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For whomever the Son sets free is free indeed. (John 8:36)
Some of the most freeing truths about being in Christ is that we don’t have to be ashamed of admitting that we are sinners. We don’t have to pretend that we have it all together. And we don’t have to hide from others when we sin. Yet, so many of us are consumed by shame. We feel like we have to put on a façade with others about how our relationship with the Lord is really going. And we are quick to run and hide because of our sin instead of being open with them. Why? Because Satan’s tactic is for us to diminish the power of Christ’s finished work and saving work in us. His goal is to keep us from living out the freedom we have because of the gospel. Christ’s finished work on the cross means that for us who repent and profess His name, we are justified by faith (Romans 5:1). This is the good news: we deserved death for our rebelliousness towards a Holy God but because of His love and grace, He chose to reconcile us into sweet fellowship with Him through Christ’s death and resurrection. Christ bore the penalty that we should have. That’s not a decision that God can rescind. It has been done once and for all. In this, we are given an invitation to rest in that finished work because the power of death no longer has a hold on us. I used to think that professing Christ meant that I no longer would sin. I thought that all the “bad” I did would cease. I quickly realized the foolishness of those thoughts. The salvation we receive in Christ isn’t a magic wand that automatically takes away our sinful desires and actions. No, it’s the promise that we are rescued from the dominion of darkness into His marvelous Light (1 Peter 2:9), given the Holy Spirit to live in Christ and anchored in the hope that we will be with God after death. However, the finished work of Christ begins in us a journey towards becoming like Christ-a journey of sanctification. Many of us may believe that this journey means that we are to be perfect like Christ. That deception keeps us from experiencing the freedom of a journey that is not about perfection but about authenticity. We aren’t called to be perfect. Christ is the only Perfect One. We are called to trust in the promise that in Christ, we are being transformed daily to reflect His likeness. To pretend that we have it all together is to say that we don’t need God’s grace. It’s to deny the witness for ourselves and others to see the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us (Galatians 2:21). In essence, we are, in pride, saying to God, “thank you, but I can take it from here.” We are called to be authentic. Authenticity lives in humility. Authenticity is convinced that we are sinners in desperate need of His grace, strength and wisdom and all that He offers to walk this faith out. It is to let go of the idea of finding any trace of good within ourselves outside of Christ. It is to invite others gladly into our messy lives so we can sharpen one another regardless of how painful and uncomfortable it may be. It is to rejoice that though we stumble, we are not consumed. Though we are tempted, we are not condemned (Romans 8:1). To be authentic is not to be weak. It's to be carried by His strength. Nonetheless, to be authentic is not to take advantage of God’s grace by staying in sin or being comfortable by sin (Romans 6). It’s to rejoice that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are given a growing desire to not choose sin but to choose righteousness, over and over again (Philippians 3:9). Imagine if unbelievers saw us Christians admitting our sins against each other rather than trying to hiding behind self-righteousness. Unfortunately, unbelievers don’t see that often enough. Rather, they see us as hypocrites because we don’t confess or admit we are sinners in need of grace. But they see us sin and are confused. Paul spoke of this in Romans 2 when he chastised the Jews for putting on a façade in front of the Gentiles as if they didn’t sin but they were steeped in it. Paul said something very convicting. He told the Jews, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you” (Romans 2:24). Ladies, we don’t want to misrepresent the gospel to the unbelieving world nor to the believing family we are a part of in the local church. We have the privilege of pointing people to Christ when we live out the gospel that frees us to be authentic and vulnerable in our walk. Shame no longer has dominion over us so we can confess our sins to one another and carry each other's burdens. We don’t have to run and hide. If we are going to run, let it be with our brothers and sisters towards the foot of the cross where we find forgiveness for our sins. If we are going to hide, let it be in His overwhelming grace and truth that He helps us in our weakness. Decide to no longer live in the bondage of perfection but in the freedom of authenticity. For whomever the Son sets free is free indeed (John 8:36). We are free ladies. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The weekly devotionals seek to encourage you to dig deeper into Scripture as you take the time to daily read, meditate, and internalize the verses in the devotional along with the passages provided below to give greater context. Take the time to read them throughout the week (repetition is important) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp what God is showing you about Himself, about you, and how to live in light of these truths. Passages to read/meditate/memorize: John 8:36 Romans 2:24 Romans 3:23 Romans 5 & 6 (read the whole chapters during the week) Romans 8:1 Galatians 2:21 Philippians 3:9 Colossians 1:3 1 Peter 2:9 Questions to reflect on:
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"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial..."
