Built on the Rock

This section of Galatians, which is Galatians 5:1-15, is focusing on what we, as believers, should do with our freedom in Christ. We're told several things about this, the first being to guard it, especially from those who desire to pressure us to follow the Law. We're also told not to waste our our freedom in Christ to thereby selfishly serve ourselves instead of serving each other in love. This is where today's Verse of the Day comes into play.

First, let's discuss what Paul has been telling the Galatians thus far. He has repeatedly warned the Galatians not to waste the freedom that they have through their faith in Christ by living as slaves under the Law. Rather, they were to recognize that Jesus had fully paid for all of their sins. This means that they are completely justified before God by being believers in Christ, and as such, cannot earn any more of God's approval through their own actions/obedience of the Law (Galatians 3:23-29). 

Now we move into a warning from Paul about the other way that we could waste the freedom that Christ has won for us. And it's a question that I've heard a lot, and today we're going to address it.

"Since we believe in Christ and are free from condemnation, why not just indulge in everything that we want to do anyway? We'll just be forgiven and all will be good, right?"

Wrong. Many theologians and teachers call this concept "license," as in thinking that we have a license to sin.

It's important to realize that Jesus didn't come to do away with the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17), meaning that the Law isn't discarded, but instead, Jesus accomplished the purpose for which it was given. Jesus was falsely accused of "abolishing" the Law of Moses, but as we can clearly see, as the fulfilling of the prophecies found throughout Jewish scripture, Jesus had no desire to wipe out those messages.

That's why we see Paul pointing to Jesus's response in Matthew 22:36-40 where He was asked what the greatest commandment in the law was. He then provided two commandments.

"...You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself."

It is through loving the Lord with everything we have that we are able to even consider a second commandment. It is when we love and begin to know God that we begin to love what He loves, and He loves people.

This command is brilliant, for a couple of reasons. First, it assumes that we love ourselves in the sense that we know how we would like to be treated. And through this assumption, we are then required to take the focus off of ourselves and then use this knowledge of what we innately desire as the basis for serving each other.

We are able to love other people in this way because we have experienced it firsthand. Jesus' life and death upon the cross was the perfect example of this self-denying love.

In this passage of Romans (Chapter 8:18-30), is the discussion about the participation of Christians in the midst of everyday suffering that is also experienced by the rest of all creation. It's in this discussion, and in our verse today, that we see the difference between our future and present as Christians. We know that our future is Christ, as God's children (John 1:12 - Verse of the Day article) and heirs of His kingdom (Romans 8:17), is everything that we long for. At our present, however, this hasn't yet come - so therefore we continue to suffer alongside the rest of creation, groaning for the life that is to come to those who believe.

So, how do we live in the meantime?

The answer has a lot to do with the Holy Spirit. As believers, we receive the Holy Spirit (as it is given to us) when we come to faith in Christ. A way to think about this is like God has given believers His own Spirit as a deposit or down payment on the future that we're longing for (Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Corinthians 1:22).

It is through the Spirit that God provides for us while here in this life. Even as Christians, we remain weak in and of ourselves and therefore we need God's strength through the Spirit. We have baffling emotions, fragile bodies, and can become weak in our faith and resistance to temptation. Every single day we fail. It is the Holy Spirit that makes all the difference for us - as we desire to draw near to God, grow in our understanding, and be like Christ that our desires, morals, and thoughts align with His will (John 15:7 - Verse of the Day article). I want to reiterate that it is because of the Holy Spirit that we're able to do this. Therefore, it is the Holy Spirit that makes all the difference. It is the Holy Spirit that continually and consistently helps us even through our weakness. It is the Holy Spirit that steps in. It is the Holy Spirit that helps lift the burden. 

Further, Paul tells us that we are so weak that at times we aren't even able to know what to pray for. We feel the longing and need to pray, to speak to our Father God - but what do we ask for? This is when, as we're told in this verse, that the Holy Spirit steps in and carries these unsaid prayers  - the thoughts and feelings that we can't express to God. 

