Tag Archives: surrender

The Grace and Gift of Sanctification

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Andrea Graham| 2 Comments

“who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,” (2 Timothy 1:9)

Previously, we discussed this verse in light of verse eight. In the larger context of chapter one, Paul is encouraging Timothy, reminding him of the gifts God has given Timothy, including faith, and encouraging him to keep those holy fires burning his heart at a time when Timothy appears to be struggling with fear, likely related to the persecution of the saints that has Paul writing from prison.

In verse nine, Paul continues to encourage Timothy, reminding him that God’s gift of salvation and his call on Timothy’s life didn’t come because Timothy measured up according to the reasoning of men, not because of any worthy accomplishment or good deed on Timothy’s part, but because God had a purpose for Timothy, a plan for his life God had worked out before the beginning of time through the gift of grace Christ gave us in time.

In fact, in verses ten through twelve Paul goes on to remind Timothy that Christ has abolished death, that is, ended the effect of death and that Paul is suffering for teaching about the Lord who is higher than Caesar and has brought to us a light, life, and immortality that Caesar cannot overcome. Paul assures Timothy there is no shame in suffering for that because he knows the Lord is able to guard either what Paul has entrusted to God or what God has entrusted to Paul, which comes back to our fates in eternity from one angle or another.

Lord, thank you for saving us for good works, not by good works. Thank you for your gift of grace and your work in us of perfecting us to be fit for your kingdom. We lift up our hearts and souls and minds and bodies to you today, Lord, and we ask you to lead us and mold us according to the  purpose that you had for us, for you called us, designed us, for holiness and only you can make us what we were always meant to be. Change us, God, wash us clean from the inside out.

Posted in Bible and Theology, Gospel, Grace, Prayer and Devotions, Sin and Holiness

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To People Please or Not To . . .

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Andrea Graham| Comments Off

“Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” (Romans 15:2)

Yikes! Whatever happened to you can’t please everyone? Okay, lay some context on me, please:

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written,”The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” (Romans 15:1-3)

Ah, there, Paul is continuing his discourse from Romans 14 on the varying convictions in the Body and saying we should be sensitive to the weaker consciences some of our brothers and sisters have, that we shouldn’t criticize them for having stricter standards than us, but tolerate them rather than insisting on pleasing ourselves.

I don’t know if this means to let our church service be dictated by the person who complains a style of music offends them. I doubt this means if one person in our family becomes a vegetarian, or if one person at the church supper is a vegan, that we all have to eat that way to please them. I doubt this means if one brother or sister is an alcoholic, the rest of us can’t drink up in front of them. After all, it’s not our fault if they give in and crack one open  .  .  .

Oh wait. That last one is exactly what Paul means. We are not to lay a stumbling block before our brother and sister. If we know they are weak, if we know they can’t handle something, we should refrain from our liberty, and not serve that drink, not wear that garment that shows off skin and/or the contours of our body, not play that violent, gory video game/movie around them, or do anything else that will cause our brother and sister to do something that will violate their conscience and sin before God–even if our own is perfectly clear and we think their conviction silly.

But let’s not let someone confuse us who is offended at us who isn’t sincerely tempted to violate their own conscious and stumble and fall. Is the hymn lover seriously tempted to sing along to a chorus–do they seriously even think it is a sin to? Likewise, is the vegan or vegetarian really so weak they’ll eat the main dish that does have meat in it rather than the meatless main dish that was provided them? Do they really think it would be a sin if they did? (If the answer is yes to both questions, then don’t serve the meat! LOL.)

Of course, if it is your conviction being a people pleaser is what this passage means, let me build you up by encouraging you to, by all means, live according to that belief, if that is what you sincerely, truly believe God has called you to do. I fear you’ll burn out and have to reconsider whether that call really came from God, but who am I to judge another man’s servant?

Lord, grant us wisdom to discern what requests are truly to the benefit and spiritual good of our neighbor, lest in pleasing them, we hurt them and you. Increase our love, so that we would be sick to our stomachs at the mere thought of selfishly waving before a believer what will cause them to sin, deliberately tempting them to disobey what they feel you have told them. Since many can be too embarrassed to speak up, grant us sensitivity, to recognize what is a stumbling block to one another, so we might not in our liberty cause others to sin. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Posted in Bible and Theology, Legalism, Prayer and Devotions, Sin and Holiness

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What is your cross?

