Thursday, 31 August 2017
What’s good thing about toddlers?
What’s
good thing about toddlers?
My
nephew Joshua and niece Micah are so adorable. I might say too demanding in
good way, why? Because, every time I leave the house going to work, these two
little cuties demand a kiss from me before I step-out the door.
Recently,
their mother told me that Joshua cried because I was not able to give him a
kiss. Actually, I thought they’re still sleeping, but when I left he stubbornly
begging his mother why I did not kiss him. From then on, I assured to kiss them
goodbye every morning.
If Micah
sees that I am kissing Joshua on his cheeks, she volunteers herself to have one
too… so cute and touchy. I believe this
is the prize of having little kids at home and even coming home. =)
Walking in the Light
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Walking in the Light
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.”
John 8:12–14
Though the Germans experimented with the use of night vision devices during the Second World War, the equipment required was so large and bulky that it proved impractical for most uses on the battlefield. But over the ensuing years, technological advances made it possible to outfit individual soldiers with the ability to “see” in the dark. During the First Gulf War in 1991, American troops had a huge advantage because they were able to continue to operate with nearly complete mobility even in utter darkness.
As children of God, we have something far better than night vision goggles to guide our steps. We have been given the Bible and the Holy Spirit to help us understand and apply it to our lives. The Christian is not abandoned to make his way through the darkness of the world on his own. There is guidance and direction available for those who are willing to seek and follow what the Bible says. The principles and commandments of Scripture, if followed, ensure that we walk in a way that is pleasing to God.
There are difficult decisions that must be made, and hard choices we sometimes face. But a person who is committed to doing what God wants will find guidance and direction in the Scriptures. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).
John 8:12–14
Though the Germans experimented with the use of night vision devices during the Second World War, the equipment required was so large and bulky that it proved impractical for most uses on the battlefield. But over the ensuing years, technological advances made it possible to outfit individual soldiers with the ability to “see” in the dark. During the First Gulf War in 1991, American troops had a huge advantage because they were able to continue to operate with nearly complete mobility even in utter darkness.
As children of God, we have something far better than night vision goggles to guide our steps. We have been given the Bible and the Holy Spirit to help us understand and apply it to our lives. The Christian is not abandoned to make his way through the darkness of the world on his own. There is guidance and direction available for those who are willing to seek and follow what the Bible says. The principles and commandments of Scripture, if followed, ensure that we walk in a way that is pleasing to God.
There are difficult decisions that must be made, and hard choices we sometimes face. But a person who is committed to doing what God wants will find guidance and direction in the Scriptures. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).
Today’s Growth Principle:
Those who follow Jesus by the principles of Scripture will not stumble blindly through life.
Wednesday, 30 August 2017
Willing Witnesses
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Willing Witnesses
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.
Isaiah 43:10–12
Under United States law, a person can be compelled to give testimony in a courtroom, even against his wishes as long as that testimony does not implicate him in a crime. In 2015, James Risen, a two time Pulitzer Prize winning writer for The New York Times, was turned down by the Supreme Court in his attempt not to have to testify in the trial of a government employee who had leaked secret intelligence documents, which Risen had used in his reporting. The court ruled that he had no right to not be a witness when he himself faced no legal jeopardy.
While there may be cases when it makes sense for someone not to want to testify in a criminal or civil court case, the same does not apply in the Christian life. We are called and commissioned to witness to the world of what we have experienced thanks to God’s grace. The salvation we have received should motivate us to be faithful to share this Good News with others. Paul described his motivation to witness this way: “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:” (2 Corinthians 5:14). Yet so often, Christians find it difficult to speak up and talk to lost people. But we don’t need a court order to compel us to testify—we have the command of God that we must obey.
Isaiah 43:10–12
Under United States law, a person can be compelled to give testimony in a courtroom, even against his wishes as long as that testimony does not implicate him in a crime. In 2015, James Risen, a two time Pulitzer Prize winning writer for The New York Times, was turned down by the Supreme Court in his attempt not to have to testify in the trial of a government employee who had leaked secret intelligence documents, which Risen had used in his reporting. The court ruled that he had no right to not be a witness when he himself faced no legal jeopardy.
While there may be cases when it makes sense for someone not to want to testify in a criminal or civil court case, the same does not apply in the Christian life. We are called and commissioned to witness to the world of what we have experienced thanks to God’s grace. The salvation we have received should motivate us to be faithful to share this Good News with others. Paul described his motivation to witness this way: “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:” (2 Corinthians 5:14). Yet so often, Christians find it difficult to speak up and talk to lost people. But we don’t need a court order to compel us to testify—we have the command of God that we must obey.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Our love for God and for others should be all the motivation we need to be faithful witnesses of the gospel.
