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Known Day 3 Christos

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Known Day 3 Christos

Katelyn Palmer

July 12, 2023

Alive,Fullness,gentle,God,Identity,Jesus

Read His Words Before Ours!

John 10:11-18
Revelation 19:11-16
Hebrews 1:1-14

Titles are telling.
Sr. Jr. Sir. Madam. PHD. Mrs. Master. Dr. CEO.
A few simple letters before a name can tell us who is in charge, a person’s qualifications, their relationship status, or their generational rank.

Your name and title matter. When someone misspells or mispronounces your name, a little flag goes up inside, waving around saying, “Hey! You don’t know me.”

More than a few letters, God’s titles and names preserved in Scripture reveal much about His character, His heart, His purposes, and His person.

To skip His name, is to miss out on truly knowing Him.

Christos is Greek for “anointed” and is the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew word Mashiach, meaning Messiah. It is also the origin of the English word Christ, which identifies Jesus as the one sent from God to be King and Savior. 

From the beginning of Creation in the Old Testament to the glorious return of the Lord Jesus in Revelation, God consistently points us to the Sovereign Savior who would come to earth as the wholly divine, wholly human, Jesus Christ.
Here is God as Christos in action!

Genesis 3:15 is the first foretelling of an Anointed Messiah.
“I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your (Satan) head, and you will strike His heel.”
The Christos.
The Mashiach.
He would conquer sin and death by killing it once and for all.

Psalm 22:16-18 and Isaiah 53:5-6 each prophesy in detail of Jesus’ future death that would pay the sin-debt we owed. (John 20:25, Matthew 27:32-50)

In Noah’s ark we see refuge from God’s holy judgment discovered only in Jesus. (Genesis 6:17-18, 1 Peter 3:18-22)

Joseph pictures Christ as he is unjustly persecuted yet raised to a position of honor. (Genesis 37; Genesis 41:37-45)

Abraham is called to sacrifice his son just as Jesus would be sacrificed on the cross. Isaac even carried the wood for the burnt offering like our savior carried His cross. (Genesis 22:1-14)

Moses, born into poverty, called to intercede on behalf of his people as he leads them by God’s hand out of bondage (Exodus 2:1-10; Exodus 3:4-22), also pictures Jesus.
Every story speaks of the promised coming of Christos.

Through the brilliant lens of Scripture, we come to understand the title of Christos more fully. Jesus is…
Anointed as Savior of the world (Luke 2:11, 1 John 2:2)
Conqueror of sin and death (Isaiah 25:8, John 1:29, John 3:14-15)
Mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 9:14-15)

The Promised Mashiach of the Old Testament is the Reigning Christos of the New Testament!

It’s breathtaking to see a prophecy fulfilled, let alone hundreds of them in a singular person of Christ, but lest we misunderstand His name, we must remember He is no mere man, no angelic being, no greatly glorified, almost God-man, but the full manifestation of God Almighty in flesh.

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Hebrews 1:3)

Prior to Jesus’ physical arrival as a baby in Bethlehem, there are many Christophanies (an appearance or non-physical manifestation of Christ). One way we can spot these is through the designation of “the” Angel of the Lord, rather than “an” angel of the Lord as we read Old Testament passages. When reading, look for these distinctions between The Angel of the Lord and other created angels:
         1) The angel is identified as divine (Genesis 16:11-14; Exodus 3:1-6)
         2) The angel accepts worship (Joshua 5:13-15; Numbers 22:31; Judges 13:19-22)
         3) The angel speaks as God (Genesis 16:10; Genesis 22:15-18)

In understanding Christos, we are compelled to rightly respond to His distinct title as Promised Anointed Messiah who fulfilled every prophecy and rules and reigns today at the right hand of God.

We should respond to a Sovereign Savior with
Godly fear or awe,
obedience,
surrender,
deep gratitude and joy,
and adoring worship. 

Proverbs 1:7 tells us the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”
Godly fear is a reverence of God’s majesty, perfect righteousness, and sovereign grace. 

Obedience is a natural result of godly fear. (Philippians 2:12)
When we witness the majesty of our Lord, we recognize our own littleness; we are humbled that we might become holy as He is holy! (1 Peter 1:15)

In his book, “The Sovereignty of God,” A.W. Pink addresses the attitude of surrender we should all have toward God, “A true recognition of God’s sovereignty will avow God’s perfect right to do with us as He wills.” One unmistakable example of complete surrender to God’s will is found in 1 Samuel 3:11-18 when Samuel tells Eli the high priest that God will strike down his two sons for cursing Him. Eli responds in surrender, “‘He is the Lord. Let him do what he thinks is good.’”

Deep gratitude and joy is discovered as we intentionally choose worship while exercising our faith. A tested and steadfast faith (James 1:2-4) will give thanks for all things (Ephesians 5:20) and “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4).

We should offer adoring worship to the Creator of everything, the One who is sovereign over all, including us! A.W. Pink says it exquisitely once more, “The mere fact that God’s will itself is irresistible and irreversible fills me with fear, but once I realize that God wills only that which is good my heart is made to rejoice.”

When we correctly position our eyes on Christos, our Sovereign Savior, we are removed of our own selves and filled with a reverent fear of the Lord, which leads to complete obedience and surrender, upon which we are able to worship the King with deep gratitude and a joyful soul!

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Christ,God,Jesus,rescue,salvation,Savior,Trinity
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Jesus knows each one of us by name. He calls us and gently leads us individually the way we need to go. He takes time with each one of us and knows everything about us.

I am so grateful that Jesus knows my name. He knows my actions and detects when something isn’t right, because He is faithfully watching over my every step.
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Sketched XI Day 12 Wearied, Worn; Rested, Revived: Digging Deeper

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Sketched XI Day 12 Wearied, Worn; Rested, Revived: Digging Deeper

Rebecca Adams

July 4, 2023

Christ,Faith,Gospel,Grace,Holy Spirit,Prophecy,Reveal,Righteousness,Safe

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "Wearied, Worn; Rested, Revived"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 45:1-13

The Lord says this to Cyrus, his anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him and disarm kings, to open doors before him, and even city gates will not be shut:

2 “I will go before you and level the uneven places; I will shatter the bronze doors and cut the iron bars in two. 3 I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches from secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord. I am the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. 4 I call you by your name, for the sake of my servant Jacob and Israel my chosen one. I give a name to you, though you do not know me. 5 I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God but me. I will strengthen you, though you do not know me, 6 so that all may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is no one but me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. 7 I form light and create darkness, I make success and create disaster; I am the Lord, who does all these things.

8 “Heavens, sprinkle from above, and let the skies shower righteousness. Let the earth open up so that salvation will sprout and righteousness will spring up with it. I, the Lord, have created it. 9 “Woe to the one who argues with his Maker— one clay pot among many. Does clay say to the one forming it, ‘What are you making?’ Or does your work say, ‘He has no hands’? 10 Woe to the one who says to his father, ‘What are you fathering?’ or to his mother, ‘What are you giving birth to?’”

11 This is what the Lord, the Holy One of Israel and its Maker, says: “Ask me what is to happen to my sons, and instruct me about the work of my hands. 12 I made the earth, and created humans on it. It was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded everything in them. 13 I have stirred him up in righteousness, and will level all roads for him. He will rebuild my city, and set my exiles free, not for a price or a bribe,” says the Lord of Armies.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Who was Cyrus and why is he called God’s anointed one? (verse 1)

We can read of the same Cyrus mentioned here in Isaiah’s prophecy in our history books. Perhaps you recall learning of Cyrus the Great, a Persian ruler dating from 539-530 BC, in your world history class. If recalling his exploits is a bit challenging, the important aspect for this passage centers around his decision to free the Jewish exiles from Babylon.

