True Christianity

Lord of Heaven,
Your goodness is inexpressible and inconceivable.
In the works of creation you are almighty,
In the portions of providence you are all-wise,
In the gospel of grace, you are all love,
And in your Son you have provided for
our deliverance from the effects of sin,
the justification of our persons,
the sanctification of our natures,
the perseverance of our souls in the path of life.

Though exposed to the terrors of your law,
we have refuge from the storm;

Though compelled to cry, “Unclean!”
we have a fountain for sin;

Though creature-cells of emptiness
we have a fullness accessible to all, and incapable of reduction.

Grant us always to know that to walk with Jesus
makes other interests a shadow and a dream.

Keep us from intermittent attention to eternal things;
Save us from the delusion of those
who fail to go far in religion,
who are concerned but not converted,
who have another heart, but not a new one,
who have light, zeal, confidence, but not Christ.

Let us judge our Christianity, not only by our dependence upon Jesus,
but by our love to him,
our conformity to him,
our knowledge of him.

Give us a religion that is both real and progressive,
that holds on its way and grows stronger,
that lives and works in the Spirit,
that profits by every correction,
and is injured by no carnal indulgence.

God, Creator and Controller

Most High God,
The universe with its countless creatures is yours,
made by your Word, upheld by your power, and governed by your will.
But you are also the Father of mercies,
the God of all grace,
the bestower of all comfort,
the protector of the saved.

You have been mindful of us, you have visited us,
preserved us, and given us a good heritage--
the Holy Scriptures,
the joyful gospel,
the Savior of souls,

We come to you in Jesus’ name,
make mention of his righteousness only,
plead his obedience and sufferings
who magnified the law both in its precepts and penalty,
and made it honorable.

May we be justified by His blood,
saved by his life,
joined to his Spirit.

Let us take up his cross and follow him.
May the agency of your grace prepare us for your portions.
Make us willing that you should choose our inheritance
and determine what we shall retain or lose, suffer of enjoy;

If blessed with prosperity may we be free from its snares,
and use, not abuse, its advantages;

May we patiently and cheerfully submit to those afflictions which are necessary.
When we are tempted to wander, hedge up our way,
excite in us abhorrence of sin,
wean us from the present evil world, 

Assure us that we will at last enter Immanuel’s land
where none is ever sick,
and the sun will always shine. 

John 12-21

Today is Good Friday. We call it Good Friday because Jesus died on the cross and paid the debt for our sin, and that is good! It is also the day Jesus was betrayed by one of his closest friends, accused and tried before a multitude, stripped naked for all to see, tortured and beaten, forced to carry a log through jeering and spitting haters, nailed to a cross, forced to hang from his own ripping flesh for hours, and killed to the amusement of many. Not so good. 

We forget sometimes of the enormity of what Jesus suffered this day. Not only that, we forget the foreknowledge Jesus possessed of these events. He knew what was coming before this day arrived. Yet Jesus still did it. For you. For me. For a world that despised Him. 

John focuses his writing on the personal love Jesus had for all of us. Jesus was a personal and relational man because God is personal and relational. John focuses on what Jesus did leading up to Good Friday. He comforted, encouraged, prayed for, and loved. Knowing the horror He was about to suffer, Jesus loved. 

Today we remember what Christ did. We remember the sacrifice, but also the love God has for you. Remember the way Jesus loved in Scripture and remember the way He loves you now. God is no less personal and relational now than Jesus was then. Spend time today worshipping God for all He is and all the love He pours out on you daily. 

Jesus prayed for us before his arrest (John 17:25-26), “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Luke 19-24

The Gospel of Luke was written with the intent of providing clear evidence and order to the life and ministry of Jesus.  Luke was a physician, a man of science, and he writes with a precise purpose in mind. He desires to assure any reader of the validity of Jesus’s claim to be the Son of God beyond any doubt. 

Doubt is an easy companion to any believer. We suffer from a short memory of God’s grace and the miracles are seen in our own lives, let alone to the glorious history of God’s work within the world. The nickname for the disciple Thomas was “Doubting Thomas” and how relatable that is for so many. Luke combats doubt through the evidence he gathered throughout his life. His writing conveys quiet confidence, a boldness of assurance that is appealing to the youngest and wisest of believers alike. 

