2 Peter 3

Something big is going to happen one day. Christians may not always be clear about some of the details, but the consideration of the fact of what Scripture calls the Day of the Lord is important to all who believe that Jesus is the Messiah. In this letter Peter has been deeply concerned to encourage people to live out the Christian life here and now by adding to their faith virtue, and so on. This is not inconsistent with meditating about the culmination of the resurrection in the return of Jesus Christ. In fact a healthy focus on God's promise to us in Christ is a very important part of living a fruitful and useful life today.

The message of the Day of the Lord is all over the Bible. The Old Testament prophets wrote about the judgment and salvation of that day, and when our Lord and Savior came to die for us, He had much to say about a correct understanding of the ultimate plan of God for His kingdom. Thinking regularly about heaven should not be denigrated as some gnostic or Greek anti-material philosophical mistake. Just the opposite. People have over-spiritualized heaven, and have missed the material bounty and power of the life that is there now where Christ reigns with men and angels. It is not safe to ignore heaven or to be ignorant about what the Bible says about what is to come. God wants to stir up our biblical consideration of these matters, rather than allowing them to be dormant or quietly hidden in a treasure chest of unused doctrines.

There will always be scoffers who want to minimize the facts of life after death and the coming again of Christ. They enjoy making belief in angels, glorified people, heaven, and the coming resurrection material for their jokes. This is what the Sadducees did to Jesus with their sophisticated attempts at humor at the expense of the one who is the Lord of the resurrection and the final Judge. What a mistake!

There are some touchstones in Scripture and history that should remind us that everything does not always stay the same. We consider the flood in the days of Noah, or the fall of empires that people thought of as invincible. The world as people know it and experience it has faced many cataclysmic events that result in the death of millions, and change life forever for those who survive. Those who accept the truth of the Scriptures know that life will not always be as it is right now. Peter writes about the pre-flood world that “perished,” and reminds us that God has promised that the world will again perish, now by the fire of His judgment at the return of Christ. The ungodly will be destroyed in that coming day.

People have always wanted to know when that day will come, but God will not reveal that detail. It could happen sooner than we imagine, or it could be thousands of years from now. God is patient, and He has His saving purpose in every day of mercy He grants to us. He is not wishing for anyone's eternal destruction, but is sending out the message of faith in Christ to all with complete divine sincerity and purity. When He tells people everywhere to repent, He truly means it. Why should anyone perish today when mercy is so near to us in the good news of Jesus Christ?

But Judgment Day will come, as God has promised. It will come as if unexpected, like a thief. Don't wait another moment to trust in Jesus. Right now give your heart to Him. One day all of the remnants of death in this world will be put to death. Something very major and sudden will take place, and the created order as we know it will be in some sense eradicated, and at the same time released from the bondage of decay, just as our mortal bodies will be renewed by the Lord of the resurrection. Everything about the earth and all the works that are done on it will be laid bare before Christ, our Judge and Redeemer.

Therefore, devote yourselves together with the church in all ages in heaven and on earth to the perfect holiness and godliness of the King who still says to His people, “Follow Me.” A day of the most profound destruction and rebirth is coming. We wait for that day, and we even hasten the coming of it by quietly and diligently pursuing the work that God has for each of us to do. Somehow when Christians live according to the example of holiness and godliness that has been supremely granted to us in Jesus our Lord, we actually hasten the return of our King.

Do not miss the life that Jesus and His apostolic Word commands us all to live. Have you embraced the Lord Jesus Christ? Then take up this life He has for you, and be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.

This same message comes to you from every book of the Bible, from every author of every book, and from God, the ultimate Author of His Word. Peter is not saying anything different than Paul urged upon those who read his letters. And both of them have the same message as Moses, David, and Isaiah. There will always be people that twist God's Word into something different than the faith, love, and power of the cross. We cannot listen to them.

May the Lord continue to be patient with us, and save us, for Christ died for our sins. Let us then grow together as His body in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the Head of the church and the true King of the Israel of God, the kingdom of heaven. To Jesus, God the Son, be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

2 Peter 2

The true Scriptures are given to us by God, though spoken by holy men of old who wrote as they were told by the Holy Spirit. God not only inspired these writings, He uses them now by that same Spirit to direct and empower us in the way of the cross as we trust and obey. Unfortunately, there have always been evil imposters who insist that they too are true prophets, when they are not. The church cannot safely follow someone who claims to speak for God just because he says that he is a prophet, nor can we blindly receive every ancient Word that claims to be spiritual.

False prophets and teachers not only harassed Israel and the early church from outside the ranks of the people of faith. Even more troubling, purveyors of heresy and immorality also come from within. We may think it very strange that someone would insist that he is a messenger of God and a servant of Christ while promoting teaching that is a denial of our common historic and biblical understanding of who Jesus is, what He has done, and what He commands the church. But we have been warned by the Lord Himself, by the Old Testament prophets, and by many apostolic writers of the New Testament epistles that this very trouble will be a dangerous plague upon the church until Christ returns. The Lord is awake to those who try to sell their mischief to His children, and He will swiftly bring His own answer upon them as He sees fit.

Think of the many examples we have been given of how God has stopped the mouths of those who would claim to be His friends while they speak and work against His good purposes. Fallen angels cast out into the lowest realms of the world of the dead, the world of Noah that faced the judgment of the great deluge, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah turned to ashes, all these remind us that God will judge the wicked. Yet Noah and his family, and Lot and his daughters were kept for life. During our days here, we may feel like Lot or Noah, that when we are trying to walk in the way of righteousness, our souls feel the torment of what we see and hear all around us. If our guard is down we may soon be those who get drunk and are mixed up in some immoral mess. Yet God knows how to rescue His people from trials, though we ourselves may have almost forgotten up from down. Both Noah and Lot fell into very serious trouble after they had been rescued by God. But they were alive. They woke up from their stupor. What can we say about those that died in the flood, or those who saw fire come from heaven upon their cities and had no extra time to turn away from the biggest mistake of their lives? God help us to escape the lust of defiling passion and to listen to His warnings and respond now.

Yet in every age of the church, bold and willful men talk about things that they claim to know. Better to say nothing than to act like we have visited heaven and hell and know all about angels and demons. Is it God who is telling you to speak against great powers on earth and beyond this earth, or are you on your own in very dangerous territory, leading the church on some trail that you insist on blazing, despite the fact that we all seem to be heading toward Mordor?

If people are not adding virtue to their faith, no matter how well they speak, or how pleasant they are, we may not be safe in following them. Those who have been given the duty of protecting the church need to keep people like that away from any teaching authority. Not everyone in the church is equally stable, and smooth talkers hurt people that are just trying to follow the Lord and to find some measure of happiness in a complicated world. Watch out for those that are always ready for another collection that ends up going to them, or who present themselves as gatekeepers into secret spiritual realms of knowledge and freedom. If they do not add virtue to faith in a way that quietly moves them further on the pathway that leads to the love of the cross, then they are not ambassadors of the Lord of love.

Balaam was a super spiritual man, but he had to be corrected by his own donkey. He gave some of the most interesting (and true) prophesy in the Old Testament about Israel and the Messiah, but he also enticed God's men into a trap with some dangerous women. Yes, he was very spiritual, but not the kind of spiritual that is safe to listen to and to follow. People like that lead others to their death.

We have a better Savior than Balaam. When He came to save us, there were very spiritually aware demons who wanted to tell everyone that He was the Son of God. Yet they were silenced by the true Lord and Teacher of the church. His virtuous death was the greatest display of steadfastness and brotherly affection ever known among men. He became to us a fountain of living water welling up within us to eternal life. He now lives and reigns in the realm of heavenly light, and not in the gloom of outer darkness. He is the King of righteousness and not the slave of corruption.

True teachers of the faith speak of Him, and not just about angels, interesting theologians, or worst of all, themselves. True servants and ambassadors of Jesus help people not only to embrace the Christ who died for us, but also to walk in the way of righteousness that we have learned from the Scriptures. May God give the humble a discerning heart and protect them from greedy and immoral liars. May He grant them a love for Christ, so that they will not only start on the road to eternal blessing, but continue toward the light of heaven's most glorious King.

2 Peter 1

Peter is both a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ. He has the teaching authority of one who has been sent out as an ambassador of the greatest of all kings, but this authority is exercised by a man who knows that he is a servant, and that God opposes the proud. Peter's standing before God is based on the gift of faith, a faith that trusts in someone else. In this way he is like every Christian. He is trusting in the righteousness of another, his God and Savior, Jesus Christ. When he prays that grace and peace would be multiplied to the whole church in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, he is seeking for others what he knows that he needs himself. Our standing is based on the one who came as God our Savior. He has done all things well.

Not only have we been granted faith in this Jesus, if we make progress in that faith or in any other aspect of obedient living, it is because the divine power of Christ has granted to us, not only a beginning in His household, but also growth in His service. Everything related to new life and godliness comes to us through this one Source, which we are able to receive through the mystery of knowing Jesus by the hearing of the Word of God with faith. Through the Word we know who Jesus is and what He has accomplished. Through the Word we know of the existence of a place of the most supreme blessing. God is calling us to that place of His glory and excellence through His Word. By the knowledge of these important spiritual matters, we have been granted precious and very great promises. We live in a world of corruption, and our own souls have been full of sinful desires. But now through the Word we have the presence of God in us, so that we are actually partakers of God's nature, for we are in Christ and Christ is in us forever.

