Lavished with Grace

“He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself,
according to the kind intention of His will,
 to the praise of the glory of His grace,
 which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

 In Him we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.
Ephesians 1:5-8a

Because of the kind intention of His will, God adopted you!  Not because of your great talents, your amazing beauty, or your usefulness to Him, but just because He is kind and He chose you!  You are His son or daughter to the praise of the glory of His grace.  In other words, you are His and your adoption shows us the glory of God’s grace.  In that we, and others, should praise God. And He did it freely!  Without payment due!  Nothing is owed!  Not your works, not your being good – nothing!

 It was all accomplished through the Beloved, Jesus, the first born son, the sacrifice. It is through His blood that we are able to be not only adopted, but made righteous and holy.  What’s really cool, is that we did not merely squeak by!  But rather, God accepted us according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.  When I think of something being lavished, I think of butter being very liberally spread upon a piece of bread. (I know that’s weird, but oh well!)  When I lavish butter on bread, I do not scrape some of it off, or check to make sure that it is barely covered. No!  I put as much as possible on it until it stands up in the middle and is spread from edge to edge, then I lavish jelly on top of that!  That is God’s grace to you -  piled high, fully covering, and then some more on top of that!

Praise Him and worship Him.  He is your God and He is good!

Freedom

 I read through Galatians this morning and am again just astounded at God’s grace!  We can do nothing to earn our salvation, lose our salvation, or to further our position with God.  We are already at the top of the pile, His sons and daughters, the apple of his eye, and His delight!  Just because we are His!  He may not always be happy with what we do or the way we behave, but He is always our Daddy!

“…so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” Gal. 4:5

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free….” 5:1

Mixed in with all these great verses on our freedom are verses about our behavior: “But I say walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” 5:16.  These verses are clues to our living a contented life here on earth, growing in our relationship with God, and being prepared for what God has for us in eternity.  They are not about “Do this or else…(death, disowning, etc…)” 

We are free through our faith in the sacrifice of Jesus.  We are adopted into the Kingdom.  Done deal! “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law…so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
Gal. 3:1, 3, 13,14.

Upon the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished.” His sacrificed sealed the bargain.  Our salvation is not Jesus and… (church attendance, perfect behavior, good deeds, being lovely, etc…).  It is just Jesus. Period.

Psalms then reminds us to “Walk at liberty.”  In other words, you are free!  Act like it!  Freedom is joy and love and peace and contentment and wanting to have a friendship with the one that set us free!  Rejoice!  Sing!  Praise!  And walk as if it is true!

 

Forgiveness

I found this verse as I was reading and praying about forgiving someone of a very hurtful debt that accumulated over many years and through many circumstances.  I have chosen to forgive and am laying it at the feet of Jesus, but I also know that it will be a battle for me to love this person with the love of Christ because I want to protect my own heart.  Oh yeah!  It’s not my own heart – I gave it to Jesus.  He can protect it or if it gets stomped on again, he can heal it.  Most of all, I want this person to experience all of God and what joy he has for her.  I don’t want Satan to get her heart or mine because of my unforgiveness.  Now if my emotions will just line up, I will be good to go!  God is able – one step at a time.

I know that this verse is spoken of by Paul, not by Jesus.  But the connection of forgiveness and not allowing Satan to take advantage is poignant.

“To this end I also wrote,

so that I might put you to the test,
whether you are obedient in all things. 
But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also;
for indeed what I have forgiven, If I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ,
so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.”
2 Corinthians 3:9-11

I do not want bitterness to get the upperhand in my heart.  I know bitter old women, and I don’t want to be one!  So, Satan will not get the glory in this one, I choose to lay it at the cross.  I pray that if you have unforgiveness towards anyone for any reason, that you , too, will trust that person and your heart to Jesus and let Him care for you.

 

Knowing God

“My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,
Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will discern the fear of the Lord
 And discover the knowledge of God.”
Proverbs 2:1-5

That’s a pretty good if-then statement!  If you will listen, receive, treasure God’s commandments, hear wisdom, be pliable to understand, seek wisdom, THEN you will discern the fear of the Lord (the beginning of wisdom) and discover the knowledge of God. 

These are all active verbs.  In other words, we are to be about doing them consistently and constantly – with diligence and purpose.  We do this through reading God’s word and praying for the Holy Spirit to teach us.  It means time with God.  It means trust and reliance and sincere searching.  Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find, knock, and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)  Notice that even in this verse, the verbs are active.  You must be about asking, seeking, and knocking.

I was in a Sunday school class with older ladies one day and expected to be sitting among mature Christians who knew their Bibles and had spent much time with God.  I was surprised to realize that I knew a whole lot more Bible than they did, and that most were really babies in their faith walk with Jesus even though most had been Christians for 30 years of more.  I began to pray and ask God “Why?”.  As I listened and asked questions it became very clear to me that these women had not spent time seeking and searching.  Their time had been spent on careers, raising their children, and getting more stuff.  There is nothing wrong with a career or raising of children or having stuff, but if that is what you spend the majority of your time on to the exclusion of being in God’s word and prayer, then you will not grow in grace, mercy, knowledge, wisdom, joy, love, etc…

If – Then.

