Month: June 2019

309. Angels sent to Serve

Hebrews 1:14 Are they [the angels] not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

(Although Paul probably did not write Hebrews, it is still a word of God that is similar to Paul. We include the promise of Hebrews under the heading “Promises thru Paul”).

Angels are ministering spirits. God promises angels to serve us. God sent them forth into our world where we live to minister (serve) the heirs of salvation (believers in Christ). Angels were created to minister to God in worship and praise, and they were created to obey God’s commands; and they do exactly and perfectly carry out His orders and go where He sends them. God sends them forth to serve His children. Serving us is what they were created to do, and it is what they delight in doing.

Indeed, each baptized believer has angels sent by God to serve and protect each and every one of His children. We may or may not have a specific “guardian angel” assigned by God to take care of each saved individual for his lifetime. But we do have the promise of angels to serve and protect. That is their job. Angels are either sent by God to take of us generally (and each of us could have many) or they are sent for specific purposes, events, or situations of need or danger. Often they will be commissioned according to the prayers of God’s children.

We do not see the angels; we do not know what they are doing; and we certainly aren’t in charge of their duties; but we do have signs and evidences of their activity if we are willing to believe it. Books have been written and shows produced about people who were “touched by an angel.” Many Christians have heard and can tell stories about evidences of angels’ care and protection. And if our eyes were opened we would see a lot more evidence. But, whether we have evidence or not, we know it is true because God promised: God sends forth angels to serve and protect.

[By the way, we are also informed that in the invisible world there are also fallen angels, who rebelled with Satan against God. They were created to minister to human beings, but they turned their created ability into the mission of attacking, deceiving, scaring, and hindering people. Their mission was turned against God and the heirs of salvation. If so, there may be a war in the heavenlies between the good and the evil angels. This is serious because they are fighting over us. But we have a promise.]

308. Heirs

Titus 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

We are justified by His grace; therefore, we have the promise of being heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Heirs will inherit everything that their father owns upon his death. Heirs of God the Father will inherit everything that the Father owns upon their death.

By faith we have already received the inheritance since we have died with Christ. The problem is that Sin and unbelief get in the way, mess up, and hinder the full reception of the inheritance Christ earned for us. We are presently saved and we have already entered into the kingdom of God, except that we do not see it with our eyes, nor do we usually feel it with our senses. But faith is the substance of the things not seen. We are now in the Kingdom, which is our inheritance, but we will not see it until we die. But we have been granted faith by the Spirit through the Gospel. We have eternal life now, which is our inheritance, but we are at the same time subject to Death and in bondage to Sin. We cannot fully see it until we die.

Meanwhile, until we die we have the hope of eternal life. Hope sees the unseen, visualizes the invisible spiritual things, and enjoys the future. All of this Wonder is given by grace and received by faith. We have the hope of eternal life: Hope is the present reality of the life we can’t see. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The heir does not earn the inheritance: he receives a fortune free just because he is a son, or he is an otherwise graced and favored person. The heir of God does not earn the kingdom: he receives the fortune free because God made him a son and heir and a favored person. He is justified by grace for Christ’s sake. It boggles the mind to try to dwell on what we have inherited. It boggles the mind even more to know that it is by grace and favor. We have the blessing and the promise of the things of God.

307. Abundant Holy Spirit

Titus 3:6 (The Holy Spirit) Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

God promises to shed the Holy Spirit on us abundantly. He does this because of Jesus Christ, who He is and what He did. Of course, the Holy Spirit is already abundant, for He is God and God is everywhere, knows everything, and can do all things. God cannot be more abundant. But the promise is that He will be abundantly shed upon us. God’s Name is hallowed, God’s kingdom comes, and God’s will is done anyway, but we pray that it all may be, may come, and be done among us. So it is with the Holy Spirit: He is always present in abundance, but He is not always allowed to live and act fully within and among us.

