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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!

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

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 If 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.

If Day 3 Indwelling

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 16:5-15
John 14:12-31
Galatians 5:13-26

If, Day 3

What if Christians were merely saved from sin?
Suppose we were rescued, then left alone to traverse the difficulties of life?Divorce, loss, financial ruin, emotional trauma, grief, persecution, sinful temptations…suppose God rescued us only to leave us alone until we somehow crossed the line of Eternity?

Would He be a loving God?
One who came in the flesh, but left us utterly alone?
Does love abandon?
Does God?

At Gracefully Truthful, we care quite a bit about original languages. Some believe the Bible you hold in your hands, or read on your phone, has been “translated” so many times and is so far removed from the original manuscript, it’s impossible to know if anything we read in the Bible is factual. At first glance, this premise seems to build a convincing argument that the Bible is unreliable and nothing more than a fictitious collection of stories passed from generation to generation, modified by each storyteller.
This renders the Bible, God’s very Word to humanity, nothing more than a crutch.

Thankfully, none of that is true.
Ergo, original languages are our jam.
And if you aren’t living in the United States, allow me to translate the colloquial phrase “jam” as meaning, “thick, good stuff we love to take pleasure in; it’s our ‘happy place’.”
See, language, it’s more important than we might think.

When modern-day Bible translators are writing the Bible in a new language, they study from the original language copies that have been preserved for centuries. Yes, those Bible translators are reading copies that were in circulation while many of the original disciples were still alive. Still Alive!! This means they could have easily refuted what was being circulated if it wasn’t in keeping with the original. And we don’t have just one copy, or two, or even ten. For Shakespeare’s writings, we have roughly 235 surviving copies, and no one questions his authorship. For the New Testament books, there are over 5,000!

When GT authors share a word from the “original language”, take notice. This carries significant weight because the Bible is the living active Word of God preserved by the Spirit of God, spoken out by the Spirit of God.

This God wants to be known by us. Deeply.

The how He goes about being known…. Pause with me for a holy hush… Is by His Spirit.

Like looking at a pencil drawing, and then blinking as it floods with vibrant colors, brilliant 4D movement, and suddenly, personal, comforting, deeply knowing interaction with you. THIS is the Holy Spirit’s work, making the drawing of God on a page, come to life inside you, calling you to Himself, singing over you, moving you forward into the seemingly impossible, holding you up in the midst of tragedy, anchoring you in the eye of the storm, pointing you always towards understanding exactly who this God of the Bible really is.

The Spirit who hovered over the waters at creation’s dawn. (Genesis 1:2)
The Spirit who came upon David and drew him into dancing in the streets. (2 Samuel 6:14)
The Spirit who empowered Nehemiah to courageously lead in the face of intimidation. (Nehemiah 4:7-14)
The Spirit who made a donkey talk (Numbers 22:28)
gave Samson the power to tear a lion apart (Judges 14:6),
fueled Joshua to march around an impenetrable city, and watch it fall. (Joshua 5:13-6:7)
The Spirit who overshadowed Mary and brought forth Jesus. (Luke 1:35)
The Spirit who raised Christ back to life from the dead. (Romans 8:11)
The Spirit who fell upon the disciples, allowing them to preach in multiple languages they didn’t even know. (Acts 2:4)
The Spirit who permanently lives inside every man, woman, or child who calls out in saving faith to the Lord Jesus Christ to rescue them from sin and its deadly consequences. (1 Corinthians 3:16)

Holy things. Holy work.
All initiated, led, and accomplished by the Holy Spirit.

He is not separate from God, trying to translate God for you.
No.

When God came to earth to redeem mankind back to Himself,
He did not send a representative.
He did not ask the archangel, Michael, a great leader like Moses, or a great prophet like Elijah; He Came HIMSELF as Jesus, God the Son.
And this is exactly true of the Holy Spirit. He is not outside of God.
He IS God.

רוּחַ

These are the Hebrew letters forming the sound, “ruach”, which translators most commonly render as “breath”, “spirit”, or “wind”.

When we think of the Holy Spirit, we should think of the very breath of God.
His Spirit, His own Spirit is His wind, His breathing; the Spirit is the “everything of God”.
But, unlike our breath, which vanishes the moment we exhale, the Spirit of God is fully God, always present as God.

All the wisdom.
All the power.
All the understanding.
All of His always-never-leaving presence.
Co-equal. Co-eternal. Everlasting to Everlasting.
The Spirit of God, is the everlasting breath of God’s fullness, intended to show us who God is through personal engagement.

Moses removes his sandals. (Exodus 3:5)
Holy

Isaiah weeps. (Isaiah 6:5)
Holy

Peter falls down. (Luke 5:8)
Holy

Every person who calls on the Name of the Most High God trembles. (Isaiah 66:2)
Holy

This Holy Spirit of the Living God has taken up residency within believers
(Romans 8:10-11),
sealing them forever (Ephesians 1:13),
promising to hold them all the way into eternity (John 10:28),
guaranteeing to never leave (John 14:17),
to always bring His comfort (John 14:16),
to always teach (John 14:26),
to always remind (John 14:26),
to always reveal more about God (John 14:21).
Holy

This is the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit, given to all who truly trust the risen Savior, Christ the Lord. It is His holy work in us, making us holy like Him, that we may live and move in Him! (Acts 17:28)

When you read His Words in Scripture,
when you raise your hands in response to Him,
when you pray fervently as He bids,
when you stand hushed at His holiness,
you are moving in cadence to the Holy One.
No, we are not left alone.
We are forever knit together with the very fabric of the Living God woven into our souls. Here, in this sweet union with God Almighty, we dance together with Him.
Let’s enter His rhythm and live in step with the Spirit!

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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 If Week One! 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 If!

If Day 2 One 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 One God?!

