Grace for the Race

When the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a aloud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”  (Mark 15:33-39 ESV)

In first-century Jewish reckoning, the sixth hour was noon and the ninth hour was 3 p.m. The Scriptures tell us that on that awful day when our Lord was crucified, at midday darkness covered the whole land and it became as midnight. Jesus had endured a criminal’s crucifixion—the scourging, the crown of thorns, the nine-inch nails driven through His feet and hands. Now He hung spread-eagled on a wooden cross, and our Lord entered into the most terrible aspect of His crucifixion, which can easily be missed because it is largely unfathomable to human understanding.

The darkness that the Scriptures describe reflects the removal of the Father’s fellowship from His precious Son. From all eternity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit had existed in a perfect fellowship, love, and glory . . . until this day. It was one thing for Jesus to suffer at the hands of wicked men who were used of God to punish the sinless Savior in order to make atonement for sinners like you and me; but now, as darkness enveloped the land, the Holy Father unleashed His full fury and judgment for sin on Jesus Christ and turned His back on His beloved Son, who hung there bleeding, gasping for each tortured breath, dying to pay the penalty for all our sins—past, present, and future. The excruciating physical pain Jesus endured during His crucifixion, which is truly difficult for most of us to imagine, was little more than a mosquito bite compared to the horrific supernatural pain He endured—a mind-shattering anguish no Christian will ever have to experience: being forsaken by the Father.

The darkness that enveloped Jerusalem was not the result of some natural phenomenon, such as an eclipse, cloud cover, or dust storm, as unbelieving naturalists would have us believe. This darkness was a supernatural sign from God to the watching world. Midday became as midnight while God judged the One who knew no sin in the place of those who had known only sin ever since Adam and Eve’s fall in the Garden of Eden.

Luke’s Gospel reports that “The sun was darkened” (Luke 23:45). In the original Greek, we would read this statement as “The sun failing.” The One who spoke the world into existence and hung it on nothing sent this supernatural darkness so that we might understand the utter blackness of our sin and the dreadful damage that sin has caused.

Darkness in the Scriptures is often associated with judgment against wickedness. Who can forget the darkness God sent to cover the land of Egypt as judgment against Pharaoh, who had stubbornly refused to let the Israelites go (Exodus 10:22-23)? The prophets often spoke of God’s judgment against sin that would be demonstrated in the form of darkness. Darkness is also used as a description of hell: “Cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:30).

Between the sixth and ninth hour God poured out His cup of wrath and judgment on His precious Son, who was paying a debt of sin He did not owe for those who owed it but had no ability to pay. Forsaken by His Father, Jesus hung on that cross and endured the unthinkable darkness of sin and hell. The light of love between Father and Son that had existed from all eternity was now extinguished by that blackness that covered the land. Jesus experienced that “outer darkness” that you and I will never have to experience; He willingly took our place as our Substitute . . . our Savior.

Today is Good Friday, a day to reflect on the sacrifice Jesus paid on the cross for our sins. Let us remember, not only the physical pain our Lord endured, as horrible as that was, but the supernatural pain of separation from His Father, which He endured so that we would never have to experience it.

Jesus experienced unimaginable darkness so that we could live in His glorious, eternal light.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.  (Psalm 16:11)

Far too many people in church today see our God as a “killjoy”—a dour deity frowning down on mankind with a stern cosmic countenance, looking for every opportunity to throw a bucket of water on the fire of our fun in this life.

Nothing could be further from the truth! This completely unscriptural notion is a lie from Satan; it smells like smoke and comes from the pit of hell. Our God is no cosmic killjoy!

The psalmist knew the truth about God’s plan for His people. God placed Adam and Eve in Eden, which in Hebrew means a “garden of delight . . . a garden of pleasure.” In other words, Adam and Eve inhabited a garden of joy in the presence of God. God gave Adam and Eve the opportunity to experience joy—not only daily, but moment by moment. And that joy was to be rooted in their relationship with the Lord God.

