Basking In The Son

Jesus, God incarnate;
It’s no wonder that thoughtful people find the gospel of Jesus Christ hard to believe, for the realities with which it deals surpass man’s understanding. But, it is sad that so many make faith harder than it needs to be, by finding difficulties in the wrong places. But in fact the real difficulty does not lie in the Good Friday message of atonement, or the Easter message of resurrection, but instead in the Christmas message of incarnation.

The really staggering Christian claim is that Jesus of Nazareth was God, made man, the second person of the Godhead. And, that He took on humanity without loss of His deity.

Here are two mysteries for the price of one – the plurality of persons within the unity of God, and the union of the Godhead and manhood in the person of Jesus. And “the Word was made flesh” John 1:14.

Jesus is the same person as the Eternal Word, the Father’s agent in creation, “Through whom also he made the worlds.” Hebrews 1:2

The baby born at Bethlehem was God. He was the Son of God, or as Christian theology regularly expresses it, God the Son.

“The” Son, not a son: as John says four times in the first three chapters of his gospel, in order to make sure that his readers understand the uniqueness of Jesus. He was the “Only begotten” Son of God (John1:18; 3:16, 18). Accordingly the Christian church confesses: “I believe in God the Father… and Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.”

The apostle John wrote, in order that they “might know that Jesus is the Son of God; and…believing…might have life through his name” John 20:31. It is as “Son of God” that he presents Jesus throughout the gospel.

However, John knew that the phrase “Son of God” was tainted with misleading associations in the minds of his readers. Jewish theology used it as a title for the expected (human) messiah. Greek mythology told of many “son’s of god’s”, super men born of a union between a god and a human woman. In neither of these cases did the phrase convey the thought of personal deity; in both, indeed it excluded it.

John wanted to make sure that when he wrote of Jesus as the Son of God he would not be misunderstood, and to make it clear from the outset that the “Sonship” which Jesus claimed, and which Christianity ascribes to Him, was precisely a matter of personal deity and nothing less.

Nowhere in the New Testament is the nature and meaning of Jesus’ divine Sonship more clearly explained than in the Gospel of John 1: 1-18.  Let's check it out together shall we.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” John 1:1-2

John does not bring the term ‘Son’ into his opening sentences at all: instead, he speaks first of “the Word”. God’s Word in the Old Testament is His creative utterance, His power in action fulfilling His purpose. The Old Testament depicted God’s utterance, the actual statement of His purpose, as having power in itself to affect the things purposed.

Chapter One tells us how at creation “God said, ‘Let there be…” and there was. And in Psalm 33: 6 and 9 it says, “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made… He spoke and it was done;” The Word of God is thus God at work. John takes up this figure and proceeds to tell us nine things about the divine Word.

1. Verse 1 – “In the beginning was the Word” Here is the "Word’s" eternity. He had no beginning of His own. When other things began, He was.

2. Verse 1 – “And the Word was with God” Here is the “Word’s” personality. The power that fulfills God’s purpose is the power of a distinct personal being, which stands in an eternal relationship with God.

3. Verse 1 – “And the Word was God” Here is the “Word’s” deity. Though personally distinct from the Father, He is not a creature; He is divine in Himself, as the Father is.

“All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being."                                                              John 1:3

4. Verse 3 – “All things were made by Him” Here is the “Word” creating. He was the Father’s agent in every act of creation that the Father has ever performed. All that was made was made through Him.

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend…There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.” John 1:4, 5 & 9

5. Verse 4 – “In Him was life” Here is the Word animating. There is no physical life in the realm of created things except in and through Him. Life is given and maintained by the Word.

6. Verse 4 – “And the life was the light of men.” Here is the Word revealing. In giving life, He gives light too; that is to say, every man receives knowledge of God from the very fact of his being alive in God’s world.

7. Verse 9 – “Enlightens every man” Here is the “Word’s” impartiality. In revealing Himself, He did not exclude any from the possibility of understanding.

“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:10-13

8. Verse 12 – “He gave the right to become children of God” Here is the "Word" rebirthing. He receives as His own, any and all who would elect to follow Him. Man is made alive in the Spirit by acknowledging and surrendering to His deity.

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

9. Verse 14 – “And the Word became flesh” Here is the "Word" incarnate. The baby in the manger at Bethlehem was none other than the eternal Word of God…Jesus the Christ, of Nazareth.

