Choosing Faith Over Fear

Isaiah 41:8-13

 

These days, there are plenty of reasons to fear. Our world seems to be in a continuous state of war and crisis. The jobs market is dismal, natural disasters wreak havoc, and stories of crime dominate the headlines. As Christians, we know that fear should have no place in our lives, but how can we ignore what's going on around us?

 

Basically, there are two paths you can walk: faith or fear. It's impossible to simultaneously trust God and not trust God. Another way of saying this is that you cannot both obey and disobey Him--partial obedience is disobedience. So, which road are you traveling?

 

Some people who read the Bible and believe in God nevertheless choose to live with fear. Seeing others experience hardship, they start wondering if it could happen to them: Someone at my office lost his job; will I be next? Someone died in an accident--I could die too. But this kind 

of "logic" places your circumstances above your relationship to God.

 

If Satan can get you to think like this, he has won the battle for your mind. But when you focus on God rather than your circumstances, whatever the situation is, you win.  The Bible tells us, "God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline" (2 Tim. 1:7).

 

Our heavenly Father understands our disappointment, suffering, pain, fear, and doubt. He is always there to encourage our hearts and help us understand that He's sufficient for all of our needs. When I accepted this as an absolute truth in my life, I found that my worrying stopped.

~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~

"That Which is Born of the Spirit"

"The Image of His Son"

Philippians 3:1-21; Romans 8:29; 1 John 3:2; Galatians 4:19; Philippians 3:12, 20

I have it on my heart, beloved, that these days before us we shall in the will of God, be occupied with "That Which is born of the Spirit," or "The New Creation in Christ Jesus"; and, for a little while, we want to set the object in its place, or in His place, and see exactly what it is toward which the Lord is moving; what we might call the pattern in the heavens.

We are familiar with that phrase, we know to what it relates in the Old Testament, and I think by now we know that that pattern in the heavens, according to which all things were made in relation to the tabernacle of old, was but a revelation of Jesus Christ, and that tabernacle was the Lord Jesus in His many-sidedness, right to the very last detail; an expression of the mind of God. We know that in the Letter to the Hebrews that is taken up again, but there this difference is made that, whereas in the Old Testament is was a pattern of things in the heavens, here it is the very things themselves. You are introduced to the very thing by the first words of that letter, "God Who in old times spake unto the Fathers in divers portions and divers manners, hath in the end of these times spoken in His Son," and the whole theme of the Letter to the Hebrews is the Lord Jesus Christ as the consummation of the whole of the Old Testament revelation. He in Person gathering up consummately all that God had before spoken, and thus not being a part, or parts, but being the whole; not being a shadow or a type, but being the very thing itself.

So truly, the Lord Jesus is the pattern and the reality toward which God is working; and we want now, immediately, to get that Object into its, or His place, because until that is so we shall be held to something less; we shall have an inadequate objective and dynamic for our lives here on earth. You recognize how true that was in the case of the Apostle himself. You remember that in Acts 9, he suddenly was met on the Damascus Road by the Lord in Glory. To his own consternation and amazement he discovered that that light above the brightness of the sun was Jesus of Nazareth, now exalted to the Right Hand of the Majesty on high, now glorified. That was Paul's first view of the Lord Jesus so far as we know. It was Christ in the glory. Philippians 3 is the practical consequence of that. That is "Things which were gain to me those I counted loss, yea, and I do count them but stuff to be flung to the dogs, that I might be found in Him." Tremendous statements - to gain Christ. The Lord Jesus is given to the sinner on the ground of repentance and faith; given, but Paul had come to a position where he saw that that which had been given had now got to be gained. Two realms of things, equally true. There was a gain of Christ far beyond the gift of Christ. The gift of Christ unto salvation; the gain of Christ unto glorification in the fullest Witness. That which is born of the Spirit. Hence, Philippians 3 is the practical outworking of Acts 9.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 2)

Abusing God's Patience

Romans 2:4-5

 

Have you ever ignored the press of conviction upon your heart? Maybe you rationalized your wrongdoing with the thought that if God were really upset, He'd put a stop to things by disciplining you. Psalm 50:21 reminds us that the silence of heaven does not mean approval. Remaining in sin is an abuse of the Lord's patience.

 

When God seems slow to react, we might hope He's overlooking our transgressions--we'd like to continue in sin because the momentary pleasure is more appealing than obedience. But thankfully, the Father knows our weaknesses, our innate carnality, and the state of our spiritual growth, and He therefore measures His response. Motivated by love and a desire to gently restore His children to righteousness, God refrains from doling out immediate punishment. Instead, He waits for the Holy Spirit's proddings to impact the believer's heart. The weight of conviction is actually an invitation to turn from wrongdoing and return to godliness.

