PC3 Devotions

Romans 6:5-18

5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

You never know what you will come across when you read the “In Other News” section found near the back pages of most newspapers. This is the place where tidbits of strange happenings make their home. They often tell of random events that don’t seem to fit anywhere else, but in place labeled ‘other.’

One of my all time favorite “In Other News” stories is the one about the fiasco that took place a few years back during Halloween in White Plains, NY. A guy named Oscar was taking his daughter trick-or-treating in a local neighborhood. Both dad and daughter were dressed up in costumes going door to door. You might be wondering what is noteworthy about a little girl who dresses up like a princess or Disney character getting candy. We haven’t got to what Oscar was wearing; his old orange prisoner’s jumpsuit.

Just by chance, or because God has a great sense of humor, a county correction officer was out trick-or-treating with her child and spotted the familiar jumpsuit. Fearing he was an escape convict, it sent the local jail into lockdown until they could establish no inmates were missing. Meanwhile, cops found Oscar and confiscated the genuine jumpsuit. Oscar was arrested and charged with petty larceny and possession of stolen property, both misdemeanors. You see prisoners are not permitted to take their jumpsuits home when they are released.

Romans 6 speaks in great detail about how we were once slaves or prisoners to sin, but since we have accepted what Christ did on the cross, we have been set free. The chains have been taken off and we are able to live life freely. The door to our jail cell has been opened, we’ve been released and all we need to do is hand in our prisoner’s jumpsuit on the way out. We have been set free.

Very few words in the English language evoke more emotion than the word freedom. Something inside us feels liberated and joyful whenever it is spoken or experienced firsthand. We picture chains being broken and the weight of the world taken off our shoulders. It is only natural for us to yearn to be free.

Yet, how many of us still have the orange jumpsuit tucked away somewhere deep in our closet or take it out and wear it from time to time? You don’t know what it is, but there is something keeping you from getting rid of your old garb. It’s just that you are so used to how the prisoner’s jumpsuit feels and looks on you that you struggle to part with it.

The longer you keep this jumpsuit in your possession the greater the pull you will feel to go back to your old lifestyle. In essence, you are helping put back on the very chains that Christ went to the cross to break for good. The reason you find yourself dealing with the same old struggles time and time again is because you are suffering from a case of mistaken identity.

This piece of clothing symbolizes your old condition, not your new identity in Christ. Our sin nature might always be a part of us, but we are no longer obligated to sin. Our freedom is fond in God’s truth. Rather than living under the constant pressure of trying to reach an unattainable standard (the law), we are instead covered by God’s grace, which looks so much better than that tacky, old orange jumpsuit.

God, may I see myself like you see me. Let my new identity in you define me. Allow it to penetrate my heart and mind so I can live confidently in the fact that I’ve been saved by grace. Amen.

Romans 8:19-25

19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.  20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.  23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.  24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?  25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. 

Futility rises when something is pointless. Futility causes us to question God. Where was God in the midst of the suffering? More than anything else, as humans we crave peace. Our worst nightmare is coming face to face with uncertainty, pain, tension or struggles. The last thing we want is for life to throw us a curveball. Yet, we are foolishly engaged in a losing battle. It is inevitable we will face struggles or encounter circumstances that don’t seem to make sense.

Paul, the author of Romans, understood it wasn’t a matter of ‘if’ one will run into problems and trials, but ‘when’ (Romans 5:3). Later on in Romans, Paul speaks to the futility of the world. He says that creation was subject to futility and is slave to corruption (Romans 8:20-21). He takes it a step further and describes creations response to this futility as groaning and suffering (Romans 8:22).

What Paul was concerned about was the heart of his readers and their perspective on the trials they encounter. Why is this happening? How could God allow this to happen? What’s the purpose behind this seemingly senseless act? How did I end up in this situation? What did I do to deserve this? What am I going to do now? These are a few of the heart jarring questions that race through our minds when we run into problems. We want to know what the point is to the futility.

It’s as if Paul understood our tendency to lose perspective. In the midst of the struggle, we find ourselves at a fork in the road. One turn leads down a trail towards bitterness, anger, cynicism and resentment.  We can very easily let the futility of this world paralyze us by questioning the very existent of a loving God. What we don’t realize is that a batch of quicksand awaits us down this path. The moment we turn in this direction our forward momentum stalls out and we remain here wallowing in our own frustration and confusion.