And now, having shown us who and what the Word is – a divine person, the author of all things – John indicates identification - the Word, he tells us, was revealed by the incarnation to be God’s Son. “We beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father.”

“John bore witness of Him, and cried out, saying, ‘This was He of whom I said, He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” John 1:15-18

The identification is confirmed in verse eighteen, “The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father.” He has now made it clear what is meant by calling Jesus the Son of God. The Son of God is the Word of God; we see what the Word is, well, that is what the Son is. He is divine, He is deity, He is eternal, yet He was man. He came for the purpose of redeeming the souls of mankind back to the Father.

“But we do see Him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory...” Hebrews 3:9-10

The Bible says that Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth, became a man, and gave up His life, specifically to redeem you and me. Amen and thank you Lord!!!

God Bless and Press On
Larry

God's True Salvation

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'  And I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' "  Matthew 7:21-23

Because in these verses our Lord is speaking to those who in their own minds believed they were saved, yet they were self deceived, I have felt the urgency to speak on the subject of SALVATION, the true salvation according to God's Word.  The three points I will make concerning salvation are:

1. The Need for Salvation
2. The Purpose of Salvation
3. The Results of Salvation

Because of my love for you as family and friends, and my obligation and responsibility as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I present to you Ephesians 2: 1-10 as the text today.

The Apostle Paul chronicles the process of salvation here in this text.  His focus in these verses is solely God's work in saving us, because there is no human work to be considered as a part of the saving process. 
 

These verses describe our past, present and future as Christians: what we were, what we are, and what we will be.  Paul gives us six features of SALVATION:
a. It is from sin.
b. It is by love.
c. It is unto life.
d. It is for God's glory.
e. It is through faith.
f. It is unto good works.

1. THE NEED FOR SALVATION:
a. Salvation is from sin: vss. 1-3
(1) "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,(2) in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.(3) Among them we too all formerly lived in the lust of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

There is perhaps no more clear statement in scripture on the totally lost condition of sinful mankind.  Because we were born to sin we were born to death as stated in Romans 6:23,  "for the wages of sin is death."

People don't become spiritually dead because they sin, they are sinners "by nature" and therefore born without spiritual life.  Because we were dead to God, we were dead to truth, righteousness, peace, happiness, and every other good thing.  The truth is everyone deserves hell.  God in His grace elects to save the lost.

The thing that keeps sinners from being reconciled to God is not a deficiency of mercy or grace on God's part.  It is sin, and sin is a human problem.  Rebellion and rejection are in the nature of every sinner.  Ephesians 2:3 says that the unsaved are "by nature children of wrath."  People are not "all God's children" as is so commonly stated.  Those who have not received salvation through Jesus Christ are God's enemies according to Romans 5:10, "for while we were enemies we were reconciled to God..."

Paul's purpose in verses 1-3 is not to show how unsaved people live, but to remind believers how they previously lived.  The realm of sin and death is a past tense experience for the true believer.

b. Salvation is by Love: vs. 4
(4) But God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

God's mercy is "rich", measureless, overflowing, abundant, and unlimited.  God is intrinsically kind, merciful, and loving.  Love is so integral to who He is that the apostle John wrote "God is love" in John 4: 8.

In His love He reaches out to sinful, corrupt, spiritually dead human beings and blesses them with every spiritual blessing in the heavens.

Not only does God love enough to forgive, but also enough to give His Son to die for the very ones who had offended Him.  "For God so loved the world that He gave His Son" John 3:16, and He also says "Greater love has on one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" John 15:13.  God's love for those who do not deserve it makes salvation possible.

2. THE PURPOSE OF SALVATION:
c. Salvation is unto Life: vs. 5
(5) even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

The saving transaction begins the moment God gives spiritual life to a dead person.  It is God who makes the first move.  Jesus said, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him" John 6:44.

Of course!  The unsaved are dead, incapable of any spiritual activity.  Until God quickens us, we have no capacity to respond to Him in faith.

 When sinners are saved they become sensitive to God for the first time.  Paul calls it in Romans 6:4, "Newness of Life."  Now they understand spiritual truth and desire spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:10-16).

This new life is "In Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6), He is our life (Col. 3:4), our life is actually His life lived in us (Gal. 2:20).

d. Salvation is for God's glory: vss. 6-7
(6) and raised up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus.(7) in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Salvation has a particular purpose: "that we might enjoy and display His glory, showing forth the riches of His grace" (Romans 9:23).