Luke’s account of Holy Week is clear and detailed. Holy Week was the climax of the ministry of Jesus and Luke allows the reader to become absorbed with the intricate details of Jesus’s proclamation of deity and work of redemption. It is clear, confident, bold, assured, joyous, content, and awe-inspired as we see in Luke 24:45-47.

“Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”

Luke has no doubt of the Truth of Jesus. Spend today meditating on Luke’s account of Holy Week and your own confidence in its veracity. Do you find yourself doubting the truth you see before you? Or maybe you believe but doubt that such grace actually touches you individually? Doubt happens in us all but does not allow it to overshadow the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. You are a child of God who actively benefits from the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. A sacrifice Jesus went to willingly and lovingly for you! Praise God for such a gift and the confidence we have in it.

Mark 11-16

The Gospel of Mark is a straightforward, wonderful work emphasizing the activity of Jesus during His ministry on earth. Beginning in Chapter 11, we are able to walk from the Triumphant Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem to the Ascension. The procession of events reads like a river of activity to the culmination of Jesus’ ministry. It is easy to be swept along and realize just how busy Jesus was. We can see his hustle and immediately relate. Our lives are busy. Even during COVID-19, we are busy to fill our days with everything from new daily work rhythms to projects to complete around the house. Mark shows us how busy Christ was, but he also shows us something else. The peace Christ had in the midst of the chaotic. Even during the events of Holy Week, when Christ was tying up three years of ministry, experiencing betrayal, and teaching His last lessons to the early Church; Jesus found peace. 

The peace Jesus found was not in distraction or idols, but rather, in community and prayer. He reclined with friends (14:3), relaxed outside with his disciples (13:3), and prayed in a quiet place (14:32). We see these rhythms and can easily forget the foreknowledge Jesus had of what was to come. Jesus knew that within a short time He would experience terrible pain, betrayal, and death. Yet, He found peace. 

We are quick to absorb ourselves in the daily grind and forget the peace God offers us. We can focus on stress, fear of COVID-19, anxiety born from quarantine, loss of wages and business, and all the other things pressing in on you from life. God offers tranquility born from the relationship we have with the Father. Jesus models this peace perfectly within the events of Holy Week.

Spend time today praying for peace in your mind and heart and thank Him for such a precious and lavish gift of grace.

Scripture spends a rather substantial amount of time on the events of Holy Week. The importance of this week to the believer cannot be expressed enough. It is important for us to understand this and embrace the enormity of Christ’s actions during this time. 

Yesterday, we dived into our own relationship with God and opened our hearts up to a renewing and transforming work by the Holy Spirit. We shall now spend the next four days looking at the actual events of Holy Week as told in the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each author was inspired by the Holy Spirit to present the facts of Christ’s life and sacrifice in a unique perspective and emphasis. We shall look at these verses and use this time as a launching pad to deeper mediation on these passages and the condition of our own hearts leading up to Good Friday and Easter.

Matthew 21-28

Matthew spends the majority of his Gospel after Jesus enters into Jerusalem in Chapter 21 (Palm Sunday) telling the parables Jesus shared in the city. These parables and the rest of the Gospel show a plain picture of denial. The people, priests, and even the disciples at times all denied the authority of Jesus. They chose to refuse to see the truth in front of them and embrace the mission Jesus had here on earth. Jesus, in turn, pointed it outright to their faces! Again and again, he told them they were refusing the truth and looking for salvation in the wrong places. Yet, they still refused to listen and continued to deny the authority Jesus had. The authority that gave Him the ability to die on the cross and pay the debt of our sin. 

Do you find yourself denying Christ’s authority? Do you seek out the comfort of hobbies, people, sin, or distractions when you feel anxiety or fear arise? Are you denying the encompassing grace offered to you through God’s sovereignty? Do not waste your time with frivolous idolatry when all you must do is surrender to Jesus. As Jesus says in Matthew 28, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Spend time today meditating on the Gospel of Matthew. Meditate on the meaning of Christ’s authority and answer the question: Am I denying or embracing His authority in all aspects of my life?

