Christian Contentment - A Study through Philippians (4)

 

Today's blog is by Martin Davids

The Advance of the Gospel

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.  Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defence of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. (Philippians 1:12-18)

 

John Calvin began his ministry in Geneva in 1536 aged 27 yet the years following were far from plain sailing. In the city were a group known as the “libertines”  who felt that grace was a licence to do as they wanted.  Their lifestyle was so far from anything Christian that at Calvin refused them the Lord’s Supper.  Things came to a head in 1553 when as Calvin was about to administer the communion, the libertines burst into the church armed swords demanding the Lord’s supper.  Calvin threw himself upon the table and said "These hands you may crush, these arms you may lop off, my life you may take, my blood is yours, you may shed it; but you shall never force me to give holy things to the profaned, and dishonour the table of my God." At this the libertines were shamed into leaving the church. This was not the end of Calvin’s troubles but he was a little like the Apostle Paul, who endured all kinds of hardships for the sake of advancing the gospel.

Pauls report.

I am sure we have all read of the conversion of Saul (now Paul) and the incredible difficulties he faced in the book of Acts.  After all he had been through he now finds himself a prisoner under house arrest in Rome on trial for his life. When Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians he had no assurance that he would ever be a free man again.  Nevertheless, still under house arrest, still chained to a Roman soldier, still not having had a trial, and the future still uncertain, Paul looked on all that had transpired, and wrote in verse 12, “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.” That was Paul’s ambition: not his own comfort, but the advance of the gospel. He went on to explain how the gospel was advancing. He wrote in verse 13, “…it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.” Paul could see the purpose of God in his circumstances; God had put him exactly where he wanted him to be for the furtherance of the Gospel.  

Paul’s Reaction (1:14-17)

Let’s examine Paul’s reaction. It turns out that there were two reactions by Paul, first, concerning his friends, and second, concerning his foes. First, let’s look at Paul’s reaction concerning his friends. Paul wrote in verse 14, “And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” And, again in verse 16, referring to these same friends, he wrote, they “do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defence of the gospel.” Sometimes, learning about the hardship and difficulty of fellow believers may strengthen otherwise timid Christians to speak up for Jesus.

Second, let’s look at Paul’s reaction concerning his foes. Paul wrote in verse 15, “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry….” He continued in verse 17, “proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.” Who are these who have motives of envy, rivalry, and selfish ambition?  Commentators are divided some say these men were simply false teachers (with a false gospel) trying to upset the brethren and draw followers after themselves (such as those in Galatia).  Other contest that the preachers to whom Paul was referring were indeed preaching the true Christ, but their motives were all wrong. Paul may have been hurt by their motives but they were preaching and proclaiming the true Christ.   

Either way don't let that disturb you.  It has rightly been said that "God can draw a straight line with a crooked stick."  I was made aware of the Gospel (not brought to faith - that was many year in the future) through very aberrant teaching.  And though this is NOT an excuse for poor or incorrect theology I think we can agree that Paul was glad that the gospel was advancing for he concludes in verse 18, “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.” Paul’s focus was the gospel. Paul’s ambition was the advance of the gospel. That is why he rejoiced when Christ was proclaimed.

Summing it up.

Is the advance of the gospel first and foremost in your ambitions? You don’t need to be a preacher or a missionary or a full-time Christian worker to fulfill this ambition. You put the gospel at the centre of your ambitions when you orient your life, your vocation, your calling, and even your leisure to see the gospel advanced. How can this lead to Christian contentment?  Let me give you one example from my own family.  My mum, in the last 15 years has spent quite long stretches of time in hospital with a recurring illness.  At times she could get quite down – until one day she starting witnessing to the nurses and doctors.  Now she’s not (by her own admission) a great speaker or theologian – she has a simple faith.  Yet she realized that she could be bitter about her circumstances or use them to God’s glory.  She said ‘When else, apart from being in hospital, would I ever get the chance to speak to doctors or nurses on a regular basis about Jesus?’  Brothers and sisters during this Covid season God has placed you in the situation and circumstances He wants you in – will you use it to find contentment in the furtherance of the Gospel?

Prayer for the day.

Oh Lord,

You have given us charge of such a precious duty of spreading the message of the Gospel to those in our lives.  You have orchestrated our lives and put us in the places and positions that you would have us to be in. Let us take the opportunity to do as other faithful men and women have done to in proclaiming the good news.  Help us when we feel overwhelmed by our circumstances or opposition not to become discouraged but rather to find our contentment in advancing the Gospel.

We ask in Jesus’ name.

Amen.  

Photo by Denny Müller on Unsplash  

A-Z of Salvation | P is for the Perseverance of the saints

 

Can  a true Christian be lost?

Every true believer asks themselves the question, from time to time: Can a true believer be lost? Sometimes meaning, Can I lose my salvation?

When the storms of life arise, and especially when we feel our feet slipping, we may wonder: Am I a true believer?

The fall of a well-known Christian - such as the recent fall of Ravi Zacharias - raises the same sort of question - was he saved when he died? The answer to that question, by the way, must be, we simply do not know. For the man may have repented on his deathbed unbeknown to everyone. (And to enter heaven he would have had to repent, because the Scriptures say, "do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterer." (1 Corinthians 6:9))

So can a true Christian be lost?

