Thy Will be Done

I remember the first time I looked up the meaning of my name and discovered “Elsie means being consecrated to God.” Since then, other meanings come up but that one stuck because it filled me with wonder and delight.

The word “consecration” means to make or declare sacred, and sacred means holy, devoted to God, worthy of awe and respect. This is a lofty description and much more than anyone could ever deserve, so it makes me wonder why some people resist being consecrated to God?

Today’s reading says that some have a different definition of that word. One person said, “It means that all that is bright and pleasant in your life will be taken out of it and that every hard and sad thing you can conceive of will come into it. It means that you will have to do impossible things and that your ease and comfort will be gone forever.”

Obviously this shows a faulty understanding of God and His will, which is usually the root of any  misconception about Christian teaching. How is it that we can so misunderstand and misjudge our Lord, whose will can be nothing but goodness and love, since He himself is these and these only? Only because that old and sinful nature, plus the lies of the enemy are at play. This could be due to 1) not being in the Word of God, or not believing what we read, or 2) not recognizing or confessing our selfishness. How many times have I gone my own way only to find out how flawed it is!

When Jesus was asked how to pray, He began with:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9–10)

Praying for God’s will to be done is asking Him to make earth like heaven — and that is going to be a forever loss of ease and comfort? No one would want to go to heaven if they thought it was like that.
Furthermore, the Bible says: “This is the will of God, your sanctification…. (1 Thessalonians 4:3) Sanctification also means much the same as consecration. Either word refers to something God did when Christ came into my life:

And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption. (1 Corinthians 1:30)

It is also what Christ did so that I might be sanctified (or set apart) for Him: “And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.” (John 17:19)

How terribly sad that God’s people listen to that old nature or to Satan and become convinced of what is not true. How important to read and believe the truth about God and realize He is a joy-giver and not a joy-robber.

PRAY: Jesus, help me today to speak the truth in love and to be totally aware of and set free from any false ideas about You or Your will for my life and the lives of those I talk with.

Being set apart for God is His doing!

I’m puzzled this morning how the writer said yesterday that we need to give ourselves fully to God before we can enter heaven and then makes this statement for today:

How few of us know that we are not our own and that we actually do belong to God! We have heard it and read of it often and have perhaps thought we believed it; but really knowing it is a different matter. It is essential to our peace and well-being that we do know that we belong to God. Any doubt about our position in relation to God is a grievous hindrance to our spiritual prosperity and development. To make us in His own image is the object of God’s workmanship, and nothing short of this will accomplish His divine purpose in our creation.

This writer says on one day we need to give ourselves totally to God to enter heaven, and on the next that we belong to Him and He is transforming us into the image of His Son. Again, I think of the hand in the glove. The hand does the actions, the glove is useless without its presence and power. The devotional seems to promote two kinds of Christians, those that choose only to believe and those that are fully obedient as if the glove does all the work.

The Bible is clear that we are saved by faith. Good works follow, motivated by a life that God has changed, and those works are the hand moving in the glove. Even though it seems that some Christians are not moving much and are less involved than others, their growth is up to Him. He says:

Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. (Romans 14:4)

Other readings add to this statement. One says that her life of faith grows better every month as her Savior cleanses her from all unrighteousness. Another says God’s care is such that all evil must pass through Him before it touches us, and even if it comes, God uses it for good. A third reading starts with this:

And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption. (1 Corinthians 1:30)

Jesus is my sanctification. This reading adds these thoughts: “The mystery of sanctification is that the perfections of Jesus Christ are imparted to me, not gradually, but instantly when by faith I enter into the realization that Jesus Christ is made unto me sanctification. Sanctification does not mean anything less than the holiness of Jesus being made mine manifestly.”

In other words, my holiness is not about imitating Jesus but letting His perfections manifest themselves in my body — like a hand in a glove. I read these words with delight. This gives me even greater desire to cooperate in that process in which Jesus is the perfection of all things and those perfections are mine as I learn to live in faith and am kept by the power of God.

PRAY: Jesus, I rest in the reality that You are my Savior and my sanctification. Being told I have to make any of this happen is defeating for I already know that I cannot. I need You. All the time. Every day, every hour. The good news is that You are available, here with me, giving me all that I need to do whatever You ask of me, and to love You with all my heart.

