Grace for the Race

I frequently remind you of the truth of Acts 17:28—that Christians live, and move, and have our being in God and no other.We live in His strength and not our own.It is His divine power that has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).

So . . . where does human effort fit in?Or should we, as some say, regard human effort as a “work of the flesh” and therefore sinful?

My dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Philippians 2:12-13)

Caution: you are entering a spiritual “spin zone” for legalists! Legalists misinterpret and misuse this text of sacred Scripture.They want to create an atmosphere of fear for their followers in order to keep them in line. Legalists darkly warn those who will listen that if they sin, God will reject them and they will lose their salvation.

This is simply not the teaching of Scripture! The Greek word that the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to use, from which we get“fear” in the Philippians passage above, is phobos.Phobosis more literally translated as “reverence,” “awe,” or “respect”—not a slavish fear or panic that paralyzes a person.The right emotions of reverence, awe, and respect are to be gleaned from this text,not doubt and fear regarding our eternal security!

Paul used the very same wordto describe the wonderful reception that Titus received from the Christians at Corinth:

His affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. (2 Corinthians 7:15)

Paul even used phobosto describe himself when he came to the Corinthian church, reflecting on the awesome, almighty nature of the calling Jesus placed in his life, taking him from the persecutor of the church to the pastor of the church.

I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. (1 Corinthians 2:3)

To “work out” our salvation, then, means to do all we can (effort), with the proper sense of reverence and awe for the strength of the Almighty,which is how we live a life of obedience and faithfulness before the face of God.We are to actively pursue the things of God in that ongoing process that is often called progressive sanctification.Notice that the phrase is “progressive” sanctification—not perfect obedience!The Christian progresses in the direction of godliness by grace, through faith, straining with human effort . . . but that Christian believer will not be perfected until he or she is received into glory.

In working out our salvation we go to the source of our salvation (the Lord Jesus Christ) and through the many means of grace (Bible intake, prayer, worship, communion of the saints, etc.) God renews our minds, enlarges our hearts, and bends our wills so that our efforts, worked out in His strength,are in line with His will for our lives.In his seminary and graduate school handbook, The Daring Goal: What to Expect When We Accept Christ as Our Life, Richard Foster put it this way:

Through the Holy Spirit’s guidance and strength, I will order my life according to an overall pattern that conforms to the way of Christ.Over time this process will develop deeply ingrained habits in me so that, at the moment of crisis, inner resources to act in a Christlike manner are available.

Our efforts in His strength will, over time, develop deeply ingrained habits that will lead us toward holiness.And that is the only place where significance and success kiss.Let the psalmist close out today’s meditation:

Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.(Psalm 2:11)

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

When was the last time you took the time to meditate on and marinate in the fact that God delights in you?I am convinced that the more we hold this Gospel truth up before the eyes of our faith, the better we will rest in our redemption.

He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s gracethat he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. (Ephesians 1:4-8)

Do you see the divine delight poured out on you in this passage of Scripture?You were chosen in Jesus before the creation of the world.That means before you got cleaned up, did good works, or “got right with God,”He came after you can picked you to be on His team.And if that isn’t enough to get you smiling, you have, through Jesus Christ, been adopted as children of God.You have the privilege of being in the family of God.

WOW!We are the objects of God’s divine delight, in spite of who we were, what we are, and even in spite of what we will do!The love of God is above and outside of us.It rains down from heaven in accordance with His pleasure and will.It does not flow to us because we are deserving of it.In fact, just the opposite is true.We don’t deserve the love of God.We deserve His wrath and judgment.But instead of making us pay the penalty for our sin, God the Father sent God the Son and graciously gave us redemption through His blood.Because of what God in Christ has done on our behalf, all of our sins have been forgiven and we have been adopted as children of God.And all of this is given to us freely simply because of what Jesus has done for us.

You see, to recognize our true condition is to see a fallen, broken, corrupted sinner who is in desperate need of a Savior.When we take a deep, honest look into our black hearts we find nothing—absolutely nothing—that would cause God to accept us in the Beloved.And that is such a wonderful comfort for those who truly embrace its truth!

