Contrast of Truths

"We are treated as impostors, and yet are true;
as unknown, and yet well known;
as dying, and behold, we live;
as punished, and yet not killed;
as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;
as poor, yet making many rich;
as having nothing, yet possessing everything."

(2 Corinthians 6:8b-10 ESV)

....

I am no theologian, so I could be totally misreading this passage. Either way, this passage screams gospel to my heart. I feel on a daily basis the first portion of each of these lines as my reality. My sin proves them true. Satan deceives me to believe so. And the world around us proclaims them loudly. It can really bring me down.

But these are only earthly realities at best. They are redeemed and conquered by a far greater eternal reality: the cross. Christ's substitutionary death for each one of us covers every sin, every persecution, every attack, and every feeling of inadequacy.

Life is hard, no question. And, the calling to follow Christ ensures suffering and pain. Paul got that. What allowed him to hold such a perspective of victory amidst trials of defeat? He looked backward in faith, and forward in hope.

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18)

Let's pray together our every thought, word and action may be shaped by these awesome truths.

Are You So Foolish?

"Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit,

are you now being perfected by the flesh?"

Galatians 3:3

A great, simple reminder this morning that both our justification and sanctification (growing in holiness) are by grace, not law. For many, our attitude is that God saves us (grace), but then it is up to us to try really really hard to grow. We tend to think growing in holiness depends on our human efforts and religious duties. Nope! Paul calls this foolish, to think that once you are saved, you then continue by works of the law. Are we living by the Spirit? Are we growing in God's grace, realizing our own weakness/inadequacy to change in our own strength, thus causing us to further cast ourselves upon the Spirit of God? The Christian life starts with the power of God, and the Christian life continues with the power of God. 

Vast, Unmeasured, Boundless, Free!

"so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith-that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."  Ephesians 3:17-19


This past tuesday I had the privilege to join my friends/classmates in a time of worship through the singing of hymns and reading of Scripture. I was particularly struck by this song, 'O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus' and its description of Christ's love; vast, unmeasured, boundless, free. How easily I forget how truly amazing Christ's love is for His people. I am reminded of Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3, that they would know the fullness of God's immeasurable love for them. That is my prayer now. That God would awaken me to the vastness and depths of His love in Christ. 

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean
In its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me,
Is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward
To Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth,
Changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones,
Died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth,
Watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean vast of blessing,
’Tis a haven sweet of rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
’Tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory,
For it lifts me up to Thee!

Don't Add On

Gospel + Nothing = Everything

Dirty. Nuff said.