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Andrea Graham| Comments Off

“ And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)

In a classic putting of the cart before the horse, the rabbi’s words are delivered to us as the verse of the day the day after his disciple Peter expounded on it. In context, this speech is recorded right after  Peter confesses Jesus is not simply another John the Baptist, Elijah, or some other prophet, but the Christ, and Jesus has told him what being the Christ means–suffering even to the point of crucifixion and death, but also being raised to life again on the third day.  Now he reminds them to be this rabbi’s disciple, we must  be like him in everything and follow all of his footsteps. More to the point, we must be willing to suffer as he suffered. We must be willing to deny ourselves, but deny ourselves what? Suffer what? Whatever he asks of us, whatever he brings us to.

This does not mean we must suffer in silence. Even Jesus wept before God in Gethsemane and wrestled with the natural human instincts to save ourselves and avoid pain and suffering and death. Even Jesus, in his darkest hour on the cross, cried out, “God, God, why have you forsaken me?” He in these moments gives us a model we can follow when we’re struggling to deny ourselves, when we’re feeling abandoned or plain old sorry for ourselves.

But he also reminds us of the prize: we too shall rise again. Sunday is coming. New life will spring forth out of the death we experience, literal and symbolic.

Lord, thank you for your example. Thank you for your presence with us. I pray we would always seek you and know you are with us. Open our eyes today and our understanding of what crosses you have called us to bear today and in this life. Grant us the grace to sincerely say, as you did, “Lord if there be any way, let this cup pass from me, but not my will, but yours be done.” In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Recommended: All That Was Lost (lyrics only) by Michael Card

Posted in Bible and Theology, Lament, Prayer and Devotions, Suffering

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Buy and Labor For what Satisfies: the Lord

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Andrea Graham| Comments Off

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. Isaiah 55:2,3

I think we’ve all found ourselves there, constantly doing, or eating, and never being satisfied, done, or full. We forget what we are really hungry for can’t be found in the rat race, or at the buffet line,  but in a still, quiet prayer closet. Much as us dieters might be tempted to take God literally and say, “Yay, all the chocolate and cheese cake I could want,” the rich food he had in mind is His word and Himself. He is our bread/our tree of life that we need daily to live.

What are we investing in? Let’s take time to re-orientate ourselves to His cross today and remember what we’re hungry for is found in Him. When we pray, let’s not do all the talking. Take time to quietly listen and receive direction from Him. What have we to fear? He’s made an everlasting covenant with us, his love is sure and steadfast. We only need to abide in him and open up our hearts to allow him to transform us into the image he originally made us in.

Lord, forgive us for getting caught up in the cares of the world. Quiet us today and draw us into communion with you. Wash away our fears and any wicked inclination separating us from you today. Open our ears and our hearts to hear and receive from you today. Here we are, Lord. We thank you for your finished work, and we present ourselves to you. Mold us into your likeness, show us more of who you are today. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Posted in Bible and Theology, God's love, Prayer and Devotions

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Can you say you desire only God?

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Andrea Graham| Comments Off

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:25-26)

Most of us can confidently say we only have one God in Heaven. I wonder if anyone besides Asaph can honestly say we desire nothing on the earth besides God. Of course, this is a lament, so he’s just dumped out before God all of his baggage, in his case a rather frustrated envy of the wicked who prosper while the innocent are stricken. So we might get there in the same way. However, if there is anything we desire more than God, that is idolatry that will separate us from Him, so we need to examine ourselves and invite God to search our hearts and show us.

Whatever it is, get rid of it or the desire for it, or surrender control of it to God. Be willing to lose it or forgo it and still love and serve Him. Though our heart and flesh fail us, we too can trust in God to strengthen our hearts and  embrace him as our great reward.

Lord, we thank you for your word. Show us if anything is more precious to us than you are, and reveal to us what we can do to rectify this, and give us the strength and will to follow through. You are our inheritance, we pray knowing you intimately would be our greatest treasure. May our hunger and thirst for you void all other appetites. Make us worthy of your calling and fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by your power, so that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in us and us in him, according to your grace, oh God. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Posted in Bible and Theology, Idols, Lament, Prayer and Devotions

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