Category: Know These Truths

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Secure In Christ

God’s Full Armor

Posted on by

based on the LGG Study, Secure in Christ/w6d3

Read: Ephesians 6:10-12/SOAP: verse 12

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:10-12

Oh, how I love this passage! It is one of my top 10 favorite passages. I love when God gives us the “what to (be strengthened in the Lord), how to (by putting on the full armor of God), and the reason to (so that you will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil)” do what is needful to live as He has called us to live. Perhaps the best part is knowing that we are not expected, nor should we try, to rely on our own strength to live as He has called us to live. Instead, we are trained and encouraged to depend on God’s power. Only then will we be able to overcome the battles and faithfully live out the real-world scenarios and warnings that Paul has given throughout his letter. His instructions have called us to love, obedience, and faithful living, to forgiving others, putting others first, and everything that comes with putting off the old nature and putting on the new. Because our new nature is from Christ (2 Cor 5:17), we are blessed to be able to put on God’s full armor, which Paul will elaborate on in the next section of this passage.

I love when God gives us the “what to (be strengthened in the Lord), how to (by putting on the full armor of God), and the reason to (so that you will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil)” do what is needful to live as He has called us to live.

Me from the Inside Out🦋

Friends, to truly resist the devil as James warns us1, we must daily and deliberately put on and use every weapon God has made available to us. The devil, as Paul points out, is strategically scheming and purposefully coordinating plans to destroy the people of God and/or their obedience and good works. However, we have nothing to fear, for we can rest in and celebrate the truth that the enemy is no match for the power God has given us to “stand against2” the devil’s schemes!

Ephesians 6:12 clearly indicates that the conflict with Satan is spiritual, and therefore no tangible weapons can be effectively employed against him and his minions. We are not given a list of specific tactics Satan will use. However, the passage is quite clear that when we follow all the instructions faithfully, we will be able to stand, and we will have victory regardless of Satan’s strategy.

Gotquestions.org

I do not like being in the dark about things, which is why verse 12 is one of my favorites in this passage. While I may not know precisely how Satan will attack, I like that Paul tells us exactly who, what, and where the battle comes from. God has trained me, and continues to train me, that I need to stop seeing people as my enemy. For, as Paul so beautifully describes, this is not a physical battle but a spiritual one. The devil may use people3 or things as part of his attack, but our true enemy, according to God’s Word, is the devil/sin itself, and the only way to overcome him is to heed Paul’s ‘how to’ instructions daily. The armor is a great gift and accessory of our faith, and if we hope to stand firm against the schemes of the devil, we must never lay it aside or forget its incredible power.

The More We Know

Dear reader, only those who have believed in Jesus as their Savior have access to the full armor of God and the power to stand against the enemy. If you have not trusted in Christ, I would love to share Him with you. The Bible says that there is salvation in no one else! I encourage you to connect with me in the comment section and to visit the “Know These Truths“ link below.

https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, Secure In Christ

Live the New Life

Posted on by

based on Love God Greatly’s study, Secure in Christ/w4d4

Read: Ephesians 4:17-24; SOAP: verse 24

So I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. 19 Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn about Christ like this, 21 if indeed you heard about him and were taught in him, just as the truth is in Jesus. 22 You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, 23 to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and to put on the new man who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth.

Ephesians 4:17-24

After telling the believers in Ephesus to practice, or live out and speak the truth to one another in love, and to use their gifts to build up the body of Christ (Eph. 4:14-16), Paul continues with his instructions/teaching. He insists that they quit living like they did before they came to know God through Christ. He paints a vivid picture of what they used to live like and then strongly encourages them to live like the new person Christ created them to be.

