Purified for His Praise

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Pete

There’s something about knowing people, or knowing about people, who have been “been there, done that, got the t-shirt.” You know, those folks who have been where you’re now walking. Those who have experienced what you’re experiencing and now have some perspective as they look back. Those who have gone through a wringer that sounds a lot like the wringer you’re going through and, having come out the other side in tact, have drawn some conclusions and gained some wisdom. I think that’s part of what makes the Psalms so attractive . . . why they can resonate so deeply . . . there’s a certain level of identification . . . and by that association, a certain amount of encouragement. Check out how David describes the wringer Israel went through . . .

For You, O God, have tested us; You have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; You laid a crushing burden on our backs; You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet You have brought us out to a place of abundance. (Psalm 66:10-12 ESV)

“I’ll take lesser known acts of God for 500, Alex.” “Okay then . . . the purpose for God in trapping His people in a net . . . in laying a back-breaking burden upon their shoulders . . . in letting men ride over their heads . . . in allowing them to go through the hottest flames . . . in permitting them to almost drown in a sea of oppression . . . in pushing them to their very limits.” “Uh . . . what is the manner by which God tests His people and purifies them like silver?” “Correct-amundo!”

We don’t often talk of God having cast people in a net . . . or of laying crushing burdens on their backs . . . or of letting men ride over their heads . . . but that God’s purposes were at play during those 400 years of Egyptian slavery is clear. Generation upon generation of continual testing and trying and purifying where all part of God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that their descendants would be blessed . . . and be a blessing to all nations. The desperation and increasing hopelessness was all part of readying a people for deliverance into a place of abundance.

And what amazes me about these not-so-much-talked about “acts of God” is that fact that they are embedded in a glorious Psalm of praise. A psalm which directs “all the earth” to praise God (66:1-4) . . . which calls upon His people to make the sound of praise heard (66:8) . . . and then gets immensely personal as the psalmist determines to offer his burnt offerings and cry unto God with “high praise” under his tongue (66:13,17).

David commands the earth to worship . . . David exhorts His people to praise . . . because he knows what it is to personally to be tested . . . tried . . . and purified . . .

“Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what He has done for my soul.” (Psalm 66:17 ESV)

David knew what is was to go through the wringer . . . he knew what it was to hunted by a jealous king . . . he knew what it was to be deposed and run out of town by his own son . . . he knew what it was to be crushed by the burden of guilt and sin . . . but, “Come here and listen”, he says, “and let me tell you what God has done for me and within me.” Though David knew what it was to call out in desperate prayer, this tried as silver saint also knew what it was to cry out in glorious praise. Exalted praise . . . high praise . . . not just on his tongue, but under his tongue . . . embedded deep within his soul . . . that soul that God had put through the wringer . . . the soul that God had purified for His glory.

“Blessed be God, because He has not rejected my prayer or removed His steadfast love from me!” (66:20 ESV).

My trials may be different . . . but they are my trials . . . and for God’s purposes. That I too might say, “Been there . . . done that . . . purified for His praise . . . “

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"Able" Words

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Pete

I came across some “able” words in one of my readings this morning. Not “able” as in having sufficient power, skill, or resources to do something. But “able” as in the four letters a-b-l-e found at the end of three words in the ESV version of the latter portion of Romans 11 . . .”able” as in insufficient power, skill, or resources to grasp the glory and greatness of my God. “Able” words that leave me without words . . . “able” words that leave me unable to adequately express the awe enveloping my heart.

IRREVOCABLE . . . UNSEARCHABLE . . . INSCRUTABLE . . . . oh, praise God . . . unbelievable!

As Paul wraps up this part of his letter (ch. 9-11) which reveals his heart, and God’s plans, for his kinsmen, Israel, he says that the blood descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are living under a “partial hardening”. In large, they have missed the Messiah, though even now, as in the days of Elijah, there is a remnant (11:1-6) . . . God not having rejected his people, but allowing them this “partial hardening until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (11:25). As regards the gospel they are misaligned . . . “But,” says Paul, “as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (11:28-29).