With this confidence that God Himself is at work within us, we are not told to be passive about the life of faith, but active and expectant. We have faith, and there is no reason that we should not move ahead in a life of virtue. Are lazy people just supposed to accept that they are lazy? What about those who struggle with inappropriate affections, greed, or sinful anger? Not at all. They should look for and labor toward true spiritual growth that will lead to definite change in their lives. And why not, since Christ is in us. To this virtue, they should add knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love, which is the fulfillment of the Law. All of these good things are now within the line of vision of the eyes of our souls. We see them, we want them, and we should take pains to get them. This is Peter's instruction, and his confident expectation.

We look not only for some small quantity of these good gifts. We should anticipate and work toward an increasing measure of all the wonders of heavenly living. To have growing self-control or heavenly love is a miracle of the Holy Spirit. How exciting that this life is near to us and in us even today. Like the disciples who were sent out two by two in order to heal and to cast out demons by the power of God, the church has been granted a new capacity and a divine mandate to be agents of Christian growth in our own lives and in the lives of others. These evidences of sanctification are not to be viewed as optional, but as required provisions for effective and fruitful use of the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is the way that genuine faith is to be lived out. To do less is to hear the good news of the power of the cross, and then to immediately forget the power part. It is true that we are weak, but the cross of Christ is strong. There is resurrection power in a cross that meets all the requirements of God's justice. Do you want to know that you are chosen by God and called to be a citizen of heaven? Then live as a person who hears the Word of God and follows it.

Peter's words about living out the Christian life are as serious as can be. He tells us that he uses every occasion to make this point, and he is writing this all down so that after he is gone, people will still have to respond to this instruction. Devote yourself to real progress in moving from a bare profession of faith to the full perfection of love.

The stories of the coming of Christ, His suffering death, and His resurrection majesty, these are not tales that the apostles invented. The fact of heaven is not some cleverly constructed fable. Peter was on the Mount of Transfiguration. He saw what took place there, and He heard the voice of God from heaven. Jesus is the beloved eternal Son of God. He has pleased the Father in every way.

Yet the eyes of men can deceive them. Peter has something far better than any appearance of God to the faithful. He has the prophetic Word of God, so sure now in the coming of Christ, His suffering, and His glory.

The Hebrew Scriptures of the Old Testament are filled with words, titles, characters, stories, episodes, and prophesies that prepared the Jews for the coming Messiah. Now He has come, making the prophetic Word much clearer in the light of the cross and resurrection of Jesus. Peter insists that this is more certain to Himself and to us than even the Transfiguration experience when Moses and Elijah appeared with a suddenly glorified Jesus.

One day Christ will rise in our hearts at the renewal of all things. Until that day, we are already partakers of the divine nature. We also have a Word from heaven's God that will never fail. Let us add faith to our hearing, and may that faith blossom more and more into glorious Christian love.

1 Peter 5

What did Peter write about church government? His teaching here is consistent with his instructions concerning servant leadership in every relationship of true authority established by God. What kind of husband does Peter tell a Christian man to be? What kind of civil ruler, or what kind of church leader? All of our understanding about being in charge of anything starts with the cross.

Peter is not sitting on an earthly throne of royal privilege as he writes this letter. He is a fellow elder writing to elders, those who are to provide spiritual nurture from above for the Lord's people. All that we are as servants of Christ should be informed by the sufferings of our Redeemer, of which Peter was an eyewitness. We add to this a consideration of the glory that is going to be revealed, knowing that heavenly life is better than earthly power.

Therefore we shepherd the flock of God in the church with a strong belief that a willing people will come to the Lord in the day of His power. See Psalm 110:3. The idea of becoming a church leader as a way of getting money should be far from us. We are not to be pushy people who insist on our own way in everything, but humble examples to others. This is the way to shepherd the flock of God. Elders should be examples of steadfast love who can be safely followed by others as they follow Christ.

When the Chief Shepherd, Jesus, returns again, He has an unfading crown of glory made especially for you, a trophy appropriate to the life of good works that He has given you. All of us need to put away anything that feels and looks like pride or self-preoccupation, and take up this good life of service.

Do you want God to oppose you? No one who is thinking sensibly could have that kind of desire. But He tells us that He opposes the proud. Do you need God's grace? Of course you do. We all have sin, and we need the Lord's blessing. The grace of God is the only way for us. Here is the way to receive that grace. “He gives grace to the humble.” It is that simple. In the humility of true faith recognize your faults and ask God for His forgiveness and help.

How can we follow the Lord's instruction that we humble ourselves? Don't meditate on the honors that men give to men. Set your heart on giving glory to God in heaven, now and forever. He will exalt you at the proper time. Until that day, you know that there are many troubles in this life. How do you battle your fears? Take all your anxiety that will only crushing you, and cast it on the Man who can bear the burden of our sin: Jesus Christ. He cares for you, and He will not cast you away.

There is a being of horrible evil, the devil, who once wanted to sift Peter as wheat. But the Lord Jesus prayed for him, that his faith would not fail. And when he came back, surely he did what Jesus instructed him to do. He strengthened His brothers in the faith.

The devil is looking for people to devour and to destroy. Why should you be one of them? Yes, we trust the Lord concerning our fate, but why should we grant our adversary an easy target for his mischief?

There is no reason for you to be devoured by spiritual enemies of the church. Stay alert. Recognize every temptation of immoral living or faithless grumbling, and resist what is evil. No matter how attractive the wrapping paper may look, the “present” inside may be your downfall. God will never give up on any of His elect. He will keep you. Yet His warnings are given so that we can hear them, and save ourselves from unnecessary trauma. If the devil is looking for someone to devour, I think it should be someone else and not you. Don't you agree?

Stay firm in your faith. Don't split yourself off from the assembly of those who worship the Lord. Listen to God's Word. Be there at the Lord's table, knowing that Jesus gave Himself for you, and do everything He says.

If you do suffer, remember that you are not alone. People all over the world in every century since the days of the resurrection of Jesus, have felt the hand of God, who disciplines those He loves. The Lord will not give you trouble forever. After a little while, the help of God will come to you, one way or another. It may happen today! Before this day is over you may hear the news you long for.

Perhaps you will not be freed from some fiery furnace today, but the Lord will undoubtedly pick you up from your current trouble at just the right time. He knows about every Joseph in prison, just as He knew about Jesus in the grave. He will restore you, confirm you, strengthen you, and establish you. He is not lacking in the power to do all these good things. He is the God of eternal dominion.

Do you love this great Savior and Chief Shepherd of the church? So many years ago the Lord Jesus asked His friend Peter this question three times. “Do you love Me?” His care for others in the church was to be an expression of His love for Christ.

Peter was kept in the grace of God. He was blessed through his years in this earthly Babylon, and he is now in that Jerusalem above. On earth He had the kiss of Christ's love through the lips of men who worshiped the Lord. Now He is in the place where the Savior's lips give the glorified brothers and sisters in the faith a better kiss of eternal peace. This blessing is for you and for all who are in Christ. Wait for the glory that will be revealed, and lead others in the light of the love of the cross.

1 Peter 4

We are recipients of all the benefits of the sufferings of Jesus our Lord. In particular, the church has become a partaker in His death and resurrection. This is not only the ground of our heavenly hope, it has also become for us a pattern for our life in this world. We die daily, yet we live. We die to self and sin, and we live to righteousness.

But think of the life of faith for a moment from the perspective of the one who does not believe. To lose a friend or a relative to faith in Christ can be an amazingly jarring experience. Someone who used to think and act one way, is suddenly not doing some things he used to do, and is dedicating himself to activities that he used to ignore or laugh at. It is very reasonable for people to say, or at least wonder, “What in the world happened to you?”

We in the church don't have time, or maybe even the inclination, to keep up with all the old amusements, some of which we now may look on as outright sin, or too close to sin to be anything but foolish for us. We want to love the people that God has placed in our lives, and we should, but they may be wondering why we don't care to participate in what they think is fun. Are we saying that they are bad people? The point is unmistakeable, and they get it, no matter how much we say something about our own sin and what Jesus has done for us. But what are we supposed to do? We didn't exactly want this conversation, but then we can't run away from it that easily when it happens. And there is no way that we're participating in orgies just so other people feel more comfortable with who we are. We have been granted life from the dead. Our hope is that many who are currently dead in their trespasses and sins will find new life in Christ through the preaching of the Word.

No one should think that the Lord's judgment of the earth is so far away. For us, the time for loose living is now over. The life of faith working itself out through love is right in front of us. Reach for it every day in Christ, and know the real freedom that comes from the joy of the Lord.

The Lord is not calling us to a life of monkish detachment from all that is enjoyable. No, we should enjoy the good gifts that God gives to all men, and cultivate a love for people. We can bring them food, we can invite them into our homes, we can give them secret gifts. The opportunities abound for these good works, and we can enjoy the experience all the more when we consider that this is what Jesus wants His church to do, especially in serving and loving one another. Do you know yourself well enough to know what you are good at? Then use your gift to bless others without expecting anything in return. Some teach well, some lead others in service, some come alongside people in need with great resources of sympathy, some have the strength to move heavy things... If you have it, use it. Needs abound. Be the answer to someone's prayers, and in all that you do, give God the glory through Jesus Christ.

