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1 Peter 1:3-5

Vivit! Vivit!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 18, 2025

My favorite Easter verse has always been 1 Peter 1:3-5. It begins, “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…”  Having the “living” hope of the resurrection changes our lives. Some people spend the days of their lives moping around. Things haven’t turned out how they had “hoped,” so they throw in the towel and give in to despair. Paul looked at the funerals of unbelievers and noticed that they were “lost and without hope in the world.” Even the rich and the famous in our world can’t find meaning and purpose in temporal things and often commit suicide. When the pills, the bottles, the money, and the power don’t bring what they had expected, they have nothing left to live for. Paul told the believers in Thessalonica that he did not want them to grieve like those around them who had no hope. Even though, like all mankind, they faced death, Paul wanted them to understand that it was not the end. Those who have died are simply sleeping for a time, and there will be a glorious reunion. That truth keeps the hopeful from the depths of despair. Without that hope, despair reigns supreme.

But the world is full of iron-willed individuals who find various ways to cope with life’s pains, heartbreaks, and setbacks on their own. They trade what is eternal for what is temporal and fill their moments with pleasure, possessions, or positions of power or prestige. They live for the moment. They go for the gusto. “You only go around once in life,” the saying goes; you have to get it while you can. There are those who mope. There are those who cope, and then there are those who grope! They go through life seeking answers to life’s most profound questions: where did I come from? Where am I going? What am I here for? They experiment with every new fad that invades the culture: Transcendental meditation, Eastern Mysticism, Hinduism, Zen Buddhism, various forms of the occult, and some even grope through the horoscope section of the papers in search of purpose and meaning in life.

During one difficult period when things appeared incredibly bleak, the reformer Martin Luther was seen tracing two words on the table with his fingertip: “Vivit, vivit!” This is Latin for “He lives, He lives!” This truth brought Luther up from the dumps into a world filled with hope. Because Christ lives, we can live abundantly today. Jesus promised that he’d come to bring to us abundant life. But even more, we will live eternally. It will be a life in which our past sins have been forgiven, and in the glory of God’s Mercy and Grace, we will bask forever! So lift up your eyes, lift up your hearts, lift up your spirits, and focus your thoughts and hopes on the Lord of Life. Put a smile on your face and say, “Blessed be the God and Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to His abundant mercy, has caused me to be born again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!”

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1 Peter 1:3-5

A Clean Slate!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 17, 2025

The phrase “clean slate” comes from the era of chalkboards. They were commonly made of slate, and what was on them could easily be erased so something new could be written. That’s what we celebrate at Easter. My favorite Easter verse in 1 Peter 1:3-5. It begins, “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…” There are several parts to this passage, but consider just the first part about God’s great mercy. We often read about his mercy when it is coupled with his grace.

I like what Warren Wiersbe says about Grace and Mercy. He distinguishes between the two when he says, “Grace is what God gives me that I don’t deserve; mercy is what God doesn’t give me that I do deserve.” The thing that we all deserve is death as an eternal consequence of sin. But instead of eternal death, what we do deserve, He gives us “eternal life,” which we do not deserve. Peter shouts out, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!” It is an exclamation! Easter is our exclamation! David Jeremiah adds a little to the understanding of the difference between Grace and Mercy when he writes, “Mercy releases us from the penalty of our sin; grace gives us abundant blessings besides. And that is what God does for all who will accept His free gift of grace in Jesus Christ. Mercy cuts the bonds that bind us to our past; grace sends us into the future with resources for a better life. Mercy removes the filthy rags of our self-righteousness; grace clothes us with the white robes of the righteousness of Christ.”