God’s Amazing Grace

My sister often said that even after mom died, mom was still picking up after her. Sis had a habit of never putting things away and then wasting time looking for her stuff. Today’s reading says this, and it reminded me of her…

God surrounds us; He goes after us to set straight the things we have made crooked and to undo the mistakes and failures that lie behind us. Mothers do this for their children all their lives, beginning with picking up the scattered toys in the nursery and then going “behind” them as they grow older to undo and atone for all their mistakes.

I’m not sure that is true for every mother, but I know that it is true about God. All my Christian life He has been showing me the truth of these verses:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:28–29)

“All things” includes my mistakes, even the biggest of them. While some of the worst involve other people and should not be shared, I can say this — even the stupidest things I have done have turned into either lessons in how to behave, or exposures of sin to confess, or both. This is the grace of God. He is able to use whatever I do or don’t do in the classroom of life for His purposes. And those lessons work, even though they may need to be repeated several times.
Part of this is because God knows me. He knows exactly what to do that will accomplish His purposes for me…

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. (Psalm 139:1–6)

The passage goes on to say that I cannot flee from His presence. Realizing that is important. No matter where I go or what I am doing, He is there to lead me, hold me, enlighten me. He created me so knows what will enable me to stay healthy, be happy, and be the most useful to His plans. Knowing that He is with me and knows me, makes a difference in my thoughts. Sure, I forget at times. Or the enemy feeds me his favorite ruse, “God does not really want the best for you” when I’m having problems, but the Lord always rescues me.

For instance, I had a thing come up yesterday and was uncertain how to deal with it, but the verse on today’s calendar says: “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption…” (1 Corinthians 1:30) and the truth that Jesus is my wisdom gave confidence to solve the problem. How gracious of God to care and to use even a calendar page to reassure and correct a small confusion.

PRAY: As the days go by, Your Word is a continual blessing. Even when I forget or am distracted from major truths about You and what You do, Jesus, You continue to abide with me and meet all needs, even using the smallest to the largest difficulties to change my life. Like mom with my sister, You are always picking up after me. Even the mess-ups that I make are used for good in Your hands. Praise to You for such loving care!

God’s Part and My Part

 

One professor in seminary stated that Christians need to verbalize what they believe because in saying it, it becomes a deeper reality in our lives. This is much like these NT words:

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (Romans 10:9–10)

These two things go together — believing in my heart and saying it with my mouth. For me, believing it in my heart and writing it on paper has much the same effect. I’m more visual than verbal and remember written truths far better than hearing the same truths. For that reason, I take sermon notes and write what I hear from God during my devotions and Bible studies.

Today, the topic is sanctification. The devotional author says it has two sides to it. I would not term it that way. It is more like the union between faith and verbalizing what I believe; both are necessary. That is, God sanctifies me and that sanctification is completed by obedience. I need to do what He puts in my heart or the sanctifying process is not complete. However, according to NT verses like this, both parts require the work of God:

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12–13)

I need to do my part in being sanctified (the word means to be set apart for God) yet it is God who works in me so I want to do His will.

Nevertheless, when God works, my part is not about being “zapped” but cooperating with what He puts in my heart. I see that in these verses…

…For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. (Romans 6:19–22)

In my new life, I have all I need to be set apart from sin, death, and this world — to serve Him. I know I cannot do godly actions without His enabling. My part includes listening to Him.

Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. Brothers, pray for us. (1 Thessalonians 5:22–25)

My part shown here is to say NO to evil and pray for other Christians to do the same. Jesus is faithful to set me apart for Himself and I need to cooperate..

So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. (Hebrews 13:12–13)

Jesus suffered that I could be set apart for Him. My part is to go to Him and rely on Him even if it means I may suffer too.

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. (1 Thessalonians 4:3–6)

My part in this is obvious. Being set apart for God means I don’t mess around with this or any other kind of sin. Instead, I need to be thankful that I and other Christians belong to Him and can let that show up in godly living. We know that sin has consequences, even forgiven sin.

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. (2 Thessalonians 2:13)

PRAY: Oh Lord, because of You, I am in Christ Jesus and cannot boast about anything, not even my obedience because Jesus is my wisdom, as well as my righteousness and sanctification and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). I am so grateful for this incredible salvation and that You have set me apart from the world, my old nature, and the devil’s deceit and adopted me to be Your child and to serve You.

