"Grace is God's willingness not only to condescend to our creaturely finitude even to the point of assuming our flesh, but to give His life for us 'while we were still enemies.'" ~Michael Horton

July 26- 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

2011-07-26T10:03:00.002-04:00

I know that my Redeemer lives;
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, He lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my ever living Head.

He lives to bless me with His love,
He lives to plead for me above.
He lives my hungry soul to feed,
He lives to help in time of need.

He lives triumphant from the grave,
He lives eternally to save,
He lives all glorious in the sky,
He lives exalted there on high.

He lives to grant me rich supply,
He lives to guide me with His eye,
He lives to comfort me when faint,
He lives to hear my soul’s complaint.

He lives to silence all my fears,
He lives to wipe away my tears
He lives to calm my troubled heart,
He lives all blessings to impart.

He lives, my kind, wise, heavenly Friend,
He lives and loves me to the end;
He lives, and while He lives, I’ll sing;
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.

He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death:
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me safely there.

He lives, all glory to His Name!
He lives, my Jesus, still the same.
Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives,
I know that my Redeemer lives!

THE PRAYER

Jesus, My Redeemer, I know that You live, and what joy it gives to know that You have conquered death, conquered my sin, and made a way for me to live with You eternally! Thank you, Jesus, for Your sin-conquering, Satan-conquering, death-conquering work on my behalf!

EXTENDED READING

Job 19:23-27
1 Corinthians 15:54-58
Romans 8:31-39

THE QUOTE

“Biblical holiness begins with the Holy. But the holy, by its very nature, can be approached only when we come as sinners. He is never accessible to us as consumers. We come in sackcloth and ashes, not as buyers. Indeed, we cannot approach the Holy at all on our own terms. We must see that the Holy has first approached us in Christ and, through him, reconciled us to himself.” ~David Wells

Easter Sunday- Mark 16:8

February 25- 1 Peter 1:18-19

2011-02-25T15:10:00.001-05:00

THE VERSE

You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
~1 Peter 1:18-19

THE THOUGHT

Once on a dreary mountain, we wandered far and wide
Far from the cleansing fountain, far from the pierced side
But Jesus sought and found us, and washed our guilt away
With cords of love He bound us to be His own today

Dear Lord, receive the glory of each recovered soul
Oh who can tell the story of love that made us whole?
Not ours, not ours the merit; be Yours alone the praise
And ours a thankful spirit to serve You all our days

Now keep us, holy Savior, in Your true love and fear
And grant us by Your favor the grace to persevere
Till in Your new creation, when earth meets heaven's shore
We find our full salvation and praise You ever more

Redeemed, restored, forgiven
Through Jesus' precious blood
Heirs of His home in heaven
O praise our pardoning God!

THE PRAYER

EXTENDED READING

1 Peter 1:13-21

THE QUOTE

"The Bible is the portrait of Jesus Christ." ~John Stott

February 24- 1 Corinthians 15:1-2

2011-02-24T13:32:00.002-05:00

THE VERSE

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you-- unless you believed in vain.
~1 Corinthians 15:1-2

THE THOUGHT

This week we have been reminded that the gospel is what we received and what we stand on. Today we will look at the final thing Paul says here about Jesus' death and resurrection: it is the gospel by which we are being saved.

Note that he doesn't say, "the gospel by which you were saved" or "the gospel by which you are saved"-- although both of those are true statements. He puts it in the present progressive tense: the gospel "by which you are being saved." This is good news! The present-tense nature of our salvation is the bedrock foundation for our peace and joy.

Today, as you and I go about our lives, sinning in our thoughts, attitudes, and actions, we "are being saved" by the gospel. Jesus' blood and righteousness is what makes us acceptable to God right now. It is not our faithfulness or our measure of obedience; both are marred by indwelling sin. No, our hope in this life and the next is our present-tense justification. We can boldly approach the throne of the grace right this moment, because right this moment our Great High Priest is standing there, pleading His perfect life and death on our behalf.

What confidence this gives us! We are secure in God's love now and forever because of Jesus' perfect righteousness. "Behold Him there, the risen Lamb, my perfect spotless righteousness / The great, unchangeable I AM, the King of glory and of grace." His grace is unchangeable, His love is unmoveable, and His spotless righteousness is fully and irrevocably credited to my account. I am being saved, right here and now, because of who He is right here and now.

THE PRAYER

Jesus, Thank you for Your present-tense ministry of intercession and salvation. You are saving me from my sin and from myself right here and now. Thank you for pleading Your blood before the Father's throne. Thank you for sending me Your Spirit to support my struggle and sustain my sanctification. Thank you for Your unchanging love and grace, the same yesterday, today, and forever, that gives me hope that I am saved right now and for eternity.