The problem is not God’s grace and God’s giving; the obstacle is with our believing and receiving. Our own unbelief and sin stop the Spirit of God from having full sway and influence on our lives. Another obstacle is our own “trying to be good” in the flesh, by our own effort and resolve. “God doesn’t have to do it: I’ll do it myself.” God responds, “OK, go ahead; try, and fail.” So Jesus tells us to ask for the Spirit and we will receive Him: “How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” [Luke 11:13}. It is not that we can have more Spirit, but we can have less of self.

How do we get more Holy Spirit? Believe the promise that God already shed the Spirit upon us abundantly. Ask the Father to give the Spirit. Die to self by contrition and repentance. Trust in the extravagant forgiveness of sins and abundant life. Say to yourself: “By faith in Christ I have an abundant Holy Spirit within me. I repent and believe the Gospel. Father, give me more of your Name, Kingdom, Will, Spirit, and Life.” The Lord promises spiritual abundance.

306. Renewing of Holy Spirit

Titus 3:5c …and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

We are saved not by works, but by mercy and by baptism and by renewing of the Holy Spirit. The renewing of the Spirit is both the one time giving of new life and also the daily and constant renewing of that life. Saving is done once, at baptism or conversion. But it is also vital to our daily life that we know that the Holy Spirit on an ongoing basis renews us. Every time we sin we die to God a little bit and life is diminished. But every time we repent and believe (remember our baptism) we die to self a little bit and life is expanded. Life is full when we sin less and repent more.

Thank God for this promise: the Holy Spirit can renew us instantly and constantly whenever we hear the Gospel. Once we have been renewed by the Spirit and given His life we can choose to enjoy more of the world or to enjoy more of God. One choice brings more death and the other choice brings more life. Therefore choose life by repenting of sin and believing the Gospel. The Holy Spirit brings us to life by hearing with faith. This is the promise: the Spirit renews us. The Spirit works through the Gospel, not the Law. The Law is necessary to convict us of sin and create a thirst and desire for the Gospel, and it is the Gospel that saves and renews life.

We are tempted to rely on our own fleshly efforts to change our ways, to get better, and improve our life, but the self has no power to do that. So we turn to Christ and the Spirit renews us. Thus the Gospel is vital for a rich and fresh life. The Spirit renews through the Gospel, and only through the Gospel, as through means.

Humans have many ways to refresh and renew: vacations, weekends, entertainment, cocktail hour, exercise, and many more. Some are helpful and others are unhelpful, but we all seek “renewing.” The Christian has 24/7 access to renewing whenever we need it, and we need it often. Whenever he takes time out weekly and daily to be exposed the Word of God and prayer the Spirit is always present to renew. Life is good.

305. Washing of regeneration

Titus 3:5b …by the washing of regeneration…

God saves us by the washing of regeneration, not by works of righteousness that we have done. The washing of regeneration is vitally important, for we need to have our sins washed away by the blood of Christ, and we need to be regenerated, or born again.

If we have been baptized the Spirit has washed with regeneration. Something amazing happened in our Baptism. God washed away all sins and caused us to have a new life. Jesus says you must be born again; a better translation is most likely “born from above.” Nicodemus took it to mean born a second time. Jesus explains the term “born again” as meaning “born of water and the Spirit.” Baptism is the second birth, or regeneration. Humans are made of body, soul, and spirit. The soul energizes the body, but the spirit, meant to energize the soul, is born dead. When Adam sinned, and when we were born, the spirit died. The spirit was created to be connected to, and energized by, God. When one is baptized, or born from above, the spirit of a person is made alive, and this new life is eternal as it is God’s life.

This new life, this second life, eternal life, the life of God in us, is renewed and revived every time we repent and believe the Gospel. In other words, to live, really live, we need to hear the Gospel with faith as often as possible, even if we have to speak it to ourselves. One way of doing this daily is given to us in Romans chapter 6: remember your Baptism. Contrition and repentance drowns the old man and the new man rises to newness of life. Then the just (those made righteous or made alive again) will live (truly and really) by faith. Faith alone is all that is needed for living a new life.

We have this wonderful promise: the washing of regeneration. We can’t be born again and again, and we can’t be re-baptized over and over, but we can “remember” our baptism and “walk in newness of life.” Thank God for the continuous washing by the Lord and the constant making alive again. Receive the promise with joy.