All of this sounds simple, but it can become hard fast, because people are difficult, and so are we. Are you surprised when you face some fiery trial? Who can understand the mysteries of the Lord's providence? But don't be astonished when you find yourself in the midst of very serious disappointments and difficulties. This is not some strange occurrence that needs to distract you from a life of sincere devotion to the Lord.

Think of the way that our Savior approached the trial of the cross. He did ask God if there was any other way, yet even as He asked, He submitted Himself body and soul to the will of His heavenly Father. You can ask the Lord for ease, prosperity, health, family blessings, and relief from all kinds of difficulties. There is no sin in asking, but are you settled on the truth that whatever God wants is the best? Have you yielded yourself to the will of God? If you have, then you can find happiness in a time of severely disappointing providences. We share in the sufferings of Jesus, and we will share in the joy of His glory.

Even now, the heavenly Spirit of the glory and power of God rests upon you. You can take a lot of abuse if you can remember what you have been given. Don't use all this grace you have been given as a pretext for license. Christ did not die so that you can explore just how bad you can be and still be bound for heaven. That's a great story, but too many people are telling it. You live out the story of how Jesus saves in the battle we have today to reject the flesh and to enjoy a life of love.

Does it have to be said? Don't be a murderer, a thief, or an annoying and self-justifying busybody. If you have to suffer as a result of that kind of evil living, what can anyone say about it? But if you suffer patiently just for believing in Christ and quietly doing good, this is commendable to the Lord, and He knows what good really is.

Judgment begins with the household of God. The Lord is disciplining us. Why should we ignore Him? We know that a life of faithful kindness is the indisputable pattern that Jesus has for us. Any questions?

O the judgment that is coming upon those who do not obey the gospel of God. Who can stand it? Christ is our strong shield, and sometimes we feel that we are just barely saved. What will become of those who have no time for Jesus? It's too sad to think about. Lord, have mercy. Yes, have mercy on us too. So if we suffer for a little while according to God's will, let's entrust our bodies and souls to our faithful Creator while doing good. May the Lord be our help.

1 Peter 3

While our hearts yearn for God and His heaven, we live here now. That means that we are often living under rulers who are less than perfect. Even worse, there are times and places throughout history where a human being might actually be the property of another human being. In even the very worst situations, men of faith can show the grace of God by the way they live submissively and honorably through situations of lamentable injustice.

Sadly, even within families where Christ is worshiped, men have not loved their wives as Christ loved the church. Some marriages become so gravely dangerous that it may become necessary for the church or state to see that a spouse is protected from an abuser. Even if her life is not in danger, the relationship between husband and wife may be very far from displaying the love of God for His church.

It is especially in unpleasant situations that a wife may find an opportunity to put her faith into action as she respects a man who has offended her. The same can be said for husbands. Love your wife even if she will never respect you. And wives, follow your husbands as conscience permits, without a word of objection, letting your quiet godly conduct speak for itself. Are you impressed with your own looks? Your outward physical beauty is a wonderful gift, but better still is the quiet heart that has learned contentment through trials. Old Testament Sarah is an example of this, though she surprises us with her boldness. But she was committed to her God and to her husband, and her heart was trained through waiting for the promises of God, through doing good, and through the habits of faith, submissive speech, and perseverance in service which she cultivated in her relationship with her husband.

This Sarah had about all that she could take. Consider her life. It would be an understatement to say that it was a trial. How many years did she wait on the Lord following this man who heard from God? She was a weaker vessel, but an heir with her husband Abraham of the grace of heavenly life. For his part, Abraham was not so foolish as to treat her as less than himself or to ignore her concerns. Men who mistreat their wives in that way surely suffer for their pride. The Lord tells us that the prayers of men who do not honor their wives may certainly be hindered. Is that what you want?

The way of gentle faithfulness with submission to lawful authority is not only the pattern for a few specific relationships in state and family. This is the Lord's example and directive for the life of every heavenly worshiper living faithfully during these moments of exile on an earth that will one day be renewed. Men and women, young and old, high and low, everyone who loves the Lord, needs to seek in the church a unity of mind, a sympathy of heart, and a pattern of life that fits with our King's humble suffering for our sake. He faced pain so that we would have blessing. We need to be people who are quick to bless, and who turn away from vengeance.

God is not far from us. He will not be mocked. We cannot treat others in a way that is a denial of the mercy that we have received from Him. Why should we cheat ourselves of the joy that He is capable of bringing to us even now? Keep your tongue from evil and lies. Don't you want to love life and see good days? Are you aware of evil patterns in your heart? Address them now. Is there something good in front of you? Do it today. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. Don't just think about all this. Do the obvious. Do it today.

If you end up getting in trouble for sincerely and quietly dedicating yourself to gentleness and goodness, you will still be blessed. Don't focus on your enemies, and don't give in to playing the Christian victim. Sanctify Christ the Lord in your hearts. He is your refuge and your salvation. Be ready to answer the honest question from the persecutor who may wonder why you have joy despite your troubles. Don't be overly loud about your witness, or you risk being unnecessarily proud or annoying. Normally you should wait for the question, and don't imagine that there is an open ear, when there is none. Live and speak with gentleness and respect for everyone.

Do you know in your heart that you have been guilty of self-promotion or of following some agenda of your flesh. Give it up now. It is an unnecessary burden that you were not meant to carry. Keep a good conscience. Be quick to give an honest apology when you have wandered from the right way, and quietly pursue the King, knowing that you are forgiven, and useful for His purposes.

This is the good life. If you suffer unjustly in it, remember that Jesus Himself led the way for you. He gave everything in life and death, and now look at what He has accomplished! Trust Him to do great things with you. The people of Christ have faced suffering ever since sin entered the world. People like Noah, who simply obeyed the Lord, could not readily be ignored by those around them. When you build an ark in faithfulness to the Word, people will notice.

Even your baptism will be noticed if you live it out. It says to the world that there is a place of safety in Christ and in the Kingdom of heaven. Everyone should enter the ark of Christ, but many refuse. Some will make the people of God suffer. If you suffer or even die, you still live through the resurrection of Jesus. You may feel like you are on the hurting end of power now, but Your resurrection King is the Ruler in heavenly realms. Take great joy in Him whatever may befall you. You are on the winning team. Quiet and gentle confidence in Christ always makes good sense and is consistent with the greatest eternal happiness.

1 Peter 2

If we have tasted that the Lord is good, then we have experienced heaven's best gift. The God of the Jews has called a chosen people for eternity. We are to be His holy resurrection temple. He dwells within us even now. Christ is the Cornerstone of this temple, and we are being built up as living stones in this great house of God.

These are wondrous hints of the perfect life that is reserved for us now in the heavens. Since we have this life as a certain hope through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we should live now in the heavenly manner of life that Christ has set for us an example worthy of our complete emulation. We cannot die for anyone's sins, but we can turn away from all that displeases God, and we can offer up our lives in the pattern of Christ-like love.

Since we have such extraordinary blessings guaranteed to us in Jesus, there is really no need for us to have a heart of hatred, a life of pretense, or habits of worldliness that are only insults against our Savior who already rules from heavenly realms. If we are alive in Christ and have some measure of desire for His Word, by this nourishment we will grow as Christians and be further prepared for the destiny that is ours in Christ. The Lord is good to us. He is more than able to work all good within us.

The manner of life that Jesus lived for us on earth was powerful for our salvation and an example for our own lives. The life that He lives now in heaven has become the source of any good that can come from our lives now and forever. Christ is the Rock of our salvation in every way that can be imagined, and it is through Him that we offer all of our praise and obedience to God as the temple of the Holy Spirit and the priesthood of all the faithful.

The Old Testament prepared us for a Messiah who would be the Rock of our salvation. Because Jesus was chosen and most highly valued by God, according to the eternal arrangement between the Father and the Son, all who trust in Him will not be put to shame. In fact, we will be valued by God just as the Father esteems His own Son, for we are together with the Lord Jesus as the temple of which He is the Cornerstone.

This same Stone that is the key to all our happiness is for some a rejected stone, and a stone over which men have stumbled, to their own destruction. May the Lord keep us and our families from such a horrible destiny.

The church is to be the chosen Israel of God. Our Head is both King and Priest, and we are a royal priesthood in Him. We will reign with Christ, and in Him we represent one another for mercy's sake before the throne of God. What the prophets wrote of so long ago has now happened. We are proclaiming the excellencies of the One who has won for us realms of heavenly light. We were once not the people of God, but now we belong to the Lord. We were once objects of God's wrath, but now we have received His full mercy.

Yet we do not yet live as resurrected beings in the Lord's final Promised Land. Heaven is our home, and Jesus does maintain our citizenship there, but like others before us, we are exiles who must live faithfully in the countries where God has brought us here below. Though we live in Adam's world, we want to live here by the Word of heaven's God.