It is the Holy Spirit that creates both the connection from ourselves to God and then provides the content of our communication with the Father.

Today we're going to be looking at this verse in the context of Psalm 34:9-11:

"Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord."

There are two sections to these verses in which we're going to be diving into today - and these are that of having a reverent fear of the Lord and then Godly pursuit.

Two verses before this section, in verse 7, a beautiful promise is given to those who fear God, and it is that the angel of the Lord would encamp around those who fear Him and that He would deliver them. 

So this raises the question: what does it mean to fear God?

To quote Gerald Wilson (an Old Testament scholar), "To 'fear God/Yahweh' is to pare life down to its essential core: acceptance that one is completely dependent on God's gracious, underserved mercy. To experience that mercy in the midst of trouble is to know the 'blessing' our psalmist describes."

To fear is to trust and revere.

First, in verse 9 God tells us that those who trust and are depending on Him will have no lack - and this is an incredible promise. It's not partial in any way, but complete. God's provision for His own isn't told to us in regards of temporal or seasonal regulations - but it is instead ever-flowing and never-ending. If you feel like you're forgotten, afraid, or unsure - come back to promises like these.

Whether you admit it or not, every single one of us is pursuing something in life. You may not even realize you're pursuing something, but we all are. So this means that the question isn't if, but what we are seeking.

Immediately after stating that those who fear the Lord will have no lack, David provides a mental picture of young lions who aren't able to provide for themselves. This image isn't an accident either, but instead as theological value. The young lions, who have insanely powerful potential to provide for themselves, are dependent. Even though they have potential they aren't fast enough or strong enough to do so. And this is what David likens to our state apart from God's provision.

When we fear God, our fate is not that of the young lions, but instead rests with that of God, in which we will lack no good thing. And by "no good thing" - this does not mean that we get anything and everything that we want, when we want it. It's easy to twist this to mean something other than what is rooted in Scripture. David is crying out for help in this Psalm because his difficulty was real - and the point of this Psalm is dependence.

This dependence is echoed in Romans 8:31-32 about God's own. It says,

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?"

The point to take away from this is if God sent His own Son to take our place, will He not provide for us? He already did the hardest work in saving our souls, will He not also provide for the needs of those who seek and fear Him?

Yes. He will. So fear Him - seek Him.

Verse of the Day:

"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

John 1:12 ESV

While John 3:16 may be the most famous and well known verse in the Bible, as well as the most-memorized piece of Scripture, John 1:12 is also an excellent summary of the gospel. 

Simply, it tells us that all who receive Christ, through faith, become children of God. 

To believe in His name does not simply mean that we believe that Jesus existed. It means that we accept everything that the Bible teaches about the Lord Jesus Christ - that He was sent by God to pay the price for our sin (John 3:16) - and that He is the Word of God made flesh (John 1:1).

However, we know that not all received Him when He came into the world. Clearly not everyone believed He was who He said He was - and sadly there are still those today. We all see or know people that refuse to believe in His sacrificial offering. There is only one way to be saved - “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). There is only one way to become a child of God - it is solely by “faith in the name of Jesus” (Acts 3:16) that we will be granted the “right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

Further, being able to call on the name of Jesus is more than just a spiritual honor. It’s a spiritual power only extended to those who receive Him. This is described using the Greek word ἐξουσία (exousia), which in this verse is translated as the word “right” or often entitlement. This isn’t some sort of magical formula, or voodoo incantation. It means that we trust in His person, His sacrifice, and His salvation. We can call on His name - and that is powerful.

Today's verse is simple but is something that I think we all need to be reminded of regularly - as the truths told to us here by John are quickly forgotten by many in our day in time. And, it's in this verse that Jesus is emphasizing permanence and steadfastness in his relationship with His disciples.