The Questions

1) How is Jesus the “firstborn over all creation”? (verse 15)

2) What does it mean that God is “before all things, and by Him all things hold together”? (verse 17)

3) What does it mean that Jesus is the “beginning, the firstborn from the dead”? (verse 18)

Colossians 1:13-22

He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. 14 In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. 18 He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 21 Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds as expressed in your evil actions. 22 But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through his death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before Him…

Original Intent

1) How is Jesus the “firstborn over all creation”? (verse 15)
Colossians 1:15 states Jesus is “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” The use of the term firstborn has been problematic for some readers. It would seem to indicate that Jesus was created first, implying He is a created being, similar to an angel, and not co-existent with God before time began. According to author Arthur Peake, “there have been some false doctrines who assert that “angelic mediators usurped the place and functions of the Son in nature and grace.” Author David Guzik explains, “The Greek word for firstborn, prototokos, “can describe either priority in time or supremacy in rank. As Paul used it here, he probably had both ideas in mind, with Jesus being before all created things and Jesus being of a supremely different order than all created things.” Calling Jesus firstborn in the original language was a way to describe Him as being above all, not born or created first. There are several other Scriptural instances of the term firstborn to indicate exalted state or rank, including God telling Pharaoh that Israel is His firstborn son (Exodus 4:22) and God calling David, Jesse’s youngest son, His firstborn, “greatest of the kings of the earth.” (Psalm 89:27) Author William Barclay also points out that the word firstborn is “a title of the Messiah.” The Bible tells us clearly that Jesus is God, not just an angel or some other marvelously created being. Colossians 2:9 declares, “the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ.” We can be secure in knowing that the Jesus who came to save us (John 14:6) is the same God who created all things (Colossians 1:16).

2) What does it mean that God is “before all things, and by Him all things hold together”? (verse 17)
We read in Colossians 1:17 that God “is before all things, and by Him all things hold together.” If God is before all things, then He existed before creation. We read the truth of this in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Before the beginning, there was God. The “beginning” was when time began! Author and researcher Ken Ham explains that before the creation, there was “God existing from everlasting to everlasting—God existing in eternity.” God was there, before all things, being “I AM” (Isaiah 48:12) He also holds all things together. Author Albert Barnes states that God keeps all things “in the present state; their existence, order, and arrangement are continued by His power. If unsupported by Him, they would fall into disorder, or sink back to nothing.” Hebrews 1:3 makes a similar statement, that God “is sustaining all things by His powerful word.” As author James Coffman puts it, “Not only did Jesus Christ create the universe, He sustains, upholds, and supports it!” God is the Author of all things and the maintainer of all things. Without Him, we would have nothing, and without Him, nothing we do have would hold together. We are divinely blessed that not only did God create everything, but He also continues to support everything He made.

3) What does it mean that Jesus is the “beginning, the firstborn from the dead”? (verse 18) 
When Paul called Jesus “the beginning, the firstborn from the dead” in Colossians 1:18, he was referencing Christ’s resurrection. Calling Jesus the “firstborn” was a way to say that He was pre-eminent, the highest of those ever to come back from the dead. He obviously didn’t mean he was the first to come back from the dead, because Jesus Himself had raised Lazarus from the dead in John 11:42-44. Author Don Stewart explains, “Jesus was the first person in time to come back from the dead never to die again. In addition, He is preeminent over the dead and death itself. Jesus said that He has the keys, or the authority, to death and Hades.” Paul alludes to Jesus’ resurrection, but He also refers to a beginning, a new age, ushered in by the resurrection. R. C. Sproul explains that people redeemed by Jesus “now experience a taste of the power of the age to come through the ability to resist sin by the Holy Spirit. This future age will arrive in its fullness when all are raised from the dead, and our union with Christ assures us that we will then be raised unto eternal life just as He was.” The resurrection of Jesus points to the day when all Christians will have eternal life with Christ. What a day of rejoicing that will be!

Everyday Application

1) How is Jesus the “firstborn over all creation”? (verse 15)
When Paul called Jesus “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation,” (Colossians 1:15), he was declaring Christ’s supremacy over all things God (as Father, Son, and Spirit) had created. It was part of his teaching about the power and purpose of Jesus on earth. Jesus is our Creator, and He desires to help His creatures. Paul reminds us that Jesus is not just a great moral leader created by God, as some false teachings suggest, but that He is Almighty God Himself, one part of the triune Godhead. Author R.C. Sproul says of Jesus, “We are called not simply to follow His guidelines but to throw ourselves at His feet in adoration and praise. Consequently, if we want others to have a proper view of the Messiah, then we need to be careful and always speak of Him as God incarnate, who rules over all.” This is why Paul declares Jesus to be pre-eminent over all things. Paul’s message to anyone who will listen is that the omnipotent God, because of His great love for us, came to earth as our Redeemer and covered our sins. (Colossians 1:14) It is astonishing to realize that the God over all creation longs to be in relationship with the finite, sinful beings He created and for them to each be reconciled back to Him! (Colossians 1:22)

2) What does it mean that God is “before all things, and by Him all things hold together”? (verse 17)
My friend taught at a school where the longtime secretary retired at the end of the school year. The next school year was quite chaotic for my friend because folks in the office didn’t seem to know what to do, or when to do it. The teachers received last minute requests to submit paperwork, schedules were revised multiple times, and annual events were forgotten or cobbled together at the eleventh hour. When the secretary who held the office together retired, everything fell apart! I think of this situation when I read Colossians 1:17, stating that God “is before all things, and by Him all things hold together.” Not only did God create everything, but He holds it all together in ways we don’t even suspect or understand.  If He suddenly stopped holding things together, nothing would be the same and everything would come crashing down. David Guzik describes Jesus as “the personal sustainer of all creation.” Not only does He hold all things together, but the verse also says He is before all things. I have sometimes wondered about that time before creation, before God spoke the world into being. Author Adam Clarke calls Jesus “the unoriginated and eternal God.” He is outside of time as we understand it. R.C. Sproul proclaims that God’s “Eternality goes in the other direction as well. There will never be a time in the future when God will cease to be. His being remains self-existent for all eternity.” It is both awe-inspiring and comforting to know that the eternal God is the One sustaining all creation, including you and me and all whom we hold dear.