That sane opportunity exists for you and me today. The key that unlocks the door leading to joy will only be found in the presence of our Lord.

There is something important for you to know about God’s plan for His people; it did not change after Adam and Eve’s awful act of cosmic treason. The joy of the Lord would now come to us through a right relationship with His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. When we give our hearts to Christ, we begin the lifelong process of being filled with “eternal pleasures” at God’s mighty right hand . . . the place where Jesus sits right now.

John records this truth for us in these words of Jesus.

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  (John 15:11)

The world promises us joy in every imaginable way—money, pleasure, possessions, power, and so forth. But in the end, the world can never deliver on its promises. Sure, we may find some joy and satisfaction for a while, but it never lasts. God has designed it this way. The only joy that is “complete”—that is, lasting joy—is the joy that comes from our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Here is something to remember: a joyless Christian is really an oxymoron—a contradiction in terms. Jesus has promised to give us His joy, so when we find ourselves in a season where we are not experiencing His joy, we can be sure of one thing: we have moved away from God and allowed our hearts to beat for something smaller than Jesus.

So . . . how joyously have you been living lately? If your honest answer is, “Not very,” let me encourage you to appropriate the promises you have received from God. The psalmist said we will be filled with joy in His presence; perhaps a few extra minutes alone with Jesus will reignite the flames of joy in your heart, and that joy will flow into the hearts and lives of others.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

No longer will there be any curse . . . “For the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 22:3, 21:4)

What a word of encouragement these verses provide for us today! There is a time coming when there will no longer be any curse, for the old order of things—a world filled with sin, disease, death, and despair—will have passed away. But even before that great and glorious day, when Jesus returns and consummates His Kingdom completely, He is already reversing the curse inside of each one of us. That work began in us on the day that God, by grace through faith, raised us from death to life and we surrendered control of our lives to Him.

The curse was a result of Adam and Eve’s rebellion in the Garden of Eden. God gave paradise to our first parents with only one prohibition—just one—and, sure enough, they did what they were told not to do and plunged all of creation into a cosmic curse. God first pronounced His curse upon Satan for deceiving the woman and tempting her to turn away from God; next, God cursed the woman, increasing her suffering in childbirth; and then He cursed the man, who would live a life of toil amongst thorns and thistles. It was a paradise lost.

But God also made a promise of blessing: He promised that the Seed of the woman would come to crush the serpent’s head. Jesus is the fulfillment of that divine promise. He came to reverse the curse. His sinless life, sacrificial death, and supernatural resurrection destroyed the works of the devil. Jesus ultimately became the death of death.

Jesus made a way for us to get back into a right relationship with God. When we transfer our trust to Christ, we are given the first fruit of the reversed curse: our justification—peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the first thing Adam and Eve lost when they sinned. They were in fear of God and ran from Him, hiding in the bushes. But Jesus has reversed this curse for every Christian. The Christian may approach God with “freedom and confidence” (Ephesians 3:12). Yet that divine reversal will not be complete until we get to the other side of the grave . . . or until the day Jesus returns on the clouds of heaven.

So how should this truth instruct our lives? We must remember that, inasmuch as the curse was reversed when Jesus conquered the grave, we will continue to experience the curse on our way into glory. We are still broken people living in a broken world, and things don’t always go the way we hope or expect them to. When we find ourselves experiencing a bit of the curse in some area of our life experience, we must remember that the day is coming when there will no longer be any curse, for the old order of things will have passed away.

May that promise empower you to rise above the challenges of daily living, knowing that He who began a good work in you will one day bring it to completion.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.  (Psalm 119:11)

It has been rightly observed that a river without banks becomes a swamp. With no edges to direct the water, it does not move; it simply sprawls out and becomes stagnant. Well, the Christian without banks—that is, the “banks” of the Bible, which instructs us and leads us in the way we should go—will inevitably become a spiritual swampland.

So . . . how well have you protected yourself from becoming a spiritual swampland? The answer to that question will be found in the time you invest in meditating on and marinating in the Word of God.