Because there was nothing in us that gave God reason to save us, we can rest assured that there is nothing in us as that gives God reason to keep us.And thus it is wholly and solely because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross that keeps us utterly and eternally secure in our place in the family of faith.We have received “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:4-5).

Being in Christ means we have been released from both the penalty of sin and the power of sin.Yet you and I still sin!In those times we mustagain remember whose we are and what God in Christ has done for us.Those who have already completed their pilgrimage in this world and noware in Christ’s presence in heaven are no more accepted or secure than you are!Once we are His we are always His.Nothing can separate you from the love of God that is ours in Christ (Romans 8:38-39).Those who are already in heaven live each moment in the fullness of God’s divine delight . . . and so do you!There may very well be times when you don’t feel like this is true, and this is when you must remember that this divine delight is not based on how you feel . . . but rather how God feels about you.

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

As an exercise physiologist working with athletes over the years, I learned that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. The longest period of time we go without food and drink is when we sleep at night. So when we rise in the morning, we are to break the fast with a good, healthy breakfast to get us ready for the challenges of the day that await us.

Make no mistake; what we eat early in the morning will greatly impact the rhythms of the rest of our day. Yet as important as this meal is for the body, what we put into our minds and hearts as we begin each day is even more important.

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. (Psalm 143:8)

We are to break the fast with good physical food as well as good spiritual food.What better spiritual food for the hungry Christian than to feast on the Word of God when we rise in the morning? To be sure, what we put into our minds and hearts early in the morning will greatly impact the rhythms of the rest of our day as much as, if not more than, the physical food we eat. That is why the psalmist cried out, “Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love!”

With all of the voices that are trying to get our attention—and far too many trying to knock us off course—we absolutely need to break the fast every morning by spending time alone with God and His Word. Only God’s steadfast love can meet us in the place of our deepest need and satisfy our deepest longings of the soul.You see, God designed it that way. Made by God for God, we are never to find our satisfaction in anything smaller than God.

For in him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28)

Life was never intended to be lived apart from God. It is only in Him that we live, move, and have our being.Nothing smaller than God will give us the significance, meaning, and purpose that comes from living life before the face of God.It is always a better day when we start it alone with God.

Some say they simply don’t have the time. To that I reply, “You don’t have the time not to!” Only the daily reminders of Gospel truths can get us through the day with the freedom and joy Jesus has promised. Only God’s steadfast love will dismantle the idols we worship. Only God’s steadfast love can dislodge the affections of the heart that turn us from Jesus. And that is why we simply cannot afford to go charging off into the day without our morning meal with our Master, feasting on the promises of God.

Physical food is good. Spiritual food is better. Both together are the best way to start each day and break the fast.

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

Did you know that every book ever written is a dead book except one? That’s right. Every book is a dead book because the author is dead—or will die—except one. That book is the Bible.

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.(Hebrews 4:12)

Have you ever read a Scripture verse for the umpteenth time and suddenly gained a whole new insight or understood something you never understood about it before? This is a common experience for every student of sacred Scripture. Why? Because Scripture is living, just like its Author. Scripture is so much more than ink on a page;it is divine inspiration imparted to everyone who reads it and has been given eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to receive.

To say that the Word of God is active is to say it has the capacity to change and transform. Whether you are reading it or listening to it, the Word of God is active and always at work accomplishing God’s purposes. The sovereign Lord declares:

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)

The Word is also penetrating, getting under our skin to address the deepest issues of the heart. God’s Word has the power to enter the deepest recesses of a person’s being and do its divine work. So penetrating is the Word of God that it passes the level of information, diving deeper to the level of transformation. Those exposed to the Word of God are never left in the same condition, because the One who wrote is at work through it. Jesus Christ, God’s Word clothed in human flesh, provides powerful testimony to the power of the Word.

The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. (John 6:63)

Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. (John 17:17 NASB)

So . . . how much time do you spend reading the Word of God? And how much time do you spend reading dead books, articles, and papers? What we all need to remember is . . .

