GEMS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR JUNE 1, 2013
PROVERB:
A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will be destroyed without remedy. Proverbs 29:1
PROMISE:
When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. I Corinthians 11:32
PRAISE:
I will sing of Your love and justice; to You, O Lord, I will sing praise. Psalm 101:1
June 2, 2013
Depraved: May 31, 2013
TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY MAY 31, 2013
DEPRAVED
DEFINITION:
Corrupted; evil; deteriorated; perverted.
SCRIPTURE:
Since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to a depraved mind; to do what ought not to be done. Romans 1:28.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
If you are wondering what it means to have a depraved mind you need only to look at people around you. We live in a depraved society because it is guided by people with depraved minds. A depraved mind is corrupted by evil and leads one to do what they ought not to do.
In Romans 1:28-32, Paul gives a precise description of those who have depraved minds. “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful. They invent ways of being evil; they disobey their parents, they are senseless, faithless, heartless and ruthless.
Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do those things but also approve of those who practice them.
Paul’s purpose in writing Romans was to warn the church of God’s wrath that will come on those who are unrighteous. He was describing the depraved condition of the Roman society of his day, but it clearly defines our society today. It is evident that the sinful nature of man has not changed over time.
Although the Romans knew about God they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge Him as God. When anyone chooses to reject God, He allows them to do it. God does not force anyone to follow Him. When people refuse to acknowledge God He does turn them over to their depraved minds. People prefer to believe Satan’s lies that reinforce their selfish desires and depraved beliefs.
In Romans, chapter 1, Paul is calling on them to examine their lives. It is a call for us, also, to examine our own lives. Are we doing what we ought to do, or are we allowing our depraved minds to cause us to do what ought not to be done?
The apostle Paul in Philippians 2:15 spoke to the believers in the church and told them to “Do all things without grumbling or disputing so that you would prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent in the midst of a crooked, depraved and perverse generation among whom you appear as lights in the world.”
There is never a right time to do wrong!
There is never a wrong time to do right!
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalms 119:165:
Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
PRAYER:
Help me to be aware of the evil in today’s society. Help me to cling to the knowledge of Your Word so that I will do what I ought to do. Take away all evil desires and depraved thoughts that will lead me to sin and turn away from following You.
DEPRAVED
DEFINITION:
Corrupted; evil; deteriorated; perverted.
SCRIPTURE:
Since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to a depraved mind; to do what ought not to be done. Romans 1:28.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
If you are wondering what it means to have a depraved mind you need only to look at people around you. We live in a depraved society because it is guided by people with depraved minds. A depraved mind is corrupted by evil and leads one to do what they ought not to do.
In Romans 1:28-32, Paul gives a precise description of those who have depraved minds. “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful. They invent ways of being evil; they disobey their parents, they are senseless, faithless, heartless and ruthless.
Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do those things but also approve of those who practice them.
Paul’s purpose in writing Romans was to warn the church of God’s wrath that will come on those who are unrighteous. He was describing the depraved condition of the Roman society of his day, but it clearly defines our society today. It is evident that the sinful nature of man has not changed over time.
Although the Romans knew about God they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge Him as God. When anyone chooses to reject God, He allows them to do it. God does not force anyone to follow Him. When people refuse to acknowledge God He does turn them over to their depraved minds. People prefer to believe Satan’s lies that reinforce their selfish desires and depraved beliefs.
In Romans, chapter 1, Paul is calling on them to examine their lives. It is a call for us, also, to examine our own lives. Are we doing what we ought to do, or are we allowing our depraved minds to cause us to do what ought not to be done?
The apostle Paul in Philippians 2:15 spoke to the believers in the church and told them to “Do all things without grumbling or disputing so that you would prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent in the midst of a crooked, depraved and perverse generation among whom you appear as lights in the world.”
There is never a right time to do wrong!
There is never a wrong time to do right!
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalms 119:165:
Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
PRAYER:
Help me to be aware of the evil in today’s society. Help me to cling to the knowledge of Your Word so that I will do what I ought to do. Take away all evil desires and depraved thoughts that will lead me to sin and turn away from following You.
