A Prayer Using God’s Words

 

It was a long but short night. Sleep eluded me, but daily saving time turned the clock back one hour. The devotional for today is one of those that charges me to exercise my will to choose to believe God so I can receive His comfort. I’ve already learned, known, and expressed that my will is only concerned about what I want, never what God wants. If I’m filled with His Spirit and living accordingly, then my thoughts will be like those of Jesus when He said, “Not my will but thine be done.”

Enough of that. What about biblical thoughts for today? I opened a book called “Everyday Prayers: 365 Days to a Gospel-Centered Faith” by Scotty Smith. The description begins with: “How would life be different if we could think, see, and do all things in light of the person and work of Jesus?”

This appeals to me. It is about praying the Scriptures and applying them to everyday life. Maybe I’m too tired of moving boxes and sorting stuff to give away, but reading his entry for today takes my mind off my will (a long nap?) and puts it on what God has done for me. With a few changes and personalizing the ESV version of today’s reference, I’m happy to think about this:

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved me, not because of works done by me in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on me richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace I might become an heir according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4–7)

PRAY: Heavenly Father, Scotty suggested having this inked as a tattoo, but I think of it as a poster on my wall. I need to have this amazing summary of the gospel ever before my eyes. I too easily forget. Even better than a poster is knowing You’ve already written this truth on my heart with indelible ink. You’re such an outrageously generous God. Your kindness and love appeared to me out of nowhere, like a bright light in a very dark place. I was not conscious of seeking You, but You were seeking me, not to harm me but to rescue me from both crippling guilt and stubborn pride. I praise you for your multiplied mercies.

And what a “bath” in the gospel you gave me — washing me once and for all through the new birth. You continue to renew, revive, and refresh me through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, poured forth and gently healing all the painful messes in my life and erasing all the scars. All Your blessings come so freely because you’ve given Jesus so fully.

Because You have justified me by your grace, the rest of my life is defined by heirship and hope. Though I sometimes feel and act like a fatherless, futureless orphan, nothing could be further from the truth. You will bring to completion the good work you’ve begun in me, in others, even the entire universe. I am totally grateful. Amen.

In Christ, we are perfect

My husband is a decent golfer. Occasionally he has someone else check his swing to improve. However, he says knowing the rules and the proper way to do it does not insure being able to do it perfectly.

I understand. I am a quilter and use a longarm machine for larger quilts. I know how to stitch feathers and other fancy stitches and can do them on paper with a pencil, but that does not insure perfect curves and lines on the quilt. Mine can wobble more easily than not.

This illustrates the law of God. We can know it and agree with it, but that does not mean we can do it. Every one of us has a sin nature and our propensity to sin messes with all our good efforts. This failure to measure up explains why God sent the Lord Jesus Christ — to keep the law for us, but also to grant His perfections to all who believe. With Jesus as our Savior, we are right with God. Our own efforts fall short, but in Him we can be forgiven and justified:

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:21–26)

Sometimes the Bible is the best interpretation of itself. That is, one passage can be made understandable by other passages. Besides that, a different translation also helps. It isn’t that other translations change the meaning (or they shouldn’t), but they might say the same thing in words that are more like the reader would say it. This passage from the Contemporary English Version clarifies for me the above passage from Romans:

“The Law of Moses is like a shadow of the good things to come. This shadow isn’t the good things themselves, because it cannot free people from sin by the sacrifices that are offered year after year. If there were worshipers who already have their sins washed away and their consciences made clear, there would not be any need to go on offering sacrifices. But the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins. It only reminds people of their sins from one year to the next. When Christ came into the world, he said to God, ‘Sacrifices and offerings are not what you want, but you have given me my body. No, you are not pleased with animal sacrifices and offerings for sin.’ Then Christ said, ‘And so, my God, I have come to do what you want, as the Scriptures say.’ The Law teaches that offerings and sacrifices must be made because of sin. But why did Christ mention these things and say that God did not want them? Well, it was to do away with offerings and sacrifices and to replace them. That is what he meant by saying to God, ‘I have come to do what you want.’ So we are made holy because Christ obeyed God and offered himself once for all.” (Hebrews 10:1–10, CEV)

Quilters can send out their quilt tops to a professional to have them stitched using expensive computerized machines. If I do that, the work is partly mine yet overall it looks far better than had I done it all myself. In this case, most of the credit goes to the pro who quilted it.

