Devotionary

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Ep 874 – Sanctification – 1 Corinthians 15:44-49 May 09, 2019

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Everybody is familiar with the story of Adam and Eve. But even some Christians don't know that Adam was the first model off the assembly line. But, unlike many prototypes, Adam was made without a single flaw, because he was made by God. Even God deemed His creation, "very good!" But something happened. That Adam 1.0 model failed to live up to its creator's expectations. He developed a glitch in his software. It began with Eve, the female version of this unique species. Made in the image of God, these two chose to disobey Him. In other words, they sinned, and it resulted in their expulsion from the garden and away from God's presence. But while Adam's system glitch was passed on to his successors, God introduced Adam 2.0, a totally new model, with the intent of eliminating the problem that plagued the original.

Ep 873 – Luke 4:31-32 May 08, 2019

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We all want to make a difference in this life. It's hardwired into us. In fact, most of us long for a sense of accomplishment and hate the idea of living our life with nothing to show for it when we're done. And, that sense of impact and influence should be especially true for those who claim to be followers of Christ. We are to live with a sense of purpose and with a desire to leave a positive impression on those with whom we live and interact in this life. Just as Jesus did when He walked this earth. Jesus was an influencer. He made a difference. His life left an impression on everyone He met. And, as His followers, we are to do the same. But to make an impact in this life, we have to model our lives after His, seeking to bear the image of God to those who need to experience the love of God.

Ep 872 – Sanctification – 1 Corinthians 11:1 May 07, 2019

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They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery. And the apostle Paul would say that the imitation of Christ is the greatest form of sanctification. To be like Christ was his greatest desire and his life's passion. He was so confident in his determination to follow Christ's example, that he confidently challenged others to step in line behind him. He was not afraid to offer himself as a reliable role model for Christlike behavior. But the secret to Paul's confidence was his unwavering determination to follow the example of Jesus Himself. Paul lived in lockstep with His Savior, doing everything he could to follow in His footsteps and model not only His behavior but His perspective on life. Paul wasn't bragging when he said, "Imitate me," he was simply inviting others to join him in his imitation of Christ.

Ep 871 – Sanctification – Genesis 1:26-27 May 06, 2019

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What does the creation account have to do with the doctrine of sanctification? Everything. In the beginning, God created the first man and woman – in His image. As the pinnacle of God's creation, they were meant to reflect His glory. And for a short time, they did. In fact, immediately after making man God deemed His creation "very good." He was satisfied with all that He had made. But something happened. The image bearers disobeyed the one whose image they bore. And their sin replaced the blessing of reflecting the image of God with the curse of being cast from His presence. Like the moon passing behind the earth and losing its access to the light of the sun, Adam and Eve lost their image-bearing capacity. But God sent another Adam to set things right.

Ep 870 – Sanctification – Introduction May 05, 2019

Show notes

With today's episode, we'll be taking a detour from our normal approach of unpacking entire books of the Bible, verse-by-verse. Instead, this will be a topical study on a singular issue that will explore various passages of Scripture from both the Old and New Testaments.

The topic I have chosen to explore is sanctification. While the word may be unfamiliar to you, the topic won't be, especially if you are a follower of Christ. All of us, regardless of whatever Christian denomination or church we grew up in or currently align ourselves with, will have a perspective on this critical topic. At its most basic, sanctification has to do with the spiritual growth or ongoing maturity of the believer. But as we will see, there is far more to this word than we might imagine. And we will be unpacking its rich and significant meaning in the weeks ahead.

Ep 869 – Isaiah 66:15-24 May 04, 2019

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Mankind was made to bring glory to God. But the fall threw a wrench into that plan, placing mankind under a curse and incapable of glorifying God in any way whatsoever. So, God raised up a people, the nation of Israel, and set them apart as His own. They were to have been His royal priesthood, a holy nation who represented Him on this earth and whose lives were intended to reveal the glory of God as they lived in submission to His will and in obedience to His law. But they failed to live up to their calling. In fact, they proved to be just as wicked, stubborn, and rebellious as the rest of the world. And in Isaiah 66:15-24, the prophet of God wraps up his book by revealing a future day when God's people finally do what they had been set apart to do: Bring Him glory. They will declare His glory, through their actions and their words. The chosen people of God will finally accomplish the will of God by declaring the glory of God with their lives. And the entire world will sit up and take notice. Psalm 19:1 says that the heavens declare the glory of God. And the day is coming when the new heavens, the new earth, and the newly restored people of God do the same thing – forever

