“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Mark 3:22-30

“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—  for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” Mark 3:28-30

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 3:22-30, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: God is Holy and His Name is worthy of worship; He does not tolerate any blasphemy. 
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: People are so concerned about themselves and what they have that they are willing to do anything that get in the way of what they perceive as a threat - including evidence to the contrary.  The scribes were clearly concerned about the threat Jesus posed to their positions and status as arbiters of the law.  Be aware of people who stand between what is Truth and question their motives - what are they protecting?  
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey)?:  We should NEVER blaspheme God's name.  God promises to eternally punish those who do blaspheme His name. We should be unified as a church globally and avoid divisions that are meaningless - even in the face of disagreement, we should strive to be peaceful about resolving conflict.  Scripture lays out how to deal with disagreement in the church.  

While Jesus' words in the text focuses on division among Satan's minions and how Jesus is not Satan because this would mean Satan's house is "divided" and "cannot stand," for similar reasons, the church must be unified.  This post from about a year and a half ago on church unity is apt, as it emphasizes unity in diversity based on 1 Corinthians 12:11-31.  Here is another post worth a read on this topic based on Ephesians 4:1-3, 15-16. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, thank You so much for my brothers and sisters in Christ and how You knit us together as a global church.  It is incredible to see and experience and of course a blessing in my own journey with You.  I am not deserving of my salvation, nor any of the blessings such as these that You pour out for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus,to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.

Mark 3:1-6

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus,to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. Mark 3:1-2

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on a commentary-assisted review of Mark 3:1-2, which is the text for the first (of three) division per the commentary.  Excerpts from the introduction for this chapter of commentary and the first division:

•  "It is always right to bless others and do good, no matter what the enemies of God’s kingdom might say or do." 
• "The religious leaders of Israel are certainly tiring of Jesus humiliating them and asserting His own authority. The worst part is He continually backs up His claims with acts of undeniable power and teaching with inherent authority."
• "The hostility now reaches a climax in this fifth controversy, resulting in anger on both sides. For Jesus the anger stemmed from the religious leaders placing limits on when it was right to do good and to save a life. For the Pharisees and the Herodians, it was over the young Rabbi’s continuous undermining of their traditions, their religious rules, and the overall status quo."
• "Jesus will not back off, though He understands where this will lead. Consumed with the will of His Father and emboldened by an uncompromising conviction, He will move ahead with His face set toward the cross, unalterably convinced that it is always right to do good!"
• "Jesus seems to be deliberately provoking a confrontation with the religious leaders. Don’t claim to forgive sins (2:5), they effectively tell Him. Don’t consort with sinners (2:16). Don’t neglect fasting as we dictate (2:18). Don’t work in order to eat on the Sabbath (2:24). Their hardness of heart is almost overwhelming, and Jesus’ frustration has reached a boiling point. Undoubtedly He is overtly inviting their critical judgment by what He is about to do!"
• "In the synagogue Jesus sees a man with a withered hand. This man was disabled and in need of love and compassion. One can imagine the repeated embarrassment he endured every time he lifted up his hands in prayer, as was the custom. Some may have drawn the conclusion that his deformed hand was a curse from God for a sin by him or his parents, as the disciples assumed concerning the man born blind (John 9:2-3). And just like the blind man, this man needed Jesus’ attention, and his healing would be the occasion for God’s power to be put on display. Jesus, with sensitivity and compassion, took notice of this man."
• "The Pharisees permitted healing on the Sabbath only for the sake of saving a life. This man’s problem was not life threatening, so he and Jesus should wait. If Jesus healed him today, they could accuse Him of breaking the Sabbath, an offense punishable by death according to Exodus 31:14-17."
• "The Pharisees were enslaved to their own critical hearts, and they did their best to enslave others as well."    

As I posted yesterday, legalism is of course not confined to the Pharisees of Jesus' day - there are those in every church that have strong opinions about how faith, worship, church practices, must work and we must all be aware of how we as believers bring about and practice this legalism - it is a form of elitism that I know for certain how faith, worship, church, must work.  Scripture may be clear on certain aspects of faith, worship and church life, but where it is less clear and silent - we can all agree to disagree about approaches based on church, denominational, etc. differences.  Let us all unite around what is important and agreed upon that we all exist to bring to glory to God. Church unity is a significant theme in scripture and we should be mindful to follow scripture on this key topic. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me.  Thank You for Your grace and mercy that You pour out ceaselessly and every morning.  I am not deserving of such grace and mercy.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day....