 

However, we're a stubborn people. There are times when we persist in sin because the sentence against an evil deed isn't executed quickly (Eccl. 8:11). In this dangerous situation, it's possible to immerse ourselves in sin and harden our hearts against the Lord. Then the Holy Spirit's call to repentance falls on spiritual ears rapidly going deaf.

 

As we learn and understand more about God and His ways, we are increasingly responsible to live righteously. The Lord is not slow; He's patient. Do not abuse His patience with callous disregard for His statutes. Repent and be holy in the sight of the Lord.

~Dr, Charles F. Stanley~

War In Your Heart # 73

Christ Our Pattern (continued)

The Cross is the Way to the Throne

Philippians 2:9: Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name.

"Wherefore." Underline and italicize this word. Get the full force of the weight of its meaning. "It is in consequence of this." Of what? Why, of His voluntary self-emptying and self-humbling. Jesus Himself had taught this twofold truth which was exemplified and literally fulfilled in satan and in Himself.

Luke 14:11: For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

"God highly exalted him." Not self-exaltation as with satan and Adam, but God exalted and "highly" as only God could exalt, above measure, super-eminent exaltation to the highest rank and place and power.

satan through self-exaltation had gone up to a position as high as he could take himself, only to be sent down by God to as low a place as he could be sent. Jesus through self-emptying and self-humbling had gone down to a position as low as He could take Himself, only to be exalted by God to as high a place as He could be exalted to. Jesus the Man has been exalted to the position and power of the Overcomer, a mighty Conqueror; a supreme Victor over satan and all his principalities and powers (Ephesians 1:20-22; Colossians 2:15).

The Cross is the way to the throne, so the Overcomer is seated at His Father's right hand on His Father's throne. "And gave unto him the name which is above every name."

lucifer through self-aggrandizement would have seized upon the name of "the most high," only to gain the name "satan," the most despicable and despised of all names in the who's who of created beings. The Son of God through self-emptying and self-humbling took the human name "Jesus," which stands for the Saviourhood of the Cross; the name which God has written in letters of flame upon the pages of time and of eternity as above every name (Philippians 2:10).

"That in the name of Jesus" - "Unto us a child is born" - to die on Calvary's Cross as the world's Saviour.

Matthew 1:21: Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Name of Jesus! Highest Name!
Name that earth and heaven adore!
From the heart of God it came,
Leads me to God's heart once more.

"Every knee should bow." The worship of and authority over the kingdoms of this world falsely promised Jesus at the price of bending the knee to satan was freely given Him by His Father, whom He worshiped and served. Now the homage of the whole creation shall be His.

"Of things in heaven." All celestial beings shall bow before Him; the myriads of holy angels; the principalities and thrones and powers that share in the government of God's throne; shall all bow their knee before that peerless Name.

"Of things on earth." All earthly beings shall likewise bow the knee: dictators, kings, presidents, statesmen, people of every nation and tribe an class, rich and poor, literate and illiterate, elite and outcast, all without exception or exemption shall bow the knee before Him who is called Jesus.

"Of things under the earth." All infernal beings must own His kingship: every stubborn rebel, every willful, independent sinner, even satan and his captives in hell will be compelled to bow the knew at the name of Jesus. But the highest height of exaltation has not yet been reached (Philippians 2:11).

"Every tongue should confess:" No exemption is granted here. Every tongue must speak; the tongue of the cowardly dumb, of the stubbornly silent, of the blatantly rebellious, of the will-fully profane, even the tongue of the blasphemer. How joyfully will the tongue of the worshiping, adoring lovers of Jesus not only speak but sing! God, the Father, has determined what shall be the nature of their confession.

"That Jesus Christ is Lord." "Unto us a Son is given" to reign as sovereign Lord. Now in this present time everyone who has received Jesus as Saviour is to crown Him Lord. But a day is coming when He will sit upon His own throne and rule in His own right as King of kings, and Lord of lords. Then will be fulfilled the Word of Scripture: (Revelation 11:15; Revelation 5:13).

The Bondslave of the Father has become Lord of the universe. Peoples of every nation and tongue and tribe will publicly own the universal empire of the exalted Man Christ Jesus. The Man who voluntarily took the form of a bondslave rules as the preeminent Lord. All authority over all creatures in heaven and upon earth is His in His own blood-bought right. The Overcomer sits upon His own throne. The way up is down. The Cross is the way to the throne.

Revelation 3:21: "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."

~Ruth Paxson~

(The End)

(Next: "That Which is Born of the Spirit")

The Gospel In A Single Word?

