Entrusted

Blessed Day 11 Blessed Are The Peacemakers

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 5:3-10
Galatians 5:22-23
Romans 5:1-21
Philippians 4:4-9

Blessed, Day 11

Have you noticed an entrustment from the Lord typically comes with a weight, making it a gift challenging us to grow and change? Almost like the process through which a diamond is made, through heat and pressure.

Diamonds sparkle with a beauty captivating to the eye and paint rainbows on walls when captured by the light. The outcome of intense heat and pressure is admired and valued, but rarely is the formation process considered. Rather, our attention focuses on the finished product before us.

So what weighty entrustment am I referring to with such a comparison?

Peace.

Yup, peace. And before we get too far away from the diamond analogy, think back to the last time you were in the midst of a chaotic scenario and a peaceful person was present. Did she “sparkle”? Could you sense her peace and see its effect on those around her?

I’ve watched a person of peace step into a room and bring harmony into discord.

The peace came with an authority,
a confidence in Christ Who is our Peace,
a patience,
and an ultimately effective perseverance.

In Matthew 5, we are challenged to be peacemakers. The Greek word used is Eirēnopoiós, which carries the idea of “one who restores peace, favors good understanding, settles quarrels and stops conflicts.” Have you ever found yourself being a peacemaker?

At times, I’ve prayed for the Lord to exude His peace through me. I can guarantee those prayers and heart posture are the exact reason peace rolled off me onto the surrounding situations. I recall a time when a woman thanked me for being in a scenario, because I brought calm with me. To God be the glory!

God alone is the source of our peace. Though I became a Christian when I was a young child, I was already aware of my sin, standing insurmountable, between me and my Heavenly Father. When I entered into a relationship with Him, I also experienced my first encounter with His peace.

In my moment of humble belief, Christ removed my sin and brought peace to our friendship. His profound sacrifice in taking on my sin at the cross met my deep repentance and humility, and He became my peacemaker.

Since then, our walk together has been much like that diamond forming, a repetition of the above process so many times I have gratefully lost count and He has graciously not kept one. As I have grown in my journey with the Lord, He has grown my ability to be a peacemaker to better reflect His other-worldly peace.

Eirēnopoiós
A peace that restores what once was lost. 

So how can each one of us become peacemakers in a world crying out for true peace? I believe we must look to the Holy Spirit for direction and as our sole source of ever greater peace.

In fact, in Galatians, we learn peace is a fruit of the Spirit; peace is not a quality we naturally find within ourselves. It is, however, a foundational characteristic of our God, one He shares with us through an outpouring of His Spirit.

Remember the second half of this Beatitude?
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”
(Matthew 5:9, emphasis mine)

When we radiate and restore peace,
when we seek good and deep understanding of those who are different from us,
when we stop conflicts and settle quarrels,
we are Christ’s peacemakers.

And when we are peacemakers in a time and space when politics have deteriorated to a bitter, blame-shifting disaster, when the economy is in shattered fragments, when people are suffering and dying by the hundreds of thousands, and when fierce battles of social injustice continue to rage in our communities and MURDER HORNETS ARE A THING . . .

 . . . then we will be called the daughters of God, for who but God could bring peace in such pain-filled, dark chaos? The Holy Spirit working peacemaking through us becomes a testimony of our Father’s heart and a beacon of hope to the lost and hurting.

In order to have peace to pour out, we must be cultivating our relationships with the Triune Lord. We must also surrender our understanding of life to Him and seek His face. Philippians 4:6-7 explains how:

“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Yes, this is much easier said than done! But be assured, the Lord is faithful to answer our prayers, and our worship, with His all-surpassing peace!

Sometimes, His peace points us towards engaging in tough conversations to bring resolution to a conflict.
Sometimes, His peace cautions us to quietly wait for the Lord to work behind the scenes.
Always, we need the discernment of the Spirit to guide us.
Always, the Lord and His peace are at the center of our peacemaking efforts.

And as we grow in our walks with Him and peace increases within us (praise God for the fruit He bears), we may just begin to sparkle in new ways.

Shine on, sister, shine on.

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Sola Day 2 I Am A Hussite!: 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 I Am A Hussite!

The Questions

1) What does it mean to be “ashamed” in this context? How can we not be ashamed? (verses 8, 12, and 16)

2) How does the phrase “not according to works” impact both saving and calling? (verse 9)

 

3) What has been “entrusted”, what is the “good deposit”, and how do we guard them? (verses 12 and 14)

2 Timothy 1:8-18

So don’t be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, or of me his prisoner. Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. 10 This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 For this gospel I was appointed a herald, apostle, and teacher, 12 and that is why I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.

