Grace for the Race

We have all heard the phrase “living large” used to describe someone living an extravagant or self-indulgent lifestyle. The phrase is often applied to someone who recently won the lottery or experienced some other financial windfall.

But for the believer, “living large” has nothing to do with worldly wealth or self-indulgent pleasure. Christians who are living large are those who are living for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and the expansion of His kingdom. Recall our Lord’s words from the Sermon on the Mount:

Do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

(Matthew 6:31-33)

When Jesus holds first place in our lives, we truly are living large, because we are living for Jesus—and there is nothing larger in life than living for our Lord. The problem is that we live in a world that has been possessed by its possessions. Many of us have bought into the lie that seeking “stuff” can seem functionally more life-giving than seeking our Savior.

We are so easily satisfied by things that are smaller than Jesus! We find ourselves “living little,” focusing on the expansion of our own little kingdoms. Countless “little things” can seem more life-giving than living for the Lord, but their promise of life leads only to a slow and agonizing death. They can never and will never do for us what only Jesus can do.

C.S. Lewis said it beautifully in The Weight of Glory:

We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. We are far too easily pleased.

This was the essence of Satan’s promise to Adam and Eve who had been living large in a garden paradise. You and I can only imagine the beauty and perfection. Yet our first parents quickly flung all that aside to squat in a mud puddle. Satan promised them “more” life apart from God; they quickly found out that Satan is a cruel, deceitful slumlord. He never has been able to deliver on his promises and he never will.

There is no investment in this life as poor as investing in the expansion of the kingdom of self. If you and I are going to live large, we must pursue God’s will for our lives instead of our own will. It is there—when we are seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness—where we find meaning and significance . . . peace and security . . . purpose and passion. This is how we live a life that truly matters. This is the place where we expand the borders of our lives to fill the borders of the Kingdom of God, and that, beloved, is living large!

When Jesus told us to seek His kingdom first, He was telling us that the life God designed us to live is a life rooted in Christ. Living for Christ must not be an add-on or an afterthought. Jesus is to be on the throne of our personal lives . . . our professional lives . . . in every area of our lives. He deserves that place and will tolerate no rival—nor should He.

Make this year a year of living large, and you will not miss the one thing you were made for: Christ!

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

Is there anyone reading this right now who doesn’t understand that sin is bad? We all know by way of personal experience that sin is bad. And the cross-work of Jesus Christ reveals to us how appalling sin is in the sight of God. But is that all there is to say? Do we know just how bad sin really is?

If we simply think of sin as a violation of some set of rules and regulations, our view of sin is not high enough. Impure thoughts, improper actions, and inappropriate words all come under the heading of sinful behavior, but to see sin as simply missing the mark of our moral code does not go deep enough. To leave sin there is to leave it in the shallow end of the flowing river of life.
King David refused to do this. After his adulterous encounter with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of her husband, David confessed to the Lord,
Against you, you only, have I sinned. (Psalm 51:4)

David rightly saw his sin as something far greater than rebellion against a set of commands. He saw his transgressions as something far more grievous than a violation against a moral code. He saw his sin reaching all the way to God—where it always reaches, because sin at its deepest level is a violation against God.

To be sure, David knew he had sinned against Bathsheba and her husband and, as king, David had sinned against all the people of Israel. He rightly understood the nature of his sins as damaging countless horizontal relationships. But at the end of the day, the most important violation his sin had committed was the one against his vertical relationship with God. What makes sin so exceedingly sinful is that it is ultimately willful rebellion against a loving, merciful, and sinless God.

It is only when we keep this fact in view—that our sin is a personal affront to God—that we will seriously set our hearts against our sins. Knowing that our sin is ultimately directed against God is the fuel we need to fight against our tendency to keep sinning against others. Perhaps, in some twisted way, we may believe someone “deserves” the sinful treatment we are delivering to them. But we can never regard God in that way!