 A true Christian may backslide

Well, a true believer can backslide. Peter backslid, for example. When in pride he declared that he would not deny the Lord and then lied about whether or not he knew Jesus, he slid away from Jesus.

A true believer, for a short time or a longer time, can wander away from the Father's house. 

But can a true Christian be lost?

A true Christian cannot be lost

The answer is a certain no. Why? Because our salvation is, from first to last, in God's hands, and he will hold us fast. "No-one [including ourselves] can snatch them out of my Father's hand" says the God Shepherd in John 10:29. "Nothing [including ourselves] will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:39).

It is utterly impossible for a true child of God to be lost! This is our verse for the day:

"He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)

Scripture makes a cast iron promise here that the God who began a work of his grace in our hearts, minds and lives will carry it on to completion, all the way until Jesus returns. No maybes or ifs, God WILL carry his divine saving work all the way through to completion.

We can rest secure that God will keep us from falling. 

And this doctrine - that true believers will by God's almighty power make it to the tape - is called "The Perseverance of the Saints." 

Summing it all Up

This truth brings us great personal assurance through the winters of the soul and the ups and downs of this earthly life.

This  truth gives us hope for those who once truly believed but are now in the far country. "Lord bring them back" can be the cry of our hearts. Let us pray that in their wanderings, after feeding the pigs, they would be drawn to memories of the joys of the Father's house and return to music and rejoicing. 

A SONG FOR THE DAY

This hymn looks at both sides of the coin. We must, empowered by God's Spirit, remain close to Jesus. And the hymn remembers that Jesus is by our side in the heat of the battle, our guardian, guide and friend.

O Jesus, I have promised
To serve thee to the end;
Be thou forever near me,
My Master and my friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If thou wilt be my guide.

2 O let me feel thee near me!
The world is ever near:
I see the sights that dazzle,
The tempting sounds I hear.
My foes are ever near me,
Around me and within;
But, Jesus, draw thou nearer,
And shield my soul from sin.

3 O let me hear thee speaking
In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will.
O speak to reassure me,
To hasten or control;
O speak, and make me listen,
Thou guardian of my soul.

4 O Jesus, thou hast promised
To all who follow thee
That where thou art in glory
There shall thy servant be.
And, Jesus, I have promised
To serve thee to the end;
O give me grace to follow,
My Master and my friend. 

John Bode

Sing along HERE

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Our loving Father in heaven,

We bring our worship to you, all-powerful, loving and holy. We thank you that salvation in our souls is all of you. You start it, you powerfully sustain it, and you alone bring it to completion. 

We pray today that we would always follow your Son in the power of your Holy Spirit. Keep us until the day of Jesus' return.

And we ask for all those who have wandered from you, especially those close to our own hearts, that you would draw them back into the fold.

We ask this so that your Name may be glorified.

Amen.

A-Z of Salvation | O is for Obedience

                                  

 Gold of Obedience

In our journey through the alphabet of salvation we've arrived at O for Obedience and our verse is Romans 1:5, where Paul describes his life's work like this:

"we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith."

Everyone who knows the Gospel must be surprised at this verse.

Paul, if we may paraphrase him for a moment, says that he has been set apart by God to call people from across the world to obey God.

His task is to say to everyone everywhere "Obey God, Obey God, Obey God." 

I think you and I might expect Paul to say that God has chosen him to call people to believe in Jesus, not to obey God! We would say that faith comes first and obedience follows in its train. Putting obedience in the front seems odd to evangelical protestant eyes!

Surely Paul is putting the cart before the horse!

Faith first

But let's look closely at what Paul says, again:

"we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith."

The obedience Paul is commanding from the world "comes from faith," the obedience that flows out of faith. So, relief, Paul is preaching faith first and obedience second!

Why is this order so important? Because we cannot obey until we have been saved. When God saves us, not only does he give us faith to believe in his Son, he changes our hearts and gives us his Spirit so that we can actually obey God. It is fruitless to ask an unbeliever to obey God because they can't.

So it is always faith first and obedience second.

This is important. We cannot expect of unconverted family members or colleagues at work a Christian standard of behaviour. A corpse can't move and nor can an unbeliever obey God's commands.

Obedience is what God wants of us

A changed life - an obedient life - is what the Lord wants of all of us. What is the point of someone who has been saved from sin's consequences and power continuing to live in those sins? It makes a mockery of the cross if we who are saved by the cross continue to commit the sins Jesus paid so highly for. 

It's for this reason Paul puts obedience so high up on his agenda.

"we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith."

 Obedience is the greatest sign of true faith

Obedience is the greatest outward sign of the inward gift of faith. We cannot say that we have faith unless our lives have changed and are changing. Unless we have repented and are repenting. And it is not wrong for us to make that judgement of those who call themselves believers: do they obey?

Summing it all Up

The moment we talk about obedience we may all feel our failures, those times when we know we should have obeyed but didn't. So shall we end with three questions to ourselves?

