• “Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these (the events surrounding the last days), be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace” (2 Peter 3:14).
• “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8).

Be diligent, live as children of light—these are all imperatives, meaning that the writer is not suggesting that we do these things, but demanding that we do these things. Keep in mind that the writers have been inspired by God, and the writers are writing to believers, describing us as a branch, beloved, children of light. So, what does this actually mean for us as believers?

We must first understand that perfect obedience is required for a relationship with the Lord. This fact throws up a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. How we live is confirmation to ourselves and to the world that we are in Christ. Knowing Him, believing what He has done, and knowing who we are in Him are all essential to a walk with Jesus. And the proof is in our obedience. Obedience does not save us, but it proves our salvation. But, and it’s a big but, we are unable to achieve perfect obedience. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

Looking first at the first passage quoted above, focus on the word “found.” In this case, it has a legal connotation. When we stand before an earthly judge of any kind, we are “found” innocent or guilty; and if found guilty, we are given a consequence. This is the judgment. When we stand before our Righteous Judge, likewise we will be judged and “found” either blameless or guilty (Matthew 25:31-46). However, as believers we can be at peace; when we are in Christ, we are judged blameless because Jesus has already achieved perfect obedience and then paid our debts with his perfect sacrifice and therefore secured our pardon. Past tense. Final. Done! When we are in Christ, we are clothed with his robes of righteousness, and that is what God sees when we stand before Him. Jesus paid it all, as the hymn goes. Praise God!!

So, then, if He has already accomplished our atonement by His death on the cross, and we have received his indescribable gift of salvation, then why the call to be diligent when Christ has already done the work on our behalf? What good does it do us? Once again, how we live is confirmation to ourselves and to the world that we are in Christ. Knowing Him, believing what He has done, and knowing who we are in Him are all essential. And the proof is in our obedience. Obedience does not save us, but it proves our salvation. We are saved by His obedience; and we are saved for our obedience.

John the apostle, probably Jesus’ best friend on earth and now writing as an old man in 1 John, writes “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did” (1 John 2:3-6).

This is a huge endeavor, but remember what Jesus tells us, “I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

What a great God we serve. He doesn’t require anything that he doesn’t provide the resources to enable . Jesus is not only our why, but also our how. “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God” (1 John 3:9). How does God enable us to remain, to be diligent to live as children of light?

• We have His paternity: We have been born of God and therefore are  new creations in Christ.
• We have His presence: This passage tells us that God’s seed (the Holy Spirit) remains in us.
• We have His power: The one who lives in us is the Creator, Redeemer, the All-Powerful One. “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
• We have His purpose: “But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins” (1 John 3:4). “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

And after the why and how, we have the what—what does it look like. This devotion is entitled “The Dash” referring to that little punctuation mark that separates our date of birth from our date of death in an obituary or on a gravestone. That dash is our life. What does living as children of light look like?

The Bible is full of commands. Over the years, I have written many devotions about how to grow in our spiritual relationship, our holiness, our walk with Christ, all gleaned from the Scriptures. When John says, “And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us” (1 John 3:23), the word command is bigger than any one command or set of commands. It is the overall demand of the word of God, of the life of Jesus. What and who Jesus is defines righteousness, and what he says defines obedience.

We are called to imitate Christ. How do we know what that looks like? He tells us in the scriptures. For example, read the Sermon on the Mount. Our goal is to be Christlike. One “test” that I use is in every thought, word, or deed, I ask if it will be pleasing to God. Yes, God knows our hearts, and he knows our good intentions. But to a watching world, our actions speak louder than words. The being is in the doing. That’s your “dash.”

“For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life” (Psalm 56:13).

In Christ,

Judy

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have a peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:1-4).

This is the sixth and final post on this topic of “choices.” By now, you should be familiar with this progression in our choice-making:

• Your desires drive your thoughts.
• Your thoughts direct your actions.
• Your actions become your habits.
• Your habits mold your character.
• Your character shapes your destiny.

Our destiny provides our “why.” Perhaps we should have started here. As Stephen Covey writes in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, “Begin with the end in mind.” In one sense, this progression is really a circle. Our desires impact our destiny, and our destiny impacts our desires. As Jesus puts it: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:34).

