Study of Romans 12 – Verse 12

    Have you noticed that verses 10 through 13 are one sentence and one thought? In studying, reading, and rereading this passage, I have come to realize that we are given the command, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love,” and it is followed by nine instructions that, when put into action, will enable us to accomplish that command.      

    We will be kindly affectionate with brotherly love when we give preference to one another (v10), when we do not lag in diligence (v11); when we are fervent in spirit (v11), and when we serve the Lord (v11); when we rejoice in hope (v12), are patient in tribulation (v12), and continue steadfastly in prayer (v12); when we distribute to the needs of the poor (v13), and when we are given to hospitality (v13).

    We have already studied the first four instructions for the command – here’s a quick review:

• When we give preference to one another and consider our brethren before ourselves, we show that we value them – that they are important to us and vital to the work.
• When we do not lag in diligence, our brethren will know they can count on us to work alongside them (Nehemiah 4:6, 2 Corinthians 8:5), and through our stick-to-itiveness, we may be able to encourage less involved brethren to become more active in the work and more dedicated in their service to God and to their brethren (Hebrews 10:24-25).
• When we are fervent in spirit we show that our motivation comes from our unshakeable convictions that God is, and that His way is the best way (Romans 12:1-2, 1 Corinthians 15:58); our inevitable growth will be evident to all (1 Timothy 4:12-16) as we cheerfully do our part in the work.
• When we serve the Lord, we prove our love for our brethren (read and think on 1 John 5:2-3). In serving the Lord, we show them that God is worthy of our every effort in obedience, that what He asks of us can be done, that it is always for our good, and that His blessings far outweigh any of our sacrifices. In serving the Lord we prepare ourselves to love our brethren with kindly affection!

    Now, let’s dig into the continuing instructions that will help us to obey the command to be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love:

“…rejoicing in hope. Patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayers…” (Romans 12:12 NKJV)

“…rejoicing in hope…”

    Rejoicing (Strong’s #G5463, ‘chairo’) means be glad, joyful with inner joy and delight. Consider Philippians 4:4.

    Hope (Strong’s #G1680, ‘elpis’) means expectation, trust, confidence, anticipation. Read and think on Psalm 16:8-9, 130: 5-6, and Romans 8:24-25

    So rejoicing in hope is letting your confident anticipation of God’s blessings in this life (and in the one to come, 1 John 3:1-3) fill you with a lasting joy and delight that buoys you in sorrows (Psalm 27:13-14, 34:), anchors you during the storms (Matthew 7:24-27), and overflows when you are with those who also share this hope (Philippians 1:3-4, 1 Peter 1:3-9).

“…patient in tribulation…”

    Patient (Strong’s #G5278 ‘hupomeno’) means enduring, persevering, remaining steadfast. Literally: remaining under the load, bearing up*. It means that we absolutely persevere through misfortunes and trials because we are holding fast to our faith and clinging to what is good.  

*Note: Take a moment to read Psalm 144:12. It is a stanza in David’s song to the LORD in which he asks to be rescued from enemies so that the sons of his people may grow as plants, and so their daughter’s may be as pillars, sculptured in palace style. It’s a prayer that the girls may grow up to be strong women who are able to bear up with elegance under life’s burdens. Read and think on 1 Peter 3:1-4 also.

    Tribulation (Strong’s #G2347 ‘thlipsis’) means affliction, distress, severe persecution, pressure, or oppression.

    How do you remain patient in tribulations? By practicing and developing patience in the various trials that test us throughout the day and allowing patience to have its perfect work so that we may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing (James 1:2-4). We can do this by keeping God and His benefits in our minds (Psalm 68:19, 103:1-2), knowing God is on His throne and is aware of our situation (Psalm 11:3-4, 7, Psalm 34, 1 Peter 2:2:23), knowing our brethren are counting on us to hold the line and not give opportunity to the devil (Psalm 4:4-5, 37:7-8, Ephesians 4:26-27, 6:10-13).

