Devotionary

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Ep 905 – Sanctification - 1 Corinthians 15:9-11 Jun 08, 2019

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The grace of God is a remarkable thing. But we sometimes take it for granted. It's almost as if we think we somehow deserve God's grace, which would end up making it something other than grace altogether. Grace is undeserved and unmerited. You can't earn it. It's not payment for services rendered. And the more we recognize that it is a free gift bestowed on us by God, the greater its value will grow in our estimation. Paul understood grace and never took it for granted. He knew his entire life, from his birth to his new birth, his apostleship to his sonship, were the result of God's grace and mercy. Rather than giving Paul what he deserved, God had graciously given Paul what he could have never merited on his own: A relationship with Himself based on the saving work of Jesus Christ. Paul knew who he was and he had no problem admitting that it was because of God.

Ep 904 – Sanctification - John 15:1-11 Jun 07, 2019

Show notes

When it comes to the topic of sanctification, most of us know that it has to do with what we call Christlikeness or being transformed into the image of Christ. Or to put it in simpler, easy to understand terms, to grow in spiritual maturity. But no matter how you describe sanctification, one of the things that should accompany your definition is the need for fruitfulness. Someone who is being sanctified should also be producing fruit – the fruit of the Spirit. And in John 15, we have recorded the words of Jesus as He ties fruitfulness to abiding. And it is important that we keep those two things permanently linked. Abiding is required for fruitfulness to take place. In other words, you don't produce fruit on your own. Just as a branch can't produce grapes unless it abides in the grapevine. Fruitfulness is not the byproduct of human effort. It is the result of dependence upon God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Ep 903 – Sanctification - Romans 13:14 Jun 06, 2019

Show notes

One of the major debates concerning our sanctification revolves around roles and responsibilities. Who is ultimately responsible for your sanctification or growth in Christlikeness? Is it all up to God? Does it all fall on your shoulders? Or is it some combination of the two? As you read the New Testament, especially the letters of Paul, you can't help but sense that we have a significant part to play in our sanctification. After all, he uses imperative statements like, "put on…", "put off…", and "grow up…" He commands us to "strive…for holiness." So, it sure sounds like we have our work cut out for us. But are these commands meant to tell us we are somehow insufficient? Is Paul suggesting that our sanctification is incomplete and our quotient of righteousness somehow lacking? No, Paul is not telling us to fill up what is missing, but to live out what is ours in full.

Ep 902 - Sanctification - Exodus 3:13-14 Jun 05, 2019

Show notes

In this episode we are going to continue to explore how Jesus was comfortable in His own skin. He knew who He was and was fully aware of His God-ordained purpose in life. Jesus was at peace with His identity and did not allow the enemy to tempt Him into believing He deserved better and could have more. He was the Son of God who took on human flesh. He became a man and, of His own admission, He came to serve, not be served. He viewed Himself as a humble servant who faithfully fulfilled the will of His Heavenly Father. And the apostle Paul encourages us to have the same attitude that Jesus had. We are to come to grips with our true identity, made available to us through our relationship with Jesus. And we are to let our knowledge of that identity dictate the way we live our lives. Knowing who you are can go a long way in helping you accomplish your God-given purpose in life.

Ep 901 – Sanctification – John 8:48-59 Jun 04, 2019

Show notes

Do you know who you are? I'm not suggesting you've somehow lost touch with reality and are living some kind of fantasy, devoid of a clear understanding of your true identity. But I am suggesting that you may be a bit confused about who you really are and makes it so. In our world, our identity tends to get wrapped up in all kinds of superficial things. From the brand of clothes you wear to the make of car you drive. But, as Christians, our identity is not determined by material possessions, the color of our skin, the address of our house, the size of our bank account, or the number of friends we have on Facebook. We derive our identity from our relationship with Christ. It is because of Him that we are deemed righteous by God and called His sons and daughters. In this episode, we're going to continue to explore the firm grasp Jesus had on His identity. He didn't let what others thought of Him or did to Him determine His identity. He was comfortable in His own skin and at peace with His Father's will for Him.