Covet: May 30, 2013
TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY MAY 30, 2013.
COVET
DEFINITION:
Desire enviously; long for; crave; want or wish for.
SCRIPTURE:
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor. Exodus 20:17.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
This verse from Exodus is well known to all of us as the Tenth Commandment. God gave Moses the Ten Commandments to give as guidelines for living to the Children of Israel and also to us. Down through the ages these Ten Commandments have been the cornerstone of the law of the Old Testament.
God knows every evil thing we do. The thoughts and desires of our heart do not escape His attention. To covet means to desire. A strong longing to have what another person has is wrong. This commandment makes this very clear to us. This tenth commandment from God suggests that none of the previous nine commandments are only external acts with no relation to internal thoughts. Our internal thoughts determine our actions.
Both the lusting after a neighbor’s wife and a strong desire for a neighbor’s property are prohibited by the Tenth Commandment.
In Acts 20:33 the elders at the church of Ephesus were reminded not to covet another’s silver, gold or clothes. The love of money is a hallmark for false teachers to get to the heart of a believer. Stop for a moment and think how many times you have seen another person’s personal items and quietly wished that it was yours. This Commandment makes it clear that as believers in Jesus we are not to have those desires, and we must not covet what others have been blessed with.
Just desiring something we do not have and want may seem like a minor thing. When God commands us not to do something it is serious. When we covet something we show we are discontent with what we have and the desire for more leads to envy of others. Envy leads to jealousy of others. Jealousy can lead to hate and hate will motivate us to do sinful things.
Covetousness leads to disaster. This was evidenced in the sin of covetousness in the life of David and in the life of Ahab. David coveted Bathsheba so much that he sent her husband, Uriah into the battle where he was sure that he would be killed (II Samuel 2:16-17). As a result of his sin God brought calamity upon David. He lost his wives and his son born to Bathsheba II Samuel 12:11-12.
King Ahab coveted the vineyard that belonged to Naboth. Ahab’s wicked wife Jezebel plotted the murder of Naboth so Ahab could have what he coveted. The judgment God pronounced on Ahab is given in I Kings 21:21. “I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendents.” Yes, covetousness leads to sin and sin leads to disaster.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 119:165:
Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
PRAYER:
Help me to obey all Your commandments. Keep my eyes on You and not what others have. May I understand the damage that coveting “things” can do to not only destroy my spiritual life but my relationships with others. Fill me with love for others with a desire to honor You so that others will see Christ in me.
COVET
DEFINITION:
Desire enviously; long for; crave; want or wish for.
SCRIPTURE:
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor. Exodus 20:17.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
This verse from Exodus is well known to all of us as the Tenth Commandment. God gave Moses the Ten Commandments to give as guidelines for living to the Children of Israel and also to us. Down through the ages these Ten Commandments have been the cornerstone of the law of the Old Testament.
God knows every evil thing we do. The thoughts and desires of our heart do not escape His attention. To covet means to desire. A strong longing to have what another person has is wrong. This commandment makes this very clear to us. This tenth commandment from God suggests that none of the previous nine commandments are only external acts with no relation to internal thoughts. Our internal thoughts determine our actions.
Both the lusting after a neighbor’s wife and a strong desire for a neighbor’s property are prohibited by the Tenth Commandment.
In Acts 20:33 the elders at the church of Ephesus were reminded not to covet another’s silver, gold or clothes. The love of money is a hallmark for false teachers to get to the heart of a believer. Stop for a moment and think how many times you have seen another person’s personal items and quietly wished that it was yours. This Commandment makes it clear that as believers in Jesus we are not to have those desires, and we must not covet what others have been blessed with.
Just desiring something we do not have and want may seem like a minor thing. When God commands us not to do something it is serious. When we covet something we show we are discontent with what we have and the desire for more leads to envy of others. Envy leads to jealousy of others. Jealousy can lead to hate and hate will motivate us to do sinful things.