Ephesians 3:16-19

“according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

The Church, as a collective, finds itself wading through uncertainty like we have not experienced in many years. A global pandemic has made the traditional models of love, community, and care near impossible for the Christian. We face fear, loneliness, doubt, and frustration on a daily basis. Adaptation becomes a necessity as we continue to pursue a relationship with God.

Even more so this week, Holy Week; a traditional time set apart to worship and celebrate the sacrifice Christ made for us on the cross. This week is usually hallmarked by gathering together for Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Throughout the week, we have gatherings of Missional Communities, friends, and family. Community should be our norm, our encouragement, and our joy. Yet, we find ourselves in our homes, unable to gather together as we wish. So how do we adapt? 

Holy Week is a time of Reflection, Celebration, and Worship. This does not change. Our methodology may change in some areas, such as community through technology, but an opportunity can be seen in this time of physical solitude. We have a unique opportunity to focus on internal meditation, prayer, and worship. 

• Let us begin this week with an emphasis on our own relationship with God. 

• Let us hunger for the Gospel and fervently desire the Holy Spirit to reveal more of Himself to us.
  Let us fall on our knees and thank God for the opportunity to worship, surrender our sin, and submit our lives to Him.
  Let us thank God He has revealed Himself to us so that we may understand the grace He offers as shown in Ephesians 3:16-19.

God has much to reveal to you if you would listen. My prayer is your heart to be transformed and renewed throughout this week as we dive into the glory of our King and the grace He abundantly offers. Thank the Lord we have a Holy time, in the midst of turbulence, to worship the Almighty Father and remember why we have eternal hope to hold on to through any circumstance.

So They Took Jesus, And He Went Out | John 19:16-17

He had spent the night in agony, and in the early morning, He was hurried from the hall of Caiaphas to Pilate, from Pilate to Herod, and from Herod back again to Pilate. Consequently, his strength was almost gone, but He was granted neither food nor rest. They were eager for His blood and therefore led Him out to die, burdened with the cross. At this sad procession, the women wept, and my soul weeps in turn.

What do we learn here as we see our blessed Lord led forth? Do we not perceive the truth, which was foreshadowed in the scapegoat? Remember how the high priest brought the scapegoat and put both his hands upon its head, confessing the sins of the people, so that those sins might be transferred from the people and laid upon the goat. Then the goat was led away into the wilderness, and it carried away the sins of the people so that if they looked for them they could not be found. 

Now we see Jesus brought before the priests and rulers, who pronounce Him guilty. God Himself imputes our sins to Him: “The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all”; “He made him to be sin.” And as the substitute for our guilt, bearing our sin upon His shoulders, represented by the cross, we see the great Scapegoat led away by the appointed officers of justice.

Beloved, can you feel assured that He carried your sin? As you look at the cross upon His shoulders, does it represent your sin? There is one way by which you can tell whether He carried your sin or not. Have you laid your hand upon His head, confessed your sin, and trusted in Him? Then your sin no longer lies on you; it has all been transferred by blessed imputation to Christ, and He bears it on His shoulder as a load heavier than the cross.

Do not allow this picture to disappear until you have rejoiced in your own deliverance and bowed in adoring wonder before the Redeemer upon whom your iniquities were laid.

Those Who Are Righteous | Matthew 5:10-12

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  

The Bible repeatedly speaks and teaches on the persecution of God’s people and very often it can be unsettling because no one wants to be persecuted, however, persecution and suffering are a part of the Christian life. It is an aspect that not only teaches us about the person and life of Jesus but draws us closer to Him.  

Additionally, the people of God are not only going to be persecuted, but they are not going to be persecuted because they are good or moral. Jesus tells us that Christians will be persecuted because they are righteous. That is, that Christians are in right standing before God and that is the reason for persecution.

Further, persecution is meant to be walked through in joy. That does not mean that we’re going to be happy in our circumstance, but despite our circumstance joy is the posture we walk in because of the words of Jesus, “your reward is great in heaven.” Our reward is two-fold: in our daily life, we will reflect and preach the grace and glory of Jesus in word and deed. In heaven, our reward is eternal presence with God; something that, no matter who or what comes by the way of persecution, can take away for it is an imperishable gift (1 Peter 1:4).

