David Guzik’s weekly devotional, based on a verse or two from the Bible.

Seeing God's Good When It Looks Bad

Seeing God’s Good When It Looks Bad

But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. (Philippians 1:12-14)

Paul had a special relationship with the Christians in Philippi; they were not only part of a church he founded, but they were also his friends. Sometimes our friends are confused at what God is doing in our life – and sometimes we are even more confused! In Philippians 1:12-14, Paul wanted to reassure the Philippians that God was doing good even when it looked bad.

Seeing God's Good When It Looks Bad

When Paul was in Philippi, he was arrested and imprisoned. But God miraculously freed him, and he continued preaching the gospel (Acts 16:25-34). When Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians, he was in a jail in Rome. Paul’s Philippian friends were probably thinking, “God used a miracle to set Paul free before. Why doesn’t God do it now? Is He letting Paul down, or is Paul in sin?” In Philippians 1:12-14, Paul assured them that God’s blessing and power were still with him, even in prison – he was not out of God’s will.

Considering how God set Paul free in Philippi, we shouldn’t be surprised they wondered where the power of God was in Paul’s present imprisonment. If Paul wasn’t being advanced, that was all right – because his passion was to see the gospel advanced. Even though Paul was in prison, the circumstances around his imprisonment, and his manner during it, made it clear to everyone he was not just another prisoner, but he was an emissary of Jesus; this witness led to the conversion of many including his guards.

In fact, Paul’s imprisonment gave the Christians around him, who were not imprisoned, greater confidence and boldness, because they saw that Paul could have joy in the midst of adversity. They saw that God would take care of Paul and still use him even in prison. We also know this turned out for the furtherance of the gospel because during this time he wrote Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. When Paul was in bad circumstances, God was using him.

God didn’t waste Paul’s time in Rome. God never wastes our time, though we may waste it by not sensing God’s purpose for our lives in our present situation. Are you in a bad place – even a “prison” of some sort? God can use you right where you are, and He wants to. Stop thinking your situation must change before God’s power can be evident in your life. It can be evident right now.

God gave Paul the ability to see the good in a Roman prison – this God is with us!

Click here for David’s commentary on Philippians 1

The Ambassador in Chains

The Ambassador in Chains

And for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:19-20)

At the end of Paul’s great letter to the large Christian community in Ephesus, he asked for prayer. After telling them to take up the whole armor of God and to pray (Ephesians 6:10-18), then Paul specifically asked for prayer. His request was personal, asking they pray that God would give him utterance to preach, and to preach boldly. This means that we can battle in the spirit for others, not only for ourselves. If the Ephesians could do it for Paul, then we can and should do it for others.

The Ambassador in Chains

The idea behind utterance is clear speaking. Added to boldly, Paul asked for prayer that he might proclaim the gospel both clearly and with a fearless power. It is easy to neglect one or the other. Preachers need more clarity in their preaching today. It’s easy to get lost in small details, side issues, and speculations. Clear preaching is a gift to both the church and the world, and preachers need prayer for clear speaking (utterance). When this clarity is combined with boldness, great things happen.

When Paul asked his readers to pray for the grace to be a clear, bold preacher of God’s truth, he probably had in mind his upcoming defense before Caesar. When Jesus first called and rescued Paul, God told him he would preach to kings (Acts 9:15). Another opportunity to do that was coming soon, and Paul needed and wanted the prayer support of fellow believers.

Paul might have asked for other things, such as relief from his imprisonment or other comforts. But his heart and mind were fixed on his responsibility as God’s ambassador.

Think about Paul’s wonderful self-description: an ambassador in chains. Of course, the ancient word used here for chains usually meant a prisoner’s shackles. At times, Paul wore the iron bands around his wrists and carried the chain that held him to the prison.

But that ancient word we translate chains could also be used for the gold adornment worn around the neck and wrists of the wealthy and powerful. On special occasions, ambassadors wore such chains to show the riches, power, and dignity of the government they represented.

