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And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. —2 Corinthians 9:8 Last week, we did a short study on the importance God places on our gladness, cheerfulness, and joy as His children—and specifically His love for the generous, cheerful giver. Now, we come to verse 8 that gives context and support to verses 6-7. When we decide in our hearts to give bountifully, cheerfully, with thoughts of blessing the recipient, we can be sure it is not of us but God working His grace in us. God is all-powerful and able to make all grace abound to us. This abounding grace meets every material need, but more importantly, every spiritual need. Are you concerned that if you give liberally, you will lack? Then, know that God is able to either replenish what you give, or give you contentment in the lesser amount you now have. This is His grace at work in us. Grace that is lavished on us because of Jesus is the assurance that we will never be lacking in eternal treasure. God’s grace abounds to us giving all sufficiency—not just barely enough, but super-abounding supply given to us to meet every personal need, and overflowing in God’s Kingdom work in the world. In all things and at all times we realize God’s power working in us to super-abound in every good work. God’s eternal love is unstoppable and He has given us, clay vessels that we are, all that is needed to demonstrate it by our good works—in all things and at all times. For Reflection Paul is helping the Corinthian church members to individually and personally decide what amount they will give to the collection for the Jerusalem church. When the opportunity to give arises, are you personally reflective? And do you talk with the Lord about the decision to give under His guidance? What good work might He want to multiply through you? When you put your tithe in the offering plate, do you consider how you can further the impact of your gift through good works? What are some ways you can multiply the gift in what you do (e.g., volunteer in children’s ministry, visit the elderly, pray for your pastor and missionaries, write and speak about God’s love)? How might the knowledge of God’s grace abounding to you change your heart attitude or the amount you give?

From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him. –Isaiah 64:4 The prophet Isaiah is commissioned with the task to take God’s Word to His chosen people. It is a message of warning to the people who have grown cold toward God—who hear but do not understand, have eyes but do not perceive, have hearts that are dull. In Isaiah 64:1-3, Isaiah is pleading with God to show Himself in power to a world of adversaries as He once did in previous ages, so that this people would know and understand that there is no god like Him. The situation is desperate for God’s people to remember that He is not like the gods they were worshiping—the gods of this world, crafted by man with eyes that cannot see, ears that cannot hear, noses that cannot smell, mouths that cannot speak, form but cannot move or act on their behalf (Psalm 115). They had forsaken the living God and had forgotten His glory and might and the wonders He had done for them. Our God There are countless examples in Scripture of the revelations of God to His people. From the flood to the ram in the thicket, from the burning bush to the plagues of Egypt, from the pillar of fire to the parting of the Red Sea, from the tablets of the law to the ark of the covenant, from David’s throne to the building of the temple God has revealed Himself to His people. But Isaiah’s generation had become intimidated and beaten down by adversaries. They had stopped fighting the fight of faith and became apathetic toward God. It is at this moment that God raised up Isaiah and showed him the true reality of His glory. “I saw the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1). Our God is sovereign and to be worshiped in reverential fear, for He is the creator of all things. He created us with ears to hear, eyes to see, noses to smell, mouths to speak, minds to think; gateways to our hearts—created to receive Him, to actively wait on Him in prayer, in worshiping, in witnessing, and in working. Oh, how patient and kind He is with us! He has shown us His love, power, and glory. Do you see? Do you hear? Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. (Hebrews 1:1-2) God’s Wonderful Deeds Isaiah prophesied with limited understanding of the way in which God’s Word would be fulfilled. Could he have known what was meant by Isaiah 53? We live on the other side of the fulfillment of all the prophesies of the Messiah’s first coming, when the Word of God became flesh. What wondrous deeds of God!! We who have placed our faith in Christ have become joint heirs of the promises of God. Jesus came to bring us to the Father through bearing the wrath against us in His own body, paying our sin debt by His death on a cross, rising from the dead, ascending to His heavenly throne, and sending the Holy Spirit until He returns. We have the promises, and God will do it! Jesus will return. Are you waiting with love for His appearing? Isaiah longed for Israel to be awakened from their deadly sleep to turn and wait for the Lord with expectation. He is the God who acts on behalf of His people. Today, let’s hear this call to our hearts as well, to be His people who wait for His return, loving His appearing, running the race, contending for the faith, worshiping our coming King. At the end of our lives on earth, may we be able to joyfully say with the apostle Paul: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:7-8) For Reflection The next generation needs to hear of our great God who acts on behalf of His people. Are you willing to serve Him in this mission? Pray, asking God to show you how you might impact the next generation for Christ’s Kingdom. Let others in your church know about your desire and have them pray with you. Jesus has promised that He will return and take us to be with Him. In what ways does this truth impact your heart’s affections toward plans, future goals, life choices? Are you loving Christ’s appearing? How might love for His appearing be expressed to the younger ones in your life?

