Category: Sanctification

His Powerful Provision

Is God’s lavish grace in Christ (Eph. 1:7-8), and immeasurable power in Christ (Eph. 1:19-23), genuinely sufficient for YOU?  Are you seeking to singularly trust, and confidently submit to God’s provision in Christ?  Is HE enough for YOU?  What does this look like in real life, anyway?  Listen to the Apostle Paul’s experience:

 

7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”   (2 Cor. 12:7-9)

 

When we experience “thorns” in our lives – God-ordained trials and troubles more powerful than us – we’re faced with a critically important choice.   Are we going to arrogantly pursue our own strategies and resources in vain efforts to remove the thorns, or will we humbly trust and submit to the absolute sufficiency of God’s grace and power, even in the midst of the thorns?  Paul learned to be confident and content in God’s powerful provision.  Thus he declares:

 

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  (2 Cor. 12:9-10)

 

Oh beloved, let the Good Shepherd have His way in your life!  Let him show forth the abundant sufficiency of His grace and power, even through your weaknesses and trials.  Don’t fight against God, but fight the fight of faith in God!  Fight to find your hope and strength only in Him (see Psalm 62)!!

 

Because Christ lives, and is returning,

Greg

How to Read the Bible: A Matter of Stewardship

Following my post in this column last week, I learned of this helpful article (thanks Sharon Lowery!):  Do’s and Don’ts When Reading the Bible.  These are very helpful encouragements, reminding us that more important than simply reading Scripture, is the vital question of how we read Scripture.

 

Given that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16) and also that all Scripture clearly and comprehensively reveals Jesus Christ (Jn. 5:39-40; Lk. 24:27), it behooves us to approach scripture in the right way, with the right heart.

 

Beloved, we live at a time in history, and in a part of the world, where God’s word has never been more available.  Let alone the opportunities for our own reading, study, memory, and meditation, but we also have access to countless resources in hearing the word of God faithfully preached and taught.  This is indeed a great privilege, and also a great stewardship.

 

So may we be devoted and diligent to grow in faith by feeding on God’s word, both individually and corporately.  And may we be faithful stewards in proclaiming God’s glorious word to others!

 

Because Christ lives, and is returning,

Greg

Beginning a New Year

The beginning of a new year is a great time to refocus your energies in reading and feeding on God’s Word!  To that end, Ligonier Ministries has put together a helpful list of a variety of Bible reading plans available online.  If you don’t already have a focused approach to the regular reading of Scripture, I encourage you to look over these plans and implement one that works for you.  And you could even pursue this with another relative or friend!

You might also find encouragement from this brief article.

Beloved, the Spirit of God uses the word of God to grow us in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:11-12; 2 Tim. 2:15-16; 1 Pet. 2:1-3).  As we gather weekly to share together in the reading, preaching, and teaching of God’s word, so may we individually be immersing ourselves in His word day-by-day!

Richest blessings, and Happy New Year!

Greg

Divine Discipline for Fleeting Foreigners

What faith-strengthening truths flow from Psalm 39, as we heard this past Lord’s Day through Tim Ingrum’s faithful preaching!  Tim helped us see that “fleeting foreigners need divine discipline to travel light”, and thus we should respond with faith and submission to God’s loving discipline.  I don’t know about you, but I continually need to be reminded of these truths!

 

Following this same theme, and reflecting on Rom. 8:28, the Puritan pastor Richard Sibbes (1577-1635) made these observations:

 

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose!”

Whatever is truly good for God’s children–they shall have it, for all is theirs to further them to Heaven. Therefore . . .
if poverty is good for them–they shall have it;
if disgrace is good for them–they shall have it;
if crosses are good for them–they shall have them;
if misery is good for them–they shall have it;
for God makes all things work together for the good of His redeemed people.

God takes a safe course with His children–that they may not be condemned with the world.

God’s providence is often mysterious–yet He is just and righteous in all that He does. Therefore when any difficult thing befalls us for which we can see no reason, yet we must reverence the Lord and adore His counsels and submit to Him who is infinitely more good and wise than we.

Praying for you, and with you, as we learn to walk in our Father’s holy love through Jesus Christ,

Greg

God’s Will for Your Life

What is God’s will for my life?  This honest question is one which Christians often ask, and with good reason.  When God graciously saves and transforms a person, there is a new desire to know and do the will of God.  As God has been pleased to reveal His will in His word, so His people have the blessed responsibility to learn of His will, and to submit to what pleases Him.  The Apostle Paul speaks of this directly in Eph. 5, when he says:

 

“…try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord” (vs. 10)

“…Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (vs. 17)

 

While God has given us everything we need in Christ to know and do His will, we sometimes wrestle with what this looks like in our ordinary, daily lives.  If this is a topic of concern/interest to you, let me encourage you to read one of the following books over the summer – maybe even find 1-2 other folks to join you.  These books are all related to knowing and doing the will of God, and I’ve listed them from shortest to longest by way of length.