For believers, our ultimate destiny is eternal life with Christ; it is to have the confidence that our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, to be counted with the sheep at Judgment Day, to be invited to that glorious Marriage Supper of the Lamb. All we must do to have eternal life is to receive God’s gift of salvation. But there is more to it than that. We are promised rewards in heaven. As Charles Stanley writes in a blog post entitled The Judgment of Believers on his In Touch website:

“We are either going to be rewarded or lose reward in this judgment (of believers). Knowing what’s at stake eternally should motivate us to live a life that’s obedient and pleasing to God because we will be rewarded according to the way we have lived.”

Let me emphasize that the doctrine of rewards does not imply that it is our works that save us. But, as Paul said in Ephesians, “For we a/re God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” And there are more Scriptures that speak of our individual capacity and circumstances for good works. God will not judge us on a comparison basis (after all, none of us is Mother Teresa). He will judge us based on what we do with what we have been given (remember the parable of the Widow’s Offering). And Matthew relates a parable about how servants used the resources they had been given to invest—whether it was ten talents or only five, concluding with: “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” (Matthew 25:21).

Remember, we all have a destiny, and it is eternal. Therefore, choose your desires, thoughts, and actions wisely, because they will drive your habits, character, and ultimately your destiny. I am looking forward to the day when I can rejoice in heaven, sharing in my Master’s happiness alongside each of you.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

In Christ,

Judy

“And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you [Ruth] are a woman of noble character” (Ruth 3:11).

By now, you should be familiar with this progression:

• Your desires drive your thoughts.
• Your thoughts direct your actions.
• Your actions become your habits.
• Your habits mold your character.
• Your character shapes your destiny.

Ruth is a perfect example of how this progression plays out. Her desire: “Your people will be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). Ruth, a Moabite, was determined to return to Bethlehem with Naomi, the mother of her deceased husband. Because she was obedient to Naomi in all her actions, Boaz, a “man of standing,” looked favorably on her behavior (habits), and declared her to be “a woman of noble character.” Ruth’s destiny was to marry Boaz and become great-grandmother to King David and a direct ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1-17; see v. 5).

Notice the verbs in the bulleted progression above. What does it mean to mold a character? Some synonyms for “mold” include to shape, to fashion, to form, or to make. What is it we are making? What is “character?” Character usually is described as qualities or traits in a person. Qualities or traits can be positive, negative, or even neutral. Did you know that the word “character” can be traced back to the Greek charassein, meaning “to sharpen, cut in furrows, or engrave?” This word gave the Greeks charaktēr, a noun meaning “mark, distinctive quality.” 

I love the image of being molded, like a potter molding a sculpture or vase, with loving hands. God spoke the earth into existence, including light, the sun, moon, stars, land, seas plants, and animals. However, Genesis 2:7 tells us that “the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” God formed us, he molded us, he shaped us in his image.

As believers, we recognize that we were made in the image of God. Man’s fall distorted this image, and in our ongoing sanctification we strive to grow to be more like Jesus, to possess His characteristics, his character. As believers in Christ, we have a “new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:10, ESV). And as we grow in faith, we “are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV).

The Apostle Paul gave us the list of qualities that are the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” To grow in faith–to be transformed–is to grow in these qualities. These qualities are defined as fruit of the Spirit because in our distorted sin nature we cannot possess these perfectly without supernatural help.

Previous Chaplain’s Corners have discussed the process of making choices about our actions that will become our habits. The actions we choose to take and to repeat until they become habits are all designed to help us develop the qualities of the fruit of the Spirit. We choose this path because it is the path to becoming more Christ-like in our character. It will not be easy, but it will be worth it.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have a peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:1-4). Our hope (our destiny) is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Christ,

Judy

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Three weeks ago, we began a series on “Choices” and introduced the concept below:

• Your desires drive your thoughts.
• Your thoughts direct your actions.
• Your actions become your habits.
• Your habits mold your character.
• Your character shapes your destiny.

If you have not already, I encourage you to go back and to read the three prior Chaplain’s Corners on Choices. Last week we touched on actions and how to conform our actions to our new heart and godly thoughts. Today we build on that theme to learn how to turn actions into habits.