THE BOOK WE DON’T READ WON’T HELP!

God has given us His Word in written form so we would read it. He could have left it up to the Holy Spirit to inspire and motivate us to live the life God was calling us to live, but He didn’t! He gave us His book to read it, meditate on it, and marinate in it.

President Ronald Reagan said, “Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.” President Reagan knew by way of personal experience that every other book he had ever read was dead except one: the Bible.

What challenges are you facing today? What problems are pressing you up against the proverbial wall? What storm winds are blowing your way? Sadly, for far too many, the last place they’ll look for help is in the pages of sacred Scripture, and that is the only place they can find true help.

The great 19^th century prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon, had this to say about how we should engage with Scripture. I hope you’ll love this quote as much as I do!

“A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.”

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

This is my birthday card to my beloved Kim, who turns the page on yet another year. She is more than I ever could have asked for or deserved as a wife, mother, and unquestionably my best friend in all the world.

Kim, I find it hard to put into words what joy you have brought into my life since we met in an exercise class I was teaching in 1990. As I recall, it was the first time I saw you in the class and I simply wanted to say “thank you” for attending. The way you tell it, I chased after you through the equipment, out of the fitness center, and all the way into the parking lot to introduce myself and invite you out. Whichever version is correct, I know it was love at first sight for me!

What began as a wonderful friendship has become a wonderful life together. I had heard the phrase, “I cannot remember life before you,” but I had no idea what it meant until I met you. The Bible says it is not good for man to be alone, so God made a helper for him. You, my beloved, have helped me every step of the way. Without you, there would have been very little forward movement in my life. Our closest friends would confirm that statement!

What a “magical” wedding we had on March 3, 1993! And how could it have been any other way? I asked you to marry me in Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World. I got down on one knee, but because I’d just had knee surgery, you thought I had fallen to the ground, so you helped me up onto a bench. Not exactly the way I’d pictured it! But on the second attempt, you left me down there long enough to ask you to marry me and present you with the ring. And you actually said “YES!” Never has a “yes” sounded so sweet to me, before that day or since.

Not long after that, in September of 1995, God gave us both the greatest gift possible, a gift that changed everything. We were saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ while I was passing a kidney stone in the hospital. God’s timing was perfect; He gave us new hearts just before we began the adventure parenthood. And by His grace, you have given us four beautiful, remarkable children: Brock in 1996, Jenna in 1998, Katie in 2002, and Tank in 2004.

You stayed right by my side through all the storms. When the wheels came off the wellness center in 2001, you never wavered. I remember standing next to you, holding your hand as they towed our car away, and you never wavered. I remember selling just about everything we had except our wedding rings, and you never wavered. I remember being dropped by our health insurance carrier, and you never wavered. I remember painting houses and working security for the church, and you going back to work to help make ends meet, and you never wavered. You were living out the Gospel in front of me before I even knew what it actually was!

Then came the call from Westminster Academy for a teaching position, followed by our service at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in men’s and sports ministries. What a ride that was, from 2002-2011. Along the way, I kept telling you about my vision for planting a church. And you kept firmly telling me your vision of “NO! Not now.” I understood . . . sort of. We finally had some security, and after all we had gone through, we would have to be crazy to risk that all over again, especially now with four children.

Then it happened.In the summer of 2011, I raised the subject of planting a church yet again, but this time you said “YES”—the second sweetest sounding “Yes” I have ever heard. Or so I thought initially. The more I got to thinking through it, the more I started to wonder if I was dragging you into another mess. And once again, you never wavered. You were convinced, after years of prayer and godly counsel, that God was calling the Bolands as a missionary family to plant a church.

On March 3, 2012, we launched Cross Community Church in Deerfield Beach. We have never looked back,mainly because we have been too busy looking up! After only 18 months, God has grown His church to the point of needing to add a 3^rd service.

What an incredible life we’ve had together so far! As a boy, I had dreams of what it would be like to be married; Kim,you are more than I could have ever dreamed of as a friend and wife and ministry partner and the mother of our children. You are certainly far more than I deserve. I love you so very much, Kim, and I thank God for you every day.