 

 

Beloved, may the Lord help all of us to “…walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which [we] have been called…” (Eph. 4:1) – even as we seek to love, help, encourage, and pray for one another to this end.  What a joy and privilege to share this life together with you in the local church of RCG!

 

Because He lives, and is returning,

Greg

Gazing into the Riches of God’s Grace

As we gaze into the riches of God’s grace in the Lord Jesus Christ, there are simply not enough superlatives to describe the wonders of all He has given us!  These riches are all the more amazing in view of our helpless and hopeless sinful condition (see Eph. 2:1-3; Titus 3:3).  The Apostle Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, couldn’t stop talking about the wealth of these riches!

 

  • “Oh the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are his judgments and inscrutable his ways!” (Rom. 11:33)
  • “…according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us…” (Eph. 1:7-8)
  • “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us…” (Eph. 2:4)
  • “…so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:7)
  • “…to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ…” (Eph. 3:8)
  • “…to comprehend what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge…” (Eph. 3:18-19)
  • “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think…” (Eph. 3:20)

 

When Paul speaks descriptively of these riches in Titus 3:4-7, his intent is to spur believers on in living lives that overflow with good deeds.  In possessing, tasting, and growing in the knowledge of these riches by faith, believers are to eagerly obey God and zealously do good to others for His glory.

 

Beloved, living a godly life that abounds with good deeds involves effort and intentionality on our part.  But it should be effort motivated by deep joy, gratitude, and humility in view of all the Father has lavished upon us in Christ.  Hence our need is not just to try harder, but to gaze deeper upon all the riches of God’s grace.  Martin Luther expresses this well in his book The Freedom of a Christian:

 

“Although I am an unworthy and condemned man, my God has given me in Christ all the riches of righteousness and salvation without any merit on my part, out of pure, free mercy, so that from now on I need nothing except faith which believes that it is true.  Why should I not therefore freely, joyfully, with all my heart, and with an eager will do all things which I know are pleasing and acceptable to such a Father who has overwhelmed me with his inestimable riches?  I will therefore give myself as a Christ to my neighbor, just as Christ offered himself to me; I will do nothing in this life except what I see is necessary, profitable, and salutary to my neighbor, since through faith I have an abundance of all good things in Christ.”  (quoted by Matt Perman in What’s Best Next, Zondervan: 2014, pg. 110)

 

Amen!  What a joy to gaze, grow, and give together with you!

 

Greg

Growing in Joy and Fear of God

At first glance, the Apostle Peter’s vision of the Christian life as involving both “joy inexpressible” (1 Pet. 1:8), and the need to “conduct yourselves with fear” (1 Pet. 1:17) seems to be utterly contradictory.  How are we to understand these seemingly incompatible dispositions of both joy and fear?

 

With good insight that regards the overall context and thrust of Peter’s first letter, Alexander MacLaren helps answer this question (from his sermon on 1 Pet. 1:17 entitled Father and Judge):

 

“Such carefulness over conduct and heart is fully compatible with all the blessed emotions to which it seems at first antagonistic. There is no discord between the phrase that I have quoted about’ joy unspeakable and full of glory, ‘ and this temper, but rather the two help one another. And such blended confidence and fear are the parents of courage. The man that is afraid that he will do wrong and so hurt himself and grieve his Saviour, is the man that will never be afraid of anything else. Martyrs have gone to the stake ‘fearing not them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do,’ (Mt. 10:28) because they were so afraid to sin against God that they were not afraid to die rather than to do it. And that is the temper that you and I should have.”

 

Continually growing in joy and fear with you,

Greg

Excel Still More

In 1 Thessalonians 4:1, Paul exhorts the Thessalonian believers to “…excel still more” in living to please God.  All believers should continually be learning, growing and maturing in Christ-likeness.  This week, please be praying for a few folks from RCG who will be involved in some unique and focused growth opportunities.

First, on Tuesday Tim Ingrum and Theo Friesen will be starting their Fall Quarter of classes at the Cornerstone Seminary.

Second, this coming weekend Smokey Nevins, Matt Wolf and Anne James will be attending the first of three  intensive weekend sessions for Biblical Counseling Training being hosted at Northcreek Church in Walnut Creek.

Finally, also this coming weekend, Chuck Meadows,  Theo Friesen and I will be participating in the  9Marks Weekender, which takes place at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.

Please be praying that for each of us within these opportunities, we would receive grace and strength from the Lord to learn and apply His truth all the more faithfully and skillfully.  May all that we share in cause us to “excel still more,” and  serve to “…see God glorified as His grace and truth in Jesus Christ abounds in and overflows to more and more people.”

And as you’re praying for us, pray also about specific ways the Lord would have you to “excel still more!“