Peter also tells us in this verse the means by which God gives us this living hope is a new birth. Everyone is familiar with the phrase from Jesus to Nicodemus; “You must be born again.” It’s a new start: a fresh perspective. It’s a life lived in the glow of a new paradigm of reality, the reality that changes the way we understand the universe, time, and space, as well as ourselves and others. One writer told the story of a painter in Paris.  The painter set up his easel, opened his paints, and started to paint a picture called “Life.” He noticed pigeons in the park, tulips blooming along the Champs-Elysees, and the bustle of people on the street. But he messed up his painting. His colors weren’t true, and his perspective was poor. Looking at his work with disfavor, he threw it away. He took another canvas and started “Life” all over again. Jesus allows us to do that through the new birth. Our old sins are buried in the deepest part of the sea, and we get a clean slate. But this only speaks about half of the Good News that Jesus brings.

What is missed by using “second-chance” language is the doctrine of imputed righteousness—that Jesus takes the sins of believers and credits them with his perfect righteousness. A second-chance gospel often neglects (and sometimes even negates) this crucial teaching. It rightly declares Christ’s sacrifice erases the guilt of sin but tacitly teaches the gospel leaves behind an empty spiritual ledger and a morally neutral heart. It promises fresh hope by saying, “God gives second chances,” but underneath carries the depressing message, “God forgives; now the rest is up to you.” As one website puts it, “This thinking waters down the authentic gospel in two ways. First, it insinuates man isn’t helpless regarding righteousness—he only needs a clean slate and a second chance. Second, it teaches Christ’s sacrifice isn’t truly effective—mankind still needs to ‘get things right via a vague number of reboots.” The work has been done! Jesus got it right for us. No matter how many chances we get, we’ll never get it right. Jesus got it right for us. Believe in Him.

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Psalm 91:4

Happy Easter Week

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 16, 2025

Death is in the hands of the evil one. He’s the “duke of death.” He’s the “Phantom of Fatality.” He’s the “king of corruption.” He’s the “prince of putrescence (the putrid!).” He’s the “knight of the night.” He’s the “minister of misery.” He’s the “monster of mayhem.” He’s the last and most significant enemy of all mankind. As we approach Easter Sunday, we need to begin to think about the fact that Jesus Christ has ultimately defeated the “Duke of Death.” Through our faith in Christ, we are protected from his arrows, his spears, and even the more modern weapons of warfare he might wield against us.

The Bible is full of images that depict God’s protective nature of His people. The one that is genuinely moving is the one of a mother bird for her chicks. It is beautifully versed for us in Psalm 91, verse 4. It says, “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.” Now, birds have numerous natural predators that constantly threaten their lives. There are not only the canines of the ground along with the feline family; there are other feathered carnivores that constantly threaten their lives as well. But momma bird won’t let it happen. She covers her chicks with her wings and hides them and will give her life when necessary to protect her chicks.

Psalm 91 says, “Surely God will snatch us away from the snare of the fowler.” You see, God will make sure we are not caught in the traps and nets set by Satan to destroy us. The person under God’s care will never become a meal for the evil one. He will never be trapped or caged. The Psalm goes on to say that God will deliver him from “perilous pestilence.” That is to say that God will deliver him from death-dealing diseases. God is not promising to keep us from Covid 19 or any other form of sickness that plagues all of mankind. Everyone is susceptible to human diseases. Now, on the surface, the Psalm might seem to say that God will deliver us from human adversity. But in light of verses 5 and 6, it’s clear that there is something much more sinister in mind. It is actually the dark knight and his death-dealing dirge that God promises to protect us from. It is death itself. This, too, does not promise that we won’t die. The Bible makes it clear that it’s appointed for all men to die. The mortality rate has always been 100 percent!  The passage says, “Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.” God has promised to protect us and deliver us. He does not keep us from death but preserves us through death! This is what Easter means to us! Because He has risen from the dead, I can be sure he will come to take me to be with Him just as He promised.