This is part of what I mean when I say we must preach the Gospel to ourselves every day. God’s glorious Good News tells us that “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Do we really want to continue to sin and thus thumb our nose at the Savior who left heaven’s throne to take up our cross?

It is only the power of the Gospel that will help us fight against the darkness of our sinful nature that still lives within us. We can never justify any wrongdoing against the perfect love and the perfect righteousness of God.

Joseph understood the sinfulness of sin and provided us with one of the best examples in all of Scripture to fight against sin when he asked, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9).

Joseph was sold into slavery and taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials and the captain of the guard, bought him as a slave. Joseph proved himself worthy and was elevated into a position of leadership and authority. When Potiphar’s wife repeatedly tried to seduce him, Joseph flatly refused.

Remember that it was Joseph’s own brothers who had coldly contemplated killing him before they sold him into slavery. He was far from his home and likely never to see his father or brothers ever again. At some level, he could have very well have been thinking that God had abandoned him. Whatever he might have wondered during those first awful days of realizing he was the property of another man, Joseph never forgot God’s love. He refused a moment of pleasure with Potiphar’s wife because he refused to sin against his God.

Trusting in God in spite of his circumstances kept Joseph doing the right thing when the wrong thing would have been so easy to do. And that is what we need to do too! Trust God and keep His amazing love and grace before our eyes always. Keeping the sinfulness of sin in view will go a long way toward helping us say what Joseph said . . . before we have to confess what David did.

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

If the goal of the Christian life is to be conformed to the likeness of Christ—that is, to develop “Christlikeness”—the question we have to ask is, “How does that happen?”

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you know I’m going to say that the answer is found in the Gospel. The more we preach the Gospel to ourselves every day, the more it will conform us to the image of Christ. But there is another factor: these Gospel truths are to be lived out in a certain way . . . and that way is in community.

At Cross Community Church we like to say that transformation is a community project. We were never intended to live in isolation. The first malediction in the Bible (the first time something was pronounced “bad”) was God’s pronouncement about Adam being alone: “It is not good,” the Lord said (Genesis 2:18). We have been created for relationship and community.

The Bible knows nothing of intentional isolation for the committed Christian. Think about it this way: the Trinity is relational by nature—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—three persons in one in continual community, from eternity past to eternity future. And we have been made in the image of God, which means we have been made for community. As God’s image-bearers, we are intentionally, inescapably relational. Our relationships reflect the community and relationship of our Triune God.

Jesus’ teaching sharpens our focus on this Gospel truth in the following passage.

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31)

Now, the problem we face is a result of the fall in the Garden of Eden. To be sure, we were made for relationship, but after the fall the image of God in us was marred and our relational abilities are hampered by sin. Adam and Eve began the blame game. The first born (Cain) killed the second born (Abel). And the rest of history is one long, dreary story about relationships that are fallen, broken, and dysfunctional.

But in the Gospel, God has graciously bestowed the capacity for community on us once again. The concept of “lay-your-life-down-for-others” was put on display by Jesus as the model for all of our relationships. The Gospel recaptures the relational aspect that was meant for all humanity and assigns it to the body of Christ.

Made by God and made for God, community is the context for growing in Christ-likeness. The outworking of the Gospel is seen in the redemption and restoration of relationships. Sure, we are still broken and we will still hurt each other and mess up our relationships. But the Gospel provides all the grace we need to grow through all of it.

•  Betrayed? So was Jesus, and Jesus is with you in your betrayal.
•  Denied? So was Jesus, and Jesus is with you in your isolation.
•  Falsely accused? So was Jesus, and Jesus is with you in the heartache.
•  Abandoned? So was Jesus, and Jesus is with you in your loneliness.

God is renewing His broken image in you right now. A significant part of His perfect plan for accomplishing that restoration is located in the realm of relationships and in the context of community. Make no mistake, the more you focus on your relationship with God (vertical) the more you will want to focus on your relationships with others (horizontal). If you want to be more like Christ, you will have to get more engaged in community! And that is the Gospel truth.