Do we have true faith? Do we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God come into the world to save us from our sins? If the answer is yes then we should thank God for the gift of salvation.

Do we obey? Have we - and just as important, are we - repenting of our sins? If so, then our faith is real. If there is no desire to change, no desire to put away all our many sins, then we should question the genuineness of our faith.

And if we daily repent, but find we stumble so often, let us remember that Jesus is our advocate, the one who argues our case in the court of heaven declaring, "I have paid for the sins of all my children, including that one." 

A SONG FOR THE DAY

This old hymn contains the words "gold of obedience" calling us to worship not only in lip but in life too.

1 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,
bow down before him, his glory proclaim;
with gold of obedience and incense of lowliness,
kneel and adore him the Lord is his name.

2 Low at his feet lay your burden of carefulness,
high on his heart he will bear it for you,
comfort your sorrows and answer your prayerfulness,
guiding your steps in the way that is true.

3 Fear not to enter his courts in the slenderness
of the poor wealth you would count as your own;
truth in its beauty and love in its tenderness
these are the offerings to bring to his throne.

4 These, though we bring them in trembling and fearfulness,
he will accept for the name that is dear;
mornings of joy give for evenings of tearfulness,
trust for our trembling and hope for our fear.

5 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,
bow down before him, his glory proclaim;
with gold of obedience and incense of lowliness,
kneel and adore him the Lord is his name.

 J. S. B Monsell

Once again, I wish someone would bring these words back to life wiht a new tune. You can sing the old one here.

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Our loving Father in heaven,

We approach your majestic throne in Jesus' name, knowing that you will receive us for the Name that is dear to you. 

We bring you our thanks and praise today, for all that you are and all that you do for us, your redeemed people.

We thank you for the gift of faith and acknowledge every change in our lives as a work of your grace.

Help us to obey you and teach us to grow in holiness and obedience, in every area of our lives.

Forgive our many sins and lead us in your paths of righteousness,

We ask this in Jesus' Name,

Amen

A-Z of Salvation | N is for Nazarene

 

  Today's devotional is written by Pastor Roy Summers

Nazareth! 

Can anything good come from there?

 

So said Nathaniel when Philip tried to introduce Jesus to him in John 1:46. And that is a great introduction to the letter N in this A-Z of salvation. Our Saviour came from a town which had no repute, no fame, nothing great going for it. He came from a Huddersfield or a Bradford or a Wakefield (recently listed among the worst places in the UK).

 

Jesus is often referred to as 'Jesus of Nazareth' in the Gospels, because his parents came from this town and because he grew up there.

Already we are being taught two great truths about Jesus. First, that he was associated with one particular place, one particular town. In this he is just like us, for most of us would say that we hail from city A,B or C, and those places played a role in our constitution and make up. I grew up in both hot dusty Karachi and in Wolverhampton and both those places shaped the person I now am. The same will be true of you.

 

Jesus was like us. He grew up in a place just like you and I. So much so that Pilate had written above the cross: "Jesus of Nazareth: King of the Jews."

 

But secondly, the less-than-ordinariness of the town enables Jesus to especially connect to people who are outsiders, invisible and poor. Had Jesus been born in Oxford or Harrogate, the poor of this world would have said "He's not our kind of bloke. We can't relate to him. He does not understand us."

Already, we see the divine wisdom of God in sending his Son to be brought up in Nazareth. For the Gospel is for everyone in the world, including the outsider.

 

Despised and Rejected

But there's one more step to take. In Matthew 2:23 we read that Jesus lived in Nazareth in order to fulfill what was said through the prophets, "He will be called a Nazarene." However, we can't find an Old Testament prophecy that predicts Nazareth as the home town of the Messiah.

 

This must take us back to John 1:46. Yes, Nazareth was an ordinary place, but more, it was also a despised place.  And as such, it pointed back to those Old Testament prophecies which revealed this aspect of Jesus' ministry: that he would be "despised and rejected by men."

The despised home town of Jesus pointed prophetically to the despised reputation  of his pure ministry. Jesus' own countryfolk rejected him. The religious leaders despised him - they looked down at him, dismissed him, thought themselves way way above him!

SUMMING IT ALL UP

This despising business - let it never be found in the church of Jesus Christ. Apparently it can live there, so Paul had to say, "Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited." (Romans 12:16) Since Jesus accepts and loves all of his children, so should we. 

 

And, this Nazareth connection reminds us that it would be very strange if we made it through our Christians lives without facing what Jesus faced, for as the Master, so the disciple.

We will invariably find ourselves at some time in some context despised and rejected and this should not surprise us. It could be among our own family networks, it might be at work, it may be in our neighbourhoods or cities.

It would be very strange if in some way, little or great, we did not experience what our Master did.

And when we do, we should rejoice that we are suffering for his sake. And we can look forward to the day when we will be honoured by the only One who matters, when Jesus says to us "Well done you good and faithful servant." 

A SONG FOR THE DAY

One of the very few hymns which gives Jesus his homely title.

I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how he could love me,
A sinner, condemned, unclean.

How marvelous! How wonderful!
And my song shall ever be;
How marvelous! How wonderful!
Is my Savior's love for me!