(James 1:12) Recently, a sister in the Lord reached out, asking me to pray for the trials she and her family were going through. In that message she wrote something that challenged and encouraged me. She wrote “instead of asking God to take it away, pray that I can endure through it.” I found myself re-reading that sentence in amazement. Regardless of how weak she felt, those words spoke volumes to me of the strength that God had already given her to ask to persevere instead of taking the trials away. None of us welcome hardship and pain with open arms. It’s not comfortable, nor is it pleasant. However, because we live in a fallen world plagued by sin, we will all go through it. It's inevitable. There are various reasons why we experience hardships and pain. Our own actions may have brought about it. Maybe our trials and pain are because of someone else’s actions or it can be things like physical illness or death where we are left without answers as to why they come. Regardless of the kind of trial, we want it to end. Now. But how many of us have uttered those words my sister did and pray that the Lord give you strength to endure the trial instead of removing it? I can’t say I have. The Bible is filled with humanity’s relationship with trials and pain. We are probably most familiar with Job’s story- an upright man whom God granted permission to Satan to test his commitment and character through pain and tribulation. The only thing was that Satan could not kill him. While there is so much in this story that God shows us about Himself, about ourselves and our understanding of God, what we do see clearly is that Job endured the trial. Yes, he cried out and doubted if God even heard him. Yes, his closest friends tempted him to look more at his trials than look to his God, but he endured. Despite the emotional roller-coaster, Job chose to look intently at God and trust in God’s goodness. At the end, he powerfully concluded that before the trials, he knew of God and had heard of His goodness, but it was through the adversity that he really saw God. He saw that though he didn’t understand all of God’s ways, He is still good. He is still worthy. (Job 42: 3-6) When Job’s story is taught from the pulpit, the focus is most often on the restoration of Job’s material wealth rather than the beautiful truth that Job wasn’t looking to see what or how God was going to repay him for going through the trial. Though with impatience and doubt, he committed to look at God because he recognized that God was his reward, even in the excruciating pain he suffered. For us who are believers, while we have the privilege of identifying with the victory we have in Christ because of His death and resurrection, we also have to understand that we are called to identify with the suffering of Christ. Paul confidently declares “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death” (Philippians 3:10). Our Lord endured so that we would be set free from the pain and destruction of sin so we can be in fellowship with God. But He also endured so that we can endure. He is our example. (1 Peter 2:21) We are not immune to hardship and suffering as Christians. In fact, the Word tells us to not be surprised when we do suffer (1 Peter 4:12), especially the kind of suffering that comes from bearing the name of Jesus. While we are not immune to suffering, being in Christ gives us the glorious hope that our suffering and trial is not the end of us nor is it in vain. Enduring is evidence that Christ is in us, working out His good will to resemble Him clearer, trust in Him deeper and cling to Him tighter. Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:1-4) We have a God who gives encouragement and perseverance (Romans 15:5). He does't leave us to our devices. We don’t have to succumb to the weight of the trial because God can lift our eyes to see that our trials, as painful as they may be, are producing in us beautiful work (2 Corinthians 4:17) that fortifies our faith. It tests the grounds we stand on, hoping that we be found standing in Christ, our Solid Rock. Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12) Sisters, I pray that as you find yourself in hardship, you will cry out like David did to God, "…from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy." (Psalm 61: 2-3) Know that you are coming out refined like gold by the work of the Holy Spirit. Don’t rush to get out of the furnace. Let it finish its work. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The weekly devotionals seek to encourage you to dig deeper into Scripture as you take the time to daily read, meditate, and internalize the verses in the devotional along with the passages provided below to give greater context. Take the time to read them throughout the week (repetition is important) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp what God is showing you about Himself, about you, and how to live in light of these truths. Passages to read/meditate/memorize: James (read through the book this week) Psalm 61 Job 42: 3-6 Philippians 3:10 1 Peter 2:21 1 Peter 4:12 Romans 15:5 2 Corinthians 4:17 Questions to reflect on:
"I have set the Lord continually before me." (Psalm 16:8)
I’ve never met a person who stumbled into excellence or success. Have you? The journey towards them always includes two major ingredients: intentionality and consistency. Likewise, I’ve never met anyone, whose walk with the Lord I admired, who does not strive intentionally and consistently for their walk. They didn't just stumble into a rooted relationship with the Lord. It’s easy to assume that maintaining a relationship with the Lord doesn’t take work. Although it is true that no amount of work can ever earn us God’s love, there must be a working awareness that intentionality and consistency are essential for our relationship with God to thrive. We can each look around us to see the evidences of this principle in the relationships we treasure (or don’t) and how we invest time, talent and treasure with and for our friends and family, but how often do we think of our relationship with the Lord in the same terms? Some think growing in our relationship with God naturally occurs when we receive Christ and confess Him as Lord over our lives. It’s as if we just grow as the years go by. Perhaps we think because we go to church every Sunday, it will grow. Or because we attend every conference we come across or every worship event we find, we think surely that will help us grow. While all those things can be good for our walk, they cannot sustain our growth in God. My sisters, please be aware of the reality of the spiritual battle that we are up against to know God rightly (2 Corinthians 10:4). The God who delights in being known and loved versus the devil who does and will do anything to keep us from that honor and privilege. The enemy hates our soul and wants us to have nothing to do with God. Every day, he plots to distract us. Every hour, he plots to detour us. Every minute, he plots to destroy our faith. If we are going to grow and mature in knowing God, loving God and obeying God for the purpose of living out an authentic faith, then we are going to have to be intentional and consistent. We see this intentionality and consistency displayed in God’s Word. The Psalmists in both Psalm 16 and Psalm 119 share this truth with us: “I have set the Lord continually before me.” (Psalm 16:8) “I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws.” (Psalm 119:30) These Psalmists remind us that growing in a relationship with God doesn’t happen without a consistent choosing to set our hearts and minds on Him - His ways. His Word. His plans. To choose and to set are words of intentionality. Intentionality says that I have understood the importance and urgency of what I am going after and my heart reveals where my priorities lie. My intentionality shows to God that I choose Him above all else. So, when I choose to set my heart to read and study His Word, I am saying that I value this treasure He’s given us to know Him rightly (Psalm 119:162-163). I value the way His Word transforms me (John 17;17) and guides me (Psalm 119:105). When I choose to set my heart to pray, I am saying that I value communion with Him. I value the intimacy that is cultivated when I pray and petition and praise Him. When I choose to set my heart and mind to be a part of the local church, I am saying that I value His body. I value the Bride whom He died for (Ephesians 5:25). I value the role of the church in my life and my role in the life of the church. More so, choosing to set our hearts and minds is more effective when we are consistent. As the Psalmist said, “I have set the Lord continually before me.” (Psalm 16:8) Continually means consistently. Growth is every day. Renewal happens every day. It’s pushing through the mundane and finding the joy of pressing into the things of God. Intentionality and consistency say that while feelings matter, they don’t rule. Sisters, it is a daily battle to be intentional and consistent. There are days we will wrestle with God- days where the questions seem louder than the answers; days where our weaknesses feel more overwhelming than His strength. But the beautiful thing about a relationship with the Lord is we get to ask for His help, and He helps us. He draws us. He enables us to see Him as He is meant to be seen. And from there, the intentionality and the consistency will come. Be patient. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The weekly devotionals seek to encourage you to dig deeper into Scripture as you take the time to daily read, meditate, and internalize the verses in the devotional along with the passages provided below to give greater context. Take the time to read them throughout the week (repetition is important) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp what God is showing you about Himself, about you, and how to live in light of these truths. Passages to read/meditate/memorize: Psalm 16:8 Psalm 119 (take the time to real the whole chapter this week) Romans 8:5-6 Colossians 3:2 Questions to reflect on:
"But by the grace of God, I am what I am..." ( 1 Corinthians 15:10)
Today we celebrate Labor Day in the United States. We take the time to recognize the work people have done to contribute to the success and strength of their families and communities. Working is noble. God calls us to work (Proverbs 12:11,13:4, Genesis 2:15). But it seems like with most things God commands of us, we somehow turn into an idol that God never intended. And as the writer Jackie Hill Perry said, “your idols don’t love you.” This world has idolized a work-based identity, making it harder to differentiate between who we are and what we do. “I’m a doctor. I’m a teacher. I’m a mom. I’m a wife. I’m a lawyer. I’m a businesswoman. I’m a singer. I’m a writer. I’m a poet. I’m a [fill in the blank].” In and of themselves, these titles aren’t wrong. Praise God for the ways in which we can glorify Him. However, our fallen nature is susceptible to making these titles identify our being. We are prone to see our existence through the filter of what we do rather than who we are. With this proclivity in mind, it’s no wonder that we struggle to grasp the truth that the salvation, the grace, the mercy, and the kindness we receive through Christ Jesus has nothing to do with our works, our merits, or our morality. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9) It’s the nature of the flesh to want to pride ourselves in our works before God. There is something satisfying about us having a part in the outcome of whatever it may be. But the Kingdom of God operates differently. Our identity in Christ operates completely opposite of what the world we live in tells us. We see this truth displayed through the life of Paul. If any person had reason to boast in his works, it was him. He tells us himself in Phil 3:4 “…circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.” However, what Paul encountered when Jesus called him to Himself in Acts 9 changed everything – including his perspective about his own identity. That encounter radically transformed his views on the works of his hands and what it amounted to. Hear Paul’s own testimony written to the Church at Corinth: “But by the GRACE of God, I am what I am…” (1 Corinthians 15:10) He could no longer go back to thinking that his merits had any standing towards the mercy shown towards him by Jesus. He counted them rubbish He saw the vanity in them because he knew that it was only for his own pride. He was no longer a product of his works & merits, but of God’s grace. What a convicting truth to behold. What if we let this truth sink so deep into us that we would no longer sink into confusion about where our identity comes from and how it is anchored? Even Paul’s labor for the Lord wasn’t his. He went on to say, “… I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.” (1 Corinthians 15:10) It took the Lord opening his eyes to see that powerful truth. It takes the Lord opening our eyes to see this truth. The world screams the importance of identity but does a horrible job of helping us find it because it has reinforced our identity through that which can’t be sustained in and of ourselves. The world only leaves us unsatisfied. We are what we are by being a product of God’s grace. A being that doesn’t have to strive to be accepted. A being that is not in vain because Christ's grace towards us is not in vain. A being that rests in Christ’s finished work on the cross. And In that finished work, we are justified, no longer having to re-justify ourselves before God. In that finished work, we have Christ’s righteousness, no longer having to earn it. In that finished work we are free, no longer having to be overcome by the defeat of sin. In that finished work, we are His, no longer having to doubt His love for us. This grace doesn’t leave us without work. This grace actually enables us to do good work, free from the bondage of a merit-based salvation. Free from the bondage of being identified by our work. This grace quickens us to remember that we are “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). Beloved, may you cling to this life-changing truth. Your identity is secured in Christ. Cease striving for it and rejoice in living. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The weekly devotionals seek to encourage you to dig deeper into Scripture as you take the time to daily read, meditate, and internalize the verses in the devotional along with the passages provided below to give greater context. Take the time to read them throughout the week (repetition is important) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp what God is showing you about Himself, about you, and how to live in light of these truths. Passages to read/meditate/memorize: Ephesians 2 1 Corinthians 15 Philippians 3 Acts 9 Questions to reflect on:
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