“On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.” – Psalm 62:7
Are you going to heaven?
This is a helpful question because the answer reveals what we are trusting in for our salvation. Many people answer,
“I hope so,” or
“I think so, I’m a pretty good person.”
These answers are common but unfortunate. They demonstrate that the person is looking to their works, the good they do and the bad they avoid, for their assurance. There’s no assurance of salvation in that. In fact, if we think we can earn eternal life, we can be sure we won’t.
I hope your answer is,
“Yes, by the grace of God!”
This answer looks solely to God through the work of Jesus Christ. We’re saved by God’s love and Jesus’ work, not ours. You don’t need to “hope” it’s true or think about how good or bad you are. That’s irrelevant because salvation is only by grace through faith apart from our works.
So, are you going to heaven? “Yes, by the grace of God!!”
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for saving me by Your grace. If it depended on my works, I would have no hope. When doubt enters my mind, remind me of Your promise and remind me that my salvation rests on You alone.
“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,” – Philippians 1:29
When you think of the blessings of God, what do you think of?
This is a tough verse, today, isn’t it? Do you ever really think of suffering as a blessing?
If I were to have the choice, I would always select the blessings that feel good. I’d pass by the suffering options. Yet, we are blessed to not only believe but participate in Christ’s suffering. Let’s take a look at James 1:2-3.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.“
That’s pretty hard. When everything is going wrong or I’m being mistreated, joy usually isn’t the first thing I think of. Sometimes I find it helpful to imagine Jesus preparing to become incarnate, thinking of having to live for 30 years in our sinful mess, be rejected by His own creation, and then go through unimaginable pain and suffering.
Yet, Hebrews 12:2 tells us that He thought about the joy that was to come, the salvation of mankind and redemption of all creation, and set His face towards the cross. He endured the suffering knowing the joy that was to come.
Like the “suffering” of physical therapy or intense exercise, suffering and testing produce endurance and perseverance. It’s good for us. Often, it also turns out to be good for others who see us willing to suffer for Christ and continue to cling to Him. It can help to look beyond the suffering to the joy that is to come, the endurance in Christ and eternal life with Him.
Does this change your perspective on anything you are going through, now?
Dear Jesus,
When I start to complain of my suffering, remind me of Yours. When I start to get weary, remind me of the joy to come. When I get weak, remind me that when I am weak, you are strong and help me to lean on You.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23
What sin(s) tempt you the most?
Maybe it’s gossip.
Maybe it’s covetousness.
Maybe it’s disobeying your parents.
Maybe it’s…
A few weeks ago in my sermon, we looked at the lies of temptation. Satan loves to make sin look great. He tries to make sin look like a blessing, but the truth is it’s a curse.
The result of sin, ultimately, is death.
It’s what we earn by our sinful actions. In terms of our actions in life, when we went to cash the paycheck for those actions, we wouldn’t like what we received.
It’s not always easy to recognize it, though, because it doesn’t happen right away. It’s kind of like drinking ocean water when your stranded and really thirsty. When you drink, it may feel good and you continue to live. However, you are really dehydrating yourself and will die, eventually.
However, the gift of God is eternal life.
Notice, eternal life isn’t a wage. We don’t earn it like we do death. It’s a gift. It comes from God at no cost to us. Jesus paid the cost. This is great since we couldn’t earn eternal life no matter how hard we tried.
Next time satan tempts you with a sin, try to look past the slick veneer to the death that lies underneath.
Heavenly Father,
Open my eyes to nature and consequences of sin that I might avoid it. Open my eyes to the truth that my sin condemns me that I might repent. Open my eyes to Your gift of eternal life through Jesus’ death and resurrection that I might believe, be forgiven, and live.
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” – James 1:12
What trials and tests are you facing right now?
When life’s trials come at us, it can be easy to get mad at God for causing it or letting it happen. We focus on what hurts and offends us. We forget our sin and its consequences and we forget the great mercy and grace God has shown us. As we get angry, we turn away from Him.
With each attack on our faith, we are called to endure, to turn to God rather than away from Him.