3) What does it mean that Jesus is the “beginning, the firstborn from the dead”? (verse 18) 
I bought a book for my friend about the names of God because he liked to pray using the various names given to God in the Bible. The cover featured Immanuel, which means “God with us,” Jehovah Jireh, “God provides,” Prince of Peace, and Light of the World, among others. Nowhere on the cover did I see the name Firstborn From the Dead, though that is one of the names of Jesus in Colossians 1:18. It doesn’t sound as dazzling as Alpha and Omega, but the meaning behind it is just as powerful. The name firstborn indicates that Jesus is above all and over all, and in this case, it means He has power over death. He is the only one to come back from the dead and not die again. Author Scott Hubbard explains, “Only Jesus, the second Adam, has gone from dust to dust to glory. Jesus is the first human to have a heart that will never stop beating, lungs that will never stop breathing, legs that will never stop walking, eyes that will never stop seeing.” When Jesus rose from the dead, He conquered death (Romans 6:9) and sin (1 Peter 2:24) Because of His victory over death, we have the opportunity to live forever with Him in Heaven when we repent of our sins and accept His forgiveness (John 3:16) While Firstborn From the Dead might not sound like a great name, it conveys the best news ever shared…Jesus died to set us free from sin!

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

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 If 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.

The GT Weekend! ~ Ready Week 3

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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) Have you ever thought about what your struggles are meant to signify to you and those around you? If you had to guess, pick a few of your recent times of difficulty and think out loud as to what they might mean. On Monday, Rebekah challenged us through Scripture’s teaching that our trials are evidence of God’s coming judgement and coming glory. It certainly doesn’t seem likely when we think about this from our human perspective! If we slow down and surrender our struggles to the vantage point of the Almighty, and apply the truth of His Words, we can see the glimmers of coming Hope. We grieve and ache and weep because all is not well here in our world, but the Lord God designed us for perfect existence without pain. He is the Redeeming God who delights to make all things new and bring beauty from ashes. Do you believe this? Spend some time reading 2 Thessalonians this weekend, looking for how the first century believers were encouraged in their faith even in the midst of intense struggle. How can this encourage you?

2) It’s only 17 verses. I timed it and it takes about 55 seconds to read. Sisters, this is worth it! Go, right now, and read the 17 verses of truth-soaked-grace of 2 Thessalonians 2. What sticks out to you? Which parts sear your heart with urgency? Which words bring comfort or quicken your being with aching for hope to come? Where are you believing lies from the enemy of your soul? (verses 9-10) Who do you know who is trapped by the deception of the Lawless One whose desire is to keep all of us blinded to the coming glory and goodness of the Only True God? Sit with this question for a few minutes, close your eyes, and ask the Lord to show you those friends or family members who are trapped by lies that are keeping them from seeing truth. See those faces? Hear those names? Know their stories? Pray for these, Sister, pray for them!! Bring them to the Father, weep over them, beg for their eyes to be open and for them to hear and respond as the Spirit of the Living God calls out to awaken them from death to life. Is your name among those being deceived? Have you trusted Jesus to pay the blood-price earned by your sin and rebellion against Him? What’s holding you back? Are you ready to spend eternity with the God who loves you?!

3) Paul writes his letters to the churches in Thessalonica with fierce love and a passionate call to stand strong and live Ready “in the now” for the coming return of Christ. If you haven’t spent the very few minutes it takes to read his short letters, go read up! (1 and 2 Thessalonians) Now, he fervently concludes by reminding the church that God is indeed faithful, He IS coming back for His beloved people. We can be made Ready for all that is to come by deeply dwelling in His Word and leaning into His power, which He unleashes in us by the Holy Spirit to draw other people into relationship with Himself through us! Are you actively engaged with His power for this eternal kingdom purpose? Think about the common, everyday pieces of your day. The dish washing, the children watching, the friend-calling, and the meal making. Suppose it is in the mediocre and mundane that we are to glimpse to coming glory of the Father who is crafting an eternity with us that is beyond description? How might this reality shift the way you approach your everyday tasks? How can you begin changing your perspective to see the eternal in the ordinary this week?

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 2 Thessalonians 3:1-3 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

In addition, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

Prayer Journal
Lord Jesus Christ, You are my solid Hope. You are present now in this moment, flooding every aspect of my life just as fully whether I am aware of You or not. Every trial is seen and known, and Your Hope shoots through every tear that falls and every ache of my human heart. Your strength is for my everyday moments. Jesus, I praise You for this tender grace. Lord Jesus, lift my eyes from mu busy lists, from the pain around me, from the brokenness, and remind me Your Hope is not only present, but is also coming. These struggles are momentary and fleeting, regardless of how permanent they feel. More so, this unshakeable Hope is solid, able to support the full weight of my ache to be whole and new. Oh Christ, may I make it my aim, with eyes transfixed on Your glorious coming Hope, to share this life and love with those around me. Strengthen me to lift my eyes off myself and use my circumstances to point to You, the One who makes me Ready now for all the indescribable richness to come! Come, Lord Jesus, come, and until you do, make me ready to tell everyone about You!

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Questions 2 Can You Hear Me?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 88
James 5:12-16
Ephesians 1:3-14
Romans 8:18-27

Questions 2, Day 5

I stuck my neck out and asked him on a date.

Because we are living in the 21st century, I sent a Facebook message, threw my phone across the room, and waited. I waited for what felt like years . . . but it was honestly less than 24 hours.

I remember thinking, “Did he get it? Has he read it? It says ‘read,’ but what if he accidentally opened it but didn’t see it and now he doesn’t know it’s there?! What if he never sees it?”

The waiting can be the hardest part of asking. 

While I eventually heard back from him, and we went on one pleasant date, never to see each other again, prayer has always been a varying iteration of this Facebook message scenario. We ask God to intervene in the big moments and the little decisions, to provide guidance and discernment, and for Him to heal our broken bodies, hearts, and spirits. We launch our prayers into the vast, unknown universe, believing God has the power to take care of it all, and hoping He hears us.

And then we wait.

In the waiting, we are left to wonder if our prayer got lost along the way. Perhaps God heard us, but He’s too busy working on all of the other prayers He’s received in His prayer inbox. We wonder if prayer even works as we stand exposed in the silence.

When I look back on my prayers, there are moments when God made everything so clear it would have slapped me across the face. But there are many other times when I am left wondering if my prayers even reach His heart. These prayers become deep longings in my soul as I come before God time and time again and tap my metaphorical prayer microphone, asking, “Excuse me, is this thing on?”

