Glorious Joy

Do you ever consider the incredible faith it takes to believe in Jesus? For anyone who hasn’t been saved by his grace, the entire concept may sound foolish. But to those of us who believe, who know for absolute certainty the truth of the gospel, we are filled with inexpressible and glorious joy because we know that the goal of our faith is literally the salvation of our soul. First Peter 1 verses 8 and 9 says:

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

That is what it’s all about isn’t it? The salvation of our souls. When we, as believers, understand that this life if fleeting and that the afterlife is eternal, we understand that our faith is not misplaced. Actually, we have found something that is more precious than anything life can offer, the love that God gave us through his son, Jesus. With faith to believe, we have been granted eternal life in heaven, not just 80 or 90 years of happiness on this earth which so many pursue, but eternity with our creator. That is why believers are filled with this inexpressible and glorious joy. It is almost as if we know a secret that the rest of the world can’t understand. First Peter says that “though we have not seen him, we love him. And even though we don’t see him now we believe in him”. It is faith like that which saves us, and a knowledge of what’s to come after this short time on earth that fills us with inexpressible and glorious joy.

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Peter reminds us of what our faith in Jesus affords us, which should explain to those who don’t believe why we have this inexpressible and glorious joy. To me it is more of a peace, an anchor in my life that can’t be shaken. No matter what happens or doesn’t happen in life, I know the truth. The truth is that this life will end, so we should live it well by storing up treasures for our real life that we’ll spend in eternity with God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Bible tells us that life on earth is like the blink of an eye in comparison to eternity. So, we can smile, having peace in our hearts and glorious joy of what is to come. Those who don’t understand may look at us as if we have some secret that we’re hiding in our hearts. They may even harbor bitter envy because they aren’t able to understand. But in actuality, this secret is too big and too important to hide. So, I encourage you to share this joy with others. Then they too can understand and experience this inexpressible and glorious joy. If you are reading this and have no idea what I’m talking about, I encourage you to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can save you from hell. He is the only one who can guarantee eternal life in paradise. When you are sealed with his blood, forgiven of your sins and presented to God as righteous; not because of what you’ve done, but only because of your faith in the one who died, transferring his righteousness as a covering for you sin, then and only then, will you really appreciate this inexpressible and glorious joy. Don’t wait, I encourage you to believe in him today.

Sealed With a Bang

When I read about Jesus’ crucifixion in Matthew, I’m astonished that even after his death there were still some who didn’t believe. Even before then, in the many events leading up to the cross, it was as if unbelievers had to convince themselves that the miracles Jesus performed weren’t from God, and that his words and actions were somehow contrary to the character of God. As difficult as it might be for us to understand the stubborn ignorance of those in Jesus’ time, it is even more difficult to understand how anyone still wouldn’t have believed after Jesus died, because the covenant he made with us when he died was sealed with a bang. Let me show you what I’m talking about in Matthew chapter 27, verses 50 through 53 which says: 

“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”

How can anyone still think that Jesus wasn’t the Son of God after that display? And if that wasn’t enough, Jesus, himself, rose from the grave and appeared to many. I hope and pray that if you are reading this and haven’t yet made Jesus your Lord and Savior, that you don’t fall into the trap that many did in Jesus’ day. With so much evidence pointing to Jesus as the one and only true son of the living God, it would be beyond ignorance to deny that truth today. It would be the biggest mistake any human can make. All he truly wants from us is our faith. If he has that, love for him and obedience to him are inevitable. So, I encourage you to put your faith in Jesus today. No, people aren’t rising from the dead, rocks aren’t being split open, and the temple curtain isn’t being torn from top to bottom today, but we have evidence that is just as convincing. We have the knowledge of history, and the benefit of understanding what they didn’t know back then. They say that hindsight is 20/20. Please, I encourage you to benefit from their mistakes, and not fall into their same dogmatic unbelief. If you do, you could regret it for eternity.

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After all of the miraculous things that happened immediately after Jesus’ death, it is difficult to understand why some would still choose not to believe. Likewise, in this day in age, after having the complete word of God in the form of the Holy Bible, the historic truths that lie therein, and story upon story of those who have turned their lives to him and are saved, it is difficult to understand how anyone can still deny him. The benefit of putting your faith in Jesus is something that you don’t want to miss. It is the most important decision you could ever make in this life. So please, I implore you, if you have not put your faith in Jesus, if you have not believed in your heart that he died for you and confessed with your mouth that he is Lord, do it today, for tomorrow is promised to no one.