The psalmist knew that the key to keeping his life from becoming a spiritual swampland was the Word of God. He was so committed to live according to the precepts of the Word of God that he hid the Scriptures in his heart to keep him from straying from the path of righteousness. But know this truth: we cannot hide the Word of God in our hearts if we do not spend enough time reading the Word of God!

The Bible is the inspired Word of the Living God, and it has been given to you so that you can know God and His plan and purpose for your life. There are 66 books in the Bible, but there is only one theme: Jesus Christ. The Bible is one Word, given from one God to one people; the more time we spend in it, the better we get to know the One who inspired 40 writers to write it in three different languages on three different continents over the course of 1500 years.

Today’s verse comes from the longest chapter in the Bible, and that chapter is all about the Word of God. As a pastor, I often recommend Psalm 119 to reignite the fires of faith for those who are drifting into a spiritual swampland. The psalmist not only expressed his absolute and unconditional love for Scripture, but he was also faithful to recognize and record the times he had fallen short of its demands.

This, of course, is the confession of all our lives: we sin and fall short again and again. But One came into this world who fulfilled the entire Law of God on our behalf, and His name is Jesus Christ. When we transfer our trust to Jesus, His perfect life becomes our perfect life because God the Father credits us with the righteousness of His beloved Son.

How much time have you been spending in the Word of God lately? Have you ever taken the time to read all the way through from Genesis to Revelation? Remember, the Bible is really God’s personal love letter to you. The Author of Life knows what is best for your life, and the best nourishment of all is found in the pages of sacred Scripture. Daily Bible reading builds strong banks in your life that will keep you from drifting into a spiritual swampland.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

I will boast only in the Lord.  (Psalm 34:2)

The world raises its glass and makes one toast after another to every imaginable thing under the sun. But for the believer, it is not a toast that we should be offering; instead, we boast in the only One who is worthy of our boasting!

I have nothing against offering a toast from time to time; but the life of the believer should be marked by boasting in the Lord. The psalmist David knew this truth. He did not raise his glass and toast to things smaller than his God. Instead, he raised his voice and boasted in his Lord. Nor did he boast about the things he did for the Lord; rather, David boasted about the things God had done for him.

The apostle Paul knew this truth too. Quoting Jeremiah, Paul wrote, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31).

To boast in anything other than God would be a bad thing indeed. To boast is to “puff oneself up in word” which is another word for pride, which is condemned throughout all the Scriptures. David and Paul were not encouraging us to engage in sinful boasting about oneself (braggadocio), as is the custom of the world we live in. Rather, they were exhorting us to give glory to God by boasting in His name—and not solely because of what He has done, is doing, and has promised to continue doing, but simply because He is God, who is worthy of our boasting! No one put this better than the prophet Jeremiah:

Thus says the Lord: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight,’ declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

Have you been boasting in your Lord lately? Would those around you say that you are more likely to raise your glass to toast . . . or raise your voice to boast in the Lord? Remember, everything you have has been given to you, for it is God Himself who gives all men life and breath and everything else (Acts 17:25). The more you have, the more you are in debt to the One who has given it to you. It is right to boast when we are boasting in our Lord. And the next time someone raises a glass to make a toast, perhaps you can raise your voice to make a boast in your Lord.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.  (2 Chronicles 31:21)

Hezekiah knew that God would not bless half-hearted effort. So in all that he did for the glory of God, Hezekiah did it with all of his heart.

If someone was writing your story today, would this be written about you? Is the effort you are giving for the glory of God and the good of others half-hearted . . . or wholehearted? Remember, the choice is always yours and the results are guaranteed. Charles Spurgeon explained it this way:

This is no unusual occurrence; it is the general rule of the moral universe that those men prosper who do their work with all their hearts, while those are almost certain to fail who go to their labor leaving half their hearts behind them. God does not give harvests to idle men except harvests of thistles, nor is He pleased to send wealth to those who will not dig in the field to find its hid treasure.