I’m reminded of Peter in John 6:68. Jesus had been teaching and some of His teachings offended the people. They walked away saying Jesus’ teachings were too hard. Jesus asked the disciples if they would leave, too.
“Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,”
Between the economy, the virus, and politics, you are likely feeling under attack right now. What better time to turn to God? What better time to lean into His arms and seek His strength and peace? He will strengthen you and raise you up on wings like an eagle. He will not leave you. He will carry you through.
Read Psalm 91:1-16.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. 5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— 10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. 15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” – Ephesians 6:10-11
What are you doing to protect yourself these days?
Did you ever watch the show, 24? I really liked that show at least for a while. One of the interesting things about the show is that you had one bad guy at the beginning of the season, but over the course of the season that bad guy would be stopped only to find out that another bad guy was behind the first guy and was the real threat.
With all the craziness around us, it’s easy to focus on all the physical challenges we face.
How do I work and keep my kids at school?
What if I get the virus?
How will I pay the bills since I can’t work?
We focus on these things and miss the spiritual attacks that are going on all around us.
As churches stop meeting in person, the temptation may be to stop worshiping or stop being a part of the church. This is much worse of a threat than a virus.
In times when being physically a part of the church is more difficult, it’s even more important to be the church apart. It’s easy to skip church and just sleep in. Who would know?
It’s Even More Important Now However, it’s during these times that we need to spend even more time in the Bible and in prayer. Pray for each other. Call each other and pray with each other. Fast. Find ways to serve one another and your neighbors.
Remember, the church isn’t the building, it’s the people…it’s you. You are the church just as much today as you were a month ago. You need Jesus just as much today as a month ago. Your neighbor needs Jesus just as much as they did a month ago.
We need to be vigilant both for ourselves and our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to put on the armor of God every day, filling our minds with God’s promises, seeking the truth, standing firm in the Gospel, and asking God for faith.
What will you do to protect yourself?
Heavenly Father,
Please protect me. Protect me from the coronavirus. Protect me from financial ruin. Protect me from the spiritual attacks going on all around me. Help me to seek You in Your Word and fill my mind with Your promises.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:7-8
Right now, we are dealing with a lot of changes and concerns from the coronavirus.
What is bothering you the most?
Many people are asking for our trust such as politicians, celebrities, doctors, and media personalities. Beyond that, there are thousands of websites with “information” on the pandemic.
Can we trust them?
Some, perhaps, but it’s harder and harder, today to find a news source that is trust worthy. Most are biased. Some don’t check sources well. Some just plain make up stories.
Regardless of whether you think you’ve found the one good news source out there, they will still have a problem as all do. All have two of the same failings:
They are flawed people and
They can’t see the future.
Thankfully, we have someone else to look to who doesn’t have those failings, God. He is wise, sinless, and all-knowing. He is also constant. That’s why putting our confidence in Him is like being planted by a stream. Our source of life and peace is always there. It will never run dry.
Whatever you are worried about, give it to the Lord. He will give you peace, you can trust Him.
Heavenly Father,
You are our ever-present help in times of need. Be with us during this difficult time and all the times of suffering. Help us to trust in You.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23
What do you need to do to bear fruit?
We can sometimes get caught up in what fruit we bear or how much. Sometimes we can even start to wonder if we are really saved if we don’t see enough of the type of fruit we want to see or what we think should be there.
What we see from this passage from Galatians as well as other Bible passages is that the fruit comes from God, not us. Much like a branch doesn’t will itself to bear fruit neither do we. Rather, as long as the branch is connected to the vine, it will live and bear fruit.
So, with us, as long as we stay connected to Christ, we will live and bear fruit. What a great blessing and a great relief! We don’t have to strive to bear fruit, we just have to stay connected to Jesus.
This is what we are told in John 15:4-8.
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” – John 15:4-8
Dear Jesus,
Help me to abide, or live, in You and You live in me. Draw me to You every day throughout the day. Draw me to Your Word. Call me to pray. Lead me to worship. Hold me fast in You that I may have life and bear much fruit.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” – Romans 15:13
How much joy do you feel in life?
