Tag: holiness

Jesus at Nazareth (Part Three)

Luke 4:16-30

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (4:18-21 NIV).

Attention was focused on Jesus in his hometown synagogue. He had found the Scripture to read, read it, and had properly given the scroll back to the attendant. Everyone waited to hear him. What would he say? Luke gives us one sentence of Christ’s words. But most probably his other remarks opened up the passage from Isaiah 61 that he had read. He would have explained how he himself was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. How can we make this assertion? We can make it by comparing Scripture with Scripture.

Listen to what the Lord Jesus said later in Luke’s Gospel. Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures (Luke 24:27 CSB). Our Savior and Teacher viewed the Bible as a book about him. Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44 ESV). You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, and yet they testify about me (John 5:39 CSB). In the Scriptures, God tells us the story of his glory. He reveals who he is and what he does in the Word of God. So then, Jesus made a statement about himself and God, in his hometown synagogue. Obviously, this is a gigantic claim. If you or I said this, we would be blaspheming or insane. But Jesus was God and plainly spoke the truth about his identity.

His first word about himself is strangely the easiest to overlook. Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me….” The church as a whole has not done much thinking about this truth, as Abraham Kuyper observed nearly 120 years ago. Since that time, the church as talked much about the Holy Spirit and the Christian. But there is not much discussion about the role of the Spirit in the person and work of Christ. Yet when Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah, he started with this truth (Isaiah 11:2; 42:1; 61:1). Here are some thoughts about the meaning of this:

  • The Holy Spirit acted in the conception of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38). Far beyond our comprehension, the Spirit acted to join the God the Son with true humanity from Mary to form Jesus Christ as one person with two natures (divine and human). In doing this, the Spirit of God kept Christ’s human nature free from the guilt and corruption of sin. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens (Hebrews 7:26 ESV).
  • The Holy Spirit filled Jesus Christ. For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit (John 3:34 NLT). God the Father poured out the Spirit on Jesus in his human nature. Jesus needed the Spirit as a man in order to live for the glory of God. The Spirit acted in Jesus fully to set him apart for God. This is seen, for example, in his growth from being a baby to a child to a man (Luke 2:40, 52). Though Jesus was separate from sin, he still needed to develop a godly way of life in the practical choices he made. As the writer of Hebrews says, Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered (Hebrews 5:8 NIV). The Spirit helped Jesus through this process.
  • The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus at his baptism to indicate that he was the Son of God and to anoint him as the Messiah (our Prophet, Priest, and King). And the Holy Spirit descended on him in a physical appearance like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased” (Luke 3:22 CSB).
  • The Holy Spirit enabled Jesus as a man to do mighty works. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you (Matthew 12:28 ESV). As Jesus read from Isaiah, he mentioned more of the signs and wonders he did by the Spirit of the Lord. We will consider this subject in more detail on our next post in this series.

As a practical point that others have pointed out, if Jesus Christ needed the Holy Spirit to live for God and to serve God, then how much more do we need the Spirit?

Grace and peace,
David

Fire from Heaven (Part One)

2 Kings 1:1-18

Ahaziah had fallen through the latticed window of his upstairs room in Samaria and was injured. So he sent messengers, instructing them, “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury” (1:2 CSB).

In order to understand this chapter, it is necessary to have a Biblical view of God. To have such a view in the culture of our time is rare, even among those who regularly attend a church that preaches God’s word. Why is this so? The Biblical view of God requires an acceptance of both the goodness and grace of God and the holiness and justice of God, even when we don’t grasp how they can be reconciled. The apostle Paul sums it up well. Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off (Romans 11:22 NIV).

The setting of the chapter is two years after the death of the wicked king Ahab. He tried to escape the doom prophesied for him by Elijah, but while in battle, someone shot an arrow at random, but God directed its flight, and it struck Ahab between the joints of his armor, and he bled to death. Then dogs licked up his blood just as Elijah had prophesied. Now Ahab’s wicked son Ahaziah ruled over the northern kingdom of Israel. He walked in the ways of his evil parents.