What are the longing prayers of your heart, prayers you’ve asked God to answer and then just . . . waited . . . in the dust of deafening silence?

While we hang around for answers, perhaps letting our emotions get the better of us as we spill out all that’s flooding our hearts into words lofted towards the Almighty, we may feel, like David, as if we’re in a pit of despair.  It’s in this murky space of volatile emotion paired with desperate need, we must remember to take a deep breath and ask ourselves,
“What is true?”

Where else can we go to find absolute truth but Scripture? God’s word tells us,

When we seek Him with all of our heart, we will find Him. (Jeremiah 29:12-13)

What when we ask, we shall receive; when we seek, we will find, and when we knock, the door will be opened to us. (Luke 11:9-10)

God hears the prayer of a righteous person. (Psalm 34:17)

As we settle into the unshakeable truths of Scripture, we remember God has already revealed Himself to us through the life of His son, Jesus, who came to earth to stand in the gap of the sin separating us from the Father. Jesus connects us back to God through His life, death, and resurrection, and now we have access to the Holy Spirit, who is God dwelling inside of us! Through the Holy Spirit, we have a God who more than just hears our prayers; He is intimately living within us, knowing and feeling every groaning cry that burdens our hearts.

It isn’t always easy to focus on truth in our prayers. Since the beginning of time, the allure of the world has been working to pull our hearts, minds, and attention away from God. Sin and suffering have afflicted us at every turn. But even (and especially) in the midst of your suffering and your pleading, let your prayers pour out to God. He cares and yes, He is listening.

Friend, may I pray for your heart today as you ask God if He can hear you?

Father God, I pray for my sister today as she comes before You, wondering if You can hear her prayer. Time and time again, she has come before You and laid her heart out before You. In the chaos of the world around her, she has been unable to hear Your response to her heart and she is left wondering if You are listening. 

Holy Spirit, open her heart and her mind to how You are working in, through, and around her, that your glory might be revealed. Give her comfort in knowing You are present with her and dwelling in her. Thank You for Your son, Jesus, who revealed Who You are to her and connected her heart to You and to us, as sisters in Christ. In Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name, Amen. 

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Reveal Day 7 Filling The Empty: 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 Filling The Empty!

The Questions

1) Who is the Word? (verse 1)

2) In what way did the Word “come to His own”? (verses 10-11)

3) What does it mean that “He has revealed Him?” (verse 18)

John 1:1-13

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

Original Intent

1) Who is the Word? (verse 1)
John didn’t write about the Word so as to invoke a mystery, he wrote to make one truth abundantly clear. Jesus IS God. Not a god. Not a good man. Not a great prophet. Jesus is God; the very fullness of God dwelled in Him. (Colossians 1:19) If it is true about God, John writes, it is also true of the Word. The total equality of power, authority, will, and sovereignty is made abundantly clear right from the start of John’s gospel. A gospel record which, by the way, focuses every story on the unequivocal identity of Jesus Christ as God. Are we absolutely certain the Word is indeed Jesus Christ? Without a single hint of doubt! John says the Word carried life within Him (verse 4), a life described as the “light of the word” (verse 9), of whom, John (the Baptist) was a forerunner testifying of this coming Light. (verses 7-8) John describes the Word as coming to His own, and His own did not receive Him. (verse 12) Making his point more clear, John adds that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (verse 14) Beyond all imaginings, the Word, who is God, now put on human skin! The fullness of God wrapped in frail flesh and bone, coming as a helpless baby born to a virgin girl. Fully God, and fully man, this Word did not come in secret to a few select people, but He was widely-known and countless people testified of Him, including John who wrote this gospel a mere 60 years after Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. This allowed for plenty of time for readers of his gospel to interview and cross reference with other witnesses who had walked with Jesus to verify all John testified of this Word made flesh. (verses 14-15) To remove all potential remaining doubt as to the identity of the Word, God in the flesh, John writes, “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—He has revealed Him.” (verses 17-18)

2) In what way did the Word “come to His own”? (verses 10-11)
John wrote his gospel so that all would understand that Jesus is indeed God, but more so, that they would believe in His Name so they could experience adoption as children of God. (verse 12) It’s only when we put our full trust on who John describes Jesus as (fully God, fully human) and on everything Jesus taught we can become a child of God. This is the “receiving” John wrote of in verse 12. John said Jesus “was in the world, and the world was created through Him, and yet the world did not recognize Him.” (verse 10) Every tree, flower, smile, gentle breeze, human bone, and intricate eyeball screams of a loving Creator God who is infinitely wise and infinitely interested in His creation, yet the One who crafted every fingerprint, wasn’t recognized as He came and dwelt among His people. Though He clothed Himself in human skin and hair, moved in miraculous ways only God could, healed broken bodies, and fulfilled every Old Testament prophecy about Himself, they still chose unbelief. He “came to His own, but His own did not receive Him.” (verse 11) Even as far back in the Old Testament as the moment the first sin was acknowledged by humans before God, He promised One who would come to crush the head of Satan, forever ending death and suffering. (Genesis 3:15) Throughout all of history since that moment, the Lord God has crafted events and prophetic messages to point to the coming of His promised Messiah. Finally, as Jesus was born, and God was present in the flesh with His people, the Jews rejected Him. (Acts 2:22-23)

3) What does it mean that “He has revealed Him?” (verse 18)
By looking at these words alone, the pronouns become nonsensical, which is why it is always critically important to study Scripture by reading a whole passage, not just a single soundbite. We must first understand the message in its original setting before we can make any application to our lives today. (for more on this, see “Why Do We Dig Deeper?”) Verse 18 says in full, “No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side—He has revealed Him.” While there were occurrences of people seeing some of God’s glory as He allowed it (Exodus 33:18-19), Scripture teaches no one can see God and live. (Exodus 33:20) He is perfectly holy, and we are utterly sinful. There is no possible way for sin to stand in His presence. “Lord, if you kept an account of iniquities, Lord, who could stand?” (Psalm 130:3) The only way we could possibly “see” God was for Him to come to us in human form. John was careful with his words to express to us, “…The one and only Son, who is Himself God, and is at the Father’s side…” No one can tell us who God is like, except God Himself. There is only One authority able to accurately convey the fullness of Who He Is. God Himself. At the time of John’s writing, Jesus had already ascended back to Heaven and taken His place at the right hand of the Father. Note that John was again careful to make a distinction by saying Jesus was at the right hand of the Father. Both of them, along with the Holy Spirit, are fully God together. They are triune; 3 equally divine beings in 1 God. Finally, we come to the phrase, “He has revealed Him”. Now that we have slowed down for proper understanding, it is clear Jesus, fully God, came in human form, to make the unseen God seen and knowable. What incredible humility and love!

