1 Peter 1 The Saving Work Of The Spirit”

“Chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood.” (v.2)

In the opening verses of Peter’s first letter, the apostle referred to the role of the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Son in saving us (v.2). Our salvation began with the Father’s loving plan, made possible by Jesus’ atoning death on the cross (to provide forgiveness and cleansing), and was completed by the Holy Spirit’s transforming work in us. While the trinity may be a confounding concept, it can be clearly seen here at work in the salvation of those mentioned by Peter in verse 1, and our lives today as well. 

The more clearly we see and appreciate the unique role each Person of the Godhead has in our salvation, the more intimate will be our daily walk with Him. Where would we be without God's call on our life? Lost, stumbling around in a dark world. Where would we be without the cleansing blood of Jesus for our sin? Dead in our trespasses with no hope of eternity. Where would we be with His Spirit to guide our steps? Doing what seems right in our own eyes with no light of truth in us. 

Thank you Father in Heaven, for sending Your Son as a sacrificial substitute for our sin, who sits at Your right hand to make intercession for us. And for not leaving us alone without a comforter, but gave us Your Holy Spirit, who guides us into all truth. Amen.   

The Truth: “God, from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and the belief in the truth (His Son).” (2 Thessalonians 2:13)

James 5 “Be Patient”

“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.” (vv. 7-8)

Farming takes patience and perseverance. Farmers have to wait for many things beyond their control. They wait long days for the winter to thaw so they can begin planting. They wait for the weather to shift and bring rain to offset droughts, and the sun to push away clouds. They wait for calves to be born and chickens to lay eggs. They wait on plants to grow and for the harvest to come. Meanwhile they persevere at the task, tilling the soil, feeding the animals, putting seed in the ground. 

It's no wonder then that James compares our lives as believers to farmers. Certainly his readers knew what it took to cultivate the land with hard work, patience, and perseverance. Those same qualities are integral to our lives as believers as well, while we patiently wait for our Lord’s return. We too must continue to persevere through many things beyond our control here on earth; a pandemic, the economy, layoffs, quarantines, accidents, sickness, and even the deaths of family and friends. Yet none of these things should deter us from our task of serving the LORD, and planting the seeds of His kingdom, for we know we are only pilgrims passing through and this world is not our home. 

Therefore, persevere, plant the seeds of faith and hope around you, and know that your patience will bring forth good fruit in His timing - For your life and your future are in His ultimate control.

The Truth: “Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:4) 

James 4 "Life Is Short"

 "Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” (v.14)

Today’s passage is a sobering reminder that life is filled with uncertainty. James makes it very clear that life is "a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." And because of this we ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that" (v.15).

Managing our financial futures, planning for retirement, developing a living trust, working hard and looking ahead to our golden years, these are important and show good wisdom. However, because any day may be our final day on earth, we also need to be sure that we are just as ready to stand before God as well.

So easy to get caught up in the here and now, in the material as oppose to the eternal. Life is short and the little things that seem so important to us now, pale in comparison to a path that has a more eternal value.  As mentioned eailier there is nothing wrong in planning for the future, or desiring to have better life here on earth. Just make sure God is in the process and you don't spend time filling your barns and not being able to enjoy the fruits of your labor. 

As C.T. Studd put it, "Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say, "Thy will be done"; And when at last I'll hear the call, I know I'll say 'twas worth ot all." 

Are you prepared to meet your maker? If not, now is a good time to repent of your sin, and ask Him into your heart, to become the LORD of your life. You can do that today by praying the prayer, "Connect With God" to the righthand side of this page. You will be eternally thankful you did. God bless. 

The Truth: “Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.” (Psalm 39:5)

James 3 “Heavenly Wisdom”

“The wisdom that is from above is… without hypocrisy.” (v.17)

When there is a discrepancy between what we say and what we do, we create confusion in the minds of others. That's why many nonbelievers do not take the gospel message seriously. A Christian who makes the greatest impact on a watching world, and who furthers the cause of Christ, is one whose actions are in harmony with his speech.

When James spoke of the "wisdom that is from above," he described it as "pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy" (v.17). This wisdom does not require a high IQ or a great SAT score. It comes from a rebirth of our hearts and our spirits to a life truly taken captive by God, which allows us to speak and do the truth.