 

Our Rewards

As children of the King, when we stand before the judgment seat, we will be reminded that God has already judged us and through the blood of Jesus, we are righteous.  The Bible says that as we are at the White Throne Judgment, we will receive crowns.  What are these crowns?  There are five mentioned in the New Testament. 

The Crown of Life:
James 1:12 says, "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."

The Unfading Crown of Glory:
1 Peter 5:1-4 says, "Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness...And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory."

The Crown of Righteousness:
2 Timothy 4:7-8 says, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing."

The Imperishable Crown:
1 Corinthians 9:25 says, "Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things.  They then do it to receive a perishable wreath (crown), but we an imperishable."  Thus a crown to those who live a disciplined life of self-control.

The Crown of Exultation:
1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 says, "For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation?  Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?  For you are our glory and joy."  The ones which you have led to salvation and those which you disciple are your crown of exultation.  This crown is for those who joyously expressed their faith.

Which crowns will you receive that you might lay them at the feet of Jesus in worship and honor?

God Keeps His Promises

I ran across a gem today in Joshua:

“Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel  failed;

all came to pass.”
Joshua 21:45

This was stated after Israel took the land and entered in with peace.  It wasn’t until later, when they began to worship false gods, that God had to deal with them with judgment according to the blessings and curses that He laid out for them in Deuteronomy.  God was faithful!  God was good and true.  The God of the Old Testament was a compassionate God.  He wants to bless His children; we just have to obey in order to receive those blessings! 

This verse is in the past, but as God forms a track record of faithfulness, it is a nugget that we can add to the list.  Just as God was faithful to the nation of Israel then, He will keep His promises to His children today.  We are grafted into, adopted into the nation of Israel.  The promises are ours as well.  In the New Testament though the promises are for heaven and eternity, whereas in the Old Testament the promises were for the physical land.  Both Testaments show God’s desire to have a relationship with His children.  Through the blood of sacrifice of Jesus, that relationship is possible. 

Keep your eyes on Jesus, walk with God, know God through the word and through His creation and trust in His promises even in the tough times.  He promised us that we would have persecutions and trouble in this world.  That is why we are encouraged to persevere, look to God, pray for grace, and look for His coming.  He is faithful and true.  Wait for your reward, it is coming…for all of eternity!

 

Hearing God

“Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
For the sake of Your name, O Lord, revive me.
In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
And in Your lovingkindness, cut off my enemies
And destroy all those who afflict my soul,
For I am Your servant.”
Psalm 143:10-12

“For I am your servant.”  Servants don’t get to decide what to do or when to do it.  They hear and obey.  Immediate obedience.  Hear and do.  Are you listening?  Are you quick to respond?  Are you honoring God as your Master and  not other people or things?  He is trustworthy and true.  His good Spirit will lead you on level ground.

Learning to hear is something that you have to pursue with diligence.  Even if you have the slightest idea that a thought or action is from God, respond to it.  God will honor your faithfulness.  Line up your life with the word and be reading it because God often talks to us through His word.  Listen to other Godly people for counsel, God will talk through them also.  But mostly, be in a relationship with God, walking with Him daily through prayer and praise.  Be practicing the presence of God throughout each day in every task.  He will speak when He has something for you to do.  If you are not hearing from God then keep walking in the way of the word and being faithful.  He will let you know if He needs you!

 

Track Record of Trust

“I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your doings;
I muse on the work of Your hands.
I stretch out my hands to You;
My soul longs for You, as a parched land…

I trust in You;

Teach me the way in which I should walk;
For to You I lift up my soul.”
Psalm 143:5-6, 8

How do you build trust in someone?  I believe that is by looking at their track record.  If they have been trustworthy in the past, then you can put your trust in them.  If they have broken your trust in the past, then you will probably be wary of trusting them again unless you have seen a radical change in their lives.  These verses start with remembering the days of old.  This is looking back at God’s track record both in the Old and New Testament and in your life.  It is good to write down answered prayers and times when you saw God’s hand in your circumstances.  Our brains tend to forget.  But by looking back you will see that God can be trusted. 

 

Now, there may be some incident in your past where you believe God let you down.  Take a closer look and really ask yourself if it was God’s doing, Satan’s doing, or your own doing.  More than likely, God was not to blame.  He is faithful and true by His very character.  You might say, “Well, He didn’t make it happen, but he sure didn’t take me out of the situation either.”  That’s fair.  But again, sometimes God allows hard situations into our lives so that we will draw closer to Him, we will trust Him, we will realize our need for Him, or that we might be pruned so that our character more closely reflects Him.  God is at work.  He loves you.  If your past cries out that God is unfaithful, then you need to really look at the character of God and recognize that we live in a world ruled by Satan.

When we begin to see God’s goodness and faithfulness in the past and meditate on it then we can stretch out our hands to Him.  He was faithful then, He never changes, so He will be faithful now.  Lean on God.  Don’t look what God can do for you, but rather, look at God – sit with Him, read His word, know Him.  He wants to know you!  When that track record of trust is laid down in your mind then you will be able to say, “Teach me the way in which I should walk.” because you know that God will not let you down.  His eternal purpose will be met in you and you will have been transformed to be ready for eternity!

