Today’s Scripture: Psalm 42:1

“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.”

In the life of the godly person, this desire for God produces an aura of warmth. Godliness is never austere and cold. Such an idea comes from a false sense of legalistic morality erroneously called godliness. The person who spends time with God radiates his glory in a manner that is always warm and inviting, never cold and forbidding.

This longing for God also produces a desire to glorify God and to please him. In the same breath, Paul expressed the desire to know Christ as well as to be like him (Philippians 3:10). This is God’s ultimate objective for us and is the object of the Spirit’s work in us. In Isaiah 26:9, the prophet proclaimed his desire for the Lord: “My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.” Immediately before this expression of desire for the Lord, he expresses a desire for his glory: “your name and renown are the desire of our hearts” (verse 8, NIV). Renown has to do with one’s reputation, fame, and eminence—or in God’s case, with his glory. The prophet could not separate in his heart his desire for God’s glory and his desire for God himself. These two yearnings go hand in hand.

This is devotion to God—the fear of God, which is an attitude of reverence and awe, veneration, and honor toward him, coupled with an apprehension deep within our souls of the love of God for us, demonstrated preeminently in Christ’s atoning death. These two attitudes complement and reinforce each other, producing within our souls an intense desire for this one who is so awesome in his glory and majesty, yet so condescending in his love and mercy.

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Today’s Scripture: Ephesians 2:1,4-5

“You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked. But God . . . made us alive together with Christ.”

The word Gospel essentially means “good news,” specifically about our relationship with God. We all like good news, especially if it addresses bad news we’ve just received. If you’ve just been told you have cancer, it’s good news when the doctor tells you it’s a type that readily responds to treatment.

The Gospel is like that. It’s good news that directly addresses our ultimate bad news. The Bible tells us we were in deep trouble with God; we were unrighteous and ungodly, and God’s wrath is revealed “against all the godlessness and wickedness of men”; in fact, we were “by nature objects of [God’s] wrath” (Romans 1:18, NIV; Ephesians 2:3, NIV). Coming into the world as a baby, before you’d ever done anything bad, you were an object of God’s wrath. That’s the bad news. .

Then the Bible tells us that God has provided a solution far surpassing our problem. The good news always outweighs the bad—as in Ephesians 2:1-9. After telling us we were objects of God’s wrath, Paul added: “But . . . God, who is rich in mercy . . . raised us up with Christ, and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (NIV). That is surely a dust-to-glory story. What greater contrast could there be than an object of God’s wrath seated with his Son in glory?

This good news doesn’t begin when we die. It’s for now. We don’t have to feel guilt-ridden and insecure before God. We don’t have to wonder if He likes us. We can begin each day with the deeply encouraging realization, I’m accepted by God, not on the basis of my personal performance, but on the basis of the infinitely perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. (Excerpt taken from The Gospel for Real Life)

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Today’s Scripture: Romans 3:12

“No one does good, not even one.”

Bankrupt! The word has a dreadful ring to it. Even in our lax and permissive society, being bankrupt still conveys some degree of disgrace and shame.

In the moral realm, the word bankrupt has an even more disparaging connotation. To say a person is morally bankrupt is to say he or she is completely devoid of any decent moral qualities. It’s like comparing that person to Adolf Hitler.

You may never have thought of it this way, but you are bankrupt. You and I and every person in the world are spiritually bankrupt. Except for Jesus Christ, every person who has ever lived has been spiritually bankrupt. In Romans 3:10-12, Paul declared our spiritual bankruptcy in its most absolute state. We were spiritually destitute, owing God a debt we couldn’t pay. Then we learned salvation is a gift from God, entirely by grace through faith (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9). We renounced confidence in any supposed righteousness of our own and turned in faith to Jesus Christ alone for our salvation. In that act, we essentially declared spiritual bankruptcy.

But what kind of bankruptcy did we declare? In the business world, financially troubled companies can declare bankruptcy according to “chapter 7″—if it has no future as a viable business—or “chapter 11,” for companies that, given time, can work through their financial problems.

So what kind of bankruptcy did we declare—permanent or temporary? I think most of us actually declared temporary bankruptcy. Having trusted in Christ alone for our salvation, we have subtly and unconsciously reverted to a works relationship with God in our Christian lives. We recognize that even our best efforts cannot get us to heaven, but we do think they earn God’s blessings in our daily lives. )

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Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 12:14

“Strive for . . . the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”

The Holy Spirit’s work in transforming us more and more into the likeness of Christ is called sanctification. Our involvement and cooperation with him in his work is what I call the pursuit of holiness. That expression is taken from Hebrews 12:14: “strive for [literally: pursue] . . . the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” .

