true hope.

So, being a servant of Christ Jesus means that we are set apart for Christ and for his service, that we are ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that we are to be his witnesses, that we are to make disciples of all nations, that we are to teach them to obey Christ’s commandments, that we are to turn people from their sin by letting them know that true faith involves repentance and obedience to Christ, that we should be eager to tell people about how they can come to know the Lord Jesus, too, that we should be passionate about our faith and desire to use our spiritual gifts God has given us to truly encourage and edify other believers, in the truest sense of what those words mean, and that we should not be ashamed of the full gospel message nor should we hide the light of the gospel from others. And, this is just a tip of the iceberg of what it means to be a servant of our Lord Jesus Christ and to be his hands and his feet and to continue the ministry he began when he walked the face of this earth via his Holy Spirit now living and working in and out through us. We should be so in love with Jesus Christ that we will desire to do whatever he asks of us.

A true servant of Christ Jesus is one who is seeking to hear God’s voice, is listening to God’s voice speaking, and then is obeying what he or she is being taught via the word of God and via the witness of the Holy Spirit in teaching us all that God has given to us. I pray that we would all, as servants of the Lord Jesus, call upon him today in prayer, seeking his face, and asking him to speak to our hearts what he has for us in this hour. And, I pray that we, too, will be willing to do whatever the Lord has for us to do as his servants and as his witnesses.

Speak, Lord / An Original Work / May 8, 2011

Speak, Lord, for Your servant’s list’ning to You.
Let me hear You speak in love and in truth.
Guide me, I pray. Teach me Your way.
Speak, Lord, while I bow before You now.

Speak, Lord, fill me with Your peace and Your joy.
Let Your Holy Spirit’s work now employ.
Strengthen within. Keep me from sin.
Speak, Lord, words that lead to victory.

Speak, Lord, so that I might walk in Your ways.
Let Your love o’er-flow in my heart today.
Be my desire. Set me on fire.
Speak, Lord, comfort me with Your presence.

Song Lyrics @ Public Domain

Audio, song lyrics and sheet music:
https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs/home/songs/speak-lord

Song on video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77GLImHr4HQ
http://www.godcares.tv/video/1169/Speak-Lord

The Winds Against Us

Thursday, September 15, 2011, 4:35 a.m. – As I sat down to have my quiet time with the Lord this morning, the song, “My Prayer,” began playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Acts 27. I will summarize some and will quote some.

Out to Sea

Paul was still under arrest, so he was a prisoner, and had been a prisoner for at least two years. He had appealed to Caesar, so Festus said that to Caesar he would go. It appears that Luke joined them for this journey, as he was the one narrating the events that unfolded, and he said that he was part of this journey. They were off to Italy. Paul and some other prisoners, Luke said, were handed over to a centurion named Julius, and then they put out to sea. They landed in Sidon, and from there they put out to sea again. The westerly winds were against them, so they sailed north, on the eastern side of Cyprus, an island, to protect them from the winds. Then, at Myra and Lycia they changed ships. They found one that was sailing for Italy and they boarded that ship and continued their course.

On the ship to Italy and back at sea, the winds were so strong that they did not permit the sailors and ship to hold to their course, so they moved along the coast with great difficulty. Luke recorded that they came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea, that much time had been lost, and that sailing had already become dangerous. Luke said that Paul, thus, warned the sailors that the voyage was going to be disastrous and would bring loss to the ship, cargo and even to human lives. Yet, Luke said, the centurion did not listen to Paul, but he followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. Reading that statement reminded me of the story of the Titanic, at least a movie version I had seen of it some years ago (not recommended due to inappropriate content) where advice was not heeded and it cost the loss of ship and many human lives.

So, going against good advice, the ship’s centurion continued course and the ship and crew ended up facing hurricane force winds called a “northeaster.” The ship was caught by the storm. It could not head into the wind, so they gave way to the winds and were driven along by the winds. They, thus, took a violent beating from the storm. The next day they began to throw cargo overboard, I assume to lighten their load. For many days they did not see the light of the sun by day or the light of the stars by night, so they despaired of life and gave up hope of being saved. The men went a long time without food. Then, Paul told them that they should have taken his advice not to sail from Crete. He told them, if they had heeded his counsel, they would have spared themselves the damage and loss.

The Encouragement

Acts 27:22-44: Paul continued: But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”

The Shipwreck
27 On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28 They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep. 29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. 30 In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. 31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away.

33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. 34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. 36 They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 Altogether there were 276 of us on board. 38 When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.

39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41 But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.

42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety.

