Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal truthfully are His delight.
~ Proverbs 12:22
Christians should be known for their honesty. We ought to be a trustworthy people. In a day and age where a person’s word doesn’t mean much, where lying lips are too often the norm, the believer’s truthful dealings with his fellow man can stand out as a refreshing testimony for Christ. Delight your Lord dear friend, by dealing sincerely and truthfully in all that you do.
~ apl
“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
~ John 3:7
This proclamation from our Lord Jesus to Nicodemus in John chapter 3 still stand as the watershed declaration that separates true followers of Jesus Christ from the rest of the world. Jesus’ words sets Christianity apart from all else. To be Christ’s disciple, to be adopted into the family of the Lord, to be established in covenant with Jehovah God, you must be born again.
So what does it mean when the Bible says one must be born again to enter the kingdom of heaven? Well, this is where knowing the original language can be helpful. The word translated here “again” means “from above”. The phrase could be literally translated “You must be born from above, or from a higher place”. The idea Jesus was conveying is that of a spiritual birth.
To be born again, that is, from above, means we are transformed in our very being, in our principles, our feelings, and our manner of life. The beginning of this new life is called the new birth, or regeneration. It is so called because in many respects it has a striking analogy to our natural birth. It is the beginning of spiritual life. It reveals the light of the Gospel. It is the moment when we really begin to live with any purpose. Being born again is the moment when God reveals Himself to us as our reconciled Father, and we as adopted sons and daughters.
Though this new birth is a work of the Holy Spirit, we realize this glorious regenerating grace through our own personal repentance and faith. Through this new life we begin to experience the living God in our life. That is, through turning away from sin and turning towards Christ. There is no other way to be reconciled to God. My prayer is, dear reader, that you already know, or come to know Jesus’ words as your own, “You must be born again”.
~ apl
“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”
~ 1 Corinthians 16:13
“True holiness does not make a Christian evade difficulties, but face and overcome them. Christ would have His people show that His grace is not a mere hothouse plant, which can only thrive under shelter, but a strong, hardy thing which can flourish in every relation of life.”
~ J.C. Ryle
“He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul”
~ Proverbs 19:16a
There is something spiritually healthy about keeping God’s commands near and dear to our heart and mind. The Word of the Lord, His Law, His principles and precepts, the wisdom of God, are all divine nourishment to the soul. They bring vitality and strength to the faithful. By keeping the commands, one keeps, nurtures and renews their very soul.
The application of this verse isn’t to be understood in a legalistic manner where we believe we obtain greater grace or spiritual position simply because we adhere to the Lord’s Word. Rather, believers should come to understand keeping God’s commands is a privilege and spiritual benefit. God’s Word is sustenance. Therefore, let us keep the command as we keep our soul.
~ apl
“He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God… because for this purpose I have been sent.”
~ Luke 4:43
“The whole of the preaching of Jesus Christ and His apostles is concerned with the kingdom of God.”
~ Herman Ridderbos
“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…”
~ Philippians 2:12
“You cannot take Christ for justification unless you take Him for sanctification… You can no more separate justification from sanctification than you can separate the circulation of the blood from the inhalation of the air. Breathing and circulation are two different things, but you cannot have the one without the other; they go together, and they constitute one life. So you have justification and sanctification; they go together, and they constitute one life.”
~ A.A. Hodge (1823-1886)
“Sound Bible exposition is an imperative must in the Church of the Living God. Without it no church can be a New Testament church in any strict meaning of that term. But exposition may be carried on in such way as to leave the hearers devoid of any true spiritual nourishment whatever. For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, and unless and until the hearers find God in personal experience they are not the better for having heard the truth. The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.”
~ A.W. Tozer
“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ”
~ Philippians 1:6
In the year 1192 A.D. ground breaking took place on what would eventually become one of the most remarkable, iconic and unique buildings ever constructed. It was in this year the freestanding bell tower of the cathedral in the Italian city of Pisa was begun. Shortly after construction of the 183 ft. tower started, the tower began to lean because of soft, unstable and unfirmed ground underneath. One hundred and ninety nine years later, in the year 1372, the tower was finally completed. Construction had to be slowed down over the decades as to allow the ground underneath to harden where it could support the structure. As a result, and with much enduring patience, this beauty and iconic tower took almost 200 years to complete.
In many ways, the Christian life is like that leaning tower of Pisa. And in Philippians 1:6, we read about how God is slowly but surely building in each of us, a beautiful, if even imperfect, image of Himself. Just because you’re a Christian, doesn’t mean you’re already perfect. Becoming a follower of Christ, doesn’t automatically sweep all your troubles away. Like that leaning tower, believers often feel like they may fall, they might stumble in their faith and lose all hope. Yet in our verse today, we find hope, encouragement and God’s promise.