On the other side is a trail that at first appears rocky and difficult to navigate. There is part of you, especially your heart, that doubts it is even passable. You realize those first few steps will be the most challenging because it requires you to trust that these trials were not random or meant to punish you, but were funneled through the lens of a loving and sovereign God. It is realizing the futility breeds hope not despair.

We are not designed to be filled with what has been created in this futility, but we are designed to become what all of creation is anxiously awaiting. The anxious longing is for the revealing of you and I as God’s children – holy, accepted, and forever complete. God set it this way so that even the longing in our hearts is for Him (Romans 8:23). Remember, every longing at its core is a longing for life. This means uncertainty should awaken our faith and our faith awakens our hope.  Hope always pushes us to believe that God’s future is coming, even though we cannot see it.  Faith enables us to see what our eyes cannot.

The truth is that our full redemption is coming.  No circumstance can stop it.  God is with us and the truth is He is enough.  We cannot always see these two things, “but if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it” (Romans 8:25).  Our anxious longing is transformed into eager hope.

Lord, I need to shut my eyes and see with my heart!  I need to trust in Your presence in my life and Your concern for my future!  I also need to see that my future is already secure and unshakeable, even though it doesn’t look that way from here.  Awaken my heart to hope and transform my anxious heart to an eager one- longing to see what You do with me though what I am going through.  And grant me the perseverance to see it through!  Amen.

Every moment matters.  God uses everything to shape us into the image in which we have been made.  The problem is that our eyes are drawn to so many other things.  When it comes to our freak-outs, we want nothing more than that moment to pass as quickly as possible. These moments become distractions rather than pointers.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18


16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 
17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 
18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

The imagery here is very pointed.  There is a comparison.  The sacrifice and the troubles here and now are laid up against the weight of the eternal.  This is incomprehensible from our perspective.  There is nothing we can experience here and now that gives us evidence of the reality that exists beyond time.  So we are given faith.  God gives us faith to realize what is set in our hearts (See Ecclesiastes 3:11).

But the key is found in verse 17.  What you see is what you get.  If you fix your eyes on everything that is wrong, you will view the world a certain way.  If you fix your eyes on everything that you wish you had and, in fact, deserve to have, it will affect the way you live.

This is why our quest is to raise our eyes above—in view of God’s mercy—and offer ourselves (See Romans 12:1-2).  This is precisely what it means to put God on display, to reflect Him.  We live our lives in response to the riches of His grace that He has poured out on us.

Our quest is to move through these ordinary moments with our eyes fixed on the extraordinary.  We must live in the temporal with our eyes on the eternal. It will change the way we deal with things here.  So let’s fix our eyes on Him. He is the author and finisher, and our lives are secure in His hands.

Lord, my eyes always want to see things with certainty.  I am prone to calculate and manipulate to fix my circumstances.  I confess that often I depend on them for my peace and my joy.  Help me to see beyond the here and now so I can measure my circumstances and struggles in light of the incredible glory of the eternal.  Remind me to prioritize my life accordingly.  Amen.

There are some of you who might feel helpless when it comes to your propensity to freak out. A situation presents itself, and the next thing you know you are flying off the handle. In a split second, your mood and demeanor change. Reality eventually sets in, and you feel defeated. Once again you have given into your impulses, and you wonder if anything will ever change.

Others, instead, excuse their behavior by clamoring on about the way they are wired. Their family acted this way growing up, so it is only natural they would as well.  Regardless of the point of view, both possess the same mindset. It’s those that believe they are utterly helpless in their pursuit of self-control. This runs contradictory to what see in Scripture. Consider these words found in Romans:

Romans 8:9-11

9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 
10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 
12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 
13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 
14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

According to this passage, what is the key to gaining victory over our impulses? It all hinges on who is in charge. Is your mind set on the flesh or the Spirit?  “If indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.”  This is simply an act of faith in the depths of our hearts.

Flesh is a condition in which man operates out of his own resources attempting to achieve his own acceptance and/or his own victory. For those that do not know God, the flesh is operating continuously. However, this does not mean that Christians are immune to the pull to walk in the flesh. In a Christian, the flesh is operating whenever the believer is not abiding in Christ and walking by the Spirit.