We really should need no encouragement to give a wholehearted effort in the things God has called us to do. All we need to do is look to our Savior, who never gave less than all of His heart to everything He did. There was no half-hearted effort in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ! And when He had done all that He had come to do, He gave His heart to the entire process of crucifixion; He gave and gave until his heart beat its last and He cried out, “It is finished!” Our so-great salvation was not won by a half-hearted effort!

Make no mistake, if you are to prosper in anything you do in life, both personally and professionally, you will have to give all your heart to it. I have learned over the years that wholeheartedness shows itself in the three Ps –

Passion – a strong feeling of enthusiasm and excitement for doing something is a mark of a wholehearted effort.

Perseverance – regardless of the obstacles to overcome, wholehearted effort keeps going and going and going until the goal is reached.

Progress – the wholehearted accomplish the most basic demand of life: making measurable progress in reasonable time.

So . . . can you say that your life is marked by passion, perseverance, and progress? It will be if you are giving all of your heart to all you are doing. And on the other side of your wholehearted effort will be the promised blessings of God.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.  (Philippians 2:14-15)

When you hear the word “star,” what comes to mind? For most people, it would be the name of some famous person from the world of entertainment or sports. Perhaps you might think of a name from the world of politics or business. Well, I have a word of unimaginable encouragement for you today: you are a star . . . one of the Savior’s stars!

You don’t need to be a Bible scholar to know that the world we live in is both dark and depraved. When Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden, they brought all of creation down into the depths of destruction and despair. But in the midst of their sin and rebellion, they were given a promise: that God would send a Savior who would bring light into this world and make His people to be stars that would shine His light everywhere they went.

So . . . is this the confession of your life today? Are you shining your light into this dark world and pointing the way to the Savior who raised you from death to life?

Notice that Paul told the Philippians that grumbling and arguing shrouds the light God has given His people. Grumbling and arguing are not the marks of a transformed life; they are the remnants of the old, unsaved person that still lives deep within every child of God. They are the marks of the heart that beats for the self, not the Savior.

But this is not for you! You see, the same grace that saved you is the same grace that is currently sanctifying you. God did not save you to leave you where you are; He saved you to form Christ-likeness in you . . . which over time will remove the old nature of grumbling and arguing, replacing it with patience and trust and praise for the providence of God.

To be sure, some providence is painful. But God is with us in that pain, so we ought not to whine, grumble, or complain when it comes our way. We are to receive all providence that comes to us through the loving, nail-scarred hands of our Lord Jesus Christ with the confident assurance that we are getting exactly what we need to be all God is calling us to be.

So . . . are you shining brightly as one of the Savior’s stars? What one thing would you need to change today to shine a bit more brightly? I hope you’ll prayerfully consider your answers to those two questions . . . because, at the end of the day, you never want to be the kind of person that lights up the room when you walk out of it, rather than when you walk into it!

Remember, the “stars” that the world exalts are temporal. But the Savior’s stars are eternal; their light will never go out. May this truth encourage and comfort you today!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. (Isaiah 50:6-7)

The next time you go by a business with a “Help Wanted” sign out front, let it remind you of today’s word of encouragement: NO “HELP WANTED” SIGN HERE!

The words from the prophet Isaiah point directly to the Messiah who would one day give His life as a ransom for many. In Luke 9:51, we read that Jesus “steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem” (NKJV). He knew what awaited Him there! Jesus would offer His back to the lash; by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). The Roman legionnaires would pull out His beard and spit in His face, all the time laughing and mocking Him. Yet at no time did His confidence wane. He trusted in the will of His Father in heaven, and knew He would be victorious in the end.

Did you know that the help the Father gave to the Son, is the same help that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit give to you—not only daily, but moment by moment? Think about the last time you were in need of help. Did you not get the help you needed from your Father in heaven? Perhaps it was not the help you wanted, but make no mistake, it was absolutely the help you needed. God knows what is best for you, and He never gives you less than what is best.