Looking a little closer at verse 6 then, Paul says three distinct things: 1. Being confident of this very thing 2. He who began a good work in you 3. Will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. Paul begins this verse with full assurance and confidence in what he was about to say. He’s using particularly strong language here. He’s saying what I’m about to tell you, I tell you with the certainty of all my hope, faith and trust in God and the Lord Jesus Christ. There was not the shadow of a doubt in the mind of the Apostle that these words aren’t as true as the God in whom Paul placed his faith.
What did Paul assert to believe? Well first, that He who began a good work in you… What is the good work the Apostle Paul is referring to here in the lives of the Philippians? Well, he is speaking of their salvation, of the redemption brought to them through the finished work of Christ and the spread of that Gospel message which did reach and convert them. So the “He” is God Himself. It is God who works the grace and gift of salvation into the hearts of sinners. The Bible speaks of the transforming work of God in different ways such as being born again, receiving a new heart, repenting or turning from sin. So it is the Lord who opens our hearts and minds to Himself. It is He, that is God, who began a good work in you. And of course, like we said, that good work is really the greatest and glorious of all works that the Lord could ever do on behalf of mankind, the work of salvation, the work of Christ on Calvary, of saving people from their sins.
It is this third part of Paul’s comments though, I want to spend a little more time on. He says, I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you, WILL complete it. God knows nothing of an incomplete project. Just as with the work of Creation where in 7 days God finished the work of establishing the heavens and the earth, so too, does His Word promise He will complete that work of salvation in the hearts and lives of all those who belong to Him. God does not leave us unfinished, half done, incomplete Christians. He who began the good work of salvation, finishes that glorious work until the day of Christ Jesus. What the Bible is teaching us here is God does not forget nor forsake those He calls to Himself. Once we are called unto salvation, God through Christ, ultimately sees us through to the end. The work of salvation is a persevering work. In Romans 8:30 the Bible put it this way saying those God calls, these He also justifies; and whom He justified, these He also glorifies. Salvation once begun in the heart of the redeemed sinner is one day fully and finally completed.
And this, beloved, is where our assurance and our hope come from – from the goodness and grace of God. The reality is though, we struggle with this truth. Though we might know it is true, we don’t always feel it is true. We know we fail God. We know we aren’t always what we ought to be. We know sin continues to be a reality in our lives and all this can and does cause us to question our salvation. And no can really blame you when you wonder why God would want to have anything to do with you when you still disobey Him and do things you know displease Him. But I think it is because we do sometimes let doubt creep in that Scripture offers us these comforting words. That even though all those things are true, we never stop being loved and accepted by God our Father through Christ our Lord.
God’s love is greater than our weakness. Therefore He will complete the work of salvation in you and will bring you ultimately to Himself one day. But till that day, we are all still a work in progress. Like Paul says elsewhere in Sacred Writ, it is not as if we have already achieved or attained perfection. If you are still walking this earth, and you belong to Him, then you are a wonderful work in progress. Christians are not perfect, but we are forgiven and that makes all the difference. It took almost 200 years for the Italians to complete the leaning tower of Pisa. And to this day, centuries later it’s still leaning but it’s still standing. It was important enough for them to keep working on, even though they knew it was inherently flawed.
God promises to abide with us and to sanctify us little by little day by day, even though we might be flawed. He looks past those flaws to the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf. And the Bible says He will never leave us nor forsake us. My prayer is that in those times when we might become discouraged in our faith, when we might be tempted to question the very salvation Jesus purchased for us with His own blood, that we would turn to passages like this one here in Philippians 1:6 an other like texts and lean on the promise of God and His Word, that He who began a good work in you, and in me, will certainly complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.
~ apl
“In sharp contrast to the contemporary definition of faith, biblical faith is not an irrational “leap in the dark.” It is not a mystical encounter with the “wholly other” or the “ground of being.” Nor is it optimism, psychological self-hypnosis, or wishful thinking. True faith is a reasoned response to revealed truth in the Bible, and salvation results from an intelligent response, prompted by the Holy Spirit, to that truth.”
~ John MacArthur
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
~ Matthew 5:17
I wonder if my title grabbed your attention? Bible-believing Christians know that we are saved by grace through faith, not by our works. Yet, the catch is, I’m not talking about our works – I’m speaking to the perfect work of the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s right. It is by believing in His works we are saved. I hope you understand beloved how important, how imperative, how essential it is we affirm, as followers of Christ, salvation by works. Again, not by our own worthless works, but by the perfect work of Jesus Christ in fulfilling the Law of God. That Christ did what we cannot do. He kept the high standard of God’s holy law, something Adam nor any of his descendants did or can do in our own strength. Jesus did not run from the Law of God. He did not try to minimize the Law. He did not try to plead ignorance to the Law. No. Jesus boldly embraced, obeyed and perfectly fulfilled the Law of God on the behalf of His people. Praise His name!
~ apl
A Prayer Life 