Category: Devotionals

Does Your Awe and Need of the Cross Grow or Diminish Over Time?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, Discipleship2 Comments

In 1 Timothy 1:12-16, Paul recounts his testimony to Timothy in order to differentiate himself from the false teachers, and give Timothy a reason why he can be trusted over and against them. After recounting his testimony, Paul breaks out into spontaneous worship of God. In verse 17 we read,

“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Ti 1:17)

At the thought of God’s grace and his salvation, Paul can’t help but worship God, praising and magnifying Him for who He is.

Likewise, when we think about how God’s grace and mercy worked in our life to provide us with salvation, we should be driven to worship God as well. Our awe and worship of Him should only grow as we grow in Christ.

For some, however, that is not the case. Their awe and need diminishes over time instead of grows. So we don’t make this mistake, it’s important we explore these two mindsets. Let’s start with the negative before moving to the positive.

Awe and Need Diminishes Over Time

awe-and-need-diminishes

As you can see in the diagram above, the cross starts out big, but then it gets smaller over time. This is how some people see their Christian walk. They see a need for Jesus at the beginning, but as time goes on, they don’t believe they need Him or His grace as much. As a result, they start to believe that they can handle most things on their own, and they might even get to a point where they think they are good enough to secure their own salvation.

The above, however, is far from the biblical idea of salvation and our need for God’s grace. We always need Jesus, and He is the One who always sustains our salvation.

Even though that is true, some still go down this path. You know they have gone down that path because this type of thinking produces people whose awe of God and His grace diminishes instead of grows over time, which results in someone who is proud, arrogant, and self-righteous. Someone who isn’t willing to admit they are a sinner or even talk about their sin. As well as it produces someone who thinks they don’t need the church, God’s Word, or prayer.

All this ends with someone who doesn’t worship God as they should. Instead of giving God the glory, they give themselves the glory, patting themselves on the back for what they have accomplished instead of for what God has accomplished through them.

Awe and Need Grows Over Time

While the above represents those whose awe and need diminishes over time, this next diagram represents those for whom awe and need grows over time.

awe-and-need-grows

As you can see, for this person the cross grows bigger and bigger as they grow in Christ. The crosses growth is a result of this person gaining a clearer picture of who they are — an unwise sinner who desperately needs God’s grace and wisdom. Coming to that recognition, they lean on God more and more instead of less and less.

This type of thinking produces people who are humble, who have a sense of unworthiness, who live in awe of God and are driven to worship Him. As well as it produces people whose prayer life is robust, and those who see a need for the church and God’s Word in their lives.

True Christians Grow In Awe and Need

If we are true Christians, the second diagram will represent us. The cross won’t grow smaller in our lives, instead it will grow bigger.

As the cross grows, we won’t hesitate to say with Paul, “I am the chief of sinners.” Neither will we hesitate to break out in worship when we think of our salvation, and the grace that God continues to pour out in our lives. We won’t hesitate to humble ourselves and praise God because we know our salvation and continued acceptance isn’t based on our work, but God’s work. He is the One who saved us, He is the One who continues to sanctify us, and He is the one who will glorify us.

When we recognize what God has done and continues to do, and when we are willing to admit that we are the chief of sinners, and praise God for His salvation, we know that the gospel has changed us. We know we are God’s children because only someone who has been changed by the gospel will recognize and admit their need for a Savior, and will humbly praise God for their salvation, leaning more and more on Him as time goes by.

Question for Reflection

  1. Which diagram represents you?

Resources

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Post developed from my sermon How do we become someone who is used by God for His service?

Ideas are mine, but the diagrams were originally seen in this sermon

A Christian View of Social Justice

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals12 Comments

Social Justice is a word we hear often. From discussions with our neighbors at our local coffee house, to the nightly news, to the political arena, social justice seems to be a common topic of discussion and debate. But what is meant by the term social justice? Is it biblical? Should Christians participate in acts of social justice?

Two Predominate Views of Social Justice

(1) Unconstrained view – This view is based on everyone getting their fair share. As we are all aware, every society has a finite amount of resources to go around. This view holds that everyone should have their fair share of those resources. It is unjust to allow some to hold onto a greater portion of those resources. We should, then, do all we can to see that those resources are shared equally.

(2) Constrained view – This view is based on the fair treatment of all peoples, and it is not concerned with everyone having their fair share of the total resources in a given society. In this view, it’s not unjust for people to hold onto wealth. People are entitled to what they have earned. Instead of putting energy into the redistribution of wealth, we should put our energy into seeing that everyone is treated fairly.

Which View is Biblical?