Covetousness leads to disaster. This was evidenced in the sin of covetousness in the life of David and in the life of Ahab. David coveted Bathsheba so much that he sent her husband, Uriah into the battle where he was sure that he would be killed (II Samuel 2:16-17). As a result of his sin God brought calamity upon David. He lost his wives and his son born to Bathsheba II Samuel 12:11-12.
King Ahab coveted the vineyard that belonged to Naboth. Ahab’s wicked wife Jezebel plotted the murder of Naboth so Ahab could have what he coveted. The judgment God pronounced on Ahab is given in I Kings 21:21. “I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendents.” Yes, covetousness leads to sin and sin leads to disaster.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 119:165:
Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
PRAYER:
Help me to obey all Your commandments. Keep my eyes on You and not what others have. May I understand the damage that coveting “things” can do to not only destroy my spiritual life but my relationships with others. Fill me with love for others with a desire to honor You so that others will see Christ in me.
Cornerstone: May 29, 2013
TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 29, 2013.
CORNERSTONE
DEFINITION:
A stone representing the starting place in the construction of a monumental building. The stone placed at the corner of a building with the date of dedication or construction engraved on it.
SCRIPTURE:
Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone. Ephesians 2:20
As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house to be a Holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. I Peter 2:4-5
For in scripture it says: See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame. I Peter 2:6
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In the construction of large buildings a cornerstone is laid at the base of the building on one of the corners. On this cornerstone is written such things as the date that the building was dedicated or opened. It usually has a dedication written on it as well. The cornerstone sets the foundation for the building and the rest of the building is squared to it. The cornerstone and the foundation are the key elements of a sound and enduring structure.
The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:20 about the cornerstone and the foundation of the church that was built by our Lord. The church Paul is speaking of is not a building. Paul is speaking of the whole body of Christ’s followers, past, present and future. Jesus Christ is the cornerstone and it is built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets.
When Paul referred to the apostles, as important as they were, he was not referring to them personally. He was referring to the divine revelation they taught, as they spoke the Word of God, by God given authority, to the church (the believers in Jesus) before the completion of the New Testament. This divine revelation that the apostles provided was the foundation for the believer’s faith.
We can be certain that our faith is built on a solid foundation because the foundation squares to the cornerstone, Jesus Christ and His teaching.
When Paul referred to the Apostles, he was referring to the 12 disciples who had seen the risen Christ and who had been chosen personally by Christ. After Matthias was chosen to replace Judas, he was included as one of the twelve. Later, Paul was set aside to be known as the apostle to the Gentiles. He too was chosen by Jesus. Paul was converted when he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and is numbered with the other apostles.
When Paul referred to the prophets he was not referring to ordinary believers in the church. These were believers commissioned by the church because God had given them the gift of prophecy. Their office in the church ceased when the New Testament was completed.
But the important issue for us to remember is that Our Lord is the cornerstone for what we believe and the work of the apostles and prophets built upon this cornerstone.
In I Peter 2:6-8 Peter writes that this same cornerstone that God built His church upon is the same cornerstone that will be the stumbling stone that brings down the unbeliever in the Day of Judgment.
Peter reminds us, even as Paul did, that Christ’s position as chief cornerstone of the spiritual house, the church, was foreordained by God. As believers this stone is precious and trustworthy and our desire should be to build our standards in life on the cornerstone, Christ Jesus. Peter assures us that those who trust in Him will never be put to shame.
SCRIPTURE:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm119:165:
Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
PRAYER:
Thank You Jesus that You are God’s chosen cornerstone and that You have given me a solid foundation for my beliefs. May I daily build my standards and my goals on what Your trustworthy Word teaches me. Thank You for the assurance from scripture that those who trust You will never be put to shame.
CORNERSTONE
DEFINITION:
A stone representing the starting place in the construction of a monumental building. The stone placed at the corner of a building with the date of dedication or construction engraved on it.