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. —Colossians 4:6 “Please pass the salt.” It’s a request I’ve heard countless times at the dinner table. This week as I memorize Colossians 4:6, I’m hearing it from the Apostle Paul. Speaking with Outsiders While instructing the Colossian Christians how to engage in conversation, Paul issues two imperatives: speak gracious words and season them with salt, always. This standard is high. One grammarian calls absolutes like always and each “the most dangerous words you can throw around.” They make people uncomfortable because they don’t allow for exceptions; we like wiggle room. It’s easier to attain a standard of speaking graciously most of the time to some of the people. But Scripture doesn’t give us that option. Graciously We’re called to speech that is gracious, a word the dictionary defines as courteous, kind, and pleasant. But biblically gracious speech is more than being polite. Scripture says there is a type of speech that sounds gracious but is hiding hatred, folly, and sin (Proverbs 26:25). Speech that is truly gracious is fitting and proper (Ephesians 4:29). Gracious words promote instruction (Proverbs 16:21), are noble (Psalm 45:2), and sweet to the soul (Proverbs 15:26). But they can also make people squirm, or worse. Jesus’ own townsfolk marveled at his gracious words, right before they tried to throw him over a cliff (Luke 4:22, 28-29). Throughout his letter Paul shows us that gracious speech does not preclude candor. He opens by asking God to give the Colossians wisdom, then he tells them that they are in danger of succumbing to human wisdom (2:8). He warns them not to be deluded, taken captive, or disqualified from the faith, acting as if they are still alive in the world. And he implores them to live a certain way, delivering imperatives to obey. His words are not soft. And they are well-seasoned. Well-Salted, Not Salty Writing in a pre-refrigeration era, Paul didn’t command believers to let their speech be preserved with salt—preservation from spoiling being the most common use of salt in the ancient world—but rather, he told them to let their speech be seasoned with salt. He was saying, in effect, that their speech should be flavorful to their hearers’ ears. About once a year, I forget to put salt in my bread dough. Thirty minutes in the oven produces piping hot loaves and an aroma that calls everyone to the kitchen. Slice, butter, taste. Yuck! Without salt, bread doesn’t even taste like bread. It tastes like cardboard. I’m pretty sure even birds wouldn’t eat the crumbs. Like unsalty Christians, unsalted bread is good for nothing (Matthew 5:13). After it’s baked it’s too late to do anything about it. A friend assured me it could easily be repaired. She sliced and buttered a whole loaf then grabbed the salt shaker. It was even worse. Like a salt lick. Cookbook author Samin Nosrat says, “If food isn’t salted properly, no amount of fancy cooking techniques or garnishes will make up for it” (Salt Fat Acid Heat, p. 27). Shaking salt over my bread after the fact was a disgust-inducing substitute for what Nosrat calls “seasoning food from within.” This is a helpful picture for what the Apostle Paul is commending to us: speech salted from within by the Word of Christ dwelling in us richly (Colossians 3:16), saturating our hearts such that well-seasoned speech is what overflows from our mouths (Luke 6:45, Psalm 37:30). Our aim should be Word-saturated, gospel-infused conversations every chance we get. Regardless of how people respond, there is never a time when it is fitting for a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ to be ungracious. Nor is there an unbelieving person undeserving of, or not in need of, gracious, well-salted speech. This doesn’t mean you guide every conversation with your auto mechanic to the verses about the “oil of gladness” (though it might), but that you talk about everyday things in a way that honors Christ. Your manner of speaking should be different from the way unbelievers talk (Colossians 3:8). People who are hungry for truth will relish the Word spoken in love. Even talk about God’s wrath against sin will be welcomed by a heart that is longing for forgiveness. There’s a hungry world out there. So don’t forget. Please, pass the salt. For Reflection What might it look like to have speech that is seasoned from within by the salt of truth? • After church: Instead of telling a friend after she’s shared some hard news, “I’ll pray about that…later,” asking her, “can I pray with you right now?” • At the grocery store: Going beyond chit-chat with someone in the aisle about the gorgeous weather to giving the glory to the God who makes it for our enjoyment. Or, when asking the clerk about her special needs daughter, turning the conversation to hope beyond any worldly comforts. • With the children in your life: Turning conversations about everyday frustrations and trials naturally to God’s goodness, sovereignty, and love; our sinfulness and need for help; and Christ’s rescuing grace. Would unbelievers observe you being a hope-filled person? Are you always prepared to give a reason for that hope? (1 Peter 3:15) Ask God to season your speech with His Word, so that in every situation you’ll know what to say. You can pray this silently, even in the middle of a conversation.

My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. —Proverbs 1:10 I’m from Minnesota, the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.” And of those more than 10,000 lakes throughout the state, I believe the most beautiful lakes are nestled in among the forests and rock formations of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA). The million-acre expanse of the BWCA is home to more than ten percent of Minnesota’s lakes. There is so much to love about the BWCA; all of it shouting praise and glory to its Creator: the beauty and wonder of land, trees, and northern lights; the starry skies having no other lights to compete with for their glorious splendor, crystal clear water, the echoing call of the loons, wildlife, and my favorite—fish—lots of them. Only God could create something so praiseworthy! Before each trip to the BWCA with my son and daughter, we spend time—a lot of time—thinking about and then purchasing the perfect bait to catch fish. We want that bait to attract walleye, small mouth bass, and northern pike. We expend a lot of energy in making the right purchase. We want to entice those fish to take the bait, to lure them to bite. As a dad, I have often used the illustration of fishing to teach my children some really important truths, truths about making wise choices, forsaking sinful desires, being careful about relationships, and ultimately, truths of life and death. That isn’t hyperbole. Some of the fish we caught became a tasty meal. Many times I have warned my children, “don’t be fooled by sin. Like the worm twisting on the hook, it is flashy, it is enticing, it may be enjoyable for a moment, but it will lead to death.” The book of Proverbs repeats these words often “Hear my son.” As parents, we plead and implore our children because we know that unrepented foolishness and unrepented sin leads to death. And if sinful practices were not enticing enough on their own, there are those who are intent on luring our sons and daughters to join them. Years ago, enticement was confined to person-to-person communication; now it flows freely through social media, the internet, videos, books, and magazines, to name just a few. Moms and dads, have you spoken the exhortations and sounded the warnings of Proverbs to your children? Knowledge begins with the fear the Lord (vv. 1-7). Enticements take away life (vv. 8-19). Wisdom calls, and if heeded, makes us dwell secure without dread of disaster (vv. 20-33). Maybe you’ve only had to sound the warning a few times, and by God’s grace your children embraced the truth and the message of Proverbs 1. Praise God! Or maybe you’re sounding the warning continually—because truth has not been embraced. May the Lord continue to give us a voice with our children, both with our words and example of forsaking sin and rejecting enticements. May our children be drawn to the precious gift of walking in step with the Lord, knowing that …no good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you! Psalm 84:11b-12 For Reflection Parents, we were once young sons and daughters. What were the enticing sources of our day? How are they the same today; how are they different? How can you help your children navigate the streams of enticement offered through the impersonal, yet very compelling, mediums of social media? While giving thought to this topic, are there any enticements that you’ve fallen prey to? May Proverbs 1 be an encouragement to you. And believers, remember your perfect Advocate (1 John 2:1).