I know some people who always seem to have joy, even in difficult circumstances. I know others who almost never seem to experience joy, even in good circumstances.
Why is that?
Much has to do with what we choose to look at. Are we looking at Jesus and thinking of His promises or are we looking at the problems of life. If we only look at the problems, they can dominate us and squelch our joy. If we look to Jesus and realize He is greater than the problems, we have hope and can experience joy and peace even in the worst situation.
In a way, we aren’t really choosing joy. When we say it like that it can sound disingenuous. After all, why would I be joyful when everything stinks? What we are really choosing is to focus on Jesus and that brings joy.
What’s the difference?
When I just try to feel joy all the time, it doesn’t seem real or based in reality. When I focus on Jesus, it changes my perception of reality. I realize that the true reality of the situation isn’t a hopeless problem. The reality is a world that Jesus has overcome. The reality is that Jesus is with me. The reality is that I have great hope because I know Jesus will work through this.
So, I have joy not in spite of reality but because of it. I’ve looked passed the illusion of the world to see Jesus.
What will you focus on, today? How can you focus more on Jesus?
Dear Jesus,
There are many problems in the world and in my life, specifically. As overwhelming as those problems can seem, I know that You are with me and will carry me through them. Help me to trust You. Help me to see You in the storms of my life. By the power of Your Spirit, give me peace and joy as I find my hope in You.
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,” – Colossians 3:12
How do people see you?
Maybe you’ve heard someone say, “Don’t judge me by what I wear!”
On the one hand, it’s good advice. You may be surprised by the skills and personality of the person despite how they look. On the other hand, you need to be aware that how you present yourself to others will affect how they see you. Don’t be surprised or offended if you dress a certain way and people assume you are like the way you dress. It was your choice to present yourself like that.
The truth is we all present ourselves to others, whether we want to or not. What we wear, how we comb our hair (or not), our mannerisms, and how we act towards people all affect how people see us. Since we are also ambassadors of Christ, it affects how they see Jesus.
In Colossians, God says to clothe ourselves in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These traits should be so a part of who we are that these characteristics are what people think of when they think of us. These traits should be as apparent as our clothes.
How does God see you?
Interestingly, this is how we are presented to God, too. Not that we present ourselves to God with how great we are at compassion or patience, but that God has clothed us in the righteousness of Christ. He is perfectly compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. And, so, we are to God as well.
God is telling us to act like the righteous people we have been made. In this we will love others and when we, as Christians, do this it also means that people start to see Jesus by these traits and glorify His name.
What are some ways you can clothe yourself in these traits?
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for making me holy and righteous. This frees me to not worry about how I appear to You and just love my neighbor. Help me to be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient just as Jesus is.
“Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” – Acts 4:10-12
Have you ever heard someone ask, “Aren’t all religions basically the same?”
It’s a relatively common question in our American society, today. Our society values inclusion and tolerance and one of the effects of this has been a growing number of people who want to accept all religions as the same, just different ways of getting to God or into heaven.
You may hear statements like,
“As long as you believe in God, your fine. It doesn’t matter whether you call God Jesus or Allah or the Great Sky Spirit.”
“All religions are essentially the same. As long as you are a good person, you’ll get into heaven.”
You may even hear more negative statements like,
“How arrogant are you that you think your religion is right and everyone else is wrong?”
In the end, though, it doesn’t matter what we think or what others think. It matters what God says. After all, He’s the one who gets to determine this.
The Bible is very clear. There is only one way to God and one way to heaven, Jesus. It is only by faith in Jesus that we are saved.
This can be a hard teaching for us, today. We may feel like we are being exclusionary and people around us may say we are not being loving or kind to insist that Jesus is the only way. However, it is the truth and to share the truth is loving and kind.
Salvation is a gift, but Christianity isn’t easy. We are called to stand in Christ alone and speak His Words, even when they aren’t popular, but we can do so with confidence. We can be confident that it is true and confident we are truly being loving.
Dear Jesus,
You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by You. Help me to believe this. Help me to share this with kindness and gentleness and always in an attitude of love. Help those around me to come to believe this as well.