Today’s Reading: 2 Thessalonians

FAITH, HOPE and LOVE – Paul opens up his first letter to the church in Thessalonica praising God and commending the church on their faithful work, their loving deeds and their enduring hope. Over the last two days, we have focused on the faithful work and loving deeds God is calling us to. Today, let’s consider the enduring hope we have in Christ, even when we are hurting.

HOPE THAT BELIEVES WE WILL SEE OUR LOVED ONES AGAIN

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words. – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

For centuries, we have been encouraging each other with these words, finding hope in the midst of our grief and goodbyes when we lose a loved one. We find hope we will see them again, and also hope we will be together with the Lord forever. Spending eternity with Christ Jesus – now that produces hope! Paul goes on to describe to them how this will happen.

HOPE THAT BELIEVES CHRIST WILL RETURN AGAIN

…the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains. And there will be no escape.

…So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and clearheaded. Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

So the source of our hope goes back to love — the love of a God who chose to save us instead of pouring out his anger on us; and the love of our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us. It gets better. His plan is for us to live with Him forever! So…

FAITH, HOPE and LOVE

Remain strong in your FAITH even in the midst of persecution, criticism and suffering. When suffering takes you to the edge of your faith, allow the circumstances to help you grow in grace rather than anger and bitterness.

Take the Master by the hand and allow Him to lead you along the path of His LOVE as He performs loving deeds through you.

Endure with a HOPE that knows what our tomorrow holds and who holds our tomorrow. Let’s choose hope. Being a believer does not mean we are immune to troubles and difficulties in life, to sorrow and grief, but we can choose to hang on tight to the hope we have in Christ — not just hang on, but tightly grip onto this hope that endures.

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again – my Savior and my God! – Psalm 43:5

Today’s Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4-5

Faith, hope and love – Paul opens up his letter to the church in Thessalonica praising God and commending the church on their faithful work, their loving deeds and their enduring hope. Yesterday we were challenged to choose grace rather than bitterness when suffering takes us right to the edge of our faith. Today, let’s focus on the loving deeds Paul referred to in his letter.

THE PATH OF LOVE GROWS AND OVERFLOWS

May God our Father and our Lord Jesus bring us to you very soon. And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen. – 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

Paul is not referring to a love of human efforts or loving deeds produced of our own strength, but of a love that the Lord grows inside of us for others – not just GROWS but OVERFLOWS. If we will open up our hearts and allow Him to produce this kind of love, He will make our hearts strong, blameless and holy. It is not something we can do on our own. We need the righteousness of our Savior and the love He gives us in order to live a holy life and produce the kind of love that Paul is referring to in this letter.

THE PATH OF LOVE LEADS TO HOLINESS

Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you…
God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor — not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways…God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another. Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more. – 1 Thess. 4:1-10

THE PATH OF LOVE CHANGES OUR BEHAVIOR

Paul went on to describe how the love of God should be reflected in the actions of the church:
– Honor your leaders; work hard and show respect and wholehearted love them.
– Live peacefully with each other.
– Warn those who are lazy.
– Encourage those who are timid.
– Take tender care of those who are weak.
– Be patient with everyone.
– Try to do good instead of seeking revenge.
– Always be joyful.
– Never stop praying.
– Be thankful in all circumstances.
– Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.
– Test everything that is taught, holding on to what is good.
– Stay away from every kind of evil. – (1 Thess. 5:12-22)

PRAYING FOR GOD’S UNENDING HELP ON THE PATH OF LOVE

As you go about your day, I pray God will shape you into the person He has called you to be. I pray that you will be filled with energy as His Spirit guides you in every conversation and through every action. Remember who you are with confidence that God is your unending help and that He is leading you by the hand along His path today.

Because we know that this extraordinary day is just ahead, we pray for you all the time – pray that our God will make you fit for what he’s called you to be, pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something. If your life honors the name of Jesus, he will honor you. Grace is behind and through all of this, our God giving himself freely, the Master, Jesus Christ, giving himself freely. – 2 Thess. 1:11-12 (The Message)

So, friends, take a firm stand, feet on the ground and head high. Keep a tight grip on what you were taught, whether in personal conversation or by our letter. May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech. – 2 Thess. 2:16-17 (The Message)

May the Master take you by the hand and lead you along the path of God’s love and Christ’s endurance. – 2 Thess. 3:5 (The Message)

Today’s Reading: Acts 17 & 18; 1 Thessalonians 1-3

Around the same time that Paul was writing a letter to the churches in Galatia, he was also writing a letter to the church in Thessalonica, one of the towns he visited during his second missionary trip. It is no surprise, then, that he covers a similar topic — FAITH, HOPE and LOVE.