Tuesday, 29 August 2017
Faith in an Age of Doubt
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Faith in an Age of Doubt
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:”
2 Peter 3:3–5
When Dr. R. L. Scarborough was pastor of the First Baptist Church of Abilene, Texas, he preached a sermon one morning from the story of Jonah. Over lunch that afternoon, his son asked, “Daddy, do you really believe a great fish could swallow a man and him live inside for three days and three nights?” Dr. Scarborough replied, “Son, if God could make a man out of dust, He made out of nothing, don’t you think He has the power to make a fish that could swallow a man and keep him alive?” The boy said, “Well if you bring God into it, that’s different!”
We live in a day of unbelief. But the opinions of men do not change the truth of God. He remains the Creator, who is all powerful whether people believe and acknowledge it or not. The nature and character of God are not determined or changed by popular vote. The responsibility we have as believers is to maintain our faith regardless of what is going on around us. Unbelief is not new. Peter identified “scoffers” in his day who denied the Creation and the Flood in their attempt to avoid having a God to whom they would one day give an account. But God is real, and He is exactly who and what the Bible declares Him to be. He never changes, and we can rest with complete confidence on every promise in His Word.
2 Peter 3:3–5
When Dr. R. L. Scarborough was pastor of the First Baptist Church of Abilene, Texas, he preached a sermon one morning from the story of Jonah. Over lunch that afternoon, his son asked, “Daddy, do you really believe a great fish could swallow a man and him live inside for three days and three nights?” Dr. Scarborough replied, “Son, if God could make a man out of dust, He made out of nothing, don’t you think He has the power to make a fish that could swallow a man and keep him alive?” The boy said, “Well if you bring God into it, that’s different!”
We live in a day of unbelief. But the opinions of men do not change the truth of God. He remains the Creator, who is all powerful whether people believe and acknowledge it or not. The nature and character of God are not determined or changed by popular vote. The responsibility we have as believers is to maintain our faith regardless of what is going on around us. Unbelief is not new. Peter identified “scoffers” in his day who denied the Creation and the Flood in their attempt to avoid having a God to whom they would one day give an account. But God is real, and He is exactly who and what the Bible declares Him to be. He never changes, and we can rest with complete confidence on every promise in His Word.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Faith that is grounded on the Word of God will not be shaken by the unbelief of others.
Monday, 28 August 2017
The Seated Saviour
Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, that You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity....
– Psalm 94:12-13
According to Exodus 13:17, When Pharaoh let the people go, God led them not by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer (emphasis added). There was a shorter route, but God took the Israelites the long, hard way on purpose because they were not ready for the battles they would face. He continued to work with them during forty years of wandering, waiting for them to get to the point where they could praise Him in their adversity.
God will continue dealing with us until we learn how to stay peaceful in the storm. Nothing shows our spiritual maturity more than staying calm when our circumstances are not calm. Stability is a sign of maturity, and the more mature we are, the more God can trust us with His power and blessings.
Power Thought: I have the power of God to remain calm in adversity.
The Seated Saviour
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”
Hebrews 1:1–3
In His thirty-three years on Earth, Jesus lived a perfect life, fulfilling the law that no one had been able to keep. Because He was sinless, Jesus was qualified to offer His life as the payment for the sins of the world. Jesus did not owe a debt for sin, so His payment can be applied to our account through faith in what He did.
It is vitally important that we understand that the work that accomplished our salvation is completed. “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30).
There are so many people who are trying to work their way to Heaven. They hope that by doing more good than bad, by going to church, by being baptized, or by showing charity to others they will earn favor with God. Many believe that one day their lives will be placed in some kind of cosmic scales where they will be weighed and their eternal destiny determined. None of these approaches work. Nor are they needed, because the work of salvation is already finished. Nothing we can do is needed—in fact, Ephesians 2:8–9 tells us that trying to get to Heaven on our own keeps us from receiving the free gift of salvation that God offers.
Hebrews 1:1–3
In His thirty-three years on Earth, Jesus lived a perfect life, fulfilling the law that no one had been able to keep. Because He was sinless, Jesus was qualified to offer His life as the payment for the sins of the world. Jesus did not owe a debt for sin, so His payment can be applied to our account through faith in what He did.
It is vitally important that we understand that the work that accomplished our salvation is completed. “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30).
