Month: September 2022

Formerly he was useless . . ., but now he has become useful.
Philemon 1:11

The Question

Author John Gardner tells of a pleasant, elderly man he used to know. As pleasant as this elderly man was, however, he loved to ask a particular question that many people found unsettling. The question was this: “What have you done that you passionately believe in?”

Many found this question unsettling because it forced them to rethink their lives on the spot. For years they had been comfortable making conversation about what they did for a living, how busy they were, the trips they had taken, the restaurants and movies they enjoyed. But suddenly, here was this gentle, gracious old man who asked them something for which they did not have an immediate answer.

How about you? What is your answer? What have you done that you passionately believe in?

Of course, one could answer that question in all kinds of ways—from making a difference at your place of work to teaching the lonely child next door how to make cookies. However, if you see your life through the lens of Christianity, sooner or later, you’re going to conclude that the most satisfying actions in your life are the ones connected to Jesus Christ.

Apart from Jesus Christ, every ability I use and every deed I do has no permanent value. Even if I manage to make a noticeable impact on this world, it’s on a world that’s cracked, broken, and fading away.

But in Jesus, everything is different. His work as my substitute has washed me clean of my sinful self-absorption. His Holy Spirit has also bonded me to things that are lasting and real. This means that everything I do, no matter how involved, no matter how simple—everything I do to the glory of my Savior is a priceless fruit of faith that has positive, eternal consequences in the hands of my Heavenly Father, who is the everlasting God of all.

So go ahead and answer the question. Our answers will vary in specifics, of course. What matters is the connection they have to our Savior from sin.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, by your Holy Spirit, fill me with the joy of knowing that even the simplest things I do to your glory are vital and profound in your sight. Amen.

[Jesus said] Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?
Luke 14:34

Stay Salty

My heart doctor told me that salt is not good for my heart. He advised me to go on a low-salt diet, and I have tried to follow his advice. I used to think of salt as a flavor enhancer, but now when I bite into some restaurant foods, all I can taste is the salt.

Two thousand years ago, salt was used for much more than flavor. It was a way to preserve food for use later. Salt was good, but if it lost its saltiness, food was spoiled rather than preserved. And there was really no way for salt to be made salty again.

This expression of Jesus is a reminder for me to persevere. If my faith loses its faithfulness, what good is it? I want to to continue to savor the object of my faith, Jesus, my Savior. If my faith functions as salt, preserving me from corruption and decay, I can face each day with fresh confidence.

If my love fades, what good is it? I want love to predominate in my life. If the love of Christ fills me with all joy and peace as I trust in him, I will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. My kind words can be the seasoning that enhances someone else’s life.

It’s no wonder, then, that Jesus encourages us to stay salty!

Prayer:
Lord God, as one of your followers, help me to be the salt of the earth. Amen.

[Jesus said] Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
Luke 14:31-33

Count the Cost

At first it sounds like Jesus is trying to talk people out of becoming one of his followers. He talks about a king who is planning to go to war against another king with twice as many soldiers. At a certain point, the first king realizes that it would not be wise, so he figures out a way to avoid war. Is Jesus telling us to give up on becoming his disciple? That it’s too hard?

The point here is exactly the opposite. Jesus wants you to count the cost of not being his disciple.

If you’ve been waging war against God himself—his will, his commandments, or salvation through Christ—then you’re fighting a losing battle. God is more powerful. He is always right. The consequence of fighting him is an eternity of punishment, and that’s a cost that should certainly be counted.

So what’s the alternative to fighting him? Ask for terms of peace. God has provided peace for you by the life, death, and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ. You have forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus, complete salvation, perfect rest.

There may be things you’ll want to give up. Most people consider waging war against God when they realize they have desires that God calls wrong. But a life of repentance is worthwhile not just for eternity but right now as well. A clean conscience is a powerful thing.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, lead me to see the value of following you every day of my life. Amen.

[Jesus said] And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:27

Carrying Their Cross

Some people pay for other people to push them. They hire personal trainers who tell them to eat less desirable food and refrain from eating the tastiest stuff. Those trainers push them to the point of pain in the gym and even strongly encourage them to keep going when they want to give up.

Why would anyone ever hire a personal trainer? It’s because they want to be better people, different people. When the personal trainers advertise their services, are they honest about what kind of pain they will put people through?