304. Saved by Mercy

Titus 3:5a Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us….

God saved us according to His mercy. The promise is that we are saved, but the great news is that we are saved according to His mercy. It is good news for us that salvation is not by works of righteousness that we have done. It would be bad news if salvation were by works, for then we would be without comfort or security. We know that we cannot trust in our works. Not only are there not enough works of righteousness to save us, but there are not really any. We are doomed. But the promise means that our salvation depends completely upon God, and not at all upon me, who I am or what I’ve done.

But we can trust in the mercy of God. If God were not merciful I would have no hope, but God is Mercy; therefore I know I am saved. And the promise is as certain as God. Mercy is absolutely essential for any human being to exist. We are only alive by the mercy of God. We are alive eternally only by the mercy of God. Without mercy we would be left to the Justice of God—and that’s death. 

Mercy is not justice. Mercy is not fair. But with God the mercy is just and fair because all sin has been justly judged at the cross of Christ. The wages of sin is death; the death of Christ completely paid the infinite price. Therefore, God’s justice is satisfied and so He can and He will for Christ’s sake have mercy on the sinner. No one can say God’s mercy is not fair or just. Nothing in us or about us can properly move God to have mercy; He would violate His own Justice. But the death of Christ makes the mercy of God available and abundant to all.

The Christian, who accepts the death of Christ as his own death, lays rightful claim to the mercy of God. And this mercy from God is unlimited; there is no end to the mercy; it cannot be used up. Sin is infinite, for God is infinite, and the mercy of God is infinite. It covers a multitude (all) of our sins. We receive mercy abundantly every day, as His mercies are new every morning. By Mercy we are saved; by Mercy we live every minute; by Mercy we live joyously and abundantly. No matter what happens, no matter what we do, and no matter what others do to us we can always count on the mercy of God. And finally, because we have received salvation and forgiveness according to God’s mercy we can have mercy on other people, whatever the offense or trespass.

302. Blessed Hope of Glorious Appearing

Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

We look for and eagerly anticipate the fulfillment of this promise: the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of Jesus, who is God and Savior. We have the promise and the hope that Jesus is coming back again. The hope is blessed because it is the present certainty of a future event. The hope is blessed because we feel comfort and strength for the day. Blessing feels good; this hope makes us feel good. Hope is the substance of a future reality not yet seen. The coming of Christ has not yet happened, but by faith we know it is coming and the effect of that near approach fills the heart with joy. Just the anticipation lifts our spirits. 

We are looking for the glorious appearing. This promise has not yet been fulfilled; it is yet to come in our future. The appearing of Jesus Christ in physical, visible form will be glorious, for He will come in glory. Matthew 25:31: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.” His appearing will also be glorious for us, for then the redeemed will shine with a glorious light. When the resurrection of the transformed body occurs the darkness of sin will be gone forever and the inner character of righteousness will erupt into glory. The appearing will be glorious in these two ways: 1) Jesus will appear in glory for all to be stunned, and, 2) we ourselves will appear glorious when we come with Christ to judge. Just as the Lord has fulfilled hundreds of promises in the first appearance of the Son of God on the earth, so also we can be just as certain that He will fulfill the promises of the second appearance of the Son of Man. The event is future; the hope is present. We look for that hope to be seen; and it will.

301.  Grace that Brings Salvation

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.

Grace brings salvation: not works, not prayers, not faith, not repentance, nor any other good thing that we can do. It is Grace Alone.Grace is free to us as a gift (that’s what grace means), but it is not free. It is earned at a priceless cost: the lifeblood of the Son of God. Jesus earned it for us because He loves us, and then He gives it to us. Grace brings salvation: grace is personified as a force that does something. It saves. It is not a theory or a construct, but it is a real entity. 