Irrevocable . . . without regret . . . without repentance . . . a promise that will be kept. What God has planned, He will deliver . . . what God has started, He will finish. There may be seasons and circumstance which indicate otherwise, but let it be known, people of God, that His gifts and calling are irrevocable! Isn’t that what I’m counting on . . . that His call and His grace are without retracting. If it was dependent upon me to conform myself into the image of His Son then I would be, of all men, in a most hopeless situation. But it’s His call on my life . . . it’s His unmerited favor that has declared me righteous through faith in the work of the cross and begun a work of forming within me the divine nature.

Do I fully understand exactly how it works . . . not so much . . . do I fully believe the dynamic is in play in my life . . . absolutely! How come . . . cause His gifts and calling are irrevocable.

But enough about me . . . for now . . . Paul here is talking about the yet-to-be-finished work with Israel. I read of some that this morning in my Deuteronomy reading. Moses recounting God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt, though they grumbled (Deut. 9:7) . . . reminding them of their failure at Mt. Sinai (Deut. 9:10-21) . . . encouraging them to circumcise their hearts and cut away their stubbornness (Deut. 10:!4) . . . commanding them to obey and be blessed. And it amazes me that thousands of years later, Paul would be writing to these Romans of God’s abiding care over this same people. And I’m in awe that even today, His hand is upon this “hardened Israel” awaiting the time when He will open their eyes to see the Messiah and “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will banish ungodliness from Jacob; and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” (Romans 11:26-27 ESV). The calling and grace put in play so long ago are still in play today . . . cue the other “able” words . . .

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! (Romans 11:33 ESV)

Beyond fully discovering . . . beyond fully comprehending . . . that’s my God . . . that’s the nature of His ways . . . so much bigger than my little mind . . . so beyond my feeble imagination. And though I may not be able to grasp the full implications of these “able” words . . . He is able . . . with a grace irrevocable . . . judgments unsearchable . . . and, ways inscrutable.

The awe that evokes within me? . . . Indescribable!

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The Response of Righteousness

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Pete

“Righteousness for us” . . . those words jumped off the page. Now, I’ve been reading a lot about righteousness over the past several mornings as I’ve journeyed through the book of Romans . . . but that’s not where I encountered this phrase this morning. In Romans I’ve read of a righteousness by faith . . . a truth that evokes awe and results in joy unspeakable. But the righteousness I read of this morning caused me to react with dread and a foreshadowing feeling of failure.

And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as we are this day. And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.” (Deuteronomy 6:24-25 ESV)

In the past, when I’ve read Deuteronomy 6 I have focused on the “Shema” . . . the “Hear O Israel” . . . the greatest of all commandments . . . “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deut. 6:4-5). Amen! He is the LORD our God . . . He is One . . . He is to be loved with all heart, soul, mind and strength. There’s not a higher or more holy calling than to love God unreservedly. But I realize that I embrace it through grace . . . that I aspire to it because it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. But what if my righteous standing before God depended on the degree to which I obeyed the Shema? What if that were the “price of admission” into the most holy of holies and communion with the Father? . . . dread . . . foreshadowing feeling of failure.

Isn’t that Deuteronomy 6:24-25 is saying? As the children of Israel are about to enter the promised land, Moses undertakes a final “pep talk” to prepare the people of God for being the people of God. He reminds them of the commandments given on the holy mount and exhorts them to “be careful to do them” (6:3). “Fear God,” he says, “do ALL these statues . . . and it will be righteousness for us . . . if we are careful to do ALL this commandment before the LORD.” Obedience to the law would be their basis for righteousness.

And I read that and it causes a shudder to run down my back. My righteousness dependent upon my ability to keep ALL the commandments of God? Talk about your no-win situation. Cue the sacrifices . . . bring on the sea of blood flowing from the jugulars of animal offerings to atone for failure. A righteousness resting fully upon my will and discipline to obey the law of God? Ugh!

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it — the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. (Romans 3:21-22 ESV)

There it is! A righteousness apart from the law. A righteousness, the need for which was made clear through the law (Gal. 3:19-24), but which is realized by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. My righteousness this morning is not dependent on my ability to power up myself to keep all His commandments. But my righteousness is through faith in the Son of God who loved me, gave Himself for me, and now lives inside of me.