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”—Hebrews 13:5-6 This week’s Fighter Verse presents two challenging commands: don’t love money and be content. Obedience to both is fueled by the certain, unfailing presence of God. Living through a pandemic is a good way to find out if you love money. The daily headlines about job losses, unemployment claims, stock market losses, and devaluation of the economy have an unnerving effect. For some folks, it’s reason to panic, for others, reason to rail against the decision makers and insist that every health risk should be tolerated for the sake of the economy. How do the financial headlines strike you? A gripping fear that wakes you in the night may be a symptom of sinful affections, or it might signal lack of contentment. Wherever you find yourself, cultivating contentment with what you have, whether a lot or a little, helps to guard you from love of money. And both rest on the guarantee of God’s presence. Author Jeremiah Burroughs (in The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment) called contentment “a very timely cordial to revive the drooping spirit of the saints in these sad and sinking times.” Apart from the quaint word cordial, he could have been writing this today. Yet his was a different age–he was writing nearly 400 years ago! Even older is God’s Word that is living and active in every age. It is a great comfort how providentially this week’s memory verses fit our current need. More is Never Enough Before we know if we love money, we must ask what love of money means. When we love something, we naturally want more of it. Two people in love want more time together, a nature lover can’t wait to be outside again, and a lover of good food is always looking forward to and planning her next meal. If we love money, we always want more. No matter how much you have, it is never enough. That’s why it’s impossible to be content when you love money. But interestingly, the author of Hebrews doesn’t say, “keep your life free from love of money so that you can be content.” Rather, he says, “keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have.” Paul said that contentment was something he learned, not because of his financial state, but regardless of it: In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:12-13). Paul’s contentment flowed from being in Christ and receiving His strength. So too, the author of Hebrews grounds the command to be content in God’s promise never to “leave you nor forsake you.” It is the presence of Christ, not merely dispassion for money, that teaches us contentment. The Danger of Too Much The certain presence of God at all times, in all places, calms our anxious hearts not only in the face of payroll interruptions and budget shortfalls, it also steadies us in the face of embarrassing plenty. Having too much is what threatened the Israelites in the promised land. God told Moses to warn them saying, For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant (Deuteronomy 31:20). This warning from God followed His promise (quoted in our passage in Hebrews) to never leave the Israelites: "It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed" (Deuteronomy 31:8). The Israelite’s greatest danger was not that they would fail in their conquest and have too little to live on, but that they would succeed and have too much. God told them: When you are full, you will forget Me. Excess leads to idolatry. Proverbs 30 records the prayer of a man who understood this danger. In verse eight we read, Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. If you look for satisfaction in money, you will never be at rest. But if you are satisfied in Christ, your contentment will be unhinged from how much you have. Burroughs describes Christian contentment as “That sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition” (19). We have two heart postures to choose from: Love of money and discontentment with what we have, or love of God and contentment with what He has given us, grounded in His presence and help. The first option finds you discontent whether you have much or little. The second finds you content whatever your situation. The Cure for Greed and Fear Further down in Hebrews 13 we read, “Do not neglect to do good and share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (verse 16). Do you have a lot? Give. Do you have a little? Give. Giving out of your plenty is a good way to kill greed. Giving out of your lack is a good way to kill fear. Both foster faith. When we love God and know–really know and believe–that He is our provider and will never leave us, we can love Him, not money, and give generously. At root, we love money because we think it has the power to protect us from what we fear. But the Lord’s help is better than anything money can buy. That’s the point of verse 6. The logical flow is something like this: Keep your life free from love of money And be content with what you have Because you have God with