Verse of the Day - weekend 7/31

Through the Bible - Psalms 65-69, Romans 4

 

Good morning,In yesterday's passage in Ephesians 2 we considered God's grace.  In that passage Paul was teaching his readers then as he teaches us today that it is " by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, "NKJV

 

For this weekend's verse we'll go to Romans 4 which is this weekends reading in the "read through the Bible" plan above.

 

Rom 4:4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.   NIV

In some "Christian circles" and even in today's political arena year hear talk of "collective salvation".  There may be a collective salvation where there is deliverance for an oppressed group, like the Israelites being delivered from the bondage of Egypt.  But this is different than our personal, eternal salvation with Christ and that is achieved through Christ by the grace of God through faith.

In his book "What is Faith", early 20th century theologian J. Gresham Machen writes - "Acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ, as He is offered to us in the gospel of His redeeming work, is saving faith. Despairing of any salvation to be obtained by our own efforts, we simply trust in Him to save us; we say no longer, as we contemplate the Cross, merely 'He saved others' or 'He saved the world' or 'He saved the Church'; but we say, every one of us, by the strange individualizing power of faith, 'He loved me and gave Himself for me.'

When a man once says that, in his heart and not merely with his lips, then no matter what his guilt may be, no matter how far he is beyond any human pale, not matter how little opportunity he has for making good the evil that he has done, he is a ransomed soul, a child of God forever."

As Machen so aptly describes, our salvation is a personal matter, acknowledging, believing,  and taking it to heart that  "He loved and gave Himself for me".

I'll close with Romans 4:16 from the Amplified Bible which begins with "therefore".  Go back and read through the passage and see what it is there for.  As mentioned the other day, the root word for grace is "charis" from which we get "charity" which is the word translated as love in 1 Corinthians 13, the "love chapter".  As you go through Paul's letter you will see a recurring theme of faith, hope, and love (including grace).

Romans 4:16 (Amplified Bible) Therefore, [inheriting] the promise is the outcome of faith and depends [entirely] on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of grace (unmerited favor), to make it stable and valid and guaranteed to all his descendants--not only to the devotees and adherents of the Law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is [thus] the father of us all.

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Rom 4:1-9

 

4 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about — but not before God. 3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 

 

4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

 

7 "Blessed are they
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man
whose sin the Lord will never count against him."     NIV

Verse of the Day 7/30

Through the Bible - Psalms 62-64, Romans 3

 

Good morning,

Today's New Testament reading (above) is from Romans chapter 3.  The most well known verse from that chapter is probably verse 23:

Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,   NKJV

It is the first verse often quoted in witnessing, especially if using "The Four Spiritual Laws" tract.  The focus of the chapter quickly shifts to God's grace in verse 24.  We considered grace yesterday stating that without  it, we do not have the "capacity to do anything spiritually profitable."  In short, we miss the mark.  The word for sin in Romans 3:23 is just that, missing the mark, falling short of Jesus' standards.

 

We need to realize that we've all sinned, we've all fallen short.  Thankfully, we should all realize that we have God's grace offered to us

.

John Piper writes, "Grace is not simply leniency when we have sinned. Grace is the enabling gift of God not to sin. Grace is power, not just pardon." 

For today's verse, we'll go to another passage written by Paul.  These verses bring together our shortcomings and God's grace.

Ephesians 2:5-6 (Amplified Bible) Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation).

⁶And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

Do you feel like you are struggling and constantly missing the mark?  Go to Jesus, seek His grace, let the Word dwell in you richly.

Read the passage below in Ephesians 2 from The Message.  It made me want to sing "Jesus Messiah" by Chris Tomlin.

