 Some of us have written our own Bible verse from Popular Opinion chapter 1, verse 1: “God helps those who help themselves.” We’ll fix ourselves, thank you. We’ll make up for our mistakes with contributions, our guilt with busyness. We’ll overcome failures with hard work. We’ll find salvation the old-fashioned way: we’ll earn it!
Christ, in contrast, says to us, “Your role is to trust. Trust me to do what you can’t.” By the way, you take similar steps of trust daily. You believe the chair will support you, so you set your weight on it. You trust the work of the light switch, so you flip it. You daily trust power you cannot see to do a work you cannot accomplish. Jesus invites you to do the same with Him, but just Him. Not another leader, not even yourself. Just Christ. Look to Jesus and believe.
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 Peter writes to believers, "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" Peter is quoting from Leviticus 11:44 and Leviticus 19:2. First, let's look at God's holiness. What does it mean that God is holy? Passages like 1 Samuel 2:2 and Isaiah 6:3 are just two of many examples of passages about God's holiness. Another way to say it is absolute perfection. God is unlike any other (see Hosea 11:9), and His holiness is the essence of that "otherness." His very being is completely absent of even a trace of sin (James 1:13; Hebrews 6:18). He is high above any other, and no one can compare to Him (Psalm 40:5). God's holiness pervades His entire being and shapes all His attributes. His love is a holy love, His mercy is holy mercy, and even His anger and wrath are holy anger and holy wrath. These concepts are difficult for humans to grasp, just as God is difficult for us to understand in His entirety. Next, what does it mean for us to be holy? When God told Israel to be holy in Leviticus 11 and 19, He was instructing them to be distinct from the other nations by giving them specific regulations to govern their lives. Israel is God's chosen nation and God has set them apart from all other people groups. They are His special people, and consequently they were given standards that God wanted them to live by so the world would know they belonged to Him. When Peter repeats the Lord's words in 1 Peter 1:16, he is talking specifically to believers. As believers, we need to be "set apart" from the world unto the Lord. We need to be living by God's standards, not the world's. God isn't calling us to be perfect, but to be distinct from the world. First Peter 2:9 describes believers as "a holy nation." It is a fact! We are separated from the world; we need to live out that reality in our day-to-day lives, which Peter tells us how to do in 1 Peter 1:13-16. Finally, how can we become holy? Holiness only results from a right relationship with God by believing in Jesus Christ as Savior (accepting His gift of eternal life). If we have not placed our faith in God's Son alone to save us from our sins, then our pursuit of holiness is in vain. So, we must first make sure we are born-again believers (see John 3). If we truly are believers, then we recognize that our position in Christ automatically sets us apart from the world (1 Peter 2:9). After all, we have a relationship with the living God! Then we must daily live a set-apart life, not trying to "blend in" with the world, but instead living according to God's Word as we study the Bible and grow in it.
Becoming holy is the process that theologians calls sanctification. When we accept Jesus, we repent, confess and believe. When we do that God takes away our sins and we are counted as just. This is done instantly; It happens when we confess, repent and believe the promise of God. That's justification. The second part of the spiritual journey is called sanctification or to became holy. Is the process that make us what Peter calls it "a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation" (1 Peter 2:9). To sanctify means to set it apart for a sacred use. The sanctification and justification are part of the same package, you can't have one without the other. God not only forgives a man for lying or adultery, He offers victory over sin and stops a man from lying, or adultery. In Romans 6; Paul explain the process of becoming holy: "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." (Romans 6:22). In Romans 7:21-24, Paul explain the struggle of a justified person, but not yet sanctified. In the final verses he is telling us how he can escape his sinful carnal body: "Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:25). Here Paul is showing the battle that is taking place in his life after being convicted by God's law; he wanted to do good, but his sinful nature kept pulling him to sin. But then he became holy, and received a spiritual mind, through Jesus he was set free from the captivity of sin. He was delivered from the power of his fallen nature and sanctified by power of the Holy Spirit.  