The Value of Salvation: 2 Peter 1:1-2

 

Reset: Part 1

 

Testing and Teaching: Judges 2:20-3:6

Four years ago, my wife began her career as a high school English teacher. As a result, we see education from a unique perspective. We have had many discussions on teaching, testing, grading, and classroom management. Several times standardized testing has been a discussion.  

A standardized test comprises a set of common questions for students to answer with the purpose of assessment.  For example, the reading part of the test will help teachers understand what the reading level of a certain grade is at the time of the test.  The results enable them to adjust what they are teaching so that the students can improve on a particular subject. When I was in school, standardized tests didn’t bother as much as tests that determined my grade. 

During my college and seminary days, I had professors that tested every class. I will confess, I spent most of my time cramming for a test about fifteen minutes before class. I didn’t really enjoy tests, but I understood their purpose. If a professor or teacher didn’t test, I don’t believe I would pay attention unless the subject captivated my attention. Tests also reminded me that the class has purpose and meaning.  

If you think about it, we can’t limit teaching and testing to the realm of education only. Teaching and testing characterize every aspect of life. This is especially true of the Christian life.  Open your Bible, Old and New Testaments, and you will find God causes and allows teaching and testing in the journey of faith. In the believer's life teaching and testing that takes place daily.  

The daily teaching and testing experienced by believers are not purposeless or meaningless. If they were, God would come across as a cruel God. We find a highly explicit text concerning the purpose and meaning of such experiences in chapters two and three of the book of Judges. Unfortunately, the text takes place in a period of Israel’s history that reveals the apostasy of God’s people repeatedly.    

The book of Judges comprises two introductions. The first introduction starts at verse one of chapter one and ends at verse five of chapter five. The second introduction begins at verse six of chapter two and ends with verse six of chapter three. Why two introductions? The writer introduces the book from two perspectives. The first is from the perspective of Israel, and the second from the perspective of God.  

From God’s perspective, we are able to see the outline of the book of Judges. It’s a downward spiral that begins with God’s people turning from God, followed by God’s judgment upon his people, resulting in God’s people crying out, and God answering the cries with mercy by providing a judge to deliver them. This pattern runs to the end of the book.  Interestingly, this pattern of God’s judgment of mercy is best understood when we look at the cross of Jesus Christ, for it shows the judgment and mercy of God in the death of Jesus Christ.  

In setting the context of our text, we will need to understand God’s people have entered the Promise Land through the leadership of Joshua.  Unfortunately, they did not remove all the inhabitants of the land, as God commanded, resulting in God allowing the inhabitants to live among the Israelites. Leaving the inhabitants was the consequence of their sin. You could say that their sin became their reward.  God would not waste this tragedy. He determined to use the enemy in the land to test and teach his people. 

Notice verses twenty through twenty-two of the second chapter of Judges, “So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said, Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, in order to test Israel by them.” God will use the inhabitants to test Israel. Again in verse one of chapter three, “Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by them.” And again in verse four, “They were for the testing of Israel.” 

How do the enemies of ancient Israel in the Promise Land translate into our modern-day experiences? Every day, we face enemies that attack our faith, our finances, our families, our relationships, our courage, and the list goes on and on.  These enemies come to invade our lives from the inside, the outside, and the unseen, usually through circumstances, situations, and struggles, which God uses for teaching and testing. Therefore, it is important for us to understand these enemies and their purpose and meaning in our lives. As we look at the chosen passage, we notice how the Lord tests us to teach us. 

The Lord tests us to teach us.  

In verse one of chapter three, we read, “Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by them, that is all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before.”  We see some purpose for tests in these two verses.  There is a connection between “test,” and “know.”  Testing is used to teach.  Here, the lesson was about how to fight in a war.  

However, the lessons taught were more than just tactical procedures for war. I’m reminded of the four-week training that they required me to take when I became a chaplain in the correctional setting. I spent the time learning how to defend myself when a situation called for it. The greatest lesson I learned is the fact that I’m a chaplain, and if a riot breaks out in the prison, I’m running.  The lessons were for protection only, and a way for the state to avoid lawsuits.  God’s training for war was much more theological than tactical.  What God wanted to know from the wars with the inhabitants was a greater knowledge of his person.  

His person

By this, I mean his character and nature.  God left in the land as a judgment for the Israelites’ disobedience.  Every war they fought with these inhabitants would be a reminder of God’s judgment upon their sin. The reason God judged their sin is his holy nature.  

God is without sin, holy. Therefore, he must deal with sin. Tests that come as discipline for sin remind us of God’s holy nature. We never sin and get away with it. God disciplines his children, which is a display of his loving nature.  

God disciplines his children for our own holiness. You might be one of those parents that don’t discipline your children, but God is not. If you don’t discipline your child can you say you love your child? God loves his children, and he disciplines his children because he loves them.  God’s love puts our ultimate and greatest good at the top of his agenda.  God tests us so we can know his nature and character, but God is not wanting us to have just head knowledge of who he is. No, at the heart of these tests is God’s desire to teach us about his presence.  

His presence

God’s desire for his children is a close and personal relationship with them. It is all about relationships and constantly walking and enjoying his presence. God was to teach us so we can know, experientially, his presence in our lives. Some of the greatest tests God has allowed me to experience have been the greatest moments of experiencing his tangible presence in my life. Yes, he teaches us to know him more intimately through the invasions of the inside, outside, and unseen enemies in our lives.  And while we experience his presence, we also experience his power.   

His power

God wanted Israel to know war, not in the traditional tactical way, but his way.  When we fight God’s fight we don’t rely on our own power, but his power.  We don’t trust in our abilities, but his abilities. God allows tests to teach us to trust in his power to overcome the trials that the test brings.   

When Pharaoh and the Egyptian army had Moses and the Israelites up against the Red Sea, God said, “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” Trust the Lord, for it is his fight and his battle. 

