Daily Encouragement

November 15, 2009 - More Than Conquerors

Meditation on Romans 8

We have discovered so far that through Christ's death, He has set us free from the law of sin and death. (v. 2-3) How then can we appropriate this objective truth into the reality of our lives? The answer is the Spirit of Christ.

The Holy Spirit can give us life and peace. (v. 6) Each Christian should already have the Spirit of Christ lives in his or her heart when he or she receives Christ as personal Savior. (v. 15-16) We are able to set our mind on the things of the Spirit rather than those of the flesh. (v. 5) It means that we intentionally live our lives according to the guidance of the Spirit and not according to the want of the flesh. (v. 4, 11) And we must, through the Spirit, also put to death the deeds of the body. (v. 13)

That means that we need to follow the teaching of the Holy Spirit through the word of God constantly and obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit by saying no to the temptation and fleshly desires. Yes, through the power of the Spirit, we can overcome the law of sin and death that is within us.

Moreover, the Holy Spirit also helps our weakness. He intercedes for us. (v. 26) And God's Word has promised that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. (v. 35-39)

Therefore, we are more than conquerors through Christ.

November 16, 2009 - The Potter And The Clay

Meditation on Romans 9

Paul illustrates the sovereignty of God over human lives with the image of the potter who has the power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor. (v. 21) Base on that fact, He has decided to show mercy only to those who come to Him by faith to have righteousness and not to those who seek righteousness by the work of the law. (v. 30-32)

The Scriptures also has this to say, "What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory." (v. 22-23 NKJV)

Does it mean that God has predestined some to destruction? I think not. The verb in the sentence "for the vessel of wrath prepared for destruction" in verse 22 is in passive voice in the Greek. It does not necessary mean that God is the one who prepared. It could mean that it was prepared by themselves. But later, on the vessel of mercy it is clearly indicated God had prepared beforehand for glory.

There are other Scriptures which support the premise that God has not designated some for destruction. 2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord.... is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." According to the word of God here, it is God's desire that everyone should be saved. Then in 1 John 2:2, specifically tells us that Christ has provided His sin offering not only for us but also for the sins of the whole world. "God so loved the world" should naturally mean that He has given His only begotten Son to everyone in the world. So we can conclude that God wants everyone to be saved through Christ.

It is human clay then to take the responsibility to accept God's mercy or not. For Revelation 22:17b says, "Come! And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely."

November 17, 2009 - On Fire For The Lord

Meditation on Romans 12

The book of Romans teaches Christians to be on fire for the Lord. After the theological discussion about salvation and faith from chapter one to eleven, Paul moves on in chapter twelve to instruct us how to live a Christian life. Our lives ought to be ministering to one another with spiritual gifts, loving, affectionate, fervent (boiling, in Greek) in the spirit, rejoicing, blessing but patient and overcoming evil. (v. 3-21) However we will be lagging to live this kind of successful life if we do not put into practice the first two verses of this chapter. They are the key to be living a life of boiling excitement.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (v. 1-2 NKJV)

In the light of the mercies of God who is praise worthy, which Paul has discussed earlier, he counsels all believers to yield their whole life and daily living to God as a sacrifice that is alive in Christ. An Old Testament sacrifice that is offered to God should be a burning sacrifice. It represents the dead animal that has no life of its own but is totally dedicated to God. The paradox for us is that though we are yielded to God and dead to self interest, yet we are living through the resurrected life of Christ. We are like the bush that Moses saw on Mt. Horeb. It was burning but not consumed. We are a living sacrifice.

As we yield our lives to God to be His instruments for righteousness, we will, through the Holy Spirit, not to be conformed to the system and practices of this world that is contrary to God's Word. But instead our mind will be renewed by the Holy Spirit. Our old character and life style will undergo change like a caterpillar to a butterfly through the power of the Holy Spirit. We will know how to examine what is the will of God.

Then we can be on fire for God!

November 18, 2009 - Confirmed To The End

Meditation on 1 Corinthians 1

The first letter to the Corinthians was written by the Apostle Paul to correct the many problems in the church of Corinth. They had divisions, immorality, law suit, questions of worship and question of spiritual gifts and etc. But the amazing thing was that Paul still said that Christ would also confirm them to the end, that they might be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (v. 8) In other word, they would be sustained by the grace of God and would be saved for eternity.

What gave Paul the confidence to say the above? Verse nine gave the answer. "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." (NKJV) The faithfulness of God will make sure that his calling upon Christians will be carried out to the end to accomplish the purpose of His call.

