In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:4-6

This afternoon, I continue with John Piper's book Holy Ambition.  My focus today is on chapter one The Story of His Glory - pages 17-35. As a starting point for better understanding our holy ambition, Piper wants to ensure we understand God's glory and that we exist for God's glory. Piper states that "in order for us to have a heart for unreached peoples that is strong enough, durable enough, God-centered enough to be the kind of heart it should be, we need to base this hear for the nations on the same foundation on which God bases his heart for the nations." Piper then goes on of course to say that "God's heart for the nations is built on God's heart for God....God does everything for the sake of magnifying his glory."  We must also understand, according to Piper that God's self-exaltation is "for the enjoyment of his people...[e]verything good that you ever longed for will be satisfied in him."  Piper goes all the way back to Genesis and Creation to remind us that we were created in his image (Genesis 1:27) and that images exist to display God's glory.  Jesus exists for God for God's glory...and God is "well-pleases with Jesus" (Matthew 3:17).  Time and time again in the Old Testament God acts for "the sake of [his] name."  Understanding all of this is a key precursor to understanding why Jesus "came to purchase people from every ethnic group and the church sends out missionaries."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are indeed worthy of my praise and worship - on the count of my salvation alone You are worthy.  But You are worthy for so much more and then some!  My description, nor can my human brain fully comprehend how and why You are worthy.  Thank You Jesus for pouring out the many blessings for me that You pour out for me - I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues daily....many times a day.  I am broken and sinful...and in need of You.  Desperately.  Please forgive me for my sin today - worry and so much more.  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.

[T]hus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel[.]

In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Romans 15:17-21

As I wrapped my study of Romans, one particular verse (v15:20) from Romans sticks with me and my commentary that I used referred to Paul's ambition as a "holy ambition."  We are all urged to have a holy ambition like Paul's, and so I now move on to John Piper's book Holy Ambition.  This afternoon, my focus is on the Introduction - pages 11-19. 

Piper states that the holy ambition from Romans 15:20 have three direct implications for our lives (as believers):

1. that we all have a holy ambition
2. that we see an immeasurable need (for the gospel)
   
3. that we (corporately and/or individually) have a global strategy to meet the immeasurable need 

Piper goes on to state that each of us should have a holy ambition but that not everyone should have Paul's holy ambition as each has its own gifting. He writes that our holy ambition "comes from a personal encounter with the living Christ (not necessarily as dramatic as the Damascus road), shaped and informed and empowered by the written word of God."

If we don't feel like we have a holy ambition, Piper suggests that we "saturate" ourselves "with the word of God and ask him for it."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has grown in my heart and life and I feel filled!  Thank You Jesus!  Yet I am undeserving of how You bless me in so many ways.  I have sin of anger, 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 an every day.

[T]hus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written,'those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.'

Romans 15

[T]hus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written,'those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.' Romans 15:20-21

This evening, 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 v15:20-21, which my commentary refers to under the heading "Have a Passion for the Gospel and a Heart for People." Coming back to when I started this chapter in my commentary, Paul's focus is on spreading the gospel, and today, this is front and center. Paul wants to preach the gospel - that all are to hear God's word and understand. There are so many lost in the world, and we are to reach as many as we can. My commentary seeks for us to have the same ambition as Paul (v15:20) - and it refers to this ambition as "holy" ambition.  We must all, regardless of our gifts - as not everyone can do as Paul did - reach the lost. My commentary uses Paul's words to Timothy (2 Timothy 1:6), to "fan into flame the gift of God." We are also encouraged to see Paul's reference to Isaiah 52:15 in v15:21 and how Paul sees his holy ambition to fulfill Biblical expectations how God's word spreads throughout the world.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and Your message is a matter of life or death for everyone and it is my wish that You use me to spread Your Word - as I have seen first hand how You work and I desire this for everyone.  Thank You Jesus for how You have blessed me.  I am not deserving of such love and blessing.  I worry and I have other sins.  Please forgive for my sins 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.