Priority of People

Why are people so important to our lives? Have you ever asked yourself that question? In Genesis 2:18 God’s plan from the beginning was that, “It is not good that man should be alone”. Human relationships are vital to the expression of the love that God has sacrificially given to us. It is so important that in 1 John 3:11-22 our love for one another is one part of the litmus test of our obedience to God. The second part of this test of our obedience is our belief in the name of Jesus Christ. These two parts are linked because the purpose of one is evidenced in the other.

The purpose of the coming of Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection was God’s love for people. You and I, the people of this earth, are the only part of God’s creation that He made “a little lower than the angels” (Psalm 8). His love for us is shown as he sent his son, “who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” (Hebrews 2:9) Our belief in Jesus Christ as the founder of life and the conqueror of death is one display of our obedience to him. Our obedience is seen as we surrender our will to his; when his plans are greater than ours.

Hebrews 2:11 continues to help us understand how these two parts, of the test of our obedience, go together. “For he who sanctifies (Jesus) and those who are sanctified (you and me) all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, ‘I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.’” 

1 John 3:14 “We know that we have passed out of death into life. Because we love the brothers.”

God as the source of life, given through Jesus Christ, is the only hope for mankind as we are born into this world as ones who are destined to death. Without knowing and accepting the gift of life, from the one who has conquered death, we live a life never knowing the love that God has for you. He desires for us to become his children. He desires for us to know how much he loves us. He desires for us to display that love to all so that they might also know his love.

Having love for one another in friendships and marriage are part of God’s plan to reveal His love to the world. We cannot limit the love we share because God’s love is limitless. We cannot choose who we display his love to because his love is for all. We cannot determine if someone deserves his love because none of us are worthy. Loving people can be difficult, especially if we have been hurt by someone. The kind of love spoken of in this passage is not necessarily one where you open every deep part of your life and expose it to every person you meet. The love here is one that displays and offers the love of Christ that fills your heart. A love that forgives, even if undeserving. A love that looks at each person as they are someone that Christ died for, not as a tool to help us accomplish what we want in life.

How does your life display that you have passed from death to life?

In what ways have you surrendered your will to him?

How are you showing the love of Christ?

Is there someone you have chosen not to show the love of Christ? Why?

Hope in Christ

Hope is a beautiful word that can bring focus, assurance, peace, and even anticipation. But the use of the word hope can determine certainty and not speculation. When we hope FOR something it leaves room for doubt. When we hope IN something it brings a certain level of security. Think for a moment about what we hope for. We can hope for a raise at work or that we will even have a job at the end of the month. We can hope for a vaccine for a virus, a cure for a disease, the healing of a marriage, the recovery from addiction, or the release from the pain of grief. All of these are things that we hope would happen, and with the power of Christ can happen. There is just not a certainty as to if, when, or how they will happen.

If certainty is what you are looking for, it comes when we hope IN Christ. The hope we have in Christ is based on the promise of God. 1 John 3:1-2 speaks of a promise that brings hope. “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” God promises, to those who believe in Christ and have given their life to him, that we are now receptors of God’s love as his children. As children we have the protection, provision, and promise of God’s love. And if that is not enough, he promises that when Christ returns for his bride, the church, we will be like him. The pain, grief, uncertainty of this world will no longer affect us.

How do we live in this hope in Christ? By choosing to purify ourselves in Christ. 1 John 3:3 – “And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” The focus of life moves toward living IN Christ and away from living FOR the temporary things of life. That might sound easier said than done because the things of life are what press on us from every side. Our bodies face illness, our jobs can be lost, bills can pile up, relationships can be difficult, and our lives can face a new challenge every day.

2 Corinthians 4:7-12 speaks of how our life is fragile and imperfect but what we do have is the life of Christ at work in us. Our hope IN Christ is lived out in how we make every decision, react to each situation, respond to each person, and dwell on each thought. Just remember that those who do not have this hope will not understand how we can live with peace and assurance. They will not understand that our perspective has changed from the “light momentary affliction” to an “eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” (2 Cor 4:17) They will not understand the promise of God for eternal life with him. (1 Thess. 4:13-18 – “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.”)

A believer’s hope is not a wish or a dream, it is a promise. A promise to those who practice the righteousness of God. A promise for those who HOPE IN HIM.

Where are you placing your hope today? Is it IN the promise of Christ or is it FOR something unknown?

How are your decisions, reactions, responses, and your thoughts showing your hope?

How is your life (your jar of clay) displaying the hope of the gospel, the promise of Christ?

Practice Makes...

