For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God[.]

1 Peter 3

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God[.] 1 Peter 3:18

For my daily study, I continue to lean on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotional, which today looks at what John Piper describes as "the greatest good of the good news - the gospel - [and how it] is the enjoyment of fellowship with God himself." Piper shares how this is explicit in the verse highlighted in the devotion today - 1 Peter 3:18.  He continues: "[a]ll the other gifts of the gospel exist to make this one possible[, including:]

• "We are forgiven so that our guilt does not keep us away from God."
• "We are justified so that our condemnation does not keep us away from God."
• "God is propitiated so that his wrath doesn’t stand between us and God as our Father."
• "We are given eternal life now, with new bodies in the resurrection, so that we have the capacities for being with God forever and enjoying God to the fullest."

Piper concludes the devotion today by writing that the love of God is ultimately expressed in Jesus Christ.  Sin separates us from God but Christ restored us to Himself - not just once but for eternity.  And the result is that we have life to the full now and for eternity (see also John 10:10). Piper's final words for today are to refer us to Psalm 16:11. Amen and praise God!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are SO good that You came so that I could continue fellowship with God!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You restored me to Yourself.  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 by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

1 Corinthians 15

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10

I continue my study looking at the life of Paul using John Piper's 30 Reasons Why I Love the Apostle Paul.  Today, I move to chapter twelve - Speaking with Feeling about the Glory of Christ, Not Religious Activity.  Here, John Piper emphasizes how Paul - certainly unlike the world, and even unlike many Believers who speak of "religious activity" - focused his words on the "preciousness of [his] fellowship with Jesus.*" Piper describes how a focus on religious activity is like interest and captivation with the shell vs the taste of the nut. Piper continues by sharing how Paul was not of want for religious activity as he was at the top of his game both as a Jew then as a Christian.  He points to Philippians 3:4-8, Galatians 1:14, 1 Corinthians 3:5-7, 15:10, and 2 Corinthians 12:11 as examples of where Paul shared his efforts but only used them to point to how God was at work vs glorifying himself. Piper wraps the chapter by sharing that "Paul was so united to Christ— Christ’s love for him and his faith in Christ— that there was a profound sense in which Christ was living out his life through Paul....This was the heart of his boasting and exultation."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace for me - working in and through me and never leaving or forsaking me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love.  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 also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God[.]

 2 Samuel 12

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God[.]  1 Peter 3:18a

As my vacation continues for another two days, I pause from my study of both Isaiah and Proverbs to listen to DesiringGod.com's daily devotion, which focuses on the gifts of the gospel, primarily unity with God as sin separates us from Him but Christ's death on the cross reconciles us to Him. In this devotion, John Piper outlines not just this gift but other gifts of the gospel that are made possible via this reconciliation:

• We are forgiven so that our guilt does not keep us away from God.
• We are justified so that our condemnation does not keep us away from God.
• God is propitiated so that his wrath doesn’t stand between us and God as our Father.
• We are given eternal life now, with new bodies in the resurrection, so that we have the capacities for being with God forever and enjoying God to the fullest.

God Himself and our ability to be with Him anytime and forever are the greatest gifts of all time - full stop. Thank You Jesus!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Jesus, thank You for willingly laying down Your life so that I could be forgiven, justified, reconciled to You, and in so doing, given fullness of life now and forever!  Amazing!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving!  My sin is great and it continues.  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.

We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.

1 Timothy 1

We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. v8

Paul starts out writing Timothy about the need to prevent the spread of false teaching.  Doctrinal truth is critical and we should avoid false teachers and teachings for many reasons - which of course starts with a desire to SEEK truth (or a "hunger and thirst for righteousness" - see also Matthew 5:6).  We can practically gain a better understanding of truth through both our own study as well as study with and through others as "iron sharpens iron" (Proverbs 27:17).  

John Piper provides great insights into how the search for truth and fellowship/unity are both important - see this post.  Unity can only be gained through truth.  Piper calls this "purity for the sake of unity".

On the other hand, which is also what Piper indicates, false teaching creates division.

If we have truth in our heart, we should expect to see fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) - I believe it is useful to ask those around us if fruit is present in our lives.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am grateful for the fruit You have produced in my life.  I know You are not done but I DO know that fruit is present - thank You Jesus!  Thank You for giving me a desire for You, faith, and truth.  Yet I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin 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.

Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.

Ezekiel 39

Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord. v28-29

God's justice is not indiscriminate...it is purposeful and out of love.  Ezekiel is used by God to deliver not just a stern message about punishment but also a message of love - this is how chapter 39 ends.

God does not like being separated from His children as we were created to be in unity with Him - this is so from the beginning in the garden of Eden. Sin separates us from God and this separation is our own doing (see also v23-24).  

Yet God does not like being separated from His children so He gathers them to be near Him and offers unity with Him through His Son Jesus Christ - the greatest gift of all time.  We were created to be in unity with God to be His ambassadors for His purpose...any punishment should be seen through this lens as God works through us to prepare us for what He has in mind for us (see also Romans 8:28).

My Prayer: What an awesome God You are that You love me and sent Your Son Jesus to die for me so that I could be free from the sting of sin and death - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I worry.  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 Him.  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 will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did. The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.

Judges 2

I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.  The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua. v22-23

Bad things happen in the world because of sin; since the Fall, we no longer live in perfect unity with God.  However, God sent his Son so that we may reconciled to God. As is the case here with the Israelites, God either causes or allows things to happen for his purpose. 

We must all be aware for what God is doing in our lives.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who has refined me, trained me and made me more like You.  Thank You Jesus - it has not been a straight path or an easy one but You have always been with me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such God - I often neglect You.  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 do.  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.  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.