Ep 900 – Sanctification - Luke 4:1-13 Jun 03, 2019

Show notes

Doubt is a powerful weapon in Satan's arsenal, and he uses it against the people of God on a regular and relentless basis. It was doubt in God's word that caused Eve to listen to the lies of the serpent and disobey the warning not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Satan began his temptation of Eve by raising doubts about what God had said. And he tried the same tactic with Jesus in the wilderness. But on that occasion, his efforts failed because Jesus knew who He was and what He had been sent to do. One of the things that makes us particularly susceptible to the temptations of the enemy is an unhealthy understanding of who we are in Christ. Satan began each of his temptations of Christ with the words, "If you are the Son of God…" He wanted to cause Jesus to doubt His identity. Because he knew if Jesus failed to recognize who He was and why He had come, he could be distracted by false promises of pleasure, power, and prominence. But He refused to buy what Satan was selling. And so should we.

Ep 899 – Sanctification – 1 Corinthians 2:14-16 Jun 02, 2019

Show notes

In Philippians 2, Paul told his readers to have the mind or attitude that Christ had. In other words, they were to think about themselves in the same way that Jesus thought about himself. They were to recognize their new identity made possible by Christ's death and resurrection, and empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit. But in 1 Corinthians 2, Paul provides the incredibly good news that we already have the mind of Christ. It is not something we have to seek out. It exists within us because of the presence of the Holy Spirit. And, as a result, we can understand the things of God. We have been given the Spirit-empowered capacity to understand spiritual truths. That means we are able to read God's Word and not only understand it, but we can apply what it says to our lives. And while there is much about faith that we may still find difficult to comprehend, we can rest easy knowing that the Spirit of God will reveal what we need to know when we need to know it.

Ep 898 – Sanctification – Philippians 2:5-11 Jun 01, 2019

Show notes

You're familiar with the phrase, "think before you speak." Most of us have heard it after we have said something particularly stupid, that was lacking tact, or a case of bad timing. It always pays to engage the mind before you put the mouth in gear. And the apostle Paul puts a high priority on the mind as well. Except, he wants believers to put thought into the reality of their relationship with Christ and all that it makes possible in their lives. In Philippians 2, he challenges us to have the same mind that Christ had. Rather than calling us to follow the example of Christ by emulating His behavior, Paul encourages us to think like Jesus did. And the thoughts Paul has in mind are focused on Jesus' understanding of His identity. He knew who He was and what He had come to do. And that knowledge influenced His actions. Jesus never lost sight of His identity and never stopped thinking about His God-given mission. And neither should we.

Ep 897 – Sanctification – Romans 6:8-14 May 31, 2019

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Paul encourages us to consider ourselves dead to sin, but that sounds like so much spiritual-speak. How in the world are we supposed to pull that off when our lives seem so alive to and allured by sin? This is the part of sanctification that we find not only difficult but, at times, impossible. Like Paul, we find ourselves doing what we don't want to do and failing to do what we know God would want us to do. Our sin nature seems far from dead. It's interesting to note that Paul reminds the believers in Rome that they were no longer under sin's dominion. It had lost its power to rule their lives. Why? Because Jesus paid the penalty for sin with His death on the cross. The only hold sin had was the penalty of death. But Christians are alive to God in Christ Jesus. But we must constantly remind ourselves of this new reality. Sin has lost its hold. Death has lost its sting. Christ has made us new creations. And we should live like it.

Ep 894 – Sanctification – 1 Peter 1:1-2 May 30, 2019

Show notes

There is a story recorded in the gospel of John that tells of the death of Lazarus and his miraculous resuscitation back to life by Jesus. When Lazarus had become ill, his two sisters had sent word to Jesus, hoping that He might come and heal their brother. But Jesus delayed and Lazarus died. By the time Jesus showed up in Bethany, Lazarus was long dead and buried. But Jesus commanded that the stone be removed. And Martha responded, "Lord, by now he stinks. It has already been four days." Lazarus, once alive and well, was dead and decaying. But Jesus spoke a word and restored his dead friend to life. And that is exactly what Jesus does for the spiritually dead. Through the indwelling presence of His Spirit, Jesus regenerates the life of those dead in their trespasses and sins. And the stink of spiritual death gets replaced with a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God.

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