Just as prophesied, Israel would remain in exile seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11) as punishment for their continued rebellion against the Lord their God who had freed them from slavery in Egypt and birthed them into a nation to fulfill a covenant He had cut with Abraham. (Genesis 15)

Contrary to how it may have seemed during exile, God had not abandoned them. His love for them, and His righteous jealousy that called them to worship only Him, was still actively present, guarding and protecting them while He arranged history to set His people free to return Home to Jerusalem at exactly the right time.

Who would free them? Ironically, a foreign Gentile king who didn’t know or worship the Lord God (verse 5), namely Cyrus the Great. God’s sovereignty and complete authoritative rule and reign over all things, peoples, and time as poetically described in verses 6-7, would anoint Cyrus to free His people from captivity.

The scene is one more “impossible” in a long string of “impossible-for-man” scenarios where the Lord’s arm of strength would be made known despite all apparent odds for He alone is the God of all possibility (Luke 1:37); nothing escapes His dominion.

The Everyday Application

1) Who was Cyrus and why is he called God’s anointed one? (verse 1)

It’s easy to wake up each day with narrowed tunnel vision of our existence, forgetting we are only one strand of the magnificent tapestry the Sovereign One is weaving. Lovingly, He who cares about every sparrow that falls and every strand of hair we’ve ever worn on our heads, deeply and intricately knows every aspect of our lives. He provides both free will and exercises sovereign control over all things; nothing escapes His dominion.

Like He used an unsuspecting foreign ruler to bring freedom to His people, speaking these prophetic words through His appointed mouthpiece of Isaiah 150 years before it would come to pass, the Lord uses us, our circumstances, and people and events and even creation and inanimate objects to point to His authoritative rule and reign. (Psalm 19:1-4, Luke 19:37-40) Bible teacher, R. C. Sproul, taught that there are no maverick molecules in the universe because the Lord is supremely sovereign.

This reality insists we re-examine the lens through which we view our everyday lives, our struggles, and our joys. Truth about God presses us to hold every aspect of our lives up to the Light of the God who is supremely powerful and all-loving as He guides both our individual daily stories as well as those of the ones around us.

Your “impossible” situation is just one more opportunity to evidence the power of the Lord God who used an unbeliever to make His name known to the ancient world and our own. (verse 6) How might He use your “impossible” to point others to Him, or maybe, even just you? Keep waiting on the Lord, Sister; He will never cease to be both sovereign and loving! (Psalm 27:13-14)

The Original Intent

2) What key message is revealed in verse 8 about God’s purposes?

Verse 8 acts as an anchor for the passage, providing an open window to peer into the mission of God’s heart. Yes, He holds all sovereign rule and reign over all things, but He never acts from a place of cruelty or self-seeking lusts for He alone is the God of all Righteousness.

Like the cloud of God’s presence descended to Mt. Sinai in order to commune with His people (Exodus 19:9-11), like the fire that fell from Heaven at Elijah’s faith-filled prayer (1 Kings 18:20-45), so God provides another reminder of the only Source of pure righteousness: Himself. He comes from above and descends like gentle, life-giving rain upon the world.

The result of soaking in the “rain” of His righteousness is salvation and, because of it, our sprouts of righteousness reflect God’s original righteousness back to Him. This is the “rain cycle” God intended!

He knew we would never be able to “climb the mountain of God”, for only those who are blameless and perfectly pure, being without sin, are able to accomplish this, which eliminates all of us. (Psalm 24:3-4)

Humanity will always chase itself and its own lusts and fleshly desires, eagerly sacrificing to “gods” we believe we can control, just as the 400 prophets of Baal did on Mt. Carmel where Elijah led a standoff between the One True God and the false “deity”. But this “competition” is no competition at all, for who can stand against the Lord God, the Holy and Righteous One? (Nahum 1:1-8) He will put all other false idols, and their worshippers, to shame! (verse 16)

The Everyday Application

2) What key message is revealed in verse 8 about God’s purposes?

The physical soil of the earth doesn’t have the freedom to choose whether it receives or rejects nurturing rain. It is a grace gift from the Lord for this rain to fall, a grace that was withheld for three years because King Ahab had led Israel into idol worship.

Christ was the fullness of God’s righteousness coming down from above, descending to offer us salvation. He offers eternal rescue from the just penalty of eternal death we deserve because we are a people of unclean lips and hearts; we are filthy with our sin. (Isaiah 64:6) Whether we’ve told a single white lie or committed murder, every sin qualifies us for eternal death because we are not perfectly righteous. (Romans 3:23)

While we earn death, Christ paid our death penalty by surrendering His life that we might be “bought back” from death to life! (Romans 6:23) Unlike the dry dust of the earth that simply must receive the gift of falling waters, we are given the freedom to choose grace. We may either accept or reject Christ’s righteousness for ourselves. If we agree with the Lord that we are sinners worthy of death and come to Him ready to turn away from a life of sin, His Spirit is deposited in us as a promised seal that we are His forever; none will be able to snatch us away. (John 10:27-30)

This Spirit of God cultivates our hearts, shaping us to be like Christ as He prunes away sin and whets our appetite for the things of God. (Romans 8:29, John 15:2) As we respond to the love God has poured out into our hearts by His Spirit (Romans 5:5), we sprout righteousness that reflects God’s righteousness back to Him. Like fresh blades of spring grass signal newness of life, so do our acts of righteousness signal to the world of a God who graciously gives new life. (verse 23)

The Original Intent

3) What prophecies are revealed in verse 13?

Verse 13 is pregnant with prophecies of the coming Cyrus, but beyond Him, to the coming Christ, carrying even jewels of our purpose as a Church as we follow Christ. Though Cyrus the Great had no intention of honoring and worshiping Israel’s God or walking justly in His ways, the Lord “stirred him up in righteousness” . (verse 13)

The Lord’s heart motives were righteous as He sought to free His people from exile and bring them Home to Jerusalem. The Lord used His righteousness to stir up Cyrus to act righteously. (Proverbs 21:1) In the same way, His Righteous Holy Spirit stirs us up to follow Him and walk in His ways together with all believers in Jesus in whom the Spirit dwells. This same Spirit was the Righteous motivation that fueled the Father to send the Son as a perfect sacrifice to offer for the sins of the world. (1 John 2:2)

Keep in mind, this prophecy from Isaiah was spoken 150 years before Cyrus decreed Israel could return to Jerusalem and nearly 700 years before Christ would come to earth. Israel hadn’t even been captured yet, and her temple was still intact, but her heart was desperately far from the Lord. Isaiah’s prophetic words pleaded with the people to return to the Lord that His judgement wouldn’t fall on them.

Verse 13 says the Lord would level the path before Cyrus so he would accomplish the Lord’s will. Hundreds of years later, another prophet, John the Baptist, was sent to fulfill more of Isaiah’s words that spoke of one (John the Baptist) who would come to prepare the way of the Lord by making a “straight highway for our God in the desert.” (Isaiah 40:3, Matthew 3:3)

The Everyday Application

3) What prophecies are revealed in verse 13?