The opposite of this of course is wisdom which is not from above, but of the world, man's wisdom. Man's wisdom seeks to gain its own way, it is not peaceable, nor gentle, or willing to yield. It is not without partiality or hypocrisy, and generally comes with an agenda. Oh you will hear one message, but the end result will be far from the truth.  

Only when actions and words agree, does the message become loud and clear, and without hypocrisy. 

The Truth: “Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.” (Matthew 23:1-3)

James 2 “Faith Without Works Is Dead”

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (v.26)

Which is more important faith or works? At the close of chapter 2, James answers emphatically: both are! Works “complete” our faith—they show that it is awake and alive. Faith and actions work “together” (v. 22). They are not in competition and they are both necessary in the Christian life.

Here in chapter 2 James gives us two examples of faith in action, Abraham and Rahab. Abraham is identified because of the offering of his son Isaac to God, believing God would raise him from the dead to fulfill His promise to him (v. 23). Rahab, at great risk to her own safety, harbored spies (v.25) and misled representatives of the king of Jericho believing in God to save both her and her family (Joshua 2:4-6). Her bravery is recounted again in Hebrews 11:31 among other great examples of faith.

The key here is faith, believing in God, and once you have that, dramatic works of obedience will follow as a natural outpouring of your belief. As John Calvin put it, “Faith alone justifies, but the faith that justifies is never alone.”

The Truth: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

James 1 “Crown Of Life”

“Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” (v.12)

Temptations and trials often occur at the same time. While there is a fine line between them, every hardship holds the potential to "makes us or break us." 

In the Book of Job we saw how God allowed Satan to touch Job’s property, his children, and eventually his health, to cause Job to deny God. But Job endured the hardships, never once denying his LORD and was ultimately rewarded by God with twice what was taken from him (Job 42:10).

As Christians, this speaks to us loud and clear. That when a trials come, Satan will be there to try and get us to (as Job’s wife suggested to him) “curse God and die” (Job 2:9). But fear not, for God will also be there to strengthen us through each trial, and will reward those who diligently seek Him. 

While it may be hard for us to "Count it all joy when we fall into various trials," we can be assured that God will strengthen us to endue the testing, and perfecting the work He began in us. And while we can all agree that the trial itself is not joyful, it equips us better to minister to others who may themselves experience a similar if not the same testing.     

The Truth: "Be confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6) 

1 Chronicles 29 "The End Of David's Reign"

And they made sacrifices to the LORD and offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the next day: a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. So they ate and drank before the LORD with great gladness on that day. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him before the LORD to be the leader, and Zadok to be priest. Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him. All the leaders and the mighty men, and also all the sons of King David, submitted themselves to King Solomon. So the LORD exalted Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed on him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel. (vv.21-25)

This was a special day, probably celebrated after the death of David when Solomon formally took the throne. These sacrifices were used to feed the people of Israel, and they ate and drank before the LORD in a great feast of communion with God and one another. 

The statement, "They made Solomon the son of David king the second time," refers to the first time back in 1 Kings 1:38-39 when it was done hastily, suddenly, and in [an irregular manner], by reason of Adonijah’s sedition; but here we see it done properly. However whether it was before or after David’s death is questionable. 

Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him. All the leaders and the mighty men, and also all the sons of King David, submitted themselves to King Solomon. So the LORD exalted Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed on him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.

This was true, but the wise reader understands that this was only because David had made this possible. The majesty of Solomon was really inherited from the work and wisdom and godliness and prayers of his father. 

So David's reign comes to an end. Other kings over Israel or Judah had reigns longer, more secure, or more prosperous than David’s reign – but none were more glorious or godly. David remains Israel’s model king, pointing us to Jesus the Messiah, Israel’s greatest king.

The Truth: "This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham...." (Matthew 1-17)

1 Chronicles 28 “Finish The Work”

Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.” (v.20)

This verse speaks volumes on so many levels. First, we see great fatherly advise from David to Solomon, exactly what you would expect from a warrior – “Be strong, be courages, attack (act), have no fear.” Next, we can see excellent spiritual encouragement, “My God is with you, He will not fail you, He will not leave you, you will complete the work.” Finally, we see there is a plan, a goal, a life direction to be fulfilled.

Therefore, when your heart and flesh begin to fail you, when you begin to question and wonder if your life-plan can be fulfilled – remember this passage, “God is with you.” He has plan for you, and there is a pattern, an ideal, a design, based on the possibilities which God sees to be within you. And, He has given you an abundance of stored provision to complete the task – so do not give up, finish the work!

The Truth

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)