Happy Birthday to the woman who is my best friend in all the world . . . the one who never wavered!

Thank you for living the Gospel; thank you for giving me grace for my race!

Love,

Tommy

I spend a great deal of my time as a pastor in ministry to a great many hurting people. It is a wonderful privilege to be used by God in the lives of others and to help them fix their eyes on Jesus in the midst of their storms.

Scripture tells us that Christ is the Friend who sticks closer to us than a brother. We have no need to rip through a roof to get to Him who has promised never to leave us or forsake us, but some situations seem so desperate; I know I would do it if I thought I had to, and I’m sure you would too.

One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick.Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 5:17-19)

Take a moment to marinate in the great faith in this passage—not only the faith of the paralyzed man, but also that of his friends, who were willing to rip through the roof to get their friend to Jesus.This is a powerful challenge in this passage directed at you and me!

In the days when Jesus walked the earth, the homes were generally made of stone with flat roofs constructed of a mixture of straw and mud.On an outside wall you could find a stairway that led to the roof.The friends of the paralyzed man were filled with so much faith in Jesus that when they could not find a way to get to Jesus because of the crowd, they climbed the stairs and ripped through the roof to get the man to their Redeemer.

You have heard of the power of faith as small as a mustard seed (Luke 17:6).Well, this is the faith as big as a roof-ripping!Jesus responded to their faith with forgiveness and healing.Do you see how the faith of the friends of the paralyzed man impacted his life?They refused to let anything stand in their way of bringing their friend to Jesus.

So the question we all must ask ourselves is this: “What kind of faith do I demonstrate when it comes to the friends and family members who have never trusted in Jesus as Savior and Lord?”

To be sure, we are not the ones responsible for another’s salvation.Only Jesus saves!But God is pleased to use means, and that is what we are in the hands of the Almighty: a foreordained means for His foreordained ends.Scripture tells us we were “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).

Are we willing to be used by God in the lives of others to bring them to Jesus?Are we willing to get past any of the obstacles that stand in our way? Those obstacles might be . . .

• ·Fear
• ·Doubt
• ·Circumstance
• ·Self-protection
• ·Unforgiveness

Think about this:God had ordained that paralyzed man to be saved through the faith of his friends.God has also ordained some to be saved through you.The key is that we simply are faithful to do what God has called us to do and leave the results up to Him.We are called by God to be used of God as instruments for the salvation of others.The only thing left for us to do is to overcome every obstacle that stands in the way of answering that call.

Are you ready for some roof-ripping?

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

Father Knows Best was a 1950’s American radio and television comedy series that portrayed middle class family life in the Midwest. The title character, in both the radio and televisions versions, was played by Robert Young, who later enjoyed great success with another television series: Marcus Welby, M.D.The “Father” character was beloved throughout the country for providing wise, kindly advice whenever his children had a question or problem. At the end of each program, everything always worked out for the best.

The title of this show reminds me of a deep Gospel truth that anchors the life of the believer on solid rock rather than shifting sand:our Heavenly Father truly does know what is best for His children. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” Proverbs 3:5-6 advises us; “in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” If we ignore our Father’s guidance, we’ll stumble along a rutted and crooked path. He really does know best!

• ·His plan is better than our plan 
• ·His way is better than our way
• ·His path is better than our path
• ·His life is better than our life

Omnipotence is working on behalf of God’s children twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Now,if we assume a worldly perspective, some of the providences we face in life might not seem like they are the best, but they truly are! God has promised to use everything that happens to His children for their good.

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? 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, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:28-32)

Notice first what this passage does not say: it does not say that all things are good. There is a lot of bad that happens in this fallen, broken, sin-filled world. But our Heavenly Father knows best how to make all things, including the bad, work together for the good of His children.

The ultimate purpose of everything in life is that God uses it to conform us to the likeness of Jesus. And don’t miss this: what God started He will finish. All those who have been justified (saved), God will ultimately glorify (fully sanctify). You will not always be like you are . . . and I know that is good news for all of us who know just how much sin still remains on this side of the grave!