Before John the Baptist came on the scene, the Lord used Cyrus the Great to foreshadow what would come right before “the glory of the Lord [would] appear (That’s Jesus!), and all humanity together will see it, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:5) Through Isaiah, the Lord said of Cyrus, “He will rebuild my city and set My exiles free, not for a price or a bribe[…]”. (verse 13)

Cyrus would send supplies and treasures to rebuild the temple, even returning items that had been taken during Israel’s capture. (Ezra 1:2-7) Cyrus would send Israel Home and would freely do it without being bribed or forced; he would respond to the stirring up of the Lord’s righteousness and would choose to act righteously.

In the same stunningly beautiful way, Christ, the jewel of Heaven, would give Himself by freely laying down His life to build the True Jerusalem, the Church, made up of believers from every generation and every nation in the world. Christ would come to set His people free from sin and death, freeing them to go Home and dwell with Him forever! (John 10:17-18)

When the Church lives out God’s heart on earth to point people to Him by using our lives to reflect His righteousness, we have joined with God Himself as co-laborers in His kingdom to bring the Lost without Jesus Home to be with Him in His family! (1 Corinthians 3:9)

Respond to God’s call of righteousness on your life, embrace His grace gift and reflect His righteousness to the people around you that they might see Christ in you!

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forgiveness,freedom,holy,life,perfect,righteousness,salvation
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Sketched XI, Day 11
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My hope has been crushed; I can no longer walk among the land of the living.

“I have had enough!” I wail to the cloud-laden heavens. Collapsing into the dust, I murmur a final prayer of despair.

“LORD, take my life, for I’m no better than my ancestors.” (1 Kings 19:4-5) I am wearied and worn. Let me sleep and not wake up.
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Mission Day 5 Living On Mission: Digging Deeper

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Mission Day 5 Living On Mission: Digging Deeper

Melodye Reeves

May 12, 2023

Bold,Courage,Faith,Gospel

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "Living On Mission"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 10:8-15

8 On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, 12 since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) To what is Paul contrasting when he states, “On the contrary”? (verses 8-10)

The apostle Paul was grieved by Israel’s rejection of Christ (Romans 9:30-32), apparent in his pleas for the Jewish people to receive the gospel he had come to confidently trust, believe, and preach. This chapter evidences his emotion regarding the lost condition of so many Jews. (verse 1)

As a nation, Israel had incorrectly rendered the Law as validation of a right relationship with God. Paul is writing to contrast that belief (that the Law saved) with the truth of the gospel (only Jesus saves). The salvation the Law offers is the realization no one can perfectly keep it! It is this recognition of our need for a Savior that helps us properly see ourselves. In verse 8, Paul quotes Moses (the one who gave God’s Law) as confirmation his teaching was not original to him. (Deuteronomy 30:14) Being made right with God only comes through faith in Him. It has always been this way.

This message was unpopular with Jews who believed the Law made someone righteous. At the time of his writing, a personal confession of Christ as Lord often resulted in persecution and/or death. A bold confession of faith in Christ was usually indicative of genuine faith. Paul did not intend to communicate that a condition for salvation was a public confession, but he was confirming that such a courageous declaration evidenced a change of heart. (verse 10)

The original Greek verbiage carries the idea of “confirming” with the mouth what has taken place in the heart and being thankful for it. (biblehub.com) A heart full of faith, and a confession of that faith, demonstrates an understanding of the inability of the Law to bring salvation.

The Everyday Application

1) To what is Paul contrasting when he states, “On the contrary”? (verses 8-10)

Studying a verse in its context is the essential element to rightly understanding all of Scripture. Digging into context (asking Who? What? When? Where? Why?) in the book of Romans is especially insightful and helpful. I’m so grateful for gifted teachers (Romans 12:7) who help us understand verses in their context.

But, friend, we can learn much about Paul’s purpose by simply reading and rereading the chapters ourselves. We can then pray for the Spirit to help us apply the truths we dig out of the passage. Reading through chapters 9 and 10 help us understand the intention of the apostle. We don’t need to make a public confession of Christ to earn our salvation any more than we need to do good works.

Confession of Christ and obedience to Him are the results of our genuine faith in Christ’s life, death and resurrection. The Jews confessed many things about God, but it is apparent from Matthew 27 that many of the Jewish leaders were in the habit of quoting the Scriptures while their hearts were far from God.

Shema (“hear”) is the Hebrew word that begins an important prayer in Judaism taken from the Old Testament. (Deuteronomy 6:4-7) How sadly ironic that the religious leaders of the day recited these verses without ever really hearing them in their hearts! Sister, may the desire of our hearts be like Paul’s, that our confession of Christ would be from a sincere heart that would inspire others to know God in their hearts and truly be saved!

The Original Intent

2) Paul had a very specific message to share everywhere he went; how is Paul’s purpose evident in verses 11-13?

Paul’s purpose for living was never far from his mouth or pen. God’s mission had become his mission. (Luke 19:9-10) There was only one condition for salvation, genuine faith in the LORD Jesus, specifically in His promises about our sure future. (Romans 10:9)

The promises of God are the basis of the believer’s assurance. In verse 12, Paul is referring to the blessing of being made right with God, a gift which was available to the Jew and Gentile. This reality was not based on a person’s religion or ethnicity but on God Himself! There is one LORD, the One who saves all who turn to Him in faith.

Notice Paul’s inclusive emphasis: everyone who believes, everyone who calls. Salvation is available to anyone and everyone who believes and confesses God is the only one who can deliver them.

Verse 13 is a quotation from Joel 2:32 and is also mentioned in Peter’s sermon in Acts 2:21. It is without doubt the apostle connects “calling on the name of the Lord” to Jesus Christ. It is one of many instances in which a New Testament writer confirms their belief in the deity of Jesus. Referring to the “name of the Lord” was a way Bible writers pronounced the authority and supremacy of God. (Proverbs 18:10, Psalm 20:1-5, 1 Corinthians 1:10)

“There is not one God to the Jews, more kind, and another to the Gentiles, who is less kind; the Lord is a Father to all men. The promise is the same to all who call on the name of the Lord Jesus as the Son of God, as God manifests in the flesh.” (biblehub.com) God’s mission and message is unchanging, THE LORD of all wants the world to be saved! (2 Peter 3:8-9)

The Everyday Application

2) Paul had a very specific message to share everywhere he went; how is Paul’s purpose evident in verses 11-13?

In Acts 2:21, Peter made an appeal from Joel 2:32 in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost for the same reason Paul does. They both wanted to make known the gospel’s availability to everyone. Commissioned to take the good news of Jesus mainly to the Gentiles, Paul was well-qualified for the mission.

I have loved seeing how God uses certain people in situations that are suited just for them to share Jesus. Paul was an educated man, well-trained in Jewish Law while also possessing a working understanding of Roman and Greek culture so as to engage Gentiles. Paul’s training as a Pharisee, as well as his Roman citizenship, allowed him access and privileges that gave him opportunities to share the gospel everywhere! The Lord specifically chose Paul to be on mission to the Gentiles to show His offer of salvation to all people. Isn’t that beautiful?

Sister, can you see how God has shaped and equipped you specifically for a certain mission?  This passage challenges us to pray for a heart like Paul’s that desires people to call on the name of the Lord.

We plead with God for their salvation, and we trust Him to give us words to say as we engage in conversations about the hope we have in Christ Jesus. Our desire is for people to know the Lord as we know Him, so that on the day of judgment they will not be put to eternal shame and judgment. We also want to be faithful to honor Christ by sharing Him on every occasion God gives us! (Philippians 1:18-20)

The Original Intent

3) Is it essential for a person to hear the gospel message to be saved? (verses 14-15)

Paul sets forth these questions: 1) How can they call on Him they have not believed in? 2) How can they believe without hearing about Him? 3) How can they hear without a preacher? 4) How can they preach unless they are sent? Based on the context, these questions have an implied answer of “they can’t.”