Everyday Application

1) Who is the Word? (verse 1)
I could sit with just these few verses of Scripture for the rest of my life and never unpack their fullness; they are so rich! That being said, the very first verse, only consisting of 17 words, leaves absolutely zero wiggle room about the identity of the Word. These last 4 words of sentence one set the bedrock foundation for e v e r y t h i n g else we read in John. What four words you ask? “…the Word was God.” Ladies, this is the biggest mic drop in history, and John wanted to make sure his readers didn’t even move onto a second sentence before understanding that this “Word” not only was “with” God from the very beginning of Creation, He Is God. Everything that could be said about God, can also be said of the Word. It can be hard to identify, much less tear down, our own false beliefs we have about who Jesus is as the fullness of God. I was blessed to be raised in a home where the truth that Jesus was God was taught over and over, but even so, I held a number of false beliefs about God when I left my family of origin. It took my marriage careening towards divorce, suffering depression, and surviving my suicide plans, before I was willing to finally, level the tower of my long-held beliefs. What I thought was true, just wasn’t adding up in real life. Too many questions didn’t have answers, and I needed answers. I decided to read the Bible for myself, forcing myself to remove the thick lenses of my past, and study God’s Word for what it really said. God was faithful to teach me Who He really was, and, praise God, He has continued to show me over and over who He is, and always will be!

2) In what ways did the Word “come to His own”? (verses 10-11)
This is the single greatest tragedy known to mankind. That we would choose to reject the very Author of Life, deciding instead to clench our fists around ourselves, our own arbitrary measure of “good enough”, or our own twisted perception of who God is and what He is like, this tragedy will result in our eternal separation from Him. We will be utterly lost in unending darkness, forever suffering without the good, kind, forgiving God, who is Himself Light and Love. (Matthew 7:21-23) Amid swirling conversations and social debates on who this Jesus really was because He spoke and acted like He had the power of God, but looked like an ordinary man, Jesus asked this question to His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”. (Matthew 16:15) Peter rightly answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” (Matthew 16:16) Who do you say Jesus is? Is He the Messiah, the Christ, the promised One from the beginning of time? Is He exactly who John, and rest of Scripture, declare Him to be as God Himself? Jesus followed up Peter’s response with this affirmation, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in Heaven.” (Matthew 16:17) If you aren’t convinced Jesus is precisely who He claimed, ask the Father to reveal it to your heart. Be certain you know Who you are believing in!  

3) What does it mean that “He has revealed Him?” (verse 18)
It would be easy for us, sitting at the tail end of 2020, to say with a bit of a scoff, “It was easy to see God when Jesus was doing miracles right in front of them.” While true, we don’t have the benefit of walking beside Jesus, watching Him sweat under a hot Judean sun, or laugh out loud when the disciples poked fun at each other. Neither can we stand beside Him in awe as He brought life from a previously dead person or straightened a once-crooked leg. Though it may not seem like it, because our culture has a love affair with instant gratification and visual experiences, Jesus said it was better for Him to leave earth. (John 16:7) “If I go, I will send Him to you.” Once Jesus left, the Holy Spirit could come, indwelling every person who fully places their trust in Jesus, the Christ, the only Holy God. Jesus couldn’t be everywhere with every person at the same time in the limits of His physical body, but through the Holy Spirit, (who is also fully God!), every believer has direct access to God at all times. He isn’t a finnicky God, deciding to leave us when we misbehave, He stays inside to forever mark us as His. (Ephesians 1:13-14) Christ Jesus died for us, the ungodly, so His righteousness could be imputed (or directly replacing our old, sinful identity) on us. (Romans 5:6-11) As the Spirit lives within hearts that believe in Jesus as the One True God, He continues revealing more about God to us through His Word. Only God can reveal God.

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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!

Digging Deeper Community

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Our Current Study Theme!

This is Reveal Week Two!
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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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Worship VII Day 11 Held Fast

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Timothy 1:8-14
Psalm 91
2 Corinthians 4:7-18
Hebrews 6:17-20
Jude 1:24-25

Worship VII, Day 11

When asked in 2015, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” I’m certain no one answered correctly! In Kansas City, we started with a Super Bowl Championship parade; joy was in the air and life was GOOD.

A few weeks later, Covid-19 entered the US; life turned upside-down.
Stay-at-home orders were issued.
#InThisTogether began trending.

Despite the hashtag’s slogan, however, stress and uncertainty quickly gave way to anger and division on our streets over racial inequality. The deaths of Ahmaud, Breonna, and George sparked protests against racial injustice and emotions raced even higher.

Adding to the tumult, investigations continue uncovering horrific atrocities against children.

Not to mention, it’s an election year in the United States.

Yep, pretty sure NO ONE could have predicted 2020’s events.
NO ONE except God.

As unsettling as 2020 has been so far, NOTHING has surprised God.  Our family word is KAIROS, referring to how God’s timing is SO different from ours.  As finite humans with limited knowledge, we are unable to “fathom what God has done from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

To illustrate this mystery, consider a beautiful tapestry.  Merely surveying the BACK of the tapestry reveals only a tangle of thread and knots. Amidst the mess, the weaver continues the work, knowing the end result will be stunning.

GOD is a master weaver.

2020 is part of His plan.
In fact, all of history is His Story unfolding.
None of it is beyond His weaver’s fingers.
We can trust Him!

In the midst of chaos and confusion, HE remains steadfast, faithful, and GOOD.
We must cling to this truth!