We will not be most fruitful by trying to be just like everyone else in the world around us. We need to turn away from “passions of the flesh,” which refers to anything displeasing to God, whether immoral affections or showy religion. Though some may promote these passions as strategies for spiritual success, they are instead weapons against us and against true Christian spirituality, which is quiet, patient, and kind. We want to be honorable in all that we do, and full of gentle acts that can be genuinely appreciated by those who we want to serve. Maybe some will speak against us as evildoers. We may not be able to change that. A crowd of Jews shouted “Crucify Him!” at our Lord. That has not happened to us yet. We need to avoid self-justification, defensive thoughts, and any trumpeting of our own achievements. Be more and more engaged in those deeds that will remain entirely unnoticed by those your flesh wants to impress, and give it all up to God as an offering dedicated to His Son's greatness. This is the only safe way of life. Of course, people will see your good deeds, but let that be of no consequence to you.

Daniel lived in exile, and he managed to be very fruitful there. Joseph served Pharaoh and did good things as a stranger in a land where he was honored. Some of the governments we live under are not the best, but we are not secret revolutionaries or noisy partisans. We are citizens of the kingdom of heaven trying to live respectfully during our brief years in a world that is in such great need of renewal.

God has put rulers in place. Wherever possible we should focus on quiet submission and worthy living. Noisy Christians who get tangled in a web of immorality or insurrection greatly harm the cause of the kingdom, though they may insist that they are the only ones in the church living boldly for Jesus. We are servants of the King who died on a cross. We could live in an unjust system where people are bought and sold and still do good with all respect.

If we suffer for doing good, so did Jesus. It is an opportunity for gospel grace if you are mindful of the death of Jesus when you endure sorrows while suffering unjustly. God sees this. He knows what you want now and forever. Our King is powerful. Come back home again to Him every day. He will help you to live the life of faith.

1 Peter 1

Nobody makes “What would Peter do” bracelets. Peter's confusion and misplaced boldness are well-known. After all, he confessed that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, the Son of the living God, and almost immediately he spoke out against the Lord's revelation of His coming cross, saying “May it never be!” Even several years after the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, Paul writes for all the church to read that he had to oppose Peter to his face because of his duplicitous behavior concerning Gentiles. Under some pressure from outsiders, Peter seemed to forget yet again that Gentile believers were fully accepted in Christ, and therefore worthy of table fellowship with Jewish Christians.

Yet throughout the history of the church, many would want to trace their spiritual lineage somehow to this one apostle. Though people use Peter's name as their justification for any number of practices, few have bothered to study his two letters contained in the New Testament. Instead of “What would Peter do” trinkets, perhaps we should promote a new slogan: “What did Peter write?”

The apostle begins his first letter by using Jewish terminology to refer to the whole church of both Jewish and Gentile believers. In this inspired letter the church is said to be the new chosen people of God. They are scattered across several provinces of the Roman empire, but they are all God's children. God knew them long before they were born, He declared them to be clean through the work of the Holy Spirit, and He destined them to a life of heavenly obedience as those who have been marked as set apart from the world. They are sanctified through the blood of the One Sacrifice which has cleansed us from our sins.

The church should always be full of praise for the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have received amazing mercy through the work of our Lord. That mercy includes not only a declaration of our hope, but something more: a happy invasion of living hope into our current lives, since we have received a new birth from above by the Holy Spirit. The experience that we have of heavenly life now is intimately connected to the fact of Jesus' resurrection life in that blessed place where our future inheritance is entirely secure.

Even here on earth, this world of obvious danger and opportunity, God is guarding us and keeping us in the life of faith as we move toward the ultimate Promised Land. By this living hope we experience a surprisingly robust spiritual joy, despite the fact that in the mysterious providence of Almighty God, we must for a little while face a measure of suffering.

The trials that we experience here have a purpose, though those who pretend they understand all of God's mysteries at the present are really only guessing. We can say this: The testing of our faith is connected to events that will be more finally revealed at the grand finale of God's eternal purpose in the revelation of Jesus and His church at His second coming. Wait for it... It is going to be worth it, and God will get all the glory. Keep on loving the Jesus of the Scriptures, though you have not yet seen Him. Keep on believing in Him, and keep on rejoicing with whatever measure of joy you have been given.

Isn't it wonderful enough that our lives have been saved for an eternal and bountiful existence with God? This is what the prophets were writing about, and we who have believed, Jews and Gentiles, have become partakers of a new world that we will certainly enter into more fully in just a little while. Now we can listen to the prophets and we read of a coming Suffering Servant of God. But we also hear of a life that does not fit the history of Israel or the story of the New Testament church. It is too big, too good, too uncompromising, and too heavenly.

This was hard for the prophets themselves to understand, though they inquired carefully concerning the person who would be the key figure of our salvation, and the timing of the events that would come. It was revealed to them that these blessings were not just for the faithful remnant of the Israelites or for the whole Jewish nation. The resurrection age that has already begun in Christ was for those who would be united in faith from all the nations of the world through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now we enjoy truths that even angels want to know more about.

We have been granted an amazing clarity in the revelation of Jesus, His death, His resurrection, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit through the writings and preaching of the apostles and prophets of the New Testament era. Since, by the precious blood of Christ, we have this clarity of hope guaranteed for us in the perfect work of Christ, there is no good excuse for us to continue in a pattern of life from our former days of ignorance. It is time to be holy, different from the world. The One that the prophets longed for has come. He has redeemed us by His blood, and He is risen.

The good Word of Christ has now been preached to us, and we have heard it and embraced it. This truth of grace can be obeyed. We need not wait to leave this earth in order to begin to live the heavenly life more fully. The imperishable seed of God has been planted within us. That seed will live forever, and it will most certainly grow and bear good fruit for eternity.

Psalm 42

There are times when a worshiper needs to have a good long talk with his own soul. The mind and heart of even a very godly man still need plenty of correction and redirection. This addressing of the soul is an important companion to a life of communion with God. We need to tell our souls to remember what we have learned from the Word and to trust in God as we turn away from lies.

This need is not only for people that live far away from the presence of God who have not yet developed the best habits of devotion and obedience. It is also and especially for those who have a strong desire for the Lord and for heaven. The man who loves the Lord the most can easily become especially discouraged with his life under the sun. He wants to be with God. His soul is thirsty for the living God. The worshiper who lives on the periphery of the Lord's congregation fits in better with a worldly world, ...that is until misery strikes too close to his own heart.

For the man who has found the Lord to be a very present help in a time of trouble and who has discovered the truth of the kingdom of heaven and tasted some of the blessings of the life to come, his longing for the Lord becomes like the thirst of an animal that is looking for a flowing stream somewhere so that he will not die. He is not satisfied with vague feelings of the presence of God. He wants to go where God is. He says this: “When shall I come and appear before God? When can I see His face?”

This is not just a spiritual curiosity. Some people are interested in all kinds of spiritual things, much the same way as people are history buffs or others are always ready to hear what is going on in the world of sports or entertainment. Someone like that thinks that spiritual experiences are his life, but only the way that a hobby is life to a person who is very intent on it. No, the experience of the person who has some reason to intensely long for God and for heaven is different. He has tears. He grieves about it. Even the biggest sports fans are not saying that their tears have fed them day and night while they waited for opening day. But the true worshiper is waiting for his ultimate opening day in heaven, and he grieves. He longs to be with God where God is.

Some people find this intensity of longing for the Lord and for heaven to be very unattractive, and there is no doubt that many people are showy and annoying with their faith. Yet a strong desire for God's eternal purposes to be accomplished can hardly be sinful. It is virtuous longing. Yet the problem with even the best virtues in a world of evil is that sin clings to them. That's why we need to talk to our souls about this. Setting your heart on things above is a virtue. Giving in to faithless depression about your life on earth is not. This temptation to unbelief or despondency is made worse when there are people around you who do not understand what the big deal is, and who see this as something to laugh at. If they say to you all day long, “Where is your God,” how do you take that?

Keep on praying to God, but you also need to talk to your soul. You might think that good memories of God's blessing and favor will help you through a rough time. If someone has suffered a great loss or is just very low, eventually good memories may feel good, but not necessarily today. Good memories can hurt... “I was at the front of the line as we walked toward heaven. People were shouting with joy and singing praise. But now those days are no more, and I feel so low.” The good memory alone does not heal the wound. It may make it feel worse.

You need a conversation with your soul. You need to be honest and say some things to your heart that only you can say. “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” That's a good start. You admit the truth, and you wonder why. Of course, you probably know why. You don't like God's providence for you. If you are Job, you don't like the disrespect that people are showing you. You don't appreciate the presumption that your tragedy is a sign of secret sin. You are in pain with a very debilitating medical condition, your wealth has been stolen or destroyed, all your children are gone, you don't know why all this is happening, you hate your life, and you can't decide whether you want God to come near to you so that you could talk this out with Him, or go far away from you so that you can have peace. That is why Job, a man who loved God and loved heaven, was so downcast.

That all may sound like a very negative list to consider, but it is an honest answer to the question, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” That is ot a bad place to start, but it is a very dismal place to finish. Here's where you want to head: 1. Hope in God, and then 2. I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

1. Hope in God. Job went as far as he could go in his honest reflections on his own life and the human condition, which is another way of talking about life in a world of death, or life where heaven has not yet fully arrived on earth. He needed a prophetic Word and a visit from the Almighty Himself to redirect him in a better way. When God comes at the end of the book, God talks about God. This is something that does not necessarily work if other people try to be God. When they talk about God, it may just be annoying. Either God must talk about God through His Word, or you need to have that serious talk with your own soul. “Soul, hope in God.” Be redirected.