2 For me it was in the garden
He prayed, "Not my will, but thine;"
He had no tears for his own griefs,
But sweat drops of blood for mine.

3 He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them his very own;
He bore the burden to Calv'ry,
And suffered and died alone.

4 When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see,
'Twill be my joy through the ages
To sing of his love for me. 

 

Chas H Gabriel

 

You can sing along right HERE. 

 

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

 

Our Father in heaven,

 

We thank you for your world-wide church. We thank you that it is made up of people from every nation, every tongue, every class and every ability.

 

We thank you that Jesus, in coming from an ordinary and even despised background is able to be reach into every life and home and heart.

 

Keep us from despising anyone on account of their origin, looks or education. And when we are despised fro your sake teach us that sweet humility which remembers not only that we are sharing in the sufferings of Jesus, but looks to the day when we will reign with Him too.

 

We ask these things in Jesus' Name

 

Amen. 

 

A-Z of Salvation | M is for Meekness and Majesty

 

 OIL AND WATER

Today's Devotional is written by Pastor Roy Summers

Like oil and water, Meekness and Majesty are not ordinarily found together in our lost world. Those who find themselves 'majestic' by birth, by natural gifting or by wealth are rarely meek. Instead their titles, given, earned or pretended, turn their heads to pride.

In fact the world, by definition, writes the apostle John, is characterised by men and women who are not meek, but instead "boast about what they have and do." (1 John 2:16)

But in this A-Z of salvation words we find, at the very centre of God's saving plans, One who is both Majestic in the highest degree and Meek to the lowest rank.

Meekness

The meekness of the Lord Jesus is revealed in circumstance and character. He was born in a small town in virtual obscurity. He lived in "can anything good come out of" Nazareth. He had no where to lay his head. He was despised and rejected by men - even by his own nation he came to minister among and to save. He hid his divine glory from the world and never used his power for his own use. There is an ancient tale about Jesus breathing life into clay pigeons when he was a child. So obviously a fable because Jesus only began to use his mighty power during his ministry and never used it to perform tricks to impress friends. 

The greatest act of meekness came, not when the Son of God humbled himself to become a human being. Nor when as a man he was found in the form of a servant. No Jesus humbled himself most of all when he suffered the shameful death of a common criminal on a Roman cross, bearing  away all our sins.

A little remembered verse is Isaiah 52:14, "his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man..." reminds us just how low Jesus came to accomplish his joyful mission of saving us. 

Majesty

Because his divinity was largely hidden from view the whole of his life, we must seek to view his majesty before and after his earthly ministry.

It is not that his divinity was invisible while in the world. His miracles, he once said, speak for him. No-one has ever performed such miracles as Jesus did. Water into wine, a legion of demons exorcised, people raised from the dead - one after decomposing for four days, a feast for thousands from the lunch box of a lad, defying the law of gravity by walking on water, healing the sick and renewing the bodies of the lame, deaf and blind. If those remarkable miracles are insufficient proof of divine otherworldliness, what proof could someone ask for?

Before he came to earth he reigned in heaven with the Father, in glorious union, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There in glory he was worshipped and served by angel throngs. When he returned to heaven he was exalted to the highest place and given a name above all names. And one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.

Summing it all Up

We do not presently see everything subject to the sovereign Son of God, "but we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone." (Hebrews 2:9)

May the Lord teach us to be meek, never to boast except in Jesus and never to judge one another for we are so frail ourselves.

May the Lord teach us to worship the only One who combined in One, Meekness and Majesty.

A SONG FOR THE DAY
It would be hard to find a better song which summarises the meekness and majesty of Jesus than this one by Graham Kendrick:

Meekness and majesty,
Manhood and Deity,
In perfect harmony,
The Man who is God.
Lord of eternity
Dwells in humanity,
Kneels in humility
And washes our feet.

O what a mystery,
Meekness and majesty.
Bow down and worship
For this is your God,
This is your God.

Father's pure radiance,
Perfect in innocence,
Yet learns obedience
To death on a cross.
Suffering to give us life,
Conquering through sacrifice,
And as they crucify
Prays: 'Father forgive.'

Wisdom unsearchable,
God the invisible,
Love indestructible
In frailty appears.
Lord of infinity,
Stooping so tenderly,
Lifts our humanity
To the heights of His throne.

Graham Kendrick

Worship HERE. 

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Our loving Father in heaven,

We thank you for this new day. We worship you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit for the work of salvation in which each Person  gave. Father we thank you that you gave your Son, Holy Spirit that you were poured out upon the church and Son that you willing came into this world of sorrow for our sakes.

We pray that we may be renewed in our worship of the Son of God as we have contemplated both his lowly meekness and his high majesty.

Teach us to be humble. Forgive our many sins and lead us in paths of righteousness.

We ask these things in the majestic Name of Jesus,

Amen

 Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

Christian Contentment - A Study through Philippians (3)

 

Today's Devotional is written by Martin Davids

Paul’s Prayer to God

 

9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,  10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11)

 

Paul’s Prayer to God Is for the Philippians Love to Abound More and More

I find it interesting to note that Paul’s first concern in his prayer to God is for the Philippians love to abound more and more. You will note that Paul does not provide an object for love. But when we think about it did he need to?  It is entirely likely that Paul left the object for love unstated because he wanted love for both God and one another to abound more and more.