John uses the concept of "abiding" in Christ ten times across verses 4-10 but in slightly different ways. Further, he always includes the idea of someone who expresses saving faith and "holds fast" to that belief (Hebrews 4:14; 10:23). Mostly through these verses, we see that John's emphasis is on those who submit to Christ's power to thereby enable their spiritual lives.

So what does this mean?

This implies that we are to have both obedience (John 14:15; 15:10) and perseverance (Hebrews 2:1).

For a person to be spiritually fruitful, they must first be connected to the source of life: Jesus, the True Vine - for it is only when nutrients flow freely to the branches that fruit can be born. And for us to be connected to the True Vine, we must lovingly obey Christ (John 15:9-10). The more intimately connected to our spiritual Life-giver, the more effective and productive we will be.

Within this verse we are given a warning, “…do not depend on your own understanding.” Our hearts are corrupted and we should not depend on them, as we are with sin each and every day. The heart is a false guide. Not long ago we talked about the dangers of following your heart, and many “wise” people of our time telling us to do so. Here we explicitly see the bible telling us not to, but instead to put all of our trust in the Lord.

This isn’t saying to just throw it away, however, instead diligently cultivate it through our trust and pursuit of God. In a world of such extended knowledge, ignorance isn’t that of bliss. It’s the fruit of laziness, dissipation, and misguided delusion.

We see in Proverbs 28:26 that self-dependence is of no use, but is instead that of rebellion (Jeremiah 2:13, 9:23) and ruin (Genesis 3:5-6; Isaiah 47:10-11).

“The great folly of man in trials is – their leaning to or upon their own understanding and counsels. What is the issue of it? ‘The steps of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down’ (Job 18:7). First, he shall be entangled, and then cast down; and by all his own counsels, until he comes to be ashamed of it (Hosea 10:6). Whenever in our trials we consult our own understandings, or hearken to self-reasonings, though they seem to be good, and tending to our preservation; yet the principle of living by faith is stifled, and we shall in the issue be cast down by our own counsels.’ (Treatise on Temptation, chap. 8).

Verse of the Day:

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so at the proper time he may exalt you."

1 Peter 5:6 ESV

The section of 1 Peter 5:1-11 provides specific instructions to elders about how to lead believers willingly, eagerly, and by their own example. We're told that all of us must live in humility toward each other and God (who opposes those who are boastful or proud). It's in our humility that we are able to cast our anxieties to the Father who cares for us. We're told to remain clear-minded, and to be looking out for our enemy (the devil) who is always seeking to destroy us.

We resist him by focusing on standing firm in our faith and knowing that God keeps His promises.

We're living in a nation that is in a seemingly ever-declining state of moral and ethical values, and as a result, believers can easily experience discrimination or outright persecution for standing firm in our faith. This pressure can result in many of us behaving in a manner that isn't consistent with keeping the Gospel. Peter's concern for showing his original audience how to stand faithfully in the midst of suffering, is applicable to our lives today, as it's just as important as ever to live like Christians during this time.

So what does this look like?

Serving each other in humility even in the midst of difficulty and unrest (1 Peter 5:1-5).

It's when we are humble, that we are assured that God will pour out more grace on us - grace that can and will enable us to persevere through any and all of our circumstances (v. 5).

In this verse today (v. 6), we see that if we cannot humble ourselves before God, then we are unable to obey his command to humble ourselves before those who He has appointed to shepherd us (v. 5).

We must rest on His providence, and trust that we may not be able to understand why certain things happen to us at certain times but that all things have been ordained for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28). We live in a culture of such immediate satisfaction, however, we must fight this desire. We must patiently endure suffering, and know that end the end, God will exalt us and reward us for doing so (1 Peter 5:6). And we can do this because we know that He cares for us.

"casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." - 1 Peter 5:7

People love saying the phrase, "God will never give you more than you can handle." And that couldn't be more wrong. Instead, start using this phrase:

"God will never give you more than HE can handle."