Think for a moment of the power of sin over the human heart. You might assume that Ahaziah would have learned from the death of his father, which happened just as God had said. But no, something more than a terrible judgment is needed to change a sinner’s heart. Ahaziah dares God to carry out judgment on him. When he falls and seriously injures himself, he brazenly sends messengers to the false god Baal-Zebub to find out if he will recover. Will Ahaziah succeed in mocking God?

All that happens in this chapter is a demonstration of the kindness and severity of God. The Lord was kind toward Elijah and protected him, but acted severely against all who provoked him to anger. In this chapter, we must not blame Elijah for what happened. He was no more able in himself to bring down fire from heaven than you and I are. Instead, let us think of something else. The living God demands that his people honor him as the only true God.

The issue at stake was the honor of the God of the covenant (1:3, 6, 16). Remember the demand of the law covenant. Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Israel, listen to the statutes and ordinances I am proclaiming as you hear them today. Learn and follow them carefully. The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. He did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with all of us who are alive here today. The Lord spoke to you face to face from the fire on the mountain. At that time I was standing between the Lord and you to report the word of the Lord to you, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain. And he said: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. Do not have other gods besides me (Deuteronomy 5:1-7 CSB). The living God spoke plainly to his people, Israel. Notice three matters about this word.

  • Human responsibility was clearly stressed.
  • The God of the covenant was clearly identified.
  • A transgression was clearly prohibited.

Though the law covenant has been fulfilled and set aside, this command is still in force today. We’ll consider this in another post.

The first commandment of the law covenant was clearly transgressed (1:1). This was not an isolated incident in Ahaziah’s life (cf. 1 Kings 22:51-53). Ahaziah did not learn from the mistakes of others. His act was similar to what Saul had done when he consulted the medium at Endor (cf. 1 Samuel 28). What happens to Ahaziah and his men is an example of the consequences of daring to challenge the true and living God.

Grace and peace, David

Holy Desires (Part Six)

2 Timothy 2:22

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart (NIV).

At an event, I once had dinner with Bobby Knight, the well-known former Indiana Basketball coach. He was the speaker that night and shared numerous stories about coaching. His theme went something like, “To win, you must eliminate what causes you to lose.” It was the typical motivational speech that coaches and athletes love to bring at events.

I mention this because, sadly, this is the impression many Christian teachers give when speaking about the believer’s way of life. It seems they’re saying, “To be sanctified, you must keep the moral law,” meaning in their view, the Ten Commandments. As we said in the last article on Holy Desires, this promotes a wrong view of sin. It also gives the idea that “holiness” is basically about not doing things.

However, a godly way of life is much more than forsaking prohibited behaviors. It requires faith, hope, and love for God and people, as well as the practice of positive Christ-like living. So then, we see in this verse that the Lord wants us to replace youthful desires with holy desires.

In Colossians three, we can learn the larger view of the New Testament pattern for the Christian way of life into which 2 Timothy 2:22 fits.

  • Since we are new in Christ, have Christ-focused, heavenly attitudes and aspirations (Colossians 3:1-4). Everything begins with our union with Jesus Christ and seeing our identity in him.
  • Since we are new in Christ, put off the ways of your former sinful way of life. Occasionally this is stated forcefully: “put to death” (Colossians 3:5-11). Yes, it is necessary to get rid of ruinous behavior.
  • Since we are new in Christ, put on ways of life that are consistent with our new life in Jesus Christ: “clothe yourselves with…” (Colossians 3:12-17). This is what is too often neglected. We must replace destructive attitudes, words, and actions with godly ones.

To say this graphically, God expects his people to wear “new clothes”. Don’t walk around spiritually naked! Dress like the children of God ought to dress. A suggestion is to memorize (or try to memorize) this “dress for success passage” (Colossians 3:12-17).

The four godly qualities set forth in our text counteract and are intended to replace youthful desires in God’s people.