And so, I seek not to love God in order that I might find favor with God . . . but I desire to love Him will all my heart, soul, mind and strength as a response to the unmerited favor I have already know in His Son. Far from the Shema being the requirement for righteousness, it is the response of righteousness — the righteousness I possess in Christ . . . amen?

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A Song Sung in the Shadow

Posted on March 11, 2011 by Pete

That Psalm 63 is a psalm of praise is unmistakable. All I have to do is sit back and see the number of verses I have underlined with my brown colored pencil. Underline in brown . . . that’s my color code for “worship & praise.” “Because Your steadfast love is better than life,” pens the psalmist, “my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; in Your name I will lift up my hands” (Ps. 63:3-4 ESV). The king rejoices in His God . . . he glories in the One in whom he trusts. But what grabs me this morning is that this psalm is written by David when he was in the wilderness . . . it is a song sung in the shadow.

There’s something about the worship that comes out of trial . . . something unique about the passion of praise which results from the pressure of going through the ringer. Pretense is removed . . . self-sufficient pride is gone . . . all that’s left is the sufferer and the Sovereign . . . and from the shadow, there is a song to be sung.

David is on the run from those “who seek to destroy my life” (63:9) . . . he is in “a dry and weary land where there is no water” (63:1b). And what does he do in such a desperate situation? “O God, You are my God; earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh faints for You . . . So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary, beholding Your power and glory” (63:1-2). Seeking . . . thirsting . . . fainting . . . beholding . . . there’s something about the wilderness that strips away all the clutter and helps the child of God to focus on that which is most needful. When you’re hungry, you look for food . . . when you’re thirsty, you try to find something to wet your lips . . . when you’re lost, you look for some direction . . . when you’re down, you tend to look up . . . look way up. And how often, in those times does God invite us into His holy presence to behold afresh His power and glory? And it is from that place that some of the most heartfelt, heaven penetrating, worship is offered . . .

“For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy.” (Psalm 63:7 ESV)

The shadow of the wilderness gives way to the shadow of His wings . . . the scorching heat of the desert is dissipated as we seek refuge in the shade of the God of heaven . . . and from there a song of joy emanates.

That trials will come . . . that deserts will be entered . . . that enemies will arise . . . all are certain. But that there is a place of protection . . . that there is a rock to stand firm upon . . . a promise to hold fast to . . . and a wing under which we can find rest . . . is equally certain. And from that shadow there is not only rest, but through His all-sufficient grace there is rejoicing.

Think about it, how much closer can you get to the God than to be under His wing? How much nearer . . . how much more intimate? When you’re that close it’s not just a morsel of food that’s given to satisfy the hunger, but a banquet to feast upon. Not just a drip of water upon the tongue to satisfy the thirst, but a gushing well of living water reviving the very soul. Not just a Google map to help you navigate the way, but the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, God Himself, indwelling you and leading you in paths of righteousness. Isn’t that why, so often, some of the sweetest praise comes from the toughest times. I’m thinkin’!

Praise God for the shadow . . . not for the darkness of the depths of suffering . . . but for the shaded, cool protective covering of Jehovah. For there is a song sung in the shadow which ascends to heaven as a sweet and acceptable offering. A song written on hearts that realize a peace that passes understanding and a praise fueled solely by the God who draws near to us when we draw near to Him (James 4:8).

Sing saint! Sing for joy! Lift your hands! Seek Him . . . thirst for Him . . . faint for Him . . . and then, behold Him in the sanctuary . . . full of power and glory! And then sing the song from the shadow . . . for His glory . . . amen!

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God Alone

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Pete

That David knew the “storms of life” is a bit of an understatement. It seems that, for more seasons than not in his life, his life was turned upside down by something. Whether it was hiding from Saul who was trying to save his throne by taking out the young upstart shepherd, or running from Philistine enemies who wanted him dead or alive (preferably dead), or eventually fleeing from his own son who wanted daddy’s kingdom for himself, David and tumult seemed to find each other. And beyond the external wars he waged, he too found himself battling inner demons as he dealt with the guilt that comes from killing a friend and stealing his wife and thus, sinning against the God he adored. A lot of storms in David’s life . . . so where did stability come from . . . where could calm be found . . . ?