Jesus is honest about the kind of pain that comes from following him. He told his disciples that they were going to suffer. He used an expression, “carry their cross,” that implied that they would be treated like criminals.

Why would anyone ever want to put themselves through that kind of punishment? Disciples of Jesus realize that they may be misunderstood and mistreated. They find out they are fighting their own sinful flesh their whole lives. They make sacrifices, and often go unappreciated.

Why would Jesus’ disciples ever want to do that? It’s because Jesus has made them different people. They were once on the road to hell, but now they have the sure promise of eternal life in heaven. They used to live in guilt, but now they live in forgiveness.

Being a disciple of Jesus is worth all that suffering. There is glory that will be revealed in them.

Prayer:
Lord, lead me to bear my cross with perseverance as I look to Jesus’ cross for my strength. Amen.

[Jesus said] If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:26

Putting Jesus First

Love your father and mother. Honor and obey them. Life will be better for you and for them. Take care of your family. Demonstrate sacrificial love for them and consider how you can help them even more than you already do. Take care of yourself. Take time to relax and refresh your energy.

But if you notice that doing any of those things makes you love Jesus less, then he calls you to some self-assessment. Do you overlook your parents doing things that Jesus condemns? Do you avoid calling them out on those things to avoid confrontation? Jesus calls on you to love him more than your parents.

Do you defend the actions of your spouse or your children even though you know they are wrong? Do you criticize Christians who gently point out that God wants what’s best for your brothers and sisters, and that’s why we have the Ten Commandments? Jesus calls on you to love him more than your family.

Do you spend a lot of time justifying what you know is wrong? Do you put your leisure time ahead of your time in God’s Word? Jesus calls on you to love him more than yourself.

Jesus really does know what’s best for you, and when he says these hard things, it’s because he knows how important it is that you stay connected to him. There is no other way of eternal salvation.

Prayer:
When I let the most important people in my life come ahead of you, Lord, call me back to repentance and faith in your dear Son, Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people. Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus—that I appeal to you.
Philemon 1:7-10

On the Basis of Love

You can avoid doing things because you think you might get into trouble for doing them. And you can do things because you think you might be rewarded for doing them. You can get other people to do things simply by claiming it is the right thing to do. And you can get them to stop doing things simply by claiming that it is the wrong thing to do.

That way of approaching life is called law motivation. You don’t have to be Christian to think and act that way. It’s a natural way of thinking.

Christians have a different motivation for how they think and act. They appeal to one another on the basis of love. In today’s Bible reading, Paul appeals to his friend, Philemon, to do the right thing not simply because it’s right but because of love.

It’s the ideal for parenting. You want your children to do the right thing not because they fear punishment but because they love you. It’s the ideal for classroom teaching. You want the students to behave not because there are classroom rules to be followed but because they love their teacher.

It’s how God appeals to you. You don’t have to be good to go to heaven. It’s Jesus’ perfect goodness that is getting you there. So why be good? God appeals to you on the basis of love. Because you love him, learn what is right. Because you love him, do what is right and refrain from doing what is wrong.

It’s called gospel motivation. When you believe the gospel, you are moved to show your love to God by demonstrating love to other people. When you are not feeling it, go back to what God has done for you. You love because he first loved you.

Prayer:
Loving Lord, move my heart to show my love for you by doing what is right in the name of Jesus. Amen.

The word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
Deuteronomy 30:14

The Word Is Near You

Nikita Khrushchev, the leader of the Soviet Union in the early 1960s, declared in regard to Yuri Gagarin, the Soviet cosmonaut who was first human to journey into outer space, “Gagarin flew into space, but didn’t see any god there.”

No matter how high we go, we will not find God. No matter how deeply we delve into the mystery of the human psyche or dig into the wonders of particle physics, we will not find God.

Yet he is not far from any of us.

Where do we find him? He reveals himself in his word–the Bible.

How does his word come into our hearts? As it is spoken and read. That’s how the Holy Spirit opens our minds to understand and writes his word on our hearts.

What does the Spirit teach us through the word? First, no matter how good we are, our hearts have failed to obey God. We have failed to love our neighbor as ourselves and to love God above all. You and I have no excuses for failing. We can’t plead ignorance. The word is very near you.

But what good news the word reveals as well! We could not ascend to God, so he came down to us. He did not come to condemn but to save us. He came near to us, not only in his word but also in person. Jesus is God with us. His mouth always spoke God’s truth in love. His heart reached out with unselfish compassion. His perfect record of obedience counts for you. His sinless life covers your failures and mine. Believe this with all your heart because that’s what God’s Word promises.

