Transformed Living

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

Paul encourages us to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God, wholly devoted to Him. Not only our bodies, but our minds as well, that we may be renewed in our thinking and our lives transformed. It is a life lived according to the measure of faith He has given each one of us in Jesus Christ (Romans 12:3-8).

The rest of his letter to the Romans outlines what such a transformed life looks like; the rest of chapter 12 (vv. 9-21) is a series of brief exhortations that compose an elegant string of pearls.

• Let love be without hypocrisy.
• Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
• Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.
• Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.
• Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.
• Distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
• Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
• Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
• Be of the same mind toward one another.
• Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble.
• Do not be wise in your own opinion.
• Repay no one evil for evil.
• Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
• If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
• Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
• Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

It is important to understand that this is not a checklist of things by which we must transform our own selves or change our own thinking. Rather, it is the outworking of letting God renew our minds with His thoughts, and allowing that to transform us. In another place, Paul says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5). It is the mind of Christ at work in us by the Holy Spirit. Our job is simply to let Him have His way in us.

As we yield ourselves, body and soul, to the Holy Spirit, He brings forth the life of Christ in us.

Sudden, Overwhelming, Joyful Harvest

When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion,
We were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us,
And we are glad.

(Psalm 126:1-3)

Sometimes we sow and know when we can expect to reap; it is a matter of waiting. Other times we sow and have no idea when the season of harvest will come; it is a matter of watching. In this psalm, the writer describes a harvest that came so suddenly and was so overwhelming that they thought it was all a dream. It was a wonder that filled them with laughter and uncontainable shouts of joy. The Hebrew word for “singing,”“rejoicing” and “joy” in this psalm refers literally to creaking; imagine continual squeals of delight.

So great was this harvest or returning souls, the pagan nations (who had no covenant with God) could not help but notice, declaring, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The psalm writer reiterates, almost as if with fresh wonder, “The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad.”

Now, one would not necessarily have thought of this amazing event in terms of sowing and reaping, except for what the psalm writer says next:

Bring back our captivity, O Lord,
As the streams in the South.
Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.
He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.

(Psalm 126:4-6)

“Sow in tears, reap in joy.” That’s how the psalm writer describes it. No doubt, many tears were shed by him and his countrymen, who probably had been exiled from their homeland all their lives. They wept and they wailed, but then the “suddenly” of God came upon them quite unexpectedly, returning them to the land of promise.

There were, however, others of their own who were still in captivity, and there was yet more sowing to do, more tears to weep. But there was also the certainty that when they sowed their seed, they would come again with fresh harvest, creaking and shouting for joy.

Sow your good seed and do not quit. Your harvest will come, and it may be sooner than you could ever imagine.

Bountiful and Wondrous

Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.

(Psalm 119:17-18)

This morning, as I was going to the Psalms, which is my devotional habit, my Bible flopped open to Psalm 119 and my eye was caught by these verses. I had marked these verses before, with circles and underlines, and a few words penciled in the margins.

“Deal bountifully with Your servant.” The psalm writer is calling on the abundance of God to take care of him. He is well aware how much he needs the grace and mercy of the Lord if he is going to survive. When he says, “that I may live,” he is not merely speaking in a metaphorical way of enjoying the richness and beauty of life; he is looking to God to preserve his physical life. One of the poignant realities of this psalm is that he is singing these praises about the Word of God even though things have not been going well for him — he is leaning in on the promises of God to guide him through.

Even so, he does not just want something from God — he wants God Himself. He is leaning into his covenant relationship with God. He does not just want God to honor His promises to him; he wants to honor God’s word by doing what it says. But he cannot do that without the help of the Lord.

“Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.” The law of God is indeed a wondrous thing. Many religious folks think that God is waiting for us to break His law so He can clobber us. But His law is instruction. Indeed, the Hebrew word torah, often translated as “law,” can just as well be translated as “instruction.”

That is what the psalm writer wants. He is not cringing in fear of divine retribution; he is eagerly looking for divine instruction. He deeply desires wisdom and revelation from God, and he knows that is why God has given His torah in the first place. God does not hold back from us; He freely gives to us, if we are ready to receive. The problem is that, very often, pride and arrogance and our own brand of “wisdom” get in the way, and we have to be emptied out of these things.