Sitting in the middle of the unknown, it’s tempting to feel overwhelmed or defeated. Instead, let’s focus on truth: God is still at work.

In researching the hymn, He Will Hold Me Fast, I was blown away by God’s Almighty ability to weave the threads together.

In the early 1900s, the traveling evangelist, R.A. Torrey, was sharing the gospel. In 1902, in Australia, Robert Harkness joined his team as a pianist. Ironically, he agreed to be an accompanist at revival meetings BEFORE trusting Jesus as his personal Savior. He actually tried to mess up the music but failed. Due to the grace shown him by Torrey, he accepted Christ into his life.

The team traveled Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, India, and the British Isles while sharing Jesus. In London, they connected with the then-famous song writer, Ada Habershon, who joined their team. Ada would pen hymns lyrics while Robert expertly put them to music.

In 1906, a Canadian man spoke with Robert, expressing his fear of being unable to “hold out” in the midst of difficulty. Harkness wrote to Ada in England and requested lyrics speaking to this man’s struggle.

While Torrey preached to a crowd of 4,000 in Philadelphia, Harkness took out the slips of paper with Ada’s newly penned words for “He Will Hold Me Fast”, putting them to a melody then and there.

The music was captivating, and the song’s message stuck.
Over a hundred years later, we still sing Ada’s lyrics set to Robert’s melodies.
Incredibly, these words from 1906 intertwine perfectly with the experiences of 2020!

This is God at work, weaving a beautiful tapestry!

I got goosebumps reading testimonies of the impact Ada’s words have had over the years, even some from Kansas City.  Consider studying this history for yourself and pray God reminds you He is the same today just as He was then. (Hebrews 13:8)

Do you fear you also cannot “hold out”?

Maybe you need to be reminded we don’t need to depend on OUR strength, but in Jesus!  We can REST in Him, depending FULLY on HIS wisdom, power, joy, hope, peace, courage, and love.

Do you feel weak or weary?
Can you sense fear creeping in?
You are NOT alone.
Christ will hold you fast.

Do you question where your path will take you?
Do you question God’s love and goodness?
Do you doubt His sovereignty?
Do you wonder if He TRULY cares about you and the details of YOUR life?
You are NOT alone.
Christ will hold you fast.

Do doubt, cynicism, and anger seem to be crowding out grace and compassion?
Does showing love to others feel exhausting?
You are NOT alone.
Christ will hold you fast.

Do you feel control slipping away?
Are you longing for Jesus to come back, wondering why He hasn’t yet?
Are you worried you might lose hope before He does?
You are NOT alone.
Christ will hold you fast.

Recently, the song, Another In The Fire, reminded me again that even in the FIRE, we are not alone.  Jesus stands with us just as He did with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

God parted the Red Sea.
He provided manna in the wilderness.
He shot water from a rock.
He closed lions’ mouths.
He defeated a giant through one boy’s faith.
Time and time again throughout history, He made His presence and power known as He wove His tapestry.

Then, He came to actually DWELL among us.
Jesus left heaven and was born humbly in Bethlehem.
His presence and power were felt in fresh BIG ways.

Jesus made the lame walk, the deaf hear, the blind see, and brought the dead back to life.
Then, one day, He Himself died, paying the penalty for our sin.
Three days later, He rose again, forever conquering Death and offering eternal life and forgiveness to all who trust Him!
He can indeed hold us fast!

No thread of history can unravel God’s plan, including 2020 and the struggles in your life! We can trust JESUS remains constant, knowing He will forever hold us fast!

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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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Here’s a link to all past studies in Worship VII!

Worship VII Day 9 By Faith: 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 By Faith!

The Questions

1) What is the proof we cannot see? (verse 1)

2) What is true faith according to this passage?

3) What benefit do obstacles and struggles have on our faith in everyday life?

Hebrews 11:1-12:2

11:1 Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. 2 For by this our ancestors were approved.

3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.

4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith.

5 By faith Enoch was taken away, and so he did not experience death. He was not to be found because God took him away. For before he was taken away, he was approved as one who pleased God. 6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

7 By faith Noah, after he was warned about what was not yet seen and motivated by godly fear, built an ark to deliver his family. By faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and set out for a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he stayed as a foreigner in the land of promise, living in tents as did Isaac and Jacob, coheirs of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

11 By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the one who had promised was faithful. 12 Therefore, from one man—in fact, from one as good as dead—came offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and as innumerable as the grains of sand along the seashore.

13 These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth. 14 Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return. 16 But they now desire a better place—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He received the promises and yet he was offering his one and only son, 18 the one to whom it had been said, Your offspring will be traced through Isaac. 19 He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead; therefore, he received him back, figuratively speaking.

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. 21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and he worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, as he was nearing the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions concerning his bones.

23 By faith Moses, after he was born, was hidden by his parents for three months, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they didn’t fear the king’s edict. 24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter 25 and chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin. 26 For he considered reproach for the sake of Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, since he was looking ahead to the reward.

27 By faith he left Egypt behind, not being afraid of the king’s anger, for Moses persevered as one who sees him who is invisible. 28 By faith he instituted the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch the Israelites. 29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as though they were on dry land. When the Egyptians attempted to do this, they were drowned.

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after being marched around by the Israelites for seven days. 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute welcomed the spies in peace and didn’t perish with those who disobeyed.

32 And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received their dead, raised to life again. Other people were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated. 38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

39 All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.

12:1 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Original Intent

1) What is the proof we cannot see? (verse 1)
To see our Savior face to face! To enjoy His in-person-company forever! To be freed forever from the entanglement of sin! This is the coming hope for every believer! This is yet unseen and un-experienced, but we wait with anticipation, knowing it is indeed coming. No matter our everyday trials, we can choose to focus on His promise that heaven is our eternal home for all who have trusted in His name. It is our place to be with Him. The Christian life is purposefully moving toward certain hope. Hebrews 12:1-2 paints a beautiful picture, “Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus.” For the early church believers who received this letter of Hebrews, the imagery of finishing a race was easily understood as the Greek Olympic games were in high gear. In their race towards hope, their finest example of endurance was Jesus whose goal was to purchase our freedom from sin. He endured horrific suffering in order to win the restoration of our souls. If Jesus could endure for the prize of a relationship with us, so are we to run with endurance towards the Hope He died to give us! Christ is the goal of our journey and through the power of His Holy Spirit, we are strengthened to press on towards the unseen victory coming ahead. We are surrounded by saints who have gone before us and we are urged to reject the pull of sin while reaching toward Hope. Jesus encourages us, “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:1-3) The goal of our faith is God Himself who waits to welcome us at the end of our race on earth. Keep running! It’s worth it!