He became sin ,Who knew no sin
That we might become His Righteousness
He humbled himself and carried the cross

 
Love so amazing , Love so amazing

Jesus Messiah ,Name above all names
Blessed Redeemer, Emmanuel
The rescue for sinners, The ransom from Heaven
Jesus Messiah,  Lord of all

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Eph 2:1-11

 

He Tore Down the Wall

 

2 It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.

 

Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

The Message

Verse of the Day 7/29

Through the Bible - Psalms 59-61, Romans 2

 

Good morning,

I received an e-mail yesterday from a pastor friend yesterday.  He close the note with "wishing you grace and peace".  It is the same way that the Apostle Paul greeted his readers in his letters.

For today's verse we'll go to Romans 1 from yesterday's reading for one of these greetings.

Romans 1:7 (Amplified Bible) To [you then] all God's beloved ones in Rome, called to be saints and designated for a consecrated life: Grace and spiritual blessing and peace be yours from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Yesterday, we considered reconciliation, how it is accomplished and what it means to us.

 

New Testament commentator James Dunn writes, " The greeting itself is a beautiful blend of Greek and Hebrew tradition (Rom. 1: 7). The Greek word 'grace' (charis), very similar to the more typical

Greek greeting (chairein), sums up the character of God's dealings with his human creatures, as motivated by and expressive of God's generosity from start to finish. And 'peace' (shalom) is the traditional Jewish greeting, where the thought is not simply of peace of mind but of general well-being. Paul's wish for these Roman Gentiles is that they should experience the richness of the peace cherished by Israel combined with the grace so fully manifested in Jesus."

 

While driving yesterday, I listened to a message from James MacDonald on the radio.  In it, he said that "grace is more than God's unmerited favor, but also the capacity to do anything spiritually profitable."

 

Think about that for a moment.  If we are to do anything that is "spiritually profitable" it is only as a result of God's grace, like faith, it is not of ourselves but the gift of God.

MacDonald also quoted 2 Cor 12:9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."  He also said that it could. perhaps should be better translated "sufficient for you is the grace of me."
NKJV

I thought of the Beatles song "All You Need is Love".  That may be true as long as that love includes and is through God's grace.

 

As you go about your day today take some time to think about what God has done for you in the reconciliation process.  Have you felt His grace and experienced His peace?

 

Peace is more than the absence of conflict.  For true peace, the enmity is gone.  It is something that is possible through grace, God's grace, grace that is greater than all my sin.

 

Grace and Peace to you,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Rom 1:1-8

 

1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God  2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;

 

7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.   NKJV

Verse of the Day 7/28

Through the Bible - Psalms 56-58, Romans 1

 

Good morning,

As we saw yesterday, instead of shame, ridicule, and hatred ours should be a mission of forgiveness and reconciliation. 

 

"Reconcile" is an accounting word.  In business you may have heard of an external audit, where an outside party is brought in to go over and "reconcile" the books, to remove false entries.

 

2 Cor 5:19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.   NIV

Monday's "Today in the Word" devotional had this to say about reconciliation,"Reconciliation as a noun or verb appears 5 times (vv. 18-20), indicating that it is the central theme. As one New Testament scholar puts it, reconciliation is God's "cosmic restoration" project to make new all that is chaotic and distorted in the world, beginning with His relationship with humanity. God is the first Reconciler. As with His justice, righteousness, and love, we are also called to bear His image as reconcilers. Reconciliation is more than a message; it is a ministry. It is the work of forgiveness and peacemaking and of healing broken relationships, beginning with our relationship with God and extending throughout the whole world. Reconciliation is the pathway to new creation."

 

God is the reconciler and he calls us to join Him in this mission.  Colossians 2:14 gives us a good picture of how God accomplished this reconciliation.

Colossians 2:14 (Amplified Bible)  Having cancelled and blotted out and wiped away the handwriting of the note (bond) with its legal decrees and demands which was in force and stood against us (hostile to us). This [note with its regulations, decrees, and demands] He set aside and cleared completely out of our way by nailing it to [His] cross.