Harry Houdini was one of the greatest escape artists the world has ever seen. One of the most famous tricks he loved to perform was to escape from jail cells across the world. Houdini would travel to a city and challenge the citizens to create a cell from which he could not escape. He would always free himself in record time, whether he was in handcuffs, or the cell was triple locked, or he had to scale a wall to escape. Of course, Houdini had a lot tricks up his sleeve. He would ask to test the lock with the key and make an impression of it using a small box of wax that he kept in his palm. He would then hide the key in his hair or the heel of his slippers. Other times, he was able to have the key passed to him from a friend after reaching his hands through the bars to shake hands with the onlookers. If all else failed, he had a special lock pick made that he could hide in his belt. However, as one story goes, there was one cell in a town in the British Isles that stumped the great illusionist. Houdini walked into the challenge with confidence. Once the jail was closed, he took off his coat and set to work with his key and lock pick. But there was something unusual about the lock. He worked for thirty minutes with no success. An hour passed, and still he was stuck behind the bars. After two hours had passed, an exhausted Houdini collapsed against the door in defeat… and it swung open. The citizens of the town had played a trick on Houdini by not locking the cell in the first place! The solution was there in plain sight. It had only been locked in his mind. Sometimes, we fall into the same trap. We fail to recognize the reality of our situation because what our eyes are telling us does not represent the whole story. We fail to see the solutions in plain sight or are blind to what is really taking place. In particular, as we will discuss in this first session, we fail to see that we are in an invisible war… and that the battlefield for the struggle is located in our own hearts and minds. READ Listen for fresh insights as you hear the verses being read, and then discuss the questions that follow. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ… Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal — 2 Corinthians 4:4–6, 2 Corinthians 4:16–18 What is one insight that stands out to you from this passage?  Forgiveness is not foolishness. Forgiveness, at its core, is choosing to see your offender with different eyes. By the way, how can we grace-recipients do anything less? Dare we ask God for grace when we refuse to give it? This is a huge issue in Scripture. Jesus was tough on sinners who refused to forgive other sinners. Remember his story in Matthew 18 about the servant freshly forgiven a debt of millions who refused to forgive a debt equal to a few dollars? He stirred the wrath of God: “You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt. Shouldn’t you have mercy just as I had mercy on you?” In the final sum, we give grace because we’ve been given grace. And we’ve been given grace so we can freely give it. See your enemies as God’s child and revenge as God’s job.  I begged the Lord three times to take it away from me. But he told me: “My kindness is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” So I will brag even more about my weaknesses in order that Christ’s power will live in me. 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 No one knows exactly what plagued Paul, whether a severe temptation, an intractable opponent, or a dire illness. Whatever his situation, the apostle pleaded with the Lord, pressing his case that God remove this thorn. Yet the Lord refused. God’s “kindness” or “grace” is the favor he shows undeserving people. It drives his actions toward you from start to finish. It blazes in full glory when you see it on display in Jesus (John 1:14). It rescues you from sin, raises you from death, and seats you in a place of privilege (Ephesians 2:5-8). It lets you approach God, stand boldly in his presence, and experience his Spirit living inside you (Romans 5:1-5). It teaches you to say no to evil and yes to God’s better way of life (Titus 2:11-12). And it brings you power when you think you can’t go on. Grace is a pure gift that loves you at your worst and carries you at your weakest. Pray for grace in all its forms. Receive it when it isn’t what you want. The Lord’s kindness is strongest when you need it the most.  Some portions of Holy Scripture stand out from among the rest. While every word and sentence is holy, some resonate more than others. If anyone knows any Psalm, they probably know Psalm 23. The language and images of the psalm give us comfort in the worst times of our lives. There’s a reason that every Christian wedding couple chooses to read 1 Corinthians 13. St. Paul’s lyrical, poetic description of Christ’s love at work in the church is more beautiful than others. Every Sunday School kid knows John 3:16, the gospel in a nutshell. It’s simple, easy, and it sums up the whole message of salvation in just one sentence. Another such passage comes from Matthew 5:2-11, the beginning of the sermon on the mount. Jesus begins this sermon with some of his most famous poetry, the beatitudes. In this series, we’re going to explore each on of these sentences and see what Jesus’ words mean for us. WHAT’S A BEATITUDE?Before we get to the first one, there’s an important question. What are the beatitudes? Let’s start with the title itself. Most of western Christianity used the Latin Bible, called the Vulgate, for centuries. In Latin, each of the beatitudes