you always. And because He is with you The Lord is your helper, And because the Lord is your helper, you are free not to fear– There is nothing man can do to you that is not under Christ’s rule. Nothing man can do to you is more powerful, or terrible, than what He who holds the power over life and death can do (Luke 12:5). If you’re not afraid of man because the Lord is your helper, you’ll have no need for money to save you. If you are secure in God’s presence and the Lord’s help, you can use whatever money you have been given by God (Deuteronomy 8:18) to do what God intends you to do: provide for yourself and your family, and give to others (Ephesians 4:28, 1 Timothy 5:8). Because God is our keeper (Psalm 121), we can keep our lives free from love of money. Because God has promised to be with us always, we can rest content in Him, whether we have much or little. Because the Lord is our helper, we can live fearlessly in the face of troubles big and small. No matter what the future holds, every Christian who is content will be able to say with Burroughs, “He has all things who has Him who has all things” (68). For Reflection Have you seen a drop in hours and income as a result of widespread quarantines and sheltering in place? Maybe you’ve even lost your job. Even as you pray for help, ask the Lord to show you how you can serve someone else in need. Are you afraid of losing your job or income? Ask God to comfort you with His presence and show you His power to provide. He is not limited by your circumstances. Pray and ask the Lord to make this season of financial loss a time of fruitful spiritual gain. May He do exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ask or imagine.

Every day is a good day to anchor your soul in God’s Word. The Fighter Verses team at Truth78 is dedicated to equipping and encouraging you to hold fast to the rock that is the promises of God for you in Christ Jesus. During these extraordinary times of worldwide challenge—of suffering, isolation, and death because of COVID-19—listen to the word of the Lord. May His voice of covenant and comfort in Romans 8:38-39 grab hold of your hearts today and give all-sufficient grace to your souls. (The following excerpt from John Piper first appeared here.) Verses 38-39 of Romans 8 list 10 things that cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord—eight of them in pairs: For I am convinced [sure] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I say again what I have said so often: the point of this whole passage is your security. God wants his people to experience deep, unshakeable confidence that they are secure in his love. And the reason he must stress it is because in real life we appear and often feel so insecure. To use the words of verse 36, “We are being put to death all day long [not like the NIV says, “we face death all day long”], we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” This is always true for Christians some place in the world. And when it is true we can feel very insecure and very separated from God. And this will be true for you some time in your life— things will happen that make you feel that you are separated from the love of God. That is why this text is here, and that is why I am preaching and why you are here this morning. Let’s look at the list and strengthen our hearts with God’s powerful and encouraging word. Keep in mind that these verses are describing the security of “God’s elect” (Romans 8:33), not the security of everybody. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, he has chosen you, you are his, you belong to him. Verse 28 says that you love him and are called according to his purpose. This is his purpose – this everlasting security. Verse 29 says that you are foreknown, that is, recognized with favor, loved before time; you are predestined to be like Christ, and you are called from death to life, and you are justified once for all – counted righteous in Christ – and you are glorified. These promises of inseparability are God’s declaration that he will save his people and nothing can destroy them. You have these promises if you will have Jesus as your Lord and Savior and Treasure. Neither Death nor Life Can Separate Us from the Love of God Verse 38: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life…will be able to separate us from the love of God.” Death is the first in the list. Why? Two reasons, at least: Because Paul has just said in verse 36, “We are being put to death all day long.” And because death separates us from so much of what we know on earth. It is the most urgent threat. So immediately Paul says, “Death cannot separate us from God’s love.” In fact, death does just the opposite. It increases nearness and fellowship with Christ. Philippians 1:23, “I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” Death means “to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). It is not separation; it’s homecoming. But it is separation from family and friends