Tag: Gospel-Centered

Death is the great equalizer but there is hope

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Cor 15:20)

Death is the great equalizer. No matter how rich or poor all will face the same fate. We will all die one day. We cannot in and of ourselves escape the grip of death. It’s grasp is too strong for us to break.

There is one, however, who broke death’s grip. That person is Jesus. He died at the hands of the Romans on request of the Jews. Beaten to a bloody pulp, a crown of thorns pressed into His scalp, nailed to a cross, spear pierced His side once His last breath was breathed. Jesus was dead when He was removed from the cross.

Instead of being throne in the city dump, He was laid in the grave of a rich man. Even though a massive stone was rolled in front and guards were stationed at the tomb, Jesus walked out after three days. He defeated death.

Jesus’ victory provides hope. Not just hope for this life, but for the life to come. All those who believe in Jesus will be raised from the dead to eternal life. Death is not the end for Christians. Death is just the beginning of life in a perfect world ruled by a perfect King.

Jesus is the first fruits. He is the beginning. The first to be raised. Will you follow Him? Will you be among the fruit that is gathered into the Kingdom to Come?

God is not a God of confusion

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” (1 Cor 14:33a)

Indeed our God is not a God of confusion. He desires His people have order and understanding. God’s desire is one reason we have His Word. It provides us understanding as well as it helps us know how we are to operate so that there is order.

As Paul begins to bring his letter to the Corinthians to a close, he deals with order in the church. He specifically highlights prophecy over tongues because prophecy provides understanding whereas tongues has a high potential to confuse.

When the church gathers together, understanding and order should be at the top of the list. We are not gathering together to make much of ourselves, rather we gather to make much of Jesus. Nor do we gather to confuse one another and hinder outsiders from understanding the gospel. Instead, we are to teach, encourage, reprove, and rebuke with God’s Word. In other words, we are to build one another up in the Lord. Disorder and confusion do not lead to building up of the body of Christ nor does it lead others to an understanding of the gospel and salvation. In most instances, disorder and confusion leads to stagnation and even decline.

May we be a church that seeks to build one another up in the Lord by intelligently speaking the Word of the Lord to one another in an orderly fashion when we gather.

Proclaim Your Salvation through the Supper

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Cor 11:26)

The Lord’s Supper is an opportunity for those who are believers to proclaim the salvation they have experienced in Jesus to the world. It is a way for a group of people to not only come together to remember what Jesus has done, but it is also a way for a group of people to show their unity in belief.

As a church, we are to believe the same thing in regard to what Jesus’ sacrifice accomplished. The Supper is an opportunity to learn, remember, and proclaim a unified position in regard to Jesus’ death.

Since the Supper is a proclamation of salvation in Jesus it is reserved for professing believers. Because it shows unity, those who partake in it should be unified with one another. Unity should progress past belief to life lived in community with one another. In other words, when we come to the table, we should come unified in understanding as well as action.

We should also be in right relationship with the Lord when we partake of the Supper. Those living in unrepentant sin should allow the Supper to remind them that they have been freed from the bondage of sin by Jesus’ sacrifice. They need not bow to sin and its demands any longer. Instead, they are free to cast off its chains. As well as they should be reminded that when when they came to Christ, they repented of their unbelief and professed trust in Him as their Lord and Savior. They turned from an unrepentant rebellious life to follow and serve the Savior. They should now daily continue to turn from their unbelief to follow the Lord.

The Supper should not only draw us together as a community, it should also draw us to God in worship and practice.

Glorify God in everything you do!

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:31)

In whatever we do we are to give glory to God. Glorifying God means we make much of Him. We show His worth, value, wisdom in how we live and act. When we follow His commands or mirror His character, we glorify Him. We make much of Him showing He is worthy.

In this particular instance, Paul, writing to the Corinthians, takes up a discussion regarding idolatry. In Paul’s day, food was sacrificed to idols before it was sold and set on the table. It was a way of recognizing and worshipping the local gods for provision. As Christians, we don’t believe there are local gods who provide for the local people. Thus, no gods should be worshipped, or are worshipped when meat is offered to them for sacrifice.

Some Christians believed the pagan sacrificial system was of no value. The people were not really offering sacrifices to gods because no gods existed. Others, however, still believed in the gods. When they saw other Christians eating meat offered to the gods, they were misled into the practice of syncretism. They believed they could worship Jesus alongside these other gods.

So as not to mislead other brothers and sisters in Christ who have not matured in their understanding, Paul advocates they not partake of meat offered to idols, particularly in front of another whom they know would be misled. Nor are they to eat meat at the house of a non-believer who expresses at dinner that the meat they are serving has been offered to idols. They are to give up their right to the meat so as not to lead another into idolatry. As well as they are to give up their right so as not to give the non-believer the impression that it is ok to worship Jesus alongside the local gods.

Giving up our rights is done out of love, not out of a legalistic spirit. Jesus willingly died for us out of love not because He was forced. When we give up our rights, as Jesus gave up His, we glorify God. We show His action of self-sacrificial love worthy to be emulated. As well as we show we value God more than our own right to eat or drink whatever we choose. Furthermore, we glorify God because we show he is greater than any so called god.

Our eating and drinking in regard to idols is one way we glorify God. As well as we glorify God in our willingness to give up our rights so as not to lead another brother or sister in Christ astray. There are many other ways we can glorify God. We should take every opportunity to glorify Him.

We should glorify God in everything we do!

The Lord’s mindfulness should drive us to worship

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

“O LORD, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him?” (Ps 144:3)

Tucked in the middle of Psalm 144, as Psalmist both blesses the Lord for His work and asks Him to do more, He is struck with wonder and amazement. We all should be struck with wonder and amazement as well. We should be flabbergasted that the Lord is mindful of us, sinful humans who live in rebellion to Him. It is amazing God cares so much. It is mind boggling that He provides a salvation for a people who hate Him. It is simply amazing!

When we think of the Lord’s concern, care, and provision, like the Psalmist, should be driven to ask the same question — Why does God think of us? Why does He provide for us? Why does He care for us as He does?

The answer reveals our God is a God of love. He loves and cares for His creation. He has compassion on us, providing for us physically and spiritually.

When we consider all the Lord does, we should be driven to praise and bless the Lord.

Do you recognize you were bought with a price?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

“for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Cor 6:20)

We are to seek to glorify God daily by living according to His will. We should seek to glorify God, not to earn favor from Him, pay for our salvation, or pay Him back.

Instead, we are to align ourselves with His will out of gratitude for what He has done for us. Jesus, the Son of God, has come. He lived a perfect life, perfectly keeping the Law. He did not deserve death. He didn’t deserve the Father’s wrath. But He died and absorbed the Father’s wrath on our behalf in order to redeem us. He paid the ultimate price on our behalf, ransoming us from the wrath of God. As those who have been bought by Him, we should seek His glory.

As well as we are to align ourselves with God’s will seeking to glorify Him with our bodies because we have been freed from the grip of sin. We no longer have to live according to the flesh. We are no longer dominated by Satan. He is not our master. We have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. We should use our bodies to glorify the one who has redeemed us.

Do you recognize you were bought with a price? Are you living for Christ? Do you follow Him?