Faith vs. Spirituality (2 Timothy 3:6-9)

Today’s scripture: 2 Timothy 3:6-9

Yesterday we talked about how dark this world is, yet we know throughout history, darkness has often prevailed. Paul reminded Timothy of two men who had opposed Moses centuries before Paul himself wrote these very words. And now centuries after Paul, we still have countless who “oppose the truth.”

We live in a “spiritual” society, but what does that really mean? Several years ago, I freelanced for an on-line news publication in the “Religion & Spirituality” category. And guess what some of the sub-sections were?

Astrology & Paranormal. Eastern Religions. Secular. Oh, and yes, Western Religion.

Under the same category, readers could find articles about atheism, Buddhism, and evangelical Christianity all at the same time.

People are learning and seeking … something. And this world has answers that are far from a “knowledge of the truth.” And, as I’ve written before, even so-called Christians are skewing the truth. We don’t have to take the Bible as God’s inspired word, they say. Jesus isn’t the only way to heaven. God won’t really punish people by sending them to hell … in fact, hell probably doesn’t even exist.

Yet again, this isn’t new to our generation. In the early church, factions broke from true Christianity almost immediately.

So what can we do? We who know truth need to share the truth. We who follow the one true God must be Christ’s light to this very dark world. We need to offer the only solution to an eternity separated from God.

And we must do it as Christ did: gently and lovingly and non-judgmentally. 

Refresh Your Faith (1 Thessalonians 4:1-2)

Today’s scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2

We Christians often use the phrase, “Walking with the Lord.” Paul used it as well. He also described our lives as Christ-followers as a race, more like a marathon (1 Corinthians 9:24, 26). I like to call it a journey—running just isn’t my thing.

No matter what you call your particular faith journey, how should you behave? What should all of us do to move forward rather than backward—or not move at all?

One of my favorite talks I give is “Refresh Your Faith.” I talk a lot about what we can do to keep our faith fresh and vibrant. I emphasize how important it is to keep God—Father, Son, and Spirit—first and foremost in our minds and hearts. And to do that, we can and should do several things:

Take time for personal Bible study and prayer. I believe this is the most important of all. When we spend quiet time alone with God’s word, we learn more about Him and His will for our lives. And when we pray, we draw closer to His throne.

Spend time in solitude listening to His voice. It’s one thing to talk to God. It’s another to listen to Him. When you quietly sit in His presence, focusing completely on Him, He’ll often speak to your heart.

Take times of retreat. Whether this is a weekend with the women or men from your church, or a few hours of personal retreat, it’s important to regularly get away from the “stuff” of the world to fully focus on God.

Spend time with others of faith. As often as possible, get involved with a group Bible study. The Holy Spirit reveals truth to each of us differently, and it’s inspiring to hear what has touched others’ hearts.

Memorize scriptures. Knowing God’s word by heart helps in so many ways. It offers encouragement when you face difficulties. It helps to combat the lies of the enemy. Jesus Himself used scripture to counter the enemy (Luke 4:1-13). Should we do any less?

These are just a few of the things we can do to keep our focus on God … and that’s what we need to do to win the race or arrive at our destination: eternity with Him.

My Prayer for You (Ephesians 3:13-19)

Today's scripture: Ephesians 3:13-19

This is my prayer for my family and friends today.

I pray, as Paul did, that each of you might be “strengthened with power through His spirit.” We live in difficult, turbulent times. So many of those I love are struggling with health issues. They’re valiantly searching for jobs, wondering how they’ll pay next month’s bills. They’re grieving over the loss of loved ones. And so I pray for a supernatural strength that comes only from our Lord.

I pray that “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Faith is the foundation of our relationships with God—Father, Son, and Spirit. It is the “handle on what we can’t see” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith comes from having complete trust in God, knowing He is working all things for His glory and our ultimate good (Romans 8:28).

I pray that you will truly, deeply know God’s love, the love that “surpasses knowledge.” A love that is everlasting (Jeremiah 31:3). A love that will never forsake (Hebrews 13:5). A love that was willing to sacrifice God’s only Son for us (John 3:16).

Those of us who know God are blessed, just by being His children. And yet He gives us so much more. No matter what is happening in this world and in our lives, God is in loving control. He will strengthen us with a love that is beyond comprehension.