Ep 868 – Isaiah 66:7-14 May 03, 2019

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Everyone enjoys rejoicing. We like to celebrate, whether it's someone's birthday, a victory by our favorite team, the marriage of a friend, or the achievement of some life milestone. But the thought of rejoicing without a tangible reason to do so sounds crazy. It makes no sense. And yet, in Isaiah 66:7-14, the prophet calls on the people of Judah to rejoice – even though their present circumstances were far from rejoicing-worthy. They were facing the judgment of God in the form of the Babylonian empire. Their destruction was eminent, and their future looked far-from-appealing. But here was God's prophet telling them to "rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her." They must have thought he was crazy. Somewhere along the way, he had lost his mind. Or had he? Isaiah was speaking on behalf of God, revealing to the nation of Judah the plans He had in store for them. And while the majority of those plans would not take place in their lifetimes, the people of Judah were still expected to rejoice in all that God was going to do. He was a faithful God who would follow through on every commitment He had made. They could count on it and rejoice over it. And there was no reason to wait for it. They could and should rejoice!

Ep 867 – Isaiah 66:1-6 May 02, 2019

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God hates pride because pride is a form of self-glorification. It is an unhealthy and undeserved glory in one's own worth or accomplishments. And God, as the Bible reminds us, is a jealous God who will not share His glory with anyone or anything. In Isaiah 66:1-6, we're going to see that God will not even share His glory with the temple, which had been built by Solomon to contain His glory. The people of Judah had missed the point behind the temple and the sacrificial system and ended up putting far more value in the rituals and rites of their religion than they did in God Himself. And they wrongly believed that as long as the temple of God stood in Jerusalem, they had the approval of God. After all, it was His house, and His shekinah glory hovered over the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies. His presence was a permanent fixture among them as long as the temple stood in Jerusalem. But they were about to learn a very painful lesson. There was no place for pride among the people of God. And neither the temple or the sacrificial system was going to save them from the wrath of God.

Ep 866 – Isaiah 65:17-25 May 01, 2019

Show notes

When God made the universe and all it contains, He repeatedly stated, "It is good." At each phase of the creative process, He deemed all that He created as worthy of His seal of approval. That included the sun, moon, planets and stars, as well as all the plants and animals. And the crowning achievement of His creation was man, whom He made in His own image. All was good. All was unblemished and without any kind of flaw. Then, sin entered the scene, and everything changed. The sin of Adam and Eve put mankind and the rest of God's creation under a curse. And it has been that way ever since. But the day is coming when God will make all things new, and in Isaiah 65:17-25, God presents a picture of what that marvelous day will look like. God is going to redeem and restore His wayward people, but He is also going to remake the heavens and the earth. He is even going to create a new and much-improved city of Jerusalem, where He and His Son will dwell among men. It will be a place marked by perfect righteousness and complete sinlessness.

Ep 865 – Isaiah 65:8-16 Apr 30, 2019

Show notes

The Old Testament talks a lot about the concept of the remnant. And we see it demonstrated time and time again in the history of the Israelites, as God sovereignly spares a small number of His chosen people in order to keep the nation alive. When they deserved to be destroyed because of their unfaithfulness and unrepentant sin, God preserved a remnant, in order that He might keep the covenant promise He had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And in Isaiah 65:8-16, God reveals that there is yet another remnant He is going to spare and, this time, because they had remained faithful to Him while all their friends and neighbors had turned to false gods. This faithful few had stood against the rising tide of disobedience that had flooded the nation of Judah. And God was going to reward them for their courage and tenacity in the face of overwhelming pressure to capitulate and compromise. And, as we will see, God also has plans for another remnant of His chosen people, a group who will one day witness the restoration of their nation and the arrival of the New Jerusalem.

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