"It is finished." The ancient Greeks boasted of being able to say much in little - "to give a sea of matter in a drop of language" was regarded as the perfection of oratory. What they sought is here found. "It is finished" is but one word in the original, yet in that word is wrapped up the gospel of God; in that word is contained the ground of the believer’s assurance; in that word is discovered the sum of all joy, and the very spirit of all divine consolation. "It is finished." This was not the despairing cry of a helpless martyr; it was not an expression of satisfaction that the termination of His sufferings was now reached; it was not the last gasp of a worn-out life. No, rather was it the declaration on the part of the divine Redeemer that all for which He came from heaven to earth to do, was now done; that all that was needed to reveal the full character of God had now been accomplished; that all that was required by law before sinners could be saved had now been performed: that the flail price of our redemption was now paid. "It is finished." The great purpose of God in the history of man was now accomplished. From the beginning, God’s purpose has always been one and indivisible. It has been declared to men in various ways: in symbol and type, by mysterious hints and by plain intimations, through Messianic prediction and through didactic declaration. That purpose of God may be summarized thus: to display His grace and to magnify his Son in the creating of children in His own image and glory. And at the cross the foundation was laid which was to make this possible and actual. ~A. W. Pink~

War In Your Heart # 72

Christ Our Pattern (continued)

The Infinite Stoop (continued)

"If thou art the Son of God." Oh! the peerless perfection of the "emptying" and "humbling" of "Himself." Take your last look upon the Father's bondslave; upon Him who had voluntarily laid aside "for form of God" and assumed "the form of a bondslave," thereby renouncing all His inherent right to act sovereignly in the exercise of His own will to choose for Himself; to act independently. Take a long look upon the One hanging on Calvary's Cross. He is truly the Son of God and could instantly have accepted satan's challenge. But He is nailed to that Cross as the Son of Man; sent there by His Father to fulfill His eternal purpose.

"Come down from the Cross." The Father's way was to come "down" to the Cross. Jesus had taken the Father's way, five steps down - even down to "the death of the Cross." At that moment He was there. satan's way was to come down from the Cross. It is ever so and that is why God's way and satan's way are as far apart as heaven is from hell.

Calvary stands at the end of the road of the self-renunciation of God's second Man. The "down" process of self-stripping begun in the self-emptying and the self-humbling has in the death of the Cross reached its depths, in the long-orphaned cry of awfulest desertion that came from the bleeding heart of the Son who though all the eternity of the past had rested in the bosom of the Father. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

The unfathomable uttermost of stripping has been reached. For in that awful, anguished moment of forsakenness Jesus had not only tasted death, which is separation from God, but He had tasted eternal death, which is hell.

The end of the road for anyone why by his own choice does that will and goes the way of satan is hell. To rob hell of its captives and to open the way to heaven, Jesus the Saviour, the  Overcomer, must not stop one step short of the uttermost end of the road o self-emptying and self-humbling. The One who was "equal with God" and "existing in the form of God" now hangs upon the Cross so utterly "forsaken" by God that He is "without God" (Ephesians 2:12) which is hell itself.

The infinite stoop can go no further because there is literally no further to go. Christ Jesus has gone from the highest heights of heaven, where He was on an equality with Gd, sharing in all His majesty, glory and sovereignty, to the deepest depths of the Cross, with its suffering, shame, and forsakenness. He has gone down five long steps from the highest heights of heaven to the deepest depths of hell. God's second Man has gone the full length of the way of the Cross. What now?

~Ruth Paxson~

(continued with # 73 - (The Cross is the Way to the Throne)

Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth

In yesterday's devotional we began looking at different conditions of the heart—conditions that are necessary in order to experience the richer blessings of God.  Today we will continue looking at those conditions.

·        A grateful heart.  Deuteronomy 28:45-47 (Amplified) says,

All these curses shall come upon you and shall pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you.  They shall be upon you for a sign [of warning to other nations] and for a wonder, and upon your descendants forever.  Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness of [mind and] heart [in gratitude] for the abundance of all [with which He had blessed you].

William Shakespeare said, "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child."  Do you express gratitude to God for all the things He has blessed you with, or do you take His blessings for granted?

Many years ago, when I was serving in a small church, one of my duties was to take groceries to families in need.  I was shocked at the ingratitude of some that received the gift of food delivered to their homes.  While some were truly grateful, others acted as if it was somehow owed to them—even complaining because their favorite foods were not included!

Hopefully you have taken time recently to thank God for the blessings He has bestowed on your life.  If not, take time today to express your gratitude to Him who is the source of every good thing you enjoy.

~Bayless Conley~