Why are habits important? Habits are helpful tools. We form a habit through repetition, and when we repeat an action often enough, then it becomes encoded into our brain. The really important concept to remember is something that Vince Lombardi once said: “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.” We need to be sure we are taking the right actions before we try to build them into habits. And to ensure we are taking the right actions, we must first work on our desires and our thoughts.

For perfect habit formation, I like to use the analogy of learning a new skill, whether it be playing an instrument or excelling at a sport. The word that comes to mind is “practice.” If you think about practice in this context, you can see that it includes instruction in the action from someone who is an expert, performing the action, evaluating your progress, doing it again. Perfect practice; perfected habit. Here are a couple of experts in the formation of spiritual habits that I highly recommend:

• John Ortberg: The Life You’ve Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People
• John Mark Comer: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
• James Clear*: Atomic Habits

Here are some practical ideas:

1. Each morning. pray to God to direct your actions. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
2. Be intentional about learning from others, modeling godly behavior. This speaks to the importance of seeking the company of godly people. The Bible is clear about this. “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray” (Proverbs 12:26). “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend” (Proverbs 27:17).
3. Constantly think about your actions and your choices about your actions. This might be a choice about what you say or what you do in any given situation. This is especially important if you are going into a challenging situation, or one that you know might have some temptations. Remember that even Jesus was tempted. And he overcame that temptation through the power of the Holy Spirit and by using the Word of God as his weapon. “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).
4. It helps to remember your motivation for your words and actions. “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
5. Periodically through the day, reflect on your words and actions from the past hour, during that last meeting or interaction, etc. Repent when needed; ask forgiveness when needed, thank God for his guidance when you know you have done well. “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

It’s so easy to drift into bad habits. Maybe we don’t even realize it until it’s done: a habit of collapsing in front of the television rather than going for a walk, or a habit of going for the cookie jar rather than the fruit bowl. (Remember, the tempter is always at work.) If you are following the steps above and still find it hard, then try some things that I have found helpful.

1. Remove the temptation. (Put the fruit in the cookie jar?).
2. Add a “sweetener” to your habits. I love to sit on my back porch in the morning, and I will get up early just to have time for my morning coffee outside. Add Bible study and you have reinforced an excellent habit of starting your day with time with God while enjoying God’s beautiful nature. And I put my Bible study materials by the back door so they are ready to grab on my way out. No excuses.
3. Give yourself a break. If you miss a day or fall for the cookie, just enjoy the moment and prayerfully get back into your good intentions and good habits.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

In Christ,

Judy

*James Clear did not write Atomic Habits from a Christian perspective, but the recommendations in his book are good and can easily be applied to our efforts in building good spiritual habits. I would read the first two recommendations first, and then add his book as a supplement.

^“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22).

Two weeks ago, we began a series on “Choices” and introduced the concept below:

• Your desires drive your thoughts.
• Your thoughts direct your actions.
• Your actions become your habits.
• Your habits mold your character.
• Your character shapes your destiny.

Today we begin to talk about our actions, the visible and tangible evidence of our desires and thoughts. Will our actions automatically conform to our new heart and godly thoughts? Unfortunately, the answer is “no.”  Some of us have become good at acting. We can act “appropriately” despite our evil desires and/or our impure thoughts. Or maybe it is just the opposite: we act inappropriately even though we know better and wish to do better. Probably all of us have done this at some time, even today. And doubtless you would agree with me that this is ultimately stressful. However, when we are acting in a way that is in accordance with our hearts and minds, we are showing integrity.

So how do we conform our actions to our new heart and godly thoughts? The first thing to do is to realize that all our actions or behaviors are choices. This realization should lead us to be intentional rather than just “going with the flow.” Here are just a few examples:

1. Show mercy to someone who does not deserve it.
2. Look away/walk away before committing lust or covetousness.
3. Seek out and attend worship service.
4. Tithe to your church (which implies that you are a regular member of a church).
5. Pray daily; give thanks to God.
6. Greet/acknowledge everyone.
7. Get up on time, which implies getting up when your alarm goes off (which implies setting an alarm).
8. Eat a piece of fruit rather than a sugary snack.
9. Stay on your budget (which implies making a budget); not buying something just because it makes you feel good.
10. Read your Bible every day, even if it means giving up something else.
11. Switch the television channel to something that is wholesome, or just turn the thing off and read your Bible.
12. Call your mother or father, or sister or brother, to check on them.
13. Turn the other cheek.
14. Repay evil with good.
15. Respond with understanding rather than anger.
16. Speak words of encouragement rather than destruction.
17. Lend a helping hand rather than passing on by.
18. Make the first move toward reconciliation, and the second, and the third if necessary.
19. /Deny yourself.
20. Use your God-given spiritual gifts for the glory of God.