This pursuit requires sustained, vigorous effort. It allows for no indolence, no lethargy, no halfhearted commitment, and no laissez-faire attitude toward even the smallest sins. In short, it demands the highest priority in a Christian’s life because to be holy is to be like Christ—God’s goal for every Christian.

The word “pursue” in this context means to strive to gain or accomplish. In Philippians 3:12-14, this word is translated “press on.” In the New Testament it is most commonly translated “persecute,” carrying the word’s common meaning—to track down in order to harm or destroy.

At the same time, however, the pursuit of holiness must be anchored in the grace of God; otherwise it is doomed to failure. That statement probably strikes many people as strange. A lot of Christians seem to think the grace of God and the vigorous pursuit of holiness are antithetical—in direct and unequivocal opposition.

To some, the pursuit of holiness sounds like legalism and man-made rules. To others, an emphasis on grace seems to open the door to irresponsible behavior based on the notion that God’s unconditional love means we’re free to sin as we please.

Grace and the personal discipline required to pursue holiness, however, go hand in hand. An understanding of how grace and personal, vigorous effort work together is essential for a lifelong pursuit of holiness. (Excerpt taken from The Discipline of Grace)

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Today’s Scripture: Ephesians 3:8

“To me . . . this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.”

Years ago our pastor told about a southern plantation owner who left a $50,000 inheritance (perhaps equivalent to half a million dollars today) to a former slave who’d served him faithfully all his life. The estate’s lawyer duly notified the old man and told him the money was deposited at a local bank.

Weeks went by, and the former slave never called for any of his inheritance. Finally, the banker called him in and told him again he had $50,000 available to draw on at any time. “Sir,” the old man replied, “do you think I can have fifty cents to buy a sack of cornmeal?&quot.

That story illustrates the plight of many Christians today. Paul wrote of preaching “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8) —referring not to financial wealth but to the glorious truths of the gospel. It’s as if each of us has $50,000 available in the gospel, yet most of us are hoping we can squeeze out fifty cents’ worth. We don’t understand the riches of the Gospel any more than the former slave understood his inheritance.

Suppose also that the slave was not only poverty-stricken but also deep in debt for back rent. With his inheritance, he could not only pay off the debt but also buy his house. His inheritance far surpasses his debt. This is the truth of the Gospel. We owe an enormous spiritual debt to God; there’s no way we can repay it. The gospel tells us Jesus Christ paid our debt, but it also tells us far more: We’re no longer enemies and objects of God’s wrath. We’re now his sons and daughters, heirs with Christ to all his unsearchable riches. This is the good news of the Gospel.

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Today’s Scripture: Philippians 3:10

“That I may know him and the power of his resurrection.”

As we concentrate on growing in our reverence and awe for God and in our understanding of his love for us, we will find that our desire for him will grow. As we gaze upon his beauty, we’ll desire to seek him even more. And as we become progressively more aware of his redeeming love, we’ll want to know him in a progressively deeper way. But we can also pray that God will deepen our desire for him. I recall reading Philippians 3:10 a number of years ago and realizing a little bit of the depth of Paul’s desire to know Christ more intimately. As I read I prayed, “O God, I cannot identify with Paul’s longing, but I would like to.” Over the years God has begun to answer that prayer. By his grace I know experientially to some degree Isaiah’s words, “My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you” (Isaiah 26:9, NIV). I’m grateful for what God has done, but I pray I will continue to grow in this desire for him.

In his book Desiring God, John Piper wrote, “[God] loves us and seeks the fullness of our joy that can be found only in knowing and praising him, the most magnificent of all Beings.” One of the wonderful things about God is that he’s infinite in all his glorious attributes, so never in our desire for him will we exhaust the revelation of his person to us. The more we come to know him, the more we’ll desire him. And the more we desire him, the more we’ll want to fellowship with him and experience his presence. And the more we desire him and his fellowship, the more we’ll desire to be like him. (Excerpt taken from The Fruitful Life)

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Today’s Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:9

“My grace is sufficient for you.”

Learning to live by grace instead of by performance helps us accept the discipline of adversity. We realize that God is not disciplining us because of our bad performance but because of his love for us. We also learn to accept that whatever our situation, it’s far better than we deserve. So we learn not to ask, “Why did this happen to me?” (Meaning, What did I do to deserve such bad treatment from God?). We also learn, as Paul did with his thorn in the flesh, that God’s grace is sufficient for us, however difficult and frustrating our circumstances might be. God’s enabling grace will give us the inner spiritual strength we need to bear the pain and endure the hardship until the time when we see the harvest of righteousness and peace produced by it.