and the body and all earth’s pleasures. That is why it may not look like the love of God. But Paul says it is the love of God. It’s not as though we are loved by God up to death and then loved again by God after death with a big separation from the love of God in death. No. Death – the experience of death – is not a separation from the love of God. God loves us before death and he loves us in the act of dying and he loves us after death. And all our losses here are part of being loved by God. Hard as it feels, Paul wants us to know and experience the fact that death – and all it takes from us – is not a lapse in the love of God. When Christ died he secured his own people in death and in life. Nothing in life and nothing in death will undo the triumph he achieved in the cross and the resurrection. So Paul says in Romans 14:9, “For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.” His lordship over life and death is invincible. So life and death cannot separate us from the love of God. No Cosmic, Supernatural Powers Can Separate Us from the Love of God The next pair Paul mentions in verse 38 is “angels and principalities.” And then a few words later he mentions “powers.” Neither angels nor principalities nor powers will separate us from the love of God. These three names are probably designations of angelic or demonic beings since “angels” are mentioned first in the group. So Paul’s point is: there are no cosmic, supernatural powers that can separate us from the love of God. These powers were decisively defeated at the cross. Colossians 2:15, “[God] disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him [or “in it” = the cross].” When Christ rose, Ephesians 1:21 says, he was exalted “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion.” So, even though these scoundrels are on the loose, they cannot do ultimate harm to God’s elect. It must gall Satan badly to hear God say, “You and your mighty hordes are helpless to take my loved ones.” “The prince of darkness grim / we tremble not for him / his rage we can endure / for lo his doom is sure.” Nothing in Time and Space Can Separate Us from the Love of God The next two pairs (in verses 38 and 39) are Paul’s way of saying that nothing in time and space can separate us from the love of God. First time: “…nor things present, nor things to come…will be able to separate us from the love of God.” Then space: “nor height, nor depth…will be able to separate us from the love of God.” Paul is covering every possible base. He is saying it over and over. Nothing in the Present nor Future Can Separate Us from the Love of God The present-future pair covers our fear that though the present might be tolerable now, the future is going to be horrible, and we wonder if we will be able to stand it. Or we might fear that the present is so bad that we will not make it to any future. Paul’s response: It will never be so bad now or any time in the future that you will be separated from the love of God. Circumstances will never surprise God so that he must go back on this promise. The future is absolutely his and he knows it and runs it. If he says it won’t separate us, it won’t. Nothing High nor Low Can Separate Us from the Love of God The height-depth pair (v. 39) covers our fear that there may be a lurking in some distant place far, far away some menacing power that would surprise us and destroy our faith and separate us from the love of God. Paul says, No. No matter how high you go up or how deep you go down, you will never find a power that can nullify God’s keeping power. “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there” (Psalm 139:7-8). Nothing in highest heaven and nothing in deepest hell can separate us from the love of Christ. No Created Thing Can Separate Us from the Love of God Then, at the end of verse 39, Paul adds one all-inclusive encouragement to make sure he hasn’t missed anything: “…[no] other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That covers everything that is not God. No thing and no person in all the universe can separate us from the love of God. And that includes ourselves. There are those who say the elect can’t be snatched out of God’s hand (John 10:29) but they can jump out. In other words, they say, you can be elect, born again, justified, and in the end perish. That is not what the Bible teaches. “Those whom he justified he glorified” – that is the radical assurance of the elect. The assurance is not that you can forsake the faith and live in sin and go to heaven. The assurance is: God keeps his elect from final apostasy and unbelief. The new covenant promise for all God’s people is this: “I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me” (Jeremiah 32:40). There may be many stumblings and wanderings, but if you are his, you will be brought back. Trust him. So nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate God’s elect from him. The result is massive security for merciful service through many sufferings.

