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"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6)
Have you ever had a really good idea, beloved, one that you felt so good about that you wanted to share it with anyone and everyone? There's really no feeling in the world quite like hearing someone say of something we've suggested, "Now that is a really good idea!"
Here in what is certainly one of the most glorious statements ever written by the Apostle Paul, we find him declaring to his readers that God was the originator of a wonderful idea. Pay close attention to the descriptive phrase "He who began a good work in you." Were you aware, beloved, that it was totally and completely God's idea to save you? It's true! The Apostle John reminds us in no uncertain terms about just "who loved whom first" and "who started what with whom":
"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins"
(1 John 4:10)
God had a wonderful idea, beloved! He chose to love us, we who are inherently "unlovable" because of the stain of our sins. And He chose to love us so much that He was even willing to buy us back from the slave-market of sin and set us free from its bondage forever. So in the person of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice of Himself on the cross of Calvary, God made it possible for all of us to be saved by His grace. What a wonderful idea!
Have you yet responded to what God has done for you in Christ, beloved? Have you yet realized how much He loves you and wants to set you free from the guilt and shame and penalty of your sins? You see, God had a wonderful idea! And because He did, you and I can become a part of His family forever. Why not bow your head right now and just say to Him, "Dear God, what a wonderful thing you have done by choosing to save me from my sins. I freely accept your gift of eternal life by receiving Jesus Christ into my heart as my personal Savior."
And, by the way, beloved, once your personal relationship with God has been established by your turning to Christ as Savior and Lord, why not continue to trust Him, you know, in all the everyday matters of life? It just so happens that whatever God says and does is "a good idea"! His plan and purpose for us have been written down in His Word and we each need to yield ourselves fully to its authority over our lives. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to direct word and thought and deed moment by moment so that we bring our lives into line with the standard of God for us. You will never be sorry that you did!
Ron
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
The Ugliness of Licentiousness
"For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ" (Jude 4)
"Licentiousness" is truly an ugly word, beloved! Not to mention hard to pronounce. So let's deal with the easier of the two first. "Lie-sen'-chus-ness." There! At least we know how to pronounce it.
The notion for me to take the time to deal with such a word occurred as a result of a minor "provocation" in traffic a few days ago. I am always amazed at how, to gain even a one car-length advantage, some drivers will drive well beyond the speed limit and dart into a small opening between two vehicles, often narrowly avoiding collisions and also often without signaling their intentions at all. And what do they gain from such antics? They get to make their desired exit or turn from the highway a full car-length ahead of where they would have made it anyway had they not pulled such a foolhardy maneuver! At such times I usually just shake my head, say to myself "Amazing!" and then marvel at what seems to be in so many people a total disregard for the rules of the road.
So what is the point? The point is that such wanton disregard for what is right and acceptable is what lies at the heart of "licentiousness." The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "licentious" as "marked by disregard for strict rules of correctness," while W.E. Vine refers to it as "absence of restraint." Spiros Zodhiates agrees, using those same words to describe the Greek term aselgeia.
But again, what is the point? How does any consideration of this ugly word fit into the issue of living in this world of sin as Christians? The problem is, beloved, that one of the most oft-repeated and serious offenses we commit as Christians falls into the very same realm of "licentiousness"! You see, we convince ourselves that, because we are saved by God's grace for all eternity, it really does not matter how we live our lives. "Once saved, always saved," right? We fall for the delusion that the standard doesn't matter as long as our sins are forgiven and we're glory-bound. In his book The Cost of Discipleship, German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer distinguished between what he called "cheap grace" and "costly grace":
"Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ"
"Costly grace confronts us as a gracious call to follow Jesus, it comes as a word of forgiveness to the broken spirit and the contrite heart. It is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him; it is grace because Jesus says, 'My yoke is easy and my burden is light'"
Put very simply, beloved, any form of "licentiousness" in a Christian's life is "cheap grace." It is totally unacceptable. Just this past week Dr. Charles Stanley made the statement that as Christians our "value" to God never exceeds our "obedience" unto God. We must put away, then, the notion of "free license" in our living. As the Apostle James put it so profoundly:
"Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works" (James 2:18b)
We as followers of Jesus Christ have been saved by grace alone! So let's demonstrate the reality of that grace by bringing our lives into line with the standard of God's inerrant and infallible Word. The world is watching! Grace is free, but it is not cheap! Let's not do anything to send the wrong message.
Ron
"Licentiousness" is truly an ugly word, beloved! Not to mention hard to pronounce. So let's deal with the easier of the two first. "Lie-sen'-chus-ness." There! At least we know how to pronounce it.