So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!🦋

2 Cor 5:17

Paul has been with these believers for nearly three years, so he knows they have been taught the “truth” of Christian living. He knows they understand what it means to follow Jesus. They know that the followers of Jesus are to turn from their selfish ways and take up their cross daily to follow Him. They know they are not to hang on to their old life but to give it up for the new life Christ has called them to. Paul wrote to the church of Rome, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you by changing the way you think” (Romans 12:1-2). Similarly, here, he reminds the Ephesians to be renewed in the spirit of their minds and to put on the new man who has been created in God’s image. In other words, they (and thus all believers) are to live and love like Jesus, not the world. Specifically, their lives are to be characterized by righteous and holy living that comes from the truth.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 14:6

Friends, to live this new life as it is meant to be lived, we can not hold on to even a smidgen of our life before Christ. I tried that for years. In one ‘crowd’ I was the new, and in another ‘crowd’ I was the old. Sometimes, it was because I didn’t want to give up some of my old ways of life and/or desires; but other times it was because I didn’t want to be left out, and for a period of time it was because I was angry with God. Thankfully, He did not leave me but pursued me and rescued me from that double life to a life that is fully surrendered to Him. When I think of these scenarios and that season of my life, and how I allowed myself to chase after or get caught up with the ‘little gods’ of my life, I am reminded of some of the words He used to transform me. They were the words of Joshua to the people of God, when he said: “Choose you this day whom you will serve…but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord” (Josh 24:15).

Today’s Reflection

Who have you chosen to serve? The true and living God or the gods…the people…the desires of this world? Does your life look like the new creation Christ created you to be – or the old? Tough questions, but ones worth asking and praying over.

The More We Know
https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, Secure In Christ

A Servant of the Gospel

Posted on by

based on the LGG Study, Secure in Christ/ w3d2

Read: Ephesians 3:7-9; SOAP: verse 8

I became a servant of this gospel according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the exercise of his power. 8 To me—less than the least of all the saints—this grace was given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ 9 and to enlighten everyone about God’s secret plan—the mystery that has been hidden for ages in God who has created all things.

Ephesians 3:7-9 NET or (KJV)

Oh, friends, that we might understand that we are “servants of the gospel.” Paul got it. He was well aware of His past life. He was a persecutor of Christians, not just persecuting their beliefs, but also seeking their arrest and imprisonment, and even death if they refused to deny Christ (Acts 26:10-11). That is, until he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus1. He was radically changed from the chief of all sinners, as he defined himself, into a minister sent to take the gospel of Jesus to the Gentiles. His mission was to help them understand that God had made a way for them to be saved and numbered among the children of God. What a privilege and a challenge this must have been for Paul.

Our stories of salvation may not all be like Paul’s on the road to Damascus, with bright lights and temporary blindness. My Damascus Road was actually in a hospital room the night my first daughter was born.2 Friends, wherever we encounter Christ and put our faith in Him, we are saved by God’s grace and commissioned to “proclaim His grace and the ‘unfathomable riches of Christ'” to the world. May we be faithful, like Paul, to proclaim the message boldly, that everyone may be enlightened.

But God is greater than all of our shortcomings and failures. He can redeem anything and anyone. No one is too far gone or disqualified from His grace and service. This is why Paul writes that he is “less than the least of all the saints.” He knows what his life looked like before Christ, yet Jesus called him to His great mission. … Your resume doesn’t disqualify you. Instead, it qualifies you as a recipient of His grace to love watching world.

LGG Journal/p97

Do you remember what your life looked like before Christ? Do you understand the privilege of being called by Jesus to carry out His commission to share His message and love with others? If so, I invite you to share your story in the comments; if not, I invite you to visit the “Know these truths” link below.

https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, Secure In Christ

From Having No Hope to Being Brought Near

Posted on by

based on the LGG Study, Secure in Christ, w2d3

Read: Ephesians 2:11-13; SOAP 2:13

Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh—who are called “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” that is performed on the body by human hands— 12 that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 2:11-13 NET (KJV Version)

I love the way Paul writes about this subject to the believers in Colossae, in Colossains chapter 3. Paul reminds believers that they have put off their old nature and should now put on the new nature, get to know God, and become like Him. He goes on to tell them that “In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.” Here in his letter to the Ephesians, Paul paints another ‘before-and-after’ picture. Summing the old nature up in verse 12, Paul reminds them that at one time they (the Gentiles, those who were not Jews) were without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel (the Jews) and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. That is definitely a very bleak before picture. Yet, Paul doesn’t stop there. Instead, he continues with these words of great hope in a portrait of the “after”: “But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Is there any better news for those of us who were ‘far off’, having no hope and without God in the world, than to learn that by the blood of Jesus Christ we have been brought near to God?