Paul has previously stated in his letter to the Romans that people are accountable to God whether they have heard about Him or not. (Romans 1:18-21) So, it’s important to rightly understand Paul’s motive for asking these questions. As we have learned, all who call on the Lord Jesus are saved from being shamed (Romans 10:11) in God’s presence when He judges the world. (Hebrews 9:27-28) The reason for the emphasis on all is because all need saving.

Do you remember in the beginning when sin entered the garden and humans found themselves sent away from the perfect environment God had given them? (Genesis 3) Their understanding of sin was seen in their shame. The dilemma for humanity is that no one escapes the corrupt condition in which we find ourselves due to rebellion against our Creator. (Romans 3:21-24, 1 John 1:8-10)

If it were not for God’s grace, all would be separated from God forever. Only God could fix what was broken by sin and disobedience. Thankfully, He was willing to do so! (Romans 5:9-14) But it is essential we understand our need lies in the extreme deficiency in our own ability to save ourselves. Only in acknowledging our incapability to be our own savior will we see our need for God’s grace.

We must be told the bad news so we can receive the good news. And that’s why it is indeed essential to hear the gospel message for us to be saved from ourselves!

The Everyday Application

3) Is it essential for a person to hear the gospel message to be saved? (verses 14-15)

Scripture teaches that people are put in certain places, ordained by God, in order for them to seek and find Him. (Acts 17:26-27) Paul told us that many people have rejected God by dismissing what they have heard or what is clearly seen about Him in nature. (Romans 1:18-21) Sometimes this causes confusion about our mission.

But instead of using our efforts and time in debates about the end of time or the eternal destiny of those in nations who have never heard, we believers should be doing our best to make sure they do hear. Jesus left His disciples (that includes you and me) with a mission while also giving us His Spirit to empower us in that mission! (Acts 1:7-8)

Since the Scriptures tells us people reject the knowledge of God revealed in nature, may we be motivated to pray for unbelieving hearts to be open to His revelation. Dear Sister, if we have been saved by God’s grace, we will desire to see the salvation of others through Jesus Christ. Those who don’t know God personally will face an eternity separated from Him. We have a mission to encourage people to call on the name of the Lord.

Because,
unless we go, there will be no preacher;
and unless there’s a preacher, they won’t hear;
and without hearing about Jesus, they have not opportunity to believe in Him;
and if they don’t believe in Him, how will they call on Him to save them?!

As Isaiah the prophet first declared and then Paul repeated: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news! (Isaiah 52:7) Paul’s life’s purpose was to preach Jesus Christ to THEM! (1 Corinthians 9:16) May it be our burden and delight as it was his!

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Mission Day 5
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The new disciples would then make more disciples, spreading the message far and wide, to the ends of the earth, generation after generation.

They were given a mission. Though we didn’t walk the dusty roads of ancient Israel alongside Christ, we, too, are disciples. His words were recorded for a reason because we’ve also been assigned these instructions.

Often, we think of “missions” as traveling to a distant land to deliver sermons and meet physical needs. Intimidating visions of missionaries living far from the comforts of home persuade us to stick to something safer.
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Mission Day 1 Praying For Purpose

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Mission Day 1 Praying For Purpose

Carol Graft

May 8, 2023

Jesus,Joy,Purpose,Redemption,Relationship,Rescue

Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 9:35-38
Matthew 28:16-20
1 John 3
Daniel 7:13-14
Psalm 96

“Jesus came near [to His disciples] and said, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 26:18-20)

Following His death and resurrection, Jesus opens this discourse in Matthew 28:18 by reminding His disciples, “All authority has been given to me[.]” Even in this last appearance before ascending to heaven, He confirms His identity yet again by fulfilling the prophet Daniel’s prophecy about the Son of Man establishing an “everlasting dominion.” (Daniel 7:13-14) For those familiar with Hebrew Scripture’s prophecies of the Messiah, what an impossible yet glorious moment this must have been! 

This wasn’t the first time Jesus had commissioned His followers based on His authority. When teaching, preaching, and healing, Matthew 9:35-38 tells us Jesus was moved with compassion for the people. Comparing their widespread, desperate need for a savior to a harvest groaning to be collected, He asked His disciples to pray to the Lord of the Harvest. “Lord” is translated from the Greek kyrios, meaning authority. As the One who possesses all authority in heaven and on earth, He commissions His followers as workers to reap an abundant harvest.  

What does it mean to be commissioned by Jesus, often called being “on mission”? Every believer is called to a mission field whether it’s abroad, in our homes, our workplaces, our neighborhoods, or even our churches. Jesus calls us to be His missionaries. (Mark 13:10, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:46-48)

Scholar, theologian, and bishop N.T. Wright asserts, “The church’s task is to proclaim the Lord Jesus, to summon people to follow him with faithful allegiance, to nurture believers so that they become holy disciples […]” (The New Testament In Its World) 

Mr. Wright cautions those on Christ’s mission to avoid arrogantly thinking we can build the kingdom as he explains we are builders for the kingdom. Christ already paid the price and will re-establish His kingdom when He returns; our role is to reflect the love, peace, and joy exemplifying the new creations that Christ followers become. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Early apostle and preacher, Paul, expressed similar encouragement in his letter to the church at Galatia. (Galatians 5:22-26) We are image-bearers of Christ (Genesis 1:26-27), reflecting Him to our world. This mission isn’t just to get people to Heaven, but to show them the grace and hope they can have as believers while they still inhabit the earth. 

This is why we pray for a mission.
Pray to our Lord of the Harvest,
who sees the fields ripe and needing workers. 
Pray for workers, 
pray for a field to work in, 
pray for open doors and divine appointments to share the Gospel.

Such prayer aligns our minds and hearts with God’s. If we aren’t in alignment with His purpose, then we can fall into a trap of thinking it’s all about us. If our mission isn’t God-led, we easily become self-absorbed and proud and God gets no glory. We also run the risk of being all about the numbers, rather than reflecting Christ’s unconditional love.

Just as Jesus redeemed and discipled His first followers, giving them grace and lavish love, so too is our mission to point to redemption through Jesus, then disciple believers. No one is beyond the reach of God: not our supervisor at work, not our in-laws, not our grumpy neighbors, not our children. It is our job as believers to show love and grace to others, telling them the wonderful news of freedom and eternal life in Christ. (John 5:24)

Twenty centuries later, the teachings of Christ and the Word of God (Scripture) still matter. There are still souls to be saved (by God) and nurtured (by us) . . . even our own. 

If you don’t yet know of the unconditional love of Christ, it’s there for the asking!
Truly.
Repentance is simply acknowledging the sin in your life, and your desire to turn away from it. When we repent, ask for forgiveness, and accept Christ’s love for us, He will continue His sweet work within us, and invite us into partnership on His mission, for the rest of our lives. 

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Mission Day 2
Digging Deeper

There is no list of rules or behaviors I can follow to prove my holiness, or right the wrongs I’ve committed.

I am a sinner, and I know this because God’s law shows me what sin is.