Secondly, constantly anticipate your choices regarding your actions. This might be a choice about what you will say or what you will do in each situation. This is especially important if you are going into a challenging situation, or one that you know might have some temptations. Remember that even Jesus was tempted. And he overcame that temptation through the power of the Holy Spirit and by using the Word of God as his weapon. “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).

Thirdly, (and this is first on the list at my church): Pray first; then act. I can’t think of anything that would not be improved by first pausing and praying before taking action.

The Apostle Paul himself admitted to struggling with aligning his heart and his actions. You can hear his anguish as he writes, in Romans 7:18-23 – “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So, I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.”

Paul concluded the passage above with this prayer: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25).

In other words, do not give up. It will be worth it.

In Christ,

Judy

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).

Last week we began a series on “Choices” and introduced the concept below:

• Your desires drive your thoughts.
• Your thoughts direct your actions.
• Your actions become your habits.
• Your habits mold your character.
• Your character shapes your destiny.

Godly choices begin in our hearts, and last week we read about the importance of repentance, prayer, and remembering the great things that God has done to conform our hearts to desiring God. “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come–sexual immorality, theft, murder” (Mark 7:21). So, it is critical to get our hearts right to take the next step in the progression of Godly choices to conform our thoughts to what pleases God. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

The question is how? When one of my granddaughters was spending the night with us (she was about three years old), she was having trouble going to sleep. She kept having scary thoughts. I told her to think about something happy, but she said she couldn’t. She told me that the scary thoughts just kept going through her mind and she could not do anything about it. This doesn’t just happen to children. Even as adults we have all kinds of thoughts that bombard our minds: impure thoughts, worries, fears, dredging up past hurts, anger, bitterness. It can seem like we have no control. These thoughts can keep us awake, they can keep us from hearing the sermon on Sunday, they upset us so that we are unkind to others. So again, the question is how do we take these thoughts captive and become obedient to Christ? One caveat. We cannot do this alone. We must submit ourselves to the power of the Holy Spirit. Here are five practical ways to take your thoughts captive and to make your mind obedient to Christ:

1. Decide in advance (daily, or more often if necessary) that you are going to submit your thoughts to God’s guidance, and ask for his help, in advance. The Holy Spirit has been given to us for just this purpose. Choose a Bible verse for the day to focus on when your thoughts begin to go astray and/or have a plan for something positive or productive to think about such as something you are grateful for. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
2. Think about what you are thinking. You may not be able to stop a thought from popping into your mind, but you can choose to continue to think it or to replace it with a godly thought. “As someone thinks within himself, so he is” (Proverbs 23:7).
3. Remember the source of those thoughts. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. (1 Peter 5:8-9).
4. As an ungodly thought occurs, confess it, and ask for God’s help, then immediately replace it with your Bible verse or thanksgiving. Remember, God already knew your thoughts. When you confess, you are agreeing with God that you need to change your thinking. “You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar” (Psalm 139:2). “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4).
5. Be conscious of what you put into your mind in the first place. There is a computer term that applies: “Garbage in, garbage out (GIGO).” There is no substitute for the Scriptures; they should be foremost in our reading, studying, and meditating. Good commentaries, inspirational messages, and sound Bible study tools are also helpful. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Personally, I struggle with my mind sometimes running away with negative, fearful, or useless thoughts. I have learned to follow the preceding five guidelines. Here are two verses that I regularly meditate on as soon as I realize what’s going on in my mind (see #1,4 above). I am so thankful for the power of the Word of God.

• “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).
• “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3).

The main thing to remember is that you do not have to be, and you should not be, enslaved to your thoughts. With the aid of the Holy Spirit, you can decide what to think. Some days might be more challenging than others; but remember this is a moment-by-moment decision to take your thoughts captive; to claim your thoughts for God.

One final thought: Our faith is a matter of our hearts and minds, before anything else. “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). All we must do is believe, and belief happens in our hearts and minds, not in anything that we do.