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. (Psalm 61:1-2, 5-6 ESV)

You can’t help but take notice of things that are repeated in Scripture. Repetition is emphasis. And so, in asking the questions what can quiet the soul amidst the storms of life? . . . what can restore balance to an unbalanced world? . . . what can silence the raging winds? . . . the answer is twice given so that I might not miss it. God alone.

The presence of God alone could awe the storm-tossed soul of the psalmist into quietude. To turn his eyes from the insanity around him to the God before him could calm the anxiety within him. Rather than take inventory of how poorly the battle was going, David instead brings every thought into captivity to consider again that salvation comes from God . . . that God alone is his stability . . . and salvation . . . and refuge . . . and so, if God be all these things, then, says the psalmist, “I shall not be greatly shaken.”

Easier said than done . . . to shift our attention away from the stuff that’s creaming us and toward the God who has promised to never leave us or forsake us . . . but when, by His grace and through the Spirit within us, we determine to look to God alone . . . then soul, know blessed assurance . . . experience the rest of those secure in the hand of Gods . . . drink deep from the waters of submission . . . feast on the fruit of faith.

And it is when the soul is silent that the heart can best cry out . . .

Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah (Psalm 62:8 ESV)

As believers we have been granted access into the most holy place and invited to confidently draw near to His throne of grace, “that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). And, as we act upon that invitation . . . and enter, by faith, the inner sanctuary where God dwells, and behold afresh His glory and majesty . . . it is then that our souls are silenced . . . and our hearts are primed . . . and communion becomes active. It is there that we are reminded that He is God and we are not . . . that in God alone we can find refuge . . . that in God alone lies our hope . . . that for God alone, O my soul, wait in silence.

“O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior, and life more abundant and free!
Turn your eyes upon Jesus . . . look full in His wonderful face . . .
and the things of earth will grow strangely dim . . .
in the light of His glory and grace.” (Helen H. Lemmel)

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The Glory to be Revealed

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Pete

I wish it were my line, but it isn’t . . . it’s someone else’s . . . but it’s good . . . “Nature’s music is in the minor key” (William MacDonald). Okay, so doesn’t that present a picture . . . or at least a sound? The wonder of God’s creation is singing . . . the beauty of a melody is present . . . but, in comparison to what it will one day be, it is more of a dirge or a lament than it is a triumphant symphony of celebration. As breathtaking as creation can be, I read this morning that “the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now” (Rom. 8:22). It’s a good song today . . . but compared to what’s coming, it’s a sad song. And one day, all creation will raise it’s collective voice in thunderous praise and joy and sing a glad song. That day? It’s the day that the glory will be revealed to us.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. (Romans 8:18-19 ESV)

That there are “sufferings of this present time” is undeniable. Sure, the sufferings are not the same for everyone . . . some suffer more than others . . . the weight borne in different parts of the world is greater than here . . . and, even in our own part of the world, the load varies widely. So too in my immediate world . . . I have friends and dear brothers and sisters in Christ who are carrying grief that I can barely imagine . . . but each of us knows what it is to suffer.

But Paul calls believers to lift their heads . . . to straighten their backs for a moment . . . and compare their present sufferings to “the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Both the NIV and NKJV translate it “the glory to be revealed in us.” Both accurate I think.

I’m captured by that thought . . . “the glory to be revealed.” What will that glory be like? . . . I can only imagine . . . Revelation 21 and 22 fueling my imagination. It is the glory of God . . . revealed in a new heavens and earth . . . seen like the radiance of the most rare of jewels (Rev 21:11). A glory which envelopes a heavenly city without need of a temple “for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” . . . a city with no need for a sun or moon to shine on it, “for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Rev. 21:22-23). And it will be the glory of no more “music in the minor key” . . . no more sad songs . . . “and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:3b-4). Oh, I can’t wait for the glory to be revealed!