What is it about the flesh that drives us towards it? If you have been coming to Port City for any length of time, you’ve heard the saying “every longing at its core is a longing for God.” God made each of us with three basic needs: (1) security, (2) significance, and (3) fulfillment/satisfaction. What often gets us is in trouble is how we attempt to obtain these goals and needs. There is part of us that doesn’t trust God can meet those needs, so we take over control and put everything in our hands. Too often we let our circumstances, needs, and feelings dictate our actions.

Most people, even Christians, rarely see the self-centeredness of their flesh. Yet until we understand the total depravity of our flesh, we will never fully appreciate the miracle of our new birth in Christ as God’s new creations and the supernatural life He wants to live through us. The flesh fights for security and to maintain control all while building its identity around temporal things.  We control others to keep them from controlling us.  We control our emotions and try to hide our weaknesses.  We even try to control God by keeping Him at a distance so He won’t mess up our lives, at least until we run out of any other options.

The tension Christians walk in every moment is choosing to walk in what God says about us or what our flesh says about us.  The flesh is what keeps a pure expression of Christ as our new life from coming through our unique personality. We don’t know what to do when we continue to struggle with sin, fail to see growth in our walk with God, or fight to give over control of areas of ours lives to God. This starts a cycle where we begin to not only doubt our identity but also the promises of God.

Many of us have been running on empty for far too long and are desperate to break this cycle. The good news is that Christ’s death and resurrection have defeated the Devil and broken the power of sin that seeks to control our flesh.  Paul says in Galatians 5:1 “It was for freedom that Christ set us free.” No longer are you obligated to do whatever your flesh desires. Anger, lust, worry, disdain for others, jealousy, and disappointment no longer have to be your master.

The battle to walk in the flesh or the Spirit is won or lost in the threshold of the mind.  We are told to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). We can be victorious in taking captive every thought because we have been given the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) Victory comes only when we choose, moment by moment by a definite act of our will, to take every thought captive and walk in the Spirit.

Lord, help me to listen.  Allow me to identify the areas where my flesh wants something so badly that my initial reaction is to freak out. Help me to remember the truth that I have no obligation to those thoughts and feelings.  Instead, my body belongs to you, and my life is for you.  This is my obligation. I am obligated to your image, character, and truth.  Help me to live as your child.  Amen.

Statistics show that more than 60% of people lose their temper at least once per week. These stats should get you angry because you know the other 40% of respondents are not being honest. Each one of us has buttons that, if pushed correctly, amp up our emotions and cause us to freak out. These triggers have the ability to set us off on a path of destructive words, thoughts, and behaviors if not dealt with properly.

When you are angry, you should take notice. Why? Because anger serves as an indicator of disarray happening within your heart. Our anger is a gauge of what is taking place on the inside. Jesus confirms this point. In Luke 6:45, Jesus says, “For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” Later on in Matthew 15:18-19, Jesus takes it a step further. Take a moment and consider these words found in Matthew:

Matthew 15:18-19

18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

To understand anger, we have to look at our heart. Proverbs 4:23 encourages us to guard our heart because it serves as the “wellspring of life.” What is taking place within our heart when we get angry? There are numerous reasons our emotions get all amped up: feeling our “rights” have been violated, frustrated over our current circumstances, not having control over a situation, our pride getting hurt, feeling misunderstood, being disrespected, or someone blocking what we desire.

At the core of all these reasons is the fact that you wanted something and didn’t get it. James 4 tells us that the source of our quarrels and fights “come from the evil desires at war within you.  You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them.” Kill seems like a pretty harsh word. But in Matthew 5:22, Jesus placed the anger you hold towards someone on the same playing field as the sin of murder. The Bible says we shouldn’t take our anger lightly. It is no wonder, then, that scripture also urges to not let the sun go down on your anger (Ephesians 4:26) and to put all anger away (Colossians 3:8, Ephesians 4:31).

Selfishness, ungratefulness, and impatience define our anger. We get angry when we don’t get what we want and sometimes think we deserve. This places us on shaky ground because people who feel they are owed something walk around with a chip on their shoulders. The longer we let this anger fester the more it clouds our judgments. Proverbs 27:4 compares anger to a flood in its power to destroy and harm.

Other parts of scripture go as far as saying anger kills the foolish man (Job 5:2). How? By consuming our thoughts and dictating our actions which tend to bring with it all kinds of sin (Proverbs 29:22). Getting angry rarely solves problems and, in fact, tends to produce more conflict and trouble (Proverbs 30:33). Losing our cool only makes things worse because we tend to act like fools (Proverbs 14:7, Ecclesiastes 7:9). The anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires (James 1:20).

