Today’s Scripture: Deuteronomy 8:3

“And he humbled you . . . and fed you with manna.”

There’s a lesson about grace in the way God distributed the manna to the Israelites in the desert:

“This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat.’ and the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. And Moses said to them, ‘let no one leave any of it over till the morning.’ But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted” (Exodus 16:16-21).

Three times the text mentions that each person could gather as much as he needed. There was an ample supply for everyone; no one need go hungry. And God in some mysterious way saw that no one had an overabundance: someone gathering much did not have too much; someone gathering little did not have too little. Furthermore, the gathering was to be a daily activity; they were not allowed to store up for the future.

This illustrates the way God distributes grace. There’s always an ample supply; no one ever need go without. But there’s only as much as we need—and even that is on a day-to-day basis. God doesn’t permit us to “store up” grace. We must look to him anew each day for a new supply. Sometimes we must look for a new supply each hour!

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Today’s Scripture: Proverbs 27:17

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

Because mortifying sins is difficult, we need the help of one or two friends to engage in the struggle with us. These friends should be believers who share our commitment to pursuing holiness and who are also willing to be mutually open with us about their own struggles. This principle is well expressed in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”

In the battle of putting sin to death, we need the mutual support of one another. In the New Testament we’re taught to admonish one another (Colossians 3:16), encourage one another (Hebrews 3:13), confess our sins to one another (James 5:16), bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), and pray for one another (James 5:16).

Although this principle applies to every aspect of the Christian life, it’s particularly helpful in the pursuit of holiness. We need at least one other person of like heart to pray with us, encourage us, and if necessary, admonish us. This person must be someone who’s also personally involved in the struggle to mortify sin, so that he or she can enter into our struggles and not be scandalized by the nature of our deepest sins. It’s said that the Puritans used to ask God for one “bosom friend” with whom they could share absolutely everything. This is the type of friend we should also pray for and seek out to help us in our struggle to mortify sin in our lives. Remember, however, it’s a mutual effort. Each one should be committed to both helping and receiving help.

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Today’s Scripture: Ephesians 6:10

“Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.”

Before we can learn the sufficiency of God’s grace, we must learn the insufficiency of ourselves. As I have said, the more we see our sinfulness, the more we appreciate grace in its basic meaning of God’s undeserved favor. In a similar manner, the more we see our frailty, weakness, and dependence, the more we appreciate God’s grace in its dimension of his divine assistance. Just as grace shines more brilliantly against the dark background of our sin, so it also shines more brilliantly against the background of our human weakness.

Paul said in Romans 5:20: “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” In 2 Corinthians 12, he could have just as aptly said, “But where human weakness increased, grace abounded all the more.” That is essentially what he said in different words in verse 9: “But he said to me, ‘my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” On this Philip Hughes wrote, “Indeed, the abject weakness of the human instrument serves to magnify and throw into relief the perfection of the divine power in a way that any suggestion of human adequacy could never do. The greater the servant’s weakness, the more conspicuous is the power of his Master’s all-sufficient grace.”

God’s power infusing our weakness is a concrete expression of his grace, coming to our aid through the ministry of his Spirit in our lives. This is the mysterious operation of the Holy Spirit on our human spirit through which he strengthens us and enables us to meet in a godly fashion whatever circumstances we encounter.

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Today’s Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:8

“The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.”

Mortification involves a struggle between what we know to be right (our convictions) and what we desire to do. This is the struggle depicted by the apostle Paul when he wrote, “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the spirit, and the spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want” (Galatians 5:17, NIV). The person who tends to overindulge in sweets will struggle between a conviction about the importance of self-control and the desire to eat that delicious, tempting dessert. The man who has developed a habit of undisciplined and wandering eyes will struggle between a conviction regarding purity and the desire to indulge a lustful look. Whatever our particular areas of vulnerability to sin are, mortification is going to involve struggle—often intense struggle—in those areas.

The ceaselessness of this struggle is suggested to us in Proverbs 27:20: “death and destruction are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man” (NIV).

Our eyes, of course, are often the gateway to our desires. But whether the appeal to our desires comes through the eye or another avenue such as the memory, our desires are never satisfied. But it is these sinful desires that must be mortified, that is, subdued and weakened in their power to entice us into sin.

It is always emotionally painful to say no to those desires, especially when they represent recurring sin patterns, because those desires run deep and strong. They cry out for fulfillment. That is why Paul used such strong language: “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you” (Colossians 3:5). (Excerpt taken from The Discipline of Grace)

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Today’s Scripture: 2 Peter 1:10

“Be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure.”

Life is filled with uncertainties, some major, some minor. But whether the issue is significant or trivial—waiting for the results of a cancer biopsy or wondering if you’ll make your connecting flight—no one likes uncertainty.

“How may we attain a right relationship with God?” is the most important question we can ever ask. That being true, it follows that uncertainty over whether that relationship is real has to be the greatest uncertainty of all. If a cancer biopsy rates an eight or nine on our stress scale, this question has to be off the chart.

God, however, doesn’t want us to be uncertain about it. As the apostle John said, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). God wants us to know we have eternal life. To some people the claim to know such a thing sounds presumptuous and arrogant. But if God wants us to know it, we’re only laying hold of what pleases him when we affirm our assurance of eternal life.

How then can I know that I have eternal life—that I’ve indeed come into a right relationship with God? The Scriptures show us three means by which God assures us that we do have eternal life: (1) the promises of his Word, (2) the witness of the Spirit in our hearts, and (3) the transforming work of the Spirit in our lives.

The unsearchable riches of Christ are a treasure trove of blessings given to us. Part of that treasure is the assurance God gives that we do have eternal life. Don’t stop short of availing yourself of his riches until you have that assurance.

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Today’s Scripture: Genesis 4:6

“The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry?””