When an elite army came against King Jehoshaphat and Juda, the king and Judah poured out their hearts to God. There was no way they could beat this army with their own resources or resolve. They cried out to God, and he told them to stand firm and watch.  The next morning, Jehoshaphat and his army stood before the enemy and worshiped, and while they worshiped God destroyed the army.  

We learn through tests we don’t fight with our own abilities or strengths but by the power of God.  We learn to cast our concerns on the Lord and watch him sustain us, knowing that he will not allow his children to stumble. We learn through tests that we when battles not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord.  

I wonder how many times God has brought events into my life for the purpose of teaching me something? Do I look at teachable moments as chance, or do I see them from the providential hand of God?  I imagine when I stand before God and he replays my life he will probably show me some teachable moments that I missed.  

As a father, I have learned that everything I try to teach my children won’t always be accepted by them. The many times I have warned them of a dead-end road, but they took it anyway.  It causes me to sit back and think about my relationship with the Lord, and I imagine he feels the same way I do when I miss his teachable moments he brings through tests, and how I try to do things in my flesh, and not his power. 

How is God working in your life? What methods is he using to test and teach? Are you learning more about his person, his presence, and his power? If we are not careful, we will miss out on a teachable moment that God uses for our ultimate good.  Next, we notice how the Lord tests us to assess us.  

The Lord tests us to assess us. 

Earlier, I spoke about standardized testing and how its purpose is to assess the students.  Likewise, God tests us to assess us, not for himself, he already knows what’s in us, but for ourselves.  The one thing God wants to assess is our allegiance to him. 

Allegiance 

In chapter two, verse twenty-two, we read, “in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their fathers did, or not.” Notice also in chapter three, verse four, “They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.” What does God want from us? He wants obedience, faithfulness to our relationship with him.

True worship of God demands exclusive allegiance.  It’s amazing how tests will often reveal where our trust lives. When we lose our paycheck, where is our trust? When a pandemic hits, where is our trust? It’s stunning how a test reveals where our allegiance lies. Do we trust in God’s promises? Or do we act like spiritual illiterates? Do we believe God exists and believe in his promises? Or do we act as a functional atheist?   Tests have a way of showing where our allegiance is.  

Unfortunately, verses five and six reveal the Israelites failed to pass the test. Instead of fighting the enemy, they slept with the enemy.  Literally, they intermarried with the inhabitants and started serving their gods.  They received a big F. 

Our stories don’t have to end the same way. In fact, there is another test found in the Old Testament, one passed with flying colors. It’s found in Genesis chapter twenty-two, verse one, “After these things God tested Abraham and said, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take you son, you only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains on which I shall tell you.” 

What a test! God wanted Abraham to take the promised child, Isaac, and offer him up as a burnt offering. The rest of the chapter reveals that he passed the test. And because of his exclusive allegiance to God, the Lord provided a ram to replace Isaac as the burnt offering.  He passed the assessment.  How? Abraham in obedience trusted the Lord and drew upon the resources of his almighty love.  

How can we pass the tests that come our way every day? Daily, we have to take our lives to the altar of God and offer them up to God as a holy and acceptable sacrifice to him, giving him our full allegiance. When we do, God will bless us beyond what we ever think or imagine.   

Recently, I observed an interaction between a little girl, around five years old, and her father.  The girl wanted to carry an enormous box.  She said, “Daddy, I want to carry the box.” She could pick it up, but it was too big for her to walk with. Her father responds, “No, you will fall trying to carry it.” She kept on insisting, saying that she had a plan.  The father gave in and she picked up the box.  She then told her father, “Okay daddy, now you carry me.”  

God, doesn't just want to take our burdens. No, he wants to carry us and give us all we need from his resources. All we have to do is give our allegiance to him.   Will you come to the altar today? 

   

A Holy Ambition: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

It started out to be a normal workday for Utah highway patrolman Lieutenant Nick Street.  When Mr. Street saw a car driving down the highway at 30 mph swerving in and out of lanes; it didn’t strike him as out of the ordinary to his daily experiences. However, when he could pull the vehicle over, his normal workday would be one that he would remember for a long time.  

Lt. Street was expecting to find an adult, possibly with a medical condition when he made his way to the front of the car. Instead, he found a five-year-old boy.  The boy had taken the keys to his parent’s SUV.  He told the Lt. Street that he was driving to his sister’s house in California and would buy a Lamborghini with the 3 dollars he had in his pocket.  The five-year-old boy showed tremendous ambition.  

Ambition can be good, or it can be bad. One person has defined ambition “as a striving for some kind of achievement or distinction, and involves, first the desire for achievement, and, second, the willingness to work towards it even in the face of adversity or failure.”  This is a good definition.  

Aristotle spoke about the distinct characteristics of ambition as virtues. He distinguished between “healthy ambition,”, “unhealthy ambition,”, and “lack of ambition,”.  Healthy ambition, said Aristotle, is a “measured striving for achievement or distinction, whereas unhealthy ambition is destructive and more akin to greed.”    

We can see the dark side of ambition in our world and culture today.  One only has to do a Google search for self-help books on ambition and you will find titles like: “Looking Out for Number One”, “Every Man is a King”, “Pushing to the Front”, and “How to be King of Your HIll.”  This is an unhealthy ambition, and it is surely a nonbiblical ambition.   It is an unholy ambition.  

The Scriptures call us to be ambitious for the kingdom of God and for the glory of God.  The word of God calls us to a holy ambition.  A simple definition of holy ambition is aspiring to live a life that is pleasing to God. 

The apostle Paul wrote these words, “Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more,” (1 Thessalonians 4:1).  Pleasing God needs to be our ambition in life.  Paul further defines this ambition in subsequent verses, “Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and aspire (make it your ambition) to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you. So that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one,” (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12).  

In verse ten, Paul exhorts Christians to love “more and more”. He states in verses eleven, “and aspire”. Some translations say, “make it your ambition”.  This ambition calls us to a God-honoring ambition. There is an enormous difference between worldly ambition and a holy ambition. Worldly ambition aspires to do what self wants to do.  A holy ambition aspires to be who God wants you to be and to do what God wants you to do. Paul gives four truths in verses nine through twelve that should be the ambition of every follower of Christ. First, we should make it our ambition to have a maturing love for others.  