2) What is true faith according to this passage?
The word faith in the New Testament has many definitions based on the context of that passage. For example, when Judean Christians, whom Paul had sought to kill, spoke of their belief in Christ, they said “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy” (Galatians 1:23) Here, faith is meant as a confession or belief statement, similar to what believers have long held to in the Apostles’ Creed, which summarize the Christian beliefs. However, the author of Hebrews is conveying something different than a creedal statement of belief held by faith. As theologian Guthrie, notes, “For the evangelists that wrote the gospels, Jesus Christ is the object of faith.” John describes this aspect of faith in his gospel when he writes his summary mission statement for his letter, “That you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:31) A personal faith in Jesus is the hallmark of Christians. The writer of Hebrews provided true, historic examples of Christians who lived out their everyday lives from a place of faith. (Hebrews 11:4-38) This faith is firmly anchored in an unchanging hope that transcends the current struggles. This faith is gained by claiming for ourselves the salvation Jesus offers to everyone. His salvation is freedom from the condemnation of sin, complete forgiveness for every offense, and the sweet promise of eternity with Him. Faith in Jesus is the doorway by which we gain access to God Himself. “The righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” (Romans 3:22) The heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 had one thing in common, their undivided confidence in God. The writer of Hebrews wants his readers to witness and experience that which cannot be seen by witnessing the faith of believers who trusted in Jesus. Their testimony brilliantly paints the definition of what it is to truly live by faith, even though their faith is fully in the God who cannot be seen and in His faithful promises, which are equally unseen. “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and for certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

3) What benefit do obstacles and struggles have on our faith in everyday life?
If we follow the world’s standards we may have short term ease and comfort, perhaps even prosperity. If we follow God’s standards we are guaranteed suffering, loss, and unpopularity. Astoundingly, it is the conviction of Christians it is better to suffer with God than to prosper with the world. The book of Daniel tells of three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were confronted with the choice of public worship to King Nebuchadnezzar, or obeying God. The men chose to worship God alone, which earned them the consequence of being thrown into a fiery furnace. Yet, without hesitation, these men chose to fear the Lord God over fearing a human man.  Human experience tells us seize the moment and experience everything good we possibly can, but the Spirit of God, active within every Christian, teaches us only the Lord God is worthy of our worship and following His ways are always best. The Lord allows struggles in life so we can see how faithful HE is in spite of our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) James instructs believers to “Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-3) Paul says we can actually boast in our afflictions! For the Christian, God uses trials to “produce endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5) Our coming Hope of real life with Jesus gives us a raised platform by which we can see how even trials can be considered pure joy. Every struggle has been allowed by God for a purpose; they are not random.  Abraham was called to sacrifice his son Isaac, Samson was crushed by the Philistines, Sarah was barren, heroes of the faith were sawed in half, slain by the sword, and the list continues, not just here in Hebrews 11 but, throughout God’s entire Word. These fiery, heavy burdens are producing faithful maturity in us as we learn to trust our God, His character, and look with eyes upon the coming “unseen” glory that is still to come and will last forever. Our trials here are merely temporary. “For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

Everyday Application

1) What is the proof we cannot see? (verse 1)
Like those who first received the letter of Hebrews, we too are Jesus’ disciples and we are urged to run the race of faith. Similarly, the apostle Paul said we are to “fight the good fight”. (1 Timothy 6:12) The battle is arduous, but worth it! We don’t need to look far into our everyday lives and schedules, our hurry and our deadlines to find distraction everywhere. Keeping our eyes on the unseen goal of Christ is difficult! If we keep our focus on the countless distractions, we quickly grow weary in our everyday battle. We must renew our minds to stay in the fight (Romans 12:2), to focus on the unseen coming reward of dwelling with our God! We are urged to remain faithful to Him by “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2) Finally, when our race in this life is over, we will be able to say together with the apostle Paul and all who have trusted Christ, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8) Ahhh! We will finally SEE the proof of the unseen! Here is the moment we, as believers, have eagerly waited for, the mighty, in-person presence of the Holy God! Suddenly, the unseen will be made tangible as eternal life begins and peace-filled joy is made perfectly complete. Fear will have no place as we stand immoveable in His magnificent love. As blissful as this coming hope will one day be, He offers us access to these gifts of peace, joy, love, and life without fear even now in our everyday. How? By fixing our eyes on what is to come. He is our Savior, Sustainer, Healer, and Redeemer in eternity, yes, but also in the now. Let’s fix our eyes on the unseen, and run with endurance for the hope set before us as we fight the good fight!

2) What is true faith according to this passage?
Simply put, true biblical faith is a personal trust in Jesus and His work on the cross. This faith is proven in our everyday obedience to God’s Word as the Holy Spirit renews us, making us more like Jesus, who is “the author and perfector of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2) This faith is exercised in everyday life quite simply. God speaks through Scripture, we hear His Word, trust Him, and act upon His teaching. Those who have true faith are both “hearers and doers of the Word”. (James 1:22) The author of Hebrews provides us with three descriptors of biblical faith, substance, evidence, and witness. Faith is to a Christian what the foundation and framework is to a house. Faith provides the substance and essence of what it looks like to follow Jesus. The faithfulness of God is our blessed assurance and confident hope, to which we cling through faith. “Faith is the reality of what is hoped for…” (Hebrews 11:1) True faith will produce convincing evidence in the believer’s life, proof that what is coming (eternal life with Jesus) is both worth it and the One promising it is worthy of our faith. What God has promised, He will indeed bring to fruition. We evidence this faith when we live out faith-filled lives that point towards the true genuineness of God’s unchanging character. Finally, faith is described as having a witness, which is referenced in Hebrews 12:1, “…a great cloud of witnesses….”. These witnesses are those whose lives testify of God’s faithfulness in the storyline of their lives. God has redeemed their lives, renewed their hearts, and saved them from separation from God, and their lives now give witness to this remarkable change! Faith enables us to accept salvation through Jesus, makes us wise in how to live out our lives, and gives us hope for a coming glory where we will dwell with God and other believers forever. Dr. Oswald Sanders puts it perfectly, “Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen.” We can cling to our certain “for sure” future life with God because we can trust Him at His Word. This kind of faith can only truly be experienced or understood by those who have chosen to place their faith in Jesus Christ and what Jesus did for us. On the cross, Jesus took our identity of “sin” upon Himself and gave us His identity of “righteousness” instead. As a result, we cannot brag about what we have done to earn salvation because we know only Jesus could make us righteous, trading our identity for His.