One more point before we close. If God is for us, who cares who is against us? Regardless of the waves of challenge you are facing today—at the office, within your family, around your neighborhood, in your health and finances—your Heavenly Father knows best and will bring the best out of you, no matter what you are going through.

And what is the best inside of every child of God? The Lord Jesus Christ! As God is conforming us to the image of His precious Son, we are decreasing and He is increasing in our lives. Our Heavenly Father is causing us to reflect more and more of the character of Christ with each passing day. He grows more and more visible as we display the fruit of the Holy Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23).

And one day, in the not-so-distant future, we will be brought home into our heavenly rest where we will be with Jesus forevermore. To be sure, our Heavenly Father knows best!

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

In all my years of coaching and training athletes for the challenges of competition, regardless of the sport, the most successful performers were the ones who were the most disciplined in their preparation.The ones who not only engaged in team practices with 100% effort but also followed a rigorous personal training schedule were far more prepared to meet and exceed the demands of competition.

The years have taught me that the same principle applies for the “spiritual athlete” as well.Those who put forth a disciplined effort in preparing for the game of life receive multiple rewards.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave . . . (1 Corinthians 9:24-26)

The only way to have any measure of success on the spiritual battlefield of life is to go into it prepared through the consistent practice of the spiritual disciplines such as prayer, Bible intake, weekly worship, service, generous giving, etc.

The apostle Paul exhorted his spiritual son Timothy to train himself in godliness and holiness (1 Timothy 4:7).In this context, the word “train” was borrowed by Paul from the realm of athletics.The word originally referred to the training and discipline of athletes for competition in the games of that day, but came to include both mental and moral training. Paul used it to set our minds on the need for consistent spiritual training.

To be sure, there is much for the committed Christian to do in pursuit of growing up into Christ, but it is never to be attempted in our own strength.We are as much dependent upon the Holy Spirit to guide, govern, and grow us in the area of sanctification as we were in the area of justification.Without grace, there simply is no race!But without a disciplined effort there is no race either.Jerry Bridges explained it this way in his book, The Discipline of Grace:

There are many instances in the Scriptures where the concepts of both dependence and responsibility appear in the same sentence or paragraph.For example, Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.”The psalmist sees God so intimately involved in the building and watching. He does not say, “Unless the Lord helps the builders and the watchmen” but unless the Lord builds and watches.Yet it is obvious that the psalmist envisions the builders laboring to build the house and the watchmen standing guard over the city.The builders cannot put away their tools and go fishing and expect God to build the house.Neither can the watchmen retire to their beds and expect god to watch over the city.

In a word, when it comes to advancing in our walk with Christ we are to both “walk” and “pray” every step of the way.We work and God works and it is all of grace.Our next breath is a grace from God.Our next heartbeat is a grace from God.Yet we must be disciplined in how we use our breath and the beating of our heart in order to make progress in the Christian life.Make no mistake, the discipline I am speaking of here in the life of the believer is not a “work of the flesh,” as some imagine it to be.When the Bible tells us to train ourselves, it is not telling us to do it apart from the grace that God is working in our lives.

The apostle Paul never envisioned Timothy training through sheer willpower and “want-to,” but in fact he urged Timothy to be strong in the grace of God (2 Timothy 2:1).But he also never envisioned Timothy leaving it solely up to the Lord.He was to both trust in God and train himself, knowing that his disciplined effort would return multiple rewards.

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

Now that I have your attention . . .

Think and Grow Rich is a motivational and personal development book written in 1937 by Napoleon Hill. Hill is considered to be one of the first influential “self-help” authors. At the time of his death in 1970, Think and Grow Rich had sold more than 20 million copies. Amazon.com reports that BusinessWeek’s best-seller list ranked Think and Grow Rich as the sixth best-selling paperback business book 70 years after it was first published, with more than 70 million copies sold worldwide.

Charles Stanley, the popular senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Atlanta once wrote, “I began to apply the principles of Think and Grow Rich to my endeavors as a pastor, and I discovered they worked.” Why did they work? Because the principle is biblical.