  • Righteousness – conform to God’s instruction with a desire to see righteous behavior established (cf. 2 Corinthians 7:11)
  • Faith – trust in God or faithfulness to God – in either case we will reject human self-sufficiency and continually confess our need of the Lord. Faith is necessary for every step in the Christian walk.
  • Love – replaces selfishness with the desire to seek the honor of God and the good of other people. This turn from oneself to God and others must occur. We are nothing without love.
  • Peace – the striving for harmonious relationships among people, which God intends as one of our chief activities (Matthew 5:9; Ephesians 4:3; James 3:17-18)

So then, the Holy Spirit presents the overview of a truly Christian way of life, and specific matters to change, eliminating the old and developing the new. In our text, Paul directed his friend Timothy to replace the evil desires of youth with four specific ways of godliness. Which one ought to be a priority in your life?

Grace and peace, David

The Attributes of God (Part Eight)

Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy! (Psalm 99:9 ESV).

God is holy. The truth of God’s absolute, total and pure holiness is extremely crucial to a proper understanding of God and his attributes. Though we shrink from ranking God’s attributes in an order of importance, it is clear that the word “holy” is not only central to what God is, but the word can be used as a modifier or qualifier of all God’s other attributes. For example, God is worshiped unceasingly for his holiness (Revelation 4:8; cf. Isaiah 6:3). When the question is asked, “Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name?” the answer is presupposed that all must reverence him, “For you alone are holy” (Revelation 15:4). Holiness is more often joined to God’s name than any other name or quality. You never read of God’s mighty name or his wise name or his loving name, but you do read of his “holy name” (Leviticus 20:3; 22:2, 32; 1 Chronicles 16:10, 35; 29:16; Psalm 33:21; 103:1; 105:3; 106:47; 111:9; Ezekiel 36:20-21; Luke 1:49).

The idea of God’s holiness is that he is “set apart” from everything else. God is set apart or holy in his being. He is Creator, absolute, and unlimited. Everything else is created, dependent, and finite. God is holy or set apart from sin (rejection of God as God, refusal to love God supremely, and rebellion against God and his ways; cf. Habakkuk 1:13; James 1:13; 1 John 1:5). God cannot sin because it would be contradictory to all that he is and destructive of his majestic glory.

“There are some attributes of God we prefer, because of our interest in them, and the relation they bear to us: as we esteem his goodness before his power, and his mercy whereby he relieves us, before his justice whereby he punisheth us; as there are some we more delight in, because of the goodness we receive by them; so there are some that God delights to honor, because of their excellency… Power is his hand and arm; omniscience, his eye; mercy, his bowels [emotions]; eternity, his duration; his holiness is his beauty (2 Chronicles 20:21)….” (Charnock, The Attributes of God, Vol. 2, pp. 112-113).

God intends for us to live holy lives in conformity with his holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16), though in the fullest sense, only God is holy (Revelation 15:4; Exodus 15:11; 1 Samuel 2:2). God is forever perfect in his holiness (Revelation 4:8). “Goodness, truth and justice are moral attributes of God. Holiness is not an attribute distinct from these; but a name which includes them all, in view of their opposition to contrary qualities” (Dagg). We must show the fame of God’s name by acting, choosing, thinking, and talking in conformity with God’s holiness. This will mean that we walk in truth and in love. How are our passion for God’s holiness, truth, and love being shown in our gatherings for worship and fellowship? May you see God exalted for his holiness as you meet with your brothers and sisters in Christ!

Grace and peace, David

What God Does in Our Lives

Romans 8:28-29

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters (NIV).

One day by grace, we heard Christ call us to follow him. Since that time, we have been on a spiritual journey in which God develops his purpose in us. He acts in us according to his will and good pleasure. Perhaps we don’t think often enough that he is active inside us by the Spirit and the word. He forms new thoughts, ideas, and attitudes; for example, the calmness of depending on him, as we walk through circumstances in which we can do little else. When you’re on the operating table right before emergency surgery, he teaches this quickly.