And it’s not just me who can’t wait . . . but all of creation, too! As good as it might look on some days, since the fall, creation too has been subjected to futility, bondage, and corruption (Rom. 8:20-21). As beautiful as it might be, we ain’t seen nothin’ yet! What will it be like to fully experience the fullness of God’s creative hand when it too is delivered from the cloud of sin that now hovers over it and is seeded throughout it? We can only imagine that too . . . but for now, the whole creation “groans inwardly” as it awaits also for the glory to be revealed.

And so, “we wait eagerly” for the adoption process to be fully completed . . . when we are taken home to be with our Abba Father . . . when our bodies are redeemed . . . and we are delivered not just from the penalty of sin, and the power of sin, but, praise God, we are delivered from the very presence of sin. “For in this hope we are saved” (Rom. 8:23b, 24).

No more minor keys . . . no more groaning . . .

And so, I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Even so, Lord Jesus come!

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The Reminder

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Pete

It’s not that you don’t know it . . . it’s just that you need to hear it again. It’s not so much about doubt . . . it’s just that you have a need for some reassurance. It’s those times when perhaps you feel a bit distant, that you seek to know that still small voice drawing you near. There are just times when you need “the reminder” . . . and that, is one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit of God.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Romans 8:14-17 ESV)

These first 17 verses of Romans 8 are absolutely glorious! Talk about your primer on the Spirit-filled life . . . and you’re talking about Romans 8! There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus . . . and there is freedom and life and peace for those in who Christ Jesus resides . . . through His Spirit. The living Spirit of Him who raised Christ from the dead dwells in each of us who have believed in Christ for our salvation. Think about it! God in me . . . resurrection power in me . . . Christ in me . . . all through the mysterious agency of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Do I fully understand it? No. Do I fully believe it? Yes. Do I fully experience it? I’m trying . . .

And, what’s grabbed me this morning is the Spirit’s ministry to “bear witness” to my adoption . . . to testify of the reality of my sonship . . . to confirm who I really am in Christ Jesus — that I am a child of God.

He is the “Spirit of adoption” by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” He testifies to my inner man of the truth of the “no condemnation”. He speaks into my spirit of the reality that my sin has been removed as far as the east is from the west and that there is no barrier to fellowship with God because of the blood shed by Christ on my behalf. He encourages me toward intimacy with God . . . giving me permission to address Holy, Almighty God as “Abba” . . . as Father . . . to cry out to Him as would a child to their Father in times of need . . . to “snuggle up”, as it were, within His arms when I’m in dire need of comfort and protection. It’s the Spirit who provides “the reminder.”

Oh, how I need that reminder every so often. How I need to step back from the “reality” of every day life and consider afresh the “reality” of being a child of God. How I need the Spirit’s calming testimony that God has adopted me “for life” . . . actually for “eternal life”. The reminder that I’m not in God’s family on a trial basis . . . but I’m here for good . . . not because of my good . . . but because of the finished work of redemption through Christ on the cross. How I need, sometimes, to know again that the work He has begun in me, He is committed to completing in me (Phil. 1:6) . . . determined and able to conform me, as a child of God, into the image of the Son of God (Rom. 8:29). How I need the blessed assurance that Jesus is mine . . . and I am His . . . and that nothing can separate this child of God from the love of his Abba Father (Rom. 8:38-39).

Again, not that I doubt it . . . I just like to hear it. Sweet words spoken by God’s sweet Holy Spirit . . . “You are a child of God!”

Yes I am! By His grace . . . for His glory . . . Yes I am!

Thank you, Lord.

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Under New Management

Posted on March 7, 2011 by Pete

I guess sometimes you can’t really appreciate how good it is until you remember how bad it was. Funny how the desperation of going through what once was can be forgotten while enjoying the blessing of what now is. As I’m reading the latter part of Romans 7 this morning . . . and once again identifying with the conflict portrayed by Paul . . . I realize that the “Thanks be to God” takes on a revitalized meaning when I recall the “Wretched man that I am!”

Romans 7:13-25 portrays the classic battle between the things of the flesh and the things of God. Paul recalls a time when “the things of God” were bound up in the law. Being the law of God, it was spiritual in nature (7:14) . . . and Paul desiring to be a godly man, and a spiritual man, delighted in the law in his inner being (7:22). But while he could “serve the law of God with my mind” (7:25b), he found another reality playing out in his body, in his flesh.

