James 2-3 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is James 2:1-3:18.

“But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18).

That Wordle really makes the point, doesn’t it? Is that giving us the picture of faith and works? No, I can’t help but notice it demonstrates exactly what James says: “Faith works!”

My brother-in-law recently pointed out to me what I’ve often overlooked in this passage. James didn’t say, “I’ll show you my faith and my works,” as if these are two completely separate things. Rather, he said, “I’ll show you my faith by my works.” James is not actually saying that faith needs something added to it in order to justify us. Rather, he is telling us what kind of faith justifies us.

Mental assent, minor agreement, and mere acceptance do not justify. I can acknowledge the truth of God’s Word all day long. But that faith provides no victory at all. Even the demons do that. Justification comes from a faith that walks, a faith that works. Faith is the victory, but only when that faith changes my life, leading me to surrender to the one who I truly believe will justify.

At the same time, we do need to recognize that if I’m doing works without faith in Jesus, those works accomplish me nothing. After all, I can’t justify myself. I can get baptized, attend assemblies of the church, avoid adultery, give to charity all in the attempt to establish my own righteousness without faith in Jesus’ power to justify and I won’t be justified.

I need to see both sides of this. Faith alone (that is mere mental agreement) doesn’t justify. But then again works alone won’t justify either. Only a working faith justifies, because only a working faith surrenders to the only one who can justify.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Post a Comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Hebrews 7-8 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Hebrews 7:1-8:13.

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God and they shall be my people” (Hebrews 8:8-10).

I think I’ve misunderstood the Hebrew writer’s use of this prophecy from Jeremiah 31:31-33. God says He is going to give a new covenant because they didn’t keep the old one. At one level, that doesn’t make any sense to me. Is He saying, “Well, you flubbed that one, let Me see if I can give you something you can keep.” Is the New Covenant a dumbing down? Is it just an easier law to keep? I don’t think so.

Rather, I think this hearkens back to Hebrews 7:11, 18-19. “Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise…” And also, “For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect)…”

The issue is not, “Well, you people were disobedient to My first Law so let Me try an easier one.” The point was that the Law didn’t work in making us perfect. In fact, law doesn’t make anyone perfect. It can’t. Does that mean the Law failed? I don’t think so. God didn’t establish law to justify us, but to show us we aren’t perfect. The Law did its job well. It shut everyone up under sin. It did what it was intended to do. So, God’s new covenant is not simply just another law that He thinks we might be able to keep this time (though there is certainly law as part of this covenant). The new covenant is different. It is not just different in that some of the laws are different. It is different in that the way we draw near to God is different. Instead of drawing near to God via our attempts at keeping a law, we draw near to God through the One who did keep God’s law. We draw near to God through our faith in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7:19, 25).

Here is the great part. As we draw near to God through Jesus Christ, God will work in our lives, writing His law in our hearts and minds. God will be working in us to accomplish His will. Isn’t that what Paul had said in Philippians 2:12-13? As long as we are trying to keep God’s law by our own strength, we will fail to attain perfection. When we give up on that and instead strive to draw near to God through Jesus Christ, then God will work righteousness in us. Again, that is what Paul said in Romans 9:30-10:4.

Today, I need to quit trying to prove how well I can keep God’s law (attempts to establish my own righteousness). Instead, I need to draw near to God through Jesus Christ, having faith in Him and what He has said (submitting to God’s righteousness).

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Post a comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Hebrews 5-6 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Hebrews 5:1-6:20.

“So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:17-18).

Yesterday we learned the #1 key to getting God’s promised blessings. Faith. Believing that God’s way really will work and thus pursuing God’s plans. Today we learn the #1 reason we can have that faith.

God never lies.

Honesty is completely underrated in today’s world. But God’s honesty and commitment to His promises is profound. We do not have to worry that He will go back on what He has said. We do not have to fear that He will change the rules midstream. We can give ourselves whole-heartedly and with reckless abandon to God and His way because we know He will do what He says. We do not have to go behind Him, checking up on Him. We can just act based on His promises knowing fully that He will keep up His end.

How great is that?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? You can click the following link to add your input: Post a comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Hebrews 3-4 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Hebrews 3:1-4:16.

“For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened” (Hebrews 4:2).

In the Old Testament, we read of those who rebelled against Moses and through that against God. We learn of those who wandered in the wilderness and died on their way to the Promised Land. But why? Why did they miss out on the blessings God had promised? God wanted to bless them. God planned to bless them. Did God somehow fail?