Remember, Jesus suffered and endured the pain and shame you will never have to endure. He who knew no sin became sin and took your place on a cross. The Father poured out His wrath on His Son in your place, causing Jesus to cry out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And He did this so that you will never be put to shame; you will never be forsaken; you will never be abandoned. Jesus took all of that in your place, and He has promised to provide you all with the help you need, regardless of the cost or circumstance.

Regardless of where this finds you today, God has promised to meet you in your deepest place of need. Set your face like flint and commit yourself fully to the plan and purpose God has for your life, knowing that what He has called you to do, He will help you get it done. With God on your side, does it really matter who or what comes up against you? With omnipotent aid standing ready to fortify you, is there any obstacle too great for you to overcome?

Fear not! Doubt not! Go forth this day in the strength and security of your Savior and remember: There is no “Help Wanted” sign here, because Jesus is all the help you will ever need!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (John 14:13-14)

So what’s in a name? In a word . . . EVERYTHING . . . when it is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Far too many in the church today have not appropriated the power of the deep truth of praying continually in the name of Jesus. And here is what that means: to ask in the name of Jesus is to ask according to the will of God . . . according to the character of God . . . and for the glory of God. When we keep prayer in this perspective, we realize that some of the things we ask for—perhaps many of the things we ask for—do not meet this cosmic criteria. The key is keeping Jesus in view when we come before the throne of grace and petition our God for the desires of our heart.

A great many people have taken Jesus’ words—“You may ask me for anything”—and twisted this biblical encouragement to the point where they see God as some kind of genie in a bottle. Others take this verse out of context and believe it to be some kind of magic formula for satisfying the selfish desires of their hearts. Make no mistake, our God will never grant any of our requests if they are contrary to His nature, His will, and His glory.

Here is the key that unlocks the door to living in the light of this biblical truth: the closer we draw to Jesus, the more our prayers will be in line with what He wants for us. God the Father is perpetually pleased to honor the name of His Son when we petition the throne of grace for things that bring honor and glory to His name. Remember, Jesus provided the greatest model for what we should sound like when praying to our Father in heaven: “Not my will, but thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!”

So . . . have the prayers you are lifting to heaven been a fragrant offering to God? Should you be praying with the confident expectation that our heavenly Father will do what you ask? Know this: if your prayers are prayed in the name of Jesus—according to the character and will of God with the desire to bring glory to God—you may hold this truth as your own. When you pray in this way, God will do what you ask. You have His Word on it!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank.  (Proverbs 22:29)

Today’s word of encouragement is rooted in the following story . . .

A man passed by a construction site where several workers were laying bricks. He asked one of the workers, “What are you doing?”

The man answered, “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m laying these stupid bricks!”

Going a little further, the man stopped and asked another worker, “What are you doing?”

The second worker replied, “I am making a wall.”

The passerby walked a little further, then asked a third man, “What are you doing?”

The third man exclaimed, “I am building a magnificent cathedral to the glory of God!”

What’s the difference between the miniscule vision of the first two workers and the magnificent vision of the third worker? THE POWER OF PURPOSE! The third worker worked for the glory of God!

So . . . how does this apply to you right now, right where this finds you? You need to see what you are doing as something bigger than what you are doing. If you are just trying to move past “hump day” to get to “Thank goodness it’s Friday,” you have missed the greater purpose in what you are doing. And that greater purpose is to bring the ultimate glory to your God! And how are we to do that? Through the pursuit of excellence.

When you pursue excellence in every area of your life—both personally and professionally—you will not be satisfied with just “getting through the day” and “surviving the week.” Rather, you will see everything you do as an opportunity to bring glory to God by giving your best effort and using the gifts, talents, and abilities God has given you in a way that demonstrates Whose you are and what He has called you to do.

Make no mistake, the Power of Purpose will propel you far beyond the level of simply surviving life, to succeeding for the glory of God. Don’t just lay bricks! Instead, resolve in your heart to build a cathedral, a monument for the glory of your God. This is the Power of Purpose, and it will serve you well, all the days of your life.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.  (Colossians 23-24)

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!