This morning, I thought of all the prides and arrogances I have had in my life, back when I was a very young man but also in my later years. God has been gracious over the years to expose and uproot so many of them. I am well aware that it is an ongoing project. The process is not usually very pleasant, but the results are well worth it, because it readies us for the pleasures of God and the joy of knowing Him. I want to be emptied out of myself, of vanity and ego, and filled up with the Lord. It is, as the psalm writer says, wondrous — thinking God’s thoughts with Him, walking with Him in His ways, our hearts being brought into rhythm with His.

Deal bountifully with me today, O Lord. Open my eyes to the wonders of Your Word, that I may know You more. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Don’t Give Up — Your Harvest is Coming!

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. (Galatians 6:9)

There is a season for sowing and a season for reaping. Whenever you sow a seed, you are establishing a harvest. What you sow is what you will reap. The only way you can lose your harvest is if you give up.

The Greek word for “season” is kairos. The Greek word chronos speaks of the sequence of time ; kairos speaks of the fullness of time. It is a word of opportunity, the favorable combination of circumstances. The “due” season is the proper season, a season that is appropriate to the seed you sow and the harvest you reap. “In due season” means that when the time is ripe, the harvest will come. That is how the kingdom of God works. Jesus said,

The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come. (Mark 4:26-29)

You don’t have to understand how the seed multiplies or how the plant sprouts and grows. You don’t have to keep checking on it to help the thing grow. Just continue going about your business, sleeping by night and rising by day. When the time is reap, the harvest will be ready, and the harvest is always greater than the seed.

Do not “grow weary while doing good,” Paul says. What is doing good?

• It is doing what pleases the Holy Spirit, letting Him fill you and guide you. “The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:8 NIV).
• It is delighting in the law of the Lord and continually mediating on it, letting it instruct you and reveal to you the wisdom of God. The Bible says of the one who does this, “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper” (Psalm 1:3).
• It is seeking the kingdom of God. Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). God’s kingdom operates on the principle of sowing and reaping. When we seek His rule and reign, and His way of doing things in whatever we do, we are doing good. “Seek the kingdom.” That’s sowing. “All these things shall be added to you.” That’s reaping.

Keep doing good, following the Spirit, letting the Word of God fill your heart, seeking the kingdom. You will reap in due season, and it will be BIG. Don’t give up — your harvest is coming!

Spiritual Disciplines and Intense Desire

And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)

Christian discipleship is about learning. It means that one is in training. As you can probably tell, the word “discipleship” is related to the word “discipline.” To be in training, following a discipline (a practice, a habit, a rule) means that one is learning to do what has not yet become natural to them. Thankfully, there comes a point when one moves from doing things as a matter of discipline and training and becomes “second nature.” One moves from doing things merely because he ought to do so, to doing them simply because it is the desire of his heart.

Yes, we should all have an intense desire to fellowship with Christ. We should be loaded with desire, as Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection discovered, to do all things for His sake. Brother Lawrence, however, called this “the practice of the presence of God.” He had a desire to be full of desire for God, and he practiced that desire to be full of desire until he truly was full of desire for God — and God filled it.

So it is good to have some practical spiritual disciplines that help us focus on the things that we ought to be focused on. Many times, I do experience an intense desire for fellowship with Christ; other times not so much. I know what it is like to be like Mary, focused on the one thing, the good part; but I also know what it is to be like Martha, worried and troubled about many things. The value of practical spiritual disciplines is that they can help us make room to hear the voice of the Lord; and hearing His voice, faith comes and desire awakens.

We have been much discipled by the world and/or a church that has been much infected with the faithless way the world thinks. So we not only have to be delivered from the ways and thoughts of the world, we need to be discipled, trained in the ways and thoughts of God.

Spiritual disciplines and practices can be good “tools” toward that end. They do not change God; they change us, preparing us to receive what God has already graciously promised and provided. To suppose that they change God would be nothing more than magical thinking. Our relationship with God is not a mechanical one, but a personal one, and the disciplines, when properly approached, help us empty out and make room for that relationship. Brother Lawrence had a wonderful relationship with God, experiencing his presence just as much in the kitchen as in the chapel — but notice that he described it as “practicing the presence of God.” The discipline he adopted helped him enter into that place of relationship.

The disciplines can be very good servants, but terrible masters. Apart from dependence upon the grace of God, they can quickly become a cage. But when approached with faith in God and His promises, they can provide a good framework for exploring our new life in Christ, helping us become more aware of Him. They help us do what we sing at Christmastime: “Let every heart prepare Him room.”