There is a fallacy in the saying, “practice makes perfect”. Many people practice a multitude of things each day. Some practice their favorite sport, either hitting a hundred golf balls at the driving range, baseballs at the batting cages, or dribbling and shooting at the basketball court. Other people practice an instrument, piano, trumpet, drums or dozens of others. Anyone can tell you that they practice, becoming better at their given sport or instrument but they have never achieved perfection. Their practice improves their technique, their muscle memory, their strength, and even how their mind handles every situation they face as they participate in their skill or hobby. 

A friend told me, as we were playing a round of golf, that if I broke 100 it would mean that I had quit doing my job to be able to spend all the hours of practice it would take me to improve. He didn’t have much hope in my improvement because I was not going to spend the kind of time needed for me to get any better. I didn’t have the dedication or commitment needed to practice enough to improve.

Any time you practice it can be physically painful and mentally challenging. Practice reveals the inner commitment of a person. All of which is based on the hope that they will improve and achieve success.

1 John 2:28-29 discusses how believers, little children, abide in the righteousness of Christ. We show this commitment by how we practice righteousness. Believers are to become more and more like Christ.

We will never become perfect at being righteous this side of heaven, but we are to put the time, energy and commitment into our practice. Just as an athlete or musician must practice to hone their skill and ability so is the believer to hone their life to become more like Christ. A believer who spends time allowing the Word of God permeate their life will learn how to improve their technique of how to face daily decisions in life. Their repetitive practice of allowing the Holy Spirit to guide their words, actions and attitude improves their “muscle memory”, making it a little easier each day to display the righteousness of God. Relying on the peace of God, in the struggles and challenges of life, will build our strength to walk with hope.

Do your actions and responses to life display the righteousness of Christ?

How are you practicing righteousness every day? Are you reading the Bible and changing the parts of your life that it shows you is not like the righteousness of Christ?

How much time and commitment are you giving to strengthen your spiritual life?

What is holding you back from being more committed to practicing righteousness?

Romans 5:3-6 gives an answer to any question of how or why we think we cannot be committed enough to practicing righteousness. Through the power of Christ and His commitment to us, we can overcome any obstacle that keeps us from becoming more like Christ.

3Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. 6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

He died for you, will you live for Him today?

Focus on the Truth

How do we know something is true? In today’s digital world of information, we tend to think we have access to every fact we need to know truth. But what makes something true? Is it because Wikipedia says its true? Is it because someone wrote an article on a subject that makes something true? It might be that we had an experience in life that makes us believe something is true.  Where is our fact check system? What is the real source of truth? The internet?

The truth about material things in life comes from the ones who created them. For instance, if you want to know all the truth about a certain car then go to the person that designed and built the car. They can tell you everything there is to know about the frame, electronics, tires, engine, horsepower etc. But there is a limitation to the truth they believe about their car. They do not know when the engine will fail, how long the tires will last, when the electronics will malfunction, or if it will have all its horsepower in years to come.

When it comes to life, truth can only come from the one who created life, God. Many people have never heard of the God of creation and walk in life ignorant to the truth. But there are many who have heard the redemptive message of God, for a period of months or years, and have walked away denying that Jesus is the Christ. These people will speak their opinion of how they have heard of this Jesus before. They will speak of how they went to a church for a while but don’t believe or they have their own version of the truth of God, which is not truth at all. 

1 John 2:18-27 speaks of people who were, at one time, part of the church. They claimed to be a part of what was happening in the church but had now left and began to speak of their disbelief in who Jesus claimed to be. (The term used to describe these people in the scripture is antichrists, those who deny that Jesus is the Christ.) Those who had heard the gospel, and spent much time with believers, now were taking portions of what they had heard and created their own understanding of truth. They were trying to deceive those who knew the truth with lies and distorted teaching.

What can we do to not fall to the deception of those who speak a twisted, false gospel? First you must know the truth. Truth includes a singular faith that Jesus is the Christ and that He is one with God. Understanding and applying truth comes through the divine power of God conferred on us through the Holy Spirit. This anointing, as scripture refers to, is received as we have placed our life, through faith, in the hands of God. Second, you must abide in Christ. To abide is to dwell, immerse yourself, permeate your life with the things of God. As we abide in Christ there becomes no room for any falsehood, no space for deception, no avenue for temptation.

The incredible blessing for those who know and confess the truth is God’s promise of eternal life. Eternal life begins at the time when you confess your faith in Christ as God’s son and place your life in His hands. That is the beginning of an eternal journey with God. A journey of transformation to become more like Him, full of grace and truth.

Who do you trust as your source of truth?

If you have been told the stories of truth but have never believed or confessed Christ as your savior, what is keeping you from making that decision? Is it a matter of distorted understanding of the truth?
Why don’t you call out to Him today? Look to the Source of Truth that knows everything about your life from when you were born to when you will die, and everything in-between.