Thank You God for Jesus’ blood, the hope of the world! Thank You for the reminders in Your Word that we were once without hope at all, and no claim to Your covenants of promise. Death and destruction were our ‘fate’! “But now in Christ Jesus,” by Your gift of grace through faith, we have the joy of being “brought near by the blood” of our Savior, Your only begotten Son. – We are a people most blessed! – Amen

The More We Know

It should be noted that Paul is pointing out that the circumcision of old was performed by human hands, while the circumcision of the heart is by the blood of Jesus Christ. Read the following link by Gotquestions.org for more on the important difference …

Set Apart to God –

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, Secure In Christ

A Good Man …

Posted on by

Based on the LGG Study, Secure in Christ, w2d2

Read Ephesians 2:6-10; SOAP: Ephesians 2:8-9

 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)

I read, quote, and pray these verses often, but for some reason, as I read the passage today, I was reminded of Mr. Perry. When I was a teenager, I used to witness to Mr. Perry, who went to my church. He was a weekly, (nearly) every service church-goer, but he wasn’t saved. He sat in the same pew week after week, listening to the sermons. He interacted with the people, attended the fellowship dinners and other church-wide events, and supported the teen choir when we had car washes. However, whenever I talked to him about Jesus and salvation, he would tell me: “Sweetheart, I’m a good man, and God knows it, so don’t you worry about me getting to heaven.”

We didn’t see each other much after I grew up and changed churches. When we did, he kept the conversation to ~”I’m good, sweetie, don’t you worry about me.” It made me sad to think that, after all the years of sitting in church and being involved with Christians on a regular basis, he had never gotten past the belief that his goodness/good works were enough. I wanted so much for my friend to understand that salvation is based on nothing he had done, or could ever do. I longed for him to trust Jesus as His savior and to understand that no amount of goodness and kindness could ever make up for our sins. Ultimately, I was reminded by a mentor that I wasn’t responsible to save him, only to share the gospel, live it out, and pray that he would come to believe the message that he continually heard preached in church and shared by those who witnessed to him personally.

Mr. Perry passed away about five years ago. My heart was filled with sorrow at his passing. However, joy soon followed when I learned that at the time of his death, he wasn’t just a ‘good man’ but a believer saved by grace.

The More We Know

Who can you tell about Jesus and God’s grace? Who can you pray for that isn’t saved or believes that their good works are enough? Ask God to use you and don’t stop praying for them. – Need help sharing the message? Feel free to use or share the following page.

https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, Secure In Christ

No Longer Dead

Posted on by

Based on the LGG Study, Secure in Christ, w2d1

Read Ephesians 2:1-5; SOAP: Ephesians 2:4-5

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

Ephesians 2;4-5

There are a lot of “but God” moments in my life and in the Bible, but verse 4 of Ephesians 2 is perhaps the biggest “but God” statement ever. Paul writes that “we were dead in our trespasses and sins…but God made us alive!” This wasn’t a transformation earned or deserved, but rather an act of mercy and love, a gift of grace. Paul wrote something similar to the Corinthians, telling them, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!” As Paul explains it to the Ephesians, God gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead.

What are some “But God” moments in your life?

Have you ever noticed the “but God” moments in your day-to-day life? Sometimes they are more obvious than others, but I guarantee they are there. Ask God to help you see them, to be alert to what He is doing in your life or that of your family and friends. Write them down and read them often, look for them in Scripture. Take time to praise Him for them, remembering they are precious and priceless acts of His mercy, love, and/or grace.

  • When I was five years old, when no one was looking, I disobeyed my parents, climbed into my brother’s Batmobile car, and rolled right out into the street. I was hit by a car…but God spared my life.
  • My daughter Annie was diagnosed with leukemia on her 10th birthday…she faced many difficult battles and was in and out of the ICU for several years…but God healed her.
  • My daughter Abi was born with crippled (club) feet…but God healed her.

These are just a few of my life’s bigger “but God” moments. There are plenty more, including the day-to-day “but God” moments of seeing things like His protection from a wreck or His provision of a necessity when I saw no way for it to happen. All of them, the ‘big’ and the ‘day-to-day’, remind me of His goodness and His faithful love, mercy, and grace. Yet none can compare to the truth of Paul’s statement in my own life – for I was dead in my trespasses and sins…but God…gave me life and now I live!

Good news, good news, Christ died for me, Good news, good news, if I believe, Good news, good news, I’m saved eternally. That’s wonderful, extra good news!