Christian, persecution will come, but you must remember that it begins with Jesus. And in persecution and hardship, we are given the opportunity to walk in a manner where grace is at the core of who we are. This doesn’t mean that we’re passive, but it does mean that we are active in prayer and in our pursuit of holiness. Persecution, whether it’s because of what we’ve done or who we are, will come for the righteous. The question, then, is, Christian, are you righteous before God in Christ?

The Peacemakers | Matthew 5:9

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” 

Yesterday, we looked at the reality of hearts separated from Christ. Today, we focus on the implications of a heart that is separated from God in relationship. If we are to examine implication, we must first look at our origin. The Bible teaches that our hearts are hardened and separated from God because of sin and as a result, peace isn’t possible if we’re at war with God. 

However, grace (unmerited favor from God to sinners) is initiated by God not in conversation, but in salvation. In salvation, God covers our sin in full through the work, death, and resurrection of His son, Jesus Christ. The American dream communicates that you have to go after and hustle for what you want because no one is going to give you anything. And in many circumstances, that is true. Where, however, that is not true is in the work of salvation where God in Christ died for sinners on their behalf and in their place, bearing the penalty of their sin. 

The cross of Jesus is an invitation to all to receive salvation and in salvation, a new heart. A new heart is not at war with God because God has implanted it Himself (Ezekiel 36:26). Anything apart from a new heart is simply behavior modification, not transformation. 

In these beatitudes, God speaks through His word directly to the individual and holds a mirror to the face of the Christian. Are you a peacemaker because your heart has been made new and you walk in grace and repentance or are you simply modifying your behavior with a heart of stone?

The Pure in Heart | Matthew 5:8

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” 

The Bible speaks of the human heart over 800 times and we tend to hashtag pictures and posts concerning our hearts several more million times. In our time, the heart is often referred to as our guide concerning emotions, decisions, and well-being. There are even several expressions that we use in order to confirm our belief about the heart. For instance, have you ever heard the saying “let’s get to the heart of the matter” or “follow your heart.” One refers to the main point or foundation of discussion while the other one suggests listening to your heart for guidance. 

Beliefs and expressions about our heart, apart from Christ, teach us several things. One is that we are looking for revelation within ourselves. The problem is, as John Calvin wrote, “the heart is an idol factory.” In other words, the heart is at the center of a person and their character so if we’re honest, our hearts are terrible at giving us advice. Further, the Bible teaches that apart from Christ, our hearts are at war with God. They are in opposition to God and the people of God.

However, the Bible teaches us that there is a way for our hearts to become pure and that is through faith in Christ alone and through repentance of our sin. In addition to pardon, the repentant sinner receives a new heart at conversion. That is, one goes from being an enemy of God to now friends with God, from lost to found, and from orphan to a son or a daughter. This is called justification, where we are declared right with God on the basis of Jesus’ work done for us. In short, our status is now changed. 

When our status changes, our minds are renewed because our hearts are new. For the Christian, they have union with God through Christ and the Holy Spirit dwells in them. So, if you’re a Christian, then the work of the Holy Spirit in you draws you closer to Christ while at the same time that you put your sin to death. 

A pure heart doesn't mean that you are perfect, it means that you have been made new. The decision to follow your heart isn’t governed by my own understanding, but the work of the Holy Spirit in me for the glory of God and my good.

Those Who Are Merciful | Matthew 5:7

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” 

My wife really enjoys watching criminal-type TV programs, especially those that involve CSI scientists and when I do catch a couple of these episodes with her, I tend to think that the CSI portion is a great supplement to the overall theme: justice served.

When justice is served, there is a great deal of accomplishment and morality that comes with it because someone who committed a wrong was caught, apprehended, and then served with a penalty. I think it’s somewhat natural for us to feel that way in real life. That is, when we are wronged or sinned against, we desire for justice to be served. And justice served could like an individual coming back and apologizing to us, seeing others sinned against, or even for someone to receive some sort of sentence. 

However, in today’s beatitude, Jesus tells us that the merciful receive mercy. The question, at least in my mind, is “why?” Similar to last week’s post, the individual who is merciful is first poor in spirit because if an individual is first poor in spirit then mercy will be all the louder to them. In other words, mercy is not natural for us apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in us. 