“…continuing steadfastly in prayer…”

    Continuing steadfastly (Strong’s #G4342 ‘proskartereo’) means to devote oneself, to persist in, to be strong and enduring towards, to give constant attention to (prayer). See 1 Thessalonians 5:17

    Prayer (Strong’s #G4335 ‘proseuche’) means a prayer (or vow) towards God. Communicating to God through supplication (earnest pleading for what is needed), intercession (asking help for others), thanksgiving, and adoration (praise).

    Communicating with God continually – never giving up on it – is a benefit to our brethren and shows our love for them in that it helps us develop as followers of Christ - so we can better help and serve them – AND it gives us opportunity to pray for each and every one of them; that God may help them reach their full potential.

    Rejoicing in hope will help us to be patient in tribulation (consider Philippians 4:4-8, 11-13) and keep us steadfast in prayer as we stay focused on what is truly important (Colossians 3:1-17). Continuing steadfastly in prayer will also fortify us to be patient in tribulation and it will remind us to rejoice in hope as we consider God, His goodness, and His power. Each part is necessary, each part supports and strengthens the others – and we cannot properly love our brethren without them!

    Are you rejoicing in hope? Are you patient in tribulations? Are you continuing steadfastly in prayer? If one of these is missing in your life it will be a struggle to accomplish the rest, and as a result you will be hard-pressed to love your brethren as you should. Think about these things this week and work at developing each one so that we can flourish in kindly affection and brotherly love for your brothers and sister in Christ!

You can do it! So can I!!  

   

"God of... hope"

    Similar to the term “God of mercy” (that we studied last week), the term, “God of hope,” is alluded to throughout the bible but the actual term is only found once in the bible, in Romans 15:13.   

“Now may the God of hope fill you with joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13 NKJV)

hope (from the Greek, ‘elpis,’ Strong’s #G1680) meaning expectation of good, joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation

    God is the author and origin of our hope, the very reason for our hope. It was by His plan, formed before the foundation of the world, that we have hope in Him through His Son: “…knowing you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold…but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot. He was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Peter 1:18a, 19-21 NKJV)

    Consider Jeremiah’s words:

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and it will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:1-8 NKJV)

    The prophet paints a picture of peace, contentment, and joy, as the ‘tree’ remains healthy and continues to develop and produce fruit even during ‘the year of drought.’ That is what the God of hope can do for us! He can fill us with joy and peace in believing!

    Why?

    That we may ABOUND in hope!

abound (from the Greek, ‘perisseuo,’ Strong’s #G4052) means to overflow, to have above and beyond ordinary measure, to exceed

    Think on this definition of hope – and consider the fact that God desires you to abound in it:

“Biblical hope not only desires something good for the future – it expects it to happen. And not only expects it to happen – it is confident it will happen. There is a moral certainty the good we expect and desire will be done.” - John Piper

    Hope is the great stabilizer – think again of the strong, well-rooted, and well-nourished tree, able to withstand the storms of life. When your origin of hope is in God, it gives you great peace and enduring joy even amidst the trials of life, because you are wholly confident in His power, faithfulness, goodness, grace, and mercy!

“For You are my hope, O Lord GOD; You are my trust from my youth. By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb. My praise shall be continually of You. I have become a wonder to many, but You are my strong refuge. Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day… I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits. I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.” (Psalm 71:5-8, 14-16 NKJV)

    God wants you to abound in hope – a hope that nourishes you with joy and roots you in peace through the good days and the bad, a hope that overflows and becomes evident, causing you to be a wonder to many, and giving you opportunity to proclaim the reason for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15)!

    Let your hope be in our loving God of hope – joying in His provision and living in true peace as you trust in His abilities – and develop a hope that absolutely ABOUNDS!!

You can do it! So can I!! 

"God of... my life, my strength"

    Continuing in our study of descriptions of God found in the Bible, we are beginning to get to the terms that are found only once in the scriptures, so I may choose to combine them, as I have done this week, as this series goes on.

“God of my life”

“The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me – a prayer to the God of my life.” (Psalm 42:8 NKJV)

    Psalm 42 depicts the challenge of being patient during distresses – a portrait of longsuffering with joy. There are pains and hurts described but the overarching theme is confidence that God will help – that there will be reason to praise Him.