There may be thousands of ways that a Christian can practically implement a truth from God's Word. If one particular method doesn’t work for you, there is another one that will. When Brother Lawrence first joined the Carmelite monks, he considered a number of practical suggestions and spiritual practices, but he found none that fit. That was when he decided he would simply practice the presence of God (you can read how he went about this in his little book The Practice of the Presence of God).

A good spiritual discipline or practice can help you empty out the many distracting things so that you may have an intense desire for the one thing, the good part — fellowship with the Lord Jesus. He will fill it, and He will never take it away.

To learn more about spiritual disciplines and how they might be of help to you, read The Spirit of the Disciplines, by Dallas Willard.

Blessed in All Things

Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. (Genesis 24:1)

Abraham lived a long and healthy life of abundance and wealth — God had blessed him in all things. The NIV says “in every way.” Not just in spiritual things, but in all things; not just in spiritual ways, but in every way.

So what does that have to do with you and me? Just this: God wants us to enjoy the same blessing. That’s why Jesus came.

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:13-14)

Jesus did not go to the cross for us just to deliver us from the curse of the law; He went so that the blessing of Abraham would come upon all who believe the promise. God blessed Abraham in all things and in every way; Jesus came so that we, too, could be blessed in all things and in every way.

Just as God’s blessing on Abraham was not just in spiritual things and spiritual ways, but in all things and in every way, so His blessing on us is not just limited to the spiritual, but covers everything in life. The apostle John understood this well, and his prayer for Gaius demonstrated God’s will and desire for each one of us.

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2)

For a great picture of what the blessing and prosperity God has for you and me looks like, read and meditate on Deuteronomy 28:1-14 and Psalm 112.

God’s desire is for you and me to be blessed and prosper in all things and in every way. That’s why Jesus came.

(Listen to the listing of blessings in Deuteronomy 28:1-14, from our Healing Scriptures and Prayers CD 2.)

The Table of Divine Glory

Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house,
And the place where Your glory dwells.

(Psalm 26:8)

David loved the house of the Lord, the place where God manifested His presence in a special way, the place where the light of His glory shone bright. It was the place David most wanted to be, the place where he could gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and inquire of Him (Psalm 24:4).

The Hebrew word for “glory” is kabod. Literally, it means weight; figuratively, it refers to the weight or value of that which is good. The glory of God is the expression of His goodness, the manifestation of His majesty. In Isaiah 6, the seraphim in the prophet's vision of the temple declared that “the whole earth is fully of His glory.” The glory of God has always been here. What is needed, though, is the revelation of that glory.

In the Old Testament, the tabernacle was the place where God made His special habitation on earth; the Ark of the Covenant was His abode, the throne of His glory. In the New Testament, through faith in Jesus Christ, we are now the house God inhabits, the place where His glory dwells.

Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5)

Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of God’s glory. Indeed, He is called “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person” (Hebrews 1:3). He is the Word of whom John says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

Jesus is the full expression of God’s glory. The mystery of the Gospel is that Christ dwells in us with all the glory of God. He is

the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:26-27)

As believers in Jesus Christ, we are now the place where God dwells by His glory. There is for us a positive expectation, a joyful anticipation that His glory will be fully expressed in us. This is what John is talking about:

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. (1 John 3:2)

The Table of the Lord is a divinely instituted sign of Jesus’ presence in His body, the Church. When we take the bread and the cup, we are receiving the signs of His glory into our bodies. Though He is already always with us, the Table of the Lord is a place where He makes His glory known in a special way.

The Table of the Lord is the Table of Divine Glory.

Jumping for Joy by Faith

Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls —
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.

(Habakkuk 3:17-18)

Here is a man who is not moved by outward conditions. Maybe things did not appear to be going well for him. Maybe his crops had failed, his trees were barren, and his stalls were empty. And yet, he rejoices in the Lord and joys in God.

These two words, “rejoices” and “joys,” are not tame words. Habakkuk is not speaking merely of some quiet, inner peace in his soul. No, his words describe a wild exuberance, uncontained and uncontainable. The Hebrew word for “rejoice” is alaz and means to “jump for joy.” The Hebrew for “joy” is gheel, and means to whirl and twirl and spin; it is dancing for joy.

Habakkuk is describing exultant jubilation, extreme elation, unrestrained and outright joy — even in the face of difficult circumstances. But he is not moved by what he sees; he is not troubled by the farm reports; he does not worry that he presently has no cattle in his stalls. These are merely facts, and the facts are subject to change. But Habakkuk is connecting with the truth, and the facts must eventually line up with the truth.