Surely, at the heart of our response to the gospel is love for God. The Apostle John wrote in 1 John 4:19, “We love because he first loved us.” Moreover, we learn that the great and first commandment given by Jesus himself is, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). And so, as Christians, our first priority is that our love for God may abound more and more.

How can we know if our love for God is abounding more and more?  Love for God will undoubtedly include spending time with God in prayer. It will include reading the Bible. But, love for God will be seen chiefly in obeying his commandments.  The Apostle John wrote, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.”   Your love for God will abound more and more as you delight in conforming your life to his commandments.

Our love for God should lead to love for each other.  Jesus went on to say that the second great commandment is like the first, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).

In this time of isolation from each other we can ask “Is my love for one another abounding more and more?” Love for one another is more than words. It includes action. As much as we can, it involves all the “one another’s” we read about in the Bible.

Paul’s Prayer to God Is for the Philippians’ Love to Be More Knowledgeable.

Second, Paul’s prayer to God is for the Philippians love to be more knowledgeable. We have just ‘celebrated’ Valentine’s day and from a quick look at the cards or movies of our time it would appear that our culture is very confused about love. The primary message conveys the idea that love is merely an emotion.

Paul understood that love is not primarily a feeling or an emotion. True, biblical love has content. It is grounded in knowledge and all discernment.

Paul’s prayer for Christians’ love to abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment means that it produces a practical insight for daily living. Maturing Christians are those who handle the turbulent rapids of daily living with growing ease. They apply with increasing accuracy the word of God to every situation they encounter. You know Christians like that, don’t you? They are the ones you want to talk to when you discover a problem in your life. You want to get their input and advice about how to handle a difficulty that you have encountered. But the interesting thing is that those Christians have only reached that ‘status’ not because they have had an easy life but rather because they have gone through the trials and only by the grace of God and His sustaining power have emerged victorious.   They would echo the words of Paul “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Cor 1:3-4)

Paul’s Prayer to God Is for the Philippians’ to Be Pure and Blameless on the Day of Christ

Finally, Paul’s prayer to God is for the Philippians’ to be pure and blameless on the day of Christ. We cannot grow in knowledge and all discernment if we are not dealing with sin in our lives. If we are bitter, resentful, lustful, covetous, proud, angry, and so on, and do not repent of those sins on a regular basis. We may read Scripture, we may memorize God’s word, we may teach the Bible in Sunday school or Bible study, but that is not necessarily the same thing as growing in the knowledge of God and gaining insight into the mind of God. Paul wanted the Christian believers in Philippi to grow daily in spiritual maturity. Of course, they would never achieve perfection in this life. But that is the goal. That must be their aim: to be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, that is, the day when they see Christ. And all of this is to the glory and praise of God.  This is summarized as being filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.

Summing it up

How can Paul’s prayer increase our contentment in Christ?  Paul’s prayer for the Philippians is gospel-cantered. His petitions designed to advance the gospel in the lives of the Philippian Christians.

What do we pray for especially, at this time? We often pray for health, for personal safety, for employment, and so on. Now, it is not wrong to pray about these things. But, dear friends, let us also pray for our love to abound more and more, for our love to be more knowledgeable, and for us to be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.

Let us put the priorities of the gospel at the centre of our prayer lives for ourselves, and also for others. As we do so I believe that God will increase our contentment, for our eyes will not be on ourselves and our situation but on others and ultimately on Him.

Prayer for today

Our Father,

Give us a greater love for you that we orient our lives ever mindful of your word.  Let it so increase out love that we might not sin against you.  Give us a love one for another especially during these days when we cannot be together.  Let us find little ways that we can serve each other.  Increase our knowledge of you - let us take time to study your word more and spend more time in contemplation of your great love for us.

We ask these thing in the name of your Son who loved us and gave His life for us.

Amen. 

Photo by Jonathan Meyer on Unsplash

 

 

 

 

 

 

A-Z of Salvation | L is for Love

  

Today's devotional is written by Pastor Roy Summers

Human Love

Think back for a moment to all the human loves you have known. Husband, wife, child, parent, brother and sister in Christ, friend.... Ask yourself: have all of them survived the passing of the years? How many who once loved you, love no more? And of those that remain, how many 'bumps in the road' have those loves experienced?  

We all know the answer to these questions, because we all know that human love is fickle, changeable, up and down, unreliable. 

Because we are sinners.

Adam, so madly in love with Eve that he burst out in lyrical poem at the mere first sight of her, says to the Lord, in the next moment, "The woman (he does not even call her by her name!) you put here with me - she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." (Genesis 3:12) Selfish self-preservation led him to blame the one he thought he loved.

Selfishness and a hundred other weaknesses blight all human loves. 

And yet there is within all our love songs, from Arertha Franklin to the Juveniles,  a hope for permanence in human love, a desire for durability that is a faint echo of God's love.