    Lovingkindness is a beautiful way to describe God’s mercy. God is in command of it; He will be merciful to whoever He chooses to be merciful (Romans 9:15-16, Exodus 33:19), and His mercies are new every morning – His lovingkindness will not run out – God will always be able to show mercy to whomever He desires (Lamentations 3:22-26).

    What is God’s song that will be with those in distress? I like to think of Zephaniah 3:17 that says, “The LORD you God in your midst, the Mighty One will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, and He will rejoice over you with singing.” (NKJV)  And as we studied last week, God is the “Father of mercies and God of all comfort,” providing us with such comfort in our tribulations that we are steadied and readied to comfort others in their troubles with God’s comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

    When the psalmist considers God’s enduring mercy and love, He cannot help but offer a prayer to the God of his life – the very God who “gives to all life, breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25) and by His divine power “given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:2-4). The God who does not fail (Joshua 21:45, 23:14) and the God who gives us strength to endure (Colossians 1:9-11)! God is in control and is over all – He will help, and there will never cease to be reason to praise Him and thank Him in your life and for your life!

“God of my strength”

“Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man! For you are the God of my strength; why do You cast me off? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” (Psalm 43:1-2 NKJV)

    This psalm is a seeming continuation of Psalm 42 and its opening is so pleading, dark, and desperate, but if you continue in it (please do read it), the confidence the psalmist has in the ‘God of [his] strength’ shines with such beams of comforting light, that he buoys not only his own soul, but ours as we read them now! In both Psalm 42 and Psalm 43, the closing statements are a rebuke against his own soul for doubting God’s help: “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him. The help of my countenance and my God” (v5).  

    The psalmist was in need of enduring strength and he wisely went to the only true and proper source: God. He asked the LORD to send His light and His truth to lead him, to show him the way to His presence – so that he may praise Him (vv3-4)! We have access to the very same God today – a God who provides strength so we can stand and withstand against the wicked one and endure the troubles of this life (Ephesians 6:10-18, 2 Corinthians 4:16, Colossians 1:9-14) – look to His light (John 8:12, Ephesians 5:8-10) and learn His truth (John 14:6, Ephesians 5:15-17, 1 Peter 1:22-25, Romans 2:4-11).

    God gave you life, you were born into this world to seek Him and find Him (Acts 17:26-27). Coming to the light (John 3:19-21), hearing the truth (Romans 10:17, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Ephesians 1:13-14), and baptized into Christ, He granted you newness of life (Romans 6:1-4)! This same God is also the source for all the strength we need to endure and overcome whatever we may face in this world.  

    Is He the God of your life? Is He the God of your strength? Do you acknowledge Him as the giver of life and provider of strength, do you run to Him for all that pertains to life and find strength in His light and truth?

    God has given us SO much and He has SO much more give, if we but turn to Him and rely on Him to help!

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:8)

You can do it! So can I!!

Sing and Make Melody - Is It For Me, Dear Saviour?

    As we continue with the "Sing and Make Melody in Your Heart" series, the song I have selected for this week asks us a question:

"Is It For Me, Dear Savior?"

(by Frances R. Havergal, 1871)

Is it for me, dear Savior, Thy glory and Thy rest,

For me, so weak and sinful? Oh, shall I be so blessed?

Chorus:

O Savior, my Redeemer, what can I but adore,

And magnify and praise Thee and love Thee evermore?

Is it for me, Thy welcome, Thy gracious "Enter in."

For me They "Come, ye blessed", for me so full of sin?

(Chorus)

O Savior, precious Savior, My heart is at Thy feet;

I bless Thee, and I love Thee, And Thee I long to meet.

(Chorus)

I'll be with Thee forever, and never grieve Thee more;

Dear Savior, I must praise Thee, and love Thee evermore.

(Chorus)

    This song is written from the perspective of someone who is 'poor in spirit' (Matthew 5:3). They recognize their need for a Saviour ("me, so weak and sinful") and with humble hearts they joyfully praise God for the gracious gift He freely gives ("...what can I but adore and magnify and praise Thee and love Thee evermore," consider Ephesians 2:1-13).