 

 

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Matthew 5:48

Get the “ME” out!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 15, 2025

When we think of God’s grace, we usually think of his saving Grace. Not because of works or good deeds we’ve done but because of His grace. He chooses to redeem us from the eternal punishment that our sin deserves, and instead of judgment, we get what we don’t deserve: heaven! But we are not only saved by grace. We are also sustained by grace. The Galatians, who were saved by grace, were trying to live the Christian life by observing the law. Paul rebukes them and reminds them that living the Christian life is also a matter of God’s grace rather than our own goodness. Coming to faith in Christ, we often, like the Galatians turn then to our own means in an effort to achieve the “perfect” life by trying to observe all the standards of our own understanding of the law. In our flesh, we feel we can contribute to our salvation, if not to our eternal salvation, at least as it is worked out in our lives every day. But God will have none of that! He is constantly bringing into our lives the purging truth of our sinfulness. His amazing grace purges the “me” out of us so that it will be all about him and not about us or our efforts or works. The refining fires of God’s grace will purge us of ourselves!

There are many verses that have troubled scholars for years. One in particular is Matthew 5:48, which says, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” There have been many opinions regarding the meaning of the word “perfect” throughout church history, but I’d argue that it means just what it says: BE PERFECT! That is like the sacrificial lambs must be “without flaw” or, like Noah, “blameless” in every way! But please don’t miss the context. Jesus summarized his teachings that the Pharisees and the religious leaders of the day weren’t righteous enough to inherit the Kingdom of God. In order to get to heaven, one’s righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees. How much better must one be? Oh, let’s see!! 75% better? No 90% better? Well, Jesus made it clear that nothing but “perfection” can enter into the kingdom of God. Therefore, he says, “You must be perfect.” Throughout church history, there have been numerous efforts to demonstrate how we can achieve perfectionism in our lives. Unfortunately, these “theologies” remain completely hypothetical, for no one has ever achieved them! But we can make our lives miserable by trying!

Jesus wasn’t trying to get us to try harder when he said, “Be perfect.” He was trying to bring us to repentance. He wants to purge the “me” out of us. He was offering an opportunity for us to acknowledge the truth that “there are no righteous people, no not even one,” and that “we have all fallen short of God’s standard. It wasn’t a standard of being better than others that was the basis for admittance into the kingdom of God. It was a completely perfect standard that could never be achieved by one’s own efforts. I love the way J.M. Boice put it in his commentary. He writes regarding Jesus’ statement, “Jesus now answers with a statement that is devastating to all human attempts to earn heaven, a statement that is meant to turn men to God’s grace and away from all man-made attempts at salvation.”

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Psalm 51:7

Soothing A Sin Sick Soul!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 14, 2025

A New Age bath product is advertised on the internet with this description. It’s a bath oil, and it claims to be “A highly aromatic oil with an exceptionally fine aroma. This oil blend is said to relieve states of anger, panic attacks, and nervous trembling. Excellent for mental fatigue and depression.” It goes on to say that it “May have an effect on obesity and fluid retention. Invaluable in times of stress, uplifts and revives the spirit.” It closes with the promise that it will “…transform your daily act of bathing into an experience that will not only cleanse and soften your skin but also bring harmony and balance into your life from pure plant essential oils.”

The New Age has been promising to bring “harmony” and “balance” into our lives for as long as I can remember. It was made famous in the sixties (my generation) by the Fifth Dimension’s mega-hit, “The Age of Aquarius.” It’s opening verse says “When the moon is in the Seventh House, And Jupiter aligns with Mars Then peace will guide the planets And love will steer the stars…It is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius… etc). When I think of bringing “harmony” and “balance” into my life, it has little to do with the moon being in the seventh house and Jupiter aligning with Mars. It has even less to do with a particular brand of bath oil!! But the interesting thing about this bath oil is its name. It is called “purge me with Hyssop” bath oil. The advertisement says, “Hyssop is a holy herb referred to in the scriptures, ‘purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean’. Hyssop baths have been part of the bathing ritual since ancient times.”