Paul opens up his letter praising God and commending the church on their faithful work, their loving deeds and their enduring hope (1 Thessalonians 1:3). In both of his letters to this church he goes into detail about their FAITHFUL work in the midst of suffering and persecution. He encourages them to continue to live a lifestyle of LOVE expressed in holy living. He also speaks of the HOPE we have in the day in which Jesus will return for us. Let’s focus first on the faithful work God calls us to in spite of the difficulties that lay ahead of us, the persecution we experience from others or the suffering we endure for the cause of Christ.

IN SPITE OF THE DIFFICULTIES THAT LAY AHEAD OF US

So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you…As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece – throughout Macedonia and Achaia. And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. – 1 Thessalonians 1:6-8

How can we have joy in spite of the suffering we are experiencing? Paul explained that this joy is from the Holy Spirit living within us. It is not something we have to create on our own or pretend to be; it is a gift from God that brings Him glory when others see our joy in spite of our suffering. Paul had set an example of joyfully praising God in the midst of persecution, and now this church was an example to others who themselves were going through a hard time. In addition to this, their faith was an encouragement to Paul and the other apostles who had invested in their spiritual growth.

So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence. Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith. – 1 Thess. 3:7-10

IN SPITE OF THE PERSECUTION WE EXPERIENCE FROM OTHERS

For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts…As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or from anyone else. – 1 Thess. 2:4,6

How can we endure the persecutions and criticisms of others? Paul makes it very clear that we are to live to please God and not others. Then when other people express their disapproval of us, it falls on deaf ears because we are only listening for the approval of our God. We don’t seek out human praise but only the approval of our Heavenly Father, who calls us to follow Him and who knows our hearts.

IN SPITE OF THE SUFFERING WE ENDURE FOR THE CAUSE OF CHRIST

We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you. And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. – 2 Thessalonians 1:4-7a

It is not for us to get even or to return suffering back to those who cause us to suffer. We can let go of all of the hurt and bitterness and need for revenge. We can simply have faith in our true and just God, who is the only judge needed. We can also trust that someday our trials will end. At that time and even now while we are hurting, God will provide comfort and rest for His children.

When I received the news that Pastor Ed Heck had died, I read through the weekly blogs he had posted since his cancer diagnosis. His words ministered to my heart. Consider what he wrote on August 15, 2016, just 10 days after finding out he had advanced, aggressive prostate cancer:

“When we ask ‘why’, intentionally or not, we are challenging God’s justice, God’s wisdom, and God’s power. Am I right? I mean, it really doesn’t seem to make any difference whether we are victims or culprits, innocent or guilty; suffering is always seen and felt as being unfair. Whether the cause of our pain is unknown, self-imposed, accidental, or deliberate, most of us conclude that we have been singled out to suffer and that God is picking on us! When the flags of doubt are raised — when the ‘why’ is asked — we are really expressing a deep-seated belief that God doesn’t know what He is doing! Here is the key, I think: Suffering, however it is experienced, takes us right to the edge of our faith where contradiction gives us the option of either growing in grace or allowing it to turn into something as toxic as bitterness.” – Rev. Edward H. Heck, https://shardsofgraceblog.wordpress.com

Lord, there are so many people who are going through a difficult time right now. I pray that you would be a source of strength for them today. I pray that the presence of your Spirit will give them a peace and joy that cannot be explained. Please give all of us the faith we need to believe, the hope we need to endure, and the love we need to forgive. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Acts 15 & 16

WHAT IF GOD ASKS YOU TO MAKE A SECOND JOURNEY?

Paul took Silas and Timothy with him on his second missionary journey. Their purpose was to go back and visit each city where they had previously preached the word of the Lord in order to see how the new believers were doing. The result was that believers were encouraged and many more found faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul knew before he even began his second tour that he would again face persecution and potentially death. On the first missionary journey, he had been stoned and dragged out of the city. The memories of that pain and rejection would still be vivid in his mind. YET HE RETURNED. Out of faithfulness to the God who had saved him from a life of persecuting others, Paul returned to a city that had brought him pain and suffering. The result of his courage and obedience was that the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day (Acts 16:5).