EXTENDED READING

1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Hebrews 4:14-16
Romans 8:31-34

THE QUOTE

February 23- 1 Corinthians 15:1-2

2011-02-23T13:01:00.002-05:00

THE VERSE

THE THOUGHT

Yesterday we were reminded of the powerful truth that the gospel is not primarily something we respond to, but rather something we receive. Today we look at the next truth about Jesus' death and resurrection on our behalf: it is the gospel "in which you stand."

Too many of us think of the gospel-- the news that God has sent His Son to live a perfect life, take the punishment for our sins, and then rise in victory-- as something we accept when we are first saved, and then move on to bigger, better things. We think of the gospel as the starting line of the Christian life, but then the rest of the race is somehow different. This couldn't be further from the truth, and this lie robs us of the power and joy God intends for us. As David Pryor has said, "We never move on from the cross, only into a more profound understanding of the cross." The Christian race doesn't start at the cross and then move on; the whole race is run toward a deeper and deeper understanding and appreciation of the gospel. The gospel is not just what we received in the beginning; it is what we stand on now.

The gospel is what we stand on now as we fight against sin and for holiness. Over and over again, Scripture connects our sanctification back to the cross, yet another indication that the gospel is not something we are ever supposed to move on from. Struggling to forgive someone who has hurt you? Stand on the gospel. "Forgive one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Fighting against sexual temptation and lust? Stand on the gospel. "You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." Seeking to love your spouse better? Stand on the gospel. "Husbanyour love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her." Trying to foster a spirit of humility? Stand on the gospel. "Have this mind among yourselves: ....He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Feeling weak? Stand on the gospel. "He is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ." Facing persecution as a Christian? Stand on the gospel. "To this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps." Struggling with the assurance of God's love for you? Stand on the gospel. "God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

And when we get to heaven, when this long fight is finally behind us? What will we be singing about? And what will we be standing on? It will be the same foundation that God has given us for this life; we will still be standing on the gospel. "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!"

THE PRAYER

Holy Spirit, Draw me deeper into a more profound understanding of the cross. Don't leave me with my current grasp of grace, my current amazement at mercy. In Your kindness, open my eyes to new vistas of love, new horror at my sin, and new depths and heights of Your spectacular grace. Help me to see the connections in Your Word between Jesus' cross and my life now, and empower me to daily stand in the gospel, more and more rooted in grace.

EXTENDED READING

1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Ephesians 4:32-5:2
1 Corinthians 6:18-20
Ephesians 5:25-27
Philippians 2:3-8
Romans 16:25-27
1 Peter 2:19-21
Romans 5:6-10
Revelation 5:9-14

THE QUOTE

"We never move on from the cross, only into a more profound understanding of the cross." ~David Pryor

February 22- 1 Corinthians 15:1-2

2011-02-22T09:48:00.002-05:00

Psalm 31:1-5
Psalm 71:1-6
Joel 2:26-27
2 Timothy 1:8-14

THE QUOTE

January 19- Philippians 3:20

2011-01-19T12:43:00.001-05:00

THE VERSE

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ
~Philippians 3:20

THE THOUGHT

This world is not our home. You've heard that before, but what does it actually mean? It means, on the one hand, that we should never get too comfortable here, because we are only passing through. Don't conform to the pattern of this world, because we are not of this world. So don't be worried if people don't understand you or can't relate to you because of your walk with God- you are a foreigner and an alien here. You are an ambassador of Christ, a citizen of heaven, stationed here for a time to proclaim the love of Christ to all who will listen. Let your entire life, therefore, be lived with a single-minded purpose: pursuing God who is in heaven in a way that will encourage others to take up that same pursuit.

And on the other hand, it means that while we aren't home yet, we are on our way there. Let that thought sink in for a while- all of our pain and sorrow and tiredness and sin is but a fleeting vapor compared to the immensity of eternity that we will spend in the presence of God. Heaven is where Jesus is, and soon we will be with Him forever!

THE PRAYER

Father, Don't let me get comfortable here, but instead put a deep longing for You in my heart. I want to see You face to face, and I yearn for the day when my strivings will cease and I will enter Your rest, home at last.

EXTENDED READING

Philippians 3:12-21
1 Peter 2:9-12
Revelation 21:1-7

THE QUOTE

“Our best works are shot through with sin and contain something for which we need to be forgiven.” ~J.I. Packer