Yet, Paul, the writer of Ephesians, expects us to experience anger.  He understood that emotions are God-given. Paul is more concerned that his readers understand how to manage their anger, and from his perspective the key is not allowing it to get wedged inside your heart. In other words, cut it off at its source as quickly as possible.

Instead we are commanded to be slow to anger (James 1:19, Proverbs 16:32). Yes, patience in difficult situations does bring peace and perspective (Proverbs 14:29). But that is not our main purpose for being slow to anger. During those moments of patience, we are reflecting God’s heart (Exodus 34:5, Numbers 14:18). The kindness of God, seen through His being slow to anger, is what allows us to repent. We get rid of anger and bitterness through the difficult act of forgiveness, which is both an event and process. We must forgive just as Christ forgave us (Ephesians 4:32).

Understanding the love God has for us is critical in helping us process through our anger and tense situations. We want so desperately to control our own world and have everything fall into place. We desire to be the one who dictates our path and our direction. In a way, believing we are in control of anything is foolish. God is in complete control and holds everything together by His hand (Psalm 103:19, Romans 8:28). He controls the laws of the universe, the tides of the ocean. Our very existence depends on Him. We can rest in the fact that the one who is in control of everything loves us deeply. This helps us from agonizing over trying to control every situation or fuming with negative anger over our current situation.

God, may I not take my angry lightly. Help me to confront the real reasons I freak out and get angry. Enable me to see the deeper issues taking place within my heart. Shine your light on these areas. Expose them for what they are. Amen.

Philippians 4:8-9

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

When we permit our worry or concern to stay longer than it needs to, dangerous behaviors and results can occur. The longer we freak out the more things spiral out of control. Thoughts that initially seemed harmless and we gave little attention to soon become ones that hamper our trust in God and prohibit us from growing. We are paralyzed by our thoughts. As we learned a few days back, a person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls (Proverbs 25:28).

There is hope that in the midst of any uncertainty we face we can walk securely. We are not defenseless to our scrambled brains. It all hinges on what we see because our perspective shapes our actions. The absence of truth doesn’t really matter until you can make sense of what you see. We must have a way of dealing with the world when it doesn’t make sense and all we want to do is worry. This is why renewing our minds and capturing out thoughts is so critical to our spiritual formation and battle over freaking out.

Captive thoughts prepare one to see correctly. When we meditate on His word, we become well attuned to hear those quiet voices inside of us that are quite simply a whisper from God. Scripture spends a great deal of energy focusing on the importance of conquering our mind: setting our mind (Colossians 3:2), renewing our mind (Romans 12:2), submitting our mind (Psalm 26:2), and preparing our mind (1 Peter 1:13).

Our thoughts and what controls our mind determine the way in which we experience God. Yet, the importance of capturing our thoughts and renewing our mind are rarely stressed in Christian circles and even more rarely practiced as a spiritual discipline. We let our thoughts run wild in our mind with little to no self-control. This, in turn, causes us to struggle to experience an intimate relationship with Christ and trust in Him when our world is thrown off kilter. Worry and the push to control fill the vacuum in the absence of truth.

The struggle over our mind is really a struggle over who we are. Beginning to live in the knowledge that we are His beloved will help us in any struggles that we might face in life. What controls our mind often determines our actions. We become what we set our minds on. The first step in renewing our minds is remembering who we are in Christ. It is crucial we align our perspective with what it is true, solid, good and right. Only then will we begin to realize that God is ultimately in control of every situation we face.

God, often when I am freaking out my mind is all over the place. Help me to renew and prepare my mind for those moments when I am tempted to worry or overact. May I see the situation I am facing through a different lens, one that is guided through your love for me. Amen.

Yesterday we talked about our tendency towards maintaining and managing our regrets. We examined this topic through the lens of Peter’s story found in John 21. Peter had returned to his old life and the only thing he ever knew: fishing. Peter was hoping the blowing winds of the sea would silence the guilt, regret and worthlessness he felt inside. He reasoned his days of being a fisher of men were a thing of the past after denying Jesus three times. Then, Jesus appeared on the scene in a familiar way, to deal with some unfinished business.