Which sense did Paul mean when he called himself an ambassador in chains? I think he meant it in both senses! Paul looked at his prisoner’s chains and considered them to be the glorious adornment of an ambassador of Jesus Christ.

In Jesus Christ, what the world uses with the intention of shaming and binding the believer may be transformed to something glorious. It was true for Paul; it can be true for you today. Acknowledge the chains, but don’t focus on them: you real identity is to be God’s ambassador.

Click here for David’s commentary on Ephesians 6

 

Imitators of God

Imitators of God

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. (Ephesians 5:1-2)

The thought in these lines from Ephesians 5:1-2 continue the thought from the end of Ephesians 4, where he described how Christians should relate to one another. The believer has an example for how they should treat other believers: God Himself. Christians are to be imitators of God.

Imitators of God

The idea is simple – that believers are to make God their example and model. It does not say here, “Think about God” or “Admire God” or “Adore God,” though those are all important Christian duties. This is a call to practical action, going beyond our inner life with God.

We could say this is a continuation of the same idea Paul mentioned in Ephesians 4:13 regarding the extent of Christian growth: to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. We could also say that this is a continuation of the idea from Ephesians 4:32, where we were commanded to be forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you. God’s behavior towards us becomes our measure for our behavior towards one another.

It is important to see that God is far more than our example. Many errors come into the church when Jesus is presented only as an example of behavior. We are not saved by the example of Jesus, but once we are set in right relation with God by the work of Jesus, then His example is meaningful to us. God is more than our example, but He is also our example.

We are to imitate God as dear children: Children are natural imitators. They often do just what they see their parents or other adults do. When we act according to our nature as children of God, we will imitate Him.

We all imitate someone or something. We meet a person and are impressed by them – and unconsciously want to be like them. We see a video of someone we admire and want to be like them. Christians should make the conscious choice to let God be their example, God as He is displayed in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, believers should walk in love, as Christ also has loved them. As in all things, Jesus is our example. As He has loved us and has given Himself for us, we are to display the same kind of self-giving love.

We sometimes think we could lay down our life in a dramatic way to show our love for others. But God often calls us to lay down our life little by little – in small coins (as it were) instead of one large payment – but it is laying down our lives, nonetheless.

As Christ dwells in you, be an imitator of God. It is fitting for the children to imitate their father.

Click here for David’s commentary on Ephesians 5

 

First Appearing, Second Appearing

First Appearing, Second Appearing

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To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)

Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, whom the Bible teaches is God the Son, the Second Person of the eternal, triune God. At a specific moment in history God the Son added humanity to His deity and was miraculously conceived in Mary’s womb. Nine months later He was born in Bethlehem, just as the prophet said would happen (Micah 5:2).

First Appearing, Second Appearing

That was the first appearance of Jesus, and it is all worthy of celebration. It’s wonderful to see how many people have Jesus somewhere in mind in the Christmas season. The world’s emphasis during Christmastime is on vacation, holidays, giving and receiving gifts, spending time with family, and special meals. Yet even with their attention on those things, many people still find themselves thinking about Jesus and His birth, even if only a passing sense.

Hebrews 9:28 points to this first appearance by implication, saying Jesus will appear a second time. The author of this letter to the Hebrew Christians set the first coming of Jesus beside His second coming because they are in many ways similar.

At His first coming, Jesus brought light. When He appears again, Jesus Himself will be a light that replaces the light of the sun (Revelation 21:23).

At His first coming, Jesus came as the fulfillment of God’s promise. When He appears again, Jesus will complete those promises of God’s reign over the earth and the fulfillment of all things.

At His first coming, Jesus brought honor to the lowly and made the honorable humble themselves. The shepherds were honored with an angelic visit, and the wise men bowed low in worship before the young child Jesus. When He appears again, Jesus will bring honor to His humble people, and will judge those who think of themselves to be so great and mighty that they don’t need Him.