    God wants us to recognize our need for Him. He wants us to seek Him and find Him (Acts 17:26-27), and that takes humility on our part! God wants us to humbly submit to His will, acknowledging His love and care shown through His commands. God does not want us to see ourselves as worthless rags, constantly wondering if He hears our prayers or if we are worthy of His time and/or blessings. I have heard true humility defined as, "not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less." Humility is not berating ourselves continually, it is thinking more of God and His goodness and giving Him all the glory for the blessings you receive!

    God wants us to joy in Him! He wants us to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). Does a plant that refuses to lift its head toward the sun grow and flourish as it should? Lift your face to God, trust in His love, trust in His forgiveness when you repent of your sins, trust in His ability to help you and "make all things work together for good" (Romans 8:28).

    I especially like that third stanza of this song: 

"O Savior, precious Savior, My heart is at They feet;

I bless Thee, and I love Thee, And Thee I long to meet"

    What does it mean to "bless" God? We often think of blessed meaning "happy or joyfully content" - and it does mean that when Jesus teaches the beatitudes in Matthew 5, but in this case, when used toward God (ex: Ephesians 1:3), 'bless' means to "eulogize" - 'to speak beautiful words (about).'

    As Christians, we are to bless God. Read Ephesians 1:3-14. Focus on the thought repeated in verses 6, 12, and 14: "to the praise and the glory of His grace" (v.6), "to the praise of His glory" (vv.12, 14). Also read and consider 1 Peter 2:9.

    We are to speak beautiful words about Him! We are to give Him praise, we are to give Him the glory! How can we do that if we consider ourselves worthless? How can we declare His greatness and the depths of His love, if we refuse to delve into them ourselves?

    So when you sing this song and you wonder, "Is it for me? Is the dear Saviour's glory and rest for me?" Let your mind and heart answer with a resounding "YES!!! It is for me!!" And let your heart pour out its praise and appreciation for God's love, mercy, and grace!! Let your mind and mouth fill with beautiful words to speak about God and declare His wonderful goodness! 

You can do it! So can I!!

Link to hymn:

The LORD Takes Pleasure In Those Who Fear Him

“He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of man. The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy.” (Psalm 147:10-11 NKJV)

The Lord takes pleasure in those who are willing, even in their strength of mind and body, to humble themselves and bend their knee to His majesty; those who, even though blessed with great physical ability, understand who God is and who they are before Him, choosing reverence over revolt.

“No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.” (Psalm 33:16-19 NKJV)

We build our lives in such a way so as not to worry. “As long as I have ______, I’ll be okay.” We tell ourselves this, filling in the blank with “family”, “friends”, “money”, “health”, “control”, etc. Great empires rise and fall, mighty men can be weak, even strong horses have limited ability and soon grow tired, none of these can deliver a soul from death, none can cause food to grow in famine. But God can.

If we live humbly and reverently before God, making use of the “today” He grants us by seeking further knowledge of Him (and discovering more reasons to respect Him), obeying His commands (and realizing that His way truly is the BEST way), and by doing good and shining our light to guide others toward Jesus (because it is only through Jesus that hope is found, 1 Peter 1:3-4), then we can come to the point where we no longer place trust in our physical blessings and instead we can happily state, “As long as I have God, I’ll be okay.”

“Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, just as we hope in You.” (Psalm 33:20-22 NKJV)

From wherever you are right now - BEGIN!

(Photo Credit: Cait Fairchild)

“Let us” Have Faith, Hope, and Love

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus… …let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works…” (Hebrews 10:19, 22-24 NKJV)

Side Note on Context: The writer of Hebrews spends his time encouraging the Hebrew brethren not to return to the old ways (the Law of Moses and its works/rituals), but to understand who Jesus the Christ was and is and to follow the New Covenant He established at His death (see Hebrews 10: 5-10). The writer states that the sprinkling (of blood on the altar, Leviticus 17:6, 11) and the washing in water (for ritual cleansing, Leviticus 16:24) – rituals the Hebrews were all familiar with - have been replaced with something better when Jesus offered something greater than the continual sacrifices of bulls and goats: His own self, once for all (Hebrews 10:10, 10:4, 9:11-15).