What is the truth he is connecting with which allows him to remain full of joy in the midst of adversity? Simply this: He is in a covenant relationship with God, and God is his salvation. He rejoices in “the LORD;” this is the Hebrew YHWH (Yahweh), the name by which God reveals Himself in covenant with His people. He joys, not just in “the God of salvation,” but “the God of my salvation.” His relationship with God is not generic or hypothetical, but real and personal.

The Hebrew word for “salvation” is yesha, which speaks of safety, deliverance, victory and prosperity. Things may not have been looking too well at the moment, but Habakkuk was hooked up with the God of his prosperity, and that is something to cut loose and dance a jig about. God made covenant vows to His people, if they would trust in Him and obey His voice (see Deuteronomy 28:1-14), and the facts would soon have to line up with that truth. Habakkuk tuned into those promises and pressed into his relationship with God. That is why he could jump and dance for joy, and confidently declare:

The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.

(Habakkuk 3:19)

Your prosperity and future are not determined by your present circumstances, but by your relationship with God. That is why Jesus came. Trust in Him as your salvation, rescue, victory, and even your prosperity. When you put all your confidence in Him, no matter what setbacks and adversities you may face, you will still be able to jump and shout for joy, because He is the Lord of your covenant and the God of your salvation.

The Proportion of Faith

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:4-8)

Every believer in Jesus Christ has been given a measure of faith, and a gift with which to function in the body of Christ. The Greek word for “gift” is charismata, and refers, not to natural talents and ability, but graces given by the Holy Spirit. No one has been left out in this distribution; all have received a gift and the faith by which to exercise it.

We are to operate in these gifts only in proportion to the faith we have received. We are not called to function apart from faith, for it is faith — believing the Word of God — that pleases God (Hebrews 11:6). Nor are we to go beyond the faith that we have received; that would be nothing more than presumption. Rather, we are to exercise the fullest extent of our faith, whether we are prophesying, teaching, exhorting and encouraging, giving, leading, sowing mercy, or anything else the Lord has given us to do.

With God, it is always about faith. Jesus likened faith to a mustard seed.

So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)

Notice that it is not the size of the seed but what you do with it that matters. Until you sow it, it makes no difference how big the seed is, but once you release it and put it to work, even the impossible can happen. Another important thing to understand is that when you sow a seed, it multiplies and brings back a harvest that is much greater than what was sown. For example, a seed of corn will bring a harvest of 6-8 ears of corn, each ear with a couple of hundred seeds. Faith is the same way; when you exercise your faith, you will grow and develop in your faith and end up with more than when you began. It is really quite enough to operate in proportion to the measure of faith God has given each one of us. As we do, it will increase, and there is always room for us to grow. That is what discipleship is about: learning to walk in faith.

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, Paul tells us (Romans 10:17); the more we hear and receive the Word, the more developed we will be in our faith. Faith is also a fruit of the Spirit (Romans 5:22-25). God has given each one of us the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us, reveals the life of Christ in us, and enables us to love and serve God and others. The more we learn to yield to Him, the more all the fruits of the Spirit will come forth in our lives, including faith.

If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, God has given you all the faith you need. The more you use it, the stronger you will become in it. The more you hear and obey His Word, and yield to the Holy Spirit, the more your faith will increase.

Post 9/11: We Will Not Fear

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear.

(Psalm 46:1-2)

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

(Psalm 46:10)

The message is clear: We will not fear.

According to the Measure of Faith

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. (Romans 12:3)

The word “for” indicates that Paul is continuing the thought of the previous verse. In the previous verse, he spoke about being transformed by the renewing of our minds. Now he is talking about how to think, and how not to think. Here is how a few other versions translate it:

Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light of faith. (J. B. Phillips)

Stop thinking too highly of yourselves beyond what it is necessary to be thinking, but be thinking [so as] to be thinking sensibly, to each as God apportioned a measure of faith. (Analytical-Literal Translation)

Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. (The Message)

Renewed thinking means that we do not have an exaggerated sense of our importance, as if we have merited special recognition before God. Rather, we are to maintain an accurate assessment of ourselves, and our relationship with God. This means that we are not to undervalue ourselves either, for God loved us so much that He gave us His Son.

The key is found in these words: “As God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”Our relationship with God is always about faith. Faith comes from God, by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17), and only that which comes from faith is pleasing to God (Hebrews 11:6).