Amen and amen.

Tolerance (2 Corinthians 11:16-21a)

Today’s scripture: 2 Corinthians 11:16-21a

Much is said these days about tolerance. We need to tolerate others’ beliefs, flaws, foibles, idiosyncrasies, and, as Paul writes, foolishness.

Webster’s defines “tolerance” as the “capacity to endure pain or hardship” (synonyms include endurance, fortitude, and stamina). Verse 20 of today’s scripture seems to speak to this kind of tolerance: enduring persecution and suffering.

But verse 19 seems to illustrate the second of Webster’s definition—and what our society means by tolerance: “sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own; the act of allowing something.”

While I believe we should be sympathetic and compassionate with all people, no matter what they believe, I do believe that we who follow Christ must be careful about “allowing” those beliefs to permeate or meld with our own. Tolerance doesn’t mean acceptance.

Unfortunately, for many, these terms are interchangeable. This is why many Christians are jumping on the “it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you believe” bandwagon. The “all roads lead to heaven” squad. The “do what you want as long as you don’t hurt anyone” team.

Dangerous territory.

Yes, we need to love others—this is, after all, the second greatest commandment (Mark 12:31). Yes, we need to show compassion, kindness, and gentleness. Yes, we need to shine Christ’s light to everyone.

But we cannot—we must not—allow beliefs that are contrary to God’s word to infiltrate our hearts and souls. We can “tolerate” but we must stand firm in faith.

Words to Live By (1 Corinthians 16:13)

Today's scripture: 1 Corinthians 16:13

Paul is winding down his lengthy letter to the Corinthian. He has a few last greetings, which we’ll see in the next couple of days, but today, we’ll look at his last admonitions. Before we do so, I want to take a quick look at a couple of versions of this verse.

The New American Standard Bible, the version I’ve been using throughout this study on 1 Corinthians, says, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.”

The Message paraphrases, “Keep your eyes open, hold tight to your convictions, give it all you've got, be resolute, and love without stopping.”

And the Contemporary English Version interprets, “Keep alert. Be firm in your faith. Stay brave and strong.”

So let’s look at these last instructions from this letter:

Be on the alert. In another letter, Paul wrote, “Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack.” We are in a battle every day, and we need to stay awake, stay alert, be aware of the wiles and lies of the enemy.

Stand firm in faith. I did a quick search of the New American Standard Bible, and Paul uses the phrase “stand firm” 13 times. I particularly like how The Message puts it: we need to “… hold tight to [our] convictions.” We need to understand and stand on our faith in Jesus Christ.

Act like men, be strong. This doesn’t mean we should all be men. It means we need be strong and brave to withstand the attack of the enemy.

Let all that you do be done in love. This is the bottom line … we need to love each other. We need to go back to chapter 13 frequently. We need to be patient, kind, non-judgmental. We need to love as Christ loves. Unconditionally. Without fail.

No one ever said it was easy to be a Christian. But if we meditate on God’s word, and if we strive to live according to God’s commandments and admonitions in it, then we’ll become more and more the people God created us to be.

Your Toil Is Not in Vain (1 Corinthians 15:58)

Today's scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:58

There is only one real purpose for those who follow Christ: serving Him and doing the will of the Father. Because one day, when we stand before His throne, the only thing that will matter will be what we did for Him.

Everything else will pass away: “The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17).

We must, therefore, be steadfast in our faith. We need to keep our minds and hearts focused on God and His word, studying it. Meditating on it. Memorizing it.

We need to be immovable in what we believe, not “carried away by the error of unprincipled men” (2 Peter 3:17).

Nothing else truly matters. Not riches. Not fame. Not material goods. Nothing.

Only what we do for our Lord is of worth. And nothing we do for Him is in vain.

The Foundation of Our Faith (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)

Today's scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

The foundation of our faith is the cross: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). We who follow the God of the Bible believe in a triune God—Father, Son, and Spirit. One God. Three Persons.

When Adam and Eve decided to disobey God’s command to not eat of one single tree in the garden (Genesis 2:16-17), sin entered the world, and man was separated from God. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and “the wages of sin is death”—eternal separation from God (Romans 3:23;6:23). The Son came to earth to pay that penalty, and it is through His death and resurrection that we find salvation.