Paul couldn’t understand his own actions, “For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate . . . for I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out . . . for I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (7:15, 18b-19). His mind said, “I know I should go right “. . . but somehow, he again and again ended up going left. His inner man sought to faithfully live according to the law and tried to program his internal GPS with the right destination, but way too often he found himself going around in circles and ending up in a place so far from his desire. And the reason? “For we know the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin” (7:14). The sin that dwelt within him became the sin that controlled him . . . “so now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me” (7:17, 20).

Ok, so how frustrating is that? To want to do the right thing, but again and again find yourself crashing and burning as you do the wrong thing. To want, in the inner man, to be godly, but to keep failing in the flesh. Oh, the wear and tear on the conscience . . . oh, the burden of guilt borne on the shoulders . . . oh, the hopelessness of ever getting on top of things . . . oh, the constant failure . . . oh, the repeated shame before a holy God . . . “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (7:24 NKJV)

I can relate . . . been there . . .

But it’s in the recollection of the “wretched man” that the “thanks be to God” (7:25) becomes so much sweeter . . . and so, I “read ahead” of my reading plan a few verses . . .

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4 ESV)

There it is! Deliverance! No longer walking according to the flesh in it’s continual frustrating failure . . . instead walking in and according to the Spirit of the living God who now resides within me. Rejoicing in the sin-freeing work of the Son of God . . . “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). Not that it’s a perfect walk . . . slips and trips along the way . . . but I have been freed from the captivity of the “sin that dwells in my members” (7:23b). I’m now “under new management” . . . able to do all things through Christ . . . my spiritual DNA re-wired to realize in my flesh the desire I have in my heart to be more like God’s blessed Son through the renewing and transforming work of God’s Holy Spirit.

O’, thanks be to God . . . O’, praise be to God . . . under new management . . . for His glory . . . amen?

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The Right Kind of Slavery

Posted on March 4, 2011 by Pete

Never was much of a Bob Dylan fan . . . not sure I could rattle off a lot of his songs . . . but one has come to mind over the last couple of mornings as I’ve read through, and hovered over my readings in the book of Romans. “You Gotta Serve Somebody,” that’s what Dylan sang back in 1979. Not exactly a sentiment that aligns with the “land of the free.” We value freedom . . . we pursue that which removes restraints . . . we want to be our own person . . . free to choose . . . at liberty to pursue happiness as we see fit. Not much place for a “you gotta serve somebody” mentality. According to Wikipedia, in response to Dylan’s song, John Lennon recorded another song, “Serve Yourself.” Is that the definition of freedom . . . to serve yourself? Nope! Romans reminds me that perfect freedom is found in slavery to a perfect master.

“But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.” (Romans 7:6 ESV)

Kind of struck me as I read this . . . we died to that which held us captive . . . aka were set free . . . why? . . . for what purpose? . . . so that we may serve, literally, “so that we might be a slave” . . . so that we may serve in the new way of the Spirit. Isn’t that going from one kind of bondage to another? Seems so.

Yesterday morning I hovered over Romans 6 where Paul gives thanks to God that, though these believers were once slaves of sin, they had been set free from sin and had become slaves of righteousness . . . that they had been set free from sin and become slaves of God . . . and so, Paul urges them to present their members (i.e. the parts of your body) as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification . . . sanctification then leading to its end, eternal life. (6:17-18, 22).

Slavery . . . servitude . . . under the yoke. Not terms we naturally embrace. Oh, but terms which we, as believers, should supernaturally celebrate!

It’s true that “my chains are gone . . . I’ve been set free . . . my God, my Savior has ransomed me . . . and like a flood, His mercy reigns . . . unending love, Amazing grace!” (Chris Tomlin). But that freedom . .. that release . . . those broken chains . . . they’re not intended to provide the way for me to serve myself . . . or anything else of my choosing . . . but, I have been set free that I might be brought again into captivity . . . glorious, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led captivity. The Master who I now serve is the God of creation and the King of Glory . . . the work I do now is of eternal value . . . the wages I will receive are treasures laid up in heaven (1Tim. 6:18-19) . . . and the “retirement bonus” I so desire to receive is to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant . . . enter into the joy of your Master” (Matt. 25:21).