2. I shall again praise him, my salvation (literally: the salvation of my face) and my God. Your face may need some salvation, but you don't want to wear a mask. You need help on the inside. You are headed toward the praise of God. Jesus faced trouble worse than Job to make this happen. He was brought low. A tsunami of divine justice broke on His sinless head. He felt abandoned by God, and His adversaries taunted Him. People who should have loved Him treated Him with the worst disrespect. He secured a place for you in the eternal praise of the Almighty. Because of Him, you will praise God again. Keep that in mind.

Psalm 43

Is it sinful for a person to be dissatisfied with God's providence in his life? No, God is not satisfied with some of God's providence. For example, God is not satisfied with the persecution of His church.

Even though Christ has accomplished our redemption through His obedience and His atoning death, even though He is reigning already at the right hand of the Father, even though Jesus has all power and authority, we do not yet see everything in submission to God. The pathway of God's providence leads to the perfect Grand Finale. God will unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth (Ephesians 1:10). We are waiting for that Grand Finale to come at the return of Christ.

But today there are many providences that happen according to the unfailing decree of God, that will not be in perfect accord with His Law. For today, we still pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When we see oppression, poverty, disease, death, and every evidence of sin and misery around us, we know that this is not the final chapter in the good plan of God. There are many actions that cry out to God for some better end. God was not happen with the murder of Abel. Abel's blood cried out to God from the earth. It demanded divine vindication. Every injustice must be made right or we have not yet reached the fulfillment of the Lord's glorious plan.

The worshiper of God who is hated and abused by men looks for that future better day. He may have a little bit of God's justice even now, but we are seeking more than that, and so is God. Deceitful and unjust men crucified Jesus. In the centuries before and after that key event of all human history, Israel and the church have faced unjust assaults from men and angels. Surely the Name of God's Son and the people who are His bride must one day be defended. Most of all, God must glorify His own holy Name.

For now, though we experience deep mourning and may even feel as if we have been rejected by the Lord, we continue to take refuge in Him. Though our greatest hopes will only find their complete expression when all of God's good plans have been fulfilled, we still have immediate needs today. We are human beings, creatures with bodies that are suitable for the mortal world in which we now live. We need food, shelter, useful labor, the company of friends, hope for the next generation, health, peace, and so many other good gifts that come to us from our heavenly Father. Yet even if we seem to lack one or more of these blessings during some brief season in our journey toward the world of fullest joy, we can still rejoice in the Lord if we are able to have the mind of Christ.

The Apostle Paul had this mind. He faced sufferings beyond what we have experienced, but he said, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). His advice to the church is powerful in every age: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

We will only have this mind of Christ through the Word and Spirit of God. This is why the true worshiper urgently pleads with the Lord for divine light even more than any immediate improvement in his circumstances. If he is going to move further toward a vibrant hope in God, and a living awareness that he will soon praise God in a place of perfect light, then he must have the Word.

The Lord must send forth His light and truth from above. These will lead him away from a fascination with his disappointments, and toward the Lord God Almighty and a life of perfect worship and steadfast love. The light and truth of God will take him out of the disappointing spiral of downcast thinking. They move him on to the holy hill of God that people of faith have sought for centuries; not a place in Jerusalem, or a favorite church building, but a city that is above, a Paradise that will soon come down from on high as the new heavens and the new earth.

The Word of God will lead us to that place. It is a place of exceeding joy. There the blood of Christ speaks a better Word than the blood of Abel, a Word of forgiveness, restoration, and liberty. “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” Hear the Word of light and truth. Hope in God. Hope in Him through the most severe affliction. You shall certainly praise Him forever. He is your salvation and your God.

This is the way to talk to your soul: “Soul, hope in God based on the work of Jesus Christ. Soul, the joy of heavenly worship is your destiny.” Of course, there are other alternatives that are popular. 1. Here's a guy with no arms and legs. He's happy. Why can't you be? 2. Think happy thoughts and all will be well. Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens... 3. Life is governed by Murphy's Law. Embrace negativity. You'll never be disappointed, and you will appear lighthearted and clever to others. 4. Pretend. A good mask in public can save you from unnecessary embarrassment. 5. Be right. It is more satisfying than being happy.

These methods will not see you through a truly serious trial. Jesus did not take the debt of your sin on the cross so that you could pursue happiness in any of these ways. His plan is the only healthy way. Take in the light and truth of His Word and have a serious conversation with your soul. “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”

James 5

We imagine that lots of rich people are happy. Perhaps they are. It still remains that for some reason it is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. The love of money is a serious idolatry that brings all kinds of trouble upon a person. Best to repent, and to give yourself away in service and devotion.

Money fools people. We imagine that we can do anything with it, which is not at all the case. So much of what contributes to our true happiness cannot be purchased. The rich need humility, and you cannot buy that. Riches do create opportunities, but how have those opportunities been used? To him who has been given much, much is required. Like everyone else, the rich need repentance, faith, and salvation, but these are gifts that no amount of money can purchase. With man, it is all impossible, but with God, all things are possible. God can save, and He will give the gifts and graces that accompany His salvation according to His will. If God does not save, how will the rich man answer the Lord in the day of judgment? During his life the needs around him were so great. Where was he when the poor man needed help? This is a frightening thought for anyone who has had ample food and shelter to consider. Have I turned my back on Jesus? Have I lived my life on earth in luxury and self-indulgence? How will I answer God?

What about the eternal condition of the poor man? He cannot save himself any more than the rich man can. We all need grace so badly. But the poor and powerless also need patience. When will the Lord hear their cry for help? When will he deliver the poor man from this land where scarcity takes such a big bite out of his comfort? When will the kingdom come in power?

Take some hope from the farmer. He plants and irrigates, and eventually the earth will yield the fruit that is desired. God will send the early rain and the late rain. The Lord knows. Call upon His Name and wait with confidence. The coming of Jesus is at hand. Our lives are not really that long. If you are in Christ, your day of deliverance will soon come. Either He will take you where He is, or He will come with all of heaven and meet you where you are, but now on a renewed earth where you will no longer be poor.

Set your hearts upon God, believe His promises, and be at peace with everyone as you wait in hope. Give up on all grumbling, both the kind that people can hear and the kind that they cannot. This external and internal complaining will not put food on the table, it will not stop oppressors from assaulting, and it will not bring you closer to heaven.

Think of the Old Testament prophets. They faced suffering with patience. Yes, they cried out to God, and they felt their needs, but they did not give up on the Word of the Lord. This is what is necessary for us. God will surely come soon to rescue us from all distress.

Think of what the righteous Job faced. He lost his property, and all his children. Then he lost his health. Finally he lost all the dignity that he had enjoyed among his people. He became the suffering servant of the Lord. Though he was a man who was more righteous than all those around him, they accused him of secret sin on the basis of these horrific providences. But God visited him and redirected him when he needed Him most. And he was vindicated, and even became an agent of blessing to those who had falsely accused him.

The Lord is compassionate. He hears the cries of the righteous man in distress. He will be merciful. The end will be better than you can imagine. Don't give up in the middle of the struggle. You have not reached the end yet. The cross is not the end. The resurrection life of glory is the end. Wait for that. There is no gain that comes from panic and despair.

As you wait patiently for the Lord, there are five very important positive spiritual habits that you can cultivate that all have to do with togetherness:
1. Be true to your word. You are a part of a community of faith. What you say matters. Remember the steadfastness of Christ to the plan of grace. His “yes” was yes, despite the cost of love.
2. Cry out and sing to God together. You may do more of the former when you are suffering, and more of the latter when you are cheerful, but either way, lift up your voice to the God who heard His Son and who hears His worshiping assembly.
3. Don't face joys and sorrows alone. Call for help from the church, and particularly from the elders. They want to pray for you when you are in trouble. Christ had to suffer alone. You should not have to. Ask for support, and expect that God will do great things through His church.
4. Pray with and for one another. You can even confess your sins and speak God's words of forgiveness to each other. Commit yourself to the right way, and expect God to use you and others in this spiritual service of mutual care.
5. Give up on wandering. Come back home to God and His church. Jesus has received you. Don't ever run away from His church again.

This pattern of living is for those who have rejected Lone Ranger spirituality. We are the body of which the Lord is Head. We have been bought by His blood. Whether we are rich or poor, we are together, and we can support one another as we look for the coming day of glory when we be together with the Lord forever.

Psalm 41

God has in His hands complete power over life and death. He is the One who also has determined everything concerning both the present and the future. He is now working out all His plans. His decrees touch very significantly upon all of our lives. It is this sovereign and powerful God who tells us to consider the poor, and who promises that He will bless us if we do so.

He has displayed His own care for those in need through the cross. We acknowledge before Him that we are the poor in spirit. He has the perfect righteousness that is heaven's only currency. Through Adam's sin and our own we have racked up an awful debt that is completely beyond our ability to repay. The life and death of Jesus for us is the complete remedy for our spiritual poverty. Because a great ransom has been paid, we now have been given permanent title to the kingdom of heaven.

The Lord gives us great glimpses of Paradise in His Word. In that place of protection God keeps us alive, and we are blessed. We have no trouble from enemies there, and we are kept from sickness and distress.