Jesus, by His sacrifice, allowed them, and us, access to the Holiest (consider Hebrews 4:16, John 14:6). The Hebrew brethren would have known that the Holiest (or Holy of holies) was the one place that only the High Priest was allowed to go and only when it was required (see Leviticus 16:1-2, Hebrews 9:7-8) but Jesus grants us all access wherever and whenever we need it and we, like the Hebrew brethren, need to cherish and respect that blessed access.

 Faith:

    Since Jesus has granted us access to the Holiest (God the Father), “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” Faith comes from hearing the gospel –the “good news” of Christ (Romans 10:17). We, like the eunuch in Acts 8:26-39, can hear the good news and understand that baptism is a necessary part of salvation; “…having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (see also 1 Peter 3:21-4-2). Baptism brings us into the body of Christ (the church, Romans 6:3-4, Galatians 3:26-29, Ephesians 1:22-23). So, we, who now offer ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2) continue to get closer to God (live fully in His light, John 3:20-21, Ephesians 5:8-14) with sincere intent (not carelessly or mindlessly, Matthew 15:8, Psalm 78:36-37), in abundance of faith and trust (“full assurance” means abundant and most certain confidence). When we approach God, as His child, with a heart and mind motivated by sincere and confident faith we will be prepared to wholly obey all His commands as we cling firmly to the hope we have through His Son.

 

Hope:

    “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Referring back to Acts 8, the eunuch made a confession before he was baptized: “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” (v37) – his hope was found in believing that Jesus is the Son of God – in believing this he also believed what Jesus said: “…if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24) and “[h]e who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). The eunuch after being baptized into Christ went on his way rejoicing (v39). We who have been baptized have all made a confession of our hope – let’s hold fast to it, bind ourselves to it and never let it go! “Without wavering” means we have a firm hold on it – so much so that we can share the reason for our hope with others who ask (1 Peter 3:15-16). God is faithful – our hope is not in vain – all that God has said, He has done and will do (Joshua 21:45, 1 Corinthians 1:9) – let’s hold fast to our hope, trust God, and remain faithful to Him!

Love:

    With our full assurance of faith and unwavering hope, “let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.”  Considering one another is more than “being nice” to those you worship with, it means to be attentive to, fixing your eyes and your mind on them so that you may stir them up to love and good works. Take note that “stir up” literally means to jab (cut) someone so that they must respond. Think of a prod or goad used to push animals in the right direction; it provokes them to action, incites them to do the work, and rallies them to actively participate.  We are to stir up love and good works. The entirety of the New Testament declares why love is a vital part of a Christian and in knowing that we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:10) we realize the importance of action (1 John 3:18, James 1:25, 4:17, Matthew 5:16, Titus 2-3). Love in action = good works! Good works are defined as actions that are beautiful, honourable, noble, praiseworthy, pure, virtuous, just, and truthful (think Philippians 4:8 – there are many good reasons to be meditating on these things!) 

    Do you have abundance of faith in God that motivates you obey His commands? Do you firmly cling to your hope without easing your grip, wholly trusting God? Do you care for your brethren enough to push them in the right direction so that together you can be actively doing, with love, what is good and right? Then “let us be diligent to enter that rest…” (Hebrews 4:11) and “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…”(Hebrews 12:1b-2)!

You can do it! So can I!!    

Faith, Hope, and Love – God’s Armour

    As we continue our study of Bible references that make mention of the vital trio of faith, hope, and love, we arrive now at this passage:

“But let us who of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.” (1 Thessalonians 5:8 NKJV)

    Looking at the surrounding context and other bible verses we quickly learn that “us who are of the day” refers to Christians, brethren who are not in darkness* (5:4), nor of darkness or the night (5:5). People who once were darkness but now are light in the Lord and walk as children of light, finding out what is acceptable to the Lord (Ephesians 5:8-10).

*Side Note: “darkness” always refers to sin and “works of darkness” to sinful activities, because God is light and there is no darkness in Him at all (1 John 1:5-6). Read 2 Corinthians 4:4-6 and 1 John 2:9-11 and consider the efforts of the devil to blind and keep souls in darkness. Jesus states the difference between light and darkness in John 3:19-21. God calls us out of darkness (1 Peter 2:9) through the gospel (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14, Romans 10:17) so that He can deliver us out of darkness (Colossians 1:12-13). He commissioned the apostle Paul to preach the gospel “to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God…” (Acts 26:18). Everything that is opposite or against God and His way is ‘darkness.’

