This past Sunday was our second week of our series on Philippians called “To Live is Christ.” Joey preached on Philippians 1:3-11, and spent quite a bit of time unpacking verse 6:

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

If you did not have the opportunity to be at this past Sunday’s worship gathering, be sure to check out the podcast for the sermon. It was a very powerful message.

Philippians 1:6 is a very powerful verse that provides us with a great deal of comfort and confidence. As I was reflecting on Joey’s sermon sometime Sunday afternoon, a few passages came to mind. I want to offer a few brief thoughts about some of these passages that relate to Philippians 1:6.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5 ESV)

1 Peter 1:3-5 reminds us that what is actually sustaining us and the reason that we persevere in our faith is because God’s power is guarding us. The reason why we stay a Christian is because God himself is actually upholding us. How does God’s power do this? “Through faith.” While God’s power guards us “through faith”, it is not as though faith itself is what is keeping us as Christians. Faith is the vehicle that shows us that God’s power is at work within us. Faith itself is a gift of grace that God gives to us (Ephesians 2:8; 2 Peter 2:1; James 1:16-18). What this passage shows us is that we are totally secure in God’s hand; nothing can successfully thwart our full and final salvation.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” (Romans 8:28-30 ESV)

Romans 8:28 tells us that everything that happens to us will work together for good. All of the crazy things we experience in life are somehow working together for our good.  Paul, the guy who wrote Romans, bases the claim he makes in Romans 8:28 on verses 29-30. In verse 29, Paul talks people whom God “foreknew.” Romans was originally written in Greek, not English. Sometimes the meaning of certain words gets muddled when we translate from one language to another language. Paul is NOT saying that God knew about people beforehand. God does know about everything before it happens and is sovereign over everything that happens. But this is not what Paul is talking about. When we look at how the rest of the New Testament uses the word “knew/know” that makes up part of the word “foreKNEW/foreKNOW”, we see that this word is talking about knowing someone intimately.

Matthew 1 sheds some light on this. Joseph was engaged to Mary (Jesus’ mom). Mary announces to Joseph that she is pregnant. Joseph knows he doesn’t need to go on The Maury Show because he has never had sex with her, so he decides to “divorce” her. Back then, engagements had legal ramifications. So essentially, he was breaking off the engagement and was going to kick her to the curb. But before Joseph has the opportunity to kick her to the curb, he has a dream where he receives a message from God telling him that Mary’s pregnancy has been caused by the Holy Spirit; essentially, God is saying to Joseph that Mary hasn’t been shacking up with another guy behind his back. Mary is pregnant with the Messiah. Matthew 1:24-25 tells us something interesting:

“When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”

Joseph “KNEW her not until she had given birth to a son.” Joseph was planning to “divorce” Mary, so obviously he was well aware of her existence; he knew about her. What the word “knew” means in this context is that Joseph did not knew Mary intimately before they got married; meaning the type of intimacy that happens when a couple goes on their honeymoon.

Romans 8:29 is saying that God “knew” us before the foundation of the world and had determined that he would set up history is such a way that everything that happens to us will work towards us being made more like Jesus.

Romans 8:30 presents an unbroken chain that goes from before God created anything, all of the way to the future after Christ has returned and made all things new. In God’s mind, for us who believe the gospel, all of our salvation, from beginning to end was finished from before the foundation of the world. God is sovereign over history and has set up history in such a way that everything is working together for our good. Nothing can snatch us out of his hand. Nothing catches him by surprise. God has not left any aspect of our salvation to “chance.” He firmly resolved to save us and he is going to accomplish what he set out to do.

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 1:24,25 ESV)

Who is able to keep us from stumbling? God is able to keep us from stumbling. “Stumbling” in this passage does not mean that we will always obey God. What this means is that God is able to keep us from stumbling away from him in a way where we fall away from him never to return.

Who is able to present us blameless before God? God is able to present us blameless before God.

All of our salvation is of grace. It is God who begins the good work in us, and it is God who sees to it that the work he started in us is actually accomplished.

This is truly good news!

Brad Jones

Scripture Passages: Isaiah 52 (all); 53 (all); 1 Corinthians 15 (all)

 Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. It is the day that Jesus was resurrected from the dead, proving that he had defeated sin, death and hell. The passages from Isaiah are prophecies about Jesus and the suffering he would endure on the cross. 1 Corinthians 15 is about the significance of Jesus’ resurrection and the resurrection that we will participate in when Jesus returns. Reflect on today’s passages and enjoy spending some time with family and friends.