God's Love

In our A-Z journey through the great salvation words of Scripture, we've arrived at L, which stands for God's Love and our verse is:

"This is love: not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 4:10)

The definition of love, writes John, is not to be found in human love, not even in our love for God. No, love is defined by God's love, and especially by one event which perfectly expresses that love.

Let's work through this together.

God's love is defined by an action. We too often define love in emotional or romantic terms, but love is not primarily about emotions it is first about actions. Let's remember this. 

We should never say "we love someone" unless we undertake acts of kindness for them, which may range from praying for them to making them a meal. Mere talk or mere emotions are not love. 

This also means that while we may not like someone we can still love them - by undertaking loving actions for them. This may sound strange, but we can love without liking. And sometimes we must do that.

God's love is not defined by the response of the one loved. God loves the unlovely, the ungrateful, the unlovable! Every day he sends the sun and rain to people who do not even acknowledge him or thank him. 

How easy it is for our love for someone to be shaped by their attitude towards us, but to love someone as God loves them is to love them no matter what their attitude to us is.

God's love is sacrificial. Nothing so defines God's love as the word "sacrifice." God did not undertake an easy act of love, he planned and executed the most sacrificial act one could imagine. He gave up his one and only Son to pain, suffering and ultimately death for the sake of those who he loved. This kind of love is simply unknown on earth.

It does however mean that when we feel we have given all we can to love someone, there is most probably always further we can go, if we rely on God's power to love.

 Summing it All Up

Incredible though it may seem, the love of God has been poured into the heart of every true believer, by the power of God's Spirit (Romans 5:5). Believers have the resources to love far more than the world can ever love, and far more than we often imagine we can love.

But Love is most supremely seen in the love of God for sinners who not deserving anything but condemnation are given the gift of eternal life instead. 

A SONG FOR THE DAY

How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss –
The Father turns His face away,
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory.

Behold the man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life –
I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer;
But this I know with all my heart –
His wounds have paid my ransom.

You can sing it HERE.

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Our loving Father in heaven,

We thank you for your love for us. In view of your mercy towards us we want to lay down our lives in daily sacrificial living, head, heart, hands and feet.

We thank you for the cross where your love was poured out for us.

We thank you that your love is forever, that we are loved with everlasting love.

We know we cannot repay your love but we want to respond in praise and with a life of worship.

Help us to love like you. We know that we have no ability in ourselves to do this, so we ask for the power of your Holy Spirit to enable us to love.

We ask this in Jesus Name,

Amen

Photo by Mayur Gala on Unsplash

The A-Z of Salvation | K is for Kingship

  

 

Today's Devotional is written by Pastor Roy Summers

"I feel Powerless"

Among the various words we hear cast about in Lockdown Three is the word 'powerless.' What people seem to mean is two things: First, that with all the present uncertainty they are unable to make decisions about the future. And second, that we each on our little owns can do very little to halt a powerful pandemic - except perhaps to stay at home, which is a weak-powerful act.

In truth, both of these present impossibilities have always been no-gos.

We may have been able to plan events in years gone by and fooled ourselves into thinking we had power to act, but that has never been true. Many a human plan has been scuppered by events utterly beyond our control. A man builds a beautiful and expensive man-shed for his retirement, but dies before he can enjoy it. A newly married couple plan for a family but discover they cannot conceive. And so it goes on.

And have we ever had the power to stop pandemics or any other natural disaster? While we thank God for medical science, a new significant mutation of the virus could put us right back to square one. Or a totally different virus could emerge.

In a fallen and broken world we are no longer kings. 

Perhaps one of the solemn effects of this pandemic will be to humble us and remind us that God alone rules. 

And how glad we should be that the Lord Omnipotent reigns!

But there is a reason we find our present powerlessness so frustrating: Adam and Eve were natural born rulers. King and Queen of Eden, they were given dominion over creation (Genesis 1:28).  And so, following in their lineage, there is something within us, within humankind, which wants or needs to make decisions whether in the home, in the family, or in the work place.

Present feelings of frustration because we are powerless are therefore to be expected and reflect the way we bear the image of God, the Great and Sovereign King.

Jesus is King

Our Bible verse for today tells us that one day we will reign with Jesus Christ.

 

"Here is a trustworthy saying... if we endure we will also reign with him." 

(2 Timothy 2:12)

One day, with Jesus Christ, we will be able to make decisions which cannot be thwarted. One day we will, with Jesus, exercise effective power.

At the moment, could we only see into the heavenlies, we already reign with Christ. We can experience victory over sin with the power of God's Spirit. The law no longer possesses the power to condemn. "We are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (Romans 8:37)

But our reign in this world is limited.

We will be kings

In that new world to come, says Paul, we shall reign with Christ. Of course no-one knows exactly what reigning with Jesus Christ will entail, except that Paul says it will include judging angels (1 Corinthians 6:3). For sure we will reign on Christ's behalf, not in our own right. We will be ensuring that his will is executed. 

The details we cannot tell, but what we can be sure of is that those feelings of powerlessness we now experience will be gone.

Summing it Up

Perhaps you have never thought about why people are feeling powerless today. 

Perhaps you did not know that it was because we were all born for rule and dominion. 