John 21:4-19

4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

As Peter reached the shore, there was probably a mixture of anticipation and awkwardness. None of the disciples, including Peter, knew how to start the conversation or break the ice. After all, it’s not every day that your teacher and friend conquers death. This probably left them overwhelmed, especially Peter who couldn’t erase the memory of those denials and the sting of hearing that rooster crow. Peter probably reasoned “how could I, a coward, ever be a leader?” This was the unfinished business Jesus came to address.

Jesus wants to confront the regret, restore his friend and assure Peter that he is loved.  This is not only good news for Peter, but it is good news to us. Why? Each one of us has at one time or another turned away. We’ve looked to lesser things to fill our heart. We’ve given our affection to someone else. We’ve sinned. We’ve failed to step out in faith. We’ve been ashamed of our beliefs. We’ve put our light under a bowl. We’ve loved the darkness. We’ve turned our backs. We’ve doubted we matter to God. We’ve given up on the life God has for us.

Jesus doesn’t brush aside Peter’s sin. Instead, he makes Peter confront it. But, Jesus does so in order to bring true repentance. Jesus challenges Peter in a loving way. Romans 2:4 says that it’s God’s kindness that leads to repentance. Only when someone is broken over his or her sin can God begin the process of restoration.

This is a pivotal moment in Peter’s life. Confronting his regret through the lens of Christ’s love transformed Peter. Doing the same can have a profound impact on your life as well. Just like the song How He Loves Me says we don’t have the time to maintain our regrets when we think about the way He loves us. So, I’ll leave you with the same question that I did yesterday: What would it look like for God’s love to erase those regrets?

God, thank you for loving me in spite of myself. Thank you for loving me during those times I run, deny, doubt and sin. Remind me of this love when I find myself maintaining my regrets. Allow me to confront my regrets through the lens of your love and may that transform my character and heart. Amen.

Romans 8:38-39 

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 John 4:7-10

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

John 3:16-17

 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Our culture doesn’t quite know what to do with love. We often react in two vastly different ways when someone else loves us. We either receive the love because in our mind we feel we deserve it or we reject it because we don’t think we are worthy. Regardless of your reaction to being loved, you are instantly put on a treadmill of having to earn your keep. When you live like this, you will always be disappointed. Freedom will never come.

If you are not loved, you will resort to manipulation. People become pawns. You will use others to get the love you desperately want to feel. When you aren’t loved, attention becomes a cheap substitute. What we often don’t realize is that there is something deeper going on below the surface with regard to our grasping for love and attention. Every longing you feel to be loved is a longing for God. This is the connection we are ultimately looking for.

Our concept of love is vastly different than what is seen through the life of Christ. The Gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ- His life, His death & His resurrection- to save sinners and establish His Kingdom. What would motivate such a thing? John 3:16 makes it clear that the motive behind the Gospel is God’s love.

Romans 5:8 says that, while we were still sinners and enemies of God,  Christ died for us. Karl Barth, a noted theologian after writing thousands of pages on doctrine and theological insight, simply concluded that God is the “One who loves.”

Love pierces and exposes because it believes. Love holds and consoles because it endures. Love ultimately draws and calls because it never fails. It is love that allows us to be vulnerable and confirms that we are valuable. How? By meeting us where we are and bringing us hope for the life we were made to live.

You have been loved with the love of the Father.  God wants to make sure that because you were created Him that you are worthy of His love. This brings you face to face with His call on your life. Everyone has a call on his or her life.

God made you. God has called you.  The call of God is His invitation into the life of God. It is the resurrection that seals the availability of this life forever. The call of God is His invitation to His life.

You can live a life without regret. Your sin has been forgiven and your call has been secured. But, it is all in how you respond. What will your response be to the Good News?

God, I’m overwhelmed by your love. It boggles my mind that all you ask is that I respond to your invitation. May I not hesitate. May I instead run to you with open arms. Amen.

Romans 6:16-18 

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Folk legend Bob Dylan once sung, “it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.” These lyrics seem to echo the words of Paul found in Romans 6. The truth is everyone is a slave to the master whose commands they obey (v.16). One shows where their allegiance resides through their actions and words.

Paul makes the two options on the table very clear – either you are a slave to sin or you are a slave to obedience. He also shows the drastic difference between where these two paths ultimately end up. In yesterday’s reading, we learned how we all gratified the cravings of our flesh (Ephesians 2:1-5). In other words, we were “slaves to impurity and to ever increasing wickedness” (v.8). Being objects of God’s wrath, we were on a crash course head towards death (v.16, 21, 23).