CEF/children’s song

While the Spirit directed my thoughts/writing to the “but God” phrase Paul used, it is crucial to note and understand the significance of Paul’s words in verse 5: that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!). Today’s journal entry by Love God Greatly sums it up nicely:

Paul writes the truth of our state before God. He states that we were dead in our offenses and sins. Sin is anything we think, say, or do that is not pleasing or honoring to God. Our sin completely separates us from our holy God. Not only were we dead in our sins, but we chose to sin. We indulged in our desires and were deserving of wrath. There was nothing we could do in our broken, depraved state.

It isn’t that God gave us a hall pass to be forgiven. No, He took our dead state and made us completely new. The old has gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). This is why the gospel of Jesus Christ is such good news! You have been made alive and new!”

Secure in Christ Journal/p67

Thank you, God, for loving us so much. Thank You for your rich mercies and amazing grace, and for Jesus Christ, who died so we could live!

Oh, what love, no greater love
Grace, how can it be
That in my sin, yes, even then
He shed His blood for me

O the Blood/Kari Jobe
Posted in Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time, Secure In Christ, The Gospel

In Christ Alone

Posted on by

based on the LGG Study, Secure in Jesus, w1d3

Read: Ephesians 1:7-10; SOAP: 7-8

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our offenses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight. 

Ephesians 1:7-8 (NET) click here for KJV

Redemption, which is the forgiveness of sin, comes only through the blood of Jesus, and it only comes to those who believe in the name of Jesus. As today’s passage of our journey explains, it is not by our name or anything we have done. Instead, it is because God poured out His kindness and grace, and not begrudgingly, but out of His good pleasure, that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son. In Christ, God made a way for us to know Him and to receive forgiveness for our sins. Scripture is very clear that there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. There is one redeemer, and He is Jesus Christ, our Lord.

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.

Acts 4:12

Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it. Redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Redeemed through His infinite mercies, His child, and forever, I am.

Hymn/Redeemed (scroll down for the full song)

Today’s journal entry by LGG points out that Paul isn’t writing about the classic “world’s version” of redemption. You know, the one

Friends, the story of God’s love and the story of Jesus on the cross are one and the same. And, as today’s journal entry points out, “It is the greatest story of redemption ever known. No matter where you are today, you can receive the redemption found through Jesus.” If you have not trusted Jesus as your savior, I plead with you to believe in Him today, to call upon the name above all other names, the only name under heaven by which we must/can be saved.

As today’s journal entry also points out, Paul’s letter about redemption, written to the Ephesians, wasn’t about the stories of redemption we read in books or see in movies. “in the secular world, redemption occurs when an individual accomplishes something or does something good. This is not so for those who are in Christ. We don’t have to do anything to receive redemption. We simply have to recognize our sin and trust in Jesus.” As Luke points out in Acts 4:12, “There is salvation in no one else.” Jesus alone is the one who secures our redemption.

We are not the heroes of the story. Jesus is. We are merely recipients of His lavish grace. And what’s more, Paul tells us that our redemption is part of God’s bigger plan for His creation. One day, Jesus will return as the forever king. When this happens, all who have placed their faith in Him will be united together under His leadership.

LGG/Secure in Christ Journal/p49
The More We Know

Want to know more about how to be saved and redeemed by the blood of the lamb? Please click and read Know These Truths below. Questions or want to talk about these truths and/or being a follower of Christ? Simply scroll down and leave me a message in the ‘reply’ box. This is the most important decision you will ever make and I’d love to talk with you about it.

https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, Secure In Christ

Chosen in Christ

Posted on by

Based on the LGG Study, Secure in Christ, w1d2

Read: Ephesians 1;3-6; SOAP: verse 4

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.

Ephesians 1:3-6

In yesterday’s journey, we learned that God radically transformed Paul’s life from a persecutor of Christians to an apostle of Jesus Christ. Today’s journey reveals how the transformation happens. Namely, all those who identify themselves as followers/disciples of Christ, which according to Luke 9:23 means that they have turned from their wicked ways and taken up their cross daily to follow Jesus, are gifted with “every spiritual blessing.”