There are so many people who are trying to work their way to Heaven. They hope that by doing more good than bad, by going to church, by being baptized, or by showing charity to others they will earn favor with God. Many believe that one day their lives will be placed in some kind of cosmic scales where they will be weighed and their eternal destiny determined. None of these approaches work. Nor are they needed, because the work of salvation is already finished. Nothing we can do is needed—in fact, Ephesians 2:8–9 tells us that trying to get to Heaven on our own keeps us from receiving the free gift of salvation that God offers.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Because Jesus has ended His work and is seated in Heaven, we can trust fully in His promises.
Calm in Adversity
by Joyce Meyer - posted August 27, 2017Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, that You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity....
– Psalm 94:12-13
According to Exodus 13:17, When Pharaoh let the people go, God led them not by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer (emphasis added). There was a shorter route, but God took the Israelites the long, hard way on purpose because they were not ready for the battles they would face. He continued to work with them during forty years of wandering, waiting for them to get to the point where they could praise Him in their adversity.
God will continue dealing with us until we learn how to stay peaceful in the storm. Nothing shows our spiritual maturity more than staying calm when our circumstances are not calm. Stability is a sign of maturity, and the more mature we are, the more God can trust us with His power and blessings.
Power Thought: I have the power of God to remain calm in adversity.
Sunday, 27 August 2017
The Foundation of Everything
And when he was about to enter into Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, . . . when the Egyptians see you, they will say, This is his wife; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say, I beg of you, that you are my sister, so that it may go well with me for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.
- Genesis 12:11-13
Are you so afraid of displeasing people that you say yes to a lot of things you know you should be saying no to? If so, your stress is not caused by all the things you have to do, it is because you are afraid of disapproval.
We are afraid to be different, so we desperately try to keep up with all the other people in our lives, and it wears us out. The truth is we just want to go home and sit in a chair, but we don’t want people to think we are a dud, so we keep pushing ourselves to do things we don’t want to do.
Take a minute to stop and look closely at the reasons you are doing the things you currently do. If any of them are being done out of fear, then eliminate them. You will be amazed at how much time you may have if you have a Spirit-led schedule rather than a people-driven one.
Lord, it’s so easy to succumb to the intimidation we feel from others. Help me to be true to myself and live for Your approval alone. Amen.
The Foundation of Everything
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
John 1:1–5
When the Eiffel Tower opened in Paris in 1889, it was the tallest man-made structure on Earth. Rising more than 1,000 feet over the Paris skyline, it is one of the most famous and most visited buildings in the world. But the ground on which the tower was built posed a major challenge to the construction. Because most of the soil was soft and the area was prone to flooding, engineers devised an intricate structure to provide a firm footing for the massive structure. They dug down some fifty feet, filling the spaces with a mixture of cut stone, limestone blocks, and concrete. This allowed the 10,000 tons of iron to form the familiar tower that still stands today as a testimony to the importance of solid foundations.
The society around us likes to question everything. Many people no longer believe there is such a thing as absolute truth. We often hear phrases like “My truth is...” or, “That may be true for you.” But no matter what the majority may believe, there is a firm and settled truth, and God has given it to us in His Word. Because the Bible is the Word of God rather than the words of man, it is not subject to correction, improvement, or revision. It is never out of date, and no one who has built a life upon its principles and truths has erred by doing so. Let the Bible form the foundation for your thinking and actions, and you will not go astray.
John 1:1–5
When the Eiffel Tower opened in Paris in 1889, it was the tallest man-made structure on Earth. Rising more than 1,000 feet over the Paris skyline, it is one of the most famous and most visited buildings in the world. But the ground on which the tower was built posed a major challenge to the construction. Because most of the soil was soft and the area was prone to flooding, engineers devised an intricate structure to provide a firm footing for the massive structure. They dug down some fifty feet, filling the spaces with a mixture of cut stone, limestone blocks, and concrete. This allowed the 10,000 tons of iron to form the familiar tower that still stands today as a testimony to the importance of solid foundations.
The society around us likes to question everything. Many people no longer believe there is such a thing as absolute truth. We often hear phrases like “My truth is...” or, “That may be true for you.” But no matter what the majority may believe, there is a firm and settled truth, and God has given it to us in His Word. Because the Bible is the Word of God rather than the words of man, it is not subject to correction, improvement, or revision. It is never out of date, and no one who has built a life upon its principles and truths has erred by doing so. Let the Bible form the foundation for your thinking and actions, and you will not go astray.
Today’s Growth Principle:
We can confidently base our lives on the Word of God, knowing that it is a perfect and unchanging foundation.