[T]here may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

 1 Corinthians 12:8-31

[T]here may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 1 Corinthians 12:25-26

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an assisted review of 1 Corinthians 12:8-31 using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary volume for this book.  From the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "Different gifts are given to different believers, and all gifts are for the glory of God and the good of the church."

Key excerpts from the introduction: 

• Every believer has a primary spiritual gift
• Everyone typically has more than one spiritual gift
• Teaching, exhortation, service, mercy, prophecy, leadership provide a list while not exhaustive, that capture "most areas of service and ministry"
• "every gift is to be used for the glory of God and the good of the church."
  

Divisions per the commentary:

1. The Gifts of Wisdom (12:8,10): "God supernaturally imparts insight about the Scriptures or reveals how the Word of God may be applied to certain situations, how the will of God may be preserved, and how the work of God may be continued....Wisdom is supernatural in origin (James 1:5). You can get knowledge from a book and education in a school, but true wisdom comes only from God....It is the ability to see things as God sees them....Now there is some debate among scholars as to whether or not there is to be a distinction made between wisdom and knowledge....there must be some distinction or it would not be distinguished as a separate gift in Paul’s delineation....A word of knowledge, then, is perhaps when God reveals something to someone that he or she would not know or could not know about a particular situation unless it was revealed supernaturally. It is a special message of insight into a particular situation that may reveal a hidden motive or even a future action."  Possible examples identified by the commentary include Acts 5 and 27 when respectively "Peter uncovered the fact that Ananias had kept back some of the money he claimed to have given to the church," and when Paul "warned the entire crew of the ship they had to stay together or else they would all perish....Both wisdom and knowledge reflect the God-given ability to bring spiritual insight beyond human understanding to bear in a situation....The work of distinguishing between spirits refers to the ability to see through false teaching, false prophets, and false doctrine. I like to think of it as spiritual x-ray vision.  In the spirit of what’s said in 1 John 4:1-3, I believe the gift is also the ability to discern not just by what is being said but sometimes by the person who is saying it. I have found by personal experience that some of the finest, most eloquent speakers can also be the best at deception. More than ever before, the exercise of this gift is desperately needed both in the church and in the academy." 
   
2. The Gifts of Worship (12:9-10): "I place two gifts, faith and prophecy, under this category because I believe these two are linked very closely. Most worship will involve some prophecy because God always speaks in and through worship, but no worship can take place apart from faith because “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). The work of God is expanded through faith. The Word of God is expounded through prophecy." The gift of faith is described is no ordinary faith but that which 'moves mountains.' "There are just certain people who have the ability not only to see what no one else can see, go where no one else will go, risk what no one else will risk, but do it with a quiet confidence and unshakable assurance that God is going to come through. Theirs is in effect an unshakable faith in God’s unequaled faithfulness that is far more abundant than all that we ask or think." The gift of the word of prophecy is defined as "[t]he spiritual ability to proclaim God’s truth in such an authoritative and powerful fashion that lives are changed, the lost are saved, and believers are motivated for greater service and maturity."    
   
3. The Gifts of Wonders (12:9-10): "These gifts, though normative to Paul, are nevertheless exceptional. In the Bible, they are neither more prominent nor more prominently displayed than other gifts. In fact, church history would suggest they are rarely used except in special situations. With that caveat, I accept all these gifts as legitimate for today....First, there are different kinds of healings.  Surely a doctor can be used by God to bring physical healing, a counselor may be used to bring about emotional healing, and a pastor may be used to bring about spiritual healing....[T]here is no one gift of healing. There are “gifts” of healings. That is, at certain times, in certain situations, and through certain people God brings healing to those who are sick....[A]ll healing is divine....Of all the gifts, this one most consistently proves itself a topical land mine. Unfortunately, the gift of tongues has become one of the most controversial and divisive issues among God’s people....[T]he gift of tongues is the supernatural ability to speak in a foreign language previously unknown by the speaker so that the gospel and biblical truth might be communicated to people that need to hear it....[T]he gift of tongues is a missionary gift. Indeed, there are reports it has been heard on mission fields before." 
   