SCRIPTURE:
Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone. Ephesians 2:20
As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house to be a Holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. I Peter 2:4-5
For in scripture it says: See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame. I Peter 2:6
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In the construction of large buildings a cornerstone is laid at the base of the building on one of the corners. On this cornerstone is written such things as the date that the building was dedicated or opened. It usually has a dedication written on it as well. The cornerstone sets the foundation for the building and the rest of the building is squared to it. The cornerstone and the foundation are the key elements of a sound and enduring structure.
The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:20 about the cornerstone and the foundation of the church that was built by our Lord. The church Paul is speaking of is not a building. Paul is speaking of the whole body of Christ’s followers, past, present and future. Jesus Christ is the cornerstone and it is built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets.
When Paul referred to the apostles, as important as they were, he was not referring to them personally. He was referring to the divine revelation they taught, as they spoke the Word of God, by God given authority, to the church (the believers in Jesus) before the completion of the New Testament. This divine revelation that the apostles provided was the foundation for the believer’s faith.
We can be certain that our faith is built on a solid foundation because the foundation squares to the cornerstone, Jesus Christ and His teaching.
When Paul referred to the Apostles, he was referring to the 12 disciples who had seen the risen Christ and who had been chosen personally by Christ. After Matthias was chosen to replace Judas, he was included as one of the twelve. Later, Paul was set aside to be known as the apostle to the Gentiles. He too was chosen by Jesus. Paul was converted when he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and is numbered with the other apostles.
When Paul referred to the prophets he was not referring to ordinary believers in the church. These were believers commissioned by the church because God had given them the gift of prophecy. Their office in the church ceased when the New Testament was completed.
But the important issue for us to remember is that Our Lord is the cornerstone for what we believe and the work of the apostles and prophets built upon this cornerstone.
In I Peter 2:6-8 Peter writes that this same cornerstone that God built His church upon is the same cornerstone that will be the stumbling stone that brings down the unbeliever in the Day of Judgment.
Peter reminds us, even as Paul did, that Christ’s position as chief cornerstone of the spiritual house, the church, was foreordained by God. As believers this stone is precious and trustworthy and our desire should be to build our standards in life on the cornerstone, Christ Jesus. Peter assures us that those who trust in Him will never be put to shame.
SCRIPTURE:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm119:165:
Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
PRAYER:
Thank You Jesus that You are God’s chosen cornerstone and that You have given me a solid foundation for my beliefs. May I daily build my standards and my goals on what Your trustworthy Word teaches me. Thank You for the assurance from scripture that those who trust You will never be put to shame.
Branch: May 28, 2013
TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY MAY 28, 2013.
BRANCH
DEFINITION:
Member; bough; limb; offshoot; descendent.
SCRIPTURE:
I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. John 15:1-2.
I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:5
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Jesus uses the illustration in John 15 of the grape vine and the branches to depict the believer’s relationship with Christ. Jesus is the vine and the branches are all those who claim to be believers in Jesus. God is the cultivator who cares for the branches to enable them to be fruitful.
In verse two, Jesus speaks of two kinds of branches. There are those that bear fruit and those that do not. The branches that do not bear fruit are useless. Jesus compares the believer that does not bear fruit to the unfruitful branches of the grape vine that are dead. The gardener gets rid of the dead wood so that the living fruit bearing branches will bear fruit.
The dead branches are Christians that are not living a Christ filled life, because they never really genuinely believed in Jesus. They will be cut off and face their reward on judgment day.
Just as the gardener prunes a branch to make it more productive, Jesus prunes a believer, He removes all the things in the believer’s life that will hinder the fruit bearing of the believer. He cuts away sin and hindrances that would drain the spiritual strength of the believer.
The stronger a branch is attached to the vine the more nourishment a branch is able to draw from the vine and the more fruit it bears.
This is a picture of the close relationship every believer should have with their Lord. The fruit that results from that close relationship is not limited to winning others to Christ. In Galatians 5:22 the apostle Paul lists for us the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These all are fruit produced in the life of those who are true believers.
In John 15:15 Jesus puts emphasis on abiding in Him. Abiding in Him means to remain or stay around. The “remaining” is evidence that salvation has already taken place. The fruit or evidence of salvation is continuance in service to Him and His teaching. The abiding believer is the only legitimate believer.