Gifts of Redemption

According to gotquestions.org, these blessings are “gifts of redemption.” They are only available to those who identify themselves as followers/disciples of Christ. They include: “eternal life (Revelation 5:9-10), forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7), righteousness (Romans 5:17), freedom from the law’s curse (Galatians 3:13), adoption into God’s family (Galatians 4:5), deliverance from sin’s bondage (Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 1:14-18), peace with God (Colossians 1:18-20), and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). To be redeemed, then, is to be forgiven, holy, justified, free, adopted, and reconciled. See also Psalm 130:7-8; Luke 2:38; and Acts 20:28.”

An Act of Love

Paul sums these gifts up in verses 4- 5, beginning with how and why God chose to adopt us as His children. Today’s LGG journal entry explains it this way: “He did this out of His great love for you and for all who would trust in Jesus as their Savior. And it doesn’t stop there. He not only chose us to be part of His family and adopted us, but He has chosen to make us holy (set apart), blameless (fully forgiven), and has given us countless blessings… In Christ, we have access, freedom, purpose, family, and so much more… If you have trusted in Jesus, this is true of you! And while the best is yet to come in heaven, God has a purpose for you in the here and now. He has chosen you to become like Him. He wants you to be His holy and blameless child, loving others as He loves you.”

Our Response

Friends, as the journal entry goes on to say: “If God has chosen us to live in such a way, we can expect Him to accomplish His mighty work in us. We should pray daily to grow in holiness and love. And when the devil wants to plague us with temptation, fear, and doubt, it is vital to remember that we have been loved and chosen by God from before the creation of the universe.”

To know that I have been loved and chosen by God, not because of anything I have done, but before the creation of the universe, is one of the most wonderful, life-changing, calming truths I have ever known. Singer/songwriter Matthew West put the truth into a song, one that is embedded in my head and heart and has rescued me from many wrestling matches with the enemy. My favorite line is: “I don’t have to answer to any name that the enemy tries to call me ~ I don’t have to answer to any name but chosen child of God.”

You changed my name
You changed my name
From too far gone to saved by grace
And now I am forever changed
All because You changed my name
It’s all because You changed my name
And I don’t have to answer to any name that the enemy tries to call me
I don’t have to answer to any name but chosen child of God
Oh, I don’t have to answer to any name that the enemy tries to call me
I don’t have to answer to any name but chosen child of God.

Chorus/Chosen Child of God/Matthew West

Want to hear the full song? Just click the video below –

The More We Know

Find all the Adoption Truths and Process Below …

https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, Secure In Christ

A New Identity

Posted on by

based on Secure in Christ, w1d1

Read: Eph 1:1-2; Acts 9:1-9, 17-18; SOAP: Eph 11

This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.

From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints [in Ephesus], the faithful in Christ Jesus. 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

Ephesians 1:1-2

Friends, have you ever found yourself making snide comments or turning away from someone with a scandalous or tainted past? Or, perhaps you’ve been on the receiving end of the sneers and brush-offs because of something from your past that others still judge you for. The example we see in today’s Scriptures should help us understand the wrongness of both.

Paul was cruel, a persecutor of Jesus’ followers – that is – until he was radically changed by God.

🦋

Paul was a persecutor of believers. Actually, when Jesus identifies Himself to Paul, He says, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Paul was a wicked man, intent on ridding the world of Jesus and His followers who spouted His teachings. That is, until Paul, looking for more believers to capture, met Jesus on the road to Damascus, and his life was forever transformed. To quote from one of my favorite songs: “This is amazing grace! This is unfailing love ~ That You would take my place ~
That You would bear my cross, You laid down Your life ~ That I would be set free. Oh, Jesus, I sing for ~ All that You’ve done for me!”

Who breaks the power of sin and darkness?
Whose love is mighty and so much stronger?
The King of glory, the King above all kings
Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder?
And leaves us breathless in awe and wonder?
The King of glory, the King above all kings

This is Amazing Grace

 It isn’t only others who report Paul’s cruelness, but Paul himself shares his testimony with Timothy, in 1 Timothy 1:12-17, saying: “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service,  though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,  and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.  But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Amazing grace (how sweet the sound)
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.