Scripture Passages: Hebrews 12:14; Romans 12:18; Matthew 5:9

One of the key marks of Christianity is reconciliation and forgiveness. One of the best ways we can engage the world is through being agents of reconciliation in the world. Through standing in the gap for others when conflicts arise in our daily lives, we give people a glimpse of what God has done for us. When we initiate reconciliation and pursue peace with other people, we love people in the same way that God loves us. Instead of turning away and putting distance between us and the people we have conflicts with we reach out to others with the same love that God has extended to us through Christ. We live in a world where the curse of sin not only separates us from God, it also separates us from one another. Conflict is inevitable. It is a part of our lives. The way we live out forgiveness and reconciliation is a huge testimony to the mercy and grace of God that we are all in desperate need of.

Pick one of today’s verses and memorize it.

Scripture Passage: Titus 2:11-3:8

Put your thinking cap on! We are going to think through today’s passage.

What does God’s grace teach us to renounce? (2:11-12)

How does the grace of God teach us to live? (2:11-13)

Why did Jesus give himself for us? What did he redeem us from? What did he save us for (what was his purpose)? (2:13-14)

What is the hope of believers? (2:13)

How does God desire for us to live? (3:1-2)

Why should we live the way 3:1-2 describes? (3:3-7)

Why did God save us? On what basis did God save us? (3:5)

What does doing the things in 3:1-2 allow us to do? (3:8)

Scripture Passages: Acts 16:1-17:34

Today’s reading is somewhat long. Before you read, there are some key principles you need to be on the lookout for. These principles will help us better understand how we can engage the world and deal with all of the elements that go along with it.

The believers went to where the people were. They were out in the community where other people were.

As the believers lived out their lives, the church grew. Believers became stronger in their faith and many people became believers.

As the church grew, they faced fierce opposition. The growth of the church and opposition usually happen together. The more that the church is growing, the more opposition they will have.

The believers engaged the world by using their audience’s language and by going to their audience’s setting. They did what they could to bridge the gap.

Some people responded positively to the gospel. Some people responded very negatively to the gospel.

Think about some of the elements found in today’s passage and how they relate to us today. Think about how these principles can inform and influence how we interact with and engage the world around us.

Scripture Passages: Ephesians 5:15-6:9; Colossians 3:18-4:6

The best way to engage the world is through how we live and interact with people in our day to day lives. How we live in our day to day life shows what we really believe and the difference the gospel makes on our life. What will pull the most weight with people is how we live out our faith in our everyday life. Ready today’s passages and ask yourself the questions below (the questions that apply to you).

How can I make the best use of the time and opportunities God has given to me?

Does what I say throughout the day demonstrate God’s grace? How can I respond to people in ways that shows grace to them?

Husbands
What does the gospel tell me about how I should love my wife?

Has the way that Christ has loved me become real enough in my life so that it flows out into the way I treat my wife?

Wives
What does the gospel tell me about how I should love my husband?

Has the way that Christ has loved me become real enough in my life so that it flows out into the way I treat my husband?

Employees (or students) (those under authority)*
What do today’s passages tell me about how I am to respond to those who are in authority? What changes do I need to make? In what ways can the gospel motivate me to make these changes?

Employers, Employees, Leaders (those in authority)*
What do today’s passages tell me about how I am to respond to those under my authority? What changes do I need to make? In what ways can the gospel motivate me to make these changes?

Parents
What do today’s passages tell me about how I am to respond to my kid(s)? What changes do I need to make? In what ways can the gospel motivate me to make these changes?

Children (of all ages)
What do today’s passages tell me about how I am to respond to my parent(s)? What changes do I need to make? In what ways can the gospel motivate me to make these changes?

*The passages talk about slaves and masters. The slavery that existed in these contexts was not the same type of slavery that existed in America. The slavery that these passages refer to is comparable to the relationship between employers and employees, as the differences between slaves and free workers was very small.

Scripture Passage: Matthew 28:16-20

Jesus commands us to “go.” But how are we to “go”?

We go out in the authority of Jesus. Jesus is Lord; he is King. This is an objective fact. Jesus is, at this very moment, reigning and ruling over all things. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we go out into the world to take dominion over the earth. Through the power of the gospel, God is establishing his kingdom on the earth. Through the power of the gospel, God is raising people out of spiritual death.

We go out with our worship and our doubts. We do not have to have it all together or know all of the right answers in order to go. We are all a work in progress. God delights in using messed up people to accomplish his purposes because it shows that our faith is not about what we can do, but it is all about what Jesus has done.

We go out telling everyone. No one is to be excluded from hearing the Gospel. No one on Planet Earth is to be excluded from hearing the gospel. We preach to all people.