Being Spirit Led
by Joyce Meyer - posted August 26, 2017And when he was about to enter into Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, . . . when the Egyptians see you, they will say, This is his wife; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say, I beg of you, that you are my sister, so that it may go well with me for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.
- Genesis 12:11-13
Are you so afraid of displeasing people that you say yes to a lot of things you know you should be saying no to? If so, your stress is not caused by all the things you have to do, it is because you are afraid of disapproval.
We are afraid to be different, so we desperately try to keep up with all the other people in our lives, and it wears us out. The truth is we just want to go home and sit in a chair, but we don’t want people to think we are a dud, so we keep pushing ourselves to do things we don’t want to do.
Take a minute to stop and look closely at the reasons you are doing the things you currently do. If any of them are being done out of fear, then eliminate them. You will be amazed at how much time you may have if you have a Spirit-led schedule rather than a people-driven one.
Lord, it’s so easy to succumb to the intimidation we feel from others. Help me to be true to myself and live for Your approval alone. Amen.
Saturday, 26 August 2017
Eternally Unfailing Love
Eternally Unfailing Love
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:37–39
Even the most steadfast human love reaches an earthly end. The longest marriage in United States history is believed to be that of Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher of North Carolina, who were married on May 13, 1924. They were getting close to marking their eighty-seventh wedding anniversary in 2011 when Mr. Fisher died at the age of 105. His wife passed away two years later, also having reached 105 years of age. The couple left a remarkable legacy of faithfulness and commitment, but not even their love could last forever. Their love on earth ended with their lives.
God’s love is different. Because He is eternal, His love never fails. That love is an integral part of His nature and character. The Apostle John wrote, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16). This love lavishly poured out to us makes it possible for us to become part of God’s family through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, even though we do not deserve it.
And that love once accepted, never goes away. No child of God has ever been abandoned or disinherited. That may happen in earthly families, but God’s love is unfailing. Nothing that we do or do not do changes His love toward us. It is as eternal as God Himself, and it never fails. If our standing as God’s children depended on us, we would surely lose His love. Because it is based on His nature, God’s love never fails.
Romans 8:37–39
Even the most steadfast human love reaches an earthly end. The longest marriage in United States history is believed to be that of Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher of North Carolina, who were married on May 13, 1924. They were getting close to marking their eighty-seventh wedding anniversary in 2011 when Mr. Fisher died at the age of 105. His wife passed away two years later, also having reached 105 years of age. The couple left a remarkable legacy of faithfulness and commitment, but not even their love could last forever. Their love on earth ended with their lives.
God’s love is different. Because He is eternal, His love never fails. That love is an integral part of His nature and character. The Apostle John wrote, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16). This love lavishly poured out to us makes it possible for us to become part of God’s family through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, even though we do not deserve it.
And that love once accepted, never goes away. No child of God has ever been abandoned or disinherited. That may happen in earthly families, but God’s love is unfailing. Nothing that we do or do not do changes His love toward us. It is as eternal as God Himself, and it never fails. If our standing as God’s children depended on us, we would surely lose His love. Because it is based on His nature, God’s love never fails.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Nothing is able to take away the amazing love that God has for us.
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Friday, 25 August 2017
Crucified with Christ
…Work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).
- Philippians 2:12
We can allow the Holy Spirit to invade our lives. We can be so filled with His presence and power that we allow Him into every aspect of who we are and into everything we do. He can get into our thoughts, emotions, and even our wills and bring healing and wholeness to our entire being, but He wants an invitation.
Tell the Holy Spirit you are ready to work with Him to bring what He has done in you by the grace of God to the forefront of your life. “Work it out,” which is the theme of our scripture for today, means that we must learn to live from the Spirit. We need to learn to live inside out. Be cautious not to offend God by giving in to temptation and sin. Learn to live in such a manner that your conscience is entirely clean at all times.
You might be thinking, Joyce, all of this sounds hard and I am not sure I have what it takes. But, I want to assure you that you do have what it takes, because you have the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. You cannot do it in your own strength, but as you partner with God you can do whatever you need to do in life. Don’t settle for a “barely get by” kind of life when there is a life of abundance waiting for you.
Crucified with Christ
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
Galatians 2:18–21
It is said that on his first trip to the Holy Land, Dr. R. G. Lee visited Gordon’s Calvary, thought by many to be the place where Jesus was crucified. As the guide talked to the tour group about the history and meaning of the spot where they were standing, and how it had come to be identified as the likely site of the place Jesus died, he asked if any members of the group had been there before. Dr. Lee raised his hand. The guide asked, “When were you here?” Dr. Lee responded, “Two thousand years ago. When Jesus died for me, I died with Him.”
