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Eden Day 7 Entrusted Caretakers: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Entrusted Caretakers!

The Questions

1) What tree is God referencing? (verse 17)

2) What is the significance of the thorns and thistles? (verse 18)

3) What did God mean by, “you will eat bread by the sweat of your brow?” (verse 19)

Genesis 3:17-19

17 And he said to the man, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘Do not eat from it’: The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground,
since you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust.”

Original Intent

1) What tree is God referencing? (verse 17)
God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to work within it and be its caretaker. (Genesis 2:15) The garden was a delightful place; I imagine lush green trees and plants with animals basking in their shade. Flowers in various colours and sizes with butterflies, birds and other insects flitting and buzzing among them, all at peace with one another and existing in perfect harmony. I hear the rush of the river flowing jubilantly through Eden, its waters glistening like jewels in the sun. In the middle of Eden stood two trees, the Tree of Life, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. (Genesis 2:9) God told Adam he could eat from any tree in the garden, except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, or else he would die. (Genesis 2:17) Eve, being deceived by the serpent, chose sin over obedience to the Lord, and ate from the tree. Alongside her was Adam, who could have stopped her, but didn’t. She offered the fruit to her husband who willingly took it and ate, sinning with her. Death instantly became their earned consequence. Not only would they physically die one day, but the effects of spiritual death were already upon them as shame and fear slipped over them.

2) What is the significance of the thorns and thistles? (verse 18)
Because of Adam’s disobedience God cursed the ground, meaning food would no longer be easily available as it was in the garden. Adam and Eve would now need to labor painfully to cultivate their own food. The ground which Adam once ruled and yielded to him in gentle submission, would now resist his reign by producing weeds, thorns, and thistles. Work would be hard, laborious, and toil wouldn’t produce the fullness of results as was originally intended. Symbolic references to thorns and thistles are common in the Bible as they point to the struggle against sin. Proverbs 15:19 says, “A slacker’s way is like a thorny hedge, but the path of the upright is a highway,” which indicates that a lazy person makes his own life difficult by not working hard for what he wants, while the righteous man is willing to do what it takes to make his life work. Ezekiel 28:24 says, “The house of Israel will no longer be hurt by prickly briers or painful thorns from all their neighbors who treat them with contempt.” This means Israel’s enemies who oppressed them or lured them into sinful idolatry, would be freed by God when he restores his kingdom, and brought them into His Land of freedom from the thorns of sin. (Ezekiel 28:25-26)

3) What did God mean by, “you will eat bread by the sweat of your brow?” (verse 19)
Following verse 18 we see how Adam now needed to work hard to cultivate his own food. The Hebrew word for bread, ‘lehem’, is also translated as food in other passages like Proverbs 27:27 that describes God providing enough food for whole households. The work Adam did in the garden before his disobedience must have been pleasurable and fulfilling, and I’m guessing there were no such things as weeds. Now, he had to clear the land from all its weeds, till the soil and plant, all without the garden tools we are familiar with today. The work would have been grueling and he would do this for the rest of his life in order to survive. By his painful toil, he would labor just to eat.

Everyday Application

1) What tree is God referencing? (verse 17)
The NKJV MacArthur Study Bible suggests it was a test of obedience to see whether they would choose to love and follow themselves or God as supreme. Many years later, God gave Abraham a similar test, but Abraham acted in faith and obeyed the Lord. (Genesis 22:1-8) Adam & Eve’s disobedience resulted in death, spiritual and physical both for themselves and every human born after them. Sin had entered the world; spiritual death meant separation from God. Even today, every sinful choice against God’s character and His commands brings the same consequence. Proverbs 6:20-23 provides some benefits of obedience, “My son, keep your father’s command, and don’t reject your mother’s teaching.  Always bind them to your heart; tie them around your neck. When you walk here and there, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you wake up, they will talk to you. For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light, and corrective discipline is the way to life.” If Adam and Eve had eaten of the Tree of Life, they would have experienced eternal life and been forever trapped in their sin. Today, through Jesus Christ, we can be reconciled to God and experience eternal life but without the consequence of sin and death! “Truly I tell you, (…) you do not have life in yourselves. The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day (John 6:53-54)

2) What is the significance of the thorns and thistles? (verse 18)
In the Bible, thorns and thistles symbolized difficulty, pain, or suffering as a result of sin. In the New Testament, Jesus used thorns to represent the pull of sin in His famous parable about the Sower and the Seed. He warned that thorns (sin) had the power to choke out the freedom and forgiveness only found in Jesus when a person chooses worry and the deceitfulness of wealth over trusting Jesus. (Matthew 13:3-22) About a year ago, I had a situation at work where they hired an assistant for my office. She had an annoying habit of trying to do my work for me. I objected and complained to my boss, who was also new. He ignored my complaints and the assistant used this as leverage to continue disrespecting my desk and my office. This caused me many sleepless nights to the point I wanted to resign. But I decided to pray about it and the Lord told me, “Lisa, you work for Me.” (see Colossians 3:23-24) When the Lord shifted my heart, I was able to press against sin and its effects with God’s perspective and His help as I began working for the Lord! I dedicated my work to the Lord and I must say today, my boss recognizes my worth so much, he not only verbally praised me but gave high ratings on my performance appraisal. The Lord has shown favor when I submitted to Him, and now the assistant respects my office space and my work. Thorns are plentiful in life as sin lures us away from a close relationship with God, but we don’t need to let them win. We can take any problem to Jesus and He will help us overcome. (James 4:7)

3) What did God mean by, “you will eat bread by the sweat of your brow?” (verse 19)
Before ‘the Fall’ from perfect relationship into sinful brokenness, Adam and Eve had everything provided for them directly from the Lord. All they needed to do was just pick their favorite fruit or vegetable and eat. This didn’t mean they didn’t work, as they had been entrusted with caring for the whole land and living things! The difference was ease and enjoyment without sin, and struggle and pain with sin. Because of disobedience, work became difficult and reduced in glory to merely providing food to survive. This consequence continues as our reality today as we must work hard and diligently to earn a living. My work days are usually long, with a two-hour commute to work, eight hours at work, and then another two-hour commute home. I’ve been doing this for over thirty years. By the end of the day I’m exhausted, but I must say looking back, God has blessed me. I want for nothing and have come to a point in my life where material things are no longer important. What’s important is living for Jesus. In Him, even the curse of toilsome work is lessened. He tells us, “So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” (Matthew 6:31-33) God gave Adam and Eve everything they needed in the Garden of Eden, and while we understand that life is not easy and there will be thorns to overcome, He promises care for us if we seek His kingdom and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:33)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Entrusted Caretakers!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Eden Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Sacrifice Day 13 One Sacrifice

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 2:5-8  
2 Corinthians 5:17-2
Leviticus 16:2
Hebrews 10:19-22

Sacrifice, Day 13

The priest arrives early to the temple. As he enters the courtyard with the others, the noise from the animals waiting beyond the gate sets him on edge.