Amazing Grace

It’s a beautiful testimony that I would dare say most of us can relate to in some way. After all, we are all sinners who have fallen short of God’s glory1. None of us has been saved by our good works, but solely by God’s miraculous and radical gift of amazing grace, and this only through our faith in Jesus.2 While we may not want to expose our old selves to others as Paul has done, just the words, amazing grace, bring tears as I remember the sin and shame that used to define my life. Yet joy flows with those tears as I remember “Calvary covers it all!” Friends, understanding this truth changes everything. It changes our relationship with God – the Father, Spirit, and Son; and it changes (or should change) the way we live and how we look at the sins of others. I mean, seriously – if God can love me after everything I’ve done, if He can invite me to boldly come into His presence (and He does), then who am I to turn away from or sneer at others for their sins? After all, Jesus explicitly gave us a new commandment to love others just as He has loved us3, and may we never forget that Scripture says that Jesus laid down His life for us while we were still sinners4.

If you followed along in our recent Abiding in Jesus journey, then you know that Jesus calls us His friends – a reminder that our old sin nature is gone and the new has come. Or as Paul said, “So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time, we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!  This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!3“

Perhaps you’ve lived a life with no “major sins” to regret, or maybe your life (like mine) holds sinful choices/actions that still taunt you or others still ‘remember’ against you today. Regardless of where you are on this spectrum, the truth is the blood of Jesus covers it all, His righteousness has been imputed to us, and the freedom He died to bring us is available to all who believe. This is made clear through Paul’s life and the words he wrote to the Church of Rome, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus …4” When old sins and regrets haunt us or when we are tempted to judge another for their sin, may the Spirit be quick to remind us that, as this sweet old refrain says: “Calvary covers it all.” Jesus went to Calvary, taking on Himself all of our past, all of its sin and stain, all of our guilt and despair – and His blood poured out and covered it all! And now with Paul, we can declare that we are *“disciples of Christ Jesus by the will of God.“

The More We Know
https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/

* emphasis added

Posted in Abide, Abiding in jesus, Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

What a Friend!

Posted on by

based on the LGG Study, Abiding in Jesus, w5d1

Read and SOAP: John 15:15

I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.

John 15:15

Jesus had just announced to His disciples that if they followed His commands, they were His friends, John 15:14. Now, He clarifies the friendship even further, telling them that He no longer considers their relationship to be one of master and slave but instead, one of friendship. His reasoning is both beautiful and an encouragingly exciting disclosure that everything He has been telling them has come from the Father. In other words, they are part of the inner circle. As His disciples of Jesus, we are on the inside as well. We do not have to wonder what God expects from us, because Jesus reveals it to us. We never have to worry about Him leaving us, and we can embrace and delight in His invitation to abide in ah.

If you know me very well, you most likely know that I have trust issues. So great were the issues at one point in my life that I laid aside or walked away from nearly all friendships, convinced that I was better off without them, and they without me. I maintained acquaintances but never or rarely allowed meaningful or deep relationships to develop. In some ways, I became an island to myself and embraced it. Please understand, I do not advocate this way of life, nor do I live it any longer. I believe God means for us to do life with one another, and I am blessed to say that while I walked away from some wonderful friendships, God, in His perfect timing, restored many of them and uses them to this day to teach me the value and blessing of friendship.

I have some pretty awesome besties. Friends from elementary and high school, my daughters, and a few others God has gifted me with through the decades of my life. Some I see or am in contact with others, others only on occasion, and some almost daily. I am blessed to share in their lives, the celebrated milestones, the needs, and sorrows. I treasure knowing I can confide in them and am honored when they confide in me. If I call or message them, I know they will be there for me – to pray, to talk, to cry, or just to listen. I am most blessed. However, today’s beautiful words of Jesus are a wonderful reminder that these gifts of friendship will never match my friendship with Jesus. His friendship has changed me from the inside out, or as today’s journal entry puts it: “Friendship with Jesus changes everything. As His friends, we have the privilege of coming to Him, talking with Him, and listening to His voice. He doesn’t keep us in the dark about what He’s doing; instead, He shares with us the very heart of God.”

Abiding in Christ is an invitation to know Him deeply and join Him in His purpose for our lives as friends. Imagine that—Jesus, the Son of God, calls us His friends! He isn’t distant or disconnected from our lives. Instead, He draws us close, sharing His heart and His mission with us and including us in the incredible work He is doing around us.

Abiding in Jesus/p145