But Jesus Christ, the son of the living God, came to earth as a man. He lived a perfect, sinless life, then laid down his life when he was crucified on a cross to pay the price for my sins and the sins of all people, was buried in a tomb and was resurrected to bodily life three days later.
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Confidence Day 15 Confidence In Identity: Digging Deeper

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Confidence Day 15 Confidence In Identity: Digging Deeper

Melodye Reeves

May 5, 2023

Believe,Beloved,Confession,Faith,Family,Fellowship,Forgiven,Freedom

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "Confidence In Identity"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 John 5:18-21

18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the one who is born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true one. We are in the true one—that is, in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.
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The Original Intent

1) Does verse 18 teach that believers no longer sin nor are tempted?

Using the current vernacular within religious circles, a ‘believer’ is someone who has become convinced of Jesus’ testimony and deity. 1) They have believed what Jesus said about Himself and 2) they have received forgiveness for their sins through His death and resurrection. (John 1:11-13) “Everyone who has been born of God“ refers to believers.

The previous verses give us context that John is writing this letter for believers. [Sidenote: The sentence structure of verse 18 is debated. Some translators believe “the one” in the middle of the verse refers to Jesus; see verse 20. The ambiguous wording in the original Greek doesn’t change John’s point.]

John is writing to remind and assure the believer about the eternal salvation that comes with personally knowing Jesus. (1 John 4:13-17) In identifying with Christ, a person becomes motivated to submit to the Father just as He did. (Philippians 2:5-13)

John is not saying that a believer becomes sinless or perfect, and he is aware that questions may arise about sin in the life of a believer. He addresses these by stating that sin will be part of our lives until we are completely remade. (1 John 1:8-2:6 1 John 5:16-17)  Although sin remains part of the human condition, even for true believers, there will be an aversion to sin when Christ comes into our lives. At the moment of reconciliation to God, God’s Spirit moves in and begins to fill places that were previously occupied with sinful motives.

We could say it this way: Our salvation is currently in the works. (Philippians 1:6) John’s emphasis was not on the sins we are sure to commit, but on the Christ whose power helps us say ‘no’ to sin. (1 John 4:4,  Colossians 3:1-3) The gift of eternal life is not dependent on our perfection. (John 10:28)

The Everyday Application

1) Does verse 18 teach that believers no longer sin nor are tempted?

The apostle Paul has a testimony for us: “The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature [flesh].

I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it … I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power [law] within me that is at war with my mind.

This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me?!” (Romans 7:14-24, NLT)

Oh Sister, do I know this struggle! Don’t you? But thanks be to God, we are NOT left in this condition! (Romans 7:25) The process of sanctification (less sin rule, more Spirit reign) occurs as we walk with Jesus through the knowledge of His word and through prayer.

Submission to the Father’s will begins to feel more like home than sin does. The habitual practice of sin will noticeably diminish as we identify ourselves with Christ. It is in this process we find comfort and assurance. (1 John 3:24, Galatians 5:16-26)

The Original Intent

2) Do all believers live always and only for God while the whole world lives always and only for the evil one [Satan]? (verse 19)

The answer to this question is a complicated Yes. Since humans should be slow to use terms with a high degree of certitude, words such as ‘always and only’ are largely reserved for God. The reality, though, is nothing can keep a true believer away from spending eternity with God. We are sealed in Him forever. (Ephesians 1:11-14)

A believer’s new identity is established through Christ’s righteousness, not our own goodness. We are finally and ultimately covered by His blood which secures our destiny. (1 John 1:7) Yet with this being our sure future, we will struggle in our humanity until our earthly life is finished. Paul knew this struggle with sin all too well. (Romans 7:14-25)

So even though we are “for God” it’s a complicated yes. The world, on the other hand, is ruled by Satan. In the New Testament, “world” most often refers to the humans who inhabit the earth and live apart from God’s purposes. (Greek kósmos; preceptaustin.org) Knowing the world refers to a world system ruled by Satan, believers recognize we are not obligated to live the world’s way.

As we are being transformed into Christlikeness (taking on His identity), our worldly affections lessen. After someone is saved, sin shifts from affecting their eternity with God to bringing awareness of their humanity and dependence on Him for spiritual growth. God deals with our sin differently once we have repented and trusted in Christ’s finished work. (John 17:1-4)

Though holiness is the aim of the believer, we will still sin. Falling short of God’s standard turns our gaze to the mercy of God. Though none deserve to be identified with Christ, we are “of God” because He is gracious and good. (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

The Everyday Application

2) Do all believers live always and only for God while the whole world lives always and only for the evil one [Satan]? (verse 19)

It’s hard to deny the reality of John’s teaching in this letter. (1 John) Whether we want to think about it or not, the people we pass everyday are either of God or of the evil one. (verse 19) The great news is that it is not up to us to be good enough to receive the grace of God and enter into His forever kingdom. God has given us eternal life through Jesus, His Son. (1 John 5:1)

It is HIS goodness that brings us into a forever relationship with our Father God. John wasn’t attempting to confuse the readers. He wanted to assure them! Dear Sister, are you experiencing doubt because you struggle with God’s plan for your life? Do you read and study His word only to be more confused and discouraged?

I want you to hear this word from John: You can know you are of God and in Christ Jesus as you depend on the Spirit of God to provide peace. The new nature we have compels us to live in righteousness. We may stumble into sin at times, but we won’t stay there because we can’t survive there. The enemy of our souls, the evil one, wants nothing more than to keep you weighed down with guilt and shame over your sin. He does not want us to regularly practice what John says in 1 John 1:9. I encourage you to do it anyway! The sooner we come to God with our sin, the sooner we gain relief.

His mercy drenches us with peace. Let’s allow the Holy Spirit access to every area of our lives. When we see evidences of Jesus, we are reminded that we live in a different world now.

The Original Intent

3) If we know “we are in the true One”, what is the basis for such confidence? (verse 20)

If someone were to read the five chapters in 1 John in segments rather than as a whole, the topic of obedience would possibly stand out. The subject is woven throughout the paragraphs of the letter. However, reading the entire book at one time (as if you were reading a letter) reveals something about John’s purpose.

Obedience is evidence of salvation, but the motivation for obedience is even more important to consider. John wanted the reader to have assurance of their relationship with God based on their continual practice of abiding in Him. So much so, he uses a form of the word “know” approximately 40 times. There was something going on behind the scenes in the lives of these believers that caused John to write to them and urge them to remain confident. (1 John 2:24-26, 1 John 3:5-7)

If anyone can inspire confidence about Jesus, it’s John. He had seen and heard and touched Him! (1 John 1:1-4) His joy would be complete if they too recognized Jesus and were walking in fellowship with Him. The basis for his confidence was everything he had witnessed up-close and personal with Jesus. Consider Luke 5:1-11, Luke 8:40-56, Luke 9:28-36, John 20:1-9 and last but definitely not least Luke 24:36-40.

John had come to know something: Jesus was the “True One” and His real life was the reason John wrote with certainty. A forever truth is that eternal life is promised to everyone who believes in the Son of God. Remaining in the love of God results in genuine obedience and even more so, deep assurance.

The Everyday Application

3) If we know “we are in the true One”, what is the basis for such confidence? (verse 20)
Satan knows enough to know that when we confess our sin, God will forgive us. The lie of the evil one has never changed, “Did God really say…?” (Genesis 3:1) I want you to KNOW, Friend, He will forgive those who come to Him.

Tim Keller said God has obligated Himself to forgive us if we ask. He would be acting unjustly if He didn’t. “We do not have to make ourselves suffer in order to merit forgiveness. We simply receive the forgiveness earned by Christ. 1 John 1:9 says God forgives us because He is ‘just.’ This is a remarkable statement! It would be unjust of God to ever deny us forgiveness, because Jesus earned our acceptance! In religion we earn forgiveness with our repentance, but in the gospel we just receive it.” (All Life is Repentance, Tim Keller)

When we are in “the True One” we have confidence that God will not hold our sin against us. We are confident because our identity is now in Christ. Author Paul David Tripp encourages believers to “stop looking at yourself in carnival mirrors.” A carnival mirror distorts who we really are. It can be funny except when it isn’t!