If he is honest with himself, he began the day on edge.

This morning, his wife was unusually quiet. He remembered her tightly drawn mouth as she helped him on with his priests’ robe and shawl, as if she was willing herself not to speak. She was spending too much time listening to rumors; surely, she must understand he had nothing to do with what was happening outside the city gates.

Here comes the lamb.
The handlers bring the animal closer for inspection. The priest looks it over. Not a blemish upon it. He nods to the handlers.
He looks to the altar, plates ready to receive what is left of the sacrifice. Levites are ready to complete that task.
He walks up the steps to The Holy Place, counting them, trying to focus on the duties at hand. He lights the candles and incense, hoping the aromas bring him an extra measure of peace.

He begins down the steps, pauses.
At once he feels the atmosphere change, and abruptly the sky grows dark. A hush falls over everyone in the inner court.
A sound like nothing he has ever heard before echoes behind him and he turns back to The Holy Place. The curtain! The veil–separating his priestly place of sacrifice from the cloud of God’s presence–is ripping before his very eyes. (Matthew 27:51) He gasps and falls to his knees, pressing his face to the ground. The curtain has been split in two, from top to bottom. Life, as he knows it, is finished. (John 19:30)

The curtain in The Holy Place was four inches (10 cm) thick, 60 ft (18 m) tall, and 30 ft (9 m) wide. Splitting the woven linen from top to bottom was humanly impossible.

But why was it split? And what does it mean?

The plan of blood sacrifice began in Eden, to cover Adam and Eve’s first sin. As we’ve seen  throughout this Journey Theme, sacrifice played an important role in the ongoing relationship between God and His people.

Sacrifice would be a regular part of religious life for Israel following their miraculous rescue from bondage in Egypt. (Exodus 11-12) On the eve of their departure, God established the sacrificial rite of Passover.

That first Passover night, God was making a way for freedom from physical bondage.

As the people of Israel began life after Egyptian enslavement, blood sacrifice became a measure of escape from the bondage to sin. 

The priests became the only people permitted to perform the sacrifices, which needed to be repeated, because they couldn’t offer complete redemption. (Hebrews 9:6-10) People were not brought into relationship with God Himself; He remained separate, His physical presence among them hidden behind the curtain in the temple. (Leviticus 16:2)Until Jesus took the role of High Priest and Sacrifice. Redeemer and Savior.

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus–he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)– and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith[.]” (Hebrews 10:19-22)

Jesus became the final, atoning sacrifice, the embodiment of God working to bring His sin-stained children to Himself.
“Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

Jesus’ one sacrifice covered the sins of every person, across the world, for all time.

“He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)

The eternal penalty for our sin was paid.
The path to a full, restored relationship with the Father was opened. (John 10:7-9)
At the very moment Jesus gave up His last breath, His work of purchasing salvation for humanity was finished (John 19:30), and the proof was evidenced by the Hand of the Holy One granting access to the Holiest place, His own dwelling place.
(Matthew 27:50-51, Mark 15:37-38, Luke 23:45-46)

As the tattered edges of the temple curtain fluttered in the breeze, the separation of sin between God and His children was ended.
A barrier between man and God no longer existed;
the Mercy Seat was exposed and available to all.

In three days, Jesus would rise to life again in victory over sin (Matthew 28), and soon after, He would send His very Spirit to live within His people. (Acts 2)

I am so grateful for the people in my life who helped me realize I needed a savior, and pointed me to my God, who loves me so much He willingly gave His life as the ultimate sacrifice for my redemption.

Sisters, His love is calling out to you, too. Today, you can turn away from your sin, toward God, and accept His gift of forgiveness and redemption!

Father, I have sinned. I believe Jesus is Your Son, God in the flesh, and His sacrificial death paid the eternal penalty for my sins. I believe in Jesus’ resurrection, and I accept Your gift of forgiveness and redemption for the complete payment of my sin. Amen.
If you prayed to receive Jesus as your personal Savior, reach out! We want to connect and celebrate with you!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sacrifice Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Sacrifice Week Three!

Sacrifice Day 2 Eden’s Sacrifice: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Eden’s Sacrifice!

The Questions

1) In verse 1 of this passage, who is the “you” Paul is referencing?

2) In verses 2-3, what characteristics and inclinations does Paul describe?

3) What contrasting statement takes place within this passage and what is its impact? (verse 4)

4) Who makes it possible to move from fleshly desires? (verses 4-10)

Ephesians 2:1-10

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Original Intent

1) In verse 1 of this passage, who is the “you” Paul is referencing?
Paul, a missionary in the 1st century, wrote the book of Ephesians. He visited Ephesus on his second and third missionary journeys. In writing this letter, he is speaking directly to the Ephesians within the church. When he says “you”, it is much like the word “you all” rather than a singular person, he is speaking to all believers who gathered in the various house churches in Ephesus and the surrounding areas.

2) In verses 2-3, what characteristics and inclinations does Paul describe?
Within these two verses Paul references a former way of life where the Ephesians walked in opposition to God in a spirit of disobedience. This “old way of sin” was still the pattern for unbelievers in Ephesus. Think of neighbors, friends, merchants at the marketplace, or passersby on the streets; these friends of the Ephesian believers, without Jesus, were still “dead in their trespasses and sin”. (verse 1) Paul is reminding the Christ-following Ephesians they too were at one time no different than their neighbors as “children of wrath”. Without the rule of Christ within them, they once were under the authority of Satan, the “the ruler of the power of the air”, and carrying out the inclinations of the flesh, meaning their prideful lusts. Paul was using the people around them to remind the believers of their past so they would neither become self-righteous in what they have been given in Jesus, nor forget the glory of their coming hope!