As you look back and remember, if you find that you are angry at God, that’s okay.  Tell Him.  He is big enough to handle your anger.  Get it out.  Talk through it with someone and then let God begin to heal the hurts of the past.  He is the God of comfort and healing.

 

Trust

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And lean not unto your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

The key word here is “Trust”.  What are we to trust in?  what God will do?  What God will give us?  That God wants us to be happy?  No!  We are trust in the Lord. Period.  Just Him.  Trust that He loves you and delights in you.  Trust that He sees the eternal picture, and that He will only allow those things into our lives that will prune us and help us to grow healthy and strong.  Trust that in the hard circumstances of life that He is there and He cares.  Remember that Satan is the lord of this world, and when you live in a garbage pit, you will get garbage on you!  When bad things come about, blame Satan, not God.  Trust in God to make those circumstances work for your good.  God does not call us to be happy, but to be holy.

We are not to lean on our own understanding.  God works in another realm.  If our trust is based only on what we can see and hear and know, then we are not trusting in God.  Trust in the Lord.  Not in our abilities, our talents, our education, our looks, our accomplishments, but in the Lord. 

The condition put on God leading us and making our paths straight is that we acknowledge Him.  Do you seek God and to give Him glory every day in every way?  Or are you seeking your own glory?  Do you praise God throughout the day giving Him thanks for sun rises and sunsets and everything in between?  Do you read His word and see Him transforming your mind?  Do you talk about God and give Him glory for every breath you take and every step you walk?

He will make your path straight if you are acknowledging Him.  A straight path is a path through the difficulties of life, but one that never compromises to the left or to the right.  It is a path of moral purity, a path of growing in God, a path of trust and joy and peace.  It is a path that takes you to the throne room of God.  It takes you to walk in the garden with Jesus.  It puts you on your knees in adoration and praise and thanksgiving in spite of the circumstances. 

Don’t trust in the things of this world, nor in other people, nor in traditions.  Trust in the Lord.  He will make your paths straight.

 

Master Jesus

“Such were some of you,
 but you were washed,
but you were sanctified,
but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. 
All things are lawful for me,
but not all things are profitable. 
All things are lawful for me,
but I will not be mastered by anything.”
1 Corinthians 6:11-12

Sinners is what “such were some of you”.  There is a list of sins, but really it encompasses all sin and further all sinners.  We all were captives of pride and sin by birth, but…

Three little letters that mean so much.  They turn the world upside down with God’s grace: We were sinners, but…

We were washed in the blood of the lamb.

We were sanctified, made holy by the declaration of God.
We were legally justified and God declared us not guilty through the substitution of Jesus for our sin.

“Therefore there is now no condemnation in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)  Notice the period at the end.  Jesus. Period.  Nothing else.  Just His love.  His grace.  Him.  Alone.  No works.  No being better.  No effort.  Just faith in the One who is the I AM.

 

So, all things are lawful because we are not under the law.  But… (there it is again!) not all things are profitable.  Stop for a minute.  You will not be sentenced to eternal damnation – you are God’s. Period.  But you can engage in activities that are not profitable for you.  Things that will break your ability to connect with God the Father and His Son.  Things that will keep you from the victorious life.  Things that will cripple you and your witness.  Do not be mastered by things, rather let Jesus be your Master!

 

Dara Halydier

Executive Director

Abiding Truth Ministry, Inc.

www.abidingtruthministry.com

 

 

Jesus - Our Wisdom

“…but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise,
and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,
and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen,
the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,
so that no man may boast before God. 
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God,
and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,
so that , just as it is written, ‘Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.’”
1 Corinthians 1:27-31

Praise God that our salvation is based on His righteousness and not my own!  And only through Him comes sanctification (growing up)!  Why is it that we accept the salvation from God, but then turn and try to earn His acceptance and love?  We are the weak things of the world.  If we stay humble before God, recognizing His greatness and our position, then God can use us to profound the wise.  For God’s wisdom is greater than the wisest of this world.  Jesus is wisdom.  His word is truth.  When your world is topsy-turvy, go to the word and to Jesus.  He will give you wisdom beyond your understanding and will lead you in His way.  His way is always best – maybe not Christmas morning best, but always eternally best.

Our Rest

“O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;
Nor do I involve myself in great matters,
Or in things too difficult for me.
Surely I have composed and quieted my soul;
Like a weaned child rests against his mother,
My soul is like a weaned child within me.”
Psalm131:1-2

Lord, may your children lean into you for rest and peace and safety and joy.  You are always there welcoming us.  Why does it take a crisis for us to come before you?  May we seek your lap every minute, every decision, every day.  May we find rest under your wings - deep rest for our souls in the midst of a world of sin and chaos. Thank you, Jesus, for preparing a way for us to come to the Father as children.  Thank you that you give us rest and make our load lighter.

Rest is there.  Will you claim it today?