If we taste anything close to that now in some measure of present prosperity, it is only a hint of a much greater life of divine favor that is coming. In this world, it is more the norm that the Lord's faithful servants will encounter significant tribulation. When we consider Old Testament heroes like Job or Jeremiah, we know that they faced serious difficulties. The Apostle Paul's biggest trials only began after he reached the clarity of Christian commitment. Most importantly, Jesus, who is our righteousness, faced a world of suffering and pain for us.

Our experiences of deep loss and trouble become a thing of the past when we go to the Lord's glorious kingdom. On this earth we have the trouble of our own sin added to the challenges that we face from powerful adversaries. Think of the horror of betrayal that Christ faced for us. Not only were the chief priests and the Jews shouting for his death on the cross, one of His own close companions had delivered Him into the hands of His foes for thirty pieces of silver.

People were not mourning their own sin at the cross, realizing that it took what their eyes were seeing to work their redemption. They were shouting, “Crucify Him!” They were not encouraging themselves with His promise that on the third day He would rise again. They were cheering for His death and expecting Him to stay dead. Yet now He reigns from heaven, and He is coming again to judge the living and the dead.

God would not hand His holy Son forever over to eternal death. That formidable enemy would not be able to shout in triumph over Jesus. This was the final proof of the Lord's delight in our Redeemer, and this has become for us the guarantee of our own eternal safety and blessedness.

Our Lord's speech and conduct were fully in accord with the most exacting standards of God's holy integrity. This cannot be said of those who worship Him. Not even close. In terms of perfect integrity, our only source is Jesus. But this is what He has given to those who trust in Him, the credit of His manner of life. All our murderous and adulterous thinking, our covetous dissatisfaction with the life that God has given us, all our addictions to deadly practices that promise pleasure, and our habit of rejecting the way of God's Holy Spirit, all this sin He atoned for through His death. And all His godliness, holiness, self-control, and love He has granted to us as if we ourselves had followed that way of life perfectly. This is what we have in Christ.

The enemies of Jesus experienced a momentary triumph over the Son of God. Because of that suffering, now our adversaries will not be able to exalt over us forever. The Father turned His face away from His holy Son for a short time. But now we can live securely in the presence of God.

Jesus did not forfeit heaven permanently. He won heaven for us in such a way that we would be there with Him forever. We are going there when we die, and then heaven is coming here to renew the earth when Jesus returns.

This glorious plan of God for our salvation was perfectly executed by the Son of God. The credit for every ounce of heavenly glory belongs to the Lord. We will join with all of His redeemed people to bless His Name from everlasting to everlasting.

With this awareness that our time of struggle here is brief, and with the confidence that Christ is King, and that He has perfectly secured our own eternal blessedness and happiness, we return again to the encouragement of the Lord that we should consider the poor. Christ saw us in our extreme spiritual poverty. He considered us, and He considered Himself, knowing that He was the only One who could work out the plan of redemption. He considered what His enemies would do to Him. He considered how a friend who shared His bread would betray Him. He considered the cross and the grave. Then He considered the resurrection and the glories of heaven.

With a full awareness of all that would take place even before the world began, He chose mercy. He calls us to count the cost, and then to care for the weak. This is His good plan for us, and it too shall be accomplished, for He has prepared good works in advance for us, that we should walk in them.

Psalm 40

Compared to the scope of eternity, our lives now are very brief, just a mist that soon vanishes. Yet to the grieving soul, the thought of fifty more years of tears is hard to take. We wait patiently for the Lord, sort of, and God hears our cries. The Almighty brings us up from a pit that has no exit, and He places us on a solid rock. The Lord who will wipe away the tears of His servants gives our troubled souls a new song of praise. All of that helps.

Fifty more years of tears... Yes, but also fifty more years of earthly service, and a worshiper's labors are not in vain. We can expect that many will see our quiet lives of faithful adversity, and they will also trust in the Lord.

Anyway, what is the alternative to trusting the Lord and living faithfully for him? Will the tears go away if we give ourselves over to despair and bitterness. There is nothing good in that choice. Any pathway of sin will certainly not heal a bad heart wound.

We will end up trusting in someone or something. Shall we turn to the proud and trust in them? We would soon grow sick of the lies of those who reject the Author of truth. To trust in God is to believe the truth. No one can compare with Him. He is the Lord of power and love.

When Christ came as the answer to our deepest needs, He did all that God required for the achievement of our salvation. He provided that obedience that was so much more than a religious and ceremonial achievement. He had a ready ear for all that His Father said. His story was and is the theme of the Scriptures. He did not come to offer the blood of bulls and goats from burnt offerings and sin offerings as if God were waiting for someone to do the Levitical system with exact precision, and then He would be happy. God did not want burnt offerings. He wanted His Son to offer up the life of true perfection that those animals symbolized. He did not want a man to kill sin offerings. He wanted a man without sin who could put sin to death. This was Jesus' great delight: to do the will of God.

The Word of His unparalleled achievements of obedience has reached the great congregation of men and angels in heaven. Jesus Himself has come into the sanctuary there to declare the good news of His holy achievement of our salvation. Even upon the earth, the glad reports are circulating everywhere. Our deliverance has been accomplished through the one Man who became the true Lamb of God.

The coming of Jesus, and His offering of Himself as the perfect sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, is not only a great testimony to the faithfulness and love of the Son of God. It also speaks gloriously of the Father's love, for He gave His only-begotten Son for our sake. This message of the Father's love is well known today in both the heavenly and earthly congregations that worship the Lord God Almighty.

The mercy of God has been extended to us through the one Man of obedience. His death and resurrection are a powerful display of His Father's commitment to His own unchanging and eternal purpose, to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth. This is why we are not consumed by the wrath of God. Christ has become for us the steadfast love and faithfulness of God. We are united with Him. We have the Father's love and grace in Jesus.

Yet still those fifty years may remain, whether we consider them to be far too brief or intolerably long. One day we may think that we are napping for just a moment, and we will open our eyes in the land of glory. Some few will mourn over what has become of us, but our struggle will be over.

Until then, evil seems to be everywhere. We need to love people who do not respect us, and who bring us grief and disappointment. Our own sin is alarming. We bring trouble upon ourselves and annoyance to others who love us because we waste so much timing judging them uncharitably, and boasting about ourselves, and about a tomorrow of earthly success that is far beyond our capacities to deliver. We're swimming in sin.

The best thing that we can do is to to come back to the Almighty King who saved us. He delivered us out of hell. He can also help us to make the best use of our remaining years of trouble, because the days are not only evil, but few. Opportunities for love abound. We should not waste the time that we have.

During these years of waiting, trusting, and serving, there may be some who keep us awake by their attempts to destroy any good work that we might accomplish. God will certainly put them to shame one day, but then, that is much more His business than it is ours. They are making a wretched choice in trying to stop what can never be defeated. We will fail every time, but God's work will prevail.

When the earth is renewed in the coming day of glory, it will be well known to all that our fifty or so years of grief were not really wasted. Some good things that seemed to amount to nothing back in the day of despair, will be found to have been sent ahead to that place where the redeemed see with their eyes that their labor in the Lord was not in vain.

Until that day of sight, we walk by faith. We wait, and we seek God. We cry, but we also love our salvation, and say continually, “Great is the Lord!” We are nobody special to people who seem to be somebody. We are dismissed as failures, cast aside with the poor and the needy. But Christ has us in mind, and He will not forget us when He comes to reward those who wait patiently for Him, hearing His Word, and serving others with quiet love.

James 4

The wisdom that comes from above is a gift of God. Without that gift we will not live the heavenly life on earth today. There is another alternative. We can live the normal life of worldliness that fits in so well with this place of sin and misery. This alternative is the way of quarreling and fights among people who should not be treating each other like enemies.

When there are passions at war within a person, that internal hostility can easily be expressed in negativity and hatred toward others. It all comes down to desires. When we set our hearts on lesser desires, and we don't get what we want, we are ready for war. The heavenly-minded life is for someone who has set his affections on Christ and the life above. What he desires is already securely his. That's why he has a peace that passes the understanding of people that insist on the lesser desires first, the desires that come with worldliness.

Not that there is something wrong with food, friends, good work, or recreation. These are gifts of God that should be received with joy. But if you have your heart set on them as your first love, what do you do when they become unattainable?

If you love God best and hope for heaven most, then you already have what you want more than anything, and no one can ever take that away from you. Your participation in what you love is already completely guaranteed. If you want the lesser pleasures too, that's not a problem, you can ask God for them. He can help you, and His choices and timing for you on all these things are the absolute best. That helps you to rest now, and to enjoy what He gives to you when He gives it. Don't live for lesser passions, but make God and the heavenly life your chief delight, and use whatever He gives to you today as an expression of your joy in Him and your commitment to serve in everything.

For healthy and happy Christian living, Jesus insists on being first in your life. He died for you. You can't give Him up for someone you love more. When anything in your world is a better friend to you than Jesus, then you are asking God to take a lower place in your affections, underneath something that He has created. God will not put up with that kind of spiritual adultery. He is faithful to you, and He is asking you to be faithful to Him. Will you be willing to make that commitment?