3) What contrasting statement takes place within this passage and what is its impact? (verse 4)
In verse 4, the linking word “but” provides contrast to Paul’s previous statements. “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us” (verse 4), sacrificed His Son. Although this verse is linked to verses 1-3, it is a contrasting statement of what Paul has previously discussed in this section of Ephesians. He is contrasting a former way of life apart from renewal in Christ with the Ephesian believers’ current state of living under the authority of God. Paul is emphasizing the believers’ movement from death to life, from worldly desires of the flesh to good works for Christ, and from children of wrath in opposition to God to being saved by grace in relationship with God.

4) Who makes it possible to move from fleshly desires? (verses 4-10)
The second half of this passage in verses 4-10 offers a different set of characteristics to the first. Although God was aware of the previous sinful state of the now-believing-Ephesians, He richly offered mercy, grace, and an eternal hope that could only come through His Son’s sacrifice. God is the one who, from the beginning of sin in the Garden of Eden, knew the price tag of sin, and was already willing to pay it by sacrificing Himself in order to restore the relationship that was stolen by sin. Paul reminds the Ephesians in verse 8, it is nothing they could ever accomplish on their own, but rather God who is at the center of their salvation and new life. The work of paying for sin was finished in Christ’s death, and the hope of eternity was guaranteed with Christ’s resurrection; Christ, and Christ alone.

Everyday Application

1) In verse 1 of this passage, who is the “you” Paul is referencing?
Reading Scripture in the 21st century can sometimes feel odd because it was written so long ago. When we read letters written to a specific group of people, it can seem even easier to dismiss them as archaic and unrelatable to our everyday lives. In this passage, Paul is addressing the Ephesian church as a group, but he is also addressing the larger Christian population past, present, and future. The truths Paul writes are timeless for all who surrender to Christ, as the author of Hebrews emphasizes in Hebrews 4:12 in saying the Word of God (the Bible) is “living and effective penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Paul tells us the Word of God “is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching and (…) training” so all believers will be equipped. Although the original context is a letter written in the 1st century, Scripture spans the ages and God’s Spirit makes His Words come alive regardless of the historical date so His people will be equipped with truth for everyday life.

2) In verses 2-3, what characteristics and inclinations does Paul describe?
Paul references a “former” way of life and a place that some still live. The characteristics he describes provide detail on what it looks like to live separated from God. There are only two positions before a holy God. You are either in relationship with Him actively working out your salvation in real life because of Jesus’ transformation inside (Philippians 2:12), or you are running from Him as a child of wrath and disobedience. From the beginning of time in the Garden of Eden, sin entered the world and permanently separated all of humanity from God. (Genesis 3) This is the default starting point for each of us, but, as Paul states later in this passage, it doesn’t have to be our ending point.

3) What contrasting statement takes place within this passage and what is its impact? (verse 4)
Paul’s word, “But God” dramatically change eternity for all of mankind if we are willing to surrender to Him, accepting His gift of mercy for ourselves. Despite a sinful nature, God “who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses.” (verses 4-5) God’s mercy and grace built a bridge through the death of His Son Jesus effectively providing a pathway of redemption for every person, a path for freedom from sin that can change the ending of our story. (Romans 3:23-24) For those who believe, Paul is speaking to you as a reminder that you were once lost but now you are found, you were separated but now you are together with Christ for all eternity. May this reminder urge you to lean all the more fully upon Christ’s work and live daily in the light of a remade life. If you have never fully surrendered to Jesus, or are unsure if you have, take Paul’s words as the most grand invitation available, accept His gift of merciful forgiveness, and move from Death to Life!

4) Who makes it possible to move from fleshly desires? (verses 4-10)
Paul desires readers of this letter to remember we are absolutely helpless to save ourselves from fleshly desires and God’s wrath. Humanity, by its very nature, is fallen and sinful. In His perfect timing, God sacrificed His Son, Jesus, to die a sinner’s death on the cross. (Romans 5:6-10) Nothing we can do or say makes us stand as righteous before the perfectly holy God; salvation is a free gift He willingly offers to us. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Fellow genuine Christ-follower, remember where you came from so you can clearly see God’s sacrifice and faithfulness to complete His work in you. (Philippians 1:6)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Eden’s Sacrifice!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Sacrifice Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

If Day 7 Triune God: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Triune God!

The Questions

1) Why did Jesus say, “Because I live, you will live too?” (verse 19)

2) What does Jesus mean when He says, “I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you?” (verse 20)

3) How does the Holy Spirit teach us all things and remind us of everything Jesus taught? (verse 26)

John 14:18-26

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you. 21 The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it you’re going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me. 25 “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

Original Intent

1) Why did Jesus say, “Because I live, you will live too?” (verse 19)
In John 14:19 Jesus tells His disciples, “In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live too.” Jesus was referencing His resurrection and the eternal life He gives to those who accept Him as their Savior. Though His followers will die one day, each one will live forever in Heaven with Jesus because they chose to fully rely on His sacrifice on the cross to pay the debt owed for their sins. Romans 6:23 tells us the “wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Because Jesus died, but now lives again, all who trust in Him can live forever just as the original disciples are even now! This life Jesus promises, however, is not only eternal life. His followers can live an empowered life while on earth as well with new perspective and purpose. Author Matthew Henry explains, “The life of Christians is bound up in the life of Christ; as sure and as long as He lives, those that by faith are united to Him shall live also; they shall live spiritually, a divine life in communion with God. This life is hidden with Christ; if the head and root live, the members and branches live also.” Because Jesus lives, Christians are alive in Him, learning and growing in Christ, praying to Him and hearing from His Word precisely because He Lives! Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that He came so we could have “abundant life”. We can live this abundant life now today because of Jesus’ work on the cross to put to death our sin nature and wake us up to real life inside of His life! Let’s purpose to live fully today in surrender to His Spirit at work within us, thankful for Jesus’ sacrifice and aware of His power working in and through us.