Maturing love for others. 

In verses nine and ten, the topic is love. Not just any love, but brotherly love.  The Greek word translated is a compound word. It combines the Greek word “phileo” with “adelphos.” Phileo love speaks of a love that is tender and affectionate.  Adelphos is a family term.  Paul is speaking about an affectionate love that God’s family needs to have for one another.  

As believers in Christ, we are born again into the family of God.  We become joint-heirs with Jesus, which makes Jesus our elder brother and God our father.  The Thessalonians were doing an outstanding job affectionately and tenderly loving one another.  God taught this brotherly love to them and to us.  

In the last part of verse nine, it says, “for you have been taught by God to love…” The Greek word for love is not “phileo,” but “agape.”  Agape love is sacrificial love. It is divine love. It’s the love that we experience when we come to Christ and the Holy Spirit pours the agape love of God into our hearts.  The Son of God teaches us to love too. 

It was Jesus, in the thirteenth chapter of the gospel of John, who gave us a new commandment to “love one another, as I have loved you.” He also said, “By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” God is love, and he teaches us to love. Not only does he teach us to love; he also gives us the ability to do it.  

In verse eight, it says, “Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.”  God gives his Holy Spirit to true believers, and only by his Spirit can we live the Christian life and continue to mature in our love for God and for others. As we experience the filling of the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit, we can truly love others with the same love that we have experienced from God.    

Paul says that we must continue to mature in our love “more and more.” It is a lifelong process. And one of the most frequent ways God matures us in our love is by putting unlovable people in our lives.  Some of these people have hurt us terribly to where we consider them our enemies.  What does God’s love teach us? It teaches us to forgive those who have wronged us. It teaches us to pray for them. It teaches us to bless them.  What does that look like? For me, I ask God to bless my enemy with the same blessings I want him to give me.  I then pray for God to help me rejoice in those blessings if he blesses them.  It must be our ambition to mature in our love for God and others.  Second, it must be our ambition to have increasing faith in Christ.  

Growing faith in Christ. 

In verse eleven, begin a series of commands, “and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you.”  The apostle is dealing with a specific situation in Thessalonica with these commands.  The expectation of Christ’s return consumed this church, to the point they were no longer working and taking care of their own needs.  They were also anxious about Christ’s return.  A few of the believers had died, and they wondered about what would happen to the dead at his return.  Therefore, Paul addresses this issue in the subsequent verses.   

The first command deals with the quality of life lived as believers.  Paul makes an interesting word choice, “and to aspire to live quietly.” Literally, he says, be quiet.  Another way to translate this is “stay calm” or “make it your ambition to be still.”  Paul is referring to the tranquillity of life, calmness, and simplicity in life.    

The anxiety of the Thessalonians caused them to be annoying. It’s addressed in the second command, “and to mind your own affairs.”  One translation says, “don’t be busybodies.”  The Patrick Mead translation of the first two commands is, “stay calm, be still, trust God, and don’t be annoying.”  The only way we can overcome anxieties and avoid becoming that annoying person controlled by anxieties is by trusting God and asking him to give us an increasing faith in his promises.  

I pastored a lady anxious about her salvation. She constantly questioned her salvation. She would call me, or email me with this issue constantly.  I would share the scriptures with her and the promises of God, and it helped for a while. However, over time she would become anxious about the same thing and who did she call or email? Yes, her anxiety was annoying, and what she lacked was a simple faith in the promises of God.    

What about our own lives? We live in a fast-paced society, running in all directions, causing much tension and anxiety. I’m convinced that one wonderful thing from COVIC-19 has been the slowing down of our lives.  As believers, we need to be still and spend time in the presence of God, which results in increasing our faith.  

Recently, the Lord gave me Psalm 46:10 for the season I’m in, “Be still and know that I am God.” The NAS says, “Cease striving.”  I really love The Passion Translation, “Surrender your anxieties to the Lord, stop striving and know that I’m God.”   The Lord is saying, “stay calm and trust in me. Stop trying to make things happen, sit back, and watch me work.”  Third, we must make it our ambition to have a penetrating impact on society. 

Penetrating impact on society

The last command Paul gives concerning the specific situation is, “and to work with your hands.” With the anticipation of the imminent return of Christ, the Thessalonians stopped working. As a result, they became dependant upon family, friends, and society to take care of them.  They were unproductive contributors to society. There is a broader principle to apply from this command.  

The impact the Thessalonians were having on society was not a positive impact.  It did not reflect well upon Christianity.  Our ambition as believers should be to have a penetrating, positive, Christ-centered impact on the society that we live in.  This impact is about being the person God wants you to be so you will do the things that God wants you to do.  When you have a penetrating impact for Christ you are being productive for God. 

I recently finished the biography of Jim Elliot, one of the five missionaries killed on January 8, 1958 in Ecuador by the Auca Indians. Jim’s wife, Elisabeth, after his death, reached the unreached people with the gospel, and the men who killed the missionaries gave their lives to Jesus.  The lives of Jim and Elisabeth had a positive impact on subsequent generations and continues today.  Madelina Pena said it well about this couple: “Jim and Elisabeth Elliot are two of the most influential people in the history of missions.  Their lives reflect total devotion to Christ and the message of the gospel. Their stories of perseverance, suffering, and even death have inspired many to go reach unreached peoples.” Be all that God wants you to be and do all that God wants you to do.  Have a penetrating impact on society.  Fourth, we must make it our ambition to have a fitting representation before outsiders.  

Fitting representation before outsiders 

It states the reason for having a holy ambition in verse twelve, “so that you may walk properly before outsiders.”  The outsiders that Paul is referencing are unbelievers, people who have never given their life to Christ.  A proper walk with Christ, a holy ambition, gives a fitting representation of Christ to those who don’t know Christ.   