The word is near you. Unbelief rejects what the word says. Then only guilt and hell remain. But faith cherishes the word, for it brings us Jesus, our only Savior.

Prayer:
How precious is your word, O Lord! May I always cherish it, as I read it with my mouth and treasure it in my heart. Amen.

When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, [Jesus] told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited . . . But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 14:7,8,10,11

Put in My Place

Years ago, attending a national conference, I was pleased to sit by a classmate and friend. Each of us had raised our hand several times and offered input. When, once again, we had our hands in the air, we heard the firm voice of a much older man from behind us say, “We’ve heard enough from you young fellas for one day.”

I think of that experience when reading today’s Bible reading in which Jesus tells us not to exalt ourselves. Rather, he says we are to humble ourselves.

True humility means praying, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13). It is a recognition that I am not what God made me to be. I am not as kind, patient, or loving as he commands me to be.

This humility is important because only when I humbly recognize my faults will I realize my need for God’s forgiveness. Only then will I turn to Jesus, who won forgiveness for me. And when I do, he promises to lift me up and restore me, to assure me that I am at peace with God and an heir of eternal life. This is what Jesus meant when he said, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, give me a humble heart that trusts only in you. Amen.

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
James 2:10

Forgiven and Saved

Did you ever play with dominoes when you were younger? We would stand them up on end and line them all up so that when you tipped the first one, a chain reaction would start, and all the dominoes would fall like a giant wave rolling through. It took some effort for that to go according to plan. Each domino had to be placed just so: not too close and not too far away from the next one in line, and placed carefully on the ground so that it did not tip over prematurely. The more elaborate the design, the longer it would take to get it just right.

In reality, it was a bit of a stressful situation. It only took one mistake to ruin the whole thing. One slip-up or accidentally bumping one domino could start a chain reaction that could not be stopped. One mistake and one by one, the dominoes would fall. It happened so fast, and before you knew it, nothing was left standing.

The Bible says our salvation works that way too. We can try so perfectly to order our lives and line everything up so we are as good as we can be. But one sin, one slip-up, one mistake is all it will take to destroy our chances of saving ourselves.

Jesus removes all of that. He has already lived a perfect life for us. He perfectly lined up God’s commands every day and never once slipped up or made a mistake. The Bible tells us that Jesus never sinned. He was our perfect substitute in life, and through faith in him we receive the credit for his life of perfection. Having earned our righteousness, he proceeded to die on the cross to pay for all our sins. We are forgiven and saved.

Do you know what that means? No more stress or trying to line everything up perfectly in the hopes that we can achieve salvation. We cannot earn it. Instead, we are free to live for God and love our neighbor without fear.

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for living a perfect life for me. Help me to trust in your righteousness as the only way to heaven. Amen.

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
James 2:8,9

Love Your Neighbor

Are you doing right by God? Does God generally approve of how you live your life? These can be common questions we all contemplate. The apostle James provides a litmus test to know if we are doing right before God: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” That sounds simple enough. Love your neighbor. That seems doable. We can hold the door open for people, mow our elderly neighbor’s yard, be pleasant and wish people well.

It can be easy to feel like we love our neighbor so well that we are right with God. The trouble, however, is found in the phrase: “as yourself.” Do we love others that way? Not so much. It is one thing to hold the door open for someone. It is an entirely different to love someone the way we love ourselves. To love someone that way costs time and effort. It means putting their needs before my own. Too often, we do not have the desire or the energy to love other people that way. Worse, we perhaps discover that we do not love all people equally. Clearly, we cannot be right before God based on how we love our neighbors.

Thankfully, there is one who did right before God. One who always loved his neighbors perfectly. One who never played favorites. His name is Jesus. And the proof of his love for his neighbor is found on the cross. In giving his life on the cross, Jesus loved his neighbors. All of them. He didn’t only die for the ‘good’ people. He didn’t only die for the ones who would love him back. He died for all of us. He died for you.

You are Jesus’ neighbor, and he has already demonstrated his perfect love for you. You now have an opportunity to thank him for all that he has done by showing that same love to your neighbors.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for the awesome love that saved me from my sins. Empower me with your love, to love my neighbors equally—with the same kind of love that you have shown me. Amen.