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

The dictionary defines the word paradox as “a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true.” Today we’re going to look at paradoxical propositions in the Bible that are seemingly contradictory but are not; and instead of being “perhaps” true, they are absolutely true!

Here are just a few of the most common ones delivered by our Prince of Peace for our benefit:

To live you must die (Mark 8:35)

To gain you must give (Matthew 19:21)

To rule you must serve (Luke 22:26)

I think you’ll agree that those are some jaw-dropping paradoxical propositions! And yet they are all true. In order to live we absolutely must die. We must die to self. We must die to our way of thinking. We must die to our dreams and desires. We must die to everything we want in order to live for everything God wants for us. Dying to the self is the only way to live for our Savior.

In order to gain we absolutely must give. The more we give the more we gain, because the gain is first to be found in the giving. Now, I am not talking about the “prosperity gospel,” which teaches that if you give so much you can expect so much in return. We simply cannot bind the conscience of our God or broker His favor. We are blessed by the Best simply because we are in union with Christ. The more we give, the more we get . . . in ways we never imagined.

In order to rule we absolutely must serve. Jesus set the ultimate example of service and He is the ultimate Ruler—the King of kings and Lord of lords. This paradox was so alien to the minds of the disciples that they did not know how to handle His foot-washing seminar.

Clearly the way up is down. The way in is out. The way to life is death. The way to gain is to give. The way to rule is to serve. These paradoxical propositions are the keys to unlocking the door leading to a better life, one filled with the freedom, joy, and faithfulness that only comes through the Gospel.

And only the truths of the Gospel free us to live such apparently contradictory lives. The Lord says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways” (Isaiah 55:8). Instead of trying to figure it the best way to go, we do well to simply follow our Lord’s plan and prepare to pick the fruit He has prepared for us.

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

Often when I ask the students I’m working with what their favorite verse in Scripture is, they’ll quote “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).I think that may well be because that’s the shortest verse in the Bible and thus the easiest to remember!No matter; it is also a verse you and I should have firmly planted in our minds and hearts, because it holds outvirtually limitless comfort to the Christian.

Imagine for a moment: the Son of God—our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the creator and sustainer of all things—weeping!The question we have to ask is,Why?Why was Jesus weeping?John11 relates the story of the death of Lazarus, a man whom Jesus loved.Lazarus’ sisters sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was ill.But Jesuscame too late; Lazarus was dead and buried when He arrived.And Jesus wept. All hope was lost!

Or was it? In just a few minutes Jesus was going to raise Lazarus from the dead.Lazarus would soon be breathing again . . . walking again . . . talking again.Jesus had known for days what He was about to do; He had purposely arrived after Lazarus had died in order to glorify His Father.

But He wept anyway!Why?Why would Jesus weep if He knew Lazarus would be alive again in mere moments?The answer is that Jesus hated what sin and death had done to this world.The great enemy of all mankind is death.Some spend a lifetime trying to push this truth out of their minds.Others delude themselves into thinking death is just an illusion. And some are held captive by their fear of death, right up until they breathe their last (Hebrews 2:15).

There is no one who has walked the face of this earth who hated death more than Jesus.No one ever grieved over death more than our God.No one ever felt death’s horrible implications more profoundly than our Lord.

Not only did Jesus taste the sting of death, He tasted the forsaking of His Father.Though they had been together for all eternity, while Jesus was hanging on the cross, taking our sins upon Himself, the Father could no longer look upon His precious Son.Jesus hated death so much that He Himself became the death of death by suffering death Himself . . . death, the last enemy to be destroyed.

Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.The last enemy to be destroyed is death.(1 Corinthians 15:20-26)

Jesus wept “tears of truth,” and we should weep too.But we must alwaysremember that a day is coming when there will be no more death (Revelation 21:4).Because of the resurrection of our Lord—which is the guarantee of our own resurrection—we can sing . . . We can shout! In our weeping we still know that death no longer has any hold on us.“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).