Our image is misleading when we see only our sin, or ourselves from a worldly view, or if the devil is whispering other lies in our ears. Sister, beloved in Christ, we are not “beloved” because of who we are or what we do. Even our obedience falls short of His glory. (Titus 3:4-7)

We are “beloved” because we are in Christ. That’s it. That is why, with all confidence, we can declare to our doubt and fear, “You are Lies!” We know the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so we may know the True One.

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Confidence Day 15
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Are you sure? I admit I’ve asked this question more times than is necessary.

There’s something about someone’s certainty that elicits doubt in me. (And I realize where that comes from! Hint: Genesis 3:1) But the apostle John had come to confidently know what he knew about Jesus, and he wrote a message of assurance to his friends.

Due to my skeptical lens, I missed the beauty of his epistle when I first read it years ago. The word “if” – appearing more than 20 times in the CSB translation – led me to a misunderstanding of John’s intent. Maybe it’s just me, but that’s not usually a word of certainty in my conversations. It’s a conditional word. Oh friend, I’m so thankful John had something else in mind!
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Confidence Day 6 Confidence In Our Rescue

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Confidence Day 6 Confidence In Our Rescue

Malinda Fugate

April 24, 2023

Believe,Beloved,Faith,Follow,Forgiven,Freedom

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 John 1:9-2:11
1 John 2:13-14
1 John 3:24
Psalm 18:16-19
James 2:14-26

“This is how we know that we know Him: if we keep His commands. The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and yet doesn’t keep His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in Him. But whoever keeps His word, truly in Him the love of God is made complete. This is how we know we are in Him: The one who says he remains in Him should walk just as He walked.”
(1 John 2:3-6)

John, a friend and apostle of Jesus, penned his letter to believers who were facing difficulties. Navigating persecution and false teachers strained their faith, bringing doubts and questions into their hearts. Unlike John, these followers had not personally walked with Jesus many years before. How could they believe in One they could not see? How did they know the salvation He promised was true?

Our own hearts ask these questions as we walk by faith instead of by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) We trust a Savior we haven’t yet seen with our eyes, all the while learning what it means to follow Him. We find ourselves trying to live in the hope of His promises while life’s difficulties pull us toward doubt. When so much of faith is unseen, how can we know with certainty that we are truly saved by Christ?

John points to obedience as evidence we know God. However, if we look at these few verses without context, we might mistakenly assume the equation is simple: follow God’s commands and then be saved. However, our achievement of divine tasks does not earn our salvation. Instead, as preacher and teacher Paul writes to the early Ephesian believers, we are saved by God’s grace, which is not based on our merit.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! […] For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:4-5, 8-9)

Through childhood, awards assured me I had achieved victory while trophies testified to my triumphs. They were tangible evidence of talent and skill. They proved a great achievement happened, lest memories fade. They reassured an insecure girl who believed her worth was measured by success and love must be earned. Unfortunately, I also thought the amount of God’s love for me depended on how well I upheld His rules. 

Yet, as I read Scripture, God told me the truth! We are forgiven through Christ’s death and resurrection as He took the consequences of our sin on the cross. (1 Corinthians 15:1-8) Once and for all, He saved us. Nothing we do accomplishes this, only the grace of God. 

So why does John urge us to follow the Lord’s commands so we know Him and are confident in our salvation?

The apostle James discusses faith and works in James 2:14-26 . He explains our acts of obedience do not save us, but instead, our actions are both a natural and necessary result of our faith. It’s not obedience that leads to salvation; rather, salvation leads to obedience. 

“[Jesus said] ‘If you love me, you will keep my commands.’” (John 14:15)

“The one who keeps His commands remains in Him, and He in him. And the way we know that He remains in us is from the Spirit He has given us.” (1 John 3:24)

When we are filled with the love of God, our desire is to live and love like Christ. The Holy Spirit in us enables us to fulfill His instructions. This life of love in action demonstrates that yes, it’s true, we certainly do know Christ. We don’t need a certificate of salvation or a trophy to prove we achieved God’s forgiveness. Every day we follow Him reassures us we do know Him, that we are in Him.

With this confidence in His salvation, what commands must we follow? 

John tells the early believers, and us, to share God’s love. 

“God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His one and only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.” (1 John 4:9-11)

In Romans 13:8-10, Paul explains how loving one another fulfills the law, summing up all other commandments. Our love for others is an overflow of the love God pours into us. By living out Christ’s love, “we walk just as He walked.” When we are transformed and equipped by the Holy Spirit to love our neighbors, we know we are in Him, and we can rest in the confidence of His rescuing grace.

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Confidence Day 7
Digging Deeper

The gift that God gives is not from this world. It isn’t anything that we can work for or boast about but rather only comes from knowing Him.

His grace is given and in faith we accept it. It has been there since Christ died on the cross and rose again on the third day, but we have to be willing to take the free gift.
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Steadfast Day 13 Death, Where Is Your Sting?

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Steadfast Day 13 Death, Where Is Your Sting?

Bethany McIlrath

April 12, 2023

Heaven,Hope,Life,Love,Resurrection

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Corinthians 15:51-56
Romans 6:20-23
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
Hosea 13:4, 14

Call me morbid, but the first time I heard the famous song, “Live Like You Were Dying,” I thought, “Well . . . we are.” We are all dying, day by day, until we wind up in the grave or Jesus comes back again. 

The aim of the song, of course, is to encourage people to make the most of their lives. It’s a good goal, but believers have an even better one: to live like death isn’t the end of our stories. 

The passage we’ve been studying in this Journey Theme, 1 Corinthians 15, leads us to this truth: eternity as reality changes our future and our present. 

It’s true we are all dying. As Romans 6:23 explains, “the wages of sin is death.” Day by day, as we sin and are affected by sin, we pay up. We get wrinkly. We develop more aches. We experience the consequences of sin and they wear us down.

But praise God, death isn’t where the verse, or our experience, ends.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Death’s sting of sin was removed when Christ rose from the grave, robbing death of its superpower: permanence. He gives us eternity, not death. He promises and gifts us life, and death can’t do a thing about it. 

“I will ransom them from the power of Sheol [death].
I will redeem them from death.
Death, where are your barbs?Sheol, where is your sting?”
(Hosea 13:14)

Unable to hold us forever, death is only a stopgap for those who die before Christ’s return.  It can’t do its worst – like corrupting our bodies, decaying our flesh, and wasting us away – forever. Death’s effects will not last for those found in Christ.

Those whom death has claimed, but who trusted Christ while they were living, will be raised. And death won’t even get the sting accompanying a brutal fight, because Christ has already won. (1 Corinthians 15:57) So it will be just a moment, just a twinkling of the eye, just the sound of the trumpet, and – BAM – “the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:52)

Death will be undone (sorry not sorry, Death!), and the good news keeps going.
“For this corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:53) We’ll have new bodies equipped for the new heaven and new earth, built to last forever.

When this happens, we’ll be able to look back and say, “dying was only dying, but THIS is living” as we experience more joy, peace, and love in the literal presence of Christ than if we’d lived our best lives on earth. 