Have you ever been to a funhouse at the fair or carnival? Most every funhouse has a section full of mirrors. They call some house of mirrors.  The house of mirrors is full of distorted mirrors, which do not represent the image in front of the mirror.  Some mirrors make you look fat, others skinny, or tall, or short.  These mirrors purposely distort.  When we don’t have a holy ambition, we distort the image of Christ.  And when we distort the image of Christ, we distort an outsider’s understanding of Christ.  

It’s interesting to think spiritual things are best understood through what we can see, hear, taste, smell, and touch.  God uses material evidence to reveal spiritual truths. This material evidence is a sacrament. The word sacrament means a visible sign of an invisible reality.  We see this in baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and marriage.  

As followers of Christ, we should strive to make our lives a sacrament, a visible sign of an invisible reality, Christ Jesus.  To do so, we must have a healthy, holy ambition to please God, one that aspires to love others, trust Christ, be what God wants us to be so we can properly represent our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  

Marry Me

 Marry Me

Song of Solomon 2:8-17; 3:1-5

All right. I couldn't find a 80s one to use for this title, but it's a good one: "Marry Me" by Train. Take your copy of God's Word and turn to chapter 2 of the Song of Solomon. Last week, I had a church member who is in his 80s tell me, "I've never heard a sermon series from the Song of Solomon." I told him, "Had I not announced it beforehand, you would have never heard it from me."

It's a tough and difficult book, but it's very practical and applicable to relationships before and after marriage. I chose the song "Marry Me" because the passage we're looking at is set in a time just days from a wedding. You could say the man has proposed. He and the woman are in a courtship relationship. I want you to look at some of the words of the song "Marry Me" by Train.

"Forever could never be long enough for me to feel like I've had long enough with you. Forget the world now. We won't let them see, but there's one thing left to do. Now that the weight has lifted, love has surely shifted my way. Marry me, today and every day. Marry me." And then there's this phrase: "If I ever get the nerve to say, 'Hello,' in this café…"

Has anybody seen the video? I was going to play the video, but I thought the waitress in the video could have worn a little bit more clothing. I wouldn't want to get any emails, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I realized it's a beautiful song, but then he hasn't even said, "Hello," to the woman, but he's ready to marry her.

I thought, "That really shows a societal problem we have. We do not take marriage seriously enough." People make commitments to people they really don't know. Let me give you an example of that. In our society today, we take dating more seriously than we take marriage. I'm looking at my daughter when I say this.

Let me give you an example of that. I know some of y'all are going to be upset. This is just my opinion and observation, so if I upset you, remember it's just the pastor's opinion and observation, okay? When did we start treating asking someone to the prom like we're asking them to marry us? When did that start happening…where it's almost as if we're proposing to them?

Whatever happened to, "Hey, will you go to the prom with me?" "Sure." I think it's really indicative of our society. We're taking dating way too seriously, and we're not taking marriage seriously enough. The couple who is in this love song in God's Word, the Song of Solomon, is taking the relationship seriously. In fact, they're in love, and they have every intention to get married, but they're not rushing the relationship.

You could say there is an element of courtship. I started watching the Duggars with my DVR. They have the right idea. I think we're going to take the Duggars' plan, the whole courtship thing, for my girls. It's really a biblical idea. That's what we have in these first three chapters: a couple who are intending to get married, but during this time they're getting to know each other.

We've watched how they take pleasure and delight in each other, who the other person is. They are expressing value, worth, to one another. They're building one another up with creative compliments. More importantly, even though at times they're expressing the intimate desire for one another… In fact, at this point it's really the woman, and my wife pointed this out. My wife had the wonderful privilege of sitting under Tommy Nelson.

He was doing a sermon series while he was her pastor, and in that series he correctly pointed out that in the first three chapters, it is the woman expressing her desire to be with the man intimately. They get married, and guess who's expressing after that? Not the woman; it's the man. You'll see that in the text. She has been expressing her desire to be with her man, but they understand there is a right place and a right time, and they control their God-given passions for the sake of purity and, ultimately, for the glory of God.

In our passage today, they're just days away from getting married. The wedding takes place in verses 6-11 of chapter 3, then the honeymoon takes place in chapter 4, and then consummation takes place in verse 1 of chapter 5. I don't know how I'm going to preach that. I may just skip right over the honeymoon and let you fill in the blanks. How's that? Yeah. You just have your own blanks, okay?

I want you to see something from this couple, because in my opinion, there are really two decisions you'll make in life that are important. First, and this is the most important decision you'll make in life, is the decision to follow Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. No doubt about it, that is the most important decision anybody will make.

The second most important decision a person will make (and that's why I say our society doesn't take this seriously enough) is in regard to the person they want to spend the rest of their life with in marriage. You can almost look at these verses as them courting each other and getting to know each other. They have every intention to get married, but until you say, "I do," there is always time to get out of that relationship. Let's look at what characterizes this relationship before they say, "I do."

1. True love communicates through actions and deeds. We see the man's actions in verses 8-9. This is the voice of the woman, but notice how she describes her man. She says, "The voice of my beloved!" When you're in love, you can always tell the difference between your lover's voice and other voices. She says, "Behold, he comes, leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, there he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, looking through the lattice."

Now what we see here on her part is anticipation. She's in tune with her man. In fact, I think they're both in tune with each other, because at this point they're getting to know each other. They're very transparent, and they're sharing their background. They're sharing some of the things they've experienced in life, and they're very open about what they have experienced in life.

So she's in tune with her lover, she anticipates his actions, and she knows from his actions that he loves her. His actions communicate love. You see, actions speak louder than words, right? Notice the excitement on the part of the man. She hears his voice, and then she says, "Oh, there he is, leaping over the mountains!" That's excitement! He can't wait to get to her house.

"I can't wait to see my woman!" He's not ashamed. You see, his actions say he loves her, he appreciates her, and he has affection for her. His actions say he wants to be with her and he wants to get to know her better. I remember when Christy and I first started dating. She lived in Denton, Texas, and I lived in Dallas.