Let’s look at a few verses on social justice from the Bible:

  • Exodus 21:1-11 provides laws regarding the fair treatment of slaves.
  • In Deuteronomy 15:1-18, especially 7-11 and 13-15, rules are given concerning meeting the needs of the poor.
  • Psalms 72:12-15 and Psalm 103:6-7 tells of God redeeming the oppressed and persecuted from their oppressors, working righteousness and justice for them.
  • Proverbs 31:8-9 tells us to judge righteously and to defend the rights of the poor and needy.

By far these are not all the verses in the Bible on social justice, but they give us an idea of which view the Bible is upholding. I believe that is the second view, the Constrained View.

God’s Word does not command us to redistribute our wealth to neighbors, so that we all have equal access to the total resources of the society in which they live. Differing classes and a distribution of wealth does not constitute injustice [1].

A biblical view of Social Justice holds that we are not to show partiality, not to steal, not to swindle others, not to take advantage of the weak because they are uninformed or unable to stop us. 

Rather than saying we need to redistribute our resources, so that we are all on equal footing, the Bible tells us that we are to care for the oppressed and seek to stop others from oppressing them. We are to speak up for those who are being persecuted. We are to work for laws that stand for the fair treatment of all peoples regardless of race or nationality.

Christians are to Work for Social Justice

If we believe part of God’s mission is to redeem the oppressed and persecuted, to make sure the poor are cared for and the helpless are not taken advantage, and if we believe we are a part of that mission, then we are to do the same. Christians are to work for social justice in their cities.

Questions for Reflection

  1. Do you agree that the constrained view represents the biblical view of social justice?
  2. How does your church care for the needy, oppressed, and persecuted?

Resources

Gilbert and DeYoung, What is the Mission of the Church?, 176, 180-183.

[1] I do not believe the churches actions in Acts are meant to be prescriptive. Rather, I see their actions as being descriptive of what took place in that city.

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Knowing God Can Do the Impossible Should Affect the Way We Live

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

In Genesis 18 God confronts Abraham by the Oak’s of Mamre, telling him that he will have a son within the year even though Sarah is beyond childbearing age. When Sarah doubts, God reminds them that nothing is too hard for Him (see my last post for more on this). If He wants to give Sarah a baby in her old age, He will. Nothing will stop the Creator, Sustainer, Healer, and Savior of the universe from doing what He claims. His promise to Abraham will be fulfilled. Indeed, as you work through the text, you see God’s promise realized (Gen. 21). Within the year Sarah gives Abraham his promised son.

Knowing God Can Do the Impossible Should Affect the Way We Live

Knowing God can do the impossible, that nothing is too hard for Him, should affect the way we live. I can’t talk about all the ways it should affect our lives, so let me give you three areas it should affect.

(1) Our prayer life

Probably most of you know someone or have read a story of someone who was diagnosed with a disease or cancer. Upon finding out the news their church began to pray for them. Then some time later, when they went to the doctor for a checkup, the tumor or disease was gone. The doctors couldn’t explain it. It just disappeared.

If we are honest with ourselves, if I am honest with myself, our first thought, when we hear something like that is that the initial tests had to be wrong. They really didn’t have that disease, or cancer, to begin with.

But why do we think that? Why do we think that has to be the case? Why can’t we believe and celebrate the fact that God answered prayer and healed that person? I believe it is because we put limits on God. We think God has to operate in the same way we operate; that He is governed and limited by this world, just like we are.

When we place limits on God, our prayer life suffers. We either don’t pray for big things, like someone to be healed or if we pray for them, we doubt it is going to happen.

But knowing who our God is should give us the confidence to ask without doubting (Jas. 1:5-8). If He wants to heal someone from cancer or a debilitating disease, nothing can stop Him, so we shouldn’t be afraid to pray for things we might consider out of the ordinary, big things. Nothing is too hard for the Lord and knowing that should affect our prayer life.

(2) Our evangelism

At the Together for the Gospel conference I attended back in 2014, one of the speakers preached a sermon entitled: Can your Gospel Save a Terrorist? His answer was yes. God can and does save terrorists. Think about Paul, he was one of the greatest persecutors of the church, but on the road to Damascus God broke into his life, revealed the truth about Jesus, and changed his heart, so that he believed.

Knowing that God can save even those we deem too far gone, should affect our evangelism. It should give us confidence and boldness. It should keep us from judging a person’s likelihood to become a Christian based on their background or their current practices. If God can save Paul, a terrorist, He can save drug dealers, rapists, serial killers, gangsters, hoodlums and the like. He can save us because we are no different. We are all sinners who need Jesus. Our God is a powerful God. Nothing is too hard for Him.

(3) Our giving

Recently, I came across an article with a shocking and revealing statistic. Church members on average only give 2.5% of their income [1]. I don’t quote that statistic to guilt you into giving more to the church. I bring it up because it reveals something about our heart. Either we are lured and enticed by the possessions of this world so that we spend our money on them. Or we squirrel everything back believing that money provides security.