Of course, the “Holy” herb and its particular new age qualities are not at all what David was referring to when he said, “purge me with hyssop,” in Psalm 51, verse 7. It reads in total, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” It’s in the context of seeking God’s forgiveness for his sin. The hyssop plant was so constituted that it served as a wand with a sponge on the end that the priests would dip into the blood of the sacrifice and sprinkle it on the people for the forgiveness of their sins. David wasn’t referring to the “new age” properties of Hyssop. He was referring to the cleansing, healing, and forgiving nature of the blood of the sacrifice. Peace will never guide my planets, and love will never steer my stars because I’m a sinner, like David. Only God’s grace can bring “harmony and balance” into my life through the shed blood of the one sacrifice for all our sins. I have to stop focusing on “me” and keep focusing on “HIM.” His Grace is the greatest medicine for the weary soul. There is a balm in Gilead that will soothe the sin-sick soul. It is the only soap that will wash the “me” away.

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Ecclesiastes 7:16, 20

Nobody’s Perfect

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 13, 2025

Perfectionism, in the History of Christianity, is defined by the New International Dictionary of the Christian Church as “The teaching that moral or religious perfection (in some cases sinlessness) is not only an ideal toward which to strive but a goal attainable in this life.” John Wesley was a serious champion of perfectionism and, through his influence reached across the Atlantic and found serious advocates in America. The dictionary goes on to say, “In America, a form of perfectionism was advocated by Asa Mahan and C.G. Finney in the first half of the nineteenth century. In the mid-century, there emerged from Methodism the American Holiness Movement, a more revivalistic and rigorist advocate of Wesley’s perfectionism. From this developed the Church of the Nazarene, the Wesleyan Church, some forms of Pentecostalism, and other modern advocates of perfectionism.”

One cannot help but remember Paul’s struggle with sin in Romans chapter 7. He explains how the things he knows he should do, he doesn’t do. He admits that the things he knows he shouldn’t do, he finds himself doing. At the end of his wrestling with the presence of sin in his life he says, “wretched man that I am!” We also might notice that John tells us in his first letter that if we say we have no sin, we lie. Further, the New Testament (and the Old) are filled with exhortations and warnings to believers against sin. It seems obvious to me that sin is a real possibility in the life of even the strongest believer. The instructions contained in the New Testament for living a disciplined life not only imply a possibility but a probability. Trying to live a perfect, sinless life inevitably ends with increased guilt and shame. Perfectionism makes you miserable, as well as everyone around you! None of us can live up to a perfect standard. Further, those advocating the pursuit of perfection will often become critical of those around them. It results in pride and contention.

The wisest man in the world, Solomon, warns us in his writings of the dangers of trying to be perfect. In Ecclesiastes 7:16, the New American Standard translation says, “Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?” I like the way the New International Versions puts the last part of this verse: “…why destroy yourself?” God’s Word for Today puts it this way: “Why make yourself miserable.” Four verses later, he writes, “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” We do not live by works. We live by God’s grace. We all wrestle with sin and will until we die. After Paul wrestles with his sinful nature in Chapter 7, he reminds us of this profound truth in the first verse of Chapter 8. He writes, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

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Ecclesiastes 11:4, Proverbs 22:13, 26:13

Why Make Myself Miserable?

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 12, 2025

Paul explains that we are saved by Grace, not by works. He then warns us not to cast off God’s grace and revert to a system of works after our salvation. For, just as we’re saved by grace, we are also sustained by grace. Paul says we “began our life in Christ” by the grace of God, and we should not “try to make it complete by your own power” (Galatians 3:3). The New Century version concludes their translation with the exclamation “that is foolish.” Most other translations put it as a question, “Are you that foolish?” Perfectionists are not only foolish, they also make themselves miserable as well as everyone around them. Talking about extreme efforts of perfection, Solomon asks, “Why should you ruin yourself?” (Ecclesiastes 7:16).