How remarkable that Jesus wepttears of truth!And consider the words said by the Jews who saw Him: “See how he loved [Lazarus]!” That’s how much He loves you too!

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

If God is so pleased to give to us another year of life, what will it look like when we get to the end of 2013? What will the landscape look like after we have walked through it?

To be sure, we can all relate to the phrase, “2 steps forward and 1 step back!” Life is a series of forward movements . . . and, at times, backward movements. The ultimate goal is to move forward farther and more frequently than we move backward! Here is the sacred key that unlocks the forward movement door:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)

Here Paul gives us the only motive for consistent forward movement in the life of the Christian: THE GOSPEL! Notice what Paul does not say. He does not say “in view of your trying harder” or “in view of your renewed resolve” or “in view of your consistent commitment.” Instead, Paul gives us the Gospel with these words: In view of God’s mercy.

The Gospel gives full testimony to God’s mercy, and God’s mercy is the key to forward movement throughout this New Year. You see, while we were enemies of God (Romans 5:10), God in Christ sought us, caught us, and bought us with His precious blood on the cross. Because of the cross-work of Christ, we have been liberated from the death grip of sin and slavery to Satan (Romans 6:6-7). And if all that was not enough, God sent the Holy Spirit to live inside of us to guide us, govern us, and grow us into the image of Jesus Christ!

It is “in view of God’s mercy,” not in view of our merit, that we are motivated to keep moving forward, no matter how many times we step backward. Keeping before our eyes of faith all that God has done for us is the key to getting up again and going after the prize again and again and again.

The Gospel’s stunning demonstration of God’s mercy is the motivation for never giving up and never giving in. The more we marinate in God’s mercy—we who deserved only His wrath and judgment—the more we will be motivated to keep moving in the direction He is calling us to go.

Nothing will motivate the Christian more than keeping the reality of the Cross in view. God refused to withhold His precious Son; He gave Him up for 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 8:32)

Is there anything God will withhold from you this year that you need to live the life He is calling you to live? In view of God’s mercy, the Cross is proof that God has given us—and will continue giving us—all things. What greater motive could there be for forward movement?

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

Here are textbook definitions of the word paralyze:

1. To make unable to move or act
2. To impair the progress or functioning of; make inoperative or powerless

At some level we are all “paralyzed people” when it comes to our walk with Christ. From time to time we seem to be unable to act; we behave as if we are powerless.

We are paralyzed by a variety of conditions. Here is a brief list; I could easily make it ten times longer!

• Unbelief
• Under-belief
• Shame
• Guilt
• Fear
• Failure
• Acceptance
• Approval
•  Religion and non-religion
• Obsessions, addictions, and disorders

Only keeping the Gospel in clear view will overcome our tendency to paralysis. The supernatural power of the Gospel is enough to counteract any attack made by the world, the flesh, and “the accuser of the brethren.” The Gospel truths bring healing and hope.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4)

“No condemnation” means no accusation. Marinate in that for just a moment, won’t you? “No condemnation” means no accusation—not today . . . not tomorrow . . . not ever! Jesus came to set the captives free (4:18), and that includes you and me. We are freed to repent and receive forgiveness . . . which further frees us to continue moving in the direction God is calling is to go.

A past littered with set-backs is simply a set-up for a comeback! Your past does not determine your future; the truths of the Gospel empower you to deal with your history so you can move in the direction of your destiny.

The Bible is full of stories of people who could have—and probably should have—lived paralyzed lives. But they did not, because they knew the God who had set them free. Abraham lied. Jacob schemed. David dishonored. Peter denied. Paul persecuted. The list goes on and on. Noah became senseless after drinking too much wine. Elijah became nerveless after hearing of Jezebel’s threats. John Mark became alienated from the apostle Paul after he left Paul in Perga. Yet in spite of a past that could have easily paralyzed, these men continued moving in the direction God was calling them to go. “For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again” (Proverbs 24:16).