    We who are of the day must be sober. This means that we must be watchful, alert, careful (circumspect), and self-controlled; it also means that we are prepared to face the Light (the day of Judgement). Read and think on Ephesians 5:15-18, Matthew 24:42-44, 1 Corinthians 15:58, 16:13-14, 1 John 3:1-3, and Matthew 5:8.  One who is drunk is unaware, even oblivious, and recoils from the light. “We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” (1 Thessalonians 5:5b-6, NKJV)

    Christians who are watchful and self-controlled, who work at preparing themselves to meet the Lord, will put on the breastplate of faith and love – Whoa! Wait a minute… I thought Christians were supposed to put on “the breastplate of righteousness”? That’s what Ephesians 6:14 says! – Okay, think of it this way: Faith in God (Romans 10:17, Luke 6:46-49) and love for God (John 14:15, 1 John 5:3) will motivate us do what is right in God’s sight, which is righteousness (1 John 3:7-8). Developing a deeper faith and increasing our love for God will guard our heart, so that we do what is right and are shielded from the fiery darts of the wicked one (Ephesians 6:16, James 4:7). Faith mixed with love leads to righteousness!

    So, we are to be alert and prepared by wearing God’s armor (Ephesians 6:10-18), guarding our vital inward parts (heart) with faith and love (righteousness) and also protecting our mind when we wear, as a helmet, the hope of salvation! This hope can safeguard our minds as we press toward the goal (Philippians 3:12-15) because it keeps our minds focused on God’s glorious grace and His abundant blessings. Wearing this “helmet” means that we also are prepared and ready to talk about/share our hope through Jesus (1 Peter 3:15, Titus 2:11-14)!

    Faith, hope, and love are all part of the essential armour of God. They are all needed to be adequately prepared and protected as we walk as children of light in this world of darkness!

   Do you put on God’s armour each and every day? You need to put it on daily so that you can become familiar and comfortable in it, learn how to use it, and realize its best benefits! Only then will you be prepared to meet the Lord!! It is worth every effort to put on faith, hope, and love every.single.day!!

You can do it! So can I!!  

Faith + Hope + Love = Fruit Bearing

    Paul opened his letter to the brethren in Colossae with a prayer.

“We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and the grace of God in truth…” (Colossians 1:3-6 NKJV)

    He was thankful to God for their faith in Christ Jesus, their love for all the saints, and for the hope that was reserved in heaven for them.

    The lovely thing was that Paul had heard of their faith and their love for their fellow Christians. Both their faith and their love had become known and evident to others – consider Paul’s instructions to Timothy:  “…be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity… Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all…” (1 Timothy 4:12, 15 NKJV). They were living their faith (James 1:21-27) and putting their love into action (1 John 3:18), because of these, Paul knew they were assured of the hope laid up in heaven for them.

    Their faith, love, and hope, from the day they heard the gospel, was bearing fruit; they were flourishing in their development to maturity and their growth became obvious to others! Read and consider Galatians 5:16-26 and the awesome power of the gospel in Hebrews 4:12 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

    Do you want to bear fruit? Anchor your hope in God’s promise of eternity with Him, build up your faith through study and obedience, and let your love for God fuel your love for fellow Christians who are walking the narrow path alongside you! Do what you can to help and encourage them, remind them of God’s grace, and show them by your humble example how to live in faith, hope, and love!

You can do it! So can I!!

A Worthy Walk Requires Faith, Hope, and Love

    As we continue our study of New Testament passages that mention the vital trio of faith, hope, and love we find ourselves this week in Ephesians 4:1-6.

"I, therefore, as a prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (NKJV)  

    Paul urgently begs Christians to “walk worthy of the calling in which they were called” (4:1). What does that mean?  First, we are called by God through the gospel (2 Thessalonians2:13-14). When we hear the gospel we are hearing God’s words for us. In God’s word, the Bible, is all that we need to know to become His child (for example: Acts 2, 8:26-40, 9:10-19, 16:11-34; 22:1-16) and all we need to know to keep growing and developing properly as a Christian all the days of our lives (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 3:14-18).