Praise the Lord for His faithfulness though sometime we may be unfaithful. For He cannot deny Himself. (2 Timothy 2:13) Though the Corinthian Christians had lots of problem and was ignorant of many things, God still called them saints. (v. 2) And they were taught and expected to live like a saint.

May we all rejoice in the wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption we have in Jesus Christ. (v. 30)

November 19, 2009 - To Be Married Or Single?

Meditation on 1 Corinthians 7

There are many Christians who remain single today. Some cultures may consider them unfulfilled and not ideal. The parents may try all kind of means to get their children married somehow. Some Christian parents would have no problem to push their Christian son or daughter who has way past their flower age to get married with a non-Christian as long as the prospect is wealthy and healthy. The result then may be tragic. Seldom will there be happiness in such home. However divorce is not the solution. Paul counsels the believers who have married to non-believers to remain in the same condition. Perhaps the unsaved partner may become a Christian through the testimony of the believing spouse. (v. 12-16 cf. 1 Peter 3:1-2)

To be single is not a failure. It can be good as Paul said. (v. 1) But each Christian has his own calling and gift. Some are to be married and some do have the gift of celibacy. (v. 6-7) Those who can devote their whole life and passion to the Lord and His work in single state like Paul are to be commended. But those who need to be married and partner with a spouse to serve the Lord are just as good in fulfilling the Lord's command to multiply and complement each other. (Genesis 2:18-25) In fact God's Word encourages the husband and wife to fulfill each other in their physical relationship. (v. 3-5)

In Paul's days, he was sensing the difficult days ahead for Christians who would suffer tremendous persecution in the Roman Empire. Therefore he counseled them to remain single in order to avoid more distress. But he did not think that marriage is no good at all. Whether it was the father or the fiancé who was making the decision regarding the marriage for a virgin, they can have freedom to determine their own status. But certainly all Christians or widows/widowers who want to marry should marry a believer. (v. 25-40)

There are a lot more to comprehend in this long chapter. It is best for you to read it carefully and secure a thorough commentary by an evangelical scholar from your church library to help you.

November 20, 2009 - Head Covering

Meditation on 1 Corinthians 11

From verses two to sixteen, Paul argued the importance for a woman to cover her head during worship. Most commentators agree that this custom should not be applied universally. In Corinth, a woman without head covering might be considered as an unruly woman. Sir W. M. Ramsay commented in "The Cities of St. Paul" these words, "In the Oriental lands the veil is the power and honor and dignity of the woman. With the veil on her head she can go anywhere in security and profound respect. She is not seen; it is the mark of thoroughly bad manners to observe a veiled woman in the street..." I believe this also explained the appropriate manner of worship in Corinth.

However, Paul used this custom to teach a principle, "I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God." (v.3 NKJV) This did not mean that man was more superior than woman. The eternal fact that Christ is co-equal with God who is His head helps us to understand that. Paul also said in Galatians 3:28, "...there is neither male nor female; for you are one in Christ Jesus." Therefore a man and a woman is a partnership at home. But he is the head in coordination.

That is the order God has ordained for us. To ignore it would be a problem for family and society.

November 21, 2009 - Loving God Or The World, No Middle Ground!

Meditation on 1 Corinthians 16

After we have read the entire letter of 1 Corinthians, we get the impression that Paul really loved the Christians there in Corinth. This was the church he founded and spent some times there to build her up. In this letter, he answered their questions. He spilled his gut to them concerning himself. He counseled them on many things and corrected their problems and attitude. He defended himself. He emphasized his relationship with them as a spiritual father. Especially at the end, he shared with them his personal plan and exhorted them with intimate terms. He closed the letter with these personal words, "My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen." (v. 24 NKJV)

I believe it was in this kind of loving atmosphere that he also wrote in the ending that "If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!" (v. 22) This was a very caring admonition from his heart.

It sounds very tough. But it is the truth. The word, love in the Greek here used by Paul was "Phileo", not the highest form of love, "Agape". If a Christian does not even have human kind of loving relationship with the Lord, he is actually against God. For the Word of God says that "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." (Matthew 6:24) The Apostle John's letter says, "... If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1 John 2:15b) So if a person does not love God, he is loving the world. He cannot love both the Lord Jesus and something else at the same time. In other words, if a person does not love the Lord, it is an indication that he loves the world. There is no middle ground or neutrality before God. The Apostle James says, "...whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." (James 4:4b)

A person who loves the world cannot love God. That also means that he is not keeping God's word. If a person does not keep God's Word, it is clear that God is not abiding with him. (John 14:23-24)

The consequence of that condition is tragic. That person is accursed! Therefore trusting Jesus means loving Him. For He is love and will pour His love into us also. (1 John 4:8, Romans 5:5)