As Christians, we are told in scripture that we are supposed to live lives of victory. We are told that we are more than conquerors. We are told that we have faith that can move mountains. But in this world … Continue reading
I do enjoy running, but one of the things that I have never liked doing when it comes to working out was lifting weights. One of my favorite lines about lifting weights came from a friend of mine, “I’d lift … Continue reading
Barnabas is one of my favorite characters in the Bible. He’s one of the people in the Bible that is so very important, but we really don’t know a lot about him. But here’s the truth, without Barnabas we wouldn’t have … Continue reading
You every just felt a fire in your bones? Had good news that you just had to share, that you had to tell someone about? In Isaiah 40: 9-11, we see what that looks like today: 9 Get you up … Continue reading
Today’s reading is one of my absolute favorites in all the Bible, and I think one of the passages that really shapes our view of who God is. It comes from Colossians 1: 15-20: 15 He is the image of … Continue reading
One of the things that we are promised in our life, in our faith, is this. It’s not always easy. There are going to be tough times. There are going to be times of trial and tears and hurt. There … Continue reading
Sorry for the lack of devotionals last week. Things should be back to normal this week! Today we are looking at part of the “Hall of Faith” as found in Hebrews 11. Listen to what it says in Hebrews 11: 23-28: … Continue reading
Today in our readings, we read one of those beautiful Psalms that recounts all that God did for the people in the Old Testament. Many Psalms do this. But I really like the ending of what it says in Psalm … Continue reading
Today in Phillippians 3: 4-11, we see Paul talk about what really matters:
4even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Paul in this part of Phillippians is talking about how he (and we) have to trust more in the grace of Jesus than we should in our own works. He is talking to a group of Christians that are tempted to rely more upon their works and the law than they are on Jesus.
So, Paul lists off all the stuff that he has done. Stuff, that if you could earn your salvation by what you have done, would surely earn him a place in eternity. Look at what he has done. He was as righteous in the law. He had done all the “right” things. Paul was about as holy as one could be by the law.
And look at what he says – he considers that all rubbish when compared to knowing Jesus. He has found in Jesus a righteousness that he could have never found through the law. He discovered a salvation that doesn’t come from one’s works but comes only through the gift of God’s grace.
He wants to know Jesus. To know His life. His death. And His resurrection.
Paul found this. He found what really matters wasn’t what he had done. What really mattered was what Jesus had done. When compared to the goodness of God, the grace of God, the power of God, the life of God, the stuff of earth just can’t compare.
Paul learned grace. And here’s what’s cool about grace, especially in the world we live in. In this world of pressure and work and stress and results and performance reviews. Grace is not about you. It’s about Him. And we can rest in grace.
Rest. In grace.
Rest. In Jesus.
Rest. In His power.
You are loved. Not because of anything you’ve ever done. But because of all that He has done. Paul considered everything rubbish compared to knowing Jesus. He wasn’t saying that was bad. He was saying that Jesus was better.
Paul found what really matters.
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We are going to, for the next few days, reflect upon one of daily lectionary readings that are used by so many as part of what’s called the Morning Office. You can find a link to these readings here.
Today in Philippians 2:12-13, we read these words:
12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
These two verses here share with us some of the most important details of being a Christian. The first of these details is when we come to saving faith in Jesus Christ, that is not the end of our journey of faith. But in fact, it’s just the beginning.
Paul here tells us to work out our salvation with much fear and trembling. That I think is important, but also dangerous and scary if we don’t read the entire verse. It’s important, because God desires that we be faithful. God desires us to grow. To learn. To do our part. Our “part” doesn’t save us, only God saves us. But when we are faithful, when we do things that allow us to grow, it really does please God. We work out our salvation as we are faithful.
Now here’s why we have to read the entire part of this verse. As Paul says in verse 13, but know this. It’s God is who is at work in us. We aren’t “doing” it. God is doing it for us and through us. It is God that is the one that is at work.
For all that we do, remember, it’s God’s grace that enables us to do it. It’s God’s grace that empowers us. It’s God’s grace that makes it all possible.
So yes, we do our part, we are at work. But know, just as oxygen and food give us the ability to do the things we are supposed to do each day, that’s how God’s grace is. His grace, it gives us the ability to be faithful.
We can’t do it, we can’t do anything, without God’s grace.
So, today, may we be faithful. And may we remember that it is only through God’s grace that makes us faithful.
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