    Why does God call us? He calls us because He created us to seek AND find Him (Acts 17:26-27), to proclaim His praises (1 Peter 2:9) and to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). He calls us because He desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:1-4), so much so, that He is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). God loves us, so He calls us, through His word. In that Word He tells us what we must do to walk worthy of His calling! So we have a real responsibility to read/study and faithfully obey His instructions (James 1:25).

    God is calling us to eternal life – obeying His commands/instructions will keep us on the narrow pathway that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14), eternal life with Him, so you can see why ‘walking worthy of the calling’ is of paramount importance!

Love:

    Ephesians 4:2-3 makes mention of several ways in which we should walk/behave that befits a child of God: “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (NKJV) Consider also the description of a Christian given in Colossians 3:12-17.

    Love (agape) seeks the best for another. When we ‘bear with one another’ it means we hold them up when they are weak, we endure the exertion of helping them while they are strengthening their faith and gaining understanding (young/new Christians, Christians during trials, etc.).

    Love will take the time needed to help others gain clear understanding on what we all as Christians must agree – this is the unity of the Spirit – that there is: one body (Christ’s, which is the church, Ephesians 1:22-23), one Spirit, one hope of your calling (eternal life with God), one Lord (Jesus Christ, the Son of God), one faith (God’s way is the only way), one baptism (for remission of sins), one God and Father of all (Ephesians 4:4-6).      

 Hope:

    We see mention of “one hope of your calling” in Ephesians 4:4 – we can have confident expectation of eternal salvation when we walk worthy of the calling! Paul wanted the Ephesians brethren, and us, to know the hope of God’s calling (Ephesians 1:15-23), to know of God’s promise of eternity and to anchor our soul’s to it (Hebrews 6:19), believe in it (1 Timothy 4:6-8), and strive toward it (Philippians 3:12-16)! That is why God told us of it in His Word! He wants us to be in eternity with Him!! He wants us to live in hope!! This hope keeps our mind focused on God (Colossians 3:1-3) and keeping our minds focused on Him will develop our hope as we in love and increase our faith through humble obedience to His Word!

 Faith:   

    There is one faith. The conviction that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and through Him we gain eternal salvation. We cannot be saved through any other name (Acts 4:10-12), Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:1-6).

    We must be careful that we are obeying God’s Word and not men’s words (books, doctrines, creeds, ideas/notions, philosophies, etc.). Read and consider Matthew 7:22-23; Acts 17:11-12, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Mark 7:6-9, Colossians 2:6-10, and Hebrews 11:6 – we must seek HIM – GOD – no one else! He has provided all that is needed in His word. It can be understood, it can be obeyed! We do need a degree from a seminary school to understand it, we simply need God’s word, the Bible, and a heart ready and willing to receive the instructions found within it (Luke 8:11,15)!

    To walk worthy of our calling – to show God our absolute appreciation for His love and provision – we must bear with one another in love (help others to grow and strengthen), agree that there is one hope of our calling (eternal life with God), and one faith (Jesus Christ is the Son of God and only through Him can we have our hope of eternity)!

    Are you ready to walk in a worthy way? God’s calling is worth every effort and every sacrifice to do just that!!

You can do it! So can I!!    

Walking in the Spirit: Faith, Hope, Love

 "For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness
by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision
avails anything, but faith working through love." (Galatians 5:5-6 NKJV)

    Last week we looked at the first mention of the vital trio: faith, hope, and love. Let's take some time to look at the next mention (as seen above) found in Galatians 5:5-6.

    It is beneficial to this study that you take the time to read the whole of Galatians 5 as the command to "walk in the Spirit" has as much to do with the beginning of the chapter as it does with the end of the chapter.

    Christians, those who follow Christ (1 John 2:6), are to "walk in the Spirit" so that "you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). It is only when we are so walking by faith - trusting God and His way - that we can eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness!

    What is this 'hope of righteousness' that we can eagerly wait for? 

    It is the confidence and assurance of God's promised eternity with Him if we diligently seek to do what He has declared to be right (righteous).