The notion for me to take the time to deal with such a word occurred as a result of a minor "provocation" in traffic a few days ago. I am always amazed at how, to gain even a one car-length advantage, some drivers will drive well beyond the speed limit and dart into a small opening between two vehicles, often narrowly avoiding collisions and also often without signaling their intentions at all. And what do they gain from such antics? They get to make their desired exit or turn from the highway a full car-length ahead of where they would have made it anyway had they not pulled such a foolhardy maneuver! At such times I usually just shake my head, say to myself "Amazing!" and then marvel at what seems to be in so many people a total disregard for the rules of the road.
So what is the point? The point is that such wanton disregard for what is right and acceptable is what lies at the heart of "licentiousness." The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "licentious" as "marked by disregard for strict rules of correctness," while W.E. Vine refers to it as "absence of restraint." Spiros Zodhiates agrees, using those same words to describe the Greek term aselgeia.
But again, what is the point? How does any consideration of this ugly word fit into the issue of living in this world of sin as Christians? The problem is, beloved, that one of the most oft-repeated and serious offenses we commit as Christians falls into the very same realm of "licentiousness"! You see, we convince ourselves that, because we are saved by God's grace for all eternity, it really does not matter how we live our lives. "Once saved, always saved," right? We fall for the delusion that the standard doesn't matter as long as our sins are forgiven and we're glory-bound. In his book The Cost of Discipleship, German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer distinguished between what he called "cheap grace" and "costly grace":
"Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ"
"Costly grace confronts us as a gracious call to follow Jesus, it comes as a word of forgiveness to the broken spirit and the contrite heart. It is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him; it is grace because Jesus says, 'My yoke is easy and my burden is light'"
Put very simply, beloved, any form of "licentiousness" in a Christian's life is "cheap grace." It is totally unacceptable. Just this past week Dr. Charles Stanley made the statement that as Christians our "value" to God never exceeds our "obedience" unto God. We must put away, then, the notion of "free license" in our living. As the Apostle James put it so profoundly:
"Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works" (James 2:18b)
We as followers of Jesus Christ have been saved by grace alone! So let's demonstrate the reality of that grace by bringing our lives into line with the standard of God's inerrant and infallible Word. The world is watching! Grace is free, but it is not cheap! Let's not do anything to send the wrong message.
Ron
Thursday, February 18, 2010
A Samaritan's Need to Team with Others
"On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, "Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you'" (Luke 10:35)
Have you ever met someone who thought that he was the "end all" in any particular endeavor of life, beloved? Such an attitude is especially deadly when it comes to serving Jesus Christ as the attitude of the Samaritan traveler in Jesus' parable makes clear for us. We have discovered thus far how he was able to be used in rescuing the wounded Hebrew because he was watchful of all going on around him. We also learned that he felt compassion for the man in need and that he was willing to be interrupted in his own journey by coming to his aid. We learned further that he was willing to be fully involved in bandaging up the man's wounds. And last week we learned the importance of his being committed to the long haul in seeing the man recover completely.
Finally, as we wrap up our consideration of the lessons from this parable, we note the Samaritan's willingness to ask help from the innkeeper and his request that he "take care of him" until he should return that way. Very simply, the Samaritan did not want to limit that man's care to what he himself could do alone. He recognized that ministry was not about him as a caregiver, but rather about meeting the needs of the man who fell among thieves. To that end he was more than willing to accept any and all assistance he could find in accomplishing that task.
How today you and I as effective servants of Jesus Christ need to be willing to work together with others in seeing to it that every need of every person is met. We need to remember always that ministry is about them and never about us. Thus, we should gladly welcome the intervention of other gifted saints who share the same burden that we feel for those left on the side of life's road by sin or catastrophe. I will never forget the day many years ago when my wife's car broke down on the side of the highway while I was miles away at work. She had a car full of groceries and had been on her way home. A very kind Park Police officer stopped behind her to see if he could lend some aid. He not only graciously carried her all the way home in his patrol car, but even carried every bag of groceries into the house for her. How grateful I was that day for the assistance of one who did what I was not equipped to do myself! That is precisely the attitude we must have today toward brothers and sisters in Christ who also have realized that ministry is not about us, but who are only too glad to come alongside and help to meet the needs of the lost and hurting. If you yourself would not want to be left stranded on the side of the road of life, beloved, by people who do not care, then why would you as a Christian ever be insensitive to others in need across whose paths the Spirit of God may lead you?
Ron
Have you ever met someone who thought that he was the "end all" in any particular endeavor of life, beloved? Such an attitude is especially deadly when it comes to serving Jesus Christ as the attitude of the Samaritan traveler in Jesus' parable makes clear for us. We have discovered thus far how he was able to be used in rescuing the wounded Hebrew because he was watchful of all going on around him. We also learned that he felt compassion for the man in need and that he was willing to be interrupted in his own journey by coming to his aid. We learned further that he was willing to be fully involved in bandaging up the man's wounds. And last week we learned the importance of his being committed to the long haul in seeing the man recover completely.