To dwell in the heavenly domain is to enjoy full fellowship with the Godhead.  It is because we dwell in this realm that we enjoy God's protection, His day to day provision, and all the blessings of His favor.

But no one dwells there who still walks according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, and under the control of the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience.  We are no longer "children of wrath" but now "children of God" (John 1:12; John 3:1) and citizens of heaven (Eph. 2:19).

So our loving Father glorifies Himself even as He blesses us.  His grace is the centerpiece of His glory.  We never stop benefiting from His grace and goodness to us.  At no point does grace stop and human effort take over.

3. THE RESULT OF SALVATION:
e. Salvation is through faith: vss. 8-9
(8) For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;(9) not as a result of works, that no one should boast.

Faith is our response, not the cause of salvation.  Even faith is "not of ourselves" it is included in "the gifts of God."

Faith is God's gracious gift.  Jesus explicitly affirms this truth.  "No one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him form the Father" (John 6:65).  Faith is also spoken of as a divine gift in Acts 3:16.

"Not by works" is not contrasting faith verses repentance, nor faith versus commitment, or faith versus surrender.  The contrast is between divine grace and human merit.  Human effort cannot bring salvation!

We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone!!!

Believing is therefore the first act of an awakened spiritual course; it is the new man drawing his first breath.  Obviously, if salvation is entirely by God's grace, it cannot be as a result of works.  Human effort has nothing to do with gaining or sustaining it.  But we cannot stop here, for there is one more crucial point in Paul's line of reasoning.  It is the principle thesis to which he has been building.

f. Salvation is unto good works: vs. 10
(10) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

It cannot be overemphasized that works play no role in gaining salvation.  But good works have everything to do with living out salvation.  Matthew 7:16 says "so then, you will know them by there fruits." What are these fruits?  Colossians 1:10, tells us "so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work..."

No good works can earn salvation, but many good works result from genuine salvation.  Good works are not necessary to become a disciple, but good works are the necessary marks of all true disciples.  God has after all, ordained that we should walk in them.

Note, that before we can do any good work for the Lord, He does His good work in us.  By God's grace we become "His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works."  The same grace that made us alive with Christ and raised us up with Him, enables us to do the good works unto which He has saved us.

Note also, that it is God who "prepared" these good works for you to fulfill, we get no credit for them.  Even our good works are works of His grace.  They are the corroborating evidence of true salvation.

Q. If you were on trial today for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

 Good deeds and righteous attitudes are intrinsic to who we are as Christians.  They proceed from the very nature of one who lives in the realm of the heavens.

Paul told the Corinthian believers that God's abundant grace provided an overflowing sufficiency that equipped them "for every good deed" (2 Cor. 9:8).

He told Titus that Christ "gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from lawless deeds and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds" (Titus 2:14).

Where is your zealousness today?  Remember that Paul's primary message here is not to the unbeliever.  He is writing to believer, many of whom had come to Christ years earlier.  His point was not to tell them how to be saved, but to remind them of how they were saved, so that they could see how grace is meant to operate in the lives of the redeemed.  The phrase "we are His workmanship" I believe is the key to this whole passage.

The Greek word for "workmanship" is "poeme", from which we get our word for poem.  Our lives are like a divinely written sonnet, a literary masterpiece.

God designed us to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:9).  All of us are still imperfect, unfinished works of art, being carefully crafted by the master.  He is not finished with us yet, and His work will not cease until He has made us into the perfect likeness of His Son (1John 3:2).

Sometimes the process is slow and difficult; sometimes it is immediate and triumphant.  Either way, "I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6).

Nothing about salvation is cheap.  It cost God His Son.  Its value is inestimable, its effects are eternal.  But it is free "freely bestowed on us in the beloved" (Eph. 1:6), and "It abounds to many" (Romans 5:15), elevating us into that heavenly realm where God has ordained that we should walk.

In Closing;

I am not sitting here as one who judges, but as a messenger.  The Word of God speaks for itself, God says to all of us who would call ourselves believers or followers of Christ to;

"Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you - unless indeed you fail the test?"  2 Corinthians 13:5

Friends, let us not fail the test, let us not fall into the position of the deceived, but rather let us live a life worthy of the Lord, with a desire to please Jesus Christ our Savior.

God Bless and Press On
Larry

You Reap What You Sow

An e-mail I received recently shared this story. Because I enjoyed it and believe it has a great message that we can all learn from, I have included it here on my blog. I hope you enjoy it too.  Now here's the story:


"Good morning" said a woman as she walked up to an obviously homeless man sitting on the ground.