This was our intended destination until God displayed His great love for us by setting us free from our sin (v.18, 22). Due to the blood of Christ, God has pronounced us not guilty. The chains have been taken off. What point is there in throwing them back on and returning to our cell? To react in this way would be the definition of insanity.

In verse 21, Paul urges his readers to consider how little they benefited from their former way of living. It’s as if he understood our struggle to see ourselves as new creations. Even though we have been given life, we face a daily battle on who we will ultimately serve. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit are we able to put to death the misdeeds of the body and the sins of the flesh (v. 13-14).

The Holy Spirit’s power enables us to have abundant life here on earth. He liberates us from our past sin and helps us walk in the truth that our sin nature has been crucified with Christ.  We are no longer slaves to sin; we are free to walk with the Spirit and have victory over the sins that used to have dominion over us (v. 6). The path towards holiness and righteousness is a long trail, but we can rest assured that at the end awaits eternal life.

God, my freedom came at a great cost to you. May I never lose sight of that reality. Thank you for freeing me from the burden and worthless of my former way of living. Every day I’m faced with the decision of whom I will ultimately serve. My prayer is that I would constantly choose you and the path that provides life. Amen.

Hebrews 11:1

 1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:6

6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

The premise for the Greater Than series is based off the principle that what you know about God determines what you trust Him with. For the past five weeks, we’ve been delving deeper into the attributes of God and how our understanding of these qualities should influence the way we respond to life. For instance, if God is love, than you can freely love others. Knowing you worship a God of justice allows you to let go of bitterness and forgive those that have hurt you. If you believe in God’s provision, you can trust Him to meet your needs. Regardless of how chaotic your world might be at times, if you know God is in control, you can be confident that the situations you face are for your growth.

All of these statements sound good in principle. We nod our head in agreement or even blurt them out as a piece of advice to a friend. When a loved one is hurting or confused, it is crystal clear to us where their actions remain disconnected from their faith. But, when the spotlight gets turned in the other direction we freeze because it’s difficult for us to admit that we often understand these truths in our mind, but have a hard time believing them in our heart.

Instead of trusting God, we tend to place our trust in ourselves. Since we cannot see God, we are constantly fighting the urge to take control of our lives and direct the ship. We desire certainty without realizing that certainty is the opposite of faith.

God’s reality SHOULD have implications on our life. Yet, have we stopped long enough to ponder what does the reality of God mean to your marriage, singleness, work, status, family or generosity? Author and theologian AW Tozer once said, “the natural man is a sinner because and only because he challenges God’s selfhood in relation to his own. In all else he may willingly accept the sovereignty of God; in his own life he rejects it. For him, God’s dominion ends where his begins.”

When we can’t see ultimate greatness, we are prone to trifle around with the things that happen to catch our attention. Unfortunately, we often sell ourselves out and settle for the illusion of comfort and security. The author Romans touches upon this point:

Romans 1:21-23 

 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

This passage speaks of a massive exchange that stems from failing to estimate the weight of glory properly.  The people the author of Romans is writing to had an idea of God, but no regard for God. They gave no weight to who God was and granted no concern for Him. Notice the progression that unfolds because there is no regard for God.  Their thinking is distorted and their hearts pay the price.  They live half-hearted. One of the great exchanges that happened in the fall of mankind is the exchange of freedom for slavery. Author and theologian C.S. Lewis, in his book the Weight of Glory, said, “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.  We are far too easily pleased.”

What follows is a devastating exchange that lessens our desires.  We look around at the things we have exchanged for God’s glory and because we can’t fathom God’s greatness, all these things we have created look extraordinary. It is easy to think that our desires are greater than God can fulfill, but it’s because we have no vision for His greatness and therefore, no regard for His glory. We fail to live by faith.

Our prayer should be to set our eyes on God and ask to behold His greatness.  This way our hearts will be awakened and we will refuse to be pleased by anything less than the greatness we have been created for. When we see His greatness, we are awakened to enjoy the world around us because it is an expression of the glory of God.

We must learn to surrender to the truth in order to be shaped by God. Walking by faith is the only way this is possible. We encounter His truth and love when we begin to see God as God. This shifts our focus off ourselves and towards God. The formation occurs as our sense of holiness is enlarged. When we accept the invitation into God’s presence, we begin to align ourselves with His purposes. A maturing vision of God shapes our own character, as our heart becomes His very own.