The Overabundance of Grace Here's a quick look, a bite-sized study, into some of what Paul had to say about grace and redemption in his letter to the Ephesians. In this studyette, you'll see the Greek definitions for several key words in this scripture. These definitions will highlight and bring depth to an already amazing gift. Put on your study hats (and study hearts). I pray the Holy Spirit will guide your thoughts and inspire you as you read on ... Ephesians 1:7-8 (ESV) In him we have redemption ( 629) through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches (4149) of his grace (5485) , which he lavished (4052) upon us, in all wisdom and insight 629 apolutrosis ἀπολύτρωσιν Ransom in full. Acquire, redeem, redemption, release . RELEASE Think about it, we are - released from guilt released from debt released from sin released from bondage released from shame released from abandonment 4149 ploutos πλοῦτος From 4130, wealth, flo...
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An underlying culture exists in America today, a pattern of thought that says, "At all costs, avoid pain." And we, as the church, must take care to not let our understanding of scripture be shaped or influenced by such a world view. For from this culture we have seen such pseudo-spiritual doctrines as "name it and claim it" spring up to entice the body of Christ. We’ve incorrectly divided scriptures such as "By His wounds we are healed" to wrongly mean that we shall never suffer disease of any kind. Yet it was the disease of sin that was defeated on the cross. Comfort is king in our "now" society and we must take care that we don't adopt that attitude in ourselves. I'm going through a dark night of my soul. Right now in my life. It's uncomfortable, and I want it to end. And I suppose that my desire for comfort, release, and escape goes beyond just the cultural norm of today. Our human nature doesn't embrace suffering. Understan...
God's Process Sometimes God's process is messy. I'm in the middle of a kitchen remodel, and it can be wearying. Stuff everywhere. When you replace cabinets, you have to put their contents somewhere while you're replacing them. When you replace the sheet-rock on your walls, you have to deal with dust and you have to look at studs for a while. It's nothing to complain about, really; a new room is a blessing. But getting there can evoke irritation over the current mess and a desire to have everything finally completed. And so it is with us. There is chaos in the midst of God's reconstruction of the areas of our lives. We call this sanctification and it's a process and it gets messy. None of us likes chaos. (Well, maybe there are some of us that do!) When you realize how much you lack in patience, kindness, and unselfishness, God goes to work. And it can get ugly. When you see your addiction for what it really is, God begins to break down the walls and it...
We have an Advocate, One who not only pleads our case before the great Judge, but One who also consoles us. And we often find ourselves in need of this merciful Defender. At any point we are susceptible to the wanderings and failings of our earthly nature. To the honest man, sin comes far too easily. To the proud man, it is non-existent. And to the guilt-laden one, it is always present - like a morning fog. With some, sin remains in the forefront, a gray reminder of our failing. With some, it is artfully hidden, covered by a feigned life. Yet, all of us need this Advocate our Lawyer. John, the aging apostle, wrote, My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. Sin easily entangles; it weaves that tangled web around our freedom. And at any point we are vulnerable to its attack, though never at its mercy. At any point we may s...
Intimacy. O how I long for it; hunger and thirst after it. Yet oh how it evokes in me the most paralyzing fear. Nothing terrifies me more than being exposed, having my inner feelings and thoughts made available for viewing by those around me - even those close to me. Those of you familiar with rejection will grasp what I am saying. You want to play the lead role, you long for the approval, the acceptance, the closeness and connection. But what if you forget the lines, or even worse, say the wrong lines? What if you pour out the deepest parts of your heart, share the values and convictions you esteem, unwrap that which is precious to you, to the world and the world says, "Meh"? Even worse, what if you open the door to your innermost to those closest to you, those who "owe" it to love you and you are met with cold response? Intimacy has a way of shutting itself down. If we let it. Jesus was familiar with rejection. He suffered under the slung slurs of those i...
The Seventh Man It's been said that it's insanity to think that we can continue in the same patterns of behavior and expect our lives to yield something different and new. But we do that, don't we? Often unaware of our behavior which has been formed through years of habit, we continue on. So, we find ourselves seeking that which we truly need through a relationship, an addiction, or resolutions that quickly fade. In some ways, and some days, it almost feel like we are stuck in a pit; at at times, we are. I love the story in the book of John, the fourth chapter, about a woman Jesus meets at a well. She was searching, looking for life and freedom, and refreshing. And on the day she encountered Jesus, she would find it. A little backstory will help in understanding the significance of this encounter between the Lord and the lady. Jesus was Jewish, a rabbi. The woman was Samaritan and, well, a woman. The custom was, actually the strongly imposed cultural demand was that J...
One Day Will there be crying in heaven? Yes. But not for long. Tears will not last. Death, the end of life and the pain of loss, the death of dreams and the killing of hope, the rage of disappointment, will be no more. Mourning over the fallen state or loss of a loved one will be no more. No more grief or regret or wishing we had done or not done this or that. No more guilt or sorrow over "last night" or yesterday's sins. No more crying. Nothing to make us cry! No pain, no body aches or diseases, no layoffs or depression. No more struggle with this old nature! No longer will we feel the sting of hurt from others. All will be right. No more taxes, no more death, no more government corruption. And no more news channels to bring us bad news. No more worries. Our final tears will be shed on the precipice of an eternity of perfect joy. Not because all is well, but because, like a tender father who leans down to tend to the hurt of a child that has fallen of thei...