Our God is an appropriately jealous Lord. That's why He demands your highest affections. When we look at the Christian life through the lens of God's requirements, we can easily become discouraged. Take this simple directive that God be our chief desire. Many claim to obey God on this, but have they been tested? Have their dearest idols been taken away from them? Only a man without any sin could accurately claim to love God his whole heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Seeing our failure again concerning this or any other holy law that we have been given, we are driven back to the Lord's mercy, because we need Him to forgive us and to receive us again through the perfection of Christ, who died for us. Then, as our hearts are pierced through with the fact of our own failures, we find this great help: “He gives more grace.” This is what we need, more grace.

He gives grace to the humble, but He resists the proud. We remember the cross again, and we are humbled, which is where we want to be. We are tired and weak, but the One who gives more grace calls out to our souls: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” This is what we need to do, and God will provide the strength.

We fall again, and He keeps on coming back for us. He says to us, “Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” We cannot find a place to rest in ourselves. We are plainly not good enough, and He is calling us to repent. We had thought that everything was going to be rest right away, but the rest He has for us includes a sweeping rejection of all idols. He says, “Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.”

Our peace comes to us in worship. The Lord touches us and speaks to us. He insists that He loves us, that we are His, and that He is ours. But then He insists again that we humble ourselves before Him, and that He will exalt us. And He will. He will rid us of entangling affections and heavy obstacles. God knows how to move mountains out of our way. We need to trust Him, and we need to keep moving in the right direction.

If we are thinking and speaking against others, judging the body of Christ in some way that we would not appreciate being judged, we need to see God throw that boulder out of our pathway to heaven. It is blocking the progress that we seek.

If we are boasting and bragging to others about what we are, or what we will do, then we need the Lord to blast through that wall of rock that will only stop our forward momentum. We have no idea what tomorrow will bring. Soon our brief mist of a life on this tired planet will come to an end.

If Jesus, who died for us, does not take us to be with Him where He is, then our future will not be bright. We need a friend who is alive with love and divine power. May the Lord's good will for us include the power of Jesus clearing the pathway for us, even being the pathway for us, to heaven. We know the way to go. Let us walk in it when all seems hopeless. Christ will surely walk with us as far as we need to travel with Him this day.

James 3

We are people of mercy and love. We are living out a message, but more than that we are living out something real that is the basis of the message we preach. The Word that we proclaim is the mercy and love of God to us. Christ is the reality that makes that message so powerful. Through Him, and through His good news, mercy has triumphed over judgment. Because of Him we need to be merciful. He is the power of love in us.

This is all unquestionably right, but as soon as we start talking, too often we find something else coming out of our mouths that is not consistent with the grace of our Lord. And we cannot seem to tame our tongues. There are so many occasions where it would be better to say nothing at all rather than to say what we say.

Some are called to be teachers, and they cannot avoid speaking, but teachers will be judged with more strictness. Everyone stumbles in one way or another, but it is very easy for a teacher or preacher of the Word to stumble with his mouth. To be that kind of ambassador for Christ is not for everyone, but to live a quiet and faithful life of love should be the goal of every Christian.

This is not an easy thing to attain, but God can help us. The reason we have such trouble with speaking is that we have an even deeper problem with thinking and desiring. If we want to stop our tongues from starting fires, we need to ask God to send the living water of heaven more and more into our hearts and minds. This is the only way to tame the tongue, and it will only happen by the grace of God, who makes all things new.

We need our speech to be a consistent source of blessing, and not a polluted stream that was clean when it went forth from the mountain of God, but picked up too many impurities on its way to eager self-expression. Imagine what our speech will be like in heaven when every motion of our heart is in tune with the Spirit of Jesus Christ. This is our goal today, to have that kind of heavenly heart now, blessing God, and showing forth His love and mercy to people like us who need his grace every moment of every day.

We say that we believe that heaven exists, and it does. It is the place where God dwells most supremely. We contend that life in heaven is without sin, and that the angels and men there are even now in a Paradise of perfect love. This is absolutely right. Jesus said to the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Even before the resurrection, while the Lord's body was still in the grave, He went to that Paradise of just men made perfect where people have real self-control. We trust that when Jesus returns, that we will live the perfect life of heaven on a renewed and reunited heaven and earth. This is our hope and it is secure in the work of Christ for us. But do we believe that we can have the wisdom and grace that comes from above today in this world of trouble? This is what God wants for us now. We can ask for and receive this heavenly blessing today.

The wisdom that comes from above is the mind of Christ. To have heavenly wisdom is to have true Christ-likeness and the fruit of the Holy Spirit. If you want a quiet life, where your speech would more fully reflect the glory of the ascended Jesus who died for your sins, you must be transformed by the renewing of your mind. In this heart/mind/soul mysterious center of true humanity, you cannot nurture the bitter jealousy and selfish ambition of demonic life, and expect that you will still speak the truth seasonably with the mercy and love of heaven. From an unclean root we can only expect fruit of disorder, sin, guilt, shame, and regret.

But there is another way of life open to us today by the love of God expressed so beautifully to us in Jesus Christ, our Lord. We do not have to wait until the moment of our death to experience more of heaven. We have the mind of Christ now, and we can ask God for more grace so that we will live according to the wisdom that comes from above.

That wisdom is first pure. Particularly for those who would speak as representatives of Christ in the teaching ministry of the church, before we think much about how we can keep the peace of Christ in His body, we must consider our need for the purity of Christ in His church. What is the true answer that we are seeking? How will mercy triumph over judgment today? How will righteousness be more fruitfully lived out in this congregation as we put off the habits of an unclean old mind, and put on the life of purity. Don't give up on this too quickly. This is where heavenly living fights the first battle of the good fight. God needs to show us the way of purity.

Then we can move on to the beauty of peace. How can that truth of purity that we have come to love be expressed in a way that will best maintain the peace of heaven in the church? This wisdom of gracious speech will have an ear that is gentle, hearing the best, and a mind that is open to reason, looking for the opportunity to see the mercy of God known, loved, and experienced by all.

People who visit a church where heavenly wisdom reigns should be able to sense heart of Christ. It should feel different than the place where the unloving and unspiritual divisions of worldliness lead the flock of God in the wrong direction, despising the poor and weak and exalting the well-connected and beautiful. But we can walk in the wisdom of heaven now. The Lord of glory has led the way for us in His suffering love. He visits us with His Spirit of mercy. He will bring forth a harvest of righteousness, sown in peace by those who love the peace of God, and who seek peace for themselves and others according to the wisdom that comes from above.

James 2

It is so easy to judge people. We look at what they are wearing and we think that we know who they are. What is in the heart of a man? Even if we fully understood, do we really pretend to know why God has sent this particular person to be a part of this specific congregation.

The body of Christ is one. When we start splitting up the worshiping assembly into groups, we can so easily become judges with evil thoughts. The point of reference that divides is self. Self makes distinctions between various members of the Lord's family based on what each person can do for it. Jesus is the reference point that unites. He loves all who are in Christ. We are all valuable in Him. We are loved and are worthy of love.

The way of self is the way of the world. But Jesus is King over all and the Lord of all providence. He has chosen those that the world would never choose as His beloved children. Will we disagree with Jesus about the worth of others based on our own assessments? He has blessed the poor, granting faith in Christ to many who are weak. Yet now they are co-heirs of heaven with Christ, and they shall inherit the earth. Will we dishonor a man whom God has so richly blessed? And then we rush to show deference to the rich, the famous, the powerful, and the popular, though so many of the beautiful people of success have persecuted the church. Would we side with Herod and Herodia as those who would be able to do so much for our good cause? Yet she came up with the idea of putting the head of John the Baptist on a platter, and he agreed to her entrapment to protect his own pride.

It is not a new idea that we should follow the Lord's assessment of people created in His image. God has given us a sure guide for practical relations with those around us: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” To ignore this directive is to break the Law of God.

God has also called us to be merciful as He is merciful. We have found liberty in Christ, through His death and resurrection. Will we insist on judgment without mercy in our relationship with others?

To have a heart of mercy and to love, these are requirements of true faith. Someone who insists that they have faith, but who is not merciful and who will not love, can he have real faith? Faith is more than an intellectual assent. It is a full resting of the soul on the mercies and love of God in Christ. It must yield works, or it is not a living faith at all. Only a living faith saves.

Living faith displaces self from the focal point of existence. God in Christ is Savior and Lord, and the people of faith are brothers and sisters to be loved. We look to their happiness, not because we can get something from them, that would be self taking the lead again, but because of Jesus, who loves them. The community that has been saved is a community where faith works through love.

Mercy and love are the works that flow from faith. If the heart is not alive, the blood does not move through all the systems of the body, providing nourishment to every member. But if the heart is alive, then the blood will be moving and serving. How can we insist that our hearts are alive in the truth of Christ if our hands will not serve one another out of reverence for the Lord?

The devil does not have a living faith. He believes, and he has a certain kind of fear of God, but self has never given way to Christ as the reference point of a life of love and mercy. The children of the devil among men are the same way, no matter how much they say that they have faith.

Real faith is alive with the actions of heavenly life. Abraham had that kind of faith, and it was credited to Him as righteousness. What if he had claimed to believe the voice of God, but then turned away from that true voice when the words became too hard for him to obey? In that case self would have still been the reference point of his living. But if God is the true focal point of life, then faith, when tested, will be proven or “justified” by obedience.