Finally, as we wrap up our consideration of the lessons from this parable, we note the Samaritan's willingness to ask help from the innkeeper and his request that he "take care of him" until he should return that way. Very simply, the Samaritan did not want to limit that man's care to what he himself could do alone. He recognized that ministry was not about him as a caregiver, but rather about meeting the needs of the man who fell among thieves. To that end he was more than willing to accept any and all assistance he could find in accomplishing that task.
How today you and I as effective servants of Jesus Christ need to be willing to work together with others in seeing to it that every need of every person is met. We need to remember always that ministry is about them and never about us. Thus, we should gladly welcome the intervention of other gifted saints who share the same burden that we feel for those left on the side of life's road by sin or catastrophe. I will never forget the day many years ago when my wife's car broke down on the side of the highway while I was miles away at work. She had a car full of groceries and had been on her way home. A very kind Park Police officer stopped behind her to see if he could lend some aid. He not only graciously carried her all the way home in his patrol car, but even carried every bag of groceries into the house for her. How grateful I was that day for the assistance of one who did what I was not equipped to do myself! That is precisely the attitude we must have today toward brothers and sisters in Christ who also have realized that ministry is not about us, but who are only too glad to come alongside and help to meet the needs of the lost and hurting. If you yourself would not want to be left stranded on the side of the road of life, beloved, by people who do not care, then why would you as a Christian ever be insensitive to others in need across whose paths the Spirit of God may lead you?
Ron
Thursday, February 11, 2010
A Samaritan and the Long Haul
"...and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him" (Luke 10:34c)
Most of us at one time or another has been "broken down" on the side of the road and in need of emergency assistance. Either that or we have cared enough to stop alongside the highway and help a stranded traveler. At any rate, one thing is sure. We can only do so much for someone when they have been stranded. Anything requiring great technical knowledge or lots of labor is usually not possible then and there. That's why tow trucks are in business!
The Samaritan traveler felt compassion for the wounded Hebrew and did all that he could for him there by the side of the road. As we have discovered already, he interrupted his own journey to stop and render aid. He further became fully involved in meeting his needs by bandaging up his wounds. But there is another quality of this gracious man that we learn as well, beloved. He knew that his "roadside assistance" would not be enough to save the man's life. So the Samaritan put the man on his own beast of burden and took him to the nearest inn for nursing and rehabilitation. In other words, we might say that the Samaritan committed himself to "the long haul."
Ministry needs today as Christians will often cause us to have to commit to "the long haul," beloved. We cannot get by with merely slapping a band-aid on the hurt and hurrying back to our own lives. We are going to encounter people for whom a bag of groceries and a card with money in it are not going to be enough. What do we do as followers of Jesus Christ when the Spirit of God leads us across the path of such ones as these? We must decide, as did the Samaritan, whether or not we are going to be in it for "the long haul"! We are going to have to decide whether or not we will arrange for more extensive and often more costly care. Before we become involved in ministry to this world, then, we must decide how far we are willing to go. What would Jesus do? What did Jesus do? Let His example guide us as we venture forth as His servants to take His love to a world that desperately needs Him so much.
Ron
Most of us at one time or another has been "broken down" on the side of the road and in need of emergency assistance. Either that or we have cared enough to stop alongside the highway and help a stranded traveler. At any rate, one thing is sure. We can only do so much for someone when they have been stranded. Anything requiring great technical knowledge or lots of labor is usually not possible then and there. That's why tow trucks are in business!
The Samaritan traveler felt compassion for the wounded Hebrew and did all that he could for him there by the side of the road. As we have discovered already, he interrupted his own journey to stop and render aid. He further became fully involved in meeting his needs by bandaging up his wounds. But there is another quality of this gracious man that we learn as well, beloved. He knew that his "roadside assistance" would not be enough to save the man's life. So the Samaritan put the man on his own beast of burden and took him to the nearest inn for nursing and rehabilitation. In other words, we might say that the Samaritan committed himself to "the long haul."
Ministry needs today as Christians will often cause us to have to commit to "the long haul," beloved. We cannot get by with merely slapping a band-aid on the hurt and hurrying back to our own lives. We are going to encounter people for whom a bag of groceries and a card with money in it are not going to be enough. What do we do as followers of Jesus Christ when the Spirit of God leads us across the path of such ones as these? We must decide, as did the Samaritan, whether or not we are going to be in it for "the long haul"! We are going to have to decide whether or not we will arrange for more extensive and often more costly care. Before we become involved in ministry to this world, then, we must decide how far we are willing to go. What would Jesus do? What did Jesus do? Let His example guide us as we venture forth as His servants to take His love to a world that desperately needs Him so much.