Golf does not allow a tour champion play on behalf of a duffer. It might make the duffer’s score look better, but in the kingdom of God, God Himself sent Jesus to ‘play’ on our behalf. Because of Him, our ‘score’ with God is far better than par; it is perfect.

^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, I don’t know how to best explain what You have done. You came from heaven to earth, putting on human flesh to become one of us. God put all our sin and sins on You and You bore the penalty for them, satisfying the wrath of God for sin and securing our forgiveness. God places those who believe ‘in’ You so when He looks at me, He sees You — in all Your glory and perfection. All that You are is mine — and all that I am is because of You. I shake my head in wonder, yet Your gift of faith enables me to know that it is true. I have been justified by faith in You and every day I marvel at Your grace and this incredible salvation!

Thankful for God’s amazing gift

We celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving yesterday. In declaring what I am thankful for, I cannot say it better than A. W. Pink who wrote The Doctrine of Justification. This wonderful book is public domain so many of the words below are based on the wonderful realities he shares.

The word is a forensic term meaning ‘acquit’, ‘declare righteous’, the opposite of ‘condemn.’ This is something a judge does, and from a litigant’s standpoint, to be justified means to ‘get the verdict.’

The Bible teaches that by grace God justifies sinners. This verdict of “justified” is absolute, complete, final. “It is God who justifies.” (Romans 8:33), and “I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him.” (Ecclesiastes 3:14).

So absolute and inexorable is this blessed fact that, in Romans 8:30 we are told, “Those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” Notice this is not simply a promise that God “will glorify,” but so sure and certain is that blissful event, the past tense is used. “Those whom he justified he also glorified” is speaking from the standpoint of the eternal and unalterable purpose of God, concerning which there is no conditionality or contingency whatsoever.

To be “glorified” is to be perfectly conformed to the lovely image of Christ — when we shall see Him as He is and are made like Him (1 John 3:2). Because God has determined this, He speaks of it as already accomplished, for He “calls into existence the things that do not exist.” (Romans 4:17).

This means that our Divine Judge decides, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1). Once I was under condemnation — “condemned already” (John 3:18); but now faith has united me to Christ there is no condemnation. The debt of my sin has been paid by Jesus Christ; the record of my sin has been “blotted out” by His cleansing blood.

Further, “It is God that justifies (so) who is he that condemns?” (Romans 8:33-34). Who will reverse His decision! Where is that superior tribunal to which this cause can be carried? Eternal justice has pronounced this decision; immutable judgment has recorded my sentence. God says, “’For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,’ says the LORD, who has compassion on you.” (Isaiah 54:10)

As a believing sinner, I may now say, “In the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength . . .” (Isaiah 45:24). I am “complete in Him” (Colossians 2:10) because by “one offering” the Savior has “perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). I have been “accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6), and stand before the throne of God arrayed in a garment more excellent than that which is worn by the holy angels.

Some think, ‘oh, now you can do whatever you please’ but this is not how justification works. I am not left on my own to complete the job, nor does justification mean heaven is certain no matter what I do. God also imparted the me the Holy Spirit and the Spirit works within me the desire to serve, please, and glorify Jesus Christ who has been so gracious to me.

The Bible is clear: “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

Because of Jesus, sinners can “delight in the law of God after the inward man” (Romans 7:22), and though the flesh, the world, and the Devil oppose every step, and even bring many a sad fall, we repent, confess, and forsake our sin and find that the Spirit renews us day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16) and leads us in paths of righteousness for Christ’s name’s sake.

Again, sinners whom God justifies are not left in our natural condition under the dominion of sin. We are quickened, indwelt, and guided by the Holy Spirit. As Christ cannot be divided, and so is received as Lord to rule us as well as Savior to redeem us, so those whom God justifies He also sanctifies.

God never designed that the obedience of His Son should be imputed to those who live a life of worldliness, self-pleasing, and gratifying the lusts of the flesh. Far from it: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

It is for this that I am deeply thankful!