begins with the word beati, or blessed, which gives us the name. But what are they? They’re a series of sayings, something like a proverb, which introduce and summarize the sermon on the mount. There’s a pattern to them. Here’s the first one, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Each one goes like that, “Blessed are the ____________ for _____________.” The first blank is a type of person, and the second blank a blessing. The blessing corresponds with the condition. So, the poor in spirit receive the riches of the kingdom of God. The people who mourn will receive comfort. The merciful will receive mercy. THE MESSAGE OF THE BEATITUDESThe beatitudes contain a consistent theme that echos much of the Old and New Testaments. God raises up the humble, but he casts down the proud. Consider the prayer that Hannah prayed after she became pregnant with Samuel. She says: The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. And a little later, she says: He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. Or Psalm 147:6, “The Lord lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground.” Mary’s song, called the Magnificat , from the Gospel of Luke mirror’s Hannah’s prayer: he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty Each of the beatitudes has a similar message. God will raise up someone lowly, someone humbled. Each of these short, beautiful phrases shows us the gospel of Jesus Christ. He gives grace to the lowly. He gives comfort to the broken hearted. He gives hope to the hopeless. A WINDOW INTO THE SERMON ON THE MOUNTWhen you read the sermon on the mount, it seems like Jesus is giving us a lot to say and do. He tells us that our anger is just like murder. He says that our lust is the same as adultery. He reminds us that it would be better to pluck out our eyes or cut off our hands than to go to Hell. There’s more like it. Jesus keeps telling us God’s law. Over and over again, he shows us what good Christians are supposed to do. Love our enemies. Give without letting anyone know. Give up wealth so you can have treasure in heaven. How do the beatitudes help us understand? It gives a gospel tint, a glimpse of grace, to each of the laws that Jesus explains to us. Each passage helps us understand how to live, but each passage also calls us to do something we can’t possibly do. Jesus’ law is extreme. It’s perfection. Cut off your hand. Pluck out your eye. Give up everything. When we look at this standard, all we can realize is that we will never live up to it. We could never give everything we have for Jesus. Our sin keeps us back. No one can trust God so much that they’re never anxious, like Jesus tells us to in Matthew 6:25-34. That means that each of us, when we look at ourselves honestly, each of us is lowly. We are poor in spirit. We mourn. We are meek. We hunger and thirst for righteousness, even though we can’t possibly live up to it. Each time Jesus tells us what we need to do, we only hear about our terrible, sinful heart. GOD LIFTS UP THE LOWLYGod lifts up the lowly, like those people who mourn over their sin. That’s what Hannah prayed about in the Old Testament. She rejoiced that God gave a barren woman the grace of a baby. Mary, too, rejoiced that God lifts up the lowly. He gave a virgin the most important baby in all of history, Jesus himself. Mary sang that God fills the hungry and lifts up the lowly.  And NO!!! you haven't seen this just click on the picture above  You can’t control the weather, you aren’t in charge of the economy, you can’t un-wreck the car. But you can map out a strategy. Remember, God is in this crisis. Ask God to give you two or three steps you can take today. Seek counsel from someone who’s faced a similar challenge. Ask friends to pray. Reach out to a support group. Most importantly, make a plan. You’d prefer a miracle for your crisis? You’d rather see the bread multiplied or the stormy sea turned glassy calm in a finger snap? God may do this. Then again, He may say, “I’m with you. I can use this for good. Now let’s make a plan.” God’s sovereignty doesn’t negate our responsibility, it just empowers it. So don’t let the crisis paralyze you. Trust God to do what you can’t. Obey God, and do what you can. You can’t control the weather, you aren’t in charge of the economy, you can’t un-wreck the car. But you can map out a strategy. Remember, God is in this crisis. Ask God to give you two or three steps you can take today. Seek counsel from someone who’s faced a similar challenge. Ask friends to pray. Reach out to a support group. Most importantly, make a plan. You’d prefer a miracle for your crisis? You’d rather see the bread multiplied or the stormy sea turned glassy calm in a finger snap? God may do this. Then again, He may say, “I’m with you. I can use this for good. Now let’s make a plan.” God’s sovereignty doesn’t negate our responsibility, it just empowers it. So don’t let the crisis paralyze you. Trust God to do what you can’t. Obey God, and do what you can. |
AuthorMy name is Cal, I'm the chief (and only person at this blog...I am a relatively new Christian and currently attend Union Church in Danville VA visit us online at https://www.unionchurch.co/ Archives
August 2020
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