God is active in our lives, but what is he actively working for? Our text quoted above tells us that God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. We need to listen carefully at this point, because we all want to define what the good is. However, let’s walk away from our own desires (a.k.a. self-denial) and embrace what the Lord desires for his people. The Spirit tells us two aspects of his purpose.

First, God acts in all things that we will be conformed to the image of his Son. God wants Christ to be formed in us (Galatians 4:19). The Spirit forms us by the gospel and making the presence of Christ real to us, so that we have “Christ-structured” lives. For example, as you read the Gospels, you see Christ’s patience with people, both his disciples and his opponents. People failed to grasp what he said, and so he had to repeat, repeat, and repeat. The Spirit wants that same kind of character in us; therefore, he directs us in situations which require great patience from us. Will we fail? Yes, many times, and the Lord knows that we will fail. But the goal is Christ-likeness, not what we call perfect behavior. God does not seek a group of perfect little Pharisees, but people being formed into Christ-likeness.

Second, God acts in all things that we will be part of many brothers and sisters of whom Christ is the firstborn. In other words, God’s purpose is for each follower of Jesus to be part of his spiritual family. The goal for an individual follower of Christ cannot be detached from the whole family of believers. You see, holiness is not an individual matter; it is a family matter. Consecration to God is what happens when we walk in love together toward God. In Pilgrim’s Progress, Bunyan paints a scene where Christian vaingloriously runs ahead of Faithful, and then in his pride falls. Christian cannot get up to continue the journey until Faithful comes and helps him to stand. In the same way, God has ordered that our destiny involves a spiritual journey with our brothers and sisters in Christ. So then, we must become Christ-like together.

Have you been attempting your spiritual journey toward glory by your own definition of good and in isolation from close fellowship with others? If so, please let this text redefine your journey. Submit to God’s purpose and seek partnership with other followers of Christ.

Grace and peace, David

A Proper Response to Correction from the Lord

img_39452 Chronicles 19:4-11

People usually do not respond well to correction. This failure stems from our self-will, pride, and laziness, as well as other sources. A child might be intent on doing the same wrong action, even when mom and dad strive to set them on a proper path. Who of us as teenagers did not think that we knew more or understood our life better than our parents and teachers. We all can be very lazy, especially when it comes to reading the word. I try to encourage people to read the word together. For example, this week our assignment is to read Galatians three times. In the Bible in front of me, Galatians is only eight pages long. Eight pages times three equals 24 pages. Yet this can seem like climbing Mt. Everest to those that are, to put it bluntly, spiritually lazy and self-indulgent. All right, perhaps that bordered on being rough, but we all need some encouragement to become spiritually active, and not only in reading God’s word.

Jehoshaphat did respond well to the correction he received from the Lord through the prophet. Let’s look at two core components of his response. Jehoshaphat response flowed from God’s corrective encouragement to him.

  • He turned from helping the wicked to restraining them through building up an effective legal system. To put this in biblical counseling lingo, Jehoshaphat did his homework. God gave him an idea, and he worked it out in his way of life.
  • The values he built into them agreed with those of his heart that sought the Lord. Observe how he told the judges that they “are not judging for man but for the Lord” (19:6). He wanted the fear of the Lord to be on them (19:7), and he wanted them to “serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord” (19:9). Here was a good desire of Jehoshaphat: to reproduce godly values in his people. He wisely began with the leaders of the people, who in turn would be able to more directly influence the people. Most people are not convinced by broad public statements, but through private discussions with people committed to the right values.

We must seek constantly to build core biblical values into the spiritual DNA of everyone in our local gatherings of believers in Christ. Then when you leave your gathering, you should seek to reproduce those core biblical values in other people. Therefore, go out every week with the gospel, living it, telling it, and building groups or networks of people through the gospel. Picture your local body of Christ meeting on Sunday morning. At the end of the meeting, your gathering “sneezes”. We all go out carrying the message of the gospel to see it reproduced in the lives of others.

What attitudes and actions did Jehoshaphat desire to see develop in his people? He acted to build some core values into their spiritual DNA.