3) What benefit do obstacles and struggles have on our faith in everyday life?
Think of trials as training! God trains His troops, where the highest end goal is to trust Him, love Him supremely, and enjoy Him forever. When we walk in faith, God is always building us up to become more mature in Him even when it seems we are broken or our circumstances are impossible. (1 Peter 2:2-5) HE never leaves us! Psalm 138:8) Sometimes we suffer because we followed the wrong voice, doing our will instead of God’s will. Hosea 4:6 tells us we will be destroyed by insisting on our way, rejecting God’s ways and His knowledge. We cannot blame God for our wrong choices, but as we submit our lives to His hand and His ways, He will take even our erring ways and use them to teach us to trust Him, love Him, and enjoy Him. Many times, struggle happens even when we aren’t choosing sin. We may not understand the “WHY” of our trials, but we CAN trust God’s unchanging character of love towards us. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us the Lord has always been faithful to show kindness towards His people; He has always given them hope. The heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 understood that no matter the trial, they could be anchored firmly in faith in God, knowing “for sure and for certain” He was in control. They confidently knew their trials were achieving for them something far greater than temporary happiness would. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) The Lord declares to His people, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways. (…) For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9) Wow! Obviously, God is in control and we can trust Him! We must not throw away our confidence in Him, His promised hope is coming and it is certain! (Hebrews 10:35-38)

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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!

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Calling Day 11 The Lens Of Truth

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 5:6-14
Psalm 36:5-12
John 12:44-50
1 Peter 1:13-25
Revelation 6:12-17

Calling, Day 11

A dear friend gave my daughter a delightful pair of purple sunglasses a few weeks ago. She is absolutely smitten with them. Plastic jewels and gems adorn the frames, and they are larger than her last pair, so they fit her better. The tint of the lenses is rather dark, but she feels like such a big girl when she’s wearing them, she’ll insist she can see just fine, thank you very much.

It’s no rare occasion to find her twirling in the sunlight streaming through my front window, wearing those purple, sparkly sunglasses. There’s a shift in her gait when she puts them on; it’s obvious she just feels different.

Take a breath, Christian. We’re going deeper, fast.

Paul’s exhortation to the Ephesians about light versus darkness is an object lesson about delivering truth in love, to say the least. (Ephesians 5:6-14) He didn’t mince words about the dangers to followers of Christ who live in the world. If anything, he underscored the arduous reality of a life surrendered to Christ. He spoke the unpopular truth that those who are disobedient to God will face His wrath. He called out the Ephesians and warned them against even partnering with those who do not obey God. Furthermore, Paul exhorted the church in Ephesus to not only remove themselves from any association with those who do not obey God, but to actually expose their deeds of darkness.

Are you squirming? I am. Talk about high challenge. Not only were the believers at Ephesus not to associate with those who do not follow God, but they were to actually expose the dark deeds of those who were enemies of the Lord.

“Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. Therefore, do not become their partners.” (Ephesians 5:6-7)

Paul’s words were concise and deliberate. They slice through potential internal or external argument, explanation, and even current cultural caution with razor-sharp, Spirit-led acumen. His challenge left no question about the gravity of their, and our, calling.

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth – testing what is pleasing to the Lord. Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.” (Ephesians 5:8-11)

His words were filled with truth, but do you recognize what they aren’t filled with? Accusation, or condemnation. No, these words were delivered in love. Make no mistake; there is a high challenge here, but there is equipping and invitation here, too. Paul extended a hand to the believers at Ephesus when he called them out of popular culture and up into Kingdom culture as he reminded them Whose they were.

He’s inviting us, too.

Christian, does any part of Paul’s challenge indicate we have a call on our lives to blend in with the rest of the world, or to value what is valued by those who do not follow our Father? Further, what do you think might be one of the most effective ways the enemy intends to quiet the hands and feet and voice of Jesus on earth today? 

Might it be to keep them so occupied with the day to day things,
and the big, overwhelming cultural things,
and the general state of the world things,
and their very feelings, that they forget they are merely temporary citizens here?

Exhale.

It’s time for each of us to be honest with the God we serve.

Is it possible we have been looking at the world, and our lives, through a darkened worldly perspective? We have been going through the motions of a Christian walk, but is it merely an accompaniment to our worldly life?

Beloved, what drives you?
Are you ruled by your feelings, or by your Father?
Are you more vested in the things the world holds dear, or the things of your Father’s Kingdom?

Hard questions. Typing them wrecks me, too. But we have to ask them. Daily. And more importantly, we have to answer them.

Because this is what Paul’s words mean. 

We are called to be children of light. Just like my daughter needed to take off her sunglasses to see clearly, we are called to remove every darkened lens which affects our judgement. To test all beliefs with the discernment He gives. To speak the truth, and illuminate the dark deeds of the enemy, and to point always to our Father. We are called to be a royal priesthood, a holy nation. A peculiar, set-apart people. (1 Peter 2:9) This world is not our home. We reside here, for a time, as God has ordained, but this life is but a breath.
Paul’s words are true, and they are for us today. 

There is a God in heaven, and in us, if we have given our lives to Him. He will fulfill all He has said He will fulfill, and He has called us to carry His Kingdom throughout all the earth.

Christian, take off your shades and walk in the light!

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