On the one hand, this means that nobody has room to boast about themselves, because nobody does anything pleasing to God apart from the faith that comes from God in the first place. On the other hand, there is no room for any Christian to feel left out, because God has apportioned a full measure of faith to each one of us. So it is not about us and what we do, but about God and what is doing in us and with us. Faith is the equalizer, the liberator that frees us to love and serve God and others, as Jesus did.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name. (Philippians 2:5-9)

The renewed mind is the mind of Christ. But there is also a new body. In verse 1, Paul urges us to offer ours bodies as a living sacrifice to God. In verse 4, Paul talks about our place in the body of Christ.

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:4-8)

As believers in Jesus, we are all part of the body of Christ. We do not all have the same function, but each one of us does function in some way. Whatever function we do have comes from God, and we are to operate in it according to faith, which also comes from God. There is no overvaluing of ourselves in this, because the faith and the function are of God. Nor is there any undervaluing, because God has given faith and a function to each one of us. It all works together to the glory of Christ.

God has given us a new way to think about ourselves, not in striving after reputation, but in yielding in cooperation with God, to bless the body of Christ, and the world through Him — according to the full measure of faith He has given each one of us.

The Table of Victory

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:37)

In Jesus Christ, we are more than conquerors, even over tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword (Romans 8:35). As John tells us, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). That mission was accomplished for us at the cross, though we must each appropriate it for ourselves.

How do we do that? By faith! “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5).

The Table of the Lord is an opportunity to exercise faith in Jesus Christ, the faith that overcomes the world. In the bread and the cup, we receive the sign of the victory Jesus has won for us through His body and blood. Having received it by faith, we give thanks.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. (2 Corinthians 2:14)

The Greek word for “thanksgiving” is eucharistia. The Table of the Lord is often referred to as the Eucharist because it is a meal of giving thanks to the Lord for the gift of His Son.

The Table of the Lord is a revelation that the works of the devil have been destroyed, and that in all things we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. It is the Table of Victory.

Exploring the Mind of God

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2)

Paul is not telling us to transform ourselves, as if by following a set of rules and regulations we can become what we are supposed to be. No, he learned the hard way that this is not God’s plan for us (see Romans 7). Thankfully, he soon learned

• that in Jesus Christ we can now live from a position of no condemnation (Romans 8:1)
• that the law of the Spirit in Christ Jesus sets us free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2)
• that God has many things specifically designed to bring us into line, inwardly and outwardly, with the truth of who Jesus Christ is (Romans 8:3-29).

No, Paul is not telling us to transform ourselves. Rather, he is telling us to be transformed. God wants to transform us, and if we let Him, He will do it for us. Our role is simply to respond to His work in us.

How does God go about this work of transformation? By the renewing of our minds. Again, this is not about us trying to renew our own minds. We don’t have the proper vantage point to be able to do that for ourselves, for we would have to already have a renewed mind in order to know how and what to renew our minds to. Rather, it is about letting God renew it for us, and He has always been more than willing to do so, as we see in this Old Testament promise:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
    And He shall direct your paths.

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

God will renew your mind if you will let Him. Paul put it this way in his letter to the Philippians, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).

Now, listen to what God says in Isaiah:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:8-11)

God’s ways are not our ways, but He wants us to walk in His ways. Likewise, God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, but He wants us to think His thoughts — that is why He sent His Word. His Word and His ways reveal His thoughts to us, so that we may know His will, His plans and His purposes. We could never discover these things on our own, nor could we ever understand them by ourselves.

But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:9-16)

God reveals His thoughts by His Word, and causes us to understand by His Spirit, so that we may receive the mind of Christ. Our part is to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit. He will renew our minds with the mind of Christ so that we may “prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

To “prove” means to test, examine, discern and recognize as genuine. Weymouth’s New Testament has it as, “so that you may learn by experience what God’s will is.” It is really an invitation to investigate the mind of God, to explore and discover His will and desire, and to experience how good, well pleasing, full and complete it is.

If you will let Him, God desires to fill you with His thoughts and change your life, inside and out, so that you may know and experience how wonderful His plan is for you, and how much it pleases Him to bless you.

Not Conformed—Transformed!

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2)

Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is god, meets all His demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity. (J. B. Phillips)

And do not follow the customs of the present age, but be transformed by the entire renewal of your minds, so that you may learn by experience what God's will is — that will which is good and beautiful and perfect. (Weymouth New Testament)

Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (The Message)

The contrast Paul presents here is really quite stark: Being conformed to this present age, or being transformed by the renewing of our minds.