Of course, the reality of eternity isn’t just about the future.
How we live in the present matters.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 reminds us when Jesus comes, those who are still alive will get to see the dead rise before they “will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” 

Imagine that scene happens today. Who will you see rise to the Lord, and who will remain, unsaved, forever in the grave dug by their own sins? (John 8:24) We have work to do today. We must live today like our unsaved loved ones are dying by calling them to life in Christ!

Further, we are called to encourage each other today with the reality of Christ’s return and eternity with Him. (1 Thessalonians 4:18) When we are weary, when our bodies are paying the wages of sin, when we grieve and feel more loss than victory, we have this hope in Jesus. 

We have this reality more certain than death: we will have eternal life with God. So we are strengthened to “be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)

Look forward, friends, to the day when our labor for the Lord in sharing the good news with the lost and building up fellow believers is rewarded, not with the wages of sin, but with the prize of heaven! 

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Steadfast Day 14
Digging Deeper

Paul describes a time when the dead in Christ shall rise and inhabit glorified bodies (1 Thessalonians 4:16), and those Christians still living will be changed instantly, transformed into eternal, glorified bodies that God has promised. (Philippians 3:21)

This will take place when the last trumpet sounds.
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March 27 - April 14, 2023 - Journey Theme #116

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Steadfast Day 11 To Be Revealed…

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Steadfast Day 11 To Be Revealed…

Sara Cissell

April 10, 2023

Alive,Mercy,Mighty,Rescue,Resurrection,Sacrifice

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Corinthians 15:45-50
2 Corinthians 5:20-21
John 3:16-17
Psalm 90:3-6

The natural speaks of the supernatural.

I love it when the Lord uses His creation to help me comprehend His Word. Today I had one such sweet epiphany as my mind caught a glimmer of what I can look forward to in heaven. 

In 1 Corinthians 13, we are reminded, “we know in part” and “we see only a reflection as in a mirror.” We can’t grasp heaven with our earthly brains. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit helps us translate until we reach heaven. 

So what natural elements did the Holy Spirit use today? 

A Ferris wheel and my daughter. 

My daughter recently visited the pediatrician and we discovered her height is in the 96th percentile. Now, my husband and I are tall. In fact, while pregnant we lovingly joked we were having a giraffe, so I wasn’t shocked by her measurements.

What did shock me, however, was a tangible application of her height. We had recently visited Scheels, a sporting goods store whose claim to fame is a Ferris wheel found in the center of the stores. 

My husband and I look forward to taking our daughter for her first Ferris wheel ride, and on this day, we were surprised to discover our nine-month-old daughter only needs to grow 6 inches before she can participate!

But she cannot ride it now. 

In that moment, the Holy Spirit quietly whispered the concept of 1 Corinthians 15:45-50 to my heart. 

My daughter cannot ride now because she does not meet the requirements needed to gain access. She may be incredibly close, but still falls short (pun intended). 

Similarly, citizens of first century Corinth refuted the idea of resurrection, claiming earthly bodies fall short (pun still intended) of worthiness to exist in a heavenly realm. In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul initially agrees with their premise (although not their conclusion!), referring to our earthly bodies as “natural,” “corruptible,” made of “dust,” suited only for life on earth. (1 Corinthians 15:46-48, 53) Physical bodies, Paul goes on to explain, are in the type of Adam, who “became a living being.” (1 Corinthians 15:45)

“Then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life in his nostrils, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7)

Here, however, Paul’s argument shifts as he elucidates for the Corinthians that followers of Christ will be resurrected to spiritual bodies. (1 Corinthians 15:44-46) Our resurrected, spiritual bodies will be in the type of Jesus, often called the second or “last Adam,” who is “a life-giving spirit [. . .] from heaven.” (1 Corinthians 15:45, 47)

Romans 8 confirms, “[T]he law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did [. . .] 

You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you [. . .] 
Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.” (Romans 8:2-3, 9-10, emphasis mine)

Friends, if the Spirit of God lives within us, we are living in the in-between. 

Here on earth, we live in our physical bodies, which are passing away, much as a seed planted in the ground appears to die. (1 Corinthians 15:42-44) Yet we look forward, with great joy and anticipation to the day when new life springs forth from that dead seed. This is the hope (read: solid assurance) of our resurrection to incorruptible, spiritual bodies as heirs to the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 15:50)

In Scripture, we see some examples of others walking in the in-between. 

After spending time in the Lord’s presence, Moses’ physical body radiated the glory of God’s spirit. (Exodus 34:29-35)

Repentant as he hung on a cross next to Jesus, a guilty convict received the promise of spiritual resurrection, even as his physical body died slowly and brutally. (Luke 23:40-43) 

On the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus’ disciples had a glimpse into the spiritual realm, witnessing a transfigured Jesus speaking with Elijah and Moses. The disciples were dazzled and terrified as their physical bodies beheld spiritual beings. (Mark 9:2-8)  

From these stories, we learn our heavenly selves do not carry our physical bodies and sinful histories into heaven. 

Instead, Jesus grants us spiritual access, and eventual spiritual bodies, through His righteousness, which we can experience now through His crucifixion and resurrection.

This is how we inherit the kingdom of heaven
when we place the full weight of our trust
on Christ’s sacrifice,
offered on our behalf for every sin
we’ve committed against God. 

I am humbled as I write this, reminded Jesus died to take my sin in order to enable me to spend eternity with Him (John 3:16), to someday trade this earthly body for a spiritual one.

In light of this hope, we can walk through the in-between with the steadfastness Paul urges in 1 Corinthians 15:58, inviting others to join us on the journey as we anticipate heaven! 

May we rejoice in the heavenly life the Lord is preparing for us and seek to bring Him glory along the journey. 

“I think earth, if chosen instead of Heaven, will turn out to have been, all along, only a region in Hell; and earth, if put second to Heaven, to have been from the beginning a part of Heaven itself.”     
-CS Lewis

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eternity,hope,Rescued,salvation
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There is a dichotomy in the image of the man of the dust and the image of the man of heaven.

Dust reaps death, is hostile towards God, and does not submit to the law of God. The man of the dust is separated from God and has a mind set on things of the flesh.

The eternity of those who continue in the image of the man of the dust are excluded from God.
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Surrender Day 15 A New Life: Digging Deeper

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Surrender Day 15 A New Life: Digging Deeper

Multiple Authors

February 10, 2023

Christ,Digging Deeper,Excuses,Forgiven,Trust,Truth

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "A New Life"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Mark 8:34-38

34 Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 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. 36 For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? 37 What can anyone give in exchange for his life? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What is the wider context of this passage?

When studying Scripture, it’s helpful to investigate the author’s purpose through a wide-angle lens of his writings to better understand his intent and audience. The gospel author, Mark, shines a spotlight on pivotal moments of Jesus’ life to underscore both His humanity and His divinity. Jesus is the “Son of Man” as well as the “Promised Messiah”.

In chapter 8, we see the very human need for food and sight. Jesus uses these common experiences, and their painful lack thereof as experienced by the blind man and the hungry crowds, to showcase His divine authority over all things. In pointed contrast, Jesus’ recorded exchange between Himself and the Pharisees who repeatedly rejected the truth of Jesus’ identity, is used to demonstrate their spiritual blind eyes who refuse to see the Christ standing face-to-face with them.

In contrast to the learned Pharisees, the fisherman, Peter, has discovered the truth for himself. When Jesus asks His disciples who they believe Him to be, emboldened Peter announces, “You are the Messiah.” (Mark 8:29)

On the heels of Peter’s declaration of Christ as the long-awaited promised Messiah King, Jesus “began to teach them that it was necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things and be rejected (…), be killed, and rise after three days.” (Mark 8:31)

Passionately, Peter denies his King should die! (Mark 8:32) Just as presumed political victory was within his sight, Peter angrily throws in the towel and, in essence, insists Jesus’ willing death to be outrageous.