2) What does Jesus mean when He says, “I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you?” (verse 20)
Jesus’ words in John 14:20 sound a bit like a tongue twister, “I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you.” Jesus can authoritatively say He is in the Father because God Himself is three persons, known as the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus is not just the Son of God; He is God. The Bible tells us Jesus only does what He sees the Father doing, and only speaks what the Father says (John 5:19-23). Father, Son, and Spirit are separate Beings while also the exact same God. The Holy Spirit only speaks what He hears God the Father say (John 16:13-15); three Beings, but only One God. When Jesus tells the disciples, “You are in Me,” He refers to the fact that Christians are a new creation, now alive in Christ, and free to live in unity and communion with God, just as the 3 distinct Beings are 1 God. Author, James Burton Coffman, explains, “The identification of believers with Christ is revealed in this verse to be exactly the same as the identification of Christ with God. God is in Christ; Christ is in God; Christ is in Christians; and Christians are in Christ.” Christians have given God control of their lives and hearts. His Spirit dwells within them, leading them and guiding them into deeper unity with Himself. (John 14:26) When we surrender our hearts and our lives to God, we experience the love of the Father (1 John 3:1), relationship with Jesus (John 15:4-5), and freedom and guidance from the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17).

3) How does the Holy Spirit teach us all things and remind us of everything Jesus taught? (verse 26)
Just before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus taught the disciples about the Father God and their relationship to the Father because of their relationship with Jesus. He explained that, though He would not always walk with them on earth, God the Father would send them a Helper to continue teaching and reminding them of the things they learned through Jesus. He told them, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.” (John 14:26 The Holy Spirit, given to us by the Father, dwells in each Christian and empowers each one to follow the teachings of Jesus. As author David Guzik explains, “The disciples would not only see Jesus by the Spirit, they would also continue to live in Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit. Their dependence on the life of Jesus would not end when He departed; it would continue in greater measure through the Holy Spirit.” We can do the things set out in Scripture, not in our own strength, but through the help of God’s Spirit. When we try, in our own strength, to obey God and keep His commands, we end up failing. (Romans 7:18-19)  But when we are weak, God is strong (2 Corinthians 12:8), and enables us to remember and carry out the plans of the Lord. The Holy Spirit gives us power through His presence and enables us to display His fruitful work (Galatians 5:22-23) in our daily lives.

Everyday Application

1) Why did Jesus say, “Because I live, you will live too?” (verse 19)
One year, my family received a fabulous deal on all-inclusive passes to a giant theme park.  Everything was included in park tickets, hotel rooms, meals, and transportation. We went to dinner with some friends at the park, and as their eyes popped out of their heads when the pricey bill arrived, we just flashed our park pass and the meal was free! Living life with God is a lot like having that all-inclusive pass to the amusement park. Everything we need for life and godliness is accessible in Christ. (2 Peter 1:3) Jesus tells us in John 14:19, “Because I live, you will live too.” Because Jesus is alive, we have life in Him. Charles Spurgeon notes, “A man is saved because Christ died for him, he continues saved because Christ lives for him. The sole reason why the spiritual life abides is because Jesus lives.”  Jesus not only gives us abundant life on earth (1 Timothy 6:18-19), but this life also extends into eternal life in Heaven (1 John 5:11). Life with Jesus also gives us full access to the Father. Because of Jesus’ resurrection, we can come boldly to God’s throne of grace and receive mercy in times of trouble. (Hebrews 4:16) In fact, Jesus is the only way we can get to Father God because only He lived our human life perfectly for us. Jesus tells His followers that no one comes to the Father except through Him. If we know Jesus, then we know the Father (John 14:6) We can rejoice in the full access we have to the Father through Jesus’, His Son!

2) What does Jesus mean when He says, “I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you?” (verse 20)
The Triune Godhead is made of Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit; all are co-equal as God. Jesus told His disciples, “I am in my Father, you are in Me, and I am in you.” (John 14:20) His words declared that Jesus and the Father are both different parts of the same Godhead. Jesus also promised the disciples that the Father would send them the Holy Spirit, another member of the Trinity, to teach and guide them. (John 14:26) Author, R.C. Sproul, explains, “The three persons are not distinguished by different divine attributes, for They share the same attributes. Instead, they are distinguished by Their relation one to another. We confess that the Father is unbegotten and that the Son is eternally begotten of the Father . . . We confess that the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son.”  The three Persons of the Trinity are the same in Their characteristics, but differ at times in the expression of those characteristics and in the roles They play. Each Person of the Trinity is equally important and equally God. As Christians, we are blessed to have a relationship with God in three Persons, and experience the blessing of God’s Triune nature.

3) How does the Holy Spirit teach us all things and remind us of everything Jesus taught? (verse 26)
My church wanted to get involved in a summer camp for foster kids, so a small team went through rigorous hands-on training and learned the contents of a ginormous training manual. When we brought our first kids to camp, however, no one had time to look up the section on runaway campers as we were scampering in all directions to keep a kid from making it to the highway. Knowing what to do and putting it in action were two different things! Christians are blessed because not only does God give us a “training manual” in the form of the Bible, but He also gives us the Holy Spirit to help us live out His Word in real-time. Jesus taught that God sent the Holy Spirit to instruct us and remind us of Jesus’ teachings. (John 14:26) God revealed in Nehemiah 9:20 that His Spirit was sent to instruct us, and Scripture also tells us that God’s anointing teaches us about all things. (1 John 2:27)  We also learn in Luke 12:12 that the Holy Spirit can teach us what to say even while we are being called upon to make an answer. God’s Holy Spirit dwells in us, instructing us what to do, and even telling us what to say when needed. Referring to John 16:12-14, author R.A. Torrey asserts, “It is His (the Holy Spirit’s) work above all else to reveal Jesus Christ and to glorify Him. His whole teaching centres in Christ. From one point of view or the other, He is always bringing us to Jesus Christ.” As Christians, it is our heart’s desire to know God more and to know Him better. What a comfort to know that God sent His Holy Spirit to bring us into deeper knowledge of His Son!

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Enough Day 5 Prophet & Priest

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 28:7-8
Jeremiah 5:21-31
Ecclesiastes 7:20
Romans 3:10-12
Ephesians 2:1-3

Enough, Day 5

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12)

At the moment of choosing self over God in the Garden of Eden, mankind’s sweet and intimate communion with God was shredded to tatters. Rebellious thought became disobedient action, and instantly, horrifyingly, a gulf of sin yawned eternity-wide between Father and children.

But God.

In His unbroken love and unending mercy, He designed a way to remain in relationship with His children, a system that left His justice undefiled.