The focus of Jesus’ first coming was to deal with the sin problem through His atoning sacrifice. But now, having dealt with the sin problem perfectly, He comes again apart from sin – for the salvation, for the rescue, of His people.

At the time of the first coming of Jesus, the world was eagerly waiting for a messiah, a savior. The author of Hebrews assumed that God’s people today would eagerly wait for Him. It’s a sad case that this assumption doesn’t always turn out as true.

To paraphrase a quote from Charles Spurgeon, believers should be a bit disappointed every day if Jesus does not come in that day. Instead, many Christians today assume that Jesus won’t be coming soon. They aren’t eagerly waiting for Him. This isn’t good.

It’s a great thing to celebrate the first appearing of Jesus. From Bethlehem to the cross and the empty tomb, Jesus won salvation for His people at His first appearing. It’s good to let Christmas make you long for the glorious return of Jesus.

Click here for David’s commentary on Hebrews 9

 

He Will Be Great

He Will Be Great

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He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. (Luke 1:32)

Nazareth was a small town 70 miles (113 km) north of Jerusalem. It was a tough place, a town known for its corruption and low morals. Yet in this dark setting a brilliant gem shined: a young woman named Mary, who was engaged to a man named Joseph. Mary was engaged, but not yet married; the Bible plainly says she was a virgin. One day, Mary had a spectacular angelic visitation. The angel spoke highly of Mary, but the focus of his message was not on Mary but on a Son to be named Jesus, who was unmistakably identified as the Messiah predicted by the Old Testament.

He Will Be Great

It’s not unusual for someone to buy a baby book when they first learn they will have a child. They often begin to record their thoughts and feelings during their time of pregnancy, writing their hopes and dreams for their unborn child. But no one, even the proudest parent, would ever write for their child what the angel said of Jesus before He was born: He will be great.

It was true: He would be great. Simply said, no one has influenced history more than Jesus Christ. Years ago, Fred Bock expressed this powerfully in a piece titled “One Solitary Life”:

Born in an obscure village, He was the child of a peasant woman. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty years old, and then for three years He traveled around the county, stopping long enough to talk and to listen to people, and help where He could.

He never wrote a book, He never had a hit record, He never went to college, He never ran for public office, He never had a family or owned a house. He never did any of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. But when He was only thirty-three years old, the tide of public opinion turned against Him, and His friends rejected Him. When He was arrested, very few wanted anything to do with Him. After the trial, He was executed by the State along with admitted thieves. Only because a generous friend offered his own cemetery plot was there any place to bury Him.

This all happened nineteen centuries ago, and yet today He is the leading figure of the human race, and the ultimate example of love. Now it is no exaggeration to say that all the armies that have ever marched, all the navies that have ever set sail, all the rulers that have ever ruled, all the kings that have ever reigned on this earth, all put together have not affected the life of man on earth like One Solitary Life.

The question remains: has Jesus affected your life? The angel said, He will be great – has the greatness of Jesus touched your life?

Click here for David’s commentary on Luke 1

 

Keep the Unity

Keep the Unity

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With all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:2-3)

Ephesians 4 begins a whole new part of Paul’s letter. The first three chapters explain in glorious detail all that God has done for believers, freely by His grace. Starting with chapter 4, he tells believers how to live rightly, but only after having explained what God did for His people in Jesus Christ.

Keep the Unity

Having considered and received all that God has done for us, we are to live with all lowliness and gentleness, not a pushy desire to defend our own rights and advance our own agenda. Before Christianity, the word lowliness always had a bad association to it. In the minds of many it still does; but it is a glorious Christian virtue (Philippians 2:1-10). It means that we can be happy and content when we are not in control or steering things our way.

Having considered and received all that God has done for us, we are to have longsuffering and to bear with each other. We need this so that the inevitable wrongs that occur between people in God’s family will not work against God’s purpose of bringing all things together in Jesus – illustrated through His current work in the church.