4. Unity in Diversity (12:11-31): "No person should be jealous of another person’s spiritual gifts or God-given abilities. Rather, as we come to understand the whole dynamic of spiritual gifts, we celebrate the differences and the point that we are all unique. But we are also to be dependent on one another (vv. 14-17). It takes every part of the body working together to have a healthy, properly functioning church body. Each part of the body is dependent on other parts of the body to do its work....every member of the body is equally needed, but every member of the body is equally important. We all have different gifts, different passions, and different interests. Yet every gift should be unwrapped and put into the service of the body. Everybody is somebody in Christ’s body.  Then, we are to be devoted to one another (vv. 23-26). No matter what functions, gifts, or ministries other people have, we each honor and respect all others, and we empathize with one another."  
   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who gave me a church body that supports me when I am weak and a role to play to give me significance - thank You Jesus for these blessings.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace....Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Ephesians 4

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace....Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Ephesians 4:1-3, 15-16

Today, I am pausing in my study of 1 Corinthians to dig deeper into studies provided by my church - Bay Leaf Baptist Church as part of its Multiply initiative - from my study booklet, my focus this morning for reading is Ephesians 4:1-16, and 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 for memorization. The study booklet, on page 34 shares how "the first three chapters of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes about the beauty of the gospel message. The final three chapters of Ephesians are an explanation of how a transformed follower of Jesus should live in light of the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul begins this teaching with an exhortation to be unified in Christ." Paul makes this exhortation in Ephesians 4 by first (vv1-3) urging believers to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Paul then (vv5-6) defines unity and how believers are bonded together (one body) by "one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father."  In v6, Paul further reminds us that the One True God we serve is "over all and through all and in all" (God reigns over all). In vv7-12, Paul says that regardless of how we serve and are bonded together through faith in the One True God, Jesus Christ graced us with spiritual gifts (Paul references Psalm 68:18) - so we are unique but designed to work together "for the work of ministry, [and] for building up the body of Christ."  In v13, Paul urges us to do such work (ministry and for building up the body of Christ) until "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ", implying until glorification.  In v14, Paul provides a tertiary reason for the work he describes - so that we can grow in our maturity in faith and withstand Satan's schemes and continue to defend against sin and temptation. In vv15-16 Paul concludes the text for today by providing a portrait of how church unity works - using a physical body as an analogy.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who provides me church to support me in my effort to be worthy of the calling You gave me.  Thank You for Bay Leaf Baptist church.  I am not deserving of how You love me and bless me.  My sin is great and it continues...will You please forgive me and help me turn from and overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you.

 1 Corinthians 6

To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. 1 Corinthians 6:7

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians.  I am assisted in my study by the Christ-Centered Exposition Series commentary for this book.  Today my focus is a review - unaided by the commentary - of 1 Corinthians 6:1-11.  Here, Paul builds on words shared already in previous chapters of 1 Corinthians where he is admonishing the church in Corinth for its various sins, include pride, arrogance, and worship of men vs God.  The past three days I have posted about church discipline and how it is important to confront sin within the church.  Similarly, conflict and disagreement in the church must be addressed, and Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3 how even leaders within the church submit to God as servants to Him who is working through the servants and "doing the growth." Today, Paul addresses how conflict should not result in believers taking each other to court via lawsuits, particularly in light of how it is "the world" that will preside over the lawsuit as judge. Paul refers to such efforts as a "defeat."  Church unity is critical as we must all be singularly focused on the broad mission God gives us - to love him, to love others and to bring the Good News to the world to save as many possible.  When we fight each other we fail in our mission.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - helping me and my brothers and sisters in Christ stay on mission, and when I fail in this mission (and I do) You are so gracious and patient with me...thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such grace and compassion...my sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

1 Corinthians 1

For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 1 Corinthians 1:17

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians.  I am assisted in my study by the Christ-Centered Exposition Series commentary for this book.  Today my focus is a review and study - assisted by the commentary - of 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, which the commentary unpacks via a main idea* and four (4) divisions*:

Main Idea: The family of God should unite with one another in Christ, refusing to create divisions or to elevate anyone as more important. 

In the introduction, the commentary describes how the church in Corinth fought over a "cult of personality" where (see v12) instead of everyone focusing and following Jesus, some followed Paul, some Apollos, and some Cephas. It continues by sharing*: "[d]ividing into political parties may be the way of the world, but it should not be the practice of the people of God. There could not be a more relevant word for the twenty-first-century church. Our eyes and ears need to be wide open to the counsel of God’s appointed apostle here. God is speaking through him. So, let us explore what divides and even destroys a church."