The Greek word for “world” in this verse is aion, and actually refers to a period of time, an age. The god of this age, satan, is always trying to squeeze us into his mold by blinding us to the glory of God.

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

Jesus came to deliver us from this present age.

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Galatians 1:3-5)

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

To be conformed to something is to be made like it, but outwardly; it does not necessarily reflect the inner being. But to be transformed means to be changed from the inside out, so that the outward appearance truly reflects the inward being.

The Greek word for “conform” comes from the word schema, which is where we get our word “scheme.” It has do with one’s manner of life and what may be perceived about a person by the physical senses. The word for “transform” is metamorphuo, which is where we get our word “metamorphosis.”

Think of a caterpillar when it goes into its cocoon, then later emerges as a beautiful butterfly. It looks much different coming out than it did going it, but now we see what it was really intended to be. The outward appearance has now been changed to reflect the inward reality. That is metamorphosis — transformation!

We find a wonderful example of the difference between conformation (schema) and transformation (metamorphuo) in the life of Jesus Christ.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)

Jesus was in the form of God. The Greek word is morphe. He was fully divine, through and through. Then He took upon himself the form (morphe) of a man. That is, He became fully human, through and through. He became a unique being — the God Man, fully divine and fully human.

Notice that he was “found in appearance as a man.” The word for “found” refers to how He was perceived. The word for “appearance” is schemati. He was truly God and truly human at the same time, but to the physical senses, He was perceived as simply a man.

Now consider this unique event in His earthly life and ministry that shows us transformation.

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. (Matthew 17:1-2)

The word for “transfigured” is metamorphothe — transformation! The reality of His divinity, which before was not perceptible to the physical senses, now became quite evident. The outward manifestation now reflected the inward reality, and now it was apparent to the senses that He was both God and man. The disciples saw “the Son of Man coming in His kingdom” (Matthew 16:28). He has now ascended to His throne in heaven to rule and reign forever as the God Man, and His divinity is just as perceptible as His humanity, even as the disciples experienced that day on the Mount of Transfiguration.

All those who are born again through faith in Jesus Christ are born from above. Though we are living in this age, we are not of it — we are of heaven. Paul teaches us to not let ourselves be shaped by the ways of this present age, whose god is satan, but to let ourselves be changed by the plans and purposes of God, so that our outward manner matches us with the reality of who we really. Then the shape of our lives will speak of where we are really from — heaven.

Divinely Reasonable and Infinitely Joyful Worship

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)

Paul was not commanding or demanding anything; he was beseeching. The Greek work means to call out to someone, to exhort, entreat and encourage. He was not speaking from a position of law or requirement, but on the basis of God’s compassion and mercy. That sums up what the “therefore” is there for:

• The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes (1:16).
• Though all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (3:23), and the wages of sin is death, the gift of God is eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ (6:23).
• Those who receive the Lord Jesus are now dead to sin; that is, we no longer have to be enslaved by sin, but are alive to God (6:11).
• We are also now dead to the law, the commandments ended up only condemning us (7:4). The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death (8:2).

Because of all this, Paul now encourages us to “present your bodies a living sacrifice.” We find this same word “present” in Romans 6:13.

Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

Notice that we are to present ourselves as a living sacrifice. In the Old Testament, the sacrifices were slaughtered before they were presented. In Jesus Christ, we are now dead to sin and the law, but alive to God, for He is the God of living, not of the dead (Matthew 22:32).

This sacrifice, being dead to sin but alive to God, is a holy one. To be holy means to be set apart for God’s purposes. It is not about who we are and what we are doing; it is about who He is and what He is doing. We could never make ourselves holy; only He can do that for us, and that is what He has done in Jesus Christ—we are accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6).

Yes, we are acceptable — and accepted — in Jesus Christ. The word for “acceptable” in Romans 12:1, and again in 12:2, means to be well pleasing. When Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove, and the voice of the Father said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). God is well pleased in Him, and with us in Him.

Pleasing God is always a matter of faith — believing His Word — for “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Becoming a living sacrifice that is well pleasing to God is a matter of faith, believing the truth of His Word and the goodness of His grace.

Presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice is what Paul calls our “reasonable service.” The Greek word for “service” is latreia and refers to worship, the service given to God. We present out bodies as living sacrifices as an act of worship. The word for “reasonable” comes from logikos, which is where we get our word “logical.” Paul is referring to reason, not the reasoning of the world, though, but the reasoning of God. The wisdom of God seems foolish to this present age, but the “foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25). “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). But those who have been made alive in Jesus Christ have received the Holy Spirit, who reveals the wisdom of God to us. In the natural, it is foolish for us to give ourselves away, but in the divine logic, it makes perfect sense for us to give ourselves to the One who has given Himself to us so freely. It is no burden, but joy itself.

When we understand the love and mercy God has shown to us in Jesus Christ, and the richness of the salvation He brings to us, it is divinely reasonable, and infinitely joyful, that we should offer ourselves to Him, dead to sin but alive to God, presenting everything about ourselves as instruments of His rightness.

The Table of One Thing

One thing I have desired of the LORD,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to inquire in His temple.

(Psalm 27:4)

David was the commander of an army, and he was in a very tight spot—so tight that he knew he would not make it through unless he had faith that he would see the goodness of God manifest for him in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13). Yet there was one thing he knew he needed even more than that; one thing he desired above all, and sought with everything that was in him. “That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple.”

David had one thing on his mind, one thing he desired, but it had these three facets.

• To “dwell” – the Hebrew word yashab means to remain, abide, and even to marry! David wanted to know the presence of the Lord always.
• To “behold” – the Hebrew word chazah means to gaze upon, perceive, contemplate, to have a vision, a revelation of something. What is it that David want to see and know in such a deep way? The beauty of the Lord; to see God in all His grace and glory, His splendor and majesty, His goodness and kindness, how delightful and pleasant He is.
• To “inquire” – the Hebrew word is baqar means to search out and investigate. David wanted to explore God, to know Him more and more.

Think now of when Jesus came to the home of Mary and Martha. Mary sat at His feet, drinking in His words; Martha was “distracted” — the Greek word behind this means to be dragged away — by many things. She complained to Jesus, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me” (Luke 10:40). How did Jesus answer?

Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:41-42)

Martha was anxious about many things, and she let them drag her away from fellowship with the Lord Jesus, who was right there in the midst of everything. But Jesus gently directed her focus away from the many distracting things to the one thing that was needed most of all. Mary had chosen that one thing, the “good part,” and He was not about to let that be taken away from her. Indeed, he was implicitly inviting Martha to enjoy that wonderfully necessary time with Him, too.

The Table of the Lord is the Table of One Thing. It is that “good part” that we need most of all — time to dwell with Him, to gaze upon Him in His beauty and grace, and to explore who He is, to know Him more and more and more. It is listening to His voice and beholding the reality of His body given and His blood shed for us. It is inquiring of Him in a most profound way.

Are you burdened and dragged away by many things? Come to the Table of One Thing and contemplate the Lord Jesus Christ. Explore the revelation of His love for you.

Laying Up Treasure: Heaven on Earth

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19-20)

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray “Your kingdom, come! Your will, be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). The kingdom of God is the will of God being done on earth as it is in heaven.

A few verses later, Jesus tells us to lay up for ourselves treasures, not on earth, but in heaven. On earth, they are subject to loss, corrosion and theft. But in heaven, where the will of God is always perfectly fulfilled, there is not loss. The system of the world is to lay up treasure for ourselves on earth. People hide it in their sock drawers or stuff it under their mattresses, or put it into banks and various accounts, and then trust in it to meet their needs. Then when times are tough and the “rainy day” comes, they look to it to be their source and savior. Often, they discover that it is not adequate for the job; then they have to learn how to live with lack, or else barely squeak by.

The system of God’s kingdom, where His will is being done on earth as it is in heaven, is very different. Jesus tells us to lay up treasure for ourselves in heaven. Instead of trusting in our financial resources to meet our needs, He tells us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” and all our needs will be met (Matthew 6:33).

Laying up treasure for yourself in heaven is seeking the kingdom of God and His will being done on earth as it is in heaven. It is all a matter of where you are placing your trust—on earth or in heaven. When we trust in heaven, we will see the kingdom, the will of God, and the treasure we have laid up there manifested on earth.

An Atheist Notion of Evil?

I just finished watching this interview (about an hour and 10 minutes long) between Christian theologian and apologist Alister McGrath and atheist Richard Dawkins (author of The God Delusion). One of the things I was struck by in Dawkins’ responses was his reference to morality, good, right and evil. In fact, this interchange was originally shot for Dawkins BBC documentary, which was entitled The Root of All Evil, although it was not included in the final edit. At one point, Dawkins speaks of something he considered to be “deeply evil.”