Though many believers never have the opportunity to travel to Israel and see Calvary, there are no believers who have not been to the cross. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation. Yet the cross is about more than just our salvation. It is also a symbol of forfeiting all that we rely on and hold dear for the sake of obedience to God. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). Only by repeatedly dying to what we value and rising to live for what God values can we truly live like Jesus.
Galatians 2:18–21
It is said that on his first trip to the Holy Land, Dr. R. G. Lee visited Gordon’s Calvary, thought by many to be the place where Jesus was crucified. As the guide talked to the tour group about the history and meaning of the spot where they were standing, and how it had come to be identified as the likely site of the place Jesus died, he asked if any members of the group had been there before. Dr. Lee raised his hand. The guide asked, “When were you here?” Dr. Lee responded, “Two thousand years ago. When Jesus died for me, I died with Him.”
Though many believers never have the opportunity to travel to Israel and see Calvary, there are no believers who have not been to the cross. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation. Yet the cross is about more than just our salvation. It is also a symbol of forfeiting all that we rely on and hold dear for the sake of obedience to God. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). Only by repeatedly dying to what we value and rising to live for what God values can we truly live like Jesus.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Only through our daily dying to self can the powerful life of Jesus Christ flow through us.
Don’t Offend God
by Joyce Meyer - posted August 24, 2017…Work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).
- Philippians 2:12
We can allow the Holy Spirit to invade our lives. We can be so filled with His presence and power that we allow Him into every aspect of who we are and into everything we do. He can get into our thoughts, emotions, and even our wills and bring healing and wholeness to our entire being, but He wants an invitation.
Tell the Holy Spirit you are ready to work with Him to bring what He has done in you by the grace of God to the forefront of your life. “Work it out,” which is the theme of our scripture for today, means that we must learn to live from the Spirit. We need to learn to live inside out. Be cautious not to offend God by giving in to temptation and sin. Learn to live in such a manner that your conscience is entirely clean at all times.
You might be thinking, Joyce, all of this sounds hard and I am not sure I have what it takes. But, I want to assure you that you do have what it takes, because you have the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. You cannot do it in your own strength, but as you partner with God you can do whatever you need to do in life. Don’t settle for a “barely get by” kind of life when there is a life of abundance waiting for you.
Thursday, 24 August 2017
What is standing in your way?
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Already Settled
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:”
Ephesians 1:6–9
We who have trusted Christ as Saviour do not need to have any fear of the future. Our salvation is not something that will be determined when we die or at a final judgment after the world comes to an end—it is already accomplished. It is settled, and has been since the moment Jesus rose from the grave. Because God is not bound by time, He already knows our future. And the finished work of Jesus Christ is our guarantee of Heaven.
Dr. R. A. Torrey said, “When Jesus died, He died as my representative, and I died in Him; when He arose, He rose as my representative, and I arose in Him; when He ascended up on high and took His place at the right hand of the Father in the glory, He ascended as my representative and I ascended in Him, and today I am seated in Christ with God in the heavenlies.”
Our task is not to gain or merit or deserve the salvation we have already been freely given, but to live in a way that brings praise, honor, and glory to God who gave us that great gift. We are not working out of a frantic desire to make sure we do enough to hang on to the gift of salvation, but from a heart overflowing with gratitude for what we have already received. Just as we did not provide our own salvation, we are not responsible to keep it—that is God’s job...and His promise.
Ephesians 1:6–9
We who have trusted Christ as Saviour do not need to have any fear of the future. Our salvation is not something that will be determined when we die or at a final judgment after the world comes to an end—it is already accomplished. It is settled, and has been since the moment Jesus rose from the grave. Because God is not bound by time, He already knows our future. And the finished work of Jesus Christ is our guarantee of Heaven.
Dr. R. A. Torrey said, “When Jesus died, He died as my representative, and I died in Him; when He arose, He rose as my representative, and I arose in Him; when He ascended up on high and took His place at the right hand of the Father in the glory, He ascended as my representative and I ascended in Him, and today I am seated in Christ with God in the heavenlies.”
Our task is not to gain or merit or deserve the salvation we have already been freely given, but to live in a way that brings praise, honor, and glory to God who gave us that great gift. We are not working out of a frantic desire to make sure we do enough to hang on to the gift of salvation, but from a heart overflowing with gratitude for what we have already received. Just as we did not provide our own salvation, we are not responsible to keep it—that is God’s job...and His promise.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Knowing our eternal destiny is already settled gives us confidence to boldly live to glorify God.
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