13 Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. 15 You know that all those in the province of Asia have deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. 17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he diligently searched for me and found me. 18 May the Lord grant that he obtain mercy from him on that day. You know very well how much he ministered at Ephesus.

Original Intent

1) What does it mean to be “ashamed” in this context? How can we not be ashamed? (verses 8, 12, and 16)
The book of 2 Timothy is Paul’s second letter to Timothy, his “dearly loved son in the faith”. (1 Timothy 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:2) Paul had invested deeply into Timothy since he met him, bringing Timothy along on his travels across Asia Minor as he planted churches and encouraged believers. Timothy was Paul’s investment for a new generation of gospel proclamation and he cared about him immensely. Paul had left Timothy at his first official church assignment at the important church hub in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3) where Timothy was to step into leadership by pastoring and shepherding the people there. The letters to Timothy are hemmed on all sides with tender love and strong encouragement. This second letter begins with the opening paragraphs dedicated to reminding Timothy he is not alone. He is not working for the Lord in vain, and his tireless hard work is worth it as he continues building God’s Kingdom. Paul bolsters Timothy and also calls him out in a fatherly manner by insisting, “so don’t be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, or of me his prisoner. Instead, share in suffering for the gospel…”. (verse 8) Paul urges Timothy to keep on pursuing truth, to hold tightly to it, and continue teaching by it, and leading faithfully towards it. To be “ashamed of testimony of the Lord” in this context, would have been for Timothy to walk away from his calling as preacher and teacher, sweeping it under the rug and turning his life toward other pursuits. Instead, Paul encourages Timothy by reminding him that God has a specific call on his life, He has equipped him for Kingdom work (verse 6), and, on a personal note, Paul adds how brilliantly he has witnessed God’s Spirit working vibrantly through Timothy. (verse 5)

2) How does the phrase “not according to works” impact both saving and calling? (verse 9)
We, in our humanity, had absolutely nothing to do in attaining our salvation or giving ourselves a divinely appointed purpose in life that furthers God’s Kingdom growth. The very idea that we could somehow manipulate God or bring some merit or ability or wisdom into the equation of either our salvation or our purpose is entirely laughable. Paul writes passionately in his letter to the Galatians how foolish they are to even consider these thoughts! (Galatians 3:1-3) It is by grace alone we are saved through faith; this is God’s lavish gift towards us! (Romans 3:23-24, Romans 6:23) While we were still adamant sinners, arrogantly insisting on our way and our own means of being “good enough” and our own distorted scale of how “good” was defined, even then, Christ died for us. As we rebelled, He surrendered Himself so we might turn from our sin, recognize our own inability to save ourselves, and hold out our hand to Jesus for rescue. Timothy already knew all of these truths because he had traveled with Paul for years; he understood what Paul wrote inside and out, up and down, backwards and forwards. But oh, the encouragement when he read those words! To be reminded of those truths again and again. Paul knew a secret to being effective, and it began and ended with the gospel preached over and over to everyone, believer and unbeliever alike!

3) What has been “entrusted”, what is the “good deposit”, and how do we guard them? (verses 12 and 14)
Paul sums up his encouraging discourse to Timothy on why he does not need to be ashamed of the gospel by reminding Timothy of God’s unchanging character. God is always faith and will never become unfaithful; He can be trusted! (Hebrews 10:23) Because God is perfectly trustworthy, we can know for sure that He will guard our souls for eternity once we surrender them in faith to His hand. From the moment we take our hands off of our own life, admit we are ruined sinners in need of redemption, while recognizing that the God of the Bible is the only One who can offer that redemption, we are forever saved. God entrusted our souls to us, giving us the invitation to wisely hand them back to their author, God Himself. When Paul says God is “able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day”, Paul is referring to his own soul. (verse 12) As with all Scripture study, it is vitally important to remember we must study in context of the whole, which is evidenced when we read of the “good deposit” in verse 14. In verse 13, Paul exhorts Timothy hold tightly to sound teaching, which is right doctrine that comes from correctly studying Scripture in the context of biblical community. This sound teaching is guarded through the Holy Spirit, who, as Jesus says, is the One who reminds us of all truth and leads us into truth as we study. (John 16:13)

Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to be “ashamed” in this context? How can we not be ashamed? (verses 8, 12, and 16)
We all experience discouragement in different seasons of our lives, but for the committed Christ-follower, discouragement can be a tool the enemy uses to swerve our eyes off of the mission and calling God has given us. We can feel inadequate. We can feel like we aren’t achieving the results we should be.  We might even wonder if we ever really heard God calling us into this specific form of ministry, or if it was just an emotionally hyped response. This is when we desperately need the anchor of truth and the strength of biblical community surrounding us as Paul demonstrated so beautifully to Timothy. If you’re feeling discouraged as you follow Jesus, take some time to sit with this passage from Paul to Timothy and soak in its truths for yourself. Remember God’s grace (verse 2) is what saved you and by His grace you’ve been given a calling and purpose. His grace, not your abilities. God is merciful (verse 2, verse 9) towards you. He understands your discouragement and He is present with you, never leaving you. You are prayed over! (verse 3) Satan wants you to feel isolated like you are ministering alone, this is a lie! Reach out to another believer and ask them to pray or email us (prayer@gracefullytruthful.com); we would be honored to pray over you! Because God is so merciful, He puts people in our lives who are cheering for us and want to walk alongside us; this is biblical community! (verse 4) Even if you feel as if you don’t have anyone to reach out to, the fact you are reading this study means that if no one else is for you, the Lord God IS, and He holds every tear in a bottle and knows the depth of your heart. Reach out to those who have witnessed your love for Jesus, be honest as you transparently share of your discouragement and allow them to speak life and truth over you. (verse 5) You, who have surrendered your heart and life to God, have within you the gift of God which He IS using to fulfill HIS purposes; rest in that! (verse 6) His Spirit inside you is not based in fear, but is overflowing with power, love, and wisdom. (verses 7-8) Remember, fellow Christ-follower, you know in Whom you have believed and trusted for eternity. You know His heart. You know of His love for you. You know He is able to guard your soul for eternity, so of course He is able to continue working through you to build His kingdom now. (verses 11-12) Don’t be ashamed and walk away from what He has called you into!

2) How does the phrase “not according to works” impact both saving and calling? (verse 9)
When we sit in the boat of everyday life, amid turmoil, grief, loss, discouragement, or even happiness, good times, and enjoyment in our relationships, we need the constant safety rails of knowing God saves for eternity and gives us divine purpose simply because HE has decided to do so. Not because of us. If our salvation depended on complete obedience to only a single command, we would still be damned forever. We are utterly imperfect. If you have been trying to follow Jesus, and do all the right things, and say all the good things, and stop saying or doing the wrong things, but still find yourself failing. TAKE HEART! God knows. He knows you will absolutely never be able to save yourself, become more like Him, win another soul to Christ, speak truth over another sister or brother, love your spouse like God loves them, stay away from lust, or cease from your own pet sins, HE KNOWS YOU CAN’T!!! Because He is so kind and good, merciful, and full of grace, He equips us with His own powerful Spirit to live inside of us and shape us to do His work and be saved for eternity. The more we read, study, and apply God’s Word to our lives, the more we open ourselves up to God’s Spirit working within us!

3) What has been “entrusted”, what is the “good deposit”, and how do we guard them? (verses 12 and 14)
Jesus poignantly asked, “For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his soul?” Every human life has been entrusted with a soul by the very author of Life, God Himself. What we do with that soul is our decision. As Jesus says in Mark 8:35, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it.”  Meaning, if we give over our life, our very soul, to God, it may seem like we are losing it, but in reality, it is being saved for eternity. Only the Author of a soul has the ability to maintain it and preserve it. The question we must ask ourselves is, “Who owns my soul”? If it is any other than the Lord Jesus Christ, our soul is currently in a state of lostness. The second question we must ask ourselves is how are we guarding what has been deposited in us? Maybe even taking time to assess, and ask ourselves, what “good teaching” has already been deposited in us. What do we think about God? Who do we believe Him to be? How do we view our lives? Who defines truth? What does love look like according to the Bible? We must line up our beliefs with the plumb line of Scripture, holding fast to truth, and discarding what is out of line with God’s Word. We guard this investment by continuing to pursue truth through Scripture study, and by prayerfully asking the Holy Spirit to teach us and lead us deeper into greater understanding of truth. Look for podcasts, sermons, books, and friends who consistently preach the gospel and expound the truths of the Bible, then guard those deposits!

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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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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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