  • He wanted them to judge carefully (19:6-7). Now a cynic might say, “How dare Jehoshaphat even say this, because of his careless alliance with Ahab? How dare he talk about judging carefully?” My friends, by God’s grace people can repent; that is, they can change their minds and then live in conformity with God’s truth. Jehoshaphat’s correction by the Lord provided him with a renewed perspective on life.
  • He wanted them to serve as judges “for the Lord” (19:6). He desired them to think of God as their boss and final authority. This is essential for the way we live on our mission in the world (Colossians 3:17, 23). Whatever your job, you are Christ’s ambassador. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV).
  • He wanted them to judge in conformity with God’s holy character (19:7). To do so is to be godly, or to use another New Testament idea, Christ-like. We go into the world to show the glory or surpassing worth of God. By not being unjust, partial, and by avoiding bribes, those judges would be godly; they would be acting like God.
  • He wanted them to sense their accountability to God (19:7-10). They must serve in the fear of the Lord. Jehoshaphat had learned that God corrects those he loves. He wanted his officials to be mindful of this reality. God does correct, and we will give an account to him one day (Romans 14:11-12; 2 Corinthians 5:9-10). The Lord intends for the reality of judgment to spur us on in godly attitudes and actions.
  • He wanted them to act with courage (19:11). Here Jehoshaphat drew on a rich stream of biblical exhortation (Deuteronomy 31:6; Joshua 1:6-9; 1 Chronicles 28:20). Boldness is essential in serving the Lord (Acts 4:29, 31; cf. Ephesians 6:19-20; Philippians 1:20).

Here are five biblical values to build into your spiritual DNA and so see them reproduced in others. As you live a gospel-focused life, serve the Lord wisely, as an ambassador, godly, as one who must give account to God, and boldly.

What clashing desires are ripping you apart? Please take action today to come clean before the Lord. Be “your own Jehu” and write down what you know about yourself as you sit quietly in the presence of God. Though you have clashing desires and need to get them resolved in a godly way, where can you serve the Lord? You see, we really believe that we all have some messes in our lives, and that it is people in need of change that God uses to help people in need of change.

Grace and peace, David

The Armor of God: The Shoes of the Gospel

DSCN3842Ephesians 6:15

Some facts never change, even in a time of high tech warfare. Air and naval power may be the deciding factors in modern military campaigns, but when all is said and done, the victors still have to hold the conquered territory with their infantry. Even today the infantry must still to some degree get around on its feet, and that requires good shoes. In battle they definitely need good shoes. Part of the legend of the battle of Gettysburg, which may or may not be true, is that at least part of the Confederate army went to the village because they were looking for shoes. And in the movie Gettysburg, there is the scene that shows Confederate soldiers marching barefoot, which was true. Our Lord Jesus Christ does not send his followers out to battle barefooted. The next part of the spiritual protection concerns having our feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. Let us consider together the importance of this part of the armor of God.

Soldiers need to have their feet protected. Think about conditions that require correct coverings for their feet: the weather, the terrain, and other problems like exposure to filth, insects and disease. But proper footwear offers a great advantage—readiness. When you put on a good pair of walking or running shoes, they put a “spring” into your steps. Do you know the feeling? Even a guy with bad knees can feel like he wants to run! The shoes of the soldier “‘equipped him for long marches and a solid stance… They prevented his feet from sliding’” (Barth quoted by Stott). The good news of peace with God produces assurance of God’s favor and a cheerful readiness for the Christian in the face of the darkest foe. Without this blessing, we would tend to stumble and slide in doubt and despair in the midst of spiritual conflict.

Every follower of Christ needs the readiness that the shoes of the gospel of peace provide. Proper shoes must be formed out of the correct materials. Hiking shoes and dress shoes are not made out of the same materials and with the same design. Both must be made in conformity with their purposes. In the same way, God makes armor for the Christian out of materials suited for his purpose.