No.

Rather, they heard God’s Word. They listened to God’s promises. They simply didn’t believe them. Because their hearing was not coupled with faith they did not pursue God’s plans. Because they did not pursue God’s plans, they missed out on God’s promised blessings.

We need to take heed of this. The gospel has been given into our hands. It is filled with wonderful promises for each of us. However, the blessings it promises are not universally applied. Only a select few will actually enjoy these blessings that God has promised everyone. What is the distinction? Is it about race? gender? class? education? No. It is about faith. Only those who couple their hearing with faith will enjoy God’s blessings because only those who couple their hearing with faith will pursue God’s plan to accomplish that blessing.

Today, I need to increase my faith. God’s way really does work. The more I believe it, the more I’ll live it. The more I’ll enjoy the blessings He offers.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Post a comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Matthew 15-16 (ESB) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Matthew 15:1-16:28.

“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it’ ” (Matthew 16:24-25).

Perhaps this more than anything other than simple unbelief keeps folks from becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. I mean, let’s face it, the picture of a cross carrier is not exactly the first idea on our list of marketing logos for anything we are persuading others to do. Carrying a cross is hard work. It is sacrifice. It is painful. It means giving up control of our lives. Jesus said it means losing our lives. Again, that probably isn’t going to make it on to the top ten list of any marketing company’s suggestions for how to get folks to follow you. Yet, there it is.

Carrying a cross. Losing a life. That’s tough. That means I need to start giving up stuff.

I need to give up my goals, my desires, my plans, my day, my control, my pride, my rights. I need to pursue Jesus’ goals, desires, plan, day, control, humility, responsibilities. That is tough. I can absolutely see why many folks just refuse outright to do this. It’s a tough sell. But I can tell you from experience that when I have actually pulled that off, Jesus has always provided better for me than what I was providing for myself. I don’t mean that in a monetary sense. I mean that in a fulfillment, meaning, happiness, joy sense.

Yes, I absolutely get why many folks don’t want to pick up a cross. To them it looks like death. But on this side of picking it up, I can tell you without equivocation, carrying a cross looks like death on the one side. On this side, it looks like life. I have days of cross-bearing and I have days when I put the cross down. I can tell you without a fear of ever being successfully contradicted, I’ll take my worst day of cross-bearing over my best day of being out in the world on my own any day.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Post a comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Matthew 9-10 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Matthew 9:1-10:42.

“And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David.’ When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then he touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith be it done to you.’ And their eyes were opened…” (Matthew 9:27-30).

I have lots of things I want Jesus to do in my life. I have lots of struggles I want Him to overcome. I have lots of work I want Him to accomplish in me. I have lots of desires for the local congregation that I want Him to grant.

What if He said to me, “According to your faith be it done to you”? What would happen in that case? I recognize Jesus doesn’t have to have my faith to get things done. At the same time, I can’t help but see that Jesus most often works through and based on the faith of the people He is dealing with. So, with all these things I’m wanting from Jesus if He only works based on my faith what would He be able to get done?

No doubt, I need to say, like the man in Mark 9:24, “I believe; help my unbelief!” But I also need to work on my faith. A lot of times how much I believe God will determine how much work I’m willing to do. After all, the reason these men kept following Jesus was because of their faith. If they hadn’t had that kind of faith, they wouldn’t have followed Him and then come to the house where He was, they would have just let Him pass on by.

Today, I need to think about my faith. What do I believe about Jesus? How much do I believe? Do I really believe He is able to do what I want and need? How is that impacting the way I live?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Post a comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Mark 7-8 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Mark 7:1-8:38.

“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and gospel’s will save it” (Mark 8:35).

A scene from a movie comes to my mind. Toward the end of “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” they have actually found the Holy Grail. However, Dr. Elsa Schneider defied the command of the guardian and took the Grail across the seal. The earth quaked and the rock floor split open. Schneider fell in the crack and was only saved by Jones’s quick reaction of grabbing her hand. But the Grail, which had also dropped in the crack, was on a ledge just out of arm’s reach. Jones pleaded with her to let it go and let him pull her up. But how could she? If she had the Grail, she would be rich? She tried to save the life she imagined if she possessed the Grail and slipped from Jones’s hand to lose her life.