In Christ,

Judy

“…. choose this day whom you will serve…” (excerpted from Joshua 24:15).

God did something very intentional when he created humans during that first week of creation: He gave us the ability to choose.

He created the earth and all the plants and animals, and placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Uniquely among His Creation, God made humans in His image to rule over the remainder of His Creation. He planted the beautiful Garden of Eden for them, He gave them responsibilities, and He delighted in spending time with them. It is clear that God made humans for relationship with Himself; and He wanted that relationship to be based on man’s willingness to love Him back. So, God also gave them a choice.

“And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.’” (Genesis 2:16-17).

We often call this ability to choose “free will.” God placed a tree in the garden, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and then told Adam that if he ate the fruit of this tree he would surely die. This is also considered to be a conditional covenant, meaning that God gave to Adam this eternal paradise on the condition that he not eat the fruit of that tree. So, Adam’s choice was either to not eat the fruit of the tree and live forever, or he could eat the fruit and die. A life-or-death choice, a “no-brainer.”

But we know what happened. Satan, an angel who had earlier made his own choice to become an enemy of God, set out to win over God’s creation to the enemy side. Satan began a campaign of deception right there in the Garden of Eden, and Adam chose to believe Satan’s lies rather than God’s truth.

Do you find yourself wishing that God had not put the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden? Why did he do that if He didn’t want Adam to eat the fruit? If God had just not given Adam this choice, our lives would have been so much easier, right? Well, in His infinite wisdom, He did give us choices. Our decision today, this very minute, is how are we going to choose?

Our choice is to believe and obey the Word of God, or to believe and obey the lies of Satan. There is no middle ground. It sounds simple, so why do we fail? Here is something to help us to understand:

• Your desires drive your thoughts.
• Your thoughts direct your actions.
• Your actions become your habits.
• Your habits mold your character.
• /Your character shapes your destiny.

Many people have been credited with this concept. I believe it to be useful in helping us to make good choices, so it will be used as an outline for the next six devotions. As you can see, the starting point is desire. So, if, according to Genesis 6:5 “every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time,” how can our hearts be changed? In fact, it is only Christ’s death on the cross that enabled us to be saved, that accomplished our heart change. “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you” (Ezekiel 36:26). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

When we accept what God has done for us, He changes our hearts to desire Him. We are then able to build on our desire to make godly choices. Here is a three-step plan..

1. Repent of our sin nature. “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).

2. Ask God to change our hearts. “God have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13).

3. Make it a habit to remember all the good things that God has done for us. “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

Note that while Jesus’ work of salvation was accomplished once and for all at the cross, our part in our sanctification is an ongoing process. As Paul instructed and encouraged the Philippians, “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).

Let us start with seeking to glorify God by desiring a relationship with Him. “Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires; God will satisfy them fully!” (Matthew 5:6) (The Message).

In Christ,

Judy

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen” (2 Peter 2:19).

This benediction from Peter also presents a challenge, or perhaps even a command—to grow. When we are saved, we are immediately gifted with the fruit of the Spirit and one or more gifts of the Spirit; but with this command to grow, we should know that we always have room for improvement. In fact, Paul says it like this: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

This work in us is a continuing work—the work of growth. It is not work that saves us (just for clarification). It is a work that helps us to grow in our relationship with our Lord and Savior. So how does this growth occur? The best answer is that it occurs through intentional practice and the counsel of the Holy Spirit. You might call it training, or discipleship. If you have ever been involved in sports, dance, music, gymnastics, etc., you know that the best way to improve is to practice, and not just any old practice, but practice that has been designed by experts in the field, proven over time, to produce the right kinds of results. There have been many good books written on this subject over the past many years. You might find them listed under spiritual disciplines, or spiritual practices. I’d be happy to recommend a few if you want to contact me.

Besides the main ways that we access God’s grace—reading our Bible, prayer, worship including participating in the sacraments, preaching, and fellowship with other believers—there are many other practices, or spiritual disciplines. Many of these practices have been subjects of previous devotions. The practice we are learning about in this devotion is confession.

What is confession exactly? Confession means to admit or acknowledge. There are three areas of confession that if we regularly practice will help us to grow in our knowledge of Jesus—going back to our key verse in 2 Peter.