So . . . how about you? Is there anything that has been keeping you paralyzed? Are you imprisoned by a problematic past? Remember to preach the Gospel to yourself daily and you will rise above paralysis to progress and productivity!

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

For many who live in the cooler northern climes, this is the time of year for snowflakes—lots of them!  So I thought this would be a good time to talk about snowflakes and saints, because they have a great deal in common.  Here are a few facts about snowflakes.

The shapes of snowflakes are delicate and intricate.

Snowflakes are not always symmetrical.

Snowflakes have six sides, with almost an infinite number of possible variations.

Snowflakes are formed from moisture droplets held within clouds when the air temperature drops to 32 degrees or lower.

Air currents, air temperature, and the moisture content of clouds influence the size and shape of snowflakes.

AND no two snowflakes are alike . . . which brings me to the connection between snowflakes and saints: NO TWO SAINTS ARE ALIKE.

You are a one-of-a-kind creation, fashioned by the hand of the Almighty.  Created in the image of God, you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13).  Nobody has the same set of fingerprints as you . . . nobody has the same foot prints as you . . . nobody has the same look or voice as you . . . nobody has the same genetic code (DNA) as you.

You are a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, held firmly in the hands of the Master, with a history that nobody else has—a history that God wrote before you were born! Yes, all the days ordained for you were written in God’s book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16).

You are a unique image-bearer of God, with a never-before-lived past and a singular present.  You were made by God for God; because He has not made anyone else just like you, He has a special and specific purpose and plan for your life.

Now, if you are waiting for me to suggest just what your specific calling is in this life, you will be forever waiting!  I frequently meet people who hope I will tell them whether God has called them to be a butcher, a baker, or a candle-stick maker (to borrow from an old rhyme).  But I simply cannot do that.  Am I in the place of God? But what I can do is to share the general and universal call given to everyone who has ever been born and that is . . .

TO SERVE GOD!

You are uniquely qualified to serve God right where you currently are.  Whatever field you are in . . . whatever job you have . . . that is the place where you are to be serving God.  Your unique gifts, talents, and abilities will enable you to serve God right where you are, right now, today, in a way nobody else in the world can do.

What are you called to do? God simply wants you to prayerfully do all you can, with all He has given you to do it with, to the praise and glory of His name.

Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.  Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.  And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be?  If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?  But in fact god has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.  (1 Corinthians 12:14-18)

Different body parts are designed by God to play different roles.  But they are all vital to the functioning of the body.  So too, the saints in the body of Christ have different roles to play that are vital to the functioning of the body of Christ—the church.  Regardless of where this finds you today—whether in a season of plenty or want, health or sickness—God is calling you to do your part in expanding the cause of His kingdom.

Will you answer the call?  If not you . . . who?  If not now . . . when?

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

Bad news is all around us.  Bad news littered the landscape of the past year.  It certainly seems to get most of the headlines!  But regardless of how much bad news there was, there was more good news than there was bad.

Do you find that hard to believe? I’ll go further: the same thing will be true of the year that lies ahead of us.  A New Year of good news awaits us again this year.

As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”  (Romans 10:15)

There have been many, many beautiful feet which have brought the good news into a world full of bad news.  And experience has taught me that the best way to stay focused on the good news that’s all around us—rather than the bad news clamoring for our attention—is to be one of those who brings good news into the world.

So . . . just how beautiful were your feet last year?  Seems strange to think about feet as being “beautiful,” but the Bible says that those that bring good news really are!

The good news—and really I should write that Good News—tells us that the love of God in Christ sought us, caught us, and bought us.  The Good News tells us we were once in darkness but now we are in His marvelous light.  The Good News tells us we were once dead but now we are alive.  The Good News tells us we have been liberated by God’s grace, lavished by God’s goodness, and locked permanently into God’s grip.  The Good News tells us we have been forgiven and will never be forsaken.  The Good News tells us we are completely loved by God because of the completed work of Jesus on our behalf.