And perhaps you had forgotten this trustworthy verse of Paul's:

"... if we endure we will also reign with him." 

(2 Timothy 2:12)

Now we know that kingship lies ahead of, let us look forward to those days. Let's not be anxious about present powerlessness. Let's endure today so that one day we will reign with Christ.

A SONG FOR TODAY

A simple song, wherein we worship the Lord Jesus, who is not only our king, but aslo our High Priest.

Jesus Is King And I Will Extol Him
Give Him The Glory, And Honour His Name
He Reigns On High, Enthroned In The Heavens
Word Of The Father, Exalted For Us

We Have A Hope That Is Steadfast And Certain
Gone Through The Curtain And Touching The Throne
We Have A Priest Who Is There Interceding
Pouring His Grace On Our Lives Day By Day

We Come To Him, Our Priest And Apostle
Clothed In His Glory And Bearing His Name
Laying Our Lives With Gladness Before Him
Filled With His Spirit We Worship The King

Oh Holy One, Our Hearts Do Adore You
Thrilled With Your Goodness We Give You Our Praise
Angels In Light With Worship Surround Him
Jesus, Our Saviour, Forever The Same

Sing along HERE.

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Our loving Father in heaven,

We worship you and acknowledge your loving reign over your children. Your will be done on earth, we pray, as it is in heaven.

We thank you for truth. We thank you that we understand from your word why we find powerlessness so hard to bear. We thankyou that the dominion you gave to Adam and Eve, and which they lost through sin, will be restored to your people, through Jesus Christ, our loving King.

Help us to endure our present frustrations so that one day we will reign with Christ.

We ask this in Jesus' name,

Amen

Photo by Paweł Furman on Unsplash

The A-Z of Salvation | J is for Justification by Faith Alone

 Today's Devotional is written by Pastor Roy Summers

Satan the great accuser

Many things are happening in the invisible world the eye cannot see. There are spiritual battles taking place, including attempts to stumble and to lead God's people astray. We know this from Scriptures such as Job chapter 1 and Revelation chapter 12, where we read that Satan  is attempting to "lead the whole world astray" and where he is called the accuser of God's people. 

In the heavenly realms Satan accuses God's people before the throne of God day and night (see verse 10). We can see that in Job chapters 1 and 2, where Satan tells God that Job is a mere fair-weather believer and that if God were to remove the hedge of protection around Job he would curse God rather than love him.

You and I on earth hear those terrible satanic accusations, in our ears do we not? When we let our Lord down, as we inevitably do, Satan whispers in our ears "How can you be a Christian?" or perhaps "You are a terrible Christian?" or even, "God will bring judgement on you because of your sin."

It's in these times of personal failure that we need to hear, all over again, and for the thousandth time, "You are made righteous in God's eyes by faith in Christ alone." 

"For in the Gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last." (Romans 1:17)

 True and false Religion

All the religions of the world stand on one side, and the Gospel on the other. Without exception, religion says "do". Do this, do that, do the other - and then you will be saved.

But true Christianity teaches something gloriously different. True Christianity says that all our doing can never please God, first because our best deeds are always tainted with sin, so we offer no good works to God; all our sins are like 'filthy rags.' And second, because even if our good works were perfect, there is our sin which would need paying for.

False religion says "do, do, do!" True Christianity says "done, done, done!" 

True Christianity teaches that God has done everything necessary to bring us to heaven! He has provided a righteousness which covers our sins and makes us acceptable in God's sight. His Son not only paid for our sins when he died, his Son gave us the perfect righteousness Jesus earned when he lived this life.

And this total righteousness package came to us by faith, not by doing anything but just by believing.  

This is the great comfort of Justification by faith alone.

Great Comfort

If our salvation depended even for one second on us in any way, we would be doomed to hell. If whether or not we got to heaven depended on our goodness, godliness or works of service we'd be lost. 

Salvation is God's work, received by faith in his Son, and that faith is itself a gift from God.

What a wonderful salvation plan! God pours out his grace, mercy and love upon us and gives to us the gift of salvation freely. All we are called to do is believe the message, and even that believing faith he gives to us.

What is more, there could be no greater motivation for godly living than the grace we have received from Christ Jesus. Justification provides the motive for holy living.

So when Satan reminds us of our sin, we should remember that in Christ there is no longer any condemnation. 

We could scarcely put it any better than this:

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Saviour died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on him and pardon me,
To look on him and pardon me.

Charitie Lees Bancroft

OUR SONG FOR THE DAY

So this is our song for the day, written by the daughter of a church pastor, Charitie Bancroft. She clearly understood and rejoiced in Justification by faith alone.

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea,
A great High Priest whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on his hands,
My name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heav'n he stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart,
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on him and pardon me,
To look on him and pardon me.

3 Behold him there! The risen Lamb,
My perfect, spotless righteousness;
The great unchangeable "I AM,"
The King of glory and of grace!
One with himself I cannot die,
My soul is purchased by his blood;
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God,
With Christ, my Savior and my God.

You can worship HERE. 

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Our gracious Father in heaven,

We have sinned against you in thought, word and deed. We keenly feel not only the tempter's power but the tempter's accusations. We thank you for the Gospel through which we can know our sins forgiven fully and freely through faith in your beloved Son.