Certainly, there is wisdom in saving, and there is nothing wrong with having things, but we can’t allow the possessions of this world or our fear of the future to get in the way of our giving. We must believe God truly satisfies and that He has the ability to provide. When we believe those things, we will be freed to give radically; to invest in the kingdom in a way that we haven’t been able to do before.

Question for Reflection

  1. How else should God’s power affect the way we live?

Resources

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Posted adapted from my sermon: Is There Anything that is Too Hard for God?which you can listen to here.

[1] http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/church/what-would-happen-if-church-tithed

Is Anything Too Hard For God?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals8 Comments

In Genesis 18 God meets with Abraham and tells him that he will have a son within a year, even though Sarah is beyond childbearing age. Hearing God’s promise Sarah laughs in doubt. But God doesn’t think this is a laughing matter. He is serious about finally providing them with their promised child. In a remarkable exchange with Abraham regarding Sarah’s unbelief, God asks Abraham.

“Is anything too hard for the Lord? ”” (Ge 18:14a)

The answer to God’s question is important not only for Abraham but us as well. God’s ability to fulfill His promise to Abraham either confirms or denies His power and abilities. Power and abilities we place our hope in today. For if God can’t provide a child to a childless woman beyond childbearing age, how could He ever raise us from the grave, provide us with a glorified body, and return the world to an Edenic state?

How do we know nothing is too hard for God?

Think about who our God is for a moment.

He is our Creator

Genesis 1 tells us that God created everything that you see, including you and me. The way God creates is much different than how we create. God doesn’t need raw materials or tools. He doesn’t have to set up a factory or an assembly line. Instead, God is able to create something from nothing just by speaking.

Imagine being able to say I want a new car, and there is one in the garage. Or I would like my dream home, and there it is. Or I want the next, next iPhone, and it is right there in your pocket. Imagine being able to create something from nothing, just by speaking, like God does.

In case you are wondering, we know this is how God creates because we have Genesis chapter 1. As you work through that chapter, you see the constant refrain, “And God said,”; “And God said”. Over and over again, we read those words before we read of something else He created. As we do, we are reminded of just how powerful our God is.

He is our Sustainer

Jesus, who is God, does the impossible task of holding everything together. Paul in Colossians 1:17 confirms this when he says,

“And he is before all things [speaking of Jesus], and in him all things hold together.” (Col 1:17)

You see, the reason the universe functions as it does. The reason everything doesn’t spin out of control. The reason we don’t cease to exist is because God is sustaining it all. Every atom, every particle is sustained by God.

He is our Healer

Lepers, blind men, those who are lame and deaf, those who are dying or dead, Jesus healed them all. Doing what is impossible just by a touch or word.

He is our Savior 

The way that God saves is contrary to how we might imagine someone saving us. God doesn’t use political or military might. He doesn’t use money or technology. Instead, He uses a dying Messiah. Something that, if we are honest with ourselves, doesn’t make much sense.

But with God, that which seems foolish is actually wise. Consider what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:22-25 about God’s wisdom in using a crucified Messiah,

“For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Co 1:22–25)

So our God not only creates, sustains, and heals, but He also saves. He does so in a way that reveals His wisdom and might.

Nothing is Impossible with God

When you consider all these things, I think it is safe to say that nothing is impossible for God. If God wants Sarah to have a baby, even if it is physiologically impossible for her to have one, then she is going to have one. Likewise, if God wants to heal us of a disease, extend our life a few more years, provide us with a job, spouse, or child, then it’s going to happen.

We shouldn’t doubt His abilities. Instead, we should trust God to do the impossible in our lives, in our families, in our community, and in our nation. Nothing is too hard for God!

Questions for Reflection

  1. Do you believe God can do the impossible?
  2. How should our knowledge that God can do the impossible affect the way we live?

Resources

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Posted adapted from my sermon: Is There Anything that is Too Hard for God? which you can listen to here.

How Can You Break the Chains of Idolatry?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

In the Old Testament, God promised to establish an everlasting covenant with Abraham and his offspring (Gen. 12;15;17). He promised to be their God forever. No matter what happened, no matter how they acted, God promised to never walk away but to remain faithful to them forever. That’s a big promise because we sin against God often and in a number of different ways.

A Promise for Us

While God first gave this promise to Abraham, it is a promise we too can enjoy because the God of the Israelites can be our God as well. Paul says in Galatians 3:26-29,

“for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” (Ga 3:26–29)

How can we experience a saving relationship with God, breaking the chains of idolatry?

The same way Abraham did — by believing God’s promises and wholly committing ourselves to Him. God’s promise to us is that we are saved through the work of Jesus on the cross. On the cross, Jesus’ death paid the penalty for our sin, making a way for us to have a restored relationship with the Father. If we repent of our sins and believe the good news about Jesus, our relationship with God is mended and the chains of idolatry broken.