The sins of the people required payment, and so He established the priesthood, a lineage set apart to approach a holy God on behalf of a sin-riddled nation.

Descendants of Aaron (Moses’ brother) would dedicate themselves to upholding meticulously stringent rules for offering countless sacrifices to cover countless sins.

Aside from sin offerings, priests would oversee
burnt offerings,
grain offerings,
guilt offerings,
and fellowship offerings, to name a few.
The people of Israel would now relate to their God at a distance, through ritual.

Sin would separate their spirits.

The tabernacle, maintained by the tribe of Levi, would separate their physical presences. The people would remain outside, while God’s presence resided within the Holy of Holies, the tabernacle’s innermost sanctuary. Only the high priest, after strenuous cleansing rituals and offerings to cover every possible sin, was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies as a shadowed, hollow mediator between God and man.

“You must distinguish between the holy and the common,” God directed the priests, “and the clean and the unclean, and teach the Israelites all the statues that the Lord has given to them through Moses”. (Leviticus 10:10-11)

But the priests were not immune to mankind’s legacy of sin, and almost immediately, they became corrupt, continuing in their sinful nature of grubbing around in darkness rather than living holy before the Lord God.

Leadership roles, including that of high priest, were sold to the highest bidder or, later, appointed at the whim of foreign political leaders. Priests either taught from their own wisdom or put their authority up for sale (Micah 3:11), leading the people astray and violating their covenant work. (Malachi 2:8)

Finally, even before the dust of Egypt could fall from their shoes, Aaron commanded the Israelites to fashion and worship a golden calf as their one, true God. Again and again, priests sanctioned the casting of idols and the worship of false and foreign gods over the One True God. (2 Kings 17:16-17)

The cycle was unbroken, endless, despairing. No sacrifice made by man could provide permanent absolution; no spilled blood of an animal could transform the people’s sinful nature. (Hebrews 10:4)

God’s judgement was unequivocal, His words condemning their sin as a tragic echo of His commission:

“Her priests do violence to my instructions and profane my holy things. They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they do not explain the difference between the clean and the unclean. They close their eyes to my Sabbath, and I am profaned among them.” (Ezekiel 22:26)

Moved to action by a generation of priests who stole offerings meant for the Lord, threatened violence against the people they were meant to lead, and sexually abused women who served in the tabernacle (1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22), God called a young boy to serve as His voice to Israel.

Thus began the age of prophets in Israel’s history, men and women who were called to approach a sin-riddled nation on behalf of a holy God. Some were people of incredible faithfulness, honor, and endurance, whose own words foreshadowed the Word made flesh.

In fact, much of the Old Testament has been dedicated to prophets’ exhortations.

But even prophets were not immune to the gnarled fingers of sin curling around their spirits.

Like the Israelites all the way back to Adam and Eve,
like the priests before and alongside them,
like every single human after them, some began to choose self over God.

What “prophetic” message would garner the most political favor?
What message would bring financial gain, or community stature?
What message would bring physical satisfaction, pleasure, or ease?
Then surely, that message was intended for God’s children . . . regardless of whether it bore any resemblance to His words.

As with the priests, God spoke out against false prophets:
“Because you have disheartened the righteous person with lies (when I intended no distress), and because you have supported the wicked person so that he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life, therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will rescue my people from your hands. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 13:22-23)

. . . and eventually, the true prophets fell silent. For hundreds of years, Israel heard nothing from God. Never before had He seemed so distant, so separate.

No man, hopelessly bound in the sticky, spidery web of sin and death could free himself, save his people, and stand blameless before God (Ephesians 2:1-3).

Not priests.
Not judges, or kings, or elders.
Not prophets.
Not you, or me.

Where, then, does our hope lie? What sacrifice, what true High Priest, could be enough to break, once and for all, sin’s death-grip on our spirits?

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The GT Weekend! ~ Questions 2 Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) The world offers us an empty promise that we can be free only when we are true to ourselves. We are lured in and seduced by the idea of living totally for ourselves doing what feels good and rejecting what is uncomfortable. The motto of a generation rings out: you do you! But the only reward for this kind of life is bondage. We sink under the weight of our own selfishness. We must instead surrender to the wisdom of our kind master, Jesus, who has given us a better way to live. Where are you still living in bondage to your old self? What sins do you need to lay aside so you might fully surrender your life to the freedom found in Jesus? Prayerfully read Colossians 3:1-10 again. Ask God to reveal to you where you are holding on to false promises of freedom, and ask Him for true freedom in Him. Stretch your soul by confessing your sin to a trusted sister and asking her to pray for you as you surrender to Christ. (James 5:16) As you share your burdens with others, they can speak the truth in love, strengthening you for the work ahead.

2) Hebrews 11:1 tells us “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (NIV) But what happens when our confidence waivers? What happens when we are not so sure about the things we cannot see? Where do we go with our questions? When I have questions, I want to know the answers. Quickly. I often turn to Google to answer my questions. But questions about God can be trickier. We have a choice when we have questions about God. We can run and hide, and decide for ourselves God isn’t worth our time, or we can press in and ask Him to reveal His truth to our clouded hearts. God is big enough to handle our questions, but we must be willing to do the hard work of asking Him to help us. Where do you go with your questions? What have you doubted about God, and how have you tried to find the answers? Are your questions drawing you into conversation with Him, or pushing you further away? Have an honest conversation with the Lord today about your questions. Boldly voice them out loud and ask Him to grant you wisdom and discernment. You may not get your answers today or tomorrow, but you can start the process of pressing in and seeking out the heart of Jesus.

3) On Friday, Rebecca reminded us of the hard truth that no one can follow God’s law perfectly. There is no such thing as “close enough” when it comes to obeying God. The only way for a person to be saved is by trusting fully in the work of Jesus on the cross. We read, “either we are covered completely by His righteousness purchased for us… or we are on our own.” And sisters, this is good news! We never need to wonder if we are being “good enough” or working “hard enough.” If we believe in Jesus, we are accepted by God. Because of that acceptance, we are free to walk in obedience. And when we fall short, Jesus is delighted to welcome us back with open arms, comforting and forgiving us, never surprised by our weakness, but identifying with us and healing us. Do you believe this? Or are you still trying to earn your place in God’s kingdom? Spend some time today thinking about what it would look like to be fully surrendered to God, not trying to work your way into His good graces, but simply receiving the gift of righteousness that Jesus offers. How would you live differently if you truly believed God accepted you, not based on your work, but on the work of Christ? Ask God to help you live out of that truth.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Psalm 36:5-9 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Lord, your faithful love reaches to heaven,

your faithfulness to the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,

your judgments like the deepest sea.