We didn't have texting back then. I didn't even have a cell phone until 1998. Yeah. My daughter was born, and then we got a cell phone. We didn't have texting. When we got married, we got email. We had Juno. Does anybody remember Juno? Remember dial-up? Yeah. Boy, have we come a long way. Praise God. We didn't have social media. We couldn't Snapchat (and I don't think you should anyway), so we got on the phone.

I remember nights of just staying on the phone, and I can't remember if she fell asleep or if I fell asleep, but there would be nights when we would talk and talk and talk. Then, of course, we wanted to talk to each other during the day. We wanted to hear each other's voice. Now she can't even get me to stay in the kitchen. "You stay in the kitchen and listen to me, okay?"

We were in love, and we wanted to get to know each other. That's what's happening here. I want you to see the greatest exhibition of his love for his woman. How did she know that he loved her? Look at verse 9. "My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, there he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, looking through the lattice."

He's at her house, and he's not a Peeping Tom. He is showing respect and restraint for his girl. You see, he doesn't want to go outside of the will of God in this relationship. He doesn't want to move ahead too fast, because he wants to show restraint, and that's what she has been doing as well. She has been making that oath, "Do not awaken love before its time."

So he's at her house, but he's showing respect because he wants her to know, "You're more than just a toy for me. I respect you, and I'm going to show restraint." Ladies, listen. If you're with a guy right now who shows you no respect or no restraint, don't think that's going to change when you say, "I do." It won't happen.

Actions always speak louder than words, and his actions communicated to her that he loved her and was proud of her. He did all he could to be around her, to get to know her. So he communicates love through action. Both of them also communicate with their words. Verse 10: "My beloved speaks and says to me…" Now she's quoting an invitation that he has given her.

"Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away. O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the crannies of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely."

Man, he had a way with words, but what you see here is him communicating…not only with his actions, but with his words. These verses are filled with praise. They are praising one another. They are passionate for one another. Notice that throughout the whole book she has been calling him "my beloved," but she does so five times in this passage. In verse 8, she says, "The voice of my beloved!" 

Again in verse 9, "My beloved…" Again in verse 10, "My beloved…" Then you go down to verse 16: "My beloved…" This is the woman speaking of her man, the one who she loves. She called him "my beloved." Again in verse 17, "…my beloved…" These are terms of endearment. She loves this man, so there is praise in her words for this man, and he does the same thing she does.

In verse 10, he says, "Arise, my love, my beautiful one…" Guys, that would get you some points every morning. "Arise, my love, my beautiful one. Here's your coffee. Here's your breakfast." He does it again. In verses 13-14, he says, "Arise, my love, my beautiful one… O my dove…" What you see here are their words. They're building each other up. They have terms of endearment.

It's like, "Hey, honey," or, "Hey, babe." You know, something like we do today, but, "Hey, my beloved," or "Hey, my beautiful one." So there is praise. There is also passion. I mean, in verses 11-13, he's inviting the woman. He says, "Look, spring. The winter is gone. It's springtime. Let's get out onto the countryside," because he wants to spend time with her…not intimately, but emotionally, just to get to know her better.

Verse 11: "…for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come…" It's springtime. There were a couple of days last week when it just felt good, right? It was great. The flowers are blooming. It wasn't too muggy, like it is today. They were perfect days, and I felt like a dog. I wanted to roll down my window and just stick my head out while I was driving. I envy dogs sometimes when they do that, especially when they have big smiles on their faces.

I thought, "What does springtime speak of? Freshness and new life." That's what we see here in this relationship. They are in love, and there is a freshness and new life about their relationship. Now we're all thinking, "Yeah, that's because they're not married yet." That is true to some degree.

I remember we had family members who were kissing each other all the time before they got married. They used to say, "Why aren't y'all kissing each other all the time?" "Well, you'll get married, and you'll see why." They got married, and they don't kiss each other all the time like they used to.

There is a freshness and newness to their love, and then in verse 14 he says, "O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the crannies of the cliff, let me see your face…" He is saying, "I want to be with you. I want to spend time with you. I want to get to know you." We see the communication of love in actions and in words.

True love communicates, because actions speak louder than words. If you think you can change that person after the fact, that's most likely not going to happen. Actions speak louder than words, and words reveal what's in the heart. True love will communicate love and care through actions and concerns. It reminds me of a story that Norman Wright told many years ago.

It came from the Reader's Digest. It was about a man named Johnny Lingo. He lived on this island in the South Pacific. He had a great reputation on the island. People respected him. He was smart, but when he chose his wife, everybody was really shocked and in disbelief. You see, the tradition on that island was that when a man wanted to marry a woman, he had to go and give cows to the father of the woman.

So if she was a good woman, you'd give four to six cows, so a four- to six-cow woman was a good woman. Well, Johnny gave eight cows for his woman, and the reason people were in disbelief was because she wasn't an eight-cow woman. She wasn't even a four- to six-cow woman. She was skinny. She was plain. Her shoulders and back were hunched over. She kept her head down, so people were thinking, "Man, his father-in-law stuck it to him."

People couldn't understand why you would give eight cows for a woman who is not even worth four to six cows. Well, time passed, and they were still in disbelief, but not because he paid eight cows; all of a sudden, this eight-cow woman became an eight-cow woman. She was no longer shy. She was beautiful and confident now. Everybody saw this transformation, so they asked Johnny Lingo, "What has happened to your wife?"

He said, "Well, I wanted an eight-cow wife, so I paid eight cows, and I started treating her with love and communicating my love through actions and words, and guess what. Now I have an eight-cow wife." Listen, if you want an eight-cow spouse, you need to communicate through your actions. Some of you are thinking, "Well, I'm married, and my husband is not even a four-cow husband."

Listen. I have found out that if you think your husband is a four-cow husband, he'll live up to that every time. You think your wife is a four-cow wife? She'll live up to your expectations every time. But when you start to communicate your love through your actions and through your words, a power about that exists that can actually transform a person's life. If you're not married yet, you're about to get married, or you are married, you want to make sure you are communicating your love through your actions and your words.