We go out with a promise: Christ will be with us.

Jesus desires that we make disciples, not just converts. Disciples are students who truly know God and are committed to knowing him more than do right now.

Jesus commands us to baptize his disciples. In the early years of the church, it would have been absurd to talk about an unbaptized Christian. “Unbaptized Christian” would have sounded to them like “hot ice” or “dry water”. It was understood that Christians were to be baptized. Baptism played a vital role in the life of the church. Baptism was viewed as being absolutely essential. Pay attention to the large role baptism plays in Acts 2:36-41:

“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”

Baptism does not save anyone. The thief on the cross who died next to Jesus was not baptized yet was nevertheless saved.

While baptism does not save us, it is also much more that just “an outward sign of an inward reality.” This type of thinking about baptism has only been around for the past 400 years or so; it is a product of cultural and historical changes that have shaped the way we think. While this type of thinking seems very reasonable and quite natural, nothing could be further from how baptism is meant to be understood. While baptism does not save us, God is somehow at work in, with, and through ordinary water that is used for baptism. Something unexplainable is happening in the spiritual realm when a person passes through the waters of baptism. Hebrews 10:22 gives us a powerful allusion to the power that is behind baptism.

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Baptism does not save us, but it is much more than a symbolic ritual.

Jesus commands us to teach people to observe all that he has commanded. Everything in the entire Bible points to Jesus. Jesus is the one person who deserves to be obeyed. Jesus is our Prophet, Priest and King. Jesus is our Prophet who gives us the word we need from God. He himself is the Word of God (John 1:1). Jesus is our Priest who mediates between us and God the Father; Jesus offered the perfect sacrifice to God on our behalf and is in heaven interceding for those who place their trust in him. Jesus is our King who conquered sin, death and hell. Jesus is worthy to be listened to and obeyed.

Matthew 28:16-20 has often been referred to as the Great Commission. Perhaps a better name for this passage is the Gospel Commission. Our going, baptizing, making disciples and teaching is a response to the gospel. Notice the word “therefore” in verse 19. We do the things mentioned in verses 19-20 because of what Jesus says in verse 18. Jesus has “all authority in heaven and on earth” because the work is already finished. We go out and fight from victory, not for victory. We go out into the world proclaiming the victory that has already been won for us through the cross. Because the victory has already been won, we cannot be defeated.

Scripture Passages: Ephesians 2:1-10; John 3:1-8

Consider the following story: “Rob and Tom were enemies. They were opposed to one another; they hated one another; they were separated from one another. But Tom, being rich in mercy, even when he found Rob dead on the sidewalk, made Rob alive. By grace Rob was saved. This was the gift of Tom so that Rob might not boast.”

What role did Rob play in being made alive? Did Rob ask to be made alive? Was Rob lying dead on the sidewalk, begging Tom to give him CPR?

Rob played no role in being made alive. Rob did not even ask to be made alive. Rob was completely helpless to do anything to be made alive. Rob contributed nothing because Rob was dead. Rob responded to Tom only after Tom brought him back to life.

This story illustrates the nature of how we are made spiritually alive; it illustrates how a person is born again. We are born into this world spiritually dead. We are blind to spiritual truth. We have a corrupt heart. We refuse to come to God. In essence, spiritually we are like Rob: completely helpless to do anything; even asking God to save us is beyond our ability to do. A person no more contributes to being born again than a dead person contributes to being made alive. A person can no more choose to become born again than they can choose to be born physically. This phenomenon is something that comes to us outside of ourselves, and totally apart from ourselves.

People often object to the testimony of the Bible at this point because they say it takes away free will. Pastor Doug Wilson offers a helpful statement that clarifies the nature of free will in relation to being born again and the debate that often arises in Christian circles over this issue:

“The debate, then, is not between Christians who affirm the liberty and responsibility of creatures, and those who deny such liberty. Rather, it is between those who ground the liberty of creatures in the strength and power of God, and those who ground it in the strength and power of man.”[i]

True liberty and freedom comes to us through the strength and power of God. Salvation is all of grace. Yes, we must make a decision. But even our decision itself is a gift a grace that comes to us through the strength and power of God. Theologians sometimes refer to this grace as sovereign grace or irresistible grace. What this means is that God’s grace in and of itself is able to actually overcome our sinful, stubborn hearts totally apart from us. Christian author and editor Dane Ortlund said,

“Sovereign, regenerating grace does not force us to do what we don’t want to do. Far more deeply, it brings us to want to do what we should want to do…Irresistible grace is grace that softens us way down deep at the core of who we are. Taste bud transformation. In a miracle that can never be humanly manufactured, we find ourselves, strangely, delighting to love God. This is a big God, with big grace. Hallelujah.”[ii]

God does not save us against our will. But rather, only a work of God’s sovereign grace invading our hearts, first changing hearts totally apart from our cooperation, is the only way that God can move us to willingly come to him repenting of our sin and having faith in the gospel.