Good News!

Isn’t that good news? The God of Israel — the All-Powerful, Creator and Sustainer of this world — can also be our God. We don’t have to settle for a second or third string god. We don’t have to trust in a wannabe that can’t deliver on their promises. We can have the Supreme being. The One who can actually do what He says He will do.

We can stop worshipping idols because the chains of idolatry are broken in Jesus. We can, then, trade in false promises, disappointments, and heartache for truth, fulfillment, and joy. We can serve a God who actually works for our good and who will never ever leave us or forsake us. The promise of Romans 8:28 —

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Ro 8:28)

— is ours as well. Isn’t that good news?

Questions for Reflection

  1. Do you believe God’s promise that Jesus is your Savior?
  2. Are you willing to turn from your sins and wholly commit yourself to God?

Resources

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Post adapted from my recent sermon: Are You Wholly Committed to God? which you can listen to by clicking here.

Are You Wholly Committed to God?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, Discipleship1 Comment

My generation and even more so the generation coming after me has commitment issues.

Take marriage as an example. The Sacramento Bee, which is a newspaper in California, reported that nearly half of all Californians 18 and older are currently not married, and of those currently not married, nearly 35% have never been married. Comparing these numbers to 1960, we see that 26% of Californians were married and only 13% had never been married. These numbers are on the rise.  It has been estimated that in next 5-10 years, there will be more people who are unmarried than married in California [1].

While these are statistic for California, this trend is occurring all over the nation. People in my generation and the generation after me just aren’t getting married. One of the reasons for this trend, certainly not the only reason, but one of the reasons for this trend is our issue with commitment.

But it’s not just that we are afraid to get married. Nowadays it is difficult to find anyone who has worked for a company longer than 5 years, attended one church most of their life, or even someone who has lived in the same town. We not only lack relational commitment but job, church, and geographical commitment as well. We have commitment issues.

We aren’t to hold back with God

When it comes to our relationship with God, however, we aren’t to hold back. We are to commit ourselves wholly to Him. In verse 1 of Genesis 17, God comes to Abraham and asks him to do two things – (1) to “walk before him” and (2) to be “blameless.”

When God tells Abraham to “walk before him”, what He means is that every step, every action that Abraham undertakes would be done with God in mind. The second idea — that Abraham would be “blameless”— re-enforces the first. In order for him to be blameless before God, he must completely and without qualification, give himself over to God.

God, then, is essentially asking Abraham to be wholly committed to Him. To give all of himself over, not leaving any part back. God wants it all – His job, family, leisure time, money, and sex life.

God expects the same from us. He expects us to be wholly devoted and committed to Him. Which means we can’t section off or compartmentalize our life. We have to give God our whole self.

It is difficult to give God our whole lives

For a generation struggling with commitment issues and one that is accustomed to holding things back, giving it all to God is difficult. In reality, giving our whole self over to God is difficult for anyone, not just my generation. We don’t want to give up control over our lives. We want to be able to call the shots and have options. But God asks, and even requires us, to give up control and commit ourselves fully to Him, if we are going to have a relationship with Him and experience the blessings that come from that relationship.

How do you know that you are wholly committed to God?

To help you figure out where your commitment lies, I have listed three questions below for you to reflect on.

(1) What do I prioritize in my life?

To figure this out, all you have to do is look at the things you spend your time, money, and energy on.

When your time is crunched, what gets pushed to the side? Is it more likely to be your Bible or is Facebook, Netflix, Hulu, or some topic you are researching on the internet?

When you get your paycheck, what do you spend your money on first? Is it your tithe, missions, or something else kingdom related? Or is it something for your home, a trip to the movies, or a day at Six Flags? In other words, how do you plan your budget? Do you give God what’s leftover or does He get your firstfruits?

What do you devote most of your energy to throughout the week? Is it the advancement of God’s kingdom or your own kingdom?

All these are good questions to ask because your priorities are often revealed by what you spend your time, money, and energy on.

(2) Where do you turn when you are facing issues at home, work, or church?

Do you turn to the Bible or human wisdom? If you turn to the Bible, are you willing to allow it to direct and guide your decisions, even if it is unpopular or will require  sacrifice on your part? If you are wholly committed to God, He will be the first place you turn, and His wisdom will be the wisdom you follow.

(3) Do you just say you know God or do you obey Him?

John says in the second chapter of his first letter,

“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:” (1 Jn 2:3–5)

Those who say they know God without obeying Him aren’t wholly committed to Him.

Question for Reflection

  1. Are you wholly committed to God or are you holding something back?

Resources

[1] http://www.sacbee.com/site-services/databases/article60699136.html

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Post adapted from my recent sermon: Are You Wholly Committed to God? which you can listen to by clicking here.