The believer who abides in Jesus recognizes that apart from Jesus, he or she can do nothing. It is only by abiding in Jesus that a believer can be fruitful.
Abiding and believing actually are addressing the same issue in this verse, of genuine salvation. This is the basis of Christian living today. We urge you to allow Jesus to prune your branches daily so that you can live a life that is fruitful and honors Him.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 119:165:
Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
PRAYER:
As a branch attached to You as a child of God, help me to be willing to be continually pruned by You. May the pruning You do in my life make me a fruit-bearing child that honors and glorifies Your name each day.
BRANCH
DEFINITION:
Member; bough; limb; offshoot; descendent.
SCRIPTURE:
I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. John 15:1-2.
I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:5
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Jesus uses the illustration in John 15 of the grape vine and the branches to depict the believer’s relationship with Christ. Jesus is the vine and the branches are all those who claim to be believers in Jesus. God is the cultivator who cares for the branches to enable them to be fruitful.
In verse two, Jesus speaks of two kinds of branches. There are those that bear fruit and those that do not. The branches that do not bear fruit are useless. Jesus compares the believer that does not bear fruit to the unfruitful branches of the grape vine that are dead. The gardener gets rid of the dead wood so that the living fruit bearing branches will bear fruit.
The dead branches are Christians that are not living a Christ filled life, because they never really genuinely believed in Jesus. They will be cut off and face their reward on judgment day.
Just as the gardener prunes a branch to make it more productive, Jesus prunes a believer, He removes all the things in the believer’s life that will hinder the fruit bearing of the believer. He cuts away sin and hindrances that would drain the spiritual strength of the believer.
The stronger a branch is attached to the vine the more nourishment a branch is able to draw from the vine and the more fruit it bears.
This is a picture of the close relationship every believer should have with their Lord. The fruit that results from that close relationship is not limited to winning others to Christ. In Galatians 5:22 the apostle Paul lists for us the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These all are fruit produced in the life of those who are true believers.
In John 15:15 Jesus puts emphasis on abiding in Him. Abiding in Him means to remain or stay around. The “remaining” is evidence that salvation has already taken place. The fruit or evidence of salvation is continuance in service to Him and His teaching. The abiding believer is the only legitimate believer.
The believer who abides in Jesus recognizes that apart from Jesus, he or she can do nothing. It is only by abiding in Jesus that a believer can be fruitful.
Abiding and believing actually are addressing the same issue in this verse, of genuine salvation. This is the basis of Christian living today. We urge you to allow Jesus to prune your branches daily so that you can live a life that is fruitful and honors Him.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 119:165:
Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
PRAYER:
As a branch attached to You as a child of God, help me to be willing to be continually pruned by You. May the pruning You do in my life make me a fruit-bearing child that honors and glorifies Your name each day.
Dwell: May 27, 2013
TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY MAY 27, 2013.
DWELL
DEFINITION:
Live; reside; abide.
SCRIPTURE:
So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3: 17-19.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
These three verses written by the Apostle Paul to the believers in the church at Ephesus has a wealth of truths for us today. We will take a few moments today to share Paul’s thoughts with you.
Every believer is indwelt by Christ at the moment one accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior. Often we need to be reminded that Christ became part of us, dwelling in us, at that moment. But Christ is only at home with us, and finds comfort and satisfaction with us, when our hearts are cleansed of sin to make room for the filling with His Holy Spirit.
Paul tells the Ephesians that it is through faith we, as believers, are made clean, and become yielded to Christ’s Lordship over us. Paul reminds us that we are to be rooted and grounded in love. The kind of love that Paul speaks of is Christ’s love. Believers are to establish in their lives a strong foundation of self-giving, serving love for not only God but for fellow believers.
Paul tells us that from the human perspective we cannot understand the fullness of God’s love apart from genuine, Spirit-empowered love found in our own life when we have Christ dwelling in us. God’s love is immeasurable and surpasses human comprehension. Only those who have accepted God’s great gift of love, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, can begin to understand the fullness of God’s love.