Think of that, He cancelled, blotted out, wiped away, and erased the sin and the sentence that was due to us, He removed the barriers that stood between us,  that we may be reconciled that we might be in harmony, in right standing before Him.  If we are to bring others into fellowship with Him it starts with doing the same things that stand in between us and our relationships with others.  It is not an easy thing to do but it is part of being God's ambassadors.

 

What are some of the barriers between you and someone that you are trying to witness to?

 

Read the passage below from The Message, are you ready to be used by God "to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them."?

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
2 Cor 5:14-6:1

 

A New Life

 

Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own.

 

Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you.

 

How? you say. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.

 

THE MESSAGE

 

Verse of the Day 7/27

Through the Bible - Psalms 53-55, Acts 28:11-31

 

Good morning,

Yesterday's verse charged us, challenged us not to "be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ".  We also considered what it meant to be shamed and to shame others.

 

It is fitting to consider this in today's political climate.  Shaming is commonplace in society all the way up to its top leaders.  For today's verse we'll go to Hebrews chapter 12.  I had never really stopped to think about "the shame" mentioned in these verses, but it struck me and may strike you.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (New King James Version)  Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

These are powerful, challenging, encouraging verses for the Christian.  They teach us to "look to Jesus" as the author and finisher of our faith, and as we considered last week, we are to imitate Him.

 

Notice what Jesus did, He despised the shame.  Picture Him going through the trial and onto the resurrection.  The course jokes, the ridicule, the beatings, the shaming that He faced.  What was His reaction, to "shame" in return?  No, He despised the shame, and instead, sought and offered reconciliation, saying "Father forgive them for they know not what they do".

 

What would happen in the political arena if people followed Jesus and "despised" the shaming and sought reconciliation?  Why go that far, what would it look like in our households, workplaces and schools?

Doing this would require us to put up with short-term pain in order to achieve long-term, eternal gain.

 

John Piper writes, "The shaming behavior against Jesus was as ugly and cruel and demeaning as it gets. But instead of letting the shame eat him up, or make him ashamed, or turn him into someone as weak and ugly as his shamers, he fixed his heart on the joy set before him. In other words, the assured triumph of his death and resurrection to save sinners and vindicate his righteousness and bring him home to God kept him from being ashamed or disobedient. When he was tempted to feel ashamed, he focused his mind on the joy set before him. He endured short-term pain because of long-term gain.

And Paul was like that. He said, "I am not ashamed of the gospel," – I am not ashamed of the message and the reality of Christ crucified for sinners and raised with power and saving all who trust in him. Why not? Because "[the gospel] is the power of God for [unto] salvation to everyone who believes." This is the same way that Jesus overcame feelings of shame when he was shamed for the gospel. Jesus looked to the joyful triumph of his cross and resurrection; Paul looked to the joyful triumph of the gospel in eternal salvation. "

One of the key weights to lay aside as we run the race is to cast aside, to do away with the shaming.

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Heb 11:35-12:3

 

Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented —  38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

 

39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

 

The Race of Faith

 

12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.   NKJV

 

Verse of the Day 7/26

Through the Bible - Psalms 50-52, Acts 27:33-28:10

 

Good morning,

The New Testament Bible reading plan (above) will soon be moving into the book of Romans.  Over the years I've probably spent more time in reading and studying this book than any other in the Bible.  Some would arguably say that it is the single most important letter ever written by a Christian.  Many "heroes" of the faith including Augustine, Luther, and Wesley have traced their entry into faith to the words and verses found in Romans.

For today's verse we'll go to Romans chapter one to a couple of the most important verses found in this great book.

Romans 1:16-17 (Amplified Bible) For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God's power working unto salvation [for deliverance from eternal death] to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek,

¹⁷For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith]. As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith.

I like the way the Amplified Bible describes the righteousness, the right standing before God as "both springing from faith and leading to faith".