Not Slow

Time is a strange thing. On earth we are able to conceptualize the past, the present and the future. We’re born, we age, and we die. Time is linear for us, so if we miss a moment, we know that we’ll never get that moment back. We may experience occasions when we think we need something to happen right now, because time dictates that an answer or solution can’t wait a moment longer. But when we pray to God, I think we forget that he doesn’t operate in the same time confines as we do here on earth. I don’t believe that time is linear when considering God’s reality. That is why I believe that as far as he is concerned, everything happens exactly when it is supposed to happen. Second Peter chapter 3, verses 8 and 9 puts it this way:

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

I see two things here. First, we learn that time operates differently for God. So, if you’re praying for something and you think that God is taking his sweet time in answering your prayer, that is never the case. I don’t believe that God ever has to do anything “right now”. Whenever he chooses to answer your prayer, deliverance will occur at exactly the right time, even though we may not think it does sometimes. And secondly, God is patient. As far as our earthly timeline, he doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to end all things as we know it. He is giving us plenty of time to come to him because he doesn’t want anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. Even still, we do know that life as we know it will end, and when it does, it will come without warning. There’ll be no second chances, and no re-dos. So, I encourage you, if you haven’t accepted what Jesus did on the cross for us, do it today and be saved from eternal hell. And if you think God is late in answering your prayer, think again. God is never late, because he doesn’t operate within our linear, earthly timeline. Just keep praying in faith, and wait with earnest expectation for his deliverance.

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Remember what Peter says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.” Whether you are waiting for the promise of an answered prayer, or the promise of Jesus’ return, everything will happen exactly when it is supposed to happen. God is never late, and he is not slow as some understand slowness. So, if you are still waiting on God, I hope that this portion of scripture bolsters your faith, and gives you hope.

Good Wisdom

James explains that there are two kinds of wisdom that we can pursue. One is of the devil and the other is from heaven. It says in James 3 verses 13 through 17:

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

James explains that wisdom is good only if it is from heaven. The basic difference between good and evil wisdom is that one is selfish and the other is selfless. This pattern is strewn throughout the Bible, and it is re-enforced once again in this portion of scripture. Our sinful nature pursues selfish ambition and envies what we don’t have. But Godly wisdom focuses itself on the needs of others in a way that is humble and pure. You might have realized that these are fruits of the spirit, and you may be wondering what they have to do with wisdom. Well, Proverbs reminds us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. When we understand how to operate using the fruits of the spirit as God instructs, we are wise because we do so in obedience to the Lord.

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James tells us that there are two kinds of wisdom; selfish wisdom that comes from the devil and selfless wisdom that comes from heaven. I encourage you to pursue and seek the latter. It plays itself out by being pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. When we pursue these attributes, we are being wise because by aligning ourselves with the Holy Spirit, we will ultimately reap what is good.

Come Near

For me, James is one of the most challenging books in the Bible. He doesn’t mince words when calling us out about our walk with God and our struggle with our sin nature. He calls it like it is, which can be very hard to hear and very convicting. But often times, conviction is exactly what we need. In James chapter 4, verses 8 through 10 the Bible says:

“Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

This portion of scripture is clearly a message of repentance. James challenges us to make our lives right before God; to wash our hands and purify our hearts. He’s basically telling us to get serious about our walk, to repent of our sin and to turn back to Christ. He tells us to grieve, mourn and wail because of our disobedience, which indicates true repentance. Then he continues by telling us to humble ourselves before the Lord and he will lift us up. I believe the most difficult time to pray is right after we’ve sinned. At least that is true for me. I feel so ashamed and unworthy of God that I find it difficult to understand why he would hear and forgive me. But that is exactly the time we need to be on our knees before him, when we are broken and contrite. James tells us that we are to humble ourselves before the Lord and he will ultimately lift us back up.

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Repenting before the Lord can be difficult. No one wants to feel guilty and ashamed. No one likes to feel as if they’ve done something wrong that requires forgiveness. But we are sinners, and to walk with a Holy God means that we need to wash our hands and purify our hearts when we fall. There is no other way. Your sins won’t be forgiven without asking for it. And the act of asking doesn’t really matter if we’re not ready to truly repent. So, I encourage you, if you are far from God, or if you’re caught up in sin, to repent and do what James suggests. Wash your hands, purify your hearts, grieve, mourn and wail, humble yourself before the Lord and he will lift you up.