Trying to achieve an unattainable goal and holding others to an unattainable goal is a very destructive way to live. One thing that it can destroy is my initiative. When we read the Old Testament, it’s sometimes difficult to get a clear understanding because we live in a different culture. Literal translations of the Bible focus on each word. Dynamic equivalent translations focus on an entire thought. For example for Ecclesiastes 11:4, most of the literal translations read, “One who watches the wind will not sow, and the one who looks at the clouds will not reap.” But the Living Bible says, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you’ll never get anything done.” I can remember a report of a mountain lion wandering the hills around Neihardt Park, near my home in Blair, Nebraska, several years ago. I have a friend who even has a picture of a large cat-like animal running across a field near the park. Kathy woke me up at 5:30 one morning and said “come on get dressed, we’re going for a walk around Neihardt Park.” I yawned and said, “don’t be silly, there’s a lion in the park!” Twice in the book of Proverbs, Solomon tells us that the lazy man says he can’t go to work because there’s a lion in the street (Proverbs 22:13, 26:13). A sluggard uses any excuse not to do what he should. I’ve known believers who won’t serve in the church because they don’t feel “good enough.” You see, perfectionism can destroy my initiative.

The truth is we are “perfect” in Christ. Becoming that way is a process we’ll not complete until we go to be with Him. Bruce Demarest put it this way: “The point is that Christians should not engage in the impossible pursuit of perfectionism because God views both our persons and our labors as pleasing and acceptable to him through the merits of his Son.” Since this is true, we can, as the author of Hebrews instructs us, approach God with confidence, where we will find His mercy and where we will receive His grace to help us in our times of need. (See Hebrews 4:16)

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1 Corinthians 13:5

It’s OK!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 11, 2025

Since we are saved by Grace and sustained in this life by God’s Grace, it is foolishness to attempt to win acceptance, love, meaning, or purpose in our lives through any kind of performance or sacrifice. We’ll always fall short.  We’ll never be perfect. There is no one who is completely righteous, no, not one! I read that somewhere. When we focus all our energy on being perfect, we ruin our own lives, and we ruin the lives of those around us. We all sin, we all make mistakes, we all say things we’re sorry for, we all do things we wish we could take back. We must come to grips with the truth regarding our own sinfulness if we’re ever going to be able to have healthy relationships with others.

In his men’s seminar, David Simmons, a former cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys, tells about his childhood home. His father, a military man, was extremely demanding and always pushed him for perfection in everything that he did. He never had compliments for any of Dave’s accomplishments but rather pushed him to achieve more. When Dave played High School football, his father was unrelenting in his criticisms. After every game, his father would point out everything he did wrong. Dave writes, “Most boys got butterflies in the stomach before the game; I got them afterward. Facing my father was more stressful than facing any opposing team.” By the time he entered college, he hated his father and chose the University of Georgia because it was the furthest from home. After college, Dave was the second-round draft pick for the St. Louis Cardinals. Joe Namath (who later played for the NY Jets) was the first-round pick. Excited, he called his father and told him. His father said, “How does it feel to be second?”

I remember the fad-psychology book in the ’70s entitled, “You’re OK, I’m OK.” It talked about how we relate to ourselves and to others. You can see yourself as OK and others not OK. You can see yourself as non-Ok, while others are OK. Sometimes, you might see yourself and others as not OK, but the right way to live is to see everyone as OK. I’d argue that the biblical view of this would be, “I’m not OK, You’re not OK, but that’s all OK.” Jesus often taught us the importance of love. It is the greatest commandment, and if we can learn to keep that commandment, we’ll satisfy the entire “law and prophets.” We are to love God first and foremost and then love others also. Paul writes a famous passage in his letter to the Corinthians all about the nature of love. In that chapter (1 Corinthians 13), he defines love in various ways. One of the more important ways is that Love doesn’t keep score. It doesn’t record a record of wrongs. It doesn’t write down a list of weaknesses and failures. Rather, love looks past weaknesses and even overlooks wrongs. I like the way the Living Bible puts it; “Love forgets mistakes; nagging about them parts the best of friends.” God’s love for us inspired His grace for us. Look at the Cross! “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Our love for God should inspire our grace for others! Perfectionism will destroy any relationship.

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