In facing up to our anger, we need to realize that no one else causes us to be angry. Someone else’s words or actions may become the occasion of our anger, but the cause lies deep within us—usually our pride, selfishness, or desire to control.

We can choose how we’ll respond to the sinful actions of others toward us. Consider Peter’s words to slaves in the first-century churches, who often served under cruel masters. We might think they would be justified in their anger, but Peter told them, “Be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. If when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God” (1 Peter 2:18-20).

Peter’s instructions to slaves are a specific application of a broader scriptural principle: In responding to any unjust treatment, we’re to be “mindful of God”—to think of his will and his glory. How would God have me respond in this situation? How can I best glorify God by my response? Do I believe this difficult situation or unjust treatment is under God’s sovereign control, and that in his infinite wisdom and goodness he’s using these difficult circumstances to conform me more to the likeness of Christ? (See Romans 8:28; Hebrews 12:4-11.) I’m realistic enough to know that in the emotional heat of a tense situation, we won’t go through a checklist of questions such as these. But we can and should develop the habit of thinking this way. (Excerpt taken from Respectable Sins)

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Today’s Scripture: Galatians 3:26

“For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.”

For some the very word father brings up images of harshness, cruelty, abuse, unfaithfulness, or perhaps just plain indifference. I remember the words of one student: “If God is like my father, I want nothing to do with God.” Happily, God is not like his father. God “is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love” (Psalm 145:8, NIV).

Whether we have a father whom we respect and cherish or one who is worthy to be despised, we should never form our view of God from any human pattern. Rather, we should go to the Bible to get a true picture of our heavenly Father.

Note the contrasting views of God in Psalm 147:3-4: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name” (NIV). The same God who by his mighty power creates and sustains the stars in their courses is at the same time the tenderhearted God who heals the broken and binds up their wounds. The Psalms are replete with such fatherly images of God.

As we think of this relationship to God as our heavenly Father, we must always bear one important truth in mind. We have this relationship only through Jesus Christ. It’s only because of our union with Christ that we are God’s children and he is our Father. That’s why Paul wrote, “In him [that is, through our union with Christ] and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence” (Ephesians 3:12, NIV; see also Ephesians 2:18; Hebrews 10:19-22).

Our status as children of God is one more glorious aspect of our inexhaustible treasure in “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8).

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Today’s Scripture: Isaiah 64:8

“O Lord, you are our Father.”

What does it mean in everyday life that God is our Father? Let me suggest five fatherly responsibilities that God has assumed toward his children.

God provides for us. “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19, NIV).

God protects us. “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31, NIV).

God encourages us. “You hear, o lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry” (Psalm 10:17, NIV).

God comforts us. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NIV).

God disciplines us. “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness” (Hebrews 12:10, NIV).

I realize, and can testify from my own experience, that there are times when it does not seem as if God is doing any of these things. There are times when it seems as if he has forsaken us. At such times we need to lay hold of such promises as “never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5, NIV). God in his own inscrutable way is always at work to fulfill his role as our perfect heavenly Father. (Excerpt taken from The Gospel for Real Life)

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Today’s Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:21

“Test everything; hold fast what is good.”

“Controllers” are people who aren’t willing to let you live your life before God as you believe he’s leading you. They have all the issues buttoned down and have cast-iron opinions about all of them. These people only know black and white. There are no gray areas to them.

They insist you live your Christian life according to their rules and their opinions. If you insist on being free to live as God wants you to live, they will try to intimidate you and manipulate you one way or another. Their primary weapons are guilt trips, rejection, or gossip.

These people must be resisted. We must not allow them to subvert the freedom we have in Christ. Paul treated the legalism in the Galatian church as heresy, and he called down a curse on its perpetrators. I’m not prepared to go that far with our present-day legalists/controllers, but I want to tell you their actions are no incidental matter. Their presence in our evangelical ranks is much more than a minor irritant, like a fly buzzing around our heads. There are spiritual casualties all over our nation today because of the effects of legalistic controllers in their lives.

Controllers have been around a long time. More than three hundred years ago, the Puritan Samuel Bolton wrote these instructive words: “let us never surrender our judgments or our consciences to be at the disposal and opinions of others, and to be subjected to the sentences and determinations of men. It is my exhortation therefore to all Christians to maintain their Christian freedom by constant watchfulness. You must not be tempted or threatened out of it; you must not be bribed or frightened from it; you must not let either force or fraud rob you of it.”

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Today’s Scripture: Romans 8:15

“You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons.”

What does it mean to be adopted as sons by God? The adoption Paul refers to is not that of an infant or small child. In Jewish culture, it would refer to the status of those who had advanced from minors to full-grown sons. And in Roman culture, wealthy couples would adopt a worthy young man to be their heir and carry on the family name.

Even the brand-new believer comes into the family of God with the full rights of an adult son. Although this new believer is a spiritual babe and needs discipling from more mature Christians, he has all the rights and privileges of a full-grown son.

A good sense of this can be seen in the prodigal son’s restoration after his return from the far country (Luke 15:22-24). The father orders the servants to quickly bring the best robe, a ring, and sandals. The robe would have been a status symbol, the ring probably an indication of family authority, and the sandals a sign of sonship. This once-rebellious son is immediately restored to a position of dignity, honor, and full acceptance, and even becomes the guest of honor at a feast of celebration.

We should never lose sight of the fact that we were rebels, objects of God’s wrath, and on death row. The tremendous contrast between what we once were and what we have become by his grace makes our sonship so amazing. We have been redeemed from slavery to sin and Satan, clothed with the robe of Christ’s perfect righteousness, and given status as sons in the royal household.

I hope you’re encouraged to live as a full-grown child of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Excerpt taken from The Gospel for Real Life)

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