Help us to put on the shield of faith to quench the fiery darts of the evil one, and help us to live lives of joyful service in view of your mercy towards us.

We ask these things in Jesus' Name,

Amen

The A-Z of Salvation | I is for Irresistible Grace

 

Today's devotional is written by Pastor Roy Summers

Not that Kind of Irresistible 

Do you ever feel so weak that you wonder whether you will 'make it to the tape?' Well this devotional is for you. Salvation, we shall learn, is from the Lord, from the first to the last.

In our series of salvation devotionals I felt stuck at the letter "I" until I remembered reading about some discussions that took place between Christians,  way back hundreds of years ago.

Some Christians believed back then - and some still believe this today - that if God began a work in our hearts and called us to himself, we would be able to resist his call, decide not to be born again, and not to become a follower of Jesus Christ.

Now, if that was true, it means that salvation would be in human hands. It is we who'd decide whether or not to follow Jesus.

And if we can call the shots right at the beginning of our Christian walk, what could stop us calling the shots all the way to the very end? Salvation would be in our hands and one day we might decide to walk out, the next day to walk back, and perhaps yo-yo like that all our lives.

And suppose we went through a really tough patch as a Christian and decided not to follow Jesus for a while in that state, and suppose that we died in that condition. Where would that leave us?  Surely we would be lost.

This 'salvation is in our hands' idea could never give us the deep assurance we need when we are tempest-tossed by the storms of mind, heart and life.

But even more importantly, is this idea correct according to the Bible? Is salvation really in our hands?

Those who hold this view are called Arminians after one of the fellows who promoted it, a man by the name of Jacobus Arminius.

Salvation is 'of the Lord'

Other Christians hotly disputed Mr Arminius. They said that the Scriptures are very clear, "Salvation is of the Lord". (Jonah 2:9) They said that from first to last Salvation is something God does. He took the initiative in the history of the world when he sent his precious Son to suffer and die for our sins, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He did not wait for mankind to ask for salvation.

God takes the initiative in each believer's life too.

For example, they quoted Ephesians 2:1-5 where Paul reminds us that we were all dead in our "transgressions and sins... we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ, even when we  were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved." 

All of us were completely dead spiritually, unable to respond to God, so if God waited around for us to respond to him, it would never happen. God had to take the initiative and while we were still in our sinful state he made us alive. Praise God!

And how his work began in our lives is how it continues. We are always too weak, too foolish, too sinful to keep going through all the ups and downs of life. We'd never make it to the tape if we were running on our own steam.

But, praise God, he who began a good work in us will himself carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)

So from start to finish, Salvation is of the Lord according to the Scriptures. 

And this brings us great comfort - especially when we are weak and troubled and tempted and tried and feel "I'll never make it."

  Irresistible Grace

These Christians of old, called Calvinists after John Calvin, came up with the phrase 'Irresistible Grace' to explain their conviction that when God calls someone to himself, when the Good Shepherd calls his sheep, they always come, they can't help it, they can't prevent it: they don't want to. God's grace is irresistible, no-one can turn away, all whom God the Father calls will come to him.

And then for the rest of their lives they are kept by God's mighty power. Their spiritual destiny is never in their own hands, it is always in God's almighty hands.

This view is surely the right one, the Biblical one, and it brings to us great great comfort.

Summing it all up

There are times, for some believers many times, when we feel as though we're not going to make it.

Some tragedy befalls us and overwhelms us and we feel that our faith will fail. Some temptation waylays us. Some illness swamps our ship, some storm threatens to drown us.

In those moments, days, weeks or seasons of life, we can rest assured that how we feel and how strong we are is not what counts. What matters is the omnipotent power of God Almighty who having called us by his grace, having paid the debt for all our sins, has promised to keep us forever.

It's not our song for the day, but 'In Christ Alone' could be, for it expresses the conviction that salvation is all of God.

From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

A SONG FOR THE DAY

Our song for the day is "He will hold me fast" by the Getty duo.

When I fear my faith will fail
Christ will hold me fast
When the tempter would prevail
He will hold me fast
I could never keep my hold
Through life’s fearful path
For my love is often cold
He must hold me fast

He will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so
He will hold me fast

Those He saves are His delight
Christ will hold me fast
Precious in His holy sight
He will hold me fast
He’ll not let my soul be lost
His promises shall last
Bought by Him at such a cost
He will hold me fast

For my life He bled and died
Christ will hold me fast
Justice has been satisfied
He will hold me fast
Raised with Him to endless life
He will hold me fast
Till our faith is turned to sight
When he comes at last

You can listen HERE.

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Our loving Father in heaven,

We thank you that all whom you give to our Good Shepherd are safe and no-one can snatch them out of your hands.

We thank you that there is nothing in this world, seen or unseen, that can separate us from God's love.

We thank you that salvation, past, present and future is out of our feeble hands, and in your all powerful hands.

Comfort us with this thought as we pass through the trials of life.

And work in the hearts of those who do not know you, and draw them irresistibly to yourself, by your power.

For we we ask these things in Jesus Name,

Amen