Lord, you preserve people and animals.

How priceless your faithful love is, God!

People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They are filled from the abundance of your house.

You let them drink from your refreshing stream.

For the wellspring of life is with you.

By means of your light we see light.

 

Prayer Journal
Oh heavenly Father, it is true: “The wellspring of life is with You [and] by means of Your light we see light.” (Psalm 36:9) You are the kind and gracious master, providing us with a life that is full and abundant and free. I know I often turn aside from Your good plan. I question Your goodness, and I seek my own way. Help me, oh Lord, to be humble and obedient to Your word. Help me to see where I have strayed from your design. Lord, my questions feel so big sometimes. Help me know You are bigger than my questions. Help me turn to You with my questions, and may they draw me in closer to You. I admit I often try to earn Your approval as I would with an earthly authority. Remind me of the grace You have freely lavished upon me, and help me to walk in obedience as a response to Your grace, and not as a means of proving myself. Thank You that I never need to wonder if I am acceptable to You. Thank You for the assurance you provide to Your children. May I never lose sight of Your abundant love for me.

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

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Follow Day 11 Question, Follow, Faith

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 1:26-56
Isaiah 55:8-11
1 Corinthians 3:18-23
1 Corinthians 1:20-31

Follow, Day 11

Questions are a part of our worlds. At the restaurant, it is “How may I help you?” At the doctor’s office, it is “What are your concerns today?” In school, it is “What are you learning?” At home, it may be “What’s for dinner?” Or if you have a young toddler it may even be the beloved “Why?” question.

Throughout a day I find myself asking questions often. Sometimes they are to myself and sometimes they are verbalized to others. Occasionally they are rooted in frustration as I try to figure out why I just made a choice I did or what a coworker was thinking in hers.

Most recently I have found myself echoing the toddler’s cry in talking with the Lord as I have asked the “Why” question regarding His timing and plans in my life, especially in light of the reality that is the year 2020.

Oh how grateful I am that the Lord made us to question. We are made in His image and the Lord first introduces His use of questions in Genesis. I believe the Lord welcomes our questions, especially when we are truly seeking to know Him and His character better. For anyone who has been told that asking God questions is a sin I would encourage you to ask the Lord His thoughts on that.

That being said, questioning the Lord CAN lead to sin. They way in which we ask the Lord, our heart postures in the process, and our response to the outcome of our questions are all arenas in which we can find ourselves running rampant in sin. In my own life I have found myself sinning when lashing out at the Lord in my questions and asking the Lord for answers and then rejecting the one I receive because it was not the one I wanted. Questions are a sweet gift the Lord has given to us to build relationship with Him. They are also a solid litmus test for the status of our hearts.

A prime example of a woman who succeeds in questioning the Lord and honoring Him in the process is Mary, the mother of Jesus. I can picture the look on Mary’s face and the tone of her voice as she asks the angel how exactly she, a virgin, would bear a child. This was a childlike inquisitiveness and a subsequent response filled with obedient submission. After asking her question, Mary’s next words accepted the role she would play.

She said yes and began a journey that would simultaneously wreck her life and reward it with life beyond her wildest imagination. Because Mary said yes she experienced earthly rejection; more than likely days of doubt; the battering only a mother’s heart could experience as Jesus Himself grew, faced rejection himself, and ultimately was crucified; and countless other details that could be inferred by imagining her life.

However, at the very onset of the story, as Gabriel, the angel of the Lord, speaks to her, Mary’s ability to follow the Lord’s leading shines through. She asks how this would become reality and her next words were ones of acceptance. Jump ahead a few weeks and Mary’s words have moved from acceptance to thankfulness for the part she would play in this love letter the Lord was writing to the world. Scripture does not show that Mary heard directly from Gabriel again nor were we told that a manual for navigating the upcoming days, weeks, and months was provided for Mary. She accepted her role, celebrated the blessing that it was, and walked closely with the Lord.

Isaiah 55 declares that God’s ways are not our ways. More often than not, His ways require levels of faith that challenge us. Mary was no different. Where Mary stands out from so many of us lies in her posture to say yes and rejoice in all that yes included. How often have I failed to experience the fullness of what the Lord has for me since I refused to say yes, did so with grumbling, drug my feet in obedience, allowed the fear of man to paralyze me, or treated the entire process as a trial to endure rather than an entrustment to find joy in throughout?

Mary demonstrated the effectiveness and freedom of using questions in her relationship with the Lord. She also displayed the beauty of following the Lord with a surrendered and humble heart. She modeled the faith and fortitude required to follow when the path leads into counter-cultural regions, through hard seasons of many kinds, and with rarely more than the next step to take illuminated. I pray that I can live my life with a similar grace, joy, tenacity, and contentment.

Let’s use our questions to draw closer to the One who knows all the details and writes the best stories. Let us also respond well to the answers to those questions, dear sisters, for His glory and our gain. When we follow His guidance, we may just discover immeasurable joy and adventure amidst all the unexpected twists and turns.

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Follow Day 8 Whole Surrender

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Samuel 16:1-13
1 Samuel 17:20-54
Psalm 69:1-12
Jeremiah 24:4-10
Luke 1:26-33

Follow, Day 8

Rejection. 

The experience of being turned away, excluded, dismissed, or unwanted.

Merely reading the description brings a swell of emotion, doesn’t it? We’ve all felt the sharp wounds of rejection sometime in our lives. We have experienced it at the hands of our peers, friends, and classmates. Worse, we’ve felt it from those we expect to love us best, our parents, siblings, our children, even our spouse. The closer the relationship, the more extensive the damage tends to be.

And it’s a double edged sword, isn’t it? Because when we are rejected, our deepest need to be approved and accepted is brought into sharper relief. The very thing we desire most is withheld from us, which leaves us feeling even smaller and needier, if possible. We waver between hurt that another could make us feel this way, and anger that we allowed ourselves to be so vulnerable. We’re left with an overwhelming urge to run and hide.