1.  You Stop Thinking Like Jesus (1:10): Paul appeals to the Corinthian church in a gentle manner and invokes Jesus' name to ensure the church sees how it is God who seeks unity - not simply an opinion of Paul. The commentary refers us to Philippians 2:2, 5, and 4:2 where Paul discusses how the entire church should think and act as one with one purpose - to glorify God in all that they do and to bring the Good News to all nations. Paul believes the Corinthians had lost this unity and single-mindedness and were not demonstrating love of God and others.  
   
2.  You Start Fussing and Fighting with One Another (1:11). The commentary reminds us how church infighting (in person, online, and behind people's backs) distracts the church from its mission: "a watching world was being turned off the gospel of Jesus Christ in the process."
   
3.  You Buy into the Cult of Personality (1:12-13).  The commentary* describes each of those called out in v12: "(a) Paul: their founder, who was just an average preacher; (b) Apollos: the eloquent preacher from Alexandria; (c) expositor extraordinaire Cephas (i.e., Peter): the Jewish apostle and pillar of the church from the inner circle of Jesus; (d) Jesus: the Savior!."  The commentary* reminds us that we should avoid "put[ting] a person on a pedestal that belongs only to Jesus." We are to "take pride in Jesus and only him!"  On these notes, the commentary refers us to Colossians 1:18 and Galatians 6:14.
   
4.  You Forget What Matters Most (1:14-17).

 Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves and who is full of grace and mercy for me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessing.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

*Akin, Dr. Daniel L.; Merritt, James. Exalting Jesus in 1 Corinthians (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

I appeal to you, brothers,[a] by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

1 Corinthians 1

I appeal to you, brothers,[a] by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 1 Corinthians 1:10

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians.  I am assisted in my study by the Christ-Centered Exposition Series commentary for this book.  This morning my focus is a review - unaided by the commentary - of 1 Corinthians 1:10-17. Here, the text focuses primarily on Paul's words to the church in Corinth that they avoid divisions by chasing a culture of personality - I say this because Paul refers to "quarreling among you" in verse 11 and in verse 12 he clarifies by saying "what I mean" where he describes this culture of personality in v12-16.  Specifically, Paul was warning about worship of a teacher/pastor vs worship of Jesus.  In general, a church may face disagreement and conflict across many areas - some key areas (i.e. doctrine), other areas less important (i.e. church music, decor of church, about whether to have a program or not/and how to have it, etc.).  It is most important to agree on the matters of doctrine - and to be aligned with scripture on these matters. Everything else is less important and disagreements can be tolerated as along as handled with grace.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who is full of grace for me - even when I have criticized and complained about church leadership - thank You for Your grace and forgiveness.  I am not deserving of such grace and forgiveness - my sin continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me with my sins of commission and omission.  Help me overcome and turn from such sins and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of m y heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

Hebrews 12

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Hebrews 12:12-13

I continue my study of Hebrews, and this morning my focus is Hebrews 12:12-17, and and I am assisted in my understanding by the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary Series for Hebrews. The commentary outlines two divisions for this text: 

I. The Charge: Keep Running (12:12-13): The commentary emphasizes how the author of Hebrews uses metaphors of drooping hands, weak knees, and lame feet, etc. to underscore how the Christian life is often one of struggle and we are encouraged to continue to persevere and endure. The author uses language from 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 where the analogy of a race is also used. We are warned about obstacles to our faith - the commentary shares: "If you are going to run a race well, you will need a clear path, and to get a clear path, you will need to remove any obstacles. You don’t want to leave any dangerous spots where you could twist an ankle or trip over a rock....We must arrange our lives so that sin’s opportunities to ensnare us are significantly reduced."

II. The Challenge: Live Holy Lives (12:14-17): The commentary highlights v14 where Christians are to live at peace with everyone - not just the community of believers.  This is important particularly during periods of persecution as beliefs in the church are currently under attack - do not respond harshly. We are also reminded to be holy - recognizing that we are not perfect - and to fight sin. To do so, v15 seeks for believers to watch out for one another and to avoid division in the church. Finally, the commentary for the text wraps by pointing to a negative example - in contrast to the positive examples in chapter 11 (the Hall of Faith) - for believers. Esau traded his birthright for a meal (see full story in Genesis 25, 27).  The commentary describes this action as an irreverent and unthinkable action.  Esau then lost his father's blessing to Jacob.  Although Jacob did so deceptively, it was lost nonetheless and Esau is described in the commentary as showing regret but not repentance. We are referred to 2 Corinthians 7:10 where Paul compares Godly to worldly grief and the commentary describes Esau as displaying the latter. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Jesus, You are an awesome God who has given me great examples of faithfulness so that I can continue running the race of faith to the finish - through scripture, my brothers and sisters in Christ, and of course in Yourself!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You encourage and save me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