I pray that this practice of daily confession in these three areas will stimulate your growth and walk with Christ as it is doing for me. Reflecting on our opening passage: “…grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” recognize that we are first saved by grace, and then we grow. The reward for our growth is eternal life but with the added benefit of knowing Christ. Not just knowledge about Him but actually knowing our Lord and Savior in a very real and personal way. And this is my prayer for each of us. And finally, gratitude and praise for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ:

“To You be glory both now and forever! Amen” (2 Peter 3:19b).

In Christ,

Judy

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing” (Matthew 23:37).

I have been known to express my joy when all my chicks (my sons and their families) are together with me, like a hen with all her chicks under her wings. What a beautiful passage, spoken by Jesus, to his beloved Jerusalem. Despite the unwillingness of the people of Israel, despite their unfaithfulness, Jesus longs for them. Likewise, He longs to cover us with His love, just like a hen covers her chicks under her wings.

An ancient Near Eastern custom involved covering someone with the corner of a garment. In Hebrew, the word for “corner or edge of a garment” can also be translated as a “bird’s wing.” Our Tuesday Bible study recently finished a study of the book of Ruth, where this practice appears. In Ruth 3:4, Naomi tells Ruth to go to Boaz at night: “But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go, uncover his feet, and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.” Ruth obeys, and in Ruth 3:9 she says to Boaz, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings (the corner of your garment) over your servant, for you are a redeemer.”

This custom was meant to symbolize that Ruth was asking for marriage; in other words, she was asking Boaz, as her nearest male relative (known at that time as a guardian-redeemer), to covenant with her for protection and provision under the marriage contract. This custom is a picture of the relationship of Jesus as Redeemer with His Church. The church is the Bride of Christ, and as believers, we are members of the church. In seeking this covenantal relationship with Jesus, we are asking for that same covering of salvation, protection, and protection. As believers, like Ruth, we seek this beautiful relationship, and Jesus longs for it. In fact, earlier in the Book of Ruth, verse 2:12, Boaz tells Ruth, “The Lord repay you for what you have done, and may a full reward be given to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”

What is important to note about this relationship is our willingness to seek and to receive Jesus. He is ready, willing, even longing for us to accept His gift of salvation, the covering of His wings; but we must take the step of receiving this gift. When you are sad, feeling lost and alone, know that Jesus longs for you to rest, relax, and seek relief under the wings of His protection. As King David wrote and modeled: “I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings” (Psalm 61:4).

In Christ,

Judy

“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4).

Does anyone else get a little confused by these commands? We know the first one means love your neighbor well, so does that imply that we should love ourselves well, as well? Yet David writes: “Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain” (Psalm 118:36). Proverbs counsels against selfishness “An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts quarrels” (Proverbs 18:1), and Paul preaches against selfish ambition in several of his letters. Jesus preached “… to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me’” (Luke 9:23).

These verses preach a denial of self, but not with an end game of denial. In fact, if we are just trying to see how much we can deny ourselves, we are still engaging in self-ish behavior. The goal is not self-denial. The goal is loving God and loving others.

In fact, there are passages that speak of enjoyment of the gifts Gd has given us. Jesus even says that “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). How do we properly “enjoy” what we have been given? And what are some of the ways that we prioritize our love for God and for others?

1. Gratitude. All good gifts point toward the Giver. James 1:17 reminds us that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” God has made it possible for us to receive gifts of His creation, so we should have a heart of gratitude for His generosity. “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts” (Colossians 3:16).
2. Trust. When we trust God for His provision, we realize that we don’t have to be greedy or self-serving. “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them” (Matthew 6:31-32).
3. Generosity. Generosity is an outcome of gratitude and trust. When we acknowledge that God is the giver of all good gifts and that we can trust Him to provide for each of us, we realize what a blessing it is to be used by Him as a conduit of these good gifts. “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor” (Proverbs 22:9).
4. Obedience. When we focus on His priorities and align ourselves with His will, everything else falls into place according to His perfect plan. This means not giving in to our sinful desires but instead seeking to please Him in every way. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

All these actions are self-less rather than self-ish because they are focused on God and His glory and not on us. And by pursuing them, we can like John the Baptist, seek with our whole hearts to magnify the Lord. “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).

In Christ,

Judy