When Paul refers to the breadth, length, height and depth of God’s love he is not talking about four different features of love but this is an effort by Paul to suggest the vastness and completeness of Christ’s love for us.
God’s love is so wide it covers the breadth of every human experience. God’s love is so long it continues through the length of our lives. God’s love is so high it reaches the heights of our elation and expectation. God’s love is so deep it reaches to the depths of our discouragement and despair.
Paul closes these three verses with the thought, to know the love of Christ. It is important to note that Paul is not talking about the love believers have for Christ, but the love of and from Christ that He places in the believers heart before they can truly and fully love Him or in fact anyone else. The love that Christ has for us is unfathomable and unlimited. Only we limit how much we can experience.
Every day in this section we talk about our KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE. Paul reminds us here that knowledge of Christ’s love for us is far beyond our capability of human reasoning and experience. It is only known by those who are truly God’s children who put their complete trust in Him daily.
We are to be filled up to all the fullness of God. To experience this fullness we are to be so strong spiritually, so compelled by divine love, and so totally yielded to the Lord that there is nothing left of self. Human understanding of the fullness of God is impossible, but believers can experience the greatness of God in their lives as a result of the indwelling of Christ and His Holy Spirit.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 119:165:
Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
PRAYER:
Help me to be rooted and grounded in Your love so that I am filled up with Your love. May the power of Your Word shape my life and equip me to share God’s message of love so that others can experience Christ dwelling in them.
DWELL
DEFINITION:
Live; reside; abide.
SCRIPTURE:
So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3: 17-19.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
These three verses written by the Apostle Paul to the believers in the church at Ephesus has a wealth of truths for us today. We will take a few moments today to share Paul’s thoughts with you.
Every believer is indwelt by Christ at the moment one accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior. Often we need to be reminded that Christ became part of us, dwelling in us, at that moment. But Christ is only at home with us, and finds comfort and satisfaction with us, when our hearts are cleansed of sin to make room for the filling with His Holy Spirit.
Paul tells the Ephesians that it is through faith we, as believers, are made clean, and become yielded to Christ’s Lordship over us. Paul reminds us that we are to be rooted and grounded in love. The kind of love that Paul speaks of is Christ’s love. Believers are to establish in their lives a strong foundation of self-giving, serving love for not only God but for fellow believers.
Paul tells us that from the human perspective we cannot understand the fullness of God’s love apart from genuine, Spirit-empowered love found in our own life when we have Christ dwelling in us. God’s love is immeasurable and surpasses human comprehension. Only those who have accepted God’s great gift of love, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, can begin to understand the fullness of God’s love.
When Paul refers to the breadth, length, height and depth of God’s love he is not talking about four different features of love but this is an effort by Paul to suggest the vastness and completeness of Christ’s love for us.
God’s love is so wide it covers the breadth of every human experience. God’s love is so long it continues through the length of our lives. God’s love is so high it reaches the heights of our elation and expectation. God’s love is so deep it reaches to the depths of our discouragement and despair.
Paul closes these three verses with the thought, to know the love of Christ. It is important to note that Paul is not talking about the love believers have for Christ, but the love of and from Christ that He places in the believers heart before they can truly and fully love Him or in fact anyone else. The love that Christ has for us is unfathomable and unlimited. Only we limit how much we can experience.
Every day in this section we talk about our KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE. Paul reminds us here that knowledge of Christ’s love for us is far beyond our capability of human reasoning and experience. It is only known by those who are truly God’s children who put their complete trust in Him daily.
We are to be filled up to all the fullness of God. To experience this fullness we are to be so strong spiritually, so compelled by divine love, and so totally yielded to the Lord that there is nothing left of self. Human understanding of the fullness of God is impossible, but believers can experience the greatness of God in their lives as a result of the indwelling of Christ and His Holy Spirit.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 119:165:
Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
PRAYER:
Help me to be rooted and grounded in Your love so that I am filled up with Your love. May the power of Your Word shape my life and equip me to share God’s message of love so that others can experience Christ dwelling in them.
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