I remember it well. The defensive pull to withdraw from relationships and close ourselves off is powerful.   

David, the shepherd boy-turned-king, was well acquainted with rejection. When Samuel came to his father’s home in search of the Lord’s next anointed king, David was literally the last to come to Jesse’s mind. As time went by, God made space for him in King Saul’s court to play his lyre when Saul was troubled, and he became Saul’s armor bearer.

However, when Saul’s army was camped out, hiding from the threats of the Philistine Goliath, David faced rejection again. His oldest brother, Eliab, grew angry at David’s bold words. He mistook the Holy Spirit’s stirring in David for arrogance, and threw his lowly status of shepherd in David’s face. Saul heard about David’s words and summoned him, only to serve yet another helping of rejection by pointing out David’s youth and inexperience.

But David persisted. Goliath fell, and God was glorified.

Those weren’t David’s only experiences with rejection. Repeatedly, he faced rejection from those he loved and led. Saul gave his daughter Michal to David in marriage, following his defeat of Goliath, but later did everything in his power to kill him. David’s men grew tired of running and hiding, and blamed him for the situation. They, too, wanted to kill him. He faced discouragement and isolation. David literally spent time hiding in caves from those who rejected him and wanted to murder him.

But still, he pressed on.

When we think about the rejection we have faced in our lives, it pales by comparison, doesn’t it? Few, if any of us, have experienced such significant rejection.

Yet, when we do face rejection, do we allow God to heal those places and persist in following His call? Or do we turn away from the illuminating light of revelation and attempt to nurse our wounds in the dark?

I know what my answer has been. I’m betting yours has been pretty similar, too.

So, what’s the difference between us and David?
“I’m no hero of the faith!”
We’re all thinking it.

And yet.

Scripture tells us from the time David was anointed, the Spirit of God rested powerfully on him. Throughout David’s life, he wrestled with sin; he was a man, just like anyone else. But he was a wholly surrendered man. His heart posture was positioned to follow God, wherever He might lead. When confronted with his mistakes and sin, David was grieved. He acknowledged his sins against God, and he turned from his ways. Many times, David could have taken the reins and done what he thought was right. There were several opportunities when he could have simply killed Saul and taken the throne. He knew God had anointed him as the next king of Israel. No one would have blamed him; King Saul was murderous and deranged.

But David didn’t expect his God to serve and follow him. He served and followed his God.

Woo. The conviction cuts deep, doesn’t it? Same.

Because regardless of the pretty words we use to talk about our faith, and regardless of anyone else’s perception of us, our response in the face of rejection reveals our heart posture, doesn’t it? If we do not press in to follow our Father in the face of rejection, we are seeking the approval and acceptance of others over our King.
When we try to fill our need with anything other than God, we aren’t following God at all.

Think about it. Think about the time you give to the Lord. Time in prayer, in relationship with Him. I’m not talking about what you “do” for Him. Do you give your time to the Lord? Do you serve and follow your God? Or do you do what makes you happy, and expect Him to fit in somewhere around the edges?

Do we really know what it means to be wholly surrendered, Love? Perhaps the greater question: do we even think it possible in this day and age?

Love, it is! But it’s not something we can manufacture in our own strength or willpower. It is only possible by the power of the Holy Spirit. The truth? It’s not something our human nature even wants. God Himself must instill the desire within us.

In the same way God turned David’s heart toward Himself, He can and will do the same for us, Love!

The real question is . . . do we want Him to?

Heavenly Father, You are my King. I confess that I haven’t lived like it, but I want to change. Lord, change my heart, and give me a desire to live fully surrendered to Your will. I can’t do it on my own, but I know You can and will. Show me how to respond to You, every day. I love and praise You, only. In Jesus’ name, amen.


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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

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Calling Day 2 Into Inheritance: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Into Inheritance!

The Questions

1) What important truths do we miss if we rush through the greeting of the writer? (verses 1-2)

2) What significance does the theme of “blessing” in verse 3 have on the rest of the passage?

3) In the context of this whole letter to the church at Ephesus, why does Paul begin chapter 1 by repeating the phrase “in Him” so often?

4) How is the Holy Spirit a down payment of our inheritance as saints? (verses 13-14)

Ephesians 1:1-14

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will: To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus. 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. 5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ 10 as a plan for the right time – to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him. 11 In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will, 12 so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory. 13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

Original Intent

1) What important truths do we miss if we rush through the greeting of the writer? (verses 1-2) Rebecca writes in yesterday’s Journey Study regarding Paul’s introduction, “in just the first 14 verses, we, the Church, every saved-from-sin-rescued-from-death believer, are hereby declared…”
What a wonderful word description and declaration for the Church! In his greeting, Paul identifies three important aspects of this letter: 1) he identifies himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ by God’s will; 2) he identifies the Ephesian recipients (both Jew & Gentile, 2:11-13) as the saints of Jesus Christ; 3) he identifies that his message is from God. This declaration of identity is then fully enlarged in the following verses. We do not skim the greeting because its significance is essential to our understanding of the remaining verses. Once we know the writer (Paul), the audience (Christian Jews & Gentiles in Ephesus), the message (grace & peace), and the original author (God), we can appreciate Paul’s enthusiasm in the following verses. As blessed saints, we are showered with grace and peace from God. For those who are in Christ, this grace and peace is lavished on us through endless blessings from the One and Only God of blessing.

2) What significance does the theme of “blessing” in verse 3 have on the rest of the passage?
Simply stated, it is everything. The word “blessing” is a translation of the Greek word eulogy, and it means “to speak well of.” All these verses (3-14) are focused on Paul’s charge to the Church to bless the Father. We declare God blessed by praising Him “with worshipping love.” (HCG Moule, A Commentary on Ephesians) It is essential to note that this passage comprises one long sentence in Greek. (enduringword.com) It appears that Paul is writing from such an overwhelmed condition that he hardly takes a breath between thoughts. It is as if Paul breaks out in a song of praise that he does not quite know how to end! When he considers all the spiritual blessings he has received from God, he cannot contain his worship. Pastor John Piper helps us understand what Paul is expressing, “When God blesses men they are helped and strengthened and made better off than they were before; but when men bless God He is not helped or strengthened or made better off. Rather, it is an exclamation and expression of gratitude and admiration.” The faithful saints of God, including Paul, bless Him by recognizing His glory and goodness which were demonstrated in the way He has blessed the believer with every spiritual blessing. Wow!