Jesus believed the voice of God calling Him to the obedience of love and mercy. This was not external to Him, but fully and perfectly alive within Him. He believed and He followed. Where would we be without the perfect living faith of Jesus Christ? The root of our salvation is in Him. Everything else, however commendable it may be, is only our response to what has been perfectly accomplished for us by our Lord. Where the soul embraces the Savior who embraced our sinful lives on the cross, mercy and love must be lived out, however imperfectly. Living faith finds real people to love.

We are friends of God in Jesus Christ through this active faith. Faith makes friends with others in the Name of Jesus. The people of faith hear the voice of God, and they take actions that may cost them. This was the faith Rahab had when she hid the spies in the day when Joshua led the people of God in the conquest of Canaan. If Rahab had said that she believed the voice of God, but then turned over the Israelites to their enemies, could she have had a credible claim to true faith in the God of Israel? But Rahab the prostitute was saved by a living faith in the Redeemer of Israel.

The body apart from the spirit is dead. So also faith apart from works is not faith at all. Our Joshua, Jesus Christ, has the singular reference point of our faith. Because of Jesus, self must give way to the mercy and love of Christ. He is Lord.

Psalm 39

How is the worshiper of the Lord to live in the midst of a world that does not join him in the congregation of those who call upon the Name of the Lord? It is not that the others all around him cannot appreciate the wonder of a sunrise, or cannot grow from an experience of loss. The world of natural experience is there for them, and they make some spiritual use of it. But the life of hearing and obeying the Word seems closed to them. They do not seem to have ears to hear.

The Word of God divides people. A sunrise has a voice of its own, but it does not divide people. The Word speaks, and insists on being unique from all other voices. The Word demands that all men listen and follow. But only the sheep of God hear the Voice and follow. Others are out, but the true congregation of those who love the Voice are in.

This is particularly uncomfortable since the rejection or acceptance of the Word by people will eventually move them apart from each other in their response to the demands of God. Those who are powerful and unresponsive to the Word will make decisions in accord with their own perceptions of happiness. People will eventually be divided not only on their willingness to participate with an open heart in divine worship, but also on matters of public and personal ethics, with the worshiper seeking to follow the Word, and the others who reject the Word making choices that deviate from divine directives. Both groups sin, but the worshipers see this as wrong, they confess, repent, and believe in the provision of God in Christ for their forgiveness. Those who reject the Word may accuse themselves of sin, but they may also excuse themselves, and eventually they may openly applaud what the Word says is wicked, and turn against anyone who says otherwise.

What is the righteous man to do? He may try to simply have no contact with those who do not believe the Word. Or he may try to guard his tongue to avoid unnecessary danger and offense.

But this second way requires great powers of self-discipline. It is not easy to live the quiet life in a world that is perishing. When a man begins to lose his composure, he sense of distress will grow, and the words will start to burn within his soul, and out they come, and trouble may come.

After the mess of too many words, and many of them the wrong words or the right words spoken at the wrong time, the Lord is still there. As with any sin, a man can turn to Him and speak, finding the help that comes from a consideration of God's eternal plan.

The worshiper is living in the midst of those who reject God's Voice, but this is only for a brief time. He needs to be patient, and to show restraint. The life of any man is a mere breath. A child is born; a hundred years later an old man is forgotten. His days are fleeting, but he does not seem to have the wisdom to recognize it.

God can help a man to be aware of his end. The span of his life is nothing before the Lord. If God grants a man this right way of looking at life, he will not be unduly moved by the world of unbelief all around him, even if he becomes an object of the ridicule or persecution of others.

The worshiper should have this right view, but he worries instead. Someone he loves falls into sin, and he worries. People who hate him threaten him or show him disrespect, and he is troubled. He falls behind in some project, and his contentment is gone. God knows this man's life. He planned it long before he was born. If the man can just trust his Lord, he will live with more peace. He endures inner turmoil for nothing.

Will any of his enemies have more than their hundred years? What will become of them in the end? People should concern themselves about eternity, and ask for the Lord's view on life. Even the wealthy man is constantly churning in his soul. None of that unrest can add one hour to his life.

The worshiper who has been declared righteous in Christ should stop sweating over things that have no eternal significance. His hope is in God, and that hope is secure in the love of Christ. It is enough that the Lord has already delivered him from all the guilt of his sins. If he wants to pursue something more worthwhile, it would be a life of more glorious conformity to the Savior who lived and died for him. This growth in sanctification is the Lord's will for all who are in Christ, and it is a prize worth seeking.

He will need to restrain his tongue. To live this quiet life while maintaining a good engagement with those he is called to love, this is a noble goal. It would be good to avoid the unnecessary scorn of the fool. He will have to learn how to avoid unnecessary talk that leads to unfruitful trouble.

The patriarch Joseph, Esther's uncle Mordecai, and the prophet Daniel, ... men like this faced the extreme challenges of living in the midst of a very difficult environment where wicked people were in charge. All three men were very faithful to God, they had an uncompromising devotion to holiness of life, they were completely engaged in a hostile world, and they knew how to keep their mouths closed when speech would have had great risks of sin and unnecessary danger.

Like Jesus Himself, they suffered through trials, but they trusted the Lord of glory, and they knew that their days here would be brief. God heard their prayers, and He hears the prayers of those who would live quiet lives of godly discretion today. They knew they were guests in lands where they were not entirely at home, but they found strength that was beyond themselves.

Psalm 38

When conscience is awakened and sin still seems to be in charge, where does the righteous man turn? Will God be offended when a sinner calls out to him yet again for a fresh start? He pleads to God that another way might be found for the Lord to look at Him, rather than through the assessment of God's holy requirements. He cannot bear the punishment he deserves, and he does not think he can stand more corrective discipline. Is there anything else that the Lord can do for him so that the relationship between God and man may be restored, and another beginning can somehow be given?

The loving discipline of God would be a normal way for a father to deal with the son that he loves. Yet this man does not know how he will survive any more trouble, even if the correction is meant for his good. How much life is left in his body? Can his soul take even one more wound? His mind is not working right, and his body is in pain.

He knows how he got to this point where he cannot even bear the fatherly love of correction. He has sinned, and like an addict who sees what health is, but does not know how to get to it, he mourns and admits his faults. They are way too heavy for him to bear any more. He is covered with repulsive infected wounds, and he knows he is guilty.

At least this can be said about him: He has been humbled. If before he was unwilling to come to terms with his situation, now he has stopped running away from the truth. He not only feels his own pain, he admits his responsibility.

His condition is not only physical. The connections between body and soul in the emotions and the will of a man are mysterious to consider. But this miserable man is not researching the condition of others with the detachment of a careful observer. He is the one who is so distressed. His heart and mind are not happy, but tumultuous, and so he groans and looks for some way to regain sanity and life.

God is his last and best hope. He believes in God. He brings his pitiful being before him, trusting that the Lord sees him and hears his groaning cries. He is going to die unless some help comes right away. He feels all alone; no friends, no companions, no family with him. He does not think anyone wants to have anything to do with him. Will the Lord help?

There are some people nearby, but they are the enemies who are seeking his life. They would not help him because they do not care for him. No, they are ones who want to see him fall and die. They have been thinking about it for a long time, and now they are ready to be the agents of his destruction.

He sees these men who hate him, but he is like a man in a nightmare who tries to run away and is paralyzed. He is deaf. He can't speak. What would he say anyway? No one here likes him. No one will help him. His life is almost over.

His only possible hope is the Lord who made the heavens and the earth. He calls out to God. He brings his dying request, “Let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!”

As he cries out to God with his final plea, he confesses his sins. He is truly sorry. He knows that his sin has been against God. Will God be able and willing to help such a man, a man with strong enemies seen and unseen, foes who only seek his destruction?

If the only way that this man can relate to the Almighty is through God's Law and God's uncompromising holy justice, then there is no hope for him, and he will die in his sin. But what if an innocent man could be found who would take the wrath that is due? What if someone with perfect righteousness would be willing to die for Him? If such a man could be found, then these mighty adversaries would come against this substitute.

Then that perfect man would be the object of people's hatred, yet their animosity toward him would be completely unjustified. Such a man would not have to confess his own sins. He would be a lamb without blemish. But he would have to take the sins of the sinful worshiper of God. He would have to be willing to carry that poor man's burden who cries out to God at his final moment of distress.

Where can a man be found who is undefiled and full of compassion? God Himself would have to become Man in order to accomplish this noble mercy. Then the requirement of the Lord's holy justice would be satisfied, and a way of salvation would be revealed in a Substitute from heaven.

This has actually happened. Because of the gift of Jesus Christ as the Redeemer of sinful men who call upon the Name of the Lord, a new way of God relating to man has been found that grants hope to the most miserable offender who would repent and believe. Under the way of the Law and justice of God, it would have been necessary for God to forsake the weak sinner who called out to him in his final moment of trouble. The man was guilty. He deserved punishment.

But now a new hope has been revealed through Christ. Now God is near to us in His Son. He has helped us in a way that no one else ever could. He alone had the holiness and love that was necessary in order for the Lord to keep His ancient promises of divine favor to be lavished upon the families of the earth. The Lord has become man in order to die the death that we deserved. He has become our salvation, and we can approach God through the shining light of His glorious mercy.