My Understanding: As I considered this passage of scripture prayerfully before the Lord concerning its practical application to our daily lives, I saw that it presented us with an unintentional allegory of sorts. The ship can represent the institutional church. I see two classifications of people on this ship – the prisoners and the free men. As well, in the institutional church there are two classifications of people – those still in bondage to sin (prisoners of sin) and those who are free (those who have been set free from slavery to sin via Jesus’ shed blood on the cross for our sins and via the repentant faith of the believer). Jesus told us that, as believers in Jesus Christ and as human beings living on the face of this earth (the sea), we would face trials of many kinds (the winds and waves against us). And, these trials, though used of God to strengthen us, if we will let them, can often become hindrances to our faith (our course) if we give in to them and we let them overtake us.

When we give in to temptation and sin, which is often the result of yielding to our trials and allowing them to get us off course, much time can be lost in our lives in being effective servants and witnesses for Jesus Christ. Our lives can even reach a point of being dangerously close to truly falling away from our Lord in rebellion against our God because we have not heeded the wise counsel of scripture, and we have decided to go our own way and to follow our own course of action against the wise and godly counsel of scripture. Yet, God continues to warn us through his word and through his messengers against continuing on our own course and against following our own flesh by yielding to the temptations presented us when we give in to the world (the sea) and we allow it to take control of our lives. Sometimes the problem lies in listening to the counsel of worldly men, even in the church, who don’t have the mind of Christ, and who would lead us in the wrong direction. And, sadly enough, the innocent will be affected by our wrong decisions, as well.

When we yield to our circumstances and we allow them to overtake us and to get us off course in our walks with the Lord Jesus, and we allow this earthly life and the world to consume us – our time, attention, thoughts, behaviors and attitudes, these wrong decisions not only lead us to disastrous results that impact our lives and those around us, in particular those closest to us, but they remove from our lives the light of Christ and the light of his love and his gospel, so that we end up walking in darkness and we cannot see the light because we are consumed by the darkness. And, it is in these moments of darkness that we may despair of life and give up all hope of being saved and of having eternal salvation with our Lord Jesus because we choose to give in to the world and to allow it to carry us along instead of listening to the wise counsel of God’s words and to follow the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ with our lives. We give up hope because our hope is in the wrong things – men and the things of this world that will perish. If our hope is properly placed in the Lord and eternal matters, then hope should not be lost.

So, God is offering to us words of hope and encouragement, even if we have gotten off course and even if we have given into the world and the flesh for a long period of time without the light of Christ shining in and through us. We may have to suffer the natural consequences for our sins, yet God will be with us and will spare our lives for eternity if we repent now of our sins and turn to walk in faith and obedience to Jesus Christ and to his will for our lives. As well, we may have to face judgments of God on the church because the church (the ship and its leaders) have not listened to God and have continued in following the course of men and the ways of this world. Yet, God is saying to us that even there that he will be with us if we now choose to put our hope and trust in him completely. He will see us through whatever comes our way to the ultimate destiny of our eternal salvation with him and to victory over sin if we will just hold on to the right things, i.e. holding onto Christ Jesus and his gospel.

When these natural consequences for our sins face us, and/or when the judgments of God come upon the church because the church has gotten off course and has not listened to God’s counsel, don’t think that God will necessarily provide a way of escape for us from those consequences and/or judgments, because they may be what is necessary to get us back into right relationships with God/Jesus Christ, and they may be what we need, as the church, to spur us on to getting back on the right course with God. God knows what we need. So, we should not resist his discipline on us, his children, but should allow him to teach us through whatever he brings our way. And, then God will restore us to a right relationship with him, i.e. he will offer us the spiritual food we need to survive what lies ahead.

The Lord gave me this song as a prayer to him, which I have often sung back to him in prayer. I pray that this would be the prayer of your heart today, too.

My Prayer / An Original Work / May 30, 2011

“Fill me with Your Spirit; help me to love others;
Let me know Your power; be an overcomer.
Show me how to follow Jesus Christ, my Savior;
Be His faithful servant to obey Him always.

“Lead me with Your presence; help me know the right way;
Teach me love and kindness, generous compassion.
Give me grace and courage to be Jesus’ witness,
Teaching His salvation to a world who needs Him.”

Won’t you come and follow Jesus Christ, your Savior?
He died so you’d be free of control of your sin;
Free to follow His ways in complete surrender;
Living sacrifices – let His grace transform you.

Song Lyrics @ Public Domain

Audio, song lyrics and sheet music:
https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs/home/songs/my-prayer

Song on video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4hFxxfJ8DA