Having considered and received all that God has done for us, we should endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. This humble, patient attitude towards each other naturally fulfills this gift of the unity of the Spirit.

Note that we must endeavor to keep this unity – we do not create it. God never commands believers to create unity among themselves. God has created it by His Spirit; our duty is to recognize it and keep it.

This is a spiritual unity, not necessarily a structural or denominational unity. It is evident in the quick fellowship possible among Christians of different races, nationalities, languages, and economic classes.

We can understand this unity of the Spirit by understanding what it is not. This isn’t the unity of lies, of evil, of superstition, or the unity that cowers under spiritual tyranny. This isn’t the unity of geography, as if all the Christians in a city had to be weekly gathered in the same building to fulfill this. It isn’t the unity of church government or denominational arrangements.

This is the unity of the Spirit and false forms of unity work against the true. We are confident that this unity is found in Jesus Christ, by the Spirit of God. As true, born-again believers from different backgrounds and experiences draw closer and closer to Jesus, they will also draw closer to one other. Jesus Christ is the source of our unity; He is one who broke down every wall (Ephesians 2:14).

Jesus purchased this powerful unity at great cost: with His own blood. Believer, what are you doing to keep this unity?

Click here for David’s commentary on Ephesians 4

 

The Dimensions of God's Love

The Dimensions of God’s Love

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That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height; to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.(Ephesians 3:17-19)

This was part of a wonderful prayer Paul prayed for the Ephesians. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul gave us more than an eloquent prayer; in a special way this prayer reveals what God wants for His people.

Here is one small nugget from this glorious prayer. In verse 18, Paul prayed that believers would know the dimensions of the love of Christ (width and length and depth and height). This means that the love of Jesus has dimensions and that it can be measured. It is a solid, substantial thing; not merely a beautiful fiction, a sentimental believe, or philosophical theory. The love of Jesus is a measurable fact.

The Dimensions of God's Love

The love of Jesus has width. You can see how wide a river is by noticing how much it covers over. God’s river of love is so wide that it covers over my sin, and over every circumstance of my life, so that all things work together for good. When I doubt His forgiveness or His providence, I am narrowing the mighty river of God’s love. His love is as wide as the world (John 3:16).

The love of Jesus has length. When considering the length of God’s love, ask yourself, “When did the love of God start towards me? How long will it continue?” These truths measure the length of God’s love. Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).

The love of Jesus has depth. Philippians 2:8 tell us how deep the love of Jesus goes: He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. You can’t go lower than the death of the cross, and that is how deep the love of Jesus is for us.

The love of Jesus has height. To see the height of God’s love, ask yourself, “How high does it lift us?” The love of Jesus lifts the believer to heavenly places where they are seated with Christ. He has made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6).

Can we really comprehend the width and length and depth and height of God’s love? To come to any understanding of the dimensions of God’s love, we must come to the cross. The cross pointed in four ways, essentially in every direction, because:

God’s love is wide enough to include the whole world.
God’s love is long enough to last through all eternity.
God’s love is deep enough to reach the worst sinner.
God’s love is high enough to take His people to heaven.

Look to Jesus Christ and His cross and live in all the dimensions of God’s love.

Click here for David’s commentary on Ephesians 3

 

Believing What God Tells You

Believing What God Tells You

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For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

There is something deep in human nature that demands to earn its own way, its own standing before God. But right standing with God isn’t something earned. It’s a gift we receive by faith. Additionally, it is important to remember that faith is not a good work that earns right standing with God. Although good works accompany true faith, faith is not a “work.” Faith merely sees the offer God makes and believes it is true. It looks at God’s promises and says, “I believe they are for me.” Faith is refusing to call God a liar, taking God’s word at face value, and trusting that God and His word are reliable. When we do not have faith, we deny God’s word is true, and we call Him a liar. There isn’t any merit in not calling God a liar; it’s only common sense.