... he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. —Philippians 1:6 We have the assurance of God’s Word that we are not yet what we will be one day (1 John 3:2). Paul tells us that God will complete the work which he began. He doesn’t just get us in the door. He will see our salvation all the way through. And the reality of our union with Christ reinforces our hope in this truth. John Murray writes: There is no truth, therefore, more suited to impart confidence and strength, comfort and joy in the Lord than this one of union with Christ. It also promotes sanctification, not only because all sanctifying grace is derived from Christ as the crucified and exalted Redeemer, but also because the recognition of fellowship with Christ and of the high privilege it entails incites to gratitude, obedience, and devotion. Union means also communion and communion constrains a humble, reverent, loving walk with him who died and rose again that he might be our Lord (Redemption Accomplished and Applied, p. 171). The truth of our union with Christ imparts confidence for at least two reasons. First, and more catalytic, it promotes sanctification through our fellowship with God. Second, and more inherent, if we are united with Christ we will certainly be conformed to his likeness. The knowledge of our union compels us to commune and draw near to God, for indeed we are welcomed into the Trinitarian fellowship as creatures of grace (1 John 1:3). The sheer fact of our union is a ground for ethical instruction (Romans 6:4). It is a glorious foundation that constrains how we live in a fallen world—dead to sin and alive to God, no longer slaves of impurity but now slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:17-19). And we really are in Christ. We have been transformed, now found in him, not having a righteousness of our own (Philippians 3:9), seated with him in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). We are being transformed from one degree of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18), pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus—conformity to his image (Philippians 3:14). For this is that to which we have been predestined, to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). Here is the purpose of our election—chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love (Ephesians 1:4). God’s purpose for us—that which he is working to complete—is grounded in our union with Jesus. Yes! Yes. He will complete the good work that he began in us. Amen.

Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. —Ephesians 6:14-15 Once again, Paul tells us to stand. Having placed our full trust in God, we must now take up His armor, the heavenly provision for our effectiveness in the war against darkness. It is likely that Paul, imprisoned in Rome, had seen the soldiers put on their armor as they daily prepared to guard the prison. With this in mind, Paul was enabled by the Holy Spirit to give us a better understanding of the spiritual battle. The six pieces of spiritual armor are the Christian’s arsenal for complete victory. The Belt of Truth The first piece of the armor of God is the belt of truth. A belt around the waist is essential to hold clothing together and give a soldier freedom of movement. A belt can also add strengthening to core muscles. The picture we have is one of being wrapped in strength—the strength that comes from loving the truth of God’s Word and personally being truthful in our daily walk with Him. Kenneth Wuest describes this quality as “…this plain grace of openness, truthfulness, reality, the mind that will practice no deceits and attempt no disguises in our intercourse with God, is indeed vital to Christian safety and essential to the due operation of all the other qualities of character.” Let us not forget our enemy Satan is a liar and the father of lies—truth will bring to the Light his schemes and temptations that seek to trip us up, or cause us to stumble. The Breastplate of Righteousness Next, God provides a breastplate of righteousness. Revelation 12:10 says that Satan accuses Christians day and night before God. He is constantly pointing out sins or unbelief in the Christian’s life. Satan wants us to doubt God and God’s Word. A favorite tactic is to tempt us to believe we are unforgivable and that we will have no remedy with God. He condemns us when we sin making our hearts sink in despair. But the Holy Spirit convicts us when we sin and in this there is always hope and a turning to Christ. The breastplate of righteousness covers and protects the heart from disabling wounds. We must recognize we could never stand if all we had were our own righteousness. We belong to Christ and are clothed in His righteousness. Yet, the righteousness that is in view here is that which the believer puts into practice in his daily life. This is the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying work in us. 1 Timothy 6:11-12 tells us to “pursue righteousness….fight the good fight of faith.” As the believer grows more mature in Christ, yielding to the Spirit’s work in him, his heart will be protected and he will be able to resist the devil. James 4:7 also helps us here: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Shoes of Readiness Given by the Gospel of Peace Why do you wear shoes? That’s easy—to protect your feet and keep your steps from slipping. Shoes are necessary to stand firm and to keep standing firm. The Roman soldier had shoes embedded with nails so they would grip the ground to take his stand against the foe. Every advancing step we take in this spiritual war, our footing is planted firmly on the rock-solid promises of God. Reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus, we have peace—peace with God and prepared for the gospel mission. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns’” (Isaiah 52:7). For Reflection Personal integrity and truthfulness are necessary to stand in this fight. Are you open and truthful with God in your prayers—or are you trying to hide the truth in scripted prayers that sound good but never get to the real issues? God knows all things. Fasten on the belt of truth as you seek the Lord for forgiveness of your sin and encouragement in the fight of faith. Are you pursuing the righteousness of God? God desires to work in you, and through you, His will and good pleasure. See Philippians 2:1-14; Hebrews 13:20-21; 1 Timothy 6:11-16. What are some ways you can prepare yourself to take the good news to the world?