As [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he. (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV)

God has given human beings a remarkable ability to “think about what we are thinking about” moment by moment. God has endowed us with the power to choose what we will think about and dwell on. This is one of the great gifts from God and part of His image He created within each human being. And this ability is the pathway that God has provided to help us grow into the person He is calling us to be.

The challenge for most of us is that we forget this, especially when we are doing battle with sin. Here is a reminder from the apostle Paul:

As I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. (Philippians 3:18-19)

Over and over again, the Bible reminds us to think about what we are thinking about in order to gain victory over the battles we are fighting against sin on a daily basis. In our therapeutic age we have fallen prey to the passive mind-set approach; we believe we’ll gain victory by talking through our problems with a therapist, working through our issues with a friend, or looking for the roots of our brokenness in our painful past.

I’m not saying that these approaches are bad; they can actually be helpful. But there is a better way to personal growth and change, and it is found in sacred Scripture.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (Colossians 3:2)

The mind will continually dwell on something, and what it dwells on continually it becomes like. So we must intentionally set our minds on things above. We are to focus our minds on the glory of Christ and the truths of the Gospel. This is the key to empowering us to engage in the battle against sin—to fight through it and rise above it. To “think and grow rich” is to think about the riches we have in our Savior and grow into the person He is calling us to be. Now that is a thought worth holding on to moment by moment.

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

Do you know what the sin of self-sufficiency is? Quite simply, it is prideful independence. Like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we who succumb to this sin believe we can live autonomous, independent lives apart from the One who created us. We believe we are self-sufficient. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the great expository preacher, explained it well:

Anyone who reads the New Testament objectively can see clearly that the Pharisees of our Lord’s time were greater sinners (if you can use such terms) than were the publicans and open sinners.Why?Because they were self-satisfied, because they were self-sufficient.The height of sin is not to feel any need of the grace of God.There is no greater sin than that.Infinitely worse than committing some sin of the flesh is to feel that you are independent of God, or that Christ need never have died on the cross of Calvary. There is no greater sin than that. That final self-sufficiency, and self-satisfaction, and self-righteousness, is the sin of sins; it is sin at its height, because it is spiritual sin.

Our sinful nature desires more than anything else to be independent from anything or anyone who would rule over us, and that includes Almighty God.We think freedom is to be found in doing what we want to do, when we want to do it, and how we want to do it, apart from the authority of anyone over us—Almighty God or anyone else.

This is one of the reasons why God allows us to stumble and fall into sin, to remind us that we simply cannot live autonomous and independent lives apart from the help and assistance of God.When we get ourselves into trouble, we come running back to the only One who can deliver us from that trouble.“Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities,” the Psalmist recalled. “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.” (Psalm 107:17, 19).Every stumble is designed to bring us back to sit at the feet of our Savior.

When we are sitting at the feet of Jesus, we are given the “secret” of slaying the sin of self-sufficiency; that secret will be found in no other place.We see in the teaching of our Lord that even He was dependent upon His Father in heaven.Jesus said,

By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.(John 5:30)

The secret to slaying the sin of self-sufficiency is found in the fact that Jesus lived a life that was fully dependent on His Father.Not only that, but He was not afraid to acknowledge this truth.Jesus made it clear that all of us are dependent on God.Jesus modeled a life of dependence upon God and gave us the secret to slaying the sin of self-sufficiency.

Think about this for a moment: Jesus actually said, “By myself I can do nothing”!In His fully human nature He made it clear that He was fully dependent upon His Father.His spirit of dependence is to be our spirit of dependence.

We must look to God for everything.He will meet us in our place of need.He will even meet us in our places of the needs we don’t realize we need yet!It is freeing to know there is a God . . . and it is not us!When God is sitting in His rightful place—on the throne of our lives—we begin living the life we were designed by God to live.It is a life that is created by God, to be lived for God, and to be lived in God.

Now that I have told you the secret to slaying the sin of self-sufficiency, pass it along—because there isn’t a person you meet who isn’t struggling with it!

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