2. True love is conscientious about the pitfalls and obstacles that challenge relationships. Now we come to verse 15, and it was probably a popular proverb during that time. It says, "Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom." The vineyard there is their relationship. They are in love, and it's in blossom, but they realize every relationship has these little foxes.

There are pitfalls and obstacles. There are dangers and troubles that every relationship faces, especially marriage relationships. They understand that. They're not wearing these rose-colored glasses. They understand that every relationship is going to face its pitfalls and dangers, so they say, "Catch those little foxes."

You see, it was normal for foxes to get into the vineyards, and they would dig at the root for bugs, and sometimes they would kill the vine or they would eat the grapes. What the couple is saying is this. "We have something good here, but we need to realize every relationship will have its pitfalls. Every relationship will have obstacles to challenge."

When I marry a couple, we do premarital counseling, and I usually have them take a test. What this test does is expose and show them the relationship strengths and possible growth areas. We cover all kinds of areas: role responsibilities, sexual expectations, parenting expectations, in-laws and family stuff, their personalities, how they relate to each other…all kinds of areas.

The reason I have them take this test is that I want them to realize, "Listen, you're planning a wedding, but I'm preparing you for the marriage. What takes place after you say, 'I do,' is that there are going to be pitfalls, and there are going to be obstacles in your relationship." I want them to be prepared for those challenges.

That's what the lovers are doing in this passage. They're conscientious of these pitfalls, and they're aware that every relationship… You see, when two people come together, you have two sinners. Whenever you get two sinners in the same room, you're going to have a problem. I have a problem with just myself, and I'm a sinner. I have a problem with myself, let alone another person I get into a relationship with. You're going to have pitfalls and dangers.

These pitfalls and dangers can destroy your relationship or they can become agents for growth, and for that to happen there needs to be commitment. There needs to be commitment to grow with one another through the challenges, and she expresses that commitment in verse 16. She says, "My beloved is mine, and I am his; he grazes among the lilies. Until the day breathes and the shadows flee, turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle or a young stag on cleft mountains."

She uses covenantal language, and she says, "We belong together." That's language we see throughout the Scriptures. God declares through this whole unfolding plan of redemption… You see this throughout the Bible. God says, "I will be their God, and they will be my people." There is a commitment that God makes to us, his people.

"I will always be with them. I will never leave them. My love will never fail them." Likewise, in a marriage relationship, in a covenant relationship, there needs to be that commitment that says, "You know what? We belong together. He is mine," or "She is mine, and I am hers." There is a sense of belonging. That's the commitment that's needed. "We're going to grow through these pitfalls, and we're going to grow through these obstacles."

Christy and I met in Bible college. In fact, the place where we really started sensing that we belonged to each other was in a class called The Dynamics of Family and Marriage. It was a great class, and we were talking about Christian marriage and family because it was part of the curriculum. As you're in the ministry, you need to know how you're going to communicate Christian values and be a counselor.

We were told to break up into these small groups, so we all got into these small groups, and we were supposed to share our backgrounds with one another. We went around to each person, and we got to Christy, and she shared her background, and we have very similar backgrounds in terms of family. There were multiple divorces in our families. When she told her background, I said this.

I looked her in the eye, and I said, "We have a lot in common," and she just melted in her chair. (I think she said, "You had me at hello." Maybe I was at a movie. Maybe that was a movie I was watching.) But she will tell you it clicked, and from that moment on we watched God really give us that sense that we belonged together.

Now we're 19 years into this. We still belong together, and it's that commitment that says, "You know what? We're going to face pitfalls. We're going to face obstacles, but we're going to grow through these." That's the person you want to marry, the one who says, "You know what? I'm committed to this. I'm committed to grow with you through these pitfalls and obstacles."

That's who you want to be as a husband or wife, one who says, "I'm committed to you." Here's another commitment I want you to see in this passage. It's really a commitment to God, a commitment to God that you will become the right person as you wait for the right person and time. Now we come into chapter 3, and we find the woman in a dream. She says:

"On my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but found him not. I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but found him not. The watchmen found me as they went about in the city. 'Have you seen him whom my soul loves?'"

Verse 4: "Scarcely had I passed them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her who conceived me." She loves this man. She's having a dream about him. She wants to spend the rest of her life with him, and yes, she wants to be with him intimately, but she understands she has to wait for the right time.

That's what verse 5 is about. Verse 5 is her making an oath and declaring that she is going to wait for the right time. She has already found the right person, because they're about to get married, but now she's waiting for the right time, and the right time to express her desire to be with him intimately and to consummate that relationship is next week. You might want to be here for that.

Listen to verse 5. They have already done this in verse 7 of chapter 2. "I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases." She's saying, "Wait on God. Don't take things into your own hands. Wait for God. Wait for the right person. Don't look at your relationship the same way the world does. Allow the Scriptures to form and control you, and allow God to be in first place in your relationship."

She is saying, "Do not stir up or awaken love until it pleases. Don't do it." She's putting it under God's timetable. What I have found is, especially if you're not married and you're trying to find that right person, it's more important that you become the right person than you find the right person. Let me tell you why. Let me give you an example.

I have an acquaintance. She lives in Texas, and she's five years older than me, which means she's almost 50, and I hate saying that. She has had relationship after relationship after relationship, and she says, "I just can't find the right man." I said, "Because you're not the right person. You're so focused on finding the right man that you're not allowing the gospel to change or transform your life. You want the right man? Good. But you ought to become the right person so you can attract the right man. That means you need to fall in love with Jesus."

I told her, "You need to put Jesus first in your life. Stop making finding a man or finding a woman your god, because whatever controls you is your god. Instead, allow the gospel to transform you, and become this godly person who loves Jesus, and I guarantee that if you will focus on Jesus, serve Jesus at his time, he will bring the right person." That's what the woman is saying in this passage. "I'm waiting for the right person. I'm waiting for the right time. I'm giving my life to God."