The man slowly looked up and saw the woman. Here was a person who was clearly accustomed to the finer things in life. Her coat was new, and she looked as if she had never missed a meal in her life.

His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before.

"Leave me alone" he growled.

To his amazement, the woman continued standing there.  She was smiling, her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

"No, I've just come from dinner with the president. Now go away!" He answered sarcastically.

The woman's smile became even broader.  Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm trying to lift him to his feet.

"Hey, what are you doing lady?" the man asked angrily.  "I said to leave me alone!"

Just then a police officer came up and asked, "Is there a problem ma'am?"

"No problem here officer," the woman answered, "I'm just trying to get this man up to his feet, will you help me please?"
 
The officer scratched his head and said, "That's old Jack, he's been a fixture around here for a couple of years now.  What do you want with him?"
 
"See that cafeteria over there?" she asked, "I'm going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile."

"Are you crazy lady? the homeless man resisted, "I don't want to go in there!"  Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up.  "Let me go officer, I didn't do anything wrong."

"This is a good deal for you Jack," the officer said, "don't blow it for yourself."

 Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner.  It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived.  The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by the table.

"What's going on here officer?" he asked, "What is all this, is this man in trouble?"

"This lady brought this man in here to be fed."  The police officer answered.

 "Not in here!"  the manager replied angrily, "having a person like that in here is bad for business."

 Old Jack smiled a toothless grin, and said, "See lady, I told you so.  Now if you'll let me go, I didn't want to come in here in the first place."

 The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled, "Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?"

 "Of course I am," the manager replied, "They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms."

 "And, do you make a good amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?"

 "What business is that of yours?" the manager snapped back.

 "I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company."

 "Oh" replied the dumbstruck manager.

 The woman smiled again. "I thought that might make a difference."  She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a laugh, and said "Would you like to join us for a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?"

"No thanks ma'am," the officer replied, "I'm on duty."

 "Then perhaps, a cup of coffer to go?" she said.

 "Yes ma'am, that would be very nice."

 The cafeteria manager turned on his heel, "I'll get your coffee for you right away officer." 

 The officer watched him walk away.  "You certainly put him in his place," he said.

 "That was not my intent.  Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this."

 She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest.  She stared at him intently.  "Jack, do you remember me?"

 Old Jack searched her face with his old rheumy eyes.  "I think so, I mean you do look familiar."

 "I"m a little older perhaps," she said, "maybe I've even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry."

 "Ma'am?" the officer said questioningly.  He couldn't believe that such a magnificently refined woman could ever have been hungry.

 "I was just out of college," the woman began, "I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn't find anything.  Finally, I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment.  I walked the streets for days.  It was February, and I was cold and nearly starving.  I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat." 

 Jack lit up with a smile, "Now I remember you."  he said, "I was behind the serving counter, you came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat.  I said that it was against company policy."

 "I know," the woman continued, "Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it."

 "I was afraid that you would get into trouble, then, when I looked over and saw you put the price of my food in the cash register, I knew that everything would be all right."

 "So you started your own business?" Old Jack asked.

 "I got a job that very afternoon.  I worked my way up. Eventually, I started my own business that, with the help of God, prospered."  She opened her purse and pulled out a business card, "When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons, He's the personnel director of my company.  I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll find something for you to do around the office."  She smiled and said, "I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet.  And, if you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you."

 There were tears in the old man's eyes.  "How can I thank you?"  he said.

 "Don't thank me," the woman answered, "To God be the glory.  Thank Jesus, He led me to you."

 Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways...

 "Thank you for all your help, officer," she said.

 "On the contrary, Ms. Eddy," he answered, "Thank you, I saw a miracle here today, something that I will never forget.  And thanks for the cup of coffee.

 PRAISE THE LORD !!!

 If you have missed knowing me, you have missed nothing.

 If you have missed some of my e-mails or blogs, you might have missed a lesson or a laugh.

 But, If you have missed knowing my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, you have missed everything in the world.

 I hope you have a wonderful day.  May God bless you always, and don't forget, when you "cast your bread upon the waters," you never know how it will be returned to you.  Amen.

 God is so big He can cover the whole world with His love and so small He can curl up inside your heart.  When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully.

Only one of two things will happen, either He'll catch you when you fall, or He'll teach you how to fly!