[God] raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 4

[God] raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6-7

I continue my study of Ephesians via my participation in a Discipleship (D) Group that is part of my church. For this morning, I continue with Ephesians 4, focusing on v25-32. My study of Ephesians 4 over the past few days include posts on church unity, the importance of small group life as a part of our church experience, and how we are encouraged to lean into the sanctification process and our new creation lives (as believers).  The chapter closes in these verses where Paul urges believers (via the church in Ephesus) to avoid the sins that bring discord within the church and distract the church from its mission. In v25, Paul reminds believers that we are of one body - the church - returning to a theme expressed in v1-16.  Paul contrasts sin we should avoid with Godly behavior we should demonstrate, including "speaking truth with [our] neighbors...doing honest work with [our] hands...shar[ing] with anyone in need...building up...[and] giv[ing] grace to those who hear...be[ing] kind to one another, tenderhearted forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave [us]." Again, broadly these verses connect with themes previously expressed in other parts of Ephesians 4, including putting off the old self and putting on the new life we have in Christ.  John Piper's lab video here helps break this down and also helps us understand the motives (Christian ethics based not on the law but in Christ as expressed in v30 and 32) God is seeking in us to put on the new life in Christ.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You gave me Yourself and the Holy Spirit, and in so doing I have forgiveness, eternal life, and an abundant life now to endure and find joy through all of what a broken and sin-filled world brings.  I am not deserving of these blessings as I know I sin...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

[God] raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 4

[God] raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6-7

I resume my study of Ephesians via my participation in a Discipleship (D) Group that is part of my church. For this morning, I continue with Ephesians 4, focusing on v1-16. As I posted yesterday, unity within the church is a primary theme as Paul seeks to keep the church in Ephesus on mission - all working together towards the same end, which is to spread the gospel.  John Piper, digs deeper here, and writes that this text from Paul's letter to the Ephesians is urging us to participate in small groups as a core and necessary component of our church experience - we cannot simply attend church just on Sundays as God intends so much more for us as a church body. He leans heavily on v16, which starts in v15 where believers are urged to "[speak] truth in love, [and] grow up in every way into him who is the head into Christ" and then Piper uses the text to explain how God sees us "growing up."  He collapses v16 to show that God wants "the whole body" to "[make] the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."  Piper then goes on to write how "grace given to each one of us" (v7-8) enables this body to minister to itself, thereby not relying on entirely on church staff to do all the work.  Piper closes his message with this: "So what verse 16 means when it says that 'the whole body causes the growth of the body' when 'each individual part is working properly,' it means that all the members have gifts, and all of those gifts are to be used in building up the body 'in love.' And this is how Christ, the all-supplying, supernatural Head of the body, builds and cares for his church." Speaking for myself, I know that I need a small group experience as part of my church life.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who gives me brothers and sisters in Christ from whom I am encouraged, supported, loved, etc. Thank You Jesus.  I am not deserving of such blessings nor any of the blessings You pour out for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

[God] raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 4

[God] raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6-7

I resume my study of Ephesians via my participation in a Discipleship (D) Group that is part of my church. For this morning, I move on to Ephesians 4, which focuses on church unity.  This is a very important theme as the mission of the church (locally and globally) is of course negatively impacted by tensions, conflict, and a failure to heed to gospel-centered teaching - John Piper provides a good definition of Christian unity here. In writing to the church at Ephesus, Paul emphasizes a few themes to drive unity - these themes include how although each of us are different and our spiritual gifts are different, God knits us together as a church and body of Christ (v16). We are encouraged to build each other up, not tear one another down, and to put away "bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander...[and] all malice."  Instead we are urged to "[b]e kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace for me - thank You Jesus.  I am not deserving of the grace You pour out for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved[.]