Far from being opposed to each other, grace and discipline—both God’s discipline of us and our discipline of ourselves—are inextricably united together in God’s program of sanctification. There’s no question that God bases his discipline on grace. We are the ones who have problems with the relationship of grace and discipline, and who need to work at cultivating a proper relationship.

That work includes learning to preach the Gospel to ourselves every day. We base the “duty” of discipleship on the Gospel, resulting in the practice of a Christ-based acceptance with God and a spirit-energized approach to the pursuit of holiness. In the joy and strength of knowing our sins are forgiven and sin’s dominion is broken, we press on to become holy as he is holy. The so-called duty of discipleship then becomes a joy and a delight even though it requires vigorous effort.

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Today’s Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:7

“See that you excel in this act of grace also.”

Some Christians think they cannot afford giving 10 percent of their income to God’s work. I understand. When I left industry to become a staff trainee with The Navigators years ago, I took a 75 percent salary cut. I was financially shell-shocked. So I thought, “I can’t afford to tithe. Surely, God accepts my sacrificial service as my giving.” But God didn’t let me get away with that. So I decided I would tithe my meager income and trust God to provide.

Later I was drawn to the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:8-16). She was down to her last bit of flour and oil. She planned to prepare her last meal for her son and herself, and then die. Yet Elijah said to her in effect, “Feed me first, for God will provide for you.” She did as Elijah instructed, and God did provide: “The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah” (verse 16). I began to pray over that verse, and I can tell you that throughout more than fifty years of ministry, God has always provided.

Giving back to God at least 10 percent of what he has given us is a tangible expression of our recognition that everything we have and our ability to earn comes from God (Deuteronomy 8:17-18).

Remember the infinite generosity of our Lord in giving himself for our salvation: “Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Our giving should reflect the value we place on his gift to us. (Excerpt taken from Respectable Sins)

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Today’s Scripture: Matthew 19:26

“With God all things are possible.”

To take Christ’s blessing and reign to the ends of the earth, not only must people go, but we must provide financial support for them or for modern communication means to reach places where people cannot go. Some of us must literally go, and all of us should participate in financial support. But the going is impotent and the financial support is futile if God doesn’t go before us to open the eyes of the blind and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. And God does this as we plead his promises in prayer.

The scope of the Great Commission is vast, and the obstacles to its fulfillment are formidable. But as we pray let us remember the words of Paul: “now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21). God is more than able. The Great Commission will be fulfilled. Will you be a part of it? Will you help others discover the unsearchable riches of Christ that you now enjoy?

Meanwhile, I pray that you continue becoming more aware of those unsearchable riches you possess through your union with Christ. I pray you’ll realize the abundant riches of your inheritance in Christ and will not rest content with the spiritual equivalent of “fifty cents to buy a sack of cornmeal.” And I pray just as fervently that you will be challenged to get on board with God’s great plan to bless all nations, so that the ends of the earth will turn to the Lord.

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Today’s Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:24-25

“God has so composed the body . . . that the members may have the same care for one another.”

Ministering grace is a two-way street. We’re to pray for one another, encourage one another, teach and admonish one another, spur one another on, carry each other’s burdens, share with one another, and so on. Truly the body of Christ should be constantly alive with this reciprocal ministry to one another.

Ministering grace to one another means being an agent available for the Holy Spirit to use to convey his grace to someone else. Allowing others to be ministers of grace to us takes some grace in itself, and we may need to pray, “Lord, help me to be transparent and open to my friend, even though doing so seems humiliating to me right now. And make my friend a minister of your grace to me.”

All of us, if we’re exploiting this avenue of God’s grace, should find ourselves at various times on both the receiving and the giving end. To borrow a principle of reciprocity from Paul’s teaching on giving, “your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need” (2 Corinthians 8:14).

How can we be ministers of grace to others? In the same three basic ways that they can be ministers to us: prayer, the Word of God, and help in submitting to God’s providence. But there’s a crucial difference between receiving and giving. In receiving we must give permission to the other person to share Scripture with us and to help us submit to God’s providence. In giving, we must receive permission. Usually this means we must first earn the right to minister to the person through a relationship of mutual sharing, openness, and trust that we have already established. (Excerpt taken from Transforming Grace)

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