The Christian who is merciful understands two things: grace and repentance. We define grace as unmerited favor from God to sinners. You see, in grace, God gives us mercy. What we do deserve (judgment or sentencing), we don’t receive. And what we do receive (grace) is what we don’t deserve. 

In repentance, we are making a decision to turn away from our sin as we respond to the grace and mercy of Christ for us. This, in turn, affects how we respond and interact with one another. It’s not that we become passive toward sin around us or committed against us, but that we can actually engage one another not as a beacon of morality, but a reflection of grace and mercy whether that’s through the lens of forgiveness, encouragement, or even rebuke. 

May the God who demonstrates great mercy and grace to those who fear Him continue to shape us in the image of Jesus for His glory and our good. 

Those Who Hunger | Matthew 5:6

He never deserted them, but they in cowardly fear of their lives fled from Him at the very outset of His sufferings. This is but one instructive instance of the frailty of all believers if left to themselves; they are but sheep at best, and they flee when the wolf appears. They had all been warned of the danger and had promised to die rather than to leave their Master, and yet they were seized with sudden panic and took to their heels. 

It may be that I, at the opening of this day, have braced myself to bear a trial for the Lord’s sake, and I imagine myself able for the challenge; but let me be careful in the case with the same evil heart of unbelief I should depart from my Lord as the apostles did. It is one thing to promise, and quite another to perform. It would have been to their eternal honor to have stood manfully at Jesus’ side; they fled from honor. May I be kept from imitating them! 

Where else could they have been so safe as near their Master, who could presently call for twelve legions of angels? They fled from their true safety. O God, let me not play the fool also. Divine grace can make the coward brave. The smoking flax can flame forth like fire on the altar when the Lord wills it. These very apostles who were timid as hares grew bold as lions after the Spirit had descended upon them, and even so the Holy Spirit can make my wretched spirit brave to confess my Lord and witness for His truth. 

What anguish must have filled the Savior as He saw His friends so faithless! This was one bitter ingredient in His cup, but that cup is drained dry; let me not put another drop in it. If I forsake my Lord, I shall crucify Him afresh and put Him to an open shame. Keep me, O, blessed Spirit, from such a shameful end.

Those Who Hunger | Matthew 5:6

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” 

When training for weightlifting competitions, our coaches would teach us the importance of nutrition; how food was fuel and different food provided different kinds of fuels. Our nutrition was specific and scheduled throughout the day to maximize athletic performance. As a result of the kinds of food we ate and the amount of training we did, I was always hungry. 

Eating every few hours taught me two things about myself: I am always hungry and food leads to satisfaction. More specifically, the right kind of foods leads to satisfaction. The right foods led me to perform better, grow in strength, and recover effectively and appropriately. 

Today’s beatitude is something like training and eating. Righteousness contains both implication and application for the Christian. To begin, righteousness teaches us that we are sinners. Secondly, to be righteous means that we have a desire to be free from sin and to be in right standing before God. The problem is that we cannot be made righteous on our own. 

Because we cannot be made righteous on our own, apart from Christ we are always hungry for something (the wrong kind of food) other than Him. Consequently, we are left unsatisfied and with a great appetite. The more we seek to satisfy our appetite in something or someone other than Christ, we increase, ironically, our self-righteousness, our outward appearance, and the reaction we received from others. 

However, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (the right kind of food) means that their desires are fully satisfied in Christ. You cannot pursue righteousness if you are not first poor in spirit. And the promise of the gospel is that if you confess and repent of your win, Jesus is faithful to forgive and cleanse you (1 John 1:9) immediately. Your hunger will be satisfied. 

The work of Jesus on the cross for sinners means that He is ready and prepared to pardon all who turn to Him in repentance and faith. Be encouraged today:

• In Christ, forgiveness IMMEDIATELY leads to redemption; a new heart.

• In Christ, redemption IMMEDIATELY changes our status from unrighteous to righteous..

• In Christ, righteousness IMMEDIATELY satisfies our hunger and thirst. 

Christian, do you hunger and thirst for righteousness in Christ? Or do other poorly nutritioned food pull at you?

Those Who Are Meek | Matthew 5:5

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

“Meekness” is not necessarily a term that is used often in our culture today, however it is one that has profound meaning. And before we dive into what it means to be meek, we first must grasp the increase in meaning of each beatitude. 