To speak of morality, of course, implies that there is also immorality. Talk of what is right implies that there is also that which is wrong. And Dawkins, in the course of this piece, spoke of both good and evil.

What strikes me about all this is that Dawkins is an atheist. That is, he believes that there is no God; that the universe has no personal creator, that it is all nothing more than a matter of … well, matter.

So where does the idea of morality/immorality, good/evil and right/wrong come from? If the universe is nothing more than a material conglomeration, then all that exists simply exists. It is what it is, neither good nor evil, moral nor immoral, right nor wrong. To say that something is moral or immoral requires a standard that goes beyond the material world. Such distinctions as good and evil do not arise from the world itself.

In short, all talk about good and evil, etc., implies the existence of an arbiter which transcends the natural realm, a lawgiver, the dictates of which must be followed, even a judge to whom we owe accountability. Such an entity sounds very much like what we would call God.

It seems that Dawkins wants to have it both ways. On the one hand, he wishes to be an atheist, denying the existence of such a being as God to whom he must be accountable. On the other hand, he wants to hold on to the notion of good and evil, which implies an accountability that the material universe does not and cannot require. Of course, inasmuch as Dawkins does speak of good and evil, and even of morality, it would appear that he reserves the role of arbitration to himself, in effect, making himself his own god.

That is the ancient deception offered by the serpent in the Garden of Eden. He tempted Adam and Eve to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, promising that they would be like God (Genesis 3:6). There were a number of problems with that, or course. For one thing, God specifically commanded them not to. For another thing, they were trying to be like God all on their own, quite apart from God — which was quite ironic because God created them to be like Him (Genesis 1:26-28), but it could only work in relationship with Him. Likewise, they were trying to know good and evil apart from relationship with God, instead of in relationship with Him, and that is always a disaster.

That is the Dawkins delusion.

The Table of Good Things

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.

(Psalm 84:11)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17)

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:11)

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

The Table of the Lord is the Table of God’s Son. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Seeing that He has given us His own dearly loved Son to die upon the cross for our sakes, is there any reason to suppose that He will not now freely give us all things? He who is the giver of every good and perfect gift, shall He withhold any good thing from those who are made righteous in Jesus Christ?

In the Table of the Lord, the bread and the cup speak of God’s great love poured out in the body and blood of the Lord Jesus. It tells us of the righteousness that is now ours through faith in Him. It proves that the will of the Father for us is good in every way, to save us, free us, heal us, and restore us to wholeness and right relationship with our loving God. It demonstrates that He will not withhold any good thing from us.

The Table of the Lord is the Table of Good Things, where we may come to ask and receive all that we need in this life. Thanks be to God.

The Table of Covenant Mindfulness

He will ever be mindful of His covenant. (Psalm 111:5)

God is always mindful of the covenant He has made with His people. This speaks of more than just God’s omniscience; it is about intentionality. He keeps His covenant promises continually set before His eyes.

David made a covenant with Jonathan (1 Samuel 18:3). When David became king, he looked around and asked, Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?” (2 Samuel 9:1). He was mindful of the covenant he made with Jonathan.

The Table of the Lord is a table of covenant. When Jesus took the cup and gave it to His disciples, He said, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:20). The essence of covenant is exchange. When we, by faith, enter into this covenant with Him, all we have belongs to Him and all He has belongs to us. The cross is where this exchange took place:

• Jesus took our sin upon Himself and gave us His righteousness (Isaiah 53:6; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
• Jesus took our sickness and pains and gave us His healing power (Isaiah 53:4-5).
• Jesus took or chastisement and gave us His peace (Isaiah 53:5).
• Jesus took the curse of the from us and gave us the blessing of Abraham (Galatians 3:13-14).
• Jesus took our poverty and gave us His prosperity and abundance (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Jesus is always mindful of His covenant and He is always presenting it before the Father by the testimony of His blood. When we take of the Table of the Lord, it is a powerful moment for us, also, to be mindful of the covenant He has made with us. The bread and the cup show us the body that was given and the blood that was shed for our benefit. They demonstrate that, in Jesus Christ, we are blessed with all blessing. It is a time to declare, with David,

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
If I should count them,
they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.

(Psalm 139:17-18)

God is always thinking about the covenant He has made with us in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Table of the Lord is an opportunity for us to mindful of all He has done for us and all we have in Him. For this reason, it is the Table of Covenant Mindfulness.