Unknowingly, Peter’s vehemence opens the door for Jesus to explain that following Him, truly trusting in Him as the Son of Man and God the Son, will inevitably result in the price tag of suffering and death.

The Everyday Application

1) What is the wider context of this passage?

God didn’t manifest Himself in the way Peter expected, or the Pharisees, or the crowds. If we’re honest, we have our own expectations of who God is, how He should act, and what rescue looks like.

Christ consistently confronted Peter, the crowds, and Pharisees, pushing back on their expectations and providing them with truth instead. Their response makes all the difference. The Pharisees insisted Jesus’ representation of Himself as the “I AM” God was absolutely ludicrous. They rejected Him and paid the price of eternity apart from Him. The simple fisherman, though passionately protesting at several points along his journey, kept pressing into who Jesus claimed Himself to be. Peter chose belief while the Pharisees chose rejection.

Each of us face the same wrestling match as we investigate the claims of Jesus. Will we, like Peter, name Christ as our Lord and surrender everything, even our lives? Or, like the Pharisees, will we hold onto our pretentious ideas of an idyllic “god” made in our own image, reject the God of the Bible, and spend eternity dead and separated from the God of Love?

Jesus calls us to look beyond the miracles and open our once-blind-eyes to “see” the relationship He wants with us. He invites us to “see” our desperate need for a Savior. When we choose Christ, we choose the richest of all inheritances for He offers abundant eternal life after death and His sweet presence in this temporary life.

Let’s not become distracted like the crowds who sought the Miracle Worker, but ignored the Savior of our souls.

The Original Intent

2) What does it mean to take up your cross and follow Jesus? (verse 34)

To understand this phrase, which lands as so strange to our modern ears, it is essential we return to the first audience and understand what came to their mind’s eye. In New Testament times, the cruelest punishment for crimes against Rome was the grotesque torture of crucifixion. It was intended to send an inescapable message, “Don’t Mess With Rome”.

Crucifixion was humiliating, shameful, and cruel. Naked criminals carried their own death tool upon their shoulders as they were paraded through the city to its outskirts so all could see their shame and be assured Rome held all authority. Eventually, crucifixion victims died, not of the nails piercing their flesh as the whole weight of their bodies hung suspended by iron posts, but of asphyxiation. The only way they could grasp another breath was to push up on the nails in their feet so their lungs could expand. When they became too exhausted to do this, they suffocated. This whole process could span several horrific days of torture if they were not badly whipped beforehand as Jesus was.  

As gruesome and inhumane as this was, we must also remember it was not simply their bodies that could not be hidden, it was the guilt of their crime. It was not merely a cross they carried, it was their shame and sin. What a horrific portrait of our own consequence of sin! We won’t be crucified for our sin, but unless we accept Jesus’ paid-in-full gift for the debt we owe, we will experience an eternity even more grim and full of despair than a criminal heading to Golgotha.

The Everyday Application

2) What does it mean to take up your cross and follow Jesus? (verse 34)

In the 21st century, the term “carry your cross” is considerably watered down from how the first century audience understood its meaning. Perhaps we’ve heard this phrase and understood the modern context to be a minor annoyance or even used as a snarky sarcastic comeback. In the eyes of Christ, however, His intended meaning never lessened.

If you want to be a follower of Christ there will be obstacles, burdens, and situations you must endure, even heavy, painful things. Because that’s what death brings. Crucifixion meant death without exception; there were no survivors. This is the mentality Christ would have His followers embrace in order to follow Him. Death to our old way of living, death to our lusts, passions, and idols. (Colossians 3:5) Death to anything that lures us away from loving Him first and most and best. This is the cost of following Christ, it’s the cost of surrender.

This surrender could mean walking away from a promotion because you understand the work would run counter to your integrity. It could cost you finances as the Lord calls you to support that missionary instead of fund your vacation. Surrender to Jesus costs us making family and sports an idol.

Whatever it costs you, fellow Christ-follower, you can have this confidence: it’s worth it and the reward will be great! The rescue of our eternal souls is guaranteed (verse 35), and in the meantime while we live out a life of surrender on earth, we are granted the full riches of Christ’s constant presence, His joy, peace, guidance, and every other spiritual blessing. (Ephesians 1:3)

The Original Intent

3) What do the “for whoever” and “for what” statements signify in verses 35, 36, and 38?

The heart of every hearer was laid bare that day as Jesus spoke truth to those gathered around Him. His audience was full of long-time devoted Jews who had studied the Torah (the first 5 books of the Old Testament) and were waiting and waiting for God’s Promised Messiah, revealed through the prophets, to rescue them from Rome’s political tyranny.

Jesus’ audience that day fully believed they could earn favor with God by keeping His commands and offering the right sacrifices when they didn’t. Ritual could rescue while they loved their lusts.

But Jesus refused to allow them the false comfort of continuing to believe this outrageous lie. The self-love life only ends in one place, eternal death, which is evidenced by the concluding words of Jesus’ “for…” statements.

“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it.”
Loss of true-real-abundant life and all perceived power to control anything.

“For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life?”
Loss of one’s soul for eternity.

“For whoever is ashamed of Me (…) the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels”
Loss of relationship with the Only One who is able to save both body and soul and grant abundant riches of life in this world and the next.

All self-loves will result in a guaranteed forfeiting of soul.
The antidote?
Full, Genuine Surrender to Christ alone.

The Everyday Application

3) What do the “for whoever” and “for what” statements signify in verses 35, 36, and 38?

Christ is pursuing our hearts, and Mark’s gospel is laid out to emphasize this reality with each story he tells of Jesus. Christ reveals the true heart motives of His listeners as He engages with them and points them to the truth that will free them if they embrace it in true surrender. Each of these 3 “for…” statements are immediately followed by statements of self-focused living; lives reflecting a lack of surrender and a poor understanding of truth.

“For whoever wants to save his life...”
We want to save our lives, and retain all control.

“For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world..?.”
We do want to gain and keep on gaining in every area of life.

“For whoever is ashamed of Me…”
We don’t want to suffer or be associated with suffering; we want to avoid pain or loss.

Each statement is meant to reveal a blind spot of the self-loving life. If we honestly study ourselves and our desires for any length of time, we come face to face with the reality that we quite zealously love ourselves, our plans, our desires, and our blueprints for how our lives should go. We may also notice a complete lack of surrender in these self-loves.

The 21st century is full of opportunities to prosper on our own merit. While we might earn wealth, higher social standing, or even good works for God’s Kingdom, none of this will pay off the debt of sin we owe to a Holy God. Christ, the Only One Worthy to pay the punishment for our sin, died to give us eternal life. In Him, we find access to rich communion with the God of the Universe!

*Written by Carol Graft & Rebecca Adams

Tags :
genuine,price,rescue,salvation,Truth
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Surrender Day 15
Journey Study

My life is not my own. It belongs to God to do with as He pleases. I wonder now, how much was I really depending on God in those “good” times? After losing everything, we learned we hadn’t really been trusting God until we had nothing to lean on BUT HIM.

The Apostle Paul knew how to trust God for everything, how to be content with much or little. (Philippians 4:11-12) He considered the things in this life as garbage, compared to knowing Christ. (Philippians 3:7-11) Garbage, really?
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