This truth means so much more as it allows us to cast our anxieties on Him because:

1. He loves us

2. He will faithfully bring us through whatever trials we might experience (no matter how difficult) because nothing is more than He can handle.

It's through this humbling of ourselves, placing our trust fully in Him, and ultimately when we cast ourselves upon Him, that we become free to love and serve others with the humility that He requires. This is because we no longer have a constant worry about ourselves.

Let's figure out how to directly apply this today:

To start, I have a few questions for you to think about:

1. Have you humbled yourself before the mighty hand of God?

2. Are you fully convinced that He cares about you?

3. Have you entrusted all of your worry and anxieties into His hand?

4. Are you confident that He will take care of you?

I'm aware these aren't easy questions. They're easy for me to ask, but answering requires some searching within.

So if you're having difficulty, start with a particular worry that you have. Maybe this worry is about your job, family, or children. Maybe there's another persistent fear that you have. Commit this fear (or fears if you're able to identify more than one) to the Lord. Remember to return to the Lord when you're feeling anxious - it's not a bad idea to find someone to help...

Verse of the Day:

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,"

Matthew 6:19 ESV

Jesus knows our hearts (Acts 15:8; Luke 6:15). He knows that we're deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 15:9). Therefore, in this section, He is emphasizing what it means to lead a righteous life while here on earth. And it's important to emphasize that those who were hearing Him for the first time would have been surprised at how different His message sounded compared to Israel's religious leaders at the time (who focused largely on words and actions - or outward behaviors). Yet Jesus is saying what we do and why we do it both factor into God's approval (Matthew 6:1-2; 5-6; 16-17) Put simply, those who live for worldly wealth deal with, and live in inner darkness. There is only room for one thing to be the primary focus of our life, so we have to choose if that primary focus is God, or ourselves and our desires. 

As He turns the focus of His words to that of money, Jesus tells us that money and possessions are not dependable, but can easily be lost.

Just a couple of years ago, my wife and I were sitting in our living room when our phones notified us with an alert:

"Tornado Warning: Take Action!

There is imminent danger to life and property. Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If in a mobile home, a vehicle, or outdoors, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris."

We rushed to our closet with our pets and watched the news on our phones to see what was happening. Just down the road a tornado touched down and was moving our direction when the news pointed out that it had just hit a building. Luckily it passed just north of our neighborhood and continued on - not doing much more damage.

However, we found out that the building that had been hit was a house. Ripped from its foundation.

Disaster and chaos can take everything we have in an instant.

Put simply, material possessions are temporary - and Jesus points out that no one can possibly build up enough wealth to fully guarantee (with no risk whatsoever) that their needs will be met forever. I'm going to bring up a cliche that you probably hear people say all the time (I, myself, am very guilty of saying this one a lot): "you can't take it with you" (Luke 12:19-20).

Now, I need to clarify, this teaching is about our hearts and motivations. It doesn't mean we can't have money, own a house/land/property, or have a bank account. We need to provide for our families (1 Timothy 5:8), and we see in Proverbs 6:6-8 that wisdom even demands planning for our temporary future on earth. Wealth is just like any other blessing from God (1 Timothy 4:4) and can absolutely be used according to His will.

The message that I want to leave you with today is that becoming dependent on worldly wealth - to the point that you cross the line into greed or materialism is the issue that Jesus is addressing. As you read this verse today, read a little further, as Jesus challenges these questions of the heart in the following verses.

This chapter in Hebrews lists particular points that we are encouraged to have for proper Christian behavior:

Hebrews 13:1 - Brotherly Love

Hebrews 13:2 - Hospitality

Hebrews 13:3 - Support for the abused and imprisoned

Hebrews 13:4 - Sexual Morality (cf. Romans 1:24-27)

Here in Hebrews 13:5 we see a common theme throughout the Bible: the danger of greed.