Ahora os hago saber, hermanos, el evangelio que os prediqué, el cual también recibisteis, en el cual también estáis firmes, por el cual también sois salvos, si retenéis la palabra que os prediqué, a no ser que hayáis creído en vano. Porque yo os entregué en primer lugar lo mismo que recibí: que Cristo murió por nuestros pecados, conforme a las Escrituras. —1 Corintios 15:1-3 Tengo cerca de 40 años en el evangelio, por la gracia de Dios; y hay un pensamiento que se hace cada vez más fuerte en mi mente y en mi corazón; “ el evangelio lo es todo en la fe, y todo en la fe ha de ser evaluado a la luz del evangelio .” Jesús afirma: “ Y esta es la vida eterna: que te conozcan a ti, el único Dios verdadero, y a Jesucristo, a quien has enviado ” (Juan 17:3). La vida eterna es fruto de la salvación, y es obtenida por el conocimiento de Dios. Pero el texto agrega que hemos de conocer a Jesucristo, como el enviado del Padre, y he ahí el evangelio: conocer a Dios, Quien amó y obró en favor de enemigos para convertirlos en hijos. Y al considerar seriamente esta verdad -y esto sólo puede ser hecho con la intervención del Espíritu Santo-, seremos quebrantados e inevitablemente arrojados a los pies de Cristo. Y todo lo que ocurre a partir de ese momento es que crecemos en el conocimiento de las verdades del evangelio. Por eso que Pablo insiste…“ pues nada me propuse saber entre vosotros, excepto a Jesucristo, y éste crucificado ” (1 Corintios 2:2). Cuando digo que “ El evangelio lo es todo en la fe, ” me refiero a que toda la revelación de Dios nos impulsa a conocer Sus buenos propósitos para con los hombres y a glorificarlo por lo que Él es y por lo que nos ha dado por Su puro afecto. Y, nuevamente, eso es el evangelio. Hemos escuchado una y otra vez que toda la Biblia es acerca de Cristo, y precisamente Él es el evangelio. Nunca alcanzaremos un conocimiento pleno del evangelio de este lado de la eternidad. De hecho, cuando lleguemos a comprender el evangelio mediante nuestras facultades glorificadas, entonces podremos ofrecerle a Cristo suprema alabanza. Y cuando decimos que “ todo en la fe ha de ser evaluado a la luz del evangelio ,” lo digo porque he descubierto que toda verdad bíblica, sin importar la rama de la teología donde la coloquemos, ha de ser consistente con el evangelio. Y esto lo es tanto para nuestra eclesiología, soteriología, escatología, etc. Amado hermano, imagina que estudias la Palabra seriamente y entiendes que Dios te ha iluminado para comprender una verdad; pero resulta que no logras armonizar esa “verdad” con el Evangelio. Te diré que lamentablemente no la has comprendido correctamente. El pensar así me ha permitido no recibir sólo información de las escrituras, sino que he podido disfrutar cada doctrina, cada mandamiento, cada beneficio extraído de la Palabra. Y cuando incorporo este beneficio a mi propia vida o a la vida de otros, he sido librado de muchas inconsistencias. Toda confusión proviene de nuestra ignorancia acerca del evangelio; toda reacción no piadosa se desprende de no estar viviendo el evangelio; toda decepción en la vida cristiana surge cuando olvidamos lo que te otorgó el evangelio. Preguntas ¿Realmente conoces el evangelio que dices haber abrazado? ¿Con qué frecuencia te expones al evangelio? ¿De qué manera conectas todas las verdades acerca de Dios con las gloriosas verdades del evangelio?