God’s purpose is our holiness in order to glorify his name (Ephesians 1:3-6; Romans 8:29; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Thessalonians 4:3ff; 2 Timothy 2:19; 1 John 3:3). Since that is so, let us think about the materials that are used to form either “religious shoes” or “gospel shoes”. Why should we think about this? We need to because some suppose that they are wearing “gospel shoes” when they are only wearing “religious shoes”, and so they aren’t equipped for spiritual warfare.

Religion based on human opinion assumes that peace is formed out of actions like ritual and morality and spiritual feelings. For example, some think that attending church and doing worship provides them with the “shoes” they need. Others assume they are well equipped by keeping a short list of commands or standards. (Many think of holiness as keeping the Ten Commandments.) For now, let us think briefly about reliance on spiritual feelings. Some suppose that feelings of a flippant confidence or a happy light-heartedness are the same as boldness and joy. But the former spring from the events of religious “success”, while the latter come through union with Jesus Christ. Think of the “Christian cool” saying of “praise the Lord anyhow!” or the irreverence that at times characterizes how people speak of the Lord. While God wants his people to see him sitting on a throne of grace, some would do well to remember that it is still a throne! In reaction to “Christian cool”, some promote solemnity and gloom and quietness, as if such emotions were holiness personified. A hollowed out sound of “let us worship the Lord” is supposed to be a mark of spiritual maturity, while it may only be a sign of those playing at holiness.  Proper religious emotions do not come from attempting to produce anything. Instead, they are the response of the soul to God’s reality and God’s gospel actions in our lives: love, sorrow, joy, calmness, confidence, and etc. will all be present. That kind of response glorifies God.

True Christianity is based on God’s purpose of grace and Christ knows that God’s peace comes from God’s great love for his people and his zeal to uphold righteousness. And it knows that both of these find a happy meeting place in the cross. Since this is so, the true worshipper knows that he or she has been “rooted and established in love” (Eph 3:17), and the hearts of people who are firm in Christ delight to trace their peace back to God’s love for them in Christ. This glorifies God. Also the true worshipper views the cross as the highest expression of God’s holiness, because there the brightness of God’s glorious holiness is most clearly seen. What was required to satisfy the righteousness of God? Only the substitutionary death of the spotless Lamb of God could pay our penalty and bring us peace (Romans 3:24-26; 5:1, 10). When by faith we lay hold of the Father’s gift of love in his Son, we will find that the Lord of peace will give us peace at all times and in every way (2 Thessalonians 3:16). What is your experience of God’s peace? Think of what this is saying to us! If we put on the shoes of the gospel of peace, we will have peace in the midst of conflict. This glorifies God.

God’s order in putting our shoes together is important to attain his end. If you have ever had a part in manufacturing or building anything, you know that order is important. One summer I had a job as a “placer” in a factory that made electric motors. The wires in the armature had to be placed on the com in a certain order. If the right order was not followed, the motor would not operate. True holy and godly living is impossible without the basis of the peace of the gospel for a couple reasons. First of all, godliness consists of a loving approach to Father, Son and Holy Spirit. How can you love God if you are at war with him? Second, unless you know that God accepts you by grace, you will always be trying to earn your way into his favor. Third, the Spirit of holiness does not live in the hearts of the unforgiven, and only he has the power to produce holiness and godliness in us. “The divine order then is first pardon, then holiness; first peace with God, and then conformity to the image of that God with whom we have been brought to peace… Reconciliation is indispensable to resemblance; personal friendship must begin a holy life” (Bonar, God’s Way of Holiness, p. 34).

Peace with God is the immediate possession of the believer at the time of salvation. It is not the fruit of a long course of successful spiritual warfare, but a direct blessing of saving grace. Anything else turns the gift of God into a work. It is this peace that must rule in our hearts and in every gathering of Christ followers (Colossians 3:15). Christ’s people will make progress in spiritual conflict as a body when we together put to death the acts of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21), and when we experience the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) in our gospel partnerships. May we fully know this blessing of peace!

Grace and peace, David