She is, in essence, saying, "I'm going to be the right person so I can get the right person." This really speaks to us…not only those of us who are not in a relationship, but to husbands and wives, because when you say, "I do," you enter into a covenant relationship with your spouse, and those vows are what dictate that relationship.

Sometimes we get so frustrated in our marriages because that person we married is not the right person, or so we think. But have you ever thought about whether or not you're the right person? See, the one person you can change in a marriage relationship is yourself, and you can allow the gospel to transform you. It's amazing how when you become the right person, you can influence the people around you to do the same.

Become the right person. Allow the gospel to change you from the inside out on a daily basis. The gospel is all about life change. It's about allowing God to make you more like Jesus. It's about allowing the grace of God to come into your life and to teach you how to walk in grace. Many of us are in bondage, and we really don't understand grace.

I don't even fully understand grace. I find, time and time again, that I have a lot of legalism in my life. I'm still trying to learn how to walk in the power of grace and in the power of the gospel. I'm still trying to allow God to make me the right person because when I stand before God and I stand before Christ, he's not going to say, "Well, was Christy the right person?" He's going to say, "Patrick, were you the right person in your marriage?" He's going to hold me accountable for myself.

Let's bow our heads and our hearts. I want to speak first and foremost to young people, people in relationships who may be contemplating marriage. This last point really speaks to everyone here. We ought to become the right person, period, by committing our lives to God, committing our lives to Christ every day, and allowing the fruit of the Spirit and the gospel to transform us from the inside out.

That's God's ultimate goal for every one of us who have trusted Jesus Christ, that we'll be conformed to the image of Jesus. I challenge every one of you here today, but especially those who are anticipating being in a marriage relationship one day, that this is the time for you to commit yourself to Christ and to allow him to make you more like him on a daily basis. You become the right person as you wait for the right person and the right time.

I want to challenge husbands and wives this morning, because so many times we get into our marriage relationships, and we let the years pass, and we let these little foxes come into our relationships, and they begin to destroy our marriages, our families. I want to speak to you, husband. I want to speak to you, wife. Allow Jesus to make you the right person.

For husbands, that means you love your wife as Christ loved the church. He gave his life for the church. He laid down his life for the church. He gave up his rights for the church, and yes, husbands, I am saying that to you. He calls us to do the same thing for our wives, to sacrifice our lives for our wives, to give up our own interests for their interests, to look out for them before we look out for ourselves.

Wives, he calls you to submit yourselves to your husbands as you submit yourselves to the Lord. Allow the gospel to change you. Allow the gospel to make you the right person, and you begin to love that three-cow husband with the love of Jesus Christ, and you begin to express the love of Christ to that husband, and you begin to express the love of Christ in your actions and your words, and you watch. Maybe by the power of God you could influence him to become all God has called him to be as a husband.

I want to challenge husbands and wives today. Listen, if you have little foxes in your relationship that are challenging your relationship, don't put it off. Go to a counselor. I've been to a counselor for every problem in the world, and I'm not ashamed to tell you, and I'm not ashamed to tell you God has given counselors so we could help. Do not let those foxes destroy your marriage.

Find help. And husband, lead your wife. Lead your wife to that counselor. You be the spiritual leader. Young people, take marriage seriously, and don't take dating as seriously as you do. Wait for that right person, and as you wait, become that right person. Love Jesus. The most attractive person in my regard is a person who loves Jesus more than life. Become that person.

Some of you here this morning can't become the right person until you trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior. God is speaking to you right now. You know who you are. You've never committed your life to Christ. You've never turned from your sin and placed your faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Today is the day of salvation. Give your life to Jesus.

Father, I want to thank you for this young man, a young man who was invited to come to church last Wednesday, came this morning, and now is ready to give his life to you. Thank you, Lord, for that. Father, I also want to pray for marriages that are here. All of us face pitfalls, obstacles, dangers, and troubles. I pray that we would be committed as husbands and wives, first and foremost to the gospel, to you, and committed to living out the gospel in our marriages.

I want to pray for those who have gone through some hard times in their relationships, and some have even experienced divorce, God. I thank you for grace, and I want to pray, God, that you minister to them this morning. Just pour out your love. I just claim this promise that you work all things for the good of those who are called by God, who love you and are called by God. Encourage them this morning. Father, thank you for this time. Be glorified. In Jesus' name, amen.

Grace Invasion

Invading Grace

Genesis 37:1-11

Introduction:

Over the past two years, the story of Joseph has been on my mind. Mainly because of what I have been experiencing in my personal life.  During this two year period, I have of often wondered what God was doing.  I have many disappointments and hurts that have plagued me, and discouragement and depression have been my companions.  How does the story of Joseph fit into my experience?

Joseph’s story reveals the power and providence of God, not by grand miracles, or extraordinary divine interventions, but by the sovereign work of God in everyday details of life.  Sin and suffering characterize the narrative of Joseph, but in the midst it all, God’s grace is evident. 

When looking at the story of Joseph, it is alluring to use it as a means of living a godly life.  It’s full of principles for living the good life, or shall I say the God life.  Joseph’s life reveals how to overcome envy, face adversity, resist sexual temptations, forgive those who wrong, and many other lessons.  Though Joseph is the impetus of the story, his father, Jacob is still the dominant character. 

The chapter begins as such, “Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.  These are the generations of Jacob” (Genesis 37:1-2).  The subsequent verses and chapters are prominent with Joseph, but still include the rest of Jacob’s sons as well. 

Ultimately, however, the story of Joseph and the rest of Jacob’s sons is about God working grace out in the lives of those he has chosen.   The Joseph story is about  God’s grace transforming Jacob’s sons into worthy covenant partners.  The story begins with hatred and jealousy between brothers and ends with them loving one another, a tremendous work of Grace, unparalleled grace. 