 

Take a few moments today to consider what it means to "not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ".  Perhaps these next quotes from John Piper will help you.  In a sermon "The Gospel is the Power of God Unto Salvation" Piper states, "there is a difference between being shamed for the gospel and being ashamed of the gospel. If you are a faithful Christian, you will be shamed for the gospel. That is, you will be the target of shaming behavior. But there is a very good reason why you do not have to be ashamed when that happens."

 

Having just come from the book of Acts we should be able to see how Paul had experienced this being "shamed" by the religious and political leaders of his day.  His response was to take a stand for the gospel.

 

Piper continues, "We do not avoid feelings of shame by altering the gospel to make it popular and inoffensive (see I Corinthians 1:18). We avoid feelings of shame by remembering that the gospel is going to be vindicated in the end. We remind ourselves that the gospel alone brings forgiven sinners to final, everlasting joy. Nothing in the world can do this except the gospel of Jesus Christ. "

 

We must avoid the temptation to alter, to "water down the gospel" to avoid the shaming.

 

Piper concludes his sermon by stating, "So I conclude that the reason Paul is not ashamed of the gospel is that it is the only truth in all the world that will not let you down when you give your life to it in faith. It will bring you all the way through temptation and persecution and death and judgment into eternal safety and ever-increasing joy in the presence of a holy and glorious God. All the other "gospels" in the world that win so many converts will fail you in the end. Only one saves from the final wrath of God and leads to fullness of joy in his presence and pleasures at his right hand forever. Therefore, there is no need to be ashamed of it, no matter what others say or do. And O how eager we should be to speak this gospel to believer and unbeliever alike. "

What is your attitude today towards the gospel of Christ?  Is it the power of salvation "springing from and leading to" increasing faith for you?

 

In Christ,

Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Rom 1:8-18

 

Desire to Visit Rome

 

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10 making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established —  12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

 

13 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. 14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. 15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.

 

The Just Live by Faith

 

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."   NKJV

Verse of the Day - weekend 7/25

Through the Bible - Psalms 44-49, Acts 27:1-32

 

Good morning,

Most of you are old enough to remember the movie "The Blues Brothers".  In it the vagabond musicians played by John Belushi and Dan Akroyd proclaim that they were on "a mission from God".  They felt in their hearts that there could be no stopping them which caused them to persevere through many obstacles.

 

For today's verse we'll go to Acts 26 where Paul stands before Festus and King Agrippa to declare his "mission from God", one that rang true, has been recorded and passed down to us.  The mission continues for those who live by faith in the "Light of the World", Jesus.In Christ.

 

Acts 26:17-19  "'I'm sending you off to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I'm sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me.'   The Message

These verses and the Bible in general, show that in this world we see and must choose between stark contrasts.  There  is darkness and light, insiders and outsiders, and ultimately Satan and God.  Satan seeks to kill and destroy, God offers salvation, the forgiveness of sin, freedom from sin, eternal life, a place in the family, and the love of God.  God's mission was love.

 

And what was that powerful principle, which brought Him . . .
  from heaven--to earth,
  from glory--into contempt,
  from unutterable bliss--into inconceivable sorrow?

It was LOVE! Love,
  the ruling attribute of His nature,
  the prominent feature of His character,
  the rule of His conduct towards His people!
It was love which . . .
  eternally existed in His bosom,
  fanned His heart, and
  directed His ways!

It was . . .
  eternal love,
  immutable love,
  omnipotent love,
  unconquerable love,
  unfathomable love!

It was this sacred principle which led Jesus into our world--and conducted Him through all the stages of His redemptive work!

His name then, is 'Jesus'--because He loves and saves all of His people!  - James Smith

 

Paul had experienced this love and his desire was to make it known, to spread it and to bring others into the light of the gospel.  It was truly a mission from God.

 

Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Acts 26:9-19

 

9 "I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.

 

12 "On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,  '

 

Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'

 

15 "Then I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?'

 

"'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied. 16 'Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'   NIV