Ephesians 2

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved[.] Ephesians 2:4-5

I continue my pause of a deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series, to study Ephesians for 3 days per week as I participate in a Discipleship (D) Group that is part of my church. This morning, my focus stays on Ephesians 2 as I deepen my understanding of this text. The resources for this morning include videos from DesiringGod.com where John Piper breaks down Ephesians 2.  The first video, describes the "dreadful" spiritual condition in which we all found each other - Jews, Gentiles, and all of humanity - fallen, dead in our sins, and heading towards damnation...before our conversion and salvation.  This video is part of a ten-part series on Ephesians 2.  In the first video, Piper seeks to have believers understand the big picture of v1-11, and he uses the subsequent videos to deconstruct the parts that make-up the whole (big picture) so that we see both the big picture and how the details support the whole.  Core to the big picture is God's grace (v5, 8), how we are to be humble in light of this grace (v9), and the grace working in us is designed to bring glory to Him to show the world (v7, 10). The second video focuses on Ephesians 2:1-3 and how we should recognize the importance of the "union" and "commonality" of how ALL of humanity (Jews, Gentiles, all nations, etc.) was dead in our sins prior to Christ but are now redeemed and a new creation in Christ. Piper describes that the implications of this union and commonality include how this should drive unity in how we relate to others, with examples such as how we share the gospel to all nations, and how we come together as a global church. W hat's interesting is how our world focuses on diversity and how we should embrace our differences.  The problem with this approach is that it assumes to a large extent that a focus on diversity in and of itself will drive unity.  Here, in Ephesians 2, we have a prescription on HOW unity allows us to embrace diversity.

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My Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are an awesome God who loves me and who poured out amazing grace for me - giving me new life, now and forevermore.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such grace...my sin is great and it continues...including focus on worldly comforts and pleasures.  Please forgive me Jesus for my love of the world!  Help me overcome and turn from such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

 Romans 16

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Romans 16:17-20

This afternoon, I completed my study of Romans.  Using my commentary - Exalting Jesus in Romans (eBook) - I completed the final chapter twenty Christian Friendship, which covers Romans 16.  My focus today is all of Romans 16, with a particular focus on v16:17-27 - today's entry from my commentary refers to this final review of Romans 16 as How Christian Friendship Is Experienced: Love. 

These closing verses of chapter 16 (and all of Romans) reveal how Paul wants the church to play a central role in creating unity and how, in turn, unity drives strength to stay strong in the faith - Satan and sin is powerful, but Jesus is more powerful and we know that ultimately the victory over Satan and sin is already won so we can remain confident. In the final verses of this chapter and Romans overall, Paul reminds us how scripture and the Holy Spirit, who accompanies us in our reading of the Bible, "bring about the obedience of faith" (v16:26) and that we are strengthened (v16:25) by God and the Holy Spirit. God equips us as we draw near to Him. 

As we look back and wrap up chapter 16, my commentary reminds us five ways how we can love each other in "the community of faith"

• honoring one another
• showing hospitality to one another
• showing affection for one another
• doing ministry together
• staying focused on the gospel together
  

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has helped strengthened me through communities of faith - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You have blessed me with such communities.  I sin...poor judgement, worry, etc. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.

Romans 15

I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. Romans 15:14

This afternoon, I continued my study of Romans.  Using my commentary - Exalting Jesus in Romans (eBook) - I continued with chapter nineteen Great Commission Christians, which covers Romans 15:14-15:33.  My focus today is v15:14-15, which my commentary refers to under the heading "Be Part of a Healthy, Gospel-Centered Church." While I have been posting on how Paul has been focusing on church unity, here, Paul offers words to help us understand where a church should focus around which unity can be built.  Key words from today's verses are "full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another."  Goodness implies love; filled with all knowledge implies understanding of the gospel and scripture; and instruct one another implies how we are to study the Word together and to "sharpen" each other, borrowing from Proverbs 27:17.  I am also reminded how in the early formation of the church (Acts 2:42-47), how the new believers "had all things in common" meaning that although they call came from different walks in life with unique challenges, etc, they shared a passion for Jesus Christ - a much stronger bond than say a common interest in reading, movies, or food, etc. We should unite around this shared passion for Christ, and again not let unessential matters divide us. 

As I charge forward with this chapter in my commentary, I read from the commentary that this section (Romans 15:14-33) is a missionary focused, written by the "greatest missionary ever."  As I unpack this section, the commentary will provide eight (8) takeaways, starting with today's which use v15:14-15 to help us understand characteristics of a gospel-centered church.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has placed me in great gospel-centered churches where I am known, loved and where I have grown in Christ!  Huge blessings indeed - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin continues, including worry, etc. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.