On the Sabbath we went a little way outside of the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. She was baptized along with other members of her household, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed. – Acts 16:13-15

WHAT IF GOD WANTS TO GREATLY AFFECT THE LIFE OF SOMEONE ELSE TODAY THROUGH YOUR OBEDIENCE?

Lydia was one of three people who were forever changed by Paul’s visit to Philippi. Because of this trip, Lydia’s faith in God increased and all the members of her household were baptized. Lydia extended hospitality to the apostles and God provided them with a place to stay while in the city.

The second person greatly affected by Paul’s time in Philippi was a slave girl possessed by a demon. She was a fortune-teller and her owners made a great deal of money from the abilities the demon living inside of her possessed. Each day she would follow after Paul’s team shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved” (Acts 16:17).

Out of compassion for the slave girl, Paul cast out the demon. Actually, that’s not what happened. Paul, human like we are, became so exasperated after listening to her shout for days that he turned to the girl and said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her (16:18). She was now free from the demon that had tortured her for so long. This young girl, a slave with little to no worth in the eyes of the community she lived in, was forever changed.

Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the market place…A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. – Acts 16:19-24

During the good times and the bad, Paul praised God. Because he was willing to suffer for the sake of others, another person’s life was greatly changed:

Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”

The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God. – Acts 16:25-34

WHAT IF GOD WANTS TO GREATLY AFFECT THE LIFE OF SOMEONE ELSE TODAY THROUGH YOUR OBEDIENCE?

What is God telling you to do? If you do what He asks us to do, someone’s life may be forever changed, or the change might be found in you. So, what if God asks you to make a second journey – to do something again, even if you are still a little scarred from the last time? Will you respond in obedience? Someone’s forever may be depending on it.

Today’s Reading: Galatians 6

Paul ends his letter to the church at Galatia by once again encouraging us to pursue holy living instead of giving into our sinful nature.

Don’t be misled – you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone – especially to those in the family of faith. – Galatians 6:7-10

Paul reminded the Galatians that God is not only loving and the source of this incredible grace, He is also a just God. If we as Christians continue to satisfy our sinful nature instead of responding to the Spirit God has given us, we will harvest what we sow – death and decay. God cannot be mocked by someone who says, “I prayed the prayer, my eternity is secure so I have the freedom to do what feels good to me right now instead of what I know God wants me to do.” That is not the servant’s heart God wants us to respond with. He wants us to listen to the urgings of His Spirit living within us and harvest a blessing instead of a curse. He wants us to live for others because we live for Him, not to live for ourselves or to please our own sinful nature.

WHAT IF GOD WANTS TO GREATLY AFFECT THE LIFE OF SOMEONE ELSE TODAY THROUGH YOUR LIFE?

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. – Galatians 6:1-3

Humbly and gently – let’s not miss these very important adjectives. The heart of Paul’s message is that we should not be so concerned about ourselves that we do not care about our fallen brother or sister enough to lovingly help them back onto the right path. We know that God’s plan for them is to live to please the Spirit and not their own sinful nature. Perhaps our loving and kind words can help them see that they are missing God’s perfect plan for their life.

But first, Paul warns that we are to be sure we ourselves are on the right path, living to please the Spirit and not ourselves. We cannot point out the speck of dust in someone else’s eye if we have a plank in our own, right?

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct. – Galatians 6:4-5

Paul warns us not to become too proud or boastful about our walk. Then we will begin seeing our conduct, our job well done, as a result of our own strength and ability instead of a gift of the Spirit to help us live a godly life. We become drenched in self-righteousness instead of beautifully clothed in God’s righteousness.

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God. – Galatians 6:14-16

Remember how we started out the book of Galatians? We are saved by grace through faith and not by works. It is not our observance of religious laws or our faithful attendance at church that matters – it is the transformation that God does in our lives through His Spirit when we truly empty ourselves of all of our own desires and allow Him to fill us with His. Then we receive God’s peace and His mercy; then we are a new person of God and no longer a slave to our sinful nature. Then our life begins to positively impact the lives of those around us.

WHAT IF TODAY GOD WANTS TO GREATLY AFFECT THE LIFE OF SOMEONE ELSE THROUGH YOUR LIFE?