            Every aspect of our salvation is completely of grace. Every aspect of our salvation is completely of grace so that God alone would be glorified for our salvation. We can take credit for none of it because there is not even one aspect, even our decision, that we can say is even partly due to us. All is of grace. All is for God’s glory. To God alone be the praise and the glory: to the praise of the glory of his grace!

Scripture Passage: Ephesians 1:15-23

Verse 15
Paul believes that verses 1-14 are true about people who have faith in Christ and love for other Christians. If we have been adopted into God’s family, this will be shown through our faith in Christ. Not only will our adoption be shown through our faith in Christ, it will also be shown through our love for other Christians.

Pretend a friend walked up to you and said, “I love you, but I despise your spouse. I can’t stand them. They disgust me.” What would you think? You might question your friend’s love. If your friend truly loved you, they would love your spouse as well. They might not find it easy to get along with your spouse, but they would have a genuine love for your spouse because they know that your spouse is important to you.

In the Bible the Church is sometimes referred to as the Bride of Christ. If we truly love Christ, we will love the Church because Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:25). A love for Christ will necessarily flow out into a love for other Christians.

Verses 16-23
Paul prays that God would give us “a spirit of wisdom and revelation” in the knowledge of Christ. Paul prays this so that we may know:

a)      The hope to which we were called.

b)      “The riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.”

c)      “The immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe.”

These three things are connected. We have a confident expectation (“hope”) in God’s goodness towards us because he called us out of death into life (literally). Before the world began, God the Father promised God the Son a people that he would inherit as the reward for redeeming them. Those who believe in Christ have a one flesh union with Christ; a union like one a husband has with his wife, only more profound. Ephesians 5:29-30 says, “For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.” Believers have a connection to Christ that is comparable to the connection that a person’s head has to his body. The two belong together; there is no separation between the two. We live in this world, but we have a deep, mysterious, objective spiritual union with Christ in such a way that we are literally one with him. Believers have the same type of organic connection to Christ that all people have with Adam (Romans 5:18-19). We have been loved and blessed more profoundly than we could ever imagine.

May God awaken us to the reality of the depth of our salvation!

“In whom also, after that ye believed. Having maintained that the gospel is certain, he now comes to the proof. And what higher surety can be found than the Holy Spirit? “Having denominated the gospel the word of truth, I will not prove it by the authority of men; for you have the testimony of the Spirit of God himself, who seals the truth of it in your hearts.” This elegant comparison is taken from Seals, which among men have the effect of removing doubt. Seals give validity both to charters and to testaments; anciently, they were the principal means by which the writer of a letter could be known; and, in short, a seal distinguishes what is true and certain, from what is false and spurious. This office the apostle ascribes to the Holy Spirit, not only here, but in another part of this Epistle, (Eph 4:30,) and in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, (2Co 1:22.) Our minds never become so firmly established in the truth of God as to resist all the temptations of Satan, until we have been confirmed in it by the Holy Spirit. The true conviction which believers have of the word of God, of their own salvation, and of religion in general, does not spring from the judgment of the flesh, or from human and philosophical arguments, but from the sealing of the Spirit, who imparts to their consciences such certainty as to remove all doubt. The foundation of faith would be frail and unsteady, if it rested on human wisdom; and therefore, as preaching is the instrument of faith, so the Holy Spirit makes preaching efficacious.

But is it not the faith itself which is here said to be sealed by the Holy Spirit? If so, faith goes before the sealing. I answer, there are two operations of the Spirit in faith, corresponding to the two parts of which faith consists, as it enlightens, and as it establishes the mind. The commencement of faith is knowledge: the completion of it is a firm and steady conviction, which admits of no opposing doubt. Both, I have said, are the work of the Spirit. No wonder, then, if Paul should declare that the Ephesians, who received by faith the truth of the gospel, were confirmed in that faith by the seal of the Holy Spirit.

With that Holy Spirit of promise. This title is derived from the effect produced; for to him we owe it that the promise of salvation is not made to us in vain. As God promises in his word, “that he will be to us a Father,” (2Co 6:18,) so he gives to us the evidence of having adopted us by the Holy Spirit.”[ii]