Grace is at work in all of our lives, believers, and unbelievers, whether we recognize it, or not.  For the unbeliever, there is common grace, but for the believer, grace moves beyond the common to something special, effectual, and unconditional; a grace that is unparalleled in human history.  What’s incredible about God’s unparalleled grace is how it invades the messiness of life. 

1.       Grace invades the messiness of life

Within these first eleven verses you will find the hidden depths of sin, but as the story unfolds, the sin comes to the surface.  It safe to say that Jacob’s family is dysfunctional, as is every family that is under the bondage of sin.   The messiness of Jacob’s family reveals three things.

First, we find the messiness spiritual pride or self-righteousness.  Verse 2, “These are the generations of Jacob.  Joseph being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father.”  Because there is no overt criticism of Joseph’s sin, many scholars have portrayed Joseph almost without sin.  However, that is a failure of understanding what kind of report he brought back to his father.  

The Hebrew word for “bad” can also translate “evil.”  In almost every other context you find the word used it has the meaning of “evil,” or “untrue.”  Now, the report that Joseph gave his father was probably true to some degree but filled with exaggerations and half truths.   Consumed with spiritual pride, you become blind to your sin and only see the sin in others.  Believe it or not, Joseph is on an evil path.  He’s becoming arrogant, and possibly even a mean and cruel person.  Joseph is becoming a “good-boy sinner.” 

Second, we find the messiness ungodly favoritism.  Notice verse 3, “Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.”   Sadly, Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons.  Of all people, you would think that Jacob would not show that type of favoritism as a father.  For he, himself, grew up desperately deprived of his Father’s love.  Isaac overtly loved Esau more than he loved Jacob.  The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. 

Jacob gave Joseph a robe of many colors.  The robe symbolized love lavished on Joseph, a love kept from the other sons.  Some how, Joseph became an idol in Jacob’s life.  Joseph became the central source of joy and love in Jacob’s life, and as a result, it poisoned the whole family. 

Third, we find the messiness of hate and jealousy.  Notice who the brothers responded to Joseph.  In verse 4, “they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.” Verse 8, “So they hated him even more for his dreams and his words.” Verse 11, “And his brothers were jealous of him.”  Yep, one big mess of sin.  But let’s face it, all of us are one big mess of sin. 

Good news! It is in the messiness of sin where grace becomes unparalleled.  Most preachers want to moralize the stories of the Bible as a way for us to live godly lives.  You know, five steps to having your best life now, or three keys to a great marriage.  However, the purpose of the stories throughout the Bible is, primarily, to show how God’s grace invades our sinfulness and brokenness,  which we can't overcome otherwise.  That’s the good news! That’s the gospel! 

One look at the passage and you might say, “Where is God in all of this mess?” or “Where is Grace?”  God is at work behind the scenes, so to speak, working out his great plan.  For the dreams that Joseph had were from God, grace invasions, assuring God’s people the destiny for their lives.  Grace assures destiny for life. 

2.       Grace assures the destiny for life

Joseph has two dreams, “Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” But when he told it to his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

The dreams reveal God’s grace invasion.  God is at work.  God is calling a sinful man to become a leader for his people.  If you look closely, you find no mention of God.  God never speaks, but he is working, grace is working.  The two dreams, in essence, predict the end of the story, and one that ends well.  The reason for two dreams is important.  Two dreams reveal that what is going to happen is firmly decided by God, and God will do it.  In other words, God is assuring the destiny of his people, the advancement of his kingdom.    Furthermore, the dreams reveal the destiny of the whole family.  God will fulfill that which he has promised.  You can take it to the bank. 

Not only is God assuring the destiny of his people, but he reveals he will radically fulfill it.  You have to put these two dreams in historical context to realize the radical nature of God’s plan.  In both of the dreams, the older brothers, and the parents are all bowing down to Joseph.  This bowing down goes against the basic social structure of the day. 

The society of Jacob and Joseph was extremely hierarchical and patriarchal.  The younger always bow to the parents, and to the older, especially the oldest.  The oldest son was the one who got the inheritance, and therefore, the younger bow to the oldest. But these dreams turn this social structure upside down.  These dreams are radically socially subversive. 

What God is saying in these dreams is that he is going to fulfill his plan by doing what society says is impossible.  He is going to bring transformation to his people is the way that goes against social norms.  In other words, God’s destiny will be carried out in a way that is counter to what society says is possible. 

Grace assures God’s people of their future glory.  Everything may be screaming impossible, but God says he will do it. He works out his destiny and plans even when it seems that all his hopeless.  Grace invades our messy lives, and assures us, in our mess, that God’s destiny and dream for his people will come to pass.  And assurance is what God’s people need because grace attracts opposition to life. 

3.       Grace attracts opposition to life

Grace and sin are at work in these verses and the subsequent verses.  Grace is the backdrop of the tangled web of sin that we see in these verses.  Pride from the ideal son, hatred, bitterness, and jealousy from the bad-boy sons, and misplaced favoritism from dad are at the forefront on the canvas of God’s unparalleled grace.  The grace invasion given through divine dreams assures God’s plan, but it’s not without opposition. 

The morass of human sin opposes the work of Grace.  First, we have the pride of Joseph, that, if unchecked, would keep the great plan of God from moving forward.  Somehow, in his sovereignty, God uses his sin to bring about his plan, for his pride would set the scene for rejection.  Second, we have the bitterness of the brothers that hate Joseph with a passion. Again, God will use their bitterness to fulfill his destiny for his children. 

In our own lives, as God fulfills his destiny for our lives, we will face opposition from sin.  If you are like me, most of the complications I have come from my sin. I constantly have to battle pride and self-righteousness.  Many times, I am like Joseph’s brothers, and I reject the plan that God has for me simply because it goes against the norm, or it’s not done the way I want it done.  

Good news! In spite of the opposition to grace, God sustains us through it all in Christ.  Following Christ and allowing grace to work in your life does not mean that life will get easier.  It assures you a complicated life, but a life that is abundant and fulfilled in Christ Jesus.