July 17th - Commend Them To God

“And now I commend you to God and to the word of His GRACE, which is able to build you up and to GIVE you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” (Acts 20:32)

Humanity is a work in progress, marred by sin to be remolded by the great Potter Himself into His image. So I do not worry about the eternal destiny of my loved ones. I have learned from studying the Bible to just relax and "commend them to God”. 

God will finish His work and when done, He will have reconciled my family, friends and all others to Himself. In the meantime, I try to enjoy life, treat people the way I want to be treated, and grow in the grace of God.

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus….grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6; 2 Peter 3:18)

From time to time I ask myself whether I have grown “in grace and in knowledge of our Lord”. I only grow as my perspective of God shows Him to be more loving, merciful and gracious than I had previously thought. Few people actually care about the good news of the salvation of all humanity, so sometimes I just quit talking about it. Then I recall this verse….

"You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen.” (Ezekiel 2:5)

So, I keep sharing the good news hoping some find the joy of believing it – and “commend them to God”.

"This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance. To this end we labor and strive, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of everyone, and especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things." (1 Timothy 4:9-10)

July 16th - I Am Not Ashamed

“…I AM NOT ASHAMED of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation…who wills all humanity be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (Romans 1:16; 1 Timothy 2:4)

God has the power to save, and in fact "wills" that humanity be saved. I am not ashamed of this good news. God...

“…saves us and calls us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages of time, yet now is being revealed through the advent of our Savior, Christ Jesus, Who, indeed, abolishes death and illuminates life and immortality through the gospel...I AM NOT ASHAMED; for I know Whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” (2 Timothy 1:9-14)

I have entrusted my salvation and that of my family and friends to God. He will save them. Who is going to stop Him? Certainly not the opposing doctrines of men!

July 15th - The Riches of God's Grace

“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)

Under the Law given to Israel, once a year the high priest would make s sacrifice to atone for ALL the sins of the people of Israel, intentional and unintentional. That day was called the day of Atonement and God would forgive all sins committed during the previous year. (Leviticus 16) 

We are told that these offerings were temporary in that they did not “take away" future sins.

“Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:11)

The Law requires sacrifices to be made year after year for the sins of the people. BUT not anymore! God the Father brought the final sacrificial offering to atone for the sins of the whole world, past and future. That offering was His Son, the sacrificial perfect Lamb of God, Jesus. That sacrificial offering has taken away the sins of all humanity!

“He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2) 

“…'He said, ‘behold, I have come to do Your WILL.’ ...By this WILL we have been SANCTIFIED through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE for ALL. Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified." (Hebrews 10:9-14)

God the Father has saved humanity by His GRACE! We are to have faith in our salvation. His compassion and mercy never fails, they are new every morning.

“So that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:7-9)

"The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness His compassion begins afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance therefore, I will hope in him! The LORD is good to those who depend on Him, to those who search for Him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of His discipline...For no one is abandoned by the LORD forever. Though He brings grief, He also shows compassion because of the greatness of His unfailing love. For He does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow." (Lamentations 3:22-33)

July 14th - The Temporary and Eternal Kingdom of God

"But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of God’s grace." (Acts 20:24)

The gospel of the coming kingdom of Israel on the present Earth was preached to the Jews until Jesus was rejected as their Messiah as we read in Acts 28:28. The restored kingdom of Israel has been postponed for almost two thousand years while "the Gospel of God's grace” is now being preached to all nations. However, Jesus will return and set up the restored kingdom of Israel which will last one thousand years.

The gospel of grace is about the the eternal kingdom of God in a New Heaven and New Earth where God will dwell with the humans of all nations as the joint body of Christ.

Failure to distinguish between the restored one thousand year kingdom of Israel that is coming on this earth from the eternal Kingdom of God in the New heaven and New earth has caused much confusion and false doctrine within institutional Christianity.

Concerning Israel and the one thousand year kingdom to come on this earth...  

“The LORD says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you. Once again you will have all the food you want, and you will praise the LORD your God, who does these miracles for you. Never again will my people be disgraced. Then you will know that I am among my people Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. Never again will my people be disgraced.” (Joel 2:25-27)

“Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says…I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and I will bring you back into your own land. I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances. Then you will live in the land that I gave your forefathers; you will be My people, and I will be your God.” (Ezekiel 36:22, 24-28)

“…the Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob (Israel). This is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” (Romans 11:26-27)

In the gospel of grace, God has promised to deliver ALL humans out of death, make them a new immortal creation, and place them into the eternal Kingdom of God - a New Creation where all humanity has been transformed into the image of God and His Son.

“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-54)

“It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all humanity, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things.” (1 Timothy 4:9-11)

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with humanity, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.” And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.” (Revelation 21:1-5)

The kingdom promised to Israel on this earth will last one thousand years and will begin with the return of Jesus as king of kings and Lord of lords. It will come to an end after one thousand years and God will destroy the present Earth and create a New Heaven and New Earth as the eternal home of redeemed humanity in the Kingdom of God. It is the gospel of the Kingdom of God in the New Heaven and New Earth which will be "preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations" during the thousand year kingdom of Israel. 

"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14) 

July 13th - Boasting

Did God save you by His grace, or were you saved by accepting His offer of grace?

Be mindful of how you answer.  For that answer will reveal whether you are “boasting”.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

A BELIEVER is a person who believes God, not the doctrine of an institutional Christian church...big difference. Humanity is justified and saved by the grace of God - gratuitously.

"Being justified gratuitously in His grace, through the deliverance which is in Christ Jesus...toward the display of His righteousness...for Him to be just and a Justifier of the one who is of the faith of Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is debarred!" (Romans 3:24-27)

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

Boasting of what you did to get saved is evidence of unbelief.

July 12th - A Successful Life

A Successful Life - what does it look like?

I like Ralph Waldo Emerson's definition of success…

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

Humanity too often measures success by power and wealth, but Jesus said this about power and wealth.

"What good is it for a human to gain the whole world, yet forfeit the soul? Or what can a human give in exchange for the soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will reward each human according to what they have done." (Matthew 16:26-27) 

Worldly success is "meaningless" says the writer of Ecclesiastes.

“I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind." (Ecclesiastes 1:14)

The advice in Ecclesiastes is to work, and  "enjoy life with the wife whom you love" - that has worked for me!

A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil… Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love...For this is your lot in life…” (Ecclesiastes 2:24; 9:9) 

July 11th - Keep it Simple

“And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life…And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” (1 John 2:25; 5:11)

“...we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all humanity, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things.” (1 Timothy 4:9-11)

“God demonstrates His own LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us… while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son…For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 5:8-10; 6:26)

"For by GRACE you have been SAVED through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the GIFT of God, not as a result of works...” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people." (Titus 2:11)

Simple!