Believing What God Tells You

There is a story about a man who was teaching a Sunday school class full of small boys. One day he offered a boy in the class something prized in that day: a brand-new watch. But the boy thought that it was just a trick. Fearing his classmates would laugh at him when the trick was revealed, he refused the watch. The teacher then offered it to the next boy, but he followed the example of the first boy. One by one, each boy refused the watch because the offer seemed too good to be true; certainly, the teacher just wanted to trick them. But the last boy was bold enough to accept the watch when the teacher offered it to him. When the teacher gave it to him, the other boys were amazed and angry. The teacher used this to show his class that no matter how good a gift was offered to them, they must believe the word of the giver and receive the gift before it could do them any good.

In 1829, a Pennsylvania man named George Wilson was sentenced by the United States Court to be hanged to death for robbery and murder. President Andrew Jackson pardoned him, but the prisoner refused the pardon. Wilson insisted that he was not pardoned unless he accepted it. That was a point of law never raised before, and President Jackson called on the Supreme Court to decide. Chief Justice John Marshall gave the following decision. “A pardon is a paper, the value of which depends upon its acceptance by the person implicated. If it is refused, it is no pardon. George Wilson must be hanged.” And he was.

Even so, God’s offer of pardon and salvation in Christ Jesus is offered to many, but only those who trust in God and His word will gain the benefits of that pardon.

Today, why not simply believe what God says and receive His gift of grace?

Click here for David’s commentary on Ephesians 2

 

When He Raised Him from the Dead

When He Raised Him from the Dead

That you may know…what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 1:18-20)

In this passage from Ephesians, Paul prayed a powerful prayer, longing that God’s people would know several things. One of those was great the power of God towards those who believe.

This is the same mighty power that raised Jesus from the dead. If the death of Jesus is the supreme demonstration of the love of God, then the resurrection of Jesus is the supreme demonstration of God’s power.

When He Raised Him from the Dead

We could say that what the resurrection is really all about is power. The essence of the cross is love; but love without power isn’t enough. Without power, love may be noble or well intentioned, but it isn’t enough. We need both God’s love and His power, and the resurrection is a demonstration of the fact that God’s self-giving love is full of power.

The great power of God brought life to the dead, but this mighty power that raised Jesus went beyond His resurrection. That same power raised Him to the heavens after His resurrection, raising Him above all demonic foes and every potential enemy in all ages.

This power – that which raised Jesus from the dead and lifted Him to the heavens – this same power is for those who believe! What can be said about this power?

This power is greater than the worst evil and harm of humanity. Jesus was subjected to the very worst in mankind when He was crucified; yet this mighty power of the resurrection made Him triumph over it all. No matter how bad man is, God is greater.

This power brings healing. When Jesus rose from the dead, He no longer suffered from His wounds, even though they were still visibly present with Him. The power of resurrection is healing power.

This power is toward some peopletoward us who believe, according to Ephesians 1:19. We might think that this power is toward those who do great things, or toward who have achieved some high spiritual, mystical place. That’s not what the Bible says; this power is towards those who simply believe.

This power is for continued living, not just for a one-time experience of resurrection. The power was not only to raise Jesus from the dead, but to raise Him permanently above every enemy and spiritual foe. This is an abiding power, not a one-time experience that ended when once used.

The wonderful truth Paul explained in Ephesians 1 is that resurrection power is here for the people of God, those who believe now. It is not only for when they die, and God wants the same power that raised Jesus from the dead to live in His people today. It is toward us who believe; believe and receive it today.

Click here for David’s commentary on Ephesians 1

 

Sowing and Reaping

Sowing and Reaping

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. (Galatians 6:7) When we read the Bible, it’s important to consider context. If Galatians 6:7 were taken as an absolute statement, something always true in every case, then no one would go to heaven and the Bible […]