I'm going to make an assumption, and say that you have already thought of the phrase, "money is the root of all evil." Well, there's no verse in the bible that says this - nor is that phrase even biblical. We see in the Bible that wealth can absolutely be used and enjoyed without sinning (for example, in Romans 14:14). However, we do see that "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils" (1 Timothy 6:10). Note the distinction, money itself is not evil, but it's where we place our desires that can lead to sin and ruin.

The Bible talks extensively about having an unhealthy obsession with money, and the danger for Christians is that this obsession often leads to discontentment in life. We see this when the Bible uses words like "covet" (Exodus 20:17 and James 4:2) and "jealousy" (James 3:16). Many of us have been told this a lot, but in case you haven't, be thankful for what you have. It's okay to desire more for yourself in life, but when that feeling manifests itself into discontentment, jealousy, or greed, rather than a hopeful or inspired work ethic, there is an issue. Therefore, I encourage you, again, be thankful for what you have, and be hopeful for what you will one day obtain (Hebrews 11:14-16).

When we are pursuing a ever-increasingly strong relationship with Christ, it is built upon trust, contentment, and a forward-looking perspective. And further, if you're using this Verse of the Day as part of your daily bible study, read the next few verses as well. Hebrews 13:6 amplifies this trust in Christ by quoting specific Psalms which proclaim and demonstrate the security that we have in God.

Verse of the Day:

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

The first few verses of Hebrews 11 define faith using words that are frequently quoted, but are also frequently misunderstood. So today we're going to look at this and understand what this verse is really saying - because as with the rest of the Bible, context is absolutely critical. This passage in particular (Hebrews 11:1-3) demonstrates that godly faith is really "trust." We're being told that what we have seen of God's nature and character should therefore naturally lead us to trust Him. This trust in Him then naturally leads to obedience.

One of the misconceptions of this passage is that of "blind faith." But, that's not what is being told to us here at all, as this section immediately follows a lengthy discourse in chapter 10 full of evidence and logic. Instead, the idea of "faith" is presented with a confident look to the future based on our reliance on God's promises.

This brings us to our verse of the day. We see this verse quoted quite a bit, and it gives us a direct definition of faith, but is meant to be read in the context of the rest of the letter. At the end of Hebrews 10, the writer wrapped up the description of why the new covenant in Jesus Christ was superior to the old covenant of animal sacrifices (Hebrews 10:1-18). And in verse 39 of chapter 10, there is a reassurance not to "shrink back," but to "have faith." The definition of faith in this verse is meant to tie this command in Hebrews 10:39 to the examples given later on in the chapter.

For example, the writer explains how the actions of important and various biblical people proved both the existence and the validity of their faith. This is important. It's because of these contexts (which are the former evidence outlined in chapter 10, and our future expectations) that are essential when we are interpreting the meaning of this verse.

Let's now dive into the examples of biblical figures in the coming verses, since understanding the context of today's Verse of the Day is particularly important. We're not going to fully explain every example, but I want to point something out. These examples in the following verses demonstrate believers who showed real, saving faith in God. We see with each and every example a demonstration of trust. And this trust is built on what that person knew and held as reassurance that God would act in accordance to His promises.

I want to make this crystal clear: this is not endorsing blind faith, but is reinforcing the opposite. The "assurance" and "conviction" that we see these people have is not blind faith, gullibility, or wishful thinking. And that's not what our faith is either. Each of the people mentioned had good reason to believe in God - as do we. Their faith was not naively accepting of fairy tales or myths; it was acting in full confidence that God would do what He said He would, based on their experiences.

This is the kind of faith that our Verse of the Day and the rest of Hebrews is referring to. A kind of faith that is built on a trust that produces obedience. This kind of faith results in God's approval through our faith in Christ Jesus.

And what's amazing about living in this day and age, is that we have an advantage that some of these individuals didn't have. We get to look back on their example. This perspective should inspire confidence in you that God will make good on His promises - even if we don't see it in our lifetime.