Ron
Thursday, February 4, 2010
The Samaritan's Need to be Fully Involved
"...and came to him, and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them" (Luke 10:34b)
One the most unusual "reality" television programs currently being aired, beloved, is called Dirty Jobs. The premise is simply that the host of the program each week travels from location to location and tries his hand at some of the dirtiest, filthiest, most disgusting jobs that can be found for him. On those occasions that I have had opportunity to briefly watch just a few moments of any of these episodes, I know without a doubt that some of the things he has done I could never bring myself to do!
In Jesus' telling of the story about the Samaritan traveler and the wounded Hebrew victim, He made it clear that even being "inconvenienced," as we considered in our previous devotional, is not enough at times when it comes to ministering to the needs of those around us. Note carefully what the Samaritan did, beloved - he "bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them." This gracious man was willing to get down in the dirt and get blood on his hands! And that was the point at which his ministering went beyond the point of personal inconvenience and became downright "dirty." How well I recall being on a mission trip to the mountains of southeastern Kentucky with a large group of believers from a number of different churches. That was the "safe" part of the trip! On one particular day, however, I was given the opportunity to travel up the mountain with several other men, transporting a used but usable electric stove on the back of a truck. We made our winding way upward to a small ramshackle house perched precariously on the steep slope of the mountain, anchored to it only along the rear wall and "propped up" on the other three sides underneath by tree stumps and stacked stones and bricks. A young family came out of the house to meet us and to show us where they needed the stove to be. As we unloaded that stove, beloved, it began to rain. The hill on which the house sat was mostly clay and soon we found ourselves humanly "hoisting" that stove up a very steep slope, two men pulling from above on a rope slung around the bottom of the stove and the rest of us pushing from underneath and actually laying in the clay to do so. That was literally one "dirty" job! Yet to see the joy on the face of that young wife and to know what that used stove would mean to her made it all worth it. And, of course, through that act of ministering we had the privilege of sharing the good news of Jesus' love with them.
If we are going to serve Jesus Christ in our world today in a manner that impacts people for the sake of the gospel, we are going to have to be committed to becoming fully involved. We cannot turn away from the "dirty" needs of life, beloved. Not every situation that you will face as a servant of Christ will be "dirty," perhaps not even most of them. But those that are "dirty" are out there and those in such situations need our help just as much. How we need to determine here and now that we are going to be fully involved in people's lives, ministering to them where they are the wondrous love of God in Jesus Christ!
Ron
One the most unusual "reality" television programs currently being aired, beloved, is called Dirty Jobs. The premise is simply that the host of the program each week travels from location to location and tries his hand at some of the dirtiest, filthiest, most disgusting jobs that can be found for him. On those occasions that I have had opportunity to briefly watch just a few moments of any of these episodes, I know without a doubt that some of the things he has done I could never bring myself to do!
In Jesus' telling of the story about the Samaritan traveler and the wounded Hebrew victim, He made it clear that even being "inconvenienced," as we considered in our previous devotional, is not enough at times when it comes to ministering to the needs of those around us. Note carefully what the Samaritan did, beloved - he "bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them." This gracious man was willing to get down in the dirt and get blood on his hands! And that was the point at which his ministering went beyond the point of personal inconvenience and became downright "dirty." How well I recall being on a mission trip to the mountains of southeastern Kentucky with a large group of believers from a number of different churches. That was the "safe" part of the trip! On one particular day, however, I was given the opportunity to travel up the mountain with several other men, transporting a used but usable electric stove on the back of a truck. We made our winding way upward to a small ramshackle house perched precariously on the steep slope of the mountain, anchored to it only along the rear wall and "propped up" on the other three sides underneath by tree stumps and stacked stones and bricks. A young family came out of the house to meet us and to show us where they needed the stove to be. As we unloaded that stove, beloved, it began to rain. The hill on which the house sat was mostly clay and soon we found ourselves humanly "hoisting" that stove up a very steep slope, two men pulling from above on a rope slung around the bottom of the stove and the rest of us pushing from underneath and actually laying in the clay to do so. That was literally one "dirty" job! Yet to see the joy on the face of that young wife and to know what that used stove would mean to her made it all worth it. And, of course, through that act of ministering we had the privilege of sharing the good news of Jesus' love with them.
If we are going to serve Jesus Christ in our world today in a manner that impacts people for the sake of the gospel, we are going to have to be committed to becoming fully involved. We cannot turn away from the "dirty" needs of life, beloved. Not every situation that you will face as a servant of Christ will be "dirty," perhaps not even most of them. But those that are "dirty" are out there and those in such situations need our help just as much. How we need to determine here and now that we are going to be fully involved in people's lives, ministering to them where they are the wondrous love of God in Jesus Christ!
Ron
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