I am not my own . . . I have been purchased with a price . . . the precious blood of Jesus (2Cor. 6:19-20). I have been released from the cruel and destructive mastery of sin so that I might “belong to another, to Him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God” (Rom. 6:4).

What a lie that freedom is to do as I please. What a false promise that I can be all I’m meant to be by living for me and being true to me. What a myth that freedom is the absence of slavery . . . freedom is the right kind of slavery.

Oh, to submit to the yoke of Christ (Matt. 11:28-29) . . . to embrace the Master’s service . . . to be set free indeed (John 8:36) by becoming slaves of righteousness . . . serving in the new way of the Spirit! To God be glory . . . amen.

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Bottled Water

Posted on March 3, 2011 by Pete

“Recycling” last years thoughts on Psalm 56 this morning . . .

There’s something about being known that brings comfort. Something about having not to “hide it” or “pretend everything’s fine” that takes off a lot of pressure. Not that we necessarily want everyone to know everything about our struggles . . . but just to know that someone’s familiar with what we’re going through . . . that can be such a balm for the soul. Not that they can necessarily fix it . . . but just that they know . . . and they care . . . what a source of strength that can be. And even more so when that someone is the Father . . . who not only knows and cares . . . but, should it be in His will, can fix it too.

It’s Psalm 56, this morning, that has me considering the comfort which comes from knowing God knows. It says that this song was written by David when the Philistines captured him in Gath. David certainly had no lack of enemies during his life . . . from Goliath . . . to the Philistine armies . . . to Saul . . . to even his own son, Absalom, it seems that for a good portion of his life someone was pursuing him. Here it’s the Philistines. And here David pens with confidence, “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me.” (Ps. 56:3-4,11 ESV).

Although it isn’t too surprising, I don’t immediately think of David as someone who was afraid. Somehow we think of mighty men enduring tough times by setting their jaw, leaning into the wind, and allowing their red cape to flap behind them as they sport a big “S” logo on their chest. But David knew what it was to be afraid, to be gripped by fear and uncertainty . . . and when he did, he trusted God . . . and the fear was diminished . . . the anxiety reduced. And his basis for trusting God? Bottled water.

“You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” (Psalm 56:8 ESV)

David believed there wasn’t a path he took, that God didn’t know about . . . that God hadn’t kept track of it. David believed there wasn’t a tear He shed that God was not aware of and hadn’t collected and placed in a container. And that belief, which allowed David to envision each tear shed being collected by Almighty God and placed in a bottle, resulted in trusting God with every situation . . . it increased his confidence that “God is for me” (56:9b). And this morning it’s got me thinking too about the beauty of bottled water.

My tears are known by the God of creation. Counted drop by drop. None shed without His knowing the reason behind it. He is aware of them all. Some are of my own making . . . some are according to His will . . . all can be collected and put in a bottle because none pass His attention.

And as I think about tears, I think about the picture of those in Revelation who have come out of the tribulation . . . having washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb . . . they neither hunger nor thirst anymore . . . and they are before the throne of God . . . and the Lamb is in the midst of the throne . . . and the Lamb shepherds them, leading them to living waters . . . and, it says, “God will wipe away every tear from their eye” (Rev. 7:14-17). The bottle emptied . . . the weeping over . . . the hand of God Himself having cleared away every drop of sorrow. He knows. He is able to deliver. “In God I have put my trust, I will not be afraid . . . “.

And, then I think about the bottle . . . and my mind goes to that sinful woman who anointed Jesus feet with her tears and a flask of fragrant oil. She “stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil” (Luke 7:38). And I think how appropriate a use for that bottled water . . . to take those tears, known and collected by the One who made me, and use them as an offering of thanksgiving and praise at the feet of the One who saved me. Even held captive by his enemies, David declares, “I will render praises to You” (56:12b NKJV).

Praise God for bottled water . . . praise God with bottled water . . . to Him be all glory . . . amen!

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