Today’s Reading: Psalm 117, Galatians 5

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…

FAITHFULNESS

The word faithfulness appears 68 times in the Bible and consistently refers to how God is unswerving, steadfast and trustworthy. So if God is the definition of FAITHFULNESS, how then can we be faithful?

A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” – Isaiah 40:6-8

In Texas, I had plants growing in my backyard with these big, beautiful leaves. I watered them “faithfully” but I was losing the battle against the sun, which browned the edges and caused them to quickly lose their beauty. One day, the plants started producing beautiful tropical flowers — flowers that would be beautiful for a day and then would start wilting.

We are like grass and our faithfulness is like the flowers; the potential for beauty is there but it cannot sustain itself. Without nourishment, it will wither and fall. No matter how hard I try on my own strength to be faithful, it will not be sustained. It will wilt and the petals will drop. It is the faithfulness of God that endures forever. But here is the good news: Although we cannot truly sustain faithfulness, the Spirit living within us can produce faithfulness. Therefore, if our lives can be described as faithful, it is not to our glory but to the glory of the One whose fruit is faithfulness.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. – Proverbs 3:3

GENTLENESS

Oh that the Holy Spirit would use my heart as a tapestry! And as long as the Spirit is producing the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness, it would be great if He could soften up this heart of mine and tame this tongue so that GENTLENESS would be the fruit of my walk with Christ. For when I respond with a gentle answer, wrath is turned away, while a harsh response stirs up anger (Prov. 15:1). Oh, the power of a gentle response – so powerful that it can break a bone (Prov. 25:15)! Gentleness is not weakness. Remember when God responded gently?

The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” – 1 Kings 19:11-13

Jesus describes himself as gentle, and he is also described by others as gentle.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. — Matthew 11:28-30

Say to Daughter Zion, “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” — Matthew 21:5 and Zechariah 9:9

So if God is found in a gentle whisper and Jesus is gentle and humble in heart, it is no surprise that the fruit of the Spirit living within us is gentleness — that God’s plan for our life is to produce gentleness.

Let your gentleness be evident to all. — Philippians 4:5

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. — Colossians 3:12

Thank you, God, for these truths this morning. You are good and you are kind; you are a faithful God and a gentle God of grace, mercy and compassion. Lord, fill me with your Spirit and make me into the child of God you want me to be. I love you. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Galatians 5

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, LET US FOLLOW THE SPIRIT’S LEADING in every part of our lives. – Galatians 5:22-25

We talk a lot about outcomes at the Pregnancy Resource Center — end results or consequences of our actions or services. We know who we are and what we have been called by God to do, but we also know what the result of our ministry could or should look like. We take measurements and ask this question: Are we accomplishing what God is calling us to do?

In Galatians, we learn that the fruit of the Spirit is the outcome of the Spirit dwelling within us. This fruit (singular) has nine different characteristics, the first of which is LOVE. God is not speaking here of “eros” love (longings or desires, as between a man and a woman) or “philos” love (the love of a friend for a friend). The fruit of the Spirit is characterized by “agape” love, which is divine (of, from or like God).

1 Corinthians 13 is a great description of agape love – love that seems impossible on our own strength. Agape love is patient, kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, self-seeking, or easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs, not delighting in evil but rejoicing in the truth; always protecting, always trusting, always hoping, always persevering. And here’s the big one – love never fails. I don’t know about you, but I can’t fool myself into believing that I can reproduce that kind of love. Only God is capable of agape.

Agape is not a feeling but a response regardless of the feeling, fueled by the needs of others and not by my own desires. When I completely surrender to the Spirit, he will express agape love through me, for agape love demands to be shown and lived out. So, as I draw close to God and spend time in His presence, He fills me with the Holy Spirit and the result of this indwelling is fruit. My roots grow deeper and wider, and the result of that growth is increased fruit; the result is JOY.

In his letter, James encouraged us to consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of many kinds (1:2). This is the kind of joy he was referring to — not a false joy we have to create on our own or a happy face we need to paint on to fool people, but joy that is fruit from the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. Then, not only will we experience joy in the midst of trials, we will also experience PEACE.