It’s that simple. And that complex.

So many so-called preachers stand at pulpits speaking with eloquence and “persuasive words of wisdom,” yet their words are empty. They speak of how we can feel good. How we can prosper. How we can be successful.

Yet they fail to share the most important thing: “Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”

Measure the words of those who claim to be preachers of the gospel. What are they really saying? Are they proclaiming truth? That one thing?

If not, keep looking until you find someone who is.

Bold Faith (Ephesians 3:11-12)

Today's scripture: Ephesians 3:11-12

How bold is your faith? How confident are you in God’s eternal purpose?

I would like to be able to say I’m as bold as Paul, as confident as Peter. Or as my maternal grandfather.

My grandpa Hess was bold in his faith. He never failed to tell others about his love for his Savior. He was, along with Paul, “not ashamed of the gospel” because he knew it is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

He always believed God had a purpose for his life, and he lived to fulfill that purpose.

This is my legacy. Yet how often do I fail to share the good news of salvation. How often do I lack confidence in God’s eternal purpose.

I have to say: more often than I want to. More often than I should. Why? For many reasons. Sometimes it's just because I feel sorry for myself. Sometimes, while I don't lose faith in God, I question His purpose in my pain.

I allow my momentary, temporary pain cloud my vision of God’s faithfulness to me. I fail to remember that “… the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).

I certainly don't remain bold and confident.

When those times some, I confess my doubt and questioning, and my Lord God forgives me … yet again.

Today’s a new day, and I pray for a renewed boldness in faith and a fresh confidence in God’s eternal purpose, trusting His higher-than-my ways (Isaiah 55:9).

I pray the same for you.

Faith Firmly Established (Colossians 1:21-23)

Today's scripture: Colossians 1:21-23

Yesterday, we praised God because those of us who have accepted the gift of salvation through God's grace are reconciled to Him.

Today's verses remind us of two things:

First, because are indeed reconciled to our God, we are "holy and blameless and beyond reproach" in our Father's eyes. I don't know about you, but there are days when I feel far from "holy and blameless and beyond reproach." Those days when I'm selfish or let pride rear its ugly head. Those days when I get mad at other drivers or frustrated with a student. Those days when the pain makes me grumpy and I snap at my husband.

But because I know I've been reconciled to God, I know I can confess each sin, and He will look on me through eyes of love and grace.

Second, we who follow Christ must "continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not [be] moved from the hope of the gospel ..." The enemy of our souls would like nothing more than to lure us away from a daily, focused walk with the Lord. He is not all-powerful, so he certainly isn't in control of a whole lot (although I'm sure he thinks he is). And he can never, ever take our salvation from us.

But he knows if he can whisper lies that draw our focus from God, he may be able to win a battle or two. He may keep us from seeking God. He may keep us from sharing God's truth.

We need to stand firm in faith, and the only way to do that is to spend time in God's word and in prayer. If you've been reading these devotionals for a while, I might sound like a broken record, but I believe this so deeply. Just as we must work to nurture our earthly relationships, we must work to nurture the most important relationship of all.

We must be know our God—really, really know Him. And when we do, our faith grows, and the enemy can't get even a toehold.

Foundations of Faith (2 John 1:9-11)

Today's scripture: 2 John 1:9-11

Seemingly countless denominations and sects abound in our world, each claiming to be “Christian.” It’s sometimes difficult to determine who’s following truth. In my opinion, it comes down to a few not-to-be-compromised pieces of doctrine. The following is from my statement of faith:

• I believe in the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One God manifested in three.

• I believe that God the Father created heavens and earth and all that’s in them; that God the Son—Jesus—died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sin and rose three days later; and that God the Holy Spirit dwells within each one who accepts the free gift of salvation and eternal life.

• I believe that salvation comes only through the belief in and acceptance of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

• I believe the Bible is God’s word given to us through the pens of men. It is inerrant in its original text and is God’s truth.

• I believe that those who choose to follow Jesus will spend eternity with Him in heaven, and those who do not will spend eternal life separated from Him in hell.

Other things—how we baptize or take the Lord's Supper, or what kinds of worship songs we sing—aren’t critical to faith. But if someone claims to be a Christian and doesn’t adhere to a few pieces of foundational doctrine … well, only God knows the heart.