The power of Grace is awesome, indeed, amazing. It is the very power of God fighting, working, warring and winning on our behalf. Grace defeats every enemy that has been marshaled against us. Grace is the outworking of the Love of God. It is the love of God that initiates and then carries out the grace that brings salvation. But it is grace that actually does the job. We are justified by grace, which is the free gift of salvation. Grace is earned; the merits and the shed blood of Jesus Christ earn it. It absolutely and completely satisfies the just wrath of God against sin. Because of Christ the Lord God is no longer angry with us, and will never be again. Because of Christ Grace means that God must unconditionally love us forever. 

This saving grace of God has appeared to all men. This is an incredible assertion, because it seems to us that there are still many people who have lived on earth to whom the grace has not appeared. But it must be believed because God said it: “Grace has appeared to all men.” Even though it looks likely that some people have not heard the Gospel, yet the grace of God has appeared to everyone who ever lived on earth. Every person in the world can and may seek God and ask for grace and salvation, and the Lord will get the message to them. Then that gospel message must be heard with faith so that they may be saved by grace through faith.

Nonetheless, whether believed or not, the grace of God that brings salvation has been made available to every single person. Faith is necessary to personally make salvation real. The Lord has determined that an individual may resist the grace that has appeared. It is incredibly possible to neglect so great a salvation. The promise is to me: The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to me!

300. Eternal Life

Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.

God promised eternal life before He created the universe. The promise is ancient; the promise goes back even before time; the promise is even older than I am. I was promised eternal life even before I was born. My life and I myself was always in the mind of God. His plan was that there would be one of me who would live forever, life without end. God’s plan was thwarted by Sin, hindered but not ended. God’s promise from the beginning will be fulfilled: I have the hope of eternal life; I have eternal life.

God worked out His purpose in the history of the world and in the history of my life. He gave His Son (really, God Himself) to become a human like me to take my sin upon Him and die for me; He sent the Holy Spirit to give me faith in that promise so that I might believe in Jesus and have eternal life. A sinless man had to die in my place; and a sinless God had to die for me. It is impossible for God to die since He is eternal life, but He found a way for God to die by doing the impossible: the Son of God became a human being (the Word became flesh and dwelled among us). This was God’s plan from eternity and He completed it in time.

God cannot lie, by definition, for if God lied or did not keep His promise He would not be God, and we certainly could not trust Him. But the promise of eternal life is as sure as God is sure. God did not lie: He promised we would live forever. Sin, Death, and the devil tried to stop God’s true promise from being fulfilled, but they failed. These evil thwarters of God’s promise were violently defeated by the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

We are pretty certain we are presently alive. “I think, therefore I am.” We are pretty certain we are going to die. “The only things certain are death and taxes.” But as certain as we are about our life and our death, we can be even more certain of eternal life, God’s life, a life that goes on after death. This promise is old; and this promise if new every morning.

299. Crown of Righteousness

2 Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

God promises to give a crown of righteousness to all that love His appearing on that day. Those who believe in Jesus anticipate His glorious appearing. Because Jesus loves us we love Him; because we love Him we love His appearing. One promise we wait for is the crown of righteousness. This crown is laid up for us; it is waiting to be placed upon our head.

The crown of righteousness may also be called the crown of life. We are given life because we are crowned with righteousness. We are righteous and we have life; we don’t enjoy it fully here on earth because sin is still present, taking away from righteousness and from our life. We know that life and righteousness is waiting for us because the sin is forgiven, and when sin is gone only life and righteousness will shine forth in all its glory. And this is why we love His appearing.

A crown does not excite us too much in this day and age. The only crown we really know anything about is the crown of the king or queen of England; and this crown is only ceremonial. But a crown still has profound meaning and weighty authority. It is the symbol of absolute rule. The symbolic meaning is that the one wearing a crown can make decisions that affect lives; he can say whatever he wants and what he says happens; he can do whatever he wants without recrimination; whatever he decides, does, or says cannot be resisted or denied or overturned or ignored. Being a king carries an extremely heavy burden and responsibility. Wearing a crown is actually frightening, but the good news is that it is a crown of righteousness; this means that every decision, word, and action the wearer makes will be right and just and good. It is hard to imagine a life (an eternal one, to boot) in which everything we think, do, say, and decide is always good and right and beneficial for everyone. And that is why we love his appearing.