The fruit of the Spirit that helps us persevere and not give into our circumstances is PATIENCE — to focus on the hope that is before us so that we can endure the moment we are living in today. We live in expectation or hope of what we will receive; we have confidence that persevering through difficult times is worth it. Hope is not a focus on what might happen but what must happen. Patience based on hope helps us to bear difficult circumstances because we are inspired by an expectation of what is to come. This kind of hope is inspired by our Lord Jesus; this kind of patience is a gift from the Spirit.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and goodness. A great example of KINDNESS is when we look at the grace of God that Paul spoke about in his letter to the Galatians. That we are called children of God, that we are forgiven for our sins, and that we have been “grafted in” and given life through a relationship with the God who created us — these are all signs that we serve a kind God. And if we, by grace, have been shown kindness by God, and if we are truly grafted into the one true Vine, kindness should be a natural outflow of the Spirit living within us.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. – Colossians 3:12-13

Not only is God kind, He is good — all the time! We serve a good God. In the midst of the most difficult of circumstances, it is helpful to be reminded that God is loving, that He is kind, and that He is good. One of my favorite references to the GOODNESS of God can be found in a conversation with Moses:

Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” – Exodus 33:18-20

The glory of God is defined by God as goodness, mercy and compassion. So as God desires to be glorified through our lives, He places His Spirit in us to produce the kind of fruit that brings God glory — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And He adds to that list: grace, compassion, humility, forgiveness, mercy and deeds prompted by faith. All of this is by His power and for His glory!

Oh Lord, you are so good. You are a kind and merciful God and I am humbled in your presence. Thank you for your grace; thank you for your mercy and compassion towards us. Father, I give you permission to make me worthy of your calling. I cannot be consistently good and kind on my own. By your power, bring to fruition the desire of my heart to be kind and to live a good life. Fill me with your Spirit so that every good thing coming out of my life is a result of the work of the Spirit, my time in your presence and my faith in you. May the name of the Lord Jesus be glorified in me, and me in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Galatians 4

But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. – Galatians 4:4-7

GOD SENT HIS SON TO BUY OUR FREEDOM.

If we are no longer slaves, then why do we so often let our own sinful nature control our actions and our words? God sent His Son so that we could be free from sin and He gave us His Spirit to live in our hearts. This freedom that comes from a Spirit-filled life should look like love and not harsh words or bitter attitudes. The presence of the Holy Spirit should be evidenced by the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and SELF-CONTROL.

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. – Galatians 5:13-15

DON’T USE YOUR FREEDOM TO SATISFY YOUR SINFUL NATURE.

This is where Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia sounds so much like James’ letter to the Christians scattered across the region. When do I need self-control? Pretty much every time I open my mouth. Here’s the tricky part: Self-control is really not about SELF-control but about allowing the SPIRIT to be in control. If I put myself in charge of controlling the words I say and the tone with which I say them, I cannot sustain holiness. But when I give in to the urgings of God’s Spirit and allow “self-control” to simply be a fruit of His presence in my life, my tongue is put under HIS control.

This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can’t tame a tongue—it’s never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! My friends, this can’t go on. A spring doesn’t gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don’t bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don’t bear apples, do they? You’re not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you? – James 3:7-12 (The Message)

LET THE HOLY SPIRIT GUIDE YOUR WORDS AND YOUR ACTIONS.

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under the obligation to the law of Moses.

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law against these things! – Galatians 5:16-23

Abba Father, thank you for your gift of the Spirit living within me. I am so thankful that it is not up to me to produce holiness but to simply submit to your Spirit and let your fruit be evident in my life. Because I belong to Christ Jesus, the passions and desires of my sinful nature have been nailed to his cross and crucified there. It is my desire to live by the Spirit’s leading in every area of my life – never conceited or jealous of others, never provoking or injuring someone with my words (Gal. 5:24-26). I want my walk with you to be characterized by getting along with others, loving others because I love you. Fill me anew this morning with your Spirit and may you be glorified in my life today. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Galatians 3

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. – Galatians 2:20-21

I DO NOT WANT TO TREAT THE GRACE OF GOD AS MEANINGLESS.

Christ died on a cross so that I could experience salvation. I did not earn it. I do not deserve it. I can never be good enough on my own. This salvation is a gift from God — a gift by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. This gift is available because of God’s unmerited favor on us — His grace. To begin working hard to earn my salvation is pointless and it ignores God’s grace, treating it as if it has no meaning.