    The apostle Paul was writing to the Galatian brethren who were struggling with their faith (under the New Covenant) because they were being told by others that they needed to become like Jews and keep the Jewish laws (Law of Moses, Old Covenant, see 1:6-10 and chapters 2-4).

    Paul declares to them that in Christ Jesus (the body of the Christ, the church, Ephesians 1:22-23), being circumcised in the flesh (Jewish custom from OT Law) or uncircumcised (often used to denote a Gentile, anyone from outside) doesn't matter; what now matters is faith working through love. 

    We, as Christians, have conviction that there are certain things that are proper for a Christian to do and we do these because we love God first and foremost, and because we love mankind and our fellow brethren. We honour God through obedience and exhibit a good example to those who may observe us (Romans 12:1-2, 1 Timothy 4:12-13, 15-16, Matthew 5:14-16). 

    Faith leads us to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26). The fruit of the Spirit is developed in us when our faith works through love. When we have faith working through love we will diligently seek God and do what God has commanded us to do (and avoid what He has told us to avoid) and we can build confident hope/assurance that we are right and pleasing in His sight!

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, 
for he who comes to God must believe that He is, 
and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
(Hebrews 11:6 NKJV)  

    Are you flourishing in faith, walking every day in the Spirit, because you love God and those around you?  Do you have hope and confidence because you are doing what God has declared to be righteous? If you do, then keep going, keep doing His what He has commanded - live in faith with love and hope!! It is worth every effort to do just that!!

You can do it! So can I!! 

Flourishing in Faith, Hope, and Love

    Over the next seven weeks, if the Lord wills, we will dig into a new study of faith, hope, and love. This triune appears seven times in the latter half of the New Testament. My Dad (preacher with the Jordan church of Christ) recently pointed out in a sermon that while the spiritual gifts were only temporary (1 Corinthians 13:8-10), faith, hope, and love have continued and will continue for as long as this earth exists. As you read the epistles you will see a shift from mention of spiritual gifts to a increased mention of these three important parts of our life. 

"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; 

but the greatest of these is love." 

(1 Corinthians 13:13 NKJV)

    Why is love the greatest? Does that means that love is all that matters? As long as we love we're okay? Love is greatest because one day when this life is over faith will become sight (1 John 3:2, 1 Corinthians 13:12), hope will be realized (Romans 8:24-25), but love will continue for eternity - God IS love (1 John 4:8)! If we want a eternity of love with God we need to have faith that leads us to humbly obey and live anchored in hope which motivates us to keep going and keep growing right to the very end! All three - faith, hope, and love - are vital!! 

    

    Let's take the time to look at the verses that mention them so that we can flourish in faith, hope, and love!!    

You can do it! So can I!!

Building Confidence and Finding Refuge

 “In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, 

and His children have a place of refuge.” 

(Proverbs 10:26 NKJV)

    Why is there strong confidence in the fear of the Lord? How does this fear supply a place of refuge?

    When we truly and properly fear the Lord, reverencing and respecting Him, we will take Him at His word and obey His word; what He has told us to do, we will do.  When we live in this way we can have strong confidence, just as Paul had in 2 Timothy 4:7-8, we can have a hope of rest, and reward for doing what was our duty to do.

    When we live in fear of Him, remaining zealous in our admiration of His magnificence, God grants us refuge during the trials of life. Through humble obedience of God’s commands we will kept from wayward living, but there will still be trials of temptation and sin, health, age, and loss and in all these we have refuge through prayer! Knowing of God’s greatness, that He is BIGGER than anything we may ever face encourages us to boldly approach God’s throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16, 1 John 5:14-15)! We also receive a vital refuge in the form of protection from the devil and his schemes (Ephesians 6:10-18, Proverbs 14:27)! And when our lives are finished here we have the final refuge of life eternal, when we may rest from our labours (1 Peter 1:3-9)!

    Do you want a stronger confidence? Do you desire a place of refuge? 

    Find both these blessings by fearing the Lord and keeping His commandments – for this is our all (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)!!

“The fear of the LORD leads to life 

and he who has it shall abide in satisfaction…” 

 (Proverbs 19:23 NKJV)