Saying NO

 

In the past few weeks, demands on our time have delayed my time in devotions. Missing the normal schedule is something like missing a meal. I’m not starving but definitely hungry. I love bread but understand Jesus’ words:

“It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” (Matthew 4:4)

Much of what we do here on earth is necessary. I must eat, sleep, and so on, but also must spend time with Jesus and His people. If I don’t, it is like missing too many meals. God asks:

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. (Isaiah 55:2)

This is metaphor. It means that if I spend my time and effort on the stuff that is not important to God and to my spiritual well-being, I will not have the satisfaction that He offers in Jesus Christ. His will is that I draw my supply of righteousness moment by moment from the Lord.

And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, (1 Corinthians 1:30)

This means giving up, dying to self, saying no to all efforts to feed the hungers in my heart with anything other than what God supplies. Paul sets the example. He listed those things that may have once been important or could make him higher in the eyes of the world, and then he said:

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ (Philippians 3:8)

This was no easy decision, at least in his short-range experience. In gaining Christ, he went through trials that most people would totally avoid. Yet he also experienced life in Christ that he would have otherwise missed:

As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. (2 Corinthians 6:4–10)

God told the OT Levites: “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel.” (Numbers 18:20) He would be their possession, their everything.

I’ve been standing on the edge of this, looking at it with understanding, singing words that desire it, yet not certain what it is like to “suffer the loss of all things” yet “possessing everything” in Christ.

PRAY: Jesus, clarify this. I know it is more about attitude than actually selling all and living on the street. I also know it is living without any concern about having stuff or going without. I also know that all my ‘stuff’ can be used to minister to others. You tell me if I need wisdom then just ask for it. I’m asking — and listening.

A different kind of wisdom

 

In these troublesome times, I’m hearing all sorts of ideas of how the world’s problems can be fixed. We must elect different politicians, throw more money into various projects and plans, and control climate by non-use of petroleum. The first passage I read this morning says this:

Deuteronomy 4:6. “Keep (my statutes and rules) and do them, for that will be your WISDOM and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ ”

A novel idea: all the problems of the world could be solved if people obeyed God — a wiser source than all the philosophers or political and social media pundits.

In the OT, the word for wisdom has a wide variety of meanings and can be translated as “wisdom, aptitude, experience, good sense, skill.” But the majority use refers to intellect coupled with understanding and knowledge and the ability to skillfully use it. Such wisdom has its source in God and in the fear of the Lord.

 The psalmist writes, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” knowing that being wise is not just knowledge, but life skills, the ability to heed advice and follow through with application. Proverbs 8 links wisdom to the heart of God in creation and much of the Bible urges readers to seek wisdom from Him.

The NT word for wisdom is the same. Sophia means not only understanding something but also to act accordingly, separating wisdom from mere knowledge. In other words, a peasant with no education could be wiser than a genius with a doctorate.

People can be instructed in wisdom as was Moses (instructed in the wisdom of Egypt) but that is not the special wisdom that comes only from God. So-called wise people can look good but are not doing good because their actions have no value in defeating their sinfulness:

Colossians 2:23. “These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”

God’s wisdom is revealed several ways, one of which is through preaching. Some ‘preaching’ is more like talks given by motivational speakers, but words from those who preach in the power of the Holy Spirit can change lives, even though the preacher is not marked as being particularly gifted. One of the great evangelists, Jonathan Edwards, leaned on the pulpit and read his sermons. However, listeners were moved to repentance and salvation by Holy Spirit wisdom, not any lofty elocution skills. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:17–19:

“For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Clearly such wisdom is an attribute of God, seen in Jesus Christ and given to all who ask for it. These NT verses tell its power:

1 Corinthians 1:21. “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through (human) wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.”

Ephesians 3:10. “(Grace was given to preach) so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”

Luke 2:52. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

1 Corinthians 1:30. “ . . . . Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”

James 1:5. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

Colossians 1:28. “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. It is in Christian maturity that wisdom shines because those who learn to apply what God teaches are considered wise. James 3:13–17 explains:

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

For that reason, I’m told to “Look carefully then how I walk, not as unwise but as wise” because God wants my “obedience known to all” and that I am “wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.”