 God closes doors no man can open, and God opens doors no man can close.

 Have a blessed day and remember to be a blessing each and every day.

 LIVE WELL, LOVE MUCH, AND LAUGH OFTEN.


 God Bless and Press On
Larry 

WITHOUT WAX

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and
more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be SINCERE and without offense
till the day of Christ,”        Philippians 1: 9,10

Paul here prayed that the Philippians would gain knowledge and discernment “so that you may be sincere and without offence…” The word “sincere” in the Greek is eilikrines, meaning; unmixed, without alloy, pure. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines the word sincere as “free from hypocrisy, honest, genuine, real. In Latin it translates, sincerus: The prefix “sin” means “without” and “cere” means “wax.”

In making the point of sincerity, many people have given the story of the ancient pottery makers. As the story goes; there were many fine pottery makers in the Roman world.  The pottery would be formed then placed in an oven to cure. The well respected potter would inspect his work after firing, and if any cracks or blemishes were discovered the vessel would be discarded and he would start the work over. This refining process would increase the overall cost of making, thus the price of the finished work.

At the same time, other, less scrupulous potters would take the blemished vessels and rub the cracks with colored wax blending it into the imperfections. They would often paint over the entire work, this made the cracks practically undetectable on the shelf. They would be sold as if they were without blemish and for a cheaper price, undercutting the honest pottery maker.

By some accounts, a person could test the purity of a vessel by filling it with hot water, if wax was present, it would melt therein exposing the fraud.

This deception with wax could also be uncovered if the pottery was held up to bright sunlight, the cracks would show up as dark lines. It was said that the wax was detected by “sun-testing” or said to be “sun-judged.” It is notable that the honest pottery dealers would mark their product with or hang a sign above the door of their establishment with, the words “Sine Cera” which means “without wax.”

Whether these stories of the ancient pottery makers are authentic is debatable – but the idea of us being “without wax” in our personal Christian life’s is valid. So, we ask ourselves these questions, “What does it mean to be sincere?" And a follow-up question to that is, “Am I sincere in my relationship with God and others?”

“This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your SINCERE mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles,”  2 Peter 3: 1

Paul’s and Peter’s point is that the sincere Christian is not to be afraid to “stand in the light” for they know that their character can withstand any light turned upon it. God wants His people to have “Son-judged” minds, not those in which their sin has been covered over. There is no hypocrisy in such a saint, his or her life is like an open book waiting to be read by the Author and Perfector of our faith.

The Greek word for sincere is eilikrines, which is made up of two Greek words, heile, which means “the sun’s ray” and krino, which means to discern or to judge. So, eilikrines literally means “to be judged by sunlight”

By being tested with sunlight then, something is shown to be genuine, pure, sincere, uncontaminated, unmixed by seductive influences of the world, the flesh and the devil. Eilikrines, describes that which is free from spot or blemish to such a degree as to bear examination in full splendor of the sun. The Gospel Message is the light that exposes a man for what he truly is.

Jesus the Messiah is the “Light of the World” (John 9:5). If you and I are held to the light of His countenance, will the cracks and flaws in us be open to scrutiny and correction, or will we be found vainly covered for outward appearance only?

Beloved “vessel” of the Lord, how would your life stand up to the “Son-judged” test?

 Does the life that people see on the outside match what I am on the inside?

 Are their secret sins in my heart that I am hiding from the light of Christ?

 Do I judge others for things that I know that I am guilty of?

 Do I trust in people, things, or money rather than in God?

 Am I seeking the Lord with my whole heart?

 Do I resent trials and tribulations or do I welcome them as friends?

 Could my innermost thoughts stand being brought out into the light?

 Could my motives stand being revealed by the light?

Even as it was wise for customers in the ancient marketplace to give all pieces of pottery the “sunlight test” by holding it up to the light of the sun, our lives need to be tested for the “wax of hypocrisy.” In the church are those who appear as fine pottery but are not. There are cracks of sin in their lives filled with the wax of religious ceremony and activity. When held up to the light of God’s Word, the presence or absence of sinful cracks will be revealed. That’s why it is so important for us to feed daily on Scripture and to allow our lives to be shaped by its power.

“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” 
                                                                2 Timothy 2: 20,21

Believers are to be vessels of the Lord, sanctified vessels of honor, useful to the Master and prepared for every good work. So, Let your love be genuine and your words be true. 

Let this be our testimony to this lost and dying world.

God Bless and Press On
Larry