Grace – what a wonderful blessing in our lives! But, just because I could never be good enough on my own to deserve God’s grace does not mean I now have an excuse to sin. Another gift from God is the Holy Spirit. He gave us the gift of His Spirit in order that our faith could be evidenced by our actions. With the power of the Spirit living within us, we are able to follow the urgings of the Holy Spirit and not the urgings of our old sinful nature.

Don’t be misled — you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. – Galatians 6:7-9

Imagine if a farmer planted soybeans in a field but months later went out expecting to harvest wheat. That would be crazy. The farmer will get what he planted. What he planted will grow as long as he continues to connect it to a source of water and protect it from bugs.

Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. – Galatians 1:4

I DON’T HAVE TO CREATE A RIGHTEOUSNESS OF MY OWN.

God gave us His Son, who willingly died for us, in order that we could be rescued from evil — in order that we could overcome our sinful nature. He promised to give us the gift of HIS righteousness, a gift that is ours when we live by the Spirit. That’s wonderful! We don’t have to create a righteousness of our own, just as we cannot earn our salvation by good works. Instead, His gift of grace gives us the gift of His righteousness and the gift of the Spirit living within us.

But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us…What is important is faith expressing itself in love. – Galatians 5:5-6

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. – Galatians 5:13-15

LET US FOLLOW THE SPIRIT’S LEADING IN EVERY PART OF OUR LIVES.

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. – Galatians 5:16-17a

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, LET US FOLLOW THE SPIRIT’S LEADING in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. – Galatians 5:24-26

Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your grace – for loving us enough to send your Son to die for our sins. Thank you for the gift of the Spirit and for the gift of your righteousness. Holy Spirit, guide my life and give me desires that are the opposite of what my sinful nature desires. Produce in me the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I nail the passions and desires of my old self, my sinful nature, to your cross and crucify them there. I long to follow the Spirit’s leading in every area of my life. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Galatians 1 & 2

DO WE NEED TO EARN OUR SALVATION?

Is it true that we are saved by the work accomplished by Jesus when He died on the cross, or is there something more we need to do to earn our salvation? This was a question in the churches spread across the Roman province of Galatia and it is a question we often hear in the church today. Paul addresses this question that keeps coming up — this insecurity that I must somehow earn the salvation provided for me when Jesus died on the cross.

We hear in this letter to the Galatians the same message we hear over and over again in Paul’s writings — we are SAVED BY GRACE through faith in Jesus Christ and not by works; yet works are to be a result of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This trips us up if we are not careful because it is easy to slip into a “works mentality”. We begin to see our salvation as a result of our works, that we are earning our eternal life, that we are good enough for God’s favor. But God’s plan is that works are a result of our growing relationship with Him — that He is able to accomplish His will and further His Kingdom through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law. – Galatians 2:16

WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST AND NOT BY WORKS.

No amount of good deeds can earn us heaven, no degree of self-righteousness can make us good enough. There is only one way we are made right with God and that is by faith in Jesus.

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. – Galatians 2:20-21

This is not a new message. We have heard this over and over again, yet we still find ourselves falling into a “works mentality”. Why is that? Paul asks the same question of the Galatians.

WHY DO WE TRY TO BE PERFECT BY OUR OWN HUMAN EFFORT?

Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses?…After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? – Galatians 3:2b,3

So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” – Galatians 3:11

Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. – Galatians 3:24-26

Oh how I like that analogy! When we are united with Christ in baptism, we have put Christ on — just like putting on new clothes. It is not about us “putting on” or pretending to be something we are not. It is not about creating our own new wardrobe of righteousness we produce of our own strength. There is nothing beautiful about that. It is about wearing Christ and letting His presence bring about a change in our lives; allowing His Spirit to come in and begin producing His fruit through us.

You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. I fear for you. – Galatians 4:10-11a

So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. – Galatians 5:1

What a great reminder of something we know to be true. What a great warning to stay out of the trap of an earned salvation or a deserved gift from God. Let’s pray Galatians 2:20-21 together: Heavenly Father, thank you for the reminder this morning that my old self has been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. I commit this morning to live in this earthly body by trusting in your Son, the One who loves me and gave himself for me. I never want to treat your grace as meaningless. For if simply obeying a set of rules or living a good life could make me right with you, then there would have been no need for Christ to die. Lord, forgive me for all the times I have forgotten this. I give you this day and I give you my heart. Amen.