As we started with the pure in heart, our Lord Jesus doesn’t simply stop there for He continues to build upon the character of the Christian or the character we ought to walk in. The pure in heart are emptied of pride, those who mourn draw close to Christ in comfort, and as we examine those who are meek, it is important to understand what Jesus is not saying. 

First, Jesus is not saying that meekness is weakness. While meekness is certainly a form of humility, it does not imply weakness. Many imply that the Christian is a “push-over” or passive, but that is not what meekness is. Secondly, it is not a compromise. For many, compromise is a way of seeking peace, but our Lord never calls us to sacrifice truth for peace. 

So, then what is meekness? Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones says that it is composed of two things: “It is my attitude toward myself; and it is an expression of that in my relationships to others. A man can never be meek unless he is poor in spirit.” Additionally, Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones adds “To be truly meek means we no longer protect ourselves, because we see there is nothing worth defending. We are not on the defensive.” In short, to be meek means that you have abandoned your rights for the sake and welfare of others. Yes, meekness is humility, but with gravity that exalts Christ. Here are five evidences of meekness:

1. A Teachable Spirit: Are you teachable--humble in learning, in rebuke, or exhortation?

2. Gentle: Are you gentle--not only physically, but is your speech seasoned with grace?

3. Self Controlled: Do you respond with conviction and clarity or without reason?

4. Forgiveness: Christian, you are forgiven. Grace is pouring onto you. Do you forgive gracefully or are you embittered? 

5. Repentant: In repentance, we adopt a posture of humility because before our sin affects anyone, we have first sinned against God himself. Is grace your only hope or is repentance dismissed by you?

Today, pursue meekness, Christian.

Those Who Mourn | Matthew 5:4

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” 

The season of social distancing has certainly brought forth many challenges for our city and neighborhoods. For many the challenge of adjustment has been difficult. While change may be a necessity and a constant, it doesn’t mean it is always easy. 

In today’s beatitude, Jesus links comfort to mourning. And to continue to press into our discomfort of the season, Jesus does so by drawing us to Himself with comfort. Throughout the pages of scripture, we read of a great deal of mourning whether it is for someone else, injustice, or confusion. Additionally, for the Christian, mourning is also attributed to our sin; to our spiritual condition.

It is easy and perhaps, at times, dismissive, for us to mourn other things for the sake of not addressing our own heart condition and sin. Certainly, there are times for mourning that are outside of us (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8), but our Christ in this beatitude is speaking to us individually about our hearts.

The truth is that the road to comfort in Christ is often paved with brokenness and tears, but it is here that Christ draws us closer to Himself, providing comfort. If we, again, look to the pages of Scripture, we may be encouraged by individuals such as the apostle Peter who denied Jesus three times and wept bitterly at what he had done. Yet, our Lord Jesus later restores Peter publicly (John 20:15-17).

The result of comfort is grace. The question, however, is are we mourning in an effort to draw closer to Christ in comfort and the promise of His word?

The Poor In Spirit | Matthew 5:3

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 

The beatitudes of Christ are lovely, challenging, and convicting because it is Christ, through His word and Spirit, who places a mirror before us in order to examine the condition of our hearts and our affections for Christ, His church, and our neighbor. The invitation to the poor in spirit is an invitation to the grace of God in Christ Jesus. Often, we can grow proud as we look to the left and to the right of our walk with Christ and believe that we’re doing well and perhaps without sin. However, the poor in spirit are not those who have achieved moral satisfaction, but those who have been emptied of their pride and self-righteousness. 

The poor in spirit are those who have been confronted by God with the truth and grace of the gospel of Christ. The poor in spirit are those whose hearts have been broken and grieved by their sin; those who have had the scales of their eyes removed with the cleansing of the gospel. The poor in spirit are those who have encountered and received the grace of God and have been humbled because of what Jesus has done, not their efforts. 

The gospel of Jesus proclaims that Jesus’ work of redemption on the cross is what allows the sinner to be reconciled to the Father; to have the fence of separation removed. To be poor in spirit is to be in desperate need of Jesus. Christian, are you poor in spirit?