3) In the context of this whole letter to the church at Ephesus, why does Paul begin chapter 1 by repeating the phrase “in Him” so often?
Every believer has available to him or her certain, eternal spiritual resources. All those who are in Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, are on the receiving end of God’s blessings.  What does Paul mean when he writes we have been blessed “with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.”? (verse 3) It has been expressed like this, “Contrary to some beliefs, [blessings] are not some mysterious power or cosmic connection reserved for a select few. They are the key benefits of a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.” (Primary Source Unavailable) Although some Bible translations (NIV, ESV) leave out the two expressions from the original Greek  (“in him” and “into him” in verses 5 and 10), likely because they appear unnecessarily repetitive, I agree with New Testament Professor Kenneth Berding, “Union with Christ (‘in-Christ-ness’) is crucial to Paul’s thought and is repeatedly snuck in by Paul. Union with Christ can be viewed as a web that extends into the rest of Paul’s theology and holds it together. Perhaps Paul isn’t simply being redundant. It could be he is being intentionally repetitive, even in-your-face repetitive, because the idea of being united with Christ is so significant to him.” (The Good Book blog, Talbot School of Theology)
(2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

4) How is the Holy Spirit a down payment of our inheritance as saints? (verses 13-14)
Of all the spiritual blessings listed in the previous verses, perhaps the blessing of the Holy Spirit is the one that best ties them all together. When we become the daughters of God through Christ, He places His stamp of ownership on us, promising us a never-ending guarantee of salvation. Union with Christ means: We are chosen (verse 4), we are adopted (verse 5), we are accepted (verse 6), we are redeemed (verse 7), and we are forgiven (verse 8). It also means we gain wisdom (verse 9) and a guaranteed inheritance (verse 11). God reveals the genuineness of the believer’s relationship with Him as the Holy Spirit testifies through our lives when they look more and more like Christ. This guarantee, this assurance, acts as “the down payment of our inheritance.” It is God who holds us fast. It is our union with Jesus Christ the Son, by the power of His Holy Spirit, that we are kept safe until the day Jesus returns for us and brings us into His eternal kingdom. This is all done to the praise, and for the glory, of God. We return full circle to verse 3, “Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!”

Everyday Application

1) What important truths do we miss if we rush through the greeting of the writer? (verses 1-2) “Paul, an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed), by the will of God [that is, by His purpose and choice],To the saints (God’s people) who are at Ephesus and are faithful and loyal and steadfast in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (AMP (amplified) Version) Oh, friend, do you see the good news Paul was greeting the church at Ephesus with? As a chosen representative of the Messiah, by God’s choosing and for God’s purposes, he proclaimed grace and peace to them and upon them. It is this ‘grace and peace’ that is always available to all the people of God who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:27-30) It is this ‘grace and peace’ that brings spiritual blessings too numerous to count and too wonderful to fathom!
“Grace and peace, oh how can this be?
Let songs of gratefulness ever rise, never cease.
Loved by God and called as a saint, my heart is satisfied in the riches of Christ.
Oh, what an amazing mystery that Your grace has come to me!” (Grace &Peace by Sovereign Grace Worship)

2) What significance does the theme of “blessing” in verse 3 have on the rest of the passage?
If you follow any sort of social media, most likely you have seen it: Hashtag “blessed.” (#blessed) Though I have never personally used the hashtag sentiment, I would be less than honest if I did not admit my own tendency to equate the good things in my life as being a reward for my good works. It is way too tempting these days to post pictures of parties, or décor, or gatherings, or vacations as a way of picturing my blessings for all to see. After all, I really AM #blessed. Dear sister, testifying of our blessings is certainly not the problem. Paul was so overwhelmed by his blessings he created the longest run-on sentence in the New Testament. James reminds us that every good thing the believer has is indeed a blessing from God. (James 1:17) The problem lies with confusing the spiritual with the material. Too often, we allow our perspective to be hindered by the obstacle of discontentment. It simply does not matter if we are rich or poor, healthy or sick, powerful or weak by the world’s standards. Paul reminds us we are all #BLESSED in Jesus!

3) In the context of this whole letter to the church at Ephesus, why does Paul begin chapter 1 by repeating the phrase “in Him” so often?
John Stott says, “The expressions ‘in Christ,’ ‘in the Lord,’ and ‘in Him’ occur 164 times in the letters of Paul alone. To be ‘in Christ’ does not mean to be inside Christ, as tools are in a box or our clothes in a closet, but to be organically united to Christ, as a limb is in the body or a branch is in the tree. It is this personal relationship with Christ that is the distinctive mark of His authentic followers. What distinguishes the true followers of Jesus from false pretenders is neither their creed, nor their code of ethics, nor their ceremonies, nor their culture, but Christ. What is often mistakenly called ‘Christianity’ is, in essence, neither a religion nor a system, but a person, Jesus of Nazareth.”
In Christ, we are blessed with “every blessing”. We have them all within our reach. Read through these verses again as a prayer, and thank God for blessing you beyond what you could ever ask or imagine. Close your prayer in intercession (praying for others) and doxology (praising God for His blessings). (Ephesians 3:14-21)

4) How is the Holy Spirit a down payment of our inheritance as saints? (verses 13-14)
The Greek word for “down payment” is used only in the New Testament in regards to the Holy Spirit. He is our only down payment of coming glory; nothing else is provided or needed. (biblehub.com) The saints of God have an assurance that there will come a time when we will take possession of our full inheritance. John Calvin wrote, “We do not have the full enjoyment of it at present. Seeing that the Holy Spirit reigns in our hearts, we have something for which to give praise even in the midst of all our temptations. [So] we should rejoice, mourn, grieve, give thanks, be content, wait.” (Ephesians Sermon, 1558—59). When we fully grasp in our hearts the inheritance that awaits us, we are better able to sincerely give God praise even during trials. No matter what you are facing, friend, I believe Paul would remind you we have God’s guarantee of eternal glory, through His Holy Spirit that dwells with us. The God who validates our relationship with Him by His own Spirit, will absolutely keep us until the big reveal. That will be the day He testifies of our redemption and takes final and forever possession of His inheritance – US! (Romans 8:16 1 John 3:1-3)

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Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Into Inheritance!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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