As this happened, the earth shook and now Indiana Jones was in the same position as Dr. Schneider. He was dangling in the crack, held by his father’s hands. Despite his protests for Dr. Schneider to climb out of the crack, he was being pulled by the Grail. It had been his father’s life’s work to find that Grail. He had gone through adventure, turmoil, and strife to get it. He wanted to please his father and his father’s life was in that Grail. But Henry Jones (Sean Connery’s character) calmly said, “Indiana, let it go.” Jones reached up and took his father’s hand and was pulled to safety. He gave up his life in that Grail to save his life.

For me, that is a picture of this verse. Our lives can get wrapped up in so many things–education, recreation, occupation, infatuation,etc. Sometimes we want to hold on to Jesus with one hand, while stretching out for something else that we think is what our life is all about. We hope that we can bridge the gap between the two things. But we can’t. If we try to save our lives as we see what is important about them and our goals and desires, we will lose our actual lives. However, if we are willing to give up life on our terms, we can gain real life through Jesus Christ.

We are hanging in the gap, our Grail is just out of arm’s reach. We can attempt to save our life by reaching for the Grail. But we will only lose our lives. Or we can sacrifice our lives to reach up and grab our Father’s hands and allow Him to pull us to safety, saving our lives. The choice is ours.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in this passage? Click here to add your input.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Mark 3-4 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Mark 3:1-4:41.

“And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!” and the wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:37-39).

I can imagine what it was like in that storm. Some were bailing water. Some were frantically trying to row to shore. Some were puking their guts out over the side. Jesus was sleeping. I can imagine that too because sometimes I feel like God is not paying attention to my fears and struggles. Sometimes I feel like I’m stuck on a boat in the middle of a stormy sea and no one is there to help. “Don’t you care?!” I cry to the heavens.

Then I remember this story. Just because the storm is going on doesn’t mean Jesus won’t take care of me. The fact is that even before Jesus finally calmed the storm, no one on that boat died. He hadn’t let them get hurt. He was in complete control. And then He demonstrated that control by saying, “Peace! Be still!,” and the wind and sea calmed.

Like the disciples, I can maintain my faith in Jesus throughout the worst storms. I can know that He will carry me through. He will not let me go through more than I can handle by His grace (I Corinthians 10:13). He does care, but that doesn’t mean He will act on my timetable.

Jesus may be sleeping right now (please understand the metaphor here), but He is in control. I just need to do the next right thing and let Jesus do His thing in His time.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click here to add your input.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Colossians 1-2 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Colossians 1:1-2:23.

“In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead” (Colossians 2:11-12).

In baptism we are circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands. In baptism, the body of the flesh is put off, the old man is crucified. According to Colossians 2:13-14, we are forgiven in baptism and made alive through baptism (not before). When we are baptized the record of debt that stood against us is canceled. Amazing.

Sadly, not many today recognize the very clear teaching of this passage. Why? Because too many people who do recognize it have put their faith in the wrong thing and taught this passage incorrectly. Too many people who recognize the wonderful things that happen in baptism have put their faith in the wrong place. They have put their faith in baptism.

Seeker: “Why are you saved?”

Christian: “Because I got baptized.”

Do you see the problem? When I put my faith in baptism, I’m actually putting my faith in my work. But notice what Paul said. He didn’t say we were “raised with him through faith in the powerful working of our obedience.” He said we were “raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God.” Where is your faith? In your baptism? In your praying? In your experiences? Or in God? When our faith is in the powerful working of God, we’ll get baptized because we know that is when God does His powerful work of circumcising the old body of the flesh, forgiving us, canceling our debt, and making us a live with Christ. We didn’t do that by baptism; God did.

Where is your faith?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click here to add your input.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Philippians 1-2 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Philippians 1:1-2:30.

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

This passage just smacked me this morning. Who is Paul convinced will complete this good work in the Philippians? He doesn’t say, “And I am sure of this, that you who began this good work will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.” Instead, he is convinced God will do it.

What freedom. What comfort. What joy. What peace. I don’t have to put my confidence in me to complete this good work, which only leads me to despair. I can put my confidence in God to complete it, which leads to peace and hope. That sets me free to quit worrying about where I’ll be at my death or when Christ returns. All I have to focus on today is doing the next right thing. God is working on the outcomes. He will bring this good work in me to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. No need to despair when God is the one who is at work within me both to will and to work for His good pleasure (cf. Philippians 2:13).

Praise God!

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click here to add your input.

PPS. Thanks to all of you for the positive comments you gave me here, on Facebook, via e-mail, and person to person about this blog. That was very encouraging and uplifting.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.