There really is no end to the Good News . . . and that is always the best medicine for dealing with the bad news.  The phrase “preach the Gospel to yourself daily” is a hugely important lesson to learn.  Far too many Christians mistakenly believe the Gospel is meant only for those who don’t know Jesus.  To be sure, the unbeliever needs the Gospel, but so does the believer; and the believer needs to hear it daily!

The Gospel not only saves, it also sanctifies.  The truths of the Gospel govern our Christian lives.  The truths of the Gospel grow us up into Christ.  The truths of the Gospel lift us up above the lies of this world and propel us into the perfect plan God has for our lives.

Yes, I recognize that the world is full of bad news; that’s because the world is broken.  But God has promised to make all things new.

This is the plan determined for the whole world;

this is the hand stretched out over all nations.

For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him?

His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?  (Isaiah 14:26-27)

One day there will be a new heaven and a new earth . . . and a new you!  One day there will be no more tears or sorrow or pain or death.  One day you will be with Jesus forever and ever in eternal bliss, and that is the Good News that overshadows every bit of bad news you will encounter this year!

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

Today is the final day of 2012.  How will you spend it?  For many, the focus is on college football and New Year’s Eve celebrations.  Well, before you get into all that, I’d like to encourage you to take a moment today to look back and reflect on all that God has done for you over the past 364 days of this year.

Obviously I can’t know all that will go on your list, but here is one universal blessing that we all received this past year, and it is one that we can easily overlook:

ANOTHER YEAR OF LIFE!

Would you have thought to put that on your list?  “God . . . holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways” (Daniel 5:23 NKJV), and He graciously chose to give you and me yet another year of life.  Life is one of God’s great gifts to all of us this past year; our gift back to Him is simply this: how we lived it.

The end of the year is a great time to reflect on the past year and examine just how we used—and at times, misused—the precious and unrepeatable time God gave us.

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.  (Ephesians 5:15-17)

Paul was telling the Ephesians, just as He is telling us today, that it is critical to make the most of the time God gives to us.  It’s so easy to major on the minor things of life that we can miss God’s best for us.  We must remember a few critical truths about life:

• When we spend a minute we have one less minute to spend.
• When we spend an hour we have one less hour to spend.
• When we spend a day we have one less day to spend.
• When we spend a week we have one less week to spend.
• When we spend a month we have one less month to spend.
• And when we spend a year we have one less year to spend.

There are many things we have been given in life that, if we lost them, we could get more of that thing back.  We can always get more money, more possessions, more jobs, more relationships, more opportunities.  But we cannot get more time.

Time is incredibly precious and limited; when something is precious and limited, the value increases.  Compared to eternity, we are here on earth for only a moment and none of us knows when that moment will come to an end.  And that is why we must make the most of every moment we have been given.

The devil will always try to convince you that you have more time.  Those who believe him will one day realize that much, much time—vast oceans of precious time—has been wasted.  The great Reformer John Calvin wrote, “There are so many allurements which can easily lead us astray.  Our society offers us an endless variety of allurements.  We need to be rid from these temptations and thorns.  We must abandon every hindrance and even hard work and toil may not be an excuse for neglecting the day of grace, or neglecting to do good.”

God tells us to redeem the time, which simply means we are to value the time we currently have by rescuing the opportunities God gives to us.  Opportunities to love unconditionally . . . opportunities to forgive completely . . . opportunities to do good . . . opportunities to serve others . . . opportunities to put God on display and advance the cause of His kingdom in this world.

So when opportunity knocks this year, will you be ready to respond to it and make the most of it?  Your answer, of course, will be a resounding YES . . . if you keep Jesus on the throne of your life and live in the light of eternity.  May God bless you throughout this New Year!

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