Husbands, Love Your Wives, As Christ Loved The Church | Ephesians 5:25

What a golden example Christ gives to His disciples! Few masters could venture to say, “If you would practice my teaching, imitate my life.” But as the life of Jesus is the exact transcript of perfect virtue, He can point to Himself as the paragon of holiness, as well as the teacher of it. 

The Christian should take nothing less than Christ for his model. Under no circumstances should we be content unless we reflect the grace that was in Him. As a husband, the Christian is to look upon the portrait of Christ Jesus, and he is to paint according to that copy. The true Christian is to be such a husband as Christ was to His church.

The love of a husband is special. The Lord Jesus cherishes for the church a peculiar affection, which is set upon her above the rest of mankind: “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world.” The elect church is the favorite of heaven, the treasure of Christ, the crown of His head, the bracelet of His arm, the breastplate of His heart, the very center and core of His love. A husband should love his wife with a constant love, for in this way Jesus loves His church. He does not vary in his affection. He may change in His display of affection, but the affection itself is still the same. 

A husband should love his wife with an enduring love, for nothing shall “separate us from the love of...Christ.” A true husband loves his wife with a hearty love, fervent and intense. It is not mere lip service. What more could Christ have done in proof of His love than He has done? Jesus has a delighted love toward His spouse: He prizes her affection and delights in her with sweet satisfaction. Believer, you wonder at Jesus’ love; you admire it--are you initiating it? In your domestic relationships, is the rule and measure of your love “even as Christ loved the church”?

My Beloved | Song of Solomon 2:8

This was a golden name that the ancient church in her most joyous moments ascribed to the Anointed of the Lord. When the time of the singing of birds was come, and the voice of the turtledove was heard in her land, the church’s love-note was sweeter than either, as she sang, “My beloved is mine, and I am his; he grazes among the lilies.” Ever in her song of songs she calls Him by that delightful name, “my beloved.” Even in the long winter, when idolatry had withered the garden of the Lord, her prophets found space to lay aside the burden of the Lord for a little season and to say, “Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard.”

Though the saints had never seen His face, though as yet He was not made flesh, nor had dwelt among us, nor had man beheld His glory, yet He was the consolation of Israel, the hope and joy of all the chosen, the “beloved” of all those who were upright before the Most High. We, in the summer days of the church, are also able to speak of Christ as the best beloved of our soul and to feel that He is very precious, the “distinguished among ten thousand, and altogether desirable.”

Since the church loves Jesus and claims Him as her beloved, the apostle dares to defy the whole universe to separate her from the love of Christ and declares that neither tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or the sword have been able to do it; nay, he joyously boasts, “In all these thing we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

My sole possession is Your love;
In earth beneath, or heaven above,
I have no other store;
And though with fervent heart I pray,
And plead with You day after day,
I ask for nothing more.

And She Ate Until She Was Satisfied, And She Had Some Left Over | Ruth 2:14

Whenever we are privileged to eat the bread that Jesus gives, we are, like Ruth, satisfied with a full and sweet provision. When Jesus is the host no guest goes empty from the table. Our head is satisfied with the precious truth that Christ reveals; our heart is content with Jesus as the altogether lovely object of affection; our hope is satisfied, for who do we have in heaven but Jesus? And our desire is fulfilled, for what more can we wish than to “gain Christ and be found in Him”? 

Jesus fills our conscience until it is at perfect peace; our judgment with persuasion of the certainty of His teachings; our memory with recollections of what He has done, and our imagination with the prospects of what He is still to do. As Ruth was “satisfied” so is it with us. We have drunk deeply; we have thought that we could take in all of Christ; but when we have done our best we have had to leave a vast remainder. We have sat at the table of the Lord’s love, and said, “Nothing but the infinite can ever satisfy me; I am such a great sinner that I must have infinite merit to wash my sin away.” But we have had our sin removed, and found that there was merit to spare; we have had our hunger relieved at the feast of sacred love, and found that there was an abundance of spiritual food remaining. 

There are certain sweet things in the Word of God that we have not enjoyed yet, and that we are obliged to leave for a while; for we are like the disciples to whom Jesus said, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” Yes, there are graces to which we have not attained; places of fellowship nearer to Christ which we have not reached; and heights of communion that our feet have not climbed. At every banquet of love there are many baskets left over. Let us magnify the generosity of kindly Boaz.